Catholic Homilies by Deacon Joe Meyer
Homily delivered by Deacon Joe Meyer on Father's Day, June 21, 2020
Thomas Williams Funeral Mass Homily and Closing Prayer
St Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church / Homily by Deacon Joe Meyer on May 17, 2020 “Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,” That was our message from our first Pope, Peter in our second reading today. I read an interesting article in Catholic stand this week about a book by Albert Camus, “The Plague.” I’d like to quote a paragraph from that article. “The whole world has been shut down, daily life has been interrupted and all our securities are collapsing. Only ‘essential’ things for life are allowed. We are losing our jobs, studies, Churches are being closed, and most of all we are being separated from our loved ones. We cannot even accompany our loved ones in their suffering and they are dying alone. Furthermore, we cannot even give them a dignified burial. We are isolated, confronted by the fear of death. It seems that there is no answer to this terrifying situation and people are alienating themselves in the digital world by watching movies, pornography, playing video games, or in drinking alcohol, taking drugs and many also fall into despair and even kill themselves because they are afraid to suffer. We do not want to face the reality of death.”
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory,” (Col 3:1-4) “Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.” We just celebrated the most important event in the history of the world, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. We will be spending the next 50 days after Easter as a Church celebrating Easter and the Resurrection. Setting our minds on things that are above seems to me like a perfect prescription for how we should spend these days celebrating Easter.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. This is one of my favorite Psalms. And at a time when there is so much fear and confusion in the world, I find assurance and peace in knowing we are led by a Good Shepherd. Much of the bible uses rural language and terminology to teach us about the love of God. David who addressed this audience was f a simple, nomadic person himself, speaking to a people who understood the outdoor life of the countryside around them. For us modern folk we can sometimes miss the beautiful metaphors encased in such scripture.
You just heard the encounter of Jesus with the woman at the Well. St. Augustine, saw the woman as a symbol of the Church. It’s a great analogy, and one worth reflecting. The woman represents us as the people who make up the Church. The well represents 2 things, marriage which in bible days would have seen the well as a sign of Marriage, Abraham brought his son Isaac to the well to meet his wife Rebecca, Jacob met his wife at the well, and it was where Moses met his wife Zippora. The well also represents our sin, where we go back repeatedly repeating the same sin, and leave empty. The woman’s pale represents her conversion. And finally, what happens, she goes forth and becomes the Church’s first evangelist. The woman came to the well every day at noon. She didn’t want to be seen. It was the hottest time of the day. She chose this time because she was considered a public sinner. Jesus travelled through Samaria to reach this woman, which was quite unusual, as a Jew would never travel through Samaria, they would always go around Samaria. For the Samaritans were not a part of the Jewish people, they were considered half breeds and unclean. This didn’t stop Jesus, he set out in journey with eyes of mercy to meet her. He was always after the marginalized and forgotten of society. He would say, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.” And once he finds her at the well, he asks her for a drink. But what he was really asking for was a relationship, just like he thirst for you and I to be in relationship with him. And that’s because he wants to offer us a gift of eternal life.
Today we contrast of 2 Adams. The first Adam in the garden. The second Adam in the desert. These readings are important to us, because they reveal how the devil works. His tactics he used with Adam and Eve, and Jesus have not changed. Now recall, just a few weeks ago, Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan. And we heard God the Father proclaim, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” and right after that baptism, Jesus was led immediately into the desert to begin his ministry. This is where the devil went first with Jesus in the desert, he tried to get Jesus to questioned his sonship. “So, you are the Son of God are you..” He called Jesus’ sonship into question from the moment he began his ministry stepping out of the Jordan all the way to when he was forsaken and dying on the wood of the cross. The temptation came over and over again. Satan hounded him at every turn, every moment in his ministry. He came to him through the mouths of friends, and enemies, and even his disciples. The attempt the devil took with Jesus was to get him to doubt that he truly was the Son of God. He uses this same tactic with Eve in the garden, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” He caused Eve to question what God really said. “He didn’t really mean that.” You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.” The devil will do the same to us. He will try to get us to question our own sonship of baptism with God. When bad things come into our life his attempt will be to get us to question Gods love for us. How could God allow you to suffer like this? Where is your God now? God hasn’t cured your illness, and you are on the verge of bankruptcy about to loose everything. That doesn’t sound like a loving God. And the devil will do everything possible to get us to put God as Fr. Riccardo says, “On the docket.” We put God on trial. We call his Lordship into trial. And every time we do this almost always God will loose.
Who said being a Christian was going to be easy? As Christian’s we are called to a higher standard, and must not blend in with everyone else. Jesus wants much more than outward observances of his law. He has written his law on our hearts and He’s very interested in a transformation of our hearts. He reminds us today he did not come to abolish but to “fulfill” the Law of Moses and the the prophets. This means Jesus is revealing to us a deeper meaning and purpose of the Ten Commandments and the moral Law of the Old Testament. He actually transcends the Law of Moses, and demands from us, a moral life that is even far greater than that of the most pious of Jews, scribes or Pharisees. It would seem to be an almost impossible task. He even ended this same gospel message commanding, “we must be perfect just as our heavenly Father is perfect.” And if that’s going to happen, we are going to need an awful lot of Grace.God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called, Amen. All of us here fall short of the glory of God, but thanks be to God, he gives us his grace. So just what exactly is Grace? And how do we receive it? Grace is first given to us at baptism and then subsequently through all the sacraments. It’s free, undeserved, we don’t earn it, but we can loose it, and fall out of it by sin. The best news, is it can be restored to us by Gods mercy and forgiveness. It comes to us in many ways, and most abundantly in all the sacraments. In about 10 days we will begin lent. This is a time when we will up our game in prayer, fasting and almsgiving, turning our hearts towards God and away from temporal matters. Grace is the love of God being poured into our hearts. Paul in our second reading today describes this love of God, “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him, this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.” This amazing Grace is a free gift that we must freely open. If we open it we will receive all that is necessary to live by this higher calling God has given to each of us today. Our first reading from Sirach emphasizes choice is involved, “If you choose, you can keep the commandments.” God has placed before us fire and water; and he tells us to simply stretch out our hands to whichever we choose. Our lives are ultimately defined by the choices we will make. At any given moment, our free will gives us the ability to complete freedom of choice, to either burn in fire, or to be free to live in accordance with the cool, living water of our baptism. As Joshua says, “Choose this day whom you will serve, As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” And in the book of Deuteronomy, we hear, “I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life.” God’s Grace helps us make that choice in any given moment. Grace helps us to become perfect like our Heavenly Father. We are all called to be Saints. It slowly changes us more into the image we were created to be. It’s a life long journey and what the Church calls “The call to holiness.” For holiness is the only true happiness in this world. Holiness is a life filled with Gods Grace. And from Grace, peace and happiness flow. Something the world cannot give, provide, or even understand. Our responsorial psalm today describes “how blessed is the one who walks in the law of the Lord, who observes what he says, who seeks him with all his or her heart.” Obedience leads to true peace and happiness comes.
Today we celebrate the Presentation of our Lord, which is the Fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, and is always celebrated 40 days after Christmas. We don’t often get the chance to celebrate this feast on a Sunday, as it usually falls to a weekday. In fact since 2004, it has only occurred 2 times on a Sunday. At the 10:00 AM mass there was a special blessing for the lighting of the candles. This is supposed to symbolize our burning love for God who is always presenting himself to us. This presentation is meant to be a mutual presentation. Let’s place ourselves at the scene of this gospel. We have Joseph and Mary, with their little baby Jesus. He’s all wrapped up in Mary’s arms in swaddling clothes. They are at the temple to present their son Jesus, out of respect and in total obedience to the law of Moses. It’s a very busy day at the temple this day. There are other babies being presented in addition to Jesus. But out of all the babies, beside Joseph and Mary, Simeon and Anna would be the only ones to recognize Jesus as the long awaited Messiah, whom was predicted in our first reading from the book of Malachi. “Lo, I am sending my messenger [which is a reference to John the Baptist] to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek.” Simeon and Anna are present this day, and have spent their whole life seeking the Lord. And on this day, they would come and find the one they spent there whole life seeking. In fact Anna never left the temple once she became a widow. Simeon and Anna were both expecting him with minds and hearts made pure. I can just see them reciting Psalm 41:2 -3 “As the deer longs for fountains of water, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul has thirsted for the strong living God. When will I draw close and appear before the face of God?” Or Psalm 63:1-4 “O God, you are my God, it is you I seek! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts... And finally they find Jesus. What great longing they must have had in their hearts for God. Simeon and Anna desired to see God. And because of that desire, they could recognize Jesus. They possessed the highest and greatest gift of the Holy Spirit which is wisdom. Their hearts were pure and they were given the gift of wisdom and could could recognize God.
Today, I’d like us to reflect on our own baptism as we examine the baptism of our Lord. Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany. Epiphany comes from a Greek word which simply means to reveal, a sudden revelation or insight about something. Today we celebrate another Epiphany with the Baptism of Our Lord. Jesus is manifesting himself to us through the waters of his own baptism, and revealing who he is by his baptism. And, He’s also revealing who we are in our own baptism. Jesus begins his public ministry today with his baptism. He voluntarily submitted himself to baptism not because he was a sinner but to fulfill the word proclaimed by the prophets. Now go with me to the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the Spirit had hovered over the waters in the first creation. Adam and Eve sinned bringing sin into the world. The sea was considered where the serpent, and the dragon of the sea lived. The serpent and the dragon represented the sin of Adam. And now the Spirit descends upon Christ in his baptism as a prelude of the new creation. Christ descended down into those waters of death, and stomped the head of the serpent and the dragon. and he did so to crush the power of the dragon who was hidden there. He thus consecrated the waters of baptism. God the Father revealed to us that Jesus is his “beloved Son.” And that’s why John was so adamant in insisting he be baptized by Jesus. You know in our own baptism, God is announcing the same thing to you and I, “This is my beloved son, or daughter in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus came to “take away the sins of the world,” and this was foreshadowed in the waters of the Jordan. Recall, just before Jesus’ baptism, John announced there was going to be another baptism, not just of water, but “of the Holy Spirit and Fire.” The “Holy Spirit and Fire” is the very essence of the divine life of God given to us through baptism. The marvelous indwelling of the Holy Trinity, through baptism.
At a time when family has been under attack more than ever, Holy Mother Church has us reflect on God’s design for Family, by giving us the supreme example of the Holy Family. The devil has been on the attack of the family since the beginning of time, because the family is meant to be the worlds greatest example of the image of God’s love. The Trinity is a communion of persons in Love much like a family is designed by God to be a communion of love. So the enemy is on the prowl to destroy that image. We see this in how the devil used King Harod today in our gospel. He terrorized not only the Holy Family but all families in the ancient world. King Harod destroyed children, and would destroy anyone who was a threat to his power to rule. And Jesus most definitely was a threat. The Devil from the very beginning of time attacked the family. He went after Adam and Eve successfully separating them from God, and then from each other, with consequences carried into the next generation when Cain slewed his brother Able. Today, we continue to see the attack on family. One need look no further than the dramatic decline in young couples who prefer cohabitation to substitute marriage. Marriage is frequently looked upon as no more than a piece of paper. There are a number of factors that have contributed to the decline in marriage. The divorce rate is about 50% for marriages in the United States and is just as high in the church. The internet with pornography has been a contributing factor. But there are other factors as well. For one the Church needs to do a better job of preparing couples for marriage. Relativism is on the rise, and God has been pushed out of our society, and one consequence we see is the rise in same sex unions, and a move to redefine what marriage should be. And if anyone speaks up and sides with God’s biblical view and design for marriage they are called homophobic. There is even a push for polygamy happening in many states and societies across the globe.
We encounter two names in our readings today. Emmanuel and Jesus. We will ponder these two names as they tell us a lot of what Jesus seeks to do in us, and through us. The first name we encounter is Emmanuel. In the first reading from Isaiah, we heard a dramatic scene where Isaiah the prophet went to King Ahaz of Judah. During that time, the capital of Judah, was being sieged by the kingdoms of Israel (Ephraim and Syria.) Ahaz was about to make an alliance with the brutal kingdom of a Syria so that the Assyrians would come and liberate Jerusalem. Isaiah went to Ahaz to have him not seal that deal, but to have more trust in God than in the King of Syria. But Ahaz wouldn’t listen. Instead, he went out and sought the advice of lots of other prophets who would tell him what he wanted to hear. And that’s why God told Ahaz through Isaiah to ask for a sign as “deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!" On the surface it kind of looked like Ahaz suddenly got religion. As if he didn’t want to tempt the Lord. But of course that really wasn’t the case. He just didn’t want to ask for a sign because then once it would be granted to him, it would be much more difficult for him to ignore what the Lord was telling him. So, Isaiah let’s Ahaz know he is now wearying God just like he was wearying his people, And then Isaiah tells him that God will give him this sign; "A virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel." The sign was more in the name given to this child; Emmanuel, meaning, "God is with us." Ahaz ignored the sign and went ahead and did what he was determined to do. He ignored God's counsel, and of course destruction ensued, Assyria was defeated by the Babylonians, the Babylonians took possession of Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, murdered many residents and transported those who survived off as slaves. God-with-us was really not the God Ahaz had in mind. Definitely not the God he could relate to. And even today many struggle with this view of God. Which is what is so beautiful about the incarnation. Seven centuries later after Isaiah’s prophesy, the miraculous events of Jesus's conception and birth takes place. And as we hear today in our gospel, "all this took place to fulfill what had been spoken to the Lord through the prophet, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, “which means, ”God-Is-with-us." From the time the prophecy of Isaiah was given, it was always linked to the coming of the Messiah. A few chapters later in Isaiah, there is another description of this child to be Born to us, “A Son given to us," who would have dominion on his shoulder and be called by others,”Wonder-Counselor, God hero, Father-forever, and Prince of Peace."
Today we give honor to Christ the King. This Solemnity is a relatively new one in the church. It began in 1925 when Pope Pius XI, for very good reasons instituted this special day. Fifty years earlier, Nietzsche a German philosopher had just declared God was dead. Hitler was rising to power in Germany, and had already become the leader of the Nazi party. Mussolini was in power in Italy. And In 1924, right after Lennon died, Joseph Stalin took power in Russia. We had a totalitarian culture of a denial of God rising up and surrounding all of Europe. This was a call to bring God back into our World that was so much abandoning God. This was a message our World needed to hear then and very much needs to hear today. So the Church gives us our readings today and they teach us so much about the truths of Gods Kingdom. Our second reading from Paul’s letter rather triumphantly characterizes and describes Christ in this way, “All things were created through him and for him. He is before all things and in all things hold together… For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell.” And then our gospel contrasts this message with Jesus enthroned upon the Cross.
In our gospel today Jesus focusses specifically on the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. The Sadducees ask the question of who’s wife will she be? Marriage he answers is a reality for this world, but not for the next. And that is because marriage has two purposes, Love and LIFE. Marriage has a purpose of sanctification of the spouses, and the procreation and education of children. In heaven, men and women will no longer need to be sanctified, and there will be no new children. But while there will be no intimate union of man and women in heaven, there will be love! Marriage in this life is meant to prepare spouses and children to enter into that love. In this month of November God wants to enkindle within us, and awaken a hunger for heaven, inviting us to live a deeper more personal relationship of love with Him, and enter into a deeper communion of love with him and our brothers and sisters. The stronger our desire to live with him in this love the more resolute we will be to stay on track and not be swayed by temptations that would knock us off this road to eternity. Our first reading today from the book of Maccabees illustrates this beautifully. We see this same faith and courage from all the martyrs throughout time leading into this present day. Christians today are being martyred by even greater numbers. I often think of the martyrdom of Christians in the Middle East by the Isis terrorist groups. So, today let us contemplate this reality of heaven, so that when we are called home and death comes knocking at our door, we will be ready to enter into the joys of heaven. To enter into the Love of God that will be stronger even than death. It is a love that will never end.
On August 5, 2010, 33 miners in Chile were trapped A half a mile underground for more than two months. For the first 17 days, there was no word on their fate. As the days passed, Chileans grew increasingly skeptical that any of the miners would survive - let alone all of them. During this 17 days the miners spent 24 hours a day of non-stop pounding, 24 hours a day pounding until somebody finally heard them. On August 22 tiny borehole reach them that was reported to be about the width of a grapefruit. This served as a lifeline to pass hydration gels, water and food. The first thing the miners asked for was Bibles, rosaries, and prayer cards, Of course letters from their families were sent as well. This is an incredible demonstration of persistence isn't it? The miners did not give up on a miracle to be rescued. They spent a record 69 days in the hot, humid bowels of the collapsed mine and forth their story of survival captured global attention. Some 1500 journalist were at the mine to report the rescue operation which was broadcast live around the world, including dramatic live images of the miners hugging rescuers who traveled down the shaft to their refuge deep in the mine. Engineers from all over the world came to the site to help. The whole world came together for this event. On October 13, 2010 the first miner was rescued. Approximately 22 1/2 hours after the first minor was rescued the last one came out. Church bells rang out throughout Chili when the first miner was extricated and Chileans were glued to their televisions through the night, proud of their nation's ability to save men. I think, if you were to ask the miners how their rescue happened, I bet they would tell you, "God got us out." We asked and he answered. It's the same God that's waiting to hear us. They prayed as if their lives depended on it. And it did right? Well, you know our lives depend on it too. Think about it. Maybe not like getting out of the mineshaft, but getting out of this world, and arriving one day at heaven. Our lives really do depend on it. Heaven is waiting on those who will submit their lives to God.
Today is about being grateful for all the many different gifts God has given us. He’s given us so much. He really has! Most especially he gave himself, by death on the cross. The gift of eternal life. I wonder how he feels when we so often walk through our daily lives focussed on our next problem, forgetting his many gifts, and acting as if he didn’t exist. We don’t want to take his gift for granted like the 9 lepers in our gospel, who departed without any acknowledgement or gratitude. We come to this Mass to give thanks, as we celebrate the Eucharist at every Mass. The word Eucharist in Greek, actually means thanksgiving.
The battle ground can seem impossible, but Jesus says faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. The battle begins with life at conception, because if we can’t get that piece right nothing else will matter. Since 1973 in the Supreme Court decision, of Roe V Wade, almost 61,000,000 children have perished in our country alone through abortion. I did the math and that is like wiping out the whole population of Columbus Ohio 56 times! That’s one baby in every 23 seconds. And in the span of this 20 minute Mass so far, almost 50 children will have been murdered. I love the story of Mother Teresa of Calcutta speaking at a National prayer breakfast in 1994, in the presence of the President and Vice President of the United States, all of whom supported abortion on demand. She fearlessly said, “the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child - it is a direct killing of the innocent child- murdered by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another.” Mother Teresa continued after she said this is not love, when a mother can kill her own child, she addressed the fathers and said, “the father is told he does not have to take any responsibility for the child he has brought into the world. But that he can take any type of violence to get whatever he wants.” The next year Mother Teresa traveled to a hospital in Boston, and she entered the sick children’s ward, where she picked up a sick infant and went straight outside in front of television cameras, she said slowly and deliberately, “Jesus said that whoever receives a little childlike this in my name receives me!” We can no longer look the other way. We must all get involved in respecting life at all stages from conception to natural death.
The call to Matthew who was a "publican" by profession, a tax collector for the imperial Roman authorities: And was considered a public sinner by the Jews, absolutely considered the worst of the worst of sinners. emphasizes Jesus’ plan of redemption, inviting all men to the Supper of the Lamb; regardless of culture or how bad of a sinful past one may have. But Jesus saw Matthew through the eyes of mercy and chose him. He said follow me, which means Matthew was called in following Jesus to imitate the pattern of Jesus’ life. We are called to be imitators and walk with Jesus too. Matthew was called, we are called… Matthew was formed by Jesus for three years as he travelled and learned from our Master. We too are formed by Jesus in the time we spend with Jesus in our prayer, study, liturgy and worship. Matthew was then sent to spread the gospel message. We are called to worship, serve and evangelize announcing the gospel and glorifying the Lord with our lives. We are sent to give a message of mercy. “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.” Jesus says, “learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
Last Sunday Jesus told us that he came to set us on fire. We learned lukewarm not good enough and that Lukewarm is the greatest enemy to Christianity. A friend of mine last week asked me a great question, He said, “how do you stay on fire in a world that is always trying to beat you down? And I think today Jesus gives us the answer. The key word in todays gospel message is, strive. I found out in my study that “strive” in Greek is the same word for “agonize.” Jesus agonized as he gave up his life for all of us. So the gate is really the cross. We live in a culture today where many think salvation is easy. Jesus says’ the gate is wide and many will take the easy road that leads to destruction, the gate is narrow and hard and only a few will take the road that leads to eternal life. There are no loopholes to entering through the gate. It’s an uphill struggle as we strive to climb this road. There is no easy road around it. Jesus calls us to strive always, to “agonize” in our efforts to enter through the narrow gate.
"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” My to do list is usually pretty big when I get a day off during the week. I usually get Mondays off work on weeks where I have to work on a Saturday. And invariably I run out of time before I can get everything on my list accomplished. I’m kind of a goal oriented person. I will strive till I get it all done. While fitting in exercise, I usually multi-task. I can pray the rosary while walking, listen to the divine office, listen to a good Catholic book maybe listen to a formed presentation. Then I dig into all my chores and the countless other time consuming activities that occupy my ever diminishing waking hours. To make matters more complicated with the advancement of E-Mail, and Text messages connected to my phone, receiving over 100 work E-Mails, answering various text messages throughout the day, I find myself robbed of being in the moment now. And I don’t even do Facebook, twitter or snapchat, thank goodness. So, I got to thinking, and I’ll bet if I took a poll right now, I would probably not be the only one plagued with this technological mess our world has imposed on us. So when I hear our Lord say, “Martha, Martha” I hear my own name, “Joe, Joe, what are you doing? Why are you so anxious and worried about so many things? There is so much I want to offer you now, but you need to be still.” Last week, my wife was in the hospital for a few days. I definitely had some moments where I was worried and anxious. When my wife got home, I couldn’t sit down. I was running around doing all kinds of things. Maureen lovingly, gently chided me and said Joe, you are running because you are anxious. And she was right. I wonder if that is what you might do as well? Maybe your like me and we could both slow down and be Mary. Mary chose the better part. Our bodies won’t last forever, for they must be replaced with spirit bodies. The spiritual knowledge we accumulate in this life will be ours forever, and never taken away from us. But we must not allow physical needs, worry, anxiety and duties to consume us. The bible has a lot to say about worry. Some of my favorite versus are. Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Or Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. Mary and Martha were Jesus’ good friends. Martha stayed busy supplying her guests with things that made their visit more comfortable. And really she should he should be commended for seeing to the important needs of others. But Jesus commended her sister Mary. Jesus noted, in effect, that while Martha stayed busy with with many things, Mary concentrated on what would last for eternity. He commended Mary for choosing the good part, the holy words, truth and faith of Jesus Christ, which will never be taken from her. We should strive to follow Mary’s example in desire God’s truth above everything else. Let us receive the very Word of God now, and ask him to help us stay more mindful of him this week. Maybe you could even spend an hour with Jesus in our Divine Mercy Chapel. We meet God in the silence. And now just as God came to Abraham, Mary, and MarthaLet us meet him now.
Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.” The gift that Jesus is offering to each of us today is his very presence living and active in our soul. The Word made flesh is alive in our hearts. The Word, the Advocate, the Holy Trinity making their home in our soul. This happens as a gift to each of us at baptism, and Jesus is asking us to treasure and protect this gift by keeping it alive in our hearts. You see a gift is something we open freely by our will. And this gift must be fed and nurtured. This gift is alive in us to the degree that we keep the Word alive and if we do, Jesus promises He will be with us to guide us through this life. This is what Jesus was trying to tell his Apostles when he said, “"I have told you this while I am with you.The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” There is so much that God wants to make known to us. It only requires one thing to receive this beautiful love of God living and active in our soul, and that is for us to love God and love our neighbor.
Divine Mercy Sunday (also known as the Feast of the Divine Mercy) is celebrated on the Sunday after Easter, the Octave Day of Easter. The feast day is observed by Roman Catholic as well as some Anglicans.[3] It is originally based on the Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy that Saint Faustina Kowalska reported as part of her encounter with Jesus, and is associated with special promises from Jesus and indulgences issued by the Church The feast of Divine Mercy, as recorded in the diary of Saint Faustina, receives from Jesus Himself the biggest promises of grace related to the Devotion of Divine Mercy. In specific, Jesus said that a person who goes to sacramental confession (the confession may take place some days before) and receives holy communion on that day, shall obtain the total forgiveness of all sins and punishment. That means each person would go immediately after death to heaven without suffering in purgatory (or hell). Additionally, the Roman Catholic Church grants a plenary indulgence (observing the usual rules) with the recitation of some simple prayers.
Resurrection is not a concept or a stage in ones life. The Resurrected life is a life lived in right relationship to Jesus. A life fully alive with joy lived even in the midst of pain, suffering and uncertainty. Someday we will live in his presence with no tears, pain and suffering when we finally depart from this life. But for now we can rest in his loving care with his power over sin and death and live in the joy of a life free from the tomb of sin. Our Holy Sacrifice of the Mass units us in a special way with our savior who laid down his life for us. There is no greater love than this “to lay down ones life for his friends, no longer do I call you servants, but I call you friends…" Jesus was willing to go into dangerous territory to risk his life for his friend Lazarus. He actually did give his life for you.
Well we’re just about half way through this lent. Today’s readings capture the essence of our Lenten journey, God offers us words of compassion and mercy, as well as a warning to repent and make the most of the gift of time God has us. It’s not how you begin, but how you finish your lent. And how you finish your life. Our Second Reading, from St. Paul reminds us that God, though he is full of kindness, mercy and compassion, as we also heard in our psalm, is also a just God. Paul reminds us that there will be consequences for our behavior. He admonishes us, “whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.” Our gospel today makes the point that life is precious and the gift of time on this earth is just that — a gift. None of us knows how much time will be granted to us, so it is an urgent reminder that Jesus poses to us that we must use this gift intentionally to glorify God and serve our neighbor.
Today in our first reading I see some strong parallels to the Holy Mass we experience. First of all the Mass is the closest we will ever get to heaven while living on this earth. We are at the Holy of Holies right now. Chapter 6 of Isaiah is the calling of Isaiah. Isaiah begins this calling by saying, “I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple Seraphim were stationed above. Did you know there is an invisible reality of a heavenly court of angels and saints that surround us right now. There are many angels, in fact they could not all fit here. And the angels praise God constantly.
Many today see Gods law as a burden, that limits their freedom. Our great St. Pope John Paul II stressed this throughout his pontificate, that freedom against the modern world is a false conception, that modern man thinks that real freedom is the ability to do whatever he wants,” Real freedom however, comes from the ability TO DO WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO. Real freedom is not the capacity to play God, But it is to act in accordance with the way God made us. It's not the ability to do wrong - Because doing wrong is always a form of slavery! Since the 1973 Supreme Court decision, on Roe V Wade, almost 61,000,000 children have perished in our country alone through abortion, one in every 23 seconds. Real freedom can only be based on truth. And the truth is the unborn child is made in the womb in the image and likeness of God. Psalm 139 says, “In the secret of darkness in my mothers womb you formed me.”
Mary visits her relative Elizabeth; they are both pregnant: Mary with Jesus, and Elizabeth with John the Baptist. Mary left Nazareth immediately after the Annunciation and went "into the hill country ... into a city of Judah" (Luke 1:39) to attend to her cousin (Luke 1:36) Elizabeth. There are several possibilities as to exactly which city this was, including Hebron, south of Jerusalem, and Ein Karem. The journey from Nazareth to Hebron is about 130 kilometres (81 mi) in a direct line, probably up to half as far again by road, depending on the route taken. Elizabeth was in the sixth month before Mary came (Luke 1:36). Mary stayed three months, and most scholars hold she stayed for the birth of John. Given the prevailing cultural traditions and needs for security, it is probable that Joseph accompanied Mary to Judah then returned to Nazareth, and came again after three months to take his wife home. The apparition of the angel, mentioned in Matthew 1:19–25, may have taken place then to end the tormenting doubts of Joseph regarding Mary's maternity.[1] In the Gospel of Luke, the author's accounts of the Annunciation and Visitation are constructed using eight points of literary parallelism to compare Mary to the Ark of the Covenant.[2][3] Some Catholic commentators have maintained that the purpose of this visit was to bring divine grace to both Elizabeth and her unborn child. Even though he was still in his mother's womb, John became aware of the presence of Christ, and leapt for joy as he was cleansed from original sin and filled with divine grace. Elizabeth also responded and recognised the presence of Jesus, and thus Mary exercised her function as mediatrix between God and man for the first time
See the star. Magi the only ones who saw the star? If so why? Few people raise their eyes to heaven. No need to look up, content health, a little money and a bit of entertainment. Do we know how to dream anymore? Long for God? Expect God to bring newness into our lives. Are we like dry branches before the wind?
The readings for the Second Week of Advent offer us both encouragement and challenge during this brief but important season of the liturgical year. Recall from last week that the purpose of this season is reflection on and preparation for the two “comings” of Christ — His coming as a baby on the great feast of Christmas, and the anticipation of His second coming at the end of time. The Lord has done great things for us we are filled with joy. Today we focus on the greatest gift of all. The advent school of John the Baptist. The voice, “of one crying out… In the ancient world the bridges and roads were a mess. Anytime a dignitary would come to town they would have to fix the roads and more or less rebuild them. So it was easy to make a parallel to rough roads, hills and valleys.
As a deacon, I make my living outside the church. I have been in the eyeglass business for most of my career, and for the past 14 years I have been in the LASIK business. It’s a thrill to see someones life transformed by new vision without glasses or contact lenses. So when I look at this gospel today I can’t help but wonder how excited Bartimaeus must have been when he saw the world for the first time. But as great as the gift of sight was for Bartimaeus, he received something far greater than physical sight. Bartimaeus received spiritual sight. Spiritual sight is what God offers to us today. 4 Things you can do to improve your spiritual vision Ask God for wisdom. In fact beg God as Bartimaeus did. Carve out time in your day to pray. Put on the armor of Christ every day. Examine what you are setting before your eyes And use the Sacraments especially Reconciliation and Holy Communion.
The Pharisee in today’s gospel rightly suspects there’s a little more to inheriting eternal life than just keeping the commandments. And Jesus sends the man away sad. Why? Because Jesus wants everything from him, and guess what, he wants everything from us as well. The Pharisee was speaking directly to the Word of God made flesh. The living word of God was standing directly in front of him, offering the gift of his very self. There would be nothing greater or more valuable than this gift. That same gift is offered to us. But it requires the total desire of our hearts. This is what Jesus was admonishing Peter for today in our Gospel.
Gospel, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round him, 2 and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. 3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, keep the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; 4 and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them to keep, concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. 5 So the Pharisees and scribes asked him, 'Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?' 6 He answered, 'How rightly Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites in the passage of scripture: This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me. 7 Their reverence of me is worthless; the lessons they teach are nothing but human commandments. 8 You put aside the commandment of God to observe human traditions.' 14 He called the people to him again and said, 'Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15 Nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean; it is the things that come out of someone that make that person unclean. 21 For it is from within, from the heart, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, 22 adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23 All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.'
As a representative of the Catholic Church, I know I’m embarrassed by what has happened, And I know Fr. Sill and Fr. Peter and the many good priest and deacons across our diocese feel horrible about what has happened and is occurring in the Church. And right now as a representative of the Church, I want to express my deepest sincere apology for what has occurred.
Our readings not only remind us how God meets our needs but also that he needs each one of us to cooperate with his divine plan. God is in us and works through us. he uses us, and we we each have a responsibility to care for one another. Paul calls us to live in a particular manner worthy of our calling. God has called each of us, just like he called to church of Ephesus. And he sights seven virtues that are all about right relationship with one another. These virtues foster community and harmony. It is through the Church that God feeds us and shelters us and supplies us with everything we need to grow and to thrive. Our charitable works ministry is a demonstration of this as we feed and meet the needs of so many here in Gahanna. All of this comes from the hand of God. We as the church today become his hands and feet. His voice into the wilderness, his love to the world. As in our Psalm today, “ The hand of the Lord feeds us, he answers all our needs.
Today Jesus uses the image of the kingdom of God, and likens it to the sowing of seeds. The mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, growing to a large tree where birds of the earth will perch. The first reading from Ezekiel uses this analogy of God planting a tender shoot that shall “put forth branches and bear fruit, becoming a majestic cedar tree, where birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it.
I would like to focus on 3 great mysteries of what the Ascension means to us. First the reality of heaven, then the mission Jesus gave to each of us when he ascended into heaven, and finally the help God gives us to complete this mission in the form of the Holy Spirit.
Today we reflect on the resurrected event of our Savior as he appears to some very scared disciples, and the doubting Thomas. And how does Jesus calm their fears? He say’s to them, “Peace be with you.” There was a lack of peace among the disciples as a result of their fear, the upheaval that was taking place outside was beginning to rise to a fever pitch. Also added to their lack of peace was the guilt and shame they must of felt over their abandonment of Jesus. Peace is something that all of us seek and want. So this gospel is very important to reflect upon. As I said we all want peace in our lives. Just think for a moment on what it must of been like to be in that upper room with the disciples. They had just witnessed their very dear friend, Jesus, whom they loved be brutally murdered and executed. I can understand why they were so afraid, and why they chose to lock themselves in that room. The Roman soldiers were furious. Most likely outside the doors riots were going on. The Roman soldiers we're out to execute not only Jesus, but now anyone who professed to believe in him. And his disciples would most likely be their next target, because the disciples were his closest friends. And now the drama unfolds, Jesus appears in that upper room...
Jesus was a friend to Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Jesus is a friend to you and I. Just look at Jesus on the night before he died, he said, “No one has any greater love than this than to lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus wants you and I to know that we too are his friends. He said to each of us, “No longer do I call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I've learned from my Father I have made known to you." Jesus was willing to die, did in fact die for Lazarus and for each one of us. We are his friends! And he died so that he can save each one of us. Jesus loves each one of us just as personally, and just as much as he loved Lazarus. And by the way we see how a friend spends time with a friend. Jesus desires that all of us, every single one of us, come to him and deeply desires that we too have a personal loving relationship with him. He wants to spend time with us in prayer. He does not want to loose one single person. Lazarus was worth Jesus risking His life. You and I were worth Jesus giving his life.
Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
During Lent we are invited to go into the desert. Most people have no desire to go through the desert. At a spiritual level though we are called to love the desert, because it is in the desert that we come to a greater understanding of the 40-day pilgrimage of Lent, in which we join and imitate Jesus in the desert and ponder all the fruits of what Jesus experienced and learned. The Lord is not calling us physically, but he is calling us spiritually to a state of the desert. He’s calling us to remove distractions from our lives, like the television, the computer, the radio, newspaper, and all the other various things that distract us from God. These things maybe fine in themselves but they crowd our lives from with noise so that we can't hear God, and crowd it with clutter so that we can't see God. In a book I recently read called “The Power Of Silence” by Cardinal Robert Sarah, he says that it is in the silence that we find God. That we meet God, but sadly our culture is addicted to noise and we are uncomfortable with silence. The first temptation we face is to drown out God with the noise, and to refuse to go to the desert with Christ, to think that our lent can be complete if, for example, all we do is give up chocolate and potato chips. The first big hurdle is for us to hear Christ's voice from the desert, and he says to each one of us today, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while” (Mk 6:31) . Jesus has something to say to you in the classroom of silence. And the fruit of that time in the desert is where we will meet God, who will drive us to change the direction of our lives. We received ashes on Wednesday this past week, and we were told to “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” To repent comes from the Greek word, “Metanoia” which simply means to turn around and change direction. Metanoia calls us to revolutionize the way we look at things, at the world, at ourselves, and at others, so that we might put on the way Christ looks at things. Repent means to turn one's thoughts upside down, or better yet to turn things right side up. It's as if we've been going in one direction and Jesus tells us, “stop! turn around go in the opposite direction.”
In today's Gospel we see that Jesus teaches in the synagogue as one with astounding authority. All those who listen to Jesus recognized that he was different than any of the scribes. He presented his authority by showing them his tremendous power to silence and cast out a demon from a man. The amazed the crowd asked, "What is this? A new teaching-with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." This week we remembered the anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision, and we still feel the echoes of that decision today don’t we? The current culture of death and the darkness in our world can become pretty discouraging. I read this week a startling statistic regarding the number of abortions since Roe v. Wade is 58,000,000. 58,000,000, that’s almost ten times Hitler’s holocaust. Add to that assisted suicide is now legal in a half dozen states, and the death penalty remains a blight on a half dozen others. And most people in our culture now feel that these states of affairs are simply a fact of life. The culture of death, as St. John Paul II called it so bluntly, seems to be on the march. Added to the culture of death in our society, is a huge problem with pornography. Statistics show 47% of Christian families said pornography is a problem in their home. I could give you a litany of other statistics about the viewing over the internet that would blow your mind. Suffice to say it is a huge problem in our society. The battle with darkness is real. The need to put on the armor of Christ urgent. The problem is we can easily get discouraged in our faith journey with these day to day burdens. And this can and does often times lead us into despair. But there is hope, and we hear today, that Jesus teaches unlike any other teacher who has ever come, before or after Jesus.
Our opening prayer in Mass today was, “O God who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life… When I think of this feast day there are two virtues out, humility, and obedience. First of all God presents us in our reading with impossible promises to Abram and Sarah. He promises an heir to a couple that cannot possibly produce a child, and when the promise is fulfilled and the child is born to Abraham and Sarah, God ask’s for the life of this child who incidentally the future of the family rest, But through faith and obedience, God spares the life of Abrahams son Isaac. The impossibility of Gods demands had to be so overwhelming for Abraham. I think this tells us our God is a God of surprises. And then if we parallel that to Joseph and Mary, they too thought God was asking an impossible demand upon first hearing what God was asking of them. They in humble obedience rose to accept God’s challenge. In humble obedience they accepted their vocation in life to raise the child Jesus, the Son of God. And similar to Abraham and Sarah God would ask for the life of this child, only this time God would take the child Jesus as a sacrifice for all of our sins. When life presents us with challenges, we can look to a great example on how to persevere. Life is not ever easy; a job loss, death of a loved one, the ill timed loss of our health, a family member who is addicted to pornography, drugs or alcohol. the list can be endless. But in the midst of all these life surprises, if we follow the path of humble obedience to God, he will also bring us many consolations of joys and happiness. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the desolations we go through that we often times miss the gifts God gives us each day. Let us follow the example of the Holy Family of humble obedience. Lets us listen in prayer and in humble adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. And then follow in humble obedience to where he is leading us. The Holy Family can intercede for us. Let the Holy Family be our guide.
Today we recognize that everything we have received , our talents, gifts, resources, all come from God. And just like our faith that each of us has been given, we must share everything given to us from God with others. Today we meet a man who brought back to his master everything he had been given,. He was blamed, not for misusing the gifts he had been given, but rather for not having used them at all. And which of us here could say, in all honesty and truth, that we always do our best to use that which God has given us? Do we not all bury at least some of our talents? Thanks goodness God is merciful and forgiving. As we prepare for Advent in 2 weeks we are called to prepare our hearts and our souls to meet the Lord and give an account of what we have done with the gifts God has given us. The talents in todays gospel is more related to the riches God has bestowed on us in the Grace he has given each one of us. What prevents us from using our talents and resources that God gives us? I think we don’t stop and reflect enough on all the gifts God gives us. So we must begin by coming to a greater awareness of all the gifts God has gives. One of the greatest gifts God has freely given is mercy and forgiveness. As Christians we can’t keep that gift to ourselves. We have to give it away to everyone we come in contact with. I think our ego’s get in the way of granting forgiveness to another human being. Especially if that person has wronged us in some ways. We want to hold on to our anger because we are too proud. As far as our natural talents not being used, I think a big reason we bury those talents is because we don’t believe in ourselves enough. Our insecurities get in the way. We tell ourselves, “I’m not good
Jesus Gospel could not be clearer today about the necessity of preparedness on our part. The Lord reminds us in today’s Gospel from St. Matthew “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Jesus wants each of us who are His followers, His disciples, to be ready and be prepared. He also makes it very clear the price for failing to be ready is very high: “Amen, I say to you I do not know you.” Today's parable of the last judgment that we heard in today's Gospel has many different symbolisms to it. Jesus is the bridegroom in this gospel. Jesus is the fulfillment of all that God has promised to us. He has chosen's as his bride. The virgins of the bridal party represent us, The members of the church. Each one of us on the day we were baptized are called to live lives of holiness and devotion to God until he comes again. This desire for holiness is what is needed to fill the oil in our lamps. If we will fulfill this desire to deepen our relationship with God, he will lead us to the heavenly wedding feast of the lamb at the end of time, that is beyond anything we can imagine.
Don't wait to attend the vineyard of your soul. God has work for us. The Holy Spirit draws us to him and conforms us into the image of Jesus. We need a relationship with Jesus to help conform us into Love.
The message in today's Gospel is that the Lord is so kind and so merciful, our God Is filled with compassion and forgives us for our sins. What matters to the Lord is not the past or even the future success you will have in the world, what matters to God is right now! Why did the owner of the vineyard go back to the market to hire workers? He went back because even as the sun was setting there is much work to be done. Even as your life is coming to an end, God has much work for you to do. It’s never too late to receive the reward of heaven. God is calling on each of us to work in the vineyard. There is much work to be done. Let us come to this table and seek the Lord while He may be found, And call upon him while He is still near. Let us take advantage of the Graced moment that we are about to have here at this altar. Because what we are about to receive is one of the greatest gifts that Jesus can give to us. The gift of his very self. As Isaiah concludes: “for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." So trust in God and put your hope in a God who loves you greater and more profound than anything we can ever understand or fathom. I don’t know about you, but I’m glad Gods ways are not like my ways.
Jesus desires to have a relationship with each of us. He wants us to understand how much he loves us and how aware that she is of each of our needs. He wants to take care of our needs. But he will only do that if we come to him and ask him for help in all of our troubles and situations. The good news today is that Jesus deeply desires that we are in right relationship with each other and with God. What the world needs now more than anything it Is for his children to fully rely on him. Let us come to this altar today and a appeal to our Lord and ask him to help heal all of our differences in our relationships with each other and in the world. The greatest gift that we can give to the world is love. God is love. Let us love one another as Christ has loved us. Let us lay down our lives for each other. Let us forgive each other. Let us come to this table and receive our Lord and ask him to help us in all of our relationships. And most of all our relationship with him. What would you leave at this sacrificial alter when the offertory is brought up as a gift to Jesus before you receive him?
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