28th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

October 13, 1917 was the Miracle of the Sun. On this day the sun danced about the sky bringing to conclusion the apparitions in Fatima. It was here that our Blessed Mother appeared to three shepherd children (Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta). These apparitions began on May 13, 1917 and continued on the 13th of every month through October.

The children reported seeing a woman who was “brighter than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal goblet filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun.” She asked that they pray “the rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war.” This past Monday we observed the Memorial of the Most Holy Rosary where we were reminded of the importance of taking up this prayer. 

The rosary becomes an answer to the spiritual combat that takes place in the midst of our daily life. We are to go unto the Lord with the desire to inherit eternal life. This is not simply a question of how we are to obtain it, but how we are to embrace the answer that the Lord gives in its entirety. This spiritual battle can be won if we stay on guard and remain open to the gift of God’s grace.

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary marks the battle that was won in Lepanto where victory was won over the invading Turks. This victory was attributed to the faithful taking up the rosary. Think of the battles that can be won, personally and culturally, if we faithfully take up the rosary that was asked by our Blessed Mother at Fatima to be prayed. As is promised to those who pray the rosary, “The rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.”

There are so many who allow themself to go through this life living as if in a slumber. They invest practically nothing to their life of faith and simply, if at all, just go through the motions of what is obligated. We must be stirred out of this slumber and be put into action. As the sun danced about the sky those many years ago many came to be stirred into action when it pertained to living out a life of faith.

In being stirred out of this slumber we must be moved to repentance and the infinite mercy of God. A camel passing through eye of a needle is to say that one’s baggage needs to be removed if one is to pass through. Therefore, we must let go of all that keeps us from entering into union with God through a spirit of repentance.

Through the apparitions that took place in Fatima we can see that God desires to have mercy of the whole world. Let us turn toward this mercy and be lifted out of our slumber and placed into action by taking up the rosary and remaining faithful to the message of the gospels.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

26th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

I worked on a homily earlier in the week without knowing the tragedy that would soon face our local area. Like many of you I had my preconceived plans changed. Hurricane Helene has truly wreaked havoc throughout the United States and has touched us locally in a very intimate way.

On Saturday morning in preparation for Mass I was looking through the Roman Missal to find a fitting set of prayers for the occasion. I soon found the section for civil needs specifically for refugees and exiles. Sadly, in our local area there are now many who find themselves to be refugees and exiles. There homes have been taken from them, some have lost their lives, and others have lost contact with those whom they love.

The words to the Collect for that Mass, “O Lord, to whom no one is a stranger and from whose help no one is ever distant, look with compassion on refugees and exiles, on segregated persons and on lost children; restore them, we pray, to a homeland, and give us a kind heart for the needy and for strangers. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

The Introit for that Mass is taken from Psalm 91, “For you has God commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.” September 29th is the Feast of the Archangels (Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael). They were given an important task and so too the angels continue to watch over each of us as is seen with our guardian angels whose feast day will be October 2nd. May they watch over us and pray for those affected by this tragedy.

In the midst of this tragedy and everyone like it let us continue to place our trust in the Lord. The days ahead will require us to embrace the cross, but from from the cross hope always shines forth through our Lord’s Resurrection. There will be those who will find themselves in need and in the words of our Gospel we shall respond to their need, “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.” Let us remain people of faith who embrace the Gospel and share it with all whom we encounter in this life.

26th Sunday of OT Year B Homily (Not used)

Today we observe the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Nevertheless, September 29th is the Feast of the Archangels where we venerate the only three angels named in Sacred Scripture (Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael).

Angels have played an important role in God’s revelation to humanity. They remain important for each of us as we continue our journey here on earth towards the Heavenly Kingdom. On October 2nd we will celebrate the Memorial of the Guardian Angels. We cannot forget that we each have been entrusted with a guardian angel who offers guidance and protection that we may run this race towards Heaven.

Angels remain important throughout every aspect of our lives. When we gather for Mass we chant their angelic hymn in the Gloria and Sanctus. In the Preface we are reminded of them through the closing statement which always makes reference to the presence of the angels. We must always make room for devotion to the angels and our guardian angel to be present in our midst for we so often forget about their existence.

The angels are now in Heaven with God. It is their purpose to serve God, to praise God, and to worship God. Throughout history God has used His angels to communicate with us. At the Annunciation it was the Archangel Gabriel who brought about the invitation that Mary would conceive the Saviour of the world. It was Saint Raphael who journeyed with Tobiah and brought about healing to those whom he encountered. It is these angels who continue to aid us even though they remain unseen.

We cannot forget Saint Michael who thrusts Satan out of Heaven in the Book of Revelation. Saint Michael intercedes for us in the midst of the spiritual warfare that we encounter each day. Let us not get caught up in the wickedness and snares of the devil, but be liberated from these plights.

Our Gospel makes known that we must be willing to rid ourself of all that will get in the way of Heaven. If something causes us to sin we must be willing to let it go. What is it that we latch onto that must be let go for the sake of the Kingdom of God? May the angels intercede for us that we may remain steadfast in our practice of faith and let go of all that keeps us from this Kingdom.

Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, pray for us.

25th Sunday of OT Year B Homily

In the Gospel of Saint Matthew our Blessed Lord states to us, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid to waste, and no town or house divided against itself will stand.” Our Epistle from Saint James paints a picture of such division brought about through our passions. Here our passions begin to wage war against all wisdom.

It should not be hard for us to imagine a world that is filled with such division. Wars continue to wage throughout the world between countries with different perspectives. A new election cycle brings about further division in the midst of a highly polarized world. Many no longer have a moral compass that has been formed by faith in Christ and so there is division that is brought about due to truth.

We must remain on guard against such divisions that are brought about. We must remember that we should be united in our practice of faith. As Saint Paul declares, “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.” It is Christ who must be our strength in order that we remain united onto Him through in all that we say and do.

If we want to counteract this division that exists and be moved back towards that unity that ought to be present we must allow Christ to be “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” in all that we say and do. As Christians this is the peace that we must strive for by overcoming those passions that run rampant which strive to pull us away from the Lord. We must hold steadfast in our faith as we remain watchful concerning all of these assaults which come our way.

Therefore, wherever conflict can be found among us we must realize that there is one truth for which our heart longs, Christ. We must come to know Him, we must come to serve Him, and we must come to love Him. If we fail to strive to grow in this relationship we have lost sight of what is important and have allowed ourself to instead be formed by the ways of the world. These ways will never lead us towards the unity that should be present.

Let us be sent forth from here to find our unity in Christ and the faith that we come to profess with our lips.

25th Sunday of OT Homily (Parish Picnic)

Today we gather in order to give thanks to God for the gift of this parish community. It is important that each of us remembers that we are called upon to be a servant. In the words of our Gospel, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” It is easy to approach our life of faith and forget this servitude to the Gospel. Therefore, there is no greater way to begin this parish celebration then with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which joins us together as one at the altar of sacrifice.

It is my hope that this parish community will continue to grow. In the words of the Great Commission, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” This growth is not dependent upon me, or you, or some innovation to bring in the masses. It is dependent upon our fidelity to the Lord and fidelity to the faith that has been handed down to us by Him. In other words we are called upon to be servants of all that has been handed onto us.

In our prayer we must discern the ways in which we can more fervently love the Lord our God. We do this in our liturgy authentically celebrated, through our study of the faith, through our personal prayer especially before the Blessed Sacrament, and through our works of charity given as a response to the Gospel. This forms us into servants of the Lord who are being prepared to lead others into an encounter with the Him instead of away from Him.

As humble servants let us do all things for the greater glory of God.