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.