Introduce self
Did not have the chance to prepare them for marriage, credit Father with getting them here
But, had great joy in working with both of them as Lindsay prepared to join the Catholic Church
As I have got to know them, two things stand out for me on their wedding day.
FIRST:
Both work in the public spot – Mark (campaigns and city government) & Lindsay (providing the public meeting space of companies/individuals). So, they both appreciate the importance, the power, the significance of doing something publically
So, it is not lost on me, and I am certain that it is not lost on Mark and Lindsay of the importance and significance of the very public action that they are making today. They are stating in a very public way before all of us gathered here that:
1. That they have come here FREELY and WITHOUT RESERVATION
2. To give themselves FULLY AND COMPLETELY to each other
3. That they will love each other FOREVER
4. That they will be OPEN LIFE and to raise any children in the Catholic faith
AND
5. To do this in GOOD TIMES and BAD, SICKNESS and HEALTH, for the REST of their LIFE
This certainly takes a love that we just heard of in today’s readings – it is an unconditional love, even a sacrificial love, in which one puts aside one’s own wants and needs for another. Such a love allows one to make such a public statement as Lindsay and Mark will make before us in just a couple of minutes.
Such a public statement also requires a HOPE and TRUST – not only in each – but also in something bigger – a hope and trust in an eternal life, which leads to my second observation of Mark & Lindsay.
SECOND:
Mark has obviously had some political campaign experience (maybe he has roped Lindsay into doing some phone calls or lit drops for candidates).
TODAY, we kick-off the greatest campaign for both Mark and Lindsay, which has as their single goal: to get each other to Heaven, that perfect unity with our loving God, who – as we read in our First Reading - made out of love man and woman to be one in love. It is in Heaven that we will experience the eternal joy, peace, and happiness God desires for us from the very beginning.
Like any campaign, with marriage there will be ebbs and flows – (mis)communication, money problems, drama, lots of emotion, and also lots of hard work, compromise, sacrifice, humility (and I also pray that there will be lots of joy for you two). Just as St. Paul urges the Corinthians to our Second Reading, I urge you to not let jealousy, ego, rudeness, selfishness, tempers, and arrogance keep you from loving each other as you are called to love, as you must love, in order for this marriage to be successful!
Unfortunately, we will not know if your greatest campaign – your marriage – was successful, until we too enter Heaven. But you two will know daily just how successful this marriage is going, as you reflect every night on the “daily polling results” as to: whether you have loved your spouse as you should today; whether you have placed the needs of your marriage and your spouse ahead of your own needs and wants; whether you have thanked and praised your spouse today; whether you have sought forgiveness from your spouse or granted forgiveness to your spouse today, whether you have comforted your spouse in his/her need. YOU WILL KNOW!
I personally thank you for making this public statement of your love for each other, as well as you hope and trust in our Catholic faith, and I pray that your marriage is filled with great joy and eternal success.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Homily - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
It is with great sadness as I read the stories and see pictures of the crisis in East Africa. The East African drought of 2011that is hitting Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia so hard is proving to be one of the worst in 50 years. Extreme hunger is rapidly becoming a harsh daily reality for more than 11 million people in East Africa. This severe lack of rainfall has resulted in failed crops, livestock dying, and critical shortages in food and water for people, which in turn has resulted drastic increases in food prices and an influx of refugees who have fled to seek food. Just in the past 90 days in the southern portion of Somalia, the drought and famine have killed more than 29,000 children under the age of 5. Further compounding this natural disaster is the political unrest in this area of the African continent and growing violence. In fact, I just read in yesterday’s paper of the chaos, violence and murder in a refugee camp, which is supposedly a safe-haven for those seeking relief.
I can only image how weak and fragile those individuals and families must be. How sacred and alone they must feel. And how their hunger and thirst must consume every second of their day. And how dramatic and extreme this poverty is when compared with the growing poverty in our country. And I imagine the great depression they must feel.
And I think of what the prophet Elijah in today’s first reading must have been feeling as he hid the cave at mount Horeb. Chapter 19 of the First Book of Kings presents us with the aftermath of Elijah's brilliant victory in the contest with Jezebel and the priests of Baal atop Mount Carmel, which ironically brought much needed rain after a three year drought fortold by the prophet Elijah.
Just when Elijah should have been triumphant, he receives a message telling him of Jezebel's murderous intentions, and he is "afraid" (3). The spectacularly exemplary servant of God is now in a rut -- believing that all of his efforts were in vain! In Chapter 18, Elijah was at the height of success; in Chapter 19 he is in the depths of despair. In Chapter 18 he is on the mountain peak of victory; in Chapter 19 he is in the valley of defeat. In Chapter 18 he is elated; in Chapter 19 he is completely deflated.
Father Thomas Rosica identifies several reasons for Elijah’s feelings of depression. There was fear – the great, fiery prophet of Israel is scared to death of wicked Queen Jezebel's threats and thus flees for his life. There was also a sense of failure - Elijah had a very low self-esteem having seemingly failed to change Israel's lack of faith. There was also fatigue. Elijah was physically exhausted and emotionally empty. This is the great danger of peak experiences. Finally, there was a feeling of futility. Elijah feels alone, hopeless and has little hope for the future. He suffers from paranoia, thinking that everyone is out to get him. So, he hides in a cave.
Father Rosica goes on to note that what happened to Elijah happens to us, especially when we pay much more attention to negative events than to all the good that is happening around us. It happens when we are very hard on ourselves, and take ourselves far too seriously, and God not seriously enough! This is exactly what happened to Peter in today’s Gospel when he doubted!
Father Rosica suggests that perhaps the best way to break through such doubt and depression is to refocus away from our own needs and wants and to focus on the needs of others – to feel compassion for others. And Saint Paul certainly gives us such an example of this in today’s second reading – he is willing to trade is own eternal life so that his fellow Israelite might accept Jesus Christ and their own eternal salvation – he does this selfLESSly completely out of love and concern for his own people. What a wonderful example for each of us.
We can each do this when – like Elijah, Paul and even Peter – know God’s presence in our life. This is a source of great joy. It is God’s loving presence – sometimes in great and power ways (like calming a storm), but more often the silence and whispers of daily life – that we find hope and encouragement in this world of chaos and sin.
In the midst of our own stormy seas, let us this week direct our minds and hearts to those suffering in East Africa. And there is certainly things we CAN do – even though we are thousands of miles away. Most importantly, we can pray. We can pray for those suffering in East Africa – we can pray for those who don’t know how to pray or don’t have the energy or faith to pray. We can pray that they might be filled with God’s Holy Spirit, that they might have the strength to fight another day and to help care for their loved ones. Prayer is a great unifier – just as we gathered here united in prayer through this Eucharist; let’s us also be united in prayer with and for those suffering in Africa.
We can also give generously of our money to the many efforts by groups like Catholic Relief Services. You can call or visit the Diocese’s website to learn more about these organizations and the great impact they are having, even amidst this crisis.
Finally, you can learn more about the crisis in East Africa and share this with others.
These are all things that we are called to do as Christians. My friends, Take courage, do not be afraid!
I can only image how weak and fragile those individuals and families must be. How sacred and alone they must feel. And how their hunger and thirst must consume every second of their day. And how dramatic and extreme this poverty is when compared with the growing poverty in our country. And I imagine the great depression they must feel.
And I think of what the prophet Elijah in today’s first reading must have been feeling as he hid the cave at mount Horeb. Chapter 19 of the First Book of Kings presents us with the aftermath of Elijah's brilliant victory in the contest with Jezebel and the priests of Baal atop Mount Carmel, which ironically brought much needed rain after a three year drought fortold by the prophet Elijah.
Just when Elijah should have been triumphant, he receives a message telling him of Jezebel's murderous intentions, and he is "afraid" (3). The spectacularly exemplary servant of God is now in a rut -- believing that all of his efforts were in vain! In Chapter 18, Elijah was at the height of success; in Chapter 19 he is in the depths of despair. In Chapter 18 he is on the mountain peak of victory; in Chapter 19 he is in the valley of defeat. In Chapter 18 he is elated; in Chapter 19 he is completely deflated.
Father Thomas Rosica identifies several reasons for Elijah’s feelings of depression. There was fear – the great, fiery prophet of Israel is scared to death of wicked Queen Jezebel's threats and thus flees for his life. There was also a sense of failure - Elijah had a very low self-esteem having seemingly failed to change Israel's lack of faith. There was also fatigue. Elijah was physically exhausted and emotionally empty. This is the great danger of peak experiences. Finally, there was a feeling of futility. Elijah feels alone, hopeless and has little hope for the future. He suffers from paranoia, thinking that everyone is out to get him. So, he hides in a cave.
Father Rosica goes on to note that what happened to Elijah happens to us, especially when we pay much more attention to negative events than to all the good that is happening around us. It happens when we are very hard on ourselves, and take ourselves far too seriously, and God not seriously enough! This is exactly what happened to Peter in today’s Gospel when he doubted!
Father Rosica suggests that perhaps the best way to break through such doubt and depression is to refocus away from our own needs and wants and to focus on the needs of others – to feel compassion for others. And Saint Paul certainly gives us such an example of this in today’s second reading – he is willing to trade is own eternal life so that his fellow Israelite might accept Jesus Christ and their own eternal salvation – he does this selfLESSly completely out of love and concern for his own people. What a wonderful example for each of us.
We can each do this when – like Elijah, Paul and even Peter – know God’s presence in our life. This is a source of great joy. It is God’s loving presence – sometimes in great and power ways (like calming a storm), but more often the silence and whispers of daily life – that we find hope and encouragement in this world of chaos and sin.
In the midst of our own stormy seas, let us this week direct our minds and hearts to those suffering in East Africa. And there is certainly things we CAN do – even though we are thousands of miles away. Most importantly, we can pray. We can pray for those suffering in East Africa – we can pray for those who don’t know how to pray or don’t have the energy or faith to pray. We can pray that they might be filled with God’s Holy Spirit, that they might have the strength to fight another day and to help care for their loved ones. Prayer is a great unifier – just as we gathered here united in prayer through this Eucharist; let’s us also be united in prayer with and for those suffering in Africa.
We can also give generously of our money to the many efforts by groups like Catholic Relief Services. You can call or visit the Diocese’s website to learn more about these organizations and the great impact they are having, even amidst this crisis.
Finally, you can learn more about the crisis in East Africa and share this with others.
These are all things that we are called to do as Christians. My friends, Take courage, do not be afraid!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
HOMILY - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
I want to first recognize and congratulate Sister Barbara on her Anniversary (today/yesterday) of her profession to the Dominicans – thank you for saying yes to God’s call and for your service to the Church and Our Lady of Peace Parish.
Today’s Gospel beings: “Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.” This has caused me to think about what Jesus might have been doing as he sat and looked out at the sea in that moment of silence.
Maybe as he stared at the water he thought of the passage from the book of the prophet of Isaiah, from today’s First Reading, in which the Lord speaks of water coming from heaven, watering the earth and making it fertile and fruitful, so that those who hunger and thirst might be satisfied. Maybe Jesus hoped and prayed that, like the effect of water on our physical needs, that his words – the good news of God’s great love and mercy – would be fertile and fruitful to all who heard them.
Then again, maybe Jesus was thinking about how he wanted those who heard him speak to know that there is something greater waiting for them – an eternal joy and peace. And maybe as he looked upon the water he saw the faces of those who have heard him speak and, knowing them each personally, he knew that for many they were suffering and hurting in many ways and would have trouble hearing his message. And just maybe in that moment of silence, Jesus prayed for them that they, like St. Paul from whom we read in our Second Reading, may hear his words and find hope and encouragement; that they may, as St. Paul did, “consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.”
And maybe also in that silence, Jesus had a moment of frustration, wondering why so many who heard what he was saying still did not get it; why so many “look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.” Certainly, we have all had those moments of watching a loved one not see or do what seems so obvious to us – as parents, as friends or co-workers, we have watched someone we love swing at a pitch too high, or date the “wrong” person, or behave inappropriately, or struggle with depression or addiction. I can certainly understand if Jesus felt frustrated, maybe even hopeless as he watched so many ignore his Father’s great love and mercy for them; seemly to reject his offer of eternal peace.
But here is what is so wonderful about Jesus: as the Gospel continues, Jesus is engulfed by a crowd of people who interrupt his silence – he does not get angry or retreat; rather, he makes room so that all can hear his message of God’s great love and mercy. Because Jesus knows the necessity of this message, he gets into a boat and sits down as the whole crowd stands along the shore and he speaks to them at length in parables. In fact, we will hear over the next several weeks Jesus telling several parables to this same crowd of people with the hope that they might look and see and hear and listen and understand.
The parable of the sower is a beautiful story to help us better understand God’s love for us – it is our God who generously and without reservation shares his love and mercy with us. Even in our culture of consumption and greed, we can appreciate the almost recklessness and inefficiency of throwing seed everywhere and anywhere – on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, as well as on rich soil, with the hope that it might grow and produce fruit. But that is how freely our God loves and is willing to forgive.
And this certainly mirrors our own experiences, right? As parents and children or as spouses we are called to love generously and even recklessly. We love even when we have been hurt or disappointed. We also know the great reward we receive when we do love and are loved in return. And, so we know exactly what Jesus is saying when talks of the “seed falling on rich soil and producing fruit a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” We know the 30 or 60 or 100 fold joy we experience in loving and being loved.
The challenge for us is to give freely and love generously knowing that much of our effort may be wasted. Hopefully this is not true in the case of our marriage or family life. But, we know that often the efforts we make have no result, our dreams never materialize, and the love invested in relationships sometimes fail. Despite this potential, I invite you and encourage you to take the great risk and give freely and love generously, trusting in Jesus’ promise of a 30 or 60 or even 100 fold return that we will experience if we love as we are called to love. And in the moments of doubt or despair, believe in and trust that what we know now in no way compares with the glory to be revealed to us! If we trust this promise, the reward will be endless, the fruit bountiful, and the love overflowing!
May God bless you.
Today’s Gospel beings: “Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.” This has caused me to think about what Jesus might have been doing as he sat and looked out at the sea in that moment of silence.
Maybe as he stared at the water he thought of the passage from the book of the prophet of Isaiah, from today’s First Reading, in which the Lord speaks of water coming from heaven, watering the earth and making it fertile and fruitful, so that those who hunger and thirst might be satisfied. Maybe Jesus hoped and prayed that, like the effect of water on our physical needs, that his words – the good news of God’s great love and mercy – would be fertile and fruitful to all who heard them.
Then again, maybe Jesus was thinking about how he wanted those who heard him speak to know that there is something greater waiting for them – an eternal joy and peace. And maybe as he looked upon the water he saw the faces of those who have heard him speak and, knowing them each personally, he knew that for many they were suffering and hurting in many ways and would have trouble hearing his message. And just maybe in that moment of silence, Jesus prayed for them that they, like St. Paul from whom we read in our Second Reading, may hear his words and find hope and encouragement; that they may, as St. Paul did, “consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.”
And maybe also in that silence, Jesus had a moment of frustration, wondering why so many who heard what he was saying still did not get it; why so many “look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.” Certainly, we have all had those moments of watching a loved one not see or do what seems so obvious to us – as parents, as friends or co-workers, we have watched someone we love swing at a pitch too high, or date the “wrong” person, or behave inappropriately, or struggle with depression or addiction. I can certainly understand if Jesus felt frustrated, maybe even hopeless as he watched so many ignore his Father’s great love and mercy for them; seemly to reject his offer of eternal peace.
But here is what is so wonderful about Jesus: as the Gospel continues, Jesus is engulfed by a crowd of people who interrupt his silence – he does not get angry or retreat; rather, he makes room so that all can hear his message of God’s great love and mercy. Because Jesus knows the necessity of this message, he gets into a boat and sits down as the whole crowd stands along the shore and he speaks to them at length in parables. In fact, we will hear over the next several weeks Jesus telling several parables to this same crowd of people with the hope that they might look and see and hear and listen and understand.
The parable of the sower is a beautiful story to help us better understand God’s love for us – it is our God who generously and without reservation shares his love and mercy with us. Even in our culture of consumption and greed, we can appreciate the almost recklessness and inefficiency of throwing seed everywhere and anywhere – on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, as well as on rich soil, with the hope that it might grow and produce fruit. But that is how freely our God loves and is willing to forgive.
And this certainly mirrors our own experiences, right? As parents and children or as spouses we are called to love generously and even recklessly. We love even when we have been hurt or disappointed. We also know the great reward we receive when we do love and are loved in return. And, so we know exactly what Jesus is saying when talks of the “seed falling on rich soil and producing fruit a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” We know the 30 or 60 or 100 fold joy we experience in loving and being loved.
The challenge for us is to give freely and love generously knowing that much of our effort may be wasted. Hopefully this is not true in the case of our marriage or family life. But, we know that often the efforts we make have no result, our dreams never materialize, and the love invested in relationships sometimes fail. Despite this potential, I invite you and encourage you to take the great risk and give freely and love generously, trusting in Jesus’ promise of a 30 or 60 or even 100 fold return that we will experience if we love as we are called to love. And in the moments of doubt or despair, believe in and trust that what we know now in no way compares with the glory to be revealed to us! If we trust this promise, the reward will be endless, the fruit bountiful, and the love overflowing!
May God bless you.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
HOMILY - Pentecost (Year A)
[Father Kavanagh 28th Anniversary as a priest.]
The past couple of weeks have been extra-ordinarily busy for my family and me – all good stuff, but just busy all-day, every-day it seems. When I find myself over-extended, which I admittedly do too often, I find myself of going through the motions of completing task X, Y, and Z without investing lots of thought or emotion to each task. The risk in doing this is that I miss the joy of life, which is the happiness that comes in loving and being loved from our everyday experiences. We must realize that we are called to know, experience, and share with others God’s great love for us and the great joy that comes from this love.
Throughout the Easter season, which concludes this Sunday with Pentecost, we have been celebrating this great love of our God. We celebrate our God who, out of love, sent his Son to us to teach us how to love and heals our broken relationship with God, by his obedient and humble death on the cross; and it is our loving God who also gives us his Spirit, which we celebrate today, to help us and comfort us as we live out our Christian lives of love and service to God and others.
The Holy Spirit, which the Apostles received at Pentecost and we receive in the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism and Confirmation, is a wonderful gift from our loving God. We credit the Pentecost event with the start of the Church, and more importantly, with the movement of the Apostles from fear and doubt to boldly praising our loving God and proclaiming his love to all.
The tradition of the Church lists twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit, which result when we, like the Apostles, give ourselves completely to God’s love. When we put aside our own agenda and love and trust God completely, then God, through his Holy Spirit, generously pours out in our lives: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.
I can attest to this! When I place my complete trust in God – putting aside my own agenda or worries – then and only then am I truly at peace and I am a better husband and father, son and brother, friend and co-worker, a better deacon in service to you and the Church. When I do this, the fruits of the Holy Spirit are present in me and I have a glimpse of the eternal happiness that God offers.
However, I am not perfect. And possibly like you, I too often find myself consumed by doubt and insecurity, pride and selfishness, all of which keeps me from loving as I should. So too often I find myself unable to love as I am called to love and feeling incomplete because I am not living as I am called to live.
But here is truly the Good News: our God loves us so much that he knows our faults and weaknesses, is willing to move beyond our self-imposed limitations, and gives us – without condition or hesitation – the gift of his Holy Spirit to help us to live as we are called to live. These gifts of the Holy Spirit are:
1. Wisdom, which is the desire to direct our whole life to God
2. Understanding, which enables us to know more clearly the mysteries of faith
3. Counsel, which warns us of the sin and evil in our world
4. Fortitude, which strengthens us to do the will of God in all things
5. Knowledge, which enables us to discover the will of God in all things
6. Piety, which is the love of God and helps us to obey Him out of love
7. Fear of the Lord, which places in us a dread of sin and fear of offending God
It is these gifts that help us to live as the Christian men and women we are called to live. Maybe, you are living very busy lives and not experiencing fully God’s love; maybe you are in a place between despair and hope, that Father Kavanagh spoke of last weekend; or maybe you are struggling with an addiction, an illness or a very difficult relationship. So, I encourage you, wherever you may be, to ask in your daily prayer for the gift of the Holy Spirit you need most that day. And, trust that if you ask, God will provide!
In concluding, I offer this prayer for you and me from the Rite of Confirmation:
All powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon US to be OUR helper and guide. Give US the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill US with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence. Amen.
The past couple of weeks have been extra-ordinarily busy for my family and me – all good stuff, but just busy all-day, every-day it seems. When I find myself over-extended, which I admittedly do too often, I find myself of going through the motions of completing task X, Y, and Z without investing lots of thought or emotion to each task. The risk in doing this is that I miss the joy of life, which is the happiness that comes in loving and being loved from our everyday experiences. We must realize that we are called to know, experience, and share with others God’s great love for us and the great joy that comes from this love.
Throughout the Easter season, which concludes this Sunday with Pentecost, we have been celebrating this great love of our God. We celebrate our God who, out of love, sent his Son to us to teach us how to love and heals our broken relationship with God, by his obedient and humble death on the cross; and it is our loving God who also gives us his Spirit, which we celebrate today, to help us and comfort us as we live out our Christian lives of love and service to God and others.
The Holy Spirit, which the Apostles received at Pentecost and we receive in the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism and Confirmation, is a wonderful gift from our loving God. We credit the Pentecost event with the start of the Church, and more importantly, with the movement of the Apostles from fear and doubt to boldly praising our loving God and proclaiming his love to all.
The tradition of the Church lists twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit, which result when we, like the Apostles, give ourselves completely to God’s love. When we put aside our own agenda and love and trust God completely, then God, through his Holy Spirit, generously pours out in our lives: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.
I can attest to this! When I place my complete trust in God – putting aside my own agenda or worries – then and only then am I truly at peace and I am a better husband and father, son and brother, friend and co-worker, a better deacon in service to you and the Church. When I do this, the fruits of the Holy Spirit are present in me and I have a glimpse of the eternal happiness that God offers.
However, I am not perfect. And possibly like you, I too often find myself consumed by doubt and insecurity, pride and selfishness, all of which keeps me from loving as I should. So too often I find myself unable to love as I am called to love and feeling incomplete because I am not living as I am called to live.
But here is truly the Good News: our God loves us so much that he knows our faults and weaknesses, is willing to move beyond our self-imposed limitations, and gives us – without condition or hesitation – the gift of his Holy Spirit to help us to live as we are called to live. These gifts of the Holy Spirit are:
1. Wisdom, which is the desire to direct our whole life to God
2. Understanding, which enables us to know more clearly the mysteries of faith
3. Counsel, which warns us of the sin and evil in our world
4. Fortitude, which strengthens us to do the will of God in all things
5. Knowledge, which enables us to discover the will of God in all things
6. Piety, which is the love of God and helps us to obey Him out of love
7. Fear of the Lord, which places in us a dread of sin and fear of offending God
It is these gifts that help us to live as the Christian men and women we are called to live. Maybe, you are living very busy lives and not experiencing fully God’s love; maybe you are in a place between despair and hope, that Father Kavanagh spoke of last weekend; or maybe you are struggling with an addiction, an illness or a very difficult relationship. So, I encourage you, wherever you may be, to ask in your daily prayer for the gift of the Holy Spirit you need most that day. And, trust that if you ask, God will provide!
In concluding, I offer this prayer for you and me from the Rite of Confirmation:
All powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon US to be OUR helper and guide. Give US the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill US with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence. Amen.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
HOMILY - Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A)
Today’s readings draw us even closer to Jesus. The readings for this Fourth Sunday of Easter, as known as Good Shepherd Sunday, help us to focus our attention on our relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
The custom of focusing on Jesus as the Good Shepherd during the Easter season is a very ancient practice. As early as the fifth century, we read of individuals, like Pope Leo the Great, who describe this intimate connection between the Shepherd and his sheep to explain our relationship with Jesus – a connection that begins at our Baptism and is strengthened in the Eucharist.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is trying to teach the Pharisees who he truly is. Pulling both from the Old Testament and from the common experience of Jesus’ time, Jesus uses the metaphor of gatekeepers, shepherds and sheep to describe who Jesus truly is. Jesus is the gatekeeper who opens the way for us to God. As the shepherd, Jesus leads his sheep to God. It is Jesus who has come from God and who leads us to God the Father.
As the good shepherd, Jesus perfectly cares for his sheep – for each one of us. He is in a loving relationship with us – even to the point of insult, suffering, crucifixion, and death. Jesus knows us by name and invites us to enter through the ‘gate’ from sin and death to eternal peace and joy. As proclaimed in the Gospel, Jesus has come in order to give us life, and to give it more abundantly.
In return, the sheep know their shepherd’s voice and respond to his voice. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus in last week’s Gospel, we can say that our ‘hearts are burning’ whenever we are Christ’s presence – we know in our hearts and our minds the desire we possess to be in relationship with him. Too often, however, we don’t know how to respond or, more often, we choose not to respond.
For this reason, we need great men and women in the Church to teach us how to respond and to give us the example and encouragement to respond as we should. Christ the Shepherd who nourishes and safeguards his flock provides for us the example of such humble service to God and others. While each of are called and anointed at Baptism to follow Christ’s example of service to God and his Church, we need, in a special and specific way, great men and women willing to consecrate their life exclusively in service to the Church and its members.
We need men and women to answer God’s call to priestly and religious life. We need great men and women who are in love with God and his Church and are willing to “leave behind their own narrow agenda and notions of self-fulfillment” to serve God and his Church. We need great men and women, like the Apostle Peter in today’s first reading, who was filled with the Holy Spirit and was willing to risk everything so that others may know God’s great love and mercy. We need great men and women who know and will help us to know, as in today’s Psalm, that the “Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing else that I want.” We need of great men and women willing to follow Christ’s example and endure insult and suffering for God and his Church. We need great men and women who are willing to lead us in Christ’s mission to give life and to give it more abundantly.
We need great men and women, like Father Kavanagh (Monsignor Ruef) and Sister Barbara, who are willing to selfLESSly serve God and others. We need great men and women, who in their special role in the Church, will fearlessly proclaim the Gospel, teach others of God’s great love for us and how we are to respond to such love, and to model Christian virtue.
We need great men and women like those sitting with us today and like those in the families of our parish to say yes to God’s call to serve his Church.
Pope Benedict has declared this Sunday the 48th World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The Pope in his message for this Day states that: “Vocations to the ministerial priesthood and to the consecrated life are first and foremost the fruit of constant contact with the living God and insistent prayer lifted up to the Lord… in parish communities, in Christian families and in groups specifically devoted to prayer for vocations.” And, so let us pray for those discerning a call to priestly or religious life. AND, let us pray that our parish and its families may be places where we may experience the living God. Let us pray that our parish and our families may be places where we may know of our encouragement and support for vocations. Let us pray that our parish and our families may be places where we feel the warmth of this community as we say “yes” to God and the Church. Let us pray that those discerning a vocation to priestly or religious life, like each of us, may have the strength, the wisdom and the courage to follow our Shepherd, Jesus.
The custom of focusing on Jesus as the Good Shepherd during the Easter season is a very ancient practice. As early as the fifth century, we read of individuals, like Pope Leo the Great, who describe this intimate connection between the Shepherd and his sheep to explain our relationship with Jesus – a connection that begins at our Baptism and is strengthened in the Eucharist.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is trying to teach the Pharisees who he truly is. Pulling both from the Old Testament and from the common experience of Jesus’ time, Jesus uses the metaphor of gatekeepers, shepherds and sheep to describe who Jesus truly is. Jesus is the gatekeeper who opens the way for us to God. As the shepherd, Jesus leads his sheep to God. It is Jesus who has come from God and who leads us to God the Father.
As the good shepherd, Jesus perfectly cares for his sheep – for each one of us. He is in a loving relationship with us – even to the point of insult, suffering, crucifixion, and death. Jesus knows us by name and invites us to enter through the ‘gate’ from sin and death to eternal peace and joy. As proclaimed in the Gospel, Jesus has come in order to give us life, and to give it more abundantly.
In return, the sheep know their shepherd’s voice and respond to his voice. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus in last week’s Gospel, we can say that our ‘hearts are burning’ whenever we are Christ’s presence – we know in our hearts and our minds the desire we possess to be in relationship with him. Too often, however, we don’t know how to respond or, more often, we choose not to respond.
For this reason, we need great men and women in the Church to teach us how to respond and to give us the example and encouragement to respond as we should. Christ the Shepherd who nourishes and safeguards his flock provides for us the example of such humble service to God and others. While each of are called and anointed at Baptism to follow Christ’s example of service to God and his Church, we need, in a special and specific way, great men and women willing to consecrate their life exclusively in service to the Church and its members.
We need men and women to answer God’s call to priestly and religious life. We need great men and women who are in love with God and his Church and are willing to “leave behind their own narrow agenda and notions of self-fulfillment” to serve God and his Church. We need great men and women, like the Apostle Peter in today’s first reading, who was filled with the Holy Spirit and was willing to risk everything so that others may know God’s great love and mercy. We need great men and women who know and will help us to know, as in today’s Psalm, that the “Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing else that I want.” We need of great men and women willing to follow Christ’s example and endure insult and suffering for God and his Church. We need great men and women who are willing to lead us in Christ’s mission to give life and to give it more abundantly.
We need great men and women, like Father Kavanagh (Monsignor Ruef) and Sister Barbara, who are willing to selfLESSly serve God and others. We need great men and women, who in their special role in the Church, will fearlessly proclaim the Gospel, teach others of God’s great love for us and how we are to respond to such love, and to model Christian virtue.
We need great men and women like those sitting with us today and like those in the families of our parish to say yes to God’s call to serve his Church.
Pope Benedict has declared this Sunday the 48th World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The Pope in his message for this Day states that: “Vocations to the ministerial priesthood and to the consecrated life are first and foremost the fruit of constant contact with the living God and insistent prayer lifted up to the Lord… in parish communities, in Christian families and in groups specifically devoted to prayer for vocations.” And, so let us pray for those discerning a call to priestly or religious life. AND, let us pray that our parish and its families may be places where we may experience the living God. Let us pray that our parish and our families may be places where we may know of our encouragement and support for vocations. Let us pray that our parish and our families may be places where we feel the warmth of this community as we say “yes” to God and the Church. Let us pray that those discerning a vocation to priestly or religious life, like each of us, may have the strength, the wisdom and the courage to follow our Shepherd, Jesus.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Homily - Passion Sunday (Year A)
Today, I will simply pose a question and offer an invitation to you.
First, the question…in the loving memory of Monsignor McFarland (may his soul rest in peace), I ask you: “Are you better today, then you were Ash Wednesday?” Let me ask this even more specifically, as we reflect on today’s readings: “Are you more obedient to God’s will today then you were on Ash Wednesday?” “Are you today more like Christ, who was obedient to God the Father even to the point of death?” While not necessarily physical death, death to pride, lust, hate, fear – whatever it is that keeps you from trusting unconditionally and loving without limit, just as God loves us. If not “better,” then Monsignor McFarland would say two things, which I now say to you: “why not?” and “it’s not too late!”Pray over whatever it is that has kept you from being a better Christian man or woman. And then be filled with the grace of the Eucharist that we are about to receive to have the courage and the wisdom to be more like Christ tomorrow then you are today.
And second, an invitation…I invite you to join us in our parish’s Holy Week celebrations. Father Kavanagh has reminded us throughout Lent that we are on a journey of purification and enlightenment in our relationship with God – just not our candidates preparing to join the Church, but each one of us. The liturgies of Holy Week – especially the liturgy of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter – lead us to experience the goal of our faith journey: the great joy of God’s love for us. The publication Living with Christ, recalls beautifully that “as we revisit the events of the final tumultuous week in Jesus’ life – the Last Supper, his passion and death, and his Resurrection - we are plunged by memory and ritual into the mystery that reveals and defines the meaning of Jesus’ existence and of our own. His story is our story, and what happened to him is the pattern for what is happening now and what will happen to us in the future.” So, I invite you to celebrate these liturgies and experience God’s great love for you. For some, I know that this will be a difficult invitation to accept – there is work, and practices or games, or other commitments. I ask you to pray and make the commitment – and sacrifice, if necessary – to join us this week. I hope and pray to see your family and you this week. May God bless you.
First, the question…in the loving memory of Monsignor McFarland (may his soul rest in peace), I ask you: “Are you better today, then you were Ash Wednesday?” Let me ask this even more specifically, as we reflect on today’s readings: “Are you more obedient to God’s will today then you were on Ash Wednesday?” “Are you today more like Christ, who was obedient to God the Father even to the point of death?” While not necessarily physical death, death to pride, lust, hate, fear – whatever it is that keeps you from trusting unconditionally and loving without limit, just as God loves us. If not “better,” then Monsignor McFarland would say two things, which I now say to you: “why not?” and “it’s not too late!”Pray over whatever it is that has kept you from being a better Christian man or woman. And then be filled with the grace of the Eucharist that we are about to receive to have the courage and the wisdom to be more like Christ tomorrow then you are today.
And second, an invitation…I invite you to join us in our parish’s Holy Week celebrations. Father Kavanagh has reminded us throughout Lent that we are on a journey of purification and enlightenment in our relationship with God – just not our candidates preparing to join the Church, but each one of us. The liturgies of Holy Week – especially the liturgy of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter – lead us to experience the goal of our faith journey: the great joy of God’s love for us. The publication Living with Christ, recalls beautifully that “as we revisit the events of the final tumultuous week in Jesus’ life – the Last Supper, his passion and death, and his Resurrection - we are plunged by memory and ritual into the mystery that reveals and defines the meaning of Jesus’ existence and of our own. His story is our story, and what happened to him is the pattern for what is happening now and what will happen to us in the future.” So, I invite you to celebrate these liturgies and experience God’s great love for you. For some, I know that this will be a difficult invitation to accept – there is work, and practices or games, or other commitments. I ask you to pray and make the commitment – and sacrifice, if necessary – to join us this week. I hope and pray to see your family and you this week. May God bless you.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
HOMILY - First Sunday in Lent (Year A)
In last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” Jesus is telling us that we must listen to what he is teaching us – we must hear it and obey it – and we must act, we must put into action in our life what he says. If we do this, if we ground ourselves on his words by loving and serving God and others, then we will be like a house built on rock – unwavering in the midst of any challenge or temptation. It is like that skilled athlete training continuously, single-minded, undistracted and completely focused on achieving her athletic goal. For us as Catholics, we must also train continuously, single-minded, undistracted and completely focused on achieving on our goal – Heaven.
I can only image that it was with just such discipline that Jesus withstood the three temptations of the devil in today’s Gospel. And it is just such discipline that will allow us to withstand the temptations in our life that distract us from our goal of obtaining eternal happiness and peace. Jesus was so grounded in who he was and what his purpose was that he was not going to be easily distracted by the devil. We must be just as disciplined in what we say and by what we do.
Our Lenten journey is an opportunity to re-focus and re-ground our lives in this discipline of our faith. And it is at the end of this Lenten journey – the Easter celebration – that we find both our inspiration and model: Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered, died and rose for us, so that we might be in the right relationship with our God and that we might experience Heaven. It was Jesus, as St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading, “through one righteous act,” freed us and gave us life; through the obedience of Jesus, we will be made righteous. It was Jesus’ complete love for, trust in and obedience to God the Father that is also an inspiration and a model for how we are to live our lives – lives of love, trust and obedience to God our Father.
When we place our unconditional love and complete trust in God and when we are fully obedient to God’s plan for us, we are liberated. Liberated from power of sin. While we may still experience temptation, like Jesus, we will be so grounded in who we are and what we are called to do, that we will resist whatever temptation to sin is placed before us.
When we place our unconditional love and complete trust in God and when we are fully obedient to God’s plan for us, we also are able to move beyond our own wants and consider the needs of others and serve them. This is an important part of our faith life – that we not only avoid sin, but that we actively love. Certainly this means clothing the naked, feeding the poor, giving shelter to the homeless, visiting the sick. This also means that we are called to promote economic justice.
I share this point, because it is timely and relevant as our state legislature debates the elimination of collective bargaining.
In our Catholic tradition, justice places the good of the person at the center of all economic activities. It stresses that the economy exists for the person, not the person for the economy. It challenges society to measure the moral effectiveness of our economic practices by how well they strengthen families and provide for the poor and vulnerable. Our Church’s teaching on justice has also long recognized that all people have the right to economic initiative, to productive work, to just wages and benefits, to decent working conditions, to organize and join unions or other associations, and to engage in collective bargaining.
This doctrine of the Church promotes mutual partnerships where both the needs of labor and the needs of management are freely and openly acknowledged and addressed. It challenges both unions and management to work for the common good, to make sacrifices when required, and to adjust to new economic realities.
I share NOT because I am advocating for one side or another on any particular piece of legislative. However, I do share this teaching with you as an encouragement to engage in this debate honestly with these principals in mind. And, like everything in our life, if we are grounded in the teachings of Jesus and his Church, we will be disciplined to resist the temptation to think selfishly and we will be able to consider how our words and actions can help those in need. This is what we are called to do.
The author Mary Birmingham writes that the Genesis account of Adam and Eve, which was read in today’s first reading, is not an exercise in despair, but rather a reflection of hope: hope in the God of mercy and compassion. In our human weakness, we will not always be as strong in the face of temptation – as Jesus was, we may be more like Adam and Eve. And we may not be as charitable to the needs of others as we are called to be. We will be disobedient and sin. But the great joy of our faith is that our God is full of mercy and compassion. And, so we pray, as we begin our Lenten journey: “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”
I can only image that it was with just such discipline that Jesus withstood the three temptations of the devil in today’s Gospel. And it is just such discipline that will allow us to withstand the temptations in our life that distract us from our goal of obtaining eternal happiness and peace. Jesus was so grounded in who he was and what his purpose was that he was not going to be easily distracted by the devil. We must be just as disciplined in what we say and by what we do.
Our Lenten journey is an opportunity to re-focus and re-ground our lives in this discipline of our faith. And it is at the end of this Lenten journey – the Easter celebration – that we find both our inspiration and model: Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered, died and rose for us, so that we might be in the right relationship with our God and that we might experience Heaven. It was Jesus, as St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading, “through one righteous act,” freed us and gave us life; through the obedience of Jesus, we will be made righteous. It was Jesus’ complete love for, trust in and obedience to God the Father that is also an inspiration and a model for how we are to live our lives – lives of love, trust and obedience to God our Father.
When we place our unconditional love and complete trust in God and when we are fully obedient to God’s plan for us, we are liberated. Liberated from power of sin. While we may still experience temptation, like Jesus, we will be so grounded in who we are and what we are called to do, that we will resist whatever temptation to sin is placed before us.
When we place our unconditional love and complete trust in God and when we are fully obedient to God’s plan for us, we also are able to move beyond our own wants and consider the needs of others and serve them. This is an important part of our faith life – that we not only avoid sin, but that we actively love. Certainly this means clothing the naked, feeding the poor, giving shelter to the homeless, visiting the sick. This also means that we are called to promote economic justice.
I share this point, because it is timely and relevant as our state legislature debates the elimination of collective bargaining.
In our Catholic tradition, justice places the good of the person at the center of all economic activities. It stresses that the economy exists for the person, not the person for the economy. It challenges society to measure the moral effectiveness of our economic practices by how well they strengthen families and provide for the poor and vulnerable. Our Church’s teaching on justice has also long recognized that all people have the right to economic initiative, to productive work, to just wages and benefits, to decent working conditions, to organize and join unions or other associations, and to engage in collective bargaining.
This doctrine of the Church promotes mutual partnerships where both the needs of labor and the needs of management are freely and openly acknowledged and addressed. It challenges both unions and management to work for the common good, to make sacrifices when required, and to adjust to new economic realities.
I share NOT because I am advocating for one side or another on any particular piece of legislative. However, I do share this teaching with you as an encouragement to engage in this debate honestly with these principals in mind. And, like everything in our life, if we are grounded in the teachings of Jesus and his Church, we will be disciplined to resist the temptation to think selfishly and we will be able to consider how our words and actions can help those in need. This is what we are called to do.
The author Mary Birmingham writes that the Genesis account of Adam and Eve, which was read in today’s first reading, is not an exercise in despair, but rather a reflection of hope: hope in the God of mercy and compassion. In our human weakness, we will not always be as strong in the face of temptation – as Jesus was, we may be more like Adam and Eve. And we may not be as charitable to the needs of others as we are called to be. We will be disobedient and sin. But the great joy of our faith is that our God is full of mercy and compassion. And, so we pray, as we begin our Lenten journey: “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)