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Lessons for the Raising of Lazarus

March 25, 2023

5th Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

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

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

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

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

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

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

Encounter Him & Return

March 4, 2023

2nd Sunday of Lent
Fr. Victor Feltes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Mountaintops & Valleys

March 4, 2023

2nd Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

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

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

The Mass prefaces celebrating Jesus’ Transfiguration say:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Behold the Tree of Life

February 26, 2023

1st Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Loving Communion of Persons — The Larry Feltes & Shirley Conibear Wedding

February 19, 2023

By Fr. Victor Feltes

For the story of humanity, God began with a single couple, Adam and Eve; a single family, the family of Abraham; a single people, the twelve tribes of Jacob; a single nation, the nation of Israel; and ultimately a single Church, a Church for all peoples and lands, the Church of Jesus Christ. Notice the trend of God creating a wider and wider circle of relationship.

This growth is all detailed in the Bible. God began with two in the Garden of Eden, later a family of seventy journeyed into Egypt, generations later hundreds of thousands came out of Egypt in the Exodus, until there was up to millions at the birth of the Church. These events are all recounted through personal stories, about people such as Joseph, Moses, Jesus and Mary and his friends, the Apostles. This was necessary for God’s purpose. Perhaps an angel could be engaged by a long list of statistics and historical dates, But human persons require personal stories of personal experience to come to know God.

God desires us to know him better. In the time of Moses, God commanded his people to worship no other gods. In the time of the prophets, God clarified for his people that there are no other gods. But in the coming of Jesus, God revealed for all people that God is a communion of Persons. Our God is not a solitary oneness but a unity of three, an eternally loving and blessed Trinity.

So why did God create us? Did he need us to do something for him? Was he incomplete without us? No, we are not the result of necessity. God is complete in himself, but his fullness overflows. Love likes to share. Our creation, our existence, is a gratuitous gift. And God desires and delights that we would be in personal relationship with him and in close personal relationship with one another through him.

Larry and Shirley, you are about to enter a holy covenant together. In a moment, you will exchange vows to be married, and we are all here to support you. But hypothetically, could you both survive without marrying each other? Sure. Could you survive without music, or sweet foods, or sunsets? Of course! You marry today not by compulsion, nor from necessity, but freely and overflowing delight. You both desire to be a blessing to each other; to be the blessing that a wife can be to her husband and the blessing that a husband can be to his wife in this holy communion of persons. He desires for you to have holy joys in life, to support each other through the inevitable trials ahead, and to sanctify each other, to grow each other as saints for Heaven with God.

Larry and Shirley, you both know that wedding days are full of many memories, but from this homily I hope you will remember this: at quiet times in days ahead reflect and see how Jesus has walked with you, leading you to this moment. And as you go forward together in marriage, grow in love with him. You, like all of us here, are created in love, made for love, and called to more perfect love, together with our Lord.

Posted in Holy Trinity, Homily, Marriage and Family, Salvation History, Wedding Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Death & Resurrection — Funeral Homily for Judith “Judi” Schindler, 71

February 5, 2023

By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

The parish of St. Paul’s and I wish to extend our sincere sympathy to the family of Judith. It is always difficult to lose someone that we dearly love.

Believing in Jesus’ resurrection is the core of Christian belief. It is the basis of our Christian faith. There would not be Gospels without the resurrection. There would be no Christianity, Church, the Priesthood, or sacraments without the resurrection. There would be no hope without the resurrection.

We would not have the resurrection without the death of Jesus Christ. We don’t have flowers, fruits, or trees unless the seed is sown. The seed has to die in order to start a new plant. Therefore, St. Paul preached not only the resurrection but also the crucifixion of Christ.

St. Paul reminds us that death is not the end, it is only the beginning. Life is not over, it is only changed. In the Gospel of St. John, Jesus told us that He is preparing a place for us in heaven. Death is a doorway to a new life with God. Jesus accepted death and has given us the rewards of eternal life.

Our first reading today talks about the souls of the virtuous. That reading calms any fears about death for those who trust in God. What better place could we go after death than into the hands of God? What a beautiful way to describe God’s care for us. Do you remember when you were little and your parents held you in their arms? When we die, God will take us in His arms. We believe that God has taken Judith into His arms.

In today’s Gospel, we talked about the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Jesus came to earth to free us from our sins and grant us everlasting life with him in paradise. It is difficult to know how Jesus must have suffered during his passion and crucifixion. Even today, God brings good from the sufferings that people endure.

Judith and her husband, Norman were married on June 27th, 1970 at St. Jude’s Catholic Church in New Auburn. They were inseparable. she was an independent woman. She was a Eucharistic minister and a CCD teacher and a lot of other things. She worked as the food director for the Chetek schools for 34 years. She and Norman raised two sons, Cory and Jeff. They enjoyed spending time with their family. She was close to her sister Suzanne. She will be missed by many.

We thank God for Judith. We are grateful that she was catholic. Let us place her in the hands of our Blessed Mother. She understands our pain and suffering. May our God grant Judith eternal rest in His heavenly kingdom. May Her Soul Rest in Peace, Amen.

Posted in Funeral Homilies, Homily, Last Things, Resurrection | 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 »

Zephaniah & the Beatitudes Call to Conversion

January 29, 2023

4th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus’ Beatitudes are words of consolation and hope but they are also a call to conversion. Our first reading today comes from the Old Testament prophet Zephaniah who proclaimed God’s words in the land of Judah. Zephaniah denounced his people’s unfaithfulness, warning them:

“Near is the great day of the Lord,
near and very swiftly coming…
A day of wrath is that day,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and desolation…
A day of trumpet blasts and battle cries
against fortified cities,
against lofty battlements…
Because they have sinned against the Lord.”

Less than one lifetime after Zephaniah preached, Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians and Judah’s earthly kingdom fell.

Zephaniah denounced those rich in material things, who hungered for feasts and comforts, who thirsted for wines and pleasures, who fashionably clothed themselves in unrighteousness. These proud rich would not be satisfied. Zephaniah said, “They will build houses, but not dwell in them. They will plant vineyards, but not drink their wine…. Their wealth shall be given to plunder and their houses to devastation…. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them.”

However, Zephaniah’s strongest condemnations denounced the idolatry among his people. Some worshipped idols in pagan temples, while some bowed down on roofs to worship stars, and some bowed down to the one true Lord God but would swear oaths by other gods. Zephaniah notes some said in their hearts, “The Lord will not do good, nor will he do harm.” They lacked faith, and hope, and love for him in their divided hearts. But with unclean hearts, they would not see God.

Today we hear Zephaniah say, “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth… seek justice, seek humility; perhaps you may be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.” Then Zephaniah announces that the Lord “will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord: the remnant of Israel. …They shall pasture and couch their flocks with none to disturb them.”

In fulfillment of God’s word, in response to a Jewish revolt, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 587 B.C. They tore down the city’s walls, systematically burned its palaces and houses, and destroyed the Jewish temple. Those Jews who had made war were either killed or deported far away to Babylon, along with everyone else their conquerors saw as a threat. Yet “they left in the land of Judah some of the poor who had nothing and at the same time gave them vineyards and farms.” Blessed were the meek, for they inherited the land.

Yet even before Judah was conquered and thousands of Jews were carried off to Babylonian exile, God promised them a future return to Jerusalem. The Lord foretells through the Prophet Zephaniah: “At that time I will bring you home, and at that time I will gather you.” Blessed would be those people who remembered to mourn the loss of God’s temple and holy city, for they would be consoled. Less than one lifetime after their departure, once that Babylonian empire had been conquered by a Persian empire, the Jews were allowed to return home.

The words of Jesus and Zephaniah and the stories of their people should give us pause today, for “near is the great day of the Lord” always. How are we using our great riches? Which desires do we feed? Do we mourn the evils that we see in the world? Unless we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will never be satisfied. We might not worship golden idols or swear by pagan gods, but idolatry still exists today. If our priorities (as reflected by our finances, Sunday sports or vacations, worldly desires or addictions, or any other things) usurp our Lord from his rightful throne in our hearts, then our hearts are not yet so pure as he wills them to be.

“Seek the Lord… seek justice, seek humility… do no wrong and speak no lies.” Practice mercy and pursue peace. Christ offers you his strengthening grace. Blessed are they who heed what Jesus tells us gains his Kingdom.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Culture, Homily, Last Judgment, Money, O.T. Figures, Repentance, Salvation History, Sermon on the Mount, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Live the Beatitudes

January 29, 2023

4th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

Today I would like to share an incident about a brother priest of mine. He was transferred to a new parish. Some weeks after he arrived, he needed to take the bus to a nearby town. When he sat down, he realized that the driver had given him an extra two rupees (about 25¢). He thought to himself, “I better give it back, it would be wrong to keep it.” Then he thought, “Oh, it is only two rupees, such a small amount, it is a gift from God.” When his stop came, he hesitated at the door and handed the money back to the driver. The driver smiled and asked, “Are you the new priest in the village?” And the priest said, “Yes.” “Well, I have been thinking about going somewhere to pray. I wanted to see what you would do if I gave you extra change. You will see me at church on Sunday.” When the priest got off the bus, he closed his eyes and said, “Oh God, I almost sold you for a quarter.”

In that thirty minutes on the bus, that priest lived all seven of the Beatitudes. He was poor in spirit, not greedy. Blessed are they who mourn, he gained a new parishioner. He was meek and knew that the money was not his. He was righteous and he was satisfied. By giving the money back, he will receive mercy from God. His heart was clean, and he will see God. He was a peacemaker because he did not keep, what was not his.

Today’s readings explain our Christian goal of eternal happiness. They give us an outline for living like Christ. Jesus expected his disciples to live like Him. The Beatitudes present a positive way to live. The virtues we will receive from following the Beatitudes will lead to salvation for our souls.

Jesus teaches his disciples the blessedness of poverty, hunger, sorrow, and persecution. In poverty, we recognize God’s reign; in hunger, His providence; in sorrow, true happiness; and in persecution, true joy. In other words, the blessed ones are those who are poor in spirit, compassionate, meek, merciful, and clean of heart. They are the peacemakers and those who are willing to be insulted and persecuted for their faith.

The Beatitudes are almost like a guideline for the Ten Commandments. The Beatitudes simply guide us to a righteous and loving way of life. By living the Beatitudes, we will find happiness with God because only God can satisfy the heart. We will become better individuals and better members of our church. To be a true Christian, we give first place to God.

We need to respond to the challenges of the Beatitudes in our daily life. Millions of people are starving, persecuted, and homeless, and lead hopeless lives. The Beatitudes challenge us to be compassionate people, even when this exposes us to ridicule and persecution. We can learn from Saint Mother Teresa who showed us how to accept the challenges of living the Beatitudes in the modern world. Let us remember that each time we reach out to help the needy and the sick, we share the promises of the Beatitudes.

We need to choose wisely. The way of life is the way of Jesus that leads to eternal life. The challenge of the Beatitudes is this: Are you going to be happy in the world’s way, or in Christ’s way? If we choose the world’s way, we are seeking our blessings in the wrong place. The way of Jesus requires toil and suffering in working for the poor, the sick, and the hungry. The blessing of the Beatitudes is the possession of the Kingdom of God.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Sermon on the Mount, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

“Jesus Loves Me” — Funeral Homily for Mabel Klingbeil, 93

January 23, 2023

By Fr. Victor Feltes

Great love is powerfully expressed through great trials. When Mabel was only eleven years old, she experienced a shocking personal loss. Her ten-year-old sister Betty passed away from an appendicitis. And for the rest of Mabel’s life it seems she wanted to help make sure others were safe and well. Mabel would live to be the last-surviving member of the family of her birth. She served as a caregiver to her parents and her adult siblings as they passed on before her.

She was married in this church to her husband George in 1958. They gave life to four sons together, including two, John and Tim, who passed away in infancy. After fourteen years of marriage, Mabel became a widow at age forty-three. She raised her two boys, Michael and George, on her own; doing her best to fill the role of two parents, for instance, taking them out to go fishing. Then, after her retirement, Mabel began raising children anew at age seventy-two. She cared for her grandkids, Katie and Sarah, concerned for both their bodies and souls, for instance often saying, “Remember to pray and brush your teeth!” How did Mabel say she liked raising children? “I had a ball.”

Kindly but firm, Mabel was not swayed by the increasingly straying views of popular culture. She has been a well-known St. Paul’s parishioner for many years volunteering at our school and singing in our church choir. She would take the girls with her up to the balcony for funerals. The other choir members and widowed school teachers were often recipients of Mabel’s care.

I remember Mabel telling me in her room at Dove nursing home, that she had been a teacher for a total of thirty-three years (seven years elsewhere and then twenty-six years here in Bloomer). She loved teaching her students and said she would still like to teach—if she were not ninety-three years old. I saw her Tuesday afternoons when I brought her our Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and she always received him with devotion.

Because of circumstances of her upbringing, Mabel had a hard time accepting God’s amazing love for us. She once remarked, “When I [was growing] up, I never knew that God loved me.” At times, she wondered, “How could Christ die just for me?” Yet Jesus Christ has powerfully revealed his great love for us, especially through his trials.

Why else would God become man in Jesus Christ if not from great concern that we would be safe and well? Jesus comes to us as a teacher in a visible life on earth thought to have numbered thirty-three years. Kindly but firm, he possesses and imparts truth in an errant world. He formed young disciples in his charge; sometimes he even took them fishing. He comes as our Good Shepherd, laying down his life for his sheep, desiring none of us to be lost.

Jesus worshiped at his Father’s house and offered himself in sacrifice on the Cross. Now he calls us to worship in his Church and receive the great gift of himself offered in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus, now risen, is the first-surviving member of his family. Raised from the dead, he lives forever to help us through this life into the next. He is the faithful, loving caregiver of his spouse and his brothers and sisters; that is, of his Church as a whole and each of us individually.

So you see, Jesus Christ forms faithful Christians to be more and more like himself, and shepherds them to be with him in paradise. “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish or distress, or persecution or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?” Despite all these things, we can conquer overwhelmingly through him who loves us. Mabel, in her final recent trial, found comfort in this truth, as she often sang that sweet children’s song: “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know.” Let us be faithful to Christ, so that together with Mabel we may “behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!”

Posted in Christian Perfection, Funeral Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Love, Salvation History, Service | 1 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 »

Something New Under the Sun — Funeral Homily for Marvin Weber, 94

December 30, 2022

By Fr. Victor Feltes

Ancient people thought about time differently than us. They did not picture time to be like a flying arrow, moving forward toward some end and purpose. They imagined time to be like a flat circle, going round and round. They saw history, in its broad strokes, repeating itself. The same four seasons, cycling over and over. Every empire eventually being replaced by another. This attitude is reflected in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, whose author wrote:

“What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun! Even the thing of which we say, ‘See, this is new!’ has already existed in the ages that preceded us.”

That author adds:

“There is no remembrance of past generations; nor will future generations be remembered by those who come after them.”

Indeed, very few people’s names are remembered by this world after just a handful of generations. To keep track of time in the ancient world, the custom was to refer to the years of the ruler’s reign (such as “the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar”). Yet those earthly rulers came and went, as history spun round and round with no apparent purpose.

But then, unexpectedly, something truly new happened under the sun. It is an event that we always celebrate during the present time of year. At the center of history, God entered history, becoming a human being like us. “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.” We now number all the years of time as before or after the Christmas birth of Christ our King (“B.C.” or “A.D.”). Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” His life reveals that our lives, this world, and all human history are not merely random accidents but exist with purpose in God’s plan. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said, “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.”

We are gathered here for Marvin’s funeral at a meaningful time. He passed away two weeks ago, before the celebration of Christmas. Today, we offer his funeral Mass during the week between Christmas Day and a new year. His peaceful passing comes, in a sense, both before and after Christmas. Year after year, Marvin already knew and looked forward to the joy of Christ’s coming. He had already experienced great joy in Jesus but had not yet experienced its fullness in the time to come. The life of Jesus Christ causes us to see a Christian’s death through eyes which are different than the world’s. For a Christian, dying, “this momentary light affliction, is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” So Marvin’s passing is more than just a sad parting; it is a cause for joy in us as well.

Marvin married Betty inside this church 65 years ago. She told me many stories about her husband’s life, and there is no way I could retell them as thoroughly or as well as she. But I would like to highlight three anecdotes: First, Betty told me about Marvin’s dad who, when Marvin was about seven years old abandoned his family. Thirty years later, he appeared at his son’s doorstep and said, “I’m here.” He offered no apology, he gave no explanation, and Marvin was not happy about that, but Marvin valued forgiveness and forgave him. Marvin said he wanted his children to have a grandfather; he wanted them to know his father. Second, Betty tells me regarding Marvin, “If he found two pieces of wood he would make something.” Marvin has loved woodworking. He delights to repair or remake things into something greater. And third, at an age of 94, Marvin died relatively young. Because of the longevity of many of his ancestors who lived to be more than 100, Marvin died at a younger age than he had expected. For this reason, according to Betty he often put projects off for later saying, “I’ve got time.”

In our Gospel, Jesus tells us, “Where I am going you know the way. … I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Christians’ lives throughout the centuries will reflect the One whom they have followed. For instance, despite our past unfaithfulness, our abandonment of God, Jesus forgave us, because he desired that we would come to know his Father. Christ took two pieces of wood for his Cross and used them to repair us and make us into something greater. And though our Lord died relatively young, with the resurrection he’s got time—everlasting life—to share with us forever.

The world will not remember us a few generations from now, but though the world may forget us, Jesus never will. Christ our King has come; entered time, our world, and our humanity to save us. So on this day of Marvin’s funeral, we are consoled by Jesus’ words: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. … Behold, I make all things new.”

Posted in Culture, Funeral Homilies, Homily, Incarnation, Jesus Christ, Nativity, Salvation History | Leave a Comment »

Good News Needed by Each & All

December 24, 2022

Christmas Mass
By Fr. Victor Feltes

“I proclaim to you good news of great joy!” Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord. Why is his birth such good news? Well, why do people still need Jesus Christ today?

Would you say we presently live in a time of great wisdom? A time of advanced technology? Certainly. A time with more wealth than previous centuries? Sure. But is this a time of great wisdom? Relatively few know how to live rightly, anchored firmly in hope, and thrive. Would you say we live in a time of great heroes? Who would be our heroes now beyond paid athletes or fictional characters with superpowers? No U.S. politician in national office today has an approval above 50%. And even the best leaders among us are flawed. Would you say we live in a time of strong fatherhood? Rather, families are increasingly strained or broken. And many people have never had a good father. Would you say we live in a time of great peace? Bombs are not exploding around us like in Ukraine, but is there peace in our culture and peace in all our souls?

The good news of Christmas, as the Prophet Isaiah foretold in our first reading, is that ‘the people who walk in darkness see a great light; upon those who dwell in the land of gloom a light shines.’ “A child is born to us, a son is given us… They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” In our foolish world, Jesus is the wisest teacher whose counsel wondrously changes lives. In our unvirtuous world, Jesus is the only flawless hero; he is God among us. In our world lacking fatherhood, Jesus says he “only [does] what he sees his Father doing”— so Jesus acts and loves like his Good Father forever. And in our troubled world, Jesus is the Lord who would bring us peace, both around us and within us.

In the days of the birth of Jesus, St. Matthew’s Gospel notes a decree had gone out from the Roman Emperor that the whole world should be enrolled in a census. (This brought the Holy Family to Bethlehem.) Caesar Augustus wanted everybody grouped and tallied for his worldly purposes: to tax more efficiently, to draft more men for war, and to dominate more effectively. Beginning with the birth of Jesus at the center of history, God decrees for all the people of the world to be gathered into his Church for his holy purposes. It is not to tax us, but to give us his gifts. It is not for waging wars, but to bring about his peace. It is not to dominate us, but to share with us the freedom of his Kingdom. Like St. Paul says in our second reading, the grace of God has appeared in Christ to save and train us all to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await our blessed hopes: the return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and everlasting life with him.

On Christmas Day, Divine Providence brought the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) and the shepherds all together. God’s Providence has likewise brought you and all of us together this morning with the Lord Jesus in this Church. Will you be here next Sunday? I pray the joyful news of Christmas will bring you back again. The Lord who loves you calls you. Our world needs Jesus Christ profoundly and so do you.

Posted in Culture, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Mass, Nativity | 1 Comment »

Make Room for the Child Jesus

December 24, 2022

Christmas Mass
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

Once up a time there was a class of small children who wanted to have a nativity play. One of the children, a very tall boy wanted to be a shepherd and carry the sheep on his shoulders, but the teacher decided that he should be the innkeeper who would drive away Mary and Joseph away from the inn. When Mary and Joseph came to the inn, the little innkeeper told them loudly that there was no room for them. Mary turned to Joseph and began to cry. The little innkeeper turn back to them and said, there is no room here in the inn but you can take my room. He showed the spirit of Christmas that there is room for everyone.

Christmas is the feast of God sending us a Savior. The Incarnation of Jesus as the True God and true man was to save us from our sins. As our Savior, Jesus freed us from the slavery of sin and atoned for our sins through his suffering, death, and Resurrection. Every Christmas reminds us that we need a Savior every day of our lives.

Christmas is the Feast of God’s sharing his love with us. Jesus, as our Savior, brought the Good News that our God is a loving, forgiving, and merciful God. He demonstrated by his life and teaching how god our heavenly father loves us and forgives us. All of His miracles were signs of His divine love. At the end, Jesus gave his life and died on the cross to atone for our sins and make us children of God. Each Christmas reminds us that sharing love with others is our Christian privilege and duty. Let Jesus be reborn in our hearts and lives, not only during Christmas but every day. His presence within us will allow us to share our love in words and deeds.

Christmas is the feast of Emmanuel, God living with us and within us. The New Testament begins with the birth of Christ. He has now come to live with us and continues to live with us during our entire life. He lives in us in the sacraments, especially in the holy Eucharist.

Christmas reminds us that we are to bring God to those around us by loving them as Jesus did. This is the best Christmas gift we can give or receive today.

Today the new king is born to us and He is not like any secular king. The first people to find out about his birth are not the royal officials, religious officials, military leaders, or the wealthy elite. The first people to be informed are the shepherds whose social and political status would be among the lowest ranks. The angels announced the birth of Jesus and declared he is the Messiah and the lord. There is no palace or royal household for him, he is wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in the manger. There is no celebration, only silence. We are aware that Christmas is the birthday of Jesus and we share it too since we are reborn as children of God at our baptism. This is the news of great Joy and he is the great light that has appeared in the world.

When Jesus first came into the world over two thousand years ago, His arrival was to fulfill the promise of God. The Bible tells us that from the Fall of Adam and Eve, God promised to send a redeemer. The people waited eagerly for him. Sometimes they were faithful to God and sometimes they were not. The birth of Jesus is a reminder that God is faithful forever and has not forgotten us. It is a reminder of how much God loves us. It is a reminder that God has reached down to us, so we may reach up to Him with praises and glory in thanksgiving for our salvation.

Let us enjoy the true spirit of Christmas by accepting Jesus the Christmas Baby as our Savior – God. Let us invite him to rule our lives and ask him for the strengthening power of his Holy Spirit to do God’s will every day of our lives. Let us be like the little innkeeper that we talked about earlier, and make room for the Child Jesus in our hearts.

Posted in Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Nativity, Salvation History | Leave a Comment »

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