19th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Our reading from 1st Kings picks up with Elijah hiding in a cave on Mount Horeb. Prior to this moment he had a lived a life that had experienced great miracles. Fire was just called down from heaven on Mount Carmel to defeat the prophets of Baal. Yet when threatened by Queen Jezebel he panicked, lost faith, and fled into the wilderness.

Despite all the big stuff that Elijah had experienced his heart had not yet been permanently transformed to have complete faith in God. The imagery of wind, earthquake, and fire represent to us the big, external, noisy, and emotional events of life. If our faith depends upon constant emotional heights or dramatic signs we will always be left wanting more.

Saint John of the Cross uses the term “spiritual gluttony” to describe what happens when we look for God primarily in big, emotional, or miraculous events. He observed that beginners in the spiritual life often become addicted to feeling good during prayer and seeking out intense emotional highs. He argued that when hunt for such sensations we are seeking ourselves, not God.

Elijah came to hear God’s voice not in a massive event, but through a small voice. God does not force Himself on us through overwhelming force. Rather, He speaks to us in the interior quiet of the soul. In order to hear a whisper you have to learn to be quiet and enter into interior silence. Through interior silence we recognize the movement of the Holy Spirit in our life.

The Eucharist serves as the perfect example of such a reality. The Lord does not come upon the altar with thunder and lighting, but through silence. Those who look upon the Eucharist do not see some massive sensation for they look upon bread and wine. Through faith we are able to acknowledge that what we look upon is truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.

As people of faith we do not need new private revelations or spectacular signs in order to be saved or know of God’s love for us. The fullness of truth has already been handed down to us through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Sacraments. We do not need a dramatic spiritual experience in order to be a person of faith because all we have to focus on is the ordinary.

Elijah didn’t need another display of lightning; he needed rest. He needed to eat the bread that the angel gave him and to listen to that voice that told him to get back to his ordinary mission. This relates well to Saint Peter who was able to walk on water in so far as he kept his sight on Jesus. The moment he shifted his attention to the wind and waves he sunk. It is easy for us to shift our sight to such signs and also take our sight off of Jesus.

As people of faith let us stop chasing after the storm (however it may manifest itself in our life) and instead come to abide in the quiet, sufficient grace that He has already given to each of us. Through such assistance from God we can go back to our ordinary life and do in the words of St. Therese of Lisieux, “ordinary things with extraordinary love.”

18th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Physical hunger and thirst are used as symbols for spiritual alienation and our deepest human desires. Isaiah 55 addresses an exiled Israel that has been trying to satisfy its deepest desires with things which do not last. The ultimate lesson that is being made known is that the pleasures of this life can never satisfy for we have a much deeper spiritual hunger.

When the Lord came to feed the multitude He transcended the mere desire to feed them physically, but also to provide for the needs of their souls. What was promised to the people in Isaiah has finally come to be fulfilled through Christ and what He gives. The Lord looked upon them and provided for them in order to fill their spiritual hunger.

As would be said by the Lord at the Bread of Life Discourse in John 6, “Do not work for food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.” This sign that was worked in the presence of this multitude pointed towards the Eucharist and what would be accomplished through it.

The Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ under the appearances of bread and wine. Jesus provided for thousands with the five loves of bread, but also has the power to transform bread into His very self, in order that we and those throughout the world may come to be fed spiritually.

As Isaiah invited, “Come to the waters, you who have no money.” Here we can see that the one who provides for our needs has already done so and that all we have to do is come to Him. Instead of coming to Him with the trust of faith it is so easy to get caught up in our own fears, needs, desires, and busyness to where we fail to look towards the Lord and place our trust in Him.

The Eucharist is not a temporary remedy for hunger. Instead through the Eucharist He offers Himself in order that we may come to be filled. The food that the Israelites would partake of in the desert would eventually leave them hungry while the Lord promised “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Let us come to pursue Christ and thus the Eucharist for through such a pursuit we are not attempting to fulfill ourself, but to allow this infinite abundance of grace to fill us to the fullest degree. Such a movement is to shift away from self-reliance to surrender as we place our trust in the Lord not just momentarily, but always.

As we approach the altar of sacrifice let us foster such Eucharistic awareness. Such awareness is to be intentional about our life and its relationship to the Eucharist, not just being on autopilot. Praying in preparation for such a gift prior to Mass and in thanksgiving after Mass, making time for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and going to Him in prayer throughout our day to make a spiritual communion. In such manner we learn to be honest with ourself and to come to Him in the midst of our hunger in order that we may come to find our fill.

17th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

A man finds treasure and sells all that he has in order to buy that field. Selling all that one has in order to obtain it is not a burden, but a gain. He acted as such “for the joy it gives him.” Such joy was not just a fleeting emotion for it was a driving force of Christian detachment and self-giving that propelled him forward.

The world’s advice on such an act would be to weigh the cost and then reluctantly surrender yours goods with the hope that it will pay off later. Through such a disposition of mind the sting of loss would be felt. The Gospel is not asking us to make an agonizing sacrifice, but is giving an invitation to obtain something that actually fulfills.

As Saint Augustine writes, “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Each of us has a spiritual hunger that we spend our life attempting to satisfy. Our attention is placed upon status, money, comfort, achievements, and control. This is like the man in the parable who dug in the field attempting to find that which would eventually fulfill.

Upon stumbling upon the treasure his restlessness ceased. He came to recognize that this was what he was made for. When the man found the Kingdom of God (the treasure) his soul came to recognize its true home. His restless heart finally came to find its rest which allowed him to sale all that he owned in order to obtain it “for the joy it gives him.”

As Saint Paul states to the Philippians, “Whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Here he was not pointing towards a tragic loss due to what he was called to give up, but the realization that these things were holding him back.

Wealth, career, reputation, and control are not bad in themselves. The problem arises when we look to them to find our identity, treating them as if they are the true treasure for which our heart longs. By surrendering unhealthy dispositions we are allowing God to be the true treasure of our life.

It is so easy to see the demand of sacrifice, forgiveness, detachment, and living counter culturally solely through the lens of what we are being forced to give up. Faith transcends mere rules to satisfy another, for through embracing the faith to its fullest, we are truly set free in our pursuit of that which brings rest unto our restless hearts.

Let us be propelled forth like this man by “the joy it gives.” The man found the treasure first and then proceeded to obtain it. Likewise, we must find that treasure through prayer, adoration, and scripture. Through such an encounter we will behold God’s goodness and move towards such goodness by conforming our life unto it. This opens the way to small detachments where we fast in minor ways in order to not be controlled by the world, but to live for the Lord our God. Do we desire to live for Him and if so what are we being called upon to surrender “for the joy it gives?”

16th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Pope Francis stated, “I see the Church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else.”

A field hospital does not check someone’s moral credentials or worthiness at the door before treating their wounds. Instead it takes people as they are (broken, wounded, and complex). The Church on earth is not a museum of saints (a field of pure wheat), but is a sanctuary for the imperfect (a field where the wheat and the weeds are allowed to mingle).

The servants in the parable were so eager to judge and destroy, “Do you want us to go and pull them up?” It is easy to desire immediate order over having patience for the growth that must take place. To rush to judgement rushes to uproot the wheat possibly driving people away from God and the Church completely.

We must allow the weed and the wheat to grow together until the harvest arrives for there is always hope for conversion. If God had prematurely pulled up the weeds the Church would have lost Saul before he could convert to Saint Paul. Such a mindset would have deprived so many of the saints their reward and so too would have costed us to be cast off for we are all sinners in need of God’s mercy.

A weed can never change its identity becoming wheat. On the other hand, a human through the grace of God and personal repentance can become a saint. This would be the Greek word “metanoia” which means a “a change of mind” or “turning around.” This is a life altering spiritual conversion that is a total reorientation of one’s heart toward God.

The Church assists us in such conversion of heart. Through her care we receive the sacraments especially confession and the Eucharist. The Church provides the time, safety, and grace needed for sinners to repent and grow into the saints that God calls them to be.

This is not the trap of relativism for truth is absolute. The harvest is coming, the separation of the wheat and weeds will take place, and the weeds will be burned. Through the practice of charity and prudence may we walk with others in order that they may be healed. Also, we must be truthful with self and not be so prideful to think that we are not also sinners in need of such mercy.

This parable leaves us with hope that we do not have to stay on the path that we are on, but that we can instead move towards God. How can we move towards such a disposition of mind in order that we may be healed and not deprive others of the healing that they need? Let us not squander this time that has been set before us, but use it in order to choose the follow after Him and to achieve such conversion for ourself.

15th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Our readings deal with the dynamic that is at play between Divine Grace and our human free will. Grace is a free gift that comes to us from God that we are unable to purchase, receive elsewhere, or give to another. Freewill is our ability to choose our awn actions which allows us to either accept or reject the gift of His love and grace.

From the Prophet Isaiah we are told how God’s Word is an unstoppable force of nature. Rain and snow come to the earth and they assist in the growth of life. God’s Word brings forth such life to all that it touches. God’s gift to us is grace and we are given such a gift freely even before we might think to ask for it.

In Matthew’s Gospel the seed remains the same to matter where it is scattered. It is the harvest which changes depending upon where it lands. The Prophet Isaiah has already guaranteed that God’s Word is powerful while Matthew’s Gospel points towards us as an individual and our ability to be found receptive of such a gift.

As Saint Augustine stated, “God created us without us, but he will not save us without us.” God’s grace is perfect and it lacks nothing, but God also respects our human dignity and so will not force His grace upon us if we refuse it. 

Each of us are called to embrace holiness in our everyday life which means that we must cooperate with such a gift that comes to us from God. Through such a pursuit we must remember that we have been called upon to be numbered among the saints. The saints are those who strove to love God above all things and died in sanctifying grace, they have now been judged as worthy of Heaven.

It is important that we remember that we do not have to generate holiness for ourself (this would be impossible). The seed being the Word, the Sacraments, and grace already has the power inside in order to make us a saint. Our job is not to manufacture its growth, but to allow such growth to take place inside of us by not impeding God and the gift of His grace.

No matter how we find the soil of our life there is always hope for us to properly prepare it in order that it may bear fruit. A path can always be broken up, rocks can always be dug out, and thorns can always be weeded. Thus spiritual disciplines like prayer, receiving the Eucharist, Confession, and acts of charity help to prepare the soil to bear such fruit.

A farmer would never scatter seed on a dirt path or a thorn bush for this would be a waste. It is God who scatters His grace everywhere without cost. The sower scatters this seed hoping that one day the soil will change in order that it may bear good fruit. Let us cooperate with God in order that our life may change in order that we too may come to bear good fruit by remaining open to the gift of His grace and allowing it to be found at work within us.

14th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Jesus calls out to all of us who laboring and burdened, “come to me.” This invitation is made to those who find themselves exhausted from endless work. From a perspective of faith this is those who feel the heavy burden of their own sins, the struggles of daily life, and the limitations of our human nature.

A promise is made that through Him we will come to find our rest. From such a promise we are immediately told to “take my yoke upon you.” A yoke is a wooden beam used to join two animals together in order that they may pull a plow. We are not to pull this plow alone, but by taking His yoke and being joined unto Him.

It is He who is the stronger partner in this bond who does the heavy lifting while we walk alongside Him. The yoke of Christ is easy for it is tailored to the person and driven by love, which makes even difficult sacrifices feel as if they are light. From the Greek this word “easy” also means “well-fitting.”

In promising rest Jesus is not promising a permanent vacation from the difficulties of this life. We cannot forget the reality of the cross for through it we come to see transformed suffering which brings forth redemption. As we were reminded only last Sunday, “whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”

By encountering such rest we come to encounter the peace that Christ alone can bring into our life. With our trust placed in Him we come to understand that we are not the master of own destiny. When we are able to surrender our need to fix everything on our own, we find deep, interior tranquility for we have found our rest in Christ. 

As Saint Augustine stated, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Such a statement invites us to remember the Sabbath rest. Through discovering such rest we step out of the chaos of this world to remember that we are God’s children and are in need of cultivating such a relationship with Him.

The world in which we live is fast paced and thus we cannot even rest for one day. Let us be intentional about how we observe Sunday as a day of rest and not just as another day of the week to get caught up in all that burdens us. The burdens of this life will continue and we will never find rest from them if we refuse to be joined to Christ and find our rest in Him.

Let us turn that area of our life, where we have been attempted to plow own, to one that is yoked to Him. Through such a mentality we invite Christ to enter into that specific struggle, not that it may be removed, but in order that we may find peace. Let us heed this invitation to rest by giving not into despair and attempting to overcome it on our own, but yoked to Christ the Prince of Peace.

13th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Baptism is an important sacrament of the Church. It is not just a ceremonial washing with water that is done in order to bring family and friends together to celebrate a life event. Baptism is most serious because it leaves a indelible mark upon the soul of the receiver which means that it permanently changes the soul’s relationship to God and can never be erased, even by sin and death. To be baptized means that we are incorporated into a relationship with Christ and His Church.

Saint Paul speaks to the seriousness of this sacrament by stating, “Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” Therefore, when you were submerged in the waters of baptism, your old self bound to sin was buried in Christ’s tomb. When you rose forth from those life giving waters you emerged as a new creation infused with His divine life.

Despite receiving such a wondrous gift we must move forth from those waters conforming our life to Christ. It is easy for us to cease regress to a life old; that being a life on sin and a lack of care for the spiritual life. We not profess baptism to be the end of our walk of faith, but the beginning that moves us forward infused with the gift of God’s grace.

Just because we have received the sacrament of baptism does not mean that we will be judged as worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. To be baptized is to put of faith into action and not squander the time that has been allotted to us. At the earthly life we ought to want to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

In light of this we are told by Christ, “Whoever does not take up his cross…is not worthy of me.” This is a reminder of the importance of the active and daily outworking of our baptism. The cross becomes our “old self” that buried in baptism and tries to crawl back out. We have to put it to death in order that we may continue to place our trust in the Lord and choose to live for Him.

Taking up the cross means that we come to accept the daily sacrifices of this life. This is the friction that exists between choosing love over selfishness and the trails of this life. The cross and choosing to take it up is a recognition that your life is no longer your own for it is to be lived as a true disciple of the Lord.

It is true that the Church teaches that baptism is the necessary starting point for salvation for it washes away original sin and infuses the soul with sanctifying grace. This is not a one time guarantee of heaven for we are called to undergo the lifelong process of faith, obedience, and relationship with God. Baptism is the gate and not the finish line, so let us choose to strive daily to rise from these life giving waters to live for Christ.

12th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

The prophet Jeremiah tells us “terror on every side!” Such a statement might seem to be precisely what we are going through in the here and now. It makes known the effects of this broken world, the pain of rejection, and the anxiety of being surrounded by hostility. It can be difficult to carry on when we bear such weight and not give into despair.

But after Jeremiah cries out in such a way he eventually pivots to state, “But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion.” Such a statement brings forth the virtue of hope as his gaze has been taken off of his persecutors and placed onto God’s character. We too need to place our trust in God instead of being led into despair of what is too difficult or impossible for us to accomplish.

In our life there can be a lot for us to fear for such terror is constantly being made known. Nevertheless, the Lord instructs, “Fear no one.” Such a statement was made to His disciples for He knew that the path before them would be much like the path that Jeremiah underwent. Despite such a reality He would remind them two times in this short passage, “Do not be afraid.”

These readings are making us reflect on where we place our ultimate security. If our goal is perfect earthly comfort and safety we will constantly live in fear. But if our goal is eternal life with the Father, we can run the race and persevere until the end. Christ has already conquered over death and thus we have nothing to fear for He has redeemed us.

The cost of such discipleship never comes easily. We can see this from the Greek word for witness, this word being where we get the English word martyr. The martyrs were so convinced of the truth of the Gospel that they were found willing to lay down their life in order to protect such truth.

Likewise, despite the “terror on every side” are we called upon to “fear no one.” Just like Jeremiah there will be those who will shout “denounce him,” but we cannot give into their cry. We must stand solid in our practice of faith and live the faith without compromise. If this be so we even if we never spill our blood for Christ like a martyr will persevere out of witness for Him.

We are called upon to live out all Catholic truths and not just the ones that we find to be convenient. We must stand up for the vulnerable, we must speak out against injustice, we must live out the moral teachings of the Church, we must come to Mass each Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation to give God proper laud, honor, and glory, and we must live out a relationship with Him and His Word through prayer.

Yes, the world wants us to think that such a task is impossible, is inconvenient, is not in line with the majority, but Christ reminds us that we have been set apart for we have been claimed by Him upon the cross. Never give into fear and never fall into despair for through Christ we find the strength to transform our earthly terrors into an unwavering witness of hope.

11th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

This past Friday the Church observed the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. In light of our nation’s 250th anniversary our bishops consecrated our nation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Today we reconsecrate our parish to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in order that we may rekindle such faith in Him and His mercy which endures forever. It is His heart which has been moved with pity for us.

When we look at the image of the Sacred Heart we notice a heart which is encircled by a crown of thorns. This represents human sin, coldness, and active rejection to the gift that Christ has offered onto us. As Saint Paul explained in our Epistle that His love is poured out right into the middle of our mess and hostility, not after we’ve cleaned ourselves up.

Saint Paul mentions that we are “justified by his blood” and “reconciled to God through the death of his Son.” In the imagery of the Sacred Heart we see a distinct wound in the side of the heart. This is a reference to Saint John’s Gospel where the solider pierced Christ’s side and blood and water poured forth. This devotion emphasis the fact that His heart was literally broken open to pour out mercy upon a helpless world.

Despite what would seem to be helplessness we see great hope being proclaimed. As Saint Paul states, “how much ore, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life.” In the image of the Sacred Heart we see the flame that brings with it such hope as light is brought forth. We are sacred by His active, resurrected life, and He like this flame continues to pursue us into the here and now.

The consecration of our parish to the Sacred Heart means to consciously and deliberately place our entire community inside this furnace of divine love. Such a consecration calls us back to a spiritual realignment of what is important. We do not rely on our achievements, programs, or strength, but upon the overflowing mercy of Christ. We are asking that we may make our hearts like His.

This consecration must transcend the walls of this church and overflow into the domestic church, that being our homes. When we practice such devotion to the Sacred Heart especially through the Enthronement of one’s home to the Sacred Heart we are declaring that Jesus is the true head of our household. By setting apart a place of honor for His image transforms the home from anxiety to peace and from conflict to reconciliation.

It is precisely from the home and the parish that the renewal of our society takes place. Looking at the world we see fractures in the family, division throughout our nation, and unrest throughout the world. Such a glimpse can be daunting for us, the flame at the top of the Sacred Heart assures us that His mercy is actively pursuing the world. No matter how much culture wanders from Him  it is never beyond that reach of His Pierced Heart. If we are found willing to return to Him, His grace will ripple outward, and more will come to know of the fire of His love.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Corpus Christi Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharist is not just a mere symbol of Christ, but is truly Christ present with us Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity under the appearances of bread and wine. To receive Him under our roof is to allow Him to be the one who nourishes us and leads us forth fortified by the gift of God’s grace.

The Israelites underwent a 40 year journey in the desert where the wondered toward the Promised Land. This journey would bring many twists and turns (they were hungry, thirsty, and lost); they would even think that they were better off in their slavery of old. Nevertheless, God heard their cry and poured down heavenly food which would nourish them along this journey.

We too find ourself on such a journey with the Promised Land of Heaven as our ultimate goal. Throughout the pilgrimage of this life we take many twists and turns; it is easy to desire to live the life of old instead of living for Christ Jesus. In the words of Saint Augustine, “Lord, grant me chastity and continence, but not yet.” As Jesus said in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The Eucharist is food for our journey. It sustains us as we travel through the spiritual wilderness of this world. We must flee the slavery of sin and head toward the true Promised Land of Heaven. If we allow our life to be centered upon Christ and His presence among us then we will be given the strength necessary to continue to move forward without looking back.

The manna in the desert could only temporarily fight off death for the Israelites. They ate it daily, they grew old, and they eventually died. If they hoarded it, it would rot for it belonged to this temporal world. The Eucharist grants eternal life for it heals the soul, strengthening the believer against mortal sin and allowing them to live for the Resurrection which is to come.

As we pray when we recite the Our Father, “give us this day our daily bread.” A better translation would be “super-substantial” or  “supernatural” bread which is to say that we are asking for the daily nourishment of the Eucharist for this gift goes far beyond the effects of physical food for this heavenly food also provides for the wellbeing of our soul.

It is so easy to get caught up in things which will never fill. It is most difficult to move ourselves away from unhealthy practices which we have allowed to become routine. Let us dare to look as Saint John the Baptist directs, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Indeed in the Eucharist we behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Let our be centered upon Him and thus may we come to repent of all sin and enter into communion with Him in order that we may allow Him to always remain the food for our journey which leads towards the Promised Land of Heaven.

You have given them Bread from heaven. Having all sweetness with it.