3rd Sunday of Lent – You shall not!

Posted on March 1, 2024February 29, 2024 by Deacon Joe

Ex. 20:1-17; Ps. 19:8-11; 1 Cor. 1:22-25; Jn. 2:13-25

“You shall not!” says the Lord over and over again as he gives his commandments going into some detail to make sure we know how to live these commandments. He goes into great effort to describe the behavior of the “children of those who love me” in the first commandment. We get two more proactive commandments in “keep Holy the sabbath day” and “Honor your father and your mother”. Three of which “you shall” and seven of which “you shall not!” However, in avoiding the seven that “you shall not” we also demonstrate our love and commitment to God.

We avoid what offends the relationship of those we love. This is why love of God is sacrificial love but not only love of God but true love between husband and wife, brothers and sisters, parents and children. In true love we are willing to sacrifice for the other. We value the other so much as not to offend the one we love. Sadly, this is not the culture of our times where the “self” is before all else and the other becomes “cancelled” through marital divorce, legal persecution, abandonment of the elderly, abuse of children, and even claiming the right to die or to kill the unborn. Yet before we assume we are living in the worst of times recall that all this was also in existence when Jesus entered the world and how he died for us.

Divorce granted since the time of Moses, legal persecution is how the Jews brought charges against Jesus, abandonment of the elderly justified by giving alms to the synagogue, abuse of children in the massacre of the innocents trying to kill baby Jesus, right to end life at all stages is how people were conquered and power was won. The world remains a den of thieves and we must separate ourselves from the culture of the world by remaining alive in the culture coming from the law of God which gives justice to true love, Godly love.

“You shall not” is not about depriving us of freedom but of safeguarding us from the human condition of sin that leads to a loss of freedom and ultimately back to slavery. What slavery one may ask? The slavery of disordered attachment to the passions of the flesh, to the material world, and to the ego of pride to be our own god. Disordered attachments are the cancer of the soul leading to death.

A parent says to a child “you shall not” more often than giving permission to go forth and do their own will. The wisdom of a parent knows the risk and harm that can come certain actions. It is more than an act of love to watch over our children, it is a call of duty to raise up a kingdom for God in the law of love of God and neighbor. The world has accepted the lie of the evil one to become your own god by “remaking” yourself into what sex you want to be, “reimagining” your world by the passions of the flesh that drive the imagination, and “cancelling” any who question or stand for a different set of values.

Today it is not enough for a parent to simply say “you shall not” when there is so much pressure on our youth to follow in the world’s “alternative” lifestyles. Today we must all stand and be a force to how we are to “go forth” together in the way of the Lord. We must be able to instruct our youth in how to answer to the challenges they face and why do we believe what we profess. The practice of apologetics, that is of defending the faith through reason and discourse must be taught at each stage of a child’s growth age appropriately. What is a child to think when the teacher arrives to class in a dress and make up as a girl but yesterday was male? Should they remain silent or be free to say “I know you’re a man dressed like a girl”? This is our call of duty as a parent and a church to guide the faithful in the world we must all live in.

The Lord asks us today where is your “zeal for your house”? What matters in defending our faith? The world preaches political correctness, let it be to each his own but the world is not satisfied with following its own way. It wants to create a future generation of followers and keeps seeking to enter our homes and claim our children with greater rights decreed by law. We don’t see Jesus becoming physically aggressive often but his actions were always aggressive against what was the sins he confronted. He did not hold back in speaking the truth.

The Lord’s truth is that no matter how much people and institutions try to conquer and control others, the force of his power is beyond any human authority. He claimed it when he says, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews did not understand what they were about to do in bring Jesus to death “but Jesus was speaking of the temple of his body”. In the same way no matter how much we see and must live through in the world, even death will not claim us because we believe in the resurrection of the dead and Jesus is our testimony. Lent is our time to recall and live what matters most so that we shall not deny him. We go forth united to the one God in three persons. Let the world ponder that. Jesus knows us all.

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Homily

3rd Sunday of Lent – “Here I am”

Posted on March 20, 2022March 20, 2022 by Deacon Joe

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

“Here I am” called by the great “I Am”. God reveals himself to Moses as “I am the God of your fathers.” God is “I am who am” the God of all creation. God is in the spiritual rock and spiritual food the Israelites ate and drank from “and the rock was the Christ”. Here I am this day coming to receive him as we eat and drink from the bread and wine of the Eucharist and the rock is the same Christ. This Lent is our call to respond “Here I am” as we tend to the flock of our daily lives. The place we stand in our church is holy ground and we give reverence not by removing our “sandals” but by removing our sins. Lent is our call to say “Here I am ready to remove my sins with the help of your grace and the love of your kindness and mercy”.

Sin is the “destroyer” as it destroyed a generation of Israelites in the desert. It is far more common for our generation to identify as “being good” than as a sinner as the world defines what is “good”. If we accept the world’s view of “good” then we are standing on shaky ground. “Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall” as St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Corinthians.

Lent is a time to put ourselves to the test by identifying with the discipline of Lent in the spiritual battle with the flesh. Too often the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak and we fall back into our sins. If we cannot succeed in the small battles of Lent, how will we survive the major attack from the destroyer? “Here I am” to take on the battle of what I can control this Lent in order to build up the spiritual muscle for the battle of what I may not have control over in a world where the evil one “prowls about the world seeking the ruin of souls”.

In overcoming ourselves in the spirit of Lent we become open to receive the graces to overcome the enemy. In the gospel, Jesus reminds the people and us that tragedy is not a sign of our sins “By no means!” We are not greater sinners when tragedy comes our way and in the same manner, we are no less a sinner justified by our good fortune. Tragedy is not a punishment from God. Evil comes upon the just and unjust just as the rain fall upon all. Our purpose is to be ready and repent of our sins so that we may not perish “as they (Galileans) did”. Lent is our call to redemption by our confession as sinners and the mercy of God. Here I am ready to repent and be saved!

The Israelites were “baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea”. We are baptized into Jesus by water and the Holy Spirit. The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years coming to the promise land a journey that only required eleven days to make but by their sins a generation died in the desert. We are called not to wander but to carry the discipline of the cross for forty days to arrive at the promise land of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that in Jesus we may never die but live for all eternity. Here I am ready to believe and be saved!

St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians warns his followers of the things that happened to the Israelites as examples “so that we might not desire evil things”. What evil things do we desire that compare to the Israelites? We desire to make of this world our God, our idolatry from the worship of power, profit, prestige. We desire the power to control not only our lives but often the lives of others. Try this Lenten exercise for one day, try to accept the freedom of will of another person, husband, wife, your adult child and realize just how much we desire control. We desire the profit beyond our needs to have the pleasure of indulgence. The indulgence of our bellies ready to supersize our orders; the indulgence of our eyes stuck to the screen of our phone, television, and computer; the indulgence of our passions because “its all about me” and make it all about the other. We desire the prestige of being “first” not “least”, leader not servant, and proud not humble. Here I am ready to be challenged in our desire for power, profit and prestige by learning to let go, abstain, and be among the least this Lent.

Lent is call to enter into the passion of Christ, to take each day as a walk through the Stations of the Cross in all our struggles without the “grumble” of the Israelites and not perish. We are to look on the parable of the fig tree as a sign of our own life. We are the fig tree and God has planted us for a time on this earth to give fruit. “Three years” for the fig tree represents our fullness of time on this earth and God is waiting to receive the fruit we were destined to produce. If by our own freewill we seek another path and wander in our own desert, the day is coming when we will be on the receiving of the word “cut it down”.

We have however our redeemer ready to cultivate the ground of our souls and fertilize it with the word of truth that we may repent and begin to produce the fruit for the purpose we came into this world. The gardener of our souls and redeemer is Jesus Christ. Lent is our renewal of this personal relationship with Jesus. It is an invitation to say “Jesus, I trust in you” and let go and let God work to change our hearts, mind and will according to his love, a love that is everlasting. Here I am ready to be cultivated by faith, hope, and love and we shall be saved.

“The Lord is kind and merciful…slow to anger and abounding in kindness.” We look at the world and see darkness, war, violence, and death. This is not from God but from the sin within the heart of humanity. It is our self-destruction while the Lord suffers the pain of our sinfulness. We pray for a miracle to end this madness but evil has entered into the world to do its damage. Once God is removed from our institutions the structure of society will collapse from within. The last institution to fall is the family and it begins by removing the “father” from the home through separation, divorce or even by conception without a father.

Recently a caller on Catholic radio asked the host why do Catholics call a priest “Father” if the bible says to call no one “Father” except our heavenly Father. The host asked “Do you sin with your eyes?” She responded “yes”. He then asked “have you plucked your eyes out since the bible says if you sin with your eyes pluck them out?” She responded “Ok, I get it!” and went on to imply that the church will turn things into however it chooses and hung up. The host by his response implied not everything said in scripture is taken literally.

In reflecting on the caller’s question and the response by the host two thoughts came to me. The first was that if our eyes sin then we are to “pluck them out” by removing the sin from our eyes and receive the vision of God through the eyes of holiness. Sin is what we “pluck out, cut off, take out” of our lives. The second was the understanding that we call a priest “Father” from the authority given by Jesus to Peter and the church to be in the person of Christ as Father to his people. As “Father” a priest is given the authority of our Father in heaven to provide us the sacraments that we may come to receive forgiveness, healing, virtues and graces to live holy lives and resist the temptation to sin. “Father” implies the authority of God to shepherd his people.

In the same way we also have by our calling as fathers in the home a divine purpose with authority to be Fathers of God’s love just as women have their divine purpose to be Mothers of God’s love each a complement of the other. If we surrender our children to be “children of the state” by allowing other institutions to determine what is right and wrong, when should the right to life begin and end, who determines sexual identity God or self then the last standing hope for truth will end and confusion, chaos, and tyranny will prevail. Let us not surrender our God given authority to proclaim the word of God with freedom, to teach our children the truth of our faith, and to be witnesses to our faith when challenged to deny or be cancelled by the voices of anger and hate. Here I am Lord ready to profess what we believe and to proclaim it that is to claim it by our actions.

Here I am Lord, ready to be a warrior in the battle for truth, goodness, beauty, and unity in the one body of Christ. Here I am ready to carry the cross that comes from the sacrificial gift of love of God, neighbor, and self. Here I am come to do your will. Amen.

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Homily

1st Sunday of Lent – Jesus is Lord

Posted on March 5, 2022March 3, 2022 by Deacon Joe

“Jesus is Lord” believe and be saved! This is our Lenten journey to be “led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days” and overcome the temptations of the devil to hunger for this world when we are called to hunger for God alone. It is when we are without that we learn that “One does not live on bread alone.” The power and glory of this world from the devil cannot compare to the power and glory of God when we confess with our mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in our heart in the resurrection of Jesus. We “will not be put to shame”.

Moses was led by the Spirit for forty years to arrive at the “land flowing with milk and honey”. This journey by the most direct means would have taken only eleven days something to be grasped and understood. Why forty years for an eleven-day journey? We ask was the Spirit misguiding the people or were the people’s spirit misguided by the temptations of the devil in their hunger for an earthly kingdom in this world? By their actions and stubbornness of heart a generation would be lost in the desert. The Lord’s promise to us of a land filled with milk and honey is a heavenly kingdom just beyond our sight but we may find ourselves wandering for years trying to create our own little kingdom of earthly riches and a lasting legacy of bricks and mortar that will return to dust. The lasting legacy of life is a faith that endures in the lives we impacted during our time that continue to give testimony to our personhood in the image of God.

In tribulation and times of distress do we cling to the Lord or in despair “dash your foot against a stone” in fear of this world. “Be with me Lord, when I am in trouble” that I may not stand in your way of delivering me against the enemy. In the name of Jesus, we will “trample down the lion and the dragon” because we cling to the Lord. Now is a time of tribulation with war on the horizon and the evil one taking possession of weak souls. Be strong in our confession of faith that the angels be commanded to guard God’s people in all our ways. Pray for those whose lives are already in danger as they battle the enemy and call upon the Blessed Mother, the army of angels and saints for the miracle that will bring to an end war and deliver peace.

Jesus is Lord of the heavens and earth, Jesus is Lord of the people who are ordered to bear arms against their brothers and sisters for an unjust cause, and Jesus is Lord of the persecuted fighting for freedom and peace. Only Jesus can deliver us from the enemy who has already been defeated and is only trying to take others with him into the pit of hell. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for peace in the midst of war and evil. Blessed are the sorrowful who suffer the unjust cruelty of war theirs is the promise of the land of milk and honey.

When the Israelites went into the desert, they were saved from the Egyptians but they lacked in faith to be saved from their sin. They desired to control their destiny rather than trust in the Lord. They confessed their lack of faith with their lips and their actions and were put to shame. Let us not be put to shame but rise in our faith that Jesus is Lord.

The Lord was tempted and each time he outwitted the devil but he only “departed from him for a time”. We must meet the persistence of evil with our confession of faith and have a well-trained soul in the Word of God for the evil one departs only for a time to return with a greater legion of demons in hopes of defeating us in our faith. The army of Jesus must always be ready for the enemy with the weapons of spiritual warfare, prayer, fasting, a well-trained mind and body in communion with the Lord. Even the body and perhaps most especially the body can be a source of weakness accustomed to the indulgencies of the world unaccustomed to being denied its passions. Fasting and abstinence is a test for us that even our bodies belong to the Lord and to be kept holy as a temple to the Lord.

In past times the battle was fought face-to-face with a breastplate to protect yourself from enemy’s weapon. In order to protect your back-side the warriors stood back-to-back. Our breastplate of prayer and the Word of God defends us in the battle but it is when we come together standing side by side and back-to-back “where to or three are gathered together” in the name of Jesus with the Church that we are protected from the blind side. The sacramental life of the Church is our blind side protection against the enemy. Alone the enemy will find our weakness but together with the Church the enemy can only flee from the power he cannot defeat.

Lent is our time to immerse ourselves into building up our weapons for battle as the militant church on earth. It is a call to put ourselves to the readiness test by training of our minds in the knowledge of the Word, our bodies in the discipline of the flesh, and our spirit in the love of other. If God is with us who can be against us? We must not become the one who is against his very self by remaining in the darkness of sin. We are called to be the light of truth, goodness, beauty and unity. We are called to be living in the image of God. We are called to be the best God created us to be. Authentic disciples who walk in faith, not in fear of the enemy but in the power of God’s love and mercy. When we proclaim “Jesus is Lord” all the angels and saints rise up and join us in the battle already won.

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Homily

Ash Wednesday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Homily The Deacon Joe

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Posted on April 13, 2019April 12, 2019 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

II Sunday of Lent

Posted on March 16, 2019March 16, 2019 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 March 6, 2019March 6, 2019 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

Lenten Season

Posted on February 16, 2018February 16, 2018 by Deacon Joe

Is. 58: 1-9a; Mt. 9:14-15

Ash Wednesday began our Lenten journey with the words “repent and believe in the gospel” or “from dust you are and to dust you shall return”. Like John the Baptist in the desert we enter into a desert experience to “cry out full-throated and unsparingly”…REPENT!!

We are ambassadors for Christ. As ambassadors we represent Christ by living the Christian ideal. To live the Christian ideal is an encounter with Christ. Traditionally many see Lent as a time to “give up” something while we “carry out your own pursuits” says scripture “going about the day as any other day” the business of life. “A day acceptable to the Lord” asks of us to “take up” an action for justice. How do we set free the “oppressed”, begin by forgiving someone and seeking reconciliation with an act of love. Take up an act of love for the hungry, the homeless, the naked shamed by a world that offers them pity by cleaning out your closet, your pantry, or your garage and giving them to organizations that serve the hungry and the homeless like a St. Vincent de Paul center. Since the Depression in this country it seems we have not only “saved for a rainy day” but become hoarders of everything. We collect so much “stuff” that we have overflowing storage and more than one of everything we claim to “need”. There even exists a professional organizing industry to help us hold onto everything. Simple tip for this Lent is “let go and let God”, give of ourselves and what we have and trust in God.

The Christian ideal for Lent is fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. The ideal for fasting and abstinence is beyond giving up something for a time it is a form of repentance. We have our food addictions to coffee, alcohol, cokes, and sweets the most common thing we tend to give up because we consciously know we are harming ourselves with the excess of consumption. At a training I attended, I recall a college student saying she could not go long without eating Cheetos every day or she would get anxious just thinking about going to buy a bag. We can also repent from too many hours of television hooked on reality shows, sports, or news events. We can repent from becoming social media junkies or bingo and “maquinita” (game) junkies.

The ideal prayer begins with “Lord, teach me to pray.” The Church offers so many forms of prayer but how is Jesus calling us to encounter him in our prayer life. If we pray the traditional rosary in 15 minutes flat perhaps we can take time to recite a scriptural rosary meditating on each bead with a scripture verse the life of Jesus. Today there are so many prayer apps we can download and pray with during the day like the Litany of the Hours which unites us to the daily prayers of the Church. Perhaps God wants us to encounter him in scripture by praying the form of Lectio Divina allowing us to meditate on scripture. Perhaps he wants us to simply spend time with him in silence before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration, waiting and longing for the bridegroom.

The ideal of almsgiving is giving of self by “taking up” a cause for the need of others with works of mercy. In mercy we encounter Christ. At the beginning of the New Year my resolution was to seek “joy in Christ”. Since childhood, I had the habit of worrying. Habits lead to character development and being a “worrier” is bad for your health eventually it catches us to us especially as we age. I need the joy of Christ to change my character. I ask myself, “What gives God joy?” The answer is a repentant sinner with a merciful heart seeking to encounter him in God’s sons and daughters. The heavens celebrate when a sinner repents. In our youth we may fail to see our collection of venial sins thinking “I’m not that bad…I stay out of trouble.” As we age and look back at the things we said and did we begin to see ourselves with the eyes of God who opens our eyes and hearts to our true self and calls us back to his mercy.

Let the discipline of this Lent gush forth mercy from the heart of our God and savior. We can offer up as reparation for our sins acts of mercy. We can also offer our acts of mercy and discipline this Lent for the sins of others, souls in purgatory, our deceased family members, or simply for God’s divine purpose. Who is the prodigal son in our home and family who we can offer our acts of mercy for a conversion in their lives. The joy of Lent is being immersed in God’s merciful Heart.

One of my favorite stories from years ago in the 1980s while leading a youth group to Garner State Park, we were returning home and stopped in San Antonio with a van load of youth. I only had cash for gas (no credit cards then) and was down to my last $10.00. Stopping to go to the bathroom our son entered a stall and said “hey Dad, I found a penny.” Looking down from the next stall I said “hey son, I found $100”. There on the flood lay a black wallet with no identity and only a $100 bill. As we returned to join the group sitting by the Alamo we were in a crowd of people when I noticed an old man with a beard in old scrubby clothes walking directly to me. He stood in front of me and reached out his hand without saying a word. I reached for my wallet and gave him the $10.00 feeling awed by the moment. The man accepted the money and simply turned and disappeared in the crowd. God had heard my prayer and I encountered God in this man seeking alms. Have you encountered Jesus today?

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Homily

5th Week of Lent

Posted on April 6, 2017April 5, 2017 by Deacon Joe

Lazarus come out! That was this Sunday’s call from Jesus. As we approach Holy Week our scriptures have us reflect more on death and God’s power over death. We saw it on Sunday’s gospel in the death of Lazarus and Jesus announcing, “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, even if he dies will live and everyone who believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” That is the question we need to answer for ourselves in facing death. Fear of death is a powerful force for the evil one to use on us.

This week King Nebuchadnezzar in his “utter rage” has Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bound and thrown into the furnace but four appear to be walking in the fire, unfazed by it, and the “fourth looks like the son of God”. How is it that Nebuchadnezzar recognizes the fourth as the “son of God” but the Jews don’t recognize the son of God before them fulfilling the scriptures? The great sign is victory over death. Soon we will be celebrating the passion of the Lord and Jesus victory over death. “Do you believe this?” Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Martha, and Mary believed.

The fear of death is powerful among the earthly living? Why, a lack of faith? Perhaps one reason is we are taught the definition of death is “the end of life…a permanent and irreversible cessation of all vital functions” in Webster’s Dictionary. This is a contradiction to God’s spirit in us for everlasting life. If this humanity was the true “end of life” then Jesus coming is a myth for the weak and vulnerable and his miracles an illusion.

Science will attest that in human development all our cell structure dies and is renewed about every five years; thus an infant dies to itself to become a child, and a child dies to become a teen…in more ways than one…and a teen passes on to become an adult and the adult an elderly person with the same spirit and soul given to the infant. We are not in the custom of saying each dies to itself into the next stage of life, we say we grow and develop. We also grow and develop into the divine life and image of our creator. Jesus calls us to die to oneself and be transformed into his image.

The final transformation is to leave this body for a spiritual state and then the final coming when we will have an incorruptible body reunited to our soul. Two more stages to grow into. Recall the transfiguration of Jesus when he appears with Moses and Elijah, they are all alive.

So what is death? Sin is death and death is a permanent and irreversible separation from God. We fear mortal death and don’t fear sin to the pleasure of the evil one who desires our permanent and irreversible separation from God. Human decay is the stench of sin. Death where is your sting? It is in sin. Jesus victory over death is not a mortal victory over the body, it is the victory over sin for our humanity that we may believe.

Catechism has clear teaching on death. In #1105 we read, we must “be away from the body and at home with the Lord. In that ‘departure’ which is death the soul is separated from the body. It will be reunited with the body on the day of the resurrection of the dead. #1006 say, “Death is in fact ‘the wages of sin.” #1007 says, “Death is the end of earthly life.” #1008 says, “Death is a consequence of sin.” And, #1009 says, “Death is transformed by Christ.”

It also reminds us to die in a state of Christ’s grace is to participate in the Lord’s death so we can also share his Resurrection (#1006). This participation we will be celebrating liturgically this coming Holy Week but we live it daily. Thus as scripture says, “not all will die” but all share Christ’s death. Let us remain among the living for all eternity. Prepare to live on!

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