3rd of Advent Year C Homily

Saint John the Baptist was asked on three occasions in the Gospel of Saint Luke, “What should we do?” His answer given to the these questions point the way towards the one who is to come and what they must do if they are to be found receptive of Him. Saint John the Baptist makes it clear that he is not the Messiah, but only the precursor of the one who is to come.

As he stated in this gospel, “one mightier than I is coming.” During this season of Advent we prepare ourself for this coming of the Lord. He comes to us as Word Made Flesh, He comes to us in the Eucharist, and He will come again at the end of time. For this encounter with Him we must be found prepared.

Therefore, we too must ask this question which was given to Saint John the Baptist. “What should we do? This season of Advent assists us in making these preparations which are necessary in order that we may come to receive Him with joy. Sadly, we often spend Advent chasing after other pursuits that make us ready for Christmas in a worldly sense instead of a spiritual sense.

Whenever something is being asked of us it can be easy to forget that we are being called to place our trust in the Lord. Those who came to Saint John the Baptist were called to undergo hardships which would cause them to grow in their love of the Lord once He came. We too must undergo such penances in order that we may grow in our love for Him.

When we are liberated from our passions which hold us captive we are able to see the life that has been given through such action. We should never act as slaves to our passions, but as those who have been given freedom. Saint John the Baptist’s words were invitation to those who heard them to be liberated from all that held them captive.

On this 3rd Sunday of Advent we are told in the words of Saint Paul to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Whenever we called upon to let go of that which is not necessary we are given reason to rejoice for we have been liberated. The world looks upon such acts of penance and is confused on why they would be a reason to rejoice.

We are able to rejoice for the Lord’s coming is nigh and through Him we have been given everything that we will ever need in order to be happy. Saint John the Baptist was giving aid to those who came to Him in order that they in due time could rejoice. So too by asking what we must do are we given reason to rejoice.

Let us dare to rejoice with the Lord always by doing whatever is necessary for us to receive Him at His coming. This is not a call to partially receive Him because we are found unwilling to to let go of something. This is a call to allow our whole to be lived in relationship with Him without compromise.

Immaculate Conception Homily

Today we observe the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the commemoration of the 2nd Sunday of Advent.

The Immaculate Conception is the infallible statement that Mary was conceived without the stain of sin which includes original sin. This is not an achievement made by her, but by God who worked on her behalf in order that she would be the pure and spotless vessel that would be the mother of Christ.

Theotokos is a Greek title given to Mary which means “God-bearer” or “Mother of God.” This is a statement which points towards the divinity of Christ. He is both fully human and fully divine. Through the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary He became flesh and made His dwelling place among us.

It is this womb which contained the very presence of God. In the Old Testament it was the Ark of the Covenant which held God’s presence. The ark had to be pure and spotless due to the one which it contained, God. Likewise, Mary becomes the New Ark of the Covenant for she is the God-bearer.

At the Annunciation the angel Gabriel came to Mary and exclaimed, “Hail, full of grace!” This salutation is significant for it conveys the truth that Mary was conceived without the stain of sin and was in the state of grace at this moment in time. This is so because she was filled with grace to its fullest degree by God for in the past as she was prepared for this role in salvation history.

In the Book of Acts we are told that Saint Stephen was “filled with grace.” Despite being the same word in the English language it is a different word in the Greek. What is being implied by its use in connection to Saint Stephen would be the same that could be used concerning us through our baptism or sacramental confession.

As we continue this Advent journey we must be concerned with opening our heart unto God in order that we may be found receptive to the gift of His grace. It is through our willingness to entertain temptation and fall into the occasion of sin that we turn away from such a reality. Where we have been thrust into darkness we must allow the Lord in His mercy to lift us out of it.

The Blessed Mother is often depicted standing on top of a serpent for in the words of the Book of Genesis, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.” Through her intercession may we come to more perfectly open ourself up to the grace of God and turn away from the assaults of the devil for she has already crushed him under her foot.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

Anniversary of Dedication of Church Homily

Today our parish observes the Solemnity of the Anniversary of the Dedication of our Church. On this day in the year 2000 this Church was dedicated unto God that it may be set apart from the rest of the world as a place that is fitting for the celebration of the sacraments and that it may life up our heart to Heaven.

If we look inwardly upon what takes place within these walls we see people being dedicated unto God. They come here in order to pray, that their children may be baptized, that their marriage may be witnessed, that the soul of their loved one may be prayed for at their funeral, that their sins may be absolved, that they may be anointed at the danger death brought about due to sickness or old age, and that they may come to know and love Christ who dwells with us in the Eucharist.

As we are told by Saint Augustine, “just as this building has been made for us to gather in physically, so that building which we ourselves are is being constructed for God to live in spiritually. “For the temple of God,” says the apostle, “which is what you are, is holy.”

Therefore, as we continue our Advent preparations we prepare for the time when He will come again. Day by day we must be built up in order that we may live as a temple of God. We must be found prepared to meet Him at that moment when He comes again. Let this celebration assist us in coming to serve the Lord our God by our life.

1st Sunday of Advent Year C Homily

As each academic year would come to its end at Conception Seminary we were always reminded about the Blessed Last Things. These were placed before our sight in order that we would not grow slack in the final days, but finish well. After all, with the Christmas or summer vacation so close it would be easy to not treat those last days as if they were important.

Today is the 1st Sunday of Advent and very soon we will arrive at our celebration of Christmas. With all the preparations that we must make for this season of Christmas it would be so easy to overlook Advent. After all, there is a lot of shopping that must be done, decorations which must go up, and a never ending list of parties to attend. Let us remember that Christmas is not yet here.

In our Gospel we are warned that we cannot allow our heart to “become drowsy.” Therefore, we are called upon to remain “vigilant at all times” for the coming of Christ is nigh. This coming is made known at Christmas, but too in the Eucharist and at the end of time when He will come again. No matter when we encounter Him we must be found prepared.

Just as it is so easy to celebrate as if Christmas is already here, so would it be so easy to live our life as if we will never be called home to Him. This facade is one that cannot be sustained for there will come a point in time when we will stand face to face before Him. Will we be found prepared for such an encounter or squander the time that has been set before us?

Advent is a beautiful season of the Church that aids us in such preparations. We would notice that during this season the priest wears violet which serves as a reminder of our need to undergo penance. During this season we should focus on prayer and fasting in order that we may purify ourself of all that keeps us from being found prepared for the coming of Christ.

At the time of the Nativity it was said that there was no room in the inn. We too make no room within the inn of heart for the Lord to enter in and dwell with us. Use this time for prayer especially as a family. Use this time to study Sacred Scripture for in the words of Saint Jerome, “ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.” Use this time do acts of charity which send us outside of the doors of this Church in order to bring Christ into the world.

Also, if it has been a long time since your last confession I invite you to return to this sacrament. If we want nothing to do with this sacrament we have closed ourself from being found receptive of the gift of God’s grace. We must remember that the Lord is merciful with us, but we must first desire His mercy.

May we allow this season of Advent to assist us in remaining “vigilant at all times.” There is a lot that goes on around us especially at this time of the year. Let us take to heart the Blessed Last Things which are necessary (for we are not yet there) if we are to be found ready for the coming of Christ and the celebration of Christmas.

Last Sunday After Pentecost Homily

Today we celebrate the Last Sunday After Pentecost which serves as the final Sunday of the liturgical year. Our Gospel stated to us, “Then if any man shall say to you: Lo, here is Christ, or there; do not believe him: for there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect.”

These words calls us to remain on guard. There is a lot in our modern day culture that people get wrapped up in and so they begin to lose sight of Christ. Through the pursuit of money, social status, and pleasure people allow themself to get trapped and so they begin to follow after false prophets.

Each of these false prophets attempts to fill a void that exists within us that can only be filled by Christ. Without Christ we will constantly be longing for something more. It is only in Christ that we will come to find our fulfillment. Through Him we come to receive that which fills up to the fullest degree to the point that it is flowing over.

As we conclude this liturgical year and begin a new one as we enter into the season of Advent we come to place our sight upon His coming among us. Through His first coming He came out of love in order to save. As He comes among us today in the Eucharist He prevails Himself to us out of love. Also, He will come again at the end of time and we must be found prepared for this encounter.

To this encounter with Him we prepare as we continue to orient our sight towards Him in all things. There is nothing more important then assistance at the Holy Mass each Sunday for here we come to give thanks and to receive the outpouring of God’s grace that is being prevailed to us. We must make our homes places of prayer for in doing so we come to dedicate our life and families unto Him.

So often what is found within our homes is not a dwelling place for Christ to enter in and dwell with us. Instead families are separated from one another and never come together in order to pray. Time is spent pursing modern day culture alone while spending no time with the Lord. It is no wonder why so many choose not to pursue Him for He has never been made a priority in their life.

We must take it upon ourself to stir the flame faith into existence. False prophets will continue to give rise and attempt to pull us away from such practice. We cannot heed these voices and instead must remain sober and alert for the bridegroom will come soon. Let this time that has been set before us to not be squandered, but to live for Christ.

Resumed 6th Sunday After Epiphany Homily

The mustard seed and leaven are small and seem to be insignificant to the human eye. Nevertheless, the mustard seed gives growth to a much larger plant and the leaven gives rise to bread. Through the transformation that takes place something much larger comes forth from that which seems to be small and insignificant.

So too we must come to develop such faith in the Lord. When we look upon the world around us it can seem to be too large and difficult to overcome. This would be true if we had nothing to do with faith and entered into the world all alone. As those who have been incorporated into the life of the Church through baptism have been given the grace necessary to live for the Lord.

In the days of its foundation the Church seemed to be small and insignificant to those looking upon it. As time went by it began to grow and accomplish many great things because people were so convinced of the truth of the Gospel that they were willing to lay down their life in defense of it.

As Pope Benedict XVI had stated of the Church of our modern age, “From the crisis of today the Church of tomorrow will emerge- a Church that has lost much. She will become small and will have to start afresh more or less from the beginning. She will no longer be able to inhabit many of the edifices she built in prosperity.”

This quotation should not bring us to despair, but hope. There is hope because the Church has been established by Christ. There is hope because from the remnant will come people who believe and profess the totality of the Church’s teachings. From those unwilling to compromise the truth will come a new Pentecost that will set the world on fire for the faith.

We must be those who are so convinced of this reality and choose to live it now. We may be small and insignificant in nature like the mustard seed, but when we prevail ourself unto God and the gift of His grace we will be given all that we will need to be His disciple.

As was also said of this mustard seed earlier in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

From this verse we can see the need to have faith. Let us not be filled with fear concerning the largeness of the world in all its difficulties. Compared to this reality faith seems to be small and insignificant, but it is enough to move mountains. Let us choose to live for the Lord that sends us out into His abundant harvest for through faith we given all that we will need to be His disciples.

33rd Sunday of OT Year B Homily

At the start of Mass our parish held the Rite of Welcoming for the catechumens and candidates of our parish who will enter fully into the life of the Church at Easter. Let us continue to pray for them as they undergo this journey which leads towards an intimate encounter with our Risen Lord. All of us constantly need such renewal to take place in us in order that we may remain united unto Him.

Next weekend will be the celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King. Then we will arrive at the 1st Sunday of Advent and prepare for the coming of the Lord who comes among us Word made Flesh at Christmas, who will come again at the end of time, and continues to come among us in the Eucharist.

As we draw closer to the end of the liturgical year we notice reading such as the ones provided to us today. They focus on the end of time and through them we were told “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Truly there is urgency found in this passage and in all time that has been allotted to us.

Let us not squander this time that is set before us, but use it to live for the Lord. We do this by professing Him as Messiah and living our life not for sin, but for Him. These catechumens and candidates hold this pledge in the depths of their heart as they ever draw closer to Easter. We too must enter fully into the sacramental life of the Church and be sent forth to live not for this world, but for the Lord.

Resumed 5th Sunday After Epiphany Homily

This past week we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints and observed the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. These days reminded us of the totality of the Church made up of the Church Triumphant (those now in Heaven), the Church Purgative (those now in Purgatory), and the Church Militant (those now here on earth).

We should all strive to be saints just like those now in Heaven. This means that we take upon ourself the mission to pursue holiness in our everyday life. The many saints of God show us that this is possible in so far as we are willing to live for the Lord. Through entering into the sacramental life of the Church we are given the grace needed to pursue this path.

In passing from this life to that which is to come we cannot forget that the life that we have lived on this earth matters. Some proclaim with confidence at every single funeral that they are now in Heaven. How do we know this to be true? How do we know this to be true of ourself if we are not willing to live for the Lord by separating ourself from a life of sin?

As was stated in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, “Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.” This precisely what is being mentioned in today’s Gospel through the separating of the cockle from the wheat. The cockle must be cast out because it is not good for human consumption and so those who want nothing to do with the Lord must be cast out.

As was said in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive our demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?” So too it is with those who want to hide behind their list of outward deeds without allowing their inside that is seen by no one to be purified.

When we die we will be judged and thus sorted like the cockle from the wheat. Some to Heaven and others to hell. Notice that Purgatory is not on this list. Purgatory is not the place of second chances, but is where one who has already been judged as worthy of Heaven goes to be purified of temporal punishment. We must remember to pray for the souls in Purgatory instead of failing to pray for them.

As we come to the conclusion of this liturgical year we should continue to prepare ourself for that which is most important in our life, our salvation. Let us choose to strive to be saints by coming to embrace holiness in our everyday life. We can only embrace holiness if we are willing to let go of sin and embrace the Lord. Let us to such as those saints of God who have now gone before us into Paradise.

All you saints of God, pray for us.

32nd Sunday of OT Year B Homily

From a purely financial standpoint this woman gave nothing compared to those who gave large sums of money. Nevertheless, this woman gave all that she had and had even given more then those who gave a larger sum. In giving she held nothing back as she proceeded to give entirely of herself.

We too must commit ourself unto the Lord in such a fashion. It is so easy to contribute only a portion of our life unto Him. A portion is not enough because we should allow Him to be integrated entirely into who we are as a human person. Why do we find it so difficult to place our trust in Him?

As Elijah stated to the woman in our first reading, “Do not be afraid.” So too the Lord time and time again invited His disciples to be not afraid. In coming to place our trust in Him we must also heed these words and be not afraid. Yes, there will always be something that exists outside ourself that will beat us about, but in faith we must remember that it is Christ who calms these storms.

This woman who gave entirely from what she possessed could of allowed such fear to overcome her. She could of refrained from giving because in doing so she would have nothing left. She could of rationalized that she would have nothing to eat, to wear, or the simple comforts of this life through such a contribution. Nevertheless, in faith she gave entirely of herself and was not found to be afraid.

As we are told from the Gospel of Saint Matthew: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

These words remind us of the importance of this life and how we are to place our trust in the Lord. There will always be some excuse or fear that fills our mind, but we cannot allow such dispositions to cause us to loose sight of the one who is most important. Through the Lord we have and will be given everything that we will ever need.

Like the woman of our gospel we too must commit ourself unto the Lord in such a manner. This does not mean that we are called to give every penny that we own to the church (this would not be prudent), but does mean that we are to dedicate our life unto the Lord by placing our trust in Him not partially, but totally.

My brothers and sisters in Christ let us choose to live entirely for the Lord and let go of all that gets in the way of us being able to serve Him by our life.

Resumed 4th Sunday After Epiphany Homily

“O you of little faith.” In such manner the Lord rebuked His apostles for their lack of faith for they were filled with fear due to the storm that was taking place around them. In this moment of anguish they failed to realize and trust that the Lord was already in their midst. His thus came to calm these storms leading to an increase of faith on behalf of the apostles.

In such manner the Lord continues to rebuke each of us for our lack of faith. There are many storms which give rise in our life and it becomes so easy to get caught up in them to the point of taking our sight off of the Lord. Through faith placed in Him these storms can and will come to be calmed and yet we so easily fail to turn towards the Lord.

Whenever something is out of our control it is easy to get caught up in a never ending litany of what ifs. This pertains to our health, our relationships, our livelihood, the state of our nation, world, and church. Through pursuit of these many what ifs we allow more storms to give rise instead of turning these plights over to the Lord.

We must find comfort in the fact that this is not the first time that the disciples had heard these words from the Lord nor would it be the last time that they would hear them spoken. These words were spoken in the Gospel of Saint Matthew on one prior occasion and 3 occasions after. If only faith were so easy they would not have to be constantly reminded.

From the Book of Hebrews we are told, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” So often we only have faith if we are able to see the end result. Faith is something that must be placed in the Lord and not be wavering with the wind brought about due to what we receive or not.

If there is to be faith we must have the virtue of hope. A person who is without hope is led into a spirit of despair. They are unable to look outward and see that anything good will eventually come from the situation that is at hand. From the Catechism we are told concerning it, “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.”

Therefore, we must keep our sight placed firmly upon the Lord. It is He who is our hope and so no matter what takes place we must embrace this reality. The virtue of faith is something that we must all grow in, not only once, but always. There will continue to come points in our life where these storms will seem to be vast and there will be those moments when all is calm. Wherever it is that we find ourself today we must have faith.

All Souls Day Homily

Today we observe the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed also known to us as All Souls Day. On this day we call to mind that there is a necessity to pray for those in Purgatory. Purgatory is not a second chance at salvation for to be here is to already be judged as worthy of Heaven.

As we are told concerning those in Purgatory in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.”

Therefore, through our prayers we must continue to assist these souls who are still imperfectly purified. Likewise, we must set our attention upon Heaven without looking back. Not desiring to slip into Purgatory with the tip of our toe, but to be judged as worthy of Heaven like those now in Purgatory and numbered among the saints in Heaven.

Let us continue to pray for these holy souls who have now gone before us into Eternal Life. Let us come to order our life after the Kingdom of Heaven while we still have the opportunity. 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 we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints.

For some the saints may seem to be a foreign entity which is held far away from us. Through this mindset they are kept at a distance and not seen as something that we should strive to be. The saints are not simple legends of individuals which teach us a nice lesson about morality nor are they dead and thus of no assistance to us.

The saints are those who have now been called home to Heaven. There are the saints whose names have been revealed to us by God through the Church and there are those saints now called home to God whose names we do not know. The saints were real individuals who lived a life of sanctity and thus died in the state of grace and were judged as worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Saints serve as intercessors for us. We do not pray to them as if they are God, but ask them to pray to God on our behalf. We must remember that they are now with God in Heaven and thus through the beatific vision to which they have been joined are able to hear our prayers. Unlike those whom we know in this life they are now with God and their prayers are very important.

The saints serve as models of holiness for us. Our culture has lifted up many models for us through music, television, movies, and sports. Through these glimpses we are not always afforded an image of what it means to be a Christian and thus a servant of the Lord. The saints give us such a glimpse for their lives ended up being lived for the Lord. Instead of exalting celebrities we should look towards the saints in order that we may come to model our life in similar fashion.

We too are called to be saints. This means that we are called to strive for the Kingdom of Heaven above all things. The saints are real for if they were not there we be no one in Heaven including us once our time on this earth expires. Through our devotion to these holy men, women, and angels may we persevere in running the race to Heaven. Let us “rejoice and be glad, for (our) reward will be great in heaven.”

All you holy saints of God, pray for us.