December 19, 2010. Homily, December 21, 2010

Luke 1:39-47

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said,, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

"The Lord is with thee" meaning the God of her fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, of Joseph, of David is with her. She must respond to Gabriel, the able-bodied one, the hero of God, the angel who stands before God. She is alone in her response, And her only support is the narrow will of God, and her readiness to believe, and her readiness to obey.

When my grandson Tucker was a babe in arms (say 8 or 9 months), my daughter Jessica his mother was standing next to me. Tucker was wearing corduroy overalls and I was wearing a corduroy sports jacket. Tucker took his overall cloth between his forefinger and thumb, rubbed it and then looked at me, telling me that he was wearing the same cloth as I. Communication of an abstract thought by one who could not speak; so too John, a babe in his mother's womb leaped for joy when he heard Mary's greeting. John "the forerunner" prophesying Jesus; the word "Jesus" means "God saves".

December 11, 2010. Homily, December 12, 2010

Matthew 21:28-32.

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, "What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' The son said in reply, 'I will not,' but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him."

Joe Wilkes, my first boss, head of maintenance in my father's plant. Whenever there was an emergency, spilled acid, a broken press, the call would go out to Joe, "Joe, there is an emergency, can you come right away to Building 3?" And Joe would always answer "No." As he explained to me, "Whenever anyone asks for your help, always say 'No,' for if you say 'No,' you can always say 'Yes' later, but if your say 'Yes,' then what can you say." The benefits of low expectations, the promise of less than your capabilities, for that leaves room for you to perform and to exceed.

This is a gospel of Matthew and Matthew was a tax collector.

Mary Magdalene, the herald to the Resurrection, was a prostitute.

This is the shortest parable in the Gospels.

It was directed at the chief priests and the elders who were likened to the second son, who verbally agreed to follow God's will but actively did not. Sinners, as symbolized by tax collectors and prostitutes, refused to do God's will at first and flouted His law by the lives they led, but many of them ultimately repented at the preaching of John the Baptist, changed their lives and turned to follow Jesus. Jesus thus indicates that God prefers the humble who realize their mistakes and seek to correct them to the proud of heart who will not accept God's initiative in their lives.

While God's love and support are always there for us and he always invites all sinners to repent, the passage is a reminder that we cannot rest on our laurels and assume that a good life in the past will save us. As children of God, we must continues o grow in the love of the Lord each and every day and keep that love relationship alive and strong.

December 8, 2010. Homily, December 11, 2010

Mt. 17:9a, 10-13

As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" He said in reply, "Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

The Gospel of the Lord.

John the Baptist would preach "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

Whoever believed his words and repented of their sins, John baptized in the river Jordan, that is, he immersed each one in the water while placing his hands on the head of the baptized. Therefore, John the Forerunner was called the Baptist. In the process, John required of everyone that the repentance be sincere and the correction in oneself be accompanied by good works.

The Pharisees were proud of their descent from Abraham, praised themselves for fulfilling the Law, and considered themselves worthy to enter the Kingdom of Christ the Messiah. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead and in the future life. To these people John said, "Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" — that is, who told you that you by your own power could escape the anger of God and eternal punishment in the future life? "Bring forth fruits worthy for repentance. And think not to say within yourselves: we have Abraham as our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Remember, every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire."

Hearing these words, the people asked him, "What shall we do then?"

John answered, "He that has two coats, let him impart to him that has none; and he that has food, let him do likewise," — that is, first of all, do good.

Then, publicans, or tax collectors, came and asked, "Master, what shall we do?" The publicans collected taxes for the Romans. The Jews hated the power of the Romans. Besides that, several of the publicans collected more than was proper and oppressed the people. The Jews despised all the publicans and considered them unworthy to enter the approaching Kingdom of Christ. John said to them, "Exact no more than that, which is appointed you."

The soldiers also asked of him, "What shall we do?" It often happened that the soldiers, dissatisfied with their wages, took property that belonged to other people, treated poor people badly, and accused other people for their own profit. John said to them, "Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages."

Many then wondered if John was Christ the Saviour, but John explained that he was not the Christ. "I baptize you with water," he said, "but after me One mightier than I is coming," — that is, soon after me will come He for whom you wait — Christ, "the latchet of Whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose;" — that is, I am unworthy to even be His servant to take off His shoes for Him. "He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire;" — that is, the baptism which He will give will burn up your sins like fire and give you the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The holy Prophet John preached to many others, teaching the people who came to him.

In a very mysterious way, Jesus says to us today: «John is this Elijah, whose coming was predicted. Let anyone with ears listen!» (Mt 11:14-15). What does he mean? He wants to make it clear to us that John was his true forerunner, who carried out the same mission as Elijah, according to the belief, which people at that time had, that the prophet Elijah was supposed to come back before the Messiah.

December 6, 2010. Homily, December 8, 2010.

Luke, 1:26-38:

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, that Mary was born without original sin, thus preparing her to be the Mother of God.

Inn the Garden of Eden, Eve was tempted by the devil in the form of a serpent and disobeyed God by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; she tempted Adam who also ate. Both were expelled from the Garden of Eden. We do Bible Studies in 6th Grade of CCD. I ask my class, "Is that fair?" Those who say "Yes" say God only gave them one rule, why is that so hard to obey. Those who say "No" say they should have received another chance. To which we answer, the second chance is what the whole rest of the Bible is about.

In this Church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, we have a stained glass window dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. It is the first window on the right, my left, directly behind the Blessed Sacrament Chapel where the Host is kept. The center panel shows Mary Immaculate with the serpent crushed beneath her foot. Beneath is the heraldic shield of Pope Pius IX who governed the Church for 32 years, the second longest time after Peter. The panel to the left has the ship of the Church, Papal Infallibility. When the pope speaks ex cathedra, from his Chair he is infallible. He has only done that once, on the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 1854, 100 years before the cornerstone for this Church was laid. Pope Pius IX also convened the first Vatican Council in 1869, broken up in 1870 when Garibaldi conquered the Papal States.

Gabriel: God's able-bodied one, or hero of God.

David was the ancestor of Joseph. David was also the ancestor of Mary.

Mary said "Yes" overturning the sin of Eve, who on the Devil's urging disobeyed God the Father and ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - original sin.

There have been many aberrations of Marian piety, and we need to stay close to the authentic tradition. St Ambrose gave it luminous expression in his comment on this passage. "Every soul who has believed both conceives and generates the Word of God and recognises his works. Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you to magnify the Lord. Let the spirit of Mary be in each one to exult in Christ."

Compare Mary's visit from the angel Gabriel with Zechariah's visit from the same angel Gabriel [My name is Gabriel. I stand before God.] Mary a humble young virgin in her home. Zechariah a priest of the Jewish faith in the Temple charged with responsibility for the holy of holies, the sanctuary, the Tabernacle. While Mary believes, Zechariah doubts and is struck dumb for his impertinence.

December 6, 2010. Homily, December 7, 2010.

Matthew 18:12-14

Jesus said to His disciples: "What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost."

The Gospel of the Lord.

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. [For the Son of man is come to save that which is lost.] What is your . . . . "

How valuable are we to the Lord. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Lk 21:18. (An assurance of the most special providence over all Christ's disciples.)

Nothing is more astonishing than the care and concern of God for His followers.

God the Father does not want to lose any one of us, even any part of us, so that He [and His guardian angels, the angels in heaven] watches over us and will bring us with Him to heaven to be with Him to the end of time.

Christ will lead us through sufferings, to glory with Him.

Everything that is ordered is a creation of God.

November 28, 2010. Homily, November 30, 2010.

Mt. 4:[12]18-22[23].

[Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled.

"Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,

on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles --

the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,

and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death

light has dawned.'

[From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."]

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.

[Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.]

The Gospel of the Lord.

Israel is in three provinces, stacked south to north, Judah, Samaria, and Galilee.

Judah has Jerusalem with its Temple in its southern portion.

Samaria is a province where its inhabitants had intermarried with the local pagans.

The people in Samaria, cut off from the Temple of Jerusalem, were seen as living in darkness and a spiritual void.

James and John, brotherS, each with a fiery temper, hence Boanerges, Sons of Thunder.

November 25, 2010. Homily, November 27, 2010.

Luke 21:34-36.

Jesus said to His disciples: "Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Only two things are certain: death and taxes.

And we also know, or think we know, that no one gets off this earth alive.

What is our response to agnostics (do not know if there is a God or is not); atheists (deny that God exists)? Well, for atheists, there is no hope.

How does one comment on this Gospel? Jesus was talking at end of days, before His Passion, death and resurrection. Before that time, before the resurrection, there is no hope. Where do we look for hope? Let us look back at the readings of Thanksgiving. Paul to the Corinthians. Paul 's version of Jesus is all after the Resurrection, so that Paul's writings are all of hope: Paul says in Romans, If there is no Resurrection, then all our preaching is in vain. We preach the Resurrection so that we can say, "O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?"

Paul, 1 Cor. 1:3-9.

Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you await for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable of the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The word of the Lord.

November 23, 2010. Homily, November 24, 2010.

Sir. 50:22-24

And now bless the God of all, who everywhere works great wonders, who fosters our growth from birth, and deals with us according to his mercy.

May he give us gladness of heart, and may there be peace in our days in Israel, as in the days of old.

May he entrust to us his mercy, and may he deliver us in our days.

Ps. 138:1-5

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise.

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.

On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth.

They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.

1 Cor. 1:3-9

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind -- jut as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you -- so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful: by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lk. 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice, fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God? Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you."

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Pope John Paul II addressed the World Youth Council in Canada and told them: No man is so poor that he can not give to another, no man so rich that he cannot receive from another.

When we are baptized we are baptized "Priest, Prophet, King." Priest so that we say our prayers; prophet so that we preach the Word of God; King because kings are generous.

What is the opposite/antonym of "Love"? Is it "Hate"? No, it is "Selfishness". The opposite of "Love" is "Selfishness".

My soul magnifies the Word.

My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

For He has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.

Behold, henceforth, all generations will call me Blessed.

For the Lord has done great things for me.

And Mighty is His name.

His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.

He has shown the strength of His arm.

He has scattered the proud in the privacy of their hearts.

He has taken down the mighty from their thrones.

He has elevated the lowly.

To the hungry He has given all manner of good things.

The rich He has sent empty away.

In His mercy He has kept His promise to His servant Israel.

The Word of the prophets to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

November 11, 2010. Homily, November 23, 2010

Luke 21:5-11.

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here -- the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."

The Gospel of the Lord.

This is the last week of the Liturgical Year. In this last week we contemplate the end of things. This Gospel has Jesus teaching on the destruction of the Temple. There was but one Temple for the Jews. The Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. It has never been rebuilt. To destroy the Temple was to destroy the identity of the Jewish people.

Father Dowling teaches, "To the ancient Jewish mind, time was divided into two ages, the present age and the age to come. They regarded the present age as so evil and corrupt due to human sinfulness and intransigence that it was beyond the pale of human rectification or divine redemption. God's only option, they concluded, was to destroy the present age and to start all over from scratch. The age to come they pictured as an idyllic time in which God's rule would reign supreme and Jewish nationalism would finally triumph. The transition between the two ages, however, would involve a frightful period called the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord would entail unimaginable personal suffering throughout the world and widespread destruction of nature and property on an epic scale. It would mark the death throes of the present age and the labor pangs of the age to come."

The reading is from the the Book of the Prophet Daniel where Daniel interprets the dream of Nebuchadnezzar who dreamt the collapse of a mighty statute made of precious metals, with the head of gold, the chests and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of bronze, the legs of iron, the feet of iron and tile. The statute was struck by a mighty stone, the statute crumbled, and the stone expanded to become a mountain and then to fill the earth. The interpretation was that the gold, silver, bronze parts of the statute represented kingdoms to follow Nebuchadezzar until God would set up a kingdom that would last forever.

We are reminded of the words of Percy Bysshe Shelley:

I met a traveller from an antique land

Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,

Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown

And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.

And on the pedestal these words appear:

`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,

The lone and level sands stretch far away".

November 10, 2010. Homily, November 16, 2010.

Luke: 19:1-10

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short of stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I hall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today, salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Zacchaeus was the principal tax collector for Jericho. Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world. In the time of Zacchaeus it was situated on the main trade route between the East and Egypt, at a ford in the Jordan River used for crossing over from Egypt into Israel on the way to Jerusalem. Jericho was also a resort city where the rich spent the winters, and it had an abundant supply of water. As the chief tax collector for Jericho, Zacchaeus took a part of every business transaction that touched Jericho; he was sitting on a gold mine. Today, Jericho is one of the territories governed by the Palestinians, and is a dry dusty waste of a city with but one comparatively wealthy resident, a Jewish lady doctor who tends the people.

The Son of Man has come to seek and to save what is lost.

Saint Margaret of Scotland (1046-1093), the ideal mother and queen, eight children.

A "descendant of Abraham" is one who puts one's faith completely in God.

What is the opposite of "love"? Is it "hate"? No, it is "selfishness". Those who love others are generous to those others.

The word "house" is a word oft-used by Luke, important to Luke, and thus also important to Jesus.

Zacchaeus was lost and was found by Jesus.

Book of Revelation: letter to the angel of the Church of Sardis - "However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; they will walk with me dressed in white because they are Worthy." Letter to the angel of the Church in Laodicea - "Those whom I love I reprove and chastise. Be earnest therefore and repent."

November 11, 2010. Homily, November 13, 2010

Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told his Disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "there was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just verdict for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just verdict for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Feast Day of Frances Xavier Cabrini, our local saint whose image is a mosaic on a wall upstairs, born in Italy in 1850, the youngest of 13 children. in 1880, at 30, she established the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart; by 1887, many schools, orphanages and hospitals in Italy; in 1889, Pope Leo XIII, known for his encyclical on Capital and Labor, Rerum Novarum, and whose name is in a stained glass window in our Church upstairs. asked her to come to the United States where at first speaking no English, and for 28 years, she worked establishing schools, orphanages and hospitals, eventually 67 in the Unites States, and more in Argentina, Brazil and Nicaragua, in an era mostly before commercial airplanes, radio and television. She died in Chicago in 1917. St. Cabrini Home originally an orphanage and later an old age home. purchased from the Jesuits whose founder was St. Ignatius Loyola and her namesake St. Francis Xavier, sold because there was no water to a little nun who could hardly speak English, who brought in pipe drillers, told them where to drill and found plenty of water. The Mother Cabrini girls marching band marched in our Pelham Memorial Day Parade last year, Memorial Day 2009.

We start with the question is, who is asking whom for justice. Is it us asking God for justice? Whatever we ask of God, it is the same, that we know God and have the strength to follow His way.

Or is it God asking us to recognize Him and follow Him. Is it us bothering God or is it God bothering us? Is it us calling out to God Day and night? Or is it God calling out to us day and night. For God knows what we need from Him, what we ask of Him as we need it and before we ask it. If we are asking of God day and night, is it now that we are unable to see what God has given us and what God asks us to do with his gifts to us?

Lord Jesus, make us resist temptation

Christ Jesus, and when troubles come, give us endurance

Lord Jesus, but when things go well, may we remember to give you thanks.

November 4, 2010. Homily, November 9, 2010.

John 2:13-22.

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace." His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica.

Scourging the Temple had messianic overtones. Malachi had foretold the coming of the Messiah in terms of God sending his messenger who would suddenly enter the Temple and purify the sons of Levi, the priests, so that acceptable offering could be made. The Temple officials recognized at once the significance of Jesus' actions and immediately challenged his authority by asking for a sign. The Jews regarded the Temple itself as a sign of God's presence, so Jesus used allegory to indicate that he himself is the sign. Allegory is a form of speech that uses imagery to communicate on more than one level. But Jesus [destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up] was speaking not of the massive 46-year-in-the-building stone structure but of his body. And the sign of his authority from God which he alludes to will be his resurrection from the dead. which was God's ultimate seal of approval.

November 2, 1010. Homily, November 2, 2010.

All Souls' Day

John 6:37-40

Jesus said to the crowds: "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me, And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day."

The Gospel of the Lord.

The above Gospel follows "my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

Will we each be saved? Catholic doctrine is: If we do not turn our back on God, then God will raise us up with Him on the last day. We will live with Him eternally in heaven.

Some early theologians, such as Clement of Alexandria and Origen in the 3rd-century, Gregory of Nyssa in the 4th, St Isaac the Syrian the 7th, held that all will in fact be saved. St Augustine came out strongly against it.

Hans Urs von Balthasar, one of the greatest of 20th-century theologians, wrote a book entitled ‘Dare We Hope That All Will Be Saved?’ His answer, in brief, was that we not only dare to hope, but we are obliged to hope, that all will be saved. “[after the parable of the lost sheep] It is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost” (Mt 18:14).

October 27, 2010. Homily, October 30, 2010.

Luke 14: 1, 7-11

On a Sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and so the host that invited both of you may approach you and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone that exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

The Gospel of the Lord.

October 24, 2010:

Luke 18:9-14.

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector, The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.' I tell you the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

The Gospel of the Lord.

One title used by St. Augustine and St. Benedict and also used by Pope St. Gregory the Great is "servant of the servants of God".

Everyone here in this room is a child of God. Each is valuable. When I would sum up in criminal cases, I wanted to emphasize the value of each member of the jury. So I would explain how 12 persons could decide a complicated criminal case with no experience and no notes. I said 12 acting together could remember a whole trial while one acting alone could not And then I would predict that during deliberations each would contribute knowing that when me prediction came true, they would all remember my prediction and from that my argument. Similarly each one of you is here for your individual reason and for your communal reason. And each during the meal will be raised up individually and communally - each in humbling himself will be exalted.

October 24, 2010, Homily, October 26, 2010.

Luke 13:18-21

Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.

Again he said, "T what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Use Mother Teresa, 1910-1998: in 1946 riding a train back to Calcutta from a retreat, was watching the slums and heard a voice commanding her to help the people in the slums of Calcutta. She exchanged her habit for a white sari with blue piping, started a school, in 1950, she had 12 followers, by 1998 when when she died the Missionaries of Mary had over 4000 in 12 countries and today over 5,000 in 1123 countries. Mother Teresa is the mustard seed; inn 50 years she had spread her campaign throughout the world, Something Beautiful for God, the title of Mellencamp's autobiography of Mother Teresa. 3 measures of flour is 50# with kneading the while batch may be leavened

Lex orandi, lex credendi = the rule of prayer, the rule of belief.

the rule of prayer may establish the rule of faith

the way you pray and how you pray shows what you believe

pray as if it all depends upon God and work as if it all depends upon you

The rule of faith is the word received; the Liturgy is the word expressed.

Liturgy confirms and deepens faith.

what you exhibit externally reflects what you believe internally.

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: if you don't behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave.

Practice what you preach.

Laborare est orare: work is prayer.

The Word of God became a zygote, scarcely visible to the naked eye. He was born a helpless infant. His first visitors were not religious and state dignitaries but simple shepherds from the hillside. If the entry of the Word of God into human history was so humble and simple, it is not surprising that the Kingdom of God should also begin with the smallest and the most humble. The mustard seed is very tiny, but it grows into a mighty shrub. The pinch of yeast can raise three measures (about fifty pounds) of dough. To discern the Kingdom of God we need close vision, and action close to hand – not big theories and acrimonious talk.

October 24, 2010, Sunday Homily, October 24, 2010.

2 [Paul] Tim. 4:6-8

Beloved: I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.

We have Paul in our Church represented carrying his scrolls, in the mosaic facing us on the wall behind the altar.

Luke 18:9-14.

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector, The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.' I tell you the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Beloved: I am already being poured out like a libation, I am at the point of dissolution, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. I await now my merited crown in heaven, certain that the Lord, the just judge, will grant it to me as he will to all, who await with hope for his appearance.

A parable is a vessel made of words into which we pour who we are and we pour out what we need.

So today, the parable is directed "to those who are convinced of their own righteousness and despised every one else." Already we know that those who think in that manner are not following the greatest commandment, that we love the Lord our God with our whole hearts and souls, our whole minds and strength, the Shema which the devout Jew prayed every day, and the second which is like the first, that we love our neighbor like ourselves. And then when the Pharisee prays, the parable says "he took his position". When you are invited take a lower position so that in case one more important is invited you are not asked to move down lower but instead take a lower position so that the host may say to you, "My friend, come up higher."

And when he prayed, he did not pray to God but instead "spoke this prayer to himself". Even so, God heard him for we have this parable and besides although the Pharisee lists his good deeds, they are already known to God just as this "prayer to [the Pharisee] himself" is known to God. And then a further violation, now of the stricture, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." "O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and I pay tithes on my whole income." And the Pharisee is judged for all time: for whoever exalts himself will be humbled. In contrast, the tax collector, the despised servant of the conquering Romans, "stood off at a distance", "would not even raise his eyes to heaven", "beat his breast" and prayed not to himself but to God, "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus tells us that the tax collector, who humbled himself, in the temple before God, went home justified.

October 21, 2010. Homily, October 23, 2010

Luke 13: 1-9.

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they ere greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you that if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!"

And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in this orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, "For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?" He said to him in reply, "Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it my bear fruit in the future. If not, you can cut it down."

The Gospel of the Lord.

This is about untimely death. My class-mate Don Pillsbury on our 50th anniversary class masthead even though he is deceased six months. We know his death was untimely because he was in my college class.

The genesis of these stories in the first part of this Gospel seems to be that Pilate wanted to build an aqueduct to bolster Jerusalem's inadequate water supply and to finance the project from monies taken from the Temple treasury. The Jews gathered to demonstrate and to protest; Pilate's soldiers mingled with the protestors. When the protestors grew unruly, the soldiers sought to put down the unruliness; violence ensued, and some of the protestors were killed and more injured.

Pilate pressed ahead with his aqueduct; one of the towers collapsed and eighteen workers were killed.

To become a deacon one goes through formation. As part of formation, each of the persons studying to be a deacon is to write an autobiography explaining the genesis of his desire to become a deacon. My submission started with the words of the parable from this Gospel:

There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in this orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, "For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?" He said to him in reply, "Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it my bear fruit in the future. If not, you can cut it down."

I then continued. I am that fig tree. And continued, that I had been exposed to the Church from my grandmother, my mother, my uncle the priest and my aunt, the nun. Each had pressed me to follow in the way but I had refused. I kept refusing until finally I decided that the Church needed me, I would accept, and then let the administration of the Church reject me. But God interfered to protect me and to encourage me through the 58 years before I applied, my acceptance, the four years of formation, the class work, the administration of the Diaconate, and on to my ordination. I am that fig tree, the ground around me cultivated, fertilized, until I bore fruit to follow in the way of the Lord. I am that fig tree.

Posted by Daniel Murphy at 4:09 PM 0 comments

October 17, 2010. Homily, Tuesday, October 19,2010.

Luke 12:35-38

Jesus said to His disciples: "Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second [10 PM to 2 AM] or third watch [2 AM to 6 AM] and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants."

The Gospel of the Lord.

You know neither the day nor the hour.

We are all students and servants of the Lord. As Christians who share in the fullness of revelation made known in Jesus Christ, we have a serious obligation to lead lives distinguished by love of God and love of neighbor.

There is an interesting twist: when the master returns and finds the servants awake, Jesus says, he will serve them, reversing the roles of master and servant. The Son of Man came, we remember, “to serve and not to be served” (Mt 20:28; Mark 10:45).

October 10, 2010. Homily, October 12, 2010.

Luke 11: 37-41

After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal. The Lord said to him, "Oh, you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms and behold, everything will be clean for you."

The Gospel of the Lord.

As my grandmother got to be about my age now, and I was 13 and 14, I would stay at her house while my grandfather was away on trips. Sadie Johnson was my grandmother's cook and what a great cook Sadie was. When we would sit down for dinner, my grandmother would ask, "Dan, have you washed your hands?" And too often I would reply, "No, Grandma." And she would say, "Dan, a gentleman always washes before dining." Some things stay with you, and that has stayed with me. At Calvary, it helps remind me to cleanse my hands before I enter a patient's room and after I leave, for infection in a hospital is most commonly spread through one's hands.

The dietary and cleansing routines set forth in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, are health advisories, intended for the prevention of diseases. But here "The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal." The Pharisee did not observe Jesus washing. But the Pharisee did not ask, as my grandmother would ask me, whether Jesus had cleansed himself; instead whether Jesus had cleansed himself so that the Pharisee could observe him doing so. And since Jesus had not acted so as to be observed, the Pharisee was wandering into the error our parents caution us against, "Judge not lest ye be judged." And Jesus was judging the Pharisee for what Jesus as God can observe, the Pharisee's inner self. That inner self is what Jesus has come to heal, it is our unloving and ungenerous thoughts, no matter what our appearance may be to those looking at our surface.

O wad some Power the giftie gie us,

To see oursels as ithers see us!

Oft-quoted lines from Robbie Burns. If you are not familiar with Scottish dialect: he prays that some Power would give us the gift to see ourselves from the outside. What do you think? – Would it be a good thing?

“Give for alms those things that are within.” What does this mean?

That inner source where forgiveness arises must be a pure source, with no hidden poison in it. Cyril of Alexandria wrote, “Christ shows that those who sincerely serve God must be pure and clean…from what is hidden inside the mind.” If that source is pure, then we will not be secretly injecting poison into all our thoughts and actions. Then, as Jesus said, “everything will be clean for you.”

October 6, 2010. Homily, October 9. 2010.

Lk 11:27-28

While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!’

The human being is both flesh and spirit. When the woman in today's Gospel called out to Jesus "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you", she was emphasizing the physical aspect of the human being. The word "Hebrew" as in "the Hebrew people" is derived from the Hebrew word "hebiru" meaning "wind" or "spirit". Jesus in responding to His Hebrew audience "Blessed rather are the those who hear the word of God and obey it", emphasizes the spiritual aspect of the human being. Jesus came to heal the sinful, nourish the spirit, and show the way to eternal life. His Passion was His crucifixion, death and resurrection. He stayed on earth after His Resurrection for forty days and then ascended into Heaven. His Ascension made room for the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit who came and abides with us to help us understand that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus shows us the way to eternal life.

Meister Eckhart said, "The whole of Christendom pays our Lady great honour and respect because she is the bodily mother of Christ, and that is right and proper…. And if Christendom pays her such honour, as indeed is fitting, nevertheless Christendom should pay even greater honour and glory to that person who hears God's word and keeps it…. All that honour, and immeasurably more, is accorded to that person who hears God's word and keeps it…. The Father of heaven gives you His eternal Word, and in that same Word He gives you at once His own life, His own being and His Godhead: for the Father and the Word are two Persons but one life and one being undivided…. In this light…the Father knows no difference between you and Him and no precedence, any more or any less than between Him and His Word. For the Father and yourself and all things and the Word itself are one in this light.”

September 30, 2010, Homily October 5, 2010.

Luke 10: 38-42

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "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."

The Gospel of the Lord.

These past four days my wife Deann and I have been babysitting our four grandchildren in New Jersey. The youngest is our grandson Tucker five years old. Tucker asked Deann, "Grandma Dee, why am I a boy?" Deann just looked at him speechless, and Tucker added, "I know that you are going to tell me that 'I am a boy, because God decided to make me a boy.' But why does God make all the big decisions?"

This Gospel answers that question. Martha asks, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?" And Jesus by His answer show that He does care. First, He addresses her by her name "Martha" and again "Martha". To address a person by their name show that one cares. And then Jesus shows that He has observed Martha: "you are anxious and worried about many things". And to observe a person shows that one cares.

Then Jesus says,

"There is need of only one thing." What is that "one thing". the lead-in to the Gospel says "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." That suggests the answer.

Then Jesus says, "Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her. "[t]the "better part of what"? "[T]he better part of what [whole}." The whole is to hear the word of God and to observe it. When we hear the Word of God we inhale, and when we observe the Word we exhale. We inhale the Word and exhale the works. Benedict's "Laborare es orare". Work is prayer.

September 26, 2010. Tuesday, September 28, 2010.

Luke 9:51-56

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he went messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

The Gospel of the Lord.

James and John, sons of thunder, Boarges.

However, we read, "But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village" ( Luke 9:55, 56). Let's think about a few things we learn from this incident.

First, God does not desire that anyone be lost. God wants all men to be saved and so he is patient, kind, and longsuffering. God is desirous that men repent and live. James and John's request to bring down fire upon these Samaritans was out of character with God's desires for man's salvation.

Second, attitude plays a key role in preaching the gospel. Jesus said of James and John, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." Their attitudes were not right. They should have been seeking to forgive these Samaritans instead of condemn them.

Third, we must realize that Satan is the enemy, not other men.

Job: why is light given to the toilers and life to the bitter in spirit.

Jesus is patient with those who do not accept him.

September 21, 2010, Homily, September 25, 2010.

Luke 9:43b-45.

While they ere all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, "Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men." But they did no understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

The Gospel of the Lord.

How lonely he sounds.

"[I]ts meaning was hidden" but revealed in Friday's gospel: the Son of Man must suffer greatly, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, be killed and on the third day be raised from the dead.

At Fort Dix in a chapel reading of the Passion, a 2nd grader calls out, "Where were the marines?"

To lie is to look away from the truth, because I'm afraid of it. Lies are evasions for the sake of comfort. Lies are afraid of nothing so much as the truth, because it has power to destroy them.

September 20, 2010, St. Matthew, September 21, 2010.

Matt, 9:9-13:

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I do not come to call the righteous but sinners."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Jesus invites Matthew, a tax collector, to follow him.The extent of the grace of God's spirit which calls a tax collector who collects taxes on behalf of the Roman occupier from the subservient Jewish inhabitants. Tax collectors were despised and branded sinners for their line of work. Rome did not collect the taxes itself but instead decided how much it wanted form a given district and then leased out the contract to the highest bidder. The collector would then collect the taxes plus his bid plus his profit.

Jesus made clear he came to save all people. Discipleship no longer depends on genealogy but on each person's faith response.

The name 'Matthew" means "gift of the Lord".

Mark and Luke call Matthew by his Jewish name "Levi". Mark also calls Matthew "son of Alphaeus". James was also son of Alphaeus, so that James and Matthew might have been brothers.

When called by Jesus, Matthew stood up at once "leaving everything behind" Lk. 5:28.

The "[eating] at table in his [Matthew's] house" with "many tax collectors and [other] sinners" is called the"feast of friendship".

September 13, 2010. Homily, September 14, 2010.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

John 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus: "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 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."

We exalt Christ's cross whenever we take it up, filled with the certainty that the ultimate meaning and fulfillment which we crave in life comes to us through this unending event. "With the cross we are freed from the restraint of the enemy and we clutch on to the strength of salvation." (Saint Theodoras, the Estudite). For salvation means escape from our own inability. At the same time, "we cannot produce or give any other fruit," writes Saint Catherine of Siena, "but the fruit we have taken from the tree of life." No wonder that "the sign of the cross makes kings of all those reborn in Christ" (Saint Leo the Great).

The two verses that are generally regarded as the most successful in summing up the Gospel message (John 3:16-17): "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."

caduceus symbol: a serpent on a pole/the wand of Mercury/the symbol of medicine.

light by which we can be judged.

September 7, 2010. Homily, September 11, 2010.

Luke 6:43-49

Jesus said to His disciples: "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person our of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Sirach's straightforward advice to his contemporaries was they couldn't from a valid assessment of others until they had an opportunity to hear them speak. A satirical updated version of the same found on the Internet puts it this way: Light travels faster than sound. That's what many people seem bright until they open their mouths.

For Jesus actions served as far better indicators of character than words because he knew well how actions could belie one's words.

St Augustine: “Let us not be lazy or content with the surface. Let us dig more deeply until we come to rock: ‘The rock is Christ’ (1 Cor 10:4).”

"Every tree is known by its own fruit. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good." How does that goodness come to be stored in a believer's heart? Through "the cup of blessing" that is "a participation in the blood of Christ" and "the bread that we break" which is "a participation in the Body of Christ."

September 6, 2010. Homily, September 7, 2010.

Luke 6: 12-19.

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve whom he also named Apostles: Simon whom he named Peter and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew [Nathaniel], Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be cured of their diseases, and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

The Gospel of the Lord.

"Jesus departed to the mountain to pray." A mountain is good place to pray. We live here in a place named for a mountain, "Calvary", the mountain on which Jesus dies, in order for Him to conquer death and rise again. This "Calvary" is a good place to pray.

An "apostle" is one sent forth on a mission, one sent forth to preach the Gospel.

At the end of Mass, the priest or deacon says, "The mass is ended. Go in peace." Originally, the dismissal was in Latin, "Ite, Missa est." which means "Ite" or "Go", "missa est" means "the message has been completed" or "Go and preach the completed message which you have heard."