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Tuesday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

September 22, 2009

I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

The Jews would joyfully sing these words as they came into Jerusalem, to worship the Lord in His temple. They understood why they should lift up their hearts and give Him their thanks and praise. The Lord was always with them, but He was most especially with them at the temple. It should be the same for us today, whenever we come to Mass. Jesus Christ is always with us, but He is most fully with us at the Mass.

What if your guardian angel appeared to you and carried you through space and time, and gave you a place at the table of the Last Supper? How closely would you listen to Jesus’ every word and prayer?

What if your angel then brought you to the foot of the cross, to witness Jesus’ sacrifice for you? How faithfully would you attend to Him there?

What if your angel then brought you into heaven, among all the saints and angels, into the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? What would you feel? How would you pray?

The truth is that you can encounter the Last Supper, the cross, and heaven at every Mass. The power of Christ brings these realities, through space and time, to you. Jesus’ one sacrifice is really made present to us and we join in the combined worship of heaven with earth.

Granted, all of this is not undeniably-obvious, These realities are veiled to our senses, but encountered through our faith. Just because something is unseen, doesn’t mean that it’s not real. If we never had radios how easily would you believe in radio waves? They’re invisible, intangible, and span time and space, but they’re real indeed, and you can experience them if you are tuned-in to receiving them. How can you be tuned-in at Mass? I offer four suggestions:

First, before Mass, pray for the grace to worship well. I fear that often we do not receive because we never ask.

Second, bring a personal intention to every Mass; that is, a person or a cause that you want Christ to grace through His one sacrifice today. For example, my intention for this Mass is for the Marshfield Area Catholic Schools. Always bring an intention to Mass, because the Mass has more power in the world than we realize.

Third, pray with your whole voice, your whole mind, and your whole heart. Just because you are not always speaking during Mass, doesn’t mean one should ever stop praying. As you hear me pray the Eucharistic prayers make them your own. And when you sing, sing as if you were singing for the Lord, because you really are.

Fourth and finally, direct your eyes, your body, and your thoughts toward the one to whom you are speaking. Most of the prayers of the Mass are directed to our Father in heaven, though some are directed to Jesus Christ. Know the one to whom you are speaking to, and follow through with your eyes and your body accordingly.

As we saw in the Gospel, merely showing up at the house where Jesus is, isn’t enough for a person to achieve the greatest intimacy with Him. Likewise, merely showing up at the Mass where Jesus is, isn’t enough for a person to achieve the greatest intimacy with Him. Those who hear the word of God and act on it in faith and worship, they become the closest to Christ. So let us go rejoicing, to encounter Christ at the Last Supper, at the cross, and in heaven, at this Mass, in the house of the Lord.

Posted in Heaven, Homily, Last Supper, Mass, Our Lady of Peace Parish, Prayer, School Homilies, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time—Year B

September 20, 2009

Somewhere, in an underground lair, a secret hideout, or a den of iniquity, we find a criminal mastermind, or a mad scientist, scheming a nefarious plot. “Mah-ha-ha-ha,” the villain manically laughs. “Once I unleash my evil plan, evil will conquer the world.”

This is the way of villains as we often find them in comic books. Comic book bad guys love doing evil for evil’s sake. But we should realize that this isn’t why people do bad things in our world. In the real world, nobody does evil for evils sake. Every single person acts to achieve some real or perceived good. Sinners simply go about the pursuit of happiness in wrong ways. Bad people are not bad because they’re trying to do bad things. Unrepentant sinners actually feel justified in what they do.

For instance, in Jesus’ day, influential people said, “That Jesus from Nazareth so obnoxious. Let’s have him condemned and see how he holds up then. If he’s really holier-than-thou, a son of God, then God will come to his rescue—otherwise he gets what he deserves.” People still rationalize like this today. It’s easy to come up all sorts of reasons for doing bad things rather than what is right:

“Lying? What I said isn’t technically untrue. Besides, it’s only a little white lie.”

“Angry? Is it any wonder that I get so angry when I have to deal with stuff this.”

“Stealing? The way I see it, they make plenty of money, and I deserve more than what they pay me.”

Activities outside of marriage? “What’s the big deal? It’s all consensual, and nobody’s getting hurt. Besides, we love each other.”

It’s not only “bad people” who say things like this. Each of us fall into embracing lies like these sometimes. But what is the antidote for rationalizing aside our sins? The cure for this is a prayer life with Jesus Christ.

When the apostles came face to face with Jesus inside the house, Jesus began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent, for they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Coming into Jesus’ presence, who is the embodiment of Truth, the reality of what they had been doing became clear for them. Their false illusions completely faded away, like the smoke from a blown out candle.

We should spend time in conversational prayer with Jesus Christ every day, allowing Him to form us, build us up, and console us. When you receive the encouragement, confidence, and consolation which Christ is eager to give you in prayer, when He acknowledges you as His own brother or sister, as His good friend, as a favored child of His Father, fears dissolve and you live in peace—a peace in which cleverly-devised excuses are no longer sought for and no longer necessary.

Posted in Chastity, Chrisitian Virtues, Christ the King Parish, Homily, Honesty, Jesus Christ, Literature, Passion, Prayer, Repentance, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Thursday, 24th Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

September 17, 2009

In the Gospel, a notoriously sinful woman learns that Jesus is in town and comes to the place where He’s eating. In those days, Jews ate at table as they laid upon elevated beds, with cushions under their chest or side, and with their feet stretched out behind them. The woman came in, and stood behind Jesus, at his feet, weeping. She came to Jesus because she had heard His proclamation of mercy, that He came ‘not to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.’

She bathes his feet with her tears. Why doesn’t she fetch water for this?

She wipes His feet with her hair. Why doesn’t she just use a towel?

She kisses His feet repeatedly. Why does she kiss his feet?

The Gospel does not mention the exact nature of the sinful woman’s past, but perhaps her lips had kissed many, perhaps her beautiful hair had been shared with many, perhaps her eyes had shed many tears, from the great pain that follows impure romances. So the woman uses her own tears, and hair, and lips because she desires to honor God, through Jesus, with her body, in her body, and through her body. Her faith saved her, and gave her peace, a faith she expressed through her body. May our faith be like hers.

Posted in Chastity, Christian Perfection, Columbus Chapel, Homily, Repentance, School Homilies, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

September 15 – Our Lady of Sorrows

September 16, 2009

Imagine if you had to start a whole new life. I don’t mean just changing schools, or moving away from home, or even entering the federal witness protection program. Imagine if you had to start a whole new life from the very beginning, as a tiny little embryo. And imagine that this reincarnation of yours required you to choose a new mother for yourself, from among all the women in all the world. What qualities would you look for in choosing a new mom?

You would want her to be beautiful, not only on the outside, but on the inside too, for what we desire most of all from our mothers, is a great and beautiful love.

You would want her to be wise and full of goodness, someone who could introduce you to the world and show you how to live in it well.

You would want her to be the perfection of femininity, so you girls could see how to grow into excellent women, and to show you boys what to look for in an excellent wife someday.

You would want a mother with patience, and tenderness, and compassion, who would be at your side if you were sick or in pain, and who would comfort you just by her presence.

As fantastic as this sounds, Jesus faced a scenario a lot like this one. He had to choose from among all the women in all the history of all the world, the one woman who would become His mother. For his incarnation, Jesus chose Mary to be His own mother.

She was beautiful, inside and out. She introduced Him to life in our world. She loved Jesus with a great and beautiful love. And when Jesus looked at Mary, he saw the likeness of His future bride, because Mary is the icon of the Church perfected. She stood at His cross with compassionate strength and her presence helped Him amidst his suffering.

Mary was so great a mother, that Jesus wanted to share her with us. He wanted her to be our mother, too. Jesus looked down from the cross, on her and the beloved disciple, and said, “Woman, behold, your son,” and to the beloved disciple, “Behold, your mother.” You and I are the beloved disciple. Jesus gives us Mary to be a mother for us. He created her perfectly, to be His own mother and our mother, too.

From that hour, at the cross, the beloved disciple took Mary into the heart of his life. From this hour, at this Eucharist, take Mary deeper into the heart of your life; because she loves you more than you know.

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Motherhood, Our Lady of Peace Parish, Passion, Salvation History, School Homilies, Weekday Homilies | 1 Comment »

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time—Year B

September 13, 2009

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom,
filled with forests, and farms, and villages.
There lived near one town, a humble farmer.
He was simple, but wise, and loved the Lord.
He worked his small farm, with his wife and son.
They kept fields, a home, and a few livestock.

One day, the farmer’s work-horse, ran away.
“How unfortunate,” said the villagers,
“It will be harder, to plant your crops now.”
The wise farmer replied, “Our God works all things,
for the good, of those, who love Him.”

Two days later, the horse came back.
bringing along two wild-horses with him.
“How lucky you are,” the villagers said,
“you have free horses, walk right to your door!”
The wise farmer replied, “Our God works all things
for the good of those who love Him.”

There after, his son, training the wild horses,
got kicked off of one, and broke both his legs.
“That’s so unlucky,” the villagers said,
“What bad change of luck, for you and your son.”
The wise farmer replied, “Our God works all things
for the good of those who love Him.”

Two weeks later, the son still bedridden,
the king’s army came, to draft men for war.
They took every young man, but left him behind.
“You’re just lucky people,” the villagers said,
“Isn’t that so?”
And the farmer replied, as he did every time,
“Our God works all things for the good of those who love Him.”

In our daily lives, when things don’t go our way, we are confronted with the most ancient temptation. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent, who is Satan, said, “God is withholding this good fruit from you because He doesn’t really want you to be happy.” The temptation, here, is to mistrust and rebellion, the fear, that the Lord, does not really care for us, that we’re left to chance, and left all on our own.

At such moments, we should recognize the temptation and say, “Depart from me, Satan, in the Name of Christ. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Our God sees the outcome of all things, and He will not cause, or allow, anything to happen that would go against our ultimate good.

Jesus knew that His Father willed His happiness that’s why He kept an open ear, did not rebel, and did not turn back. That’s how He could give His back to those who beat Him, and his face to abuse. He could set His face like flint, by remembering that He would not be put to shame in the end. And now, Christ, beyond death and every suffering, alive and supremely happy, says, “See, the Lord God is my help; who will prove me wrong?”

So whether we stub our toe, or show up late, or get short on money, or experience even the greatest of trials, we should turn and pray: “Lord, you know that I don’t like this, but I trust that you will work, even this, to my good. Jesus, I trust in you. You work all things, for the good, of those, who love You.”

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Jesus Christ, Passion, Providence, St. John the Baptist Parish, Sunday Homilies, Trust | Leave a Comment »

Friday, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

September 12, 2009

Jesus says, “No disciple is superior to the teacher;
but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.” And Saint Paul says, “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man…” So this raises the question, who was St. Paul’s teacher?

From the book of Acts we learn that Paul ‘was thoroughly trained in the law at the feet of the Master Teacher Gamaliel, a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin respected by all the people.’ (Acts 22:3, 5:34) In fact, some of Gamaliel’s wisdom even appears in Scripture.

In the early days of the Church, the apostles were arrested and interrogated by the Sanhedrin for the signs and wonders they were doing near the temple. When they spoke out boldly about Christ, some in the council wanted to put them to death, but Gamaliel ordered the apostles to be put outside for a short time.

“Fellow Israelites,” Gamaliel said to the council, “be careful what you are about to do to these men. …If this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” The Council was persuaded by him to spare the apostles’ lives. (Notice that Gamaliel’s wisdom was in admitting the possibility that a wooden beam might be lodged in the Sanhedrin’s eyes, obscuring their vision toward the new religious movement.)

By all accounts, both Jewish and Christian, Gamaliel was a good and wise man. Some legends even say that he went on to become a Christian and a saint. So how can it be that St. Paul was “a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man” if he was this good man’s disciple? The answer must be that St. Paul had not yet been fully trained by Gamaliel, for every disciple when fully trained is like his teacher.

The same could be said for us as the disciples of Christ. How can it be that we commit the acts of arrogance, the offences, and the blasphemies we do if we are Christ’s disciples? The answer must be that we have not yet been fully trained by Christ, for every disciple when fully trained is like his teacher.

So take comfort in the fact that we have not yet exhausted the wisdom which Christ has to teach us. If we do not abandon his training, the Master Teacher Christ will ‘show us the path to life, the fullness of joys in His presence, and happiness at His right hand forever.’

Posted in Christian Perfection, Early Church, Homily, Jesus Christ, St. John the Baptist Parish, Weekday Homilies, Wisdom | Leave a Comment »

Thursday, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

September 11, 2009

If you are among those who hear, you heard Jesus giving a challenging message today. But He is only asking us to do as He Himself has done.

Jesus gave to everyone who asked of Him. He loved His enemies and did good to them. For those who struck Him on one cheek, as He carried the cross, He did not unleash upon them the furious fire of God. Jesus offered them His other cheek as well, that they might be saved, not destroyed. Maybe they took His cloak from Him when they arrested Him in the garden, but He never asked for it back. When they arrived at Golgotha, He let them take His tunic as well. Jesus did good to those who hated Him, He blessed those who cursed Him, and prayed for those who mistreated Him. Dying on the cross He said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” Jesus did unto others as he would have them do.

Jesus did as He would have you and me do. If we imitate Him we will receive a reward as great as His; a full measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing. But we must do as St. Paul tells us: “As the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.”

Posted in Chrisitian Virtues, Christian Perfection, Columbus Chapel, Forgiveness, Homily, Jesus Christ, Mercy, Passion, School Homilies, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Wednesday, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

September 10, 2009

In the Gospel Jesus speaks of how great reversals are coming. The poor will become rich, and the rich will be poor. The hungry will be satisfied, and the stomachs of those now feasting will ache. The weeping will find joy, while those joyful will be sad. And those who are persecuted for Christ’s sake will have great rewards.

Does any of this apply to you? Yes, for example, life in the world out there will be very different from these years you’ve spent in school. If you feel like you are among the poor, the hungry, and the weeping at school, take encouragement, because great reversals are coming.

Blessed are you who are poor at sports,
for you perfect more-valuable talents.

Sports are fun, and they are good for building health and character, but ten years from now no one will remember who won at state last year. And it is extremely unlikely that anyone here has a future in professional sports ahead of them. Maybe nobody buys a ticket to come and watch and cheer you using your God-given talents, when you write a paper well, or solve a math problem efficiently. But in the world out there, there are people who will pay tens of thousands of dollars a year to people who have perfected skills like these.

Blessed are you who are poor at sports,
for you perfect more-valuable talents.

Blessed are you who hunger for romantic relationship, but who date little,
for God is preparing a spouse for you.

Realize that it is very unlikely that you ever marry any significant other whom you might have now. Young dating relationships begin and break all the time, but the sometimes wounds they can leave to one’s spirit and to one’s emotions often linger long. You may hunger for romantic relationship now, but if you feast on love before its time your stomach will ache painfully tomorrow. Somewhere out there, God has a future spouse in mind as a gift meant just for you. So preserve your purity and the unwounded integrity of your heart as a gift for your spouse, and you will feast on love together with great satisfaction.

Blessed are you who hunger for romantic relationships, but who date little,
for God is preparing a spouse for you.

Blessed are you who are unpopular,
for you discover how to be a true friend.

It’s true that after high school graduation, you won’t see most of these classmates very much anymore. You might keep in close touch with one or two of them, but most of them will move away from here, or you will move away from them. Don’t mourn thinking that you have too few friends. Christ wills that you would learn how to be a great friend, someone like Himself, rather than someone with great popularity who never knows true friendship. A person with few friends realizes the importance of always showing kindness, respect, and genuineness towards everyone, the popular and the unpopular alike.

Blessed are you who are unpopular,
for you discover how to be a true friend.

And finally, take consolation in this…

Blessed are you when peers dislike you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce you as un-cool or lame
on account of your faithfulness to Christ
for Christ’s opinion is the only one that really matters
and he will reward your faithfulness with happiness.

Posted in Chastity, Christian Perfection, Homily, Our Lady of Peace Parish, School Homilies, Sports, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

September 8 – Nativity of Mary

September 9, 2009

I once heard a man express why he believed that of all the causes for celebration, birthdays were among the stupidest. I don’t remember his arguments word for word, but they went along these lines…

“Why celebrate a birthday? I mean it’s not as if you’ve done anything to reach that ‘special day,’ besides living for another 365 days and riding the earth another lap around the sun. Your mom was the one who actually did something on the day you were born. All you did was show up. How does merely showing up for another year merit a party?”

He had an interesting argument, but he was entirely missing the point when it comes to why we celebrate birthdays. It’s not that the person has done any one, big, special thing that makes us celebrate that day. It is for the countless little things, for all the things which make them who they are for us, this is why we rejoice over them just being around for another year of life. The reason we celebrate birthdays is to celebrate the very fact of a person’s existence, to celebrate who they are, in their own unique and unrepeatable goodness, to celebrate the gift of their presence in our lives.

Today, we celebrate Mary’s birthday. We celebrate the fact that God created her and has given her to us. We celebrate who she is, in her own unique and unrepeatable goodness. We celebrate the gift of her presence in our lives. Today we rejoice over Mary, our mother, our sister, and our close friend, and we wish her a very happy birthday, just for being who she is.

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Christian Perfection, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Human Dignity, Nativity of Mary, St. John the Baptist Parish, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time—Year B

September 6, 2009

Remember what it was like before the dot-com bubble burst? Maybe you heard about tiny internet start-ups having total stock values in the billions and you just knew that that wouldn’t last. Remember the time before the recent housing bubble popped? I remember watching a show on TV called “Flip this House” in which a couple bought a building, put two weeks of work and a few thousand dollars into cleaning it up, and then quickly sold it for several tens of thousands of dollars more than what they bought it. I remember saying to myself then, “This just can’t go on. This isn’t sustainable.”

The thing about economic bubbles is that while you can often read the signs of the times and see that the bubble’s there, you’re never quite sure when it will pop.

For years now, our country has been riding on a similar bubble with the unsustainable spending and borrowing by the federal government. We’re not quite sure when it will finally pop, but you can see that the bubble’s there. Most of us here will witness firsthand the consequences of its bursting.

The Congressional Budget Office is a non-partisan, independent government agency that provides economic data to Congress. And for years, regardless of whether the Democrats or Republicans were in power, the CBO has consistently reported the unfortunate facts and grim forecasts of our present course. This summer, the CBO published its “Long-Term Budget Outlook.” And they tell us, quote…

“Under current law, the federal budget is on an unsustainable path—meaning that federal debt will continue to grow much faster than the economy over the long run.

Although great uncertainty surrounds longterm fiscal projections, rising costs for health care and the aging of the U.S. population will cause federal spending to increase rapidly under any plausible scenario for current law. […]

Keeping deficits and debt from reaching levels that would cause substantial harm to the economy would require increasing revenues significantly…, decreasing projected spending sharply, or some combination of the two.”

Some or all of the following things will inevitably happen: an increased federal retirement age, decreased retirement benefits from Social Security, decreased health benefits from Medicare and/or Medicaid, increased federal taxes, or (and this seems the most likely) a dramatically increased national debt.

Now understand that an endlessly ballooning national debt is no solution. It has economic consequences for us. What happens when foreign countries finally decide they are no longer interested in holding any more of our debt (in the form of low-interest yielding U.S. government bonds?) One result will be hyper-inflation, which will negatively impact anyone who uses U.S. Dollars. Unpleasant changes are coming. And they will have real consequences our lives. We will feel their effects.

Maybe hearing me speak about these grim realities feels as if I’ve just spit on your tongue. It’s unpleasant and a bit repulsive. But my hope and prayer is that you will “be opened” by it, that you will be motivated to prepare yourself for what is coming, to begin living now as we should have already been living as Chrisitians all along.

In the past we have lived beyond our means, just like crowd, just like the government made in our own image. We spent more than we had and we often spent wastefully. But we are called to live differently, to live out Christian stewardship, Christian poverty, or simplicity of life in our own lives. Let’s not wait to hit economic rock bottom before we begin living as we ought to.

We are called to live simply and within our means, free from debt-slavery. We are called to be both frugal and generous, generous and frugal. If we are frugal without generosity, we’re simply being misers. If we are generous without frugality, we are being irresponsible. But if you are both frugal and generous won’t God, who (as the psalmist says) keeps faith forever, who secures justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry, who supports the fatherless and the widow, won’t He provide you with what you need? On the other hand, if we are not frugal and generous, if we do not lovingly support our poor neighbors, those in our parish, throughout the diocese, and abroad, then how can we ask God to support us?

To quote St. James, “Act on this word. If all you do is listen to it, you are deceiving yourselves.” “Fear not, be strong.” “Be not afraid,” but prepare yourself. Prepare for the days when our accounts will come due. For a day coming soon in our country, and for the Last Day, when we shall all appear before God.

Posted in Christ the King Parish, Culture, Homily, Internet, Last Judgment, Politics, Providence, Social Justice, Stewardship, Sunday Homilies, Television | 1 Comment »

Thursday, 22nd Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

September 3, 2009

Peter has worked hard all night and has nothing to show for it. He’s frustrated and tired. Then Jesus comes along. The two men had met before. Peter met Jesus through his brother. Apparently, Peter had been impressed by this man whom Andrew insisted was the messiah; for when Jesus asks Peter to take the boat from the shore, to give some space for speaking to the crowds, Peter obliges.

How long do you think Jesus spoke out there, sitting in the boat? It probably wasn’t a short while. And when Jesus finishes talking, he turns again to Peter and wants him to go out further, to cast his nets into the deeper waters. Peter thinks it’s pointless, and he says so, but He continues showing a willingness to oblige Jesus.

Peter casts the nets and brings in his biggest catch ever. And here, seeing himself richly blessed, by a great and holy man, Peter hits the limit of his capacity to serve. It’s not that Peter’s too tired or hungry, too busy or lazy. It’s his shame for his sins. Peter’s shame would prevent him from serving Jesus any farther.

Peter turns to Jesus and says, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” It’s the opposite from what we should ask of Jesus when we acknowledge our sinfulness. Jesus tells him, “Do not be afraid. (I will do great things with you.)”

We are not worthy to receive Him, but we are called to His supper and to serve Him all the same. And even with recovering sinners like us, He can do great things.

Posted in Homily, Jesus Christ, Repentance, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Peter, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Wednesday, 22nd Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

September 2, 2009

Notice in today’s Gospel how Jesus does not let the demons speak.

[D]emons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.” But [Jesus] rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ.

Jesus does not allow them to speak, even about the truth of his being the messiah, because demons mix lies within truth.

In the garden, the serpent asked the Eve, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” No, God hadn’t told them that, but God had told them not to eat from one particular tree, or they would die. The serpent insisted, “You certainly will not die!” and it is true that when they ate of the tree Adam and Eve did not keel over dead right then and there, but the divine life within them did die to be followed by natural deaths many years later.

The book of Acts records how St. Paul once encountered a slave girl who carried a demon. The slave girl used to bring profits to her owners through her fortune-telling. For many days she followed Paul, shouting out, “These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” Finally, Paul became annoyed, turned, and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her,” and at that moment it left her. Did you catch the lie amidst the truth in what the slave girl’s demon said? “These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you ‘a’ way of salvation.”

Demons smuggle lies into the truth. If a man accepts and carries a compass that is just off just a few degrees, he may not notice that anything’s wrong with it until he’s horribly lost. If there are angels helping us throughout our daily lives, encouraging us and prompting us to do good, then there are also demons trying to do the opposite.

Don’t have conversations with demons. They are spirits far more clever than us and they can confuse or discourage us greatly. However, as Christians, we should not be afraid of them. If and when you feel their oppression, make the sign of the cross (for this is an exorcistic gesture) or say, “In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, depart from me and go where you can hurt no one.” Such is our authority in Christ, that we too can command spirits. Holy water is helpful, too; it’s power can sometimes make a palpable difference.

And here’s a final tip for discerning whether a spirit be good or bad, of God or not: From time to time our friends in heaven my correct us or challenge us in our lives as disciples of Christ. But, if you ever feel discouraged or weakened, as if by an accusation or a rebuke, that is not from them. Such condemnation is either coming from of your own, lingering, internal brokenness or from an external oppressor. When one of our heavenly friends corrects or challenges us, they leave us feeling their love and with increased strength to do what is good. Recognizing this difference will help you in receiving grace and peace from God our Father.

Posted in Angels, Homily, Spiritual Warfare, St. John the Baptist Parish, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Tuesday, 22nd Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

September 1, 2009

According to my very accurate clock, it’s [7:08] in the morning… and you’re here at Church. If you wanted, maybe you could still be sleeping in bed, but you’re here instead. You could be sitting at home, watching the morning shows, or reading something over coffee if you wanted, but instead you’re here. You could be already at work, or on your way there if you wanted, getting an early start to earn an early release, but you’re here at Mass instead. Nobody’s paying you to come here. Nobody’s forcing you to be here. So do you realize why you’re here?

It seems obvious to me that you’re here because you want to dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of your life. You’re here to gaze, on the loveliness of the Lord and to contemplate in his temple. Though your repeated sins may discourage you, you have the longings of a saint, or at least, a saint under-construction. So be encouraged before Christ, for you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness. It’s [7:09] in the morning, and you are children of the light and children of the day.

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

Monday, 22nd Week in Ordinary Time—Year I

August 31, 2009

Why does Saint Paul say that the dead are “fallen asleep?” Are we to think of the dead as unaware and unconscious until the general resurrection? No. We believe that all the saints in heaven are actively alive in Christ.

As the dying St. Dominic said to his religious brothers, “Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.” And as St. Therese of Lisieux said in her last conversations, “I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.”

The saints continue to cooperate in Christ’s messianic work. The Spirit of the Lord is with the saints, He has anointed them, to bring gifts to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed, and to make times and seasons acceptable to the Lord.

Though death is not unconsciousness, going to sleep is a fitting image for it. The deceased Christian arrives home from a long-road’s journey. After blisters, sunburns, and dehydration are attended to, not to mention a needed bath (I speak of the business of purgatory), dying begins the Christian traveler’s transition to a lasting, comfortable rest.

Those who have arrived at this home before of us are not cut off from those of us who are still journeying there. As Lumen Gentium and the Catechism says, “the union of the wayfarers with the brethren who sleep in the peace of Christ is in no way interrupted, but on the contrary, according to the constant faith of the Church, this union is reinforced by an exchange of spiritual goods.”

So today, why not ask your favorite saints to provide you with something special for this day’s journey? I suspect that they’re here, waiting, eagerly listening, for us simply to ask for something good.

Posted in Heaven, Homily, Peace, Purgatory, St. Dominic, St. John the Baptist Parish, Weekday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time—Year B

August 30, 2009

For your entire life, you’ve been the beneficiary of a mysterious patron. You’ve never seen your wise and wealthy benefactor, but he has subtly helped you throughout your whole life.

For instance, when you were just a little baby, you were born with a serious and deadly illness. On their own, your parents couldn’t provide a doctor or medicine to treat your condition. But your benefactor learned of your plight. He had pity for you. He sent his own doctor to you, who healed you at his own cost.

Maybe your parents were too proud to tell you, but their hard-work alone was never enough to keep your family happy and healthy, with food, clothing, and a roof over your heads. But your family was never destitute, because your family received over the years all sorts of needed gifts through your benefactor.

Even into adulthood, your generous patron continued to give you good things. He was even behind the scenes orchestrating the meeting of you and your future spouse. Your benefactor was convinced that the two of you would be good for each other.

This generous patron continues to help you in countless and subtle ways, even to this day. And now, I’ll reveal this benefactor to you:

“All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…”

God the Father is our great benefactor. Every good thing comes from Him. He is the source of the Son and the Spirit, of the angels and the universe, of our lives and of every good thing in them. God the Father deserves our thanks and praise.

From what congenital illness did the Father heal you? Original sin, the deadly condition of rebellion against God. The Father had pity on you, and sent His Son, the divine physician, to treat you. You’re healed through the power of Christ’s sacrifice which is comes to us through His sacraments.

How has the Father provided for you and your family? Although we work hard for the good things we need, we never achieve anything good “all by ourselves.” very good thing we have, and every good thing we do, comes through cooperation with God. We do indeed work hard in the fields of life, but God grows the crops for us, and gives us the power to harvest them. That is why when we sit down to eat, we thank God the Father for ‘the gifts we are about to receive, from His bounty, through Christ our Lord, Amen.’

Did the Father arrange for you to meet you spouse? Yes. Your relatives, your friends, your spouse, your children, all came to you from Him. He orchestrated this through wise and loving designs which do not steamroll our freedom and freewill. Every person in your life is placed there by the Father for a reason.

All good things come from the Father, through the Son, and in union with the Holy Spirit. And every good deed and prayer from us goes to the Father by the same means. Whether we worship here at Mass or out in the world the pathway of our worship is always the same. Our deeds and prayers worship God the Father, through the Son, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

All good things come from the Father. That is why it is good and right, always and everywhere, for us to give Him thanks. So, at this Mass, lift up your hearts to the Father. Praise and thank your great and loving benefactor. Offer Him today an all-encompassing thanksgiving. Offer Him a deeper gratitude than you have ever had before.

Posted in Gratitude, Homily, Mass, Providence, St. John the Baptist Parish, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

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