TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

7 SEPTEMBER 2025

 

          As Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem, huge crowds are following him.  They have listened to his preaching, especially about the Kingdom of God already in their midst.  They have been impressed with his miracles and the many ways he has expressed the love of his Father to them.  However, he thins the crowd today with his warnings.  He makes it very clear what it means to be an authentic disciple.  He tells them that they cannot be his disciple without “hating” the closest members of their families and even their own lives.  In using that strong word “hate,” Jesus is not talking about an emotion that would tear apart family relationships.  Rather, he uses that word as a hyperbole to indicate one’s preference.  Disciples must put their relationship with him first and love the members of his or her family less.  Knowing that he will be crucified in Jerusalem, he insists that his disciples must carry their crosses.  He uses two metaphors to underline the conditions of discipleship.  A disciple needs to be like a builder, who carefully calculates the costs required for constructing a tower.  Or a disciple needs to be like a king marching into battle, making sure that he or she is prepared for the consequences.  Authentic disciples must be prepared for the costs of discipleship, willing to put the following of Jesus Christ ahead of all possessions.

As we walk with Jesus Christ on our own pilgrimage to the new and eternal Jerusalem, he gives us this same message.  As disciples, we must put our relationship with him at the center of our lives, even above our closest family members and friends.  But we also know from our own experiences that putting our relationship with Jesus Christ as a first priority will transform our other relationships and make them more precious.  We must be prepared to carry difficult crosses as a result of making these preferences and trust Jesus to be the center of our lives.     

Philemon was a disciple.  He was a close enough friend that Saint Paul took the time to write him a letter.  Philemon owned Onesimus as a slave.  The slave’s name spoke of his worth, because the name means “useful.”  We do not know why Onesimus ran away from Philemon’s household.  But we do know that he was breaking the law in running to Saint Paul.  He not only proved to be useful to the old man in prison.  He became a disciple of Jesus Christ when Saint Paul baptized him.  Through Baptism, Onesimus not only became a sacred child of God.  He also became a brother in Christ to all the other baptized members of the Body of Christ.

Saint Paul now sends him back to Philemon with this letter.  He asks Philemon to receive Onesimus no longer as a slave, but as a brother, beloved to both Paul and his owner as a man in the Lord.  He asks Philemon to welcome Onesimus as he would welcome Paul.

We have no idea what Philemon did when his slave returned.  Did he punish him for running away without permission?  Did he beat him in front of the rest of the slaves to warn them not to attempt this same trick?  Or did he accept the request of Saint Paul to welcome him back as a brother in the Lord?  If he did this, he would be carrying the cross of renouncing one of his possessions and even inviting the rest of the slaves to go to Paul and get baptized themselves.  He would be carrying the cross of losing revenue and security.

We might ask the question:  why did Saint Paul not denounce the cruel and inhumane system of slavery?  Even worse, we are horrified at slave owners in this country using Paul as an excuse to continue to enslave human beings.  The truth is that slavery was such an ingrained part of the ancient world that Paul did not challenge it.  Instead, he focused on the transformation of relationships within the unjust system of slavery.  Within the many unjust situations in our society, we too can focus on ways to transform relationships by being disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

24 AUGUST 2025

 

          Saint Luke begins his Gospel in Jerusalem.  Jesus is presented in the Temple as an infant, and Simeon and Anna rejoice to live long enough to encounter the Messiah.  In Jerusalem, at the age of twelve, Jesus is lost in the temple.  His parents frantically look for him for three days until they find him listening to the teachers and asking them questions.  He leaves Jerusalem with his parents to grow up in Nazareth with them.  Saint Luke ends his Gospel in Jerusalem with the death of Jesus on Good Friday, his resurrection on Easter Sunday, and his Ascension.

            That is why it is important to recognize that Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem in today’s Gospel.  He teaches people and invites them to become his disciples to join him on his journey.  That journey will end in Jerusalem, where he will be betrayed, forced to endure an unfair trial, and be crucified like a common criminal.  He answers the question about the number of people to be saved by responding, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.”  He is inviting his disciples, and all of us who call ourselves Christians, to walk the same journey with him and be formed by the journey.  That journey will include sharing his cross and trusting that striving to enter the narrow gate of his cross will lead to his resurrection.

At this time of the year, parishes are resuming the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. That is happening here.  Those who have never been baptized or those who have been baptized in another Christian denomination will begin the process of becoming disciples of Jesus Christ.  There are four parts involved in this process.  Participants will live in love within a community.  They will be engaged in listening to the Word, not only at Mass but also in their sessions.  They will learn how to participate in outreach and service.  If they persist in OCIA, they will worship God in spirit and truth. 

These four aspects are part of the journey of faith for each of us.  We continue to learn to live in love within this parish community.  We are engaged in hearing the Word of God every Sunday, or every day if we come to daily Mass.  We are constantly challenged to become more involved in the outreach and service of our parish, especially in reaching out to the poor and marginalized.  When we gather for Mass every Sunday, we worship God in spirit and truth.

As all new Catholics will learn, and as we ourselves have learned, walking with Jesus on this journey and being formed by it is not easy.  We encounter arguments and disagreements within the family of the Church.  We can suffer from ill treatment at work, when we choose to buck a system of doing what is minimally required and pour ourselves into what we are supposed to do.  Young people can be treated unfairly by teachers or coaches.  Friends can betray us.  When we choose to participate in the veiled humor of racist language or the gossipy rumor going around, we will share in the cross of Christ.  Sharing in the cross of Christ is part of our being formed by our journey with him.

The author of the Letter of the Hebrews is aware of the sufferings that disciples must endure as we are formed by our journey with Jesus Christ.  The author urges us to regard our crosses, our failures, and our disappointments, and our pain as “the discipline of the Lord”.  The Letter argues that the Lord loves us and strengthens our resolve as disciples to continue our own pilgrimage with Christ to the New and Eternal Jerusalem.  Referring to the question asked of Jesus today, we need not worry about how many people will be saved.  Instead, we can focus on our own response to follow him and strengthen our resolve to strive to walk as Jesus did, knowing that encountering his cross will be a definite part of our journey with him.                       

 

 

NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

10 AUGUST 2025

 

          Jesus responds to his disciples, to his “little flock,” because they are afraid.  He turns their attention away from the world’s concerns and encourages them to focus on a treasure that is permanent and cannot be taken away.  Our first reading from the Book of Exodus gives an example of God’s faithfulness.  God promised the Israelites that he would free them from slavery in Egypt and give them a Promised Land.  It took them forty years, with many difficulties and trials.  But they kept their eyes fixed on that treasure and by faith finally achieved it.  Our second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews gives the example of Abraham.  God had promised him the treasure of his own land and numerous descendants.  In faith, Abraham left his homeland and settled in the land that God had promised.  In faith, he never lost sight of the promise of many descendants, even though both he and Sarah were well beyond childbearing age.  In faith, he continued to trust the treasure of descendants that God had promised, even when obeying God’s instruction to sacrifice his only son seemed crazy.

            Jesus encourages his little flock to maintain that same hope.  He has been teaching them that he would be rejected by the religious leaders and be put to death on a cross.  He tells them to keep their eyes on the treasure of a resurrected life that cannot be destroyed.  As the Letter to the Hebrews tells us, Isaac was only a symbol of what would happen in Jesus Christ.  Unlike Isaac, Jesus would actually give his life in sacrifice, promising that those who die with him will also rise with him.  Even when Jesus will be taken from his little flock, they cannot be discouraged.  They must wait in joyful hope for the treasure that awaits them.

            Jesus gives three examples of how faithful people prepare for the treasure promised them, especially during uncertain times.  He gives as his first example servants preparing for a master to return from a long journey.  At the end of time, or at the end of our individual lives, we can maintain confidence in the Lord by living as faithful servants.  Instead of living in fear and dread, we are expected to be good servants, good stewards.  We prepare by engaging in prayer, serving the poor and those who depend on our help, and welcoming those who come into our midst.  If we prepare like humble servants, then we can expect the master to do for us exactly what he had done at the Last Supper.  He will sit us down at table, wait on us, and wash our feet, as he washed the feet of his disciples.

            The second example is that of a prepared householder.  We do not know the time of the Lord’s coming either at the end of time and at the end of our lives.  But he will come like a good thief.  The good thief will look for the many ways we are active in building up the Kingdom of God, even in the midst of so much discouragement and opposition.

            Third, he calls us to be faithful people.  Instead of sitting around worrying about so many things out of our control, we need to be faithful in pursuing our responsibilities.  Parents are most faithful when they carefully attend to the growth of their children.  Parishioners are most faithful when we continue to pray together, serve each other’s needs, and continue to meet the needs of those who come to us from the margins of society.  We have work to do with the parish, friends, family, community, and where we work.

            Like Abraham, like the Israelites in the desert, and like Jesus himself, we must maintain the virtue of hope.  Pope Francis knew what he was talking about when he assigned that virtue to this Jubilee Year.  In a world which disappoints us and frustrates us in so many ways, we can continue our journey to the new and eternal Jerusalem if we maintain the virtue of hope in our lives.  Faith is indeed the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.

 

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

27 JULY 2025

 

          The disciples of Jesus ask him to teach them how to pray.  In response, he teaches them the “Lord’s Prayer.”  It is not the Lord’s Prayer that we know so well from the Gospel of Saint Matthew.  Saint Luke’s version is shorter and centered more on the present, with God’s name hollowed, the kingdom come, the daily bread we receive now, and the forgiveness that we receive and are expected to give to others. 

            To explain this prayer, he tells the parable of a man who knocks on his neighbor’s door in the middle of the night asking for three loaves of bread.  The neighbor finally opens the door and grants his request because of his persistence.  The Greek word which Saint Luke uses is even stronger.  The neighbor complies because his friend is completely shameless.  Not even his neighbor’s resistance can stop him from asking for what he needs.

            We see this same persistence in the first reading from Genesis.  Abraham is persistent as he shamelessly begs God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah, where his nephew Lot and his wife and two children live.  Abraham knows the wickedness of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He knows their complete lack of hospitality and their sexual offenses.  But he asks God to recognize the innocent people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  If you have ever traveled to the Middle East, you can recognize what Abraham is doing.  He begins by asking God to spare the cities if there are at least fifty innocent people.  In Middle Eastern markets, the merchant sets a large amount for a purchase.  The buyer barters with him at the lowest amount, until they come to an agreement.  When I was on my Sabbatical 25 years ago, I bought stuff at the markets in the West Bank.  I was terrible at bartering, because I viewed the process of bargaining as an angry argument.  However, another priest in our group knew exactly how to barter.  I came to realize that in their back and forth bartering, they were entering into a relationship.  Once the purchase was complete, the merchant often invited the buyer to have a cup of tea with him.

            Abraham is not bartering with God.  Instead, he enjoys an intimate relationship with God that allows him to be shameless in his speaking.  He is aware of God’s mercy, especially in God’s merciful gift of a son to him and Sarah in their old age.  In his shameless conversation, he is trying to find at least ten innocent people.  But he learns that there are only four innocent people.  In the course of speaking with God, he learns that God’s mercy is always tempered by God’s justice.  Sodom and Gomorrah must face the consequences of their inhospitality.

            Jesus encourages us to be persistent, to be shameless in asking, in seeking, and in knocking.  That is the way we need to pray.  However, we have also learned from our experience of praying that we do not always receive what we ask.  We do not always find what we seek.  The door that we keep knocking on is not always opened for us.  That is why authentic prayer demands that we remain grounded in our relationship with God and trust that our persistent and shameless prayers will eventually be granted in ways that we do not expect.

            Jesus promises that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask.  As Saint Paul reminds us, we entered the tomb of Jesus Christ when we were drowned in the waters of Baptism.  We emerged to share in his resurrection and receive that gift of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will never disappoint us as we attempt to live the Paschal Mystery.  Just as the shameless and persistent prayer of Jesus himself in the Garden of Gethsemane was finally answered in the resurrection, we can trust that God will give to us whatever we need as we persist shamelessly in prayer.

 

 

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

6 JULY 2025

 

          Saint Paul tells the Galatians that he bears the marks of Jesus on his body.  The Latin word for marks is stigmata, the source of our English word “stigma.”  The Galatians could have understood those marks as tattoos, like those emblazoned on slaves in their day.  But Paul was never a slave.  Or they could have connected those marks as scars that soldiers bore on their bodies when they returned from war.  They were signs of wounds inflicted on them in a battle.  Certainly, Saint Paul had born wounds on his body from the stoning he received in Lystra or from the many beatings inflicted on his body.  They certainly had left a mark.  Today, some readers of Scripture interpret those marks as stigmata in his hands and feet from the wounds of Jesus on the cross, like the ones which Saint Francis or Padre Pio received. 

            We may not have tattoos or battle scars or the physical wounds of the crucified Christ on our physical bodies.  However, we have been marked in two ways.  We were marked first by the Lord Jesus when we were baptized.  The Lord wrote our names in the palm of his hand and claimed us as his own.  We were marked with the sign of the cross, which we carry throughout our lives, allowing us to drink fully from the abundant milk and goodness of the Lord.

            The second mark is one recorded in eternity.  Jesus tells the 72 disciples returning from their successful mission that they can “… rejoice because their names are written in heaven.”  In giving this mark, Jesus echoes a Jewish tradition of a ceremony on the Day of Atonement.  When families participated in this annual sacrifice, the priest would write their names in the “book of life.”  Jesus indicates something similar has happened to us.  Because we bear his mark, our names are recorded in the heavenly book of life.

            We too have received these marks, passed on over the centuries to us.  He sends 72 of his disciples out on a mission, walking two by two.  Instead of taking a lot of stuff, they are simply to proclaim peace (shalom) as a sign of the kingdom of God.  He predicts that some people will welcome this gift, while others will reject it.  As sheep in the midst of wolves, they may even be mistreated.  But his peace will remain with them.  We continue to receive that peace as a result of the mission of those original 72 disciples.

            Like those original disciples, the Lord has just spoken to us in his Word.  He will feed us with his Body and Blood.  Then we will be sent out of this Mass on the same mission.  In our parish, we already see this mission being accomplished.  Members of our Saint Vincent de Paul Society go out two by two every week to meet the needs of the poor.  They may take food.  But the more important gift is the peace of the Lord Jesus.  Our soup kitchen feeds people in the neighborhood three times a week, not just giving soup and sandwiches, but giving the peace of Jesus Christ.  Deacon Mel and I are considering the offer of 466 Works to begin building affordable houses in our neighborhood, hopefully bringing Christ’s gift of peace.

            Both the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and the soup kitchen can use more volunteers.  If our parish decides to be part of 466 Works, we will need more volunteers.  I would argue that the Lord offers these specific missions to us this morning.  Jesus gives the same message to us that he gives to the original 72: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.”  Whether we step forward to be part of these parish missions or not, each of us are sent from this Mass to proclaim peace and the good news that the kingdom of God is at hand.  “Peace” was the first word Jesus spoke to his disciples after the resurrection.  “Peace” was the first word of Pope Leo after he was elected.  Peace is the gift all of us can give.  We don’t need lots of stuff.  We need to convey peace through our words and actions.  Our names are written in the book of life in heaven.

 

SAINTS PETER AND PAUL

29 JUNE 2025

 

          The Solemnity we celebrate is about an “odd couple.”  Peter and Paul were very different from one another.  More than likely, Simon had no formal education.  He probably spent his teenage years working in his father’s fishing business on the Sea of Galilee.  His first encounter with Jesus occurred after a fruitless night of fishing.  He must have been impressed with this preacher, because he loaned his boat to Jesus, so that he could preach to a crowd on the shore.  In spite of his objections as a professional fisherman, he followed the instructions of Jesus and put out his boat to fish again.  To his amazement, he hauled in such an incredible load of fish that he abandoned his occupation and became a follower of Jesus of Nazareth.  During his three years as a follower of Jesus, he came to believe that Jesus was truly the Messiah, the Son of God.  Jesus included him with James and John in the most important events of his ministry.  Jesus rewarded his faith by changing his name to Peter, which means “Rock.”  He promised to establish his Church on the rock of Peter’s faith.  In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter preferred to be in the company of Jews who believed in Jesus Christ.

            In contrast, Saul of Tarsus had a formal education.  Schooled by the Rabbi, Gamaliel, he became a dedicated Pharisee familiar with all the aspects of the Law of Moses.  Saul had never met Jesus of Nazareth.  But, he encountered the risen Lord on the road to Damascus.  Blinded by that encounter, he was led to the house of Ananias, where he was baptized and became a disciple of Jesus Christ.  He spent three years in Arabia before returning to Jerusalem to meet with Peter and the other disciples.  As Paul, he became the Apostle to the Gentiles, spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ in his missionary journeys throughout the Mediterranean Sea. 

            These two giants of our faith not only were very different personalities, but they also disagreed with each other.  In the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Luke reports that Paul was not afraid to confront Peter on the issue of eating with Gentiles.  Their different personalities and roles built up the Body of Christ.  In iconography, Saint Peter is pictured holding a set of keys, symbolizing the authority given to him by Christ.  Saint Paul is pictured holding a sword, symbolizing the two-edged sword of the Word he preached.  Ultimately, both gave their lives over to Jesus Christ in Rome:  Peter by crucifixion and Paul by the sword.

            What both of them held in common was their sinfulness.  Instead of always being the rock, Peter often became a stumbling block in blurting out his unreflective thoughts.  He became a huge stumbling block when he denied knowing Jesus three times in the courtyard of the high priest.  Saint Paul participated in the execution of Saint Stephen, the first martyr.  He was on his way to Damascus to arrest and execute the disciples of Jesus Christ there.  Because they both gave over their sins to the Lord, his mercy allowed them to be more effective in their ministry.  Especially in the midst of their weaknesses, they knew that the Lord was working through them.

            These two giants of the faith give us great hope in this Jubilee of Hope.  We are part of a Church where there are many differences and arguments and personalities.  We are aware of our own sinfulness and the failings of the current leaders of our Church.  Just as the Holy Spirit worked through them, the Holy Spirit can work through us.  Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!

 

 

THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

22 JUNE 2025

 

          In writing to the Corinthians, Saint Paul hands on what he has received from the Lord.  In using those words, “to hand on,” he uses the root word in Latin, “traditor,” literally to pass on from hand to hand.  Our English word is “tradition.”  Saint Paul is giving to the Corinthians and to us the most sacred and important tradition which we have:  the celebration of the Eucharist.

            To understand this tradition, there are at least six key points for us to consider.  First, when we celebrate the Eucharist, we recall the dramatic events of the Last Supper, the night of the betrayal of Jesus by one of his closest friends.  Whenever we partake of the Eucharist, we participate in the Lord’s passion and death.  Second, the foundational elements of the Eucharist are bread and wine.  These elements recall Melchizedek’s offering in the first reading.  They are the everyday staples of the Mediterranean diet.  It is through these ordinary means that he sustains his presence among us.  Third, there is a thanksgiving performed by Jesus.  The Greek word for thanksgiving is eucharisteo, which gives rise to our common name for this sacrament, the Eucharist.  Fourth, the bread is symbolically broken.  This action sustains the memorial of Christ being broken for us on the cross.  Fifth, the whole celebration is a remembrance ritual.  In this ritual, Saint Paul says that the Corinthians are not just recalling some event which happened a long time ago.  Instead, the remembering is a participation in the singular event of the Last Supper and the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Finally, the elements of which they participate are identified as the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, signifying the new covenant which Jesus has forged with God.

            This is exactly what we will do in a few minutes, depending on how long I go on and on.  We will take gifts of bread and wine, along with the gift of our sacrificial tithe.  In the name of this assembly, I will pray the Eucharistic Prayer, giving thanks, praising and thanking the Father for the sacrifice of Jesus made present in our liturgical remembering (in Greek, anamnesis).  Then, we will pray the Lord’s Prayer, exchange a sign of peace to signify our intention to be reconciled with one another, and I will break the consecrate Host, during the singing of the Lamb of God.  Finally, we will give the real presence of the Lord in the form of bread and wine, as we come forward singing the Lord’s praises as members of this Eucharistic Assembly.

            We recognize these four actions in the miracle of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish in Saint Luke’s Gospel.  After the Twelve complained that it was impossible to feed a crowd of five thousand people with so little, Jesus takes the bread and fish, gives thanks to the Father for his faithfulness, breaks, and then feeds the entire crowd.  In feeding this crowd, Jesus is instituting a new exodus.  In the exodus from Egypt in the wilderness of Sinai, God fed the people with manna.  Manna was not to be kept, except on the Sabbath.  In this New Exodus, the leftover fragments are to be picked up and placed into twelve wicker baskets.  We, who are the Church built on the foundation of the twelve apostles, continue to be fed and connected through the Eucharist with the Paschal Mystery until the end of time. 

            Saint Augustine reminds us that we who are fed on the Body of Christ become the Body of Christ.  On this Solemnity of Corpus Christi, we give thanks for this greatest Mystery given to us.  We are also reminded of Abram’s response to the blessing of Melchizedek.  In gratitude, Abram gave a tithe of ten percent of his wealth to Melchizedek.  In his gift to us, Jesus Christ gives his entire self out of love.  We, the Body of Christ, can also give generously of ourselves in gratitude to those who need our assistance, nourished by the Lord’s self-giving gift on the cross.

 

THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

15 JUNE 2025

 

          Today’s Gospel speaks of a tender moment between Jesus and his disciples.  Jesus and his disciples know that things are tense for them in Jerusalem.  The authorities want to put an end to the work of Jesus, most likely in a violent manner.  This causes a shadow of worry to hang over the disciples.  They have so much more to learn, so much that they do not understand.  They want their relationship with Jesus to continue.

            Jesus acknowledges their concern and says, “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.”  He too wants the relationship to continue.  Over the three years they have traveled together, he has grown close to them because of who he is.  He is the Second Person of the Trinity.  He is God.  God is love.  Love is being in relationship.  As the Second Person of the Trinity, he promises to send the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will come as the Spirit of Truth and will guide them to all truth.  The Holy Spirit will connect them with the Father, with whom Jesus and the Holy Spirit have an intimate bond.  His words fulfill the Book of Proverbs.  The wisdom of God is Trinitarian:  One God in three distinct Persons, an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.       

            Throughout the course of ninety days, we have entered more deeply into the saving action of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  We spent forty days preparing to renew our baptismal promises, knowing that we have failed to live them many times.  We spent three days in the Sacred Paschal Triduum celebrating the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Then we spent forty days rejoicing in the victory of the resurrection, culminating in the Mystery of the Ascension.  We completed the Easter Season last Sunday with the Feast of Pentecost, assuring us that the same Holy Spirit given to the original disciples is given to us.

            Today we reflect more deeply on the Mystery of the Trinity.  We attribute to the Father the work of Creation, to the Son the work of redemption, and to the Holy Spirit the work of sanctification.  But in making those distinctions, we become more aware that the Trinitarian God has been involved in all of those works.  As Saint Paul reminds us, we have been justified by faith and given the gift of peace.  Because of the action of the three Persons in One God, our faith allows us to boast in hope of the glory of God.

            Pope Francis has designated this Holy Year as a Year of hope, a virtue which we need desperately in our broken, fractured, and violent age.  Confronted with so much evil in the world and so many divisions, it is easy to give up and retreat into our safe places.  As Saint Paul says to the Romans, the wisdom of the Triune God allows us to boast of our afflictions.  No matter how heavy our crosses may become or how dark the way we must walk may appear, the wisdom of God remains in us a strong belief that our afflictions will produce endurance.  Saint Paul himself boasted of his afflictions, because they allowed him to endure so many obstacles in his travels.  His afflictions helped the persecuted Church in Rome to endure the persecutions and suffering with hope.  Saint Paul promises us that our endurance will produce proven character also.

            At the highest level of being, there is perfect love and absolute communion in three distinct and different Persons.  At our level of being, we know painfully well that we do not have perfect love and that our differences often cause divisions.  But, we cannot lose hope, which does not disappoint.  We have been created, redeemed, and sanctified so that we can eventually share the perfect love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in eternity. 

 

 

PENTECOST SUNDAY

8 JUNE 2025

 

            Today we hear two different versions of the gift of the Holy Spirit.  In the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Luke presents the Holy Spirit given to the disciples of Jesus on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, celebrated fifty days after the Passover.  Faithful Jews would travel from all around the Mediterranean Sea to celebrate the giving of the Law through Moses on Mount Sinai.  They would recall the display of God’s might in the strong driving wind.  They would speak of the signs of God’s presence in the burning bush calling Moses to lead his people out of slavery.  They would remember God leading his people through the desert in a pillar of fire.

            Saint Luke places the giving of the Holy Spirit on the fiftieth day after the Passover of Jesus from death into resurrected life.  Luke connects the giving of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem with the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai.  The disciples are in one place where a noise like a strong driving wind fills the entire house.  Tongues as of fire appear and come to rest on each of them.  They receive the gift of the Holy Spirit that fulfills all the expectations of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.  Instead of being unable to communicate at the Tower of Babel, they speak so that Jews of every nationality and language can understand them.  The gift of the Law had guided the twelve tribes of Israel in their passing in the desert from slavery into freedom. The gift of the Holy Spirit now guides all who have come to believe in the Lord’s passing from death into life.  It is the birthday of the Church, built on the witness of the twelve apostles. 

            In the Gospel, Saint John describes the giving of the Holy Spirit in a different way.  The disciples lock themselves in one place out of fear following the death of their friend and master.  On that first day of the week, the risen Lord has appeared to Mary Magdalene, who had come to the tomb in the darkness of that morning.  On that same day, he breaks through the locked doors in the darkness of the evening.  Instead of yelling at them for abandoning him in his darkest hour, he gives them the gift of peace.  Transformed in the resurrection, he shows them his hands and his side, bearing those same wounds of his crucified body.  When they recognize him, he gives them the gift of peace again.  Instead of a mighty wind, he breathes on them and gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He sends them out in the power of the Holy Spirit to give that same gift of peace and mercy to all whom they will encounter. 

            On this fiftieth day after we have celebrated the Passover over of Jesus Christ from death into life, we are given the same gift of the Holy Spirit.  As the Pentecost Sequence assures us, we too are connected with the Father of the poor to reach out to the poor.  In our labor, the Holy Spirit gives us rest in our labor, coolness in the heat, and solace in the midst of woe.  The Holy Spirit is truly our blessed light divine, healing our wounds, renewing our strength, and washing the stains of guilt away.  The Holy Spirit bends our stubborn hearts and wills, melts the frozen and warms the chill.  The Holy Spirit guides the steps that go astray.

            The Holy Spirit can accomplish these incredible actions through us if we are willing to surrender ourselves and be open to the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives.  Jesus fulfills the Law of Moses by giving his entire life for us and by commanding that we love God and neighbor as ourselves.  That law is both very simple and very demanding, requiring the gift of ourselves in the service of others.  We can love others as Christ has loved us.  In the process, Christ loves us in living his law.  Ask anyone who has ever participated in a twelve-step program.  Despite our weakness, our brokenness, and our attraction to sin, we can do this!  But we can do it only in surrendering to the power of the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit.  Fill the hearts of the faithful.

 

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD

1 JUNE 2025

 

          Today we hear two accounts of the Ascension from Saint Luke.  In the second account we heard, Saint Luke brings his Gospel to its conclusion.  He has given his account of passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  He has described the scene at the empty tomb when the two men dressed in white ask the women, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead?”  He has told us of the two disciples who encountered the risen Lord on the road to Emmaus and how they have recognized him in the breaking of bread.  He has described the meals eaten by disciples with the risen Lord after his resurrection.  Now he leads his disciples out to Bethany, as Moses had led his people out of slavery and into freedom.  He is taken up to heaven away from their midst.  They return to Jerusalem with great joy.  Saint Luke’s Gospel account of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord and Savior, is now complete.

            Saint Luke’s other account of the Ascension is what we heard as the first reading today.  It is the beginning of his second volume, the Acts of the Apostles.  He tells us that the risen Christ has been physically present to his apostles for forty days.  This symbolic number indicates that there has been a sufficient period of time to prepare those who had witnessed the Easter event for the mission of the Church.  He reminds them of the kingdom of God which he has established and tells them to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Prompted by the Holy Spirit, the work of the Church will begin.  Then he is taken from their sight.

            The Ascension is an integral part of the Paschal Mystery, along with the death of Jesus Christ, his resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit.  This Paschal Mystery is at the heart of everything we believe as Christians.  A mystery is a reality that we cannot fully understand.  That is why artistic representations of mystery can be helpful.  An interesting painting of the Ascension pictures the twelve apostles looking intently up to heaven.  There, the physical body of Jesus has disappeared in a cloud, symbolic of God’s mysterious presence.  However, the apostles can see the feet of Jesus, with the wounds of the nails of his crucifixion clearly present.  Although Jesus is taken up to heaven to reign in glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, he is present to us.  We are invited to walk with him on our feet to share his majesty and power and to go eventually to where he has gone.  That is why those same two men dressed in white ask a similar question, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?”  They are assuring the apostles that the Lord will be present to them, and that they should walk with him as they wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to begin the work of the Church.  They are the Body of Christ, sharing Christ’s power and glory.  But, that power is not like the power of the rulers of this earth.  The rulers of this world rely on force and other intimidating methods to secure their power.  It is the power of the crucified and risen Lord, supporting their efforts to exercise the power of love as humble servants.

            The risen Lord is present to us, who are his Body.  He is truly present to us in the Sacramental life of the Church.  He speaks to us in the Word we have just heard.  He feeds us with his Body and Blood in this Eucharist.  He sends us out of this Church to walk with him and reveal the presence of his kingdom in the humble ways we share in his power and glory.  Like those first apostles, we wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit next Sunday on the Solemnity of Pentecost.  If we are open to this new outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, then we too can produce good fruits in a world that badly needs them.

 

 

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

25 MAY 2025

 

          Jesus is speaking to his disciples at the Last Supper.  He is trying to prepare them for his betrayal, death, and resurrection.  What we hear today is known as his “farewell discourse.”  In bidding farewell to them, he assures them that they will not be alone after his physical departure.  He tells them not to be troubled or afraid, because the Father will give the gift of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will be present to them.  Jesus leaves them with the gift of peace – not the peace the world gives, but the gift Jesus himself gives.

            The world thinks of peace in terms of an absence of conflict.  The peace that Jesus gives is much more profound and does not avoid conflict, pain, or suffering.  In fact, Jesus exhibits that peace when he is betrayed, faces an unjust trial, is crucified, and enters death.  His peace comes from his intimate relationship with his Father.  We can see that peace in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles.  The early Church faces its first great conflict, as it grows beyond its Jewish roots to include non-Jews.  For their entire lives, Jews were careful about avoiding certain foods.  According to the law of Moses, all males were circumcised.  To avoid contamination, they avoided all contact with non-Jews.  When the Jewish Christians hear that Paul and Barnabas have been baptizing gentiles, they insist that they must follow the Law of Moses.  In this huge controversy, the peace of Christ does not keep them from arguing among themselves.  Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, the gift of peace enables them to decide.  Gentile converts are not required to follow the Law of Moses.  However out of charity for the sensitivities of their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ, they should restrict their freedom by not buying meat at the market that had been sacrificed to idols, from any kind of blood, meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. 

            This same gift of peace is given to us.  It does not prevent arguments or pain or suffering.  However, that the gift of peace establishes a close relationship with the Father.  If we are open to the workings of the Holy Spirit, the gift of peace gets us through some very difficult situations.  Over the years, I have come to be grateful for that gift in my life.  When I was ordained, I had thought that the most difficult promise would be my promise to be a celibate for the rest of my life.  Instead, the most difficult promise has been the promise to respect and obey the Bishop and his successors.  Every time I have kept that promise, moving from one assignment to another has been terribly difficult.  When Bishop McManus moved me from being chaplain at Marian High School to being pastor of Saint Paul of the Cross in Columbia City, I was crushed.  I did not know what pastors did, and living in a small town was a challenge.  I knew it was not very smart to tell parishioners that I did not want to be there.  So, I pretended to be happy.  At the end of my first year, I helped to paint the rectory.  Up on a ladder painting the gable, I looked down to see all the men painting the rectory and doing the trim work.  The women and the kids were setting up tables for a homecooked meal, complete with a barrel of beer.  I accepted the gift of Christ’s peace and served the rest of my pastorate with gratitude and enthusiasm.

            The first reading gives a vision of the new heavens and new earth after the end of time.  The vision gives very precise information about the heavenly Jerusalem.  In the vision, there is no temple, which would have been the center of Jerusalem, where people would have recognized the dwelling of God in their midst.  There is no temple in the new and eternal city of Jerusalem, because inhabitants will see God face to face.  That vision is a promise that we will see God face to face, because we have a personal relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit now.  This is the peace which the world cannot give!

 

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

18 MAY 2025

 

          If you have gone on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the vision of a new heaven and a new earth in today’s reading from the Book of Revelation takes on new meaning.  The vision speaks of the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  The old city of Jerusalem is a remarkable place.  In the year 2000, I spent four months living and studying in the town of Bethany, now in the occupied West Bank.  We would study in the morning and be free to do whatever we wanted in the afternoon.  I spent almost every free afternoon going to the old city and exploring its wonders.

Its narrow streets take visitors through the different quarters of the city:  the Arab, the Jewish, the Christian, and the Armenian Quarters.  Each has its own character and its own food and drink.  The city can be traced back to the days of King David, where kings and prophets and priests lived and had their impact on the city.  Jesus himself was present in the Temple, now occupied by the Islamic Dome of the Rock.  Pilgrims can pray in a number of ancient churches, especially the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built over Calvary and the empty tomb.  However, the city will be transformed at the end of the world.  In the new Jerusalem, people can walk through the Damascus Gate without having their pockets picked.  In the new Jerusalem, there will be more regular garbage collection.  In the New Jerusalem, Arab kids will not be throwing stones at armed Jewish soldiers. 

This image is proclaimed as good news by Paul and Barnabas in the Acts of the Apostles.  In their travels, they preach first in Jewish synagogues, where they are usually thrown out.  Then, they witness the faith to the Gentiles.  They strengthen, console, and uplift the members of the newly formed churches.  They promise that death is not the end for those who believe in Jesus Christ.  They promise transformation, just as the risen Christ was transformed.  They promise that death will not destroy all those positive qualities possessed by believers in life.  Like the new Jerusalem, there will be no more suffering, no more sin, no more conflict, and no more death.

At the Last Supper, Judas leaves the room to betray Jesus.  In that dark hour, Jesus proclaims to his disciples that the Son of Man is glorified NOW, and that God is glorified in him.  Jesus trusts that his Father will transform his horrific suffering and death into victory.  Knowing what will happen, Jesus gives a new commandment.  He commands that they love one another, as he has loved them.  He has spent three years revealing the presence of the Kingdom of God through miracles, teachings, and quality time together.  He has just washed their feet, as humble servants would wash feet.  He will give his life completely out of love for them. 

At this Memorial of the Last Supper, he gives the same command to us.  The command is simple.  He doesn’t tell us to participate at Mass every Sunday.  He doesn’t command us to work as a parish to bring in new members or to participate in parish ministries.  Of course, all of these are good and necessary.  As simple and straightforward as his command may be, it is demanding and difficult.  This command involves dying to ourselves.   It can involve suffering humiliation rather than attacking another.  It might involve listening to a political opponent and showing love and respect instead of biting his or her head off.  It might mean being kind to someone who has betrayed us.  It can involve giving a helping hand and a real, personal friendship to the homeless, migrants, non-Christians, the disoriented or those confused by mental illness, or to those who have been mocked or turned away by others.  If we can love as he has loved us, all will clearly know us as his disciples, just as many came to know Paul and Barnabas as his disciples.

 

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

11 MAY 2025

 

            The Book of Revelation presents for us a vision of God’s ultimate triumph.  A huge multitude from every nation, race, people, and tongue worships God in his temple.  There are so many people that no one can count them.  They have survived the time of great distress and hold palm branches in their hands, signifying their ultimate victory.  Their white robes indicate their interior disposition.  They stand before the one who has saved them:  not a powerful lion or a mighty bear, but a humble lamb that has been slain.  Their robes have been washed in the blood of the lamb, who will shelter them forever.  They will not thirst or hunger anymore.  Nor will the sun or any heat strike them.  The lamb will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water.  God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Jesus promises this ultimate victory in the Gospel.  He speaks in the temple on the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple, known today as Hanukkah.  He does not speak like the priests who had been responsible for the desecration of the temple some 200 prior.  They had been too busy taking care of themselves instead of caring for their flock like good shepherds.  Instead, he speaks from the perspective of the Maccabean martyrs who died to drive out the pagan rulers from Jerusalem, leading to the purification and rededication of the temple.  Because of the sacrifices of the Maccabees, the people are gathered together as one flock.

            Jesus identifies himself as the good shepherd who is one with the Father.  He knows each of us by name and has invited us to follow him.  He promises the eternal life, the vision given in the Book of Revelation.  The Good Shepherd will become the lamb slain on the cross, defeating the power of death and sin by entering into it and being raised from the dead.  As we continue to reflect on the Lord’s resurrection during these fifty days of Easter, we double down on our intention to imitate the sacrificial love of the Good Shepherd in our lives.        

            Because Good Shepherd Sunday falls on Mother’s Day this year, we give thanks for our mothers and for those who have been like mothers to us.  Mothers, at the heart of your vocation is the call to imitate the Good Shepherd and lay down your lives for the sheep entrusted to your care.  Of course, you know them by name and make daily sacrifices for their welfare.  On behalf of all of us, thank you.  May the Good Shepherd strengthen you in your vocation.

            Good Shepherd Sunday also falls on this time of transition for our Church.  We express our gratitude for the many ways that Pope Francis laid down his life during the last twelve years for us, the sheep of his flock.  He always insisted that we priests, who see ourselves as shepherds, must walk with our sheep and know the smell of our sheep in this messy and dangerous world. 

            We also give thanks to God for the gift of our new shepherd, Pope Leo XIV.  May the Lord strengthen him in his new ministry and guide him to serve the Church as Bishop of Rome.  We pray for him, as we do when we pray every Eucharistic Prayer.  The name he has chosen as Pope provides guidance for us.  Pope Saint Leo the Great was the Bishop of Rome in the fifth century.  He used his diplomatic skills to serve the Church and to save the city of Rome from the attack of Attila the Hun.  Pope Leo XIII served as the Bishop of Rome at the end of the nineteenth century.  His Encyclical Rerum et Novarum addressed the plights of ordinary working people who suffered in the Industrial Revolution as wealthy titans ignored their rights.  He encouraged workers to form labor unions as a means of receiving just compensation.  His encyclical became the foundation for the Popes of the twentieth century as they developed Catholic Social Teaching.  May the Holy Spirit guide Pope Leo XIV as leads the Church in addressing the challenges of today’s technological revolution.

 

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

4 MAY 2025

 

            When Simon Peter climbs on shore and sees the charcoal fire, could he be thinking of another charcoal fire?  The one burning in the courtyard of the high priest?  As he was warming himself around that fire while Jesus was being tried by the Sanhedrin, he had denied three times that he knows him.  He deeply regrets those denials.  The risen Christ brings them up when he asks Peter three times if he loves him.  He asks three times not to rub salt into Peter’s wounds, but to heal him.  He asks, because he knows that Peter is deeply sorry for his sins.  Jesus continues to invite Peter to be the leader of his Church by inviting him to feed his lambs, tend his sheep, and feed his sheep.  I would have said, “You blew it, Peter.  I am appointing John to lead my Church.  I always liked him better anyway!”

            Not Jesus!  He has always invited flawed human beings to be in positions of authority in his Church.  It is interesting to reflect on this Gospel as the College of Cardinals gathers in the Conclave on Wednesday to elect the next successor to Saint Peter.  It is true that the successor of Saint Peter has the gift of infallibility when he makes a definition about a dogma in union with his fellow bishops.  However, individual popes have always been fallible human beings.  Eamon Duffy has written Saints and Sinners, A History of the Popes.  It is an interesting book to read, because he tells the story of outstanding and holy popes.  But he also describes those popes who were corrupt and far from holiness. 

            When he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict said this about the Conclave of Cardinals gathered to elect a new pope: “I would not say … that the Holy Spirit picks out the Pope, because there are too many contrary instances of popes the Holy Spirit would obviously have not picked.  I would say that the Spirit does not exactly take control of the affair, but rather like a good educator, as it were, leaves us much space, much freedom, without entirely abandoning us.  Thus, the Spirit’s role should be understood in a much more elastic sense, not that he dictates the candidate for whom one must vote.  Probably the only assurance he offers is that the thing cannot be totally ruined.”  When he says that “The thing cannot totally be ruined,” he is alluding to the Gospel of Saint Matthew.  Jesus calls Peter the “Rock” upon which he will build his Church.  He promises that the gates of hell will not prevail against it.  The Holy Spirit has clearly been guiding the Church over the last 2,000 years.  Duffy’s book proves that Jesus Christ has clearly kept his promise.  The thing cannot totally be ruined!

            During my lifetime, there have been several conclaves.  Each of them has given us holy and dedicated men called to be successors of Simon Peter.  Each pope has brought his own gifts and personality to the papacy.  Pope John XIII brought a sense of humanity to the papacy and surprised everyone by calling the Second Vatican Council.  Pope Paul VI had the difficult task of completing the Council after John’s death and always looked sad.  Pope John Paul I brought many smiles to the job and lasted only a month.  Pope John Paul II was a philosopher and an extravert who attracted large crowds to hear him.  Pope Benedict was an introvert and a brilliant scholar and teacher who seldom spoke off the cuff.  Pope Francis was a pastor who cared deeply for his flock, especially those on the peripheries.  He never hesitated to talk off the cuff, sometimes causing people to roll their eyes and wonder what he was talking about.  As a pastor myself, I do that all the time!

            Be sure to pray for the Cardinals as they enter into the Conclave on Wednesday.  Pray that they remain open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  We wait together for the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel.  No matter who gets elected, the Church will be fine.

 

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

27 APRIL 2025

 

          Saint John reports that the disciples of Jesus had locked themselves the upper room on that first day of the week for fear of the Jews.  He is not singling out a race of people when he uses the word “the Jews.”  Unfortunately, too many people over the centuries have read the Gospel incorrectly and have promoted anti-Semitism.  He refers to the religious leaders at the time of Jesus.  The disciples are afraid of that group, because they had been responsible for executing their master in a most cruel way.  They feared that they would be next.  But, there is one particular Jew that they fear:  Jesus himself!  If the reports from the women are correct, Jesus has been raised from the dead.  They could be very much afraid of him, because they had let him down so badly.  The one who had called them to be his disciples and who had loved them so faithfully and fearlessly for three years has gone through a horrible ordeal.  In his most desperate time of need, they had run away and abandoned him.  Surely, he would express his anger and disappointment when he would confront them.

            The risen Christ breaks through their locked doors of fear.  He shows them the wounds in his hands and feet to help them identify him.  Instead of berating them for abandoning him in his darkest hour, he wishes them peace.  Two times, he says “Peace be with you.”  On the following Sunday, he gives the same gift to Thomas, moving him from doubt to the most profound profession of faith in the Gospels: “My Lord and my God.”

            Christ’s resurrection is not only powerful for them.  It remains powerful for us, in at least three ways.  First, he gives us that same peace.  Like those original disciples, we live in a divided and dangerous world.  We too are tempted to lock ourselves up out of fear and spend all of our energy worrying about what will happen next.  Through the resurrection of his Son, the Father offers us a peace that the world cannot give.

            Second, the scars of the Son are very important.  In his resurrected body, he is not recognized by his closest disciples.  But in those awful wounds, they see the one who has loved them so much.  He made himself so vulnerable that he allowed soldiers to pierce his hands and feet with nails, and to pierce his side with a lance.  The disciples now understand that they too can be vulnerable.  Even though they had abandoned him and failed him in so many ways, the Holy Spirit sends them on mission, not as perfect ambassadors, but as men and women with weaknesses and flaws.  Today, as we pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis and wait as the cardinals enter into the conclave to elect his successor, we see the divisions and wounds in our Church.  But the Holy Spirit still works in our wounded Church and our individual wounds.

            Finally, the Holy Spirit gives mercy to us.  As Catholics, we understand this passage as the first indication of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Not only does Jesus Christ give the peace of his Father to his first disciples.  Through the Sacrament, he forgives our sins and reconciles us with the Father when we fail to live our baptismal promises.  We call today “Mercy Sunday,” not only because the risen Christ gives mercy to each one of us, but also because we are expected to extend that same mercy to those who have betrayed, abandoned, and hurt us.  He pushes us out of our locked doors of guilt to bring that mercy to others.

            The risen Christ speaks to us when he says to Thomas and the other disciples: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”  We have not seen the transformed body of the risen Christ as they did.  But we experience his risen presence when we hear him speaking to us in the Word.  We encounter him in the breaking of bread and the sharing of the cup.  He sends us from this Mass to spread the good news of the resurrection to a fearful and divided world.