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Homily

Twenty-fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 50:5-9a; Jas. 2:14-18; Mk. 8:27-35

Last week we focused on the need for solidarity among the poor, rich, employee, employer, nations and people.  Today Jesus calls for solidarity of faithful followers.  His word is spoken boldly, “my face I did not shield…I have set my face like flint.”  He invites confrontation, “if anyone wishes to oppose me let us appear together…Let that man confront me.” 

Generally, we don’t like confrontation and most of us were not taught the art of debate.  Think back to your childhood and arguments among your siblings how you were heard.  Were you all cordial to each other or did everybody simply yell louder to each other from room to room or face to face.  The idea of debate in our time as seen through media is like a rowdy group of siblings yelling to drown out the other person.  Everyone needs to be heard but isn’t willing to listen.  Today colleges promote “safe spaces” to avoid any debate or dialogue from opposing views. 

In the gospel, Jesus has just finished naming Peter the “rock” for claiming “You are the Christ” and he places him as the head of the early church.  He then begins explaining the coming Passion he will undergo.  Peter’s response, not wanting to confront Jesus in public takes him aside to “rebuke him” quietly.  Peter takes his new authority seriously.  I picture Peter taking Jesus aside and whispering, “There is no way you are going to let them do that to you and I will not allow it.”  Jesus turns to the disciples and makes a public rebuke, “Get behind me Satan”.  In your face Peter so that all know clearly where Jesus stands.  One moment Peter is having this high spirit of elation, the next he is deflated into shame.  But there is more, Jesus also lets them know how to stand with him in solidarity or against him with Satan.

Solidarity of the faithful with Jesus is to “deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”  These three principles in unison are the works of the faithful.  The first principle, denial is self is the first work that we must do.  To assist us in this work is not to focus on self but on Jesus, what is pleasing to him, what is acceptable in his eyes and as the youth would say WWJD, “what would Jesus do?”  If the eyes of the soul are focused on him we realize, it is not about me, it is all about Him who I choose to abide in that we may be one as he is in the Father and in the Spirit.  We seek the Lord God who “opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back” This is the first of our faith at work that is pleasing to him.

The second principle is to take up our cross.  When we abide in him we take up our cross not with a sense of sorrow in our spirit because we feel denied of worldly pleasures but with a sense of joy to do his will for our life is in his will and “how good it is”.  The cross we bear is to feed the hungry, shelter the poor, cover the naked.  Solidarity is seen in the works of the faithful, doing the will of the Father.  Unfortunately the call for solidarity is confused with the call for salvation by some separated Christian faithful.  The argument is that we are saved by faith alone not by works.  The intent of the argument implies that we cannot earn our salvation by merits it comes by faith in Jesus Christ.  There is no meter reading to count our works and determine if we have been good enough or if our good works offset our bad works. 

The Catholic Church would agree we cannot earn our salvation by works of merit but that is not the position of the church as some misinterpret.  The church stands behind today’s reading, stresses the important relationship between faith and works.  They go hand-in-hand as two sides of the same coin, “faith of itself, if it does not have works is dead.”  Nowhere in scripture does it say that faith “alone” brings salvation.  Scripture also says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21); “For I will render to every man according to his works…” (Rom. 2:6); “For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgments…?”(Heb. 10:26-27); and finally, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (Jam. 2:24).  That is as clear an apologetic “rebuke” without being politically incorrect or pride fully “in your face” because it is the word of God. 

The third principle to “follow me” calls upon our baptismal vows as priest, prophet, and king.  Solidarity of the faithful is to stand behind the church as one body in Christ.  The Mass is the summit of that solidarity in the Eucharist.  To reach the summit we journey in life in the light provided by the sacraments to purify our lives and abide in holiness.  We all receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit when we search the deep things of God.  In the Mass “I confess” my sin, “I believe” in the Trinity in our personal confession of faith; then we celebrate, go forth and follow as one body in Christ. 

 When one part of the body of Christ suffers we all suffer and woe to those who desecrate the altar by their sin and cause scandal.  That is the seriousness and the sorrow of the crisis within the church today.  Failure of denial of self by priests breaking their vows of obedience and chastity willingly is a grave sin against God and in some cases a crime against humanity.  “Follow me” in rebuking those responsible that the body of Christ in the church will know clearly the will of God.  “Follow me” in purifying the church when it identifies those responsible who choose not to deny themselves and are no longer fit for the ministry of leading the faithful.  “Follow me” in solidarity with prayer, penance, and good works in atonement calling for healing and mercy.  The crisis in the church is beyond the sin of those responsible, it is a crisis of trust in the shepherd.  The works of Satan in the church do not represent the voice of God, yet God remains faithful to his bride and will purify her but not without suffering denial of self, the cross, and works of purification.  Faith without works is dead. 

There is no fear in God in confrontation and we must fear not the confrontation with evil regardless of the source, at home, work, school, public square and in the church.  We do not rebel against the church or turn back away from it we confront the evil with truth and seek mercy.  The Lord is our help and we are not disgraced.  We are also not alone in this battle.  We have the Church Penitent and the Church Triumphant.  The Church Penitent can be a source of penance for the sins of this world and the Church Triumphant can be a source of holiness for our purification.  “Do not forget the works of the Lord”.  When we abide in him we are the works of the Lord.  He did not come to condemn the world but the world must remain faithful to the covenant and it begins with me abiding in the body of Christ.  We hold a great treasure to be guarded, stay alert, keep watch, the hour is upon us and the redeemer comes in glory. 

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Homily

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Nm. 21:4b-9; Phil. 2:6-11; Jn. 3:13-17

We know from Jesus himself in the gospel the correlation between the serpent in the desert of the first reading and Jesus being lifted up for salvation.  The serpent being the source of death goes back to Adam and Eve’s temptation by the serpent.  The punishment of the serpent is to drag itself on earth.  The serpent lifted up on a pole becomes the source of salvation from the Lord when he directs Moses to create this image and have the people look at it.  At first to place a serpent, the image of evil in the same mold as Jesus seems contrary to faith.  The serpent is the source of sin and Jesus the source of salvation.  The first step of conversion is to face our sin.  The serpent represents their sins and if we desire salvation we must face the truth about our sin.  Jesus takes the form of our sins that we may gaze upon salvation.

This however is a “seraph” serpent which is the singular form of Seraphim, the highest rank of angels in heaven.  “Seraph” means “the burning one”.  Imagine burning snakes from heaven bringing the poison of death for the sin of the people. 

In Isiah 6: 2-7 the Seraphim were stationed and one cried out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of host!  At the sound of the cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke.  Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!  For I am a man of unclean lips…Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar.  He touched my mouth with it.  “See,” he said, “now that this has touched your lips your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.” 

Jesus takes the form of the sinful slave to purge the sin of the world exalted on the pole in the form of a cross.  Jesus brings the fire of salvation.  The cross should be at the door of our homes to shake the serpents of sin from entering our home. 

Salvation comes through Jesus “obedience to death, even death on a cross” It does not say that salvation comes without fire to purge us of our sins.  Early Christians experienced the great fire of martyrdom for their obedience to their faith.  Then there is the fire of being purged of our sins for what comes out of our mouth defiles and an ember of truth comes to purify us.  What about the fire of justice when we “do not forget the works of the Lord” and seek holy lives.  That too is a fire of obedience and humility to carry the cross and empty ourselves for the Lord. 

Jesus sends us the fire of the Holy Spirit to sustain us in our purity of faith.  He did not come to condemn the world but the world must remain faithful to the covenant.  The exaltation of the cross is the fire still burning for our sins.  The exaltation of the cross is mercy incarnate waiting to be loved.  The exaltation of the cross is a memorial of the cry for conversion of souls.  The works of the Lord is to bring others to the cross.  The cross is redemptive suffering if we accept it as our gift and fear not.  Mary remains at the side of Jesus on the cross so she too is our Mother of Sorrows calling us from her tender heart to repent and undergo the sacrifice of our lives for our salvation and the salvation of the world. 

The Church is under crisis and the Seraphim angels are bringing the fire to purge it from the serpent’s death.  Note that Jesus response to the cry of the suffering did not remove the poisonous serpents.  The serpents of sin remain in the world.  People continue to die from their sin, spiritually and mortally.  Our vision on the exaltation of the cross is victory over death.  We shall not die into the eternal fire of death but be raised with Christ in the Exaltation of the cross.  Jesus empties himself in the form of a slave.  Is he simply a slave to the human condition?  He is a slave to obedience, to truth, to his divine purpose.  May we follow our call to obedience and truth wherever it may lead us.  Guard ourselves against sin, we are his works called to holiness for a divine purpose.  “Do not forget the works of the Lord” and let it begin with me. 

 

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Homily The Deacon Joe

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary time

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 35: 4-7a; Jas. 2: 1-5; Mk. 7: 31-37

Ephphatha!  “Be opened”.  Isaiah’s prophesy in the first reading, “Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you” is fulfilled in Jesus.  The healing of the deaf mute is one of many miracles performed by Jesus.  Keep in mind to a deaf mute you cannot explain things so he alone with Jesus must be open to trust Jesus even if his heart is frightened he accepts what Jesus is doing to him.   The crowd responds with “He has done all things well.”  Scholars believe that while he was in a region with primarily Gentiles there were also Jews who knew the scriptures and recognized by this statement an awareness of the connection to Isaiah and the coming era of salvation.  The miracle is a sign of the dawning of the messiah and this could be the One.

Historically, St. James letter comes after the gospel life of Jesus so we move forward from the coming of the messiah to the beginning of the early church.  The early church was what we would refer to as an unsegregated group of Jews, Gentiles, rich and poor.  The communities they were coming from however were very segregated in that Jews and Gentiles kept apart so the early church was faced not only with a concern for integration of two cultures but also the rich, poor, and slaves as one body in Christ to be truly Christian.  Sociologist might say a social experiment in integration for the purpose of salvation with divine intervention.

The Jesus prayer to the Father for his disciples before his arrest is “Father keep them in your name…so that they may be one just as we are” (Jn. 17: 11).  How united is our world, our country, our Church?  The world never ceases in war, a country founded as “one nation under God” is battling to take God out of the nation, and a Church founded by Christ is in crisis failing to guard against the sin from within.  Desegregation has come through changes in law not changes in hearts.  Jesus prays for solidarity, that we may all be one.

St. James addresses in part one of these concerns with the human tendency to give deference to the wealthy and allow them to become “judges” over other Christians of less stature.  He reminds them and all of us not to make these distinctions.  We are all sinners in need of salvation.

The church addresses this concern in the call for solidarity: “solidarity of the poor among themselves, between rich and poor, of workers among themselves, between employers and employees in a business, solidarity among nations and peoples” (CCC 1941).

Solidarity among the poor themselves reminds me growing up in poor neighborhoods from the barrios of Houston to the colonias of the Rio Grande Valley.  When we ran out of food such as eggs, potatoes, lard the kids were sent to the neighbor to ask if they could spare a little.  It was repaid with the same kind offering when someone came knocking on your door.  The man in the fruit truck would stop to sell his produce at the house and he always offered to keep a tab until payday.  The poor look after each other.  I remember the first time living in a middle class neighborhood around eight years old and nobody ever talked to their neighbors, everybody stayed indoors or in wood fenced backyards.

Solidarity between the rich and poor meant the landlord accepted partial payment for rent until payday and you could always buy on layaway without paying interest.  The rich farmer provided shelter for the migrant workers and if necessary gave an advance to help in times of unforeseen circumstances.  Now the poor turn to pawn shops and loan sharks in every poor neighborhood not to mention high interest rate credit cards.

Solidarity among workers themselves meant you learned from your peers as mentors to master a trade.  The more skilled worker was the “Maestro” who may not necessarily be the “Jefe” boss man.  It was the on the job school passing down a trade.  Now we go to trade schools and often start in debt, get a license, and insurance before we earn a buck to pay it all back.

Solidarity between employers and employees means earning a living wage.  The vision of the “American Dream” has changed over generations from opportunity to choice.  Originally it was work that provided an opportunity to have a career, raise a family, own a home and serve your duty for pleasure.  Over generations it has evolved to freedom of choice, upward mobility, doing better than your parents, and experiential “good life”, we all like the good life.  However we define the American Dream success requires solidarity between the worker and the business community.

Finally, solidarity is needed between nations and peoples.  For this we must give some credit to the Millennials generation, also called Gen Y.  Gen Y defines the American Dream as “Living in an open society in which everyone has equal chance.”  Their vision is family-centric with global peers.  You can take an on-line course, buy merchandise, do business, and skype with family from anywhere in the world feeling connected, present, and responsible to others world-wide with a greater vision for world peace.

This is not saying the “Dream” is a return to the “good old days”.  There is good, evil, and struggle in every generation from Adam and Eve on, just read the Bible.  Only God is good all the time.  We are a work in progress.  The poor are as resourceful as the rich and the poor can be as wasteful as the rich.  Solidarity is a shared responsibility for the resources God gives us to be blessed and be multiplied.

Wealth is a blessing but it can also lead to “evil designs” in the heart.  As we were reminded in last Sunday’s gospel, “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”  We lose the purity of heart to be servants of the Lord.  Of the twelve Disciples who would have been the wealthiest?  Mathew was a Jew and a tax collector who by profession was known for their oppression of the poor in their collections.  God chose “those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith” not for their material poverty but for their humility and dependent faith on God.

In baptism is the “Ephphetha” prayer over the ears and mouth with these words, “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak.  May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.”  We have been given a spiritual treasure from our baptism and we are to be in solidarity between the Church Militant on earth, the Church Penitent in purgatory, and the Church Triumphant in heaven.  We are warriors for Christ and our solidarity is with our Blessed Mother, the Angels, and Saints in the call to holiness.  Be opened to the work of the Holy Spirit that we may do all things well for the glory of God with us, in us, and through us that we may all be one.

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Homily

Friday, Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Deacon Joe

1 Cor. 4: 1-5; Lk. 5: 33-39

1 Cor. 4: 1-5; Lk. 5: 33-39

The gospel today reminds us of Jesus’ proclamation, “I have come to make all things new.”  The reading however brings to light our human struggle in accepting the new with the words, “The old is good.”  We have a tendency to not like change.  Change can be disruptive, it produces uncertainties.  In the old there is familiarity, even if we know it has problems we are familiar and have adapted to those problems.  We judge “the old is good” enough why change.

When a new priest is assigned to a parish the first concern is what will he change, “the old is good we are happy with status quo”.  The change comes and the complaints start.  Just when the new becomes old a change of priest is made and we start over again.  The responsorial reminds us, “commit in the Lord your way; trust in him, and he will act”.  If we trust in him then we withhold judgment.  If we trust in him we become what is new to mold us and fashion us in the potters hands.  If you take putty the more you mold it in your hands the softer it becomes.  If you let it sit for a long time it becomes hard, dry, and brittle.  God needs servants who he can mold to serve the diversity of people in the world.  The message of salvation is the same.   How we come to the realization and revelation of the message is by being molded in Jesus’ hands as servants for the new evangelization.  We have many opportunities to evangelize from birth to death such as in baptisms, weddings, funerals, visiting the sick, feeding the poor, and raising a holy family.  The gifts to serve and evangelize are from God when we surrender into his hands. 

St. Paul however reminds us in the first reading of the obvious for the church to function as one body.   “Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.”  Today all are speaking of the crisis in the church which at the heart of the crisis is a breach of trust.  The community receives a new priest into the church to be a pastor.  The priesthood is a call from God bestowed by the church.  Being a pastor comes from the relationship between the priest and the people.  It is a relationship not based on blind faith but found trustworthy as “stewards of the mysteries of God” by the good works.  Faith and works make for true discipleship, builds trust, and builds God’s kingdom on a strong foundation. 

Sadly and tragically we have had wolves in sheep’s clothing using the cover of the church violating the trust of the people.  That in itself is a crime and a tragedy.  The mishandling of the crime by the church is double jeopardy.  The culture of our times trusts transparency not secrecy.  Secrecy created a shadow of doubt and division.  St. Paul reminds us, “do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts.”  The Lords has come bringing to light what was hidden and the time for penance, reparation, healing, and renewal is upon us.  “He will make justice dawn for you like the light; bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.”  For the victims the Lord, “is their refuge in times of distress…he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”  Today we pray for deliverance and renewal within the church, “For the Lord loves what is right, and forsakes not his faithful ones.  Deliverance and renewal will come but first there must be purification.  Purification will be painful for it includes accountability and change.  “Change” that word again to which there is resistance.  We must all contribute as change agents through penance, prayer and trust in the Lord for he is faithful.  The Lord will not abandon his bride the Church.  In silence we pray and in justice we speak for change to be God’s will, “he will act”. 

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Homily

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Dt. 4: 1-2, 6-8; Ps. 15; Jas 1: 17-18, 21b-22, 27; Mk 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23

“From within…they defile”.  Today’s call is for purity of heart, of body, and of faith.  Perhaps we can say that we have come a long way in wisdom and intelligence.  We understand our humanity more from a psychological and behavioral approach or have we?  What about from a spiritual awareness?   From an applied perspective everyone starts from ground zero to learn the lesson for themselves.  What is the lesson?  It is the lesson of how obedience, chastity, truth, faith, and love are living the good life.  We all like the good life but we do not always see the good God in his creation.  In fact some tend to focus on the “cup half empty”.  The Catechism of the Church summarizes it well:

“The faithful must believe the articles of the Creed so that by believing they may obey God, by obeying may live well, by living well may purify their hearts, and with pure hearts may understand what they believe.” (CCC 2518)

Our first reading is the call to obedience.  As a parent would say to a child, “Do it” and you will come to understand the good that comes from it.  The child’s natural inclination is to believe only what it sees with a limited understanding but God who sees the end result takes the behavioral approach in its commands.  Do it, then you will see the goodness of the Lord.  Do it then you will discover a greater truth that you can only see by following these “statutes and decrees”.  Behaviorist would say trust the process, don’t wait to understand or feel ready to change from within.  Change the behavior and you will accomplish the change from within you seek.

In the same way, God the Father is saying observe the commandments “carefully” and you will be wise and it will purify your heart.  He is also saying don’t add nor subtract from them, follow my plan.  Here is where we struggle.  We want to change the plan to meet our comfort zone.  The Doctor says, “Take this pill for 14 days” and we start to feel better in 7 so we stop taking it without understanding the consequence of not allowing the full benefit to take effect or we start skipping days or taking only half.  Do we know the physiological and pharmacological relationship between the medication and our body?  No, but we take away or we add sometimes when we like the benefits like pain pills that become abused.  The Old Testament says, “Follow God’s plan”.  We tell our children “eat your breakfast”.  The response, “I’m not hungry”.  God says, “Eat my word”.  We say, “I’m too busy.”  Then we become malnourished spiritually.

Jesus comes into the world speaking truth to the mind and love to the heart.  This is a huge paradigm shift in God’s revelation to humanity.  He does not take away from the obedience of the commands but enriches the understanding of the commands through the gifts of the spirit.  Jesus tells the Pharisees that they have created their own “human tradition” the laws on top of the law of God and failed to live God’s law in spirit and in truth.  We run the same risk if we use Canon Law, the “Big Book of Rules” in judgment and not in mercy to serve God’s commands.

What is this human tradition?  In our times we have different customs from region to region and across the continent such as the selection of music, when we kneel and how long we kneel, or whether people hold hands or not or liturgical dance in some countries.  Many of these customs develop regionally and the church allow for adaptations to integrate itself into the culture without compromising the essential rites of the General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM).   The human tradition is to battle over the little “t” observations and lose sight of the big “T” purpose of the gospel.

Perhaps the question we must ask ourselves is “Does this fulfill the gospel proclamation of salvation?”  What is “this”?  “This” is our hearts, this is our actions, this is our rules, and this is our voice.  It is what comes out of our mouth that defiles not what comes into it unless it becomes the poison of alcohol, drugs, or if we become consumed with pornography, certain video gaming, and even ideologies the world creates separating us from God.

Through obedience to the commands in our external behavior and purity of hearts in our internal beliefs of faith we will act in justice and live in the presence of the Lord.  We often say, “God is love and God is mercy” but we don’t say enough of “God is righteous”.  Love, mercy, goodness and holiness are feel good attributes of God however “Righteousness” is also an attribute that calls for justice and justice means obedience to God’s law.  Injustice comes from within.   Seeds of anger lead to evil thoughts and acts of revenge; lustful thoughts to unchastity as sexuality begins in the mind; selfish desires to theft remember that candy bar you grabbed as a child at the store; rejection in the heart to murder, once you objectify a person it becomes easy to kill them in your heart and actions; sexual drives to adultery blaming “hormones made me do it”; greed to lack of charity and loss of generosity the source of love; jealousy to malice with emotional hijacking causing acts of violence; deceit to manipulation, once you buy the lie yourself lying to others comes easy; licentiousness to immorality, the license to sin with euthanasia and killing the unborn; envy to covetousness, worshiping the material god; contempt to blasphemy, using the name of Jesus to cuss or “G-O-D-damn” as if God has anything to do with our anger; arrogance to overbearing, otherwise called “full of it”;  and imprudence to folly without the guidance of the spirit poor judgment results.  In summary, impurity leads to injustice and apart from the Lord.

Religion that is pure and undefiled is two parts, the giving of self to others and the guarding of self from the sins of others.  The world is very creative in coming up with new ways to defile the mind under the cover of “entertainment”.   The serpents promise has not changed to “be like gods”.  What enters the mind defiles the heart and it manipulates the will to sin.  Jesus came with the gift of the Spirit to wash us clean.  We are called to be servants, servants to God who chose the cross and remained undefiled.  Let us pray to our Blessed Mother in our weakness recognizing the strength of her love to endure suffering at the side of Jesus.  Let us be ready to answer the call.  We are all called to be saints.  Jesus is the way.

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Homily

Friday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Friday 2st Friday of Ordinary time 2018

1 Cor. 1: 17-25; Ps 33; Mt. 25: 1-13

Where is the debater of this age?  St. Paul is challenging us with this question.  The debater here is not someone who gets in your face and challenges you like we see in some of the media debates where people talk over each other and only get louder to drown out the other.  The debater is an “apologist”, someone generally who can speak out in defense of their beliefs.  In Christianity it is someone who can speak out in defense of the truths of the Faith. 

St. Paul reminds us that being an apologist, defending the truths of Faith does not come from the “wisdom of human eloquence” but from the message of the cross.  This reminds me of the joke where two people come out of the church with one saying “he preached so eloquently” and the other responding, “yes, but what did he say?”  The message of the cross speaks for itself and directly to the soul if we can be silent and listen to its meaning in our lives in the moment. 

The message of the cross is always relevant to our present life.  It is a stumbling block to the sinner who seeks justification for their sin.  It is foolishness for the proud who desires glory.  What the secular world sees as foolishness Jesus used to proclaim salvation for those who have faith.   When we speak of the cross it is Jesus on the cross, the crucifix.  Mother Angelica from EWTN once stated the cross without Jesus is just a piece of wood.  Protestants will question in their apologetics why Catholics keep Jesus on the cross knowing he is risen.  What apology would you give?  Would it be an apology of excuse such as it is just a church tradition?  Would it be a strong apologetic understanding that we remain sinners who inflict pain on Jesus and are in need of greater conversion?  Those who argue against the crucifix say not only “he is risen” but he took our sins with him and “once saved always saved”. 

I remember attending a diaconal conference and the speaker was a convert to Catholicism.  When he was being mentored in the other faith he did a house visit to a new convert with the pastor.  The pastor asked the woman they were visiting that now since she had been “saved” if she committed murder would she be losing her salvation.   She thought about it for a moment and then responded “yes, I would”.  The pastor responded, “No, once saved always saved.”  The speaker said he left there agreeing with the woman more than the pastor.  This is just one example of where we may be called to respond to our faith and our response does not need eloquence of speech it needs understanding of Jesus on the cross. 

Jews demanded signs and Greeks looked for wisdom and today the world continues to seek signs and science based evidence but Christianity is an understanding coming from a personal relationship with a person outside of time who can be both on the cross, in the heart, on the altar and risen.  Signs and science come from a primer mover and creator of the signs and science as evidence of the unseen God of the heavens and earth “full of the goodness of the Lord…and all his works are trustworthy”. 

“But the plan of the Lord stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations.”  We can choose to enter into the design of his heart or chose the foolishness our own design at our own peril.   To have strength to stand before Jesus who bears our sins on the cross we must be vigilant and choose wisely.  Then we will be wise and ready to meet the bridegroom and enter the wedding feast.  

 

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The Deacon Joe

Twenty-First Sunday Ordinary Time

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Jos. 24: 1-2a, 15-17, 18b; Ps. 34; Eph. 5: 21-32; Jn. 6: 60-69

“Decide today whom will you serve”.  Today’s readings reflect the mystery of love between Jesus and his church.  Joshua’s statement is as true for the Israelites leaders, elders, judges, and officers as it was for Jesus disciples who decided to return to their former way of life though not all for those who remained with him had hope of the unseen power of God.  This also applies to our times within the church during a time of scandal and crisis. 

Our second reading addresses more than the sacrament of marriage it speaks in reference to Christ and the church.  The great mystery of Christ is his love for his bride the church.  As servants of the church we are called to sustain the church “without wrinkle or any such thing that she may be holy and without blemish”.  Today the stain of sin within the church is exposed to the faithful and the church is responding to the need for conversion and for some to decide “whom will you serve”. 

Seeing is not always believing but, believing is having hope in the unseen and seen by God who wishes to reveal to us the mystery of faith.  This week Dublin Ireland is the host of the World Meeting of Families by the Church.  One of the issues for the Church all are speaking of is the crisis of child molestation and homosexual behavior by priests going back for over 70 years coming to light.  The sins of the world have entered the church and it must be purified once again.  One of the hosts for EWTN broadcasting is Joan Benkovic who offered this acronym for HOPE.  She said, “H” is for holding onto the truths. In times of crisis and scandal we hold onto the truth of the gospel.  “O” is for own the challenge.  This is not only a challenge for the magisterium of the church but for all the faithful.  In times of crisis the church comes together with courage to face the challenge to overcome the darkness.  The light must shine and scatter the darkness and we must decide whom we serve.  “P” is for perseverance and penance.  We must persevere with prayer and a call for justice to be washed clean of sin.  “E” is for expectation to expect God to intervene in our world as a God of love, mercy, and justice.  What we do to the least of these we do unto Him and he is suffering the stains of his bride the Church, its people, and the innocent and he hears the cry of the poor.  

Bishop Daniel Flores is addressing the faithful with a letter of hope and call for “reparation”.  The emotions of disappointment, anger, discouragement are valid but as Peter points out, “Master, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Jesus loves his bride and has given us the command to be subordinate to each other in reverence to him as we are the church.  In subordination to each other we also remain subordinate to him by our obedience.  In these times of scandal some want to leave the church, others speak of stopping their donations as an act of punishing the church.  The Church and Jesus are one as a covenant of love.  Do we feel we can punish Jesus more than he has already suffered on the cross for us? 

Hope is needed but not the hope of wishful thinking but the hope of love in action.  It is the hope that addresses the needs of those who suffer from these sins.  The action expected is of prayer, penance, responding to the challenge and expecting from God to respond in his mercy.   Then we shall “taste and see the goodness of the Lord”. 

Bishop Daniel E. Flores, Diocese of Brownsville in his letter (dates August, 2018) to the faithful has ordered the priests to offer Masses of reparation every Friday for nine weeks.  He states, “Let us ask the Lord to show his kindness and not to sustain his just anger forever.  Reparation requires a great spirit of penance on the part of the whole Church to repair the damage caused by such evil acts.  By grace we are a body, and by grace we have to feel the pain of the members who suffer harm.”

Do we love Jesus?  Then we love his bride the church.  We will defend her for our hope is in the Lord and the evil one will not prevail against her.  We are the church militant against sin and God hears the cry of the poor.  Fear not, Jesus does not abandon his bride.  Hope with expectation and we see the goodness of the Lord in victory.   

 

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Homily

Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time B

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Wis. 1: 13-15; 2: 23-24; 2 Cor. 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mk 5:21-43

Live with the end in mind.  “God did not make death” thus to live by grace is not to die but to be transformed into the eternal life “for justice is undying”.   Death belongs to the darkness of the evil one and they will experience it.  What hope for the living!  But wait!  Will only the righteous experience immortality as a gift from God and the unrighteous cease to exist? In God’s image we are “imperishable” but then we must look at ourselves and see his image in us and in our actions.  What is that image?  We were given an intellect to put on the mind of God and receive knowledge, a will to follow God’s will for a purpose driven life, and the emotions to receive God’s love to fulfill “God’s justice”.  Live the image of God with the end in mind.

Often emotions are seen as inferior to the intellect, you must be “strong minded” over being “touchy feely” or have an “unbending will” over “sensitive nature”.  What about the emotional “EQ” to fulfill justice in the world?   Why would a stranger run out into the street to save a small child who has wandered off on the street when a car is coming that will kill the child.  Is that smart, or a weak will to risk his own life or is there a sense of love greater than self than seeks justice at the risk of their own poverty if they could also die or at least be severely injured.  The child has no chance against a car and is innocent of the danger but the adult recognizes the impending harm and is moved to act.   “Excel in every respect” with the end in mind.  Where do we want to spend eternity?

“Brothers and sisters: As you excel in every respect” along the spiritual gifts from grace excel in your poverty.   How do we excel in our poverty?  Our trust is in the Lord who made heaven and earth.  We trust in God’s divine providence for by Jesus’ poverty his coming into humanity we receive our riches prepared for us in heaven. In our poverty we recognize all that we have, all that we are is God’s and we share that in charity to supply the needs of others.  In his image we become the best God created us to be by our spiritual works of mercy and our corporal works of mercy.

Those who fail to think about where they will spend eternity will find the darkness of the “easy road” that is wide.  Historically kingdoms have risen and fallen but scripture reminds us that it was God who saw the sins of man and revealed the fall to come.  Those sins were driven by the kings and temple priests who ruled the people.  They included idolatrous priests, cult prostitutes living in the temple apartments, immolation of children sacrificed by fire in honor of other gods, and consultation with ghosts, and spirits.  Is the world different now than then?  The nations of the world are more secular and deny the existence of God to worship the State and fight for control of the government as their god.  The sexual revolution has taken prostitutes from the outskirts of town “red zone” and given them a place of honor, even the key to the city in one infamous recent “Stormy” case.   The sacrifice of children by fire to other gods has become the sacrifice of children by abortion to the god of self.  Consultations to spirits is still consultation of spirits, some things never change.  The darkness is in battle for spiritual control with palm readers, “curanderas”, spiritualist, etc.  It is time to turn to the Lord with our whole heart, whole being, and whole strength or suffer the same fate.

There are some who see Jesus coming as a coming “new world  order” of socialism and can point to a reading like today “Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less” as mantra for a redistribution of wealth.  I was watching in the news a debate between what is recognized as a “conservative and a liberal” and the liberal was quoting scripture to justify their position.  The conservative asked, if the liberal allowed the stranger into his home and had an open door policy to care for the poor.  His response was he was not the “state”.  Since when did Jesus say he came to establish a state run kingdom in the world?  To the contrary he said his kingdom was not of this world.  There can be no systemic justice without individual justice.  It cannot be forced upon a free will,  no more than we would want to becomes slaves to the state.  God’s kingdom must live in the individual soul and some will choose the darkness of envy but others will choose the sacrifice of love, the “undying justice” of eternal life.

The work of salvation Jesus performed in miracles was relational.  In the gospel Jesus cures the woman with hemorrhages and he raises the child to life.  In the woman we see the power of faith because as the Apostles claimed the crowd was pressing upon him but it was the touch of faith that drew power out of Jesus.  It was with the touch of the child’s hand that drew life back into her as he called out “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”  The child was dead in her humanity but asleep in her righteousness as a child of God for she did not belong to the evil one.  Jesus could have easily cured by the crowd full and saved himself much time but he chose to impact one life at a time.  The riches of his grace come when we reach out in faith and touch someone with love.  Today we will reach out and touch the heart of Jesus with our hands and/or our mouth but will we also touch him with our heart believing in faith in his presence.

The transubstantiation of the host into his body and blood is the daily miracle we receive today.  Eucharistic miracles when studied are always identified as flesh from a heart and AB type blood.  One recent Eucharistic miracle occurred on August 18, 1996 in the church of Santa Maria y Caballito Almagro in Buenos Aires Argentina under the auspices of Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio, our Pope Francis.  (Mieczyslaw Piotrowski 2010 “Eucharistic Miracle in Buenos Aires in Love One Another “ A team of five  scientists were assembled and concluded:

“The analyzed material is a fragment of the heart muscle found in the wall of the left ventricle close to the valves.  This muscle is responsible for the contraction of the heart.  It should be borne in mind that the left cardiac ventricle pumps blood to all parts of the body.  The heart muscle is in an inflammatory condition and contains a large number of white blood cells.  This indicates that the heart was alive at the time the sample was taken.  It is my contention that the heart was alive, since white blood cells die outside a living organism.  They require a living organism to sustain them.  Thus, their presence indicates that the heart had been under severe stress, as if the owner had been beaten severely about the chest.

The scientists were not told that this human heart sample came from a host.  Let us reflect on this one statement, “The heart was alive at the time the sample was taken.”  It comes from a host.  This is an indication of the living presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.  This is also the tortured heart of Jesus that still bleeds for our sins and those of the whole world.  From the Sacred Heart of Jesus comes the blood and water to wash away our sins in his divine mercy.  Historical meaning of blood carried the life of animals and soul of humans.  Science reveals the heart pumps the blood which carries the impurities of the body to be cleansed by the organs which in Jesus is a sign of our sins being washed away.  Our riches rest in Jesus’ poverty, in the sacrifice of the Mass, and in the personal relationship for we are called by name.  Jesus is calling, the Blessed Mother gave her fiat, let us be a child today in the touch from Jesus and say yes Lord I believe.  Live with the end in mind with undying justice, heaven is waiting.

 

 

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Homily The Deacon Joe

Eleventh Week Ordinary Time Wed 2018

Posted on by Deacon Joe

2 Kgs 2:1, 6-14; Mt 6: 1-6, 16-18

Having stood by the river Jordan during a pilgrimage, it is not a large or deep river but to Elijah and Elisha to both use the mantle of Elijah to strike the water and divide it to cross over on dry land is a miracle of God’s divine power and the spirit of God on these men.  Elisha calls Elijah “My Father” is a religious title accorded prophetic leaders and thus Elijah is the spiritual father of Elisha.  He is also about to be taken up to heaven in a “flaming chariot and flaming horses”.  As is the human tradition of those times giving the firstborn son a double portion of his fathers’ property as an inheritance, Elisha now asks for an a double portion of a spiritual inheritance.  Elijah seems surprised by the request, “that is not easy”.  “Still” Elijah places the request up to the test, “if you see me taken up from you, your wish will be granted; otherwise not”. 

As a parent our desire is to leave our children in a better position in life than we lived, ideally an inheritance of “double portion”.  We work hard, save, and invest for the future, a future for our children.  We write our wills and divide up our wealth and plan for the day we will be taken up to the Lord.  What is our spiritual inheritance for them, is it even a passing thought?  My parents were fairly illiterate with hardly a first grade education.  My mother was able to self-educate enough to read the bible.  Education was an important inheritance in my life in a time when many poor families valued children being part of the work force more than graduating or seeking higher education.  Education was not the only inheritance it was how I used my education young in life reading books of bible stories and as I grew older the bible.  It was an inheritance that valued church and prayer.  As early as I can remember I was expected to pray in the morning and before going to sleep.  Sometimes we prayed together often on my own but I recall getting on my knees next to my bed to pray. 

I remember one day my mother was ill and we were staying at the home of one of my aunts and on Sunday she said I needed to go to church so she told me to go find a church.  I was only 8 or 9 years old so I started walking down the streets until I saw a church.  I walked into this church I did not know what faith it was or anyone there.  I sat in the back and then someone escorted me to the back of the church into a separate room where there were other children.  We had bible study and then were brought back to the main assembly.  I walked back home at the end and shared my story with her.  Even though she had her disability she did not want me to be limited by her limitations even if I had to venture on my own very early in life.  These life experiences gave me my spiritual inheritance.  God was important and it has brought me to this altar as a deacon. 

The gospel is a reminder that the Christian idea of reward is not what the world has to offer but the gifts that come from God.  If we look to the world the rewards of the world will offer an “eye for an eye” and we will have been repaid but God offers us double or more of his gifts as our inheritance. 

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The Deacon Joe

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Hos 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9; Eph. 3:8-12, 14-19; Jn. 19:31-37
“An eye witness has testified, and his testimony is true…so that you also may come to believe”. The eye witness standing at the side of Jesus was “his mother and the disciple there whom he loved” John. Believe what? Believe in death, no that we already accept. Believe in him who died for us that we may have life everlasting. Believe in the love of his sacred heart joined to our Blessed Mother’s Immaculate Heart. The mystery of love is not one heart but one body in Christ who suffered and died united to the hearts of many. Israel is a child and a nation he has “called my son”. God stooped to feed a nation of Israel and Jesus stoops to feed his people in the Eucharist. The transubstantiation of the host into his body and blood is the daily miracle we receive today.

Eucharistic miracles when studied are always identified as flesh from a heart and AB type blood. One recent Eucharistic miracle occurred on August 18, 1996 in the church of Santa Maria y Caballito Almagro in Buenos Aires Argentina under the auspices of Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio, our Pope Francis. (Mieczyslaw Piotrowski 2010 “Eucharistic Miracle in Buenos Aires in Love One Another “ A team of five scientists were assembled and concluded:

“The analyzed material is a fragment of the heart muscle found in the wall of the left ventricle close to the valves. This muscle is responsible for the contraction of the heart. It should be borne in mind that the left cardiac ventricle pumps blood to all parts of the body. The heart muscle is in an inflammatory condition and contains a large number of white blood cells. This indicates that the heart was alive at the time the sample was taken. It is my contention that the heart was alive, since white blood cells die outside a living organism. They require a living organism to sustain them. Thus, their presence indicates that the heart had been under severe stress, as if the owner had been beaten severely about the chest.

The scientists were not told that this human heart sample came from a host. Let us reflect on this one statement, “The heart was alive at the time the sample was taken.” It comes from a host. This is an indication of the living presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. This is also the tortured heart of Jesus that still bleeds for our sins and those of the whole world. From the Sacred Heart of Jesus comes the blood and water to wash away our sins in his divine mercy. Historical meaning of blood carried the life of animals and soul of humans. Science reveals the heart pumps the blood which carries the impurities of the body to be cleansed by the organs which in Jesus is a sign of our sins being washed away.

Christ brings to “light for all what is the plan of the mystery…so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church…according to the eternal purpose. “As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam’s side, so the church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross” (CCC 766). The eternal purpose is salvation through Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is his coming through the church for our times. The church is the living organism in the Mystical body of Christ. The body is made up of millions of cells that organizes into a living organism with a soul for a divine purpose. The baptized are a cell in the body of Christ through the Holy Spirit born into a spiritual organism with Christ as the invisible head and the Vicar of Christ, our Holy Father who direct the church on earth.

In our times we have many who call themselves Christians but who do not see a need for church. They identify themselves as having a personal relationship with God, many pray, some may offer penance, others just call on God in time of need. Why go to church? Can a branch separated from the vine survive if not united to the source of life? When the test of faith comes as it is destined to happen, will the branch wither and die from lack of grace to persevere in trial? It is in the unity of the body, the church suffering, the church militant, and the church triumphant together we receive the springs of salvation.

In contrast those who “draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation” receive “the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self…” In the inner self we encounter Christ in the Eucharist, his most Sacred Heart “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones” the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge. The heart of Jesus is humble, overwhelmed with love and stirred with pity for the lost, the broken, the sorrowful, the sinful, for you and me. His mercy endures forever. The heart of Jesus raises the heart of the humble as an “infant to his cheeks” for the kiss of life.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary remains next to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Her heart is pierced and she weeps for her children.  The love of a Father who offered up his Son for our salvation is comforted by the love of a mother who carried him in the womb, kissed his cheeks, presented him at the temple and stood by him at the cross.  Love unconditional is perfect love and we are created in his image to receive that love and to go forth and love one another.

 

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