Wednesday, May 31, 2017

May 31 - 7th Week of Easter - Wednesday

+ Our readings today are quite spectacular both in their drama and in their content: Paul is addressing the newly ordained priests of Ephesus for the last time, and Jesus asks his Father to consecrate his apostles and all priests in the truth.

This is astounding: it is now possible to be absolutely sure concerning the essence and true nature of those things that have to do with the salvation of the human race. And this is virtually everything! Just as Jesus was meant to be the clearing house for all truth because he is the Truth-made-Flesh – so too his Mystical Body, beginning with those members who reside with Christ as Head: they would be the vendors and protectors of Truth in the world.

It would therefore behoove the world to take notice of what the true teaching authority of the Church is proposing, especially in the ever more chaotic, unraveling, topsy-turvy, secular society that is being created before our very eyes, and quite unfortunately, beginning right here in our own country. Now while such truth can always be expounded and investigated more and more, the truth about anything cannot change: especially who Jesus is and what he teaches: and that is love, unconditionally.

St. Paul warns the Ephesian priests to beware of those who will come to destroy the truth (even members from their own communities), very much like the efforts to destroy Jesus himself – but especially now that Jesus reigns as victor over any confronting power, so too the Ephesians will reign victorious if they focus on the Gospel as given – and the entire remaining Scriptures as setting and application of this Divine communication for our welfare.

The Church is meant to be the “master communicator!” And so we pray for a better and deeper understanding of the fact that the word of the Lord is truth, and that if we have been ordained, and baptized and professed,  we have been consecrated with differing degrees of this truth – but not for our own private benefit, but for the gathering and salvation of all the world.

God speaks only truth, so that our feet may be guided safely to him!


Tuesday, May 30, 2017

May 30 - 7th Week of Easter - Tuesday

+ The gospel passage today talks about Jesus asking his Father to glorify him – because his hour has come. Jesus has yearned for this hour of consummation, this hour of suffering, this hour of battle with the forces of evil – so that the battle could be won, and that the whole world would come to know that God (the Father) is love and that Jesus is Love-made-Visible. Jesus, as Word of God, came from God’s glory, and now he is asking God (his Father) to take him back there – but not until after finishing the task at hand. It would not be easy by any means, but it would be done out of obedience and out of love.

St. Paul in the first reading, in a parallel fashion, knows that his hour too is coming when he will leave his beloved Ephesians, and they will not see him again until the coming of the Kingdom in its fullness. For Paul’s part, he is eager always to run the race, to finish the work the Lord Jesus has given him to do in bearing witness to the Gospel of God’s grace.

And Paul, as did Jesus, persisted with the grace of God. We also are encouraged to do the same – in our new endeavor that the Lord is clearly calling us to engage whole-heartedly in – for the power of love is greater than any evil, and the victory of patience is more profound than any worldly peace.

Come Holy Spirit – fill the hearts of the faithful – enkindle in us the fire of your love – and renew the face of the earth: use us as you will to accomplish this task!


Monday, May 29, 2017

May 29 - 7th Week of Easter - Monday

+ We recall today that our first reading remains narrative about post-Pentecost events: and so today we see Paul going down to Ephesus. Here we have the classic outline of apostolic ministry presented: ask a leading question: did you receive the Spirit when you became believers? The classic answer among the worldly is: we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. Well then, how were you baptized? With the baptism of John (an incomplete and non-salvific baptism), although it is a start for his is a baptism of repentance, but for those baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus a whole new world opens and a transfigured person becomes a child of God and heir of heaven.

We then see Paul baptizing about a dozen of the Ephesians in the name of the Lord Jesus (and his Father and their Spirit) and the Spirit rushes upon them and they speak in tongues and prophesy and they begin a brand-new chapter in their lives: and the Christian community is firmly established there.

In the gospel passage, now pre-Pentecost, and even pre-Passion, Jesus says to his Apostles you may think everything is clear to you now about me and my mission; but wait, shortly you will be thrown into chaos and confusion – but take heart I have overcome all chaos and confusion: I have overcome the whole world: and one day when the Spirit finally comes – you will truly know the entire story – and you will rejoice and you will be my witnesses about it to the ends of the earth.

We are witnesses in our own right to the real presence of Jesus – as he comes to us in the depths of our hearts in silence, as he comes in the Scriptures, as he comes in the Eucharist, as he comes in good deeds done for love of him!

May we always seek God, by seeking what he seeks: the poor, the orphaned, the hungry and the forsaken! And may God bless us all and fill us with his Holy Spirit!


Sunday, May 28, 2017

May 28 - 7th Sunday of Easter

Seventh Sunday of Easter – May 28, 2014
I –All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer.
R –I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
II – If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you.
A – I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord. I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.
G –Father, glorify your Son.

+ On Thursday we celebrated the glorification of the Son by the Father as Jesus ascended on a cloud and took his place in the beatific holiness, glory and majesty that radiates always from the Father – the Church calls this “sitting at the right hand of God!”  The “divine giant” had completely run His course here belowfinishing the work he was given to do. And now he experiences a glorious triumph: the fullness of joy at his Father’s side – forever.

The reason for the heights of his great joy was the depths of His great Passion and ignominious death on a cross. But he is exceedingly joyful now that we can share in the merits of his suffering, death and resurrection, thus promising that what happened to him will also happen to us. His death is our death; his resurrection is our coming to life! Therefore, Jesus is our HOPE extraordinaire!

Today in the gospel passage Jesus prays for the apostles he would send out on the feast of Pentecost (which we will celebrate next Sunday) that they may be armed with heavenly wisdom, the gift of revelation and every spiritual gift necessary to launch the Church he founded into the world, for the ages it would be needed to sanctify men and ready them for the fullness of joy and peace that awaits all who believe in His Divinity!

It would not be easy to be a part of the Church of Jesus, because the Church was conceived as the result of a death and resurrection dynamic which all members are required to participate in in order to reap the benefits thereof: but the benefits are even beyond our imagining, therefore all the work, all the suffering, all the misery that are a part of human life are worth it for the baptized and confirmed Catholic Christian.

After Jesus ascension, we read in the acts of the Apostles that the Eleven went to Jerusalem to the Upper Room and tried to remember all that Jesus ever said and did – including that truly awesome last supper that he ate with them. And they did what they were told to do; with Mary, Jesus’ Mother, they spent time in great silence and great prayer awaiting the coming of the promised Gift of the Spirit that Jesus and his Father would be sending soon!

Perhaps this is how we can spend this coming week, before we celebrate that great event and the inauguration of the Church as we know it – in more of a silent mode, opening our minds and hearts to any spiritual gift that God would give us to help us better live our own Christian lives, and to help others live theirs, even bringing his Name and his message to those who do not yet really know him!

And, we must always remember Jesus words just before he left us: I will not leave you orphans; I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice!

Friday, May 26, 2017

May 26 - 6th Week of Easter - Friday

+ In our gospel passage today Jesus addresses the obvious intensive relationship that he enters into with us by means of his ascension into heaven. He has already explained to the disciples why it is better that he goes from them, so that the Spirit can come – who will be permanent and will fill the membership of the Church and guide and direct it until the end of time; but in a gentle and compassionate kind of way Jesus addresses those who have become his close friends and confidants: they are sad because of the physical separation: they will not be able to see him any more as they are accustomed to. And this is true, not as they are accustomed to, but they will still be able to see him quite well with the eyes of faith; they will experience his nearness even better than before because he will now reside deeply within their hearts, and he will walk with them in a very real and supportive kind of way.

It really is the same for us who have become separated from our loved ones in death. The physical separation can be enormous; but the new presence of the loved one can be even greater than the previous one: with the eyes of faith; for there truly can be a new awareness, a new presence, a new closeness, and new experience of being saturated with the person’s love: this ought very much help in the grieving process that is always a part of such loss. But just as the ascension of Jesus is rightly considered a loss and a greater gain, so too can be the loss of our family and friends be considered the same.

We love you Jesus who has gone yet stayed; we love you family, friends who have done the same.


God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy; the Lord, amid trumpet blasts. Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our King, sing praise.

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

May 25 - The Ascension of the Lord

God mounts his throne to shouts of joy; a blare of trumpets for the Lord! This is an amazing feast! The “divine giant” had completely run His course here below – finishing the work he was given to do. He was now going to experience a glorious triumph: the fullness of joy at his Father’s side – forever. There he would ceaselessly make intercession for us – beginning with the apostles that he sent out – he and his Father would bestow upon them every spiritual gift needed to do their job to bring the gospel, to bring the Church to the world!

The reason for the heights of his great joy was the depths of His Passion and ignominious death on the cross. But he is also exceedingly joyful that we now can share in the merits of his suffering, death and resurrection, thus promising that what happened to him will also happen to us. His death is our death, his resurrection is our coming to life! Therefore, today is also the feast of our HOPE!

St. Paul in the second reading prays that the Ephesians may be given the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to understand all that Jesus said and did! This is how the apostles were armed – with heavenly wisdom and the gift of revelation; this is how we too can be armed to do our part in helping to evangelize the world. The apostles were sent to teach and to baptize the whole world; we are their helpers today! May we accept our commission and spread the HOPE, spread the JOY and spread the PEACE of the Risen and Ascended Jesus to all we meet!


God mounts his throne to shouts of joy; a blare of trumpets for the Lord!  

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

May 23 - 6th Week of Easter - Tuesday

+ Today we continue our preparation for the Ascension / Pentecost events. On Thursday, we will celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, and ten days after that Pentecost: the great coming of the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth who will teach us all things, and make them clear for generations to come. What things?

1) That the world is wrong about sin. The world says that sin is about breaking rules. But the Spirit will say that it is about unbelief – refusing to believe in Jesus – refusing to believe that Jesus is the Son of God – come into the world for our salvation.

2) The second thing the world is wrong about is righteousness. The world says righteousness is about our trying to get back to God. But the Holy Spirit says that righteousness is about Jesus going to the Father – and then him taking us with him, when it is our time and everything is prepared for us.

3) Lastly, the world is wrong about judgment. The world says that judgment spells doom for us. But the Holy Spirit says that judgment spells doom for evil.

Therefore, these references to sin, righteousness and judgment have to do with us only in a passive sense; they actually have everything to do with the Messianic activity of Jesus Christ, Son of God in the primary sense – on our behalf, for us and for our salvation. We become winners as a gracious gift and not by our own merits by any stretch of the imagination.

The story of how all this works is the “good news,” the gospel that Paul and Silas could not be silenced from preaching at Phillippi. And when a miraculous occurrence happened when they were imprisoned, God used it as a means of conversion for the jailer and his family. And after their conversion the new Christians provided a meal for Paul and Silas. Are we not meant to provide a “meal” of sorts for people every day of our Christian lives – with the fruit and food of good works, kind words and an optimistic atmosphere?

It is better for you that I go to the Father, for when I go the Spirit will come to you: and your lives will never be the same.



Sunday, May 21, 2017

May 21 - 6th Sunday of Easter

+ As we advance in our celebration of Easter Day, we shift now into a mode of remembering! First, it is almost time for Jesus to finish his work on earth that required his physical presence. He would be returning to the Father soon, ascending into heaven on a cloud.

Since his resurrection, he has done his best to get his apostles to “remember” all that he taught them, so that they would be ready to be sent out ten days after the Ascension on the Feast of Pentecost.  And so they remembered his birth in a stable, his hidden childhood, his Baptism in the Jordan which inaugurated him as Suffering Servant of the Lord – who would free God’s people from their sins and open the gates of eternal life to them once and for all!

Before he accomplished this by a brutal experience of death on a Cross, he told them to remember all the events in his life by a meal of remembrance which would be called Eucharist: The Mass. And, lastly he wanted them to remember that with his leaving – the Holy Spirit would come to them to empower them to bring the gospel and the sacraments of the Church to all the world until the end of time! Yes, this is quite a time of remembrance for us as Catholic Christians.

Perhaps sometime this day, this Sunday in the now winding-down Easter Season – we can pause, reflect, remember and put ourselves in an attitude of thanksgiving, wonder and awe at the God who remembers us each moment of our lives – or we would simply cease to exist – and who arranges circumstances, events, and happenings in our day – aligning us with the people, places and things that we need to advance in agenda of building a family of kind, caring, compassionate, patient brothers and sisters with God as our Father, Mary as our Mother, Jesus as our brother and the Holy Spirit who is the love-dynamic that keeps it all spinning, purring and alive with endless possibilities of creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness!

It is true: whoever loves Jesus will keep his word, and his Father will also love him and will come to him and be their strength, their protection and their peace and their joy forever!


Amen. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Friday, May 19, 2017

May 19 - 5th Week of Easter - Friday

+ We are edging closer now to the feast of the Ascension of Jesus into heaven: and before he leaves his apostles he wants to simply clarify his whole mission: before I came among you, you were slaves of the Old Law, you were slaves of God – but I came to transform you into friends – friends of mine, and friends of God. This is an enormous feat that could only have been accomplished by my laying down my life for you. I LOVE YOU THAT MUCH – that I would lay down my life for all of you – and not only of the Jewish family, but the Gentiles as well.

And so: I cannot force you, but I can invite you from the bottom of my Sacred Heart to accept that love and that friendship that I offer freely to you: and you will do that by doing what I command: which is simply to love, disinterestedly, with holy indifference, any and all people I place in your life – and beyond even your own inner circle.

It is really an amazing thing to be considered a friend of God – especially as it is the condition for the possibility of making us true friends of one another – and we all know that we need both these vertical and horizontal relationships.

Jesus has told us all about his Father, which qualifies us for Divine Friendship with him; may we tell as many we can today about both Jesus and his Father – so that the energy of divine friendship will flow through our spiritual veins. It will be a joyful experience!


I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the people; I will chant your praise among the nations.                                                                                                                                                       

Thursday, May 18, 2017

May 18 - 5th Week of Easter - Thursday

+ It is the human way to proceed slowly and cautiously before any big changes take place! This was also true of the “human element” of the newly inaugurated Divine Mystical Body of Christ, the Church. Though infused with the Holy Spirit, the still weakened and somewhat darkened intellectual part of the minds of many of the early Christians, even Apostles and presbyters (priests) were a bit slow in “piecing it all together” – especially about the transition from the Old Testament to the New. The question in point today is the total acceptance of Gentiles as true and genuine coheirs with the Jews to the merits of Jesus’ death and resurrection! So many in the early months and years were less than enthusiastic about simply letting the Gentiles in “scot-free”!

It is Peter today who speaks to the gathering of Church members and he tells them that quite obviously, the same Holy Spirit that rushed upon them at Pentecost, has also fell upon these Gentiles in their midst: it is because of the visible fruits thereof that came the proof: they proclaimed Jesus as Lord, called on God as their Father – and yearned to be part of the table fellowship with the rest of the Christian community.

An additional question was whether or not they had to be converted first to Judaism, before being converted again to Christianity. Peter, James and many others of the Apostles agreed that this was not necessary: what was necessary was that they “turned to” “converted” to the Lord Christ and King, ONCE, AND FOR ALL TIME!

The gospel passage tells us that all who belong to the one Christian community – whether coming in from Judaism, Gentilism or straight away from the world: have one thing in common: they have a strong, deep and overriding desire to “keep the commandments of Jesus, which are all about LOVE” – and Jesus and his Father will both come and reside and remain in such persons – being the source of great joy both now and forever! Amen!

It is self-evident, then, who is a Christ-centered person, and who isn’t. And it up to us to deal compassionately, yet persistently and vigorously against those who, wittingly or not, are part of the world-centered, ant-Christ clan.



Wednesday, May 17, 2017

May 17 - 5th Week of Easter - Wednesday

+ Our readings today are about unity and community. Jesus makes it very clear that a disciple of his must remain entirely and wholly attached to him like a branch on a vine. A branch cannot live apart from the vine; and even if it could, its fruit would be of a strange variety – being dissociated from the species of which it is meant to be a part.

And so, we must remain in Christ so that our fruit is godly fruit, our works are meritorious for our salvation, and our loving is pure and self-sacrificial. There are many in this day and age who are semi-rooted to the vine, or so they think; but the truth is either you are or you aren’t connected to it: either you have the Christ-life flowing through your spiritual veins or you have the world’s: and if it is the worlds’ then it can never be entirely true, beautiful or just! – and what this defective and immature connection produces can be seen quite clearly in the precarious and treacherous goings-on in our nation’s capital.

In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas in order to stay rooted on the vine – which is the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, as it was just beginning to take form in the world – decide to go to Jerusalem to consult with the apostles and presbyters there about the matter of circumcision of Gentile converts.

They did not simply act on their own, but wanted to find out – by the working of the Holy Spirit – in consultation with the others who received the same Spirit at their ordinations – what is to be held or not held in this particular case in the day to day operations of the Church.

This is how the Church was set up on Pentecost – it would be guided and informed by the Spirit – and this is how it still operates today. The community is protected, the gathering of personally united persons is guaranteed freedom from error, when acting collegially, and together with the Successor of Peter as their head.

And so today, we thank God for joining us to him, for remaining with us and for joining us to one another in a communion of holiness, fraternity and peace. For, we may always now together go to the house of the Lord, and give him thanks and praise! Amen! Alleluia!



Monday, May 15, 2017

May 15 - 5th Week of Easter - Monday

+ In the gospel passage, Jesus tells the disciples that there are two prerequisites for membership “on the vine” – having the commandments of God, and observing them. Now for the “new people of God,” the “commandments” shift from the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments) to the single law of Love: love one another as I have loved you, as you have been loved first by God. But, of course, if you do this loving of others fully and as prescribed, then you will also be doing the Ten Commandments: because I have come not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.

And to ensure that you are in tune with the new fullness of the Law, to ensure that you are pleasing to God, to ensure that you are specially loved children of my Father – the Advocate, the Holy Spirit will be sent by the Father, in my name – to teach you exactly how all these things came to be and are – and he will remind you of all that I told you.

And for us today, as we find ourselves members in the assembly of those who believe in God, accept his commandments and try to live them out in love – we will feel an unusually close identity with Jesus, his Father and their Spirit – because they abide deep inside of our souls, and we find ourselves doing great things for God, great but in an ordinary sort of way: just as Paul and Barnabas simply spoke words, simply proclaimed Christ Crucified and Risen.

This ordinary proclamation, however produced the result of their being considered “gods” by the Greeks, after accompanying the preaching with healing of a cripple in Jesus’ name – but they were simply as human as anyone else – imbued however, with the powers of belief.

May we always remember that the glory that comes from good deeds done does not go to us, but rather to God!


Amen! Alleluia!

Sunday, May 14, 2017

May 14 - 5th Sunday of Easter

+ Last Sunday, Good Shepherd Sunday, I talked about vocations to the priesthood, and now this week we look briefly at other “callings” “vocations,” that are God initiated and given for the good of the Mystical Body of Christ, His Son – which, of course, is the Church!

In the first reading today: deacons are ordained by the apostles in a ministry of helping, so that they, the Apostles can devote their full energies to their apostolic mission: of prayer and confecting of sacraments.

In the second reading: there is emphasis made that we are all called to be living stones in the temple of the Church: a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that we may announce the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Part of this “priesthood of the people” is living to the fullest all the other vocations that contribute to the smooth running of the Church: marriage, the single state, the religious state; as well as the many other ministries of service that are a part of the smooth functioning of a parish: i.e. Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Acolytes, Music Ministers and the like.

It is our joy and our duty, no matter where God places and situates us in our life’s work, to announce his praises to everyone, everywhere. This let us do joyfully and full-heartedly this day and everyday! It is also our duty, our obligation and our privilege to make a “gospel difference” in the world in which we live: to think, speak and act as though the “death/resurrection” “redemption/invitation to eternal life” dynamics are something we believe deeply in through our own experience of them – due to our baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and ordinations – and we are witting to witness these things and share them and bring hope and peace to others because they can see them alive and active in our lives.

Our vocation – no matter how it plays out – has this as its core and basis: the HOPE and JOY of life forever with God – because we cooperated with graces given, promises kept, and a whole new dimension of living shared!

Amen!
Alleluia!

“This we believe!”

Friday, May 12, 2017

May 12 - 4th Week of Easter - Friday

+ Our first reading today speaks of the fulfillment of the great promise, the promise of a certain and sure salvation that was made to Abraham and his descendants. And so when Paul comes to Antioch he addresses descendants of Abraham, and others and tells them that without a doubt that the Jesus who was put to death, when Pilate washed his hands of him, and who rose from the dead three days later was indeed the one foretold, and prophesied about; the redeemer and savior of the world.

Great rejoicing occurred among those people when they heard this message; great rejoicing should occur among us today as we hear of the dynamic of “God always fulfills his promises”!

And so we had and still have Jesus in our world as redeemer, but also the way, the truth and the life: for the promise had to do with forgiveness of sin, the imparting of sure and certain truth, and the path which leads to eternal blessedness in a kingdom that is fulfilled beyond, but which exists already in seed form here and now, in this time, in this place – where there is joy!

In the gospel passage then Jesus tells us to calm ourselves and our hearts, because faith is the key, faith we have in the God-of-Promises, which includes himself, as the Son of that God! May we like Thomas let our questions regarding all of this be answered in a supernatural kind of way: the only way for them to make sense: let our faith tells us, all is so, and all is well! – even in a country and world where intrigue, chicanery and collusion are running rampant on Pennsylvania Avenue.


And the Lord said to me: You are my Son, this day I have begotten you: alleluia! 

Thursday, May 11, 2017

May 11 - 4th Week of Easter - Thursday

+ 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 and love you that you see! I who am Lord God Almighty – making myself like one of you, for your own good and for your salvation!

And if this is how I and my Son act and interact with one another – then this is how you ought to act and interact with one another – with great love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness – as we have loved you!

In the first reading today we have Paul preaching to his fellow family of Israel 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 – and that is something to affect the way we consider and treat one another!

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


Wednesday, May 10, 2017

May 10 - 4th Week of Easter - Wednesday

+ Today our gospel passage reminds us that everything about the plan and execution of the fact of the redemption of the children of Adam was God the Father’s. It is a Father’s heart that was broken when his children sinned; it continues to be the Father’s heart that is broken when his children, centuries later, still sin, still turn away from him and prefer their own power, their own glory and a self-made kingdom of sand! It was a Father’s heart that devised a plan to save what was lost!

Jesus came – who is one with the Father – to tell us in our own human terminology and words – all about that Father’s love; and how it included not just redeemed and transformed life here on this earth, but the possibility now of transformed life forever in a kingdom beyond, and a place prepared, of which we cannot even begin to imagine the beauty of!

The first reading shows how, when Jesus had ascended into heaven, and the Church was born on Pentecost with the coming of the Spirit – that Spirit directly guided the actions of the early communities as it was their mission and goal to proclaim Christ Crucified and Risen, and Mankind Redeemed and Transformed by Grace! – and this in the midst of earthly kingdoms that would militate against it, persecute it and seek control of it until the end of time.

Our Christian communities in this day, our day, are called upon and empowered by the same Spirit to do the same thing: tell all the nations that everything is different now, and to believe it, which will be credited to them as justification and life – eternal life with God in a transformed in every dimension new heaven and earth.


I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life. May we be Christ’s light this day in all we think, say and do! 

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

May 9 - 4th Week of Easter - Tuesday

+ 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!



Sunday, May 7, 2017

May 7 - 4th Sunday of Easter - Good Shepherd Sunday

+ On this “Good Shepherd” Sunday, it is fitting to talk about vocations, especially to the priesthood and consecrated religious life!  The priesthood, of course was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper that he ate with his disciples. After he gives his all really and truly by changing the essential substance of the bread and the wine into his own body and blood which would be equally and unequivocally given the next day on the Cross at Calvary, he tells this band of brothers to “do this from then on, in his memory;” thereby vivifying the very act of remembrance and doing what he did – until the very end of time!

In the commission of doing comes the institution of the sacrament of Holy Orders. The Twelve would from then on be priests of the New Testament with, through and in Jesus their Lord, their Brother and their best Friend.

I think that it could be safe to say that Jesus asked them, in preparing them for that great moment or ordination, three questions: 1) Can you suffer greatly? 2) Can you pray intensely and unceasingly? 3) Can you be a friend to others, to the very end – even to the irritating and obnoxious? He didn’t ask them if they were smart, if they went to college, or if they were on the dean’s list: he asked them the practical question of life as a shepherd, which would mirror his life as shepherd. Not that intelligence, and academic ability is not very important for the modern priest or religious, but what is most important is whether the candidate can suffer, really suffer; pray, really pray; and be a friend to all kinds of people, to the very end?

And isn’t this actually what Jesus’ Father must have asked his Son, the Word, (Second Person of the Blessed Trinity) who volunteered to come to earth to save us from our sin: Son, can you suffer, a bitter agony and death on a cross? can you pray, from your heart constantly chatting with me about everything that is happening with you? can you be a true friend and shepherd of those people to the bitter end – which would mean a brutal death on the cross? Jesus immediately said: YES! YES! YES! for them and for their salvation I am ready to go! And he came to us as our friend, as our shepherd, as our Lord and God.

St. John Paul II in his apostolic exhortation: Pastores Dabo Vobis states emphatically that God will provide “shepherds after his own heart” – which is the same as the Sacred Heart of Jesus! In the day of a declining number of priests we must hold firm to this prophecy from Jeremiah that will not just fade away. God will always provide shepherds, and assistant shepherds so long as young, and these days even not so young men listen and respond to the call to feel his loving look upon them and to respond enthusiastically to Jesus when he asks them to follow him without reserve.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ and Mother of priests, indeed, Mother of the Church, guide those who courageously and lovingly wish to investigate a life of service to the Church as priests and consecrated and dedicated religious priests, brothers and sisters, of the New Testament, shepherds after the heart of Jesus; protect and strengthen their vocations, and help us with you to offer our full measure of support and prayers for so noble and generous a commitment!

God bless you! 

Monday, May 1, 2017

May 1 - St Joseph the Worker

+ The principal feast of St Joseph is celebrated on March 19, but this second feast of Joseph [as] the Worker was inaugurated by Pope Pius XII in 1955 to counteract a Communist holiday on May 1. The new feast replaced that of the Patronage of St Joseph, later called the Solemnity of Joseph (another secondary feast). The appropriateness of this new feast is grounded in the fact that Joseph was a carpenter by trade, and trained his son Jesus as a carpenter as well.

Joseph indeed was the worker-carpenter at Nazareth who provided for the needs of Jesus and Mary; and he initiated the Son of God into human work. Therefore, on the day when a holiday in honor of workers is celebrated in many countries, Christian workers venerate him as their exemplar and protector.

There is a God-given right to work, coming from the command of God to Adam to subdue the earth and take care of it - how else could this be accomplished other than by work. Therefore, the feeling of completion that one gets from work ought not be denied or downplayed – it is very much a “sacred sweat”!

In our day and age, in the circumstances in our own country, and in so many other countries of the world, the rights and dignity of workers needs to be honored and protected – by providing jobs in the first place for all who want them, and seeing to it that they have safe work environments and policies set in place to ensure their employment rights.

St. Joseph quietly and faithfully trusted God to provide what he needed as a worker/provider – and then he worked his whole life to repay God for his trust in him to accomplish certain specific tasks; may we embrace our God-given tasks and assignments today – whether we are technically employed by an agency or not: for we are always in God’s employ “subduing with love” “the earth and its creatures” that he has given us to care for – all the days of our life!

St. Joseph, the Worker – pray for us! 


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...