Friday, March 31, 2017

Mar 31 - 4th Week in Lent - Friday

+ We have a key insight into the reality of wisdom today! The context is the Pharisees’ preconceived and prejudicial take on Jesus, his origins and his mission. Their conclusions are wrong and therefore not trustworthy. And this is a serious matter both for them and for the Jewish people they supposedly are the leaders of: because their eternal salvation is at stake.

Those without the grace of faith, without the gift of wisdom from God, cannot see, hear, evaluate of judge properly what is right before them. The Book of Wisdom tells us of their folly: their false thinking: prophesying Jesus at the time of his Passion, it relates how “the obnoxious one sets himself up against our doings [hmm telling them the truth about all sorts of matters], reproaches them for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training [hmm this, after they believe their own lies and misconceptions and deliberate deceits favoring themselves and making it harder for their ‘parishioners’];

professes to have direct knowledge of God and styles himself as his child, boasting of God as his father [again, cutting themselves out of the reality of a true divine intervention and visit for the sake of our redemption]!

This cannot be! Let us condemn him to a shameful death – if his is from God – then let God take care of him. [again a shortsighted application of logic: for if he really is from God: then they are the ones who will have an enormous amount to answer for!]

In the gospel passage we see Jesus living out that prophesy mentioned above: when Jesus enters Jerusalem for the Jewish feast of Tabernacles, the people whisper and wag both their heads and their tongues and say: “isn’t this the one they are talking about? isn’t this the one who is supposed to be the Christ? no one is supposed to know where the Messiah is from, but we know where he is from, Nazareth, his father was that carpenter Joseph, his mother Mary, just a local girl?”

Jesus takes this opportunity to rail at them [at one of those times when he let his frustration and anger justifiably emerge] SO YOU KNOW ME, YOU KNOW WHERE I AM FROM, DO YOU? You have no idea what you are talking about: “I am not here, on this earth, of my own accord, for my own purposes: I was sent! I was sent by God! Yes, he is my Father! and I am here to save you from eternal separation and darkness!?”

IF YOU REALLY KNOW ME! your joy would know no bounds, you would want to get to know all about me, you would listen to my words, you would model your life after mine, you would know that if I am Son of God, then you are well on the way now to becoming adopted sons and daughters of God!

NO, YOU DON’T KNOW ME! YOU KNOW NOTHING!
WAKE UP and pray for insight, wisdom and understanding!
and you will see, you will see amazing things, you will see the road ahead all the way into an eternity of blessedness, joy and peace – that awaits those who simply believe in me!

The Lord redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him! Let us be his servants today! Let our guilt be taken away! Let us live in freedom and happiness! Amen.


Thursday, March 30, 2017

Mar 30 - 4th Week of Lent - Thursday

+ We have an interesting concept and reality put forth in our readings today: it is possible to help God make up his mind! This is pretty astounding when you stop and think about it.

We have heard from eons: God’s will is God’s will – it cannot change – it is absolute, it is indestructible and it is irrevocable. True, but, there is every evidence that while God doesn’t need it, he is most open to our input in his making up the plan and course of events in our lives, the lives of our loved ones, and even our enemies as he “speaks them immutably in the first place!”

Ahh, this means that prayer works, it is effective and it is essential as we make our concerns known to God, asking his help, seeking his guidance, knocking on the Golden Door of our heavenly home – volunteering to use our gift of intelligence, foresight and insight into mercy and human helpfulness – to aid in constructing the best possible plan for the best possible outcome.

And so, it is wrong for us to think that “well, God has already made up his mind,” so my prayer is pointless. Not so. Our prayer is actually a vital part of God’ will and way – and so let us offer our intercessory prayers with sincere and heartfelt confidence and trust.

But then let us not forget the other kinds of prayer that ought to accompany our petitions: and that is thanksgiving prayer, and prayer of adoration and worship – and, oh yes, prayers of sorrow and contrition when we screw things up – which we often times do during a single day.

And in all things, we are reminded in the first reading today, our prayer ought to be FOR GOD’S EVENTUAL WILL AND WAY in every situation – RATHER THAN OUR OWN: making a Golden Calf of our own stolen claims to deity, superiority and the desire to be the center of a universe of our own making!

Yes, let the hearts that seek the Lord in all things rejoice; let us turn to the Lord, made of neither silver or gold, and seek his strength and constantly seek his face! the sweet face of a tender Father!

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Mar 26 - 4th Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday)

+ “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light!”  And where there is light, there is hope! And so, we rejoice in hope on this Laetare Sunday – the mid-point of Lent. This is the compelling summary of our readings today! The images of darkness and light, blindness and sight and hope are quite apparent and eloquent!

Yet the message is so plain and simple: St. Paul tells the Ephesians that “once they were darkness” – because of their inherited affiliation with the origin of the species: Adam, and Eve his wife.

Everyone born into the world from then on would participate in that darkness: and how dark it really was! Only a Person of Light could dispel the darkness that enveloped the world.

And that Person could be none other than Jesus who was both man and God at the same time – who was Light from Light! Jesus became on Calvary the very depth of the darkness of sin – he became sin – so to destroy sin, all sin – and restore the world to the brilliance not only of light, but of color and beauty and truth and goodness and most of all LOVE!

The action of Jesus curing people of their “blindness” during his public ministry was two-ways effective. Yes, curing someone born physically blind is a great thing; but what is even greater is releasing one who is spiritually blind from his enormous load of self-imposed “perspective-handicap.”

“There are none so blind as those who will not see!”: goes the modern proverb! And how true it is!

So very many in Jesus’ own day were deliberately spiritually blind – they could not and would not “see him” as the Messiah they had been waiting for, for millennia. They could not “see” that he was awaited descendant of King David, whose Kingdom would last forever.

They could not “see” that there was a whole and completely different world of faith and supernatural beauty, truth goodness and love that awaited them if they would only stop being so stubborn!

And so, very many, who were right there with him, never did “see” Jesus; and never got to participate in the light of life that Jesus did indeed bring!

And so, to the gentiles the apostles were sent to bring the light of life and the radiant Person of the Crucified and Risen Jesus Christ. May we today pray for any who need to turn to Jesus and “see” him clearly, confess belief in him totally, and begin to perceive everything differently from now on!

Part of that “any” may even be us! It is never too late: “O sleeper, awake and arise from the depths of now self-imposed darkness and have Christ give you light!”

I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life – eternal life!

God bless you!

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Mar 25 - The Annunciation of the Lord

+ We pause today in our Lenten observance to celebrate the great Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. On this day we recall the event of the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to a humble maiden of Nazareth named Mary. God has prepared a worthy, and sinless dwelling place to first receive his Word-made-flesh: the womb of this humble virgin. But the freedom of the virgin was to be preserved, and so the dialogue between the Archangel Gabriel and Mary causes the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit to come upon Mary, who freely declares herself a humble handmaid of the Lord, ready to do his bidding according to his plan and design.

And so, Jesus began to exist in her womb: the very God of gods was now living in a loving, protective and nurturing environment: and she would love, protect and nurture him his whole life long – until it ended, as it was foretold, in a tragic death on a hill outside Jerusalem. But again it would include a resurrected presence of Jesus later on, in which she always hoped and prayed for.  This whole astounding process was done for love, for love of us, all humans who ever lived: to save us from our thoughtless, selfish, sinful selves, to restore our broken friendship with God, and be the source of our eternal life in heaven.

When we appreciate the humility and cooperation of the Virgin, when we understand the amazing love of the Father, and love of the Savior, we are moved to live out in our own lives our baptismal call to be holy and sinless and happy and helpful people – for these are all possible now, thanks to the simple: “Fiat” “Yes,” “let it be done to me according to your word,” of the Blessed Mother of God!


Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.   

Friday, March 24, 2017

Mar 24 - 3rd Week of Lent - Friday

+ Our readings today are clear and to the point: the point being that God is God and we are not, none of us, and that he is to be given top billing and not ourselves, and that when we find ourselves veering off this clear-cut path – it will not bode well for us;

but again, if we consider our defections, our misspeak, our misdeeds and return to the Lord our God – and his will and ways – then he is ever ready to forgive and to elevate us to a new prosperity and abundance than we could have imagined on the other side of our derelictions.

On this Lenten Friday then, we consider honestly whether we love the Lord, our God, with all our hearts, our souls, our minds and our strengths. And do we love our neighbor as ourselves?

If an honest assessment brings a negative reading: then take a moment this day and turn again to the Lord God – ask him to overlook our foolishness, inconsistencies, and outright self-seeking sins, and to take us back again into his love, his care and his protection.

And he will do it – immediately, without question, without hesitation – and without placing on our shoulders any kind of guilt whatsoever.

And we shall become like a blossoming lily, a Lebanon cedar, a splendorous olive tree! and we shall bear much fruit – fruits of good speech and good deeds, encouraging speech and encouraging deeds, hopeful speech and hopeful deeds! And the Kingdom of God shall progress that much farther in being rooted and established in our midst, because of our cooperation.

“You shall love the Lord your God, and him alone shall you serve!”

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Mar 23 - 3rd Week of Lent - Thursday

+ “Right on the mark” once again, today, our scripture readings “hit the proverbial ‘nail on the head’”: our readings put us directly in touch with the reality of reckless and chaotic, contradictory and conspiratorial, deceptive and deplorable behavior not only with the goings on in our own governing bodies in these United States, but also, the activities of our opponents, both subtle and demonstrative! – the Adversary-in-Chief being the  Devil himself, who in his cunning and conniving, makes it appear that he is absent, while his influence witting or unwitting  wreaks havoc in the almost incredible words and deeds of national leaders.

The gospel passage today speaks about kingdoms divided against themselves falling, and falling hard! The kingdom of our nation is being divided against itself like no other time in its history. Is this some coincidence and fatal flaw in history, or is it the work of Beelzebul himself, who does not learn from his mistakes, and who is attempting to build a house of card, with sand?!

Any house built on sand will not last – as the ocean tide of human history tells us, and tells us forcefully. Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall which are not built on the will of God and his desire for a peaceful coalition of friendly participants in a global community of freedom, cooperation and sharing of the wealth of each segment involved.

Again, from the gospel passage comes proof already tried and tested in the annals of human history, that a strongly protected palace is safe, for its inhabitants and its possessions, but when a stronger foe attacks and overcomes the palace, the security protections and armor are removed and the spoils of victory are distributed to a foreign kingdom.
We must not let this dynamic play out in this way: and it does not have to: because Jesus tells us that those who are with him, are not against him, and he will lead them – in his ways of truth, justice, beauty and goodness; fairness, right-living, compassion, mercy and forgiveness – to victory over said Enemy, the real enemy which is Satan and his minions.

This directly relates to what is going on in our midst; and there is every indication that this truly is the real opening volley in the Last Battle before the establishment of the New Kingdom, in the New Heavens and the New Earth!

If today, you hear his voice, if today any of this rings true, if today you hear the Final Trumpet a way off in the distance – harden not your heart, your mind and your willingness to help others – get ready for the Final Showdown – that will be rewarding and amazing for the faithful, prayerful, generous souls, and condemning, terrible, and truly gruesome for those who let themselves be trumped by Beelzebul! 

Beware! Be forewarned! BE READY!




Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Mar 22 - 3rd Week of Lent - Wednesday

+ “Uncanny” is the word that can identify the timeliness of the readings for mass today: once again we have the confirmation that the ordinary readings of any given day in the church’s liturgical calendar have can have direct application to what is going on in our lives, in our world, in the history of our own salvation and the salvation of the world.

Today the gospel speaks about “the vital importance of adhering to the law of God” – today, in Washington DC we see the final day of the grilling, vetting process for the candidate nominated for the vacant seat in the Supreme Court of the United States.

The readings and the events of the day have a direct connection with one another! There is only one law – and that is the binding ordering of the composition, constitution and operation of everything we see, including ourselves as persons created in God’s image and likeness. There is a basic, fundamental, ground of being and essence that encompasses all of creation.

The laws of interpersonal relationship, and the society of persons, already exists and is applicable to every person born – the problem then is not to invent them, but rather to discover what they are and the employ and enforce these laws.

All natural and civil law then is derived from the supernatural law of the Chief Architect, Designer and Maker of the universe.

When considering our own lives, that which will make us happy, content, at peace and even joyful is based on the supernatural principle of going outside of ourselves, and giving and providing for the true needs of other persons whom I find I am responsible for, in some way, to see to their happiness, peace and contentment. These include basic human rights endowed by the creator – and which are part and parcel of the supernatural laws of consistency and function.

And so in the first reading we see Moses imploring the people of Israel – his constituents – to observe carefully what the Lord has commanded them to do, for in that way will they give evidence of their wisdom and intelligence, not only to themselves as God’s people, but also to the nations of which they are a true and valid member.

And because their laws come from God – the laws of this people should be an example for the other nations on how the freedom of the children of God is embraced, treasured and protected.

This lesson, Moses tells the Israelites, must be taught “to their children and their children’s children” – for a successful and prosperous existence among the nations.

Perhaps the difficulty that Americans face now is the result of the same message of the priority of the law, emanating from the law of God, has been forgotten, ignored or deliberately kept from children and grandchildren – because of a dangerously faulty new sense of law and consequences.

Let the one whose guiding light and principles correspond more closely to the supernatural law and its enforcement be the next Supreme Court Justice. If it is the one who will be questioned again today: pray for his accession to the seat, and pray for the acquiescence of the entire court to the will and way of God: sought in the deep recesses of the hearts and minds of each of the judges!

Your words, your laws, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words, prescriptions and formulas of life not only here, but more importantly hereafter!

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Mar 21 - 3rd Week of Lent - Tuesday

+ Again we place the context of our readings in what is going on in our personal lives, and in our world. The manner in which we respond to the challenges of any given day ought to be directly related to the activity of faith within our souls, and words and deeds in our lives that reflect it: that is words and deeds of love.

For example, in our day, today, we are facing an historic challenge to the very fabric of our democratic system of government. It seems that everything is in the right place at the right time for “a perfect storm” – that rare combination of circumstances that will aggravate a situation drastically.

The events within the stormy/situation are the collision course of the United States government – the Executive Branch, in particular – with foreign agents whose underlying motivation is and always has been the destabilization and dismantling of the free democratic process and world domination. There appears to be a collusion of effort to disrupt our democratic system.

Such agents – no matter what nation they represent – are sure and present pawns of the Father of Chaos, the Father of Mistrust, the Father of Confusion, the Father of Manipulation, the Father of Trickery, the Father of Lies, the Father of Deception: the Evil One, the Devil Himself – who is very real, very much alive and very active – because these seem to be the real beginning of the End Times – and he wants to take down with him everyone he can.

With this as a backdrop we consider the readings at Mass which are all about mankind’s true invitation to a right stance before its Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier – the Triune God – and that stance is humility, deep and true, and a contrite heart which ought to reflect daily examination of a conscience in the process of right formation – where we reflect on how our wills and ways attempt to supersede God’s – which is a recipe for failure and disaster every time. Such a posture is ever ready to say: “I was wrong.” “I apologize” “How can I make this up to you?”

The first reading from the Prophet Daniel speaks of the result of sin on the lives of a nation: and that would be the reduction of the nation to ruins. To head off this destruction and annihilation Daniel encourages his hearers to placate God with a contrite heart and a humble spirit. This is the only posture that gets directly and immediately to the heart of God, and evokes compassion, mercy and forgiveness from him.

And not only the inhabitants of the nation ought to adopt this posture, sincerely and profoundly, but also the nation’s leaders and their support administrative assistants. In this way, a true regeneration will have the chance to take root and blossom.

In the gospel passage we see a progression from the mercy message of the first reading: when once a person or a nation is forgiven because it pleaded in its distress to the Lord, when the same person or nation refuses to apply the same principle of justice tampered with mercy to those who beseech it of them – for example, in a broad sense, refugees and immigrants, who want to enjoy the same opportunity to enter our country as our forefathers had – then the unmerciful person or nation in justice ought to be punished and severely so – including imprisonment – where applicable – until the whole original debt is paid!

We have the power within us to be humble, to seek a contrite heart for ourselves – so that we can deal with extraordinary kindness and justice to others who are in the same shoes that we ourselves once were in.

How about it? The decision is entirely ours! But since time may be running out – a positive decision, sooner would be better than later!

Remember, O Lord, that your mercies and compassion are from of old! In your kindness look with love upon us your sometimes stupid and senseless people!



Monday, March 20, 2017

Mar 20 - Solemnity of St. Joseph (transferred)

+ Today we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and member with her, and with Jesus, of the order of the Holy Hypostatic Union. The hypostatic union itself is the mystical joining of the divine with a human nature: the One Person, Word of God, takes on a human nature – remaining fully God, at the same time as being fully man – after the salvific dialogue of Mary and the Angel Gabriel.

This order is equivalent to the sacred triad known as the Holy Trinity of God Father, Son and Holy Spirit because at the time that Mary became Mother of God, Joseph who would become the husband of the Virgin, became the very representative of God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, in becoming foster-father of the Word Incarnate.

Joseph, therefore is to be considered for all ages to come as the second holiest person who ever lived a human life, preceded only by his beloved and cherished wife, Mary of Nazareth. His ranking with her, is higher than all of the angels and saints.  

And so, just as God prepared a worthy receptacle and tabernacle for his Son in the womb of the humble virgin, so he also prepared a worthy guardian of such a holy family the world will ever conceive of!

In singing the praises of St. Joseph, husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus we need look no further than the Litany of Prayer dedicated to him:

Renowned offspring of David, Pray for us!
Light of Patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,
Foster father of the Son of God,
Diligent protector of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most chaste,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most strong,
Joseph most obedient,
Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of artisans,
Glory of home life,
Guardian of virgins,
Pillar of families,
Solace of the wretched,
Hope of the sick,
Patron of the dying,
Terror of demons,
Protector of Holy Church



Holy Joseph, paragon of purity and obedience, pray for each of us today, pray for our families (make them holy), pray for our Church (make her holy), pray for our nation (as it is at this stage in his history in dire straits),  and pray for us at the hour of our deaths (make us holy) enough to spend eternity with you, and with Mary and all the angels, and the saints who have gone before us to a place of light, love and joy.

Amen


Sunday, March 19, 2017

Mar 19 - 3rd Sunday of Lent

+ Our gospel passage today is rich in both descriptive symbolism and a great reality! The symbolism is of “water welling up” – the reality is that this water IS the eternal life that God offers to those who believe and love – and the source of this reality is the pierced Sacred Heart of the Crucified Christ!

God puts into all hearts – all people, everywhere – an initial drop of this water – just as a primer to get us to want more and more of it! And to use another analogy that is equally visual: we all come into the world with a “spark of the divine life in us!” It is up to us to do all we can to keep that flame alive: and believe it or not – it means that we must douse it with the spiritual water of God’s grace – what a flame that produces! To those without faith, this makes no sense; to those with faith, it eventually makes perfect sense!

The woman at the well (in the gospel passage) – being a Samaritan, a cousin to the people of Israel, who believe in many of the same things – had the “spark,” but needed a “bucket of spiritual water” thrown on her by Jesus – which he did, very gently!

In the dialogue that ensued, the woman ended up developing her conception of Jesus three-fold in a matter minutes! First, she saw him as a Jewish man sitting at well, tired and thirsty! Then, after Jesus – who initiated the conversation – started telling her about herself and her personal life: she promoted him to Prophet! This man is a true seer! He may have an interesting handle on “truth!” Everyone, even back then, as is the case today, is searching for TRUTH! real Truth! (And the truth is none other than that we are invited to be God’s children.)

After more dialogue now about religious matters – the contrast between the Samaritan and Jewish take on things – Jesus reveals himself (promotes himself) as the Messiah who is to come, the one called the Christ who will tell all truth to everyone! The tables are turned and the woman says: “Oh yes, I know that such a one is coming!” Then Jesus promotes her to believer by telling her outright: “I am he, the one speaking with you!” Her heart must have leapt for joy in her now complete act of faith in Jesus! I can see her bowing low in adoration!

What does this have to do with us? It means that first, we must see if we have completed the stages that the Samaritan woman has; do we need to open ourselves up more and more to Jesus telling us about ourselves and himself so to make a very large and generous act of belief and a promise to love as he demonstrated?

Then, we need to imitate the whole encounter, with other people! Evangelization is bringing Christ the Truth, and the truth of Christ to others – others who are at the wells of our own day and age: and in particular, that means for us, this day, this month, this year: the gathering spots of anyone who is engaged in the runaway, reckless and potentially suicidal down spiral of the United States government – wherever others need to be doused!

We are citizens of a promised heavenly Kingdom – since the day of our baptisms; but we are also simultaneous citizens of the “patria” the “native-land” in which we find ourselves – by God’s grace – living. And as Catholic Christians we have the responsibility to rescue and redirect an errant, and increasingly irrational and unhinged president and his cohorts – and blind-sighted, tunnel-visioned constituents and followers who are headed – with their treacherous leader, and all of us – in a bus, off the edge of a bottom-less precipice!

This is not melodrama – this is truth! This is the truth that is quite apparent when you face it off with the Truth, values, morals, integrity, compassion, friendliness and salvific revelation and message of Jesus, the Christ – who is Truth Incarnate: who is Love Incarnate, who is Peace Incarnate.

Is there Truth, Love, Peace in the DC or not? If not, the let’s follow the leader who literally embodies these vital human realities! 

It ought to be our goal – with Jesus and his Spirit working through us - for people we encounter – in our method and mode of parenting errant children, to say, as did the inhabitants of Samaria, who received the woman’s testimony: We no longer believe [all of this] because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, [it resonates deep within us], and we know [beyond the shadow of a doubt] that this is truly the savior of the world! – and the one who can lead us out of any personal, family or national  catastrophe!

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts!

God bless you!

Friday, March 17, 2017

Mar 17 - St. Patrick

+ Patrick was born into a wealthy Roman-British family probably in Wales or some say Scotland in the year 390. Around the age of 16 he was kidnapped from the British mainland and shipped to Ireland as a slave. He was sent to the mountains as a shepherd; there he spent his time in the fields in prayer. After six years of this life, he had a dream which commanded him to return to Britain; seeing this as a sign he escaped from his duties to the sheep in the pastures. But he was always being prepared to become a shepherd of another kind of sheep. Having left Ireland, he studied in several monasteries in Europe.

Patrick became a priest and then a bishop. He was sent by Pope Celestine to evangelize England and then Ireland (he became the second bishop of Armagh). In 33 years, he effectively converted all of Ireland (this being associated to the legend of his “driving out of the snakes” of the land therein). He spoke the language of his new poor flock and taught them using symbols such as the three-leafed shamrock to describe the Trinitarian life of God in Himself. In the Middle Ages, Ireland became known as the Land of Saints, and during the Dark Ages its monasteries were the great repositories of learning in Europe, all a consequence of Patrick’s ministry.

Patrick died in 464 in County Down of natural causes. There is just something about the life and ministry of St. Patrick that makes him irresistible even to this day and one of the most popular saints in all of Church history both to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Everyone is Irish on March 17.

The gospel passage today tells of the overflowing and abundant ministry of those who trust in God and follow his commands as far as bringing in wandering sheep from all over God’s creation; our churches ought to be full to overflowing – and to the extent that they are not perhaps it is a matter of focusing not so much on the machinery set in place to do the hauling, as in the generosity of the hearts of those who are called to bring the very person of Jesus – living and breathing – to people who are still eligible to have “the devil driven out of them” – like the snakes from Ireland! – and in our day, in this age, in this country there are many snakes, indeed, in high places, that need to be dethroned and driven out – but this kind can be removed not only by intense prayer, but also by brave action!

St. Patrick Pray for us! Guide our thoughts, prayers and our actions to save our country, and world!



Thursday, March 16, 2017

Mar 16 - 2nd Week of Lent - Thursday

+ Today we have amazingly serendipitous and applicable readings for mass. The backdrop of these readings is what consumes the minds and lives of not only Christian people in this country of ours, but all people of whatever religious or non-religious persuasion that is out there: and that is the exhausting daily shifting and quite apparently destabilizing of our nation’s security both among us citizens ourselves and also as how we relate to other nations in the world. It seems that we are being set up for a great and cataclysmic downfall – that will affect not only us, but every nation on earth.

And so, we have the familiar and disquieting story in our gospel today about the rich man and Lazarus, the poor man, covered with sores, who had dogs licking them, and who begged for food and more likely than not some medicine for his sores.

The rich man did not meet his immediate needs and the poor man, Lazarus died, and was transported to a place of comfort, compassion and love: the very bosom of Abraham.

When the rich man, who did not do what he could do, and was in his power to do – as an influential man of business and standing in the government of his city / country – when the rich man died, basically the passage said he went to “the netherworld”, a place of torment, much worse than the poor man had experienced – in other words, he went to hell and was being consumed by the flames of loneliness and despair.

When this now destitute rich man cried out to Father Abraham to have Lazarus just give him a drop of water to quench his torture, Abraham told him that it was not possible, because death causes an abyss to be formed from the side of torment / hell and the side of comfort, peace, and joy on the other / heaven – and it is not possible to cross that chasm.

When the rich man was concerned about telling people still on earth of the importance of being a giving, rather than taking person, being a compassionate rather than selfish person, being a fellow human being to others who are not so well off rather than being a conniving, manipulative money and power grubber – Abraham said: they have the key already in their midst, they have the law and the prophets, they have the gift of revelation from God concerning these things, they have the example of people who live as though these things were real and true: LET THEM HEAR AND FOLLOW THEIR EXAMPLE!

And the rich man was sad, because the chances of a great many people actually doing this was slim: may we today NOT be among that crowd: may our lives be like that of those who TRUST IN GOD completely, and how he can work through human beings to make things right, good, helpful, and beneficial especially those in authority and in control of legislation.

But, the lesson here is not to trust in the men themselves – no matter who they appear to be – but to trust rather in the GOD who is working through them – and who will be there always, when these men like the rich man and Lazarus die – and go to the place that their deeds have merited for them: and that would be heaven or hell.

The choice is always theirs, the choice is always ours. How will we approach life – our life – here, in this place – today??

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Mar 15 - 2nd Week of Lent - Wednesday

+ We have interesting correspondence of readings today at mass. On the one hand, we have both Jeremiah and Jesus being the object of overly enthusiastic scrutiny and surveillance of their every movements and words. There onlookers are like tigers ready to pounce on their prey, if any misstep, or mis-wording should occur in the subject.

This sounds a bit like the news media who circle and purvey the current president of our country, watching and waiting for any hint of misstep or mis-speech on his part. Amazing they usually do not have long to wait for such activities to show themselves.

However, there is a major and sizable difference between Jeremiah / Jesus and Donald Trump. Jeremiah and Jesus are emitting nothing but truth from the very core of their beings, manifested in their words and actions; the “trumpster” on the other hand, seems to be spewing forth from his core the fruits of his devious and dangerous mind – a tree is known by its fruit: both a good tree and a bad tree. We have seen virtually no good fruit dangling from the tree of the one holding the highest office in the land, and the virtual guardian of the peace and freedom of the entire planet.

While Jesus put forth a very disturbing agenda in the minds of the disciples, including his imminent handing over to the chief priests and scribes, who will condemn him falsely to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and be raised on the third day (and be raised on the third day – this is the key to the whole scenario: death will be transformed into life, defeat into victory, sadness into joy! – but the disciples don’t latch on to this glorious turn-of-events at all: they are “scandalized” by his even considering going through such a thing.

But, they are thinking as men think, not as God loves. But one day they will understand the enormity of generosity of such amazing and awesome love that God has for his errant wayward children – children, who may end up as unwilling pawns in the hands of the enemy such as Judas was, such as Donald Trump might be, himself.

It is very difficult for us to believe that anyone would think, say and do what our president daily thinks, says and does – because it is so far from TRUTH, GOODNESS, FAIRNESS, BEAUTY, JUSTICE! His fruit are rotting fruits of lies, badness, unfairness, ugliness, and injustice.

But, the death/resurrection dynamic of Jesus applies equally to Mr. Trump as they do to any one of us – if we want to latch on to it, embrace it whole heartedly and allow it to be the difference in our thoughts, words and deeds – that are based on the thoughts, words and deeds of Jesus – that were always other-oriented, overly generous, profoundly compassion, merciful and forgiving.

Yes, my fellow Catholics, Christians and Americans – since we are citizens of both an earthly and heavenly realm, let us first of a pray for our errant president and his cohorts in apparent crimes, and then be unafraid to pray for ourselves in order to be willing to speak up and let our rightly formed conscience help steer the course of life and death crises in our country.

As the responsorial refrain cries out, so we cry out now: Save us, O Lord, save us all, in your kindness, in your mercy, in your graciousness.


Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Mar 14 - 2nd Week of Lent - Tuesday

+ On this day in Lent the church asks us to look at our sins, and our experience with sinning as we have encountered it thus far in our lives. Such an honest look at ourselves may surprise us when in retrospect we can more clearly see when we were uncharitable, when we were less than helpful, when we were more self-absorbed and self-interested, when we preferred our own comfort over going outside of our comfort zones to help another, when we manipulated the truth in order to make ourselves look better, when we enjoyed the sensation of feeling just a bit superior to another person, when we said “Yes” when we should have said “No”, when we said “No” when we ought to have said “Yes” – when we fired God and decided to be the center of our own universe.

Yes, this is only a partial listing on how we may have sinned in the past, or sin presently. Of course, there is also the more serious “commandment-smashing” kinds of sins that we may have participated in as well – these too add to the “scarlet-ness” of our sinful souls – the “crimson red-ness” –

but we must remember that it is the “blood red” of the sanguinary offer of Christ Jesus to remit these and all sins that overrides all our excuse making – sets us in all humility in front of our broken, battered and beaten Lord and Redeemer – and then, has us reflect, repent, and react by recommitting ourselves wholeheartedly to “doing the Father’s will” – which is always best for us, which always leads to health and happiness, which always sets us on the path to eternal life and bliss.


Let us “cast away from us all the crimes – great and small – that we have committed, and make for ourselves a new heart and a new spirit” – other centered, and motivated by the glorification of our God and Father!    

Monday, March 13, 2017

Mar 13 - 2nd Week of Lent - Monday

+ Our readings today present us with the perennial challenge to be non-judgmental, merciful and forgiving. And, most likely, they always make us either feel immediately guilty, or on the defensive, when our rationalizing minds rise in our defense.

Actually, though, today I offer a perspective on the situation that is quite new, even to me. My source, is my early morning meditation of the mass readings and my prayer that I compose in my homily what is God’s message, rather than my own.

And so, let us consider the command to stop judging, stop condemning, start forgiving the culprits in our lives who seem to be at odds with us.

The new insight today is this: this works when dealing with another sensing, concscience-bearing, reasoning human being: one in touch with reality as it is. It does not apply to those who are incapable of such basic, common sense, human interaction.

For example, a parent does not deal this way with a two year old who is throwing a temper tantrum. In this case, the parent must act like a parent, and quickly judge the situation as one that needs a calm and reasoned counter-action, parental intervention and call for a time-out or another such applicable measure of returning the child to a balanced and graced-human state.

When the child becomes an adolescent, this process can be a bit more challenging, because the “teenager” thinks, most of the time, erroneously simply because of trial and error, and plain experience, that he knows everything and that he can trust his new found “feelings” and “half-baked insights” on a given topic. The best a parent can do is to by his/her own example, model how an adult would handle the situation, feelings and prejudices aside. In this case, not judging the child, is not the same as giving a blind eye to someone who is “just feeling their oats”! Responsibility for actions and consequences of behaviors must be taught early on for the best possible results in the child’s life.

When a spoiled child becomes president of the United States – parental cabinet members, and members of the other governing branches, and constituents – must model by their example how the recalcitrant elected officer of the law of the land, and commander in chief, and chief executive officer of a great nation – ought to act.

And on the part of the recalcitrant child – when once his newly rightly forming conscience begins to kick in – he has the responsibility to see his immature ways, his more and more vincibly and voluntary sinful actions – which directly affect the lives of those in his charge – change, repent, renew his vision and his plan of action – and begin to act like a grownup – and a true descendant of decades of men who had as their ideal and their goal living up to the intent of the founding fathers and those who have embraced the constitution in its entirety and who dies to protect, defend and preserve it.

Yes, we have very timely readings today. We have a great problem facing us – but one that is easily solvable. We need to parent an out of control adolescent bully of a president who is poised to “drive the country and all its glorious past” off a cliff, much like the ending of the movie: Thelma and Louise!

Will we step up to the plate and build an invisible wall of parental love, of right insight and concern and compassion for him and his band of bullies who are in control of the destinies of all of us – at the edge of the cliff?

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Mar 12 - 2nd Sunday of Lent

+ Today we have the great narration of the transfiguration of Jesus, in the gospel passage!  This has a triple importance for us to consider today. Peter, James and John – those closest to Jesus – were given the privilege of witnessing this magnificent display of glory – for three reasons:

·       Jesus wanted to remove from their hearts the upcoming scandal of his being crucified and dying on a cross (Jesus was supposed to be a great leader and savior for the Jewish people – to see him die on a cross would appear counterproductive – even though Jesus has made it clear many times that his kingdom is not an earthly one.) But, now after seeing the glorification of Christ on the mountain, “the humility of a Passion willingly accepted by Jesus” would no longer trouble their faith!

·       Jesus wanted to give them a real “peek behind the veil” into his divinity that was very much always with him (and which could have been invoked innumerable times when he was frustrated, angry or suffering but wasn’t.) He was and wanted to be just like all other men (except for sin) – so to call them and recognize them as “brothers worth saving!”

·       Looking down the centuries, Jesus wanted to strengthen our faith – that would be transmitted to us by the preaching and teaching of Peter, James and John and all the others to our own day and age – so that we could deeply ponder and consider our own sharing in not only Christ’s Passion, but also death and Resurrection – and subsequent glorification of ourselves when we will rise from the dead, as Jesus did, on the Last Day!

The only ticket price to pay for this reward is: FAITH and GOOD WORKS! FAITH IN JESUS, and GOOD WORKS THAT PROVE WE LOVE HIM, HIS FATHER, AND ALL THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT ARE ON THIS PILGRIMAGE TO A HEAVENLY HOMELAND WITH US: all being members of the One Faith: the faith of Abraham whom we read about in our first reading today! He was the first to believe that God is One, and that He is loving and faithful to his promises of Mercy and Redemption!

May we respond to the call of faith enthusiastically: and lead a holy life, bearing hardship for the sake of the gospel – but always hoping, even against hope, i.e. as we watch the vincible and deliberate dismantling and disintegration of our - to this point – sacred institution of a three-tiered model of democracy and right governing in Washington, DC -  that all will be well, and all will end well – because Jesus, our goal, our redeemer, our King and rightful potentate of all potentates -  will lead us to all fulfillment!


But, in this day of this day – we are the arms, legs, minds and voices of his Mystical Body – so doesn’t this mean it’s up to stand up and sound the alarm! Collection baskets aside – let us all rise up and live our faith – bishops, priests, deacons, the entire faithful flock! The transfiguration event was staged for us too: JESUS IS OUR GOD, he is in charge, no situation is beyond his help because of his dramatic death and glorious resurrection: and our incorporation, by means of our baptism, into his divine life! Amen.

Friday, March 10, 2017

Mar 10 - 1st Week of Lent - Friday

+ One of the magnificent promises that comes with the dawning of a new day is that it is fresh, untried, and filled with wonders to behold, as if for the first time, for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

This new day may resemble yesterday in some ways, but how we deal with challenging situations today, hopefully, can be with even more poise, dignity, insight, and compassion that comes from the experience of living yesterday.

Our readings today, for example, speak of anger. And this is a critical topic for Jesus because, first of all, he knows how it works: he himself was angry at times, in fact many times, yet justifiably so. But he did not let his anger bleed over into the next scenario or situation he found himself in. How did he do this change so quickly?

He gave us a valuable tool in dealing with anger that he himself used– let the emotion not leak over into the next day, the new day, the fresh day of new possibilities for doing good. Let the “stomping around and anger part” end with the setting sun. This Jesus did! This we too can do with his help!

This does not mean that the topic of disturbance has been exhausted or concluded – but it will give a fresh, new approach to it today– after a good night’s sleep – that was also not affected by heat and negativity involved.

Be transformed by the renewal of your minds, Jesus says in another place.

And controlling the heat of not only anger, but of any other negative passion such as jealousy, envy, fear, hostility, despair is a good place to start – because the passion, the emotion, is merely a feeling – a feeling that can be controlled by the mind.

And when we learn to do this more readily ourselves, becoming more virtuous each and every day, then we can be an agent in redirecting the non-virtuous man: we do it by our example of right thinking, right being, and right living.

This Lent would be a good time to tone up on our own practice of virtue and right thinking – so that all negativity in the world – especially that which leaks out of our nation’s capital every day - will not take a serious toll on us, and collaterally on those we interact with.

There is hope, because the mind can be renewed!

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the Lord, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Mar 9 - 1st Week of Lent - Thursday

+ Our readings today are like a giant mirror set in front of our total selves: what do we see when the smoke and cheers are gone and we are confronted with our true selves?

If we do not see ourselves as dependent, fragile yet willing persons, then we are not seeing ourselves correctly, and we are not poised to live a happy and productive life.

If we lack humility, if we fail to find the need to ask for help, if we fail to go out of ourselves and put ourselves in the shoes of others: then we are that much less than human, less than God intended us to be, less than we can ask of ourselves.

That this applies to everyone, no matter birthright or ranking, no matter social status or political standing is seen in our first reading from the Book of Esther. As regent, Esther knew she was up against it, she was baffled as to how to deal with her enemies in order to protect and defend the people in her charge that she loved so dearly, truly and honestly: and so she turned to the primary tool God gave us, each and every one: the instinct to ask, seek, knock, the instinct to pray.

And so Esther, seized with mortal anguish, had recourse to the Lord, she and her “cabinet” – her handmaids, lay prostrate upon the ground, from morning to night: imploring, beseeching and simply asking the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… to save us from the hands of our enemies, turning our mourning into gladness, and our sorrows into wholeness.

What a powerful and persuasive image this is: an earthly potentate seeing herself in right perspective before the Potentate of Potentates: the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

And God heard her prayer and answered it: and gladness and wholeness was restored to Queen Esther and her people!

And so, when Jesus tells us to “ask, seek and knock,” he appeals to the innate mechanism we have inside us “to watch out and provide for the welfare of our children” – to ask, seek, knock and find what will sustain and nourish them: fish of some kind and sort.

We know how to pray for our children, in orther words, and so we know how we should pray for other, equally important matters in our lives, like the running of our family, our institutions and our governments.

The posture of humility will always be rewarded with a swift answer when the concerns of others is at stake.

The question I pose now, today, is this: are we, all of us, including leaders, presidents and potentate of all kinds, are we humble enough to be heard by God, are we even self-less enough to engage the internal mechanism of praying – or are we too stuck on ourselves, our own agendas, and our own sense of righteousness.

A clean heart create for us, O God, a truly self-less and loving heart; give us back the joy of your salvation, your saving help because we ask it in all humility.



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...