HOMILY - Second Sunday in Advent (Year A)

A couple of weeks ago, I heard or read somewhere the phrase: no mercy without repentance. I recall these words as I prayed over John the Baptists’ words in today’s Gospel. I tried to find the source of the phrase I heard a couple of weeks ago – as I may have heard it on Catholic radio or read it in a Catholic blog post. A series of Google searches later I found a wonderful article by Monsignor Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington titled A Reflection on the Modern Error of Preaching Mercy without Repentance. His premise is that too often the idea of God’s mercy without personal repentance is taught in the classroom and preached from the ambo. In other words, there is too much emphasis on how God loves us, is rich in mercy, is kind and forgiving – all of which is true – without an equal emphasis on the reality that all these attributes of God are accessed when we repent for the words, thoughts and actions that separate us from God. As Msgr. Pope puts it: “God’s offer of mercy and healing love stands (forever), and are offered to everyone. But these magnificent gifts must be accessed through repentance…we must come to understand the seriousness of our condition, turn to God, call upon his mercy, and begin to receive the glorious medicine he offers: the medicine of his Word, of the Sacraments, of prayer, and walking in fellowship with the Church, which he established as his ongoing presence and voice in the world.” Finally, Monsignor Pope challenges those who preach and teach to proclaim repentance that unlocks the forgiveness and mercy of God. Admittedly, I find myself at risk of doing this – so eager to share the Good News of God’s love and mercy that I don’t equally emphasize the need for repentance. And certainly, the secular Christmas season there is the risk that we get caught up in the joy of the season that we forget that we must move closer to God, as much as his moves closer to us by becoming man. Yes, we much keep our focus on our goal of peace now and eternally, which is envisioned in the First Reading: Wolf and Lamb; Leopard and kid; Calf and Lion; Cow and Bear; Baby by the Cobra’s Den; and Child by the Adder’s lair. And as we sung in today’s Psalm: Justice shall flourish, and fullness of peace for ever. But to obtain this peace, we must repent. We must acknowledge our sins, as we just confessed: that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do - through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. We must also resolve to not sin again and avoid whatever causes us to sin. This is the act of contrition we will hopefully make this Advent in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, whether tomorrow/tonight at our Parish Penance Service or at another time and place. John the Baptist, in today’s Gospel, challenges us to go even further: to “Produce good fruit as evidence of our repentance.” That is, if we are truly penitent, if we have a proper sense of what we did to offend and separate ourselves from God, if we are truly sorrowful and commit to sin no more, then our lives will show it. We will be transformed and others will know it. This is what Paul points to in the Second Reading – if his audience is able to reconcile and be in harmony with each other, then they will be transformed, they will be unified and it will show by what they do together – glorifying God with one voice. For us, let’s take the Ten Commandments, which is always a good guide in making an examination of our sins. How about the third commandment to keep holy the Sabbath. If you find that you are skipping Mass on Sunday or otherwise not making Sunday an exceptional or extra-ordinary day in your week – then repent and produce much fruit. Acknowledge this sin, commit to change, and make it obvious to your family, co-workers, and friends that Sunday is a holy and special day by what you do AND don’t do on Sundays. Or how about the fourth commandment: honor your mother and father. I remind my boys of this often – but it also applies to me and how I treat my parents, right? How do we speak to and care for our parents – regardless of their age or role in our life. If we do not give them honor, then repent and produce much fruit. Acknowledge this sin, commit to change, and make it obvious to others by your words and actions of the great love you have for your parents. I will leave the other commandments to you. This week: 1) repent; and 2) produce much good fruit as you prepare for the Lord.

HOMILY - Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

I first want to start with a shameless plug for our Lighthouse Media kiosks in the Gathering Space and by the St. Joseph’s statue. These are great resources to help us know, share and defend our Catholic faith. I enjoy these CDs and books and try to listen to them. Admittedly, I don’t listen to them all the time or Catholic radio. Sometimes, especially with the boys in the car, we are listening to music or sports radio; and often when I am alone on the way to work or back, I will just turn off the radio and think or pray. But I do find myself gravitating back to Lighthouse CDs and Catholic radio, and I am often informed challenged, humbled, and ultimately reminded of a foundation of our faith – that we are a resurrection people. We are not defined or limited by our pain, worry, hurt, insecurity, possessions, comfort or pleasure – these will all fade and lose their meaning. We are called to something bigger and better. We are called to an eternal joy and peace with God. The candles on the steps of the Sanctuary from our Mass of Remembrance are a reminder for those who lost a loved one recently that, as Father Kavanagh shared in his homily and prayed in the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer Tuesday evening: In Jesus, who rose from the dead, our hope of resurrection dawned. The sadness of death gives way to the bright promise of immortality…for those who have died, life has changed, not ended. When the body of our earthly dwelling lies in death we gain an everlasting dwelling place in heaven. Today’s readings, in a special way, too remind us of this reality and truth of our faith. Death is not the end, but a new beginning because our God is a god of love and life. It is a faith, hope and trust in the Resurrection of the body that a mother and her seven sons endured great torture to the point of death. They believed that their lives were not defined by or limited to their earthly existence or experiences. The entire story of this family recalls that each brother and their mother echoes the faith of the fourth brother that we heard today: that When he was near death, he said, "It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him.” Affirming the truth of the Resurrection of the body after our earthly life is over, Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called out 'Lord, ' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." The Sadducees in today’s Gospel were Jewish leaders who did not believe in the Resurrection because they only followed the first 5 books of the Old Testament. They tried unsuccessfully to trap Jesus in a debate about marriage. Jesus was not saying in reply that marriage was bad, remember he instituted Marriage as a sacrament. He was really saying that what we know now is not what Heaven will be. Have read from several different sources this past week of how the Resurrection of the body is like a baby in the womb of a mother – that child has not idea what awaits him or her when born – it is beyond comprension for that child. The same is true for us of what awaits us. While marriage was used to try to trap Jesus, it is in marriage that we get a glimpse of what it means to be a Resurrection people now while on earth. It is in marriage that the bride and groom freely consent to the self-emptying, self-donation, self-gift of themselves to their spouse. In doing so, they experience a greater joy then before. I know how difficult it can be to believe sometimes that something greater awaits us, especially in the midst of pain or loss, addiction or illness, affluence and success, or comfort and contentment. But there is! We are a resurrection people made by a God of love and life, who made us and desires for us to be with him eternally. While you may or may not believe this, or at least struggle to have the faith or courage to believe, I invite you to at least have hope. To hope that something great awaits you. One way to do this is to embrace St. Paul’s words to the Thesselonians, who were also struggling with these issues. He reminded them that: the Lord is faithful; (and) he will strengthen you and guard you. God will give us what we need to be in his love now and eternally. Pray for the grace that the Lord may the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ. May God bless you.

HOMILY - Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

I have found myself following closely the words and actions of our new pope, Francis. Maybe it is because of how accessible his words and actions are with technology, and I think part of it is because what he is saying and doing really resonates with me. Truth be told, I like all three popes of my life time – Blessed John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis – they are great, yet very different. Not that I spend a lot of time on the internet, but I came across this blog post by Fr. Dwight Longenecker, who was commenting on how blessed we are to have had three wonderful popes in recent history and how each brought something important to the Church. Fr. Longenecker observed that the traits longed for by the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion in the movie the Wizard of Oz, were/are possess, even exemplified by these three popes. (I believe Fr. Kavanagh also referenced this movie in his homily last weekend.) Blessed John Paul the Great was a man of courage - not a cowardly lion – who exhibited a great and fearless fortitude–whether it was his triumphant pastoral visits to Poland, his ceaseless travels around the world, his confrontation of heresy and disloyalty, his survival of an assassination attempt or his final, courageous battle with Parkinson’s–played out in public–John Paul was the pope of courage. Benedict XVI is the pope with the brain – far from the Scarecrow character – who with his precision of thought and clarity of expression articulated the fullness of Catholic teaching, liturgy and practice. And now Francis – with his Big Heart Open to God and Others, is no Tin Man, but a man filled with pastoral love and passion for Christ and his people. Fr. Longenecker goes on to write that actually each of these men possess all three of these traits, and that we need each of these traits to be the Christian men and women we are called to be. I have also been following the news report and blog posts that claim that Pope Francis’ radical love and charity for God and others are not compatible with Church teaching and he will ignore or reject what the Church has taught for the past 2000 years. I have read the full interview that many point to when making this claim, and that is not what I took from the wonderful article. Rather, I read that for Pope Francis the most important thing we need to know as Christians (and for non-Christians to know about us) is that we are called to be in a relation with a God of love and mercy. Yes, the rules, structures, and teachings of the Church are important and necessary, but if we miss the point that Jesus saved you and me, then nothing else matters, nothing else makes sense, nothing else has meaning or purpose. Our God is a God of great love and mercy, who desires more than anything to be in relationship with you and me. He is willing to become man to teach us how to love and is willing to suffer and die on the Cross to restore us in relationship with him! This is the saving love experience by Naaman in today’s first reading, who travels a far distance, goes to great effort, and risks embarrassment to be healed by God. This is the same saving love experience by the leper in today’s Gospel, who pleads with Jesus for pity. And this is the same saving love experienced by St. Paul, who in today’s second reading sings with confidence and trust even as he suffers in chains and prison. These men were treated with mercy by God and were healed physically – of their skin disease or blindness – as well as spiritually by our loving God. Going to another quote by Pope Francis – this one I found old-school in the paperback version of the Magnificat and is attributed to the Pope before he was elected pope. He said “Only someone who has encountered mercy, who has been caressed by the tenderness of mercy, is happy and comfortable with the Lord. In front of this merciful embrace…we feel a real desire to respond, to change, to correspond.” The men we read about today experienced this merciful embrace and are transformed. After being cured, Naaman proclaims “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.” The leper in today’s Gospel returns glorifying God in a loud voice, falling to the feet of Jesus and thanks him. And St. Paul, sing confidently – years after his merciful embrace with our Lord – the ancient Christian hymn: “If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.” And we too are transformed when we experience the merciful embrace of God – As Pope Francis describes it: the surprising, unforeseeable, “unjust” mercy…of one who knows me, knows my betrayals and loves me just the same, appreciates me, embraces me, calls me again, hopes in me, and expects from me. Let us never be afraid or hesitate to call out like the leper in today’s Gospel: “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” Let us never be afraid or hesitate to travel far distances and risk embarrassment like Naaman in today’s first reading to experience God’s saving love. Let us never be afraid or hesitate to trust like St. Paul in God’s love, even when we are suffering. The merciful embrace of God awaits you and me. May God bless you.

HOMILY – 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Next Saturday starts the third year of That Man Is You, which is an initiative to help the men of our parish to be the Christian men – fathers, husbands, co-workers – they are called to be. I invite you to join us next Saturday morning at 7:00 am. I say “us,” but admittedly I know that I will not be there every Saturday, just as I was not able to attend every session last year. I realized at some point last year that I was going each Saturday to become a better husband and father, and leaving my wife home with the boys on the one morning that she gets to sleep in, which is one of the few things she rarely gets to do and enjoys so much. So, I decided that one way I can be a better husband and father was to be at home on Saturday mornings to help out and allow my wife to enjoy a couple additional minutes of peace. If our almost two-year-old decides to sleep in past 6:30, I hope to be here often because I have learned a lot from this initiative and especially enjoyed the fellowship. But family is first – that is my first vocation – although I admit that I am not always good at finding that balance. It is for this very reason that I do believe strongly in the celibate priesthood. Yes, there are and have been married Catholic priests, even married Apostles. But, I believe that the fullest expression of what it means to be a priest is in being able to give oneself fully and completely in service to God and others. And with this point in mind, I turn to my last in the series of homilies I have been giving during this Year of Faith on some of the myths and misconceptions of the Catholic Church. This last myth, from Dr. Christopher Kaczor’s book The Seven Big Myths About the Catholic Church, is that “Priestly celibacy caused the crisis of sexual abuse of minors.” In debunking this myth, the evidence is substantial and confirmed by psychologists, researchers, and [even] insurance companies that priestly celibacy is not a risk factor for the sexual abuse of children. In saying this, I do not mean to excuse or belittle the reality and problem of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. Sexual abuse of a minor by anyone is intrinsically evil and a serious crime! No situation, no motive, or no excuse can justify or mitigate it. Dr. Kaczor responds to this myth more specifically by answering three specific questions: 1) Does priestly celibacy cause the sexual abuse? 2) Why are priests forced to be celibate? And 3) What caused the sex abuse crisis in the Church? And as in the past, the Sunday’s readings are most helpful to talking about this myth. So, first, Dr. Kaczor documents well in just a couple of pages that there is no evidence that Catholic or other celibate clergy are any more likely to be involved in misconduct or abuse than clergy of any other denomination – or indeed, than non-clergy – notwithstanding the persistent efforts of the news media to make this a crisis of celibacy, which again is unsupported. At is root, we can say that the abuse of a child is the failure to see the child as a person who is made by God, made in his image and likeness, made good. It is a failure to see the child as a person loved and who deserves to be treated with respect, care and dignity. It is a failure to see the child as a brother or sister in Christ. This is the same basis for the appeal St. Paul makes in today’s Second Reading. Paul is writing to a friend and fellow Christian who is also a slave-owner. Paul is appealing to his friend to treat his slave, who ran away to Paul and who Paul is now returning to his friend, to treat him no longer as a slave but more than a slave, [as] a brother, beloved especially [by Paul], but even more so [to be treated] as a man and in the Lord. Although a small minority of priest (less than 4%) have perpetrated sexual abuse, the vast majority of priests are innocent of these crimes and truly model the behavior Paul encourages in today’s Second Reading – treating all with love and respect, regardless of who they are. The question still remains for many: Why are Catholic priests forced to be celibate? Priests freely choose to embrace the commitment of celibacy for the sake of serving God in a heroic way. Dr. Kaczor equates such a choice to someone joining the military – in joining the priesthood or the military, a person volunteers for an arduous undertaking for the sake of being a part of something bigger than themselves in an extraordinary way. For a man to choose to be a celibate priest (or for that matter a woman to choose to be a celibate nun) is impossible if that person does not rely on God-given wisdom. This is in fact Solomon’s prayer in today’s First Reading. He is praying for God’s wisdom to be a just judge and effective leader. Absent such wisdom, we are timid, unsure, burdened, and weighed down – as Solomon reminds us in his prayer. Jesus’ parable in today’s Gospel challenges us to consider what is required to make such a choice, it is Jesus who modeled perfectly obedience, humility, self-sacrifice and love by emptying himself and becoming man and by his death on the Cross for us. We cannot be foolish, half-hearted, irresponsible, reckless, or arrogant – such as a person who would build a tower without having all the money necessary to complete it, or to enter into battle without enough soldiers to win the fight. Only with the wisdom of God can one find great meaning and purpose, clarity and truth, confidence and certainty in something so radical and counter-cultural as the celibate priesthood or religious life. Only with God’s wisdom can a man or woman freely, with understanding and clarity, and even with great passion choose to live a celibate life. This leads to the final point: what caused the sex abuse crisis in the Church? As Dr. Kaczor points out: it was not celibacy that caused the problem, but rather a lack of celibacy. The primary cause of the problem rests with a small minority of clergy who radically contradicted the priestly vocation of loving, sacrificial service. Yes, celibacy is a sacrifice for many, it can even be considered a cross they bear. But recall, Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel: Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. AND In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple. Our priests are called a life of humble service to God and the Church – this is truly a vocation of service. Their total giving of self for God and the Church, albeit radical to many, is a beautiful expression of love, trust and hope – and for which I am most grateful. THANK YOU. Let us pray for our priest and bishops and religious men and women who have chosen or are discerning to live a celibate life in order to serve completely, obediently and humbly. May God grant them always the grace they need to remain faithful to their choice and humble in their service to God and others. And, echoing our opening prayer, may God look graciously upon them, that by their celibacy, they may receive true freedom and an everlasting inheritance.

homily - 19th sunday in ordinary time (year c)

The unknown author of the letter to the Hebrews, from which today’s Second Reading comes, offers a wonderful definition of faith: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Father/Monsignor spoke of such faith last weekend, reminding us that we are called to have a faith in something much bigger and greater than what we could ever possess or even experience with our human senses. The author of the letter to the Hebrews expresses a faith that is not wishful thinking, but that is certain and full of confidence. This a similar point I try to make with the couples I prepare for marriage – that the rainbows and butterflies you now feel are great and important, but marriage more than just feelings or wishful thinking, it is about a vocation of service, helping your spouse grow in a such certain and confident faith in each other and in God. Over the past several months I have been focusing my homilies on some of the myths and misconceptions of the Catholic Church. During this Year of Faith, I have tried to use Sacred Scripture – the readings for that Sunday - and the insights and commentary of many smart and faith-filled theologians and scholars to confront popular culture’s distrust, distain, even hatred toward the Church. This is the sixth in my series of seven homilies in this effort. The sixth myth, which is from Dr. Christopher Kaczor’s book – The Seven Big Myths of the Catholic Church, is that “The Church Opposes Same-Sex Marriage Because of Bigotry: The Myth That There Is No Rational Basis for Limiting Marriage to One Man and One Woman.” In the eyes of the Church, marriage is a natural institution. It predates both religion and government and is grounded in the nature of the human person. Despite cultural variations, every human society in the entire history of the human race has understood that marriage is a sexual union of man and woman with the purpose of procreating and educating the next generation – and for this reason, marriage has also been given a unique status in the law. Jesus elevates Christian marriage to a sacrament, in which the couple’s relationship expresses in a unique way the unbreakable bond of love between Christ and his people. Dr. Kaczor does a wonderful job of further breaking down this issue and provides fair, logical and honest arguments in support of the Church’s position. And there are certainly many others providing great clarity (and compassion) on this issue, including the bishops of the United States, the Knights of Columbus, and Catholic radio, television and newspapers. So, I will not now repeat these arguments, because honestly without more time to explain or for dialogue on this issue anything I would say will only sound hateful and irrational. So instead, I will focus on the good news the Church holds and teaches on marriage. As I referenced last month, Bishop Campbell recently wrote that the state of marriage is a covenant of life and love between a man and a woman freely united by the vows of fidelity, permanence, openness to the transmission of life and the upbringing of children. In focusing on what these elements of marriage, the readings for this Sunday are most helpful. A covenant is basically an agreement that is mutually and freely entered, and has no exit or termination clause. Marriage is a covenant relationship between spouses – they mutually and freely, without reservations or conditions, enter into this lifelong relationship. And so, we can speak of marriage as permanent - a lifetime commitment to help one another – and that it is indissoluble – as they promise to remain together “until death do us apart.” The love of the husband and wife is also a sign of God’s covenant with His people – the promise to stay with us and not reject us, even if we offend or reject him. It is this same covenant that is recalled in today’s first reading with great joy and as a source of strength in the midst of difficulty and hardship. And so, we also say that marriage strengthens our covenant relationship with God, which is the ultimate goal of marriage: to get your spouse to Heaven! In today’s second reading, we recall the model of great faith Abraham had in God – the trust and obedience Abraham had to leave the safety and security of his home and even sacrifice his own son. In marriage, we are called to trust in and be obedient to our spouse, which helps us to in turn have the faith-of-Abraham in God. Such trust creates a unity between husband and wife – a bodily, intellectual, and spiritual union. This faith and unity also allows for exclusivity and faithfulness between spouses. No other intimate relationship should come between you and your spouse –you want and need nothing more than your spouse – that exclusivity and faithfulness is affirmed and strengthen in the bond of marriage. In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites us to a complete trust in God. Not to worry about “stuff” – possessions and belongings – because God the Father will care for us. He will “Provide money bags for [us] that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.” Not worried or concerned with material wants or needs - we are called to be ready and willing to serve Him. It is in marriage that we serve Him in our service to our spouse and children. In marriage, we are called to be the “faithful and prudent” servant to our husband or wife and to our children. The Church goes even further and calls married couples to a total self-giving of self that mirrors total self-giving of the steward in Gospel and, even better, Christ on the Cross. And more specifically, married couples are called to a fruitfulness in their marriage that can only come through self-giving. This fruitfulness can be expressed in acts of social justice as well as procreation. Their total gift of self to their spouse generates life in the form of children AND is life giving to everyone they meet, especially, those whose lives are touched by the care and love of a married couple. Catholic teaching holds that sacraments bring grace to those who receive them. Grace is a way of describing how God shares the divine life with us and gives us the help we need to live as followers of Christ. We will receive such grace in the Eucharist we are about to share. The grace from sacrament of marriage brings to the spouses the particular help they need to be faithful and to be good parents. It also helps a couple to serve others beyond their immediate family and to show others that a loving and lasting marriage is both desirable and possible. My friends, let’s us pray that marriages may be filled with this grace, so that couples who have been entrusted with this great gift, may every day renew their vow of fidelity, permanence, openness to the transmission of life and the upbringing of children. May God bless you.

HOMILY - 15TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C)

Immediately after college, I worked as a social worker in St. Louis. One of my community-mates worked with a hospice program for AIDS and HIV patients. During my year in St. Louis, I visited with many of these patients, who were gay and straight, sober and drug-addicted, rich and poor. I remember watching as their bodies and minds deteriorated as the disease took over. I recall one particular man who I had first met when he was healthier, and then visiting with him for the last time as he lay on his death bed. What I remember most about that visit with him was that at his bedside was his dad holding his hand, wiping his forehead, telling stories. That moment changed me forever – I began to put aside my homophobia, my fears and insecurities, as I saw a man suffering and in pain, yet who loved and was loved; I saw a man created in the image and likeness of God, created good, a man of worth and dignity – I saw in him my neighbor. I share this story to introduce the fifth in my series of homilies on the myths of the Catholic Church. As you may recall, I have been following Dr. Christopher Kaczor’s book, The Seven Big Myths of the Catholic Church, and using the Sunday readings during this Year of Faith to counter some of the popular misconceptions about the Catholic Church. This has really been a challenge for me – as I grow in my faith and understanding, as well as my ability to share this faith, AND I remain steadfast, even energized, to spread the Gospel. Dr. Kaczor’s fifth myth is that that Church hates people with same-sex attractions. I know the sensitivity of this issue in this parish community and Diocese, and I also know the good news that the Church teaches on this issue. And with that in mind, I share with you that the Church, the body of Christ, loves and welcomes all persons regardless of their sexual attraction. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that we must accept with respect, compassion, and sensitivity men and women who have same-sex attractions. As Dr. Kaczor adds: “God loves everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, regardless of anything, and this is the basis for the intrinsic dignity of every single person. God’s love includes every single man and woman on earth unconditionally – gay, straight, bisexual or whatever…the message of Jesus, the message echoed by the Church, is that every person should love, value and respect every other person, without exception and without condition. This is the point of Jesus’ parable in today’s Gospel. We are challenged to love – often by our acts of mercy and compassion, beyond our comfort zone. For a Samaritan to care for Jew was unthinkable. Jesus commands us to “go and do likewise.” To move beyond our fears and insecurities to love – to love without exception or condition AND with great mercy and compassion. Dr. Kaczor makes an interesting observation in his discussion on homosexuality. He states that prior to the nineteenth century, people were not identified as nor did they understand themselves as “gay,” “lesbian,” or even “straight,” as is common today. They may have engaged in specific behaviors but that did not make them a specific kind of person. I think that this is an extremely important observation, especially in today’s culture. Even though society does, we must not allow ourselves to be defined by our actions, desires, attractions, successes, failures. We are more than our sexual attractions, for sure. Our sexual attractions are often not chosen and should not be cause for shame or guilt. And while sexuality is an important part of who we are, we are first and foremost men and women in Christ – children of God. By our Baptism, we are transformed and free to experience the peace and joy that comes in our personal encounter with Jesus Christ. As St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading, it is Jesus who is the image of the invisible God, all things were created through him and for him, he is before all things, and in him all things hold together – it is thus in him and through him that we experience true peace, true freedom, true love – now and eternally. Our response, really the only possible, honest and true response is to love. To love “the Lord, our God, with all our heart, with all our being, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and our neighbor as our self.” To love without exception or condition AND with great mercy and compassion. In fact, we cannot avoid or deny this response to love because, as Moses states in today’s first reading, “it is already in our mouths and in our hearts; we have only to carry it out.” Bishop Campbell recently reminded his clergy that “the responsibility of every baptized person is to answer the call of Jesus Christ to holiness…[Bishop Campbell adds that ] an important part of this call to holiness is the pursuit of the virtue of chastity. There are many facets to chastity, but clearly a central part is the understanding that sexual intimacy is reserved to the state of marriage, a covenant of life and love between a man and a woman freely united by the vows of fidelity, permanence, openness to the transmission of life and the upbringing of children. [Bishop Campbell concludes this point, by saying:] Every Christian, of whatever sexual orientation, is called to chastity. Dr. Kaczor states that to live a chaste and moral life requires effort and struggle. Married couples struggle not to use contraception and to be faithful to their vows of fidelity; single people struggle to wait until marriage; people who have taken vows of celibacy struggle to live their commitment; and persons with same-sex attractions struggle not to engage in homosexual behavior. And I will add that in our sex-crazed culture, these struggles are especially difficult because there is so much pressure to be sexually active while at the same time there is such great confusion as to its meaning and purpose. And so, it would seem that the Church’s teaching on sexual matters, including homosexuality, is at least as difficult as her other teachings. The truth is that while our struggle to live a chaste life can be difficult, the struggle to love God and our neighbor – as Jesus commands us to do in today’s Gospel – will always be more difficult and require more effort. The struggle to love without exception or condition AND with great mercy and compassion will always be the greatest challenge we have in life. AND this struggle to love will also always lead us to the greatest joy and peace. And so, in the midst of our own struggles to follow Christ – whatever that struggle may be – let us, as we sung in today’s Psalm: “Turn to the Lord in our need” with hope and trust that we may find life! Let us turn to God for his grace – that patience, wisdom, courage, humility, whatever we need – to love without exception or condition AND with great mercy and compassion. May God bless you.

HOMILY – 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

For the next several weeks, we will be reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians. This letter was written about 20-25 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection and was written to a community of Christians in modern day Turkey. This community of Christians were Gentiles – non-Jews – whom St. Paul had converted to Christianity. The tone of this letter is highly charged, even defensive because Jewish-Christian missionaries who had come after Paul were requiring the people Paul converted - his friends - to follow Jewish laws, such as circumcision. For Paul, we are saved not by following laws (because in our human weakness we will never be able to follow either the spirit or letter of the law perfectly), but we are saved through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And, as Paul stresses, the Gospel he proclaims was not something he invented, but it is from God and it was by God that Paul was called to proclaim it. I appreciate St. Paul’s strong conviction, his risk-taking to admit his own failings AND his great trust in God. It is with this same approach that I address the fourth in my series of homilies during this Year of Faith. Following Dr. Christopher Kazcor’s book, The Seven Big Myths of the Catholic Church, I have been using the Sunday readings to tackle some of the biggest misunderstandings of our Roman Catholic Church and the faith with which she is entrusted by Jesus Christ. Dr. Kazcor’s fourth myth goes something like this: the Church’s opposition to contraception shows that the Church is not only disconnected from modern society, but especially disconnected from the realities of love and married life. As Dr. Kazcor points out, most people, including most Catholics, view the use of contraception as not only NOT wrong, but in many cases a positive duty. In fact, a recent Pew study found that 64% of Catholics sampled said that the Pope Francis should relax the Church’s ban on contraception. I don’t anticipate that happening anytime soon and I will explain why. Before going further, I want to say that I am not trying to be controversial or provocative by standing here at this pulpit and talking about contraception or any other hot-button issue. However, like St. Paul in writing to the Galatians, I speak to you with a great love and also a strong desire that you know God’s love, which I believe is uniquely found and guarded by the Church. So, I am willing to risk embarrassment, being made fun of, or that you will just tune me out, if there is the possibility that I might bring you or your loved ones to reconsider your position on contraception, if you are part of that 64%. So, on the issue of birth control, let me first say that the Church teaches that any action either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, which is specifically intended to prevent procreation is immoral and not permissible in the eyes of the Church. Contraception is immoral and wrong when it frustrates or prevents the unitive and procreative nature of the act, as God designed. Proponents of contraception contend that contraception will transform society for the better – this is the bill of goods sold to so many when the pill first started being mass produced over 50 years ago and still today. Their argument goes something like this: contraception will make marriages better, reduce sexually transmitted diseases, allow greater sexual freedom and happiness, reduce unplanned pregnancies and abortions and help control alleged global over-population. In reality, contraception has been harmful to marriages, and has failed to stop increases in STDs, unwanted pregnancies and abortions. We are only now beginning to understand the very serious physical, emotional and spiritual side effects and environmental impacts of contraception. And, as foretold over 40 years ago in the 1968 encyclical Humane Vitae, we are now more clearly seeing how contraception has “opened wide the way for marital infidelity, a general lowering of moral standards, and the objectifying of women. Contraception fits well into a world view that I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, with whomever. As Catholics, our world view is much different – it is about being a love relationship with a triune God - a God who created us out of love; who suffered and died for us out of love; and, who out of love, continually gives us whatever we need to stay in relationship with him. As Catholics we are called to love God and in turn share that same love with others. In the first reading and Gospel, we are reminded that our God is also a God of life. God works through the prophet Elijah, who prayed to let the life breath return to the body of the widow’s son. And it is Jesus who restored life to the widow’s son in today’s Gospel. These stories tell us of God’s great power to restore life, the importance and value God places on life, and the love and compassion God has for each of us, especially those in need. When couples use contraception to suppress their fertility, they assert that they alone have ultimate power and control to create new life - not God. And this is why the efforts to promote contraception as a matter of women’s health are problematic. Among other things, it is offensive to treat life that we hold so sacred as a disease that needs to be prevented or destroyed. And the irony is that the “treatments” being advanced in the name of women’s health are not improving women’s lives or health, but making them much worse. Many point to the Church’s teaching on contraception and say that the Church just does not get the realities of love and married life. The Church does get it and we can point to its teaching on marriage to prove this. In marriage, spouses seal their love and commitment through their sexual union. Many today find it difficult to understand how profound and meaningful this union is, how it embodies these promises of marriage that: “We will love and honor each other as man and wife for the rest of our lives? We will accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?” In other words, the married couple is saying: We are ready to accept this person, and all that may come from our union, completely and forever! Only in marriage can we find meaning and purpose, as well as lasting joy, in this most intimate act between a man and woman. Our culture often presents sex as merely recreational, not as a deeply personal or even important encounter between spouses - an encounter that mirrors the total self-giving of Jesus on the Cross. In our culture, being responsible about sex simply means limiting its consequences—avoiding disease and using contraceptives to prevent pregnancy. This cultural view is impoverished, even sad. It fails to account for the true needs and deepest desires of men and women. Living in accord with this view has caused much loneliness and many broken hearts - and ultimately distances us from the most important relationship: the one with God. God’s plan for married life and love is far richer and more fulfilling. In marriage, intimacy between a husband and wife is the source of a joy and pleasure that helps the spouses give themselves to each other completely and for their entire lives. And as couples turn away from contraception they will certainly share greater honesty, openness, and intimacy in their marriage. I just wish I heard this message 15-20 years ago! In married life, the Church also gets that serious circumstances—financial, physical, psychological, or those involving responsibilities to other family members—may arise to make an increase in family size untimely. The Church understands this. At such times, a married couple can engage in marital intimacy during the naturally infertile times or after child-bearing years, without violating the meaning of marital intercourse in any way. This is the principle behind natural family planning (NFP). Natural methods of family planning enable couples to use the very best understanding of our bodies to cooperate with the body as God designed it. We are blessed to have an NFP-trained and certified couple in our parish - Greg and Dorie France. I would encourage you to talk to them or me about this. NFP combined with self-restraint, self-discipline, mutual respect, and shared responsibility are the the most effective and responsible ways to plan a family and to experience a truly healthy and happy marriage. In today’s first reading and Gospel, we hear beautiful responses of faith when the gift of life is restored. What is our response to life? Is it something we contracept? Or is it something we honor and celebrate?