4th Sunday of Easter

Posted on May 2, 2020April 29, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Ps. 23:1-3a, 3b-6; 1Peter 2:20b-25; Jn. 10:1-10

The Good Shepherd has called us by name to “Save yourself from this corrupt generation…which does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.” When Peter stood up and proclaimed to his generation “this Jesus whom you crucified…they were cut to the heart”. Salvation come through repentance and baptism but first the word of God must cut to the heart and reveal our sin before us. Sin is the thief and robber that climbs into our lives unsuspectingly to steal our hearts with temptation until we become “normalized” by a corrupt generation.

The sin of each generation is a thief and robber in search of souls for a self-indulgence trying to feed on the pleasure principle, “if it feels good then indulge” until it becomes toxic but by then the heart is compromised and it stands at the gate holding us in bondage to “steal, slaughter and destroy”. The thief lays the “feel good bag of goodies” to savor but it is our response that is the sin we possess. Fault always is personal to be rejected with virtue. Corruption came from the beginning, the genesis of sin after creation by free will and it remains “mia culpa” by our choice. “For you have gone astray as sheep” but now we hear the voice of truth to lead us back.

Truth leads to wisdom of a greater understanding beyond ourselves. It is not about “me” it is about salvation for “us”. Easter is this gift of salvation in Jesus giving of himself for us in his passion, death and resurrection that all may be saved through the “good shepherd”. Jesus proclaims “I know my sheep, and mine know me.” How does Jesus recognize his “sheep” and how do we recognize our Lord? We are recognized in being “patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God”. Jesus is the example we should follow that he may see himself in us. In this Jesus recognizes his own who are responding to evil with good. How then do we know Jesus? Jesus revelation comes in the voice of truth that cuts to our hearts “and the sheep follow him”. The voice of the shepherd burns in the hearts of his sheep, it cannot be denied.

“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want”. The people of Israel sought freedom he gave them salvation. They sought a king for this earth and he gave them a kingdom in heaven. They wanted someone to rule over them and he gave them a shepherd to follow. They wanted to conquer other people and he gave them the power to conquer their own corruption. What do we “want” from the Lord? We seek freedom from disease and pandemics he gives us salvation from sin. We want to preserve our kingdoms we have built and he promises one in heaven. We want leaders for nations to rule and he gives us himself calling us to follow his example. We want to conquer in this world all our enemies and we are given the power to conquer the enemy of the world and victory over death. Jesus is the promise of life more abundantly.

The abundant life in Jesus Christ is the good news! In him is our courage to “walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil”. The corruption of each generation remains in a kingdom not our own but the Lord has called us by name and if “today you hear his voice harden not your hearts” salvation is at your doorstep. Our heads are anointed with oil of salvation at baptism and we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to keep our hearts burning for truth, goodness, beauty and unity in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Open the doors of our hearts to “dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come”. Today we pray for the doors to the church to be opened and a return to the banquet of the Lord in the Eucharist until we enter the heavenly banquet closer to us than we recognize in the mystery of faith. The call of the Good Shepherd is “follow me”.

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Homily

3rd Sunday of Easter a resurrection of faith

Posted on April 25, 2020April 22, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Acts 2:14, 22-23; Ps. 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; 1Peter 1:17-21; Lk. 24:13-35

A house divided cannot stand so in times of crisis, pandemic or otherwise the first crisis is of faith to stand the test of faith amid the fears. This Sunday’s readings reveal the disciples’ crisis of faith at the death of Jesus and the continuation of Jesus’ formation of church in his real presence, “the breaking of bread”.

Three areas of “church” division among Christianity are addressed in our reading summarized as “sola scriptura”, church “authority”, and salvation by “faith alone”. Jesus opens the scriptures to us but it is in the breaking of the bread that he is made known to us something to consider. On the road to Emmaus the eyes of the two disciples were prevented from recognizing him. They first had to hear the word and have it “burn” in their hearts to believe in the risen one before their eyes are opened to recognize him the breaking of the bread.

“Sola Scriptura” meaning the “Bible alone” is a main source of division in the Christian “home”. Today many Christian denominations follow “Sola Scriptura” as the only infallible source of authority for Christians. The “breaking of the bread” is seen as the revelation of the word of God to open the eyes of the disciples instead of his real presence. Jesus revelation to the disciples on the road to Emmaus came first as a revelation of scripture and then as he breaks the bread to his real presence before them to remain with them body, blood, soul and divinity in the bread. Today in the Catholic church we celebrate both in the Mass with its two parts called the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This journey of faith on the Road to Emmaus is our journey of faith “on the first day of the week”, resurrection Sunday. It is the confirmation of the “Last Supper” to be continued in Tradition. The Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ’s revelation to this very day.

Church “authority” closely follows in a “house divided among itself” for Christianity. “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: ‘You…indeed all of you…Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.’ Peter is given the keys to the kingdom by Jesus after Peter denied him during the Passion. The primacy of Peter is the “authority” to follow in Jesus’ self-sacrifice as a “Holy Father”. The word without the authority of the church to bring unity is a house divided among itself. Left to our own authority we divide into our “denominations” as we identify with and we open the scriptures to our “truth”. The disciples on the road to Emmaus knew the scriptures as faithful Jews but it is the person of Jesus who “interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures”. This gift of interpretation is passed on to his disciples to build the Kingdom of God in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church. Today it is the “Chair of Peter” passed on to each Pope to carry forth into generations to come.

Salvation by “faith alone” is the third major pillar of division among the Christian “house” filled with rooms called denominations. Peter proclaims, “If you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works…as of a spotless unblemished lamb”. Powerful authority to declare not by “faith alone” does the Father judge impartially but “according to each one’s works”. Faith is the seed of salvation and works the fruit of salvation. The seed without works dies but the works produced by the seed are the works of God through us, not our own. The principle argument made against “works” is the conception that they are “our works” to merit heaven as if there is a scale that tips the works in our favor earning our justification. Far from it for to be Christian is to surrender ourselves to the works of God as instruments of his grace working in us for the salvation of souls. It is God’s grace, his gift of love, mercy, faith, and hope to be witnesses and bring forth the good news. These are the works of God that bring salvation who the Father judges how we fulfilled them.

Finally, the goal of the Christian is to come before the Lord as a “spotless unblemished lamb” that is without sin. Who then will be saved? This past week we recall the Lord’s promise of mercy to the whole world in Divine Mercy Sunday. In confession and the breaking of the bread we receive atonement for our sins when we come to Jesus. This is our redemptive gift but we must respond or carry our sin with us into the fire of purification, our purgatory in this life or in the next. Let our eyes be opened to his revelation from the foundation of the Church. The pandemic of death is not a virus but a house divided among itself in a crisis of faith. I believe in one God and in One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

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Homily

2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy)

Posted on April 18, 2020April 17, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Acts 2:42-47; Ps. 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1Peter 1:3-9; Jn. 20:19-31

Alleluia! Alleluia! He is risen. Jesus chose the more perfect way of sanctification for the world to follow, the way of the cross to the resurrection of the dead to reveal his Divine Mercy. The all-powerful God through his Son offers us the path to holiness by way of the cross to our victory over death. It is to live our passion with all its joys, sorrows, love and mercy in charity for a greater good. It is to prepare for death living with the end in mind, a final judgment to separate the good from the bad in our humanity. Finally, it is to be purified to receive the light of eternal glory in the resurrection.

Believe and receive the gift of faith or live in doubt. St. Thomas is alive and well in the world of unbelieving. It is a world looking to be self-reliant in all things until faced with a crisis beyond control having to return to faith in others, in the power of unity and in the love and mercy of God. “Blessed dare those who have not seen and have believed.”

Today is recognized as “Mercy Sunday” instituted as such by (Saint) Pope John Paul II after the Canonization of Faustina Kowalska. In her diary, Faustina writes of the promises of Jesus to those whose “Devotion of Divine Mercy” includes confession and receipt of Holy Communion. The promise of forgiveness of sins and heaven in the sacraments. Appropriately this day marks the gift of “confession” to the disciples after he breathes on them and proclaims, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” This sacramental gift is to the priesthood through Jesus resurrection to his disciples.

Confession is the visible sign of the invisible grace of God’s mercy. Just like many of Jesus’ healings were manifested through visible acts united to the act of faith to confirm the gift. In fact Jesus sign of his forgiveness of sins came with the act of healing because the body and soul are one to rise again in holiness. The act of faith is to believe in the gift and the visible act is to confess to his servant Priest who receive this grace to be in the person of Christ in the sacrament.

Confession is made to God in our humanity in unity with the church. Why would he give the disciples this gift if we can simply “go to Jesus” in the secrecy of our hearts? This public act of confession requires humility the foundation of holiness. It calls us to set aside our pride and admit our sins in an act of contrition. The Lord loves a humble heart. In this sacrament we hear the words of absolution spoken by the priest sent from God fulfilling his promise “whose sins you forgive are forgiven”. Then there is the final act of obedience as the priest says “for your penance…”. This is our gift back to God in thanksgiving for his love and mercy.

In this sacrament of confession, we are reminded God works through our humanity to lift us up to his divinity. This is why he chose to enter our humanity as an infant and carry the cross of our sins offering up his humanity as a sacrifice of love and mercy sanctifying us in his blood. An all-powerful God in all the possible means to manifest himself came to more perfect way of the cross to be our sacrifice. Alleluia! Alleluia!

What about us and our sacrifices of life, do they have meaning and purpose? In times of crisis we search for meaning and for God. The opportunity of redemption is a sacrifice. Today a pandemic has brought about many a sacrifice around the world with suffering and death. The world believes that “a crisis should not be wasted”. It looks for the opportunity to exploit a crisis for its own good. In the passion of Jesus his disciples fled in fear and Peter denied Jesus three times. In the resurrection Jesus now breathes on them the power of the Holy Spirit to fear not but rise and testify to the truth. This is our gift in baptism and we too are called in times of crisis to waste not this opportunity to witness to our faith, stand for the truth, and offer our sacrifices for as a greater good.

The way of the cross for humanity is our call to unity with the cross of Jesus for our redemption and that of the whole world. It is a call to be a servant of Jesus Christ in this hardship and bring the good news of salvation by our act of faith, hope, and charity. This is our day of redemption, this is our call to action, this is our way of the cross. This is the more perfect way to his divinity. Alleluia! Alleluia! He is risen.

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Homily

Paschal Triduum

Posted on April 9, 2020April 8, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Paschal Triduum – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday

Gospels: Jn 13: 1-15(Holy Thursday); Jn 18:1-19:42 (Good Friday); Mat 28: 1-10 (Easter Vigil); Jn 20:1-9 (Easter Sunday)

The Paschal Triduum once referred to as “the still days” returns once again to this message of being still in the celebration from sunset Holy Thursday through Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. During this time the bells of the church are silenced reminding us to silence our hearts in this solemn time of Jesus Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The question for us is how will we respond in this call to an interior solitude?

The Church recognizes signs of holiness, visible signs of invisible grace. It does so in the sacraments we celebrate with each sacrament having a visible sign beginning with baptism having the sign of water. The invisible grace is the coming of the Holy Spirit to reside in us and us in him. In the world today exist three visible signs of Christ representing his presence in the Paschal mystery of his passion, death, and resurrection. These signs remind us of a crucified man who underwent excruciating pain, died, and appears to be coming back to life. In fact, the word “excruciating” comes from “crucifixion”. What are these signs?

The visible signs of the Paschal mystery are three cloths where science has recognized as inexplainable by natural means and remain a mystery. What is not a mystery is what science reveals about the man crucified. The first signs is a cloth called “Sudarium” (latin for sweat-cloth) identified as Veronica’s veil and in Italian called the “Telo Di Oviedo” representing the location it is in. In the Via Dolorosa we recall Veronica wipes the face of Jesus and his blood and sweat leave an imprint on the cloth. This Sudarium is simply one mystery cloth until it is joined to the other two.

The second cloth is perhaps the most recognized in the world because it has been studied by scientist over the years. This visible sign is the Shroud of Turin, so called because of the location where it is kept. This cloth bears a negative image of a man whose body is scourged, face beaten and a crown of thorns placed on his head. The negative image of this man shows holes in his hands and feet indicating he was crucified. When a negative of the negative is made then a positive “picture” appears of this naked man crucified. The cloth is the traditional Jewish burial cloth able to wrap along his back and front area showing the scourging on his back, the wound on his side, the nails in hands and feet, the imprint of thorns on his head. Pope John Paul II now Saint John Paul II called the shroud “a mirror of the Gospel” something to be still and contemplate.

The third cloth is the covering over the face of a crucified man called the “Volto Santo Di Manopello” again because of the location where it is found but also known as the “Face of Jesus”. Having visited during a pilgrimage the site of Manopello the “Visitation Pilgrimage” group was privileged to be there on the day it was being exposed and processed through the community. This happens only twice a year. We were also given a presentation by a Franciscan Father who demonstrated the significance of each of the cloths together. Having each cloth overlap each other they produce a perfect fit revealing they belong to the same crucified man. The significance of the cloths also reveals by their pollen content that they represent the area of Jerusalem as their original location. More significant about this cloth is that science indicates areas of the face that are dead tissue and areas that are living tissue while the eyes are pinpoint as if just coming into the light. What does this mean?

The meaning of all three cloths beyond the significance that they belong to the same crucified man is the deeper mystery of these cloths, it is the Paschal mystery. Veronica’s veil is the cloth representing the passion of Jesus scourging; the burial cloth represents Jesus’ death in the tomb; and the “Face of Jesus” cloth represents the moment of the resurrection. This is the Paschal Triduum, this is our faith.

What we make of these “signs” is for our personal reflection. What we make of our faith has everlasting impact. These “signs” are left for us to contemplate our faith, what we believe and how we practice what we believe. Faith and reason remain in the heart of the soul to discern but the fact is these cloths remain to tell a remarkable story of a man brutally tortured, crucified, buried, and coming to life.

In time science will continue to study these three cloths and reveal much more of the crucified man but the truth is already revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. The sign we are given is faith through the Holy Spirit, in the sacraments of the church at the altar in memorial of the sacrifice we offer this Paschal Triduum and the sacrifice he gave for us. This man we call Jesus of Nazareth, the second Person of the Trinity, the Son of Man, our redeemer. This we believe, this we celebrate and this is our Easter! Be still and know that the great “I Am” is God with us. Be still and come to the deeper life of faith, hope and love. Happy Easter! Happy Resurrection Day! Alleluia! Alleluia!

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Homily

Palm Sunday

Posted on April 4, 2020April 3, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Is. 50:4-7; Ps. 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Phil. 2:6-11; Mt. 26:14—27:66”

“Field of Blood” set aside for foreigners “for it is the price of blood”, the blood of Jesus given for us “foreigners” passing through this land on our pilgrimage to heaven. It is set aside as the “potter’s field” for the poor, the suffering, the rejected by this world. The Field of Blood today is the empty graves claimed in victory by the blood of Jesus.

Who among us can wash our hands and say, “I am innocent of this man’s blood”? For all have sinned and share in the blood of Jesus. We are called to “be perfect” thus our imperfection is “sin”. In the agony of the cross, Jesus cries out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus fully human lives with us in our agony when we unite ourselves to him, we are not alone. Now is the time to cry out, now is the hour of need to overcome this coronavirus pandemic around the world and in our community.

Jesus gives up his spirit and the tombs of the righteous are opened. In baptism we have died in Christ, now is the time to open the tomb of our hearts hardened by sin, blind in the darkness of this world and all its temptations. The “earthquake” of our time is this pandemic and the Son of God is calling us to himself. The world seeks to secure the tomb of our lives by “fixing a seal” to any voice that speaks of God, sin, and/or repentance. “The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue…Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear” so are we listening, are we sharing the word made flesh? The word made flesh is Jesus, and in our flesh, we carry him forth. The world stands guard against anyone who wants to open the tomb of death through conversion of the world. The world wants to return to the past and claim victory for itself in overcoming this pandemic. God’s call is not a return to the past but to a return to him.

Today we are asked to be Joseph of Arimathea and care for the body of Jesus with our own riches. In charity to others we take Jesus body and wrap him in love and lay him down in our hearts to remain always with us. Today we are given this Lent to sit as “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” and contemplate the tomb of Jesus death, his suffering, and his presence in our lives. He has always been with us yet have we been with him? This is our call to grow in holiness being present to him not in fear but in love.

It is easy to be among each other without being present to the other. God comes to us in the other and asks “Do you love me?” Love him being present to him in prayer, in fellowship in our domestic church as home, and in reaching out to the other in need. Today is the day of atonement. “Who is this? This is Jesus…he was in the form of God…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” our salvation. Anyone of us may face the “the point of death” at any time. This pandemic is a daily reminder we must remain obedient to the Father. Today is the day of salvation.

The good news is we know how this story ends. It ends in victory in Christ Jesus, in the resurrection of the dead, and in eternal life. “Fear not” for the Passover of death by this virus will come and claim the body of some but the soul has claimed freedom in Christ and it cannot be taken away. We are marked by the sign of his blood and today we recall his passion, death, and resurrection. “O death where is your sting!” Remain in him, keep the faith, and stay on our pilgrimage to the new Jerusalem. God is good and deserving of all our love, thus we are good made in his image we have the gift of love. Love richly, love generously, love always!

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Homily

5th Sunday of Lent

Posted on March 28, 2020March 27, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Ez. 37:12-14; Ps. 130:1-8; Jn. 11:1-45

“I will open your graves…I will put my spirit in you that you may love…” In the mercy and fullness of redemption “whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” O death where is your sting! The sting of the serpent is lost in the power of the resurrection for the just. Who are the just? The just believe in him, receive the spirit, live in the spirit and are righteous. Faith is the first act of salvation to believe by our free will we humble ourselves to the mystery of faith. “Living” our faith is the fruit of believing.

Lazarus is raised from the dead “so that you may believe” in the power of Jesus, in the resurrection and in the “glory of God”. Lazarus however remains in the flesh subject to a mortal death. Jesus resurrection is the victory over death itself. Only the foolish see death as an end but our hope is in immortality. You shall know the just by their love for God is love and our love unites us to God in immortality. Jesus provides us a window into the immortality to come in four visible signs.

The first sign of immortality is an “impassability” in which there is no more death, suffering and disease. The mortality of this body is all that perishes but the soul and spirit are alive for eternity. “He is not the God of the dead but of the living” (Mt. 22:32). The power of this impassability is seen in the transfiguration as Jesus in transfigured by the light of heaven seen next to Moses and Elijah. Moses and Elijah are the visible sign of life after a mortal death of the body.

The second sign of immortality is “sotility” meaning a freedom from the material world. The visible sign is Jesus appearance to the disciples through the doors after his resurrection. Physically present he asks his disciple Thomas to touch his wounds and believe. Even before his resurrection he already demonstrated his divinity and walked on water towards his disciples. This is also seen in documented cases where souls are permitted to appear after the death of the body to holy souls and ask for prayers, masses, and penance to end their purgatory.

The third sign of immortality is “agility” to move through space at the speed of thought for the soul obeys the will. The visible sign is Jesus appearance on the road to Emmaus, on the shores of the sea, and in the room where the disciples were. This was his freedom to be present wherever his will desired. The souls of the just receive this gift to be present to God and to us most especially at the celebration of the Mass. The Mass opens the gates of heaven for the sacrificial offering we celebrate for our salvation and the redemption of souls.

The fourth sign of immortality is “clarity” meaning free from imperfections by being in the light of love, mercy, truth and the beatific vision. The only death is the death to lies. The visible sign we share of this clarity is the Word of God as he gave to the disciples and becomes our reality when we believe and follow the word made flesh, Jesus Christ. The reality of the word is made present when we believe, receive the Spirit and become the temple of the Lord. We are called to be the visible sign of immortality. Do you believe this?

O death where is your sting! We can think of death as coming to destroy life but it is Christ who comes to save us from evil, sin, sickness and darkness. We can think of death as an ending to a life as we know it and this is a reality, for we cannot reenter this existence again; let us also think of the new beginning into the immortal promises of God, the beatific vision of love itself. We can think of death as losing a part of ourselves when a loved one passes on left with the memories and treasures in our hearts; let us also think of gaining an intercessor for us whose love remains at our side as a worker for Christ in heaven. We can think of saying “goodbye” with tears in our eyes as the last breath of our loved one nears or we approach our final breath; let us also think of the reunion in heaven welcoming the souls of the just into the light of love and immortality. We can think of a “going away”; let us also reflect on the welcoming home into heaven. Finally, we can think of death whispering “you must go now”; let us listen to the voice of God calling us “Child of mine, arise!”

This is our Easter we celebrate each year, each time mortal death arrives, each time a soul is saved in baptism we are a recreation into immortality. In fact, our own mortal body passes through a death throughout our years of life as our cells die away and new cells are created so that every five years we live in a new body. Have we not left behind the child for the adolescent, the adolescent for the young adult, the young adult for the middle-aged person, and finally arrived at the elderly stage? The gift of the spirit also takes our soul through a journey of faith when we die to the old attachments to sin and are recreated into the image of our creator in greater holiness.

We are called to perfection and we cannot live out our perfection in isolation. It is in unity and fellowship with the church we come into immortality. We do not save ourselves, Jesus saves! Jesus saves by following him, his word, and his church. This Lenten season is as time to conversion while mortal death surrounds us in this COVID-19 pandemic. We are being called to repentance and conversion as children of the faith. The world does not recognize him but the faithful recognize him and our trust is in Jesus. Let us continue to pray, fast, and be charitable. It is to the degree of charity that we gain our perfection for immortality. What we do now matters! We are called to holiness, an unconditional love, sacrificial love, and purposeful living in love. Do you believe this? Believe and be saved!

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Homily

4th Sunday of Lent

Posted on March 21, 2020March 19, 2020 by Deacon Joe

1 Sam. 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Ps. 23:1-6; Eph. 5:8-14; Jn. 9:1-41

“Do you believe in the Son of Man?” This is the central question Jesus is asking of us today. Laetare Sunday brings back a sense of celebration for our Lenten journey. It is a time to reflect halfway through Lent on our spiritual journey, how our eyes are open to the presence of God removing our blindness to the work of the Holy Spirit, our awakening to sin, and our call to conversion. It is a time to say, “I do believe, Lord.” Do we believe God is present in the current COVID-19 pandemic preparing us for a greater conversion as a family of faith, a country and the world? Church history tells us that during the greatest crisis is when some of the greatest miracles have happened including all the apparitions of our Blessed Mary.

The gospel is rich in meaning beginning with the first question asked of Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” This shatters the central belief of sin of the time, bad things happen to sinners and good things to good people. We know that to be true in our own lives when we see the innocent suffer and the guilty live in prosperity. The response however is more profound for us, “it was so the works of God may be made visible through him.” We all sin and we all have an opportunity to look into our lives and allow God to do his works through us in good times and in bad. Every situation is an opportunity to receive the blessing of God and be a sign of light in the darkness of the world. Yes, this COVID-19 is an opportunity for the works of God to be made visible through him when we turn to him “seek and you will find”.

Jesus “spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his (blind man) eyes”. We are created out of the dust and water of the earth and Jesus actions is to be a sign of our new recreation in him after the fall of Adam and Eve. He sends him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam “which means Sent”. The Pool of Siloam is fed by the Gihon river considered to be the waters coming from the Garden of Eden. These waters were used for bathing to remove the sins of the people during Jesus time just as Mary was required to bathe after her time of delivery. In his obedience to Jesus he gains his sight. Today we are sent to the sacrament of confession to be washed clean of our sins. God seeks to remove our blindness to sin during this time of Lent and crisis and return to the light of truth.

The people who knew him see the miracle and yet do not accept that it is the same man. The evidence is before them but their blindness comes from believing only in themselves. The man answers “I am”. His “I am” can only be seen in scripture when Moses asks God “who do I say sent me” and God responds to tell them “I Am” sent you. This is the moment of truth. The man no longer blind uses the same words as God’s name to express his identity. He is now a new creation in God as we are in baptism and the reason to celebrate not only Laetare Sunday but every day of life. Lent is our recreation in God’s image more perfect by our love and following his commandments. “I am born again in spirit and in truth”.

The man born blind now gives testimony to his new creation in his response to the Pharisees. First the Pharisees are quick to judge based on their own practices of the Law. They judge now within the parameters of the Law saying, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath”. Again, the blindness to deny what is in front of them and trust in themselves. The man with new sight gives testimony not only to his physical miracle but to his spiritual rebirth in answering the Pharisee “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from…that God does not listen to sinners…it is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind…If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.” He is now the “teacher” of the Pharisees who remain blind before the miracle before them. We can see the COVID-19 pandemic as simply another freak act of nature or something greater in our conversion.

Jesus finds the man and asks him to confirm his faith with the question, “Do you believe in the Son of Man”. The man answers “I do believe, Lord.” The man then worshiped him. Lent is meant to awaken us not only to our sin but to our need to worship in spirit and in truth. Coming to church as an act of obedience to the Law is similar to the conviction of the Pharisees. We miss the miracle before us. We look only to what we accept and remain blind. Our sin remains for lack of faith. Jesus comes “into this world for judgment” to remove our blindness and return us to a holy place, sanctified by his blood. How may we remove our blindness and receive the gift of sight? The church is open to the sacrament of penance and now is the acceptable time to go to confession and be washed clean of sin so our eyes may be opened to his presence. Let us go forth, sent to live in the light of Jesus Christ with eyes open to the revelation of truth in every circumstance, no matter how small or pandemic. Jesus, Joseph and Mary pray for us.

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Homily

Solemnity of St. Joseph

Posted on March 19, 2020March 19, 2020 by Deacon Joe

St. Joseph is the patron saint of dreamers and workers. He is also the Patron Saint of the Catholic Church given by Pope Pius IX. Dreams awaken us up to our deeper hopes, anxieties, desires, and fears. In fact in dreams we are workers and problem solvers as we allow the spirit to work in us and for us to deal with our daily work. Work is a means of sanctification, allowing work to bring us to holiness. It allows us to accept work to prosper our dreams for ourselves, our families, a good cause, and a mission. It can even become our calling in life.

Today our Diocese of Brownsville announced the suspension of all Masses until further notice to the public due to COVID-19. This is our Lenten season and we can appreciate that priests will continue to offer the Mass privately as an offering for this time of crisis. It is in our suffering we come to a greater conversion and sanctification. This is a time to come together in our homes as the domestic church and pray, fast, and offer our almsgiving for an end to this crisis. Let us pray to St. Joseph today to be our protector as he was for the child Jesus and Mary.

While little is said of St. Joseph in scripture, he is called a “righteous man”. His voice is silent except in his actions and they speak clearly. He listened to his dreams as coming from God and was obedient. A righteous man is honest and responsible to his work. A righteous man is a committed person. Once he understood the will of God he trusted in God and was obedient to do all that God asked of him without compromise.

Silent obedience is very difficult. We live in times where every opinion, action, or disagreement is posted on social media. We exercise our right to free speech regardless of impact. The virtue of silence is forgotten. If we would address our speech first to God, we would gain the virtue of prudence knowing when to speak and when to remain silent. Joseph in Hebrew has the meaning “he will add”. Joseph adds to the mystery of faith as a silent voice by his obedience.

Have you ever had a personality type test that identifies your traits? Named Jose carrying Joseph’s name sake my personality traits in the Briggs Myer test comes out as an “INTJ” meaning Introvert, iNtuitive, Thinking, and Judging. Introverts are of few words and in all of scripture Joseph is not quoted. His actions did all the talking and no words were needed. Joseph was Intuitive by understanding the dreams and following the guidance of God he not only spared the life of Mary he was obedient to the will of God. Joseph was a righteous man Thinking of a manner in which to “divorce her quietly” and save both their lives until he was given a dream. Joseph was Judging rightly to follow with obedience the angel of the Lord’s message. One of the strengths of an INTJ is that of “strategist”. A good strategist listens to the voice of God before entering into battle against the enemy. The voice says “fear not, I am with you.”

Was Joseph an INTJ we do not know but we can see in his actions one virtue needed in all of us and that is humility. Humility is the first unifying virtue in receiving Jesus as Lord and savior. Jesus humility is coming as a child without fear trusting in the humility of a mother and father to follow the spirit of truth. Jesus trusted in Mary and Joseph to be love and sacrifice for his love. What does your name represent and what name may Jesus be offering as a true calling that unites who he created us to be in his image with the unique characteristics of our personality? Ask and it shall be revealed.

Let us pray to St. Joseph for us to listen to the voice of God in our dreams, our work, our prayer, and our fellowship as a community of faith. Let us practice the virtue of silence before we speak even if for a moment to gain the virtue of prudence and lead us to righteousness, meaning right action. Let us also ask for St. Joseph’s protection as we live through this pandemic in our world. St. Joseph pray for us and add to our protection.

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Homily

3rd Sunday of Lent

Posted on March 14, 2020March 11, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Exodus 17:3-7; Ps. 95:1-2, 6-9; Rom. 5:1-2, 5-8; Jn. 4:5-42

“Lord…give me living water” to worship in Spirit and truth. God is Spirit and the living water comes in Spirit and truth for us to do the will of the Father. Jesus is the messiah sent to do the will of the Father “and to finish his work”. Jesus now send us to continue in the harvest reaping and sowing the work of God. We share in the fruits of the work done by others who came before and now it is our turn to sow for the future of those to come. What we reap is from the sacrifice of those who responded to the voice of God in salvation history and who proclaim “Jesus is Lord”. What we sow is testimony to the faith we proclaim in our own calling to sacrifice for love of God. The gifts we receive is seed for sowing a harvest yet to come.

Today in the gospel we enter into the process of conversion with the Samaritan woman. Her encounter begins with a man she recognizes as a Jew thirsty for water. Her reaction is to question first that which separates her from him, she a Samaritan and he a Jew. She worships in her “mountain” of Sychar and he in Jerusalem. We often find ourselves more concerned questioning with what divides us from others, rich or poor, minority or majority, race, creed, male or female that with what unites us. If we allow what separates us to dominate our hearts then soon there is no one left to unite our hearts with, no other and we miss out on God who comes to us in other as he appears now to the Samaritan woman as Jesus.

The next step in her conversion is questioning this Jewish man’s identity, “Are you greater than our father Jacob?” Jesus response is an offering of an eternal gift “whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst”. Her response is to seek and ask “so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” Jesus then tells her what she has not confessed and in this her conversion rises to believe Jesus is a prophet. For many in our world Jesus is a historical figure, a wise “prophet” with good teachings but difficult teaching to follow. This level of conversion allows a person to accept only the teaching they justify to themselves and to ignore what is not in their “comfort zone”. Truth and acceptance of truth is the beginning of conversion and now the woman sees a prophet. Who is Jesus in my heart?

The woman then “listens to him” and his teaching of God the Father in Spirit and truth becoming more united to him by proclaiming “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ; when he comes, he will tell us everything.” To this Jesus responds, “I am he, the one speaking to you.” Her heart is now opened to the message, she leaves her jar and goes back to town to tell the people “come see…Could he possibly be the Christ?” We are invited to “come see” what Jesus is ready to reveal in us when we worship in Spirit and truth. We “come see” as a community together and he reveals himself in the celebration of the Eucharist. “Come see” what the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ” is ready to reveal to us as the body of Christ when we receive him in Spirit and truth. We see Christ and “he will tell us everything” when we listen to his voice in the Word, the teaching, the prayers, and receive him in the Eucharist.

Now the woman in community with her town gather and invite “Christ” to stay with them proclaiming “we know that this is truly the savior of the world.” This happens because they too come to “listen to him” and his word leads them to conversion. Jesus calls us to fellowship “where two or three are gathered in his name” he comes to us to unite us in Spirit and truth. From stranger to Jew to prophet, to Christ and finally to “savior of the world”.

Is Christ my savior or am I still on this journey of faith resisting the call to worship in Spirit of truth? The Spirit is the gift of the Holy Spirit given to us at baptism. The Spirit of God is ready but where is our spirit of faith, hope, and love? The Spirit responds to the will given us to go forth, take the next step of faith, trust in the Lord, “come and see”. Surrender is a powerful force not of weakness but of strength when our surrender is to God. Let us invite him now to give us living water, the hour has come and he is “the one speaking with you” in your heart.

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Homily

2nd Sunday of Lent

Posted on March 7, 2020March 9, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Genesis 12:1-4a; Ps. 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22; 2 Tim. 1:8b-10; Mat. 17:1-9

Am I a believer? Then “Rise, and do not be afraid.” Abram was not afraid to leave behind a life he had created for himself and his family to go to the promise land of “a great nation”. Jesus “touched them” that is Peter, James, and John calling them to rise and not be afraid of the voice of God calling them to recognize “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” St. Paul in his letter to Timothy is calling him to “Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.” There is a plan for us “according to his own design…before time began”. Are we a believer?

The believer is in search of their destiny in the plan of God. The transfiguration in today’s gospel is the metamorphoses in Christ Jesus “who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light”. It is a revelation of the light of Christ and we are to “listen to him”. Jesus is the voice of God and is God who we prostrate our hearts to. A believer listens to the voice of God in the gospel unafraid to follow in abandonment of self. This is our Lenten journey to fear less the call for abandonment of self, “listen to him”, and believe in the gospel. The believer will climb of mountain of faith, become transformed into the light of courage and be guided into the plan of God destined for his glory.

Abram, Peter, James, John and Paul all heard the voice of God and their transformation was instant, complete, and unafraid. This is the power of our baptism, the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Word made flesh when we come to receive as a believer. Here also lies the fault when our will to believe is weakened by our will to follow our own ways. If only we would stop and “listen to him”, “seek and you shall find” what is God asking of us in the moment we face. There is a local expression made famous by President Ronald Reagan who said “trust but verify”. We are to trust ourselves with the gift of the Holy Spirit and the graces poured out for us to believe and go forth but we are to also take time to listen for the voice of God and verify we are following the will of God. This is the covenant to walk in unity with God in three persons and with “our neighbor”.

This unity is a unity with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We see this unity in the Sacred Heart of Mary crowned as Queen of Heaven. We see this unity in the heart of the saints whose sacrifice was in unity with the will of God. We see this unity in our church when we gather together to offer our sacrifice of the Mass with penance, praise, and worship. We also see this unity when we gather to pray as a family in our home uniting our hearts to be one with God, one in understanding, hope, and love. This is the fruit of the believer. There is no longer two, three or more but of one heart, voice, and mind. I am a believer.

The plan of God is perfect. In the transfiguration is Moses a sign of the Law of God, Elijah a sign of the Word of God in the prophets, and Jesus the fulfillment of both. Lent is our call to follow the law of God given in the word of God and perfected in the son of God as priest, prophet, and king to become flesh in our being, that is of one body, soul, and divinity with Jesus. This is receiving communion as we come to the Eucharist to receive Christ himself and be transformed as bone of our bones and flesh of our flesh, one in the Trinity of God with all the angels and saints.

A prayer for the believer in the Great “I AM”:

God is good and deserving of all my love; thus, “I Am” good made in his image

“I Am” perfect as called to be, in the perfection of this moment.

“I Am” master all that has been given to me; much have I received

“I Am” of perseverance in good times and in bad; in the joys and sorrows of life, God is present

“I Am” of prayer for God’s mercy, seek his love, trust in this divine providence

“I Am” a believer, “I Am” of prayer, “I Am” of trust, and “I Am” called to go forth.

“I Am” in the one body, soul, and divinity

The Great “I AM”

Am I a believer? I am to “Rise, and do not be afraid.” I am to “Listen to him” and fear not to go to the promise land destined for the believer.

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