1st Sunday of Lent

Posted on February 29, 2020February 28, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Ps. 51:3-6, 12-13, 17; Rom. 5:12-19; Mat. 4:1-11

Get away, Satan! Jesus rebukes Satan from the three temptations of humanity in today’s gospel. In psychology terms it is called the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id is the temptation of the flesh to hunger for self-gratification of the passions of the body, hunger being primary. The Ego is the temptation of the mind for self-gratification to “test and see” is there a God of truth, goodness, beauty and love? The Superego is the temptation of the spirit for self-gratification of a higher consciousness “to be like gods”. These are the weapons of Satan. Get away, Satan the father of lies and come to me Jesus, word of God.

The first man and woman’s eyes were opened “and they realized they were naked”. Their eyes were opened not to wisdom as promised by the serpent but to their sin and immediately tried to cover the naked truth of their disobedience. Can anyone believe they can cover their naked sin before God? The season of Lent is a process of admitting our nakedness of sin to God and returning to a state of grace for our disobedience.

Which is our greatest temptation to overcome this Lent? The sins of the flesh in our passions to indulge our appetites for food, sex, alcohol, drugs; the sins of the mind to indulge in gaming, control, obsessions; and/or the sins of the spirit for pride, power, prestige and profit. “A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.” The first step is one of humility, we need God to be our change agent, we cannot do this ourselves. It is in relationship with a power greater than us that change comes. Alone we are like dust in the air and Satan is the wind that stirs us up and lets us fall. Without humility we are still trying “to be like gods” with the false image that the power is ours alone.

The second step is one of confession. Our confession of faith requires us to go before God and before brethren that is who we have sinned against and ask for forgiveness. This too is an act of humility in order to seek reconciliation there is a humble testimony that is made after a fearless moral inventory of our sins. Our “acquittal” we do not give to ourselves. We are not judge, jury and executioner. Our acquittal is in the reconciliation with God and others.

“But the gift is not like the transgression.” The consequence of sin is suffering and death but the gift of forgiveness is beyond atonement for Jesus has atoned for our sins. The gift is “the abundance of grace and gift of justification” to reign with Jesus Christ. Jesus reigns and we are invited to reign through the power of the Holy Spirit not as slaves but as children of the light. A new child in Christ is our calling and Jesus does not give up on us, let us not be the one who gives up on ourselves because of the temptations of Satan. Get away, Satan!

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Homily

Ash Wednesday

Posted on February 26, 2020February 26, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Joel 2:12-18; Ps. 51:3-6, 12-14, 17; 2 Cor. 5:20-6:2; Mat. 6:1-6, 16-18

“Rend your hearts…now is the day of salvation. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” These lines coming from the three readings of today summarize today’s message of Lent. Which is harder to make a spiritual inventory of our lives and reveal all the hidden sin we have covered up or to make a sacrifice of the flesh through fasting and almsgiving? It is the former that is more difficult to make and it creates the “gift at the altar” for the latter to follow. God’s blessing upon the latter is multiplied by the work of the former in a fearless moral inventory we rend our hearts to Jesus.

To “rend your hearts” requires honesty of the ego to squeeze our hearts of the full significance of our sin. It reveals the impact not only on the sinner but on everyone impacted by the sin. It is tempting to reason “no harm done” when we skim the surface of our hearts than to consider the harm that does happen to our relationships with God and with others. “Rend your hearts” to the truth that sin is the weapon that destroys our image of Christ and opens the wounds on the cross. Bleeding is our integrity, honesty, faithfulness and our hope of salvation. “Once saved always saved” is the lie of the evil one to deceive us and bring complacency and denial to our sins. If sin is a rock that strikes the calm waters then the ripple effect is an honest appraisal of all impacted by that one act of sin.

In the field of recovery from addictions there is the “Fourth Step” of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. It states, “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves”. If fear is considered as inverted faith then our fears drive us away from faith and right action. “If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts” with the courage of faith to search for the divine will ready to be the spoken word. Faith delivers God’s mercy to liberate us of sin and bring truth to our moral compass.

The liberated go forth to offer gifts of sacrifice in the form of prayer, penance, and charity. It is surprising that the “old” tradition of fasting that has lost its brilliance in an age of indulgence is resurfacing for its great health benefits. It is being promoted as a form of detoxifying the body yet the body and the soul are one. What is good for the body is good for the soul and vice versa. In fasting the soul is also being cleansed of its hunger for indulgence in the form of a spiritual discipline. It is the one body and soul that is the temple of the Lord and together there is a purification in fasting to strengthen the virtue of temperance, that is regaining the right balance as the temple of God. Who would of “thunk it” that the old returns as new again? That is a recognition that there is one truth and it lies in God. God is the creator of natural law we are called to follow.

In the perfection of obedience to the natural law of God we are purified to offer our gifts of charity and see them multiplied by grace. It is the perfect way into the spiritual law of God to open our hearts to the great commandment to love God above all and our neighbor as ourselves. In this is revealed the true image of Christ in us to be holy and perfect as your heavenly Father is holy and perfect. It begins this day for those who take up the call to “rend your hearts…now is the day of salvation. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you” beyond what our eyes have not seen and our hearts have not felt, what he has prepared for us.

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Homily

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

Posted on February 22, 2020February 21, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Lev. 19:1-2, 17-18; Ps. 103:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13; 1 Cor. 3:16-23; Mat. 5:38-48

Be holy as God is holy is our call to life in perfection. Perfection is allowing Christ to be with us, through us and in us in word and deed. How? First, we don’t allow perfection in us meaning we don’t allow Christ to work in us and when we make a mistake, we are quick to acknowledge, “I’m not perfect”. In the human dimension according to our will we cannot reach perfection even under perfect circumstances as is evident by Adam and Eve. They had paradise and sinned. Perfection comes in union with the perfect God-head. Be still and call upon God actively listening for the sign that leads to the way of perfection. Pray, “God in three persons, reveal the way of perfection that I may follow.”

The prayer in humility opens the soul to receive the way of perfection blessing the Lord for the Spirit of God already dwells in us. The Spirit of God is what gives us ownership of health, wealth, life, death, present and future. It is the miracle of the eternal now ready to manifest itself in the most perfect way. Jesus in today’s gospel gives a command to “offer no resistance” even in the midst of evil or when called into service “for one mile, go for two miles”. How is it possible to deny self for other, yet this is what Jesus did for us? The call to resist not is to be open to God’s divine will so he may act for the greater good in all and through all. The call to perfection is the summit of our Christian faith if we dare to seek it.

God is the Spirit of truth that rights all wrongs and fulfills all needs “through Christ who strengthens me”. This is the mystery of faith when we “fear not” then faith is now set free to work the miracles of life. It is said “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin…for fear is only inverted faith” (The Game of Life by F. Shinn. St. Mathew says, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” How often is fear and worry the resistance in trusting God preventing the pouring out of his grace for that moment in our lives? God is good and we must seek the good in the moment to bring forth the work that is needed in our lives and in other. God is love thus by offering love we are covered by God from evil and open to divine will as our mediator, redeemer, and protector. Let us not be deceived by our fears but respond to fear by taking the next right step of faith. “There is no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear…” (1 Jn. 4:18). The next right step of faith is an act of love.

The call to perfection comes right before Lenten season to be mindful of the next right step towards perfection in living a life in Christ. The Word says, “be perfect” not “try to be perfect”. To “try” is already a compromise with an escape clause. To “be” is to take each moment without fear in in highest virtue being called to live out in the moment. Perhaps it is patience, generosity, kindness, or courage among others which in the Latin “virtus” represents a moral perfection. Perhaps in a world of rapid activity it is the courage to “be still” waiting upon the Lord who already in present dwelling in us to manifest his glory.

“The Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” What is “fear of the Lord”? It is the fear of disobedience to the Law of God, the great commandment, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind (perfectly), and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). “Do you not know that you are the temple of God…Let no one deceive himself” we are very capable of destroying our own temple by disobedience to the Law so let us prepare ourselves this Lent. The beginning of perfection is repentance recalling “The Lord is kind and merciful” when we return to Him to purify the temple in which he dwells.

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Homily

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Posted on February 15, 2020February 15, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Sir. 15:15-20; Ps. 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34: 1 Cor. 2:6-10; Mat. 5:17-37

Keep the commandments by choice to the greatest potential and you too shall live. Today we are reminded “life and death, good and evil” we receive by choice, we sin by choice, and we walk in the law by choice. The best choice is to “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’ mean ‘No’. Anything more is from the evil one”. “Yes” and “No” are absolutes without preconditions in obedience to the law of God. What is fear of the Lord? It is fear of the disobedience of the “law” of God. “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!” Follow the law and the choice is the water of holiness and life but choose to disobey the law and the consequence is the fire of sin and death. The human experience is conditional, negotiable, self-justified.

The conditional experience asks “What’s in it for me?” Negotiable in seeking the greater reward for the least sacrifice. Self-justified with a sense of entitlement. Conditional, “Going to church every Sunday but what do I get out of it?” It is negotiable, “As long as I confess my sins God will forgive my sins in the end.” It is self-justified, “No one is perfect, I have a right to still be angry” as the sun sets on life with no guarantees of tomorrow. How can we simply do the right thing when our feelings are not there yet ready to accept that choice? It is an act of the will to say, “I go to church…I avoid the near temptation to sin…I forgive despite my hurt.” This is following the law of the Lord by choice and the blessings will pour into our lives. These are conscious free will decisions we choose for the greater glory of God. Nobody said it was an easy road.

The “easy road” we follow is to do the least, a minimalist like a child who is told to clean their room and they push everything under the bed that is on the floor. Is the room clean or simply giving a false illusion? In the “easy road” we bargain with ourselves, minimize the fault, blame the other, share the guilt, “after all everyone does it” we tell ourselves. We must ask ourselves, “Is this the best of us we offer our God?”

The best of us begins by making the right choice and trusting in God to get us there. Choose to go to Mass and expect to receive a blessing from God. When we expect the best of us, we receive the best God desires to pour into our lives. Choose to avoid the near occasion of sin even when tempted by the circumstances and our heart remains focused on the good not the bad. It is tempting to want to blame the other for our weakness rather than to take responsibility for growing in virtue. Choose to forgive the other so God may heal our hurt and we return to the joy of living. The right choice produces the right results in the natural law of God, not complicated but challenging.

The early church was called “the Way”. It was the way to fulfill “the smallest part of a letter…until all things have taken place.” To surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees Jesus spoke of was a low bar since it was based on doing the least often in the interest of those same scribes and Pharisees who had the most to gain in their indulgence. The Way demands the greatest out of us for the “Spirit scrutinizes everything”. How do we teach others to break the commandments or follow them? By our example we normalize behavior for the water of blessing or the fire of suffering our sin. The seed of sin for anger, adultery, swearing, lust lies not in the world for the world is food for the sinner who eats of this flesh. The seed of sin is already dormant in humanity and waits for the moment to be given life.

What is wisdom but the foundation of truth! It is eternal truth that passes through time from generation to generation when we put our trust in him. Wisdom is seen in our Blessed Mother Mary who chose obedience in the Spirit and was given the crown of glory. Wisdom “God has revealed to us through the Spirit” received through love of God and the fulfillment of the law of God. The choice we make makes us unto itself. Choose laughter and find joy, choose kindness and find peace, choose generosity and find wealth, choose the commandments and find yourself, finally choose prayer and find God. Do the next right thing and grow in righteousness. Trust and see by the choice we make “the mysteries of the kingdom”. Alleluia! Alleluia!

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Homily

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Posted on February 8, 2020February 5, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Is. 58:7-10; Ps. 112:4-9: 1 Cor. 2:1-5; Mat. 5:13-16

Once called to be salt and light in baptism we share in Christ’s humanity as salt of the earth and in his divinity as light from heaven. True salt does not lose its taste in its chemical composition but it is “lost” when mixed with other impurities we call sin. Sin covers the taste of sanctity making impure what was purified by the waters of baptism. Salt returns the impure to a state of purity in a spiritual sign of holiness. In Hebrew society salt not only was used for seasoning but also as a preservative and disinfectant. We are called to be the preservative of the word made flesh and the voice to “disinfect” the mind from the snares of the devil that lead us into temptation.

As salt of the earth we season good relationships by taking care of the “hungry, sheltering the oppressed and homeless…and do not turn your back on your own.” These “good deeds” provide the light in the darkness of this world and shine up to heaven. The deeds are the good fruit to nourish the soul and the fuel for the lamp to give light. It is in giving that we receive. We receive healing from our “wound” and “vindication” justified by the blood of Christ. In giving of ourselves Christ makes himself present, “Here I am!”. It is the “secret” of great saints, Mother Teresa of Calcutta feeding the hungry and sheltering the poor, St. John Paul II preservative of the faith, Padre Pio the long hours in the confessional and many others whose lives wore the white robe of sacrificing themselves for others in long holy lives.

There are many gifts each according to our state in life but all called to be great saints for Christ. Having returned from a deacon’s retreat this past weekend we were reminded all service begins with prayer. It is the voice for the next right step to do God’s will. God is ready to pour out his gifts on his servants yet we stand in the way of receiving those gifts without the prayer of sacrifice. The gifts of God come “with a demonstration of Spirit and power” to be the light in a world of darkness. Recall the cup with water we see as half empty or half full. The battle in the mind is to see the potential of life-giving water and not the cup of the world. We receive the rivers of living water that will not run dry and share with those who thirst for life. The cup of the world preaches the darkness of failure, not good enough, hopelessness and death. Prayers focuses on the water that refreshes the soul and doesn’t run dry.

It is not what our good deeds say about us, it is how they “glorify your heavenly Father”. Great saints reflect the power of God as they trust in him. Each day we give of ourselves that is the power of God within to be good. As Jesus responded when called “good teacher” he said only “God is good” but we give his light as instruments of his goodness, beauty, truth, and unity. Be transformed into his light of love.

I am always touched by the poor and homeless when I open my window of my vehicle and give “any amount” as their sign says and their response is consistently “may God bless you”. In the poor we receive God’s messengers and demonstrate our trust and faith in him as we would receive his disciples who bring the good news and the blessing. When we give to the least, we are blessed abundantly.

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Homily

The Presentation of the Lord

Posted on February 1, 2020January 29, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Malachi 3:1-4; Ps. 2:7-10; Heb. 2:14-18; Lk. 2:22-40

The Presentation of the Lord is a revelation to the world through Simeon a “righteous and devout” man who walks into the temple in the Spirit. Are we in the Spirit ready to receive Jesus our Lord? The manifestation of the Son of God is our calling in the Spirit. Jesus, flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood “he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people.”

Jesus is brought to the temple to be consecrated to the Lord by the high priest just as we are brought to church to be consecrated to the Lord in baptism. In baptism we now share in the one body and blood of Christ as brothers and sisters. For the next thirty years nothing is written about him except “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” God does not remove his favor from us unless we like the parable of the prodigal father and son separates ourselves from his favor because we choose to leave.

Now Anna has essentially spent her life in the temple after becoming a widow. She is a prophetess meaning she too is in the Spirit finding favor with God. Simeon makes the proclamation but it is Anna’s calling to begin the evangelization by spreading the good news of this child. The Holy Family returns to Nazareth but Anna plants the seeds in Jerusalem for his coming, the king of glory “it is the Lord.” Since she was a prophetess, she had gained the trust of the people to be believed filled with wisdom and the favor of God was upon her. The favor of God is upon us from our baptism and the path of wisdom is given to us if we remain in the Spirit by returning to the temple of the Lord to receive his body and blood in the Eucharist.

Both Simeon and Anna were presented with the test of faith, “is this the one?” Guided by the Spirit they were ready to respond. There is a daily test of faith we face. It is manifested in how we respond to life before us in all the moments of life, in all our encounters with other souls before us. If we respond in fear then our faith is in the power of the evil one but a response in love is faith in the presence of God to claim victory over all circumstances for a greater good.

There is also the test of suffering a universal condition of the flesh in body, mind, and spirit. The great saints speak to this darkness of the soul as wounded warriors. This is our test of the cross when we turn to Jesus on the cross and he is most present to us to be our help. Where one suffers, he suffers. We don’t keep him on the cross he accepts the cross for our sins and suffering reminding us of the sacrifice that brings the resurrection and the life. He bears our pain with us and we find the comfort of the Spirit at our side. What must we do to receive it?

Four guiding principles of wisdom. One, respond in faith to the test with love. God is love and love unites us to the power of his love and brings us healing. Two, recall our baptismal promises. This if the foundation of our faith and in proclaiming it we renew our faith and conviction rejecting all that is not of God. Three, claim by word and deed the truth from the wisdom received. Speak the word of truth in prayer and unite it to the souls of the living and the dead, to the angels and saints, to the powers and principalities, to the promises of God. Finally, claim your victory and go forth believing in the greater good which is God is with us.

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