27th Sunday Ordinary Time – Keep on doing!

Posted on October 3, 2026September 30, 2026 by Deacon Joe

Is. 5:1-7; Ps 80:9, 12-16, 19-20; Phil. 4:6-9; Mt. 21:33-43

“Keep on doing what you have learned…received…heard…and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you” says St. Paul in the scripture. Paul is being an imitator of Christ and we are all called to live in imitation of Christ. An imitator in this aspect is not a poser who acts one way in front of others to see but in his heart harbors sinful thoughts. An imitator is one who is being transformed to be another Christ in service of God. We become another Christ when we keep on doing what God commands of us.

In the gospel today Jesus reveals in a parable what is about to happen to the Israelites who have rejected him and seek to kill him. They have become posers of the word having established many laws but lost the true sense of God’s law. Jesus warns them that God will take away his kingdom from them and give it to a people who will produce fruit. This people will be imitators of Jesus the “cornerstone” rejected by the Jewish religion. Jesus is the cornerstone of Christendom and we are the people trusted to keep on doing the will of God through Him, with Him and in Him.

The will of God is a calling and we have a choice to keep on doing the will of God and bear fruit or repeat history and become simply posers, Christians by name and tradition but living by our desires. How do we know the difference? Examine the “fruit” of our lives. The “fruit that will remain” lives on in the lives of others. The difference we make by being imitators of Christ in love, sacrifice, charity, and mercy is the type of fruit we are called to produce. What difference have we made is the difference between heaven and hell.

We are creatures of habit, once we develop a habit it becomes hard to change and the more we repeat it the more ingrained it becomes. In other words, we are transformed by our habits into the person we become. If we keep on doing the things that solely bring us pleasure, produce greater power in our lives, and help us receive recognition from the world then we belong to the world and the fruit we bear will not last past this world. Keep on doing what God commands at first seems difficult but by the grace of God there is a conversion of who we are to be who Christ is calling us to be.

St. Paul names a few of the habits to follow, “whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious…anything worthy of praise” of God keep on doing these things. Then the peace of God “will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. God will give us a new life and not withdraw from us “and we shall be saved”. What’s it all about? It’s about God, about heaven and hell, about all eternity.

This is the day that sets in motion for tomorrow. That is why what we are living today has been determined by our yesterdays. If we keep on doing what has failed us in the past then it is destined to be repeated. Keep on doing the will of God and even greater things will come. Life is always in a state of motion, which direction it goes now depends on our next action. Keep on doing what is right and the kingdom of God will open up to even greater things.

Jesus is the cornerstone of our life. The psalm reveals that the house Israel is the vineyard of the Lord but Isaiah prophesizes that the Lord’s vineyard has produced wild grapes. All his investment in the vineyard of the house of Israel has not given the fruit he desires. He desired “judgment and justice” but these wild grapes have brought about the “bloodshed” and “outcry”, it is the bloodshed of Jesus and the outcry to crucify him. It leads God to ask “What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done?” Looking at the history of salvation is a sad commentary on humanity that repeatedly has rejected God but not all.

God has provided for kings, rulers, priests, and prophets and the people have “neither heeded the voice of the Lord, God, nor followed the precepts which the Lord set”. Is the world any different today than in all history? Jesus came and his word has spread to the ends of the earth. It has spread because Jesus sent his disciples out with the power of his name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bend yet rebellion prevails in the hearts of many. Sin remains the greatest pandemic that brings death and destruction.

Faith is an exercise that requires constant movement in the direction of God. This is having a mind of excellence, where we recognize God is working for our salvation in all and through all and we are listening and responding to his call. “Keep doing what you have learned and received” from God through prayer and petition and through his Church and his servants with thanksgiving for all you have received. Let our hearts not be troubled. When God is with us who can be against us?

Finally, a famous quote by St. Francis of Assisi says, “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” The impossible comes from God who makes up for what we lack and makes all things possible. Amen.

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Homily

25th Sunday Ordinary Time – The Lord is near!

Posted on September 19, 2026September 17, 2026 by Deacon Joe

Is. 55:6-9; Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18; Phil. 1:20c-24, 27a; Mt. 20:1-16a

“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near” is both an invitation and a warning. The Lord is near, easy to be found who desires to remain with us but we must come to him so he can reveal himself to us. The invitation is to recognize God in his infinite love and mercy calling us back to him. He is with us even as we live in the flesh that our labor may be fruitful. God is a generous God to those who serve him in his kingdom. The invitation also includes a warning that our day is passing quickly and soon this life will come to an end and with it our opportunity to seek the Lord while he may be found. If we but call out to him he is near to us ready to enter into our hearts.

“The Lord is near to all who call upon him”. In general, there are two kinds of Christians. One view God as creator who after creation remains apart allowing humanity to live by self-determination. The other side views God as someone who has predetermined all that is going to happen and we are just living it out like a play. Both views by are wrong. Today’s readings reveal to us that we have a choice of how we live our life in relationship with God. He is near if we call upon him but he also allows us to be distant from him by our free will.

The person who says “where is God” when hardship or tragedy comes reveals himself as someone who believed in a distant God, living “their life” and forgetting to call upon him for a deeper relationship. The person who calls upon God in daily life is not immune from hardship or tragedy but is already being carried through to the other side of the turbulence able to weather the storm and by their faith is invited to come out and walk on water trusting in the Lord. He is near to those who call upon Him always whether in thanksgiving or in supplication. If we only wait to call out to him after the house is on fire the damage is done.

The hope of the gospel is that we can come to God whether it is the first hour of our life or the last hour of our life while in the flesh. The story of the landowner who goes out to hire workers throughout the day giving each the same wage at the end of the day appears by human standards as an injustice unless we recognize that love and justice work together. The love and mercy of God is being extended to us who forget to call upon the Lord as we go about living our lives until at the end we recognize our need for God. It is extended to those raised agnostic with no teaching of the gospel who by the grace of God one day hear the word and receive it in their hearts. It is extended to the broken and suffering who in their pain call out in agony and receive mercy from God.

The gospel story also has a parallel to the story of the prodigal son. The son who demanded his inheritance and walked away from the Father left to create his own self-determination and squandered his inheritance, that is the kingdom of God. He had enough common sense to return to the Father and seek forgiveness. The son who remained with the father working all his life felt cheated by his father who received his brother back with great love and mercy. It is a reminder that even the faithful sometimes don’t realize all that we are receiving from the Father which by the grace of God have not fallen away like the prodigal son. In both parables, the landowner and the father demonstrate a generous heart. The love of God is the love of a Father.

Recall what we tell our children when they are little, “I love to the moon and back.” They grow up and realize we can now travel to the moon and back so compared to God’s love of “infinity and beyond”, no comparison. It wasn’t that long ago when our kids couldn’t wait to move out of their parent’s house and be independent and we were “helicopter parents” trying to follow them. Now many are in no rush to leave the nest and we can’t wait for them to go get a job and have their own life. The moon is college and they went there and have come back home. The Lord reminds us, “my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways”. We are all a work in progress so when we turn to him, we open up that his will be done.

Those who come into his kingdom and serve God all the days of our lives receive the promise of heaven. Those who are to come later in life can also receive the promise of the Father. Some are faithful from the cradle to the grave but many of us have veered through our life separating ourselves from God, Church, even from our family falling into sin. The love of God is mercy and justice. In mercy God desires all to enter heaven and in justice he provides the path of purification we call purgatory to “wash our baptismal robes” as Dante claims. This is where love and justice meet.

Purgatory is the promise of heaven but not yet and can be the joy of suffering in redemption for our sins already forgiven. We can liken this to going to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. When we go to confession the priest gives us the absolution and our sins are forgiven. He then gives us our penance which we are to joyfully fulfill in thanksgiving to God for his love and mercy. Purgatory is the heavenly penance we owe our Lord for his justice in final preparation for heaven.

God desires all to be saved and today he gives us all hope that it is never too late to seek the Lord, turn from our ways and follow his call to salvation.

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Homily

First Sunday of Advent – Armor of light

Posted on November 29, 2025November 28, 2025 by Deacon Joe

Is. 2:1-5; Ps. 122:1-9; Rom. 13:11-14; Mt.24:37-44

Christ the king is the armor of light as we end one liturgical year and begin a new season of Advent. In Jesus Christ we wear a shield of justice and love. This is how to begin our day, our season of Advent, the new liturgical year with Jesus as the armor to shield us from every evil, every temptation and lead us from darkness to light. Jesus separates the light from the darkness that lies in the heart and mind of a soul who waits for his coming. Advent is the season of anticipation even as we end one liturgical year with the celebration of Christ the King we begin a new year with anticipation of his continued coming into our lives, more of Jesus.

Advent is in anticipation of the Incarnation of Jesus, his body, blood, soul, and divinity not just in the world but to welcome him as “bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh”. The birth of Jesus in us began with our baptism that there be more of Jesus and less of us, more of the light of truth and less of the lies of the world.

The kingdom we anticipate is already growing from within our soul and Advent is a realization that if Christ is with us and in us who can be against us. The highest mountain of the Lord for us to climb is from within to govern our mind with the truth of God, to align our emotions with the love of God, and to turn our will to the will of God. Let the birth of Jesus in us become the man and woman God created us to be in him.

The darkness of the world comes with the temptation of immediate gratification, the pleasure principle. The pleasure of the moment without concern for the consequence to come. St. John Vianney is quoted to say, “It is definite that only a few chosen ones do not go to Purgatory and the sufferings there that one must endure exceed our imagination.” Let that sink in for a while. Why would he believe this? The soul, that is the mind, emotions and will are weak and we focus our energy not on spiritual growth but on material growth. When we focus on self we take God for granted.

Many years ago, while I was in college a young Catholic girl said to me that she knew she was sinning by having intimacy with her boyfriend but as long as she went to confession before she died, she would go to heaven. This is taking the mercy of God for granted. She forgot that nothing imperfect can enter heaven and Purgatory is where we go to be purified of our imperfections. The lie we live by is to say to ourselves “I’m good” meaning I’m good in my eyes but have we even considered how we look in the eyes of God.

To “stay awake” is to make an examination of conscience preferably before we act that afterwards. What is my motive? What is the greater good? What would Jesus do? When were growing up we are taught to ask ourselves “what is mom or dad going to say?” We also have a heavenly mother and father and they have eyes everywhere. Our salvation has come so are we going to let it pass us by? Every day someone dies, taken from this world and we remain to fight another day against the force of evil. Our hour is also coming and we are reminded to be prepared by being at peace with others, with ourselves by living in the peace of God.

After I retired from my professional career, I had more time to offer the church. I started to get so many calls to do funerals that I called myself the deacon of the dead. One of the stories I share in funerals is of a picture of a child pointing her finger out towards the viewer with the caption on top that reads “don’t worry about dying your going to live forever”. On the bottom of the picture it reads “worry about location, location, location”. Where are we going to live forever? We are created for eternity and Advent is our reminder to live with the end in mind.

Why do we begin the season of Advent with a reminder of the end time? Advent is considered a time to prepare for the coming of the birth of Jesus, Christmas time, party time, gift giving, carols and new beginnings. The coming of Jesus is to bring an end to the world as we know it, a sinful world and a new beginning of salvation history. We are to put on the armor of light and have nothing to fear. Just remember, “Ain’t no party like a Catholic party cause a Catholic party don’t end” (chorus), it reaches to heaven and all eternity.

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Homily

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Posted on September 12, 2025September 15, 2025 by Deacon Joe

Num 21:4b-9; Ps. 78: 1bc-2, 34-38; Phil. 2:6-11; Jn.3:13-17

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is Jesus on the cross lifted up to open the gates of heaven to eternal life. The Holy Cross is exalted as the greatest sign of God’s love. There are four signs of hope for humanity, God the lover, God’s gift of creation, God’s gift of his son Jesus, and God’s gift of eternal life.

God the lover for God is love. Love is transcendent and unifying. God is unified in the Holy Trinity as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Love is eternal transcending our mortal life and uniting us to our creator. Love gives life to the dead and brings about new creation.

God’s gift of creation is a sign of God’s love for humanity. Created in God’s image we can transcend our mortal being with the gift of his grace to be united to God as body, soul, and spirit. The body serves God to be his temple that we may be united to him. The soul is the image of God in its likeness as intellect, will, and emotions. We are to put on the mind of God in our minds, unite our will to his will, and with filled with emotions to experience God’s love. God’s gift of creation is all creation from the insect on the group to the eagle in sky, from the thorn bush in the desert to the flowers and crops in the field are a gift with a purpose.

God’s gift of his son Jesus is our hope in the Exaltation of the Cross, lifted up to offer atonement for our sins. When the people suffered for their sin in the desert God’s “punishment” was not an act of vengeance but an act of mercy to turn a hardened heart back to him. Suffering brings us back to God, to the truth of our mortality and our need for a God who is love. It was a sign of the coming of Jesus who also would be lifted up that we who look up to the Exaltation of the Cross will live as we bend our knees and we proclaim, “Jesus Christ is Lord”. We are to always be aware of the power of the name of Jesus to bring us healing and salvation.

God’s gift of eternal life is our hope that cannot be denied by the Exaltation of the Cross. God is faithful to his promises. There is not a moment in our life that God is not at work in us. We often fail to recognize the grace at work and forget all that we have received from him. We tend to be like a bottomless pit asking “what have you done for me lately” blinded by our own indulgence and failing to recognize how he has already freed us from slavery in order to live a Godly life. The gift of eternal life is our greatest treasure, and our time is a window to prepare ourselves to be received in heaven.

There is a false impression that God sends “punishment” to appease his anger and satisfy his wrath. This fails to understand God acts out of love and love requires action not to “condemn the world but that the world might be saved” through Jesus. God told Moses “Whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived”. By their sin they suffered the bite of the serpent and died as we suffer the bite of our sins and die. Our salvation is to look up to the cross of Jesus and live.

God’s action is his mercy to bring healing to the suffering of his heart for the sins of his people and call his people back to his love. This is made clear through Jesus and his sacred heart who reveals his wounds on the cross in atonement for our sins. It is our time now to respond to his suffering heart with the one gift he desires, a heart of love, love of God and love of neighbor in adoration, “We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.” Amen.

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Homily

2nd Sunday of Advent – A work in progress

Posted on December 7, 2024December 7, 2024 by Deacon Joe

Bar.5: 1-9; Ps.126:1-6; Phil. 1:4-6, 8-11; Lk. 3:1-6

The Lord has begun the good work in us and will bring it to completion but as any good work in progress it takes two, God and our response to God. We are not passive participants in the work of our conversion but required to be joined to the Lord through the grace and gifts we are given. The Lord saves but he will not save us without us. We must desire his glory and be prepared for his calling in the way that we are to follow.

The Lord does great things for us who are open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We cannot just go about our like and expect great things to happen simply because God is good. Great things include the work in progress for our salvation. It is not enough to just say “Lord, Lord” in a moment of need and ignore our Lord for most of our days. The work that has begun in us is for a divine purpose “to discern what is of value” for our souls to be “pure and blameless”. The work in progress for the conversion of sinners to saints.

The Church is given to us to “prepare the way of the Lord”. It is the Church that determined which books belong to the canon in the Bible. It is the Church that Jesus instituted to continue to consecrate bread and wine to bring us his body and blood. It is the Church who Jesus gave authority to bring us the sacraments including the forgiveness of sins. Many claim to believe in God but not in his church. The devil also believes in God but not in obedience to God. We can all say that every day we are all a work in progress but we are not all headed in the same direction. Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of God.

We are told “all flesh shall see the salvation of God” but it will be little consolation if he simply slips passed us. The gospel reveals to us how in the time of Jesus, John went about preparing the way with a call to repentance. Repentance is more than just our sins that we can confess. Repentance is also to make straight our path by the way we live our lives, the values we hold onto, and our priorities in life. For example, a good question to ask ourselves is what time, talent and treasure to we give to God through prayer, charity, and service? How we spend our time is a good measure of what we really value in life.

The first step on the way to Jesus is to acknowledge not only our sins but also our failure to come to Jesus. Jesus desires our hearts and he offers us his heart of love yet our indifference towards God is the sin of what we have failed to do in response to God’s love. Jesus came in the flesh and yet most of the world denied him or cried out “crucify him”. We too can deny him with our indifference of his presence in this world.

When our thoughts center on us and God is given lip service we return to the days of the Pharisees and Sadducees who stood in the temple only to be noticed but their hearts were far from God. If God is seen as simply being far above in the heavens we miss out on his revelation in our lives. Jesus is alive! He lives to live in us and for us to live in him. This is what we celebrate with the “splendor of God forever”. We rejoice not only in a person but in a relationship that saves. We rejoice because we see the hand of God guiding us, and the greater he reveals himself to us the greater our desire for him to open our minds and hearts to his will. A restless heart can only find rest in Jesus’ plan for our lives.

Doing the will of God is our peace. God’s will is not a promise of an easy road. It is a promise of victory in the transformation of our lives that the work he has begun in us we will see revealed in his glory for all eternity.

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Homily

32nd Sunday Ordinary Time – Once for all

Posted on November 10, 2024November 10, 2024 by Deacon Joe

1 Kgs. 17: 10-16; Ps. 146:7-10; Heb. 9:24-28; Mk. 12:38-44

Once for all, Jesus has come to take away our sins by his sacrifice. Though he came for all not have received him. He offered himself up once, not repeatedly as our high priest “that he might now appear before God on our behalf”. The Mass is that sacrifice of his death the priest offers up for all in our world. Some question why as Catholics we continue to represent Jesus on the cross when he has already risen from the dead. He is risen indeed but he also remains with us in his suffering for our sins which have not ended. Jesus is present to take away our sins but we must turn away from sin and receive his mercy.

We are living “at the end of the ages” awaiting the second coming in which he will “bring salvation” not to all but “those who eagerly await him”. The signs that we eagerly await Jesus is our love of God put into practice. The practice of our worship is to build our relationship with God not to fulfill a social-cultural tradition of simply coming to church. The practice of our charity is to give of ourselves, our poverty as sinners, not as a token of our abundance. The practice of our sacrifice for the greater good for the salvation of our souls and the souls of others reveals our true heart and priorities. God first, in all and through all we do and say to be ever present in our heart, mind and will. This is love.

When Elijah asks the widow to bring him “a bit of bread” she responds with the truth of her condition ready to eat her last meal with her son and die. Elijah promises her that the Lord will fill her jar with flour and jug with oil. She does as he asks of her showing her faith and trust in the Lord and the Lord answered. “She was able to eat for a year and he and her son as well.” Notice that it says all three ate for a year, meaning Elijah remained with her giving of himself as well. He stayed not to burden her but to serve her in spirit and in truth. This is what the Lord is asking of us to “stay” with those who are in need. We do this remembering to call, pay a visit, stay in contact and to journey with others. This is the love of charity, not just adding to the jar and continuing on our way.

As the Lord remains with us, one way we remain with him is by the way we remain attentive to the needs of others. The Lord provides by asking of us to be his hands and feet that brings faith, justice, and food to the hungry. Jesus called his disciples not only for the purpose of continuing his teaching but to serve the needs of his people in body and soul.

The Lord gives us the example of two widows in today’s reading who give of their poverty as a true sacrifice of faith. We give in gratitude for what we have received. We give in sacrifice as a testimony of our faith. We give in thanksgiving for the sacrifice of the Lord once for all of our sins that we may be forgiven and be welcome to the table of the Lord.

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Homily The Deacon Joe

30th Sunday Ordinary Time – Finish the race!

Posted on October 23, 2022October 23, 2022 by Deacon Joe

Sir. 35:12-14, 16-18; Ps. 34:2-3, 17-19, 23; 2 Tim. 4:6-8, 16-18; Lk. 18:9-14

Finish the race! Through this ordinary time the Lord has been on his journey to Jerusalem persevering while being followed by both friend and foe, those who see him as a messiah and those who see him as a threat. He is about to finish the race for salvation history to be consummated in his death and resurrection. It is a race he embraces with love teaching us how to run our own race of life not in fear but in love of our final destiny. Finish the race of love in spite of the trials, persecutions, and the unknown and unseen around the bend because we have the promise of what lies ahead at the end of our journey.

St. Paul claims his “crown of righteousness” having “competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith”. St. Paul ran the race not for himself but for the call he received that through him “the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it”. St. Paul understood his call and lived it. Do we recognize our call before the Lord and are we on the right track to finish our race? The race we run is not to build up our material fortune, to leave a legacy of accomplishments, or to reach what Maslow calls the top of the hierarchy of needs, self-actualization, becoming the best of yourself.

Material goods including money becomes devalued, yesterday’s dollar is today’s dime. Accomplishments become faded memories as the world asks what have you done for me lately. Self-actualization is a humanistic concept that it is all about “you”, the best of yourself, but “no man is an island” so what about everyone else, does it matter? Where is God in our search for meaning and happiness? We can finish the race of life in search of ourselves and lose the connection to our creator who was waiting to take us on a different race, the eternal one.

The race we run is for the salvation of our soul. It is a godly race in the image of Jesus Christ himself, self-giving, sacrificial, and by divine design. What God has intended for us is the first step for our discernment. This ability to judge well God’s call can only come through prayer that we may hear his voice in our reflection as we seek to know and understand “who I am in God’s image called to be”. In other words, just to be myself is not our purpose. Our purpose is to discover our divine call and run our race. Then the God of our salvation will open up the gates of heaven and bring down his power and love, pouring out his graces on those who dare to say “here I am Lord, send me”.

Jesus called fishermen, a tax collector, and even his own persecutor in Saul, to a different race leaving behind all that they knew and believed for something greater was before them. Something greater is before us in the Eucharist through the celebration of the Mass. Jesus himself, body, blood, soul and divinity is present to us and the Church in America is calling for a Eucharistic revival to recognize Jesus is here for our worship, for our healing, and for our salvation. Jesus wants to take us in a new direction radically different from the world while yet still in the world as we fulfill our earthly pilgrimage. When we eat his body and drink his blood there is a revival of our souls becoming one with God in the Trinity. It is more than spiritual food for the race, it is a conversion of souls in the image of Christ himself. This is what happened to the apostles after the resurrection and they devoted themselves to prayer, teaching and the breaking of bread.

We break bread when we gather together in a shared faith at the dinner table, with our social circles sharing our faith, or as we work together for a common purpose, it is the bread of living our faith with others expressing in word and deed who we are as a child of God. I confess I am not one with the gift to proselytize challenging others in their faith. I am more on the side of making sure I am keeping the faith I have received being faithful to the call. There is however a time to be silent and a time to speak. When we encounter Christians of other denominations or people of no religious background who ask “why do you Catholics baptize children, pray to Mary and the saints, believe in purgatory” or any other act of faith they question, this is our opportunity to evangelize by offering a clear understanding of our faith.

Jesus promises us an Advocate, the Holy Spirit to be with us that we may also be advocates of our faith by word and deed. Our advocacy begins with love and ends with mercy. This is the race we are all called to run to follow the “God of justice, who knows no favorites” and recognizes Christ present in all. I believe it was St. Teresa of Calcutta who said it is beautiful to love others until you meet the other. If you look at a Tasmanian devil, they are cute, shy and no bigger than two feet but they are carnivorous with powerful jaws and can cause serious harm. We meet the stranger and we are polite and respectful then we turn to each other ready to attack with powerful jaws when things don’t go our way. That’s the challenge of keeping the faith, can we be good when it’s not easy, convenient, or going our way?

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat” says St. Paul. The Lord will rescue us if we but recognize evil and call out to him. The world has become immune to evil seeking to call it “justice, social norms, equity, restitution”. The killing of the unborn is intrinsically evil says the Church violating the commandment “thou shall not kill”. It is the work of the evil one who seeks to separate us by race relations, to cancel a culture based on religious freedom, to silence prayer among students in schools or employees at work. Will we go along to appease the evil around us or will we be a voice of faith and run our race with courage?

“The Lord hears the cry of the poor” so let us recognize our poverty, our brokenness, our lowliness. In the gospel we see the Pharisee who was convinced of his own righteousness comparing himself to the tax collector and “the rest of humanity” who he sees as sinful while he exalts himself. So quick to judge is the person of pride separating themselves from others. It is the humble who recognize if not by the grace of God we are the sinner, we share in the sins of this world, and we too need our redemption. Jesus on the cross is our reconciliation when we come to him “O God, be merciful to me a sinner”. It is only when we turn to the grace of God that we will finish the race and keep the faith.

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Homily

4th Sunday of Easter

Posted on May 2, 2020April 29, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Ps. 23:1-3a, 3b-6; 1Peter 2:20b-25; Jn. 10:1-10

The Good Shepherd has called us by name to “Save yourself from this corrupt generation…which does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.” When Peter stood up and proclaimed to his generation “this Jesus whom you crucified…they were cut to the heart”. Salvation come through repentance and baptism but first the word of God must cut to the heart and reveal our sin before us. Sin is the thief and robber that climbs into our lives unsuspectingly to steal our hearts with temptation until we become “normalized” by a corrupt generation.

The sin of each generation is a thief and robber in search of souls for a self-indulgence trying to feed on the pleasure principle, “if it feels good then indulge” until it becomes toxic but by then the heart is compromised and it stands at the gate holding us in bondage to “steal, slaughter and destroy”. The thief lays the “feel good bag of goodies” to savor but it is our response that is the sin we possess. Fault always is personal to be rejected with virtue. Corruption came from the beginning, the genesis of sin after creation by free will and it remains “mia culpa” by our choice. “For you have gone astray as sheep” but now we hear the voice of truth to lead us back.

Truth leads to wisdom of a greater understanding beyond ourselves. It is not about “me” it is about salvation for “us”. Easter is this gift of salvation in Jesus giving of himself for us in his passion, death and resurrection that all may be saved through the “good shepherd”. Jesus proclaims “I know my sheep, and mine know me.” How does Jesus recognize his “sheep” and how do we recognize our Lord? We are recognized in being “patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God”. Jesus is the example we should follow that he may see himself in us. In this Jesus recognizes his own who are responding to evil with good. How then do we know Jesus? Jesus revelation comes in the voice of truth that cuts to our hearts “and the sheep follow him”. The voice of the shepherd burns in the hearts of his sheep, it cannot be denied.

“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want”. The people of Israel sought freedom he gave them salvation. They sought a king for this earth and he gave them a kingdom in heaven. They wanted someone to rule over them and he gave them a shepherd to follow. They wanted to conquer other people and he gave them the power to conquer their own corruption. What do we “want” from the Lord? We seek freedom from disease and pandemics he gives us salvation from sin. We want to preserve our kingdoms we have built and he promises one in heaven. We want leaders for nations to rule and he gives us himself calling us to follow his example. We want to conquer in this world all our enemies and we are given the power to conquer the enemy of the world and victory over death. Jesus is the promise of life more abundantly.

The abundant life in Jesus Christ is the good news! In him is our courage to “walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil”. The corruption of each generation remains in a kingdom not our own but the Lord has called us by name and if “today you hear his voice harden not your hearts” salvation is at your doorstep. Our heads are anointed with oil of salvation at baptism and we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to keep our hearts burning for truth, goodness, beauty and unity in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Open the doors of our hearts to “dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come”. Today we pray for the doors to the church to be opened and a return to the banquet of the Lord in the Eucharist until we enter the heavenly banquet closer to us than we recognize in the mystery of faith. The call of the Good Shepherd is “follow me”.

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Homily

Ash Wednesday

Posted on February 26, 2020February 26, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Joel 2:12-18; Ps. 51:3-6, 12-14, 17; 2 Cor. 5:20-6:2; Mat. 6:1-6, 16-18

“Rend your hearts…now is the day of salvation. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” These lines coming from the three readings of today summarize today’s message of Lent. Which is harder to make a spiritual inventory of our lives and reveal all the hidden sin we have covered up or to make a sacrifice of the flesh through fasting and almsgiving? It is the former that is more difficult to make and it creates the “gift at the altar” for the latter to follow. God’s blessing upon the latter is multiplied by the work of the former in a fearless moral inventory we rend our hearts to Jesus.

To “rend your hearts” requires honesty of the ego to squeeze our hearts of the full significance of our sin. It reveals the impact not only on the sinner but on everyone impacted by the sin. It is tempting to reason “no harm done” when we skim the surface of our hearts than to consider the harm that does happen to our relationships with God and with others. “Rend your hearts” to the truth that sin is the weapon that destroys our image of Christ and opens the wounds on the cross. Bleeding is our integrity, honesty, faithfulness and our hope of salvation. “Once saved always saved” is the lie of the evil one to deceive us and bring complacency and denial to our sins. If sin is a rock that strikes the calm waters then the ripple effect is an honest appraisal of all impacted by that one act of sin.

In the field of recovery from addictions there is the “Fourth Step” of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. It states, “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves”. If fear is considered as inverted faith then our fears drive us away from faith and right action. “If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts” with the courage of faith to search for the divine will ready to be the spoken word. Faith delivers God’s mercy to liberate us of sin and bring truth to our moral compass.

The liberated go forth to offer gifts of sacrifice in the form of prayer, penance, and charity. It is surprising that the “old” tradition of fasting that has lost its brilliance in an age of indulgence is resurfacing for its great health benefits. It is being promoted as a form of detoxifying the body yet the body and the soul are one. What is good for the body is good for the soul and vice versa. In fasting the soul is also being cleansed of its hunger for indulgence in the form of a spiritual discipline. It is the one body and soul that is the temple of the Lord and together there is a purification in fasting to strengthen the virtue of temperance, that is regaining the right balance as the temple of God. Who would of “thunk it” that the old returns as new again? That is a recognition that there is one truth and it lies in God. God is the creator of natural law we are called to follow.

In the perfection of obedience to the natural law of God we are purified to offer our gifts of charity and see them multiplied by grace. It is the perfect way into the spiritual law of God to open our hearts to the great commandment to love God above all and our neighbor as ourselves. In this is revealed the true image of Christ in us to be holy and perfect as your heavenly Father is holy and perfect. It begins this day for those who take up the call to “rend your hearts…now is the day of salvation. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you” beyond what our eyes have not seen and our hearts have not felt, what he has prepared for us.

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Homily The Deacon Joe

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on October 12, 2019October 14, 2019 by Deacon Joe

2Kgs. 5:14-17; Ps. 98: 1-4; 2 Tim. 2:8-13; Lk. 17:11-19

“Your faith has saved you”. In the gospel today ten lepers are healed but only one return to give thanks. Healing came to all ten but salvation came to only the leper who returns to give thanks to God. Leprosy was thought of as a punishment from God worthy for the sin of the person. Naaman also is washed clean of his leprosy but only after his obedience to plunge himself into the Jordan seven times. The Jordan is the river Jesus is baptized in, not for any sin of his but to sanctify the waters to bring us salvation by baptism. Baptism the first of seven sacraments we receive for our sanctification. The story of Naaman prefigures the baptism of the Lord and the coming to perfection the washing clean of our sins.

The story of Naaman is also a beautiful story of conversion. His cleansing from leprosy did not save him, this was the visible sign of invisible grace from God. Naaman returns to Elisha, the man of God to give thanks to the god of Elisha and vows “I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the Lord”. He didn’t simply acknowledge the God of Israel, he called him “Lord”, a conversion of faith saved him. The sign of conversion is to persevere in our faith and die with him as our Lord and savior. Many saintly souls as the hour of death approaches experience a dryness of faith, a final test summed up in the words of Jesus on the cross, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me”. It is the final opportunity for the serpent of evil to strike at the soul before it can never approach it again. How are we to prepare ourselves for that hour by perseverance.

“In all circumstances give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” What is the meaning when we say “Alleluia”? It is a two-word translation of “Hallel” and “Jah” meaning “Praise the Lord”. We use Alleluia as an exultation of praise but it is also a command to praise the Lord. We are to give thanks and praise him always, in good times and in bad, sickness and health. “Hallel” in Hebrew means joyous praise in song. In fact, the more we sing the Mass the greater the praise of God. The Mass is a celebration of thanksgiving. The intent is that we boast in God our savior. The dialogue of the Mass is to be praiseworthy. The gospel is announced, “THE LORD BE WITH YOU” spoken boldly with the response “And also with you” just as boldly, not timidly or “ho hum” going through the motions.

It is not easy to constantly be joyous. I would propose that it is almost impossible if our attention is ego-centric. Joy is not an indulgence from having more of our pleasures met. Joy is a conscious awareness of the love and mercy of God present in our lives. Our joy then leads to gratitude, the attitude of being ready to accept the will of God in thanksgiving. In thanksgiving we are open to a spirit of praise. We have a choice, either to focus on the negative and be drawn into pity or on the blessings and be raised up in joyful praise. We teach our children to say “thank you” when they receive a gift. Who benefits more the gift giver or the child by saying “thank you”? The child gains more by learning to be grateful and thankful. We are the child of God. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; thanksgiving changes us not him.

A contemporary philosopher, Tristan Garcia (The Life Intense A Modern Obsession) speaks of our current human condition as in search of greater intensity of life “that might justify our lives”. This is the opposite of the complacency of life. This thrill-seeking behavior is pervasive from energy drinks, drug use, and roller coaster rides not just in theme parks but in relationships for maximum intensification of pleasures, love, emotions, communication and consumption. It seeks an escape from the discipline of life, from perseverance desiring for the “maximizations of our entire being…an intoxication of our sensation.” We are in “search, not for transcendence, as those of other epochs and cultures were, but for intensification”, we want more indulgence.

Transcendence is to know, love and serve God. It is recognizing his presence in every moment and desiring to do his will at that moment. Saint Teresa of Calcutta said her desire was to be a pencil in God’s hand. Saint Therese the Little Flower found her purpose and missionary calling in “always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love” in other words do the next right thing with love for holiness. In those moments of weakness when our struggle of faith is tested, the road less traveled back to our faith is the path of thanksgiving. God desires our greatest good and he knows the desires of our heart so let us trust in his goodness at all times especially in moments of darkness with a spirit of thanksgiving.

One of the dangers in adopting a life in search of a greater intensity is the disappointment from any obsessive behavior, there is no fulfillment, no joy, only emptiness of the soul. The nirvana we created in our minds is an illusion waiting to fall apart. For our youth this leads to anxiety, depression, and suicide. This is in part why we see a rise in mental health issues among our youth and it is increasing in younger children. We go to restaurants and observe families sitting together and each child is so well behaved absorbed with their electronic device. We observe television and each 1.5 seconds the image changes even if it is only from a different camera angle. When is the last time we just sat and contemplated a still image, a work of art, nature? How about sitting and contemplating Jesus on the cross or in Holy Hour for adoration? Here lies our joy and our peace.

Do you feel alive or in a rut? The great experience of living does not come from the egocentricity of overstimulation. It is a transcendent love from God in the Trinity. Turn to the love of God and experience the joy and peace he offers us. In return come to the house of the Lord in praise and thanksgiving to receive his salvation. If today you hear his voice, give praise and thanksgiving. In the morning when we rise, give praise and thanksgiving for all the day may bring before we live it by faith that it may guide us to salvation. Our faith will save us.

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