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Homily

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – The cost of discipleship

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Wis. 9:13-18b; Ps. 90: 3-6, 12-14, 17; Phil. 9:12-17; Lk.14:25-33

Today Jesus makes clear the cost of discipleship is one of sacrifice.  It is the sacrifice of carrying our own cross.  A mother bears the pain of childbirth but then comes the joy of her suffering in the life of a newborn.  This is the mystery of the cost of discipleship that it gives birth to the joy of the resurrection in that Jesus lives through us and in us.  As John (Jn. 3:29-30) reminds us in scripture, “So this joy of mine has been made complete.  He must increase; I must decrease”.  

It begins and ends with our surrender of our will to do his will.  Our purpose is to seek his will, listen for his voice, be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit by our life of prayer.  The cost of discipleship does not compare to the joy of receiving the Lord in this life and for eternity.   Our mortal bodies return to dust but the soul’s act upon death is to face our personal judgement.  As Simon Peter tells Jesus in the miracle of the fish, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”  Who can stand before the Lord when we come face to face with our sins before him?  The disciple who followed him after he made his salvation known. 

The Lord is our refuge.  We turn to him and he will place his laws in our hearts.  The challenge is can we keep his commandments and accept the cost of discipleship.  The “hating” of father or mother, wife or children, brothers or sisters is not the hate of a person since we are also called to love one another.  The “hate” is the sin and how we deal with the sins of others.  In a culture that calls for “safe space”, the rise in sensitivity to anything that can be labeled as a “microaggression” and the efforts to “cancel” any person who does not support specific cultural norms is the sin of “hate” in its evil ways.  Jesus is calling us to hate the sin and love the sinner by being truthful of the sin and not denying its danger.  The ultimate danger is the loss of a soul from heaven. 

The cost of discipleship is to stand for the truth as revealed by God.  The truth is that our days are numbered and possessions are a passing resource, a blessing to serve a good when we call out to God to “prosper the work of our hands”.  If by some tragedy we lose all our possessions, a fire, a storm, a flood or any other major event the heart that was detached from its possessions will bear their cross with greater strength than the heart whose meaning was attached to its possessions.  The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh as we have often heard, “praise be to the Lord”.  Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall but the Lord remains with his people and rescues us and is our refuge. 

Jesus gives the example of the King marching into battle who first decides if he can successfully oppose another king who is much stronger in troops.  In this case because he lacks the strength of enough troops he seeks “peace terms”.  It is an act of prudence and so we are called to be prudent with all our possessions.  When is “enough too much”?  One way to seek peace and not let our possessions “possess us” is to ask ourselves “is this still serving a purpose”? 

The will of God is that we serve our purpose, a greater purpose and not let anything or anyone stand in the way of achieving God’s purpose.  This is the cost of discipleship, to let go and let God be the one who possesses us. 

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Homily

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – “Be humble of heart”

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Sir. 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Ps. 68: 4-7, 10-11; Heb. 12:18-19, 22-24a; Lk.14:1, 7-14

Being humble of heart is living the truth that there is a God and we are not a god.  Be humble of heart and learn from the Lord what it is to truly be “meek and humble of heart”.  Humility is often misunderstood as a sign of weakness when in fact it takes great courage to stand up to the truth whether convenient or inconvenient.  A person who is humble of heart does not seek personal attention or recognition but desires to reflect the truth of who we are and who God is. 

We are created and God is the creator, we are sinners and God is the redeemer of our sins, we are the imperfect and God is the perfector of our lives, we are pilgrims and God is the way; we desire to live and God provides us life.   To be humble of heart is to accept the truth of God.

A person who is meek is not weak.  When the Lord says he is “meek”, he recognizes who he is as the son of God, what his purpose is for which he came into this world, and accepting the sacrifice he is prepared to make for the salvation of souls.  This meekness takes great courage.  We too can learn from Jesus to be meek by accepting our call, our purpose in doing his will, and being ready to carry the cross that may come.  We are a child of God here to do his will in meekness and with a humble heart of love. 

Jesus is calling us to learn from him what it is to be in this world but not of this world.  The world desires attention and recognition seeking to showcase every life on social media and have followers and with influencers to influence what you think, how to look, what is popular and be a “good” follower of what is acceptable to the world.  In contrast the Lord teaches us if you “humble yourself the more, the greater you are”.  The good that we do is for God and from God and he who sees all things will multiply our blessings. 

The world desires power and control and it often does it by trying to destroy the other.   Many battles and wars have been fought not only between nations, tribes, and neighborhoods but even at the kitchen table among families claiming rights or entitlements.  Being humble of heart desire the good of the other, is willing to sacrifice for the other.  This is the “city of the living God”, not an earthly city but a spiritual city, a heavenly Jerusalem with Jesus “the mediator of a new covenant”.  It is a covenant with “sprinkled blood” from the sacrifice of love.  We cannot say “thank you Jesus for the blood of your sacrifice” and not be open to the share in the sacrifice of the cross.  Jesus says “take my yoke…and learn from me”, learn to be humble in carrying the cross. 

I had just finished my Master’s degree and was applying for my first professional job.  I was interviewed by two women for a job as a counselor.  In most interviews you want to show confidence and competence and be positive so I was greatly surprised when towards the end of the interview one woman said, “You are very proud”.  I didn’t know how to respond to this criticism.  I got the job but it left we having to reflect on how I carry myself.  The difference between confidence versus “a know it all” attitude is humility and humility is recognizing your limitations and admitting your mistakes. 

God is the perfector to holiness but not in a heart filled with pride.  The mind that believes “I know best” leaves no room for God.  God knows best and our minds have to bend to the will of God.  He has already given us a roadmap through the scriptures but knowing how to read the roadmap requires us to trust in Jesus, learn from him in a very personal direct union of hearts and souls. 

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Homily

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time – The Lord’s way!

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 66:18-21; Ps. 1117: 1,2; Heb. 12:5-7, 11-13; Lk.13:22-30

It is the Lord’s way that will get us salvation.  The Lord’s way is “the narrow gate” of obedience, faithfulness, and perseverance.  It is not a mystery for he came to reveal to us “the way, the truth, and the life” to holiness.  It is the way of love, the truth of the commandments, and the life of surrender to the will of God.  Here lies the dilemma for the human condition, “love” is more about “seeking” than giving love; truth centers on “my truth” rather than God’s revealed truth; and life is ego-centric to our pleasure than to our sacrifice.  “Lord, will only a few people be saved?  Many will attempt, but not be strong enough”. 

Who are the “many” who desire heaven but not be strong enough?  There are many who call themselves “Christian” by identity without living the true identity in the image of Christ.  “Eating and drinking in the company” of Jesus sounds more like a socialized Christian or a “cafeteria type” Christian living the minimalist role but not the life of Christ.    We must recall that these are choices we make daily leaving us on the outside looking in.  God’s choice is to welcome us in to the Lord’s way.  It is an invitation.  He will lead us but we must be open to follow the way, the truth, and the life. 

The Lord’s way is also the way of the cross.  We unite our suffering with Christ on the cross so our sacrifice is the love and discipline of the Lord.  The Lord does his pruning of the weaknesses of the flesh that we may grow straight and not be ‘disjointed but healed”.  This is what being a “son” that is a child of God by order of our baptism, is the beginning into the life of Christ.  The end is yet to be determined by our response to the invite, a response that is seen by our action.  There is a false teaching that says “once saved always saved” minimizing the importance of our daily response to God.  We have heard it said “a little poison won’t kill you” and in the same way there is the attitude that “a little sin won’t kill you”.  It comes with the attitude that says “I’m a good person, haven’t killed anybody” as if God judges us on our terms and not his.  Surprise will come on judgment day when our whole life is made bare from the heart. 

A few weeks ago, I found myself sitting working on a homily.  When I stood up a sharp pain hit my hip.   Suddenly, I could not walk straight.  I called it “Jacob’s hip” as he wrestled with an angel all night and in the morning was struck in the hip.  X-rays revealed a more medical diagnosis “radiculitis”.  I had to google to make sure I was not being called “ridiculous” for it felt ridiculous to suddenly not be able to walk on my own.  “I went from being completely active to severe pain and depending on a walker to get around.   The “scourging” has begun and the correction of love to make straight the way of the Lord.  This is the discipline of perseverance when things are not in our control, not a cause for joy but we await the fruit of righteousness as we trust in the Lord. 

The Lord knows our “works” and our “thoughts” because works and thoughts matter.  To proclaim “I believe” is only the beginning of the way, truth and life of a Christian.  Works reflect our commitment and thoughts our intent behind our action.  God desires a conversion of heart to love the love of God in our works.  This is the testimony of the God News we are to share with the world.  The Lord is steadfast and faithful and he calls us to be the same. 

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Homily

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time – The new self

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Eccl. 1:2; 2:21-23; Ps. 90:3-6, 12-14, 17; Col. 3:1-5, 9-11; Lk. 12:13-21

The new self is in the image of the creator putting to death the earthly and receiving Christ.  The old self is vanity, seeking the passions of the flesh and storing up the riches of the world.  The greatest treasure of earthly life lies in the kingdom of God that lies within the soul until we enter into the heavenly glory.  The new self is restored to the sanctity of life no longer drawn to the passions of this world but to the inner voice of God.  It is a hunger for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and a distaste for the vanities of the world. 

The treasure of the kingdom of God is our unity in the one body of Christ that is the bond of love that gives life meaning and purpose in which we live and die to self for the other, the one we love.  It is Christ above us to lift us up to things that are above, Christ within us in the Eucharist to nourish body and soul with divine grace, and Christ before us in our neighbor to call us to serve him daily. 

The new self must also guard one’s body as the body and soul are one being and what affects the body impacts the soul and what the soul lives gives life to the well-being of the body.  Everything else is vanity!  Christ reminds us that it is in the body where he comes to build the temple of the Holy Spirit.  The body is given no less respect that the mind or emotions from the heart.  Respect for the body extends from what we drink, eat, inhale to who we expose our intimacy with.  All impact the soul and our relationship with self and with God. 

The old self is a restless mind that does not seek rest in God but in how it takes control over its life and influences others.  This vanity is an illusion of power and not a trust in a greater power than ourselves.  A restless mind brews anxiety, fear, and obsession that can spiral out of control into paranoia, panic, and depression.  It is a mind in which every action is scrutinized and no answer seems to be sufficient and peace is always beyond reach. 

It is often said we are to trust as if everything depends on God and work as if everything depends on self.   This requires a life that is actively engaged in prayer even as we move about our day seeking the will of God not our will and the wisdom to know the difference.  The new self is wrapped in prayer as we lift our mind to God and open our heart to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus comes in the moments of life to engage us where we are.  This is the new self who hears his voice and opens up his heart.  Prayer is the answer. 

The Lord prospers the work of our hands when we not only offer it up for his blessing but we offer ourselves up in the love and sacrifice of our hands.  We are part of the labor of love that gives life and blessing to those who come to share and receive from our work.  Our work is to be a blessing that adds to the goodness of life.  The rich man desired to store up for himself his harvest and is called a “fool” for his greed.  In the beginning of life, we seek to build up our human treasures and keep seeking the next best material thing and in the end of life we end up giving away what we possess, trying to hold onto only our health to extend or days. 

The Lord fills the earth with many good blessings to bring joy, peace, beauty, unity, and our daily bread.  If our hearts are not filled with gratitude, we fail to recognize God’s presence and blessings in our life.  It follows the principle of compounding gains or losses meaning the more we focus on the negative the greater we engage and invite negativity into our life while the more we focus on the positive the greater we are open to receive positive blessings in our life.  The Lord fills the heart that is open and ready to receive his goodness but he cannot give to a closed heart.  Put on the new self and live with the end in mind, as if it was the first day of life and the last day of life, and the only day that matters.  “Christ is all and in all.” 

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Homily

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Ask and receive

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Gen. 18:20-32; Ps. 138:1-3, 6-8; Col. 2:12-14; Lk. 11:1-13

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find” says the Lord.  Abraham pleaded with God for mercy on his people.  Great was the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah for their grave sin worthy of death but great was the prayer for mercy from Abraham to save the innocent among the guilty.  Today we live the great sins Sodom and Gomorrah around the world worthy of the Lord’s justice but great is also the prayer of the Church for mercy and forgiveness.  The weeds remain among the crops till the day of harvesting.  Jesus reminds us in the gospel, God’s love is a father’s love who desires what is good for his people but we have to come to him, ask, seek, knock and persist through prayer and he will answer. 

The outcry for justice versus the outcry for mercy is heard in the heavens.  Unfortunately, not enough souls are praying for mercy because there is the forgotten truth of “sin”.  Pontious Pilate asked Jesus “what is truth?” and today the world questions “what is sin?”  Morality is seen as an individual choice defined by each individual so that one person’s claim of sin is another person’s claim of righteousness.  From the global intifada call for “death to Israel” to the legal claim to the death penalty and the abortion of a child, it is all seen as justice for some without sin.  The lost don’t seek their own mercy from a loving father because there is no connection to the truth of sin.  There is no asking for forgiveness or receiving of mercy for failure to acknowledge God’s truth. 

The modern-day perversion of the human body is beyond the sins of the past through relationships in adultery, prostitution, and homosexuality.  The human body has become the object of self-mutilation through attempts to transition into the opposite gender beginning in early childhood promoting our children to question their own sexuality and gender identity.  The body is now a billboard for identity within groups or simply for self-expression.  Lost is the awareness that the body is in union with the soul and as we dehumanize the body the soul is injured from its true identity created in the image of God.  We become unrecognizable to who God created us to be.  Morality is not a personal choice but a command from God.  Failure to live by his commands is sin. 

Hope is not lost as St. Paul reminds us “even when you were dead in transgression…he brought you to life…having forgiven us all our transgressions” for having asked we receive his mercy and forgiveness.  The legal claims against us for our sins is “obliterated” as he nails it to the cross.  This is the good news and we should come and be reconciled with our God through the sacrament of reconciliation.  All this for those who turn to him in recognition of our sin but if we fail to recognize our sin, fail to ask and seek, believe in our own self-righteousness then we remain lost captured by the snares of the devil. 

Ask and receive says the Lord.  Many will say that they prayed and “nothing happened”.  My first roommate in college as a freshman said to me one day after he found out I was a Christian, he prayed and asked if there was a God to show him.  He said nothing happened so he claimed to be an atheist.  When we approach God asking on our own terms, we will be disappointed and likely nothing will happen.   We are to ask in humility, seek God’s will, and approach God with love fulfilling the first commandment.  Jesus taught his disciples to begin prayer by recognizing the holiness of God that includes his love, mercy, and justice.  We pray for his kingdom to enter our hearts through forgiveness and reconciliation.  We receive “our daily bread” not only when we come to communion in the eucharist but in communion with each other united by the Holy Spirit.  We are obligated to forgive as we are forgiven and plead that we will not undergo the “final test”. 

What is the “final test”?  In Jewish apocalyptic writing it is a period of severe trial before the end of the age.  In historical terms we know all the disciples died and the world has continued for thousands of years but we still await the “end of the age” which is to be a severe time in history.  We currently are living in an age of mercy but as the world falls into greater sins the outcry to heaven is for the end of time to come. 

Our time, that is the lifetime of our human condition is short and we too must pass through a final test in the battle for our soul with the evil one.  We must fight the good fight and remain faithful and persevere to the end because every day counts and every moment is a test of where we stand.  The final test is also the test of the eucharist.  Do we believe in his body and blood soul and divinity coming to us in the bread and wine we receive and do we ask and receive in a state of grace our daily bread?  This is the test we are faced with to stand with God as our Lord and savior in the sacrifice of the eucharist where our sins are obliterated.  God is our hope and our glory. 

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Homily

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Perfect in Christ

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Gen. 18:1-10a; Ps. 15:2-5; Col. 1:24-28; Lk. 10:38-42

“He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord” having been perfect in Christ.  Abraham is perfect in Christ in his justice and generosity to the “’three men” being a servant to their needs.  He is rewarded with the promise of a son with his wife Sarah.  Martha likewise is being a servant to Christ without a just heart as she complains to Jesus about her sister Mary.  Abraham makes an offering of his resources while Martha makes a complaint of her service.  Mary however makes an offering of her heart “the better part and it will not be taken from her”.  Every day we are called to be of service to our family, friends, work, neighbor and even to a stranger and justice is served when it comes from the heart.  The unjust find fault and complain “why me” instead of “why not me”. 

St. Paul rejoices in his suffering because he makes of an offering of it to serve “what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ”.  What could possibly be lacking in Christ who is God with us?  What is lacking is this unity of our suffering with his for our sins and those of the whole world.  What is lacking is our response to his sacrificial love in meeting the first and greatest commandment.  The love of God with all our heart, mind and soul is lacking when we remain attached to an attitude of “me first”, far from being perfect in Christ.  What is lacking is our desire to be one with Christ because it requires our surrender to his will not ours to be perfect in Christ. 

Perfection is both an act and a process.  The perfect act of perfection is Godly love.  Christ’s perfect act of perfection was his surrender to the cross for the salvation of souls.  Each day we are given an opportunity to make an act of perfection in our charity, suffering, offering of ourselves and worship of our God.  Be perfect as God is perfect is one act of perfection at a time It is how we respond to the test of life with the right attitude of mind, right love of heart, and right desire of will. 

Perfection is also a process that requires perseverance, patience, humility and desire.  Too often the human condition falls into the trap of justifying oneself by rationalizing “I am not perfect”.  I can only imagine God responding with “And what are you doing about it?”  This should not be an excuse for our state of life but a realization of what separates us from God.  It should lead us to an examination of conscience for what needs to change in our lives.  To recognize our imperfection is the first step towards spiritual growth.  In supplication we are to seek God’s grace to be made perfect in Christ.  The process comes through our daily life as God sends us his messengers like he sent Abraham those three angels as men. 

Perfection is also an act of justice.  Jesus death on the cross was the justice paid in atonement for the sins of the world.  Purgatory is the Lord’s justice in atonement for the sins we have committed to be made perfect in Christ.  Many assume that Christ’s death on the cross for our sins implies a direct path to heaven for us but the imperfect soul must be cleansed for only the perfect can see the face of God and live.  We are reminded of this in the book of Wisdom “as gold in the furnace he proved them” (Wis. 3: 1:6).  The fire of purification brings us to be perfect in Christ.  Justice is perfect love and I for one remain in the process of seeking that perfect love. 

Abraham provides for a meal to the three men who arrive and Martha is busy about preparing a meal for Jesus, both indicative of the perfect meal to come through Jesus.  The perfect meal began with the last supper and culminated with the final cup to drink on the cross.  Jesus is the perfect meal that bring us closer to his perfect love.  Today we celebrate that perfect meal in the Eucharist that we may be made perfect in Christ. 

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Homily

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time – The Great Command

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Deut. 30:10-14; Ps. 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37; Col. 1:15-20; Lk. 10:25-37

The Great Command of the Lord “is not too mysterious or remote…it is something very near to you…you have only to carry it out.”  This command in our “mouth” and in our “hearts” is not based on the law of commandments and statutes.  Commandments and statutes provide us a roadmap in which we implement the great command of God.  The Great Command is to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul and our neighbor as ourselves.  This “love” however is sacrificial love.  It is the love of Christ Jesus in his sacrifice our us that we may sacrifice ourselves for him.  It is not a mystery because Jesus has revealed it to us in his person.  It is not remote because he offers himself to remain with us and in us to fulfill the great command.  Our mission is to grow in this love that makes all other commandments and statutes a natural process of living in Christ Jesus.

In the gospel, the scholar of the law wants to tests Jesus on his view of the law.  Perhaps he wants to see if Jesus is going to uphold all the laws of the Jews but when Jesus asks him to give his interpretation, he is able to summarize all the laws into the great command and Jesus affirms his answer.  His desire to justify himself by asking “who is my neighbor” is from a practical position to know who is “in” that category and who is “out”.  Is it his tribe, all Jews, or what about the Gentiles?  Jesus’ response with a parable gives “neighbor” a whole new meaning.  Neighbor separates no one by race, ethnicity, religion, tribe or territory.  To be neighbor is to be a servant to those in need.

When I was young it was quite common for someone to knock on our door and it would be a child from the neighborhood asking for his family if we had “some flour, butter, oil…a screwdriver, hammer, or any number of things” to lend, share or give them.  Being a neighbor was looking out for each other, offering to help, caring and asking “how are you doing?”  Today we have a tendency to live in isolation by the rule of “don’t ask, don’t tell”.  The great command however remains and when tragedy strikes as it did this past week in Texas with the flooding people respond in great numbers because God is not only with us, he lives in us to respond to the need.  Praise be to God, we live because the great command lives in us. 

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Homily

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Acts. 12:1-11; Ps. 34:2-9; 2 Tim. 4:6-8, 17-18; Mt. 16:13-19

“But who do you say that I am?”  This question by Jesus to the apostles was answered by Saints Peter and Paul not just with words but with actions following in the footsteps of Jesus to lay their life down for their faith in him.  What is our action of faith that speaks louder than words in answering the question for ourselves?  True faith is reflected in our actions and our actions strengthen our faith that we may stand strong against the powers of the evil one.  Who Jesus is in our life is based on our relationship with him, our daily walk and talk to God in three persons, worship of the Father, love of Jesus and calling to the Holy Spirit to sanctify us. 

King Herod had “James, the brother of John killed by the sword” and now Peter is arrested expecting a similar fate.  What is also happening is that “prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf”.  Intercessory prayer by the Church is a powerful source of prayer and God hears the prayer of the faithful.  God sent his angel to free him from the bonds of evil because his work was not done.  Peter is being formed in the image of Christ, just as Christ was imprisoned in Jerusalem during the feast of Unleavened Bread so is Peter imprisoned during this same season but for now the angel says to Peter to “get dressed” meaning it is not his time to die.  There will be a future time it will be his time to be martyred and others will dress him and lead him where he does not want to go. 

Peter would still be martyred but on God’s time after the early church had grown and established itself as a force under the authority of the apostles.  We too have a window of time in this world with a divine purpose called to give of ourselves for God’s greater good.  This is how we answer the question of who God is for us fulfilling what we are called to be. 

St. Paul gives us a beautiful literary farewell “poured out like a libation…competed well…finished the race…kept the faith…the crown of righteousness awaits me”.  It is so good and poetic that we can forget how much he suffered as he poured out his heart and ran a race to spread the word of salvation “rescued from the lion’s mouth” before being captured by those who were after him to kill him.  It is not generally good to use the word “I” in a homily but I believe the greater we surrender to the will of God the more we are rescued from the lion’s mouth, from those who would do evil in our lives. 

The words “let go and let God” and the prayer “Jesus I trust in you” answer the question “who do you say that I am?” if we put them in practice.  If we believe then we trust and if we trust then we fear not and if we fear not then letting go of that which we cannot change is welcoming the peace of God into our hearts.  Too often we say we believe but fear disrupts our trust and we fall into the desire to control even that which is beyond us leaving no room for God in those moments when we are under the test of faith.  Faith is not a lack of action but acting with trust in God seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, being prudent by taking right action of what we can control and letting go trusting in the will of God to be our champion.   Jesus asks the question to reveal himself as God the Son in unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus is our God who reveals to us the Father and delivers us to his love and mercy.  He does this through his own sacrifice on the cross.  He is our champion to carry us from death to life, from sin to sanctity and from purgatory to heaven.  He offers us his sacred heart, a heart that feels all our suffering, grieves all our sins, rejoices in our repentance from sin, heals our wounds and yet still bleeds for the sins of the world.  The sacred heart of Jesus reminds us that he remains fully human and divine in order to remain with us in our own journey of faith.  He desires to be our shepherd whose voice we hear and guides us in right paths. 

Saints Peter and Paul can be seen as having been the bridge that established the universal church.   St. Peter led the Jewish tradition of old into the truth of Jesus the anointed one who they had been waiting for while St. Paul led the evangelization of the Gentiles into the revelation of the “unknown God” revealed in Jesus.  It is our turn now to be a bridge for believers and non-believers.  We must ensure that believers don’t simply live by religious tradition coming to church for weddings and funerals and only major holidays but are actively engaged in their faith and that nonbelievers are drawn to the mystery of faith through what they witness in the church.  This is our calling so let our actions answer the question of who we say Jesus is in our lives. 

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Homily

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Gen. 14:18-20; Ps. 110:1-4; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Jn. 16:12-15

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is a celebration of the “living bread that came down from heaven” as a sacrifice to offer us life eternal.  The power of Jesus to transform five loaves and two fish into food to feed thousands is the miracle to understand the power to transform bread and wine into his own body and blood that we may believe and receive him so he may transform our lives.  This miracle was foreshadowed from the days of Melchizedek in the coming of Jesus, as Melchizedek blesses Abram, we the people are now blessed by Jesus our high priest as God Most High.

It is the belief of Jesus in the Eucharist that separates Catholicism from other Christian denominations.  How is it that Christians can accept and believe all the miracles Jesus did as well as his claim that he who sees him sees God but deny him when he says “this is my body, this is my blood” in the bread and wine.  Some even claim Catholics preach cannibalism just as in the times of Jesus when many followers also left him as we read in the gospel of John 6:66 “many of his disciples drew back and no longer walked with him”.  For those in search of the “mark of the beast” in the numbers 666, what could be a greater mark than to deny Jesus in the Eucharist.  It was “a hard saying, who can believe it” (Jn. 6:60) then and remains so even for many who claim to be Christian. 

Carlo Acutis, the teenage boy who used his computer skills to document many of the Eucharistic miracles prior to his death made this his life mission, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist.  Eucharistic miracles like in Lanciano (8th Century), Santarem (13th Century), and Buenos Aires (1990s) and show consistently blood type AB positive including the Shroud of Turin is believed to be AB blood.  They also show to come from cardiac tissue which spiritually unites our hearts to the heart of Jesus.  In these miracles Jesus reveals himself as present to us today as he was when he walked this earth.  What we also have in these miracles in an example of how science is not inconsistent with faith.  Carlo’s canonization as a saint is now set to take place September 7, 2025 having lived and died in his service to God at a young age. 

This leaves us still on this earth seeking that perfect sanctity, a work in progress, uniting our faith with reason but ultimately no one can save us with their faith.  It is up to us to believe and by believing to allow Jesus into a more perfect union with our own hearts.  Believe and let God be God for who nothing is impossible.  It is only impossible by our lack of faith as he created us with our own soul to act by free will and to accept or deny him.  We cannot accept him on our terms but as he has revealed himself to humanity, as he claims to be and in the way he has decided to reveal himself.  The decision is ours but eternity depends on the faith we choose to live. 

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Homily

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Prov. 8:22-31; Ps. 8:4-9; Rom 5:1-5; Jn. 16:12-15

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, one God in three Persons.  In God the Father we also celebrate the gift of Fatherhood as Father’s Day.  God the Father is above all things, God the Son is through all things, and God the Holy Spirit is in all things.  Father’s Day is a call to Father’s to also rise above all things with the love of a father in order to lead by witness and sacrifice his domestic church at home united in body to his family.  A father’s love of sacrifice is never done, so every day is a Father’s Day in heaven and on earth.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is a mystery which we cannot fully bear now but the “Spirit of truth (that) he will guide us to all truth” is already at work uniting us to this mystery of faith.  “When the Lord established the heavens, I was there”.  Who is this “I” who is like a child “playing before him”?  It is the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God who “found delight in the human race”.  It is the Holy Spirit that then glorifies Jesus because it guides us to all truth, the truth that Jesus is Lord.  It is the Holy Spirit that is our guardian through the gifts of the Spirit to lead us in right path. 

Jesus not only found delight in the human race but he comes into the human race to offer his sacrifice for us that we may be saved.  Imagine a time of war and the son comes to his father to join in the service and go to war knowing the possibility that this son may die in war as a sacrifice to a greater cause of freedom.  The love of the Father accepts the will of the son and gives him his blessing in the agony and sorrow that a sacrifice has to be done if we are to live in freedom.  We are at war against the sin of the world even as the Son has given his life for the love of humanity.  The battle continues calling other sons and daughters to offer themselves for the cause of freedom.   Who is willing to offer themselves up to serve God? 

An article on Catholicvote.org (Why young adults are finding the Catholic faith irresistible; June 9, 2025) was describing the rise of young people “flocking” into the Catholic Church, especially Gen Z and it is not just in the U.S. but also in Europe.   In a survey seeking to find out what is driving this movement two examples seemed stand out.  For a female it was the solemnity of the Mass with its music, architecture, and beauty that gave her a sense of “peace”.  For a male it was the “brotherhood” that sense of freedom to be men among men in what is our current woke culture where “masculinity is under attack”.  In other words, it is a sense of love of God being manifested in his church appealing to the senses of men and women in different ways but still the same God.  They are seeking something greater than themselves but it is not “something” but “someone”. 

Those coming into the church who seek will find that the call to love is also the call to serve and the call to serve is a call to sacrifice.  We all must grow from infant faith to mature faith, from believing to living daily the faith.   We are all at different stages on this journey but with the same Triune God at work in all of us.  Daily life is filled with sacrifice that builds endurance, character, and hope in the best and worst of circumstances.  As the Father has given the Son to humanity and the Son has sent us the Holy Spirit, we must all make an offering of ourselves as the greatest sacrifice of love to the Trinity.  The reward in heaven is greater than any sacrifice we make.  We live in the present with the end in mind for eternity. 

Can we say “The Lord possessed me” and we are doing the will of the Father?  If we can say the Lord has taken possession of us then we are living in the wonder and miracle of the Trinity.  With the eyes of faith, we can behold the working of the Spirit in our lives, in our relationships, even in our suffering there is peace because something greater is present in our lives and we have nothing to fear.  As is often stated, “when one door closes another one opens” and not just any door but the right door for our lives.  This is following in the spirit the will of the Father and gives glory to the Son who makes all things possible. 

We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ through whom we gain grace.  We are not justified by our own works but the grace that comes from Jesus which validates our justification in which we are able to accomplish our works.  In the love of Jesus we sometimes forget to call on the Holy Spirit who is the one at work to strengthen us by the gifts of grace ready to be poured into our souls.  Our prayer, “Come Holy Spirit, take possession of our hearts and strengthen us by your grace” is this intimate union with the Holy Spirit that transformed the disciples from student interns into apostles of authority through the gifts of the Spirit.  We too are to pray for these gifts that our lives may be transformed. 

The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is that we have but one God in three persons united by the same will that is bound in love.  Marriage is to be a unity of one man, one woman and one God bound in love to fulfill a greater good.  It is sacramental meaning sacred as two human hearts receive God in a covenant of love to do the will of God.  When we are open to the will of God then God reveals himself through each other in marriage.  God speaks the language of love to raise each other up and help each other get to heaven.  This is the closest to understanding the Trinity we can compare to for now until God reveals himself to us in eternity. 

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