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Meet our Risen Lord at Mass with Opened Eyes and Burning Hearts

April 22, 2023

3rd Sunday of Easter
By Fr. Victor Feltes

On Easter Sunday afternoon, two of Jesus’ disciples were walking seven miles to Emmaus. Everyone journeys down the road of life. They have heard stories of Jesus’ Resurrection yet feel uncertain, pondering it, discussing it, and debating it. This is how they first meet the Risen Lord, with eyes not yet recognizing him as he walks with us. Jesus initiates the encounter. One whose name means “Glory to the Father” (whose life is meant to give glory to the Father) has questions about Jesus, the Nazarene called Christ. Cleopas and another disciple discover on their journey the very best person to answer the questions on their hearts. This meeting on the road to Emmaus parallels, beat-for-beat, how Jesus meets us in the Holy Mass.

Upon greeting and gathering his disciples near himself, Jesus begins a presentation of God’s Word. Starting with the Old Testament, he proclaims and explains how the Scriptures refer to him. Jesus preaches a homily pointing to himself. They hear, listen, and believe. These Christians would now profess as their creed, “I believe in Jesus Christ… For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried, and on the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures.” Next, they repeatedly petition the Lord: ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over. We pray, Lord, that you will grace us amid the darkness of this world.’ And the Lord grants their requests.

Before, his disciples’ spirits had been heavy and downcast. But now that the Lord is with them, with a new spirit they lift up burning hearts to the Lord our God, rightly giving him thanks. Then at table, having presented to Jesus the customary bread and wine, he takes the bread, says the blessing, breaks it, and gives it to them. With that their eyes are opened and they recognize his real presence, made known to them in the breaking of bread. In conclusion, they go at once and with rapid steps walk seven miles more to share their Good News about Jesus Christ with others.

Every Sunday since those early days, Christ’s Church has celebrated the Breaking of Bread, the Holy Eucharist, the Mass, in fulfillment of his instruction to “Do this in memory of me.” As the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, we have testimony from the second century showing that the basic outlines of early Eucharistic celebrations match the Holy Mass today. Around the year 155 A.D., St. Justin Martyr composed an open letter to the pagan Roman emperor to explain Christians’ beliefs and worship. St. Justin wrote:

“On the day we call the day of the sun (that is, Sunday), all who dwell in the city or country gather in the same place. The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read… When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered admonishes and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things. Then we all rise together and offer prayers for ourselves…and for all others… Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine mixed together to him who presides over the brethren. He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks that we have been judged worthy of these gifts. When he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all present give voice to an acclamation by saying: ‘Amen!’ [Then] those whom we call deacons give to those present the ‘eucharisted’ bread, wine and water and take them to those who are absent.”

And St. Justin Martyr adds:

“This food we call the Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth (that is, baptism), and who lives as Christ handed down to us (that is, the Christian moral life). For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink… [W]e have been taught that the food consecrated… is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus.”

Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus and St. Justin Martyr, we today are invited to encounter Jesus Christ at Holy Mass. Let us always recognize him, rejoice in him, and receive him with eyes opened with faith and hearts burning with love.

Posted in Catholic Church, Homily, Mass, Real Presence, Resurrection, Sunday Homilies, Typology | 1 Comment »

His Resurrection has Changed Everything

April 16, 2023

Divine Mercy Sunday
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

The resurrection of Jesus was a new experience for the disciples, even though Jesus had often explained to them about His resurrection. The apostles must have been afraid beginning on Holy Thursday, because their friend and the messiah was dead. They all abandoned Him. His own disciple betrayed Him. The crowd which welcomed Jesus with palms turned against Him and called for the release of Barabbas. The apostles, now afraid of the crowd, stayed in their homes for their own protection.

The harmony among the first Christians that we see in our first reading is the fruit of Jesus’ resurrection. The new community, gathered around the resurrection, was no longer afraid. In the second reading, St. Peter reminds us that we have been transformed through the resurrection of Jesus. His resurrection gave us a new birth and hope. Through our baptism, we share in Jesus’ resurrection. St. Peter reminds us that we have “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.” The resurrection of Jesus has changed everything. Nothing will ever again be the same.

Look at how Thomas changed. Before he met the risen Jesus he was depressed, absent from the group of apostles, and disbelieving. At first, he said: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) After seeing the Risen Jesus, he proclaimed: “My Lord and My God.” (John 20:28) What a difference after seeing Jesus: from fear to Joy, seclusion to the mission, absence to presence, disbelief to faith, and a mere existence to new life. His life was completely changed after seeing Jesus.

Jesus presented Himself to His disciples during their time of fear and confusion. He restored their peace. He commissioned them as ministers of the sacraments. The sacrament of reconciliation is the sacrament of mercy.

As we celebrate today Divine Mercy Sunday, we are reminded that God extended His mercy to us by allowing His son to pay the ransom for our sins. Christ accomplished this through His paschal mystery.

We must also extend this mercy to others. We are called to be apostles of mercy. As we spread the good news of Christ’s resurrection, we must thank God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because His Mercy and generosity endure forever.

We, too, are the witnesses of the Risen Lord. We shall certainly encounter people who will doubt our faith. This must not discourage us; we must remain focused on our mission. So, as the true disciple of Christ, let us continue to announce the good news to the whole world that Jesus Christ, our Lord has truly risen from the dead.

Today, Jesus invites us to see Him and touch Him. He invites us to encounter his wounded and glorified body. In that encounter with Jesus, he will help us to have faith in Him. One day, despite our wounds and weaknesses, our bodies will be glorified like Him.

Posted in Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Resurrection, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

From Fear to Peace: Celebrating Divine Mercy

April 15, 2023

Divine Mercy Sunday
By Fr. Victor Feltes

During the Exodus, before descending in fire and smoke upon a trembling Mount Sinai, God gave instructions to prepare the Hebrews for this encounter. The Lord said to Moses:

“Go to the people and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. Have them wash their garments and be ready for the third day; for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Set limits for the people all around, saying: ‘Take care not to go up the mountain, or even to touch its edge. All who touch the mountain must be put to death. No hand shall touch them, but they must be stoned to death or killed with arrows. Whether human being or beast, they must not be allowed to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds may they go up on the mountain.”

Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and had them sanctify themselves, and they washed their garments. He said to the people, “Be ready for the third day.”

On the third day, as all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blast of the ram’s horn and the mountain smoking, they became afraid and trembled. So they took up a position farther away and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we shall die!” Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid, for God has come only to test you and put the fear of him upon you so you do not sin.” So the people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.

A pair of themes throughout the Old Testament are the holy otherness of God and the deadly sinfulness of man. Our Fall made it dangerous to approach God carelessly. And even Moses was mysteriously told, “You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.” Compare and contrast that with this Sunday’s Gospel.

On the third day, despite the doors being locked where the disciple were, the Risen Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. And he said again, “Peace be with you.” A week later when Thomas was there, Jesus appeared again and said, “Peace be with you.” He then invited Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

In former times, seeing the Lord or merely touching the mountain or ark of his holy presence could mean death. But disciples in the New Testament are invited to see his face and touch his wounds. In the New Covenant, we are called to receive Jesus Christ alive in the Eucharist. Today we celebrate Divine Mercy, mercy reflected in how — even after our sins led him to his Cross — Jesus returns and repeatedly wishes us “Peace.” In forgetting our past, we fail to appreciate what the Lord has done for us. And too few rejoice in his Divine Mercy because so many do not realize their need for it.

On Easter Sunday evening, Jesus breathed on his apostles saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Why would Jesus give them this power to forgive sins if he did not intend them to use it? Why would he give his Church such a Sacrament if we did not need it? Jesus wishes you a peace beyond your fear. He desires to forgive your sins and personally give himself to you in the Eucharist. Will you trust him enough to regularly encounter his healing Divine Mercy in the confessional so that you may receive him all the more reverently, fittingly, lovingly and joyfully at his altar?

Posted in Courage, Exodus, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Mercy, Moses, Peace, Resurrection, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Why the Third Day?

April 8, 2023

Easter Sunday
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Why did Jesus rise from the dead on Easter? Christ’s resurrection was foretold, for instance in the 16th Psalm: “You will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.” Furthermore, Jesus rose again because without the Resurrection our Redemption would be incomplete. As St. Paul told the Romans, “[Our Lord] was handed over for our transgressions, and was raised for our justification.” In the words of the Church’s Catechism: “The Paschal mystery has two aspects: by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life.” Jesus Christ came to redeem and save not only our souls but also our bodies and the rest of creation as well. Easter changes everything. Instead of living in a secular world where nothing really matters because cold death claims all, we now can live forever with God in Christ’s Kingdom.

Jesus rose again on Easter, but why did he resurrect on the third day in particular? Why not choose the first or second day, or the fourth or fortieth day to rise again? I see several reasons why God chose the third day to be Easter.

First of all, this number of days helps to confirm Jesus’ death. If Jesus had resurrected right away, immediately after being taken down from the Cross or sealed in the tomb, some would wonder if he had ever really died. Absent a miracle, no one could survive flagellation, crucifixion, and two nights alone in a cave without medical aid. The three days establish that Jesus was definitely dead.

Another reason for the three days was to fulfill the Scriptures. Post-resurrection, Jesus said, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.” Many Old Testament passages foreshadowed this. For instance, Jesus and St. Paul both liken resurrection to plants sprouting, and it was on the third day of creation that God said, “Let the earth bring forth… every kind of plant.” It was “on the third day” that Abraham obediently offered Isaac in sacrifice, reasoning that God would keep all of his promises by raising his only son from the dead. But Heaven halted Abraham’s hand and he received back his beloved son alive on the third day. Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees, “Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days… so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth.” Jesus also said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” (He said this in reference to the temple of his body.) The Book of Ezra records that the second Jewish Temple was completed on the third day of the month. And there are other Old Testament stories and signs one could cite as well. Jesus rose again on the third day in fulfillment of the Scriptures.

A third reason for the third day is what Jesus was doing on the second day. While his body was in the tomb observing a perfect Sabbath rest, his soul descended to the abode of those who had died before Christ. St. Peter writes in his First Epistle how Jesus “went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits;” that “the gospel was preached even to the dead.” Christ declared on earth, “Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” Jesus used these three days to open heaven’s gates for all the just who had died before him.

Another reason for the third day is to signify a New Creation. “The third day,” Easter, was a Sunday. In Genesis, God’s work of Creation began on this first day of the week. Likewise, Easter Sunday and the Resurrection mark the beginning of a New Creation with Christ.

Though there may be millions of more reasons in the mind of God, a final, important reason I see for why Jesus rose on the third day is to give his Church a saving lesson in faithful endurance. The apostles had witnessed Jesus work many miracles. For example, they saw him use five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand men. Then, the following day, they heard him speak about the Real Presence. “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink,” he said, and “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” However, people would not accept this teaching and in his Gospel St. John records, “as a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.” Then Jesus asked his apostles, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

They believed in Jesus. His teachings were challenging, but they stayed with him. How shocking then was it for them to witness the torture and death of their Messiah, the Christ. Throughout Holy Saturday, they were full of doubts and fears, yet the disciples remained together in the Upper Room in which they had eaten the first Eucharist. Those apostles might have discreetly fled for home and missed out on Easter entirely, if they had not religiously respected the Sabbath which kept them from traveling far from the gathered Church. Therefore, when Jesus appeared on the third day, none of them had strayed too far away. Except for Judas and Thomas, all of them were there on Sunday to encounter their Risen Lord. They saw Jesus, and touched him, and he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and the deeper meaning of their past and present and future. Then their doubts and fears and desires to be elsewhere, which had felt so very strong before, were now emptied of power, replaced with joy and peace. However, they never forgot what they experienced on that Holy Saturday leading to Easter Sunday, and they present to us a saving lesson for our faithful endurance.

Jesus Christ works miracles. He teaches beautiful, challenging things. And today, he is risen from the dead. The betrayals of Judases and doubts of Thomases do not change the reality of these things. Called here by God, you have gathered in this Upper Room for Easter. You have drawn near to Christ’s Holy Eucharist and his Church. Whatever doubts or fears (or even desires to be elsewhere) you might feel, I pray you will hereafter never stray nor remain far away. To whom else would you go? Only Jesus Christ has the words of eternal life. Remain here for him with his Church so that you may encounter and know the Risen Lord and us more deeply. As I said before, Easter changes everything. Instead of living in a secular world where nothing really matters because cold death claims all, we can now rejoice that we can live forever with God in Christ’s Kingdom.

Posted in Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Resurrection, Salvation History, Sunday Homilies, Typology | 2 Comments »

We are Worthy to be Saved in God’s Merciful Eyes

April 1, 2023

Palm Sunday (Year A)
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

The readings today remind us of the passion, crucifixion, and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and the savior of the world. It reminds us of God’s love for us. Yet, our sinfulness makes us unworthy of that perfect love. So He sent His only begotten Son to redeem us by His passion, crucifixion, and death.

We have just said we are unworthy of God’s love because we have sinned, again and again, against Him, our loving Father. So why can’t He just leave us alone? This is the paradox of love. You and I are WORTHY TO BE SAVED in God’s merciful eyes!

So He sent His only Son Jesus to suffer and die so that we may be saved through Him. Yet, as we read and re-read the gospel passage on the passion, crucifixion, and death of Jesus, we see the same pattern of the response of the people then and the people now. Many people then denied, rejected, and brutally opposed the offer of salvation. Many people do the same things now. Let us pray and pray harder for the conversion of the people who continue to crucify Jesus, now by their frequent rejection of the Son of God.

Jesus has suffered and died but it was not the end. The last verse in the gospel reading today tells us that they “secured the tomb by fixing a seal to the stone and assigning a guard.” Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. This is the source of our hope. This is the reason why we keep on reading and reflecting on the passion, crucifixion, and death of our Lord. The forces of darkness may have sealed a tomb but the victory of the Light has been seen in the Resurrection.

On the first day of the “Holy Week,” we commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The people removed their cloaks, waved palms, and sang hosannas while Jesus, riding on a donkey, passed by. Removing our clothes is a symbolic act of surrender to the Lord. It is a way of becoming open, confessing our sins, and accepting His offer of salvation. No more, disguise. No more resistance. On the other hand, the palm has been a traditional symbol of victory and rejoicing. (Leviticus 23:40) Thus by laying palms on the path of Jesus, the people acknowledged that in Jesus, there is victory. The donkey is an animal of peace. By riding on a donkey, Jesus showed that He is the prince of peace.

Let us pray that as we come in the name of the Lord, He may shower us with His blessings. May we continue to journey with Jesus, allowing Him to fill our hearts with hope, love, and peace so that we can become an instrument of hope and love to others and peace to all the earth.

Let us weep over our sins and remember that God will always forgive us. We need to welcome Jesus into our hearts in a special way during Holy Week. We can be like the prodigal son and God like his father. We need to love and ask God to strengthen our weaknesses. With God in our hearts, we can do anything.

Posted in Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Mercy, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

8 Great Reflections on the Passion

April 1, 2023

Palm Sunday (Year A)
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Today’s Gospel is long, but this reading is rich. So here, briefly, are eight great reflections on the Passion.

At the Last Supper, Jesus told his apostles, “One of you will betray me.” They each replied, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” except for Judas Iscariot, who said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” (Rabbi means teacher.) There is a big difference between Jesus just being a teacher and being your Lord.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus lovingly willed to save us but his humanity understandably dreaded the tortures his self-sacrifice could entail. He prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” In this, Jesus shows us that we are allowed to pray for any good thing, even for ourselves, if we remain open to God’s will.
When Judas arrived in the Garden, he approached Jesus and kissed him saying, “Hail, Rabbi!” Jesus replied, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Jesus did not say this sarcastically; Jesus would die for Judas. Our Lord remains a friend towards us even if we betray him.
When the guards and soldiers laid hands on Jesus to arrest him, Peter struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear with a sword. But Jesus commanded his disciple to sheathe the sword. Christian violence cuts off the ears of our enemies’ servants making them unable to hear the Gospel.
At his religious trial before the Sanhedrin, Jesus responded with silence, until the high priest said, “I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Then Jesus affirmed it was so. Even when the high priest’s judgment was erring, Jesus obeyed his legitimate religious authority.
In his trial before Pilate, the governor hoped to let Jesus go: “Which one do you want me to release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?” The name “Barabbas” means “the son of the father.” Barabbas was a murderous rebel, a political revolutionary. Like the crowd that day, every generation is tempted to choose a different savior than Christ.
On his Cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This is the beginning of the 22nd Psalm. That psalm says, “They have pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.” Not only did this psalm prophesy Christ’s sufferings but also his resurrection, saying, “I will live for the Lord; my descendants will serve you.”
Finally, when Jesus died, “the veil of the sanctuary (inside the temple, which separated the place of God’s presence from the rest) was torn in two from top to bottom.” This veil was torn from the top as an act of God. Formerly, only the Jewish priests could even enter the building. Now, today, we as Christians are invited to approach and adore and receive our Lord in his temple.

Posted in Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Passion, Politics, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Lessons for the Raising of Lazarus

March 25, 2023

5th Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

Eternal life begins now for those in a relationship with Jesus. Jesus is telling us that eternal life begins now for those who believe in Him. He tells us, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25–26)

The first reading today is from the book of Ezekiel, which tells us of God’s promise to put his Spirit within the people so they may live. Before this promise, the prophet Ezekiel, led by the Spirit, was taken into the plain where his mission was revealed to him. The passage is a prediction of the renewed life of the people of Israel after their exile from Jerusalem. The people seemed dead, their temple was destroyed, their land wasted, and their leaders gone. Ezekiel was told that through his gift of prophesying, God’s chosen people that had been exiled in Babylon for some time would receive a new Spirit that would give them new hope. They would be led to a new life in the land of Israel. God promises to put a new spirit in His people, which is a promise to give new life to them.

In the second reading of today, St. Paul continues talking about the resurrection. The life of the flesh is dominated by our human way of thinking, which has no future, it is the way to death. People who are living according to the Spirit have a life of grace. They have God as their center and are spiritually alive. Their faith gives them a future and a new life path. Therefore, St. Paul says that those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit.

Today’s gospel reading gives us two messages. First, it tells us that our living faith in Jesus will raise all our bodies in the final resurrection. Secondly, with the approach of Easter Sunday, we are called symbolically to resurrect ourselves from sin to grace by partaking in the sacrament of reconciliation. In raising Lazarus, Jesus showed His authority as the Son and showed His divine power. By raising him on the fourth day, Jesus proved that He is master over life and death, and he is able to bring all the dead back to life, the holy Patriarchs, the Jews, and even the righteous Gentiles from centuries before. To be raised from the dead means to be in a living, loving relationship with Jesus, who teaches us that resurrection and life are a call to be united with Him

There are a few lessons we can learn from today’s gospel. First, this miracle is an expression of love. Second, our faith is very important in any miracle God does for us. The third lesson is that everything is possible with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Finally, Jesus is willing to help us no matter what it will cost Him. It does not matter how long we have been spiritually dead or away from Him. If we hear and obey His voice, He will restore life to our weak and mortal bodies through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is because Jesus has authority over life and death.

Posted in Holy Spirit, Homily, Resurrection, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Why Did Jesus Delay?

March 25, 2023

5th Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

In 1582, St. Teresa of Ávila was journeying across Spain to establish new Carmelite convents. The rivers that season were so high that in some places the entire road was covered and obscured by water. It was clearly too dangerous to continue through those waters aboard the carriage, so Teresa and her companions advanced cautiously on foot, with Teresa leading the way. At one point, she lost her footing and fell down into the muddy water. Upon securing herself against the flowing current she exclaimed, “Oh, my Lord, when will you cease from scattering obstacles in our path?” Jesus replied to the mystical nun, “Do not complain, Daughter, for it is ever thus that I treat my friends.” And Teresa famously and dryly replied, “Ah, Lord, it is also on that account that you have so few!”

In today’s Gospel, Martha and Mary send word to Jesus about their ailing brother, Lazarus: “Master, the one you love is ill.” “Now,” St. John records in his Gospel, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was.” Is not this a surprising twist? Because Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters he delayed departing for their village for two additional days. And by the time Jesus arrives in Bethany with his disciples, Lazarus has been four days dead in the tomb.

Martha and Mary each say to Jesus what they had likely already lamented to each other: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died!” You can imagine their unspoken, anguished question: ‘You’ve healed others, you’ve helped strangers, so why didn’t you come to help us, your dear friends, when we needed you?’ When Jesus saw Mary weeping and those with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and Jesus wept. So the Judeans remarked, “See how he loved him.” But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?” And Jesus, perturbed again, went to Lazarus’ tomb to resurrect him.

Jesus had told his disciples days before, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” And when they mistook him as saying Lazarus was merely napping, Jesus clarified, “Lazarus has died.” So Jesus came to Bethany fully-intending to raise Lazarus from the dead. But what troubled Jesus and why did Jesus weep? Was he mourning for Lazarus? Imagine if you learned one of your friends had died this morning but you were also certain that you friend would be alive and well again just fifteen minutes from now. How much would you mourn? As much as Jesus was crying for Lazarus, I believe Jesus wept more so for Mary and Martha and those in the crowd. He weeps for them and for all humanity in all of history who mourn and struggle with fear, doubt, and pain because of the scandal of suffering and death in our world.

We naturally desire to live easy lives; to be untouched by hardship or losses. But Jesus desires far greater things for us than mere ease. Before they left for Bethany, Jesus told his disciples, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” These events were divinely permitted and intended for the greater glory of Lazarus and his sisters, too. Imagine if Lazarus had never gotten sick and died and been raised by Jesus — would we even know his name today? Instead, his story with Christ, his life because of Christ, has blessed the world, including us. Martha and Mary, through enduring this trial, were also blessed. Imagine the intensity of their faith in Christ and their courage in facing death after this experience. Jesus made these sisters a blessing for every generation to come.

Because Jesus loved Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, and St. Teresa of Ávila, he allowed all of them to experience trials. It is ever thus that he treats his friends. So be open to walking, to accepting, to trusting, Christ’s providential path for your life. Even if this journey may be harder than we would choose for ourselves, his path leads to better blessings and greater glory with Christ.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Jesus Christ, Redemptive Suffering, St. Teresa of Avila, Sts. Martha and Mary, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

God Calls Unlikely People

March 19, 2023

4th Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent, also known as Laetare Sunday, which means “rejoice.” The Church is joyful in anticipation of the Resurrection of our Lord. Today’s readings remind us that it is God who gives us proper vision in the body as well as in the soul. We need to be constantly on guard against spiritual blindness. God has a plan for each of us. He can call any of us to the vocation He has chosen for us. Being a priest, nun, or religious are not the only vocations. God has called some to married life or to be single. Prayer is very important to us in discerning our vocation.

When God called Moses, he was tending the sheep of his father–in–law, Jethro. God called him from the burning bush, but Moses had many excuses. If I say to the sons of Israel, the God of your father sent me, and they ask me what is His name? what shall I say to them? God said to Moses, “I am Who am.” I don’t think they will listen to me, I am not eloquent, I am afraid, I don’t want to go alone. God told him to take his brother Aaron with him and God would also be with him. Because God was with him, Moses was able to fulfill God’s request. He went to Pharaoh and led the Israelites out of Egypt. They were in the desert for forty years, and God provided everything they needed. Moses was able, with God’s help, to deliver His people to the land flowing with milk and honey.

In the New Testament, we have the call of Matthew. When Jesus called him, Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were not upstanding citizens, they worked for the Romans, they kept some of the tax money for themselves, and they went after people to get the tax money from them. They did whatever it took to get the money. When Jesus said, “Follow me,” He followed Jesus leaving his work, money, and everything behind. He was completely changed. He became one of the Apostles and wrote the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible. He is the one who wrote the genealogy of Jesus.

In the first reading today, God sent the Prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint a king for Israel. Jesse had seven sons with him and presented each one to the Prophet Samuel. Samuel thought each one would be acceptable, but God said No. Jesse had one other son, David, who was tending the sheep. They sent for him and the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” (1 Samuel 15:12) God chose the most unlikely candidate, the shepherd boy to be king of Israel. God told Samuel, Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart.

Our Gospel today tells us about the healing of the blind man. After receiving his sight, he believed in Jesus and followed Him. Let us not be blind to Jesus, we need to believe and follow him as this man did. We are all called by God to be faithful to our vocation, whatever it is in life. Moses, Matthew, and David were faithful to God. As a religious, married, or single we also need to be faithful to God.

Those of you who are parents, bring your children to God. You presented them to God for baptism, don’t stop there. Pray with them. Bring them to church, and teach them to love God as you love them. Be a good example to them. Let them see you praying on your knees at home and in church. Teach them to be faithful to God by your example. God is calling us today to follow Him.

Posted in Homily, Moses, Saintly People, St. Matthew, Sunday Homilies, Vocation | Leave a Comment »

5 Deep Wells of Encounter with Christ

March 12, 2023

3rd Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus Christ desires every person to know him better. Today we watch him draw a Samaritan woman into a deeper relationship with himself. He meets her at a well outside of her town in the middle of the day. People in that era typically fetched water in the cooler morning or evening, but she comes to draw water around noon apparently to avoid her neighbors. When she comes to the well, Jesus initiates an encounter: “Give me a drink.”

She replies, “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” Jesus is stranger to her and she is wary of him as a presumed enemy, for Jews and Samaritans often felt mutual hostility. How many people today keep God at a distance like a stranger, fearing he does not really love them or truly will their good?

When Jesus suggests he could give the woman “living water,” she skeptically replies, “Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?” She seems to wonder, ‘Is this man a fool, incredibly arrogant, or delusional?’ Indeed, in light of other claims Jesus makes about his own authority and himself he is either a liar, or a lunatic, or our Lord.

Many today relegate Jesus to merely being “a wise teacher” or “a good man” while simultaneously denying he is Lord. However, if Jesus is not Lord, then he was neither good nor wise in claiming to be the Christ and to demand our full devotion. To be consistent we must be for him or against him, either hot or cold. We cannot safely cover our bets by going just halfway. As Jesus warns in the Book of Revelation, “because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”

When Jesus describes to her the water he will give, which shall satisfy all thirst and well up to eternal life she says, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” Though not yet convinced, the woman is intrigued by Jesus’ words and manner. Many people today, though only vaguely familiar with Jesus, are interested in his person.

Then, even though this is their very first meeting, Jesus gently alludes to the moral irregularities of her life. The Lord is not out to shame us, but our hidden sins do matter and he calls us to conversion. The amazed woman replies, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet,” and understandably redirects the conversation to a less personal topic.

Now convinced Jesus is a man of God, she believes and seeks and finds. She says, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ; when he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus answers, “I am he, the one speaking with you.”

Full of joyful faith, the woman runs off to town leaving her water jar behind. She shares good news with her neighbors saying, “Come see a man who told me everything I have done! Could he possibly be the Christ?” From this, many of the Samaritans in that town began to believe in Jesus because of her personal witness to him.

The woman at the well began by regarding Jesus as a stranger, a presumed enemy, a crazy or arrogant fool, but she goes on to recognize him as an intriguing figure, then a holy man, a prophet, the Messiah, and the Savior of the world. Today, you and I are further blessed with the knowledge that Jesus Christ is God. However, Jesus not only desires that we know things about him, he wants us to believe in him. How do we move from the one to the other?

The Risen Jesus, though ascended into heaven, is alive and active in our world and in your life already. He would draw you into a deeper relationship with himself through personal encounters like he had with the woman at the well. I suggest to you five deep wells of personal encounter with Christ: Scripture, prayer, Sacraments, the stories of others, and your lived experiences.

Encounter Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God, through Sacred Scripture, the inspired word of God. St. Jerome said ‘ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.’ So meet him in the Scriptures, especially the four Gospels.
Encounter Jesus in daily prayer. Jesus says in the Book of Revelation, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” He knocks on the door of our soul, and daily prayer opens our door to meet him.
Encounter Jesus in his Sacraments. In the Eucharist, Confession, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, in every Sacrament, Jesus meets us in a personal, mystical, and grace-giving way.
Encounter Jesus in the stories of others; the stories of the saints whose lives are reflections of Christ and those told by other Christians who have personally experienced Jesus’ goodness and power. Meet Jesus through stories like those townspeople came to meet Jesus through the Samaritan woman’s report.
And encounter Jesus in your own lived experiences. The Lord who guides the galaxies likewise attends to the small things as well. Jesus would meet us in many moments of our days using our experiences of work or leisure, of nature or other people, to share revelatory signs of himself.

So encounter Jesus Christ in Scripture, prayer, Sacraments, in others’ stories, and your own experiences, that the living Lord may lead you into a deeper relationship with himself.

In conclusion, I wish to speak on a different but related topic. One year ago last week, St. Paul’s Church Renovation Subcommittee began exploring options to renew and beautify St. Paul’s Church — our first, major, interior renovation in three decades. This spring, enjoying the consensus support of our parish councils, we are excited to unveil our renovation plan and a capital campaign to fund it. Stay tuned for comprehensive details to be shared through talks and materials in the next few months. Until then, I ask for your patience and your prayers for the success of this effort for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls through many people encountering him here in a renewed and beautified church.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Jesus Christ, Sunday Homilies, Woman at the Well | Leave a Comment »

All Need Water for Life

March 11, 2023

3rd Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

Many years ago, when kings still lived in palaces and castles, they had servants who would bring water to the palace every day. They would bring the water in earthen pots. One of the servants had two pots; one was cracked but the other was not cracked. The other servants told him to throw away the cracked pot, He said, “No. Where the cracked pot leaks, there are beautiful flowers growing for the king’s pleasure.” Everything needs water to have life.

On this Third Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to accept the love of God. God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel today, Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well and gives her the living water. She and the other people of this place are able to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

In our first reading, God enabled Moses to provide water for the Israelites who were thirsting. This was life-giving water. Without it, they would have died. Water is as important to life as air, without either, there is no life. St. Paul tells us in our second reading that Jesus poured the living water, the gift of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. We need the Holy Spirit to sustain us spiritually, just as we need water to sustain us physically. The Jews thought that they only needed to keep God’s law, but St. Paul told them they also needed the Holy Spirit to nourish them. According to St. Paul, redemption is a gift from God manifested in Jesus’ death on the cross. Through the Holy Spirit, we have received the gift of Faith.

The Samaritan woman understood that Jesus was the Messiah when He told her about the living water. He speaks about the living water, which gives eternal life. The living water represents divine grace, which is God’s life within the soul. The woman craves this type of water because she wants to have eternal life. She now realizes what it means to take freely of the water of life, which is the spiritual refreshment that comes into her soul after her confession with Jesus.

She is impressed that Jesus knew all of her sins, and she had the opportunity to have her sins forgiven. She believes that He is truly the Messiah. She is sorry for all of her sins and goes to tell her family and friends about Jesus. Large numbers of people came to hear Jesus. Jesus was honest with the woman about what was right morally and wrong in her life. The gift of truth helped to set her free. It is important to remember that Jesus wants to share the Good News of the Gospel with everyone, including us.

We need to allow Jesus into our personal lives. We need to be open to accepting others, as Jesus did. Let us turn to Jesus with all of our hopes and dreams. His love is always non-judgmental, and unconditional. Let us rest, assured that Jesus accepts us warmly, and helps us to see that he will give us strength, In Him, we have the power we need to overcome any problems.

Posted in Homily, Sunday Homilies, Woman at the Well | Leave a Comment »

Encounter Him & Return

March 4, 2023

2nd Sunday of Lent
Fr. Victor Feltes

What a grace for Peter, James, and John to see the Transfiguration of Jesus. Can you imagine? It was like a preview of the glory we all hope to share in heaven. Jesus shared other special times with Peter, James, and John. Earlier in the gospel, we read that Jesus only allowed Peter, James, and John to be with Him in the house of a synagogue official whose daughter he raised from the dead. These three apostles were also with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Before the Transfiguration, Jesus told His disciples that He must suffer greatly, be rejected by the elders, the chief priest, and the scribes, be killed, and be raised from the dead in three days. They did not want to believe Him because they thought they could protect Him. Jesus responded, “Get behind me, Satan! You are thinking not as God does but as human beings.” The disciples had to learn that Jesus was not an earthly king, as they were expecting. They needed the special graces from Jesus so they could continue to follow Him and believe in Him. During the Transfiguration, God the Father said, “Listen to Him.” He revealed His glory to the disciples in order to strengthen them for the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

Let us review the events of Jesus’ Passion and Death, Peter denied Jesus three times. James, like the rest of the disciples, ran away. John was the only one who continued to follow Jesus during His Passion and Death on the Cross. He stayed with the women who followed Jesus. After the Resurrection and Pentecost, Peter, James, and John became great witnesses to Jesus. Peter became the first pope and was later martyred. James was killed by King Herod for witnessing Jesus. John wrote the fourth gospel in the bible, the Gospel of St. John.

How many times in your life have you let Jesus down or disappointed Him? We do this many times because we meet Jesus every day in our lives. The most intimate way we meet Jesus is when we receive Him in the Eucharist. It is the time when we are the closest to Jesus. We meet Jesus in the readings from the Bible as they touch our hearts. The Bible is not just about reading the life of Jesus, it is also about listening to His words. He is speaking to us about our lives. We meet Jesus in a very special way in all the sacraments.

Baptism makes us sons and daughters of God and heirs of heaven. Confirmation makes us the temples of the Holy Spirit. By the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God brings us, sinners, back to the path of holiness. By receiving the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick in Faith, we are spiritually, and, if God wills it, physically, healed but most importantly our sins are forgiven. The Sacrament of Marriage unites a man and a woman together for life according to His laws. In the Eucharist, we receive Christ’s Soul and Divinity into our body. With Holy Orders, a man becomes a Priest, an altar of Christ, and by the Power of the Holy Spirit, offers the Sacrifice of the Mass and serves as a shepherd of Jesus’ sheep.

We can share experiences like those of Peter, James, and John when we spend some extra time with Jesus in prayer during Lent. Maybe, we may want to fast for one day, taking only water, thus releasing spiritual energy, which in turn, can lift our thoughts to a higher level.

Posted in Homily, Repentance, Sunday Homilies, The Apostles, Transfiguration | Leave a Comment »

Our Mountaintops & Valleys

March 4, 2023

2nd Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus went up a mountain to preach his Sermon on the Mount. Later, after feeding more than five thousand people using five loaves and two fish, he withdrew up a mountain alone for prayerful solitude. Today, Jesus leads Peter, James, and John up a high mountain by themselves to witness his Transfiguration. So why mountains? What is it about mountain heights which make them the preferred setting for so many biblical events?

Three themes occur to me: First, mountains remove people from the ordinary. They are remote places removed from everyday life. Second, mountains offer a greater perspective. A mountaintop can allow someone to see for many miles. And third, mountains elevate us. Mountaintops are not only literally higher but symbolically closer to heaven as well. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to the top of Mount Tabor to give them an extraordinary experience, to give them a deeper vision into himself, and to give them strength for their trials ahead.

The Mass prefaces celebrating Jesus’ Transfiguration say:

“After he had told the disciples of his coming Death, on the holy mountain he manifested to them his glory, to show, even by the testimony of the law and the prophets, that the Passion leads to the glory of the Resurrection.”

“He revealed his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses… that the scandal of the Cross might be removed from the hearts of his disciples.”

The disciples had not imagined that the Jewish Messiah, God’s Holy Anointed One, would be gruesomely murdered. The Transfiguration helped prepare them to understand that Christ’s suffering was a part of God’s salvific plan. They also came to realize that Jesus’ teaching, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” would involve sufferings of their own. The apostles’ memories of beholding Christ’s miracles and glory and their ongoing relationship with their Risen and Ascended Lord strengthened them through their trials.

You and I will face trials as well. As St. Paul tells Timothy in today’s second reading: “Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.” What have been the spiritual mountaintop experiences of consolation in your life? Remembering these moments gives us spiritual strength in hard times, and Jesus Christ walks alongside us through all our dark valleys.

Yesterday, I encountered the story of a man about my age named Mike. Not long ago, Mike was diagnosed with a cancer so advanced that he had back operation which removed one of his vertebrae. Mike is married and has two sons around middle school age. Though previously a somewhat lukewarm Christian, he began “searching for the understanding of the LOVE of Jesus.” Here is the amazing thing: Mike writes, “This last several months, with a few nudges from God, I have been overwhelmed with Jesus’ love. It’s been so powerful that the pain and uncertainty of the cancer have taken a back seat to it.” If he continues to carry this cross with Christ, no matter what happens, Mike is going to be OK.

Our spiritual mountaintop moments are extraordinary experiences that give us a greater perspective and draw us closer to God. But also remember the great consolation that Jesus Christ, our good and loving Lord, remains with us in our dark valleys as well.

Posted in Homily, Hope, Jesus Christ, Redemptive Suffering, Salvation History, Sunday Homilies, Transfiguration | Leave a Comment »

Lent with Jesus in the Desert

February 26, 2023

1st Sunday in Lent
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

Welcome to the season of Lent. Lent is a time to repent, a time to be reconciled, a time to say I am sorry, and a time to make our lives right with God. This is a time for us to remember what Christ went through for us. Christ came to live with us, to love us, and to serve us. Christ came to die for us because of everything we do wrong. Our forty days of Lent are a reminder of Jesus’ forty days spent in the desert before His public ministry. It is also a reminder of the life, passion, and death of Jesus Christ.

The first reading today describes the original temptation by the devil. Satan told them they would be like gods. He made them believe that they did not have to depend on God. We don’t like it when our freedom is limited and to be dependent on anyone. We don’t want to be responsible for the consequences of our choices.

In the second reading, St. Paul compares the old Adam with the new Adam, who is Jesus Christ. Adam did not resist temptation. He believed in the lie that the devil said that he could be like God. Jesus Christ came to save us from ourselves. Jesus did not give in to the temptations of the devil. The first Adam brought disobedience, sin, and death. The new Adam brought obedience, righteousness, and eternal life.

The temptations that Jesus faced in the desert are temptations found in our everyday lives. God has blessed some people with material resources, some with spiritual powers, some with political, and others with social powers. Use the powers and resources that God has given you for the greater honor and glory of God. Use this Lent to overcome the temptations that could harm you or others. Jesus performed miracles of healing and cast out devils to help people. Christ never used His gifts for Himself, only for others.

Jesus serves as a model for us in overcoming temptations by strengthening himself through prayer, fasting, penance, almsgiving, and speaking the word of God. By resisting temptations, we become more powerful soldiers for Christ. God does not allow us to be tempted beyond our power! During this Lent, let us try to be more prayerful, come to daily mass, receive the Sacrament of Penance, try reading some of the Bible, Pray the Rosary, and maybe bring a friend to church. By doing this, we will be able to overcome some of our sins.

Little changes in our lives can help us grow in holiness. The more time we spend with God, the closer we will be to God. Living the gospel of God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness will make us better Christians. Lent is the time for the desert experience. We can set aside a place and time to be alone each day with God. We need time to distance ourselves from the many daily noises in our lives. We need time to hear God’s word and rediscover who we are before God. We need time, to say yes to God and no to Satan.

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Behold the Tree of Life

February 26, 2023

1st Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

God grew many lovely, fruit-bearing trees in the Garden of Eden, but only two trees are mentioned by name. In the middle of the Garden the Lord God placed the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Tempted by the Devil, Eve ate from the forbidden tree and “gave some to her husband—who was with her—and he ate it.” If only Adam had been willing to confront the dragon-serpent and protect his bride, perhaps even to lay down his life for her! But the first man did not do this and the whole human family fell. (Let men called to lead and protect their families take note.)

Then our Triune God said: “Behold! The man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil! What if he now also reaches out his hand to take fruit from the Tree of Life, and eats of it and lives forever?” For this reason, God banished our first parents from the Garden. This was not from divine jealousy, but from divine concern for us. Imagine everlasting human lives lived in unending sinfulness; that would be a hell on earth. “Through one man, sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men…” But God promised Adam and Eve a redeemer who would crush the serpent’s head and save us from sin and death.

In today’s Gospel, that Savior undergoes the Devil’s temptations not in a paradise but in a desert. The ancient tempter approaches Jesus and says, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread… If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down (from this temple rooftop)… All (the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence) I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” Jesus refuses each of these diabolical suggestions.

If the Christ conjures bread for himself when hungry, then how can he refuse to fill every hungry mouth? But what good would our filled stomachs be if we are never delivered from sin and death? And if the Christ demands that God his Father protect him from every harm, then how could he ever offer his life’s blood as our saving sacrifice? And if the Christ submits to our enemy’s rule over this world, then how could we ever be free? Jesus Christ understands his messianic mission and where it will lead him. It will lead him to the Cross.

Jesus calls himself the Bridegroom, and St. Paul calls him the second and final Adam. Unlike the first Adam, Jesus Christ the New Adam willingly and courageously lays down his life in battle with the Devil to save us, the Church, his Bride.

“[T]hrough one transgression
condemnation came upon all,
so, through one righteous act,
acquittal and life came to all.

[T]hrough the disobedience of the one man
the many were made sinners,
so, through the obedience of the one,
the many will be made righteous.”

One beautiful Mass preface for Sundays in Ordinary Time praises God with these words: “[W]e know it belongs to your boundless glory, that you came to the aid of mortal beings with your divinity and even fashioned for us a remedy out of mortality itself, that the cause of our downfall might become the means of our salvation…”

St. Paul’s tells the Galatians, “Christ ransomed us from the curse… by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree…’” In the tree that is his Holy Cross, we now see the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life combined.

During this Lent, contemplate the crucifix. Meditate upon the crucifix to know goodness, to behold God’s love for us. And gaze upon the crucifix to know evil, to see our sins at work. And ever-faithfully eat the fruit from this Tree of Life, which is Jesus Christ himself given us at Holy Mass. As Jesus taught in the synagogue at Capernaum, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life… For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. …Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” God once said in the Garden: ‘You shall not eat of the Tree or even touch it, lest you die.’ But now Jesus invites us, provided we are well-prepared: “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body… given up for you.”

Posted in Adam and Eve, Homily, Jesus Christ, Marriage and Family, Passion, Salvation History, Satan, Sunday Homilies, Typology | 1 Comment »

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