3 Mysteries Remembered

April 6, 2023

Holy Thursday
By Fr. Victor Feltes

“[Our] Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” At this same Supper, Jesus washed his apostles’ feet, drying them with a towel. Then, when he reclined at the table again, Jesus told them, “If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

For this Mass of Holy Thursday, the Church directs me to preach “a homily in which light is shed on the principal mysteries that are commemorated in this Mass, namely, the institution of the Holy Eucharist and of the priestly Order, and the commandment of the Lord concerning fraternal charity.” This no heavy burden. Jesus makes it easy by his actions that night. At the Last Supper, Christ gives us these precious gifts: his Holy Eucharist, his Holy Priesthood, and his holy model of loving service which he commands us all to follow.

Our Bishop William Callahan noted at this week’s Chrism Mass that without priests there would be no Eucharist, and without the Eucharist there would be no Church. The priesthood is essential to the Eucharist, and the priesthood and the Eucharist are essential to Christ’s Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church echoes the words of the first century bishop and martyr St. Ignatius of Antioch in teaching “that without the bishop, presbyters, and deacons, one cannot speak of the Church.” (CCC #1593) And the Second Vatican Council famously teaches that the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” For in the Most Blessed Sacrament is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, for it is Jesus himself. All the Church’s other sacraments, ministries, and good works flow from this one sacrifice, are united to it, and united to Christ.

Perhaps there are young men here tonight with a vocation to the priesthood. If you think you may have this divine calling, I urge you to actively pursue it. If you pursue this path and discover you are not called, you will be no worse off but blessed from the experience, and for the rest of your life you will never have to wonder or worry whether you might have had this calling. But if priesthood is your vocation, you will not find anywhere a greater life.

When Jesus commands at the Last Supper, “Do this in remembrance of me,” and declares, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do,” he was not only ordaining priests of the New Covenant and showing how them how to serve. Christ’s words are addressed to all disciples; not only that we should faithfully attend Holy Mass, but that we should live the way of love we see from him. The night before offering his Body and Blood on the Cross, Jesus gives these sacramentally in the Eucharist. Before offering up his death on the Cross, we see Jesus humbly provide loving service at table. Do you realize what he has done for you? Jesus has given us a model to follow, so that as he has done for us, we should also do. Do this in memory of him.

Posted in Catholic Church, Christian Perfection, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Last Supper, Love, Mass, Real Presence, Sacrifice | Leave a Comment »

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

April 1, 2023

Palm Sunday (Year A)
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8 Great Reflections on the Passion

April 1, 2023

Palm Sunday (Year A)
By Fr. Victor Feltes

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

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

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

The People at the Passion (Part 3 of 3)

April 1, 2023

By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

From history, we know that our Lord Jesus Christ died because He was condemned to death by the Jewish authorities who handed Him over to the Romans to be executed. He was put to death, because he said He was the Messiah, the Son of God, the one to whom God had given the power to judge all men. This statement was considered blasphemy, so the Sanhedrin said that He had to die. The Sanhedrin closely followed the teachings of Moses. They did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Throughout the history of Israel, the prophets often had to suffer injustices in order to carry out the mission God had given to them.

On Wednesday night, I talked about many of the people who were against Jesus. They inflicted very much pain and abuse on Jesus. Today, I want to remind you of the people who loved, trusted, and followed Jesus through His life and to His death.

The Blessed Virgin Mary

Jesus’s Mother was the most faithful of His followers. From the Annunciation to the Crucifixion of her Son, Mary can be seen as God’s ultimate validation of free will. She was obedient to God when He sent the Angel Gabriel to her. She was a very young woman, but her faith in God was strong. She was willing to do whatever God asked of her. She and St. Joseph were very loving parents. They protected Jesus from His birth, and during His years of growing to manhood. They taught Him and took him to the temple, where He learned the Jewish laws about God.

St. Joseph died before Jesus began His public ministry, but Mary continued to follow Jesus to His death. Mary was actually His first apostle. She was the first human to kiss the face of God and the first to believe in Jesus as her Savior. She was the first Christian. She was also probably the only disciple of Jesus who never left his side or doubted Him. She stayed and accepted to the very end, even as Jesus died on the Cross. Down through the ages, the weeping Mary of the Cross witnessing her son’s torture and death stands in solidarity with all believers who also suffer and live under the shadow of the Cross. Can you imagine how Mary felt watching her child die such a terrible death? She was helpless and all she could do was watch. She stayed at the foot of the Cross until the end. She never left all morning and was there in the afternoon when Jesus took His last breath. When His body was taken down from the Cross, she followed Him to the grave. She wanted to stay with Him as long as possible, even though it hurt her to watch Him suffer. Mary loved her son so much, she did not want to leave Him even after He died.

As Christians, we know we have to accept that suffering and death are just a part of life. It does not make it easier when we are living through it, but we should look to Mary as an example. We can copy her strength and bravery for the sake of our family and do whatever we can out of love, it will help us through those times. Mary showed incredible love, courage, and strength.

Peter the Apostle

St. Peter was a fisherman. He and his brother Andrew, were among the first four disciples of Jesus. Jesus called and they left everything behind, including their boats and fishing equipment. Peter was always a leader. He wanted to protect Jesus and keep Him safe. When Jesus told him that he would suffer and die, Peter would not believe it. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter drew his sword and cut the soldier’s ear off. Peter was with Jesus and witnessed all the miracles, including the cure of Peter’s mother–in–law, and in the home of Jairus. He was at the Transfiguration, the Last Supper, and the Garden of Gethsemane. During the passion, he followed Jesus along the road to Calvary. Jesus gave him the keys to make him the head of the church. He was our first pope.

John the Apostle

At the very beginning of his public ministry, Jesus chose John and his brother as His disciples. The two are the sons of Zebedee, a fisherman. Jesus calls them, “Sons of Thunder.” It is a title that James and John earn by their quick judgment of others and eager enthusiasm. The gospels give John a position of importance among the twelve apostles. He is one of the first four disciples called by Jesus.

From the very beginning of his call, John is always with Jesus. He is one of the few who was with Jesus during the public ministry. He is probably one of the few disciples to witness all of the miracles performed by Jesus. During the passion and death of Jesus, John was with Him. He even stayed at the foot of the Cross as Jesus suffered and died.

St. John is also the author of the fourth gospel. His gospel is the only one that tells us that St. John and Mary were among those at the foot of the Cross when Jesus died. As Jesus was dying, He looked down at them and said; “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. (John 19:26–27) When Jesus said this, He was actually giving Mary to all of us as our Spiritual Mother. John at the foot of the Cross is a loyal friend. Faithfulness and loyalty are Love.

The Roman Centurion

In the Bible, we are given a glimpse of the roman centurion. He was the commander of over 100 soldiers in the Roman army. He was in charge of overseeing the crucifixion of Jesus. He may have been in charge of arresting Jesus. And he would have accompanied Jesus on the road to Golgotha. He had probably presided over the crucifixion of hundreds or even thousands of men and had probably become insensitive to the agony these men suffered.

The Roman Centurion is mentioned in three of the four gospel accounts. He is not mentioned for his cruelty, but for a marvelous transformation that occurred at the death of Jesus. Most of the men that were crucified were criminals, thieves, and murderers. They cried out in agony and pleaded for their lives. When Jesus died, he knew that this was not an ordinary execution. The darkness, the earthquake, and the cry of abandonment from Jesus convinced the soldiers that this was NOT an ordinary man. The events terrified them. The roman centurion said this man IS TRULY THE SON OF GOD.

The Good Thief

We know from St. Luke’s Gospel, that there were two thieves crucified with Jesus, one on either side of Him. One of the thieves mocked Jesus saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other thief said to him, “do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to our Lord, “Jesus remember me when you come in your kingly power.” Jesus replied, “truly, I say to you today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:3943) This second criminal has become known to us as St. Dismas, he is the patron saint of all criminals and convicts, especially thieves.

Mary Magdalene

St. Luke’s gospel tells us that Jesus cast seven devils out of Mary Magdalene. He also tells us that she poured expensive perfume over Jesus’ feet as she cried. She dried his feet with her long hair. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and several other women followed Jesus on the road to Golgotha, and remained at the foot of the Cross, even following to His burial place. She was a faithful disciple, following Jesus during most of His public ministry, passion, death, and resurrection.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus

Joseph of Arimathea is described as a good and just man, he was apparently wealthy, and a follower of Jesus. After the crucifixion, he requested permission from Pilate to remove Jesus’ body from the Cross. With the help of Nicodemus, he wrapped the body in fine linen and had it placed in his own unused tomb. These men were both members of the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish council. They were secret followers of Jesus. Nicodemus came to Jesus secretly at night to discuss the Jewish laws.

Both Joseph and Nicodemus did a great sacrifice—Joseph gave up his tomb and Nicodemus paid for costly burial spices and ointments. The Gospel of John (19:39) says it was seventy-five pounds, an extraordinary amount. This was an act of love for Joseph and Nicodemus. Two high-ranking religious officials, exhausting themselves to honor their Lord.

The worst night of their lives, when darkness seemed to cover the world, became the dawn of something new. The men and women who witnessed the trial, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ saw more than words could ever express. What they saw in their lifetime, we have seen in the scripture, and the result is amazingly the same. We may not have seen Him physically, but we see Him in our Faith.

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, Passion, Saintly People, St. John the Evangelist, St. Mary Magdalene | Leave a Comment »

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 »

The People at the Passion (Part 1 of 3)

March 30, 2023

By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God loves everyone with everlasting love. He is our Father. We are His Children. He loves each one of us individually and wants us to know and love Him.

Jesus came to the world with a mission, to serve, redeem by being the sacrifice for our sins, and to establish the church through His apostles. The Church began with Jesus and spread with by His many disciples including the apostles.
Let us now begin, with courage, as we begin meditating on the people that were present during the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. I came upon a book titled Pieta, which listed the sufferings, indignities, and wounds that Jesus received during His passion and death. The number of armed soldiers were 150. The followers of Jesus, 23. Those in charge of putting Jesus to death were 83. The blows received on His head were 150, and on His stomach were 108, and kicks on His shoulders were 80. He was led, bound with cords by the hair, 24 times; spit in the face, 180. He was beaten on the body 6,666 times; beaten on the head, 110 times, He was pushed and lifted up by His hair; pricked with thorns and pulled by the beard 23 times; 20 wounds on the head; wounds from thorns in the head were 110; mortal wounds in the forehead were 3. He was whipped and mocked as a king and received 1000 wounds in the body. There were 608 soldiers who led Jesus to Calvary. Those who mocked Him were 1008. The drops of blood He lost were 28,430. Jesus Christ endured this for all of us.

Let us look more closely at some of the people that were there during the passion and death of Jesus Christ. After the Last Supper, Jesus took three of His closest Apostles to the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed alone to do the will of His father. While they were there, the betrayer, Judas came with the soldiers to arrest Jesus.

Judas Iscariot

Who was Judas? He was one of the twelve apostles. He was the treasurer and trustworthy with the moneybag. After a time, he began to steal money. He betrayed Jesus with a kiss for thirty pieces of silver. After Jesus was condemned to die, he went out and hung himself.

Judas was greedy. Judas was possessed by the devil. Judas had to fulfill the prophecy. Judas had a political motive, he thought Jesus would become a King. We can learn from Judas, it does not matter to God how bad we are; He loves us and wants us to come back to him. Don’t judge yourself by what you have done, don’t think that you are unforgivable, and come back to the Lord like Peter did.

King Herod

Herod was a rich and important man. He had been hearing stories about Jesus. He knows the tax collectors and others of ill–repute are drawn to Jesus and repent for their sins. Jesus draws crowds of people where ever He goes, and he knows that when Jesus was 12 years old He amazed the rabbis with His knowledge of the scriptures. He is excited to meet Jesus and hopes to see a miracle.

Herod is the one who beheaded St. John the Baptist. He was captivated by St. John the Baptist and did not want to kill him, but he had no choice. He had a party, and his new stepdaughter, Salome. danced for him. Her dancing pleased him very much and he promised to give her anything she wanted. Her mother told her to ask for St. John the Baptist’s head.

His father was also named Herod. It was he who had all of the boy babies under the age of two killed when he heard about the birth of Jesus. Herod continued to question Jesus, but Jesus did not answer. Herod had hoped that Jesus would answer some of the difficult questions that his wise men could not. He was frustrated with Jesus because he had been so hopeful to see miracles performed, but it didn’t happen. The Jewish leaders were hoping that Jesus would not perform any miracles, so they were pleased.

Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate, and he and Pilate became friends. Both the king and the Governor consider Jesus to be a criminal. Oh, how wrong they are! For He is the innocent One. Like them, we also twist reality, making the guilt innocent and the innocent guilt. Every time we blame others for what is wrong with us, we are at fault, blaming others for our sins.

Oh, how tragic, except we are not our own! God calls us by the Gospel and gives us faith. The Spirit works in our lives, bringing us to seek Jesus. Unlike Herod, we want to be in his presence for the right reason, to receive His Salvation!

Pontius Pilate

He was a Roman citizen and he ruled over all non-Roman citizens in Judea and Samaria. He lived in Caesarea. Pilate did not want to pass judgment on Jesus. He did not think that Jesus was guilty of anything and wanted to release Him. His wife also wanted him to release Jesus because of a dream she had. It was customary at Passover to release a prisoner to the people. There was a murderer named Barabbas in jail at the time. Pilate asked the people whom they wanted to be released, and they shouted Barabbas. He asked them what he should do with Jesus, and they shouted, crucify Him. Pilate again said, “I see no wrong in this man,” and they shouted again, “Crucify Him!” When he saw that his attempts to free Jesus only provoked the crowd to call his crucifixion louder, he washed his hands and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourself.” (Matthew 27:24)

Pilate released Jesus because he wanted to please the crowd. Pilate was a people-pleaser more than a God-pleaser. How often do we want to please people, so they like us? Our human respect goes beyond our respect for God.

Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees

The Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees were the ones who brought Jesus to Pilate. They were highly educated and knowledgeable of the scriptures. Jesus was humble and a carpenter from Nazareth. He was like a magnet, drawing many people to Him by His words and deeds. The Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees were jealous and envious of Jesus, and that blinded them from being able to see and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. How many people today are blinded from knowing and accepting the truth because of their pride?

The Mocking of Jesus

The Mocking of Jesus involved not only the soldiers but crowds of people. They shouted: Hail, king of the Jews, as they made fun of Jesus. They put a purple robe on Him, the type worn by the soldiers. They put a crown of thorns on His head causing wounds and much bleeding. They spit at Him, His body, and in his face. They struck Him on his body and on the crown of thorns, driving it deeper into his scalp. Who of us would be able to endure what Jesus suffered for us? The brutality, the mocking? Jesus did this for us, to redeem the world by taking our sins upon himself on the cross. He died for you and me.

The Passion of Christ

After Jesus has been severely beaten, and crowned with thorns, he is ordered to carry the cross to Calvary. Jesus picks up His cross and begins His journey through the streets of Jerusalem to the hill of Golgotha. On His Journey, He falls three times. Each time he falls, he is beaten and pulled up by his hair or arms and also beaten and spit upon. He has lost a lot of blood and is very tired. When they finally reach Golgotha, he is brutally nailed to the cross, where he will soon die.

The hour has finally come. The Son of God whom we call Jesus Christ and believed as the savior of the world is arrested, and crucified as a criminal. At about three in the afternoon of Good Friday, God the Son died and was buried.
Jesus gave His whole life to serve the people. At the last supper, He gave away His body and blood as food for His disciples. His last breath while hanging on the cross was offered to His Father. Is there any better example of a life dedicated to service and the prize for doing it is utter humiliation, condemnation, and crucifixion?

Jesus lived His life in total surrender to the will of God. The plan of salvation is to be fulfilled in Him and through Him. How does this divine plan be carried out without the participation of Judas Iscariot, Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas, Herod, and the countless nameless Jews who arrested, mocked, slapped, kicked, and beat Him? These people did the worst things to Jesus and their names and actions are remembered by generations after generations of Christians. Yet they are part of the divine plan although they were unaware of it.

We are all disciples of Jesus. Jesus is not the victim in this account. He willingly lays down his life for our sins.
Peter has the courage to use his sword at Jesus’ arrest and to be in the high priest’s inner court where there are people who may have seen him in the garden. But his courage fails and he denies Jesus. I think the lesson for disciples is to realize our own weakness, and rely on our own strength, but in humility rely on the Lord.

Jesus presents himself as the king of truth, with a mission to testify to the truth. We also must testify to the truth, some people will listen. Jesus is scourged brutally and then mocked mercilessly as king of the Jews, which he actually is! Jesus put up with this because he had a higher mission, to endure the Cross.

Pilate wants to avoid crucifying Jesus and tries several times to release him because he believes Jesus is innocent.
The Jewish leaders try to manipulate Pilate with fear, fear of punishing the son of God, Pilate is also afraid of losing his job. We as disciples need to make sure that fear is not controlling us rather than faith.

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From Earthly to Divine — Funeral Homily for John Boehm, 85

March 27, 2023

By Fr. Victor Feltes

John’s family has told me about his many loves. How he has loved Sharon, to whom he was married for twenty-two years until her passing in 1981. How he has loved Maria, his wife these last twenty-six years. And how he has loved his family as a good Christian father who “always told you he loved ya.”

He loved any kind of music and any opportunity to sing. He commonly sang at funerals, and his fellow parishioners in church liked to sit near him to help make themselves sound better. He used to work all week and then proudly lead “Johnny’s Family Affair” every weekend. Then, each Sunday morning he would shepherd his family to St. Jude’s for Mass, followed by Sunday fun with the kids. John loved being a mechanic through six decades; taking things apart and putting them back together right. He also loved his motorcycles and (like his natural children) he would name them; including Grey Dog, Happy, Jolly, King, Silver Hawk, and others.

When he turned eighty, his family gifted him a bike. Since John’s balance had become rather poor, they bought him a three-wheeler. He loved riding it as much as he could, being outside enjoying the weather, touring around New Auburn and the surrounding countryside. Even a week before his death, he was talking about his desire to go riding again. He hoped to experience that familiar good anew and more deeply.

Now these various examples of John’s loves reflect the ambiguity of that word. “Love” is an equivocal term — not meaning the same exact thing every time it is used. John, of course, did not love music or his motorcycles in the same way that he loves his family or loves our God, and yet he loves them all. Similarly, the words we use to speak of God are true and yet remain mysterious.

The Holy Trinity gives us images and terms to reveal what the divine Persons are like; such as Father, Lord, King, Son, Shepherd, Lamb, Rock, Light, Judge, Advocate, Creator, and Savior. God’s inspired word identifies him as truly and perfectly Good, Loving, Holy, Just, and Merciful. At the same time, divine Fatherhood transcends earthly fatherhood, and God’s goodness far surpasses in quantity and quality, our human understanding and experiences of goodness.

These images and terms are analogies, likening the earthly to the divine. And in every instance, where some similarity is noted between God and his creatures there remains an even greater dissimilarity. We know something of goodness, but God is truly good and even better than we know.

Created things, the people and good things we know and love, all do reflect something of the divine. Our Triune God reveals himself to us as our Father, as the Church’s Spouse, and as our Brother in Christ, who will always tell us that he loves us. God is a mechanic, too; repairing things and putting them back together right. God delights in his children, and invites his family to join in his eternal song. And he leads us to worship, to fellowship, and to rest with him, calling each of us by name.

As St. John writes, “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. Beloved, we are God’s children now…” So even though there is sadness in life’s partings, we approach John’s death and our own deaths one day with consolation and hopeful expectation. For all created things, the people and things we know and love, reflect something true and good of our Creator and Savior. And if we cooperate with our Lord in grace and love and goodness, on the day of Resurrection, “we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

Posted in Funeral Homilies, Holy Trinity, Homily | Leave a Comment »

Jesus says “Come to Me” — Funeral Homily for Clarence “Clancy” Mikl, 66

March 25, 2023

By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

On behalf of St. Paul’s and St. John the Baptist Parishes, I would like to extend our sympathy to the members of Clarence’s family. We will continue to remember him in our thoughts, prayers, and masses in the coming future. Whenever we gather as a community of faith to celebrate the Eucharist, whether it is a simple liturgy during the week or a more solemn celebration on Sunday, one thing we always do is to remember in a very special way, our faithfully departed and their families.

Clarence and Janice were married on December 3, 1977, and they had five children and ten wonderful grandchildren. He came from a large family and is also survived by his brothers and sisters. Clarence was a friend to everyone he met. He retired in 2019 after twenty years of working at Spectrum Industries in Chippewa Falls. He enjoyed hunting and fishing year around. He established “Da Famous Mikl Deer Camp” near New Auburn. He built himself a bunkhouse which he enjoyed in his retirement. He shared his love for the outdoors with his grandchildren, including hunting, camping, and showing them how maple syrup is harvested and made. He was a true American patriot, and a Packers, Brewers, and Badgers fan.

He was a member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Bloomer and the Knights of Columbus, and for many years was a Boy Scout leader. He was a handyman and taught his kids to fix their own cars and trucks, and to do other things as well. He loved being helpful, and was always willing to lend a hand in whatever was needed.

In the Gospel today, Jesus offers words of comfort. Anyone who is tired, disappointed or depressed can be lifted up by the comforting promise that Jesus will give you rest. We all have problems in life. These problems can be big or small, and make us sad and tired.

Whenever we lose a person who is dear to us, we are overcome with emotion. We are sad and confused. Here is the Good News. To all those who are alone and in need of someone to talk to, those who have no one, those who feel lost and lonely, Jesus can help. He says, come to me. Jesus is always there to help us, we are never alone.

While we are truly saddened over the passing from this life of Clarence, our faith reassures us that the sadness we are now experiencing will be transformed into joy because Clarence, like Jesus, has died, but he has died into Resurrection. Even now as we continue to celebrate his funeral liturgy, he is enjoying the fullness of God’s presence and will continue to enjoy that fullness forever.

In Jesus, we find total comfort.

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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 »

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 »

Meeting & Believing

March 18, 2023

4th Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Last week, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well. This week, he heals a man who was blind from birth. Through these personal encounters with Christ they came not only to know him but believe in him.

At the start, the woman at the well only perceived a Jewish stranger, a presumed enemy, a seemingly crazy or arrogant fool who offered her water without even having a bucket. But over the course of their encounter she realizes that this intriguing figure is a prophet, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

Similarly, right after his healing, the man born blind simply refers to Jesus as ‘a man.’ He informs his amazed neighbors, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” Next, when he’s brought to the Pharisees, they ask him his opinion of Jesus: “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” Now, after some reflection, he suggests that Jesus “is a prophet.”

The Pharisees, unwilling to believe, question the man’s parents about his being born blind. Then they put him under oath (invoking a traditional formula): “Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner!” But the honest man replies, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.”

In the face of their ongoing hostility towards Jesus, the man born blind observes, “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. (Indeed, nowhere in the entire Old Testament is there recorded a healing of someone born blind.) Therefore, the man with new sight concludes: “If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.”

The Pharisees insult the cured man and toss him out, but when Jesus hears that they threw him out, he finds him and asks, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answers with openness, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” And Jesus says, “You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he.” The man with clear vision replies, “I do believe, Lord,” and worships Jesus Christ.

A recurring theme throughout St. John’s Gospel is how peoples’ encounters with Jesus reveal to them who Christ really is and deepen their faith in him. In addition to the man born blind and the woman at the well, Nicodemus, Peter, John, and others have their relationships with Jesus develop over time through encountering him and appreciating the deeper meaning of these encounters.

The woman at the well and the man born blind both came to know Jesus as the Messiah. We today are further blessed with the knowledge that Jesus is God. Yet Jesus not only desires that you and I know things about him; he wants us to believe in him. Many people today relegate Jesus to merely being “a wise teacher” or “a good man” while simultaneously denying that he is Lord. But if Jesus is not Lord, then he was neither good nor wise to claim to be the Christ and demand our full devotion. To be consistent, we must be for him or against him. 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.” So how do we move from Jesus being a mere notion to a personal reality?

First, realize that the Risen Jesus, though ascended into heaven, is alive and active in our world and in your daily life already. He would draw you into a deeper personal relationship with himself through encounters like he had with the people in the Gospels. I suggest to you (just as I did at last Sunday’s Masses) five places of personal encounter with Christ: the Scriptures, daily prayer, the 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 and icons of Christ) and stories told by other Christians who have personally experienced Jesus’ goodness and power. Meet Jesus through their stories, like those neighbors who came to know Jesus through the blind man’s and Samaritan woman’s testimonies.
  • 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 the many moments of our days using our experiences of work and leisure, of nature and other people, to share revelatory signs of himself.

So encounter Jesus Christ in the Scriptures, in daily prayer, in the Sacraments, in others’ stories, and in your own experiences, so that our 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, 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.

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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 »

She gratefully said “Yes” — Funeral Homily for Janet Sikora, 83

March 10, 2023

By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

On behalf of St. Paul’s Parish and myself, I would like to extend our sincere sympathy to Janet’s family, her sons and daughters, her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and her siblings. She was born September 16th, 1939, in Cooks Valley. She was the daughter of John and Alvina Zwiefelhofer. She married Alfred Sikora on October 29th, 1960.

In her younger years, she worked at the Bloomer Canning Factory and later at the Renegade Truck Stop as a cashier. While working at the truck stop, she got to know most of the police officers in the area. She was like a mother to a lot of people. Christmas was her favorite holiday and she enjoyed watching the Hallmark Channel on TV. She loved to play cards whenever she had a chance. Janet really enjoyed Dave’s Bloody Marys. She had a love for life, if it was cooking, traveling, or family. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were very special to her.

Janet was a long-time member of St. Paul’s and was active in the PCCW. She loved to pray the Rosary and, in later years, watch Mass on TV. While she was living at Dove Healthcare, she was very faithful in attending Mass. Last week, she was dozing at Communion time, I approached her and quietly asked if she would like to receive Communion, and she gratefully said “yes.”

Our readings today remind us that God will wipe away all of our tears. Christ died for us and destroyed death so that we can be with Him in eternity. For if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Each of us shall give an accounting of himself to God. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day. The responsorial psalm reminds us that the Lord is our Shepherd. He will take care of all our needs. If we truly believe this, God will answer all our prayers.

Every good gift and every perfect gift from above, comes down from the Father. So, when you think of the good times and the good things about Janet, know that these came from God. Every good in our lives is a gift from God.

Jesus Christ became man and came to heal the brokenhearted. One day, God will wipe away all sickness, evil, and pain. Life can be difficult, but if we trust in the Lord, everything will be ok. God loves us.

Let us remember that this earthly life is temporary and that all of us have been created to live in eternity with God. Let us remember, that God has a plan. We don’t have to know what His plan is, but it will be perfect. We trust Him, He is faithful, He is good, and He Loves us.

Eternal Rest grant unto her, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

Posted in Funeral Homilies, Homily | Leave a Comment »

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