Pope Benedict XVI declared the past twelve months the Year for Priests. It has been a unique and wonderful opportunity for us to recognize and to honor priests in the Church worldwide and in this Diocese, who transform our lives by bringing Christ to us, especially in the holy sacraments. We are truly blessed here at Our Lady of Peace. Both our pastor, Father Kavanagh, and Monsignor McFarland are wonderful examples of humility, obedience, faith and service to God and the Church. This past Friday, Father Kavanagh celebrated his 27th Anniversary of his Ordination to the priesthood and back on May 28, Monsignor McFarland celebrated his 55th Anniversary. Please join me in applauding their yes to God’s call to the priesthood. [Applause.]
The conclusion of the Year for Priest, combined with today’s readings, has me thinking more about my work. My ‘day job’ for the past 10 years has been is as an attorney for a foundation that raises money for legal services for the poor. Our long-time and founding executive director, the person who hired me, retired earlier this year and we are now in the search for a new executive director. This transition has challenged me to consider what I do, how I do it, and why – something of a professional ‘gut-check.’ I suspect that there are others here going through a similar transition in their life – professionally, maybe in their marriage or a personal relationship, maybe for our recent graduates trying to decide what to do next.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will be spending some time in prayer and in talking with others as I discern what God is calling me to do in my professional life – that is, how I am to provide for my family while also using my God-given talents and skills to help others. I will certainly place my trust in God and pray for the grace of wisdom and courage to follow God’s will, not my own.
I have to believe that each of the individuals we read about in today’s readings went through a similar process in their faith life. The woman from today’s Gospel who floods Jesus with her love, Simon the Pharisee whose home Jesus visits, the Apostle Paul, and King David.
We don’t know for certain what caused the woman in today’s Gospel to show such great love and attention to Jesus – the bathing of his feet with her tears, the wiping them dry with her hair, the kissing and anointing of his feet. It is likely that the experience of forgiveness by God for her many sins causes her to respond as she does. Being reconciled with God, she shows Jesus, the Son of God, such great love. She is bursting with joy, which can only come with being freed and transformed by God’s love.
Simon, the host of the dinner party, on the other hand, when face-to-face with an all-loving and all-merciful God appears unable to move beyond his own pride and self-righteousness to experience the joy offered him.
Like the woman in today’s Gospel it is the Apostle Paul, who with great zeal proclaims the Good News in today’s second reading. We are familiar with his dramatic conversion experience – the bolt of lighting, the fall from the horse, his loss of sight and recovery. Paul’s deep faith and passion required him to reconcile with his sorted past, too. And it is through his transformation that he is able to proclaim with authority that our justification – our freedom from sin and reconciliation with God – comes by faith, not by anything we can say or do independent of God’s free gift of love and mercy.
And then there is King David, whose baggage is as great as any ones – lust and adultery, murder and greed – better than reality TV! But here is the wonderful thing: in the face of God’s great love and mercy, David acknowledges his sin and is forgiven! David was not abandoned by God, but instead he is transformed by God’s love and finds new life.
We too can find new life in God’s great love and mercy. Admittedly, it is often difficult to find God’s love and mercy in the chaos and crisis of our daily lives; but God is there, in love with us and waiting for us, waiting to provide us with opportunities for us to know his love and mercy, to be restored in relationship with him, and to experience the joy and peace we were made to experience.
Like the disciples we read about at the end of today’s Gospel, we are called to follow Jesus’ example of humility, obedience, faith and service to God, to proclaim the good news to others, and give freely of their resources. We can do this by having faith in an all-loving and all-merciful God who forgives our sins and offers us peace, just as he did for the sinful woman in today’s Gospel.
Be at peace my friends, for we have a great and loving God!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Homily - Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)
We hear the very beginning and the conclusion (or resolution) to a wonderful story in today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles – a (maybe the) defining moment in the early Church after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It is the event of today’s first reading in which the Church doors were opened wide to all – Jews and non-Jews (or Gentiles) – in which we became truly and literally a universal or catholic church.
See, there were many Christian Jews – Jews who had converted to Christianity – who had a misplaced understanding of our relationship with God. They thought, that adherence to rules (especially God given rules) defined our relationship with God. While rules are important and even necessary, our relationship with God is defined by faith, not simply an adherence to a set of rules.
We must have faith – a confidence and trust – in God the Father (our Creator), in his son Jesus Christ (our Savior), and the Holy Spirit (the fountain of God’s grace). It is faith that allows us to know and experience the great joy, peace, and love our God desires for us and offers to us here, now and eternally.
Faith flows from the grace of God. Grace is the courage, the wisdom, the patience to seek and grow in relationship with God. Grace is a gift from God – it is the gift from God promised by Christ in today’s Gospel. Grace is also a free gift from God, not something we can earn or merit. Finally, grace is made available to all, not a select few or elite – and this is what is reported to us in today’s first reading. Through grace we grow in faith, we grow in our relationship with God.
One of the most wonderful aspects of the story from today’s first reading, is of the impact that the faith of the Gentile-converts had on those who already believed. The Gentile-converts were filled with grace from the Holy Spirit. It was the strong and enthusiastic faith of the Gentile-converts that so impressed and inspired Paul and Barnabas. And it was the personal experiences of leaders like the Apostle Peter, who also witnessed the great faith of the Gentiles, which resulted in the greater understanding: that it is by faith that we are in relationship with God and that this relationship is for all mankind.
This story has caused me to wonder, and I invite you to ask this question of yourself: does my faith inspire others?
What I am asking of myself is whether my faith offers me an inner peace and joy, grounded in a deep trust in God, that is visible to others in what I say and do. What I am asking myself is whether I possess a hope in something bigger and better than what I know now or can possibly know AND whether others can see in all that I do and say is reflected in this hope.
This is the faith that we are called to experience – this is the relationship with God that we were made to experience – this relationship of faith that defines who we are - and it is this relationship that we are called to share with others.
As we begin this new week, Let us pray for each other that when our faith grows weak or falters, that we may be strengthened by the experience of God personally in Sacred Scripture and the Sacraments.
In such encounters with God, let us pray that we receive the grace from God that we need.
Filled with grace from the Holy Spirit, let us pray that our actions and words naturally flow towards the praise and thanksgiving for God and to the service of God and others.
Let us pray that through our faith, we may inspire others to a deeper relationship with God and so together we may experience the joy, the peace, the love that God desire for everyone.
May God bless you.
See, there were many Christian Jews – Jews who had converted to Christianity – who had a misplaced understanding of our relationship with God. They thought, that adherence to rules (especially God given rules) defined our relationship with God. While rules are important and even necessary, our relationship with God is defined by faith, not simply an adherence to a set of rules.
We must have faith – a confidence and trust – in God the Father (our Creator), in his son Jesus Christ (our Savior), and the Holy Spirit (the fountain of God’s grace). It is faith that allows us to know and experience the great joy, peace, and love our God desires for us and offers to us here, now and eternally.
Faith flows from the grace of God. Grace is the courage, the wisdom, the patience to seek and grow in relationship with God. Grace is a gift from God – it is the gift from God promised by Christ in today’s Gospel. Grace is also a free gift from God, not something we can earn or merit. Finally, grace is made available to all, not a select few or elite – and this is what is reported to us in today’s first reading. Through grace we grow in faith, we grow in our relationship with God.
One of the most wonderful aspects of the story from today’s first reading, is of the impact that the faith of the Gentile-converts had on those who already believed. The Gentile-converts were filled with grace from the Holy Spirit. It was the strong and enthusiastic faith of the Gentile-converts that so impressed and inspired Paul and Barnabas. And it was the personal experiences of leaders like the Apostle Peter, who also witnessed the great faith of the Gentiles, which resulted in the greater understanding: that it is by faith that we are in relationship with God and that this relationship is for all mankind.
This story has caused me to wonder, and I invite you to ask this question of yourself: does my faith inspire others?
What I am asking of myself is whether my faith offers me an inner peace and joy, grounded in a deep trust in God, that is visible to others in what I say and do. What I am asking myself is whether I possess a hope in something bigger and better than what I know now or can possibly know AND whether others can see in all that I do and say is reflected in this hope.
This is the faith that we are called to experience – this is the relationship with God that we were made to experience – this relationship of faith that defines who we are - and it is this relationship that we are called to share with others.
As we begin this new week, Let us pray for each other that when our faith grows weak or falters, that we may be strengthened by the experience of God personally in Sacred Scripture and the Sacraments.
In such encounters with God, let us pray that we receive the grace from God that we need.
Filled with grace from the Holy Spirit, let us pray that our actions and words naturally flow towards the praise and thanksgiving for God and to the service of God and others.
Let us pray that through our faith, we may inspire others to a deeper relationship with God and so together we may experience the joy, the peace, the love that God desire for everyone.
May God bless you.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Homily - Second Sunday of Easter (Year C)
I love the statement in today’s First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles: “Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them.” The “many signs and wonders” attributed to the Apostles, which are detailed in today’s reading and throughout the Acts of the Apostles, remind us that the Lord is always at work in His Church through the ministry of its member, as a means to uplift and strengthen His Church.
I especially love the beautiful statement that the Apostles were ‘esteemed’ by the people – that they were greatly admired and respected. This admiration and respect does and should follow to the successors of the apostles: the bishops. We are very fortunate to have many good and holy bishops who are called to uplift and strengthen the members of the church entrusted to them. We are blessed in our diocese to have a wonderful bishop, Frederick Campbell, and bishop emeritus, James Griffin. We are also blessed to have strong bishops across the country who have shown great leadership, for example, in the hard fight in the health care reform bill for the dignity of human life from conception to natural death.
This is at the same time, however, that terrible revelations of sexual abuse in Ireland and Germany have again rocked the Catholic Church and the office of bishop. Catholic priest James Martin, in a recent article, summarizes well how these horrible crimes could have happened and how the bishops have dealt with the issue so poorly, or not at all. For the most part, Father Martin lists in his article the findings of the National Review Board, which studied this issue in the United States back in 2003. He stresses (and I agree) that whatever is offered as reasons for the abuse and it’s cover-up, they are not excuses – there are no excuses for these crimes.
Father Martin offers two causes for why the Church had so many abusive priests. The first reason is improper screening for candidates to the priesthood, and the second reason is poor formation or training of clergy. Much has changed in terms of screening and formation since many of the priests accused of past abuses were ordained. I can attest to this in my own screening and formation to the diaconate (and I am certain the same for Deacon Irion in his formation to the priesthood).
Father Martin goes on to list the board's analysis of the second question: Why did the church’s leaders respond to the problem so poorly for so many years? The list includes:
1. That bishops were among those still in the dark about this dark side of human behavior, and simply were at a loss to appreciate the magnitude of the problem.
2. That many bishops sought to protect the faithful from "scandal" by concealing evidence of abusive priests, which ironically created a greater scandal.
3. The threat of litigation caused many bishop to adopt an adversarial stance, in order to protect the many good and important institutions of the church, such as parishes, schools, hospitals, and other social services programs.
4. Some bishops failed to comprehend the magnitude of the harm suffered by victims.
5. Many bishops relied too heavily on the flawed advice of psychiatrists, psychologists and lawyers when making decisions.
6. Many bishops avoided confronting abusive priests.
7. Many bishops placed the interests of priests above those of victims. AND
8. Canon law made removal of priests from ministry very difficult (and certainly not quick).
I share this with you for two reasons. First, because it is my hope that we, clergy and laity together, can learn from these mistakes and ensure that this never happens again. I am confident that through the leadership of our bishops in the United States, we can protect the dignity and safety of all members of the Body of Christ, the Church. This is the responsibility of each one of us.
Second, like the Apostles and disciples huddled together in that locked room, we can find peace in the face of crisis. Remember there was a crisis on the day of the Resurrection – the Apostles and disciples were scared and confused, their leader was just crucified and died on a cross, and they worried that they were next – that’s why they locked themselves in the room.
Just as Jesus came and stood in the midst of his disciples, he comes to us and says to us: “Peace be with you.” In our brokenness, pain, fear and hurt, it is Jesus’ who comes to us through the locked rooms we place ourselves in. He offers us his forgiveness and invites us to reconcile with him and each other. It is Jesus who is the source of peace in our hearts. And it is Jesus who gives us his Holy Spirit to help us live in His peace.
In our brokenness, pain, fear and hurt, it is Jesus who is patient with us, just as he was with Thomas. When there is crisis in our family, our Church, or our community and our faith falters or grows weak, Jesus does not abandon us, but continuously calls us to a renewed faith and holiness. We celebrate this gift in a special way this Second Sunday of Easter, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. It is with this gift of God’s love that we can sing with confidence, as we did in today’s Psalm: “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.”
The Gospel writer John, writes his gospel so that we “may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief [we] may have life in his name.” This Easter season, may each of us come to a deeper belief in Jesus Christ. May we, like Thomas proclaim: “My Lord and my God!” as we experience Christ personally in the Sacraments and in each other. In faith, may we share in the peace Jesus offers us now and eternally.
I especially love the beautiful statement that the Apostles were ‘esteemed’ by the people – that they were greatly admired and respected. This admiration and respect does and should follow to the successors of the apostles: the bishops. We are very fortunate to have many good and holy bishops who are called to uplift and strengthen the members of the church entrusted to them. We are blessed in our diocese to have a wonderful bishop, Frederick Campbell, and bishop emeritus, James Griffin. We are also blessed to have strong bishops across the country who have shown great leadership, for example, in the hard fight in the health care reform bill for the dignity of human life from conception to natural death.
This is at the same time, however, that terrible revelations of sexual abuse in Ireland and Germany have again rocked the Catholic Church and the office of bishop. Catholic priest James Martin, in a recent article, summarizes well how these horrible crimes could have happened and how the bishops have dealt with the issue so poorly, or not at all. For the most part, Father Martin lists in his article the findings of the National Review Board, which studied this issue in the United States back in 2003. He stresses (and I agree) that whatever is offered as reasons for the abuse and it’s cover-up, they are not excuses – there are no excuses for these crimes.
Father Martin offers two causes for why the Church had so many abusive priests. The first reason is improper screening for candidates to the priesthood, and the second reason is poor formation or training of clergy. Much has changed in terms of screening and formation since many of the priests accused of past abuses were ordained. I can attest to this in my own screening and formation to the diaconate (and I am certain the same for Deacon Irion in his formation to the priesthood).
Father Martin goes on to list the board's analysis of the second question: Why did the church’s leaders respond to the problem so poorly for so many years? The list includes:
1. That bishops were among those still in the dark about this dark side of human behavior, and simply were at a loss to appreciate the magnitude of the problem.
2. That many bishops sought to protect the faithful from "scandal" by concealing evidence of abusive priests, which ironically created a greater scandal.
3. The threat of litigation caused many bishop to adopt an adversarial stance, in order to protect the many good and important institutions of the church, such as parishes, schools, hospitals, and other social services programs.
4. Some bishops failed to comprehend the magnitude of the harm suffered by victims.
5. Many bishops relied too heavily on the flawed advice of psychiatrists, psychologists and lawyers when making decisions.
6. Many bishops avoided confronting abusive priests.
7. Many bishops placed the interests of priests above those of victims. AND
8. Canon law made removal of priests from ministry very difficult (and certainly not quick).
I share this with you for two reasons. First, because it is my hope that we, clergy and laity together, can learn from these mistakes and ensure that this never happens again. I am confident that through the leadership of our bishops in the United States, we can protect the dignity and safety of all members of the Body of Christ, the Church. This is the responsibility of each one of us.
Second, like the Apostles and disciples huddled together in that locked room, we can find peace in the face of crisis. Remember there was a crisis on the day of the Resurrection – the Apostles and disciples were scared and confused, their leader was just crucified and died on a cross, and they worried that they were next – that’s why they locked themselves in the room.
Just as Jesus came and stood in the midst of his disciples, he comes to us and says to us: “Peace be with you.” In our brokenness, pain, fear and hurt, it is Jesus’ who comes to us through the locked rooms we place ourselves in. He offers us his forgiveness and invites us to reconcile with him and each other. It is Jesus who is the source of peace in our hearts. And it is Jesus who gives us his Holy Spirit to help us live in His peace.
In our brokenness, pain, fear and hurt, it is Jesus who is patient with us, just as he was with Thomas. When there is crisis in our family, our Church, or our community and our faith falters or grows weak, Jesus does not abandon us, but continuously calls us to a renewed faith and holiness. We celebrate this gift in a special way this Second Sunday of Easter, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. It is with this gift of God’s love that we can sing with confidence, as we did in today’s Psalm: “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.”
The Gospel writer John, writes his gospel so that we “may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief [we] may have life in his name.” This Easter season, may each of us come to a deeper belief in Jesus Christ. May we, like Thomas proclaim: “My Lord and my God!” as we experience Christ personally in the Sacraments and in each other. In faith, may we share in the peace Jesus offers us now and eternally.
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