Homily -03-31-2008 – Second Week of Easter Monday

We begin now our continuation of the seven week Easter Season – both, to give proper significance to the great event of our faith and salvation; but also as a fitting preparation for the Feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost that will occur at the end of these seven weeks!

Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles is a continuation of events the followed the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Peter and John took up the commission given them by Jesus and began first to preach the name of Jesus to the Jewish people: the original chosen recipients of the Good News of redemption in Christ.

The power of the Holy Spirit that acted through them was quite certainly felt and experienced: by the power of their words, by the results of their prayers for healing, but also by the fact that the place where they gathered to pray shook as a direct and tangible sign of the Spirit's abiding presence.

Sometimes, when we are used by God to deliver messages small and great, when we are used to bring about healing and reconciliations, when we are used to spread the Gospel message of hope, mercy and forgiveness – we too can feel a trembling within us that can be attributed only to the presence of the Blessed Trinity within us!

In the gospel passage today, Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be "born again" of water and the spirit. All Nicodemus hears is "born again" – and does not understand how he can get inside of his mother and be born again now that he is an old man – but Jesus emphasizes the water and spirit. He is talking of baptism: he is talking about the pouring of water, and the coming of the Spirit with power – power to make the recipient a child of God, a brother or sister to himself, a member of his own Body, a member of the Church – one who lives his / her life hidden with God in Jesus himself.

What an amazing position to be in: to be safe, secure and protected by the very life, favor and presence of God himself beginning in the spiritual realm and then overflowing into the material.

God wants to take care of all of us: our bodies as well as our spirits! But we have to die to both our bodies and our spirits so that his life can be enabled in both! All it takes is our permission, our go ahead, our willingness, our word! Let us give God that word today!

If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Homily – 03-30-2008 – Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday

Today I am going to depart from my usual homiletic style of using imagery and analogies already found in the scripture readings – and I am going to introduce an analogy that might be a bit more easily understood and identifiable by us in our day in age. I am doing this because the theme of today's liturgy is vitally important. The application of the mercy of God!

Ten days ago we celebrated the single most dramatic event in salvation history: the brutal death of Jesus Christ – Son of God, Son of Man – by crucifixion. God the Father so loved us that he allowed his only-begotten Son to be killed for our redemption – so that friendship could be restored between himself and fallen humankind.

And so it happened! Jesus died a horrible human death; and death was destroyed forever. He took the sin of the world into himself – he became sin - as he died, and sin was eradicated forever! Then, three days later – last Sunday – he verified and validated his entire life, message and act of redemption, by rising from the dead! It is true! Christ rose from the dead! It is true! We now have at our disposal the graces of redemption! It is true! We now can become adopted sons and daughters of God!

Those are the facts of what happened! Now the question is: what does that have to do with human beings since that day; what does that have to do with you and me?

It means that "the money is now in the bank!" The "graces we need to live as children of God are stored for us in heaven" – as St. Peter tells us in the second reading today. So, how do we get the graces out? Here comes my practical analogy: we use the "spiritual ATM debit card" that God freely issues to each one of us! That's all there is to it?

There is an enormous amount of mercy available to us through the death and resurrection of Christ. Not only can Original Sin be removed from us, but so can personal sin! Now, is always the time to ask for God's mercy – until we breathe our last breath!

There are a few requirements, however, to be able to use the "spiritual ATM card." The first is that we must freely, voluntarily and humbly admit that we are in need of God's mercy and forgiveness. We must freely admit that we are sinners – otherwise we are telling the Father of Jesus that his Son died for nothing! And then, once we come to realize our own sinfulness and how off-center our lives are: then we must use the spiritual ATM card confidently and joyfully!

This means that we have to do something! We have to get up off the couch and go to the spiritual bank where the spiritual ATM machine is so we can insert the spiritual ATM card into the slot! We have to go to the Church! What we insert into the machine, what we enter on our own part is FAITH! We believe that there is a reserve of mercy provided by Jesus, (because he said that it would really be there for us) and we in true humility ask for a share in it! And then, because we asked in faith, it will be given: God the Father is so very eager to give mercy, forgiveness and all good things to those who ask for them.

This means that we ask to be connected to the source of mercy for life: not only for this life – but into the next one as well. We ask to become members of the Church – the great dispenser of God's mercy – and we are welcomed. We receive also "bonus gifts" of a spiritual nature: the Gift and gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us live good, upright and holy lives as members of the Church. And we can use our spiritual ATM card any day of the week, but especially on Sundays (as we gather with other card-holders) to reconnect and receive spiritual guidance, strength, food and nourishment by means of the Holy Scripture and Holy Eucharist at Mass.

There are other times when we can use our spiritual ATM cards as well: the sacrament of Penance for when we sin after baptism, and need to ask directly for God's mercy and forgiveness to restore us to our original baptismal state.

When we are seriously ill we can use our spiritual ATM card: to be comforted, refreshed and even healed of what is afflicting us!

All it takes is "inserting the card" by "faith" then selecting the menu option that corresponds to our particular need!

Is this a far-fetched analogy – maybe – maybe not! The bottom line is that GOD'S LOVE, MERCY, FORGIVENSS, DIRECTION, GUIDANCE, STRENGTH, GRACE and PEACE are always in store, and always available to us – FOR THE ASKING – because of what Jesus did for us! And so we must learn to confidently trust in God above all things, above all people – ask for his help and then wait for him to bestow his magnificent graces and blessings upon us! He will never fail us! He loves us so!

The next time you use your ATM debit card be reminded of God's great and wonderful mercy that is available to you and everyone else – for the faith, for the asking!

Homily – 03-29-2008 – Easter Saturday

For eight days the Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead! On this Saturday within the Octave in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear a continuation of the events that took place at the time of Pentecost. We read these accounts now, during the celebration of Easter Day, because the two feasts are intimately tied with one another.

It is becoming clear now to the Jewish leaders that what was unleashed at Pentecost – the power of the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the name of Jesus – is not easily stoppable. And so, the only thing they could do at that time was to give a stern warning to the apostles because so many were praising God for what was being accomplished among them: the formation of a community of faith around the person of the Risen Jesus.

Whenever Peter speaks now he is "filled with the Holy Spirit" – that is, he is not speaking on his own; it is not the fisherman that is speaking; it is the "fisher of men," as Jesus called him, who is speaking with power and content provided by God.

In the gospel passage Jesus rebukes the apostles for not believing in the fact of his resurrection from the dead. Why do you not believe when you see that my resurrection fulfills all the prophecies made about me? Then he tells them – who now recognize him and believe in him – to go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel (the Good News of salvation by means of his death and resurrection) to every creature. This means to all people everywhere in every land; as well as to everything else that inhabits the earth: the cattle, the birds, the fish, the plants, the wind, the sea – for all participate in God's creation; all participate in Christ's redemption; and all will participate in the New Creation when Christ comes again!

And so, not only is St. Francis called upon to preach to all creation: we all are! Let us respond to our commissioning and do so today! For: this is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad – and tell every one and every thing about it!

Homily – 03-28-2008 – Easter Friday

For eight days the Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead! On this Friday within the Octave in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear a continuation of the events that took place at the time of Pentecost. We read these accounts now, during the celebration of Easter Day, because the two feasts are intimately tied with one another.

Today, Peter and John are imprisoned because they were preaching and teaching the people about Jesus and his resurrection from the dead after they were instruments used by Jesus to heal a crippled man.

By what power or by what name have done this? the leaders, elders and scribes asked the two apostles? It was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. THERE IS NO SALVATION THROUGH ANYONE ELSE, NOR IS THERE ANY OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN, GIVEN TO THE HUMAN RACE BY WHICH WE ARE TO BE SAVED!

It is very clear what Peter was saying to them and to us – all of us in the whole world today! JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE!

In the gospel passage the Risen Jesus appears to his disciples again – this time as they are winding up a fishless night of work – and he tells them to cast their nets again: to the right: to where God has placed waiting fish: and they caught a huge load; this was a figure of Peter and the Apostles casting the nets of their teaching and preaching into the world at the precise point where the Father had prepared the people he had chosen to be his own: so that they could be caught in great quantities! The fish on the left are those who never did and never will want anything to do with God – or with happiness – or with life forever – there are such pitiable fish in the sea!

Peter and the Apostles take the message that there is no salvation in anyone else other than Jesus into the world – and those who are thirsting for happiness, for community, for life hear the message and react to it: they respond with FAITH, they accept the teaching, they are baptized and they begin a newness of life that is quite amazing! And the communion of saints the Church – is born!

We are such people! We are Church! We thank God for having preached the word to our families, our parents – who passed it on to us! May we do all we can do to pass it on to a new generation of Catholic Christians!

This is the Day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it!

Homily – 03-27-2008 – Easter Thursday

For eight days the Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead! On this Thursday within the Octave in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear the continuation of St. Peter's Pentecost sermon. We turn to the upcoming celebration of Pentecost during the celebration of Easter Day because the two are intimately linked.

Today Peter tells the Jewish people some historically based facts: that the Christ, Jesus, was the one proclaimed by all of the prophets of their people from the beginning; that the prophecies especially of his suffering and death would include them in a very direct way; and that his resurrection from the dead would be a surety and something that would have a great effect upon them – if they were cooperative.

It was part of the plan for the Jewish people to reject and kill Jesus, but it was also part of God's plan for them to have redemption available to them with their cooperation: the cooperation of repentance and faith! God is indeed sad when we end up alienated from him, but he is very happy in the route we take to reconnect with him – if that is our desire!

The route is, and must be, faith in Jesus Christ – Messiah – Savior – Redeemer!

Jesus reaction to what the Jewish people and the Romans did to him was to offer peace: "Peace be with you!" he said when he appeared in their midst. And then he ate fish with them (a symbol of his own flesh and blood) and he explained the Scriptures to them and opened their minds to the understanding of them: about how he was meant to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day; and how repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached, in his name, to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

All of us stand in need of repenting, to some degree, each day of our lives! But we rejoice that God's love, mercy and forgiveness are available now to us because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, any time we ask – any time we repent – any time we turn to Jesus and follow in his steps!

Thank you, Jesus, for providing an option for us always – so that we can select the most direct route that leads to you, in the Kingdom!

This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it!

Homily – 03-26-2008 – Easter Wednesday

For eight days the Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead! On this Wednesday within the Octave in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear the continuation of St. Peter's Pentecost sermon. We turn to the upcoming celebration of Pentecost during the celebration of Easter Day because the two are intimately linked.

Yesterday we said that Pentecost is a direct application of the merits and graces wrought by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Today when Peter gives the crippled man the healing power and strength of Jesus Christ – we see another kind of direct application. The death and resurrection of Christ were filled to overflowing with the power of the Holy Spirit to enlighten, to give grace; to make strong and to heal, even physically!

The man – at Peter's bidding and with his help – jumped up and started walking around – praising God all the while – then went into the temple with Peter and John! We must remember that – as baptized Christians – we have something of greater value than silver and gold to give people – especially the poor and the needy: we have Jesus himself to give them, by means of our care and concern; our love and our service. But we must not only remember it – we must also do it – or else Jesus will have died and rose for nothing!

God's people need to be helped and he has chosen us to help them – after we have connected with him by means of the sacraments of the Church.

In the gospel passage we see the great type of the Eucharistic celebration: the Mass – enacted for one of the first times – with Jesus as main celebrant – as he always is, even to this day! Jesus walks and talks with the disciples – he explains the words of Scripture that pertain to him; then he breaks bread with them – and they recognize him as Risen Lord and Savior. They eat the bread and drink the cup and thus strengthened go forth to tell his brothers what they experienced – as we are indeed called to do every day of our lives! There is nothing like beginning any day with the celebration of Holy Mass!

This is the day the Lord has made!

We rejoice and are glad in it!

Thank you, Jesus, for speaking your words to us, and for being our food!

Homily – 03-25-2008 – Easter Tuesday

For eight days the Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead! On this Tuesday within the Octave in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear the continuation of St. Peter's Pentecost sermon. We turn to the upcoming celebration of Pentecost as we are celebrating the Easter Day because the two are intimately linked.

The Death and Resurrection of Jesus gained the merits and grace – Pentecost inaugurated and initiated the application of the merits and the grace – the mercy and action of the Gift of the Father and the Son: the Holy Spirit.

Today, Peter, point blank tells the Jewish people that they crucified Jesus the Lord and Christ! And they were cut to the heart. "What are we to do?" they cried out to Peter and his brother apostles. Peter replied: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins: and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call!

And three thousand accepted Peter's message, were baptized and added to the very first community of faith: the infant Catholic Church: on the first day of its existence!

In the gospel passage we see Jesus revealing himself as Risen Lord to Mary Magdalene, who recognizes him when he calls her by name! Jesus likewise – as he called the Jewish nation, also calls the Gentiles, calls us by our names – and it is in the hearing of his words and the breaking of the bread that we most assuredly recognize him.

Jesus is the Day of Resurrection! Jesus is the Light of the world! Jesus is our Hope and Resurrection! We hear you Jesus, we see you Jesus! We are glad and we rejoice! Alleluia!

Homily – 03-24-2008 – Easter Monday

For eight days the Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead! On this Monday within the Octave in our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear the beginning of St. Peter's sermon shortly after the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles (on Pentecost) and they began the work Jesus gave them to do – filled with this Gift of the Holy Spirit – sent from God the Father and the Son – to be the life and heart of the Church!

We hear the Pentecost sermon during the celebration of Easter to show that the Risen Life of Christ flowed also from the Holy Spirit – and that the life of resurrection for all of us flows from that same Spirit: from the joint events of Easter / Pentecost!

Peter in this reading preaches to the Jewish people present in Jerusalem telling them that Jesus is the descendant of David of whom David spoke, who was David's hope and security, who was David's incomparable heir!

God raised this Jesus: of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear!

In the gospel passage we have a tie-over from yesterday's gospel passage – Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (of Salome) and telling them to go tell his brothers to meet him in Galilee. They were not to be afraid – everything was working out the way it was foretold – in a marvelous and stupendous way! Nothing would be the same again for anyone – who chose it to be different! Faith was now a key that could unlock an amazing treasure chest of grace and life!

This is the day the Lord has made: let us be glad and rejoice in it!

 

Homily – 03-23-2008 – Easter Sunday

This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad!

There is no more a joyful day than the day which is Jesus Christ Risen from the dead. Jesus Christ transformed the darkness of eternal night, into the light of never-ending day! And he did this by his unspeakable Passion and Death – which we recalled and remembered this past week; he did this by being raised to a newness of life by the Holy Spirit at the direct command of God the Father on the third day: this day! Alleluia! Glory and praise to Jesus!

Jesus came into the world to be the obedience that was necessary to gain our salvation. This was to happen by him – as Word of God – taking on a human nature, along with his divine nature. He took on this nature but set aside the divinity so that he could live a completely human life (except for sin) and thereby take into himself every single thing that there is about humanity - so that by his self-sacrificial death - humanity could be rescued from the doom to which it was consigned!

This is amazing news for us! This means that Jesus experienced the depths of our humanness – so that we could experience the heights of his divinity. And today we recall the great event which made it all valid, meaningful and significant! JESUS CHRIST ROSE FROM THE DEAD to a newness of life!

We must be clear: Jesus did not just get resuscitated, like he resuscitated Lazarus. He is the first-born of the new creation of human beings
who will be what we always were meant to be – an amazing combination of soul and spiritual body! This was always in the mind of God the Father for us – and now it was possible again to achieve this: the sin of Adam which caused the separation of us with God, and us with each other – and all its other effects, like pain and death – is now destroyed. All is even better than it was before

In the first reading today, St. Peter tells all that everyone who believes in Jesus will receive forgiveness of sins through his name. And the way that Jesus indicated that this was to happen was through the gateway of baptism. He told his Apostles just before he ascended into heaven "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The Apostles went far and wide to the ends of the earth – throughout the ages – into our own day – to do what Jesus commanded!

And so this is what we will now celebrate and do with our catechumens who through this season of Lent

have heard God calling them to become a member of his family the Church;

who have listened to his Word, especially in the hearing of Scripture proclaimed at Mass, and responded by desiring a conversion, a "turning completely towards" him and his way of life;

and now they will make a profession of faith, ask for baptism and finally be received into the Church where they will be strengthened by the Gift of God the Father: the Holy Spirit, in the sacrament of Confirmation to help them live their lives as new Catholics.

Then they will be admitted to the table of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. They will join us at communion in receiving our daily bread – our spiritual food – which will be provided for us – until the Lord comes again!

This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad!

Homily – 03-22-2008 – Holy Saturday – The Easter Vigil

This is the holiest night of the year! It is the night we celebrate which saw Christ rising from the dead! Our entire faith; our entire past, our entire present, our entire future depended and depends upon the fact of this very real event!

If Christ was not raised from the dead – then everything he ever said or did would have proven worthless and useless. For Jesus did not come simply to be a good man, an ethical man, a teacher, a healer – there were already plenty of those around; he came to be our Savior – something no one else in the history of civilization was, is or will be qualified to do! He was the God-Man! He was the only one able to reconcile the situation caused by the sin of Adam.

In the Easter Proclamation tonight we heard sung of the "happy fault" of Adam, which wrought for us so great a redeemer! Because of the sin of Adam we now have come to know Christ – to know his love – to know his power – to know his intention for us to be united with him in his Body the Church, as it exists now on earth and as it will forever in heaven!

And so – it is true! Christ was raised from the dead by the working of the Holy Spirit at the bidding of God his Father!

Now the life of resurrection that Jesus experienced that night in the garden is not the same human life that he had before his death, simply restored: it is a newness of life! A newness of human life! A human life made up now of a spiritual soul and a spiritual body, rather than a spiritual soul and a material body! Jesus is the first-born of the new creation that awaits each of us! This is amazing and fantastic news! This is GOOD NEWS!

This was God the Father's will and plan all along – his plan in sending Jesus would restore us to original blessedness – but things would be even greater than before because we would have the very life of Jesus abiding in us forever! How more fantastic and awesome could anything be than that!

We can and we must spend our lives being grateful to God for what he has done for us! And the way we show our gratitude and our love – the only way that makes any sense is by loving everyone that God puts in our path each day! If we can't and don't love them – who are also redeemed by Christ's love, death and resurrection – then we can't and don't really love God – and we are ungrateful creatures!

Let us be the sons and daughters of freedom that we are – made so by the death and glorious resurrection of our Lord and Brother, Jesus Christ! Let us rejoice in our place of membership in the communion of saints: our brothers and sisters who, like us, are loved beyond all telling by God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!

All glory and praise to God, forever!

Amen. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Homily – 03-21-2008 – Good Friday

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

The world was in such a deplorable state!

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

There was no way that the damage caused by original sin could be repaired by man himself.

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

God himself originated and initiated a magnificent plan to make things right!

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

All of the preparations would take thousands of years – and involve a cast of thousands. It would take place on the natural and supernatural planes.

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

When all was ready and the fullness of time had arrived Goodness and Truth itself would take on a human nature. The Word of God would become flesh.

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

And mankind would respond as only mankind could: it would reject the gift, and try to eradicate it! Truth is our truth, it would say! Goodness is our goodness!

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

And yet, the giver and the gift would not be dissuaded: Jesus, the Savior, would go through with the only plan that would work to save us all!

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

He would voluntarily become sin, though he was sinless; he would voluntarily experience death, though he was Life itself; and he would transform our humanity and draw it into a newness that was foreshadowed by his own resurrection from the dead – because he loved us beyond all telling.

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

There is absolutely every reason for us to want to get to know all about this God-Man who did such an earth-transforming thing as he did; there is every reason for us to recall with deep emotion what he did for us and our salvation; there is every reason to cherish his life within us that he transmitted to us by means of baptism – and which he sustains by the other sacraments of the Church.

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

Thank you, Jesus, for all you have done, are doing and will do for us! You live and reign forever!

Amen.

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

Homily – 03-20-2008 – Holy Thursday

We celebrate this night the institution of two sacraments by the Lord Jesus: the sacrament of Eucharist, and the sacrament of Holy Orders. It is a great night of remembrance.

This Passover Meal that Jesus shared with his Apostles could have just been a simple "last supper" for them to share together. Everyone present knew that the time was up for Jesus' life on earth. The plotting was rampant! The conspiracy was rehearsed! The lies were formulated! The false witnesses were coached! The well-intentioned religious leaders were going to try to eradicate what they conceived in their hardness of heart and blindness of mind was a threat to the stability of the Jewish religion – the very Son of God (and Son of Man)!

Jesus could have simply used this last "get-together" to be a final recapitulation of his teaching and as much as possible a final preparation for the great scandal that they would witness later that night, and during the next day!

And that is EXACTLY WHAT JESUS DID!

He recapitulated EVERYTHING about himself by tying irrevocably and forever the events of that meal with the events of the next day! By taking the bread and the wine and telling the gathered Apostles "this is now my body" "this cup is now the cup of my blood – which will be shed for your tomorrow – so that the sins of everyone may really and truly be forgiven" he made that Passover Meal different from all others: and made it the foundation of a liturgical rite that would go on until the end of time.

Jesus wanted everyone, in every age, in every part of the world to know how much God his Father loved them, how much he himself loved them, and how he went to the absolute limits of love to absorb our entire fallen humanity so that he could redeem it and transform it by his love; by his brutal, self-sacrificial death on the Cross; by his resurrection from the dead!

This is the recapitulation of why Jesus came!

This Eucharistic Presence – in the consecrated bread and wine – would be the focal location of his Real Presence until the end of the world. And so he commissioned those present: the Twelve to "do this in his memory until he comes again!" They received the spiritual power and the juridical right to confect the Eucharist (and all of the other sacraments) at that time: them and their duly ordained successors and helpers. The life of the Church would flow from the Eucharist as the central sacrament: the source and summit of our Catholic Christian belief!

However, to be clear about the role of Apostle – Jesus – as St. John recounts in the gospel passage – after the meal – washed the feet of the disciples as a sign of humility and service. Then he said: "As I have done, so you must do!" Entrusting them with such an amazing treasure as the sacraments of the Church – Jesus wanted to be very insistent that they were NOT to exalt themselves and become conceited by virtue of their office – they were to administer the flock of God with deep humility and as servants after the example of their Lord who sent them!

And so on this special night, which is different from all other nights: we recall and represent that one night when Jesus made bread his body, forever; and wine his blood, forever – so that right here and now we are there and then with him and them: the commissioned servant helpers he commanded to do the same - so that we could become as divine as the elements become during the sacramental rite. By dying and rising Jesus raised our fallen humanity to the heights of divinity – really and truly!

We thank him for providing such a means to stay in touch with us, to reside in us, to be our help and our strength as we unite the realities and sufferings of our lives with the Cross he will endure the next day!

Your plan for our salvation, O God, is magnificent to behold!

Help us always to be thankful for what you have so lovingly done for us!

O Sacrament Most Holy! O Sacrament Divine! All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment thine!

Homily - -3-18-2008 – Wednesday of Holy Week

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week our first readings at Mass contain Three Oracles from Isaiah the Prophet concerning the Servant of the Lord. An oracle is an utterance that is made or received as authoritative, extremely wise or infallible. In this case these oracles are all three.

The oracle for this Wednesday concerns the one with the well-trained tongue who knows how to speak a word to the weary to rouse them. He will be the one who gives no resistance to physical attack: who gives his back to be beaten, his beard to be plucked, his face to be spit upon. In all of this he will not consider himself disgraced at all – for he will know that God is his help and he will uphold his cause. And he will be right!

For the one being prophesied about is clearly Jesus: the one with a very well-trained tongue, who knew full well how to speak a word to the weary to rouse them. When his hour had finally come: the hour he anticipated and looked forward to with determination and even joy: he, then, gave himself to physical attack. He was shamefully treated the night before his death – and yet he felt no shame at all – for he knew that God, his Father, would uphold his cause and he would help him do what it was that he came to this earth to do: to suffer and die an ignominious death on a cross for all of us!

Jesus, how we adore you, for so willingly and lovingly living out the conditions of our salvation!

In the gospel passage we see one of his own inner circle who resisted every offer that Jesus ever gave him to "turn towards him and his way of life and live" – Judas Iscariot. Jesus knew that Judas was a narcissist. He was totally taken with himself! He was self-absorbed to an extreme point! And he was a thief! Who better to be the one to hand Jesus over than a near-sighted thief?

Jesus thought perhaps after spending three years with him as a disciple within close range – maybe Judas could have allowed the light of Jesus Goodness and Truth to shine into his mind and heart so that he could see himself as he really was – and how off-track he was – and how willing Jesus would be to embrace him and reconcile with him, if only he would say the word.

But Judas had such a thick armor of selfish self-centeredness that nothing could penetrate it – and he died a tragic death because of it!

There are many who are stuck in the muck of selfish self-centeredness – and it is for these - in our own locality and throughout the world – that we pray as we enter the Holy Triduum – the Holiest Three Days of the Church Year. May the grace and mercy of God penetrate their minds and hearts so that they can bask in the light of God's mercy, love, forgiveness and redemption.

Jesus died especially for those who need him most!

May each of us tell Jesus these next few days how much we desperately need him – and then be ready to receive all of the amazing gifts that he has to give us because of our love for him and our love for others!

Hail to you, our King: you alone are compassionate with our errors!

Homily - 03-18-2008 – Tuesday of Holy Week

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week our first readings at Mass contain Three Oracles from Isaiah the Prophet concerning the Servant of the Lord. An oracle is an utterance that is made or received as authoritative, extremely wise or infallible. In this case these oracles are all three.

The oracle for this Tuesday is about the one who would be called from his birth and given a name that would match his destiny. He would be as a sharp-edged sword. Jacob and Israel would be gathered to him. And even greater than that he would be a light to all nations that the salvation of God would reach to the ends of the earth!

This certainly and without a doubt refers to Jesus, the awaited Messiah: he was certainly called from his mother's womb and given the name Savior, Jesus – that matched his destiny. He was a sharp-edged sword by the Truth that he spoke and the goodness that he lived and insisted upon. Jacob and Israel he would try his best to gather to himself, but much to his dismay, most of the inhabitants of these lands – his own people – would reject him.

And so God his Father proclaimed him to be the "light to all nations" – to the Gentiles, far and wide! Salvation, redemption, forgiveness and mercy are for anyone, everyone who would approach him in faith and ask for it!

We renew the asking that we made at our baptism – we tell him that we gratefully accept the light that he is, and the light that he provides!

Jesus, you are our Savior, and we love you!

In the gospel passage today we read about two of Jesus' own inner circle who – as yet unstrengthened by the events of the death and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost – promise Jesus one thing but deliver another.

With friends like these, Jesus' enemies must have been delighted!

Judas Iscariot, who thought about nothing but Judas Iscariot was looking forward to making a few denarii by handing over Jesus to the authorities!

Peter, who promises to die for Jesus is told by Jesus that he would deny him three times before morning!

In the presence of Goodness and Truth – the bad get worse and even the good are tested! But even the worst have a chance at salvation until the last breath that they take! They can always turn to Jesus, repent, and be saved!

Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father; you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter!

Homily – 03-17-2008 – Monday of Holy Week

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week our first readings at Mass contain the Three Oracles from Isaiah the Prophet of the Servant of the Lord. An oracle is an utterance that is made or received as authoritative, extremely wise or infallible. In this case these oracles are all three.

The oracle for this Monday is about the servant of the Lord who would be God's chosen one, with whom he will be well pleased, upon whom he will put his Spirit. He will be the one to bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting – in fact, a bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench – until he establishes justice on the earth!

God will form him as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. It was unmistakably of Jesus the Christ that this oracle was speaking; it is he who is God's favored one, who alone could bring about the long awaited act of justice that would release all of those condemned to a life of gloom and doom!

In the gospel passage we see an immediate prophecy of upcoming events when Mary anoints the feet of Jesus, and Jesus refers it to the imminent day of his burial. Judas misses the whole point and is concerned with worldly affairs such as misuse of funds and embezzlement. Why could not have Judas understood what was happening before his very eyes? Why don't many people in the world today understand what is happening before their very eyes: our relatedness to Jesus and his every command is much more important than any earth-bound project we could involve ourselves in.

Hail to you, Lord Jesus Christ, our King:

you alone are compassionate with our faults!

You alone can forgive our inequities, and iniquities!

Have mercy on us this day!

Homily – 03-16-2008 – Palm Sunday

Today we begin the holiest of all the weeks of the year. It is a week – we remember - in which the greatest drama in the history of the world reached a fever pitch. It is a week when the most significant change that could ever take place on behalf of humanity took place – because the God-Man Jesus Christ willingly died a human death for us: a most brutal death, a most gut-wrenching death, a most magnificent death!

But that is later in the week! Today we celebrate how Jesus himself begins the orchestration of his final week. Jesus was in control not only of this week! He was in control of his whole life; but especially this last week: not one thing would happen that would not fulfill a prophecy; not one thing would happen that was not his Father's explicit will; not one thing would happen that was not intended to contribute to our salvation: yours and mine – and all who have ever come before us, are with us now, or will come after us!

Earlier this Lent we said that Jesus lived his entire life in the shadow of the Cross of Good Friday! He was God's Suffering Servant. He knew it and he wanted to be such! This being so he never perceived it as something to be feared or dreaded: Jesus ran towards that Hour and that Day and that Cross with everything that he had: BECAUSE HE LOVED US – because his Father loved us – and they wanted to SAVE US FROM OUR SINS and GIVE US ETERNAL LIFE WITH THEM! That is all there is to it! So very simple! Yet so very difficult for many to comprehend and believe.

Why would God do such a thing? BECAUSE HE LOVED US! We all were doomed to a dark and horrible experience of oblivion at our death because of the sin of our first parents! There was NO WAY TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE by ourselves. A GOD-MAN was the only solution! And so God himself provided it! He sent his Son – whose obedience turned everything around – whose obedience was an act of extreme humility – whose obedience included being murdered on a Cross. And yet the Son did not shy away from this because he knew that this was the only way to do it! The sin of Adam was ABSOLUTE AND TOTAL DISOBEDIENCE – the remedy had to be ABSOLUTELY FREE AND WILILNG AND LOVING OBEDIENCE! Jesus was the man to do it!

And so, we hear in the second reading that Jesus did not cling to being God: he emptied himself and took upon himself our entire human nature (except sin) so that he could transform it by his death and resurrection! Quite an amazing plan! And it worked!

In the first reading from Isaiah we hear that the one with the well trained tongue, who would suffer greatly, would not shield himself against attack because he knew that God the Father would make him victorious in the end – he would not be disgraced at all but highly favored, honored and rewarded.

And so on this Palm Sunday – as we read in the pre-Mass Gospel passage - we recall how Jesus planned for his own Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem for this great and final week to which he was looking forward so much his entire life. What better way to enter Jerusalem than by means of a small parade – a great disguise for a show of spectacular spiritual force – rather than political or military force: the King of the Jews entered riding on a lowly donkey – because he was powerful enough to lower himself joyfully to become one of his creatures, so he could rescue them! The waving of the palm branches, the chanting of Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the Lord's name – was entirely fitting!

The Jewish religious leaders no doubt were very curious as to what Jesus was "up to now." "King of the Jews" indeed! But time would tell! In just a few days – all hell would break loose, Satan would be defeated – and the King of the Jews, Jesus the Christ would reign triumphant!

We hail you Jesus as our King! Hosanna to you! Blessed are you who come in your Father's name – and in your own! We love you! We will walk through this week with you! Help us keep our resolve!

Amen.

Homily – 03-15-2008 – Solemnity of St. Joseph

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary and Foster-Father of Jesus Christ. The role that Joseph played in salvation history is an extremely important one and should not be diminished in any way for lack of notice.

The very last piece to be put into place before the birth of Christ could be accomplished was to form a very specific family for him to be born into. This family needed to be sprung from two sources: a spiritual source: the faith of the descendants of Abraham; a physical source: a member of the royal house of David, whose kingship and dominion would last forever.

But this would be no ordinary family – because the true Father of the Messiah would be God himself. And yet, it was to a real family that he was to be born. So, to a man named Joseph - of the house of David - and Mary – who were joined together in a very unique sort of marriage – Jesus was born.

Their marriage was unique so that Mary could fulfill all of the prophecies concerning her – she was to remain a virgin before, during and after the birth of her son Jesus, but she was also to be his loving and nurturing mother in a real family setting: Mary and Joseph maintained a voluntary, joyful celibate, virginal self-giving relationship all the days of their married life.

The purpose of marriage is for one spouse to make a permanent and lasting promise of self-donation: for the spiritual and physical well-being of the other. To know that the other would always be there to be the recipient of one's gift of self is a dynamic that goes back "to the beginning" when God gave Eve to Adam and Adam and Eve gave themselves to each other.

The marriage relationship of Mary and Joseph, however, demonstrates both the extreme value and importance of marriage and celibacy at the same time: marriage being God's sign of things to come one day at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb in Heaven; celibacy being the actual reality of such a feast already present in the here and now.

Joseph did not just "have to go along with this plan" – because of the special requirements of Mary. Joseph of his own free will wanted just as much as she to know what God's will was, and to do it and so he obeyed God always immediately once it was clear to him what his will was.

God used angels to communicate his will to Joseph – and whereas Mary spoke her responses to her angelic visitors (Be it done to me according to your will!) (My soul magnifies the Lord): Joseph on the other hand simply acted: he took Mary to be his wife; he went to Bethlehem for the census; he took Mary and the child and fled into Egypt; he returned to Nazareth when it was safe; he provided for the child and his mother.

And in acting thus for them, he also promises to act the same way for us who are spiritually related to be the Son and his mother.

He is now our Protector and our Patron, our Guide in family matters; our Model in regards to celibacy and living a pure life: a life centered in God, and God's work.

Thank you, Joseph for being a man of faith, a man of prayer, a man of action! Help us to imitate you this day and every day! And we ask you to provide a happy death for us when our time will come to join you and all the angels and saints in heaven!

St. Joseph pray for us!

Homily – 03-14-2008 - Friday

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Patrick – "Apostle to Ireland." Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose love and total devotion to and trust in God should be a shining example to each of us. He feared nothing, not even death, so complete was his trust in God, and of the importance of his mission.

Patrick lived in the 5^th century. He was appointed 2^nd Bishop of Ireland, coming from Scotland – which was considered Roman Britain. The legend of him driving the snakes out of Ireland enhances the reality that Patrick was a powerful instrument in the hands of God among the Irish people.

Our readings today speak of the spirit of St. Patrick which is worth imitating whether one is Irish or not.

St. Peter in the first reading tells his hearers as St. Patrick one day would: to be serious and sober-minded so that you will be able to pray. There is no more worthwhile thing a person can do during the day than to precede loving service to others by constant prayer. And one needs to be "sober" in order to do this: an unlikely request coming from one whose memory is celebrated with wine and spirits! Be sober! Be alert – is what St. Peter and St. Patrick tell us!

St Peter goes on: be hospitable without complaining, use gifts given you to serve the needs of one another. If you are a preacher, preach with the words of God and not your own. If you are one who serves, do it with the strength that comes from God – so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom we all belong.

In the gospel passage Peter obeys Jesus and takes in a haul of fish that almost sinks the boat after being out all night by himself and catching nothing. This shows that when Jesus – when God – is involved in the process things happen! Jesus tells Peter at this point that from now on he will be "catching not fish but men." He will be a great Apostle to the Jewish people to bring them into the new family of God: the Church.

St. Patrick too was an Apostle bringing in members to the family of God in Ireland! We thank God who provides fishers-of-men in every age to ensure that as many as possible are invited to the family celebration that will last forever in heaven.

Help us to remain in your love, Jesus, so that we like St. Peter, and St Patrick may bear much fruit!

Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Homily – 03-13-2008 - Thursday

In these last days before his approaching "hour" Jesus is speaking more and more clearly about who he is and where he is from. He is saying plainly that he comes from God, his Father (and ours), and that he is God's equal – he always was with God – even when God was dealing with Abram and making the original and lasting covenant with him.

The Jews who were close-minded and hard of heart could not bring themselves to believe this. They could only see Jesus the man, and not Jesus as God.

Jesus tells them that he does not say the things he says to glorify himself. He is saying these things so that they may simply believe – but they only hear what they want to hear and thus reject the life-giving words of the Word-made-flesh!

"If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." This is addressed to the Jews of Jesus day – and also everyone who has come after them including us. We are all called to be children of Abraham – children in faith of the first to believe in the One God. But we cannot do that if we insist that everything has but a natural explanation and that we will not accept conclusions or realities that are above the natural level: that exist on the supernatural level. God has given us the ability to meet him on his own level – he does this by the gift of FAITH – we need but receive the gift and use it!

Let us therefore this day – as we approach the holiest of all weeks of the year open our minds, our hearts, our memory and our understanding to all that God has to say to us – especially through his Word, his Son, our Brother, Jesus Christ! His word is life! His word will lead us to salvation!

Homily – 03-12-2008 - Wednesday

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, in our first reading today from the Prophet Daniel experienced the freedom of the children of God – in anticipation of the freedom that Jesus would bring by his death and resurrection!

The Spirit of God was with them and they had absolutely no fear of what anyone could do to them in the physical realm – not even being cast into a white-hot furnace. Belief in God and trust in him yields an invincible coating of protection that can withstand anything that anyone can do to the body – or anything that the body can do to itself.

And so these three young men refused to deter their belief in God and they were rewarded with his providence and protection. Even though they were thrown into a fiery furnace they were totally unscathed, unharmed, protected. An angel came to strengthen them in the midst of the flames and they breathed in the wonderful air of the freedom of the children of God.

In the gospel passage, Jesus is telling the children of Abraham that if they truly were children of Abraham they would recognize and accept him as Son of God - because Abraham worshiped the One God whose Son Jesus was. And if they truly knew the Father, they would know the Son. He is telling them that they must not even be good children of Abraham if they are not experiencing the freedom that comes from their belief and the certainty that comes from hearing the Word of God made flesh speaking to them.

Jesus came from God the Father – to establish and proclaim our freedom to believe, our freedom to love, our freedom to serve the needs of one another in proof of our love for God. May we truly be sons and daughters of Abraham – sons and daughters in faith – brothers and sisters of Jesus our Lord and Brother who accomplished so great a victory over sin and death for us – to set us free forever!

Glory and praise forever!

Homily – 03-11-2008 - Tuesday

We have an enormously important message today in our Lenten readings: Jesus and the Father are one! When we hear the one, we hear the other! When we see the one, we see the other! When we obey the one, we obey the other!

How could it be otherwise? Jesus is the exact representation of the Father's being, and Jesus' entire life was spent seeking, doing and reveling in the will of his Father.

In the gospel passage today Jesus tells the Jews that they will die in their sins unless they believe that "I AM." The name "I AM" is the name that God the Father gave Moses to tell the people about his identity in the Old Testament. Jesus and the Father are one, and so Jesus is also "I AM" – and so when "I AM" is raised up on the Cross – all who look at him and believe in him and in his Father who sent him – will be saved from their sins! This is incredibly amazing news! Sin will always be lurking about to trap and delude mankind – but for those who believe in Jesus – it need not be a concern at all.

The point is that we must look up at Christ Crucified in order to make our act of belief effective. Just as God the Father provided for the curing of the people bit by seraph snakes by having them look up to a bronze image of a seraph mounted on a people (this being a prefiguring of Jesus who would become sin and be mounted on the wood of a tree) – so he provides for the salvation of those who would look up to Christ Crucified and believe that he is truly the Son of God who came into the world to save it from all that it needed saving from.

This is why for us as Catholic Christians having an image of the Crucified Christ raised above the assembly is a very important image to have and preserve. For unless we look up and live, look up and believe, look up and mourn for our sins – then we shall surely die in our sins, Jesus will have come in vain. He will have died for nothing!

O Lord, hear our prayers today – as we look up to the image of your Son who loved us beyond all telling – and died for us – let our cry come unto you – and grant us your salvation!

Homily -03-10-2008 - Monday

In the first reading today we have the story of the deliverance of Susanna who was falsely accused and condemned to death. She was saved by the intervention of a young boy named Daniel who – filled with the Spirit of God – spoke truth to the people of Israel concerning Susanna.

This is reminiscent of one who was falsely condemned to die on a cross and was saved not from death, but delivered from the state of being dead by the same Spirit, not by a young boy but by the God his Father and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus represents all who are falsely accused and who are truly innocent; and he also represents all those who are rightly accused and truly guilty of sin – like the woman in the gospel passage.

Jesus is the vindication of the innocent, as well as the means of transformation and life for the guilty!

He tells the woman to go and sin no more. He tells us to do the same.

He knows who among us are less sinful and more sinful – for we are all sinful to some extent. But he promises that for those who turn to him and ask for his mercy and forgiveness it will be given! He and his Father do not wish to see the death of the sinner, but that he turn to God and be saved – by the instrumentality of a humble and contrite heart connected to the forgiveness and grace that flow from the pierced side of Christ Crucified.

Even when we walk in dark valleys – even when we are falsely or rightly accused – we need fear no evil – for as long as we have breath and life – God is at our side to deliver us and refresh us!

Homily – 03-09-2008 – Fifth Sunday of Lent

Today for the third week in a row we witness a "success story" as Jesus, heading towards Jerusalem and his hour of truth – raises Lazarus from the dead. The first week was the woman at the well who professed belief in Jesus as Messiah, last week it was the man born blind. This week it's about Martha, Mary and Lazarus.

It was not the raising of Lazarus that was the success: it was the faith elicited from Martha that was the success. She already believed in the "resurrection of the dead" that would come at the end of time; but now Jesus asks her if she would believe that he could raise her brother. She said: "Of course, I believe! I believe that God will give you whatever you ask of him!"

It was at this point that Jesus tells her outright – and all of us – that it is he himself who IS resurrection and life! It is he himself who would change our mortal bodies to become like his own in glory – when once he suffered, died, was buried and raised to newness of life by the Holy Spirit.

In spite of all of this exchange of theological concepts: one thing is quite evidently clear: JESUS LOVED MARY, MARTHA and LAZARUS. He was their very close and dear friend. And even though he knew that he was God; even though he knew that the life of resurrection was amazing and awaiting all who would believe: HE WEPT at the thought of the physical death of his friend! This is really an awesome thing! Jesus was truly God, but also truly man – with the same emotions and feelings that we have. And just as we mourn the loss of our beloved: so did Jesus.

This sensitivity of Jesus can only add to our understanding of the horror of what would happen to him after the Last Supper and ending with his death on the Cross the next day! Jesus was the perfect human being – totally without sin – totally in touch with all of his human feelings and emotions – and yet he voluntarily BECAME SIN beginning in the Garden after the meal – so that our SINFULNESS could be SMASHED, TRANSFORMED and CANCELLED! – and that we could have life beyond all imagining.

Jesus, we adore you for what you did for us and for our salvation!

In the second reading today Saint Paul tells the Romans that those who are baptized – those who have put on Christ – have died in the body – and they are now alive in the spirit – this applies to most of all of us here. Our catechumens are going through their process of initiation so that they too can be alive totally in the Holy Spirit of Christ – so that they, like us, can live in the hope that life will be changed and not ended at personal death; that they and we all will see Lazarus who died again in his life time – but was transformed by the self-sacrificing love of his beloved friend Jesus, later on.

With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption – let us live this and everyday grateful for what God in his love and mercy has done for us!

We will now have the Third Scrutiny of our Catechumens.

Homily - 03-08-2008 - Saturday

The confusion and the uneasiness of the religious leaders is growing more and more as they encounter the "Lamb of God" who will soon take away the sins of the world.

It is the truth and goodness and directness that Jesus is that unsettles them. Since the time of Adam what is obscure and of darkness does not like to be in the presence of what is clear and light! And so, those living in the shadows try to exterminate what is true and good and direct!

Until now, the obscure and the dark had the upper hand, but this is precisely why Jesus came into the world – to dispel the confusion, to eradicate the darkness by his very presence as TRUTH and LIFE and LIGHT!

The time is soon approaching for Jesus to go through with what he wants to go through in order to bring about this transformation. Jesus moves eagerly toward it! He is not looking forward to the extreme physical brutality that he knows awaits him, but he is looking forward to what he knows lays beyond it – a newness of life for himself in his humanness and for all of us.

Jeremiah, in the first reading today, felt himself to be like a lamb led to the slaughter! But he also knew that God (the Father) would bring about something very good because of it!

May we assure Jesus that we are with him in spirit as he – the true Lamb of God – is led to the slaughter. Let us unite all of our lives, all of our hopes, all of our sins to his Passion and death, and so trust that they will be transformed by the only force that could transform them: the love of the God-Man for us. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge!

Homily – 03-07-2008 - Friday

Two weeks from today is Good Friday! Today we feel the intensity in the plot against Jesus' life increasing as we read the scripture passages given us by the Church to read.

In the first reading from the book of Wisdom we hear of the prophecy of the shameful death that Jesus will be condemned to. This reading certainly sounds like it was written especially about Jesus. The wicked say that Jesus is obnoxious to them because he calls them on their transgressions. "He says he has knowledge of God!" We do not even like to look at him because he has the effect of censuring our thoughts. He debases us, while calling blest the destiny of the just. He boasts that God is his Father.

So, let us see if it is all true. If we condemn him to a shameful death, let us see if God is his Father, if this Father will take care of him!

They said all this because they were sure they were right and he was wrong; but it turns out that holiness always wins out and that the rewards coming to innocent souls is tremendous! (Including Resurrection from the dead!)

In the gospel passage Jesus has a brief run in with those who were carrying out the prophecy from the book of Wisdom – the religious leaders of his own day and place! Jesus again claims his origin in God his Father – and proclaims that he is here to do this Father's will. He is saying that it is true then, the prophecy that they would not know where he was from – because they did not know about, nor want to know of his origins in his Father. Either way the argument makes his persecutors angry enough to want to seize him. But it is not yet the time. Jesus hour is when Jesus says it is and not them!

Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of all of them the Lord delivers him.

Homily – 03-06-2008 - Thursday

Jesus uses very simple, direct and convincing logic in the gospel passage today. If the people of Israel were really true to Moses and his teachings, they would recognize Jesus and be true to his teachings as well – for it was about Jesus that Moses wrote.

Jesus himself says that he himself does not even speak on his own behalf but only that which comes from the Father. The Father testifies to him. Everything comes from the Father. Everything is going back to the Father. The Father must be our object of praise, worship, glory and thanksgiving!

In the first reading today from the book of Exodus we see Moses pleading with God on behalf of the people – not to destroy them for having turned against him both internally and externally – in their minds and hearts, and in making a golden calf to worship! Moses tries to reason with God telling them that it would not look right for the "neighbors" to think that God led the people out of slavery in Egypt only to kill them in the desert. In this case "what the neighbors think" held a lot of weight – because God changed his mind and did not exterminate them.

God's only desire – always – is to rescue his people – to save them from what they need saving from - to show them deep compassionate and merciful love – for his is their Father – and he wants them to be and act like his beloved children.

May we today – God's adopted children by baptism – rejoice that we are so highly favored as to have God send his only-begotten Son to redeem us. May our faith this day be our ticket to eternal life! All it takes is faith – and good works! May our good works prove that we are faithful, trusting, loving children of God the Father!

Amen.

Homily – 03-05-2008 - Wednesday

In the gospel passage today Jesus explains the authority that he has for saying and doing what he says and does: it is the Father. Jesus is the image of the Father. Jesus says nothing and does nothing that is not from the Father. The Father wants to communicate his immense love – and to bring about a real and lasting reconciliation with humankind. This Jesus relates to us in all of his words and deeds. This should make us want to spend hours a day studying, reflecting upon and getting to know better and better Jesus who has an enormous amount of information to give us about living our lives!

In the first reading today from the Prophet Isaiah we hear prophesied God's never-failing desire to help his people – both when they are in good standing with him, and when they wander away in sin! When the people turn toward God, he is so happy! When they turn away – and say that God will never be good to them again – and rightfully so, because of our sins – he says: "Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will NEVER forget you!"

This is not only a casual remark; it is a promise, it is a fact!

God wants us to choose life, and to have life! He sent his Word – Jesus – to try to convince us to do this! May we this day find the time to be quiet and LISTEN to God's Word – and choose all the good things that God wants to give us – most especially: everlasting life!

The Lord is gracious and merciful!

Homily – 03-04-2008 - Tuesday

The stories about water in our readings today are refreshing on a number of different levels.

We know that water refreshes because it is one of the main ingredients of creation that needs replenishing. Plants, animals, mankind needs water to continue living.

We know that water was used in a powerful way by God in Old Testament times – to rescue his people from slavery in Egypt. The crossing of the parted Red Sea was a momentous event that is still held in memory today!

We know that water flowed from the rock when it was struck by Moses symbolizing all of the gifts that God desires to give his faithful people.

We know that Jesus changed water into wine demonstrating his power to change the Old Testament into the New Testament. The wine of the New Testament he would later transform into his blood for us and our salvation!

We know that water and blood flowed from the side of the pierced Christ on the Cross, thus giving birth and life to the Church and its sacramental gifts for our benefit.

Today in the first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel we read of water flowing from the temple in Ezekiel's dream. This is symbolic of the life of Christ that would flow through and from his Church for any who would believe.

In the gospel passage – Jesus cures a man at the Sheep Gate Pool – at the earthly temple in Jerusalem – demonstrating his compassion, his care, his desire to heal and his ability to bring it about. This is also a foreshadowing of the life of the Church that would flow from the sacraments at a later time.

The bottom line here is that "the Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob." And so long as we have faith in him, trust in him and turn to him – he will gives us the waters of everlasting life – in a variety of ways – all the days of our life – and into eternal life!

Homily – 03-03-2008 - Monday

The entire mission of Jesus was to heal, to restore, to redeem that which was lost. That is why he came to this earth – that is why we owe him our entire thanks!

As the people of Israel were in need of salvation, so too are we in need of salvation. They had to wait for the savior to come; we have the savior with us now and he will remain until the end of time. They had to hope in the promise; we need but celebrate the reality. GOD IS WITH US. God is with us in a very spectacular way in the Catholic Church.

He asks only that we seek him, that we seek good, that we seek right living – and then he will be with us to help us live these things out!

Just as Jesus cured the royal official's son at Capernaum – so too can he cure us – really and truly. The Lord Jesus can speak his word of healing at our request – and if true faith is there in the asking – it shall be done according to God's will.

We must always remember that God answers our prayers according to what is absolutely best for us – which might look different from what we might think it should be. Our greatest act of faith is that we trust him to do it his way – and in his time! With practice, comes ease!

Let us sing praise today to God who has promised to take away our weeping and our sorrows – for he has already done it – in the redemption wrought by his Son, our Lord and brother: Jesus Christ! All praise be to him this day!

Amen!

Homily – 03-02-2008 – Fourth Sunday of Lent

In last week's gospel we heard of one of the few "success stories" in Jesus public ministry. The Samaritan woman at Jacob's well – at the prompting of Jesus – freely and willingly made an act of faith in him. Jesus told her that the Messiah could give her a kind of water that would quench her thirst forever. She asked who he was so she could ask; Jesus replied that it was he himself; and she said: "I do believe that you are the Messiah, I do believe that you can give me this water! Give me this water!" And Jesus did! She was happy; and he was so happy that she responded to his thirst for her faith!

The woman represents the Church – made up of Gentiles, just as she was a Gentile, a foreigner, a Samaritan. Jesus thirsts for faith from the Gentiles (because he was getting very little of it from his own people), – and by the act of faith of this woman – the faith of the Gentiles throughout the world was credited as valid and effective – for all ages.

Today we have the story of a man born blind, who was given his sight as a totally free gift, by Jesus who saw him and was moved with pity for him!

Later, the man got entangled in a controversy with the Pharisees who were trying to trip Jesus up. Jesus cured this man on the Sabbath – which was not something allowed according to Jewish law. The man's response was that Jesus was a prophet! He must have had authority to do what he did! This was the "wrong answer" according to the Pharisees who scolded the man for lecturing them on points of religious law and customs and threw him out of the synagogue.

Jesus sought the man out after he had been expelled by the Pharisees and asked him if he believed in the Son of Man. The man said: Who is he, sir that I may believe in him? At this point Jesus said something which he could not have said before (because the man was blind before) – "You have seen him – the one speaking with you is he." The man looked at Jesus and replied: "I do believe, Lord," and he worshiped him.

Once again Jesus is victorious – and this time with his own people! The man born blind we assume to be an Israelite.

The message here is that: EVERYONE IS BLIND TO THE THINGS OF GOD, until GOD GIVES SIGHT – until God gives light – the internal light of faith – to be coupled with reason. This story then is about the spiritual blindness that we are all born with which Jesus alone can "cure" "remove" "transform," "redeem."

And Jesus is still looking around for those whose life is darkness, so that he can give them the tremendous gift of light, of faith, of sight! He does this by the action of the Holy Spirit who gathers together members of the Church! It is the sacraments that transform our darkness into light. And as St. Paul tells the Ephesians in the second reading today: you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth! Let everything you do stand the test of being held up in the full brightness of the noonday sun for all to see! For in the end – all will be seen – on the Final Day at the Last Judgment!

Just as the Spirit rushed upon David – who was chosen to be King of Israel – from whose royal line Jesus would be born – this same Spirit was sent by Jesus and his Father to rush upon us – since the day of our Baptism and Confirmation – so that we can live upright lives all the days of our lives! And that one day we will be qualified to dwell in the house of the Lord, forever.

The Lord is truly our Shepherd – and all he is looking for are responsive, faithful and loving sheep to lead! He will refresh our souls beside restful waters when we need it! He will give us the sight that we need in order to walk through dark valleys and not be afraid! We can trust him, we can depend on him, we can follow him!

Jesus thirsts for our faith!

Let us not refuse him!

Our eternal life depends upon it!

Homily – 02-01-2008 - Saturday

We have a simple and beautiful message in our readings today: God does humble the exalted, and exalts the humble.

In the first reading from the prophet Hosea we see God dealing with the exalted people whom he humbled for their own good. Here he is telling them that what is now pleasing to him is that they seek true knowledge of him and have a desire to love him (by loving others). There is introduced here the idea that the transformation from humility to the ranks of exalted for those in right relationship with God would take place in two days, so that on the third day they would be raised up to live in God's presence.

This is an obvious prophecy of the resurrection of Jesus – which took place on the third day after his death! He was humility in person – and he was killed for it! But his Father raised him up in glory on the third day because of it!

God can do the same for us! When we act with mercy, when we seek the knowledge of God, when we act with love – then we are offering a pure and acceptable sacrifice to God – and he will transform in us what needs transforming!

My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. May this be a day of contrition, humility and joy – as God looks on our lowliness and raises us up!