19th Sunday Ordinary Time – Ready by faith!

Posted on August 6, 2022August 6, 2022 by Deacon Joe

Wis. 18:6-9; Ps. 33:1, 12, 18-22; Heb. 11:1-2, 8-19; Lk. 12:32-48

Ready by faith! Abraham was ready by faith to obey “when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance…not knowing where he was to go.” By faith, Abraham a man “as good as dead” and Sarah “herself was sterile” were able to have a child, Isaac and by faith he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice. Are we ready to live by faith in the sure hope of things not seen? We were not there to see the resurrection of Jesus and yet by faith we believe not only in his resurrection but in ours to come. Faith builds up our readiness when we act on our faith.

Here lies our dilemma, we say we have faith but we act as if we trust only in ourselves. Our readiness to respond to God depends on living our life, all our daily acts believing in him, having his presence active in our lives. If we recognize him in our daily walk, caring for us, loving us, nudging us, or stopping us in our tracks even when we thought we knew what we wanted then we stand ready to hear his voice and respond by faith to his command.

Ready by faith requires a willingness to surrender to God and live according to his will. This does not mean we are to act as helpless humans in our dilemma, to the contrary we act in faith according to the teaching of Jesus. Today Jesus gives us a teaching on who is a “faithful and prudent steward”. Who is the “servant of the Master” in charge of his “servants”? First of all, we are all God’s servants and we are all entrusted with the responsibility to care others. As servants we walk with God taking the right next step. Too many people say “I follow my conscience.” The word “conscience” implies a “unity” as “con” means “with” and “science” means “thinking”. Thus, who are we thinking with, God or the world? United to God in the teachings of Jesus we are ready by faith to take the right next step.

Parents are in charge of God’s children. Parents are responsible “to distribute the food allowance at the proper time”. This responsibility is not simply the meal on the table but the spiritual food in raising children according to the faith. Unfortunately, there is an attitude of minimalism when it comes to our faith. We send our children to school and to church but are we involved in what they are learning from others to shape their faith, their understanding of themselves and of this world. If we don’t engage them others will and social media is like a snake in the wilderness of society full of poison. In each stage of life there are Godly lessons to learn.

The Church is responsible to “distribute the food allowance at the proper time” in the sacramental life of the people of God. Today it is popular to say “I’m spiritual, I’m not religious”. Unless your dead that statement is an oxymoron. Spirituality is lived in the totality of our humanity, body, soul, and spirit. How spiritual is someone who has diarrhea or diarrhea of the mouth? It runs but has no substance of Godly value. Humanity is ritualistic from the moment we get up to how we get to bed we establish order and purpose in our actions. The Church has order and purpose guided by the Holy Spirit in its distribution of the sacraments. You can also be spiritually demonic and even that has a religious practice. Don’t be fooled by the promotion of humanism that tries to make everything about “you” as spiritual.

Ready by faith is a practice of virtues guided by the Holy Spirit. In baptism we receive the Cardinal virtues from the Holy Spirit to guide the soul of a child from the beginning of their earthly pilgrimage. The virtues of prudence for right judgment, temperance for right balance, fortitude for right exercise of power, and justice for right action. The more we live our virtues the more ready we are to gain even greater virtues in generosity, charity, humility, going deeper into the true spirit of faith in action.

Ready by faith is living according to the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. It is Agape, the love of neighbor as yourself. It is being Christ according to the gifts we have received as “servants of God” for the care of others. As Christians by our baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit we come to know our “master’s will” and those who fail to answer the call “shall be beaten severely”. Only the ignorant of the master’s will “shall be beaten lightly” for failing respond to the will of his master. This “beating” we can image in the context of purgatory as we are reminded in Malachi 3:2-3, “But who can endure the day of his coming? He will be like a refiner’s fire.”

We are reminded that nothing impure can enter heaven. The Lord will forgive our sins completely when we seek his forgiveness but the impurity of our human condition must also be cleansed of our imperfections and make atonement for unforgiven sins for failing to confess. Today we can offer up our spiritual and corporal works of mercy in atonement for our sins and receive the grace of purification as we come to be the master’s good servant.

Ready by faith is not dormant but actively leading us to truth, goodness, beauty, and unity. Ready by faith begins with prayer, a daily walk and talk with God. It includes the “sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith”. This knowledge can be summed up as salvation history and the “oaths” as the promise of God realized in the person of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection to be with him in heaven. We are blessed to be “the people the Lord has chosen to be his own”. As a chosen people our humanity gets us through the desert of life with Jesus as our companion to see the promise land at a distance from this life. Faith gets us across the bridge into the unseen glory waiting for those who believe.

The Lord will deliver us from death and preserve us in spite of the “famine” of this world and all its suffering. We hunger for truth, goodness, beauty and unity in our life, our family, our society but the world will never be the answer. God is the answer to our hunger, the beginning and the end all of our search. In faith we offer ourselves up and all our daily labor for what is hoped for and wait upon the Lord who provides the evidence of things not seen. The evidence comes in answered prayer, it comes not by accident but by divine providence and it comes in the unseen realization that by the grace of God we are here, we exist and we have a divine purpose to live that will set us free. We are reminded we are no longer slaves but heirs to the kingdom. We are ready by faith!

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The Deacon Joe

2nd Sunday Ordinary Time – “Here I am.”

Posted on January 16, 2021January 17, 2021 by Deacon Joe

1 Sam. 3:3b-10, 19; Ps.:40:2, 4, 7-10; 1 Cor. 6:13c-15a, 17-20; Jn 1:35-42

“Here I am” is music to the Lord. The great “I Am” is calling us to be joined to him becoming one in Spirit. He called on Samuel but Samuel does not recognize the voice of the Lord for he had not revealed himself to Samuel. How is the Lord revealing himself to us this day? Even though Samuel does not initially recognize the voice of the Lord, he however is prepared to listen as a servant of the Lord and he respects the authority of Eli to guide him. John guides “two of his disciples” to Jesus with the words “Behold, the Lamb of God.” Andrew guides his brother Simon to Jesus with the words “We have found the Messiah.” Jesus invitation is that of a guide, “Come, and you will see.” And see we must if we are to be his disciples. From our baptism who guided us in our faith development and by our testimony who are we guiding to Jesus or back to him?

The invitation to come is an invitation to enter into the covenant relationship with the Lord. It is transformative as Jesus looks on Simon addressing him by name and giving him a new name “Cephas” translated Peter. Is Simon just a random person living his life as a fisherman who crossed paths with Jesus or is there a greater plan in motion for Simon who has been living his life until this moment when he is called to come and see the greater glory of God? Jesus addresses Simon by his formal name “Simon son of John” meaning he knew who he was speaking to though it was their first encounter. Simon was already being guided to Jesus by the spirit at work as a faithful Jew. Simon was living his life not knowing the greater plan God had waiting for him but he was ready at that moment the Messiah called him by name.

God has a plan for each and every one of us and we must remain vigilant of his calling by making it our prayer to say “Here I am, Lord”. We must be prepared in our readiness for the moment we are called to respond by faith in our encounter with the Lord. In religious orders, a priest receives a new name, a spiritual name to identify with the charism of a saint. The Pope gives himself a new name when he becomes “the chosen one” as head of the church. The name is not a symbolic sign but a sign of unity in the call to carry forward the plan of salvation in the spirit of those who have come before.

What name may God be giving us apart from our birth name to represent him as he reveals himself to us in our encounter with him? Are we as Mary to remain at his side in Eucharistic Adoration? Are we to be as Paul to testify to the Gentiles of our time that is those who are not of the Christian faith or follow no faith practice? Are we to be a St. Francis working within the church to rebuild it as CCE teachers? Are we to be as St. Theresa of Calcutta caring for the sick as health care workers? Are we to be a St. Vincent de Paul feeding the hungry and caring for the poor? The saints give us many examples to follow with a diversity of gifts coming from God’s grace. All saints have one thing in common and that is they come to Jesus through a free act of the will to be in union with him.

It is an act of the will as it is an act of God’s call to be “joined to the Lord” becoming of one Spirit with him in his revelation to all that is truth, goodness, beauty, and unity. If we have been “purchased at a price” the price of the cross to be the temple of the Lord then our purpose begins with the purity of the temple for us to “will it”. He wills it when we remain open to his will with the readiness of our souls in the words “Here I am Lord”. The spirit is willing but the will is weak so let us begin to build the will of fidelity through our baptism with the gift of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. Let us will it!

Let us will to keep our body and soul undefiled as the temple of the Holy Spirit given to us at baptism. We are called to glorify God in our body by avoiding immorality. Aristotle distinguishes from two types of immorality: wickedness and weakness. Wickedness against the body includes the abuse from alcohol and drugs among other addictions. Weakness of the body includes acts against the chastity of the body through lust, fornication, and adultery. Gluttony is both a weakness that in time becomes an abuse as chronic conditions develop into long-term consequence coming to an early death. In these times of the pandemic having comorbid health conditions is a high risk of death because of a compromised body. In this age of indulgence, we not only weaken the body, but our mind, emotions, and will quickly succumb when we face the test of the cross. This is the day to return to the Lord in holiness of chastity, morality, and virtue.

“Let it begin with me” that is the universal “me” of each member of the body of Christ. It begins with the will of obedience. Obedience is an act of humility to trust in the Lord who is beyond all our understanding. Obedience is an act of faith in a Father of creation who desires the greatest good of his creation in his plan for our salvation. Obedience is your BFF (Best Friend Forever) to guard you and guide you by the word of truth to righteousness. In obedience we offer our cross to Jesus and he lifts it for us to carry us with it in our redemptive suffering.

“Let it remain with me” through the perseverance of discipline in the spiritual exercises of our confirmation of faith. Discipline is the workforce that makes obedience become natural to our identity as children of God. Discipline transforms our obedience into who we were created to be in the image of Christ. We discipline our mind to focus on the word of God. We discipline our hearts to receive the love of God. We discipline our will to listen to the will of God. Thus, in discipline Christ is our true BFF always with us in our hope when we take up our cross and follow.

Discipline builds spiritual muscle to defend us in battle against the attack of the enemy. Discipline is our confirmation of faith in our call to be warriors in the works of salvation. What are our spiritual exercises of discipline such as the rosary, a novena, an examination of conscience, a holy hour, the Divine Mercy chaplet? Perhaps personal prayers we say in the morning, before meals, and at bedtime. How about simply praying, “Jesus I trust in you” or “Here I am, Lord!” during the day. Any of these our practice? Hopefully more than one.

“Let it be willed by me” to unite ourselves to ” God’s plan of salvation. Works of mercy both spiritual and corporal reveal God’s plan of salvation for us to enter into God’s kingdom. Works of mercy are works of the Holy Spirit in the love of Christ. Works of mercy are the visible sign of our response to the voice of God when we pray, “Here I am, Lord”. God’s plan of salvation is both universal and particular to each of us born with a purpose in his plan.

Let it be God’s will that we follow and not be misguided by false teaching, social norms in a culture of death, or wolves disguised in sheep’s skin. The Lord promises to be with us until the end of time. He gives us a listening heart to recognize his voice, to know when he calls, to guide us to himself and protect us when we turn to him in all things. We are never alone when we pray, “Let it be! Let it be! Here I am Lord.” Let this be part of our New Year’s Resolutions.

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Homily

Solemnity of Christ the King – Viva Cristo Rey!

Posted on November 21, 2020November 20, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Ezek. 34:11-12, 15-17; Ps. 23: 1-3, 5-6; 1 Cor. 15:20-26, 28; Mt. 25:31-46

Christ the King reigns in our lives, Viva Cristo Rey! “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Christ the King reigns in our world and lives in battle with the enemies of this world. Who are these enemies? They are the legion of “evil spirits that prowl about this world seeking the ruin of souls”. The most sinister is pride among the seven capital sins that include its generals of greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth leading the army of other deadly sins.

Christ the King has his own powerful army of angels led by St. Michael to instill in his people the weapons of virtue against each deadly spirit. The battle against greed is the virtuous weapon of charity, for wrath is patience, for envy is gratitude, for lust is chastity, for gluttony is temperance, for sloth is diligence, and for pride is the virtuous weapon of humility. The battlefield is in our souls and Christ the King is here to destroy the enemy. Christ has already won the battle against Satan that sought to destroy him now he comes after us and we are to prepare each day for the attack of temptations. Consider the week not only as a daily battle against the enemy but as a daily strategy of response to the attack.

Monday’s attack comes after the day of the Lord with the spirit of sloth bringing resistance to work. Diligence wins as we rise and accomplish our first task in making our beds ready. Beginning with the end in mind not only overcomes sloth but reminds us of the importance of being ready. Ready for a morning prayer to strengthen the soul we offer our work of the day in thanksgiving for the talents received to build up the kingdom of God.

Tuesday’s attack comes as a thief in the night with the surprise attack of wrath with the unexpected car that swerves in our way, delay in our plans, breakdown of communication and all the little things that matter. Patience wins when the enemy enters the heart in rejection of others claiming rights to justice in an unjust world. Wrath says “how dare you” but the spirit of patience comes to counter wrath with empathy in a search for understanding that dares to pray for our enemies.

Wednesday’s attack brings in focus the comparisons with others in envy as we get passed up on that promotion, recognition goes to someone else, see the rich get richer in the struggle to cover expenses. Envy is defeated when we view the hand of God at work to who much is given much is expected and we are grateful for our portion of expectations. Gratitude wins as we respond in appreciation for others gifts in support of their success, we unite to create a better world for the kingdom of God.

Thursday’s attack follows envy from behind with greed to forget others in a world seen as a “dog eat dog” world where only the strong survive and thrive while the weak are marginalized from society. Charity wins when begin to see Christ in the hungry, thirsty, naked, ill, imprisoned, and in the stranger. We resist greed when we recall the charity of Jesus with his words in the last supper on Holy Thursday as he breaks bread “do this in memory of me” as a self-sacrifice. Greed is the betrayal of Jesus who in charity offers up himself to God the Father and calls us to follow him in the same manner.

Friday’s attack looks to greed to permit the attack of lust with consent for entitlement to all the passions the mind can imagine having bought into the world’s doctrine of “my body my choice”. Chastity wins the battle as we recall the passion of Christ when the “good” of Good Friday was Jesus dying on the cross for the good of others in atonement for our sins. The power to say “no” to self and “yes” to the Lord conquers lust.

Saturday’s attack allows lust to open the door for gluttony once entitled there is no limit to the sins that follow to store up in our bellies and in our illusion of wealth. Gluttony is a slow death to the soul and must be met with an equal amount of daily temperance. Temperance wins in reminder of the Easter Vigil’s long wait for the coming of the Lord to keep all things in balance and be ready. Ready as the militant church on earth for the attack with the sword of Jesus’ word just as he spoke to Satan in his own temptations.

Sunday’s attack comes in for the kill with pride to be our own god, to be the beginning and the end of all our actions. Humility wins the against the final attack as we enter again into the resurrection day of Easter Sunday and claim victory for our souls in the resurrection of Christ. When we come in humility to receive Christ the King’s mercy in the Eucharist the battle is won where evil cannot exist in the souls of the just.

Our battle is won when faith takes action to counter evil and do good as Jesus promises “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”. Faith is an incarnation of Jesus to do his will recognizing his presence in the poor, hungry, thirsty, naked, ill, imprisoned, and in the stranger. Faith alone is a lost sheep ready for slaughter by the evil spirits. By taking action faith is an invitation to Jesus to come into our lives and fulfill his work and be recognized in our presence.

Faith in action separates the sheep from the goats. It creates our identity through self-sacrifice, love of others, and service to each other. Doers of the word come together as sheep while goats simply talk a good talk and scatter apart. Faith in action creates an identity such as the difference between people who play an instrument and musicians, people who like to sing and a vocalist, people who have children and a parent, or someone who is an ordained a priest and a pastor.

Action forms faith in thanksgiving, in reparation, in redemption, in mercy, in love, in justice, in fellowship, and in unity with the one true God. Action builds up faith as a connection with God in the works of mercy. Be merciful and see Christ the King our good shepherd for the battle is won. Claim your victory, Christ the King lives “Viva Cristo Rey”.

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Homily

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

Posted on February 22, 2020February 21, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Lev. 19:1-2, 17-18; Ps. 103:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13; 1 Cor. 3:16-23; Mat. 5:38-48

Be holy as God is holy is our call to life in perfection. Perfection is allowing Christ to be with us, through us and in us in word and deed. How? First, we don’t allow perfection in us meaning we don’t allow Christ to work in us and when we make a mistake, we are quick to acknowledge, “I’m not perfect”. In the human dimension according to our will we cannot reach perfection even under perfect circumstances as is evident by Adam and Eve. They had paradise and sinned. Perfection comes in union with the perfect God-head. Be still and call upon God actively listening for the sign that leads to the way of perfection. Pray, “God in three persons, reveal the way of perfection that I may follow.”

The prayer in humility opens the soul to receive the way of perfection blessing the Lord for the Spirit of God already dwells in us. The Spirit of God is what gives us ownership of health, wealth, life, death, present and future. It is the miracle of the eternal now ready to manifest itself in the most perfect way. Jesus in today’s gospel gives a command to “offer no resistance” even in the midst of evil or when called into service “for one mile, go for two miles”. How is it possible to deny self for other, yet this is what Jesus did for us? The call to resist not is to be open to God’s divine will so he may act for the greater good in all and through all. The call to perfection is the summit of our Christian faith if we dare to seek it.

God is the Spirit of truth that rights all wrongs and fulfills all needs “through Christ who strengthens me”. This is the mystery of faith when we “fear not” then faith is now set free to work the miracles of life. It is said “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin…for fear is only inverted faith” (The Game of Life by F. Shinn. St. Mathew says, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” How often is fear and worry the resistance in trusting God preventing the pouring out of his grace for that moment in our lives? God is good and we must seek the good in the moment to bring forth the work that is needed in our lives and in other. God is love thus by offering love we are covered by God from evil and open to divine will as our mediator, redeemer, and protector. Let us not be deceived by our fears but respond to fear by taking the next right step of faith. “There is no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear…” (1 Jn. 4:18). The next right step of faith is an act of love.

The call to perfection comes right before Lenten season to be mindful of the next right step towards perfection in living a life in Christ. The Word says, “be perfect” not “try to be perfect”. To “try” is already a compromise with an escape clause. To “be” is to take each moment without fear in in highest virtue being called to live out in the moment. Perhaps it is patience, generosity, kindness, or courage among others which in the Latin “virtus” represents a moral perfection. Perhaps in a world of rapid activity it is the courage to “be still” waiting upon the Lord who already in present dwelling in us to manifest his glory.

“The Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” What is “fear of the Lord”? It is the fear of disobedience to the Law of God, the great commandment, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind (perfectly), and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). “Do you not know that you are the temple of God…Let no one deceive himself” we are very capable of destroying our own temple by disobedience to the Law so let us prepare ourselves this Lent. The beginning of perfection is repentance recalling “The Lord is kind and merciful” when we return to Him to purify the temple in which he dwells.

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Homily

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

“It is too little, the Lord says, for you to be my servant…I will make you a light to the nations”. God created us for greatness “a light to the nations”. He desires greatness for us just we desire greatness for our children. He is a Father of love with gifts of grace to empower us to greatness but he cannot be without our response, “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.” This is true humility to recognize we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and apart from God there is no “life” only the existence of being. Today the question is “Is our will united to God’s will?”

Along the spectrum of surrender to God’s will we lose our humility in exchange for our pride. The Lord desires greatness for us according to his will and we seek a lessor role of servant according to our desires. Our resistance is framed in false humility, “who am I Lord” as we focus on our limitations. It is because of our limitations that the Lord comes to demonstrate his presence and power in our being to give us “life”. False humility is a passive way of saying “no…not now…why me” to God. Our desire is to go about our life with God to follow behind us. In surrender to God we respond to his call “come follow”, be the light that reflects his image to the world, he is the way, the truth, and the life. The call begins with baptism.

First, there is baptism for our sanctification in Jesus Christ. Second is “call to be holy” with “ears open to obedience”. Third is the obedient response, “Here I am Lord; I come to do your will”. Baptism sanctifies us as we are buried in Christ death and rise into holiness. Sanctification is the removal of our sins to receive the light and power to go forth with courage and conviction. Holiness is an active process of avoiding sin, seeking grace, and responding to the call to do God’s will.

With “ears open to obedience” is part of the baptismal rite called “Ephphetha” the prayer over the ears and mouth of the child saying “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.” With ears open the Word speaks to our hearts calling us to respond to God’s call. The power is in obedience to the Word which in itself is a revelation personal and universal. The Word speaks to us in our spirit, confirms God’s call, and sends us forth in obedience. Perhaps it is one reason our bibles collect dust at home as we shut out the word during the week and open our ears on Sundays for a word of inspiration before retreating to our comfort zone to the “ordinary” of our week.

The church now enters into “Ordinary Time” but not a time for the ordinary. Ordinary time is a time for action, for conversion and change. New Year’s resolutions are a call for change in our lives, change for the better. We look to change our habits, improve our health and/or our lifestyle. We are introspective in search of our happiness. God’s call for greatness is in serving the greater good of the world we have been given where we stand. It begins with the ordinary decisions we make each day. Do we respond with the appropriate virtue for the situation, kindness, generosity, empathy, understanding or whatever is needed? Do we live with zeal for justice and reject sin? The is the call for the ordinary of life that opens us up to receive the greatness of the Lord.

God is ready anytime, anywhere since he is everywhere but it is our time now to say “Yes Lord, I come to do your will.”

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Homily

22nd Sunday Ordinary Time Christian Perfection

Posted on August 31, 2019September 1, 2019 by Deacon Joe

Sir. 3: 17, 18, 20, 28-29; Ps. 68: 4-7, 10-11; Heb. 12: 18-19, 22-24a; Lk 14: 1, 7-14

Inward humility manifests itself in outward charity for Christian perfection. The Lord speaks to our sense of justice and our call to Christian perfection in two statements. First is “God in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor” and then he says “Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you”. First, we recognize God is good and in his “goodness” he cares for the “poor” and we all share in being among the poor. Second in our poverty of humanity we are to demonstrate our humility by charity to the poor that is among ourselves for Christian perfection. When we do good we feel good because the goodness of Christ lives in us.

God’s home for the poor is the tabernacle in the sacred heart of Jesus. He is “the mediator of a new covenant” we receive in the Eucharist, “the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently” to live is us that we may be at home in our being in Christ. The poor is not a class system of disparities between the “haves and have nots”. We all share a poverty we bring to Christ as an offering and let his will be done.

The word of God was often spoken in parables to be understood by the spirit of God at various levels of understanding for “The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs”. There are for example the poor who suffer economic stress having to choose between buying food or buying their medications. There are the poor of health suffering from chronic illness, trauma, or genetic conditions. There are the poor in spirit who suffer from anxiety, depression, obsessions, and/or abandonment. There are also the poor in grace who suffer from separation from God crippled by sin, blind from God’s presence.

The Lord’s response to all the poor is, “you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God…and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus the mediator of a new covenant…”. In our poverty spiritual and corporal, we come to Jesus the just judge to be transformed into the “just made perfect”. How are we made perfect given our own weakness, sinfulness, poverty and brokenness? When we do good, we feel good because the goodness of Christ lives in us to be made perfect in Christ. Christ says, “My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more…the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.” When we recognize our own poverty before God, we give life to our spirit of humility and our actions are transformed into charity for a greater good.

Our call is to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect and it begins in humility and leads to charity. Jesus says, “Learn from me, for I a meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt. 11:29) For this perfection we cultivate a temperance among all virtues, love without selfishness is not about what’s in it for me; obedience without servility is about what is good for both not one over the other; patience without weakness is standing firm in our faith, firmness without pride is honesty, courage without recklessness is prudence, and authority without haughtiness is justice with a heart of love.

Finally, I want to do a “shout out” for the souls in purgatory with the reminder that “alms atone for sins.” The souls in purgatory suffering in the “flames of fire” hunger for atonement of their sins. They thirst for water that quenches their suffering and our prayers, Masses, offerings of charity in remembrance of them is water that quenches. I just finished the book titled Hungry Souls on the apparitions of the souls in purgatory to many people. What all these souls have in common is they seek some form of atonement by the person they appear to while in purgatory to shorten their suffering and time in purgatory on their path to heaven. This is perfect charity to make atonement for the souls in purgatory “because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

I say again, “When we do good we feel good because the goodness of Christ lives in us.” We just may be shortening our time in purgatory in atonement of our own sins in perfect charity. We are all called to be saints and heaven is waiting to receive saints. Purgatory is waiting to purify the souls who died short of Christ’s perfect call. Let us pray to receive the grace to follow the call to perfection while there is time.

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Homily

13th Sunday Ordinary Time

Posted on June 30, 2019June 30, 2019 by Deacon Joe

1Kgs. 19: 16b, 19-21; Ps. 16: 1-2, 5, 7-11; Gal. 5: 1, 13-18; Lk. 9: 51-62

Go back! When God created humanity, he gave us a gift. I asked a Quincianera (15th Birthday celebration) what she thought was the gift from God when she was born. She responded, with one word “freedom”. A wise young lady because the gift we receive is the gift of ourselves. Freedom is the gift of free will to choose. Choose wisely.

“Go back! Have I done anything to you?” Elisha is being called to serve God out of his freedom. By our baptism you and I are being called to serve God out of our freedom. When we are baptized, we receive another gift from God. What is the gift? It the gift of God himself in the Holy Spirit he comes. “You are my inheritance, O Lord.”

“For freedom Christ set us free…do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.” Using Freudian language, we can understand our humanity of the flesh. Freud speaks of the “Id” as the drives of passion in the words “I want it now”. The church speaks of the same drives of passion as the seven Corporal sins. They are pride, envy, lust, anger, gluttony, greed, and sloth. Freud speaks of the “ego” as the intellect that considers its options in the words, “I need to do a bit of planning, to get it”. The church speaks of the intellect in terms of the gifts of virtues to choose wisely through justice, prudence, fortitude, and temperance. The intellect is guided by the Holy Spirit to the greater good whether convenient or inconvenient. Freud speaks of the “superego” as a moral compass in the words, “You can’t have it. It’s not right.” The church speaks of the moral compass as the great commandment to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. It is beyond the greater good, it is morally the only answer God seeks for us. Do we have the spiritual muscle to respond in freedom to God’s call?

“Live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Choose wisely for the world also seeks to make us a slave to itself apart from our God. “If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” The Old Testament begins the history of salvation by the giving of the law and the call to obedience. A child learns through obedience but a child also hungers to learn more than obedience.

Jesus comes to feed us more than obedience to the law. His commandment is one of love, sacrificial, persevering, and divine love. Jesus feeds us himself and by his grace we can do all things through him who strengthens us “with his glorious riches” as stated in Philippians 4:19. God is rich in mercy and love so why don’t we ask? We fail to see the gift waiting for us. We focus on the pain of giving away something of ourselves. That something is our attachment to the passions of our humanity directed inward. God’s passion directs us outward in relationship to others.

Jesus makes clear the message “Follow me” with these strong words “No one who sets a hand on the plow and looks to what is left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” We cannot keep a hand on our sins which we indulge in and say I will follow and be fit for the calling. This week was the global movement to pray one billion Hail Mary’s for the priesthood around the world. This is the age of mercy and mercy comes with the need for purification within the church. Pray for our priests who receive the call yet struggle in their humanity.

No one who wishes to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and looks with regret at what they could have had is ready to be his disciple. St Augustine prayed, “God make me chaste but not yet.” His confessions are a witness to our humanity in the desire of the flesh. The way of perfection is by facing our imperfections by the light of truth. Yet it is more common to hear the excuse, “No one is perfect” as reason to keep doing what we do. We cannot proclaim, “Here I am Lord” for one hour on Sunday and then choose to do as we please.

St. Augustine also said, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes man as angels”. Too often we confuse humility with “turning the other cheek”. Humility is the courage to face the truth. Truth can be a painful reality to see ourselves in our imperfection. Truth can also be a liberating reality to see ourselves in the love of God. God will reveal to us the “path to life” if the child we are to him seeks this truth. We pray, “Here I am Lord, humbly I seek your grace to say yes in the perpetual moment of this day.” Every moment is an opportunity for the “fullness of joy” in the Lord’s presence. Do we go forth or do we go back?

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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

Friday 4th Week of Ordinary Time

Posted on February 8, 2019February 8, 2019 by Deacon Joe

Heb. 13: 1-8; Mk. 6: 14-29

“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up”. With these words King Herod demonstrates he was a man of faith, misguided believer but a man of faith. Herod was ministered to by John and “he liked to listen to him” though he “feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man”. The people were saying of Jesus he is John, he is Elijah, or a prophet. Herod understood in his heart the sin he had committed. He confessed it by claiming it was John whom he beheaded.

Herod was misguided because he had not had an encounter with Jesus yet he believed him to be John. He believed “He has been raised up” from the dead. Perhaps John preached to him of the resurrection of the dead and the one to come. This lead him to make such a bold statement. Herod “feared John” a wanderer in the desert who had no army, no wealth, no recognition only the power of the “word”. The word from John against the sin of Herod marrying his brother’s wife was understood as a violation of the “law” of God.

Today the word speaks to our hearts not only from the gospel word but from our baptism through the Holy Spirit. This word is planted into our hearts. The word resonates when we sin against the law of God. The moral conscience stands guard and watchful of our actions. It is protected by an army of virtues given by the Holy Spirit. From our baptism we not only receive faith, hope, and love but also fortitude, justice, prudence, and temperance.

It is one thing to know what is right and another to have the fortitude to stand for what is right. This is a world that claims to have the entitlement to dictate what is right. Do we have the courage to be a voice in the desert. It is one thing to believe in justice and another to act justly when confronted with injustice. It is one thing to make the best judgement under the circumstances and another to be prudent in God’s right judgment. It is one thing to seek right balance in our life and another to live in temperance with God’s call this day being the best God created us to be.

The word now resides within but not for all. Like Herod some are drawn only from the outside. They hear the word and are “very much perplexed” but have not had an encounter with the word made flesh, Jesus. They have listened to many prophets, philosophers, ideologist and come away with their own eclectic views of the world. Some misguided by their love for one person have called for the head of another. Others for the pride of their word have sworn to deliver the head of the innocent.

Today we are reminded “not to neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.” We are not alone in the kingdom of God. The angels of God are with us and they come to guide us to God’s perfection in an encounter with the suffering, imprisoned, and the stranger. The words, “Let your life be free from love of money” can be extended to love of any attachment that separates us from the love of God. We become attached to money, alcohol, drugs, television, social media, the internet and even food or any number of bad habits. The number one attachment we all suffer from today is our phone and our youth are beginning early in life conditioned to this lifestyle.

By trying to stay connected to the world we become disconnected to the present moment around us and miss the presence of Christ with us. We must learn to step aside from the bondage we create for ourselves and trust “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid.” Christ is the one constant in this world. He will not abandon or forsake us when we turn back to him. Are we ready to encounter Jesus or will we fear a righteous and holy man? We must first listen “for him” before we can listen to him and then follow.

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