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Homily The Deacon Joe

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Acts 22: 3-16; Ps. 117: 1bc, 2; Mk. 16: 15-18

St. Paul as Saul persecuted “this way” of Christianity to death until his conversion.  Saul did not act out of his own power alone.  He exercised legitimate power with the “letters” of authority from the high priest in a culture of death.  He had coercive power to bind in chains all followers of the “way”.  Saul had expert power “strictly educated in the ancestral law” and he had referent power as a Jew “zealous for God”.  By all means he could claim righteousness in his persecution of the “way” of Christianity except he was unrighteous in error before the eyes of God.

In Saul’s conversion, Ananias reveals to him the “God of our ancestors”. This is the same God in who he believed to be acting righteously who now allowed Saul “to see the Righteous One and to hear the sound of his voice”. Saul has a complete conversion to be Paul a witness and Apostle.  Paul’s new legitimate power comes from Jesus to be a witness of what he has seen and heard.  Paul now in baptism has coercive power to bind in chains the spirit of demons.  Paul’s expert power now is given through the power of the Holy Spirit.  He also had referent power through his encounter with Jesus the Nazorean to “know his will” as the one designated as Apostle.  There is power in the name of Jesus and we receive the inheritance of this power in our baptism.  Saul’s conversion to Paul was a conversion from a culture of death to a culture of life. 

This past week we had the annual March for Life and the Women’s March in D.C.  Both stand before the righteousness of their beliefs and in opposition from each other but there can only be one righteous truth before God.  One stands for life from conception to death for all the other for defense of women’s right to choose life or death for the unborn.  One accepts the sacrifice of self for other and the other promotes the sacrifice of other for self.  One represents actions made in the image of God while the other represents actions made in the original sin of humanity.  One fulfills the ancestral law of commandment to love God and neighbor while the other fulfills the ancestral law of relativity governed by gods made by humanity.  If numbers reflect any significance in history the March for Life began as a small demonstration in 1973 and has grown to hundreds of thousands.  The Women’s March began in in 2017 with hundreds of thousands and has quickly dropped in attendance to the tens of thousands.  The battle for rights is a war on culture and the dignity of human life as “one nation under God with liberty and justice for ALL”. 

The “Way” is not about us and our righteousness.  It is about Jesus who we persecute when we make it about us.  Saul’s blindness made it about himself in his zealousness but God’s mercy made him blind by the light of truth to see his sin and bring him to conversion.  Where does our righteousness come from “my way” or the “way” Jesus left us?   

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Homily The Deacon Joe

Friday January 4th of Christmas Time

Posted on by Deacon Joe

1 Jn. 3: 7-10; Ps. 98: 1, 7-9; Jn. 1: 35-42

A new year brings us the sense of new beginnings with new opportunities as Christians to live our lives in acts of righteousness.  Our prayer this day is that we see the saving power of God.  How are we to see his saving power?  It begins with an act of faith, with songs of praise, shouts of joy, and trust in God’s rule over the world. 

The gospel reading today is the beginning of Christ’s mission after his coming through the womb of Mary in his humanity to bring us his divinity.  He calls us as he called his disciples to follow.  “Come, and you will see.”  This is our message of today.  Take an act of faith and come to the Lord.  Come as you are.  Come as a sinner, poor, hungry, sick and weak in need of a savior.  We come through prayer, in confession in our celebration of the Mass.  We come by reaching out to others and giving of ourselves.  We come by offering our day, this moment to God with thanksgiving and praise.  Often we must take the act of faith in the darkness of life by taking the next right step he has placed in our hearts which leads to the light.  If we always saw the light we simply would need to do an act of the will and follow.  The disciples we told “Behold the Lamb of God” and in an act of the will followed.  We can behold the Lamb of God in the Eucharist truly present and follow him through our sacraments.

When we are in the darkness, let us give praise to God for he is with us in our darkness waiting on us to open ourselves up to Him.  In the darkness we are to pray, “Here I am Lord, I offer you my intellect, my will, and my emotions, this body and soul let it be done to me according to your will.  I offer you my darkness with an act of hope for your divine providence.  I offer you my praise as an act of love.  I offer you my actions as an act of faith in your guiding love.  I come to you, come to me with a word of truth to my mind.  I come to you, come to me in a consolation of peace in my heart.  I come to you, come to me with a sign of hope through the action of others.  I come to you, come to me that I may see your saving power that I may follow in your love.” 

Jesus took Simon, son of John and called him “Cephas” translated as Peter and “rock”.  Jesus wanted Simon as a rock of faith but this required many trials for Peter to become the rock for Christians.  Jesus is calling us also by name.  What name may he be giving us as his followers?  Do we need to be “rock” in leading our domestic church at home or “grace” in testimony of holiness, or “joy” in thanksgiving?  We too have a name to represent our call to service but we start by coming to see as disciples before we are sent forth as apostles.  In taking his name as Peter he passed through his darkness before he became the light of “rock”.  This is taking up our cross daily and following Him.  Trust in the Lord he has given us a purpose to follow, each according to God’s plan but all as Christians, that is followers of Christ. 

Today is also the Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, a Religious who in many ways lived a traditional Christian life with periods of darkness as when she lost her mother as a child of 3 years and periods of light when she entered the Catholic faith to begin her calling to set up a school for girls and later the order of Sisters of Charity.  Through this she was also a mother, a wife, and a widow in her earthly pilgrimage.  She is the first American born canonized Saint by the Church.  It is in the ordinary life that God’s call is to do extraordinary virtue with our lives. 

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Homily

2nd Sunday of Advent

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Bar. 5: 1-9; Ps. 126: 1-6; Phil. 1: 4-6, 8-11; Lk. 3: 1-6

Advent is a celebration of the great things the Lord has done for us and joyful anticipation of the “splendor of glory from God” to come.  How are we to prepare the way for the Lord?  The answer lies in the truth, goodness, beauty of love with the courage to take the first step in trusting God. 

Consider the dance of courtship for a couple.  In the first encounter of attraction the eyes look away in fear of giving away the attraction itself hoping the other has the courage to look at us.  Christ is the other whose eyes of love gaze on us first inviting us to look closer at him who loved us firsts.  In courtship we hope the other will give a sign first that they desire to seek us in fear of being rejected if we dare to seek first their attention.  Christ is the other inviting us to seek him in response to his love.  The “one who began a good work in you (at baptism) will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” coming.  When do I seek you O’ Lord if only in my trials and sorrows that even then you are ready to respond to my heart? 

In courtship we ponder if the relationship has a future for a lasting commitment and worry it may end in disappointment.  In Jesus “fear not” his love is never ending, the promise of all promises called a covenant for eternal glory is a gift waiting to be opened.  In courtship we desire the greater love that it “may increase ever more and more…pure and blameless.”  Through Jesus Christ come the perfect love and the fruit of righteousness where we grow “in knowledge and every kind of perception to discern what is of value.”  This fruit of righteousness comes from the courage to love first the other.  The foolish turn away from love towards their own misery. 

There was a young woman who left home for college.  She always felt close to her mother but distant from her father.  She desired a greater love from him growing up but feared they would not have that close relationship she longed for.  He was a good father as a provider for the family but he was not very affectionate and not much of a talker.  Most of her emotional needs were provided by her mother but something was missing in her heart, the love of a father. 

Away from home she had time to reflect and God awakened in her knowledge that her father had grown up in a house of all brothers and no girls except for his mother.  Her perception was that maybe he just did not know how to be around females.  She made it a point to change that.  She was going to dare to love first.  The next time she visited for the holiday her dad was sitting on the couch reading the paper.  She went over and sat right next to him, grabbed his arm and asked “what are you reading?”  For a moment he forgot what he was reading surprised by his daughter’s outward expression of affection.  They began to talk first of what was in the newspaper, and then she questioned him on his thoughts and feelings.  She could tell he was uncomfortable and rather rigid but as she persisted he began to relax. 

That vacation she kept loving on him first without fear often by just sitting down next to him and striking a conversation.  By the end of the week he began to seek her attention, her thoughts and feelings.  After she left back to school she would call home and if her dad answered he would go on and on so much she had to ask to speak to her mom.  The days of her calling and him passing the phone to her mother were gone.  Who dares to love first dares to please God.  God will not disappoint. 

The world is filled with souls walking inside their own silos longing for a loving relationship even within their own home.  Suicide rates keep rising, drug use keeps growing, and families continue to separate and divorce feeling abandoned in their misery.  The helplessness of victimhood is the lie of the evil one who desires us to see no purpose in a suffering world.  We can accept the lie and continue to wander in this world or we can reject the lie and begin to believe in the love of God, in the heavenly glory to come with our Blessed Mother and all the angels, saints and our loved ones who have already entered into his kingdom.  We can claim the power of his love for ourselves and dare to love. 

Love prepares the way of the Lord.  Advent is our time to straighten the paths of our relationships.  Those mountains and hills that appear as barriers to God’s love must come down.  The winding road that seems to go in circles repeating the mistakes of the past we can make straight with the power of God’s love.  The rough ways are made smooth with the courage to do the next right thing so God can see our trust in Him.  The first step in trusting God is doing the next right thing so he may reveal himself and we shall see the salvation of the Lord.  The straight and narrow road is the road less traveled.  Dare we be the one to love first? 

This is our time to take off the “robe of mourning and misery” complaining why life is so difficult and our relationships imperfect.  The cloak of justice is to love first.  Trust God for the rest and we will discover the beauty, goodness and truth of his love not only in others but in ourselves.  “The peace of justice” is our name and we bring peace and justice in the Glory of God’s name.  This is the joy that lights our path. 

“You are as young in love as your faith, as old in your doubts as your fear, as young as your self-confidence to trust in God, as old as your despair to fear change, and as young as your hope for the change God desires in your life.”  It is the childlike trust to love always that we offer as our worship. 

“There is a choice you have to make in everything you do.  So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make makes you.”  (unknown author)  Stay young, embrace love and live in the joy of his presence.  He has his eyes on you. 

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Homily

1st Sunday of Advent Year

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Jer. 33: 14-16; Ps. 25: 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 14; 1 Thes. 3:12 – 4:2; Lk. 21: 25-28; 34-36

Parousia, meaning the second coming of Christ to earth will happen swiftly bringing upon us a general judgment.  Wait aren’t we preparing for Christmas, the “Nativity pre-feast” of the birth of Jesus, why are we reading in Luke about the second coming of Jesus to start our Advent?  In the Latin Rite the Advent season covers the joyful remembrance of the Lord’s first coming in His Incarnation and anticipation of the second coming at the end of time.  Many disciples expected Jesus’ second coming in their lifetime however Luke sees a longer period in history to come and it is important to “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life”.  Simply put lets us not get complacent about our faith so concerned with our daily comforts or anxieties we lose sight of the “big picture” our purpose in salvation history. 

St. Paul in Thessalonians has the same concern in prayer for the faithful “to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.  Amen”.    This Parousia covers the period after the birth of Jesus, the destruction of the temple, the period of time between until the full revelation of the kingdom at the second coming marking the end of time.  It is the fullness of time for the New Jerusalem. 

The New Jerusalem is now the city of God not as a land mass but a mass of people of faith in Jesus Christ.  It is marked by Jesus’ death, resurrection and outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  The city of God lies at all corners of the world in the temple of the people who receive the body of Christ in the Eucharist.  This city is now given a new name, “The LORD is our justice”.  It is the personal justice of God we are called to live daily proclaiming our faith as witnesses of holiness when we “increase and abound in love for one another and for all”.  For “one another” is for all believers and “for all” is for those of little or no faith.  Holiness makes no exceptions in love. 

Luke reminds us of Jesus teaching to his disciples that during this time between the first coming and second coming “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on earth nations will be in dismay”.  Every generation seems to live a period of persecution in their lifetime.  From the early church persecution after the destruction of the temple throughout history including all the world wars, to 9/11 and the uprising of Isis we see persecution of the faithful.  Yet we are not to confuse these signs as the second coming but remain “vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” 

Our call is to conduct ourselves to please God at all times.  I was at a conference on mental health and substance misuse and the question posed was “why do youth after experiencing an overdose have no fear in returning to the drug use that almost cost them their life?”  In part the answer was that youth are very resilient and experience no immediate long term consequence from the overdose experience.  I find that to be true of overall humanity.  How often do we know misuse of anything including overindulgence in food is not healthy even if there is some immediate consequence like an upset stomach or indigestion not to mention the excess weight gain?  For some the attitude is “we have to die of something, why not enjoy it?”  Then the permanent symptoms start to manifest like diabetes, hypertension, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and we begin to modify our behavior once we face the long-term damage. 

What about our basic values, are we living according to what we say we value?   We value honesty, integrity, responsibility, a strong work ethic among others yet how do we respond if honesty means admitting our fault, integrity means doing the right thing even if it is going to cost us more, responsibility means no excuses, and a strong work ethic means consistently doing our best regardless of the circumstances?  All of a sudden our actions and reaction finds justification for being less than the best God created us to be.  We lose sight of our call to conduct ourselves to please God at all times. 

Let us look at our moral values, the standard between good and evil.  We value fidelity in our relationships, justice vs. cheating in our negotiations, and giving respect to others regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic status.  From this comes thou shall not commit adultery, steal, and thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.  Commandments come from the basic human struggle between good and evil and the temptation to serve ourselves before others. 

Let us look at our Christian values, the standard God set with his people.  We value marriage vs. “living together”, we value obedience to God by denial of self, and we value a pattern of conduct after Jesus.  Jesus came into the world that we may have his witness to pattern our lives in his image.  There is a book titled,
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis.  In it is a section of being “Eternally Minded”.  Being eternally minded is being Christ to the world. 

Thomas Kempis addresses the struggle between “human nature and grace” which “move in opposite directions unless you are spiritual in inwardly perceptive.”  He draws the contrast as human nature “deceives…always has selfish motives…But grace walks in simplicity and turns away from every appearance of evil.”  “Nature strives for its own advantage…Grace considers…what will benefit many people”. “Nature eagerly accepts honor and reverence.  Grace directs all honor and glory to God.”  “Nature fears shame and contempt.  Grace rejoices in humiliation for the name of Jesus.”  “Nature loves leisure and bodily rest.  Grace cannot be idle and gladly embraces hard work.”  This is our calling to follow the road less traveled of moral excellence. 

Scripture says in 2 Peter 1: 5-8 “Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.  If these are yours and increase in abundance, they will keep you from being idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  These are the graces in the imitation of Christ he is prepared to offer the soul who seeks to remain eternally minded.  These are the building blocks of a house that withstands the storms of life without fear.  This is the city that claims “The Lord is our justice.” 

In the struggle between good and evil there is a simple standard to follow.  It is “Do the next right thing”.  When in doubt do the next right thing.  When we find ourselves anxious about a major decision affecting the future do the next right thing today.  Trust in God and allow him to work for our greater good by doing the next right thing out of love for Him this moment.  It is easy to be deceived when we act with intent to control the outcome regardless of whether it is a right or wrong action.  That is the voice of the evil one.  Listen to the voice of God who is just and holy to guide our conduct in doing the next right thing that matters to him in our lives.  When we live according to our values we receive the joy we seek in Advent.  It is the joy that God is with us now, in his second coming, and eternally. 

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Homily

Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Rom. 10: 9-18; Ps. 19: 8-11; Mt. 4: 18-22

Faith comes from hearing the proclamation of the Word.  The question is not are we called to proclaim the Word the question is how are we called to proclaim the Word?  Today is the celebration of the Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle the first called by Jesus to follow him.  St. Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist before Jesus called him.  This reminds us of the first action of any follower is repentance as John the Baptist preached.  Repentance comes with a conversion of the heart.  Conversion of the heart comes from faith and faith from hearing the proclamation of the Word.  Who is called to proclaim the Word? 

The call to follow is for all of us.  We are all called to proclaim our faith.  The question that remains is how we are called to proclaim our faith.  Little is known of St. Andrew in scripture and according to tradition, St. Andrew preached in Greece and was martyred on an X-shaped cross.  The call to proclaim the Word in preaching is not a human gift but a divine grace guided by the Holy Spirit.  St. Teresa of Calcutta wished to be a pencil in God’s hand for she proclaimed Word by service to the poorest of the poor.  Preachers are called to be a tongue for truth in proclaiming the Word to bring souls to repentance and awaken the faith. 

The call of all the faithful is to proclaim the Word by actions of love for God and neighbor.  St. Francis of Assisi is known by tradition for saying “Preach always speak when necessary” though there is no written history of it.  The statement is a testimony of his life mission to preach by acts of love.  He overcame his struggle in accepting lepers who were seen as sinners and found the love to embrace them.  If we are to be witnesses of God’s love it begins by loving the sinner and not the sin.   The first step to love a sinner is to recognize the sin in our own lives as forgiven sinners.  Do unto others what God has done for us, forgive.  That is in the prayer he left us, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  Our first call begins with acceptance of God’s mercy and forgiveness. 

My “day job” is heading a non-profit company that works in the field of addictions.  The field of addictions has developed along evidence-based practices including medication assisted treatment to overcome the grip of substance misuse.  The field has never abandoned the Twelve Step tradition of recovery.  In the Twelve Step tradition there is a realization of our own powerlessness over the substance misuse and only a power greater than ourselves we call God can restore us to sanity thus we turn our will over to our God.  In surrendering our will over to God we become the best proclaimers of our faith in our struggles of life.  It becomes our testimony of love and our compassion for others is magnified by recognizing our own weakness and sinfulness. 

We all have our story of struggle and the misuse of our own gift of life leading us to sin.  We also have our story of redemption from God’s love and mercy.  In those intimate struggles we can offer others the same hope of recovery in their struggles and the same call to turn their life over to God who has the power to give us a rebirth of wholeness and life of love.  Proclaim the gospel of God’s love and grace will perfect us in the divine image of his Son Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

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Homily

Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Dn. 7: 13-14; Ps. 93: 1, 2, 5; Rev. 1: 5-8; Jn. 18: 33b-37

For the past weeks the readings have been about the coming of the messiah and his kingdom.  The kingdom is not of this world but with today’s celebration of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe we recognize he is not of this world but is in this world.  “The Lord is King, he is robed in majesty.  Jesus Christ is the first born of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.”  If Jesus Christ is ruler of the kings of the earth then why is there so much evil still in this world?   The world is becoming more secular and leaders of nations feel no obligation to a “higher power” we call God.  The answer lies in his priests, prophets, and kings that is to say his kingdom is in us and the difference we make in this world. 

There is a group of religious called the Sisters of Divine Providence whose devotion and faith is based on the belief God is working with us, through us, and in us for his divine plan and if we belong to the “peoples, nations and languages (who) serve him” his divine providence will be seen in this world.  The hand of God is leading us and in our prayer life we discern the will of the Father and our joy. 

Today is the final Sunday of the Church year.  This is our “New Year’s Eve”.   It marks the end of all our offerings of love, service, and worship to God this past year and a time for reflection.  Taking time to reflect on “the big picture” of our life, am I closer to God?  Is our family living the faith we profess in Church at home?  What about this community of St. Francis Xavier, is there life in the church and how do we contribute to this life as a stronger community of faith?  Just like in any New Year’s resolution it begins by looking back at the path we have followed and how we have made God the center of this journey of life we follow. 

This is also a Sunday to give thanks for all the blessings this past year.  If we count our blessings one by one, we realize we would never come to an end in recognizing how good God is and how much more we could receive if we live the gospel message “let thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  These days there seems to be a renewed interest in journaling but unlike in the past when you looked for a nice cover journal with blank pages to write on the new method is guided more like a planner.  These journals help in setting priorities for each day, recording achievements, evaluating progress, and planning for the future.  You establish your goals for recreation, education, career, nutrition, personal development, name it track it!  This Sunday we should make our New Year’s resolution to name our spiritual goals or God’s call for this coming year.  Name it, prayer life, service, charity, family devotions, adoration with the Lord, visiting nursing homes, church life and then consider the endless list of opportunities to fulfill those goals.  The opportunities are here then track it.  God is not done with us yet.  Jesus’ prayer is for unity that we may all be one as he is in the Father that we may be in him.  This is God’s call for a personal relationship with his Son our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. 

As we take time to look back on this year we can be the judge of our life with God.  We begin by recognizing how faithful were we to coming to Mass, going to confession when we missed Mass or when we knew we had sinned against God and neighbor.  For what we did to others we did to God, good and bad, feed the hungry or neglect the orphan God was present.  With the end of the year comes Advent.  Advent comes from the Latin meaning for “coming” and is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ his year in our lives.  It is a time of joy and self-preparation for receiving more of Jesus in our hearts.  Christ the King is with us but how much of him we receive depends on our self-preparation.  This Sunday we can make a resolution for greater self-preparation for the coming year that we may experience his divine providence daily with joy.  There was a time when I was very traditional with all my New Year’s resolutions in the secular world.  It included goals to lose weight, exercise more, lower my cholesterol, or read more.  Over the years at some point it took a turn towards areas of human development such as to be more patient, have greater humility, and “come out of my shell” meaning less introverted.  As part of the diaconate formation we were asked to set goals for spirituality, service, study, and then track it.  This was our form of journaling. 

Let us consider how we would establish our spiritual goals for the coming year.  The first thought is our prayer life.  Consider when we pray, morning upon rising, for meals during the day, at bedtime or even as we drive to work or school.  Consider how we pray with set prayers, the rosary, the chaplet of divine mercy, as a family, in our own words, by coming to adoration, and in the celebration of the Eucharist in Mass.  Consider what we pray, our adoration of God, our contrition, our supplication and our thanksgiving for the blessings of the day, the moment, the answered prayer.  What about our Sacraments?  This is the call for coming to Confirmation, Convalidation of Marriage, coming into full communion in the Church through Rite of Christian Initiation.  Call and set up an appointment to see a priest and prepare to receive the fullness of faith.  

What about penance as a spiritual goal in atonement for our sins and those of someone we know or for the whole world?  Penance is not high on the list of many in fact we generally only reflect on penance when we go to confession.  Have you ever wished you could intervene to help someone who was committing sin but felt helpless in that situation?  You hear, pray for them.  Prayer is a form of penance, an offering of self for others.  When we go to confession we may have the priest say as a form of penance something like “say an Our Father and three Hail Mary’s”, or read a particular scripture or prayer card.  It is penance that is very specific in its action.  When we make an offering of penance in our prayer it becomes very specific in nature, praying a set number of rosaries, coming to a set number of Saturday devotions in Mass, name it, track it.  Penance not only helps to purify us, it also serves to work in the mystery of God’s love for all his people, his plan of salvation, the greater good and in divine providence. 

One thing I am discovering is that age plays tricks on memory unless you write it down where you can review it and even use that review as a form of prayer and reflection.  Now if I see a rise in sales for journals this week, I am not making a pitch for “Black Friday” or “Cyber Monday” shopping.  Society is ruled by the power of the almighty dollar which if you notice continues to lose value and buying power.  Its’ value changes by the politics and economics of the world yet this is what governs a Godless nation and peoples.  Our king and kingdom is not of this world and its value is endless, constant, and universal.  Christ the King gives us an eternal wedding feast (Rv. 19:9) and in the Mass we participate and receive what is eternal, good, blessed, and personal.  We are not alone in this celebration. With us are our faithfully departed loved ones, the saints, and our Blessed Mother who we will see again in his coming. 

I will give thanks that God can use this to guide a soul to him and for a greater good.  This is the time for our spiritual new year’s resolutions.  So many graces are lost for the unprepared soul.  It is with thanksgiving that we end the year and with joy that we prepare for the coming year.  Let us be a well prepared soul for his coming is at hand.  Let us be ready to answer the call of our King of Glory and live in his kingship. 

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Homily

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Dn. 12: 1-3; Ps. 16: 5, 8-11; Heb. 10: 11-14, 18; Mk. 13: 24-32

We are now coming to the end of the Church year and with it the readings focus on eschatology, the “last things or end times” to prepare us for the second coming of Jesus.  Who is wise?  Wise is the person who seeks knowledge to make perfect the judgement of reason.  Wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit first given to us in baptism.  A wise person is concerned with where they will spend eternity.  This concern alone causes a wise person to seek knowledge to make perfect in judgement the path of life they are following to be ready. 

Death is a clear sign of the end in this world as we know it for the person who dies.  To speak of the end of the world as we know it in a cosmic sense or to use the word “eschatology” or “last things” is rarely preached in part because it lies in a veil of mystery.  Death can seem surreal until we experience it in the loss of someone and we are reminded of our mortality.  Jesus lets his disciples know that even he does not know only the Father knows when the consummation of the divine plan of salvation will happen but that is not a reason not to reflect on his coming.  What we do know is that the beginning of the end times began with the birth of Christ and continues to unfold until the second coming.  In the interim we “are to be vigilant at all times” knowing our own particular death and particular judgment can happen at any time. 

The plan of salvation is our daily call to repentance, to prayer for God’s mercy, and to celebrate life for the passing from this life is a sign of victory over death and a promise of eternal life.  That day will bring us a general resurrection of the body, general judgment, heaven or hell.  This divine event hangs over the world.  He warns that in those days the “sun will be darkened and the moon will not give light”.  This is the darkness of horror and disgrace from sin whether in the persecution of the early church or in our times.  How many souls are being lost due to a darkened consciousness that gives no light to the world?  They live without the light of the Holy Spirit and their souls are darkened from the sight of God.  God is known by the light of reason, by the wonder of the natural law all around, by the coming of the Holy Spirit but so many fail to seek, fail to call to the one waiting to come into our lives.  We fail the test of wisdom when we fail to seek Jesus who is our inheritance.  

The Catechism of the Catholic Church #675 states in part “Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.  The persecution…will unveil the ‘mystery of iniquity’ in the form of religious deception at the price of apostasy from the truth.  The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God…”  When clergy glorify themselves within the Catholic Church with iniquity in the abuse of others it shakes the faith of many believers and is an apostasy to the grace given in baptism and ordination.  The mystery of iniquity is the gross injustice by the abuse of authority and power within the Church.  Fear not, Christ is faithful to his promise.  Persevere in truth Christ does not abandon his bride.  Jesus message is of a God who is patient, loving and merciful, waiting “until his enemies are made his footstool”.  His enemies are those who promote a culture of death in pseudo-messianism.    

In the book of Daniel we are reminded “Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people” is here to “defend us in the battle, be our protection against the snares of the devil” that we may not fall into an “everlasting horror and disgrace”.  This week the US Catholic Conference of Bishops met to confront the crisis of horror and disgrace facing the church for failing to protect the most vulnerable.  It is the crisis of our times in the church.  First we must define the “crisis” to respond in good judgment.  It is a crisis of trust by those choosing to betray the trust given them in abusing others and in danger of “an everlasting horror and disgrace”.  It is a crisis of leadership in failing to respond with action and act wisely to protect the flock once the horror is revealed.  Finally it is a crisis of faith when our mother church is harmed by a shepherd shaking the faith of believers.   

It is in these days of tribulation we are to “Learn a lesson from the fig tree.”  The fig tree is itself a sign of hope in the tree of life and the cycle of life.  Generations come and pass but his word is everlasting to the present moment.  The “branch becomes tender and sprouts new leaves” meaning new life in the spirit during times of persecution and “unsurpassed in distress”.  This is the time when great saints come forward to testify to the truth and bring conversion to the poor in spirit.  If not now when?  If not us who?  The Lord has set aside our “allotted portion and my cup” and he “holds fast my lot”.  It is like a treasure we hold but if we lack the wisdom to act in good judgment for the good it is intended we are like the foolish bridesmaids unprepared for the coming savior.  The history of the church is marked by great saints and faithful clergy yet we are always to pray for them, for faithfulness, wisdom, and leadership. 

There are many “stars” of sanctity “who lead the many to justice” in the church and as we pray for them let us pray for ourselves as we discern together to make perfect in judgment the path to follow.  We also are called to be stars of sanctity and “shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament” that is the heavens.  It challenges us to question “where do we want to spend eternity”?  He provides each of us “the path to life”.  If we desire the “fullness of joys (in his) presence, the delights…forever” we cannot be lukewarm followers or lukewarm clergy.   Lukewarm by the faithful is living up to traditions in the church but our hearts are far from Jesus.  Lukewarm by clergy is clericalism to fulfill the duties of the church and not the calling to be an imitation of Christ.  From the wood of the tree Jesus was crucified on the cross as the single offering of his life for our sins.  Our offering we bring to him now in the sacrifice of the Mass is the gift of love we have given him this week by loving others, especially the stranger. 

The readings also are a word of great hope.  Our names to be found written in the book of life are the promise of our inheritance and we rejoice in confidence because Christ is with us prepared to show us the path to life when we seek him.  Jesus Word will last forever spreading to the four corners of the world.  When Jesus says “Amen, I say to you this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place” it leads his disciples to think the second coming will be in their lifetime.  They lived through the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, their own persecution, and the end to the old covenant of animal sacrifices and the beginning of the new covenant.  Many who had fallen asleep were awaken as Jesus descends to the dead after his death bringing salvation for everlasting life or everlasting horror and disgrace.  That generation was given the fullness of the gospel message as every generation since then as earthly kingdoms rise and fall.

What about us, our generation?  The world as we know it will come to an end as all previous generations before have.  We see signs of the soul in darkness, horror, and disgrace in this world in many forms.  We see the clouds of darkness of our world.  We have the cloud of “euthanasia” under the veil of “quality of life” who sees no value in redemptive suffering but offers the choice to “die with dignity” wanting to preserve the ego without thought of eternity.  There is the cloud of “my right to choose” by giving life or denying life to the unborn.  There is the cloud of “cloning” to breed new life as preserving life but can there truly be another “you” without God?   There is the cloud of “moral relativism” to deny any truth but that of the individual thus denying there is a God at all.  There is the cloud of “gender identity” under the option of “questioning who I choose to be” denying who God created us to be.  The list continues to bring the clouds of darkness into the world and giving rise to our own times of great distress.

The tree of life in the church is being pruned of the dead branches that bring disease and steal the rich soil of its nutrients that is its’ faithful followers.  In visiting Israel and going to the Garden of Gethsemane there were trees thousands of years old wide at the base but quickly they became thin with new branches and leaves sprouting out.  These trees are visible signs of the foundation of the church for thousands of years and we are the new branch as the Church in our community of St. Francis Xavier here in La Feria, Texas giving new leaves of life to make perfect in judgment our path of life. 

The tree of life is Jesus who knows all these things will pass and has prepared a place for those who remain vigilant.  Shine like a star in heaven together with the saints and our Blessed Mother for the Son is at the right hand of the Father.  Faith and reason will lead us to the truth; Jesus is the truth where wisdom is found. 

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Homily

Friday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Deacon Joe

2 Jn. 4-9; Ps. 2119: 1, 2, 10, 11, 17,18; Lk 17: 26-37

Today’s readings are a prelude to this weekend’s readings and set the stage for the message of eschatology meaning “end times”.  It is a reminder of our need for “readiness” at any given moment to face our creator.  It also provides a warning of the antichrist, the “deceivers” using a label that has become very popular in our times.  It is called “progressive”.  Many identify as progressive in their ideology seeking a new identity in the cultural war, a new world order, embracing “change”.   If there is a constant it is change so it seems acceptable to promote change towards the good of others.  The dilemma is who defines appropriate change and determines what is the good of others?  Is it progressives with an agenda, the State, a world order, one race, one gender, one political party?  Let us not be deceived by the voices who claim to walk in the truth but deny Jesus Christ and his teachings.

“Anyone who is so ‘progressive’ as not to remain in the teachings of the Christ does not have God.”  The foundation of the good for others is the teachings of Jesus Christ not in an evolution guided by “progressivism”.  These teachings don’t change, they are a constant and they are labeled “commandments” not the right to choose.  Progressive ideology is based on the right to choose, this is seen as freedom.  God gave us a free will to choose him for “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!”  The truth is not complicated following the truth is the challenge of obedience, not my will but God’s will.  We can easily lose sight of God’s will during this holiday season focused on “eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building” all good until we sacrifice our time with God, our time serving others, our time in fellowship as faithful companions on the journey towards the “end times”.

If two share a bed and one is taken and if two women are working side by side and one is taken what does it tell us?  It says two things about the “end times”.  One is clear that the event is cosmic the whole world at all “four corners” will live it.  The second thing is individual, God knows his own who have remained faithful and followed the law, its commandments and those who are deceivers and their followers.

“Many deceivers have gone out into the world” some deny Jesus Christ but most deceivers are not so direct as an atheist would be.  Most deceivers don’t simply want to be accepted for who they claim to be; they seek to change who God created us to be.  Recently I joined a gym to improve my health.  As I got on a treadmill the screen television showed a news clip of a transvestite man dressed as a woman in a library coming to read to children from a book on transvestites.  These children were being deceived to believe they don’t have to accept their gender identity, they can question themselves and discover their choice of identity.  Beware of those who come in broad daylight with false teachings to steal the souls of those little ones in the name of “progressive”.  There is a “horror and disgrace” coming and is upon us.  Growing up I learned “dichos” those Spanish sayings of wisdom and one was “La mentira dura mientras que la verdad llega”, translation “Lies endure until truth arrives”.  Truth lies in Jesus Christ and he has arrived.

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Homily

The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Posted on by Deacon Joe

EZ 47: 1, 2, 8, 9, 12; 1 Cor. 3: 9c-11, 16-17; Jn. 2: 13-22

The Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of the Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in the Lateran, most often simply called Saint John Lateran stands for the unity of the church where bricks and mortar, body and blood, and soul and spirit meet for the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.  The full name clearly indicates this is not a celebration of a building but of the building up of the kingdom of God.  St. John Lateran is the “mother” church and the Papal major basilica dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.  In St. John the Baptist we have the one who announces the coming of the messiah and in St. John the Evangelist the spread of the gospel but its dedication to the Most Holy Savior is the center of our faith.  As the mother church it then is Cathedral of the Pope as Bishop of Rome.  If we look to the church as the “water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple…for they shall be watered by the flow of the sanctuary”  and we here in St. Francis Xavier in the Diocese of Brownsville are receiving the “trickling” of living water in our sanctuary where we “bear fresh fruit”. 

The fruit we bear is given to us as the body and blood of Jesus to be temples continuing to build up the one body.  Historically it took years to build a temple and many generations would only contribute but a portion of the vision to be completed.  Today we have skyscrapers that go up in a few years while at the same time other construction is demolished in an instant so our appreciation of creating something bigger than ourselves lacks that sense that we are part of a future called to lay our labor of love.  The “holy city, a new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God” is already being created and we have a great responsibility to fulfill in our time.  We can envision what it will be like and we can “taste and see” from the living water and enjoy some of the fruit even receive some of the “healing medicine” saved by the healing water from our baptism. 

Jesus is the temple raised up in three days from death and we share in his temple in the Eucharist that feeds our soul and in the Holy Spirit that abides in us to bring life, holiness, renewal, and joy to our lives.  Thus, “there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph. 4:6).  Unity in Christ is God’s plan of salvation.  Unity in Christ is bringing the waters of life to others in our homes and in the many ministries of service we support. 

Today, I was at a conference and it provided a lunch with a speaker.  The speaker was a pastor from a protestant faith in support of churches getting involved to support children in foster care.  When he started this ministry he understood not all families could accept a child for foster care but all families could contribute in support of those families who did from his congregation.  As he goes around telling his story to other pastors and church leaders he asks this question.  Do you have a music ministry?  Do you have a men’s group and a women’s group ministry?  They say “yes”.   Then he asks them where in the bible does it say you need to have those ministries?  He then asks the key question, “Do you have an orphan ministry?”  While children in foster care are not orphans literally they are in need of a home and love.  He considers his “orphan” ministry to be a calling to support the widow, the orphan, and the poor which is in the bible. 

Building up the kingdom of God is remembering our calling to generosity in sharing from our blessings by blessing others in meeting the needs and bringing them into the life of Christ, the life of the church, and the life of the Spirit, then our joy will be complete. 

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Homily

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Dt. 6: 2-6; Ps. 18: 2-4, 47, 51; Heb. 7: 23-28; Mk. 12: 28b-34

Who is this unnamed scribe in the gospel who is not far from the kingdom of God and where did he get this understanding?  First we must recognize the context on which he speaks.  This is not a high priest with special graces from God.  Second, he is living in a Jewish culture where “burnt offerings and sacrifices” were part of the Law of great importance for righteousness before God.  For the scribe to be politically incorrect and dare devalue the merits of burn offerings and sacrifices could have been an offense to the Jewish institution, sacrilegious or even worthy of stoning.  Again, who is this scribe with courage to question the norms, speak with authority and judge for himself?

He is a scribe and scribes were educated men who could read, write, and discern the scriptures.  Most people were not literate but they developed the capacity to memorize long passages of scripture.  Today we have an educational system that offers us a great opportunity to study and learn that we may discern with wisdom.  The internet search engines are the “go to” to simply ask the question and get information in an instant from the accumulated knowledge of the world.  With all this information at our fingertips how do we use these tools to gain our understanding of our faith?  I have three Catholic apps on my phone, the Missal, the Breviary, and ETWN.  I confess there are five game apps also my grandson downloaded that he plays when he is with us so we have to be on alert what he is trying to download.  Outside of Mass what scripture reading do we study?  If the goal is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength then our heart must be in prayer with God, our soul in union with God, our mind I the knowledge of God and our strength in service of God.  There we fulfill the great commandment and are not far from the kingdom of God.

Moses links the love of God with “Fear the Lord and…keep…all his statutes and commandments”.  This call to obedience was a way of demonstrating love but it did not capture the hearts, minds, and souls of the people as seen by the continuous rebellion against God in the desert.  This is also a people who came out of slavery where obedience meant survival not love.  I remember a young couple coming in for marriage counseling many years ago.  I asked them to complete the sentence, “I feel you love me when__”.  The young man stated, “I feel you love me when you are obedient to me.”  In today’s world that brings charges of sexist, macho, and abusive language.”  Scripture says, “Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ…wives should be subordinate to their husbands…husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.” (Eph. 5: 21-28) There is a mutual sacrifice for each other.

The development of the behavioral sciences tells us the cognitive-behavioral relationship is a form of being subordinate to each other.  Cognitively we reason to believe and change behavioral patterns and behaviorally we modify our behavior in obedience and discipline to bring about the understanding that can only come by doing.  God the Father gave us the commandments of doing to come to understanding and Jesus the Son gives us the spirit of understanding that we may grow in relationship of love a covenant relationship with him.

Jesus did the ultimate sacrifice for us to bring us understanding of the Father’s love.  Mass is our time to offer our gifts of self to him, our joys, sorrows, our sacrifices.  It is not a love from obedience to rules but commandments that build loving relationships.  The commandments foster love, unity, fellowship, peace, and justice the visible signs of invisible love.

The search for the “fountain of youth” has captured the human psyche throughout history.  There is the mud from the Dead Sea to make you look years younger; the anti-aging science of cell regeneration for tissue and organs, the life-style changes of diet and exercise; and finally going back to ancient times the cover-up of makeup and dress-up in style.  Today we are reminded of the life-style commandments of God to realize our growth, prosperity, and having the “long life”.  It comes from Jesus teaching, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”  If we abide in him he will abide in us and our riches in Jesus will be multiplied.

One of the biggest factors in aging, sickness, and poor health is stress.  What fosters stress in our life cognitively is the thinking, “I need to be in control” and the behavior of being in a hurry in life.  The anti-aging formula from God is summed up in the Serenity Prayer, “God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.”  As the commercial says, “Stay young my friend” not with beer but with prayer.  Beer only adds more wrinkles to life.

The world keeps racing with the next faster internet speed and automation inventions.  We have gone from camp fire cooking to wood stoves, gas and electric heating, microwave and now fast drive through windows all to get more done in less time.  The result is we create more to do but are we more fulfilled?  We have created an imbalance of lifestyle.

Here is an alternative called Lectio Divina.  It is a balance of heart, mind, body and spirit.  We open our hearts to God by reading scripture called “Lectio”; we reflect in our minds on the meaning of God word with “Meditatio”; we then try to simply rest in silence in God’s presence to listen what word of knowledge he conveys to us in “Contemplatio”; and we respond in spirit to the revelation God gives us in prayer called “Oratio”.

If Jesus priesthood is forever then our priesthood through baptism is forever.  What our ministry in heaven will be God will determine but one thing we know from living and from scriptures is that life is in constant motion fulfilling a purpose greater than ourselves.

Jesus makes it clear, “The Lord our God is Lord alone!”  The scribe adds the exclamation point, “He is One and there is no other than he”.  Focus on him on the cross, focus on him in our neighbor, and focus on him in all creation the source of life, love, freedom and justice.  Focus on heaven in the communion of saints, angels, and our Blessed Mother and then go forth to love him in our neighbor.  The commandments are the means to the end.  The Lord our God is the beginning and the end there is no other.  The scribe is right in saying, “He is One and there is no other than he”.  The One who has created us as one-being and there is no other like us just like out of his love.  Who is this scribe given such wisdom?  He is a testimony of what God does with a soul who fulfills the greatest commandment.   Be THAT one!

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