December 28, 2011 Homily, January 3, 2012

Holy Name of Jesus

John 1:29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known in Israel." John testified further, saying "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me. 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

The Gospel of the Lord.

The story of the kite, the kite's jealousy of the high-flying eagle the eagle and the hunter. The kite gave the hunter the kite's own good feathers to use to shoot the eagle until the kite could no longer fly and the hunter shot the kite.

There is a difference between envy and jealousy. Envy is dissatisfaction with what belongs to us and coveting what belongs to another. We can envy people for their looks, their possessions or their relationships, wishing we could take their place. Jealousy, on the other hand, is the fear that what is ours may be lost to another. Both envy and jealousy rob people of their inner peace as they devise ways to eliminate the person they perceive as standing in the way to their personal fulfilment.

Looking at the way things are in our world today, it would seem that envy and jealousy are normal human traits. But the example of John the Baptist shows us that true personal fulfilment and greatness lies not in how we may compare with others but in how faithful we are to our God-given roles in life.

How many people like to hear that the person who succeeded them is doing better than they did? Nobody. Here John is a rare example. John started the Kingdom of God movement. Jesus succeeded him as leader of the movement after Herod imprisoned John and had him executed. Yet whenever John speaks of Jesus he speaks of Jesus as better than him. He describes Jesus as the bridegroom and himself as only his best man (John 3:29). Notice how he introduces Jesus to his own disciples in today’s gospel:

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me” (John 1:29-30).

As a result of this endorsement, two of his disciples left him and followed Jesus (verse 37). These were the first disciples of Jesus according to John’s Gospel. John summarised his whole attitude to Jesus in one statement: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Why is John so content and satisfied with playing the second fiddle rather than vying with Jesus for the limelight? It is because he knows exactly the reason for him being in the world. He knows why he came into this life: “I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel” (John 1:30). Because he knows why he is here, John can tell when he has done his bit. He can tell when it is time to hand the baton to another. Why did you come into the world? What is God’s plan for your life? If you do not have a personal answer to this question, chances are that you will spend your life chasing after everything and nothing, in a rat-race of envy and jealousy with those you perceive as better than you. Instead of living and working in harmony and cooperation with others, people who do not know the reason for their being are often driven by rivalry and competition.

But look at the flowers in the field. Some are shrubs and some are herbs, some are red and some are white, some are yellow and some are blue; yet all of them are beautiful. The poinsettia, the daffodil, the rose, all are beautiful because they have their different purposes. As we come to the long period of Sundays in ordinary time marked by the liturgical colour green, let us have John the Baptist before us as a great example of what it means to be ordinary. Fact is, there is much greatness in being ordinary. Even though John felt he was not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals, Jesus did turn round to say of him, “Among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11).

December 24, 2011. Homily, Tuesday, December 27, 2011

St. John the Evangelist

John 20:1a, 2-8

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon-Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and e do not know where they put him." So peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When SImon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.

The Gospel of the Lord.

"and he saw and believed"

'Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person." Pope Benedict XVI. That is why the Evangelist John conveys not an idea but an event.

The Fourth Gospel makes it clear that, although the women, and specifically

Mary Magdalene, were the first to reach the tomb, the Apostles were the first

to enter it and see the evidence that Christ had risen (the empty tomb, the linen

clothes "lying" and the napkin in a place by itself). Bearing witness to this will

be an essential factor in the mission which Christ will entrust to them: "You

shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem ... nd to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8; cf.

Acts 2:32).

"The linen clothes lying there": the Greek participle translated as "lying there"

seems to indicate that the clothes were flattened, deflated, as if they were em-

ptied when the body of Jesus rose and disappeared -- as if it had come out of the

clothes and bandages without their being unrolled, passing right through them

(just as later He entered the Cenacle when the doors were shut). This would

explain the clothes being "fallen", "flat" "lying", which is how the Greek literally

translates, after Jesus' body -- which had filled them -- left them. One can readily

understand how this would amaze a witness, how nforgettable the scene would

be.

December 21, 2011 Homily, December 24, 2011

Luke 1:67-79

Zechariah, his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hand of our enemies, free to worship his without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high will break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace."

The Gospel of the Lord.

God has been silent to the people of Israel for 400 years, and to emphasize that point keeps Zechariah silent for an additional nine months while Zechariah contemplates the birth of his and Elizabeth' son, John [meaning God is merciful] and when John is born and named Zechariah sings out in the Benedictus, a new beginning, a dawn, part of the morning prayer prayed daily by all the ordained of the Church.

[John Paul 2nd to my] Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our commentary on the Psalms and canticles from Morning Prayer concludes today with the Canticle of Zechariah, commonly known as the Benedictus. It is a prophetic canticle, in which the father of John the Baptist, indicates three events in God's liberation of Israel: the covenant with Abraham, the covenant with David, and the new covenant with Christ. Like the "dawn from on high," Christ gives light and guides us into the way of peace. As the Venerable Bede notes: Christ shows us "the sure way to reach our heavenly homeland."

"Zechariah" means "God has remembered"; "John" means "God is merciful"; "Jesus" means "God saves".

December 15, 2010. Homily, Tuesday, December 20, 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.

In 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 iterations 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, 2011. Homily, December 10, 2011.

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.

"Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14"And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb. 16"And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. 17"And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord," (Luke 1:13-17).

So, we see that John the Baptist was in the spirit of Elijah, but not actually Elijah reincarnated.

There is, however, a little more information that might prove interesting. Elijah wore, most probably, a camel's hair girdle. "And they answered him, "He was a hairy man with a leather girdle bound about his loins." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite," (2 Kings 1:8). According to the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, in reference to 2 Kings 1:8, Elijah . . .

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 5, 2011. Homily, December 6, 2011.

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.

There are people —our husband or wife, our children, relatives and friends, etc.— for whom we may be the only chance they have of recovering the happiness of faith and a life of grace.

The inscription on the floor at the entrance to the Chapel at St. Joseph College in West Hartford: "May all who enter this Chapel be saved." The Chapel was the gift of Joseph Connor and his wife Jane. The husband died shortly afterwards. As Jane Connor took the first shovel fill of dirt for the ground breaking she prayed in a whisper, "May all who enter this Chapel be saved." The prayer was heard and preserved,

November 26, 2011. Homily, Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Luke 10:21-24

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have kept these things hidden from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Jesus is exultant on the successful return of the seventy who had been sent out two by two as missionaries. They were sent out as emissaries of the Lord, to witness to the Lord, to cure the sick, to be worthy of their role, and to preach what John the Baptist had preached - repent and repentance. Later, after the Passion, death and resurrection of the Lord, they will preach His way and anchor their preaching with the fact, that He had died for our sins and then rose again and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father as mediator for us.

I am reminded of my own ordination as deacon when Cardinal Egan sent me and the other ordinandi, my class-mates, out with the words, "Read the Gospel, believe what you read, preach what you believe, and practice what you preach."

And the instruction of St. Francis Assisi on how to preach. Preach the Gospel. Use words only if necessary.

November 6, 2011. Homily, Tuesday, November 22, 2011.

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 6, 2011. Homily, Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Luke 21:12-19.

Jesus said to the crowd, "They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself will give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

The Gospel of the Lord.

This is the last week of the Liturgical Year. In this last week we contemplate the end of things. We have four saints: Clement I, third Pope, Saint Columban Irish monk and missionary to Burgundy, France and Blessed Agustin Pro, 1891-1927 Jesuit priest and martyr in Mexico.

Saint Clement I, 3rd Pope, was banished by Emperor Trajan to work in a stone quarry.

Upon arrival, Clement saw that the workers needed water; he knelt and prayed; he saw a lamb on the side of a hill. He went up to the place where he had seen the lamb and struck that place with a pick ax. Water gushed forth. Many workers were converted to the faith and Clement was martyred.

Saint Columban, an Irish monk, deported to France with twelve followers, and traveled to Burgundy. All animals followed his word. His followers worked clearing the the woods of Burgundy.

Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, Mexican Jesuit priest, 1891-1927, martyred in Mexico for being a priest, known for his ability to talk about spiritual matters without being boring. An assassination attempt by bombing against Álvaro Obregón (which only wounded the ex-president) in November 1927 provided the state with a pretext to capture Pro and his brothers Humberto and Roberto. A young engineer who was involved and confessed his part in the assassination testified the Pro brothers were not involved.[7] Miguel and his brothers were taken to the Detective Inspector's Office in Mexico City.

On November 13, 1927, President Calles gave orders to have Pro executed under the pretext of the assassination, but in reality for defying the virtual outlawing of Catholicism.

Fr. Pro and his brothers were visited by Generals Roberto Cruz and Palomera Lopez around 11 p.m. on November 22, 1927. The next day, as Fr. Pro walked from his cell to the courtyard and the firing squad, he blessed the soldiers, knelt and briefly prayed quietly. Declining a blindfold, he faced his executioners with a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other and held his arms out in imitation of the crucified Christ and shouted out, "May God have mercy on you! May God bless you! Lord, Thou knowest that I am innocent! With all my heart I forgive my enemies!" [5] Before the firing squad were ordered to shoot, Pro raised his arms in imitation of Christ and shouted the defiant cry of the Cristeros, "Viva Cristo Rey!" -"Long live Christ the King!".[5] When the initial shots of the firing squad failed to kill him, a soldier shot him point blank.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria. 18 year old Egyptian virgin and brilliant scholar, who in the course of her studies, discovered Christianity, was converted by a vision of the Madonna, in 305. The Emperor Maximinius was persecuting Christians. Catherine went to him to plead on their behalf and the Emperor sent his chief pagan priests to argue with her and to bring her to her senses but instead Catherine converted the priests. The converted priests were martyred. The Empress went to see the girl. The Empress listened and was converted, and then the chief of her guard. Each was martyred. Maximinius in a rage sought to have St. Catherine scourged on what became known as St. Catherine's wheel. But at her touch the wheel was destroyed. The Emperor Maximinius had St. Catherine beheaded. The legend is that angels then carried her body to the top of Mt. Sinai.

November 6, 2011. Homily, November 15, 2011.

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.

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 an oft-used by Luke, important to Luke, and thus also important to Jesus.

Zacchaeus was lost and was found by Jesus.

November 6, 2011. Homily, November 8, 2011.

Luke 17:7-10.

Jesus said to the Apostles: "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field. 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he rather say to him, 'Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. Yu may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

The Gospel of the Lord.

We are reminded of the story in the synagogue. The rabbi comes into synagogue, kneels down, places his head on the floor, and says, "O God, forgive me for I am an unprofitable servant." Then the cantor, sees this, kneels down, places his head on the floor, and says, "O God, forgive me for I am an unprofitable servant." Then the elected head of the congregation sees the other two, kneels down, places his head on the floor, and says, "O God, forgive me, for I am an unprofitable servant." And the janitor standing in the back, seeing the three, kneels down, places his head on the floor, and says, "O God, forgive me, for I am an unprofitable servant." And the rabbi looks up and addresses his friends, "Look who is calling himself an unprofitable servant."

This parable makes clear: even if we live our lives perfectly from a human perspective, still we have no claim on God for the reward of heaven. Salvation comes from God not from humankind. It is God who saves us not we who save ourselves. Salvation is a gift freely bestowed on mankind because of God's great love for us.

My son got a job for Morgan Stanley Assets Management. Every night he would come home late, 8 PM, 9 PM, 11 PM, and every night I would be happy for I knew that the later they would have him work, the more they appreciated his work at the firm and that he would be rewarded. It was when, or if, he came home at 4 PM or 5 PM that I would worry.

October 31, 2011. Homily vigil for Sunday, November 6, 2011.

Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom. Come out to meet him!" Then all

Those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise ones replied, 'No, for there may not be enough for us and for you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.' While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!' but he said in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.' Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Parable

1. Matthew 25:1-13

2. The “virgins” represent those in the kingdom, or the church

3. The coming of the bridegroom represents the Second Coming of Christ

4. The “lamps” represent the faith of Christians

5. The “extra oil” symbolizes good works that accompany our faith

6. Jesus proclaims this parable to teach us the urgent need to always be prepared for His Second Coming.

Conclusion: there will come a time when Christians no longer have time to repent. Up to that time, if not prepared, one can put one's affairs in order. But at that time, if you are still not prepared, the door will be locked against you. What is that time - death or the end of the world. At death, if one complies with the First Fridays, God has promised a priest at your death (one of the twelve promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - St. Margaret Mary Alcoque). But the end of time will come with no warning and no opportunity to prepare further. The door will be locked. That is a reason to fear the Lord.

Now, it's often said that the God of fear is the Old Testament God, and the New Testament God is the God of love, isn't it?

For example, it's clear from reading the Old Testament that fear of the Lord is closely bound up with obedience to the Lord. We saw that in the first verse of our Psalm 112, Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. Fearing the Lord and obeying the Lord are often used almost interchangeably.

In the New Testament, specifically, three times in John chapters 14 and 15 Jesus says if anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. So the New Testament motivation for obedience is love, just as the Old Testament motivation was fear. It's neat, isn't it?

Is that it? No. C.S. Lewis in his Tales of Narnia, has the Christ-figure Aslan be a lion. To the question, "Is he tame?", C.S.Lewis answers, "Of course not. He is a lion. But he is good." God is more than loving, he is also fearsome. He is fearsome for our own good, he is fearsome so that we might obey his laws. And God's laws are given to us for our own good. And that is the point of the parable of the ten bridesmaids. The bridesmaids will be there to guide us at the final day. That is the purpose of their lamps but if their lamps have no oil they cannot guide us and if the final day comes when they are unprepared, the gates to the kingdom will be locked against us.

October 31, 2011. Homily Saturday, November 5, 2011.

Luke 16:9-15

Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him. And he said to them, "You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows our hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God."

The Gospel of the Lord.

What is the enemy of generosity? It is greed, the excessive desire for personal security. True generosity does not impoverish the giver, but enriches him a hundredfold! Generosity expands the soul; greed contracts it.

God is generous and superabundant in lavishing his gifts upon us. We can never outgive God in what he has already given to us. Do you know the joy and freedom of generosity and liberality in giving to others what God has so richly given to you?

Jesus concludes his parable with a lesson on what controls or rules our lives. Who is the master (or ruler) in charge of your life? Our "master" is that which governs our thought-life, shapes our ideals, controls the desires of the heart and the values we choose to live by. We can be ruled by many different things -- the love of money or possessions, the power of position, the glamor of wealth and prestige, the driving force of unruly passions and addictions. Ultimately the choice boils down to two: God and "mammon". What is mammon? "Mammon" stands for "material wealth or possessions" or whatever tends to "control our appetites and desires". There is one Master alone who has the power to set us free from the slavery of sin and addiction. That Master is the Lord Jesus Christ.

God loves generosity and he gives liberally to those who share his gifts with others. The Pharisees, however, had no room in their hearts for God. The gospel says they were lovers of money. Love of money and wealth crowd out love of God and love of neighbor. Jesus makes clear that our hearts must either be possessed by God's love or the heart will be possessed by the love of something else.

October 30, 2011. Homily, Tuesday, November 1, 2011.

All Saints' Day

Mt. 5:1-12a

When Jesus saw the Crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit [: those who realize their utter need of God and the poverty of life without him], for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are they who mourn [: those who grieve over the state of the world, their sins, and the sins of others], for they will be comforted.

"Blessed are the meek [and lowly: those who realize their place before God and don't try to impose their will on him. The land they are promised is the Kingdom of heaven.], for they will inherit the land.

"Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness [: those who yearn for God's way of doing things to become the norm of human conduct and act accordingly.], for they will be satisfied.

"Blessed are the merciful [: those who forgive as God forgives and who do not hold grudges or seek revenge.] , for they will be shown mercy.

"Blessed are the clean of heart [: those who act from the purest motives of love for God alone and single-heartedly seek to do his will.] , for they will see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers [: those who are reconciled with God, themselves, and others and help others to enjoy the same peace.], for they will be called children of God.

"Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. [Blessed are the persecuted for the sake of Jesus: those who suffer or are demeaned for their beliefs and observance of God's laws. Their reward will be great in heaven.]

"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven."

The Gospel of the Lord.

The bracketed material are emendations by Father Edward Dowling, S.J.

There are over eighty Beatitudes in the Old Testament.

Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of God is not for the rich and blissful but for the sorrowing and poor in spirit. What the world admires, God despises. God judges by different standards and Jesus here makes clear what those standards are.

Compare with Luke 6:20-49.

October 18, 2011. Homily, Tuesday, October 25, 2011.

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, "To 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.

At the time of Jesus, people expected that the messianic kingdom would be established with great fanfare and triumph. There would be a lot to see and hear.

The ego always looks for a big deal: this is its trademark. When you hear intense people talking big, with phrases like “I strongly believe,” or “I'm deeply convinced,” you can be pretty sure that they mean just the opposite. The strength of the conviction shows the strength of the doubt.

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".

Percy Byshe Shelly

October 18, 2011. Homily, Saturday, October 22, 2011.

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

October 12, 2011. Homily, Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Feast of St. Luke

Luke 10:1-9

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and village he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals, and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him, but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserve payment. Do not move from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Gospel excerpt today (Luke 10:1-9), Jesus sending out the seventy-two is found only in Luke’s Gospel. We have a problem with this particular text because about half the manuscripts say Jesus sent out seventy and the other half say Jesus sent out seventy-two. Which is it? What symbolism did Luke have in mind? If we take it to be seventy we could see it reflecting the seventy nations in Gen 10, thus symbolizing all the nations of the world. If we take it be seventy-two we could see it reflecting the seventy-two nations in the Greek Septuagint (LXX) translation of Gen 10. Thus whether we take it be seventy or seventy-two, it is another indication, among many others in the Gospel, of Luke’s Gospel being directed in a special way to the Gentiles. Luke is saying that it was not the Church which began the mission to the Gentiles, the foundation for this mission was laid in the very ministry of Jesus himself. We are all privileged to have been called by the Lord to participate in this ministry either in the ordained ministerial priesthood or the priesthood of the faithful.

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: This is the Time of fulfillment, The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel. Mark 1:14-15.

Mark and Luke accompanied Paul, so that Paul takes this Gospel fragment from his experience with Paul, on how Paul went forth and preached the good news of Jesus.

Luke is The Dear and Glorious Physician from Taylor Caldwell. Luke was close to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and from Mary Luke got the Annunciation of Mary by the Angel Gabriel (the strength of God), the visitation, the Birth of the Lord, in fact the entirety of the Joyful Mysteries. Luke also painted a picture of Mary. We have if there in our Church, the Signpost. Luke is the patron saint of Artists. The symbol of Luke is the Ox.

October 6, 2011, Homily, Tuesday, October 11, 2011.

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 5, 2011. Homily, Saturday, October 8, 2011.

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, 2011. Homily, Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Feast of St. Francis of Asissi

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.

Our grandson Tucker five years old 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.

"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.

The prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St. Francis was born at Assisi in 1182. After a care free youth, he turned his back on inherited wealth and committed himself to God. Like many early saints, he lived a very simple life of poverty, and in so doing, gained a reputation of being the friend of animals. He established the rule of St Francis, which exists today as the Order of St. Francis, or the Franciscans. He died in 1226, aged 44.

The prayer has many of the biblical truths of what it means to be a Christian - to seek to give, and in so doing, receive blessings; that the Lord's Prayer asks God to forgive us as we forgive, and that the goal of eternal life can only result from us putting to death our old sinful lives.

September 23, 2010. Homily, Tuesday, September 27, 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 20, 2011, Homily, Saturday, September 24, 2011

Luke 9:43b-45.

While they were 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 not 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?"

St. John Chrysostom comments: "Let no one be scandalized by

this imperfection in the Apostles; for the Cross had not yet been reached nor

the grace of the Spirit given" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 65).

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, 2011, Homily, Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Luke 8:19-21

The Mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and wish to see you."

He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Take that.

A parable of Jesus is a container made of words. We pour into it what we know from our life experiences and we pour our of it what we need. So here, we have our own experience of our mother and our brothers and our sisters and of those times when they have disturbed us at our work and our reactions to that. But this is Jesus and the mother of Jesus and the reaction of Jesus to His mother, and we know that the mother of Jesus is the perfect vessel of the will of God, for when God through the archangel Gabriel asked for her obedience she said "Yes". And we know that Jesus loved His mother and that His mother's life was to do the will of God. We saw that at the wedding feast of Cana, when she asked the help of Jesus, and Jesus said, "Woman, my time has not yet come" and Mary said to the servants, "Do whatever he asks." And Jesus asked the servant to fill the water vessels and then performed the miracle of water into wine. And so here, Jesus answers the messenger by elevating the disciples of Jesus, us, to the status of brother of Jesus, sister of Jesus, and even mother of Jesus.

Posted by Daniel Murphy at 4:24 AM 0 comments

Sept. 6, 2011. Homily, Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Luke 7: 11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, "Do not weep." He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!" The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, "A great prophet has arisen in our midst,"and "God has visited his people." This report about him spread throughout the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Introduction

1. Widows are a helpless group in any society regardless of their age, time and culture. They could easily become destitute in the society unable to earn a living.

2. They are vulnerable and that makes them an easy target for sexual predators, robbers and other unwelcomed people.

3. This was the situation of the widow from Nain. Her only son was her protector, supporter and hope.

4. Now that he is gone, her future was full of uncertainty – At least she thought so.

5. Then she meets our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

6. Let’s see how she was helped out of her situation by Jesus.

Read: Luke 7:11-17

A. Jesus was compassionate about her

Compassion: “Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it” (www.thefreedictionary.com)

1. Jesus’ heart broke the moment he saw the weeping widow. He didn’t wanted to put up a show with his power but to help her.

2. There are approximately 22 major religions. Approximately 42 major deities. My Sri Lankan non-Christian friends believe in a host of 33,000,000 (thirty three million) deities.

3. These deities possess power but not compassion. They wont help unless you please them with a good offering first.

4. What shall we do then? Come to Jesus in faith.

B. Jesus put himself in the widow’s shoes

1. Scholars believe that Mary – Jesus’ guardian mother was a widow too.

2. It’s possible that Joseph died long before Jesus launched his public ministry,

3. Therefore Jesus was used to support her.

4. Jesus had been there – done that!

5. Jesus is God who came down to our level. Thus he knows our sufferings.

C. Our faith turns His compassion into action

1. Jesus said to the widow and the mourners “don’t cry”. He wasn’t soothing nor ridiculing her either. He was asking her to believe in God’s power.

2. The tradition: In those days professional mourners were hired to be mourn the death of a person. Secondly Jesus was supposed to not to touch the coffin. The tradition neither permitted stopping the funeral procession. Jesus and his disciples were supposed to turn back and follow the crowd to the grave yard.

3. These traditions could have hindered God’s move if the crowd protested Jesus’ actions.

4. Don’t frame Jesus in your own culture and tradition. (Most Sri Lankans continue with their problems because for them believing in Jesus is betrayal against the culture and generational beliefs). When you come to Jesus, believe that nothing is beyond his control. Remember he was the only person among those people who could tell others not to cry.

5. This same Jesus who said, “Don’t cry”, has the power to bring His answer in His time.

D. Jesus’ word is more powerful than any other situation

1. Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, arise. (The Greek word for “arise” is “egeir?” meaning to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life)

2. The dead man sat up and began to speak upon Jesus’ command.

3. This message itself I am preaching today is powerful enough to change situations if you believe.

E. Conclusion

1. It’s a one thing to heal the sick but another thing to raise the dead.

2. The crowd was filled with awe and praised God upon seeing this great miracle.

3. They said that a great prophet has appeared among them and God has visited his people.

4. The 2 great mistakes: A great prophet not the great prophet (Messiah, Saviour). They thought God has come to help them. But they didn’t recognize that Jesus is God himself.

5. It’s true Jesus can help you regardless of how serious is your situation. But that’s not the only thing he wants you to receive. He wants you to receive him!

6. Would you like to surrender your life to Jesus the God of compassion, love and power?

September 6, 2011, Homily, Saturday, September 10, 2011

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 fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out 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 foundations 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 one 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.

The Memorare:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

This is the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. And in the Gospel we hear the words of Jesus: "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." Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. We have on December 8th the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Church dogma that conception of the Virgin Mary was without any stain ("macula" in Latin is "stain") of sin, solemnly defined as dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854 (Our Church, Our Lady of Perpetual Hope, was built on the 100th anniversary of that declaration by the Pope and declared ex cathedra, under the Pope's doctrine of infallibility in 1950, the only exercise of the infallibility power.

Jesus was a carpenter, a builder, so that we should pay especial attention to the images Jesus uses from construction of edifices. Sirach says that we know a person, judge his character, by what he reveals about himself through his speech, but Jesus says that the better criterion is that we know a person, judge her character, by what she reveals about herself through her acts, her deeds. The lazy way to judge is through one's words, but the thorough way to judge is through a careful examination of one's deeds. If we lay a firm foundation upon rock, our judgment will be proof against the storm surges of life. And our Christian life based on baptism, the teachings of the Church given to us by our parents and then CCD, and then confirmation, and a life of grace.