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Love Against Indifference — 5th Sunday of Lent—Year C

March 22, 2013

The scribes and Pharisees do not care about the woman caught in adultery. They do not care about her sin. If they actually cared about the adultery, the man she sinned with would be there too. They do not really care whether this woman gets punished or forgiven. They only want to trap Jesus. They want Jesus to say something against the Law of Moses that they can use to attack him. When it becomes clear that their scheme will not work, they leave Jesus and the woman. She has merely been their tool for a failed task.  Now she is left alone with Jesus.  Jesus neither denies the woman’s sin nor withholds his mercy. He says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on sin no more.”

Jesus does not deny the truth. What the woman has done is wrong and it needs to end. But Jesus encounters her with love. We need to be the same way with the persons in our lives. Sharing the truth without love is repulsive. Who can embrace the truth when served with a sour taste? On the other hand, loving someone without sharing important truths is an imperfect love. We each have the duty to share the truth seasoned with love.

Like many of you, I am very happy concerning our new Holy Father. Pope Francis is a pleasant gift. He is an interesting and refreshing character who seems very holy. He comes to us from Argentina and is the first pope from Latin America, where more than forty-one percent of world’s Catholics live. One of my hopes is that Pope Francis will renew the Catholic faith there and here. Sometimes Catholicism can be widely present but not deeply held. Many claim our Faith but neglect to live lives moved by it.

I am honored to come here to celebrate Mass for few or for many and I am happy to do it. But how many people do you know that are absent from Mass? Invite them lovingly to come to the Mass here in the special weeks ahead. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, which includes the reading of the Passion. And in two weeks is Easter Sunday, the most important of all Christian celebrations.

The scribes and Pharisees did not care about the sinning woman. Let’s be unlike them. Let us help the people in our lives with love, truth, and the invitation of Jesus Christ to the sacraments in his Church.

Posted in Catholic Church, Homily, Love, Sunday Homilies, Witness | Leave a Comment »

Abortion, Life, Truth, and Love

March 3, 2013

Yesterday, I received an encouraging note from a former teacher co-worker. She discovered, while rummaging through her folders of memories, that I had written a pro-life article in her college newspaper that had been a great encouragement to her. Reminded that we do not always realize the good our words can do for others, I have spent today posting my recent homilies and have included my September 12, 2002 pro-life opinion piece below:

Imagine you were asked on a biology quiz, “When does a human’s life-cycle begin?” Only one answer reflects the consensus of the world’s human embryologists: “At fertilization, or what is known as conception.” Through fertilization a new single-celled embryo is created which is genetically neither mother nor father, but offspring. The life-cycle of every human you and I know began at their conception. Here is our next question: when will we defend the human rights of new human life?

With their controversial Roe vs. Wade decision the Supreme Court decided not to recognize human life in the womb as a person. Their rulings have (effectively) legalized abortions at any time during pregnancy, even up to the last moment of delivery. The high court’s discovery of the (unprecedented) right to an abortion has brought horrific consequences.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that 1,186,039 abortions occurred in 1997. That works out to about 3,250 each day. (Comparatively, 2,872 people died in the Sept. 11th attacks.) According to the CDC, more than 30 million abortions have occurred in our country since the 1973 legalization. It is possible to count abortions, but there is no measurement for the suffering and injustice they inflict.

Today, the partially born are killed with their fully-formed arms and legs dangling outside of their mothers, while their heads remain inside. However, if one of these babies were to accidently fall out, the child would receive the full protection of the U.S. Constitution.

Is personhood decided by location? How can six inches mean the difference between “tissue extraction” and murder? Do we receive our humanity by exiting a birth canal, or are we something of precious value long before entering the outside world?

Americans’ heartfelt convictions, combined with faulty notions of tolerance, create conflicted views on abortion. In June 2000, the Los Angeles Times polled 2,071 Americans, “Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Abortion is murder.” 57% agreed while only 36% disagreed. Yet, among those who agreed, most believed a woman should still have the right to choose an abortion. When I was younger, I reflexively shared this view. I saw abortion as the killing of human beings, but I hesitated to “impose my beliefs on others.” Finally, I realized my position’s absurdity. Imagine someone saying, “I’m personally opposed to terrorism on moral grounds, but I still think it should be legal. I would never murder anyone, but if someone else chooses to, who am I to say they can’t?” There is a classic saying from Supreme Court Justice Holmes about the limits of freedom, “The right I have to swing my fist stops where your nose begins.” Personal rights cannot permit the harming of the innocent. The innocent unborn should be no exception.

But what if a person is still unsure that the human life in the womb is “fully human”? How should we treat embryos and fetuses if uncertain of their humanity? For an answer, consider how we respond in other situations when we suspect human life might be present: We do not bury people who are doubtfully dead. We work frantically to rescue people from the rubble of collapsed buildings, even when there are no signs of life. If a deer hunter sees something moving through the bushes he must wait to shoot until he is positive it is a deer and not another human being. When in doubt, we assume there is life, because human life is precious. Conscience demands that we safeguard unborn life with our full protection and care.

Pro-lifers have no desire to see unhappily pregnant women abandoned out in the cold. There is no reason our society cannot love both mother and child. Local organizations, like the New Life Pregnancy Counseling Center (608-785-2377) and Catholic Charities (608-784-5323), extend helping hands and loving hearts. They offer free, confidential pregnancy testing and counseling. They assist mothers who lovingly choose adoption and support mothers who admirably choose to raise their own. These charities’ professional staffs and trained volunteers deeply care for women and their babies. They proclaim, by word and deed, that the choice to love is the greatest we can make.

In their 1857 Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court ruled black people were ‘not persons, but the mere property of their owners.’ In the 1930’s and 40’s the Nazis killed millions; Jews, Poles, and others they viewed as ‘less than human.’ During the 20th century, communist governments executed even more innocents they deemed counter-revolutionaries, justifying their deaths as being ‘best for society.’ Disturbingly, all these views are held against unborn life today. However, there is reason for hope. When minds and hearts unite in truth, history shows that falsehoods cannot long endure. Love’s future victory is certain, but the time-frame depends on us.

Posted in Politics, Social Justice | Leave a Comment »

Tempting Christ — 1st Sunday of Lent—Year C

March 3, 2013

Today’s Gospel from Luke is preceded by Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan. There, Jesus is revealed to be the Anointed One awaited by God’s people. The Anointed One is called the Messiah in Hebrew and the Christ in Greek. It was foretold that the “Anointed One” would have God as his Father in a unique and intimate way. This “Anointed One” was prophesied to come and be the savior, the champion, and the liberator of God’s people.

“Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days…” Here, before the start of the public ministry of Jesus, in the silence and solitude of this desert retreat, the thoughts and prayers of Jesus were probably about his mission ahead. At this time the devil comes to tempt him. The devil wants to influence the kind of Christ that Jesus will be in hopes of derailing his mission from the start.

The devil says, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answers, “One does not live on bread alone.” What would be the evil in Jesus making this food? If he uses his power to meet his own needs, then the devil will ask “How can you refuse the needs of other people?” The devil wants Jesus to become an economic savior, a materialistic Messiah.

Jesus has compassion for our human condition–he knows it from his own first-hand experience. Jesus commands us to show his love to others by caring for their bodily needs. And when we do this it is Jesus acting through us. But if Jesus’ first mission had become to satisfy all material human needs, then Jesus would have been a Christ of bread alone, and we cannot live forever on bread alone. Making all of us wealthy wouldn’t be enough to make us holy, and so Jesus refuses the first temptation.

Then the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and says, “I shall give to you all the power and glory…. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” And Jesus answers, “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” The devil offers Jesus an alternative to a life of obedience to his Father and in service to all. Jesus can become the world’s dictator whose own will must be done, if he would simply worship the devil.

This is the devil’s promise, but the devil is a liar. Making a deal with him gains nothing but loss, yet even if Jesus knew the devil would keep his word Jesus would have none of this. Jesus does not come to control us, but to invite us. He does not want to dominate us, but to persuade us to love. God seeks our loving response, and a response in love cannot be forced, so Jesus rejects the second temptation.

Then the devil takes Jesus to a high place and says, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for God will command his angels to guard you, and with their hands they will support you….” And Jesus answers, “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”

Here the devil argues that Jesus should expect to be protected from suffering and be preserved from death. But Jesus was sent and came to die and rise for us. Without these things how would we have been saved? Jesus trusted the Father’s will, even in suffering and death, and so Jesus refuses the third temptation.

God often works in ways that we wouldn’t imagine or choose for ourselves. We would wish that everything in life would be easy and painless. We wish our temptations and sorrows did not afflict us. But a doctor’s cure is given according to the disease he finds. After the Fall of mankind, God intends to save us through the difficulties and struggles of this life.

Our growth in holiness can be slow and our sufferings may be difficult. However, we should never despair. Our struggle has rewards and our suffering has purpose. We know this because of Jesus, who endured temptations just like us and for us.

El evangelio de hoy es precedido por el bautismo de Jesús en el Jordán. Allí, Jesús se revela como el Ungido esperado por el pueblo de Dios. El ungido es llamado el Mesías en hebreo y Cristo en griego. Fue predicho que “el ungido” sería tener a Dios como su Padre de una manera única e íntima. Este “Ungido” fue profetizado ser el salvador, el campeón, y el libertador del pueblo de Dios.

“Llenos del Espíritu Santo, Jesús volvió del Jordán y fue llevado por el Espíritu al desierto por cuarenta días…” Aquí antes del inicio del ministerio público de Jesús, en el silencio y la soledad de este retiro desierto, los pensamientos y las oraciones de Jesús fueron probablemente sobre su misión por delante. Entonces, el diablo viene a tentarle. El diablo quiere influir en el tipo de Cristo que Jesús va a ser, con la esperanza de desbaratar su misión desde el principio.

El diablo dice: “Si eres Hijo de Dios, di a esta piedra que se convierta en pan”. Y Jesús responde: “El hombre no vive solamente de pan”. ¿Cuál sería el mal en la fabricación de este alimento? Si Jesús usa su poder para satisfacer sus propias necesidades, entonces el diablo le preguntará “¿Cómo puedes negar las necesidades de otras personas?” El diablo quiere Jesús para convertirse en un salvador económico, un Mesías materialista.

Jesús tiene compasión por la condición humana y él lo sabe por su propia experiencia. Jesús nos manda a mostrar su amor a los demás por el cuidado de sus necesidades corporales. Y cuando hacemos esto, Jesús está actuando a través de nosotros. Pero si la primera misión de Jesús había sido la de satisfacer todas las necesidades materiales humanas, entonces Jesús habría sido un Cristo de pan solamente, y no podemos vivir para siempre en el pan solo. Haciendo todos nosotros ricos no sería suficiente para hacernos santos, y así Jesús rechaza la primera tentación.

Entonces el diablo muestra a Jesús todos los reinos del mundo y le dice: “Yo te daré todo el poder y la gloria …. Todo esto será tuyo, si me adoras. “Y Jesús responde:” Adorarás al Señor, tu Dios, ya él solo servirás “. El diablo ofrece a Jesús una alternativa a una vida de obediencia a su Padre y servicio de todos. Jesús puede convertirse en dictador del mundo, cuya propia voluntad se debe hacer.

Esta es la promesa del diablo, pero el diablo es un mentiroso. Haciendo un trato con él no gana nada sino pérdida, sin embargo, incluso si Jesús sabía que el diablo cumpliría su palabra de Jesús no quiso saber nada de esto. Jesús no viene a controlarnos, sino para invitarnos. Él no quiere que nos dominen, sino para persuadir al amor. Dios busca nuestra respuesta de amor y una respuesta en el amor no puede ser forzado, y así Jesús rechaza la tentación segundo.

Entonces el diablo lleva a Jesús a un lugar alto y le dice: “Si eres Hijo de Dios, arrójate desde aquí, porque Dios mandará a sus ángeles para que te guarden, y con sus manos te apoyan….” Y Jesús responde, “No tentarás al Señor, tu Dios.”

Aquí el diablo argumenta que Jesús debe esperar a ser protegido de el sufrimiento y ser preservado de la muerte. Pero Jesús fue enviado y vino a morir y resucitar por nosotros. Sin estas cosas, ¿cómo hemos sido salvados? Jesús confió la voluntad del Padre, incluso en el sufrimiento y la muerte, y así Jesús se niega la tercera tentación.

A menudo Dios obra de maneras que no nos imaginamos o elegir por nosotros mismos. Nos gustaría que todo en la vida iba a ser fácil y sin dolor. Queremos nuestras tentaciones y sufrimientos no nos afligen. Pero la curación de un médico se administra de acuerdo a la enfermedad que encuentra. Después de la caída del hombre, Dios quiere salvarnos a través de las dificultades y las luchas de esta vida.

Nuestro crecimiento en la santidad puede ser lento y nuestro sufrimiento puede ser difícil. Sin embargo, nunca debe desesperarse. Nuestra lucha tiene recompensas y nuestro sufrimiento tiene un propósito. Lo sabemos gracias a Jesús, que sufrió tentaciones como nosotros y por nosotros.

Posted in Consumerism, Homily, Humility, Jesus Christ, Love, Money, Politics, Redemptive Suffering, Satan, Spanish Homilies, Spiritual Warfare, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Mary’s Advice — 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time—Year C

March 3, 2013

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the greatest woman who has ever lived. She is the mother of God, but also our mother, our sister, and our friend. Mary is so easy for us to love because she is so lovable and she loves us a lot. God loves Mary even more than we do and, like a man in love, he speaks about her throughout the Bible, from the beginning to the end.

In Genesis, God speaks of Mary when he says to the serpent-devil, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers.” And in the book of Revelation, ‘A great sign appears in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She gives birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations….’

In our first reading today, when the Lord professes his love for Mount Zion and the city of Jerusalem, he is speaking about the people symbolized by these places.  First among these is Mary, the virgin and bride, in whom God, the builder and bridegroom, rejoices.

Maybe you will be surprised to learn that, despite her great importance, Mary speaks on only four occasions in all the Scriptures. (Her husband, St. Joseph, utters no words at all, and so we imagine him as being a quiet man.) Mary speaks at the Annunciation, at the Visitation, upon the Finding of the Boy Jesus in the Temple, and at today’s Wedding Feast of Cana.

Mary’s words are few, but powerful. For instance, today we hear the profound last words that Mary speaks in the Bible. Mary says to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” That’s good advice for Christians in every age. “Do whatever Jesus tells you.” This has essentially been Our Lady’s message to us at every Marian apparition throughout the centuries since then. Mary never tells us anything different from the Gospel’s message, but encourages, or gravely reminds us: “Do whatever he tells you.”

This is not only Mary’s message, but also the way she lived and lives her life. At the Annunciation, when Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done unto me according to your word,” she was essentially saying, ‘Lord, I want to do whatever you say.’ When Mary gave the servants her instruction she did not know what Jesus was going to do, it seemed like he might do nothing, but she trusted in him. She trusted that whatever the Lord wished would truly be best.

Mary wants us to have this attitude our lives too; to trust in his care when unexpected problems arise; to trust him when we are burdened by carrying the heavy waters of our duty. Jesus’ plans may not be what we would prefer but they will always be the best. Jesus transformed Cana’s water into wine. Mary says, “Do whatever he tells you.” Listen to Mary and see what he transforms in your life.

La Santísima Virgen María es la mujer más grande que jamás haya vivido. Ella es la madre de Dios, sino también nuestra madre, nuestra hermana y nuestra amiga. María es tan fácil que nos encanta, porque es digno de ser amado y nos ama mucho. Dios ama a María incluso más que nosotros y, como un hombre enamorado, habla de ella a través de la Biblia, desde el principio hasta el final.

En el Génesis, Dios habla de María cuando le dice a la serpiente-demonio, “Y pondré enemistad entre ti y la mujer, y entre tu descendencia y la suya.” Y en el libro de Apocalipsis, ‘aparecia entonces en el cielo una figura prodigiosa: una mujer envuelta por el sol, con la luna bajo sus pies y con una corona de doce estrellas en la cabeza…. La mujer da a luz un hijo varón, destinado a gobernar todas las naciones….’

En nuestra primera lectura de hoy, cuando el Señor le declara su amor por el monte de Sión y la ciudad de Jerusalén, está hablando acerca de la gente simbolizados por estos lugares. La primera de ellas es María, la doncella y la esposa, en quien Dios se alegra.

Tal vez usted se sorprenderá al saber que, a pesar de su gran importancia, Mary habla en sólo cuatro ocasiones en todas las Escrituras. (Su esposo, San José, pronuncia ninguna palabra en absolute, y así nos imaginamos a José como un hombre tranquilo.) Ella habla en la Anunciación, en la Visitación, en el hallazgo del Niño Jesús en el Templo, y en la banquete de la boda de Caná de hoy.

Las palabras de María son pocas, pero poderosas. Por ejemplo, hoy oímos las palabras últimas María habla en la Biblia. María dice a los servían: “Hagan lo que Él les diga.” Es un buen consejo para los cristianos de todas las épocas. “Hagan lo que Jesús les diga.” Esto ha sido esencialmente el mensaje de Nuestra Señora a nosotros en cada aparición mariana a través de los siglos desde entonces. Ella nunca nos dice nada diferente que el mensaje del Evangelio, sino que alienta o gravemente nos recuerda: “Haced lo que Él os diga.”

Esto no es sólo María mensaje, sino también la forma en que vivió y vive su vida. En la Anunciación, cuando María dijo: ” Yo soy esclava del Señor, que Dios haga conmigo cono me has dicho,” fue básicamente diciendo: “Señor, quiero hacer lo que dice.” Cuando María dio a los criados su instrucción, María no sabía que Jesús iba a hacer, parecía como si fuera a hacer nada, pero ella confiaba en él. Confía en que cualquier cosa que el Señor ha querido realmente sería lo mejor.

María quiere que tengamos esta actitud en nuestra vida también, a confiar en el cuidado de Jesús cuando se producen problemas, confiar en Jesús cuando estamos agobiados por llevar las aguas pesadas de nuestros deberes. Los planes de Jesús no puede ser lo que nosotros preferiríamos, pero siempre será mejor. Jesús transformó el agua en vino de Caná. María dice, “Haced lo que Él os diga.” Escuche a María y ver lo que se transforma en su vida.

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Christian Perfection, Spanish Homilies, Sunday Homilies, Trust, Wedding of Cana | Leave a Comment »

Prepare the Way — 2nd Sunday of Advent—Year C

March 3, 2013

The message of John the Baptist is “prepare the way of the Lord. Fill the valleys, lower the hills, straighten the roads, and smooth the paths.” What is he talking about? John is speaking like the heralds or messengers who, in ancient times, were sent ahead to announce to villagers how they were to prepare for the king’s arrival. They would gather everyone together and say, “Pay heed! Your king is coming to visit you soon, but this road on which he will come is full of potholes and has too many twists and turns. Smooth and straighten this road, otherwise when the king comes he will feel unwelcome.”

John the Baptist words are not only spoken to the past. He speaks to us today about the state our lives. Advent prepares not only for the coming of Christ at Christmas but for the coming of Jesus as our Lord and judge on the Last Day. There are sacred works for us to do in preparation.

Note that in the fifteenth year of Caesar Tiberius, the word of God did not come to the emperor in Rome. The word of God did not come to the governor or kings of the Holy Land. This word did not come to the chief priests in Jerusalem. This word came upon John in the wilderness, John the poor, John the stranger, John the seemingly insignificant. The word of God comes to little ones, like John and us. Popes, bishops and presidents do important things, but if we rely solely on them to prepare and advance the kingdom of God on earth we will be greatly disappointed. The Lord also will be disappointed, because he wants to do great things through us. We cooperate with the Lord in the Gospel cause.

What holy works does God want you to do? I do not know, but the Holy Spirit knows. He is always there with you; at home, at work, when you are praying. He has a word for you. The Lord wants to do great things through you. Listen, listen, and prepare their part of the way of the Lord in your life and those around you.

San Juan el Bautista dice, “Preparen el camino del Señor; rellenen los valles, rebajen las montañas, alanen los caminos!” Juan habla como antiguos heraldos y mensajeros que se enviaron por delante para anunciar a los aldeanos cómo debían prepararse para la llegada del rey. “Preparen el camino del Rey, para que cuando él venga, estará encantado con ustedes.”

Estas no son palabras dichas sólo para el pasado. Se hablan hoy a nosotros. Adviento prepara no sólo para la venida de Cristo en Navidad. Adviento prepara para la venida de Jesús como nuestro Señor y juez en el último día.  Hay obras sagradas para nosotros que hacer en preparación.

Observe que en el año décimo quinto del César Tibero, no vino la palabra de Dios al emperador en Roma. La palabra de Dios no vino al gobernador o reyes de la Tierra Santa. Esta palabra no vino a los sumos sacerdotes en Jerusalén. Esta palabra vino sobre Juan en el desierto; Juan el pobre, Juan el desconocido, Juan el aparentemente insignificante. La palabra de Dios vino a los pequeños, como Juan, y nosotros. Papas, obispos y presidentes hacen cosas importantes. Pero si dependemos exclusivamente de ellos para preparar y avanzar el reino de Dios en la tierra, vamos a estar decepcionado. El Señor también se sentirán decepcionados, porque quiere hacer grandes cosas a través de nosotros. Tenemos colaborar con el Señor en la causa del Evangelio.

¿Qué santas obras qué Dios desea que hagas? No sé, pero el Espíritu Santo sabe. Él siempre está allí con usted en su casa, en su trabajo, o cuando se está rezando. Él tiene una palabra para ti. El Señor quiere hacer grandes cosas a través de usted. Escucha, escucha, y preparar su parte del camino del Señor en la viva a su alrededor.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Holy Spirit, Homily, Spanish Homilies, St. John the Baptist, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Remain Within — 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time—Year B

March 3, 2013

In our first reading, Joshua led the Hebrews into a new country. Joshua told the people: “Say here now whom you will serve.” (The Lord, or another god?) They had to make a choice. They had to do this many times again later, amid the temptations of their new home.

In our gospel we hear: “From that time many of his disciples withdrew and did not want to walk with him.” This is John, chapter six, verse sixty-six (interestingly: six, six, six.) Some disciples of Christ still leave him today. In the gospel, they left because of his teaching on the Eucharist. Today many leave to enjoy forbidden pleasures, leaving the God of true love. Other people become very rich and comfortable and think they do not need the creator of all these things.

We say: “Far from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for the Lord is our God.” But even if we approach the Lord every week here in the parish, we must remember that serving the Lord means more than saying the right things. Remember, Jesus said: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

What is that will? Jesus tells his bride, the Church. Christ loves the Church and gave himself for her to sanctify. In it, Jesus purifies us with the sacraments, the Scriptures and the teachings of the apostles.
Stay in it, and you will be one with him. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: ‘A word of St. Joan of Arc to her judges sums up the faith of the holy doctors and the good sense of the believer: “About Jesus Christ and the Church, I simply know that they’re just one thing, and we shouldn’t complicate the matter.”‘ Remain in her in this new country and you will be one with him. Say: “As for me, my family and I will serve the Lord.”

En nuestro primera lectura, Josué ha conducido a los hebreos en un nuevo país. Josué le dijo al pueblo: “Digan aquí y ahora a quién quieren servir. (El Señor, o un otro dios.) Tuvieron que hacer una elección. Que tenían que hacer esto muchas veces de nuevo más tarde, en medio de las tentaciones de sus nuevo hogar.

En nuestro evangelio escuchamos: “Desde entonces, muchos de sus discípulos se echaron para atrás y ya no querían andar con él.” Esto es Juan, capítulo seis, versículo sesenta y seis (interesante: seis, seis, seis.) Algunos discípulos de Cristo todavía le abandonan hoy. En el evangelio, se fueron porque de su enseñanza sobre la Eucaristía. Hoy en día muchos lo dejan para disfrutar pleasures prohibidos, abandonando al Dios del amor verdadero. Otras personas llegar a ser muy rico y cómodo, y no piensan que necesitan el creador de todas estas cosas.

Nosotros decimos: “Lejos de nosotros abandonar al Señor para servir a otros dioses, porque el Senor es nuestro Dios.” Pero, incluso si nos acercamos al Señor cada semana aquí en la parroquia, hay que recordar que servir al Señor significa mucho más que decir las cosas correctas. Recuerde, Jesús dijo: “No todo el que me dice: Señor, Señor, entrará en el reino de los cielos, sino el que hace la voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos.”

¿Cuál es esa voluntad? Jesús le dice a su esposa, la Iglesia. Cristo ama a su Iglesia y se entregó por ella para santificarla. En ella, Jesús nos purifica con los sacramentos, las Escrituras, y las enseñanzas de los apóstoles. Permanece en ella, y tú serás uno con él. El Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica dice: ‘Una palabra de Santa Juana de Arco a sus jueces resume la fe de los santos doctores y expresa el buen sentido del creyente: “De Jesucristo y de la Iglesia, me parece que es todo uno, y que no es necesario hacer una dificultad de ello.”’ Permanece en ella, en esto nuevo país, y tú serás uno con él. Digamos: “En cuanto a mí toca, mi familia y yo serviremos al Señor.”

Posted in Catholic Church, Christian Perfection, Homily, Joshua, Spanish Homilies, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

What Jesus is Like — 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time—Year C

March 3, 2013

You may recognize today’s second reading from many weddings. This beautiful discourse on love from Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is often chosen by couples to be read at their ceremony. Ironically, Saint Paul wrote these words to the Christians at Corinth because they were not living together in love. However, these words gave to them, and give to us, a pattern to follow. This pattern for love is Jesus.

As Saint John has told us, “God is love.” Also, Jesus Christ is truly God. Therefore, whatever is true for love, is true about Jesus Christ. And likewise, knowing Christ gives us understanding into love.

Jesus is patient, Jesus is helpful and does not envy; Jesus is not boastful nor conceited, not rude nor selfish, not irritable nor resentful; he does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. Jesus bears all things, hopes all things, preserves all things. Jesus endures forever.

Meditating on these words help us to know Jesus better. They can also serve as a list for ourselves. In which area do you need and want to improve the most? Choose one virtue and pray at this Mass for the help of God.

Never be afraid because your growth in holiness is slow. In today’s Gospel, the people of Nazareth, neighbors and acquaintances of Jesus, “were filled with wrath, and rose up, drove him out of the city and took him to a ledge of the mountain … to thrust him down. But passing through the midst of them, went away from there. You or I, in the situation of Jesus, could begin to hate these people. But Jesus’ love lasts forever.

Jesus can be patient and merciful towards people who hate him. Imagine the intense joy he has for people who want to serve and please him.

Usted podría reconocer la segunda lectura de hoy de muchas bodas.  Este discurso hermoso en el amor, de la primera carta de San Pablo a los Corintios, se elige a menudo por las parejas para ser leído en su ceremonia. Irónicamente, San Pablo escribió estas palabras a los cristianos de Corinto porque no estaban viviendo juntos en el amor. Sin embargo, estas palabras dio a ellos, y daran a nosotros, un modelo a seguir. Esto modelo del amor es Jesús.

Comosan Juan nos ha dicho: “Dios es amor”. Además, Jesucristo es verdaderamente Dios. Por lo tanto, todo lo que es verdadero para el amor, es verdad acerca de Jesucristo. Y de igual manera, sabiendo que Cristo nos da la comprensión en el amor.

Jesús es comprensivo, Jesús es servicial y no tiene envidia; Jesús no es presumido ni se envanece; no es grosero ni egoísta; no se irrita ni guarda rencor; no se alegra con la injusticia, sino que se goza con la verdad. Jesús disculpa sin límites, confía sin límites, espera sin límites, soporta sin límites. Jesús durara por siempre.

Meditando sobre estas palabras nos ayudan a conocer mejor a Jesús. También pueden servir como una lista para nosotros. ¿En qué área te necesito y quiero mejorar más? Elija una virtud y rezar en esta Misa por la ayuda de Dios.

Nunca tengas miedo porque su crecimiento en la santidad es lento. En el evangelio de hoy, la gente de Nazaret, los vecinos y los conocidos de Jesús, “se llenaron de ira, y levantándose, lo sacaron de la ciudad y lo llevaron hasta una saliente del monte…  para despeñarlo. Pero Él, pasando por en medio de ellos, se alejó de ahí”.  Usted o yo, en la situación de Jesús, podría comenzar a odiar a esta gente. Pero el amor de Jesús durara por siempre.

Jesús puede ser paciente y misericordioso hacia las personas que lo odian. Imaginen se la legría intensa que él tiene para las personas que quieren servirte y agradarte él.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Love, Spanish Homilies, St. Paul, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Lingering Before The Lord — Tuesday, 17th Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

July 26, 2011


During the Exodus, the Lord’s presence would descend in a cloud upon the desert tabernacle called the tent of meeting. All the children of Israel would worship at the mouth of their own tents while Moses and his young assistant Joshua went in before the Lord. After speaking with the Lord, Moses had to leave to tend to the responsibilities involved in leading God’s people. Joshua, however, remained behind to pray, give thanks, and intercede for others.

God was pleased with Moses for the time he could spend with Him, blessing Him with a radiant light. He was also pleased with Joshua for lingering after. He would later select Joshua to lead the people after Moses’ passing because he was a man like David, “a man after God’s own heart.” Sometimes we can’t come to Mass early or linger after because of the demands of home and work and that’s ok. But if you can and do spend extra time with the Lord, know that this pleases Him greatly and helps you yield a greater harvest for Him.

Posted in Christ the King Parish, Exodus, Homily, Joshua, Mass, Moses, Prayer, St. John the Baptist Parish, Weekday Homilies | 2 Comments »

Whom Her Heart Loves — July 22 – St. Mary Magdalene

July 23, 2011


Mary Magdalene in today’s gospel shares obvious parallels with the woman in the first reading from the Song of Songs. The woman in the Song of Songs rose to find him whom her heart loves. Mary Magdalene rose early in the morning and came to the tomb. The woman in the Song of Songs sought her beloved but did not find him. Mary Magdalene reported to the apostles, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” The watchmen came upon the woman in the Song of Songs. As Mary wept, she saw two angels in white. The woman in the Song of Songs asked, “Have you seen him whom my heart loves?” Mary said (unknowingly to Jesus), “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” The woman in the Song of Songs had hardly left the watchmen when she found him whom her heart loved. Jesus said Mary’s name; she turned and said to him, “My rabbi!” The woman in the Song of Songs goes on to say, “I took hold of him and would not let him go.” Jesus had to say to Mary Magdalene, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.”

So what is the reason behind this providential parallel between Mary Magdalene and the woman in the Song of Songs? I have heard it said that the Song of Songs is the book of the Bible on which the saints have written about most. Perhaps God gave us Mary’s example so that we would not interpret the Song of Songs merely as a description of the corporate love between Yahweh and the people of God, or between Jesus and His bride the Church, but so that we would also see in it the love affair between Him and every person individually.

Our faith is not based upon feelings alone. (Feelings are too fickle to be our foundation.) Yet, feelings of the heart are an important part of our relationship with God. As Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all you mind, with all your strength, and with all your soul.” We must love Him with the intellect of our minds, with the strength of our bodies, and with the will of our souls, but we must also love Him with the emotions of our hearts. Stir up your affections for Christ, pattern the emotions of Mary Magdalene, who showed true devotion to Him whom her heart loved.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Love, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Mary Magdalene, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

The Desert Problem—Thursday, 16th Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

July 21, 2011

This morning I would like to talk with you about something I call “the Desert Problem.” We see it with the children of Israel during the Exodus. They had seen the ten plagues that were afflicted on their Egyptian oppressors. They had seen the Red Sea split before them. They heard God speak so powerfully and intensely with Moses at the mountain that they trembled. They accepted God’s covenant. They saw, they heard, but then they forgot. The Israelites seem to always be sinning in the desert and we can feel annoyance at them. However, we should not judge them harshly, for their story is our own. We also struggle with the desert problem.

We come to dry and difficult places in our own lives, too. When we face difficulties we too often forget what we have seen and heard and give in to depression, despair, and sin. The solution to the desert problem is the refreshing water of memory. When you are in a desert you need water, but you don’t need to dig a new well every time you need refreshment; you can go back to an old and reliable well. Before you come to your next desert, think of times in the past when you knew God was close, perhaps an intense consolation experienced in prayer, or a providential miracle you’ve witnessed in life. And when you enter your next desert (or if you find yourself in one now) recall these memories to mind and be refreshed in faith. ‘Blessed are your eyes, because they have seen, and your ears, because they have heard,’ but to remain faithful to God in the desert you must remember the great things of God you have seen and heard.

Posted in Christ the King Parish, Christian Perfection, Exodus, Faith, Homily, Human Nature, Supernatural Phenomena, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Seek As To Find — Monday, 16th Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

July 18, 2011

When I was a kid, I was neither hot nor cold. I was a cradle-Catholic and wouldn’t renounce Christ, but I wasn’t much of a disciple of Christ either. I would have pseudo-philosophical religious conversations with friends, asking questions like, “How do we know that God is real? How do we know the Bible is really true? Couldn’t the Apostles have been hallucinating on Easter? Doesn’t science contradict religion?” And other objections of that type.

One day, when I was about 12-13 years old, I imagined myself  standing before the judgement seat of God after my death. He looked disappointed and annoyed like I had promised to meet Him somewhere and never showed up. He asked, “Why didn’t you live your life like I wanted you to live it?” (At the time I thought, “Whether this idea is coming by God or just from my own imagination, I have to honestly address this question. What would I say in this situation?”) “God,” I said, “I wasn’t even sure that you were really real. How could I commit my one life to you while I was still uncertain? Who would stand out on a cliff-ledge unless they knew that it could bear their weight?”  He promptly replied, “Well, did you ever really try to find out [if I was real?] I mean, did you even read my book?” When I heard this, I had two reactions. I laughed (because it was funny) and I said, “Oh crud,” (though I didn’t say “crud.”) God had called me out. If I had really been searching for the truth, I would’ve been searching differently. Instead of just asking questions I’d be looking for answers. After that, I began praying more, reading the Bible, and exploring my Catholicism more deeply. Because of this, I stand here today.

Jesus refused to give the Pharisees a sign because they weren’t really looking for the truth but excuses.  If you meet someone who doubts God and says they would believe in Him if He gave them a sign, perhaps ask them if they are really searching for the truth or just raising doubts about God in order to be free from the demands of the Gospel. Whoever truly seeks, finds. As a corrolary for our own lives, for we who believe in God, don’t expect the Lord to explicitly reveal His will for you, unless you are willing to accept His will.

Posted in Discernment, Faith, Homily, St. John the Baptist Parish, Supernatural Phenomena, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Rules of Spiritual Discernment

July 17, 2011

In just a few pages, St. Ignatius’ famous Rules for Discernment can teach us about:

  • Spiritual consolation, spiritual desolation, and how to act in the midst of them.
  • How the enemy of our souls attacks us and how we are to defend ourselves.
  • How to recognize the activity of the good spirit or the bad spirit within us.

Posted in Discernment, Prayer, St. Ignatius | Leave a Comment »

Enduring Despite Scandal — 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time—Year A

July 17, 2011

I know of a man who was called and chosen to lead, to preach, and to be a minister on behalf of Christ. Good and powerful things were done through his ministry and he was respected by many Christians. However, despite outward appearances, this man was a sinner (a great sinner,) and when his sins became known he brought great scandal to the Church. It was revealed that he had repeated stolen from funds collected for the poor. It also became known that he had betrayed Christ, his people, and his vocation in a vastly more terrible way. So terribly, in fact, that Jesus said, “It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”  (Better for him if he had never lived life outside his mother’s womb.) This man, who preached the gospel, who worked mighty deeds, who drew crowds to Jesus Christ, was the Apostle Judas Iscariot.

Could you imagine being one of those Christians who had been evangelized by the Apostle Judas? What if he had preached the gospel and ministered in your hometown? Imagine how your faith might be shaken by his sins. How tragic it would be if any Christians had parted ways with Jesus Christ, the apostles and the Church because of the scandal of this one man.

Though the one, apostolic, and Catholic Church is holy, she does contain sinners. Jesus said that there would be weeds that grow alongside the wheat. It has always been this way, and so it shall be, until the separating harvest at the end of the age. There have been terrible sinners among the Church’s popes and priests, her lay men and women; children of the evil one. Yet, these sinners, should not make us forget about the Church’s many canonized and uncanonized saints, the children of the kingdom, through whom far greater good has been done.

Like the mustard seed Jesus described, His Catholic Church, which began as a speck in history, has grown into the largest of plants, a peaceful dwelling place which brings together all peoples. And like the yeast in the dough that Jesus spoke of, the works and teachings of His Catholic Church have raised up the whole world for the better. For instance, the Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization in the world and she has been the defender of universal human dignity through the centuries. The modern world accepts the concept of universal human rights as a given because the Catholic Church first championed human dignity by her teachings and deeds. Despite the sins of some of its members, let no one say that the Catholic Church has not been a source and a force for good in the world.

We see that Jesus foreknew what Judas was freely going to do. Jesus said, “Did I not choose you twelve? Yet is not one of you a devil?” “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” (He said this in reference to Judas.) Why did Jesus, who knew all the while what Judas would freely do, permit him to remain in their company? One could rightly say it was because the Father had ordained it so, or that it was necessary to fulfill Old Testament prophesies, or so that the Son of Man and Savior of mankind would experience the human suffering of betrayal by someone who knew Him well and should have loved Him. Perhaps there are one thousand true reasons for it in God’s providential plan, but I am convinced that one of these reasons is this: So that in the future, whenever one of Jesus’ own betrayed Christ’s Church, be they a member of the clergy or laity, it would not destroy our faith in Christ.      Ultimately, the only person our Catholic faith depends upon is Him, and Jesus will never let us down.

For those who have been alienated from the Faith because of scandals, let us pray whatever the offense, that no Judas shall keep them away from Jesus Christ and His Church.

Posted in Catholic Church, Faith, Homily, Human Dignity, Saintly People, Social Justice, St. John the Baptist Parish, Sunday Homilies, The Apostles, Unity, Wheat & Weeds | Leave a Comment »

Broadcasting Our Faith — Thursday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

July 14, 2011

At Easter time, my sister, Laura, and I used to watch documentaries about Christianity on TV. On the one hand, it was cool to see Jesus Christ talked about on channels like CNN and the History Channel. On the other hand, they couldn’t seem to present on the Christian faith without giving at least equal airtime to doubt. Laura and I enjoyed mocking their seemingly unrelenting skepticism:

“Jesus of Nazareth died nailed to a cross… or did He?”
“Every Easter, Christians around the world celebrate their belief that Jesus rose from the dead… or do they?”
“We’ll be right back after these words from our sponsors… or will we?”

Last night, ABC’s Nightline had an episode about the Virgin Mary and various apparition sites.  As I expected, the show both pleased me and annoyed me. I was pleased they had almost seven minutes about the shrine of Our Lady of Champion, near Green Bay—the first Church-approved Marian apparition site in our country. This was great, because the better the shrine is known the more good it shall do. On the other hand, I was annoyed by the show in various ways; for starters, by the Nightline episode’s title: “Beyond Belief.”  I was also annoyed by some of the things they included people saying.

I know that being interviewed isn’t easy. Expressing yourself like you want to can be hard, and video editing can take your words out of context, but here are some things they had people saying.  The doctor of a boy who was found to be free of leukemia the day after they visited the Green Bay shrine, was asked whether it was a miracle. He said, “The medicine did its job.… No matter what, God can’t work in the care of this child unless he works through somebody.” The narrator then referred to this metaphysical assertion, regarding what God can and can’t do, as “science.”

Later, the opinions of two, so-called experts were given. The first had written a book entitled From Jesus to Christ. (The book title was itself a red flag because it implies that the real historical Jesus of Nazareth got mythologized into the Christ of faith by later Christians. The Jesus of history and the Christ of our faith are one in the same.) She said, “When I think of the historical Mary, I think, first of all, of a very tired mom. Jesus could have been her fourth or fifth child for all we know. There’s absolutely no data in the New Testament itself to even tell us that.” (Actually, the Gospels of Matthew and Luke describe Mary as a virgin and Jesus as her firstborn Son.) A second expert said, “I’m not really big on the virgin birth as being scientifically viable.” (I wonder if he considers Jesus’ Resurrection, or any other miracle, to be scientifically viable.)

Then the show’s host, who seemed to me more ill-informed than malicious, went on to say, “After her death, early Christians hungry for information on the mother of their Messiah, began filling in Mary’s biography, with more stories like this; that she too was Immaculately Conceived, that her body was assumed to heaven like her Son’s, but the truth is that there’s no evidence to support any of these traditions.” First, he conflates the miracle of Jesus’ virgin birth with Mary’s Immaculate Conception. That’s a common error. Second, it’s just not true that there’s no evidence of Mary’s Assumption. For instance, the mere fact that Christians claim to have bones from all of the Holy Apostles, while no one at anytime anywhere has claimed to have hers, points to something. That’s not an incontrovertible proof for Mary’s Assumption, but it is some evidence for what all Christians were convinced about from the earliest times. The fact that people keep seeing her in compelling apparitions is some evidence too.

On the whole, I thought the show was a net plus; it did more good than harm, but it goes to show that we can’t rely upon the secular media to proclaim the Gospel for us. A person whose only source is secular television is not likely to come to faith. We need to step up as individuals and give witness to others about who God is and what He has done for us. As the psalmist says:

“Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his signs, and the judgments he has uttered.”

Moses hesitated to speak to others about God. He said, “When I go to the children of Israel… what am I to tell them?” The Lord said, ‘Tell them, ‘I am who am.’ You shall tell them that I-Am-Who-Am sent you to them.’ Likewise, the one true God is asking you to witness to Him before others. Ask the Holy Spirit for the grace and you will soon receive the opportunity to witness to Jesus Christ and the good things He has done.

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Christ the King Parish, Culture, Homily, Moses, St. John the Baptist Parish, Supernatural Phenomena, Television, Witness | Leave a Comment »

Born Under the Law — Tuesday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

July 12, 2011

The story of Moses prefigures the life and works of Jesus Christ. St. Paul tells the Galatian Christians, “[We,] when we were not of age, were enslaved to the elemental powers of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption.”

The elemental powers St. Paul speaks of are the devil and the demons who powerfully and harmfully influence the world. Pharaoh and his evil reign image Satan, the demons, and their works. The children of Israel strained under the law and it brought them death. But, when the fullness of time had come, God sent a child, born of a woman, born under that law. That child, who would image person and works of Jesus, was Moses.

As long as he remained a quiet, sleepy newborn, the mother of Moses could hide him, but after three months her son began to loudly and frequently cry. With a pain that pierced her to the heart, she laid her son in the waters of death, hoping against hope, that she would receive him back safe. And, like Mary the mother of Jesus, God miraculously brought her son came back to her alive and safe. For what purpose was Moses was born under the law?—to ransom those under the law, so that they might receive God’s adoption. The Hebrews were known as the children of Israel, but they were to become the people of God.

Moses was destined to lead them, but in his youth, he was still unready. (His actions towards the Egyptian taskmaster make this clear. The one who would lead the people into the Promised Land, the one who would prefigure the Christ, could not to have an undisciplined and violent character.) After decades in a hidden life of preparation, Moses confronted Pharaoh and brought out the Israelites, not by force of arms, but by God’s power.

Moses led them into a new covenant relationship with God, who declared to them, “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” Through Moses, the Israelites were made God’s people. Through Jesus Christ, we are made God’s children. Let us recognize, that as much as Jesus is greater Moses, so the gift of the New Covenant is greater than the Old. As amazing as mighty deeds and graces of God were in the age of Moses, remember that these are all greater in the age of Jesus Christ.

Posted in Christ the King Parish, Christian Perfection, Homily, Jesus Christ, Moses, Satan, St. John the Baptist Parish, Typology, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

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