Friday, April 30, 2021

Apr 30 - 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!

 

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

Monday, April 26, 2021

Apr 26 - 4th Week of Easter - Monday

+ Our gospel passage today refers 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 other 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 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.

 

Sunday, April 25, 2021

Apr 25 - Fourth Sunday of Easter

+ On this “Good Shepherd” Sunday, it is fitting to talk about vocations, especially to the priesthood!  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, extraordinarily? 2) Can you pray, uncommonly deeply? 3) Can you be a friend to others, exhaustively and to the very end? 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, 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? can you pray? 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, 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, guide those who courageously and lovingly wish to investigate a life of service to the Church as priests 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!

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Apr 21 - 3rd Week of Easter - Wednesday

+ 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!

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Apr 18 - Third Sunday of Easter

+ Our “Alleluia Verse” today summarizes the theme for the day!  Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us; make our hearts burn while you speak to us! It is easy to know if we have “connected with” the Risen Lord Jesus as he wants us to connect with him: if our hearts “burn within us” with a warm glow and a peace and a joy that cannot be gotten anywhere else – a glow and peace and joy – that reaches down to the very depths of our souls! This “connecting” – this “communing” – can happen at this and every Mass: if we are open to it, consider it a real possibility, and welcome it when it begins to happen!

 

Our gospel passage today, in a sense, outlines the format of the Mass for us: Jesus comes and walks with us as we listen to his [very own] words in the Scriptures and the homily; then, he comes into the inner recesses of the “houses of our hearts and souls” and breaks bread with us, as we partake of the Holy Communion that is his very real, substantial and living Risen Person. If there is some kind of glow and peace and joy – when all of this happens: then we have brought what we needed to bring to the Mass: our faith and our love; and we now can bask and abide in the magnificent presence of the Risen Jesus for the rest of the day; until the next time, we either pray, or come to Mass!

 

Once we “get” the dynamic that is going on here, more and more clearly, then we can be witness of it to others – we can tell others about it – who we can see to be wandering around aimlessly and sadly; and then the more we can all celebrate the astounding “Easter fact” that our spiritual necks have been “ransomed” not with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb!

 

What a price, and what great love that comes to us from Christ Jesus our Risen Lord and Brother.

 

Lord God, continue to show all of us, each and every day of our lives, the true “path of life” that will lead to a face-to-face encounter with you and your Son!

 

Amen! Alleluia!

Monday, April 12, 2021

Apr 12 - 2nd Week of Easter - Monday

+ 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 11, 2021

Apr 11 - Second Sunday of Easter

+ Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God.” We all recognize these familiar words of the Apostle Thomas who insisted on seeing and touching the wounds of Jesus in order to believe that he has, in fact, risen from the dead! Jesus tells Thomas that belief can come from a more direct contact with Jesus –according to his wishes; but for the greater majority “believing in the divinity of Jesus” would produce the “seeing of Him” that people long for; for such seeing is a very real, but supernatural and invisible kind of seeing! But in either case: the same prerequisite is absolutely necessary: BELIEF IN THE DIVINITY OF THE RISEN JESUS!

 

But we may ask, why does not God make things easier for us, more plain, more visible, more real, on terms that we can understand: “our terms”? The answer is that he wants us to walk through this life by FAITH; which is on “his terms!” He can do that: He is God. He wants us to walk in a certain amount of darkness, and confusion and struggling; he wants us to always be looking up and out, away from ourselves, for him, in hope and with love in our hearts for him and for others, as we make our way to our heavenly homeland! Earth, as it is now, is not a home for Christian people - nor for anyone else, for that matter – heaven is! And if everything were so plain and simple, we would forget we need God and he would be sad that we no longer want to come and live with him!

 

This explains the main theme of today’s celebration: the “divine mercy” of God! God delights to show mercy, give help, give comfort, bring aid, and give healing of mind, body and spirit: but that can only happen if we, as human beings, count ourselves qualified – and what qualifies us is our regard of our own utter nothingness, emptiness and misery without him! For this is absolutely true! WITHOUT GOD WE ARE NOTHING and we can do nothing! And there is nothing more tragic and wonderful than that! Blessed Abbot Columba Marmion OSB, a favorite spiritual writer of mine,  tells us that the abyss of our misery calls to the abyss of God’s mercy!

 

It is not our perfection to dazzle God who is surrounded by myriads of angels. No, it is our misery, our wretchedness AVOWED (recognized and proclaimed) which draws down his mercy [on us his beloved adopted sons and daughters]. Is this not what St. Thomas said to Jesus on the Octave night of Easter: Jesus, I was so wrong, I was so full of myself, I always have to have proof for everything, but now I avow my nothingness in the light of your totality: you are my Lord, you are my God, you are my EVERYTHING!

 

When any of us comes into the presence of Jesus, we must come humbly, hands held open, and satisfied to rest at his feet as we await our “marching orders” from him – who will work through us! For since the day of our baptism our lives are not our own, they are his! And what a magnificent sense of usefulness and joy comes to the disciple who lets Jesus do for others, through us, whatever he wants!

 

And today, as I have alluded to, we remember four other people of our own times who allowed this instrumentality to happen to them: St. Faustina Kowalska who was Jesus’ personal secretary in writing down his wishes to be known as the great distributer of Divine Mercy – flowing from his Sacred Human Heart!  Now, St. Pope John XXIII, whose sense of mercy and compassion was very evident in his desire to begin a grand renewal of the spirit of the Church, grounded in true care and concern for all people everywhere, which has come to full flower now in the life of our current Holy Father, Pope Francis. And of course, St. Pope John Paul II, who espoused the Divine Mercy Message, canonized Sister Faustina in the year 2000 (April 30), and declared the Octave Day of Easter, (the Second Sunday of Easter - today) to also be known as Divine Mercy Sunday: so that the application of the merciful events of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus can be summarized and celebrated!

 

The world needs Divine Mercy appreciation, celebration and application more than ever – for the time to bring all things to fulfillment may be near – and that is why we have this Feast and the Image to focus on and celebrate today!

 

Thank you God for “the abyss of your providential love and mercy” that you so willing pour out like and ocean on any who declare “the abyss of their own misery, their own nothingness, their own helplessness” and ask for all of your help! You respond instantaneously! You respond generously! For You are our Lord, You are our God, You are our ALL!

God bless you!  Amen! Alleluia!

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Apr 7 - Wednesday of Easter Week

+ 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 of 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!

 

Monday, April 5, 2021

Apr 5 - Monday of Easter Week

+ 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 us, 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 noticeably 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.

 

Therefore, 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! – especially today in our own households, our own neighborhoods, states, country and in many countries of the world – with the effects of the Coronavirus still being very present and active, and that he empowers us to bring these to others, all others, for he has poured out upon us all the promised gift of the Holy Spirit!

 

Amen! Alleluia!

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...