30th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

We must always be willing to praise God with our lips. In today’s parable we are given great contrast between these two figures. The Pharisee proceeds to exalt his own deeds while the tax collector humbly prays with a contrite heart. We too must come to model ourself after the humility of this tax collector.

From the Book of Sirach we were told, “The Lord is a God of justice, who knows no favorites.” The Pharisee acts opposite to this because he is quick to point out that he “[fasts] twice a week” and “[pays] tithes on [his] whole income.” On the other hand, the tax collector cries out to God’s infinite mercy, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”

We must remain on guard against falling into the pride of this Pharisee. We cannot think that due to all the religious things that we do that we are better than others. We must clothe ourself with the virtue of humility which allows us to always remain on guard against such thoughts that might form inside of our mind.

From the Book of Sirach we are told how important that the prayer of the humble is. “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds.” Through such humility we are modeled after this tax collector whose simple prayer of humility pierced into the Heavens. Prayer can only take on such a manifestation if we are willing to place our trust not in ourself, but in God.

As we journey through the Sacred Mysteries of this Holy Mass such a reality should be made so within us. We do not just jump into the Mass, but we first turn towards the infinite mercy of God. There we are called upon to “acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to enter into these sacred mysteries.” We then call out to God with a contrite heart, “I confess to almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do.”

These words are not just vain words which make a list of all the great works that we have performed. We understand that salvation is a gift which comes to us from God. No matter how many good works we have performed this does not make up for mortal sin which brings death to our soul and thus our salvation. It is for this reason that we humbly move to the sacrament of confession in order that we may be forgiven of the sins that we have committed in order that we may be healed in God’s mercy and forgiveness.

The Catholic Church teaches that “faith without works is dead,” but at the same time acknowledges the need for a contrite heart that calls out to the infinite mercy of God. These works serve as a response to our commitment to the gospel and Christ which must be given of us. Let us choose to be like this tax collector who in humility “beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”

19th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

Our Introit addressed us, “In whatever tribulation they shall cry to Me, I will hear them and I will be their Lord for ever.”

Over the course of this last week there have been many who have cried out to the Lord and rightfully so.

Some of you have cried out in fear, others in sorrow, others in anger, and others who are just at a loss of words concerning that which might now lay before them.

Some of you have moved to Johnson City for this Mass, others have grown up in it, and others have came here later because they were drawn to its reverence.

Some of you may move over the announcement which was made last week and that is okay because we must be willing to go wherever the Lord calls.

Wherever it is that we go let us remain united to the Church and the unity that is expressed therein even if it might feel like such unity can never be a reality.

For those of you who remain in this parish community we will continue to express the fullness of Catholic teaching and this Mass will continue to be offered reverently in the Ordinary Form.

Our Gospel directed our sight towards a wedding feast. This is the same wedding feast to which we are invited for this is the Kingdom of Heaven.

We must strive with the help of God’s grace to run this race towards the Heavenly Kingdom.

This means that we must persevere to the very end without allowing our wedding garment to be stained by sin.

Thankfully we have the sacrament of confession to which we can flock to be cleansed from such a stain in order that we may once again be found to be whiter then snow.

In order that we can have the grace of final perseverance we must cry out to God and believe that He is our Lord forever.

When it pertains to the wounds caused by this transition let us continue to cry out to Him. So too when it pertains to every other struggle in this life we are the cry out to Him and place our trust in Him for He is our Lord for ever.

We are to set our hands to plow and not look back for in doing so we are taking our sight off of the Lord and this Heavenly Kingdom and placing it upon something else.

In faith let us cry out to the Lord for He is calling each of us to fidelity to Him and His Church.

18th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

From our Intriot we were instructed, “Give peace, O Lord, to them that patiently wait for Thee, that Thy prophets may be found faithful: hear the prayers of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel.”

From this verse we were given the words peace, faithful, and servant. Let us remain united to the peace that Christ alone can bring to our heart, let us allow the virtue of faith to be strengthened in order that we may never fall away from Christ and His Church, and let us always remain a servant to Christ in all that we say and do.

With this I must inform you that the pastors of parishes with the Extraordinary Form in collaboration with our bishop will now begin to transition this Mass into the Ordinary Form. This transition is made due to Pope Francis’ document, Traditionis Custodes, requesting that this form of the Mass no longer be offered in parish churches.

I understand that this news may be difficult to to hear. I sympathize with your fear and feelings of loss. Nevertheless, please be assured that this Mass at 2pm will continue for the most part as it has been.

This Mass will continue to be celebrated ad orientem, Gregorian chant including the chanting of the propers will continue, communion will continue to be offered at our make shift communion rail, and this Mass will continue to be offered in Latin. Despite transiting to the Missale Romanum 3rd edition the tradition of the Church will continue to be upheld and protected at this Mass.

As you exit the Church there will be a letter from me outlining this process of transition. Next weekend I have scheduled a meeting following Mass for anyone who would like to join me in discussing this transition that will be made over the course of the next three months.

No matter the feeling that we currently hold in our heart it is important that we remain united to the unity of the Church. We must remember and believe that the same Christ that is made present to us under the appearances of bread and wine will continue to be made manifest to us in the Eucharist. It is He who must be the rock upon which we place our faith. This transition is not reason to abandon the Church to pursue our own personal preferences. We must hold firm to the unity of faith for “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”

Let us invite the peace that Christ alone can bring to enter into our midst. Let us always remain faithful to the truth of faith and not be led astray. Let us always remain servants who are willing to follow wherever the Lord may lead, no matter how difficult it may be for us to follow.

Together let us move forward upon this transition in faith and trust in the Lord.

External Solemnity of the Rosary Homily

Today we celebrate the External Solemnity of the Most Holy Rosary. This celebration is great way to start this month of October because it reminds us that this month is dedicated to the rosary. Pope Leo has asked that the faithful throughout the world will join with him throughout this month to pray the rosary for peace.

This request is important to take seriously because our prayers are very important. This feast ended up being instituted by Pope Pius V to commemorate the victory that was won at the Battle of Lepanto. Pope Pius V had encouraged Christians throughout the world to pray the rosary for victory.

Our world truly needs such victory to be won. We are gravely in need of the peace that our Lord alone can bring. The news constantly reminds us of such turmoil that takes places locally, in our country, and in this world. There is constantly war, senseless violence such as attacks on schools or churches, and there has been the assassination of Charlie Kirk as well as the death of others.

Not only do we need peace in such areas as these, but our world also seems to move further and further away from the divine truths of faith. Children have wondered away from the faith, there increase in broken homes and a lack of a domestic church, sexuality is flaunted not accordance with divine law, and the sanctity of human life from conception until natural death is not respected.

Within the Church we have an attack on the unity of faith. There are some who have allowed their own opinions to rip them away from such unity and therefore we have so many denominations which reflect a splintered Christianity. Even in the Church there are some who allow personal opinions and preferences to become more important then the unity of faith.

Again the answer to this never ending litany of issues which our world faces is Christ the Prince of Peace. As our Blessed Mother appeared at Fatima and addressed herself as “The Lady of the Rosary.” She asked that the rosary be prayed in order “to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.”

Some might claim that the rosary is a devotion that focuses to much on Mary. This claim is not founded in truth. The hinge to which all things point in the “Hail Mary” is Jesus. He is the fruit of the womb and through the rosary we are able to mediate on the mysteries of His life, death, and resurrection.

Through the rosary we place our faith in the Lord as we allow our heart to be drawn closer to Him through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Let us take up this powerful weapon in faith and pray that our life, our family, our world may come to obtain peace. We can only obtain peace if we place our trust in Jesus.

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.

27th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

This Sunday has been designated as our stewardship Sunday. On this Sunday we reflect upon the importance of stewardship in the life of the faithful. Stewardship transcends the mere giving of money because through it one fully comes to recognize their mission as a Christian disciple. Through stewardship one freely gives of the many gifts that have been entrusted to our care by God.

Our response to our Responsorial Psalm proclaimed, “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Such a statement points inward upon self and reminds that we are to hear the voice of God that is being made manifest to us. We can only hear such a voice if we are first found willing to pursue relationship with God.

Through such a relationship we learn to pray. Prayer not only liturgical in nature or devotional (as important as these may be), but so to through the use of silence. Here we discover that silent voice that calls out to us and through the nurturing of such a voice we come to be transformed in the Lord’s presence.

Through such transformation we are able to grow in our participation in God’s love. In such manner our hearts come to be liberated through this relationship and from all that holds us captive. Stewardship then becomes a participation is such love for through it we are giving a response as a disciple of the Lord to God’s unconditional love that is being made manifest for us.

At the conclusion of our Gospel it was proclaimed that “we are unprofitable servants; we have done what what we were obliged to do.” From Psalm 116 we ask, “How can I repay the Lord for all the good He has done for me? The answer to this question as well as how we are to be an unprofitable servant is found through our commitment to stewardship.

CS Lewis once stated, “A person whose hands are full of parcels cannot receive a gift.” Stewardship allows us to enter into such a conversion where we can grow in our love and our desire to give freely of self through the use of our time, talent, and treasure. Stewardship is a part of our response to discipleship.

In our parish we are already blessed with so many good stewards who freely give of their time, talent, and treasure. Through our vast list of ministries are found so many who humbly give of themselves out of love. Stewardship is an invitation for us to continue to commit ourself in such a way for through such action we are found to be unprofitable servants.

Sometime this week all register families will receive a mailing asking them to make a commitment of their stewardship to our parish community. Please pray prior to filling out this form and return it next weekend during the offertory. It is my hope that all households will come together to fill out this form and make a commitment to give of their time, talent, and treasure based upon their state in life for the Lord calls to be unprofitable servant of all that has been entrusted to our care.

16th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

We are called to pursue the virtue of humility in our daily life. It can be easy to desire to pursue the place of honor at the expense of others. Rather, we should remember that we are a disciple of the Lord and thus everything that we do should flow from our relationship with Him. When things are about us and not about Him we have caused disorder in our life.

When we come to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass our disposition should not be about us and our own preferences, but about the Lord. Everyone has so many preferences to how we are to worship Him, but at the Mass we join with Him at Calvary where time continues to stands still and we are united as one. In the liturgy we are to direct our sight entirely to Him.

The liturgy is primarily the “work of God” because Christ, as High Priest, continues His redemptive work through the Church. Nevertheless, we are called upon to cooperate with such work through our full and active participation as God’s people known as the Church. Through a lack of humility we would rather the liturgy be about us instead of Christ.

Beyond the Church’s liturgy every aspect of our life should be informed by our relationship with Christ. We are so quick to exalt ourselves, but so slow to humble ourself in the Lord’s presence. When we interact with others, especially those who we do not agree with, we must treat them with charity and realize that we are nothing more then a disciple of the Lord.

As a disciple of the Lord everything that we do must flow from our relationship with Him. We can only make way for such a reality to be made manifest if we are found willing to enter into relationship with Him. The world is busy and filled with so much noise and thus we must choose to make prayer a priority. Through prayer we make way for the Lord to be in our midst.

The sacrament of confession assists us in making way for the Lord’s coming. Through sin we turn away from Him, but through the forgiveness of sins these wounds come to be healed. A confession of one’s sins is impossible if one is not first found willing to let go of their pride and be humbled by Christ’s mercy.

In a matter of moments we will invite the Lord to enter under our roof. This is a humble proclamation that is made due to the fact that Christ’s love for us is so great that He willing to prevail Himself to us under the appearances of bread and wine. Through the reception of this sacrament we must encounter Him with humility by letting go of our pride.

No matter what lies in wait for us from here let us remain united to the truth of faith. In the midst of all hardship and difficulty we must remember that all that we do is about Christ. Through humility we continue to make way for His coming among us and treat one another as an outpouring of such humility that He shows to us from the wood of the cross.

15th Sunday After Pentecost Homily

Many prophets have come and gone. There are four major prophets of the Old Testament Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. There are all of the minor prophets and the other prophets. The final prophet of the Old Covenant was Saint John the Baptist who prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah.

Prophets are sent to speak God’s will and designs to the people of the Old Covenant, forming them in the hope of salvation. Their role is to speak God’s truth and to remind those who would hear of their covenant with God and to call them back to that covenant through repentance. Though existing prior to the coming of Christ each of them pointed the way towards the one who would come.

Through the miracle that was worked in our Gospel "they glorified God, saying: A great prophet is risen up among us, and God has visited His people.” This profession gets to the heart of what we believe for Christ is the Son of God and is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity and is thus God Himself.

Jesus does not simply relay a message to us from God for He is the ultimate revelation of God for He is the Word who took on our human flesh and made His dwelling place here among us. He serves as the fulfillment of all prophecy for all of it pointed the way towards the one who would come, the Messiah.

From the Catechism we are told of our share in this prophetic office of Christ, “The holy People of God shares also in Christ's prophetic office," above all in the supernatural sense of faith that belongs to the whole People, lay and clergy, when it "unfailingly adheres to this faith . . . once for all delivered to the saints,” and when it deepens its understanding and becomes Christ's witness in the midst of this world.”

In other words as people of faith we must continue to bear witness to God’s truth daily. In order to accomplish this task we must live according to God’s design, we must show Jesus to others in the way in which we live and order our life, and we must help at building up the Kingdom of God here on earth through our actions.

So many act as passive spectators when it pertains to such a prophetic role. There is nothing which is passive about our faith because it is the proclamation of all that is true. Through it we are professing our salvation which should be of top importance to each of us. Let us boldly set out to profess Christ Jesus in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

“A great prophet is risen up among us, and God has visited His people.” This proclamation is of utter importance and thus we must continue to spread the Good News of this message.

25th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

From Saint Paul we were told, “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

There are some of other faith traditions who improperly apply this verse against Catholicism. They claim that we place Mary and the saints over the power of Christ. They claim that priests, bishops, and even the pope take the place of Christ. They act as if we are able to go to Christ with our needs. They rightly claim that Christ is the one mediator between God and men (that is what scripture says after all), but improperly understand this verse in light of the Church.

From the 2nd Vatican Council document Lumen Gentium, “The one mediator, Christ, established and ever sustains here on earth his holy Church, the community of faith, hope, and charity, as a visible organization through which he communicates truth and grace to all men.”

And from the Council of Trent well before that, “If anyone asserts that this sin of Adam, which in its origin is one, and by propagation, not by imitation, transfused into all, which is in each one as something that is his own, is taken away either by the forces of human nature or by a remedy other than the merit of the one mediator, our Lord Jesus Christ . . . let him be anathema.”

As Catholics we understand the importance of the intercession of the saints. They are able to pray for us as we are able to pray for one another. They unlike us, have already been found worthy of Heaven and have thus been incorporated into the beatific vision. In no way do they take the place of Christ for even Saint Paul understood that “supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone”.

The title Mary Mediatrix of All Graces does not go against what was spoken of by Saint Paul concerning Christ. Mary’s role is not independent, but instead receives its power and authority from Christ. It was she who brought God into this world through her womb and thus she is able to connect humanity to God through her Son. She is solely a conduit through which God’s grace flows to us.

Priests have a unique role assigned to them. They pray for the faithful, they offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and they minister at the sacraments. Despite this unique role they are not mediators between man and God, that is Christ alone. At the heart of the Mass is Christ who lays down His life for us out of love upon the cross.

As Catholics we should pray directly to Jesus for He is the one mediator. At the same time let us continue to pray for one another and to ask the intercession of the angels and saints that we may come to live good and holy lives. And so let us ask the “blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God. Amen.”

Exaltation of the Holy Cross Homily

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross where the cross is held high for all the world to see. This cross is, after all, the instrument from which our salvation has been won for us.

From the Book of Numbers we were told of Moses who lifted high the seraph which was mounted upon the pole. Those who looked at it, even if bitten, would live. So too we as Christians are able to look upon the cross and we thou touched by the reality of sin are able to live.

The crucifix is an image of Christ’s redemptive act. Whenever we look at such an image our mind should be taken to the total outpouring of love that Christ has for us. He was willing to lay down His life in order that we may be redeemed. Saint Pail spoke of this in our Epistle for “he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave.”

Saint Rose of Lima stated, “Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.” This past Sunday we were invited from the Gospel of Saint Luke to take up this cross, “whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” 

Therefore, despite all the Lord has done for us we are given the option to rebuke this cross. In rebuking the cross we rebuke the Lord and the love that He has shown for us. By entering into our own interests at the cost of the cross we cannot find ourself in Heaven. For words of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”

As we further celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross let us come to grow in our love for the cross. It is not just a simple pendant that is worn around one’s neck, but is a way of life. The more that we are found willing to enter into the mystery of the cross the more that we are able to grow in love.

The cross is truly something which is irksome, but through it we are given life. Let us hold high the cross and looking upon it dare to live as a Christian, instead of so easily compromising the life of faith to pursue the ways of this world. With every cross that we must endure we are able to look outward towards the hope of the Resurrection. This is the joy which we must pursue and it can only be made manifest if we are willing to embrace the cross which has been held high for us.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.