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Homily

4th Sunday of Advent – Called to be holy!

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 7:10-14; Ps. 24:1-6; Rom. 1:1-7; Mt.1:18-24

Called to be holy!   This is our Advent call to search and reach for holiness which is to search and reach for God himself.  We are all called to be holy by the grace of God who is with us.  “Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory”.  What keeps us from holiness?  Why this resistance to God, to let him enter into our being, to welcome him as our Lord and savior?  Is it simply our attachment to sinful things or is there something greater here?  It is the original sin to be our own God.  We may utter the words “I believe” but our actions show we want to save ourselves, be our own king in our kingdom and keep the Lord on standby for if and when we need to call out to him.  The pride to do it our way and avoid the plan God desires for us. 

Joseph a righteous man was ready to do things his way, to divorce Mary quietly, save face and not expose her to shame but that was not God’s plan.  In difficult circumstances we often react with a desire for the quick fix when God’s plan may have a greater challenge for us, a greater blessing to come, a call to holiness and sainthood.  Had Joseph acted on his intentions, ignored his dream and divorced Mary, Mary would still have fulfilled the prophecy of Emmanuel and had the child Jesus.  Joseph would have gone on with his life believing in his righteousness and missed the opportunity to be a great saint.  Joseph had a free will choice to make and he listened and believed in the Lord.  It was not about him but about his obedience to God that fulfilled his righteousness. 

Joseph’s apostleship was to Jesus and Mary.  The call to holiness was in caring, protecting, and loving his family.  The grace of apostleship is given to us in baptism and our first responsibility as apostles is to our domestic church at home.   To be “apostle” is to be sent as missionary and teacher to others.  Husbands and wives come from two different worlds and are united as one to offer each other the fruit of love having much to learn from each other “sent” to be united in one faith.  Our children are our mission to bring up in the faith and if blessed to live and see our grandchildren grow to plant those seeds of faith that will remain with them their whole life.  Our call to holiness and apostleship begins right where we are in the home.

4th Sunday of Advent is the final call to holiness before the coming of the Lord this Christmas.  It is a season in which we are to shed ourselves of those preoccupations that fill our days with the clutter of life that steals our time away from our focus on what is important.  So let us ask ourselves “what is important?”.  Is God important to give him ourselves by our prayers, sacrifices, and our hearts?  Is our family important to make time to be at peace sharing the joy of life together and not distracted by all those time fillers that occupy our day?  Is our Church important to contribute to the community of faith by our participation in Mass and all the Holy Days of obligation?  These are the foundation stones to holiness that are God given and not to be ignored. 

“Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory”.  It is time to prepare to receive Jesus as a child with a child’s heart.  A child’s heart is full of wonder at the miracles of life, all the goodness God has created in this world, all the beauty of nature including our humanity, all the truth of God that even science cannot explain and all the unity we can bring being of one mind, heart, and love with Emmanuel and with each other. 

Mary the virgin Mother of God was herself to remain with us for all time as a sign of love “behold your mother”.  Mary remains at the side of Jesus and Jesus hears the love of his mother when she intercedes for us then she turns to us and says “do whatever he says”.  If today you hear his voice do whatever he says.  God’s plan is the perfect plan in the call for holiness. 

Joseph and Mary humbled themselves and by accepting the call to holiness life was never about them but serving the one true God. Did they sacrifice?  Yes!  Did they suffer?  Yes!  Did they have regrets along the way, question their decisions or call out to God in despair?  I would say not because God was with them, revealing himself and in doing so they were able to “fear not, be strong” and trust in the Lord.  Now it’s our turn to fear not, be strong, follow the will of the Lord and he will remain with us.  We turn to you O Lord with childlike confidence and welcome you this Christmas in the manger of our hearts and home. 

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Homily

3rd Sunday of Advent – “Be strong, fear not!”

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 35:1-6a, 10; Ps. 146:6-10; Jas. 5:7-10; Mt.11:2-11

“Be strong, fear not!” In our weakness be strong and fear not for the Lord comes “with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you.”  This is the promise of the Lord “he comes to save us” at the proper hour he comes calling us to be patient while we endure the test before us.  The Lord’s coming is always present to us when we offer up our cross.  The Lord comes in many ways and not always as we expect or anticipate.  He may come to us in a spirit of consolation, in the support of a friend or stranger, in the answered prayer over time and sometimes in the moment and miracle of the day.  One thing is certain the Lord never fails at his coming to us for he is faithful. 

In an age of instant gratification and buying power “we want it now” whatever “it” is.  Patient endurance is rejected in our culture as a sign of weakness not strength.  This is the deception of the evil one to fill us with false pride and the illusion of being strong to make all things happen if only we are strong enough.  The truth from God is “I have the strength for everything through him who strengthens me”, Philippians 4:13.  Only in Christ comes our strength thus, to be strong and fear not is to be in Christ and he in us.  It is then that we find ourselves, our true self in God.

“The Lord gives sight to the blind”.  How many of us if not for the aid of eye-glasses, or surgery would not be able to see clearly or even drive? Do we count our blessings that in the mystery of life science and faith meet to provide for our needs.  Yet the Lord desires to give us a greater gift of sight to see him before us, to see in our hearts his desire for us, and to see the work of his hand in our life.  Our prayer, “Lord, help me to see your will at work in all my circumstances that I may be strong and fear not in going forth.” 

“The Lord secures justice for the oppressed”.  In a world of injustice, we can feel vulnerable and fearful to take the next right step or assume to be strong is to “take matters into our hands”.  Who has time to wait for the Lord?  The one who first places his problem before the Lord, trusts in the Lord and then acts upon discernment as the voice of the Lord comes in spirit and in truth to show us the way.  This is being prudent and wise with patient endurance.  Justice belongs to the Lord.  “Do not complain…that you may not be judged” according to your own standards in the same way as we pray “lead us not into temptation and forgive us our sins as we forgive” others.  Here lies the mystery of the mercy of God by how much we love and show mercy that we may not be judged. 

John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus with the question “Are you the one who is to come…?”  Jesus’ response was “Go and tell John what you hear and see”.  The answer was found in the fruit of Jesus.  We come to believe in the one sent to us by his work in us but he cannot work if we are not willing to place ourself before him and walk in his steps.  Can we follow in his ways or do we remain in our way, the way driven by only our human desires?  We are called to be saints and Jesus is the way the truth, and light in the darkness of this world. 

Ironically, we sometimes want to be strong and fear not in the things of the world but when it comes to being strong in the Lord, strong enough to surrender to him our very self we become fearful of letting go and letting God be our God.  This is where our spiritual battle begins with ourself, the greater challenge in our life.   It is less about the problems of the world and more about this relationship we have with our God, creator, redeemer and sanctifier who is looking at us and patiently waiting for us to come to him because he has already come to us.  Be strong and fear not to come to the Lord this Advent to receive Christmas, “mas de Cristo” more of Christ. 

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Homily

2nd Sunday of Advent – Prepare the way!

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 11:1-10; Ps. 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13,17; Rom. 15:4-9; Mt. 3:1-12

“Prepare the way of the Lord” in our hearts, in our welcome and by our fruits.  A welcoming heart bears fruit for the Lord.  We prepare the way of the Lord with a perpetual fiat to the Lord to welcome him into our hearts, to allow his transformation of our very being, to receive the gifts he desires to pour into our souls which by evidence bears the fruit each gift is destined to produce.  Second Sunday of Advent has Thanksgiving holiday, Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the rear-view mirror and culturally there is this rush to get ready for Christmas Day with decorations of lights and gift wrapping and the atmosphere is festive.  Some may be getting ready to make tamales, some of us are ready to buy. 

Advent for the Christian is a season of spiritual preparation “tamales for the soul”.  Each week has a particular significance in preparation for the coming of Jesus.  It is represented by four candles, three purple and one pink.  Purple has a somber aspect of preparation.  The First Advent purple candle is for “Hope”, hope for our forgiveness and salvation at the Lord’s coming.  We recognize we need God in our lives and we hope his coming will find us ready because we have lived a life for Him still worthy even when we have failed.  

The Second Advent purple candle is for “Love”, love of God and love of other.  It is taking our love into a deeper relationship, deep than our thoughts, deeper than our feelings, deeper than our will takes us.  It is a love that calls for sacrifice to fulfill God’s purpose for us in this life.  It is a love that dares to ask the question “what is your will for me O’ God that I may follow?” 

The Third Advent candle changes to pink to symbolize a change of spirit to “Joy”.  Joy comes because God hears us and answers our prayers.  It is the joy of being a child of God and he is our Father.  It is the joy of belonging, we belong to God, we belong the kingdom of heaven, we belong to something greater for all eternity.  We belong and nothing can take it away from us, not the evil one, not the world, not even our weakness to sin can deny it from us as long as we return to him to be reconciled in truth. 

The Fourth and final Advent candle returns to purple and is a sign of “Peace”, the peace that the Lord gives.  He gives us his peace with “a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.”  This is his peace for us that we know Him and that we know he knows us and loves us and we have prepared ourselves to receive him so that every day is Christmas in God’s house.  God’s house is his Church and God’s house is the temple we have prepared for him in our souls and so it begins as it did that fateful day for a young girl who responded to an angel with her fiat, “May it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38). 

Our first act of faith, hope, and love is to say yes to the Lord and receive him.  This act of the will we trust in the Church and in our parents to begin to prepare the way of the Lord by bringing our children to be received in baptism.  Baptism by its very act opens the way of the Lord as the soul receives the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.  This fiat is perpetually carried forward throughout life to welcome the Lord each day renewed in faith, hope and love for the Lord and his people. 

Baptism is the seed to be nurtured, cultivated, and grow in relationship with God.  It is a lack of faith to ignore this responsibility to our children who are given to us to prepare the way of the Lord in them.  To say “I believe” is to enter into a covenant with God where we are by obedience called to shepherd others into the kingdom of God.  What will we say at judgment when called to give account for the souls of our children, “I fed, clothed, housed and educated them to succeed in the world but did little to know, love and serve God”. 

Today’s culture teaches children to discover their gender, their sexual preference, their truth without any authority or power of creation.  This is in essence to design and create themselves based on the passions of the flesh with no higher authority of life than the “self” to be their own God and go their own way.  Where is the bridge to prepare the way of the Lord in their hearts if not in the domestic church at home?  The world has long ago “canceled” God out of the public square.  Home is where we prepare the way of the Lord because together, we speak of the Lord, we pray to the Lord, we celebrate the Lord.  The heart grows in love of the Lord by the love of the home.  In this we all take responsibility and share in preparing the way of the Lord.  

We prepare the way of the Lord by belonging to something greater than ourselves.  Our church provides us this gift and opportunity to belong to a greater community of believers, to speak as one voice in prayer and worship of the Lord and to serve each other and those in need from the gifts we are blessed to receive.  Jesus instituted the Church to be the one bridge to receive him in the fullness of his body, blood, soul and divinity.  When we come to receive him, we bring him the fruit of our love as our gift from the past day or week as an offering of our devotion to the Lord.  He welcomes us to be of one heart and mind with him. 

To “welcome” is “to think in harmony with one another” taking time to listen and understand who is before us.  Let this be our welcome to the Lord this Advent, that we take time to quiet our minds and listen to the voice of God speaking even as we go about our day, or as we speak with each other seeking to understand and be in harmony with one another.  This will be the fruit of our Advent preparation, the “evidence of your repentance” says John the Baptist.  This evidence comes together in our hope, love, joy and peace as we welcome the child Jesus this Christmas with the love, we embrace each other. 

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Homily The Deacon Joe

First Sunday of Advent – “Therefore, stay awake!”

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 2:1-5; Ps. 122:1-9; Rom. 13:11-14; Mt. 24:37-44

“Therefore, stay awake!  And so it begins, the first Sunday of Advent, the anticipation of the coming of the Lord, and our preparation for his coming.  So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”  Advent is the start of a new year of preparation for the coming of the Lord “For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed”.  Each day of life is one day closer to the end for all of us and if prepared for it then we go rejoicing to enter into the eternal house of the Lord. 

Success in life is no accident but a continuous effort at being prepared for what is next.  We prepare for the next step in a process, the next opportunity to come, and the readiness to respond when it is here.  It only makes sense when we think of being successful in this world why would be different in terms of readiness for the eternal world?  Those who do not remain in their slumber, asleep to the heavenly reality.  The Lords calls us to be ready at any moment, to live each day as if it was the last in our preparation for heaven. 

What does this preparation for heaven involve as a Christian?  The Church is here to prepare us by living the sacramental life.  The Word of God is here to be incarnated into our being calling us to go forth and live the Word.  The Spirit comes with infused virtues to strengthen our resolve and discern the will of God for what is next.  Jesus gives himself up to us in body, blood, soul and divinity to give us his holiness and be holy. 

Therefore, to stay awake is to remain in the Lord even as we prepare for him.  We “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” by living our works of light and no space is given to the darkness of the flesh.  As the militant Church on earth our call is to do the next right thing before the Lord, one righteous act followed by another, one truth to follow another, one act of charity, forgiveness, compassion, and love followed by another.  It is the call to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.  The evil one whispers to us that it cannot be done, reminding us of our past record showing our failure, weakness, and temptations.  We respond with truth, “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us”.  When we put our trust in Jesus Christ and take that first right step towards him, he comes and brings us our salvation. 

Therefore, stay awake and let us allow the peace of Christ to be within us.  Isiah foretold “In the days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain”.  The day has come through and in Jesus and he established the new Jerusalem is his church.  Every day we come to Mass we climb the highest mountain on earth, the pinnacle of salvation at the altar to receive Jesus in the Eucharist and with him his mother, brothers and sisters in the holy of holies.  Today we climb the mountain of the Lord and “throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” as true warriors of Christ.  The battle is against the principalities of darkness that rise up in the temptation of the flesh.  The battle for the kingdom is within and we must fight the good fight.  Win this battle and we have nothing to fear of this world. 

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Homily The Deacon Joe

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King

Posted on by Deacon Joe

2 Sm. 5:1-3; Ps. 122:1-5; Col. 1:12-20; Lk. 23:35-43

Christ the King, “the chosen one”.  Christ the King is not only “the chosen one, the Christ of God” but God in the flesh as the second person of the Trinity.  This makes him above all not only “This is the King of the Jews” but the king of all in the heavens and earth, our king.  In Christ the King “all the fullness was pleased to dwell”, the fullness of God himself, the fullness of love, mercy, and sacrifice for our sins that as unworthy sinners we may all be reconciled to him “by the blood of his cross”.   

This is the day of rejoicing for the sinner is redeemed, the unfit made fit, the broken made whole, and the poor in spirit made rich in grace.  This is our rejoicing that from the darkness of this world we now share in “the inheritance of the holy ones in light”.  What are we doing with our inheritance to spread this light into our world?  Christ on the cross is the victory over death with the mandate to “go forth” and multiply our inheritance as witnesses of the light. 

When our children look up to us do they see the light of love coming to them or the grumpiness of our struggles for the day?  Is it about us this day or about rejoicing in thanksgiving for the light of God’s love is with, in and through us?   This is our celebration today that we live in this light and are blessed to receive our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.  The Lord’s kingship then makes us his servants to follow in the truth the king has revealed of himself and his kingdom.  The kingship is not a democracy but an authority out of love for God’s creation.  In his kingship there is not “my truth” as my own “god” but the truth for eternal salvation. 

Christ the King established his authority in the Word, in the Spirit and in the flesh.  The Word was given to the disciples to go and teach the Word with the authority of the King.  Jesus says to his disciples “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt. 16:19) This is his church speaking for the King we call today the magisterium, the chosen ones to follow in his kingship with authority, trusted with the keys to multiply the kingdom of God. 

Christ the King also promised us the advocate, coming in the Spirit with authority to pour out his graces upon the elect with power to change the world.  In baptism we receive the Holy Spirit to be holy bringing the light into the darkness.  The Spirit comes with fire to fire us up with the Lord’s passion to move mountains.  It does not leave us idle, doubtful, and insecure living in fear of evil, death, or harm.  The Spirit is active, powerful, and committed to something greater than ourselves, something inspired by heaven itself.  When we find it, we will know it is for us to serve our calling, our source of love, our road to salvation. 

Christ the King comes in the flesh even this day body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist as a continued sacrifice of himself for us.  His coming in the flesh is to transform us incarnated in our flesh as one body, Christ in us and we in him.  If he is in us there is no doubt but joy and the fullness of his love for us.  We come as we are into his embrace with our own fiat to be done with us according to his will and we will be purified, healed, and made whole for all eternity.  No sickness of the flesh or death can destroy the body waiting to rise in us.  It is the promise of the resurrection made visible in Jesus himself.  Now is the time for us to rise again to new life even was we live in this flesh. 

Christ the King comes to rule with fire that all may be purified by the fire of his love.  Fire cleanses the impurities of our soul giving off the light and reflection of God’s image upon us.  This image is to go forth and set our world on fire.  Christianity came into the world not to be assimilated into the world but to transform the world.  The world allows Christianity to coexist in the world as long as it remains within the confines of its walls and out of the public square.  Once it becomes a voice for conversion of the world it is scourged into silence and threatened into compliance.  What are we to do?  Do we remain silent, lukewarm, and remain culturally acceptable or do we fear not and go forth? 

The Lord cautions the lukewarm “so because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Rev:3:16) The chosen one calls the elect to fear not and go forth to claim the kingdom waiting to rise up in victory.  The fearful remain silent assimilated into the mainstream of cultural tradition waiting for the end to come.  The choice is now for us to make while there is still time.  Christ the King is waiting for us to respond with our fiat, he will take us the rest of the way for he is faithful and will never depart from us. 

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The Deacon Joe

33rd Sunday Ordinary Time – The Lord comes!

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Mal. 3:19-20a; Ps. 98:5-9; 2 Thes. 3:7-12; Lk. 21:5-19

“The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.”  In a world where we witness so much injustice in the form of crime, abuse of life, inequalities and inequities one may question, “where is the Lord?”  Must we wait for the final judgement to come and keep asking “Teacher, when will this happen?”  History if full of nations rising against nations, wars, natural disasters, and awesome sights such as man on the moon.  History is full of persecutions of people by race, ethnicity, and nation.   Christian persecution from the time of the early church and death to so many and yet the Lord says, “not a hair on your head will be destroyed”. 

Generation upon generation evildoers have risen up against others only to fall “leaving them neither root nor branch, set on fire and coming to an end.  “But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays”.  Many martyrs and lived and died with this hope of what is coming and waiting for us knowing this life is a short pilgrimage compared to eternity.  Our purpose is to be sanctified by the cross of Jesus however that cross may come to be. 

The Lord’s justice resides in the soul of a person who by our perseverance we will secure our lives.  This body will decay but we preserve the soul from the decay of sin by our perseverance in the faith.  Perseverance of the faith is the work we are to never grow weary of.  In this the Lord is to rule our hearts and justice is ours for even in mortal death there is a greater glory ready to capture us and lift us out of our suffering. 

The challenge for us is the obedience of walking in his justice.  Jesus laid out a plan for us to follow in his footsteps.  It is a plan of calling for love and mercy for all.  It is a plan of work for the kingdom of God.  We are to work the plan with focused attention and not conduct ourselves in a “disorderly way”.  All we do we are to do for the glory of God.  When we walk in his justice the gates of heaven are opened up for us.  Let us not be disturbed by the noise this world creates but be still and hear the voice of God coming to us in the stillness of our hearts.  The Lord comes to us this day, let us rejoice at his coming. 

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Homily The Deacon Joe

32nd Sunday Ordinary Time – All are alive!

Posted on by Deacon Joe

32nd Sunday Ordinary Time – All are alive!

All are alive!  The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection and even the Pharisees who did believe considered the resurrection to come in the future.  Jesus reveals today our God “is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”  We just celebrated All Saints Day and All Souls Day to affirm “all are alive” in Jesus.  There are some Christian denominations who believe after death a soul remains “at rest” in its body until the day of the resurrection except that the body decays so that cannot be.  The day of the resurrection came into the world with the resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus went into the netherworld and freed the souls in purgatory and is ready to free us from the grip of death.  If anything, the souls are in a state of purgatory not in the ground. 

Today we have the witness of the seven brothers and their mother to remain faithful to God in the midst of their persecution.  Are we as ready as the seven brothers and their mother to die for the Lord?  The Church teaches upon death there is an immediate particular judgment so we pass from mortal life to eternal life.  There is also a general judgement when we will regain our bodies but until then our souls exist to love and serve the Lord of the living together will all the saints and souls in purgatory.  This was the essence of the hope of the seven brothers and their mother as one says “with the hope God gives of being raised up by him”.  These seven brothers and their mother are an arch type of perfect love represented by the number seven and the mother of our Blessed Mother at their side facing the evil of this world who desires to impose their will upon them. 

In the Sadducees we are reminded that even among those who believe in God there are some who do not accept there is a day of judgment that will come swiftly and we must prepare ourselves each day for his coming.  Some claim there is no hell and we are all headed to heaven.  Others believe the body and soul cannot separate so the souls of the dead remain in the ground by their decomposed bodies asleep until the day of the resurrection.  From here comes the Halloween stories of ghosts at cemeteries but if we recall the angels appearing at the tomb claiming “Why are you looking for the living One among the dead? (Lk. 24:5)” He is alive and so are those who have died in Christ. 

There are those who represent the power of this world who in their own way desire to force the faithful to “eat the pork” of their values, laws, and decrees even when they are in opposition to our own faith and commandments.  It is our turn now to undergo the test.  Do we stand for the right to life or accept the right to end life in abortion, euthanasia, or a sentence to die?  Do we stand for religious freedom or quietly become silenced by a cancel culture in the public square?  The disciples were commanded to stop speaking in the name of Jesus.  They were persecuted and even killed but their joy was complete to stand as the seven brothers did knowing something greater awaited them.  Perfect love of God does not compromise his commands.  It does not go along to get along.  The Lord’s commands are a “red line” “to the endurance of Christ” which is unto death for the sake of the gospel. 

We are not to fear but to trust in the Lord who “will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one” for there are “perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith.”  What are we to do?  Keep the faith and wait upon the Lord’s coming for he will not delay at the hour of justice.  Jesus says to the Sadducees “those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead…They can no longer die…they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise”.  What does this say about the ones who are not deemed worthy, who crossed the red line into the perverse world?  It is called hell, the place for the souls of the damned.   

In the mystery of life every day we die and every day we are reborn into new life.  Science proves it and our eyes witness it.  A child is born an infant but their infancy quickly passes into being a baby, and then a child, an adolescent, and an adult. Science reveals that every five year our cells completely die and are replaced by new cells so that the person we were five years ago has ended and yet you are and are not the same person.  There a new body, the voice may change, facial features change, and even attitudes change, and with God there is even a transformation of our very being and yet the soul remains being who God created us to be.  This is the day we die with Christ because we desire to come to new life in him.  So, if we have died with him, we will also rise with him. 

We are fall familiar with the old Christian child’s prayer for bedtime that says, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my Soul to keep; If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my Soul to take.”  It has been changed up with various endings to not instill fear in children such as the one that says, “Angels watch me through the night, and wake me with the morning light.”  Both versions have significant meaning for us.  The original one is a reminder of the reality of death not to scare us but to give us hope and anticipation of what is still waiting for us which the psalm proclaims, “Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.”  The revised versions represent the Lord’s protection beginning with our guardian angel for even in our sleep the evil one comes to disrupt our peace unless we cover ourselves with prayer. 

Prayer, fasting, almsgiving are our weapons against evil.  They not only protect us but purify us and strengthen us so when a shred of doubt comes there is no doubt how we will respond to the enemy.  I recently heard a different explanation of the “Footprints in the sand” story.   What we are familiar with is that when the trouble comes and we only see one set of footprints, it is then that he carried us.  The other interpretation is that when the troubles come, and we only see one set of footprints “it is then that we were walking in his steps”.  When we walk in his steps, we still have to carry our cross and live the “endurance of Christ” in this world but in his steps, we walk in the assurance of victory and in the promise of what is to come. Let us continue to pray for all are alive who have died in Christ even as we walk in his footsteps this day.

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Homily The Deacon Joe

31st Sunday Ordinary Time – Son of Man

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Wis. 11:22-12:2; Ps. 145:1-2, 8-11, 13, 14; 2 Thes. 1:11-2:2; Lk. 19:1-10

“Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost”.  What is it about Jesus that would have such a radical transformation on Zacchaeus as a sinner, tax collector, and extorter of the poor?  Zacchaeus knew himself a sinner in need of redemption and believed in the Son of Man.  Are we as clear-eyed of our own sinfulness and recognize our need for redemption from the Son of Man?  If the confessional participation or lack thereof is an indication, we may be living a false sense off holiness and righteousness. 

In his letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul is seeking to keep the community from being “alarmed” or “shaken out of your minds suddenly” because of the preaching “that the day of the Lord is at hand.”  The community expected Jesus return in their lifetime and were driven by “fear of the Lord” as was Zacchaeus.  They were ready to give up their possessions and wait for his coming.  Keep in mind that hundreds had actually witnessed his appearance after his resurrection, no only the disciples.  The word was out that he is alive and coming back.  If Jesus appeared to us today and said “the day of the Lord is at hand” we would likely react in a similar way thinking, “This is it, the end is here”.  We would have a Zacchaeus moment of conversion. 

What is our motivation of faith?  As a child we are taught obedience by both fear and love as a means of gaining obedience.  A child is taught to fear fire, strangers, snakes, in other words the elements, other people, and creatures of nature for their protection.  At the same time a child is taught to love nature, people, and animals.  What is a child to fear and what is a child to trust?  A child does not fear the sandals on the feet but a “chancla” the sandal on the hand makes all the difference.  Does a child learn faith or simply obedience until the day the faith is tested and found lacking in strength.  The key to faith is relationship.  To believe, to trust, to have faith is to be in relationship with the other, the trusted one.  “Jesus, I trust in you” is a prayer of faith. 

The Old Testament reflects obedience from fear of the Lord.  The New Testament is centered on love of God.  For some this is two separate motives for obedience but the God who is all is one and the same God where the greater the love the greater the fear driven by love of offending the loved one.  This is the lesson of love and fear to grow in faith.   This is the basis of true relationship to love one another with fear of harm to our relationship.  The Lord is at hand to enter into relationship with us this day and our fear is to lack in our love of him.

Do you remember being asked as a child or as a parent asking your child “How much do you love me?”  The child extends his or her arms out to show you and you respond “I love you to the moon and back” to show how much greater love you have for them.  We want our child to capture how endless is our love.  The God of who is outside of time and space has endless love for us but we have to see how much greater our relationship can be with him if we but remove the barriers we create and allow him to enter into our very being with his love.    Jesus entered into this world for us to understand this love of God, this sacrifice for us, this calling to his mercy and into a deeper relationship with him and it begins here in the Mass. 

The Mass is the summit of receiving Jesus, coming to us in the Eucharist, his love, his sacrifice, his mercy.  When we receive the Eucharist, we are in full communion where his is present to us to open our hearts to him, our deepest thoughts and feelings, our fears and our love of the other.  God is ready to answer our prayer so let us not be distracted from receiving the grace he desires for us but let us allow him this time to not only to speak to our hearts but to change our hearts into his very image of love, peace, justice, and joy.  There should be a smile that Jesus has come to us today and we are thankful to be called a child of God loved all the way to eternity. 

We are told “not to be alarmed…that the day of the Lord is at hand” but in faith to pray “that our God may make you worthy of his calling”.  Every day is a day of the Lord called to be ready to receive him in this world and/or to be received by him in the next should we suddenly come to the end of this pilgrimage.  We are not to be alarmed of his coming but welcoming ready to receive him.  We want the Lord to come calling us excited to have an encounter with Jesus just as Zacchaeus desired to seek Jesus.  We want Jesus to stay at our house, not only to sanctify us and our family, but our home, our pets, and all our possessions so that the Lord’s spirit resides with us and shine its light upon us.  This is why the Son of Man came into the world to bring us his holiness and make us holy. 

Finally, there is something greater here that Jesus is revealing in calling himself the “Son of Man”.  Son of Man appears sixty-nine times throughout scripture.  Son of Man is Jesus’ claim on his divinity and authority.  He has come to judge as seen in the book of Daniel was “coming with the clouds of heaven”.  When Jesus asks his disciples “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” the disciples gave multiple answers but Peter reveals that by this title he is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mat. 16:16) This is the one before us on the cross, this is the risen one, and this is the Son of Man most present in the Eucharist, body, blood, soul, and divinity.  Are we ready for his judgment?

Today the Son of Man has come into this home, this sanctuary, calling us to open ourselves up to him, our very being and receive his power to forgive and to heal what is broken, injured, to make perfect what is imperfect. To receive Jesus is the call to be Jesus that others may come to see and believe.

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Homily The Deacon Joe

30th Sunday Ordinary Time – Finish the race!

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Sir. 35:12-14, 16-18; Ps. 34:2-3, 17-19, 23; 2 Tim. 4:6-8, 16-18; Lk. 18:9-14

Finish the race!  Through this ordinary time the Lord has been on his journey to Jerusalem persevering while being followed by both friend and foe, those who see him as a messiah and those who see him as a threat.  He is about to finish the race for salvation history to be consummated in his death and resurrection.  It is a race he embraces with love teaching us how to run our own race of life not in fear but in love of our final destiny.  Finish the race of love in spite of the trials, persecutions, and the unknown and unseen around the bend because we have the promise of what lies ahead at the end of our journey. 

St. Paul claims his “crown of righteousness” having “competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith”.  St. Paul ran the race not for himself but for the call he received that through him “the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it”.  St. Paul understood his call and lived it.  Do we recognize our call before the Lord and are we on the right track to finish our race?  The race we run is not to build up our material fortune, to leave a legacy of accomplishments, or to reach what Maslow calls the top of the hierarchy of needs, self-actualization, becoming the best of yourself.

 Material goods including money becomes devalued, yesterday’s dollar is today’s dime.  Accomplishments become faded memories as the world asks what have you done for me lately.  Self-actualization is a humanistic concept that it is all about “you”, the best of yourself, but “no man is an island” so what about everyone else, does it matter?  Where is God in our search for meaning and happiness?  We can finish the race of life in search of ourselves and lose the connection to our creator who was waiting to take us on a different race, the eternal one. 

The race we run is for the salvation of our soul.  It is a godly race in the image of Jesus Christ himself, self-giving, sacrificial, and by divine design.  What God has intended for us is the first step for our discernment.  This ability to judge well God’s call can only come through prayer that we may hear his voice in our reflection as we seek to know and understand “who I am in God’s image called to be”.  In other words, just to be myself is not our purpose.  Our purpose is to discover our divine call and run our race.  Then the God of our salvation will open up the gates of heaven and bring down his power and love, pouring out his graces on those who dare to say “here I am Lord, send me”. 

Jesus called fishermen, a tax collector, and even his own persecutor in Saul, to a different race leaving behind all that they knew and believed for something greater was before them.  Something greater is before us in the Eucharist through the celebration of the Mass.  Jesus himself, body, blood, soul and divinity is present to us and the Church in America is calling for a Eucharistic revival to recognize Jesus is here for our worship, for our healing, and for our salvation.  Jesus wants to take us in a new direction radically different from the world while yet still in the world as we fulfill our earthly pilgrimage.  When we eat his body and drink his blood there is a revival of our souls becoming one with God in the Trinity.  It is more than spiritual food for the race, it is a conversion of souls in the image of Christ himself.  This is what happened to the apostles after the resurrection and they devoted themselves to prayer, teaching and the breaking of bread. 

We break bread when we gather together in a shared faith at the dinner table, with our social circles sharing our faith, or as we work together for a common purpose, it is the bread of living our faith with others expressing in word and deed who we are as a child of God.  I confess I am not one with the gift to proselytize challenging others in their faith.  I am more on the side of making sure I am keeping the faith I have received being faithful to the call.  There is however a time to be silent and a time to speak.  When we encounter Christians of other denominations or people of no religious background who ask “why do you Catholics baptize children, pray to Mary and the saints, believe in purgatory” or any other act of faith they question, this is our opportunity to evangelize by offering a clear understanding of our faith.

Jesus promises us an Advocate, the Holy Spirit to be with us that we may also be advocates of our faith by word and deed.  Our advocacy begins with love and ends with mercy.  This is the race we are all called to run to follow the “God of justice, who knows no favorites” and recognizes Christ present in all.  I believe it was St. Teresa of Calcutta who said it is beautiful to love others until you meet the other.  If you look at a Tasmanian devil, they are cute, shy and no bigger than two feet but they are carnivorous with powerful jaws and can cause serious harm.  We meet the stranger and we are polite and respectful then we turn to each other ready to attack with powerful jaws when things don’t go our way.  That’s the challenge of keeping the faith, can we be good when it’s not easy, convenient, or going our way? 

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat” says St. Paul.  The Lord will rescue us if we but recognize evil and call out to him.  The world has become immune to evil seeking to call it “justice, social norms, equity, restitution”.  The killing of the unborn is intrinsically evil says the Church violating the commandment “thou shall not kill”.  It is the work of the evil one who seeks to separate us by race relations, to cancel a culture based on religious freedom, to silence prayer among students in schools or employees at work.  Will we go along to appease the evil around us or will we be a voice of faith and run our race with courage? 

“The Lord hears the cry of the poor” so let us recognize our poverty, our brokenness, our lowliness.  In the gospel we see the Pharisee who was convinced of his own righteousness comparing himself to the tax collector and “the rest of humanity” who he sees as sinful while he exalts himself.  So quick to judge is the person of pride separating themselves from others.  It is the humble who recognize if not by the grace of God we are the sinner, we share in the sins of this world, and we too need our redemption.  Jesus on the cross is our reconciliation when we come to him “O God, be merciful to me a sinner”.  It is only when we turn to the grace of God that we will finish the race and keep the faith. 

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Homily The Deacon Joe

29th Sunday Ordinary Time – Proclaim the Word!

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Ex. 17:8-13; Ps. 121:1-8; 2 Tim. 3:14-4:2; Lk. 18:1-8

“Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient”.  A man once told me he did not accept scripture as “the word of God”, it was written by men not God.  On the other side of this argument are those who say they follow scripture only “sola scriputura” as the only authority of God.  It is an interesting paradigm of how humanity can look at the same thing and come up with two very opposing conclusions regarding scripture.  Today we are told to “proclaim the word” but which interpretation represents the truth from God? 

Today we read “all scripture is inspired by God”.  God works through humanity to bring us his salvation.  It is the inspired word of God but what about human error, could that have entered into scripture?  Some will point to inconsistencies in scripture such as in the genealogy of Jesus.  Do we interpret it literally, poetically, allegorically, in the context of history, or perhaps all of the above depending on the intent God has for our understanding.  Ultimately “who decides?”.  Who decided which books of scripture were to be in the canon of scripture we call the “Bible” and which would be left out?  There must be an authority given by God himself to someone among us. 

In today’s first reading that someone was Moses through who God gave us the Ten Commandments.  The Catholic church in scripture sees Peter as the first Pope, the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ, the one called to lead his church and bring us his teachings.   Jesus himself did not write anything so we rely on God working through humanity to bring us his truth.  Thus, for me and my household we follow the unbroken teaching from 2000 years of authority given to the church which determined which books would comprise the “word of God” and how to come to understand the meaning of the “word”.  Follow the social science of history from the first apostles to the early church Fathers writings, to the magisterium of the church and there is an infallibility, that is no error in the teaching of faith and morals. 

Then there is the other side of the argument “sola scriputura” is the sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice.  Give the Bible to ten individuals at random and you will get as many different conclusions of their understanding of faith and practice and each will establish their own interpretation and group of followers, we call today denominations in their multiplicity.  Is this what God intended or have we simply found our own way to say there is a God and we have done our own creation of him and his teachings?  Scripture itself says, “I praise you for always…following the traditions that I have handed down to you.” (1 Cor. 11:2) But wait is this Paul speaking or is this God speaking through humanity as God’s authority? 

Before there was a Canon of scripture, before there were gospels and letters written there was the Old Testament writings which Jesus came to fulfill and the beginning of a new Tradition called “the way” guided by the Holy Spirit from those who were witnesses to Jesus and his teachings.  Scripture as the inspired word of God comes through the Tradition of the Church from the early Apostles handed down by authority through the laying of hands to those God has called to teach, to preach, and to lead the flock.  Scripture is yesterday’s salvation history for our salvation today and tomorrow’s final destiny.  It matters who we follow and trust.  As Catholic Christians we trust Jesus and Jesus put his trust in his disciples and in the Church handed down to us through Scripture and Tradition. 

In this context we are to “Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures”.  This “infancy” is not only our personal childhood but the infancy of the early church we can trace through scripture and the writings of the early Church Fathers.  If there any doubt about the Catholic Church, follow the writings of the early Church Fathers and there will be no doubt about the Church Jesus founded.  From the “infancy” of the early church there is an unbroken history in the Catholic church “from whom we have learned it” that came before any other denominations ever came to exist. 

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness” and we are all to study the scripture to receive inspiration and wisdom from God.  Scripture as the word of God provides for personal revelation for our own spiritual development but woe to the one who would claim to lead others as an authority of scripture.  Let us trust the wisdom of the ages handed down to us and remain humble in our faith.

Thus, today in Exodus God is working through Moses giving us the teaching of perseverance in our battles of life.  In other words, “keep the faith” and “call out to him day and night…he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.”  In God’s time is the perfect time.  We also see the humanity of Moses, “Moses’ hands, however grew tired” reminding us it is God working through Moses as he desires to work through our humanity and weakness.  Moses is no superhuman, he is old, weak, and needs others to support him but he is faithful.  He does what God commands and through him we see the power of God at work.  Gut check!

How is the power of God at work in us?  In how many ways do we proclaim the word of God?  It is done by simple expressions of faith in our normal discussion like “thanks be to God” or “God willing”.  It is done when we refer to the parables in scripture as an example being applied to our circumstances in life.  It is done when we encounter Christians of other denominations who ask “why do you Catholics baptize children, pray to Mary and the saints, believe in purgatory” or any other act of faith they question and we can give them a clear understanding of our faith.  We are to study scripture so we can proclaim the word when someone asks “where is that in the bible?” 

Just as importantly we are to proclaim the word in our works of faith, our acts of mercy, and our love of neighbor.  Finally, and not least of all we are to proclaim the word by our disposition.  Do we reflect the image of Christ as a person of peace, joy, patience, or tranquility, “There goes John, he seems to be so at peace; there goes Mary always with a smile and filled with joy”; or are we quick to be rude, angry, worrisome, complainers making a face not even a mother wants to look at?  Are we the person someone want to be around or is someone praying “go away, I have my own problems”? 

The greatest gift we can give another is ourselves, so we give ourselves to God but God also reminds us in scripture “what you did to the least you did unto me”.  Giving of ourselves to each other in the name of Christ brings him to us “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there” he proclaims. 

So, if we find ourselves in weakness we are to call out to God “My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” and he will be beside us to guard us and lead us “both now and forever”.  This is our consolation while we endure and persevere, we are not alone.  From the mouth of Jesus to his disciples, and we too are his disciples, “pray always without becoming weary”. 

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