Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category

« Older Entries

A Leader Like Us

May 31, 2025

Solemnity of the Ascension
By Fr. Victor Feltes

As a child in CCD class, I remember being told that a pope from the United States would never happen in our lifetimes. The common view was that having the earthly leader of the Catholic Church come from the world’s strongest superpower was something most cardinals would want to avoid. So it was quite surprising when the 69-year-old, Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost was introduced to the world as Pope Leo XIV. But that concern about coming off as “America’s Pope” is probably why he only spoke Italian, Spanish, and Latin during his first public appearance.

If you’re like me, it’s surreal having so much in common with the pope. Like all of us here, he’s a Midwesterner. He speaks English without a foreign accent. He has consumed our movies, TV shows, and music and been active on social media. He has enjoyed American sports, like when he attended a White Sox World Series game. He has voted in our U.S. elections and attended the March for Life in Washington, D.C. He ministered in Peru for many years but we have something in common there too. Our diocese has supported Servant of God Fr. Joe Walijewski’s Casa Hogar orphanage in Lima for several decades. Like me, the new pope has a mathematics degree. My parents and relatives come from the Chicagoland area too. And we both picked the name “Leo XIV” — this new pope was literally named after my 12-year-old cat. He has a friendly smile and a sense of humor, he’s easygoing but takes Catholic teaching and worship seriously, he sings well, and writes out homilies to help him preach clearly. You probably have personal connections to our new pope yourself, like belonging to the same American Baby Boom generation.

Of course, the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV is still very young and its substantial fruits have yet to unfold. In the first week following his election, a reporter shook Pope Leo’s hand as he passed by and asked, “Holy Father… any message for the United States?” The pope smiled, lifted his hands, and replied, “Many! May God bless you all!” It’s exciting to have a pope who probably understands us, our country and our culture, both the good and the bad, better than any pope before him. So what does any of this have to do with the Solemnity of the Ascension we celebrate today? Much! And it relates to our June celebration of the Sacred Heart as well.

The Ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus Christ’s human nature into heaven. His humanity enters everlasting divine glory, symbolized by the cloud and sky. And from heaven, seated at God’s right hand, he constantly intercedes for us before the Father. Jesus Christ, being true God and true man, has a human intellect and will perfectly attuned to his divine intellect and will, knowing us and loving us all with a human heart. As Pope Francis wrote about the Sacred Heart last year, “The eternal Son of God, in his utter transcendence, chose to love each of us with a human heart.” Jesus possesses “genuine human emotions and feelings like ourselves, albeit fully transformed by his divine love. … Entering into the heart of Christ, we feel loved by a human heart filled with affections and emotions like our own.” Divine knowledge and love are eternal and we have had popes before. But the Ascension and Sacred Heart of Jesus are significant. Like a pope who intimately understands us, because he is one of us, we can rejoice that we now have a Lord in heaven, Jesus Christ, who knows us and loves us with a human heart like ours.

Posted in Ascension, Catholic Church, Culture, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

On Pope Leo’s First Homily

May 16, 2025

By Fr. Victor Feltes

In Pope Leo XIV’s first homily after his election he spoke on how people at the time of Jesus fall into two camps or attitudes about him. The wealthy and powerful consider Jesus “a completely insignificant person, at best someone with an unusual and striking way of speaking and acting. And so, once his presence becomes irksome because of his demands for honesty and his stern moral requirements, this ‘world’ will not hesitate to reject and eliminate him.”

The other group and attitude is “that of ordinary people. For them, the Nazarene is not a charlatan, but an upright man, one who has courage, who speaks well and says the right things, like other great prophets in the history of Israel. That is why they follow him, at least for as long as they can do so without too much risk or inconvenience. Yet to them he is only a man, and therefore, in times of danger, during his passion, they too abandon him and depart disappointed.”

“What is striking about these two attitudes is their relevance today. They embody notions that we could easily find on the lips of many men and women in our own time, even if, while essentially identical, they are expressed in different language. Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure. These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed. A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.”

“Today, too, there are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or uber-man. This is true not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism. This is the world that has been entrusted to us, a world in which, as Pope Francis taught us so many times, we are called to bear witness to our joyful faith in Jesus the Savior. Therefore, it is essential that we too repeat, with Peter: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”

This homily was an excellent reflection for us but there is one more takeaway I wish to share with you. In its reporting, The New York Times’s headline read: “Leo XIV Vows to Lift Up ‘Ordinary People’ in first Mass as Pope. In Pope Leo XIV’s first homily on Friday, he put himself squarely on the side of ‘ordinary people,’ and against the rich and powerful…” Someone who only read that would think the new pope’s homily was about political class struggle, but having read his words yourself you can see what Leo really taught: that if we consider Jesus to be merely a man, we will either despise him or abandon him. “Therefore, it is essential that we too repeat, with Peter, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”

I have learned a lesson from watching the coverage of both Francis and Benedict’s pontificates which prompts me to offer this word of warning at the start of Leo’s pontificate: Do not trust the media to accurately report on what the pope teaches. Through ignorance, bias, or malice they will regularly have things wrong. It is good for us that a pope now speaks English as his first language, but expect the press to sometimes misleadingly excerpt even those remarks. So if and when you hear a strange report about the pope, do not let your heart be troubled. Learn from Leo directly and trust in the Lord.

Posted in Culture, Jesus Christ, Reflection | Leave a Comment »

Doing The Lord’s Work — Funeral Homily for Sylvan Rothbauer, 87

January 6, 2025

By Fr. Victor Feltes

There is much more to life than work, but human work goes back to the beginning. Even before the Fall of Man, “the Lord God then took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.” Adam toiled tending plants and animals with Eve. Sylvan worked very hard farming his whole life alongside Leona.

He began with a herd on a dairy farm, but later purchased another farm in Tilden on which he grew crops and raised animals. His daughter tells me he taught his three children everything they know about farming. He gave them chores to do growing up, and “some of them were not so fun,” but they were helpful.

He and his wife of sixty-four years did everything together. They went to Mass here at St. John’s together, vacationed with the children to a cabin up north, and would gather the whole family together, especially for Christmas Eve. And when Leona eventually fell ill, Sylvan became her full-time caretaker, humbly cooking and cleaning and laundering for her for the first time.

St. Paul describes Jesus Christ as the New Adam, the “second” or “last Adam.” He writes that, “The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. …. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.”

Jesus the Good Shepherd began with one flock, but then purchased more fields and creatures through his blood, sweat, and tears. We are his people, the sheep of his flock, the children of the Father. He teaches us everything we must know to produce good fruit. The chores that he gives us are not always fun, but they support the work that he is doing and help us mature into saints like him. He humbly serves his beloved bride, feeding, cleansing, and clothing her, and he delights to be with her; on earth around this altar, in the joyful house above and away from here, together with his whole family.

The stories of our lives find their greatness in Jesus Christ’s story. Pray for Sylvan, so that his likeness to Christ may reach its full completion. And with faith in our Lord Jesus, do the holy work which will lead to your glory.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Funeral Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Work | Leave a Comment »

The Last Shall Be First

October 19, 2024

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

In today’s Gospel, James and John shoot their shot to move higher up in Christ’s Kingdom. They say, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. … Grant that in your glory we may sit, one at your right and the other at your left.” Jesus replies, “You do not know what you are asking.” The two brothers jump at the chance to drink from Jesus’ cup and be baptized in his baptism because they don’t realize these things mean sharing in Christ’s suffering. Jesus assures them, ‘You will drink of my cup and experience my baptism, but to sit at my right and my left is for those for whom it has been prepared.’ Where were the places at Christ’s sides at his glorious royal enthronement? St. Mark’s Gospel tells us: “With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left. … [And] the inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’”

James and John did not realize what they were asking. They sought places closer to Jesus in order to live earthly lives in a palace on Easy Street. They imagined reigning over a kingdom with Christ where they would be served like the rulers of the nations who made their dominance over other people felt. But Jesus gathered his disciples and said, “It shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Hierarchies are normal and natural, though some are better than others. The secular world has hierarchies according to power, wealth, or status. Christ establishes a hierarchy for his Church on earth according to sacramental holy orders. But amongst the Church in heaven, a hierarchy exists according to love. In heaven, God reigns supreme and God is love—pouring out for all. There is no money to be had, the sacraments are no longer needed, and there is perfect, perpetual peace. Greatness above is according to one’s capacity to give and receive love. So whoever wishes to be great in God’s Kingdom must practice the self-gifting, servant love modeled for us by Jesus Christ.

We can expect to see many surprises after this life. Reality will look very differently in the light of eternity. Some things which we once thought were valuable—even necessary—will be seen as nothing. And things once rejected as useless will be recognized for their true value—especially in people. Many unknown people will become recognized as great, while many rich, powerful, and popular people will be humbled. “Thus,” Jesus says, “the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” So let us begin living life with more of that eternal vision now: by seeing with the eyes of Christ, by thinking with the mind of Christ, and by loving with the heart of Christ.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Culture, Heaven, Homily, Love, Service, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

What Must We Do?

October 13, 2024

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

A man runs up to Jesus, kneels down, and earnestly asks him, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus quotes to him commandments about loving our neighbors: “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” Why did Jesus add “you shall not defraud” after saying “you shall not steal [and] you shall not bear false witness?” What distinction is being made? In the Greek, “steal” here denotes taking, while “defraud” suggests withholding or keeping back what belongs to another. Both the street mugger (by unjustly taking) and the business owner (by unjustly holding back) can deprive someone of what is rightfully theirs. It is possible to sin by clinging on to what we should give.

Upon hearing Jesus’ list of commandments, the man replies, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” The man is seeking something more from Jesus. Jesus had just cited several of the Ten Commandments but notice which commandments Jesus left out. The first three commandments are conspicuously absent, the ones specifically about our relationship with God. Jesus, looking at the man and loving him, desires to reveal how he is to love the Lord. He tells him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” But at hearing these words, the man’s face fell because he had many possessions, and he went away sad. Did that man ever go on to have a change of heart before the end? We don’t know. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record this encounter in their Gospels but none of them mention his name. Perhaps (unlike with Jairus, Zacchaeus, or Bartimaeus) the early Christians were unfamiliar with this man because he never joined their community.

The Book of Acts describes Jerusalem’s earliest Christian community as being “of one heart and mind” and generous towards one another. “There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.” However, that sharing was not obligatory. Christians still owned property, they were free to decide whether to sell it or not, and they were free to share the sale proceeds or not. So it is not necessarily wrong to own things, but wealth can be an obstacle to heaven.

Jesus remarked to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words, because they held the idea that having great wealth was a strong sign of God’s approval. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” So who among us qualifies as rich?

Compared to our immediate neighbors, our wealth is probably pretty average. Or at least most of us have less money than the richest folks in town. But how materially wealthy are we compared to those in other countries? Compared to the world, everyone here is rich. For instance, a two person household with an annual after-tax income of $40,000 makes more than about nine-out-of-ten people on earth. Even someone who lives alone with a post-tax income of $10,000 a year makes more than eight-tenths of the world. We are rich. So what must we do?

Again, not all Christians must give away all of their wealth, but our Lord insisted upon it for that man who came to him because Jesus knew he loved his riches more than God. The things we own are not absolutely ours to do with however we please, for we and what we have belong to God. We are his trusted servants, the stewards of his goods. That is why Jesus says that anyone “who does not renounce all of his possessions cannot be my disciple.” Even when it is his will for us to have possessions, we must do so with a healthy detachment, by being frugal and generous and truly open to doing God’s will.

One of the most memorable scenes from the 1993’s Best Picture winning film “Schindler’s List” comes at the end. Oscar Schindler, a German industrialist, has protected the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during the Second World War by listing them as his “essential workers” while producing defective ammunition for the Nazis. He looks at the people he has saved and reflects: ‘If only I’d made more money. I threw away so much money, you have no idea. … I didn’t do enough. This car. Why did I keep the car? Ten people right there, ten more people. This gold pin… two more people. At least one. One more person, for this. I could have got one more person, and I didn’t.’ It is Ok to have what we need and it can be Ok to buy things we want, but someday we all will have to stand before the Lord “to whom we must render an account” of our Christian stewardship.

There is a world of needs around us, needs abroad and needs nearby, material needs and spiritual needs. Though they all have importance, our local spiritual mission has a special claim on our care. To aid the success of Christ’s mission for the salvation of souls among us, in the words of St. Paul, “Each person must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion [but freely], for God loves a cheerful giver.” And our Lord promises rewards for our sacrifices for him. Jesus declares, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age… and eternal life in the age to come.” So let us be generous, for God will not be outdone in generosity.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Generosity, Homily, Money, Stewardship, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Let The Children Come

October 5, 2024

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

People were bringing their little children to Jesus that he might touch them, pray for them, and bless them through laying his hands on them. His disciples, however, rebuked those parents. “No, stop doing that. Leave the teacher alone.” Why did his disciples behave this way? Jesus was very busy with his work. His time was very valuable and they believed he had much more important things to do. They saw those children as an unwelcome inconvenience.

Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry details how the ancient world had small regard for little ones in his excellent article “How Christianity Invented Children.” “Society,” he writes, “was organized in concentric circles, with the circle at the center containing the highest value people, and the people in the outside circles having little-to-no value. At the center was the freeborn, adult male, and other persons were valued depending on how similar they were to the freeborn, adult male. Such was the lot of foreigners, slaves, women…and children.” In pagan Rome, a father could kill his kids for any reason until they came of age; unwanted infants were abandoned to die by exposure, youths were subjected to all forms of abuse, and all of this was legal. The early Christians, however, protected children and loved them. This marked difference is because of Jesus Christ.

Though children are small and weak, Jesus says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” They have no wealth, no worldly power, but Jesus declares, “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Calling over a child and putting his arms around it, Jesus teaches, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” Just as a good shepherd hates to lose even one lamb from his flock, Jesus insists “it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.” Jesus says children are to be treasured and loved like himself, for “whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.” And in this Sunday’s gospel, in response to those who were turning the children away, Jesus says, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” Then Jesus welcomed, embraced, and blessed the children.

Jesus taught that all children should be loved. How well have we listened? If we have personally sinned against little ones in the past, then we must repent—if we have not done so already. Go to God for Divine Mercy, for if you are baptized into Christ then you are God the Father’s precious child also. And going forward, we must do our Christian duty to protect and care for them, the most vulnerable in our country.

The Bride of Christ, his Church, teaches that “abortion, the deliberate killing of a human being before birth, is never morally acceptable and must always be opposed.” In light of the upcoming elections, our U.S. bishops as successors to the apostles insist “the threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority, because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives destroyed.” Last year, that number of innocent children killed before birth in our country was more than one million. Pope Francis himself has observed that abortion is not primarily a Catholic or even a religious issue, it is first and foremost a human rights issue. Our Holy Father has said that if we fail to protect life, no other rights matter.

Have we, as Roman Catholics, fully rejected the spirits of pagan Rome? How we choose to live, to love—and yes, how we choose to vote—will be revealed as our answer at the Last Judgment.

Posted in Catholic Church, Culture, Homily, Marriage and Family, Politics, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

For Love & Life

September 21, 2024

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr Victor Feltes

What is the act of eating for? It is good for eating and drinking to be enjoyable, but they are intended for supporting life. What if people tasted but refused to consume? What if it became common and culturally accepted for people to eat and expel their meals without digestion? A normalization of bulimia would obviously be very unhealthy. It would be psychologically unhealthy — warping attitudes about food and our bodies — and also physically unhealthy, leading to malnourishment and the death of many. However, new technologies, products, and politics would rise to promote this way of life despite its harms. The divine purpose for eating and drinking is our nourishment. It is not merely for our delight but for the good of supporting life. As Jesus once taught in a conversation about marriage, “What God has joined together, no human being must separate.”

Did you know, less than one hundred years ago, all Christian denominations opposed contraception? Contraception is an intentional act, before, during, or after a marital embrace to render it unfruitful. It is like the priest at Mass consecrating the wine while refusing to consecrate the bread; a distortion which is not how the Lord wills us to renew our covenant. Natural and artificial forms of contraception are nothing new. Scrolls from 1850 B.C. describe various Egyptian methods, and pagans practiced contraception in the Roman Empire. Church Fathers like St. Clement of Alexandria, St. Augustine, and St. John Chrysostom condemned contraception and sterilization. Protestants like Martin Luther (the founder of Lutheranism), John Calvin (the founder of Calvinism), and John Wesley (the co-founder of Methodism) all wrote against contraception as well. Naturally, not every occasion of marital union creates new life. But until about a century ago, all groups of Christians agreed that whenever a husband and wife renewed their one-flesh union they must be open both to love and the possibility of life.

In 1917, the Anglicans called contraception “demoralizing to character and hostile to national welfare.” But then, in 1930, they became the first Protestants to officially approve the use of contraception in limited cases. By the 1960s, most Protestants had changed their previous teachings. The Catholic Church, however, stood firm in the unchanging truth. At the end of 1930 and again in 1968, popes reaffirmed the constant teaching of Christ’s Church on the nature, purpose, and goodness of marriage and the marital act. In 1968, St. Pope Paul VI warned that great harms would come from the acceptance use of contraception: broadly lowered morality, increased marital infidelity, lessened respect toward women, coercive impositions by governments, and the self-destructive belief that we have unlimited dominion over our bodies and human life in general. Advocates for contraception insisted back then that it would increase women’s happiness, strengthen marriages, prevent unplanned pregnancies, and reduce abortions. But today in our country, after decades of widespread contraceptive use, women report lower levels of happiness, nearly half of pregnancies are unplanned, nearly half of marriages end in divorce, and every year an estimated one million unborn children are murdered.

Powerfully driven by modern media, one false cultural idea has led to another. Contraception promises couples child-free relations, so when a child is conceived that child is viewed as a mistake for which his or her parents do not feel personally responsible, making abortion seem like an acceptable solution to the problem of an unwanted human being. When contraception strips away the idea of the creation of children as a primary purpose for marital relations, marriage need not require a man and a woman. From there, it is hard to explain why marriage need be limited to only two people who love each other. Once sexuality becomes detached from human biology, gender identity becomes easily confused. Where sexuality is viewed as exclusively for pleasure, unchastity grows and interest in marriage itself collapses. On the other hand, spouses who respect the God-given meaning of sexuality and are aware of their fertility levels throughout the month can faithfully practice Natural Family Planning (or NFP) as a safe and reliable way to space or postpone the conception of children. These couples are statistically less likely to divorce and grow together in communication, self-control, and intimacy.

The world, hostage to its passions, does not welcome the Catholic Church’s message but instead attacks the messenger. The crowds foretold of in the Book of Wisdom say, “Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings…” Jesus suffered in this way before us. Even Jesus’ apostles began with worldly views on many things. For instance, they argued over who among them was the greatest. Following Jesus requires our repentance, turning to him for mercy and healing, which he lovingly extends to us in confession, whatever our past sins may be. Christ’s love redeems us. From there, we are called to imitate him, carrying our crosses for God and each other, growing in virtue, growing in the gift of self, and growing together in love.

To follow Jesus requires humility, to confess and turn away from our sins, and to be open, teachable, and trusting in Christ. Jesus, taking a child, put his arms around it and said, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me… receives the One who sent me.” So let us love purely and be open to life, welcoming, protecting, and cherishing all little ones, for the person who loves these least ones is loving Jesus Christ.

Posted in Catholic Church, Culture, Homily, Marriage and Family, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

What is Good for Us?

September 1, 2024

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus said to the crowd, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” Jesus speaks to the Old Covenant’s rules about the ritual purity of objects and foods. With the arrival of his New Covenant those ordinances passed away. “Thus,” St. Mark writes, “he declared all foods clean.” After carefully forming his Jewish people as a unique group set apart from the world, God lifts the burden of those purity laws to open the door to true religion for all the nations. That has led to gentiles like you and me worshipping him here together this Sunday.

So what substances should enter our bodies? Millions of Americans now use illegal drugs, abuse alcohol or prescription drugs. I can imagine someone asking: “If nothing from outside the body defiles, if God has created all things good, then how could any substance be forbidden?” Yes, all that God created is good, very good, but recall how one of his first commandments in the Garden of Eden was not to eat from a certain plant. The woman saw how that tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom, but it was not good for Adam and Eve to then eat of its fruit. Fire is another of God’s good creations, a blessing very useful for life, but misusing it can burn you or may entirely consume you.

Alcohol is a similar case; a good thing which can be harmful. Psalm 104 says God gives man “wine to gladden their hearts.” Jesus transformed water into wine at the Wedding Feast of Cana, and we know wine back then was more than just grape juice. No one put their new wine into old wineskins because the alcoholic fermentation would burst them. St. Paul even once counseled St. Timothy, “Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” So alcohol is a blessing, but Scripture also describes its dangers. Proverbs says, “Wine is arrogant, strong drink is riotous; none who are intoxicated by them are wise.” And St. Paul taught the Ephesians, “Do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery.”

Intoxication or drunkenness carries both personal and communal consequences. Opposition alcohol’s harms was once so intense in our country that the 18th Amendment banned “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors” beginning in 1919. After almost 15 years, because of increased crime and corruption and the government’s desire for more tax revenue during the Great Depression, Prohibition was repealed in 1933. Of course, just because something is legalized doesn’t mean it’s safe, healthy, or helpful for me. For instance, smoking is highly-addictive and causes cancer but it’s legal in all fifty states. And now many places are legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana use despite its known health and social harms. Just because an activity is legal doesn’t mean we or those we love should do it.

True freedom is not unchecked license. It’s the ability to choose and do what’s right and best. Our addictions make us slaves. Consider your habits. Are their fruits good or bad? Jesus said the sins which come out of us are what defile us. Look at what comes from you because of this or that habit. What habits, then, should you moderate or abstain from entirely? St. James urges us in today’s second reading to “be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves… Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.” Accept the pruning of correction and the nourishing support of others to bear better and more abundant fruit.

Why do we freely chose to sin – to do what we know is wrong? Because it feels like a shortcut to peace and happiness. But the holes in human hearts are meant to be filled by love instead of sins — divine and neighborly love, poured out and received. Jesus calls all sinners to change but he does not expect us to achieve this change alone. Ask for his help, his grace, his inspiration and strength, “for what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?” And through the support of fellow Christians, helping each other be better, embrace Christ’s ways which bring fruitful joys without any regrets.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Culture, Homily, Jesus Christ, Salvation History, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

Controversies & A Sign

August 3, 2024

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Some of the people who were present at the feeding of the 5,000 caught up with Jesus and his apostles at Capernaum. Jesus told them, “You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” If Jesus’ sign had generated proper faith in them they would be seeking him for what he might reveal from God. Instead, they were led by their desire for more free bread. Jesus redirects them to himself: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” They said, “Sir, give us this bread always.” And Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Though I do not own a TV, I do follow news and entertainment through the internet, yet you may have noticed that I rarely preach on current events. Most of what fills the 24-hour news cycle today is forgotten by next week. And even when its reports are important it’s rare that they impact the lives of you or me very much. With continuous controversy, it’s easy to denounce what’s bad without actually doing any good. It keeps you focused on the affairs of others without growing in prayer or virtue. The spiritual enemies of your soul want you to be endlessly anxious, angry, distracted. The demons want you fixated on passing things instead of holding fast to the good things which ever endure. But today, I would like to highlight a recent event I take as a sign pointing to Christ.

The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics featured a scandalous likeness of the Last Supper. The Catholic bishops of France called it “outrageous and provocative.… scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore.” This Saturday, the Vatican issued a brief statement criticizing it as well. Why does God hate blasphemy and sacrilege? Because those sins are so harmful to us. Belittling God and holy things, treating our Lord’s name like excrement or a joke, creates obstacles to people knowing and loving God. Christian leaders were right to denounce that display being broadcast on a world stage. However, I would not be mentioning the Olympics’ sorry transgression — which reflects particular errors of our time — if not for a sign which occurred the following night.

Last Saturday, July 27th, shortly before midnight, four administrative districts in the city of Paris experienced a blackout. For up to ten minutes, French cultural landmarks in “the City of Lights,” including the Louvre Museum, the Paris Opera, parts of the Arc de Triomphe, and the Moulin Rouge cabaret, went dark. The French power company told reporters this brief power outage affected nearly 85,000 customers. What was most striking about this event was captured in images which quickly spread across social media. Shining on a hill as the tallest and most visible building in the city, The Basilica of the Sacred Heart remained lit amidst the darkness surrounding it. That beautiful church’s construction began and in 1891 as an act of reparation, as penance for sins of France which had led to national disasters.

That moment last Saturday night was a sign to the world for anyone with eyes to see it: that in the darkness of our times there is one Light for us to turn to. So do not obsess over bread and circuses which perish, and do not lose hope. Focus rather on the Light, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, who gives life to the world.

Posted in Culture, Homily, Internet, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Warfare, Sports, Sunday Homilies, Supernatural Phenomena, Television | 2 Comments »

How Would We Treat Jesus?

July 6, 2024

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus commanded the wind and waves of a storm and proved himself more powerful than nature. He told a twelve-year-old girl to arise and proved himself stronger than death. But when Jesus returned to his hometown he was not able to perform many mighty deeds. He did no mighty deeds in Nazareth “apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.” St. Matthew writes that Jesus “did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.” They had listened to Jesus teach in their synagogue. He declared to them during his homily on a messianic passage in Isaiah, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And “many who heard him were astonished,” yet this astonishment became outpaced by outrage.

‘Where did this guy get all this,’ they wondered. ‘Isn’t he just a carpenter? Don’t we know his mom and relatives, who all live around here?’ And “they took offense at him.” St. Luke records “they rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.” St. Mark tells us that Jesus “was amazed at their lack of faith.” Jesus’ neighbors at Nazareth had more personal knowledge of him in those early days than nearly anybody else on earth, yet they treated him very poorly. They were familiar with him and he was doing good things yet they treated him with contempt. If the boy Jesus had grown up here, if that young man had lived in our community or household, how would we have treated him? Well, how do we treat the people who live around us now?

In his great novel The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky has one of his characters remark, “The more I love humanity in general the less I love man in particular. In my dreams, I often make plans for the service of humanity…. Yet I am incapable of living in the same room with anyone….” Dostoevsky observes it can be very easy to love “humanity,” because “humanity” is an abstract idea. Escapist daydreams are easy and pleasant, but the actual human beings around us require things of us. Not only at Mass and prayer with God but also in daily life with them, we must exercise our love and grow it, in good times, in bad times, and in ordinary times.

St. John writes in his first New Testament letter, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” How do we treat our brothers and sisters, our neighbors and family members, at work, at home, at church? That’s our best clue for how we would treat Christ, for he tells us, “whatever you did [or did not do] for one of these least brothers of mine, you did [or did not do] for me.” So ask for Jesus’ powerful help, for his transforming grace which changes people and relationships, and remember him in how you treat others.

Posted in Chrisitian Virtues, Homily, Literature, Love, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

A Glorious Moment

April 14, 2024

3rd Sunday of Easter
Fr. Victor Feltes

Boys and girls, I want to tell you about an adventure I went on last week. I took a short trip to see the solar eclipse on Monday in Indiana. (An eclipse is a very rare event where the Moon gets in front of the Sun in just the right way that, for a few minutes in particular places, the Moon blocks out the Sun’s light.) My friends and I had looked forward to that day for seven years, ever since 2017 when we traveled to see the total eclipse in Missouri. Widespread clouds had been forecasted for Monday, but the skies were providentially clear for millions of eclipse-watchers from Texas to Ohio.

The Moon began covering the Sun over the course of an hour. At first, to the naked eye, you couldn’t notice anything had changed, but the sunlight slowly became like an overcast day. (Remember kids, do not stare at the Sun because that can permanently damage your eyes.) In the final moments before the full eclipse, it was like seeing the world’s dimmer switch being turned down. Then, the Moon totally covered the blinding light of the Sun. You could see the Sun’s corona resembling white wisps of motionless smoke. Jupiter and Venus were visible in the darkened sky, while every horizon around us looked like twilight. All the birds were quiet. After three minutes, the Sun began to reemerge and several seconds later, its light became too bright again for us to look at without our special, filtered safety glasses. Imagine if colorful sunsets only occurred on Earth at particular places on a handful of dates each decade. Seeing the total eclipse was as special as that.

Besides its beauty, a wondrous thing about a total eclipse is our ability to predict them. The orbits of the Earth and Moon around the Sun are well-known, such that we can calculate with high accuracy, years in advance, when and where eclipses will occur. For instance, unless the second coming of Christ occurs first, the United States’ next total eclipses will be in 20 and 21 years. (You children will be grown up by then.) And 75 years from now, a total eclipse is forecast over Bloomer, Wisconsin, on September 14, 2099 at 10:45 AM, lasting four minutes. (So far, I have nothing else scheduled on my calendar for that day, but we’ll see.)

Another wondrous thing about total eclipses is that they are even possible. The Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun. The Moon it is also about 400 times closer to us than the Sun. For this reason, our Moon and Sun appear the same size in our sky and one can closely cover the light of the other. Scientists have not identified any reason why their relative sizes and distances would have to be this way, but if their ratios were just a bit different then the stunningly beautiful eclipses we have would never occur; the Moon would cover either too much or not enough of the Sun. Countless things about our universe are fine-tuned in this way.

The physical laws of the universe fit together so providentially to allow and sustain living and interesting and beautiful things that some want to imagine there’s an infinite number of universes to explain away this fact. St. Paul wrote to the Romans about people who deny our Creator, “Ever since the creation of the world, [God’s] invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.” Our lives are not an accident. We are willed by God. Heaven and earth are full of God’s glory. We and our world are wonderfully made.

The coming of Christ, the sacrifice of Christ, and the resurrection of Christ we heard about it today’s gospel reading are like a total eclipse; beautiful, awesome, and stunning; happening in real history at a particular place at a particular time; and “announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets.” These things draw the attention of millions, though many disregarded them. God was like the Sun, our source of life, yet too hot, too blinding, and too far away to approach. Jesus Christ is like a solar eclipse. Like the Sun and Moon during a solar eclipse he is God and man united, allowing us to see God’s glory. Jesus Christ performs a similar wonder today for you. Behind the appearances of bread you can gaze upon his very self. Jesus has chosen this day, this place, this glorious moment to give you his Most Holy Eucharist, this most precious gift of himself.

Posted in Homily, Incarnation, Jesus Christ, Real Presence, Resurrection, Science, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Labor, Toil, & Rest — Funeral Homily for Barbara “Barb” Hable, 68

March 25, 2024

By Fr. Victor Feltes

Barb grew up across the street from here in the building now known as Baier’s Bar. Forty-seven years ago, she married her husband Larry in this St. Peter’s Church. Today, we are gathered here to mourn, and pray for her eternal blessed rest. Barb’s family speaks about her love as the rock-center of their home. They also tell of her strong-willed determination, her focused level-headedness, and her persistent hard work. Amidst the responsibilities of motherhood, she would work around the house and work around the yard. She volunteered at her St. Paul’s Catholic Parish, where she worshipped our God every Sunday, and maintained employment in the wider workforce. Educated in accounting, working at Chippewa Valley companies, she then transitioned into an information technology career and commuted for more than twenty years between Bloomer and the Twin Cities. When that ended with her retirement in 2019, she still kept busy; faithfully attending the activities of her five granddaughters and staying connected with family and friends from her high school and business days, from Tilden, Bloomer, and beyond. Her family tells me Barb “couldn’t sit still,” that she was always working on something. What are we to make of the reality of human work, to which we devote so much of our lives?

Did you know that human work existed even before the Fall? In the beginning, the Lord God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it. Then God gave man a helpmate, to fruitfully love and work alongside. A finite universe, even if sinless, can be endlessly improved with new beauties and delights forever. But with sin came the introduction of human toil and death. God said, “In toil you shall eat [the ground’s] yield all the days of your life. …By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground from which you were taken, for you are dust and to dust you shall return.” This is why our labor is so often satisfying; we enjoy being co-creators with God and take pleasure in the fruits of creation. And this is why our labors are so often a burden; this world has been broken by sin and our lives are plagued by fatigue, pain, and death. If this life were all there is, one could reasonably ask with the Old Testament author of Ecclesiastes: “What profit have we from all the toil which we toil at under the sun? One generation departs and another generation comes… What profit comes to mortals from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which they toil under the sun?” But there is more to our story.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, enters into our world proclaiming: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Jesus declares, “I am the Good Shepherd,” He is the Lord about whom the psalmist said: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths for his name sake.” Though the Twenty-Third Psalm is most commonly heard at funerals, as Jesus does offer eternal rest in the life to come, he also invites us to share in his peace now. Jesus says to us on earth: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” Because of the hope we have in him, because nothing good will be lost forever, we can be secure in the peace of Christ that our works of love and goodness are not done in vain.

We rightly pray for Barb’s soul today, that she may enter into perfect and unending rest. Yet this does not mean her labors will then be finished. St. Therese of Lisieux, seeing her own death approaching, wrote: “How unhappy I shall be in heaven if I cannot do little favors for those whom I love… I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth. I’m happy to die… because I shall be much more useful than I am now to the souls who are dear to me…” And since her passing in 1897, St. Therese has proven to be a wondrous intercessor. So pray for Barb, and ask for her prayers. I doubt she will be will sitting still. And look forward to our reunion, our resurrection into the New Creation, where free of toil we will partake in joyful work with God forever.

Posted in Funeral Homilies, Homily, Work | Leave a Comment »

Obey Christ For Abundant Life

January 28, 2024

4th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

The people of Capernaum witnessed the authority and power of Jesus, “He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” The demons are mere creatures, but Jesus Christ is Lord. Will we heed and obey him? According to Catholic exorcists, a good confession is more powerfully effective than an exorcism. This makes sense. It is difficult to root out demonic influence in a person’s life when the person is siding with the demons in rebellions against God through grave sin. But once that person comes to Confession — repentant, seeking to sin no more — they are rejecting those sins and the demons lose some in-roads.

I once received a request from an unmarried, non-Catholic couple to help them with spiritual disturbances occurring in their home. They were hearing strange noises and voices, seeing and finding inanimate objects moving about, and their dogs were behaving strangely. Unless they were lying to me (and I can see no purpose in them lying) the couple sometimes witnessed phenomena together, which rules out the possibility of these being mere hallucinations. I visited and spoke with them, blessed their house, prayed for them, and blessed them.

When I reached out to them some months later, they said they had been thinking about contacting me again. They said that following the house blessing things had gotten better — quieter, for a time — but then the disturbances resumed and maybe worse than before. So I came back and blessed their house and both of them anew, but I admonished them again, just as I had before, that it was gravely important that they cease fornicating. I told them God’s will for them was either to marry, to live separately, or to live chastely like a brother and sister. Behaving otherwise is to lie with one’s body; simulating a permanent gift of self without vowing that same commitment before God and the world.

That man and woman and I did not know whether spiritual disturbances had occurred in that house before they moved in. However, I can see why the Lord might permit these unsettling signs for the couple’s own good: to deepen their faith in spiritual things, to help them recognize their sin, and to motivate them to change. I believe my first blessings had some effect to reveal to these non-Catholics that such blessings hold power and to validate me as a messenger. Yet these blessings did not make the disturbances go away forever since that would do them little good; making the symptoms disappear without curing the underlying disease. The couple was grateful for my visits, but I do not know what they went on to choose.

Jesus manifests his full authority over demons. “He commands…the unclean spirits and they obey him.” So one might ask, “Why doesn’t Jesus simply constrain all of the demons now, making them completely incapable of doing anything?” I suppose some imagine that without any demons there would be no further evil in the world, but temptations and sins would still remain. As St. James writes in his New Testament letter, “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.” Would our temptations be less if the demons were no more? Quite possibly. So why does Jesus allow them to prowl about the world at all? It must be for our greater good and glory, for “God works all things for the good of those who love him.” Why was Satan allowed to tempt Jesus in the desert if not for Christ’s glory and our greater good? And notice how once Jesus said, “Get away, Satan,” then the devil left him. Jesus Christ offers each of us the grace to do his will, but will we heed and obey him?

Someday, I would like to write a book imagining modern-day America if it suddenly became impossible to commit the vast majority of sins. How would people react to God the Father decreeing that much more of his active will must be done on earth as it is in heaven? My story would describe the initial disruptions for a society in which the markets for immoral things evaporate overnight, and many other goods and jobs (like door locks and security guards) are no longer needed. Then I would tell how much society would benefit from the abolishment of sin. Imagine all of the wealth wasted on sins or on repairing sins’ effects instead being spent more usefully; not to mention the greater peace people would enjoy from never being willfully mistreated anymore. Yet my narrative would also note how much people would complain; for instance, they would insist upon their “rights” to speed or curse or lie, or to misuse their bodies or their money however they desire. They would denounce God for his tyranny, and wail and grind their teeth. For these people, it would be like a hell on earth.

In Deuteronomy, Moses proclaims to the Hebrews, “A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen.” God declares about that prophet, “[I] will put my words into his mouth… Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it.” Jesus is that promised prophet raised up from his own people, the Incarnate Word of God. “People were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.”

Jesus does not instruct us in order to control us. He does not command us so that he may dominate us. Jesus declares, “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that [you] might have life and have it more abundantly.” In this age, we are free to disobey God like the demons did. But in the age to come, such sins will no longer be permitted. If we die as friends of God, before we can enter heaven our love for sins will need to first be fully purged. God shall not force his enemies into heaven against their will.

Brothers and sisters, Christ is Lord. He is here to help us, not to destroy us. So choose love over sin, end your rebellions, and encounter him in the confessional. Heed his authority, obey his teachings, and embrace the more abundant life Jesus is offering you.

A Protest Against Paradise

Posted in Chastity, Chrisitian Virtues, Christian Perfection, Culture, Homily, Marriage and Family, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Sunday Homilies, Supernatural Phenomena | Leave a Comment »

Do Whatever He Tells You

December 18, 2023

3rd Sunday of Advent
Dcn. Dick Kostner

Today we celebrate “Rejoice” Sunday Take notice of the pink candle on our Advent wreath. We are getting close to celebrating the birthday of Jesus the “Light” of the world. We celebrate this birthday by decorating a tree with bright lights overshadowing the darkness we experience in the world we live in. For this Deacon, the fact that I was called to preach on this Sunday, displays the fact that God does have a sense of humor for he knows how much I like to be vested in bright pink. Usually this happens only twice a year but this year I will be gifted with this color for four Masses instead of only two.

As people faith we are very much aware of how dark it is living in this world. How can we be joyful always as St. Paul calls us to do in our Second Reading? How can we be joyful when our loved ones are dying or seriously ill? Or joyful about the cost of living, or being laid off or fired from our job? Or joyful that crime is at an all time high with people not caring about the rights or feelings of others? Or, to put it bluntly, what is joyful about this world going to hell in a basket?

The answer is easy. Nothing! That’s the point of our readings this Sunday. There is nothing great about what our readings refer to as “darkness.” Darkness is a part of the world that we live in. No I am not saying that there is no good in this world and that God does not love this world. It was through the love of our Creator that we were gifted with the birth of a new King and a new world or Kingdom where “darkness” cannot exist. A world gifted with a light so bright that evil darkness cannot sneak in. One of the revelations I received while studying to get my masters degree in Pastoral Studies was that we do not have to wait for death to occur to witness and partake in the Kingdom of God for it shows its presence within our present world.

We are surrounded with darkness in this world, that is why Jesus made the statement that his Kingdom was not of this world. The new Kingdom, the new world of Jesus is a place of love and respect. It is a place where sin and darkness cannot exist. And guess what? All of us have been given an invitation to become a citizen of this new Kingdom by its King. All of us have been given the mission of being a light shinning in the darkness of a world heading for the dark city scripture calls “Gehenna”.

How do we get to shine bright and experience the new Kingdom of God? Well, we can’t shine if we are dirty so we need to get cleaned up. Jesus gives us the necessary soap and water to accomplish this task. He gives us Sacraments to not only clean us up but also also provide us with the battery power to make our light shine bright. Jesus also gives us the help and support of his faith family to help us not only get clean but to stay clean so that our light will maintain its brightness.

We only have a short time to get ready for the Christmas Party of light. We are called to be the lights of Christ which will decorate the tree of everlasting life and let the Kingdom shine through. We have in our Parish many mentors of light both living and deceased that will help us be a bright light so pray for their help. Are we ready? We might think we are not ready but that’s OK. Jesus himself maybe felt he was not ready for public ministry when his mother asked him to perform his first miracle of changing water into wine to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage for a young couple. But his mother knew better and he gave in to her wishes. It is here that Mary gives us the key to the Kingdom of God when she proclaims to the servants and to us “Do whatever he (Jesus) tells you.” St. Paul and St. Peter likewise also maybe felt they were not the right people to take on being the light of Christ, but they gave it a try, and look how bright the Kingdom of God got from their acceptance of the challenge to help light up the world.

It’s our time now to make a decision on whether we will join other parish family members this Christmas, on becoming one of the lights on the Christmas tree to present to Jesus on his birthday, of the tree of life in the Kingdom of God. It is a matter of life and death on how we will proceed as a follower of Jesus. The bottom line folks is for us to listen to the words of Mary, and “Do whatever he tells you.”

One of my most blessed gifts of ordination is when on a dark and scary night of darkness I, as a Deacon of Christ, am able to provide to my people of Bloomer at the Easter Vigil, the light of salvation, by proclaiming for all the parish to see “THE LIGHT OF CHRIST!”

Posted in Culture, Homily, Joy, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

A Little Time Remains

December 10, 2023

2nd Sunday of Advent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Unlike the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Mark’s Gospel does not start with stories of Christ’s Nativity. This gospel begins with the ministry of St. John the Baptist. John’s mission was to “prepare the way of the Lord (and) make straight his paths.” In ancient times, before a king or emperor would journey to a region, his heralds or messengers would be sent out ahead of him to announce how people were to prepare for his coming. One practical part of these preparations was to improve and repair the roads; filling in the potholes and smoothing the ruts, clearing branches and removing rocks. Isaiah the Prophet speaks of a herald crying out in the wilderness:

“Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together…”

Of course, this readying of the way for the Lord is not done with shovels and wheelbarrows on country roads. St. John the Baptist, the “voice of one crying out in the desert,” preaches conversion and washes people with a baptism of repentance as they confess and renounce their sins. The way of the Lord we must prepare passes through ourselves.

This Advent is a season to prepare for the God, but time is running short. Christmas is coming. Because December 25th falls on a Monday, this year’s Advent is the shortest-possible length of days. The good news is that now is not too late. An unfaithful life can still be reformed. A sacramental Confession can still be arranged. Delayed good deeds can still be done. A life of daily prayer can begin today. There is still some time remaining for you; before Christmas, before Christ’s Second Coming, and before the end of your earthly life.

This world and its people are broken and we can see many sins and evils. Imagine how much better our world would be if everyone sincerely turned to Jesus. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? I doubt that everyone will do so, but the ongoing conversions of you and me to Christ can bless our families, friends, and neighbors, joyfully transforming the world around us for the better.

And here is some more good news… Even if not everyone turns to Christ, just as this Christmas, December 25th, is coming no matter what we do, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ cannot be stopped. St. Peter writes of how our Lord’s patience, his wish that none should parish but all come to repentance, has permitted the world to continue to our day. God does not tire of waiting; since for him “a thousand years is like one day.” “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief… and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.”

We are encouraged to do our part to prepare a highway for God, lowering mountains and hills, smoothing rough lands and valleys, within ourselves and in our society. But Scriptures declare how at his coming “the mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.” (Psalm 97:5) “The eternal mountains are shattered, the age-old hills bow low, along his ancient ways.” (Habakkuk 3:6) “The mountains melt under him… like wax before the fire, like water poured down a slope.” (Micah 1:4) “The earth melts when he lifts his voice.” (Psalm 46:6)

Our returning Lord will not allow the sins of the world to go on forever. When his Kingdom fully comes, God’s will shall be fully done, on earth as it is in Heaven. So when you witness the many evils caused by misused human freedom, do not grieve as those who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13) Mourn as the blessed, whom Jesus promises will be consoled. (Matthew 5:4) “According to his promise, we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, (and always be) at peace.”

Posted in Christian Perfection, Culture, Homily, Jesus Christ, Last Judgment, Last Things, Repentance, Salvation History, Second Coming, St. John the Baptist, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

« Older Entries