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Homily The Deacon Joe

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Acts 13: 14, 43-52; Ps 100: 1-3, 5; Rev 7:9, 14b-17; Jn. 10:27-30

“All who were destined for eternal life came to believe”.  Who is destined and how do we know?  I have often asked the question in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) who believes in predetermination or self-determination.  Answers vary in the group with some feeling in the tradition of Calvinism that God has predetermined everything and we are living out the plan.  Others go to the other side of feeling in the tradition of Gnostics that God created us and placed us here to work out our salvation but remains distant from interfering with our life.  Then there are others who simply never considered the question and have no idea.  Where would you stand as a believer? 

The believer who does the will of the Father is destined for eternal life.  This does not imply that God is simply an observer of our daily life waiting to determine our destiny simply by our actions.  Jesus stands at the door of our hearts knocking ready to engage us in our daily life but our hearts must respond to receive him.  Is there a plan of salvation written into our hearts for each of us?  Absolutely, it is custom drawn to go with our personal state of life for us to follow.  God also knows our inherent weakness and free will and will continue to knock on our hearts to return to his plan for us.  The prodigal father and son remind us of this reality.  No matter how much we turn away from him he cannot deny himself and his love is everlasting.  Yet not all live to do the will of the Father.  In predetermination there is an individualized plan but not all follow. 

“Follow me” is the core message of last week meaning follow Jesus.  Self-determination then is our journey of faith governed by our free will, intellect, and emotions that are the essence of our soul.  To unite our free will, intellect, and emotions is to unite our soul in relationship with the Father’s will, the mind of God, and his love.  The perfect union is the ecstasy of grace one in being with the Father in the Holy Trinity.  Into this plan of truth, goodness, beauty, and unity we are a people of God.  If this does not excite us then we are not ready to simply let go and let God be my Lord and savior. What is the resistance that keeps us from being glorified in the word of the Lord?  We remain set on going “my own way”. 

“No one can take them out of the Father’s hand”.  This is not predetermination that “once saved is always saved.”  We choose to take ourselves out of the Father’s hand in our self-determination.  The word has been given to us since our baptism.  God is waiting for what we choose to do now.  Signs to awaken us to his presence surround us.  We have Jesus life, death, resurrection, the descent of the Holy Spirit, his body and blood in the Eucharist, and the church to serve as his authority.   Follow these signs and graces will pour out of his riches in glory.   

“My way” does not listen for the voice of the Lord.  It is not watchful and attentive to a God who is nearby.  The soul wanders seeking to discover “the way” as the Israelites in the desert who were never far from the promise land but kept wandering within a region while God waited for the conversion of their hearts.  In what ways are we wandering in search of truth, goodness, beauty and unity without turning to our God?  God waits for our conversion and it begins with an act of the will to let go and receive him who is love.  Jesus is the way to follow to the promise land “and they will never perish”.   In God are truth, goodness, beauty and unity of love.  Let us answer the call and follow the good shepherd and we will know we remain in his hands. 

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Homily The Deacon Joe

Third Sunday of Easter

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Acts 5: 27-32, 40b-41; Ps 30: 2, 4-6, 11-13; Rev 5: 11-14; Jn 21: 1-19

“Follow me”.  The core message of the call to Christianity is follow Jesus.  In the third apparition of Jesus to his disciples Jesus continues to bestow on them the power to follow with the authority of Jesus.  He has already appeared to them and called them to go forth with authority as he breathed on them in the first apparition with the words “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  He has given them the power to forgive sins, “whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, whose sins you retain are retained”. 

These disciples are now being given authority to be the witnesses of Jesus himself as apostles and carry forth with authority the will of the Father.  What is their response?  Jesus finds them back at their trade as fishermen going back to the day in which he first called them to follow him at the beginning of Jesus ministry.  This is the process and the cycle of conversion and growth in holiness. 

We have been called from the day of our baptism to follow not in weakness but in the power of the name of Jesus.  Baptism has given us the virtues of faith, hope, and love to believe in God and to practice what we believe.  In the waters of our baptism we are cleansed and we receive the Holy Spirit.  It is the fire to grow in perfection living out the virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.  This spirit of courage gives wisdom to understand in right judgment the will of the Father, seek justice for all, have the fortitude to act rightly, and the temperance of balancing the scales of love of God and love of other in our unity to him. 

Then comes life in all its truth, goodness, beauty, and unity to be one with our creator, to “follow me”.  Our response is often “I go my way.”  The disciples have seen the miracles, the sacrifice of Jesus for them, the resurrection of the Lord, the fire of the Holy Spirit descend on them and they go seeking their way.  Their way is often our way, the way of our comfort zone.  We seek to return to what is known than to for forth into the unknown but that is not the cycle of life. 

Life is always going forth into the unknown but not alone.  In the unknown God is with us to lead the way.  We are not the same person of our childhood, our youth, or our later stages of life.  I am reminded that every five years our cells completely replicate and we are not the same person we were before. If we question that reality then just look in the mirror and be convinced. Not only our features change but we are in a transformation into someone new and the old passes away. The laws of physics are the force of motion forward and we must prepare for this destiny.  Mortal life is but a fraction of this destiny thus we are called to vigilance and readiness to respond to the call of this moment.  What is God asking of me to respond in faith, courage and love?

The unknown is the journey of faith what tomorrow brings us.  It brings us growth and maturity for the young, hopes and dreams as we discover our gifts and God given graces, struggles and challenges in our obstacles that strengthen our spiritual muscle, and letting go to let God move in us to go forth and follow him.  Our temptation is to hold on and not let go or let God be our God.  We hold onto our self-image when God offers us his image.  We hold onto our strong will that is unreceptive to the guidance of the spirit simply because as Jesus prayed, “they know not what they do”.  We hold onto our control because of our insecurity when God offers us a power greater than ourselves.  We also hold onto our sins because we find a false identity in our weakness and hide in our darkness of the soul. 

The soul is given the light of Christ to be kept brightly burning, not looking back but going forward in this light. The disciples first left their nets to follow Jesus to be baptized, catechized, to live the passion with Christ and now receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Where does Jesus find them in today’s readings but back in the comfort of their trade still waiting for a messiah to come?  Jesus has come for them and for us to go forth giving testimony of God’s real presence in our lives.  Trust Jesus and your light will shine with the power of the word made flesh in our being.

Still they needed the real presence of Jesus to go forth after the resurrection.  We need the real presence of Jesus to go forth in our lives.  He makes himself present in our prayer life, in the Eucharist, and in our sacrifice of love for other.  He is prepared to manifest his miracles through us and bring all to salvation.  He instituted the church as one body of authority to carry forth his love in the sacraments and in fellowship as Christians. 

Three times Jesus asks Peter “Do you love me?” Do we really love God? He waits for our answer with the rising of the sun to rise to follow him. He wants us to follow him by doing the will of the Father. Jesus lets Peter know his calling is “feed my sheep, tend my lambs”. We need more holy priests. We need them as pastors of the flock not administrators of the parish. To administer the parish is the “other duties as assigned” but the call is to be a pastor. A pastor tends to the spiritual needs of the people, administers the sacraments, and goes out to be with the flock in their world in order to call them back into God’s kingdom.

“Follow me” into the light and release the yoke of sin we carry with false pride.  Our pride is in the one who gives us the power to follow in ways of truth, goodness, beauty, and unity.  This is the resurrected life of our Easter time.  This is living in the perfection of the Lord this day.  We are in this moment in time called to follow.  Fear not the call into the unknown but in unity to our God be open to amazing grace and we will be his apostles in Christ.

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Reflection

Easter Triduum

Posted on by Deacon Joe

The Easter Triduum is three events in the one continuous recognition of the Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection.  This begins with Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday and concludes with vespers (evening prayer) on Easter Sunday. 

It began with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday as the Lord institutes the memorial of the Eucharist in the offering of his body and blood in preparation for the sacrifice to come in his death.  The Eucharist is his true body and blood in a mystery of transubstantiation for the atonement of our sins through all ages.  Lent was an opportunity to join Jesus by sharing of our own sacrifice not to atone for our sins but as an act of worship and thanksgiving.  The celebration of the Mass is a celebration of thanksgiving in remembrance of the one sacrifice.  It also institutes Holy Orders, that is the one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic church with himself as our High Priest and the disciples as priestly servants of the High Priest.  We recall this institution by the reenactment of the washing of the feet to remember true discipleship is servant leadership.  This invitation to servant leadership is a call to all faithful believers in our own state of life.  The willingness of ourselves to sacrifice for others is the beginning of the Christian life. 

Next is Good Friday, just one day after the institution of the Holy Eucharist we have this one day in which the church does not celebrate the Mass.  The solemnity of this day is the passion and death of Jesus in which Catholic churches around the world conduct reenactments to recall the reality of the sacrifice in all of Jesus true humanity to return to the Father in all his divinity.  His life is not taken from him.  He surrenders it to the Father to be one, consubstantial of the one nature with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  We are invited to spend an hour in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament this night as Jesus asks his disciples to stay awake with him in his agony before his arrest.  We recall his suffering is very personal in our lives for our own redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.  As Peter denied Jesus three times, we recall our own denial of our faith.  When we trust not Jesus will in our lives but our own egocentric desire to be our own god we reject his grace and mercy and deny him once again.  When we choose to disobey the commandments with full knowledge and free will we deny the fear of God and invite judgment upon ourselves.  When we vow to the Lord to live our state of life in chastity to our call as single, married, widow, religious, or priestly and break our vows we deny our Lord.  We may deny our promises but Jesus does not deny himself the promise he has made to us. 

The Tridium concludes with the final day beginning with the Saturday vigil at sunset until Sunday evening vespers.  In the darkness of the fire the Easter candle is lit to bring us “The Light of Christ” to “banish the darkness of sin” and “persevere undimmed” (Exultant) in the life of the church and in our lives as faithful followers of the light.  The night recalls the history of salvation in all the readings and in our voices raised to sing the Gloria, the Litany of the Saints and our Alleluia!  Easter has come with the promise of the empty tomb that is the resurrected Christ.  We join him as children of the light to burn brightly in our souls fulfilling the great commandment, “love God” and “love your neighbor” as he loves us. Our praise to God is fulfilled in our capacity to love.  We come together as family to express that love having already reconciled our self to God and with each other.  We come together as church to share in the fellowship of this love poured out for us giving testimony through our worship together.  We come together in our image of God to be one with him in our soul joining our mind, hearts, and will to be of one mind, one heart, and one will as humble servants ready to wash each other’s feet. 

Saint Peter reminds us of that we do fall and we rise again in hopes that each time our conversion brings us closer to Jesus, closer to the divine life, closer to each other.  HAPPY EASTER!! 

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Homily The Deacon Joe

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Lk. 19: 28-40; Is. 50: 4-7; Ps. 22: 8, 9, 17-20, 23-34; Phil. 2: 6-11; Lk 22: 14 – 23: 56

It has begun the source and summit of “Christendom”.  Palm Sunday is the complete narrative of our faith as Christians.  The preparation of Lent is to receive Christ as Lord and King and to be welcomed into his kingdom for all eternity.  Palm Sunday is the beginning of the final journey into eternal life in Christ.  It is a celebration of joy and sorrow, the joy of our salvation in Christ and the sorrow of our sins which persecute Christ even to this day.  “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest”.  For this we must never be silenced in the public square.  Even as the Pharisees tried to silence the people Jesus responds, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” 

Our times are filled with threats to those who speak in the public square their religious beliefs.  It goes as far to the extreme as to call it “Hate speech”.  It is condemned because it does not show tolerance or inclusive language.  Today gender neutral belief seeks to deny God’s creation of humanity as male and female by natural law.  The freedom to choose personal gender identity, the right to give life or end life, now extends to the demand that others comply with these social norms or lose their rights to exist in the public square.  In times of darkness comes the light.  Jesus is the light and he comes as a disruptive force to the Pharisees despite all their attempts to silence him. 

The words of Jesus, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” is a reminder of his deep sorrow and suffering in his humanity.  He is a God who joined us in all our human suffering and in agony feels the separation from God as we often wonder and question where God is when we suffer.  His supplication “But you, O Lord be not far from me” is followed by a commitment “I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.”  In joy praise comes naturally but in suffering do we remain committed to praise the Lord? 

Poor Peter, “I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day you will deny three times that you know me.”  Peter’s weakness is our weakness yet Jesus turns to Peter to be the rock “Simon…once you turn back you must strengthen your brothers.”  This is our joy we must turn back to the Lord from our sins and be the rock of strength for our family, friends, and a sign of hope to the stranger.  We are to serve the Lord as the light in the darkness with fortitude, justice, prudence, and temperance.  The light is received in our baptism through the Holy Spirit to be kept burning brightly with love in action willing to go forth into the darkness.  It cannot be kept hidden beneath church ceilings or within the soul of a believer. 

The sign of hope is a servant’s love to lift others by our testimony in word and act of charity with all humility.  Jesus offers us his cup and his bread that is his body and blood to strengthen us in this our personal crosses we bear in this life.  Our hope is the end of death by sin, the redemption of the sinner we are, and the resurrection into new life in the covenant of love.  Lent is our preparation time for a new beginning just as the world celebrates the New Year with a new resolution we celebrate our conversion.  Each day brings its joys and sorrows, trials and triumphs, beginning and end.  Each day is an offering of us to God and Easter is our springtime to be new once again in our faith, hope, and love. 

Let us invite Jesus into our lives and see the miracle of transformation beyond all understanding.  Let us now live our “Passover” from death into eternal life in the joy of the Eucharistic celebration, the sacrifice of the Mass and the going forth to love and serve the Lord.  “Jesus wept” is the shortest sentence in scripture.  Now Jesus waits.  How will you and I respond?  We belong to Christ! 

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Homily

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 43: 16-21; Ps. 126: 1-6; Phil. 3: 8-14; Jn. 8: 1-11

This is our final Sunday of Lent and I am consoled by the words from St. Paul, “forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead.”  Perhaps the most difficult thing to forget is our mistakes, our sins of the past.  This is because sin brings about suffering and it leaves its scars in our souls.  In the resurrection, Jesus appears to the disciples with the scars of his wounds.  They remain as a reminder of our sins he bears today for us. 

In contrast good time memories seem to need to be summoned up to recall those blessings but our suffering is always before us.  Jesus wants to heal our memories and free us from this cross.  The good news of the gospel is no one can condemn us for no one is without sin and God will not condemn us if we repent and sin no more.  God heals our memory from the pain to go forth to what lies ahead.  Going forth requires new behavior, a change of attitude, and a commitment.  The temptation is to return to the behavior of our past as creatures of habit, the easy road.  The road less traveled is following the path God is calling us to seek. 

This is the time to reflect on my behavior changed this Lent.  Does it have lasting commitment replaced by new behavior for the greater good?    It is easy to see Lent as a temporary behavior adjustment to pray a little more, cut back on some treats, or clean out our closet and give to charity.  Now what?  Do we simply slip back to our past habits or do we continue to pursue the goal, the “prize of God’s upward calling in Christ Jesus”? 

Each moment of life is a new experience and no two moments are exactly the same.  If we read scripture last week and we now read the same scripture passages it may have a new significance given what is going on in our current moment.  The Word of God is organic in its lifegiving principles.  Lent is not intended to be simply a bump on the road of “living my life” but a call to conversion into the image of Jesus in our suffering, our daily duty, our relationship with him and through him with humanity.

Jesus command is direct, “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”  Ever wonder what Jesus was writing on the ground for all the Pharisees and scribes to see?  While we don’t know, I suspect a list of sins that the accusers would recognize as their sin on the ground.  The impact of seeing words like adultery, theft, covetousness, gluttony, murder and knowing it applied to them made them drop their rocks and walk away. 

Jewish tradition had many laws to follow, breaking one would be very likely for which they made atonement with sacrifices of animals.  Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement for repentance is found in the Book of Leviticus, chapter 23.  “Blood atonement” by the shedding of innocent blood from a bull and goat in the Holy of Holies was the sacrifice on the altar.  Jesus gives his blood as the spear is thrust into his side and blood and water gush out.  Jesus is the innocent lamb for our sins and we are redeemed by his blood.  The command then for us is “Go forth and sin no more!” 

Mortal life is but a 100 years for some and for most much less but divine life is eternal and every day we are one day closer.  Dare we put off God for tomorrow, if not now when?  “Even now says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful”.  Lent is our time of atonement and be washed clean to celebrate Easter with the “upward calling in Christ Jesus”.  The prize is waiting and our time is now.  Don’t leave this world without it.  The prize is heaven in Jesus Christ. 

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Homily

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Jos. 5:9a, 10-12; Ps. 34: 2-7; 2Cor. 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

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 To be called Christian is to be ambassadors for Christ in the proclamation of the good news.  The good news for our times is God’s love and mercy and it is emphasized in today’s gospel reading in the parable of the Prodigal son.  In this triangle between the Father and his two sons we each can see ourselves being called to respond to the God’s love. 

Often in men’s retreats I have attended come a group of men at all stages of their conversion and commitment to the faith.  The son who asked for his inheritance and then squandered it in a life of sin is the retreatant who comes in hope of reconciliation but their sin makes them struggle with a sense of unworthiness until they witness the testimony of a sinner who like them has found forgiveness, peace within themselves from God and through God are able to stand and share their journey of conversion.  They see the God of mercy in the love of others and approach the Father’s love with fear and uncertainty until the Holy Spirit is received as confirmation, they are a new creation born of the spirit. 

The rebellious son is a spirit of the human condition that by our actions says, “I have no need for God for I choose to do it my way.”  This predates to the original sin of Adam and Eve we would define as egoism where we define morality as “my truth” and I determine reality in a sea of relativism.  In my reality then I must have “my space, my choice, my freedom, my everything” otherwise I am a victim of your hate, your intolerance, your racism, your bigotry.  To avoid you my enemy then I must retrieve into the bubble of my isolationism or you must be destroyed as the evil one.  My choice for freedom of you is your extermination. 

We may accept that “God is there” somewhere but we go our way trusting in our own “goodness and wisdom” until we have squandered our inheritance of faith in a God, hope in a power greater than us, love unconditional, and compromised all our values in search of success defined by the values of the world.  By then relationships have been hurt or even broken without hope of reconciliation.  What is left?  Do we simply “try again” or do we return to the God of mercy and love?  “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord”. 

The retreat also brings men who have remained close to the Church, following in obedience as the son who remained in the Father’s house and does not understand the “injustice” the world has delivered them.  “How can a good God allow for the suffering in their lives?”  The heavy burden of sickness, death of a loved one, the loss of work, the tragedy from abuse as a child all weigh upon the soul, hidden by their actions is the anger and resentment to the Father.  What has obedience done for me, “not even a young goat to feast on” while other sinners seem to have the “better life”.

The response of the Father to his son, “everything I have is yours” is a reminder God is ready to pour out his blessings on his sons and daughters but our rebellious spirit is holding on to our sense of “injustice” in its own rebelliousness to the Father.  We can be in the Church but not of the Church without the “agape” love which is unconditional ready to be the ambassador of mercy “as we forgive those who have trespassed against us”.  The retreat is a conversion of love and mercy for the sinner called beyond the spirit of obedience to grow in the image of Christ, the God of love. 

Then we have the Father whose relationship with his two sons gives the impression of bias in favor of the younger over the elder.  As parents no two children are the same and the discipline and or leniency in which the children perceive of their parents is often questioned as perhaps also the expectations of them as they are growing up.  In the human condition we feel “its not fair”.  In the context of the culture of the time the younger son’s actions by daring to ask for his inheritance are a betrayal and the death of a relationship.  The Father never loses hope and “while he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion”.  The Father longs for the return of his son because his love is an unconditional love.  This is the Father’s unconditional love for both sons as he explains to the elder “everything I have is yours”.  In this statement Jesus reveals the kingdom of God belongs to his faithful as our inheritance. 

If we have the kingdom of God to celebrate as faithful followers from the Father how are we living with this treasure?  The elder son did not have a sense of ownership from his Father’s inheritance.  There remained a separation with the Father created by the son who remained obedient but not living an intimate relationship with his Father.  For us the question to ask ourselves from our baptism promises is what relationship do I have with our God and Father?  If we come to Church and leave the same without a deeper conversion what is keeping me away from his love leaving his graces at the altar.  God is ready to pour out his graces into our lives to live our inheritance and we don’t ask, don’t seek, and we don’t trust.

 The younger son “was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”  In the fifth commandment, “You shall not kill”, it is not the Father who kills but the son who commits the crime against himself in dying to sin.  In returning to the Father he is born again of the spirit.  This is our Lenten call today to free ourselves from the bondage of our own sins and return to the Father whose arms are waiting to receive us.  He remains outside the door of our hearts with his sight on us filled with compassion and mercy.  Come, receive and live the kingdom of God, let us live our inheritance to the fullest. 

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Homily The Deacon Joe

3rd Sunday of Lent

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Ex 3: 1-8a, 13-15; Ps. 103: 1-4, 6-8, 11; 1 Cor. 10: 1-6, 10-12; Lk. 13: 1-9

Years ago I had the opportunity to visit a drug treatment program in a prison.  As I sat in the treatment group and witnessed the process it was disturbing at first the means of confronting the prisoner with his addiction.  The group was assigned to place one prisoner in the middle of the group and then they began one by one listing the faults of the individual, which we may refer to as his sins.  They described how they observed the individual in denial of his problem, how he behaved in his attitude towards the problem and how they observed his limited commitment to recovery. 

At the end of the verbal confrontation some might describe more as a verbal assault the counselor then directed the group to “build him back up”.  They then each gave him their supportive views such as his ability to stick to the program, to want to reconcile with his family, to be supportive of other prison mates, etc.  In today’s gospel we see some of the same process of confronting first our sins and then “building us back up” with a sign of hope in the parable of the fig tree. 

Luke describes how Jesus confronts everyone’s need for repentance and we cannot draw distinction from each other’s sins.  The Galileans whose sins included their sacrifices and suffered at the hands of Pilate we no greater sinners than all other Galileans or than all those present before him, “if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”  Then he reinforces the point with another example. 

The people judged those who face suffering as sinners yet he reveals to them those who were killed in Siloam were no “more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem.”  He is turning the mirror on his followers to acknowledge their sins and repent.  In the context of their understanding of sin they believed in their righteousness as follower of the law.  Jesus turns the tables on them to see their unrighteousness coming from the heart of their intentions.  This is through the gift of becoming consciously aware of sin as defined by truth.  The foundation of conversion was the convincing of sin.  We should not think we stand “secure” but “take are not to fall” as history reveals many times over.

Bam! Bam!  Wake up to the truth.  “Conversion requires convincing of sin; it includes the interior judgment of conscience, and this being a proof of the action of the Spirit of truth in man’s inmost being” (CCC 1848) We are to pray for the Spirit of truth in our continued conversion into the image and likeness of Christ.  Our culture seeks to deny absolute truth fostering instead relative truth in the “eye of the beholder”.  If there is only relative truth then there is no sin and if there is no sin there is no need for repentance and without repentance “you will all perish as they did!”  What is there left to say? Many stand secure in their judgment of self without the revelation of the Spirit of truth. “Take care not to fall.”

Jesus does not leave them broken but follows the Spirit of truth with the parable of the fig tree.  The owner wants the fig tree cut down after three years of not producing any fruit.  The gardener asks for forgiveness for the tree and to allow it another year to produce fruit before cutting it down.  Jesus is our gardener who came to “cultivate the ground” of our hearts “and fertilize it” with a Spirit of truth.  Jesus is the final hope for repentance and conversion and he came with some very strong arguments to convince his people.  Jesus is the one to build us up into a righteous people, a holy nation.  In the end it is our turn now to “bear fruit in the future” or be cut down for our sins. 

“The Lord is kind and merciful.”  God not only pardons all our sins but he “heals all your ills”.  Then he does something even greater, he redeems us.  What does this mean?  He has won back our freedom and given us a crown in his kingdom.  This is our “exodus” from sin and a return to the holy land “flowing with milk and honey”.  Moses led the people of Israel out of their human exodus from slavery and Jesus comes to lead us out of our human exodus from the slavery of sin.  The ground of our hearts is being cultivated and fertilized by Jesus and we are to produce “milk and honey” from our hearts of love.  By our fruits we shall be known as true witnesses and followers to the Spirit of truth incarnate.  We are now sent by “I AM”.

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Homily

II Sunday of Lent

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Gn. 15: 5-12, 17, 18; Ps. 27: 1, 7-9, 13, 14; Phil. 3:17-4:1; Lk. 9: 28b-36

God is pure spirit, a voice in the cloud of unknowing Peter, John, and James find themselves frightened.  The voice of God in the cloud is the proclamation of today, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him”.  Today’s gospel reading is the Transfiguration of the Lord.  What does this mean?  Is it simply the outer appearance of his face changing and his clothes becoming “dazzling white” or is it a manifestation of something more profound?  Since we believe all scripture is a revelation of God, his Son and the Spirit we can discern meaning and truth about Jesus beginning with Abram. 

Abram prefigured Jesus in “righteousness” obedient to the Lord in offering the sacrifice God requested.  Abram received the covenant with descendants beyond the count of the stars.  The transfiguration is the new sign of Jesus the righteous one whose kingdom will reign forever.  With Jesus appear Moses as a sign of obedience to the law and Elijah as a sign of fulfilling prophesies.  What do they speak of?  They “spoke of his exodus.” 


The exodus is the coming of the Lord’s passion, death and ascension.   This is the sacrifice of himself in atonement for our sins in which he becomes fulfillment of the covenant promise.  Christians, followers of Christ are the descendants of the new covenant beyond the number of stars we can count and “our citizenship is in heaven.”  We too must experience our “exodus” from this world and be transformed by our conversion into the image of Christ.

In the transfiguration is the glorified body to come for those who “stand firm in the Lord”.  We see the victory over death in Moses and Elijah already in their glorified state.  We receive the promise and he will “bring all things into subjection to himself.”  By the power of Jesus we share in his glory but first we must learn the lesson of Jonah in Nineveh.  “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.”  So they repented, fasted, and they all prayed.  Lent is our 40 days to repent, fast, and pray for conversion.  It is a reminder sin has consequences.  Forgiveness comes with conversion and God is merciful.  “A heart contrite and humbled, O God you will not spurn.”  

Our God is a God of mercy and justice.  In mercy God grants us another chance at redemption if we turn away from our sinful ways and do what is right.  Our sins are not who we were created to be but we own them by our decisions.  We also have the opportunity to receive God’s grace if we seek forgiveness we will be cleansed and live.  In justice we are responsible for our choices and if we turn away from God and do evil even our good works will not save us, we shall die. 

For those who say “once saved always saved” read Ez. 18: 21-28 and receive the word of God.  God does not “derive pleasure from the death of the wicked…but rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live”.  Also true is “a virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil…he has broken faith and committed sin…because of this, he shall die.”  Salvation is not cheap grace, it is sacrificial love.

Our lent is our time to focus on our conversion of heart and lasting change.  It transcends beyond obedience to the law of God.  It discerns the intent of our hearts in our behavior seeking true love, sacrificial love.  This is change that liberates us from our temptations, sinful behavior, self-defeating thoughts, poor judgment, and weakness.  Turn to the power of the name that sets us free.  

In the name of Jesus we claim our victory our sin, fear, and evil that “prowls around the world seeking the ruins of souls” damaging our relationships and wounding our souls.  This does not have to be if we but “Listen to him!”  Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets and he brings us the good news of eternal life.  We were born to live “Listen to him!”  I believe, I trust, I pray, and I go forth not in fear but in faith. 

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Homily

Ash Wednesday

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Jl. 2: 12-18; Ps. 51: 3-6ab, 14, 17; 2 Cor. 5:20-6:2; Mt 6: 1-6, 16-18

“In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.”  This is the acceptable time for a soul to face the sin of their life.  If we deny our sin we reject God’s mercy.  If we say we have no sin what need is there for mercy from the cross.  Jesus died for sinners.  Denying sin is another fall from grace into the trap of the evil one. 

The evil one wants us to believe in the relative truth of each person.  The lie of the evil one is what is “right and just” is self-defined.  If each person identifies their truth then there is no sin, no need for forgiveness and no redemption from God.  We must recall sin is the disobedience of God’s law and this includes the commandments and natural law of his creation.  We recognize a supreme authority as creator and our dependence as creation to follow for the greater good in the law of God’s love.  

Sin comes from our separation from God seeking our self-centric desires.  It is based on our awareness of wrong-doing, our consent and disregard of God’s law.  This is the age of mercy and the day of salvation.  What action can we take as a sign of our return to Him?  Often Lent represents a denial of self, in other words “what are you giving up this Lent?”  Consider what is the “act” that fosters sin in our life?  Often it is the act of indulgence from a lack of moderation of the human passion and desires.  Other times the act itself is sinful by denying God, committing murder, adultery, stealing or other acts against humanity. 

The first step to reconciliation is to target the “act” that separates us from the love of God.  This “act” is a step in purging ourselves that leads to purification of spirit and soul.  It is a first step in awakening us to our mortality, dying to self.  Fasting is limiting our self in our intake while abstinence is the spirit of “giving up something”.  We are asked to abstain from meat (and meat products) on Ash Wednesday and Fridays of Lent including Good Friday.  This is our “penitential” sacrifice.  In this act we acknowledge our weakness and need for God who is the bread of life. 

There is a second step and it is what fosters God’s grace.  The Gospel reminds us to give alms, meaning serve the poor in their needs with acts of charity.  It calls us to a deeper prayer life spending time with God alone.  These two are acts fulfill the commandments of love of God and neighbor.  In this we serve the call to build God’s kingdom. 

By our baptism we are children of the law and receive our calling. It can be neglected without the discipline to integrate our daily routine as a gift to God for his greater glory.  All that we are and all that we have is a blessing from God.  Let us offer it up this Lent to God with simple acts of awareness in our day and witness the miracle of multiplication of graces that come by it.  Feast on God, “He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst” (Jn. 6:35)

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Homily

Seventh Sunday Ordinary Time

Posted on by Deacon Joe

1 Sm 26: 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; Ps. 103: 1-4, 8,10, 12-13; 1 Cor. 15: 45-49; Lk. 6: 27-38

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”.  Mercy is love and love is God.  “We have borne the image of the earthly one (first man, Adam, became a living being) we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one”.  The image of the heavenly one is borne in the earthly life by the fruits of their love.  The first man was tempted into taking the fruit to be like God and received mercy and judgment in the same act of fallen nature.  Mercy and love from the “last Adam” Jesus Christ redeems us with the image of the “life giving spirit”.  The fall of the first Adam came from disobedience.  The second call for obedience is for mercy.   “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”. 

“God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day” David was told.  It was the moment of decision for David.  Saul had been tracking him down with the intent of killing David.  David was filled with the life giving spirit to proclaim, “Do not harm him, for who can lay hands on the Lord’s anointed and remain unpunished?”  Had David chosen to kill Saul at the moment he had the opportunity it is possible the other soldiers would have woken and obtained revenge.  The “deep slumber” the soldiers were in as “a good measure” of a gift in return for the mercy of David.  David’s mercy leads to Saul’s conversion of heart and a new brotherhood.  David’s mercy brings about the future overflowing gifts inheriting the earthly kingdom of God. 

We ask ourselves do we have that trust in God to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us or even bless those who curse us?  Perhaps we may pray for those who mistreat us but how far does our mercy extend?  We live in times where the vitriol in the public square calls for “hate” and “death”.  It is hate to those who stand for values that are in opposition of one societal group over another.  It calls for death of any ideology that is not in line with the secular views intent to leave God out of the public square.  As Christians we are not outside the public square, we are members who participate and contribute to its growth.  Christianity is lived in the public square. 

Those who reject us find fault in Christianity for taking a stand on moral principles, values and God’s commandments.  The charge is we are not inclusive, not tolerant, and not open to alternative views or life-styles.  Ultimately, we are condemned as hypocrites for not “loving”.  It is not enough to love the sinner if we cannot accept the sin.  Who are we to judge is the claim?  The image of Christ brought condemnation to the sin not the sinner. The image of Christ brought the call to conversion for the sinner not tolerance for the sin. The image of Christ brought the call to a unity of truth not inclusiveness to a diversity of truth.  In the end we believe in one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. 

In times of hate, death, cursing and the festering of evil it can tempt a good soul to fall once again into “an eye for an eye” judgment.  If this remains the standard then “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you” and we bring judgment upon ourselves.  This is the last attempt of the evil one to grab souls for itself before to final coming of Christ, the Parousia.  Our Father is merciful, may this be our prayer, “Lord in your mercy give me the grace to be merciful”. 

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