Thursday, April 30, 2015

April 30 - Homily for Today

Jesus continues today his emphasis on his unity with the Father. He is the exact representation of the Father; and he wants to get the message across that when anyone looks at Him, they see the Father! -  because everything is all about the Father, and his glory!

And, this is how close to humanity God the Father wants to be! He is saying look at my Son and see me! Hear my Son and hear me! Love and respect my Son, and love and respect me! And when you see him acting as your servant and brother – washing your feet, and being willing to give his all for you, it is me and my desire to serve you that you see! I who am Lord God Almighty – making myself like one of you, for your own good and for your salvation!

In the first reading today we have Paul preaching to his fellow children of Israel of the validity and credibility of the descendancy and life of Jesus – Son of David – who was to be the one true King of Israel forever – the one true Servant King – the one true Loving King! And he is not only their King forever, but ours as well. We belong to a royal family – and that is something to celebrate!


We now sing of the goodness of the Lord – who is faithful to his promises and who establishes his kindness and mercy forever!  

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

April 29 - Homily for Today

The daughter of a humble tradesman, his 23rd child, Catherine of Siena helped to guide the Church during one its darkest periods: the fourteenth century. As a child, prayer was her delight. She would say the “Hail Mary” on each step as she mounted the stairs, and was granted in reward a vision of Christ in glory. At the age of seven she made a vow of virginity, and later endured harsh persecution for refusing to marry. Jesus gave her His Heart in exchange for her own, communicated with her with His own hands, and stamped on her body the print of His wounds.

At the age of 13 she entered the Third Order of St. Dominic, but continued to reside in her father’s shop, where she united a life of active charity with the prayer of a contemplative saint. From this obscure home the seraphic virgin was summoned to defend the Church’s cause. Armed with Papal authority, and accompanied by three confessors, she travelled through Italy, reducing rebellious cities to the obedience of the Holy See, and winning hardened souls to God.

In the face of whole world she sought out Pope Gregory XI at Avignon, brought him back to Rome and by her letters to the kings and queens of Europe made good the Papal cause. She was the counselor of Pope Urban VI, and sternly rebuked the disloyal cardinals who had part in electing an antipope. Catherine long foretold the terrible schism which began before she died. Day and night she wept and prayed for unity and peace. But the devil excited the Roman people against the Pope, even to the point of wanting to kill him. Their rage was subdued by Catherine’s prayers; but the devils vented their evil by scourging the Saint herself, who gladly endured all for God and His Church. She died at Rome, in 1380, at the age of thirty-three.

St. Catherine of Siena understood clearly both the yoke of Christ, of the gospel passage today, but also its ease fashioned by the grace of Christ Himself. Once hearts unite, once the peace of Christ pervades a relationship then no matter what the assignment is, strength will be provided, and the Father’s Will will be accomplished!

We thank the daughter of Siena today for her heroic acts of defending the Church, and the legacy of her autobiography called The Dialogue, four hundred letters, and a series of prayers – all of which contributed to her being named a Doctor of the Church in 1970 – and also named Patron of Italy along with St. Francis of Assisi.

Today let us defend the faith, spread it, and be very proud to be a member of the True Body of Christ – for which an enormous number of men, women and children have lived and died for God’s glory and the building of his kingdom.


O bless the Lord, my soul.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

April 28 - Homily for Today

Our first reading today shows the beginning of the spread of the Christian community emanating from the launching of the great persecutions of those believing and preaching the “new way of Christ!” Gamaliel was right about one thing: if this organization was man-made, then now would be the time for it to disband; but, the persecutions only made it stronger and now more far reaching. The message of salvation was first brought to the Jews in surrounding areas, but then the Greeks, the Gentiles, began to become interested to the point of wanting to be converted. Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem to investigate what the Holy Spirit was doing among these non-Jews – and it seemed that the grace of God, the grace of belief was being poured out upon them! Barnabas met with Saul (Paul) in Antioch and with the new community of believers there who were the first to bear the name “Christians!”

This is Good Shepherd week! The true sheep of the one flock of Christ hear his voice no matter who they are or where they may be located at the time – and then they follow Jesus to entry into his Mystical Body the Church – with the inheritance of eternal life that comes with it! The gospel passage reminds us that belief is a gift from God – and the one of the first signs of authentic belief is to believe that Jesus and his Father are one: they are one God, with one mind, heart and mission: to save bodies and souls for everlasting life!


My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me! Alleluia!

Monday, April 27, 2015

April 27 - Homily for Today

Our gospel passage today makes reference to yesterday’s passage in which Jesus talks about shepherds and sheep! Today he tells us that the authentic and genuine shepherds of the sheep enter through the gate and do not climb in to where the sheep are by illegitimate and unauthorized channels. The way to be connected with the people of God, in order words, is through Jesus, who is the gate of the sheep – and all shepherds like him will enter and minister to the flock only by adhering closely to him, his teachings, his Church and indeed intimate friendship with him.

And so, it is easy to distinguish the good from the bad shepherds; the bad ones are “in it for themselves and their own glory” – rather than for the life of the sheep and God’s glory! These others are “thieves and marauders” – they come only to siphon off the spirit and life of God’s family members for their own power and glory! But they will not prevail! In the end God will have his way with these cheaters and hypocrites.

The true and authentic shepherd – after the Lord’s own heart – is the one who freely distributes the life of God among all of the needy ones – especially the poor and the lost – so that in Jesus’ own words “they may have life, and have it in abundance!”

May we not follow bad shepherds today, may we follow the good ones – and may we ourselves be a good shepherd to whomever God places in our path to shepherd – after his own heart!


I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep and mine know me.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

April 26 - Homily for Today - Good Shepherd Sunday

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. It is traditionally this fourth Sunday of Easter that we reflect upon the pastoral nature of Christ’s mission and mandate. Jesus came into the world to change everything, to clarify everything, to transform everything into all that it could not be otherwise without him – due to the extremely debilitating and life draining Fall of our first parents: the damage done by them was catastrophic and irreparable by any other of their race – except one who was also God at the same time: and that is Jesus Christ the Nazarene – who finally came – but who was killed by his own people – because they rejected him like a decrepit stone; but actually he was the cornerstone who was placed in his rightful position by his Father in the glorious act of raising him from the dead to a newness of life.

This is the good news that must be proclaimed to the whole world: to everyone, everywhere: there is no salvation through anyone else – this is what our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles tells us today – Jesus is the only one who can do it for us!

And how this plays out is marvelous: we have the opportunity to participate in our own salvation now, because he has already completed his end of the deal – and so we can now cooperate with grace and be born a second time by baptism to “higher things”, and then we must further cooperate in our own salvation by nourishing our spiritual lives by the daily program of spiritual life that the Church lays out for us, in prayer, in the sacraments – most especially the Eucharist: the Mass and in loving service to our brothers and sisters.

Jesus the shepherd can only shepherd us if we literally stay close to him, are in his pasture and follow his lead. To mix the metaphor we are his sheep but we are also sheep-as-children-of-God – adopted, but truly his family – brothers and sisters of Jesus – and one another. We must therefore treat one another like we are members of this very special family.

Yes, Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the Excellent Shepherd, the Loving Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. And he is so because he has suffered so terribly much. A shepherd who has not suffered is no shepherd at all; a shepherd who has not suffered has no idea what his sheep are really going through; a shepherd who has not died many deaths, has not experienced the reality of God the Father helping him and raising him to new life over and over again in his own life, and therefore has nothing to give anyone else.

And so, today we pray for all the shepherds that Christ himself appointed and sent to proclaim the good news and make his presence a reality on the face of the earth til the end of time – we pray that they accept the death and rising dynamic that must be a part of their lives, so they can help the sheep, the sheep children of God, his own true spiritual brothers and sisters do the same.

We also pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life – God is still calling - may men and women be generous in responding and giving the loving Shepherd their hands, hearts and feet to help him love his sheep-children until the end of time.


I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.

Friday, April 24, 2015

April 24 - Homily for Today

We have two powerful readings today: the first about the conversion of St. Paul, and the second about Jesus’ great ultimatum regarding true “communion” with him.

In the Acts of the Apostles we see what happens when God has his way with a young energetic persecutor of the brand new Church of his Son that was just getting on its feet: God saw into the entire personality and soul of Saul of Tarsus and simply liked what he saw and he chose him, of all people, to be the great Apostle to the Gentiles – indeed to all people to the ends of the earth! Sometimes God changes our plans for us no matter how we think we are on a correct and true track: in the end, his track is always surer and better: because he alone knows how all the colors of the entire tapestry fit together to make a magnificent work of art!

In the gospel passage Jesus, on purpose, makes an extremely demanding statement: you must eat my flesh and drink my blood in order to achieve the salvation that you so desperately long for: there is no way around it (you must be that united with one another so you can share the merits of my life)! And many leave him at this point for this was madness in their estimation! Well, maybe yes in their estimation, but not in God’s. For those who stayed and believed and were willing, Jesus later would show how this eating and drinking would not be under unpleasant circumstances: since he had all power in heaven and earth, he simply took fruits of the earth (bread and wine) and by speaking words made them really and truly his body and blood (soul and divinity) so that we, the members of his Body the Church, for all generations, would be able to eat and drink for our own salvation and spiritual nourishment and fortification – when the priest speaks the same words over bread and wine!
We thank God then today for providing for the transmission of the Word of God, by an eager young upstart named now Paul of Tarsus; and for the means to fulfill the command that Jesus gave to eat his flesh and drink his blood in a very real but palatable sort of way!

Yes, the Bread of Angels tastes sweet to the palate of men; it is their joy and their hope of future glory!


Amen! Alleluia!

Thursday, April 23, 2015

April 23 - Homily for Today

It was certainly of great import to the people to believe in extraordinary feats of courage done in the name of God and for his kingdom! The story of the slaying of the dragon by St. George is one such legend which inspires belief. As the story goes, a dragon lived in a lake near Silena, in Palestine. Whole armies had gone up against this fierce creature, and had gone down in painful defeat.

Now the monster ate two sheep each day; and when sheep became scarce, lots were drawn and local maidens were substituted for the sheep. Into this country came St. George. Hearing the story on a day when a princess was to be eaten, George crossed himself, rode to battle against the serpent and killed it with a single blow with his lance. George then spouted forth a magnificent sermon, and converted the locals. Given a large reward by the king, George distributed it to the poor and then rode away.

Now due to his chivalrous behavior, devotion to St. George became popular in Europe after the tenth century. In the 15th century his feast day was as popular and important as Christmas. The shrine of his relics in Palestine was a popular point of pilgrimage for centuries. He is deemed one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

George was tortured and beheaded around 304 in Palestine. He has a great number of patronages – all having to do with strength and protection!


The gospel passage today reminds us of the fruit of one who gives his entire life to God and his Kingdom: great things happen and many are brought to faith! We thank St. George for being such a disciple of Christ, and example to all the flock!  Amen! Alleluia!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

April 22 - Homily for Today

Jesus came into the world to be the great “gatherer”:  uniting all those whom the Father invited to belong to his kingdom: which is virtually everyone, but specifically, anyone who would simply believe in the sending of his own Son into the world for its salvation, belief in the person of his Son!

The great act of redemption and salvation was Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection from the dead: a sure sign of hope for all life’s tragedies and inconsistencies; a sure remedy for all of the hurts of the human heart!

It is the proclamation of this love-dynamic that caused great joy among the people of Jerusalem and adjacent communities (in the midst of persecutions), and then later the whole world: it was a powerful yet simple message: believe in what God has so compassionately and lovingly done for you and your eternal welfare: believe in the existence of and activity of his Son and you will have eternal life, you will be raised up on the last day!

The gospel reading from St. John today adds another dimension to this exhortation on the part of the Apostles: the bread of life, the Eucharistic food of men and angels will sustain and fortify belief, and empower those who eat it to be true and authentic witnesses in the world, especially where witness is needed: among the wandering, lost and suffering poor sheep: our brothers and sisters!


May we bring the HOPE of God’s care to those we can today; and thus strengthen our own faith and ability to do so! And then the whole earth will cry out to God with joy!

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

April 21 - Homily for Today

Stephen, who was among the first deacons of the Church, did his duty well and proclaimed the risen Jesus with great persuasiveness, and he was inspired as well to tell the elders and the scribes just where they had gone wrong – telling them they were stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in their heart and ears, and always opposed to the Holy Spiritjust like their ancestors were. So many of their ancestors persecuted prophets and teachers – they murdered them – not wanting to be acquainted with the real truth. And you, Stephen shouts out, are just like them. And they of course are infuriated and immediately come at Stephen to do what their fathers and forefathers had done: they tried to extinguish the light that was Jesus  that shone through Stephen, the light and life of Jesus, who was indeed the very bread of life come down from heaven.

And just as their ancestors – and ours in faith - were fed heavenly bread by the Father in heaven, so too any who want to eat can eat this same bread today at this and every Mass, after it is broken and distributed. And when we eat we can glimpse, if we look carefully enough, at what Stephen saw throughout his trials: we can see Jesus at God’s right hand, smiling at us, blessing us and encouraging us to always “go the extra mile” – so that he may gift us eternally with peace and light and joy!


And so, into your hands, O Lord, we commend our spirits – as did St. Stephen the First Martyr: use us as you will for good in the world!

Monday, April 20, 2015

April 20 - Homily for Today

Our gospel passage today makes a very important distinction: we must be clear about why we “go to the Lord” – why we are attracted to Jesus; just exactly what it is that we expect from him? A great number underestimate Jesus: they think him just as a nice guy, a good teacher, a worker of wonders – a good person to know in times of trouble: but they fail to see him as the one sent from God, who is both God and man at the same time, who is goodness itself, who teaches what he himself has created, and who has ultimate power over nature and can do whatever he wants. And so the one great requirement is that people come to believe in Jesus as the one sent from God – and he is to be respected, and honored and loved as such!

Proof of the possession of belief is found in a strong desire to tell about this God-Man, this Lord, Savior, King to everyone. Stephen believed – much to the dismay of those in whose jurisdiction he was telling the Jesus story – and they could only counter him by lies and false testimony because they knew he was telling the truth about Jesus – and so they did lie, they twisted what he was saying to incite the Sanhedrin to charge and condemn him to death; this they will do: but through it all: the face of Stephen will remain like that of an angel: when one is beholding the face of God – while under fire – nothing can interiorly harm any of us!

May we fearlessly be your apostles and “tellers of your story” today, Lord – to all we meet – someway, somehow!


Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord, alleluia!

Saturday, April 18, 2015

April 19 - Homily for Today

Today is the third Sunday bearing the name of Easter! We continue to bask in the glory of the risen Lord! In the gospel passage today Jesus, with the new powers of his risen body, just appears in the midst of some of his disciples and he says to them: Peace be with you! They are a bit startled and think they are seeing a ghost: but he says to them: why are you troubled, why do you have such questions in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, it’s me – touch me and see, a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.

They are now incredulous for sheer joy – not knowing what to do next: and so Jesus playfully says to them: hey, you got anything to eat? They say: Fish! And they all sat down to a nice fish breakfast – no doubt the disciples eyeing Jesus very incredulously and admiringly at every bite!

While they were eating, Jesus took the opportunity to relate to them everything in the scriptures: the Law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets that referred to himself. And then he opened their mind to the understanding of the scriptures: and they understood that  he, Jesus – the long awaited Messiah - would indeed suffer, and that he would rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name, to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem! And their hearts were burning within them: for two reasons: they knew he was telling them the truth; and they knew that they just could not wait to go out and tell as many people as they could about him!

This indeed is the gospel proclamation that we read in the Acts of the Apostles of the first reading today: where Peter: who knew this truth about Jesus, stands up and proclaims very boldly to his own Jewish brothers and sisters: that: “He is the One” Jesus is the one they have been waiting for all these centuries – and when he finally comes: what do we do? we kill him? but his Father raises him up and now he is alive and he is in us, by the coming of the Spirit - and he can be in you too – to make all the difference in your lives! REPENT AND BELIEVE and BE BAPTIZED EVERY ONE OF YOU! And three thousand were baptized that very day!

We, who share in the exact same baptism, ought to be able to listen to all these words from the readings and homily and shout out – if we have been given the gift of understanding the scriptures – YES, THIS IS THE TRUTH! Jesus is Lord! Jesus is King! Jesus is Savior of the world! and not only that but he is MY Lord, and MY King and Savior of ME!; and then, we ought to feel compelled to go forth from this and every Mass and profess what we have celebrated, by living a true and authentic Christian life; and by telling the Jesus-story anew each and every day to all we meet!

If, however, there are some who cannot make this bold affirmation because God has not yet graced them with deep understanding of the Scriptures: we can pray that he does, and not blame or argue with them because he hasn’t done it yet! We can simply be patient and pray for God to turn the light on for them!


Lord Jesus, never stop opening the Scriptures to your people and making our hearts burn while you speak to us – all of us! 

Friday, April 17, 2015

April 17 - Homily for Today

Our gospel passage today reminds us that it is among the primary missions of Jesus not only to save the world and then leave it to fend for itself; no, he also is very much interested in remaining with everyone redeemed (and also the potentially redeemed), and to offer as much assistance, spiritual nourishment and encouragement as he possibly can so that they stay the course which can now – thanks to his resurrection – lead to eternal life in a Kingdom prepared for them! The quintessential spiritual aids are the sacraments: and the queen among them is the Eucharist: the Mass we share right now.

In the first reading, the impetus behind the proclamation of this truth is seen in the unrestrainable reality of the gospel: there is no containing or impeding its spread: for the command to take it to the ends of the earth came from Jesus: and thus must indeed be carried out: God’s word will not return to him empty and void, but shall do what he sent it to do!

May we, today, live, both on the bread of this Eucharistic Sacrifice, and also the good works of gospel spreading that we are compelled to do after we have shared in it: no, man does not live just on bread, but also works of charity and love whose mandate comes from the mouth of God!


Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

April 16 - Homily for Today

Our Easter Season theme of “belief” continues today! Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, and the wrath of God remains upon him.

We have an insight into St. John’s theology in this one sentence. “Belief” is an “act of obedience” to God – who alone enables anyone to believe at all. Belief that Jesus is the Divine Son of God cannot originate in us, it must originate in God, be revealed to us by him, and then made an object of our acknowledgment of it and acceptance of it: this is true “belief” – and this is what the “obedience” to “God revealing” is all about!

And so, St. John tells us, those who disobey the Son, disobey all of his revelations and inspirations which come by way of the Holy Spirit – will not see promised eternal life and the wrath of God – the wrath that came to Adam and his descendants – remains upon him.

May we today – during this highly graced Easter Season – make frequent acts of “obedience of belief” in Jesus as Son of God – and we will be rewarded with much consolation in our daily lives, and we will be storing credit for when it will be needed at the end of our lives when God will look into our hearts to see if “any are wise, if any seek Him, if any have true, simple and loving belief in His Son”  which has moved them to selfless acts of self-sacrifice for the good of others!


You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

April 15 - Homily for Today

We have wonderful readings on this weekday in the Easter Season. In the first, we see the overarching power of the “word of God” – which is of course, the Word of God: JESUS – who cannot be thwarted nor manipulated, silenced nor eradicated.

The supposed guardians of the Jewish religion can see that they are going to have a difficult time dealing with this “new Way,” by these “radical people,” and they begin calculating how they can stamp out the revolution before it firmly takes hold.

But there is no imprisoning the word of the Lord!

God’s word and message is so plain and simple and beautiful: In the gospel passage we have the consoling and energizing words: God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. What could be so threatening about that? What could be more life-giving and encouraging than that?

May we today live the “new Way” as fully as when we first were introduced to it on the day of our baptisms; and may we bring the “life-giving words” of the Jesus-story to all we meet, in one way or another today. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate catechesis, just side-comments on the love of God and his fatherly care are enough!


God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

April 14 - Homily for Today

Our first reading today gives us the beautiful phrase: the community of believers was of one heart and mind! This unity is the very real manifestation of Jesus’ wish at the Last Supper. In his High Priestly Prayer prayed shortly after giving them Eucharist for the first time, Jesus says: Father, make them (the Apostles) and all who would come to believe in me because of them, one: make them one as we are one, Father. And this is no ordinary unity: this is a dynamic unity producing love, producing works of love, producing works of self-sacrificial service! 

It is therefore wonderful to read in the Acts of the Apostles that the early community was indeed influenced very strongly by the Eucharistic Meal that they shared, by the works of charity that they performed: as is witnessed in the fact that no one in the community went without, and in fact there began a common pool of resources so that no one would be without. Would that today’s parishes would set aside a certain amount of resources both financial and personnel-wise to regularly help those in their midst who are one in heart and mind with them, and who go without because of economic shortfalls.

In the gospel passage, Jesus continues his conversation with Nicodemus about being baptized and “born into” the supernatural life of the spirit. He tells him that he of all people should be able to understand what he is saying because he is a teacher of natural and spiritual things and ought to be able to make a leap of faith to understand the teaching of supernatural things. Then Jesus briefly refreshes a lesson for Nicodemus that, being a good Jew familiar with Scripture already knows, “just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life!” This was meant to be a kind of switch or signal for Nicodemus to see things from the heavenly perspective of the Cross of Christ: which makes everything different! May we have this vision, may we have this perspective today!

Being “born again” is then not such an impossible leap after all as seen from the height and depth and width of Christ’s love for us as demonstrated on the upraised Cross of Calvary!    

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty

             and his disciples are of one heart and mind!

Monday, April 13, 2015

April 13 - Homily for Today

Our gospel passage today tells of the great teaching episode between Jesus and a Pharisee named Nicodemus – a secret admirer and follower of Jesus – regarding “second birth”! All of the merits of the death and resurrection of Jesus would be useless unless there was a way to access them: the way is through baptism, through being “born a second time,” this time by water and the spirit – the formula of baptism!

It still seemed that Nicodemus could not grasp what Jesus was saying: he is stuck on the phrasing “born again” – how can one be “born again?” Jesus tries to tell him that the first birth (from the mother’s womb) is of flesh, but the second birth (from water and the spirit) is of spirit: directly from the supernatural life of God.

Then Jesus tells him that he must be “born from above” in order to access all of the graces that his upcoming Passion and Death would merit. And this would make him free – truly free – which Jesus refers to by talking about the wind blowing where it wills: those born of the Spirit, literally live unfettered lives!

In the first reading today, the place where the Jews prayed together – as they reflected on the events of Jesus life and death and resurrection – shook (with excitement and joy); may the place where we pray shake as well with the excitement that comes from “touching God” “touching Jesus” “touching Salvation!”


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

Sunday, April 12, 2015

April 12 - Homily for 2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy)

Today the Church continues rejoicing in the celebration of Easter Day! We have reached the Octave (Eighth) Day and the Solemn Celebration is now complete! But, could we really stop celebrating Easter? for seven weeks more we will celebrate the season of Easter, and then of course, we know that every Day of the Sun for the remainder of the Church calendar year is a continuation of the celebration of this one Easter Day! 

On this octave day then, we still bask in the radiance of Jesus come back to life – but this time to a newness of life, a fullness, a richness that we are all invited to share in and participate in. Jesus demonstrated it again in the gospel passage today: “on the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus (just suddenly appeared) and stood in their midst!” We too – will be able to use preternatural gifts of appearing suddenly here and there, in heaven.
Then Jesus said to them: Peace be with you! and then he showed them his hands and his sides! Why would he do that? Why did Jesus choose to keep his scars and wounds visible? it is because they were his trophies! they were his proof positive that he loves each and every one of us that much – to be able to suffer the horrible death of crucifixion for us – so that our sins could be forgiven, and that we would live forever after what is now just a mere formality of physical death!

Then to inaugurate the concrete and very real sacramental distribution of his forgiveness, Jesus breathes on the Eleven and says: receive the Holy Spirit – whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained. He did three things at this point: he sent the Holy Spirit into their beings in an unprecedented sort of way: he empowered them to forgive sins in his name and person, and he made them true and authentic judges of each situation: only those who show contrition and sorrow for true sin and have a purpose of amendment will be forgiven: and he gives these, his first priests, the faculties to make the call!

The Divine Mercy of God is now available to be poured out on mankind in a most powerful way, like the blood and water that poured forth from his pierced heart! This is the mercy that forgave Adam and Eve, it is the mercy that reestablished friendship between God and mankind, this is the mercy that even the most hardened sinner can rely on and call upon – and this day’s secondary title: Divine Mercy Sunday – ties it all together!

It only makes sense that the mirror image, end celebration of the Easter Octave be spelled out as a Mercy Sunday, just as Easter Sunday spells out irrevocably that everything now is completely different than it was before the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth! Now, it is Jesus who is undisputed Lord, King and Savior of the world; and sooner or later everyone will come to understand that and have the opportunity to believe it and thus access all the benefits of it – and its chief benefit is MERCY!

Thomas of course, needed proof that it was really Jesus who was alive; and he got his proof a week after Easter as we read in the gospel passage: and what he ought to be more remembered for than his doubt, is the magnificent act of faith that he made in all of its stark simplicity: and then Thomas answered: My Lord and my God! Jesus then said: Thomas there will be some who believe because I will reveal myself to them in special ways, but the greater majority will not really see me, but they will believe in me, and your words just spoken here, will help them! Once they believe that I am their Lord, and I am their God! I am their Savior, then their lives will never be the same! Thank you Thomas for being the first of a long line of people who will love me enough to adore me and serve me with all their hearts!

Yes, the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes!


Alleluia! Amen! Alleluia!

Friday, April 10, 2015

April 10 - Homily for Today Easter Week Friday

In the gospel passage we see the third appearance of Jesus to his disciples after being raised from the dead. It is a very visual story of Jesus standing on the shore of the lake, where Peter, James and John and some others had been fishing all night – catching nothing. But at this “stranger’s” advice they cast their net over the right side of the boat and caught a huge load of fish – they could hardly get it into the boat. Then John shouted “It’s the Lord!” Who else could have caused such a wonderful thing to happen? When they got to the shore they counted the fish: 153 – a very large amount – and then because they were still in a bit of a shock, Jesus said to them, come have a fish breakfast with me! And He fed them – again – with bread, and fish! It is one of Jesus’ great joys to feed his disciples – then and now – with what they need physically and spiritually!

In the first reading – we see Peter again – not too far in time after the fish breakfast – addressing the high priests in Jerusalem and telling them that the one they had been instrumental in crucifying, Jesus, is the one who has been raised from the dead –  he is the Christ - and he has been seen by many! He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone! Peter tells them 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. This was true on that day in Jerusalem, it is true now, and it will be true until the last person born on earth hears it!

Great things happen when associating with this risen Lord of glory – a great catch of fish of all kinds and varieties is possible – and the ability of enduring in life whatever is irksome, challenging and sorrowful is raised to a very high level! In Jesus is all our hope, our joy and our peace!


The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.         By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes! 

Thursday, April 9, 2015

April 9 - Homily for Today Easter Week Thursday

On this Thursday within the Octave of Easter we see two more interrelated readings, one having to do with Pentecost events, and one with the Easter activities of Jesus.

In the first reading we see how the Apostle Peter, in the company of John began to preach to the Jews gathered in Solomon’s Portico of the Temple – who witnessed the curing of the crippled man. They were quick to explain to them that they – Peter and John – did not cure the man – but Jesus, the one who was put to death, but then raised again by God – had cured the man using them as his instruments. Faith in this God has given this man strength and perfect health!

In the presence of such a display of God’s power and indeed the risen Christ himself, Peter then exhorts the Jews to repent and likewise believe in Jesus – who has indeed fulfilled all the prophecies about a coming Messiah and Lord – and be saved so that all the offspring of all the families of the earth shall be blessed!

In the gospel passage we see Jesus making his second resurrection appearance (the first being the night of Easter when he came to the Apostles in the upper room). The ones who were discussing what had happened to them on the road to Emmaus got a surprise visit by Jesus: he suddenly appeared in their midst – saying to them - “Peace be with you!” They were afraid and thought they were seeing a ghost – but Jesus said, ghosts do not have flesh and bones as I do! It is me! I am back! Do you have anything to eat? He said this to further prove that it was really him and no ghost – although he was now in “risen state,” – a state of enhanced humanity that those who believe in him would share in! And he ate fish with them!

Then he told them, as he told the Apostles he will send out on Pentecost: thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Then he tells them: you are witnesses of these things: therefore, you go and tell everyone about it!


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

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

April 8 - Homily for Today Easter Week Wednesday

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

We have two beautiful readings today! In the first reading we see how the Apostle Peter, with John, offers a lifelong crippled man a gift that is beyond silver or gold: having the man look at them, Peter said: we do not have silver or gold but we do have the amazing and dynamic power of the Risen Jesus to give you: and we give it – and in his name we command you to rise and walk. And the man arose and walked! In fact, he jumped around for joy and then walked into the temple with the two Apostles praising God. All who saw this were amazed because they knew this to be the man who had been handicapped since he was a baby!

The Church offers us the same amazing and dynamic power of the Risen Jesus in its sacraments and activity of self-sacrificial giving and charity – so that we can be healed of what cripples and handicaps us. All we need do is believe in the One whose power is at work: Jesus the Risen Lord of Glory, his Father and their Spirit. There is not enough silver or gold in the whole world that can buy what our simple response of faith can attain for us!

And of course the gospel passage is the beloved story of the walk with Jesus with two dejected disciples on the road to Emmaus on Easter Sunday afternoon. These two are among the vast majority who are scratching their heads and hanging them heavy as it seems that their hopes in Jesus had been dashed to the ground. He said he would rise on the third day. What happened? We do not see anyone! But then Jesus himself – in his Risen presence – comes and walks right along with them – and he engages with them in a dialogue in which he could refresh their memories about the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets that Jesus was supposed to be (still not revealing himself to them as the one to whom they referred); and then when they invited him into their house for supper, and when he took bread and broke it and gave it to them – thus truly revealing who he was – they did recognize himat which point he vanished from their sight!

Then comes one of the most beautiful lines in all of scripture: Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us? They knew without a doubt that the man who walked and ate with them was Jesus, Risen from the dead. And they left at once and went to Jerusalem to tell everyone what had happened: and how they recognized him in the breaking of the bread! This of course, is the very pattern of our Mass: from that Easter Sunday afternoon we get the framework for what we do here: read and reflect on Jesus (as he is present in the words of the ministers and priest) who opens the Scriptures and interprets them for us; and in the breaking of the bread: where the priest – in the very person of Jesus – once again feeds us with his own risen and real Body and Blood – so that we can grow more and more daily to resemble him, so that the Father will see him in us, and will welcome us to heaven to spend eternity in a forever of joy and glory!

Let us give thanks to the Lord, and invoke his name today; and make known among the nations (including our own) his saving deeds!       Alleluia! Alleluia!


Tuesday, April 7, 2015

April 7 - Homily for Today Easter Week Tuesday

On this Tuesday within the Octave of Easter we continue to relate the Pentecost message with the Easter fact. The “good news” preached by the Apostles from the day of Pentecost, is the historical fact of the resurrection to new life of Jesus Christ – Son of God.

In our first reading today we hear Peter on Pentecost Day telling the crowd of Israelites that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom they crucified. He then told them to repent and be baptized – every one of them – in the name of the risen Lord Jesus – for the forgiveness of their sins – and they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit – and their entire lives will never be the same again, here or hereafter. The vitality and persuasive power of the Holy Spirit, fresh fallen on the Apostles was great, for three thousand were baptized that day!

It is up to us – who are also baptized into the Risen Jesus, with the same baptism as those three thousand - to cling to him now because he is both seated at the right hand of his Father, but also very much alive and present within the Church he left behind – to be energized and loved by him – so that we, his hands and feet and heart, can go out and energize and love others in the world around us: at least to offer our energy and love – it is still up to them to freely accept the love of God for themselves or not!

God has delivered us from death – and he has preserved us so that we can praise him unceasingly!


          And now the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Alleluia!        

Monday, April 6, 2015

April 6 - Homily for Today Easter Week Monday

This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it. We celebrate today the first day within the octave of Easter! An octave celebration, we recall, is a continuation of the original celebration as if it were still going on: and so for the Catholic world every day this week will be a re-presentation of Easter Sunday!

If this is the case, then why will all of our first readings this week be of Pentecost Day and the events thereof?

For two reasons: 1) the proclamation of Easter is very short, poignant and earth-shattering: JESUS – who was put to death – HAS BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD! HE LIVES! - NEVERMORE TO DIE AGAIN! and this changes everything!

2) But in his wisdom Jesus took another 50 days to prepare his Apostles – the Eleven (now) - to go out and proclaim this very astounding, powerful, yet simple truth. And PENTECOST was the day when finally they understood it all (when the Spirit came upon them) – and they began to preach and teach this gospel message regarding Jesus – the Risen Lord – who indeed was the long awaited Messiah – to the ends of the earth as they had been instructed by him to do.

This is why, the Easter fact and the Pentecost message are intimately linked; this is also where we come in – we who have responded to the apostolic mission and have chosen to believe in the message, to enter into an interpersonal friendship with Jesus and to be plugged into the life and sacramental system of the Church he established on Pentecost.

And so, we rejoice today that God can truly be our hope, our joy and our peace! – and that he empowers us to bring these to others, all others, for he has poured out upon us the promised gift of the Holy Spirit!


Amen! Alleluia!

Saturday, April 4, 2015

April 5 - Homily for Today Easter Sunday

Rejoice! The Lord is risen, just as he said! And he has appeared to Simon! 

Today the Church resounds with joy as we celebrate the central fact of our existence as Church: the rising from the dead of Jesus Christ our Lord, our King and our Savior! Jesus has accomplished what no other human being could ever accomplish, and he did it FOR us: He died FOR us! He rose from the dead by the working of the Holy Spirit at the command of God the Father, FOR us! – so that we WITH HIM might give the Father the glory that is His due – by the lives we lead IN HIM, and THROUGH HIM!

JESUS DIED FOR US! He saw his bitter Passion all the way through to the end so that all of the Passion that we are invited to participate in may be meritorious for us! – most especially our last bit that we must endure: physical death. But because Jesus died, he took the sting out of our death, and so we have nothing to fear when our turn comes and we like Jesus will close our eyes in the sleep of peace! 

But this death also merited for us the FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS – and it was our sins which cause in us certain and unrelenting spiritual death: the chief among them being the sin of our first parents. Because of them, we are not free to live completely sinless lives and sometimes we do sin; but Jesus death blotted out the capital offense and all our offenses once and for all time, and so should we sin now, we now have the wonderful Sacrament of Forgiveness to remove our personal sins after baptism.

JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD – FOR US – to a newness of life, the fullness of life that only God could imagine and bring into existence. Just as Jesus was not just resuscitated, taking up again the exact same bodily existence and life that he had three days prior; so now he lives a new and everlasting kind of spiritually enhanced existence which includes his former body, but now transformed, transfigured, in glory – and this he offers to those who want it, those who ask for it, and those who live the rest of their lives like they do in fact want it! This is an astounding fact!

And he did all of these things so that we, WITH HIM, might give his Father - who planned and carried out the whole wonderful love story - the thanks and honor and worship and adoration and glory that most certainly is his due – by the lives we lead, filled with his risen Spirit, and thus IN HIM and THROUGH HIM make an enormous difference both for ourselves and for those people with whom we share this absolutely fantastic story of divine intervention and redeemed mankind!

Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed; [and now everything is different for everyone]; let us then feast with joy in the Lord – and then let us go forth, as the women at the tomb did, and tell everyone about it!


Friday, April 3, 2015

Homily for Today - Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord

I ask you to recall the events now of last Sunday, PALM SUNDAY, when Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem – deliberately hastening his steps towards his final end: his death on a Cross, which would be solely FOR US AND FOR OUR SALVATION!

The crowds of people who lined his route were inspired by the Holy Spirit himself to make a magnificent spectacle out of this entry, waving palm branches – HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID they shouted: BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD – for this is who he truly was.

I asked you at that time to reflect during the course of this Holy Week on the three titles of Jesus we talked about on that day:

·        JESUS IS LORD, Jesus is Lord (above all lords, the One, True Lord of Lord) forever and ever;

·        JESUS IS KING – Jesus is King not only of the Jews (his own people of origin), he is king of all nations, all peoples – and his kingdom will have no end – and all – sooner or later – all the kings of the earth will one day obey him; and lastly,

·        JESUS IS SAVIOR. Jesus is Savior of the World – no one else in human history was qualified to do what he did: reconcile God and Man – because he was both God and Man at the same time, in the same Person.

Today now I ask you to take these thoughts one step further – as we commemorate the Day on which our redemption was accomplished on that hill outside of Jerusalem.

The above three titles of Jesus are all well and good when they apply to the vast crowds of people in general, both then, and throughout the ages. But if we do not apply them to ourselves directly and personally, then we have missed the whole point of Jesus’ coming and dying – and we will have cut ourselves off from the merits of his death: which are forgiveness of our personal sins, and the opening to us of the gates of heaven when we die: neither of these things was possible before Jesus did what he did on Good Friday.
And so: let us reflect for just a few moments on the titles of Jesus as they must apply to us in order for us to gain their benefits:
·        JESUS IS LORD. Jesus must be MY Lord.
·        JESUS IS KING. Jesus must be MY King.
·        JESUS IS SAVIOR. Jesus must be MY Savior.

The choice is always ours but so too the consequences of the decisions we may make in this regard.

As Moses told the people in the desert: “Choose life then!”, so I tell you: “Choose Jesus – your Lord, your King, your Savior!” Choose everlasting life!


HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID!

April 3 - Good Friday Homily

I ask you to recall the events now of last Sunday, PALM SUNDAY, when Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem – deliberately hastening his steps towards his final end: his death on a Cross, which would be solely FOR US AND FOR OUR SALVATION!

The crowds of people who lined his route were inspired by the Holy Spirit himself to make a magnificent spectacle out of this entry, waving palm branches – HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID they shouted: BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD – for this is who he truly was.

I asked you at that time to reflect during the course of this Holy Week on the three titles of Jesus we talked about on that day:

·        JESUS IS LORD, Jesus is Lord (above all lords, the One, True Lord of Lord) forever and ever;

·        JESUS IS KING – Jesus is King not only of the Jews (his own people of origin), he is king of all nations, all peoples – and his kingdom will have no end – and all – sooner or later – all the kings of the earth will one day obey him; and lastly,

·        JESUS IS SAVIOR. Jesus is Savior of the World – no one else in human history was qualified to do what he did: reconcile God and Man – because he was both God and Man at the same time, in the same Person.

Today now I ask you to take these thoughts one step further – as we commemorate the Day on which our redemption was accomplished on that hill outside of Jerusalem.

The above three titles of Jesus are all well and good when they apply to the vast crowds of people in general, both then, and throughout the ages. But if we do not apply them to ourselves directly and personally, then we have missed the whole point of Jesus’ coming and dying – and we will have cut ourselves off from the merits of his death: which are forgiveness of our personal sins, and the opening to us of the gates of heaven when we die: neither of these things was possible before Jesus did what he did on Good Friday.
And so: let us reflect for just a few moments on the titles of Jesus as they must apply to us in order for us to gain their benefits:
·        JESUS IS LORD. Jesus must be MY Lord.
·        JESUS IS KING. Jesus must be MY King.
·        JESUS IS SAVIOR. Jesus must be MY Savior.

The choice is always ours but so too the consequences of the decisions we may make in this regard.

As Moses told the people in the desert: “Choose life then!”, so I tell you: “Choose Jesus – your Lord, your King, your Savior!” Choose everlasting life!


HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID!

Thursday, April 2, 2015

April 2 - Homily for Today

When we look around the world today and see so much disarray, so much mal-contention, so much violence, hatred and killing – we might ask ourselves – and rightly so – why did he bother? Why did GOD bother to become ONE OF US – creatures of this type, who do such terrible things to one another – why did God bother to even try to save us, to reconcile the situation, to bring peace on earth?

The answer is this: if he did not come, then everything we see would have been exponentially that much worse. We have to remember that what we are seeing now is already filtered by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus: when he died and rose, Jesus did it for all people: and inherently, in every human heart, there is now a sense that this is so: Jesus is Lord, Jesus is King, Jesus is Savior of the world. But, so many people on earth are not willing to write out the check that they are entitled by grace to write: to welcome into their lives not only the idea of Jesus as Savior, Redeemer and Reconciler: but the actual Person Himself! This is very sad!

Jesus provided a way to do that: as the final events of his life came fast upon him Jesus knew exactly what he was about: establishing a permanent and indeed everlasting way for us to be connected to him.
I love you so much, he said, that I want you to become and intimate part of me, and I you. I will then give you a sacramental system of seven signs of our connection with him and our willingness to be a part of each other’s’ lives. The very first two of these supernatural signs were the Sacraments of Eucharist and of Holy Orders – which we celebrate the memorial of the Institution of here and now –
the Food of Eternal Life, supernatural food of spiritual growth and nourishment, real and essential communion with God and with one another; and moments later the Priesthood; which would be forever linked with his own priesthood and the source of all sacramental life of the church including primarily Eucharist, the other sacraments and the proclamation and teaching of the Gospel of his Word.

He did this for love, a very deep, abiding and amazing love: the Eucharist is Love made Flesh, Jesus in his Risen state; and the priesthood, as St. John Vianney tells us is the very love of his heart (which led him to the cross and to resurrection), his Divine and Sacred Heart, made flesh really and truly in the priest at his ordination by the working of the Holy Spirit. The very being of the priest is changed forever and configured to Christ: Priest, Victim, Preacher, Teacher and Brother – for the good of the Church – for your good.

The priesthood then, modeled after Jesus’ own actions of foot washing at the Last Supper is a ministry of “service”! Priests must serve as Jesus served, love as Jesus loved, and sacrifice as Jesus sacrificed!

On this very sacred and holy evening we thank God from the depths of our being for the astounding gifts of the Holy Eucharist and Holy Priesthood: may we reverence, honor, love and appreciate each to the fullest especially during this upcoming Easter Season – and may we tell others the “good news” about the wonderful God-given, inner workings of our beloved Catholic Church – and even invite them to consider joining us!


I give you a new commandment: LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU!

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

April 1 - Homily Wednesday of Holy Week

We are on the threshold of the three holiest days of the church year. Tomorrow we celebrate the Institution of the Priesthood and the Perpetual Memorial of the Lord’s Last Supper which we know of as “The Mass”; on Friday we commemorate his life-giving Passion and Death (which was anticipated at that supper); and Saturday evening (and Easter Sunday) we rejoice with the Church as we proclaim Jesus Risen from the dead, and we welcome new members into the Mystical Body of the Church.

Our attitude ought to be one of solemn yet joyful anticipation and reflection on such a wondrous display of God’s love and mercy and forgiveness. He did not have to create us in the first place; and he did not have to redeem us when we miserably failed the simple test of loyalty that he gave us in the second place: but he did both: BECAUSE HE LOVES US! May we love him back then, and thank him profusely by lives of giving to others, all others, after the example of his own beloved Son, Jesus!

Hail to you Jesus:

Lord, King and Savior of the world!         

Happy New Year 202

  A Happy New Year to you all! I hope and pray I am able to keep this blog up to date now that we are entering into the New Year! I would li...