It was only a few days ago when I was visiting an elderly woman of this parish. She told me of her desire to attend Mass, but due to her age she was unable to get out and do so. She mentioned how she just figured out that her cable had EWTN and how she could at least watch Mass daily on television. Saint Clare is the patron of television because when she was sick and unable to attend Mass daily she could hear and see the Mass celebrated from the wall of her room. This of course was well before the invention of the television.
Today's Gospel presents us with the message of compassion. Each of us has received so much, but it can be easy to forget that. Our lives should be centered upon Christ so much that we should never forget to treat others with the compassion that they deserve. If our actions tear apart our relation with Christ we need to reform them, so that our outward actions may reflect our spiritual life. Saint Clare had compassion when she began the order that would become known as the Poor Clares. The rule of this order would respect the spiritual life and would help each other to treat all as Christ.
From the Eucharist we receive we are given the strength to have compassion for our neighbor. We cannot receive Christ and not have concern for those who we will encounter. Saint Clare had great devotion to the Eucharist and is often depicted holding a pyx or a monstrance. This comes from an encounter with Frederick II and his army attacking the gates of the convent when she came out holding onto the Eucharist in deep prayer. "deliver not to beasts, O Lord, the souls of those who confess to thee."This caused the armies to flee showing to us today that Christ in the Eucharist gives great strength to our souls. The devil will never be able to prevail against us and we will have the grace needed to not hoard the gifts given to us, but instead be wiling to share them with the world.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tuesday 21st Week of OT Year I Homily
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was born to Jewish parents, but would later abandon her faith in God to believe in nothing. Through her studies in philosophy and her understanding of the works of Saint Teresa of Avila she was drawn towards the Catholic faith. She would soon be baptized and returned to God as a humble child kneeling before him to be brought closer into union with God. Due to her Jewish decent she was captured and brought to die in a Nazi concentration camp.
Saint Teresa had to endure many trials for our Lord which ended in her own martyrdom. In our day and age we face many trials which interrupt our spiritual lives? Be it not finding time to pray as we ought, temptation, fear of future possibilities. No matter what lies in wait we must accept these trials by being brave and steadfast. Through being brave and steadfast may we finally see that the Lord marches with each of us. When we struggle to act upon these two gifts may we draw upon the grace given to us in the Eucharist so that we may be able to endure all spiritual struggles for the sake the kingdom.
We come to Mass daily to receive our Lord in the Eucharist, but each time that we receive Christ we should come prepared to receive a gift so great as this. We will soon humbly kneel before the altar of sacrifice as we prepare to receive such a gift. No matter what struggle or joy we bring here today we join together to receive this wonderful gift which will bring strength and nourishment to our souls, so that our spiritual life may be forever strengthened.
Saint Teresa had to endure many trials for our Lord which ended in her own martyrdom. In our day and age we face many trials which interrupt our spiritual lives? Be it not finding time to pray as we ought, temptation, fear of future possibilities. No matter what lies in wait we must accept these trials by being brave and steadfast. Through being brave and steadfast may we finally see that the Lord marches with each of us. When we struggle to act upon these two gifts may we draw upon the grace given to us in the Eucharist so that we may be able to endure all spiritual struggles for the sake the kingdom.
We come to Mass daily to receive our Lord in the Eucharist, but each time that we receive Christ we should come prepared to receive a gift so great as this. We will soon humbly kneel before the altar of sacrifice as we prepare to receive such a gift. No matter what struggle or joy we bring here today we join together to receive this wonderful gift which will bring strength and nourishment to our souls, so that our spiritual life may be forever strengthened.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Memorial of St. John Vianney Homily
Do we always trust Christ fully or do we instead rebuke Him? Many times we have rebuked the Savior of the World through sin and despite all of this Christ freely died upon the cross to bring salvation to each of us. No matter how many times that we sin against God we cannot lose sight of the cross for it is here that we are able to find our joy among darkness. Crosses present themselves daily in our lives and yet we must embrace them instead of giving in or complaining about them. Through our trust in the cross we can draw ourselves closer to the Sacrament of Reconciliation if it is needed within our lives.
Today we remember the memorial of a great confessor in Saint John Vianney. He was known for his faithfulness to our Crucified Lord. He never took his eyes off from the reality of the cross and thus was moved to become a great confessor and preacher. In the summertime he would spend at least 16 hours in the confessional which I imagine to have taken a great feat due to how hot the confessionals here at Saint John Neumann get only after being inside for 5 minutes to put on my vestments! For these hours inside people would remain lined up to come and lay their sinfulness before the reality of the cross.
Vianney is also know for the mortification that he lived during his life. I am sure that these different practices were not easy, but well worth it for him because they would draw him closer to the reality of the cross. In our lives we often have to endure many little crosses, but how better would they be if we accept them and offer them up to Our Lord in prayer?
Today may each of us draw closer into the reality of the cross and never forget the great gift that was freely given upon it. No matter where we find ourselves today we must embrace the crosses in our life instead of rebuking them. If we find ourselves lost and astray it is here that we can find our way back home. May we always trust in the cross!
Today we remember the memorial of a great confessor in Saint John Vianney. He was known for his faithfulness to our Crucified Lord. He never took his eyes off from the reality of the cross and thus was moved to become a great confessor and preacher. In the summertime he would spend at least 16 hours in the confessional which I imagine to have taken a great feat due to how hot the confessionals here at Saint John Neumann get only after being inside for 5 minutes to put on my vestments! For these hours inside people would remain lined up to come and lay their sinfulness before the reality of the cross.
Vianney is also know for the mortification that he lived during his life. I am sure that these different practices were not easy, but well worth it for him because they would draw him closer to the reality of the cross. In our lives we often have to endure many little crosses, but how better would they be if we accept them and offer them up to Our Lord in prayer?
Today may each of us draw closer into the reality of the cross and never forget the great gift that was freely given upon it. No matter where we find ourselves today we must embrace the crosses in our life instead of rebuking them. If we find ourselves lost and astray it is here that we can find our way back home. May we always trust in the cross!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
18th Sunday OT Year A Homily
One of the biggest revelations of a seminarian is why am I still here? It is a normal question to ask when you see a fellow classmate decide that this is no longer for him. Knowing that this person seemed to be the total package when it came to being a future priest really makes you start to evaluate yourself. This person seemed to know scripture well and had a great understanding of theology! This person decently had a great relationship to Our Lord in prayer. Despite these thoughts I still find myself here in all of my lowliness. As of June 11, 2011 I find myself here before you preaching and administering the Sacraments and yet I am still lowly and in need of growth. Never in the ministry that I have been asked to give the Church can I forget this fact.
In today's Gospel the disciples looked out upon the crowd and realized that they did not have what it took to feed all the people who were gathered before them. How in the world could they feed so many people when all they possessed where some bread and fish. On there own they never would of been able to feed these people, but they turned towards Christ for his assistance in the matter. They turned towards him, so that he could give them the strength needed to overcome their lowliness and begin to serve the crowd.
Each of us gathered here today are lowly and in need of assistance. There is nobody here today who can say that life is going completely grand and there is nothing that we are weak in. Not everyone gathered here could go onto American Idol or America's Got Talent and walk away with the first prize. It is doubtful that we have a football player here who will move onto the NFL to be the next Bret Farve. Our spiritual life also resembles this reality because we must get onto the path towards sainthood and it is a hard path to walk.
In our spiritual life many things jump out to attack us, so that we may never gain strength, but instead remain lowly. It therefore becomes easy to make excuses to why we are limited in our spiritual growth. We might admire the lives of the saints, but remain scared that we are currently to lowly to give this path a try. It is true that things often seem like they will be easier in the future, but the future never seems to come! In our weakness Christ is calling out to us and has the desire to feed us. Despite this great invitation we get caught up in the world around us and push this voice aside.
In our lowliness Christ calls out: "Come all you who are thirsty." Only if we are able to respond back to this call by turning towards Christ. Christ will take what little we have and He will multiply it to make it so much more. If he was able to do this to the masses some 2,000 years ago surely He can do it to us now. By having the faith to fully hand ourselves over to Him may we pray that we will be given the graces needed to make up for our lowliness. No matter how weak and in need that we may find ourselves Christ is truly there to embrace us and to give us the strength to walk the path that the saints once trod.
The crowds of the Gospel gathered around the disciples and were ready to be fed. Christ was able to show to them the important need of handing over all that we do to the Lord. These people gathered were each filled with their own lowliness and yet they were called to partake of this meal. Here at each and every Mass we come together in our lowliness to receive Christ in His Body and Blood. With great faith we know that through this meal we will have the strength to encounter our lowliness and overcome it with the help of Christ. The disciples lacked so much and were given beyond belief when they dared to come to Christ with their problem. May we take our struggles and lowliness and place them into the chalice, so that we may ever be strengthened by God. If we can begin to invest ourselves fully in this offering there will be nothing which can separate us from this great love.
Sin may seem so powerful, and yet the Church gives us the Sacraments of Reconciliation were the shackles of sin can be broken. Each Saturday evening when I enter this Church I see the huge line of people who have come in lowliness to be strengthened. Now with two priests at this parish we will be blessed with the Sacrament being offered not only on Saturdays from 5pm to 5:50pm, but also on Wednesdays from 3pm to 4:20pm. With this addition to the schedule we will have more opportunity to come to our Lord to be strengthened in our weakness.
Yes seminarians, priests, and deacons are all lowly just like everyone here. Let us never second guess ourselves, but instead come to Christ so that we may be filled. No matter where we have stumbled and fallen Christ is present with arms wide open giving us the invitation to come to Him. Are we prepared to react to this invitation or would we rather stumble about lost with little to eat? No matter what little we have to hand over to Christ it will be taken and made so much greater.
May we not fear to present ourselves to Him at this Mass and within our daily lives for here we can draw our strength!
In today's Gospel the disciples looked out upon the crowd and realized that they did not have what it took to feed all the people who were gathered before them. How in the world could they feed so many people when all they possessed where some bread and fish. On there own they never would of been able to feed these people, but they turned towards Christ for his assistance in the matter. They turned towards him, so that he could give them the strength needed to overcome their lowliness and begin to serve the crowd.
Each of us gathered here today are lowly and in need of assistance. There is nobody here today who can say that life is going completely grand and there is nothing that we are weak in. Not everyone gathered here could go onto American Idol or America's Got Talent and walk away with the first prize. It is doubtful that we have a football player here who will move onto the NFL to be the next Bret Farve. Our spiritual life also resembles this reality because we must get onto the path towards sainthood and it is a hard path to walk.
In our spiritual life many things jump out to attack us, so that we may never gain strength, but instead remain lowly. It therefore becomes easy to make excuses to why we are limited in our spiritual growth. We might admire the lives of the saints, but remain scared that we are currently to lowly to give this path a try. It is true that things often seem like they will be easier in the future, but the future never seems to come! In our weakness Christ is calling out to us and has the desire to feed us. Despite this great invitation we get caught up in the world around us and push this voice aside.
In our lowliness Christ calls out: "Come all you who are thirsty." Only if we are able to respond back to this call by turning towards Christ. Christ will take what little we have and He will multiply it to make it so much more. If he was able to do this to the masses some 2,000 years ago surely He can do it to us now. By having the faith to fully hand ourselves over to Him may we pray that we will be given the graces needed to make up for our lowliness. No matter how weak and in need that we may find ourselves Christ is truly there to embrace us and to give us the strength to walk the path that the saints once trod.
The crowds of the Gospel gathered around the disciples and were ready to be fed. Christ was able to show to them the important need of handing over all that we do to the Lord. These people gathered were each filled with their own lowliness and yet they were called to partake of this meal. Here at each and every Mass we come together in our lowliness to receive Christ in His Body and Blood. With great faith we know that through this meal we will have the strength to encounter our lowliness and overcome it with the help of Christ. The disciples lacked so much and were given beyond belief when they dared to come to Christ with their problem. May we take our struggles and lowliness and place them into the chalice, so that we may ever be strengthened by God. If we can begin to invest ourselves fully in this offering there will be nothing which can separate us from this great love.
Sin may seem so powerful, and yet the Church gives us the Sacraments of Reconciliation were the shackles of sin can be broken. Each Saturday evening when I enter this Church I see the huge line of people who have come in lowliness to be strengthened. Now with two priests at this parish we will be blessed with the Sacrament being offered not only on Saturdays from 5pm to 5:50pm, but also on Wednesdays from 3pm to 4:20pm. With this addition to the schedule we will have more opportunity to come to our Lord to be strengthened in our weakness.
Yes seminarians, priests, and deacons are all lowly just like everyone here. Let us never second guess ourselves, but instead come to Christ so that we may be filled. No matter where we have stumbled and fallen Christ is present with arms wide open giving us the invitation to come to Him. Are we prepared to react to this invitation or would we rather stumble about lost with little to eat? No matter what little we have to hand over to Christ it will be taken and made so much greater.
May we not fear to present ourselves to Him at this Mass and within our daily lives for here we can draw our strength!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Memorial of St. Martha Homily
It easy to forget why we are here and begin to lose focus upon our goal. The most trivial of things seem to be blown up hundred percent, but in reality our attitude is making things out to be worse then they really are.
I believe that both Martha and Mary had full knowledge of all the work that had to be done on that day. It therefore would seem like Mary was being lazy, but in reality she never lost focus of Christ and His wisdom. Martha on the other hand quickly got caught up in the work of the world and lost the focus of Christ in her life. Martha was indeed frustrated, but the voice of Christ called out to her to keep her focus upon Him.
We will leave this Church today and for each of us there will be a lot of work to be done. Some events that we encounter will come easy and without struggle while others will make us angry beyond belief. No matter what we encounter we must do "all things through Christ." By letting Christ into our daily work we will indeed have all that we need.
I believe that both Martha and Mary had full knowledge of all the work that had to be done on that day. It therefore would seem like Mary was being lazy, but in reality she never lost focus of Christ and His wisdom. Martha on the other hand quickly got caught up in the work of the world and lost the focus of Christ in her life. Martha was indeed frustrated, but the voice of Christ called out to her to keep her focus upon Him.
We will leave this Church today and for each of us there will be a lot of work to be done. Some events that we encounter will come easy and without struggle while others will make us angry beyond belief. No matter what we encounter we must do "all things through Christ." By letting Christ into our daily work we will indeed have all that we need.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)