4th Sunday of Lent Year A Homily

We have now arrived at the 4th Sunday of Lent which is often refereed to as Laetare Sunday. This name is taken from the first word of our Introit, rejoice. “Rejoice with Jerusalem; be glad for her, all you that love this city! Rejoice with her now, all you that have mourned her! You will enjoy her prosperity, like a child at its mother’s breast.”

With this celebration we should note that are we are now roughly halfway through the Lenten season. As we move into this next half of time it is easy to grow weary and to not remain alert. So too with the pilgrimage of life that we undergo it is so easy to grow weary and not keep our sight upon the Kingdom of Heaven.

Laetare Sunday is a day of great hope and joy. It is the realization that we are just about there and so we must continue to hold steadfast as we keep our sight upon the Kingdom of Heaven above all things. Very soon we will come to celebrate with joy our risen Lord and very soon we will be called home to Him through death with Heaven as our hope.

As Psalm 91 reminds in reference to this length of time set before us, “You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that roams in the darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon.” This is what is often refereed to as the noonday devil also known as acedia which is a lack of care, apathy, boredom, or discouragement in spiritual matters.

To combat such acedia we need to make time for prayer and scripture, we must engage the work that is set before us, we must persevere throughout the course of the day striving to overcome temptation, and we must make use of the sacramental life of the Church especially the sacrament of confession.

We cannot give into this noonday devil and thus we must remember where we have been, the waters of baptism, and where we are headed, an encounter with our Risen Lord and the Kingdom of Heaven. There is a tradition on this 4th Sunday of Lent to make a pilgrimage to your church of baptism thus remembering where you have been. This is an interesting tradition which unites one to there baptism and what is still set before them in this life of faith.

Today we also hold the 2nd scrutiny for those who will soon find their church of baptism as this parish. Through the life giving waters of baptism your eyes will come to be opened as the blind man in our Gospel. As you rise from these waters you must always keep your sight upon Christ and continue to move towards Him with the confidence of faith each day. Let us keep them in our prayers.

May this day assist us in being able to rejoice as we continue to set our sight towards the coming of Easter and the life which is to come in the Kingdom of Heaven. Through such a glimpse we are given the hope and joy which is necessary to move forth from here as true disciples of the Lord instead of growing weary and being consumed by the noonday devil.

3rd Sunday of Lent Homily (Extraordinary Form)

At the Easter Vigil we will come to behold the Light of Christ which dispels the darkness of sin and death from our midst. At our baptism we were given such a light for through these life-giving waters we have come to be claimed for Christ and thus the darkness of sin has been washed away from our midst.

Our Epistle reminds us that we “were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light.” As we are told of such light in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where is gives light to all in the house.”

In other words we must embrace that faith that has been given to us to its fullest extent. We ought to come Mass each Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, we ought to study Sacred Scripture and the faith, but we must also choose to do something with what we have been given. We must choose to live for Christ in all facets of our life that the Gospel may remain firmly on our mind, lips, and heart.

As our Lord exclaimed in our Gospel, “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.” Our faith demands that we take what we have been given and bring it into the world in order that it may be lived.

It is sin that seeps into our life and destroys that which ought to be made manifest. Sadly, there are many who see no issue with sin because the ugliness of its ways remains unseen by their sight. To remain in sin is to attempt to extinguish this light that ought to be left burning brightly. When the bridegroom comes in search for us we will not be found ready for our encounter with death.

The sacrament of confession heals that which has been left broken down by sin. Through the mercy of God and the grace outpoured we come to be forgiven and strengthened in order that we may head into the world and live as a disciple of Christ. To not frequent this sacrament would be to give into pride to the point that we are never healed and set straight.

This parish is filled with many opportunities to make use of the sacrament of confession. This Thursday we will hold our Lenten penance service where a total of nine priests will assist with the hearing of confessions. If it has been a long time since your last confession please make use of the opportunities which are constantly being set before you.

My brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus we must enter fully into this season of Lent in order that we may be found prepared for our encounter with Christ. Do not move backwards into the darkness of sin, but forward into the light of Christ which dispels such darkness from our midst. 

3rd Sunday of Lent Year A Homily

From the Book of Exodus we were instructed on how the Israelites had a thirst for water as they toiled about in the desert. In our Gospel we were told of the woman at the well who came in order to fill her jar with water. This need for water is an important element of our survival, but it  is Christ alone who is able to fill our need to the brim.

It was through the waters of baptism that we encountered such a reality. Through these life giving waters our sin came to be washed away as we were claimed for Christ Jesus. It is not enough to enter into these waters, but we must also rise out of them as a disciple of Christ in all that we say and do.

Very soon we will arrive at Easter where we will come to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord and renew within ourself that commitment which was made at our baptism. So too there will be those who will soon enter into these same life giving waters at the Easter Vigil. For this reason we hold the first scrutiny for those in our Becoming Catholic class who will soon be baptized.

As we join our prayers with them as they continue to prepare themself for this encounter with the life giving waters of baptism and to proclaim Christ as Messiah we must evaluate our own life and ask what ways we have allowed ourself to be led astray from Christ and the life that springs forth for us from His love and mercy.

This Thursday we will hold our Lenten Penance Service at 6pm. There will be a total of nine priests who will assist with the hearing of confessions. If it has been a long time since your last confession I invite you to use this opportunity to renew that which has been left pushed to the side. None of us can be so prideful as to proclaim that we are not in need of Christ’s mercy and the forgiveness of sins that awaits us in the sacrament of confession.

Do we truly proclaim Him as “the savior of the world” or would we rather Him be lowered to the status of the world? To submit oneself to baptism is a huge statement because it is countercultural as being a Christian is countercultural for we are in the world, but not of the world.

Christ brought His mercy and forgiveness to this woman as He desires to bring His mercy and forgiveness to us. We are all in need of this mercy and forgiveness and so we are in need of having this encounter with Him in the sacrament of confession. Through our continued profession of Christ as Messiah may we allow ourself to be transformed in His mercy which has redeemed the world from sin and death.

2nd Sunday of Lent Year C Homily

The cross has become a central symbol to our Christian identity. We see our churches adorned with the crucifix, we have crucifixes on the walls of our home, and we wear them around our neck. What is being displayed here is an important reminder of God’s infinite love for us and how our salvation has been won.

Despite it’s centrality to our life the cross is something which is difficult to bear. The cross is not just an empty symbol, but one which calls to mind the totality of our commitment to the Lord which should spring forth in the midst of every trial and temptation. There is no trial or temptation that transcends the cross which has redeemed the world.

The Lord has stated to us, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” If all that we know is the cross which continuously beats us down there would be no opportunity for hope. There some maybe even here who live in such a sate of mind. Hope is a virtue which springs forth with the understanding that the cross and resurrection work in unison with one another.

Thoerefore, in the midst of the trails of the cross we are able to look towards the joy of the resurrection. Also, in the midst of the joys of the resurrection we have the cross to fall back upon when our life begins to get difficult. Together these work in order that the virtue of hope may continue to exist in the midst of everything that we must face in this life.

It is no accident that on this 2nd Sunday of Lent we are always told about the Transfiguration of the Lord. This is not to be confused with the Feast of the Transfiguration, that will come on August 6th. Instead this encounter is placed here because it brings forth hope to the apostles who will soon come to know the events of the Lord’s Passion.

In this encounter we are given a glimpse into Jesus’ divine glory which reminds us of the ultimate victory over death and suffering which awaits us through His resurrection. The Lord’s Transfiguration is a shining light which springs forth in the midst of hardship and sacrifice using in the virtue of hope.

As we continue this Lenten journey as well as the journey of our own life let us be filled with such consolation from the Lord. It can be easy to allow the cross to become a mere object without purpose. It can be easy to look past the cross that is present in our own life without joining it unto the Lord. Let hope be extended to our life for through these events which spring forth our salvation is being won for us and we can indeed triumph.

Let us continue this journey towards the Transfiguration which brings about our transformation in the midst of a world that has been touched by sin and death.

1st Sunday of Lent Year C Homily

Jesus was led into the desert by the spirit. This emphasized His cooperation with the will of God the Father. He was willing to go where He was being led instead of resisting the call that came His way.

The desert was a place of preparation for His coming public ministry. While here he prayed and fasted for a period of forty days and nights. The desert is a place of solitude and silence where one is able to withdraw from the noise of this world.

While here He came to be tempted by the assaults of the devil. Nevertheless, He held fast solid in faith and did not allow the devil to lead Him astray. To each lie that the devil threw His way He overcame with the truth of scripture.

We have now entered into this sacred season of Lent. Hopefully we see this season as an opportunity to grow in our life of faith. The allures of the devil are real, but despite them we can overcome these temptations through the assistance of the outpouring of God’s grace.

Through our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving we better orient our sight unto God. We allow that which has grown disordered in our life to be brought back to it’s proper purpose. These actions prepare us for an encounter with Christ, especially our encounter when Him arisen at Easter.

Therefore, we cannot just pass through this season as if we are in a slumber. Nor can we pass through our life as if we are asleep. The spiritual warfare that surrounds us is something which is most serious and therefore we must remain vigilant in our practice of faith.

The Israelites passed through the dessert for a period of forty years until they finally reached the promise land. This time is symbolic of our life’s journey towards Heaven. We must set our sight upon this pearl of great price and strive with the help of God’s grace to obtain it.

As was stated by Saint Anthony of the Desert, “The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He is also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the Sign of the Cross.”

May this season be a time in which we are willing to be led by the Spirit into the desert. Through our prayer and sacrifices we choose to change our life in order that our time may be made for Christ and we may be transformed in His presence. 

This season of Lent will help us to undergo such a transformation if we allow it. Let us not be led away from here by the ways of this world, but by the Spirit. If we are found willing to cooperate with the Spirit we will be found ready for Easter and too the Kingdom of Heaven.

Ash Wednesday Homily

Today we enter into the season of Lent starting with this observance of Ash Wednesday. We fast and pray in order that we who have been touched by sin may come to be set free from such a burden through Christ. These ashes that we will soon dare to receive remind us that we are sinners who are in need of the mercy of God. As our Gospel instructed, “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them.” This means that we must look inwardly upon self and dare to bring forth that conversion which is necessary if we are to be redeemed. May this Lenten season be fruitful for us by entering into it with such a disposition of mind in order that we may truly come to “repent and believe in the Gospel” “for we are dust and to dust we shall return.”

Quinquagesima Homily

The blind man cried out, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.” After being rebuked he only cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” At such persistence Jesus heard his cry and was moved to pity concerning him. Through this life giving encounter his sight came to be restored.

We must have the faith and persistence of this blind man in our gospel. His words were not just emptily spoken, but they were meant in the depths of his heart. When things did not go his way he did not allow himself to give up and stop. Rather, he continued to shout out to the Lord in the midst of his need for he had faith and hope.

At some point in time we all find ourself to be similar in nature to this blind man. We cry out and it may seem that our prayers are never heard. We say and do all the right things and yet it might seem that things never go our way. Some will use these moments to give into despair and to quit instead of persevering in their life of faith.

In the midst of such hardship we should keep our sight upon the Lord and His coming Passion. At the start of our gospel it was mentioned that the they shall “go up to Jerusalem.” From here His apostles were told, that he “shall be mocked and scourged and spit upon: and after they have scourged Him, they will put Him to death.”

These verses point towards the coming Passion and what we will soon come face to face with during the Lenten season. When our prayers seem to not be heard and when our life is difficult we can turn towards the sorrowful Passion of our Lord and choose to be joined unto Him by continuing to cry out to Him in faith.

As the Lord would state to His disciples in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” In Lent many will come together to pray the Stations of the Cross on Fridays. In doing so they are reminded of the sorrowful Passion of our Lord and how through His Passion we have come to be redeemed.

As we continue to prepare the way for Lent and thus Easter we ought to take to prayer the ways in which we lack such faith and hope in the Lord. Ways in which we rebuke His cross instead of allowing ourself to be joined unto it. May this season bring forth within the depths of hearts such faith and hope.

In faith let us continue to cry out, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me” for by His holy cross, we have come to be redeemed.

8th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

It is hard to believe that Wednesday is the start of Lent.

This gospel passage is very timely in light of the preparations that we now undertake for this sacred season. Here we were challenged to look inwardly upon self in order that we may remove “the wooden beam from (our) eye.”

It is interesting that it is only a splinter in our brother’s eye, but a wooden beam in our own eye. This is a huge difference. Nevertheless, we so often infatuate our self with that splinter instead of worrying about that which is taking place within our self.

What would your answer be if you were asked what is wrong with the world? Maybe your answer would be a president past or present. Maybe your answer would be a group of individuals that you do not agree with politically or morally. The list is endless.

When this question was asked to GK Chesterton his answer was simple, “I am what is wrong.” This answer relates perfectly to our gospel and the concern that must exist within us concerning the wooden beam in our eye.

We are in need of such inward recollection instead of avoided that which is uncomfortable. From this recollection we must challenge ourself to bring about change in order that we may be more like Christ and remove that wooden beam from our eye.

During the season of Lent we are especially challenged to fast, pray, and give alms. These practices should transcend a mere obligation and be done out of love for God and the desire to better conform our self unto His will.

Giving something up just to give something up leaves us changed in no way when Easter finally arrives. If our purpose is to mindlessly pass through Lent then what is the point? The point must be to be transformed that we may better embody Christ in the midst of our daily life.

My brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus let us dare to allow Lent to be fruitful. As we prepare for this sacred season let us look inwardly upon self and with the help of God’s grace undergo those practices which are necessary to remove the wooden beam from our eye.

Sexagesima Homily

In two weeks we will begin the Lenten season. On the 1st Sunday of Lent we will be instructed on Jesus going into the desert in order to fast and pray. While there he came to be tempted by the assaults of the devil. Nevertheless, Christ resisted his pursuits and held fast solid in faith rebuking each of his lies with the truth of Sacred Scripture.

As we came to be instructed in our Epistle, “a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.” Each of us should be able to relate to what was being saint by Saint Paul. We are in the midst of such spiritual assaults and none of us are free from such temptations.

As Saint Augustine stated, “Your first task is to be dissatisfied with yourself, fight sin, and transform yourself into something better. Your second task is to put up with the trials and temptations of this world that will be brought on by the change in your life and to persevere to the very end in the midst of these things.”

Such perseverance can only be brought about if we understand and believe the next words which were spoken by Saint Paul. “My grace is sufficient for you, for power in made perfect in weakness.” Through such a statement of faith we place our trust in God and His infinite mercy which is being poured out onto us.

It is important that in the midst of such temptation and worse yet falling to the assaults of the devil that we do not give into despair. The saints were very real just like you and me. Nevertheless, they also knew temptation and sin, they were in need of the grace and mercy that has been poured out upon them by God, and yet they are now in Heaven.

This glimpse into the saints of Heaven should bring us joy for they show us the way that we must take in order for us to endure as they have endured. They teach us that our lives, despite the trials of this life, can be lived for God. They show us that there is something greater to the here and now instead of just living in the moment.

Our Gospel gave us the parable of the sower which spoke of such a perspective. Here those who “fell away among thorns are they who have heard and, going their way, are chocked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit.” So too so many allow themselves to get caught up in such worldliness and thus forget about Heaven and fall prey to the temptations that are thrown our way.

May this coming season of Lent be fruitful for us to regain our sight in order that we may see more clearly. This season prepares us for Easter and the Good News of the Lord’s Resurrection that brings forth hope that no matter the sin or temptation we can indeed endure for God’s grace is sufficient. May all the angels and saints of Heaven, pray for us. 

6th Sunday of OT Year C Homily

It is hard to believe that we are now roughly 70 days away from Easter which means that Lent is quickly approaching. The time for us to place our focus upon this season is now. If we prepare ourself now we will be ready once Lent finally gets here on the 1st Wednesday of March. We would thus be found vigilant to the point that the Lenten season would be fruitful for us.

Our Gospel puts this urgency into perspective through the giving of the Beatitudes. Through this list we are told how one will be blessed, but are also given the opposite. In other words we must apply ourself to a life of faith in order that we may obtain a relationship with God. This relationship also includes those around us who we must treat mercifully. If we cannot treat others as Christ would treat them we are found lacking.

Lent is one way in which we can challenge ourself to grow in such virtue. Throughout this season we take up the actions of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving in order that we may grow in those areas which are necessary in order that we may love God and neighbor. 

Such actions must be mindfully done through the direction of prayer instead of being mindless actions which bring forth no change within us. To give up something for the sake of giving up something changes us in no way with the coming of Easter. Through our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving we should be growing in our love for God and neighbor by overcoming those vices which run rampant in our life.

From Rule of Saint Benedict the monk is told, “During these days, therefore, let us increase somewhat the usual burden of our service, as by private prayers and abstinence in food and drink. Thus everyone of his own will may offer God ‘with joy of the Holy Spirit’ something above the measure required of him. From his body, that is, he may withhold some food, drink, sleeping, talking, and jesting; and with the joy of spiritual desire he may look forward to holy Easter.”

Therefore, may this quickly approaching season of Lent assist us in heading the call to follow after the Lord. Wherever something has gained mastery over us we ought to master it for the sake of the Kingdom to which we have been called. Through such freedom we are able to grow in our love for God and neighbor.

5th Sunday After Epiphany Homily

Every day we make the decision of what clothing we are going to wear. So too we must consciously choose to put on qualities which allow virtue to spring forth in our life. We must take on the clothing of a Christian such as that baptismal garment that we received at our baptism and keep it white as snow.

The many things that we choose to surround ourself with effects the way in which we encounter the world and our relationship with God. If we spend all our time chasing after the ways of the world we would of done nothing to pursue a relationship with God. Rather, we must put on Christ for He ought to be the one to whom our life is oriented.

Our Gospel presented us with the wheat and cockle. As it grows the cockle which is poison in nature looks as if it is wheat. It can only be separated at the time of the harvest. So too we must allow our own life to avoid those harmful distractions which lead astray from living out a life of faith.

Saint Paul’s list of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience must be fostered and allowed to be made manifest in our life. Most of all, we must grow in the virtue of love. Without such a virtue it becomes impossible to live out a life of faith because we are found too busy turning inwardly upon ourself.

Our modern day society has lowered this virtue of love to the point that it is found to be without deep meaning. Love can be seen upon the cross when the Lord offers His life without reservation in order that we may be redeemed. Love is that relationship that exists in the Most Holy Trinity which is most perfectly given asking for nothing in return of the other.

If we are to grow in the virtue of love we must come to know God and be willing to share what we receive with others. The love of God is found to be abundant and without end. Therefore, there is always something more for us to grow in if we are to love as God loves. This virtue must influence all of our relationships from one’s child, to one’s spouse, and to all those whom we encounter especially the most difficult.

In the words of Saint Philip Neri, “Prayer and communion are not to be made or desired for the sake of the devotion we feel in them, for that is seeking self, and not God; but we must be frequent in both the one and the other in order to become humble, obedient, gentle, and patient. When we see these virtues in a man, then we know that he has really gathered the fruit of prayer and of communion.”

Let us us depart from here with that fervent desire to grow in such virtue. If we see that vice has taken over our life it can only be moved out through the pursuit of virtue. Let us not be content with allowing the cockle to take over our life. Instead let us be willing to orient our sight unto God and to be found willing to move towards Him with the confidence of faith each day.