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The People at the Passion (Part 2 of 3)

March 30, 2023

By Fr. Victor Feltes

Hopeful for the help of the Holy Spirit, I will share with you meditations about people personally present for Jesus’ Passion. In particular, I will reflect on those persons featured in the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Stations of the Cross; Simon of Cyrene, who helped carry Jesus’ Cross; Veronica, who wiped Jesus’ face with her veil; and the women of Jerusalem, who followed and openly wept for Jesus along the Way of the Cross. While considering these reflections, I encourage you to look for two or three golden nuggets that sparkle for you. Tuck them into the pocket of your mind or into your notes and later bring them to prayer for meditation.

Prologue – Pontius Pilate and the Roman Soldiers

Good Friday morning, the hostile crowd cried out for Jesus’ blood. Like Joseph’s brothers in the Old Testament, this crowd intended evil for Jesus, but God intended this for good, in hopes of achieving the salvation of these sinners and the whole world. Governor Pontius Pilate, even after having Jesus gruesomely whipped, was unable to placate the mob. So Pilate washed his hands and sentenced Jesus to death despite admitting that he had committed no crime. Much evil in the world is not only from active hatred like the crowds but from the callous indifference of people like Pilate. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteous, for they shall be satisfied.”

Then, St. John records in his Gospel, the soldiers “took Jesus, and carrying the Cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha.” The Romans would compel men condemned to death to bear the instrument of their own torture, a cross. This was an added psychological punishment and humiliation. It is like having to tie your own noose before they use it to hang you. It is like being forced to dig your own grave before they kill and bury you. It is akin to modern totalitarian states that have executed people by a gunshot to the back of the head and then sent the family a bill for the bullet. The correction and punishment of wrongdoing may be necessary both in nations and in households, but we must never do either without respect for others’ dignity.

Jesus was forced to carry his own Cross, a Cross he carried for us sinners. He carried his Cross towards a place called Golgotha, or Calvary. Golgotha was a rock mound within a limestone quarry alongside a road leading to and from Jerusalem. The Romans chose this execution site a short distance outside one of the city gates for its high-visibility to many passersby. The guards with Jesus had orders to crucify him there along with two other condemned men. But after Jesus’ violent scourging, he was in agony, dehydrated, and physically weakened. He had already fallen down at least once under the Cross’s weight.

Perhaps his guards grew impatient because Jesus was progressing so slowly. The soldiers also may have feared that Jesus would collapse from exhaustion and be unable to be made to stand up and continue. And they might get in big trouble with their superiors if Jesus died on the way to Golgotha without receiving the sentence the governor had decreed. We may feel discouraged by the power of wicked people and groups in our world but I think we underestimate their inherent weaknesses, like those reflected in these Roman soldiers. “The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” About three hundred fifty years after the mighty pagan Romans executed Christ and began persecuting his peaceful Church, Christ conquered the Roman Empire; Christianity became its official state religion. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.”

The 5th Station – Simon of Cyrene

Saints Matthew, Mark, and Luke all note in their Gospels that the Roman guards found a helper for Jesus. As they were going out, they met a passer-by who was coming in from the country. They took hold of him and pressed him into service to carry his Cross. By law, a Roman soldier could compel a man in a conquered land to carry a load for him for as much as one mile. Daring to refuse would bring on a beating, so this traveler to Jerusalem submitted. Laying the Cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. This man’s name was Simon, a Cyrenian from Cyrene. Cyrene was a region in Northern Africa. It had a Roman colony and a sizable population of Jews.

Perhaps Simon the Cyrene, like so many other Jews, was on pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. But however far his previous journeying had been, that day Simon had a place to be and things to do before the feast. Having to carry the Cross that Friday felt like a major inconvenience for Simon, but it was most likely the greatest thing he ever did. Some of the greatest things you have done in your life were probably unpleasant and inconvenient, too. Mentally, let us reframe the interruptions which arise during our days and within our lives as providential opportunities. This way we can make the most of them and engage them at our best.

One can imagine Simon feeling very reluctant to bear a stranger’s cross. Since Simon was a freeman who had not been found guilty of any crime, he may have viewed this forced servitude to be doubly degrading. Simon may have also dreaded that insults, spitting, dirt, and stones would be hurled at him by ignorant bystanders while he made his way through the streets in the procession of the condemned. Yet, even if unwillingly, Simon picked up the Cross and followed Jesus. Simon did not freely choose this burden but, because of it, Simon was probably physically closer to Jesus for most of the journey to Golgotha than Mother Mary, John the Beloved, or Mary Magdalene. We will not choose many of our life’s burdens, especially our illnesses or personal losses, but these can be God’s providential means to bring us closer to the Lord.

I find it interesting that Simon of Cyrene was chosen to carry Jesus’ Cross on the morning after another Simon, Simon Peter, denied Jesus three times and withdrew for a time out of shame. Perhaps this was just a coincidence, another apostle, Simon the Zealot, shared that name as well. But I wonder if Simon of Cyrene was a fill-in substitute for Peter. If Simon Peter had not denied the Lord, or had returned to him more rapidly, would he have been the one to carry Jesus’ Cross? How beautiful and inspiring would that have been! I do not mention this possibility to encourage you ruminate, to lament the unchangeable past and any good things left unrealized on account of your sins. I mention this so that in a moment of testing you might consider how taking the next good step makes many good paths possible.

God providentially allowed Simon to take part in Jesus’ glorious work for the salvation of the world on Good Friday. The Lord likewise invites you and me to play a role in salvation and entrusts a share in his saving work to us today. St. Pope John Paul the Great noted this in 2001 during his meditation on the Fifth Station of the Cross at the Coliseum in Rome:

“Jesus could bear his Cross alone, did he so will; but he permits Simon to help him, in order to remind us that we must take part in his sufferings, and have a fellowship in his work. His merit is infinite, yet he condescends to let his people add their merit to it. The sanctity of the Blessed Virgin, the blood of the martyrs, the prayers and penances of the saints, the good deeds of all the faithful, take part in that work which, nevertheless, is perfect without them. He saves us by his blood, but it is through and with ourselves that he saves us.”

If Simon did not know or believe in Jesus before, it appears that this experience of carrying his cross helped lead to Simon’s Christian conversion and the conversion of his family as well. Amongst the four Gospels, only St. Mark notes that Simon of Cyrene was “the father of Alexander and Rufus.” Scripture scholars believe that the names of Simon’s sons were mentioned here because the first audience Mark’s Gospel was written for knew who Alexander and Rufus were. Church tradition reports that St. Mark the Gospel writer was the scribe for St. Peter the Apostle, the first bishop of Rome. And St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans writes, “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.” Simon’s endurance through a trial with Christ grew his faith in Christ. Simon shared this testimony with his family. And by his faithful example, they became faithful Christians too. Your non-practicing children already know that you believe, but have they heard you say why you believe and the difference that religious faith has made in your life? Be sure to tell them.

The 6th Station – Veronica

The Sixth Station of the Cross recounts an event unrecorded in the Gospels. Despite the crowd and the soldiers, a woman approaches Jesus. His face is covered with blood, sweat, dust, and spit. Moved with compassion, she removes the veil covering her head, and offers it for Jesus to wipe his face. We know this woman as St. Veronica. The Western Church calls her Veronica, while the Eastern Church calls her Berenike. Providence may have arranged that this reflects her proper name, but it seems more likely that we know her by a title which the Church has given her. We see this with other people at the Passion. The name of St. Longinus, the soldier who pierced Jesus’ side, means “Long, Extended,” suggesting “Spearman.” And the name of the Good Thief crucified with Jesus, St. Dismas, means “Sunset” or “Death.” For her part, the name Veronica is Latin for “True Image,” while the name Berenike is Greek for “Bearer of Victory.” May the good deeds we do be so impactful on earth as hers, so that long after the world forgets our names our fruits will still be seen.

Veronica is a female counterpart to Simon of Cyrene in the Stations of the Cross. They both helped Jesus along the way according to their feminine and masculine traits. Simon served Jesus with his physical strength, while Veronica served him with her beautiful tenderness. St. Pope John Paul the Great shared this meditation on Veronica and the Sixth Station of the Cross on Good Friday in 2003:

“As a woman, she could not physically carry the Cross or even be called upon to do so, yet in fact she did carry the Cross with Jesus: she carried it in the only way possible to her at the moment and in obedience to the dictates of her heart: she wiped his Face.”

Though our traits may differ, both men and women have valuable gifts to offer. Consider sometime what are your unique gifts as a woman or a man.

When Veronica held out her veil to Jesus, he pressed it to his face. The blood, sweat, dust, and spit on Jesus’ face wiped off on her cloth, leaving a likeness of his face, a self-portrait of Jesus. Today several places claim to possess this relic, or else an early copy of the Holy Face. Veronica’s gift of her veil to the Lord resulted in a greater gift in return. Veronica got back what she had given and received still more besides, for God will not be outdone in generosity. As Jesus says:

“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

With this in mind, how generous should we be?

The holy veil is a memento of Veronica’s good deed which reveals Jesus Christ. All of our good deeds in Christ leave behind an impression of our Lord. In the words of St. Pope John Paul the Great meditation on Veronica from the year 2000’s Good Friday Stations:

“[E]very act of goodness, every gesture of true love towards one’s neighbor, strengthens the likeness of the Redeemer of the world in the one who acts that way. Acts of love do not pass away. Every act of goodness, of understanding, of service leaves on people’s hearts an indelible imprint and makes us ever more like the One who ‘emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.’ This is what shapes our identity and gives us our true name.”

The 8th Station –  The Women of Jerusalem

Finally, we come to the Eighth Station. St. Luke’s Gospel records how a large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said:

“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?’”

(This is to say, ‘The evil you see now occurs while I am with you; what terrible evils will come later when I am no longer visibly here?’) Jesus prophetically speaks of how, forty years after the beginning of his public ministry, Jerusalem would be destroyed. The Romans conquered the rebellious city in 70 A.D., destroyed its temple, and put her people to the sword. Before Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus had wept over the city, saying:

“If this day you only knew what makes for peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

People rejecting Christ naturally leads to personal and national consequences.

Jesus had been falsely condemned as a religious heretic, he had been falsely condemned as a political rebel, but these women did not fear to publicly mourn for him. Some of these women had accompanied him during his public ministry. As Jesus “journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God… some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities (accompanied him. For instance), Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for [Jesus and his apostles] out of their resources.”

An interesting observation is that throughout the Gospels Jesus has no female enemies. Surely, there were some women in Nazareth or Jerusalem who despised Jesus, but the Gospels do not introduce us to any of them. Even the wife of Pilate advocates for Jesus, calling him a “righteous man!” This reflects that both men and women are called to be close to Christ. Though Jesus reserved the Sacrament of Ordination for men alone, without the prayers and works of holy women the mission of Christ and his Church would be hobbled, if not impossible. Just try to imagine the Gospels or the Catholic Church without them.

On Good Friday, the women of Jerusalem now saw Jesus struggling. They watched him fall down more than once. They openly wept for him and wished they could do more. Though grateful for and encouraged by the women’s outpouring of loving support, Jesus expressed his concern for them instead:

“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children…”

The openness of a woman’s heart for others is beautiful, but Jesus reminds them that it is not selfish to attend to the wellbeing of yourself and your own. Even Jesus took naps. Even Jesus accepted help. Even Jesus took time away, to commune with the Father. Wives and husbands are called to prioritize the salvation their spouses and their children before the world’s affairs. And if you do not take care for yourself, you cannot care for others very well.

In the days ahead into Holy Week, I invite you to meditate on these reflections that stick with you. Contemplate the lessons of Simon of Cyrene, Veronica, and the women of Jerusalem on the way of the Golgotha.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Jesus Christ, Passion, Pope John Paul the Great, Reflection, Saintly People | 2 Comments »

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 »

Be Holy Salt, Holy Light

February 5, 2023

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

St. Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia to Albanian parents. When she was young, she felt a calling to become a nun. One day, as a religious sister, she passed through India on a train and saw many poor people in the streets and gutters. She realized a call within a call. She later returned to India because she wanted to help the people.

She started a new order, the Missionaries of Charity. They worked with the sick and the poorest of the poor on the streets of India. She prayed, “Oh God, if I cannot help these people in their poverty and their suffering, let me at least die with them, close to them so that I can show them your love.” The Missionaries of Charity are now worldwide with many brothers and sisters, homes for children, the sick, destitute, and dying. She was the salt of the earth and the light of the world to many of the poor people in India and around the whole world.

In our first reading, the Lord God through His prophet Isaiah gives us examples of how we are to allow the light of God to shine through us. “Share your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless: clothing the naked when you see them, not turning your back on your own. Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.” (Isaiah 58:7,10) In the Old Testament, God had been telling His chosen people that he would send a light into the world to save His people and the gentiles.

St. Paul, in the second reading, tells us that our proclamation of faith will carry the Spirit and His power when we rely on the power and wisdom of God. God made St. Paul a light in this world for the gentiles. When St. Paul was teaching the Corinthians about the self–sacrifice of the crucified Jesus, and the suffering our savior endured, his message transformed the lives of the pagans. St. Paul’s experience teaches us that when we start doing good to others, even if it causes us suffering and death, we will become the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus outlines the role of Christians in this world–to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. As a symbol of purity, salt was a common ingredient in sacrifices offered to God by Jews and pagans. In the ancient world, salt was a preservative, used to prevent the spoilage of foods. Salt also flavors food when used as a seasoning and preservative. Light is something that is meant to be seen. A light or a lamp is a guide to clear the way. A traffic light also serves as a warning. Light from the sun gives us warmth and heat.

We need to be the salt of the earth. What does this mean? Salt is the symbol of purity, Christians must be an example of purity in speech, conduct, and in thought. Salt is a cleansing and healing agent, the Christian must have a cleansing influence on life and society, defeating corruption, fighting against injustice, and making it easier for others to avoid sin. We need to preserve the religious faith, Christian values, and world principles that Jesus has given us.

We need to be the light of the world. What does this mean? Christians are to receive the light of Christ and radiate it to everyone as love, Mercy, forgiveness, and respect for all. Our duty is to show and illuminate the love of Christ.

Posted in Homily, Salt and Light, St. Mother Teresa, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Three Imperfections in the Life of Saint Paul

February 4, 2023

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

 The oldest known depiction of St. Paul the Apostle, a fresco from the Catacomb of Saint Thekla in Rome dated to the 300’s A.D.

St. Paul is one of history’s greatest saints. Today I would like to talk about his vision, his preaching, and his early church communities. But what I would like show you (for your benefit) is that his vision, his preaching, and his early Church communities were not as perfect as you probably imagine.

First of all, St. Paul had vision problems. I do not mean anything was wrong with his inspired Christian insights, but that his physical ability to see was limited. When he beheld the glorified and risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, an intense light shone from the sky around him. Paul got up from the ground and opened his eyes but he could not see anything. After three days, our Lord sent a Christian named Ananias to prayerfully lay his hands upon him. “Immediately, things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight.” Yet issues with Paul’s vision seem to have lingered or later reemerged. While writing to the Christians of Galatia more than a decade after his conversion, St. Paul recalls, “You know that it was because of a physical illness that I originally preached the gospel to you.” He does not directly identify his malady, but he observes, “Indeed, I can testify to you that, if it had been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.” And in closing this letter to the Galatians, Paul writes, “See with what large letters I am writing to you in my own hand!” These clues suggest that swapping-out his eyes for another pair would have improved Paul’s poor and ailing eyesight.

Another historical detail few notice about St. Paul is that his letters were apparently more impressive than his public speaking abilities. In his second letter to Corinth, St. Paul addresses criticisms about himself, noting “someone will say, ‘his letters are severe and forceful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is contemptible.’” Paul acknowledges in today’s second reading that he met the Corinthians and proclaimed the Gospel to them without “sublimity of words or of wisdom.” “I came to you,” he writes, “in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom…” By God’s grace, his preaching did bear fruit, but Paul’s writings came across as being more eloquent and powerful.

A third overlooked aspect of St. Paul’s life is that the Christian communities he led were far from perfect. People often think of the early Church as a golden age. We lament the Catholic Church’s present problems and idealize her past. Yet throughout his New Testament letters, St. Paul is constantly correcting the early Christians’ beliefs and behaviors. Consider the Church at Corinth. Paul admonishes those Corinthians for their pride, for their internal divisions, for their liturgical abuses, and for their toleration of “immorality of a kind not found even among pagans.” Early Christian communities had real issues, and St. Paul did not find it easy to pastor them.

So to recap, St. Paul’s health was not perfect, his human talents were not perfect, and his parishes were not perfect. And yet, neither his poor health, nor his uneven talents, nor the problems within the Church prevented St. Paul from faithfully bearing everlasting fruits. I wanted to highlight the weaknesses and imperfections of St. Paul and the early Christians to help us appreciate that our circumstances are not so different today. When Jesus Christ declares, “You are the salt of the earth,” and “You are the light of the world,” he really is talking about us too. Our Lord would do great and important things through you, and the good you are doing now does more good than you know. So carry your burdens, endure your trials, and keep the Faith like St. Paul did. As Jesus once said to console St. Paul in his struggles, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

Posted in Catholic Church, Chrisitian Virtues, Christian Perfection, Early Church, Homily, St. Paul, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

How Could They Follow Him?

January 21, 2023

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

When I read the four Gospels for the first time, I naturally began with Matthew’s Gospel, and I remember being offended by today’s gospel reading. Matthew tells us Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, with their fishing nets. He said, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And they followed him. Then the Lord saw two other brothers, James and John, mending their nets. He called them too, and they immediately left their boat and their father to follow him. This episode really bothered me. Imagine being at your home or at your workplace, and a stranger knocks on your front door or walks up to your desk and says, “Follow me.” So you quit your job and leave your family to follow this person. Who would do that? It’s crazy. How can the Lord expect anyone to do that? But John’s Gospel reveals that today’s gospel was not the first time Jesus had met these future apostles.

Simon Peter’s brother Andrew and (traditionally) John the son of Zebedee were the two disciples who heard John the Baptist point out Jesus and say, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” This declaration led them to meet Jesus and spend the day with him. After this, Andrew first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (that is, the Christ). Then Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). If John the son of Zebedee was that other unnamed disciple, then he likely told his older brother James all about meeting Jesus too. So in today’s gospel, when Jesus called the four men to follow him as “fishers of men” he was not some total stranger.

The various Gospels sometimes include or omit different details when recounting the same events. Luke’s Gospel adds further context to this scene. He records there was a crowd pressing in on Jesus that day by the Sea of Galilee. So Jesus got into Simon and Andrew’s boat, sat down, and taught the people from there a short distance from the shore. When Jesus finished speaking, he told Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Skeptical Simon reluctantly agreed, and they proceeded to catch such a great number of fish that their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come help and both boats became so filled that they were in danger of sinking. Astonishment at that catch of fish seized Simon and Andrew, and likewise James and John, who were Simon’s business partners. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

Therefore, reading the Gospels together, we learn that Jesus was not a random stranger who just showed up one day demanding their full devotion. They were already familiar with Jesus, had heard his teaching, and witnessed his power. This enabled Simon, Andrew, James, and John to reasonably and radically follow Jesus Christ like they did.

Among all famous figures, Jesus Christ may have the highest name recognition in the world. Everyone has heard of Jesus, but how well do people know him? Surely, Jesus would like to call many to more; to a deeper relationship with himself and a closer connection to his one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. How can you help? Your non-Catholic or non-practicing family, friends, and acquaintances know you, they like you, and regard you. They rarely (if ever) see or hear me, but they frequently encounter you. Simon Peter took Jesus seriously because his brother Andrew. Andrew already knew Jesus, told stories and spoke highly of him, and encouraged Simon to meet him. You can be like Andrew for people in your life. As I preached at the other Masses last Sunday, three ways you can draw people closer to Christ and his Church are by sharing your prayers, sharing your stories, and sharing your invitations.

Share your Prayers
When you share your prayers with others it reflects that you know Jesus. Whenever someone asks for your prayers, or even when someone entrusts their burdens to you, offer to pray with them then and there. It’s easy—just talk to Jesus out loud. The words of your prayer don’t need to be eloquent, just sincere. People are typically receptive to this and very grateful for it, and your shared prayer can open the door for a miracle in their lives.

Share your Stories
When you share your faith stories with others it reveals the power of Jesus in our world. How have you encountered Jesus? What has the Lord done for you? What are your personal miracles and spirit stories? Don’t hide these highlight experiences of your spiritual life under bushel baskets, but be humble enough to share them for others’ good. When the disciples realized what Jesus Christ could do, through the miracle of the great catch of fish, they left everything to follow him.

Share your Invitations
When you share your holy invitations with others this offers them an opportunity to encounter Jesus and his Church. Invite them to join you here in the house of the Lord, for Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, or parish events. Invite them to share in our Christ-centered worship and close community. Even if they decline, you will have planted a seed that may bear fruit someday.

Simon, Andrew, James, and John encountered friends of Jesus, discovered his power to do good, and had the opportunity to personally encounter him. Your faithful prayers, your powerful stories, and your holy invitations, can offer your non-practicing or non-Catholic dear ones the opportunity to follow Jesus Christ more closely. Here is your homework for this week: share a prayer, or a story, or an invitation with someone it could help. Cast your net so that Jesus Christ may be better known, and let’s see what Jesus does with it.

Posted in Homily, Prayer, St. Andrew, St. John the Evangelist, St. Peter, Sunday Homilies, Witness | Leave a Comment »

Share the Gospel

January 15, 2023

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Victor Feltes

The message of the Gospel is simple:

1. We are created by an all-good and loving God.
2. But sin separates us from him.
3. So God has sent his Son to be our Savior.
4. Therefore, believe & repent, that he may save you.

St. John the Baptist proclaimed this Good News to sinners. John preached that God’s judgement is at hand (indeed, each of us only lives once, and after this life comes the judgment). And as John warned, “Every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. … [So] flee from the wrath to come.” After our harvest time, the “chaff” will “burn with unquenchable fire,” he said, but the Savior will safely “gather his wheat into his barn.” The reason why John came baptizing with water was so that this Savior might be made known. Christ is the one of whom John said, “A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.” After baptizing Jesus, John proclaimed him the sacrificial “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” saying, “Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” Repent and believe in Jesus Christ, so that his sacrifice may save you.

Who will be saved? How many professed atheists, or Hindus, or Muslims, or Jews, or Protestants, or Orthodox, or Catholics will go to Heaven? Thankfully, perfect, final, Divine Judgement is not my job. My mission and your mission is the Great Commission. After his Resurrection, Jesus said, “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 I have commanded you.”

Baptism and the other sacraments are the ordinary (that is, normal) means through which Christ offers the grace necessary for salvation. Jesus established his Catholic Church as both the ordinary minister of these seven sacraments and as the one, reliable guardian of Christ’s teachings on faith and morals in a hostile, sinful world through the centuries. Our Lord Jesus Christ and his one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church are the ordinary means of salvation for the world. Your non-practicing or non-Catholic relatives, friends, and neighbors are called to more with Christ. Like St. John the Baptist, your witness can help others receive this gift.

Your non-Catholic or non-practicing family, friends, and close acquaintances know you, like you, and respect you. They rarely (if ever) see or hear me, but they frequently encounter you. So here are three ways you can draw them closer to Christ and his Church: by sharing your prayers, by sharing your stories, and by sharing your invitations.

Share your Prayers
It is important to pray for the conversion of others, but you can easily pray with them, too. Whenever someone asks you for your prayers, or even when someone entrusts their burdens to you, offer to pray with them then and there. The words of your prayer don’t need to be eloquent, just sincere. People are usually quite receptive to this and very grateful for it.

Share your Stories
Today’s Gospel reading is simply St. John the Baptist sharing the story of what he had experienced with the Lord. And through this testimony, more came to know and follow Jesus. What has the Lord done for you, how have you encountered him, what are your miracles and spirit stories? Don’t hide these highlight experiences of your life under bushel baskets; be humble enough to share them with others for their good.

Share your Invitations
Invite them to accompany you to Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, or our community events. Invite them to share in the life of the Gospel. Even if they decline, you will have planted a seed that may bear fruit someday. You and they were made for the fullness of God in Jesus Christ, and our hearts are restless until they rest in him.

In conclusion, here is your homework for this week: share a prayer, or a story, or an invitation with someone it could help – you may well save a soul.

Posted in Catholic Church, Faith, Homily, Jesus Christ, Last Judgment, Salvation, St. John the Baptist, Sunday Homilies, Witness | Leave a Comment »

Let Us Become Stars

January 8, 2023

Feast of the Epiphany
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

Today is the Feast of Epiphany. Christ our light has come into the world and dispels the darkness. The Epiphany occurred when the magi came to honor the Christ Child. The gifts they brought were rare and expensive. They brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold was a symbol of Kingship on the earth, frankincense or incense was a symbol of priesthood, and myrrh the embalming oil was a symbol of death. These gifts point to the future of Jesus.

Today’s first reading talks about non–Jews bringing gifts to honor the God of Israel. The prophet was consoling the people in exile. He wanted them to know that they would be redeemed and restored, and be able to live a new life in their own land. The Messiah would soon rise among his people and his glory would be seen by all. They were God’s chosen people and it was prophesied that the Jewish nation would be the light of the world. The prophecy of Isaiah tells the people that Jesus Christ is God’s anointed one. He is the Messiah and the Savior of the world. In His Church, the New Jerusalem is made up of Jews and Gentiles.

In today’s second reading, St. Paul reveals that God’s plan includes the Jews and the Gentiles. To God, we are all equally important, Jews and Gentiles. There are no second-class members in the Church among Christian believers. St. Paul declares that he has been commissioned by Christ to make this known to the world.

Today Gospel tells us the Magi followed the star that led them to the Child Jesus. The star must have been very bright to allow them to follow it. To them, the light of the star was a symbol of hope, joy, and of peace. Christ enriches those who bring him their hearts.

The Magi came with humble joy in their hearts to visit the Christ Child. Traditionally we are told they were Melchior, Balthazar, and Caspar. God has revealed himself in many different ways. The Bible is full of many examples. The magi were in search of the divine, and their joy was immense when they found Jesus. They followed the star and they encountered God. That tells us that we too have to search for God in our lives. We too should be a light in the world.

Let us be an example to others by actively worshiping Jesus at Mass, by giving a new direction to our lives, let us choose a better way of life. Let us become stars, leading others to Jesus. Let us remove the darkness of any evil around us by radiating the light of Jesus’ love.

Like the Magi, let us offer Jesus our gifts on this feast of the Epiphany and every day.  We can offer the gift of our lives during the Holy Mass and every morning as soon as we get up. The gift of a relationship with God, by talking to him in prayer and listing to him through reading the Holy Bible daily. The gift of friendship with God by recognizing Jesus’ presence in everyone we encounter and getting reconciled to God every night, asking for his pardon and forgiveness for our sins and failures during the day.

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

God’s Amazing Encouragements for Joseph and Mary

January 8, 2023

Feast of the Epiphany
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Unlike how some imagine the event, the magi were not in Bethlehem on Christmas night or even the following day. (You will notice that our magi statues did not reach our Nativity scene until this Feast of the Epiphany.) On Christmas night, the Holy Family was visited by local shepherds. The shepherds had seen a vision of angels proclaiming the birth of Christ. St. Luke records that Joseph and Mary “were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”

At least forty days later, Joseph and Mary presented Baby Jesus in the Temple to offer a sacrifice for him. When they carried Jesus in, an aged prophet and prophetess named Simeon and Anna came forward to proclaim great things about the child. And again, St. Luke writes that Jesus’ “father and mother were amazed at what was said about him.” Under Old Testament Law, a firstborn son required the sacrifice of a lamb, but if his parents could not afford this, two turtledoves or pigeons could be offered instead. Joseph and Mary sacrificed a pair of birds because they did not have enough money to purchase a lamb. The magi had not yet arrived with their gift of gold.

Sometime after the Presentation in the Temple, magi from the east came to Bethlehem. (Based upon whom wicked King Herod hunted afterwards, the magi may have arrived even two years after Christ’s birth.) The Holy Family, having moved out of the Christmas stable, was now living in a house. And “on entering the house [the magi] 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.” The magi explained how a certain rising star had informed them of this new king’s birth; how the star had preceded them and stopped over this place where the child was. Though St. Mathew’s Gospel does not explicitly say so, Joseph and Mary were surely amazed by this encounter as well.

The shepherds on Christmas, Simeon and Anna at the Temple, and the magi preceding the Holy Family’s escape into Egypt were amazing consolations for Joseph and Mary at challenging times in their lives. Imagine the stress of delivering a baby in a stable after being unable to find any place better. Imagine feeling embarrassment at being too poor to afford the best sacrifice for the Son of God at the Temple. Imagine the anxiety of having to flee to another land to save your family’s lives. One could imagine a person asking in such circumstances “Why is this happening? Have we done something wrong? Is God really with us in all this?” But in the midst of their difficult trials, God gave Joseph and Mary encouraging signs to reassure them that he was indeed with them and that their faithful struggles really mattered.

Our missions may not be as lofty as Joseph and Mary’s, but we can be helped by divine consolations too. In our trials, we can either choose to fall to the temptation of clinging to bitterness and settling for cynicism, or instead be receptive to signs and open to wonders. We can recall in our hearts (like Mary) the great things God has done. We can also pray to God for new gifts of consolation. We can ask to receive his strengthening reassurances, that he is with us and that our personal sacrifices truly matter. As St. Paul says, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear. But when you are tested he will also provide a way [through] so that you can endure it.” God gives us his own Son at Christmas, on the Cross, and in the Holy Eucharist — how will he refuse to give us whatever else we truly need? As he did for Joseph and Mary before us, God will answer our prayers in times of burden with amazing and helpful encouragements.

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Nativity, Presentation, Redemptive Suffering, Saintly People, St. Joseph, Sunday Homilies, The Magi | 1 Comment »

Holy Shepherds and a Holy Mother

January 1, 2023

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
By Fr. Victor Feltes

The shepherds, after encountering the herald angels, went in haste to Bethlehem. They knew they were searching for an animal stable, for the angel had told them their “Messiah and Lord” would be “lying in a manger.” They came to the cave of the Nativity and found St. Joseph, Mother Mary, and her holy child. She had wrapped Jesus’ tiny body in strips of cloth called swaddling clothes and laid him in a feed trough to serve as his first crib. On the first Christmas night, lots of people were in and around the little town of Bethlehem. The Roman census had brought so many visitors that there was no room for the Holy Family at the inn. So of all the people in the area why did the angels announce the big news of the Savior’s birth to the shepherds in particular?

Jesus was “born of a woman, born under the law,” about five miles from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. In the law of the Old Covenant, God commanded his people to sacrifice lambs. Every day and especially for the Feast of Passover, lambs were offered on Jerusalem’s holy altar. God’s instructions were clear: the “lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.” By custom, these lambs came from the fields outside of Bethlehem. And so, the young, male, flawless lambs to be sacrificed in Jerusalem were first presented by these shepherds. Mary had a little lamb; the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, and these shepherds made him known. The circumstances of Jesus’ birth foreshadowed what was to come.

Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, would go on to be slain, sacrificed at Passover. His mother Mary, who had wrapped him in swaddling clothes, would go on to see him wrapped in a linen shroud. One Joseph had arranged the place for his birth, another Joseph would provide the place for his burial. Mary, who had given birth to Jesus in a cave, would deliver his body to a rock-hewn tomb. And Baby Jesus, who was laid in a grain box in a city whose name means “House of Bread,” would offer his own Body as the Bread of Life for the salvation of the world.

Today we celebrate Mary as the mother of God. How is she the mother of God? Is she the mother of God the Father? No. Is she the mother of the Holy Spirit? No. Is she the mother of Jesus? She is. Is Jesus God? Yes, he is. Therefore, Mary is rightfully called the mother of God. Celebrating her as the mother of God at the start of each year helps to preserve and protect the truth about who her Son is. Jesus is fully human, born of a human mother, while at the same time he is also fully divine, begotten by God the Father. On Christmas, Mary gives birth to a single person who is both God and man. Without Mary, we would not know Jesus in the way that we do now.

There is further reason to celebrate Mary: God created her to be Jesus’ mother and to be our mother, too. As the recently departed Pope Benedict XVI said, “Mary has truly become the mother of all believers.” He observed that “if Mary no longer finds a place in many theologies and ecclesiologies, the reason is obvious: they have reduced the faith to an abstraction. And an abstraction does not need a mother.” Our faith is more than a mere concept—it is about relationship as part of a family. “Being Christian,” Pope Benedict wrote, “is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” He wrote: “Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ.”

In the future, Pope Benedict is very likely to be canonized a saint and declared a Doctor (that is, a great teacher) of the Church. He is arguably the greatest theologian of the 20th century. So what would you guess were the last dying words of this brilliant man (according to his private secretary)? They were simply, “Jesus, I love you.” We are blessed and rejoice to have a mother in Mary. And through her we have a Brother, Friend, Lord, and Savior in her Son, Jesus. With this new year, let us rejoice in Jesus Christ, our Mother Mary, and our Catholic Faith, for they produce great saints and salvation from Christmas in Bethlehem to across our world today.

Posted in Catholic Church, Holy Trinity, Homily, Jesus Christ, Motherhood, Nativity, Saintly People, Sunday Homilies, Typology | Leave a Comment »

The Communion of Saints — Funeral Homily for Sylvester Berres, 91

December 31, 2022

By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

On behalf of the parish of St. Paul’s, I would like to extend our sympathy to the friends of Sylvester. He will be remembered in our thoughts, prayers, and Masses. Whenever we gather together, as a community of faith to celebrate the Eucharist, we always remember our faithfully departed.

Sylvester’s friends will remember him as a prayerful, quiet, and gentleman. He was faithful to the daily Masses when he was able. He came frequently because he wanted to receive the Lord in the Eucharist and knew that he was not alone and that Jesus was with him. Sylvester invited me through Mr. Mark Bischel to his nursing home to hear his confession two weeks ago. He probably knew that it would be his last confession. I feel that he made a very good confession and now he is in Heaven with God.

In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom, we are told that “the souls of the just are in the hands of God. They are in peace because God tried them and found them worthy of himself.” The Lord is Sylvester’s shepherd and no more will he walk in the valley of darkness, because he walks with the Lord.

In today’s second reading, “No one lives for himself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord.” Sylvester lived his life for the Lord, died in the Lord, and now lives with the Lord.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus spoke about a grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, and produces much fruit, it has served its purpose. When a believer is faithful to God, God remains close to them. Sylvester was a good example, he was alone and must have been lonely sometimes but because he was close to God, he was comforted by God.  Because he was alone, Sylvester is a good example for us to follow when we are feeling alone or depressed.

When we die, life is changed not ended. We remember people when they die and pray for them. We can also ask them to pray for us. This keeps us close to them and we will think of them frequently. The people of the Church are in three areas: the Saints in Heaven, the souls in Purgatory, and those of us still living here on earth. We believe that all are united around Jesus’ Cross and Resurrection.

In the Apostles’ Creed, we profess our faith: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.” The living and the dead are united by praying for each other. This is the communion of saints that we profess we believe in during the Apostles’ Creed. I believe in the communion of saints. Believing in the communion of saints, believing that life is changed not ended, we pray for Sylvester.

Posted in Funeral Homilies, Homily, Saintly People | Leave a Comment »

The Openness, Obedience, & One Word of St. Joseph

December 18, 2022

4th Sunday of Advent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Our Gospel this final Sunday of Advent centers on St. Joseph. It recounts how St. Joseph received the stunning revelation of Mary’s pregnancy. We can learn from the great saint’s response — from his openness, his obedience, and his one word.

Mary was already Joseph’s wife when she conceived her child. In their Jewish culture, a newlywed couple would live apart for the first year of marriage. Thereafter, the husband would bring his betrothed into his home to live with him. When Mary conceived a child (whom Joseph knew was not his) why did he decide to divorce her? Was Joseph heartbroken because he believed she had betrayed him? Or was Joseph frightened, because he believed her story of the Annunciation and thought himself unworthy of this holy woman and her holy child? Whatever the case, Joseph was a righteous man and unwilling to expose Mary to shame, so he intended to divorce her quietly.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home because it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Once Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary into his home.

I used to fret very much about precisely discerning God’s will. “What if the Lord wants me to do a specific thing but I can’t figure it out?” During my college and seminary years, I thought I had a vocation to the priesthood but how could I be sure? I worried, “What if I get this discernment terribly, terribly wrong?” Then a holy friend gave me peace of mind by pointing to St. Joseph. When Joseph was about to make a terrible mistake by separating himself from Mary and Jesus, it only took one night’s dream to get him back on the right track because Joseph desired to do whatever God willed. God can easily redirect a willing heart.

People sometimes complain, “I wish God would just tell me what to do!” But unless we are open to doing God’s will, what good would his directions do us? Imitate St. Joseph in his openness. Like with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph’s openness allowed God to do great things through him. So resolve your will and pray for the grace to always be open to God’s will like St. Joseph. Another St. Joseph trait of we can imitate and profit from is his simple obedience.

St. Matthew’s Gospel records, “When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home… and he named [the boy] Jesus.” On this occasion, like later when told to flee to Egypt or told to return to Israel, Joseph does point-by-point what God commands. Like Moses in the Old Testament, whenever God instructs Joseph to do (A) and (B) and (C), the author notes how Joseph then does (A) and (B) and (C).

Moses and Joseph’s duties were different from ours today. We will not construct an Ark of the Covenant, nor protect and provide for the Holy Family, but each of us has persons and tasks entrusted to us by God; people to care for and works to be done. You already know a great deal of what God has commanded you to do; your own (A) and (B) and (C) according to your state in life. You will not fulfill your missions perfectly—and that’s OK—but imitate St. Joseph in his simple obedience because your basic, God-given duties are more important than you realize.

A third and final feature of St. Joseph reflected in today’s Gospel is his single word. Did you ever hear that in all of Scripture there are no recorded quotes from St. Joseph? It’s true: Jesus has many, Mary has several, but Joseph has none. Now there is no evidence that St. Joseph lacked the ability to speak or ever took a vow of silence.  Joseph probably said many things that were simply not written down. Yet today’s Gospel contains the strongest evidence of his having said any one particular word. What was that word?

The angel in Joseph’s dream said of the unborn child: “You are to name him Jesus.” And when Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. Joseph named him Jesus. The name of Jesus was St. Joseph’s greatest and most important word. Ever after, the name of Jesus defined his life.

Learn from St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus. Imitate his openness to doing God’s will whatever it may be. Benefit from practicing his obedience in your daily duties. “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,” like St. Joseph did.

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Chrisitian Virtues, Christian Perfection, Discipline, Faith, Homily, Love, Moses, Nativity, St. Joseph, Sunday Homilies, Trust, Work | 1 Comment »

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