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The Gift of Holy Orders

February 9, 2025

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

The seven sacraments of the Catholic Church are sensible signs instituted by Christ to gift us his grace. Sometimes the sacraments are powerfully moving experiences but a person can also receive graces and be transformed by them without feeling anything extraordinary. It is possible, for instance, for a baby sleeping in its mother’s arms to be born again through baptism without waking up. It is possible to hold the God of infinite glory upon your tongue in the Eucharist while being totally distracted with a wandering thought. From modern science, lethal amounts of radiation — though invisible — can kill you. From the sacraments, God’s graces can give you life even when you do not feel them. Ministers of the sacraments typically do not feel divine power flowing in or out from them, like Jesus at the healing of the hemorrhaging woman. However, I believe I felt the moment that I was ordained a priest.

Fifteen years ago, I was ordained a priest of Jesus Christ at our cathedral in La Crosse. The Sacrament of Holy Orders, which can ordain a man first a deacon, then a priest, and then a bishop, is celebrated through a bishop’s laying of hands and consecratory prayer. I had not studied the words of the ritual beforehand but I knew going in that my ordination would occur by the end of that consecratory prayer, and I wondered if there would be some moment before the “amen” when I would be ordained.

The prayer’s first ten sentences recount the Old Covenant priesthood, the high priesthood of Jesus Christ, and the priesthood of his apostles. God declares his people to be a priestly people, since all of us are called to offer spiritual sacrifices and help sanctify the world. But from this multitude, God has called certain men to be ministerial priests to serve him and his people.

Then I heard Bishop Listecki say these words: “Grant we pray, Almighty Father, to these, your servants, the dignity of the priesthood; renew deep within them the Spirit of holiness; may they henceforth…” and when he said “henceforth,” I began feeling a pleasant but unsettling wooziness. The words which followed were: “may they henceforth possess this office which comes from you, O God…” I felt the effect of those words.

There is one eternal priest, Jesus Christ, the source of all priesthood. He is the true priest, with all others being merely his ministers Jesus chose apostles to be his first New Covenant priests. These men then appointed and ordained through the laying of hands bishops, priests, and deacons to serve, sanctify, and shepherd the Church—an apostolic line of authority which endures to this day. In Jesus Christ, priest, prophet, and king, these ministers are called to lead worship, teach truth, and pastorally lead. Though history’s greatest and holiest woman who has ever lived was in their midst, Jesus and his apostles never ordained the Virgin Mother Mary nor any other female, and the Church lacks the authority to ordain women today. Men and women are equal in dignity, but a man is not a woman and a mother cannot be a father.

Priests, however faithful or unworthy, act in the person of Christ. Without them, we would not have the Eucharist, or Confirmation, or Anointing of the Sick, or the sacramental forgiveness of sins. Without the successors to St. Peter and the apostles, the pope and the bishops, the Magisterium of the Church whose definitive teachings are protected by the Holy Spirit from error, we could not know our one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Faith with certainty. How lost we would be without shepherds for our flock! Such is the importance of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Last week, when I asked different people what I should preach about this sacrament, more than one said to mention the importance of praying for priests. It is important to pray for more vocations to the priesthood, but these folks meant praying for the priests we have, for their holiness, endurance, and fruitfulness. Pray for your bishops, priests, and deacons, both the ones that you like and the ones that you don’t. St. Paul asked that “supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings” would be offered “for all in authority, that we may lead quiet and tranquil lives in all devotion and dignity.” Pray for your clergy that they may more effectively aid you and many to grow into saints in this world and one day reach heaven.

A man who thinks Jesus may be calling him like he called Simon Peter, James, and John in today’s gospel, should earnestly explore this vocation, since priesthood is likely the greatest mission, duty, and life he could ever pursue. In the words of St. John Vianney, “The priest continues the work of redemption on earth… If we really understood the priest on earth, we would die not of fright but of love… The Priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”

Posted in Homily, Salvation History, Sunday Homilies, Supernatural Phenomena | 1 Comment »

The Gift of Confirmation

February 2, 2025

Feast of the Presentation
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Forty days after Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary took him up to Jerusalem to offer the sacrifice required for a firstborn son. Jesus had been conceived through the Holy Spirit, but that was not the Spirit’s only activity in the world. The Holy Spirit revealed to a devout and righteous man named Simeon that he would encounter the Christ during his lifetime. On the day of the Presentation, the Spirit moved Simeon to come into the temple and enabled him to recognize the Christ when he saw him. Then Simeon took Baby Jesus into his arms and spoke words of prophecy which the Spirit inspired in him. There was also a prophetess there, an 84-year-old widow named Anna who never left the temple but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. The Spirit enlightened her too, to draw near and meet the Christ, and she spoke about the child to all. Through the Holy Spirit these servants of God, St. Simeon and St. Anna, were witnesses to Christ and filled with knowledge, courage, and joy. The plan of God was not to keep this gift of the Spirit limited to a few, but to grant him to many.

When the Spirit came down on Pentecost Sunday, St. Peter recalled the Old Testament prophesy of Joel: “‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out a portion of my Spirit upon all flesh. … Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my Spirit in those days…” The Holy Spirit is poured out in the Sacrament of Confirmation which, together with Baptism and Eucharist, is necessary for the completion of our baptismal grace.

At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove, and “drove” and “led” him out into the desert for forty days before commencing his public ministry. The Old Testament had foretold that the Spirit of the Lord would rest upon the Christ or Messiah, titles which both mean “Anointed One.” Jesus was quoting the Prophet Isaiah when he declared in the synagogue at Nazareth, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.” Old Covenant priests, prophets, and kings were inaugurated through anointing with oil. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit as our New Covenant Priest, Prophet, and King. And Christians are anointed with that same Spirit through Baptism and Confirmation to participate in Christ’s identity and mission.

In our Latin rite, a person celebrates Confirmation typically sometime after the age of reason, but in danger of death it is even given to newborns. The ordinary minister of Confirmation is the bishop, our successor to the apostles, though Catholic priests can be granted the authority to validly confirm when needed. A person is confirmed when the minister laying his hand on his or her head and anoints the forehead with a blessed oil called chrism while saying, “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” Chrism is made of olive oil plus a fragrant sap called balsam. This gives chrism its perfumed scent, such that the anointed Christian — to use the words of St. Paul — bears “the aroma of Christ.”

One of my memories from the evening following my Confirmation by Bishop Burke in Eau Claire’s Zorn Arena was feeling great joy. When I wondered at its source I thought, “Oh yeah, the Holy Spirit.” Joy, love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity are among the Spirit’s fruits. And wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord are numbered among his gifts.

In the ancient world, oil was a sign of abundance and joy, as at harvest time. It was used for cleansing both before and after baths. The injured used oil to heal wounds and soothe bruises Track and field athletes and wrestlers used it to limber their limbs. And it gave radiant beauty to both men and women’s skin. The Holy Spirit, in addition to the generous gifts he gives and fruits he brings, purifies us from sin and vice toward perfection, heals our past wounds and soothes our daily bruises empowers us to prevail over temptation and opponents, and gives us the beautiful glory of a more than natural goodness.

By the sacrament of Confirmation, you are more perfectly bound to the Church and enriched with a special strength. This sacrament is not an ending but a new beginning. After Confirmation you are, as true witnesses of Christ, more obliged to bravely spread and defend our Faith by word and deed in the world. If you were never confirmed within the Catholic Church, do not neglect this sacrament. Ask me about how you can receive this gift. And if you have already received the Holy Spirit in Confirmation, sincerely and lovingly ask him for his greater gifts and fruits. Like the fire passing atop candles, one to the next, God the Holy Spirit is not diminished by being more widely shared and spread. The child Jesus grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him. By the Holy Spirit, God desires to do greater things with you.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Feast Day Homilies, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Homily, Presentation, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

The Importance of Confession

January 25, 2025

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus came back to his hometown, stood up in the synagogue, and read this proclamation from the Book of Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to bring glad tidings to the poor… liberty to captives… recovery of sight to the blind… to let the oppressed go free and proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Then he sat down and declared to all, “Today, this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Imagine if the people of Nazareth had replied, “That’s nice, Jesus, but you’re not talking about us.”

What if the Nazareans had been like the Laodiceans in the Book of Revelation and said, “‘Glad tidings to the poor’? We are rich and affluent and have no need of anything!” What if they had said like some Jews in John’s Gospel, “‘Liberty to captives… Let the oppressed go free’? We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”? What if the Nazareans had said like some Pharisees in John’s Gospel, “‘Recovery of sight to the blind’? Surely we are not also blind, are we?”? Jesus might answer those at Nazareth who said such things with words he spoke elsewhere in Scripture: “You say, ‘I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,’ and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.” Consider the danger of you or me denying our need for the sacraments Christ offers.

You may have heard of the Precepts of the Church. I like to think of these rules as prescriptions for medicines which Mother Church absolutely insists her children take for our spiritual health. The Third Precept listed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church may strike some people as odd: “You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.” Why is this a rule? Part of the First Precept of the Church already requires us to attend Mass every Sunday and holy day of obligation, so what is the purpose of this requirement? The reason for this command and why it seems strange to us is because Catholics in the past received Holy Communion much less frequently than we do today. Scripture passages from St. Paul suggest why.

Our post-Vatican II lectionary, the book of readings we use at Mass, incorporates more of Scripture than was read at Mass previously. However, our lectionary does not include the final portion of the 11th chapter of St. Paul’s 1st Letter to the Corinthians. Sometime in the 50’s A.D., the Lord’s Supper and the community meal accompanying it were being abused at Corinth. The Christians there were forming factions and showing favoritism; while some went hungry others got drunk. St. Paul recounts to them how Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper and then he writes these warning words: “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying. If we discerned ourselves, we would not be under judgment; but since we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”

Around 1264 A.D., the great theologian St. Thomas Aquinas composed the Lauda Sion hymn, which is our sequence for the Feast of Corpus Christi and includes these verses about the Holy Communion: “Both the good and bad receive him, but with different effects in them: true life or true destruction. It is death to the wicked, but life to the good. See how different is the outcome though each receives the same.” And still today, Christ’s Church teaches that “a person who is conscious of grave sin is not to… receive the Body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in [which] case the person is to remember the obligation to make an Act of Perfect Contrition [which arises from a love for God above all else, and] which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.”

Jesus came to forgive our sins and he does this through his Church. On Easter Sunday evening he appeared in the Upper Room and said to his apostles, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” This is a gift, a power, a sacrament, our Lord has entrusted to his Church. The Second Precept of the Church commands “you shall confess your (grave) sins at least once a year.” And, similar to bathing or exercising, going to Confession more than only once a year is very good for you. If there is an occasion at Mass when you ought not to receive our Holy Lord in the Eucharist, then approach the priest or deacon at Communion time with crossed arms to receive a blessing, or else remain in your pew, and form a plan to go to Confession. Our parishes have regular Confession times, but you can also call a priest to schedule one yourself. Our Communion lines are long while our Confession lines are short because many people do not know their own sins.

In today’s first reading, Ezra the Priest reads the Old Covenant to the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem after their Babylonian Exile. Ezra read the “Book of the Law” to the assembly from a wooden platform from daybreak to midday and by the end people were sad and weeping. They mourned when they realized they had not been keeping God’s commands, but Ezra encouraged them not to despair: “Rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!” Review an Examination of Conscience such as this one (which lists various sins and vices you should review, along with the Precepts of the Church and step-by-step instructions for going to Confession.) Among both young and old, I have seen people having their sins forgiven in Confession experience amazing joy.

As in all of the sacraments, Jesus awaits to encounter you in the confessional. Do not doubt his love; his mercy and goodness and power to forgive and help you there. Jesus Christ would give liberty to captives, sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed, and lead us to a better future. Today, may this Scripture be fulfilled through your hearing.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Confession, Homily, Real Presence, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

The Vision of Christian Marriage

January 18, 2025

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

“God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” When God’s Old Covenant people only knew of God’s oneness, they may have assumed we only share in God’s image by our freewill, our intellect, and our rule over creation. But Jesus reveals to his New Covenant people that God’s oneness is not mere solitude but a unity of persons sharing one divine nature – the Holy Trinity. The Father eternally begets the Son, while the Son eternally gifts himself back to the Father, and from their love the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds. And in the beginning in the Garden of Eden, from Adam’s side close to his heart, Eve is fashioned — the woman of his dreams, his equal in dignity, sharing one human nature. And from their self-gift to each other, another person (children) can proceed. A family or loving community reflects a fuller image of God than an individual alone.

The human body speaks a language. In the one-flesh union, a man and woman’s bodies express a total gift of self to each other, open to enduring love and open to new life. This embrace says, “I give myself to you freely and completely for the rest of our lives. In the sight of God and neighbor I pledge my love for you and promise to will the very best for you.” When an occasion of this act does not match what the language of the body is saying, it is a lie, a sin, and often feels impure. But when what is being said matches the reality, then it is true, pure, and holy. Indeed, for Christian couples it seals or renews their covenant in the Sacrament of Marriage.

God made marriage before the Fall and created it good, but after the Fall the relationships between men and women have been impacted by sin. Since then, their unity has been threatened by discord, spirits of domination, selfishness, infidelity, jealousy, and conflict which can even escalate to hatred and separation. To prevail over sin, man and woman need the help of God’s grace which in his infinite mercy he never refuses them. The Sacrament of Marriage connects couples to Christ’s grace to create new holy families. Indeed, Christ the Bridegroom’s earthly mission was a courtship leading to a marriage with children.

Jesus’ first recorded miracle was performed at the wedding feast of Cana. “There were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,” and his public ministry began by transforming those Old Covenant waters into wine. In Sacred Scripture, six is a number of imperfection and incompletion while seven is a number of completion and perfection. And there is a seventh jar in the Gospel of John: “[On the Cross,] aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I thirst.’ There was a jar filled with sour wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, ‘It is finished (or fulfilled, complete, consummated)’ And bowing his head, he handed over the Spirit.”

Jesus is the New or Second Adam who, naked at a tree with the New Eve, proves faithful to God. Jesus enters the deep sleep of death, and from his side, from his heart, water and blood pour forth, the water for baptism and Blood for the Eucharist from which the Bride of Christ is fashioned. This bride, the Church, is fruitful in bearing, nurturing, and forming her children. The Old Testament foreshadowed this, like in our first reading from Isaiah: “As a young man marries a virgin, your builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your God rejoice in you.” And at the end of Scripture in the Book of Revelation it is declared in heaven: “Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”

The Sacrament of Marriage taps into the mystery and power of this loving union of Christ and his Church. In Ephesians 5, St. Paul writes how husbands and wives should love each other, with wives respecting their husbands’ leadership and husbands serving their brides like Jesus loves us. And Paul says in conclusion, “This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church.” Twenty years ago this year, when I was still a seminarian I attended my cousin’s wedding. Around the time when the bride and groom exchanged their vows, they were gazing in each other’s eyes, holding hands, and smiling. Then, without anything visibly changing, my perception shifted, and for several seconds I saw in them Jesus Christ marrying the Church. Now I hesitate to share this story because it might be like when someone talks about an “awesome” dream they had which fails to impress or translate for others. Yet I mention it all the same in hopes that, in addition to seeing the importance of being sacramentally married in the Church and being open to God’s will in bearing and raising children, you may have the vision to see your marriage in a new, real, more spiritual and mystical way.

Posted in Homily, Marriage and Family, Sunday Homilies, Wedding of Cana | 1 Comment »

The Great Gift of Baptism

January 11, 2025

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
By Fr. Victor Feltes

As with the Jewish boys who received the rite of circumcision on their eighth day to enter the Old Covenant, the early Church gave the rite of baptism as a free gift for even newborns to enter the New Covenant. Unlike those of us who were baptized as babies, my friend Elena remembers her baptism from when she was nineteen years old.

She says, “Right up to the night (of that Easter Vigil in 2007), I was still partially afraid that God would strike me down when the baptismal waters touched me. I wanted so much to belong to him but half-thought that maybe he didn’t want me. I thought, ‘If he wanted me in the Church, why didn’t he have me born in a Catholic family?’” Full Christian initiation is accomplished through three sacraments: first, Baptism which is the beginning of new life; Confirmation which is its strengthening; and Holy Eucharist which nourishes the disciple with Jesus’ Body and Blood for transformation in Christ. Elena received all three sacraments that night, “and then after,” she says, “I could hear him in a whole new way (not like a voice but like thoughts that you know come from him). And I knew I was his and that he wanted me.”

Through baptism, by being buried and rising again from the waters, we mystically enter the death and resurrection of Jesus. We are united with him as a member of his Church, members of his Body, members of his Bride. Through water and the Holy Spirit, we are “born from above” and “born again.” We become adopted children of God the Father and new temples of the Holy Spirit. Baptism forgives all our sins, indelibly changes our souls, bestows us graces enabling close relationship with God, and makes us sharers in the mission of his Church as priests, prophets, and kings in Christ. Jesus commands us to “go… and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that [he has] commanded [us].” Baptism opens the door to the other sacraments. It is the gateway into God’s Kingdom for salvation.

Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the opportunity to ask for this sacrament. God has bound salvation to his sacraments, yet he himself is not limited by his sacraments. His Church teaches that unbaptized martyrs, catechumens seeking baptism, and those who are ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and his Church but who seek the truth and do the will of God in accordance with their understanding of it can be saved through a baptism by blood or desire instead of water. How many are saved through these baptisms of desire? We don’t know. We do know that our clear salvific mission is the Great Commission Jesus gives us.

As St. Peter preached at Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!” Ordinarily, only deacons, priests, or bishops should baptize people by pouring, sprinkling, or immersion while invoking the Holy Trinity. However, in an emergency situation, anyone can baptize; simply intend to do what the Church does when it baptizes and pour water on the recipient’s head while saying “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

This Sunday, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. Though sinless, he voluntarily submits himself to John’s baptism intended for sinners in order “to fulfill all righteousness.” By his own baptism, Christ connects himself with the baptized so the baptized can be united to Christ. Once Jesus was baptized, while he was praying, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in visible form like a dove. And the voice of God the Father came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

My friend Elena recalls that after her baptism, “I had this almost euphoric joy for almost a whole year that nothing could touch. I remember some religious sisters I’d met just after my baptism warning me that would fade. I didn’t believe them, but they were right. Hard times came and it got more difficult to hold onto that joy. But I think that joy is what we’ll experience in heaven and I hold onto that hope now.” Our own baptisms may have been many years ago and perhaps we have no memories of that day at all. But the effects of baptism do not depend on our feelings. Remember who you are in Christ. The voice of the Father calls out from heaven for you to hear him: “You are my beloved one, my beloved child, and in you I delight.”

Posted in Baptism of Jesus, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Salvation, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

The Gift of Anointing

January 4, 2025

Feast of the Epiphany
By Fr. Victor Feltes

With Father Aro away in India for his annual vacation and spiritual retreat until February 12th I plan to celebrate all of our Masses for several weeks to come. This gives me a rare opportunity to preach with an ongoing theme. So over the next month and a half I will preach about the seven sensible signs instituted by Christ to give us his grace. These effective rituals entrusted to his Catholic Church through which we receive divine life are called the Sacraments. It is important for us to learn about these holy gifts of God so that we may benefit from them to the fullest. This Sunday, we begin with the final sacrament that many Catholics receive.

The Magi, upon entering the house of the Holy Family in Bethlehem, “saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” These gifts pointed ahead to Christ’s Passion. Gold, for Christ is King. Frankincense, for he would offer God a pleasing sacrifice of himself. And myrrh, for his body would be anointed with this substance for his burial. The Holy Family was being hunted by King Herod, but God provided these gifts for his holy ones so they could escape the dangers of death and be saved. (That gold and those tradable goods were assets for the Holy Family in Egypt.) Through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, God provides for his holy ones as they face the threat of death. You are more precious to God than gold. Your sufferings can be united to Christ’s and offered up to heaven as a redemptive sacrifice. And the anointing of your body can better prepare you for either your recovery or your passing.

St. Mark records in his Gospel how the apostles “anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” And St. James instructs the 1st century Church in the New Testament letter which bears his name: “Are there any who are sick among you? Let them send for the priests of the Church, and let the priests pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.” James writes that “the prayer of faith will save the sick persons, and the Lord will raise them up. And if they have committed any sins, their sins will be forgiven them.” Whenever you begin to be in danger of death from illness, or from the frailty of old age, or because of an upcoming major surgery, the time for Holy Anointing has certainly already arrived. Call your priest, because he is unlikely to learn of your need unless you tell him. The hospital will not automatically contact us and only a priest can anoint you.

The priest will come and pray for you, silently laying his hands on your head. Then he will take some blessed oil and apply it in the shape of a cross on your forehead, saying “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit.” Then he will anoint the palms of your hands in the same way, saying “May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.” You can receive this anointing again either if your condition greatly worsens or if you recover and become seriously ill again later. When a priest believes it is likely to be the last time you’ll be anointed he will also give The Apostolic Pardon, Viaticum (or Holy Communion), The Litany of the Saints, and the Final Commendation as additional “Last Rites.”

This sacrament gives strength, courage, and peace. It forgives your sins, if you were unable to obtain it through the Sacrament of Confession. And it unites you to Christ’s Passion to participate in his saving work, helping you offer redemptive sufferings like St. Paul describes to the Colossians: “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the Church.” Sometimes this sacrament helps restore you to health, otherwise it prepares your soul to pass over to the next life.

Do not refuse or put off this sacrament. God is not an enemy like King Herod whom you should flee and hide from. Do not deprive yourself or loved ones by waiting too long to request holy anointing. Like gold given to an important person, like frankincense for offering holy sacrifice to God, or like myrrh to prepare us for the end of life, the Anointing of the Sick is a precious holy gift.

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

Life Lessons From A Holy Family

December 29, 2024

Feast of the Holy Family
By Fr. Victor Feltes

The Holy Family went up to Jerusalem each year for the feast of Passover. Once, when Jesus was twelve years old, as they were leaving the city at the end of the festival, the Boy Jesus stayed behind without his parents knowing it. Whole communities would pilgrimage to and from these feasts together, so Joseph and Mary had assumed Jesus was walking with others in the caravan during that first day journeying on the road back to Nazareth. But then, perhaps when it was time to share a meal or set up camp for the evening, his parents could not find him. They would have asked all of their relatives and neighbors about the last place they had seen the boy and realized that he had not been with them for hours. Joseph and Mary would soon return to Jerusalem and find Jesus alive and well on the third day. In this difficult episode for the Holy Family, there are lessons for us today.

Jesus had the best parents in all of human history. His adoptive father was a great saint and his mother was filled with grace. And yet, one time, they lost track of their only child for three days. This shows us that sometimes we can try our hardest and things will still go wrong (at least in our own eyes). We can always choose to put forth our best effort, but we cannot control every outcome. Remember: Just because something goes wrong, even painfully wrong, does not necessarily mean that we have sinned. The Blessed Mother was sinless and yet she lost her Son.

When we are little, our parents might seem perfect. As we grow up, we are disappointed to see their imperfections. But as we advance in wisdom and age becoming adults ourselves, we better understand human weakness and limitations. This does not erase people’s flaws and sometimes grave faults, but it can help us have more mercy for people, including forgiving our parents and ourselves.

After three days, Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the temple, “sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” Jesus shows us that we can learn things even from imperfect people. Jesus’ parents were astonished when they found him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Like holy figures in the Old Testament before her, Mary questions the Lord about the things she does not understand.

Being twelve years old, Jesus was years beyond the age of reason. He must have known his parents would be concerned after he concealed his plans from them. But the Sinless One does not offer an apology. Instead, he asks them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” It is a mystery why it was God’s will for Jesus to remain in Jerusalem. Even after his reply, his parents did not understand what he said to them. But he returned home with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them as he advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man. Blessed Mother Mary kept this episode in her memory, remembering its stressful beginning and joyful end, and pondering its meaning in her heart.

The things which happen in our lives, like the circumstances of our upbringing or the crises that come our way, will not always make sense to us. But we can learn and grow from all these things, and become more holy families because of them, for “God works all things for the good of those who love him.”

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast Day Homilies, Finding in the Temple, Homily, Jesus Christ, Marriage and Family, Parenting, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Imitate The Visitation

December 21, 2024

4th Sunday of Advent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

When Archangel Gabriel informed the Virgin Mary that she would conceive the Son of God, the last recorded thing he told her was: “[B]ehold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Notice how the angel does not tell Mary what to do with this final bit of news. Yet soon after in response, likely encouraged by the Holy Spirit, “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.”

St. Luke records that “Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.” Luke’s Gospel contains details about the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, and Jesus’ early years which are not told in the other Gospels, including things upon which Mary “pondered in her heart.” Now how would you know what someone pondered in their heart unless they told you? This suggests that the original source for the stories in the first chapters of Luke was the Blessed Virgin Mary herself.

At the Visitation, at least four persons are brought together: Elizabeth, with John the Baptist at least twenty weeks along, and Mary her kinswoman, with Jesus who was perhaps only days old within her. Although Mary believed in what was spoken to her by the angel, she may not have known how far his words had been fulfilled. If that is the case, then the first person on earth to recognize and herald the presence of Christ Incarnate was another unborn child.

The angel never commanded Mary to make the journey, but she wanted to be there for Elizabeth. For about three months, apparently until the circumcision and naming of John eight days after his birth, Mary was there to help and support Elizabeth around the house and through her first delivery. Elizabeth, in turn, was an encouragement and help to Mary, sharing Spirit-inspired words, like “blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” and offering wise advice, such as whether and how Mary should reveal the news of her pregnancy to Joseph. Unborn Jesus and unborn John depended upon their mothers for life itself, yet even these little ones were helpful as well. John’s tiny leaping kicks confirmed to Elizabeth what the Holy Spirit was revealing to her, while the grace of the Son of God was mystically supporting them all. They were called to community and to help and accept help from each other. We are called to help and accept help from one another sharing community in this parish as well.

When I was in seminary, we would gather for meals at round tables in the refectory (or cafeteria). We ate from plates and bowls on top of dinner trays. Sometimes at the end of meals, my fellow seminarians would offer to take up others’ trays to the dishwasher racks. I would gladly accept the offer and thank them for it. However, occasionally when I would offer to take up other seminarians’ trays, someone might adamantly refuse. So I would ask, “How come it’s okay for you to take up my tray but not okay for me to take up yours? Come on, allow me to merit with God from doing some good deeds too!” Mary and Jesus, Elizabeth and John, were all together and helpful to each other. Christians are called not only to serve but to be humble enough to accept and even seek out kindness and help from others.

The providence and grace of God led to the beautiful mystery of the Visitation. This week, God will draw many people to our church for the first time in a long time. Joyfully greet our guests, like Elizabeth welcomed Mary. Like little John the Baptist, express excitement that they are here. Invite them to be with us and be present yourself, at Sunday Mass, as part of our Parish Council of Catholic Women or our Knights of Columbus, in the That Man Is You men’s group, at parish meals or at activities, like my next Trivia Night this January. You have nothing to lose from this, while others have much to gain. And please prayerfully consider creating community events for our parish yourself. Would you like to start a Bible study, or a Catholic video series, or a book or movie club, or host an after-Mass social? Talk to me about whatever you have in mind because I desire your rewarding work to bear much good fruit. Blessed are you who believe that the Lord could do great things through you.

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Homily, Jesus Christ, St. John the Baptist, Sunday Homilies, Visitation | Leave a Comment »

Rejoice, The Lord Is Near – Have No Anxiety At All

December 14, 2024

3rd Sunday of Advent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

A story is told of an old American Indian speaking to his young grandchild seated at his feet. “Inside of me there are two wolves,” the grandfather explains. “One of these wolves is virtuous: patient, kind, chaste, generous, forgiving, and loving. But the other wolf is vicious: angry, cruel, lustful, greedy, unforgiving, and hateful. These wolves are battling within me in a fight to the death.” The child asks, “Which wolf is gonna win, Grandpa?” The grandfather replies, “The one that I feed.”

One bit of encouragement I often give in the confessional concerns the ideas, feelings, memories, or temptations which enter people’s minds. When people confess to having had bad thoughts or temptations, I ask, “Did you will them? Did you choose them? Did you welcome them? Did you say ‘Yes’ to them, or did you resist them?” Unhelpful thoughts and feelings can come to us against our will. We only sin or merit when we engage our will to accept or reject them. A saint is not someone who never feels temptation but someone who, even when tempted, choses what is good and true and loving. If we do not realize this, we will believe every temptation we think or feel is a sinful defeat when it is merely a call to battle.

Some people think temptations only attract us to pleasures, to set us up for a fall. However, some temptations draw us downwards, to grumbling, bitterness, unhappiness, and despair. In today’s second reading from the Letter to the Philippians, St. Paul presents an antidote. He says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” A person rejoices when they have gratitude for the present and the past and have hope for the future.

Our days may be very challenging but even amidst our sufferings we have much to be grateful for. We can always find a reason to complain. (Somebody with nothing to complain about could even choose to complain about that!) But most of our complaints are completely unnecessary. Instead, count your blessings—perhaps literally on your ten fingers—especially in hard times, and remember that you have great cause for hope in good things to come. When I replace pointless complaining with rejoicing my blessing cup is no longer empty but full enough to overflow for others. Because of this, St. Paul says, “Your kindness should be known to all.”

Another of our common unpleasant temptations is to anxiety. One of the things Jesus says most in the Gospels is “be not afraid!” Realize that worry (which is the natural fruit of fear) is worthless; concern is enough. If I were totally unconcerned about this homily then I would have prepared nothing to say. But if I had been worried about this homily there would still be just as much work to do but with added stress besides. What can you do when you are showing proper concern and you are doing your part but still feel the burden of anxiety? St. Paul provides this prescription: Remember that “The Lord is near.” So “have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

We are called to zero anxiety, “to have no anxiety at all.” When you’ve done what you can, you can refer the rest to God. Lift up your prayers and petitions with a thankful heart. And then, even if nothing visibly changes in the situation immediately, the peace of God which surpasses our understanding will guard and protect your heart and mind from pointless worry. The Lord is near. Give thanks and rejoice. Have no anxiety at all. For the Lord is with you, fighting on your side in the battle.

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

Our Advent Traditions

November 30, 2024

1st Sunday of Advent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus Christ’s Church has “Big T” Traditions and “small t” traditions. The first kind (“Big T” Traditions) are Sacred Traditions which come to us directly from Jesus and his Apostles. They belong to the unchanging Deposit of Faith entrusted once-for-all to Christ’s Church. The second sort (“small t” traditions) are the Church’s customs. For instance, how we celebrate the Advent season along with our Advent wreath are among those “small t” traditions.

The Bible details the historical events of Christmas and Easter, but it is interesting to note that the New Testament never explicitly teaches we must commemorate Christmas or Easter on specific days each year. And that is OK. Jesus Christ’s Church was never meant to be a strictly “Bible alone” Church; she existed even before the New Testament was compiled. The Holy Spirit dwells in her, preserving her from denying the Deposit of Faith and guiding her ways (as the Book of Acts says) as it ‘seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us.’ Let’s consider the customs and traditions of this new Advent season and its Advent wreath.

Over the next month, our predominant liturgical color is purple or violet. Old, black, Roman vestments used to gradually fade towards purple because of the inferior dyes they used. And so, over time, purple became a customary penitential color for the Church. Though less intensely than in Lent, we spiritually discipline ourselves during Advent preparing for the coming of Christ – both at Christmas and at his return in glory. It is fitting what we prepare for our King’s arrival with purple cloth, for purple in the ancient world was the most expensive color to dye, it was the color of cloths worn by kings. This season, we are preparing for the coming of the King of Kings.

We mark this season’s Sundays with our Advent wreath: four candles amidst a circle of evergreen branches. These evergreen branches, still green during the dead of winter, symbolize eternal life. The circle symbolizes recurrence and eternity. And though we celebrate Advent and Christmas each year, these four candles remind us we look forward to definite end, a final fulfillment – not only December 25th, but the Last Day.

This world will not just be the same unsatisfying stuff forever. Christmas, Jesus’ birth at the center of history, changes our hopes. We light an additional candle each Sunday because Christ is coming. As the winter world darkens around us, we add these lights. They shine in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome them. We light these candles because we know the true Light which enlightens all men, the Word become flesh, has come and is coming into the world.

“Beware,” Jesus says in our Gospel reading, “that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise.” Advent is our time for preparation for the coming of Christ. As St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians, “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all… so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus.”

Posted in Church Year, Homily, Last Things, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Jesus Christ Is King

November 24, 2024

Solemnity of Christ the King
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Today’s psalm says: “The Lord is King, in splendor robed… Your throne stands firm from of old… Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed…” The Old Testament prophets agreed. Isaiah said “the Lord is our King, it is he who will save us.” Jeremiah said our God “is the living God, the eternal King.” And Zephaniah said “the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.” At the center of human history, when Jesus Christ is born among us, he comes as King as well.

“Behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews?’” And when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the crowd cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel!” Pontius Pilate unknowing proclaimed this truth when he had a sign placed above Christ’s head on the Cross: “This is Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.” This Sunday, we celebrate that our Lord Jesus Christ is King of the universe now.

After his Resurrection, when Jesus appeared to his apostles on a mountain in Galilee, he told them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me” and he gave his Church our Great Commission to spread his Kingdom, reassuring us, “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” This raises a challenging question for us: why is Jesus not visibly doing more now? All power in heaven and on earth has been given to him, so why is he not making more things happen?

His disciples wondered about this, too. Before the Risen Jesus ascended into Heaven, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?” He answered, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The Kingdom of God is among us, and Jesus calls us to work with him to spread it and deepen it, everywhere in everyone.

But why doesn’t Jesus just force everything to be better? As God, he is omnipotent. He has the power to do all possible things. But one thing he cannot do is to force someone’s free “No” into a free “Yes.” When Jesus returns in unveiled glory, coming upon the clouds and flanked by his angels in full-force, humanity’s time for decision will be over. That day will bring the Last Judgment and sin will no longer be given any quarter. After that, there will be only God’s Kingdom and the outer darkness. Now is the time for freely choosing.

Do we desire God’s Kingdom? Around 1000 B.C., the elders of Israel came to the Prophet Samuel asking, “Appoint a king over us to rule us like other nations.” Samuel was displeased they said, “Give us a king to rule us,” but he brought the matter to the Lord in prayer. And the Lord replied: “Listen to whatever the people say. You are not the one they are rejecting. They are rejecting me as their king.” And during Christ’s Passion, Pilate asked the crowd, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered for the mob, “We have no king but Caesar.” They were rejecting the Lord as their King. When we pray “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven,” do we really mean what we are saying?

When Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king, Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate then responds with a line which today’s Gospel reading cuts off. Pilate dismissively replies, “What is truth,” and then turns his back on Truth himself, and walks away. If you desire Jesus as your Savior, you must let him be your Lord.

Advent begins next Sunday—our annual season of preparation for the coming of the Lord. Here are three wise steps for a better Advent. First, his decrees are worthy of trust. Which of his words will you neglect no more but specifically begin putting into practice? Make yourself a short list. Second, make an Advent Confession, for a fresh beginning, a new infusion of grace. And third, pray every day, for you cannot thrive without him. The saints worked wonders in this world by following Christ and doing his will. So can you. The Lord is in your midst. He is the living God, our eternal King. And if we will let him, it is he who will save us.

Posted in Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Last Judgment, Last Things, O.T. Figures, Second Coming, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Do Not Fear The Ending

November 16, 2024

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

The Prophet Daniel says of the end of days, “It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress…” And Jesus foretells, “In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” Many Christians today regard the end times with aversion and dread. Many fear Jesus Christ as judge, as if he were coming to destroy us. And yet, at the conclusion of the Book of Revelation, in response to the One who declares, “Yes, I am coming soon,” God’s people cry out in answer, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

The early Christians saw the arrival of God’s Kingdom for us—either when we die or at Christ’s Second Coming—as Good News. St. Paul the Apostle wrote, “For me, life is Christ and death is gain!” “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” and he tells us over and over, “Do not be afraid.” There will be trials before the end, in our own individual lifetimes and in the earthly pilgrimage of the Church, but what comes after this will be much, much better.

Out of fear of escapism, we fail to reflect upon Heaven enough. Great hope comes from having something great you’re looking forward to. Imagine Heaven, where sin will be no more; no shame or temptation; no guilt or condemnation; no ugliness, decay, or corruption; no sickness or suffering; no fear or tears; no pain or death; no more crime or injustice; no more separation from God and his saints. And remember not only what evils are absent in Heaven, but also what supreme goods are found there. In Heaven, there is peace and blessings; praise and rewards; knowledge and wonders; perfection and joys; beauty, delights, and unending love; reunion with loved ones; fellowship with the saints; and complete union with God.

The Prophet Daniel foretold about the Day of Resurrection: “At that time, [God’s] people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some to everlasting life, others to reproach and everlasting disgrace.” Sometimes Christians worry whether or not they are in that Book of Life. I do believe more of us need to be praying, going to Confession, and attending Holy Mass, but I like to reassure people by asking them this: First, what is your greatest desire? Next, what do you think is the greatest desire of a saint? If your answers are similar, then you have the desires of a saint—and that’s a very good sign.

Imagine another person just like you in every way; the same past, all the same strengths and weaknesses as you. What would you think of that person? Could you be friends with them? Do not treat yourself worse than you treat others, but love yourself like your neighbor. Be not afraid and remember that the Lord is preparing you for Heaven because God loves you.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Last Things, Second Coming, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

The Widow’s Gift Was Love

November 9, 2024

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus sat down opposite the temple treasury and watched how people gave money at God’s house. There were thirteen donation trumpets attached to sturdy chests into which people were dropping their contributions. Many rich people were donating large sums, causing loud commotions. But one poor widow’s two small coins went in quietly; a little click-click. Why did Jesus highlight her gift above everyone else’s that day?

Our Father in heaven is rich. He created the universe out of nothing. All things belong to him. Being the Almighty, he does not strictly need anything from us. In the 50th Psalm, God tells his people that he does not rebuke them for their animal sacrifices—he had commanded them to make them—but he notes “every animal of the forest is mine, beasts by the thousands on my mountains. I know every bird in the heights; whatever moves in the wild is mine. Were I hungry, I would not tell you, for mine is the world and all that fills it.” And yet, God insists upon our sacrifices for him.

God places us in a material world in which what we do matters. Whether and how we work and pray, learn and teach, plant and harvest, build and repair, save and donate, visit and invite, feed and clothe and care and love, these things really matter—for good or evil—for ourselves and others. It is true Almighty God could do everything all by himself, entrusting us with no mission and zero responsibility. But then, how would we ever mature and grow as glorious saints? Instead, God chooses to work through us, and with us, and in us. Our holy gifts and sacrifices, inspired and empowered by grace, advance God’s Kingdom while transforming us in Christ. Though, strictly speaking, God has no need of our gifts or praises, he insists upon them for our own good.

When Jesus saw that poor widow give God’s house just two coins worth only a few cents, he called his disciples to himself and said, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury; for they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”

Jesus condemns those who “devour the houses of widows,” but he celebrates this woman’s evident trusting, love for God. Jesus says to beware the scribes who love the robes, the titles, the honored seats at synagogues and feasts, who recite lengthy prayers in order to be seen by men. “They will receive a very severe condemnation,” Jesus says, because their focus is not on love of God and neighbor. That poor, loving widow, however, receives the praise of God. “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.”

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

How you love and what you do matters. In the words of St. Paul, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” “Whatever you do, do it with all your heart as for the Lord … knowing that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” For when Christ comes “he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God.”

Posted in Heaven, Homily, Love, Sunday Homilies, The Poor Widow | Leave a Comment »

The Saints Come Marching In

November 3, 2024

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deacon Dick Kostner

Today’s Gospel instructs us of how great a gift God has given us by and through His Commandments the divine rules for us to live a fulfilling life that gifts us with happiness even when we are carrying the crosses of life. Sometimes we think of laws and rules as a restriction on our lives but to our ancestors living during the time of Moses, the Commandments were a blessing for God gave them a road map to the place we call heaven. A way for them to live a life of happiness even during trying times, a life of fulfillment and worth, a true treasure.

Today’s Gospel has Jesus condensing for us God’s directives for us to live full lives of grace through just two great Commandments, two priorities containing for us, all we need to remember and practice during our lives. The First is to love God with all of our being knowing that the Creator designed us before we were even born, to display and represent His body, through a little but powerful directive he desires of His children and that is “Love”. The Second great Commandment, further defines how we are to show our love for God and that is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

As I pondered the two Great Commandments given us by the Father, I realized that Jesus during his earthly life, did not stop there. Rather he gave to his followers, to us, the tools necessary to carry out and obey the Commandment to Love God and neighbor, He gave us the Sacraments to allow all of His children the ability to become Saints. They are the building blocks, the steps leading to the House where Jesus and His saints live. Lets look at those tools.

The Sacraments come to us under three headings: Sacraments of Initiation; Sacraments of Healing; and Sacraments of Vocation. The Sacraments of Initiation are Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion. It is through celebration of these Sacraments that we are able to form a relationship with God. We become a member of the Holy Family; We mature in Spirituality and are invited to be fed by and become an active body member and spokes person of Gods Family. These Sacraments allow us to trust and learn to love God fulfilling the First Great Commandment. Remember, one cannot love without first gaining knowledge and trust in someone.

That brings us to the Sacraments of healing. As humans we will experience illness and disease God gifts us with the tool to overcome the fear of death and sickness of body through the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. It is a Sacrament through which we can be healed of worry and know that Jesus will provide us with strength to overcome the fear of sickness and find peace in knowing that we can be still, and know that God is with us as he was present for Jesus. Sometimes we lack faith and fail to listen or request help from God. A separation of Spirit occurs because of human weakness. Jesus gives to us the Sacrament of Reconciliation to reprogram ourselves and ask for God to forgive us. Through forgiveness and reconciliation, this Sacrament heals our division and we once again are in union with the Holy Spirit and are at peace and learn to form a strong spiritual relationship with God.

Knowing how important it is for us to form relationships with God Jesus gifts us with the Sacraments of Vocation. These Sacraments move us to follow the Second Greatest Commandment and that is to love not only God himself but also all of his Children as we love ourselves. This Commandment requires us to not be served but rather to serve others. For many of us the vocation of Marriage awakens within us the desire and reward that follows to find that we are made in the image and likeness of God and are called to love and serve others more than love of self. Others become more important in our lives than just caring for our selves. Through the Sacrament of Marriage we offer to our spouse and children, our life for them to enjoy and find happiness. We are learning to do what Jesus did for us in offering his human life so that we may find happiness and peace for all eternity.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders is Jesus hand picking a few humans and asking them to give their lives up for the privilege of mentoring his children on how to travel the road to Sainthood by and through the practice of loving and serving the body of Christ as Gods representative. I can remember a few years ago telling Jesus that I would not mind becoming a saint. That is what Jesus calls all of us to be. What we need to remember is sainthood does not bear the requirement of being perfect it only requires love.

Jesus tells us that we need to become as children to enter his kingdom. We need to follow His advice and as our school kids show us this weekend how, “The Saints come marching in!”

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

Blessed are the Clean of Heart

November 3, 2024

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

On November 1st, Christ’s Church celebrated all the saints in Heaven. The Gospel reading for that solemnity was Jesus’ beatitudes from his Sermon on the Mount. The beatitudes describe God’s saints, and they describe Jesus Christ himself as well. We are made in God’s image and our Lord grows us into his likeness. This Sunday, I would like to highlight one of those beatitudes: “Blessed are the clean of heart…” Most Bible translations render this: “Blessed are the pure in heart…” What is purity of heart?

Our first thoughts perhaps may go to purity in regards to chastity. Obscene materials and obscene acts are commonly called the opposite of “clean.” Yet human sexuality can be a means of sanctity. The marital embrace is even a constitutive part of one of the seven sacraments Christ gave us. Rightly-ordered chastity is a source of joy and life and holiness. Chastity is part of being clean of heart, but it’s not the whole or deepest sense of this beatitude.

When one of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments,” Jesus answered with words from Deuteronomy: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” A pure heart does not contain the sludge of sin. It does not willfully coddle an affection for evil. A clean heart is receptive to receive and return holy love.

I believe the Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen once noted that the Archangel Gabriel addressing and declaring the Virgin Mary “full of grace” points to her Immaculate Conception. For if there were sin present in Mary, like inches of mud in the bottom a bucket, she would not be full of grace. But she was clean of heart and full of grace and loved God with her whole self, because our loving God is good and the source of every good.

Now to prevent people from drawing the wrong conclusions, Jesus immediately follows up sharing the greatest commandment with another command from Leviticus. He declares the second greatest commandment is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If Jesus had not cited this second commandment, some people would have misunderstood and thought loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength prohibits the love of anyone else. (After all, Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters.”) Instead, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (and by implication, love ourselves as our neighbors) even as we love God with our whole selves. When our loves are rightly ordered, in loving God fully we will love who and what he loves like he loves them. Contrary to what some might expect, we will love ourselves and other people best by first and fully loving God.

So renew your love for God, choose him first and fully, opposed to your sins or selfish lesser loves, like those saints who lived and died before us who are now in Heaven. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

Posted in Bp. Fulton Sheen, Chastity, Chrisitian Virtues, Christian Perfection, Homily, Love, Sunday Homilies | 2 Comments »

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