4th Sunday of Easter Year A Homily

On this Good Shepherd Sunday we are reminded that Christ as Shepherd is the gate that we must enter into. There are those who will attempt to enter it via some other avenue, but that is an impossibility. We can only enter the Kingdom of Heaven through Him and so no matter how difficult something may be in our life we must come to place our trust in Him.

In our lives we are often tempted to find another way to enter because in the midst of hardship it is always easier to desire to discover a shortcut. Such paths allow us to avoid discomfort, confrontation, or the cost of doing what is right. Through such an attitude we want the safety of the sheepfold, but we do not want the struggle that goes with getting there.

The thief and the robber are reminders of those voices within us that make us desire to prioritize self over what is true. It is much easier to lie to avoid trouble, to remain silent in the face of injustice, or to simply give into the temptations that plagues our mind. To act in such a way is to claim to be a follower of Christ without following the path that He has given us.

In our Epistle Saint Peter stated, “If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.” Such words remind us of the redemptive nature of suffering. Christ did not bypass human suffering, instead He embraced it fully upon the wood of the cross. None of us can climb over the Cross to get to the Resurrection. To follow Him we must embrace the cross.

Through taking up the cross and following after Him we are entering into relationship with Him. Because of this God is not absent in the midst of our suffering and hardships. Rather, He is offering us a share in His own life. Through the cross we are being led towards virtue and the transformation that takes place within us for embracing it.

We can see that the Shepherd always leads by example. It is He who goes before His sheep and they are able to follow His voice. This voice does not lead us to the goal of worldly power or earthly success, but one that leads us towards the ultimate surrender of the Cross. From Calvary we are able to see the love that Christ pours out for each of us.

In our modern world we see such suffering as a sign of failure. This is not the case for through such suffering we have come to be redeemed and from it we have the hope that shines forth through the Resurrection. It is this hope which allows us to continue upon path which leads towards Eternal Life by no other gate than Christ, and thus through all that He has asked of us.

A true sheep is willing to stay within the confines of the sheepfold. Through such a perspective they have come to know and listen to the voice of the Shepherd. Let us listen to His voice and in the midst of all hardship come to place our trust in Him instead of entrusting ourselves to the easier path which never leads unto the Lord and Everlasting Life.

4th Sunday of Easter Year A (1st Communion) Homily

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, we come to celebrate our parish First Communion Mass. Therefore, my prayers are with all of the children of our parish who will soon receive their First Communion. Through the witnessing of such an act, may each of us also come to rekindle our relationship with Christ, present with us in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion are all huge steps in our life of faith. These sacraments are not solely a rite of passage, but a font to which we flock in order to be given an abundance of grace so that we may live good and holy lives. As our Gospel promised, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

Through the Eucharist, we are being invited toward such an abundance of life. In the early Church, we are told that Christians “devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” This reality places Christ, present in the Eucharist, at the center of our life of faith.

Throughout this past year, the children of our parish have been prepared for such an encounter with Him. In their hearts is found a longing to receive our Lord who has made Himself present with us in the Eucharist. Through such readiness, they come to “know his voice,” for He “calls his own sheep by name.”

This calling requires a relationship with Christ to continue to be nurtured. We must be people of faith who desire to know Him. If we desire to know Him, we will make the time to come to know Him through prayer, and we will live lives that relate to the One for whom we have been claimed in the life-giving waters of Baptism.

Whenever life is difficult, let us remember that He is to be the rock of our life. He is the Good Shepherd who leads us toward restful waters and verdant pastures, and whose cup overflows. Many attempt to find fulfillment in areas that will never satisfy. It is Christ for whom our heart truly longs.

My dearest children, let Christ be the one for whom your heart always longs. To your parents: please continue to assist your children in the life of faith. Teach them to pray and to know Christ. Bring them to Mass every Sunday—not only when it is convenient—in order that they may know Christ. Allow your homes to be a place where Christ is made manifest.

Now together, let all of us look to the altar of sacrifice. From here, we will be invited to “Behold the Lamb of God.” Let us behold Him with our sight and our hearts. From this verdant pasture we will be nourished, and from this overflowing cup we will find our strength. This invitation leads us toward an abundance of life that can only be encountered in Christ Jesus.

Divine Mercy Sunday Homily

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

On this 2nd Sunday of Easter and final day of the Octave of Easter we come to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. Here we are able to look upon the wounds of our Blessed Lord and see that we have been healed from sin and death by them. God’s mercy continues to meet us throughout the daily encounters of our life.

Last week our Gospel told us of John who entered the tomb seeing the discarded burial clothes and being able to see and believe. Today we are told of Thomas and how he, filled with doubt, came to demand to see the nail marks and put his hand into the side of Christ. Through this act of intimacy with the Lord he too came to see and believe as he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God.”

John was able to believe through the absence of a body while Thomas came to believe through the presence of the wounds of our Lord. Therefore, mercy is a quiet light as it was for John, but also is a hand that reaches out to steady a trembling heart as it was for Thomas. As we come unto the Lord in such a way we are encountering a “fountain of Mercy” in the words of St. Faustina.

When we look upon the Divine Mercy image we are being reminded of such a reality. Within the image we see the red and pale rays flowing from Christ’s heart. These represent the blood and water that Thomas was invited to approach. Through this glimpse we are being invited to have faith by entering into these wounds in order that we may see and believe.

As the Lord stated unto Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Here we are being invited to have the spiritual sight which John came to possess. The signs of the sacraments which draw us closer to such a Divine truth. Also, like Thomas we are given the permission to bring our doubts and struggles unto the altar that we too may be healed.

Divine Mercy is not a static concept, but a living encounter that seeks us in our isolation. Here we encounter the Lord who speaks to us from the depths of His mercy, “Peace be with you.” Through these words we are being invited to enter in and find our refuge for this is indeed the font of all mercy.

Let us come to place our trust in Him who has now conquered over the grave. Let our hearts be made new by the blood and water that continues to gush forth for us. In the midst of every doubt let us reach out to Him like Thomas and in those moments of peace let us see with the eyes of John. That in all things we may enter into the depths of His mercy and allow Him to heal us of all that holds us captive in order that we too may exclaim, “My Lord and my God.”

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

Easter Homily

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Today we celebrate the great hope the springs forth throughout the whole world through the reality of the Lord’s Resurrection. In our gospel passage we would seemingly notice nothing out of the ordinary. There were no angels to announce what had taken place, no earthquakes, nor was our Lord present to show Himself alive. Nevertheless we are told, that John “saw and believed.”

What exactly did he see that caused him to believe? If someone would of stolen this body they would of done so in a hurry. They would not of taken the time needed in order take off let alone fold these garments. This gospel is even careful to note that the cloth that covered His head was not with the others cloths, but “rolled up in a separate place.”

Fulton Sheen as well as some Church fathers saw this seeing and believing caused by a shroud that was empty but still draped in the shape of a body. He had not sat up and unwrapped Himself, but passed through the matter of the linens entirely. The Greek text would suggest that these clothes were flat or collapsed for in Jewish burial they would of hardened into a stiff casing. He looked upon a hardened shell that had not been disturbed, but the body was gone.

This account is far different then what takes place with the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus had to be untied by others for He was still a prisoner of death. Jesus is the New Adam and so He was able to pass through these garments. John was able to see the tidiness of this tomb in order to see that sin and death had been reversed by such an act from the Savior of the World.

Therefore this was not a crime scene, but a sanctuary. From this sanctuary a great hope was present for all those who had been touched by sin and death that Christ was alive. That He had truly risen from the dead. This is the same hope that springs forth for us as we come to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord on this Easter Sunday.

Yet, in our modern world we live in an age that demands a photograph, a recording, or a physical touch to validate truth. John’s faith lies in his ability to see that the Resurrection was a physical reality that left its mark on the world. Let us have such faith in our Risen Lord and allow Him to bring us to such solace in the midst of the chaos of this world.

The tomb has been permanently vacated through the Lord’s Resurrection. The stone is gone, the shroud is empty, and the New Adam has gone forth to make all things new. This glimpse brings light unto our life that sin and death cannot destroy. Let us be sent forth from the Lord with such confidence that we too may be like Saint John and see and believe.

Easter Vigil Homily

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! ¡Cristo ha resucitado! ¡En verdad ha resucitado!

Tonight’s liturgy began under absolute darkness. This serves as a reflection of that silence that fell over the world on Holy Saturday. It was here that the death of our Lord had taken place and the stone was rolled into place. Scatted into our own life is such feelings of waiting, uncertainty, and deep loss. Such darkness can lead us into despair.

Nevertheless, a great hope has progressed throughout the whole world. This is symbolized by the Pascal candle which reminds us of the risen Christ. It is He who dispels such darkness from our midst and was seen when this candle entered this church. Let us forever be reminded that no matter what is taking place in us (those dark nights) that the light of Christ always prevails.

This reality was seen throughout our Liturgy of the Word. Despite the brokenness of our humanity we are being reminded that we are being led to the waters of rebirth. Through these waters we come to be buried with Christ in order that we may rise with Him as a new creation. Today we have those among us who will enter into these life giving waters.

As the women at the tomb exclaimed, “He is not here; for he has risen, as he said.” The tomb is now empty and so our life ought to be filled with hope. As we are sent forth from this sacred space we are to carry the light of Christ into our daily life in order that it may dispel the darkness. Death has lost is sting, and Christ is risen indeed.

5th Sunday of Lent Year A Homily

Martha’s heart was filled with grief pertaining to the death of Lazarus. She cried out to the Lord from the depths of such grief, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” In the midst of our own grief we must join with her in the tension that exists between what we have lost and the belief that God has the power to heal us.

Martha does not remain lost in her sorrow. Instead she turns towards the Lord and places her trust in Him, “But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” She does not ignore the pain that was present in her life, but faces it be joining it to God. We too in the midst of our own grief cannot ignore what we feel, but must turn towards the Lord in faith.

Jesus’ response to her should bring faith unto our hearts, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Through such a statement Martha is being directed unto Him and the hope of what will spring forth through such an encounter. The Lord continues to join with us in our grief in order that we may move forth infused with the virtue of hope.

The belief that Jesus is the Resurrection is not a rejection of physical death, but the hope that life continues. From the First Preface for the Dead, “Life has changed, but not ended.” Our spirit does not cease with our death and so we as Christians must live as one who is oriented towards such a reality.

As the Lord asks, “Do you believe this?” This is a invitation that is made in order that we may enter into relationship with Him. Faith is not something that is to be passive, but is to be a conscious act of the will. It is a “yes” that allows God’s grace to enter in and transform us into living a life modeled after His.

Martha’s response was “Yes, Lord.” At the Easter Vigil we will have the opportunity to make a renewal of our baptismal vows. Through such a renewal we are not just giving the right answer to the question asked, but are consciously proclaiming our desire to live as one who has been marked for Christ Jesus through the life giving waters of baptism.

And so today we celebrate the third scrutiny with the Elect. Just Jesus commanded the stone to be rolled away from the tomb of Lazarus does He call our elect and too each of us to freed to from the sin and fear that keeps us from the fullness of life. In such a way we freely come to state “Yes, Lord” as we journey towards the Easter sacraments and strive to live as children of God.

Just like Martha we have our own fears, regrets, and sorrows as symbolized by the tomb. Nevertheless, the Lord continues to invite us out of the darkness and into the light of His presence. It is this light that we continue to prepare to behold as we approach Easter and that fact that the darkness of sin and death has been removed from our midst. 

4th Sunday of Lent Year A Homily

Saint Augustine stated, “That blind man is the human race; for this blindness had place in the first man, through sin, from whom we all draw our origin… every man is born mentally blind.”

The act of mixing saliva with dust in order to create clay takes us back to the Book of Genesis. From Genesis we are told, “Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.”

The Hebrew word Adam is related to adamah, meaning “ground” or “earth.” The Hebrew word used for “formed” is the same used for a potter who shapes clay. We have been deliberately shaped by God, formed in His image. To breathe into one’s nostrils represents the soul given to us by God.

In our Gospel Jesus is forming the blind man’s sight from the earth just as God had formed the first man from the earth. In other words it is being suggested that Jesus is the “New Adam” who uses the elements of creation in order to finish the work of creation in this man as well as us. It was through the Fall that humanity returned to the dust of sin, but Christ is the “New Adam” who has lifted us back up.

As we continue this Lenten journey, we must look ahead toward the Lord and place our trust in Him. It is so easy to set our sights on trivial matters of worldly allure; instead, we must allow Him to lift us up. Through the grace given especially in the sacramental life of the Church, we are formed into true disciples of the Lord.

Wit this in mind today is the second of three Scrutinies for those among us preparing to enter the life-giving waters of Baptism. The anointing you have already received is the beginning of faith—much like the clay applied to the blind man. The washing the blind man underwent represents the baptism you will soon receives which washes away Original Sin. Just as the blind man was given sight, we are enlightened so that we may no longer live in the darkness of sin.

On this Laetare Sunday, let us rejoice in all that the Lord has done for us. We were once blind to the truth of God through sin, but we are constantly being invited to wash away that sin through Christ’s mercy, that we may see the world through the lens of the Gospel. Let this transformation be brought about within us as we continue to prepare the way to celebrate the Easter mysteries.

3rd Sunday of Lent Year A Homily

The Israelites were liberated from their slavery by passing through the Red Sea. Now they were toiling about in the desert and were found not only uncomfortable, but dying. From this plight Moses come before God and he was instructed to “strike the rock.” From this rock flowed water which quenched their thirst.

Saint Paul would state that this “Rock was Christ.” It is for this reason that Christ is able to grant something greater than the simple quenching of thirst. The Lord is able to offer us the gifts of Sanctifying Grace. This gift allows us to participate in the very life of God. Through such an interaction with Him and the gift of the Spirit we move from being a consumer, always thirsty, to finding our fill in His Divine Life.

This transformation is realized within the Sacrament of Baptism. Not only are we being washed within these waters, but we are also being filled. We are sent forth from these waters not as if unchanged, but truly changed in Christ. We are sent forth from His midst living for Him and the joy that proceeds from this relationship.

On this 3rd Sunday of Lent we celebrate the First Scrutiny. Here we join our prayers for those who are now journeying towards the Easter sacraments especially the sacrament of baptism. We pray that any spirit of dryness may be cast out, so that the living water of baptism may flow freely.

We find ourselves like the Israelites who had such thirst. We thirst for so much through our grief, anxiety, and the pursuit of things that do not satisfy. The woman in our Gospel was caught up in such pursuits as she came to the well. Nevertheless, through a true encounter with Christ her thirst was forever quenched.

We too must allow the Lord to quench our thirst as He quenched the thirst of this woman. He sees us in our need and invites us to enter more fully into communion with Him. If we are to undergo such conversion and have our thirst quenched then we must allow Him to heal us of all that holds us captive.

The sacrament of confession heals us in such a way as we turn towards the infinite mercy of God. This Thursday our parish will hold its Lenten Penance Service at 6pm with a total of eight priests assisting with confessions. If you have been away from the sacrament for a long time use this opportunity to be reconciled with God and live.

We must ask ourselves if we are running towards wells which leave us empty (wealth, pleasure, power, honor) or do we turn our sight toward the Lord. It He who invites “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink.” What barrier do we continue to put in the way of such fulfillment and are we willing to remove it in order that may finally come to place our trust in the Lord?

2nd Sunday of Lent Year A Homily

Every year on the 2nd Sunday of Lent we always  hear concerning the Transfiguration of the Lord. The Greek word for Transfiguration is metamorphosis. Metamorphosis translates, "to be changed in form" or "to be transformed." The Greek metamorphosis used in this context describes a change in appearance and not a change in essence.

Such a transformation was true of our Lord on Mount Tabor. Here He did not change in nature, but a veil was pulled back to reveal who He had been all along. On this mount His humanity did not change into divinity, but His divinity which was hidden was allowed to shine through. Through such a glimpse His clothing became “white as light.”

Lent is the path which leads us towards Holy Week and the crucifixion. Through such a glimpse we are given a reminder of His divine glory which serves as the hope of the Resurrection in the midst of all the darkness that we must sustain. Through such a glimpse we are allotted courage to continue to move forward day by day just like the Apostles.

We are only in the second week of Lent, but maybe we are already growing weary when it pertains to our Lenten resolves which started out so passionately. Through such a glimpse into the Lord’s Divinity we should realize the purpose of why we do what we do and continue to do it with the Lord’s help.

As Saint Thomas Aquinas put it, “Christ enjoyed this splendor for a moment to encourage his disciples to endure the trials that were to come.” This is the divine foretaste necessary to continue to move forward. This is the hope that we must continue to enjoy in the midst of those trials that come our way because Christ has already won victory upon the cross and so we can endure.

Hopefully all the sacrifices that we have committed ourselves to during this Lenten season have a purpose. Hopefully they were not chosen just because of some perceived need to give something up, but because we realized the need to bring about a proper transformation within us. Through such a transformation we are able change our appearance to be more Christlike.

As Saint Paul puts it in his Letter to the Romans, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” This is precisely what we ought to be setting out to do during this season of Lent. This season is here not in order that we may continue to trudge throughout life without a purpose, but that we may come to live for Christ.

Let us come to live for Christ as the Apostles would eventually come to live for Him. Through this glimpse into His Transfiguration they were given the hope to continue to move forward. Through such a glimpse may we continue to move forward each day placing our trust in the Lord and bringing about that transformation which is necessary for us.

1st Sunday of Lent Year A Homily

Today we commemorate the first Sunday in the season of Lent. Here we enter into the confines of the desert with Jesus and while there we are reminded of the importance of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Through this season we come to strip away the noise of this world in order that we may finally come to hear the voice of God that is being made manifest in our life.

Jesus’ time spent in the desert points towards what took place in the garden. Here we discover a parallel between the fall of Adam and the victory of Christ. Adam had everything that he would ever need in the garden and yet he fell while Christ had nothing in this desert and yet He held firm. Jesus is the “New Adam” because He undoes the knot of disobedience tied by the first Adam.

In the desert the devil comes in order to tempt Jesus, but He overcomes these assaults and lies which come His way. Adam was tempted in such manner inside of the garden, but he fell to the deceptions which were thrust upon him. The devil is unable to create and so he twists that which has been created to where it no longer meets its God given purpose.

The first temptation that we are presented with deals with bread and thus our physical hunger. Adam was tempted in such a way through the fruit of the tree. The devil wants us to believe that our way to happiness is through the fulfillment of earthly pleasures be they food, drink, sex, wealth, or anything else that has become disordered instead of meeting its God given purpose.

The second temptation suggests that Jesus throw Himself off the temple in order to force God’s hand. This is the sin of presumption, that same sin committed by Adam and Eve that they could determine that which is right or wrong for themselves. Through submitting to such a temptation we attempt to use God as a tool for own validation instead of submitting to Him with trust.

The third temptation deals with the desire for power and thus “being like gods.” Adam was led to believe that eating of the fruit would grant him divine autonomy. In the desert the devil offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship. This becomes the temptation to prioritize our own will over the humble service that God asks from us.

These forty days of Lent are an opportunity to reorient ourselves to God where such orientation is needed. By fasting we tell our body that we do not need such worldly pleasures in order to be fulfilled. By our almsgiving we reject the allure of power and wealth, and through our prayer we silence the voice of the tempter in order that God’s voice may be heard.

With courage let us look towards Christ who overcame the devil with scripture and obedience. We are not alone in our temptations for we are assisted with the grace that is given to us by God. Through such grace we can preserve until the end assuming we desire to strive to fight against such assaults. Let us remember that the “New Adam” has already won this battle and so there is hope for us we move towards Easter that we might rise with Him fully alive and transformed.

Ash Wednesday Homily

Today we receive a smudge of ash upon our foreheads as we are told, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” This mark of ash is not a badge of honor, but a reminder that we are in need of a Savior. In our Gospel Jesus warned against “practicing our righteousness before others to be seen by them.” This mark of ash means nothing if we are not willing to go further and begin to go to work on what is found disordered within us. Actions such as prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are not done in order that we may be seen, but that true transformation may take place within us day by day. Through the reception of these ashes let us call out to the mercy of God who sees what is hidden and invites us to return to Him.