Homily May 27th 2012

“At Our Side” – - the Paraclete

    Jesus said, “…when the Advocate comes …”

• The “Advocate”

• In Greek: “the one who is at our side”

-         To console us in moments of sadness

-         To counsel us in our doubts

-         To encourage us in our moments of discouragement

-         To strengthen us when we are called to battle

-         To teach us how to love…

The Holy Spirit, who is at the same time:

• Lawyer

• Doctor

• Investment councilor

• Psychologist

• Counselor

• ….the One who knows all things and can do all things…

• ….the One who is truly interested in our well-being …and to whom we can go to at any time of the day or night.

The Holy Spirit gives lessons in being a hero.

     ? What does it take for a coward to become courageous?

   …for the disciples to move from behind closed doors to go out into all the world and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and God!

     What does it take for a coward to become courageous?   What does it take for you or me to become a disciple?

    To move from the paralysis of fear to effective action?

For some it is “personal investment”

-         A child or relative is drowning

-         …is left behind in a burning building

-         …is trapped in a car wreck…

   + there are many stories of people running into burning buildings …of moving extremely heavy objects to save someone whose life is threatened.

-         And, there are many stories of neighbors or people passing by who standby as someone is threatened or even murdered.

• Knowing or loving the person in need can certainly help you to respond.

• But, even then, it’s not always the key to unlock your courage.

-         When a family member is in trouble it’s easy to not answer the phone, or pull the covers over your head….or pretend you don’t hear the knock at the door.

     What does it take for the average person to become a hero?

+ Divine aid is a sure thing.

• For that tongue of fire to land on your head

• To set your heart ablaze

…St. Luke (Acts of the Apostles) says that that works!

But, let’s look at “who” it received the Holy Spirit, “who” it worked on:

   + the ones who “got it” were the ones who had done their homework!

• The spirit didn’t fall on unsuspecting passersby

-         Not on that day in Jerusalem

-         And, not in our day!

• Years of following Jesus

• Years of careful attention to the presence and teaching of Jesus

• Weeks of intense prayer

     God did not only “decide” to confer the Spirit on a particular group.

    They had done their homework and prepared themselves for its reception.

St. Paul:   the Holy Spirit is both gift and choice.

-         Living according to the flesh begets the rotten fruit that Paul outlines to the Galations.

…it does not prepare you to receive the Holy Spirit.

+    Imitating the fruits of the Spirit …   + love   + joy    + peace       + patience    + kindness     + generosity   + faithfulness                   + gentleness … and that all important   + self-control !

 …doing this places our lives in conformity with the Spirit we seek.

          Perhaps the “hero of the hour” needs to be preparing to be a hero his or her whole life!

Homily May 7 2012

ADULT   FAITH

    The readings for this Feast of the Ascension of our Lord demand an adult faith.

-         To use the eyes of our hearts

-         To travel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria,

-         To spread the good news

-         To drive out demons

-         To speak in tongues

-         To cure the sick …….this journey is not for the faint of heart!

This is a “tender” time for the church …..

-         Jesus’ physical presence is no longer there

-         The disciples have to search within to find faith and courage

• Tempted to stand and stare upward, they are called to move forward.

• The Holy Spirit will bridge this chasm between heaven and earth.

Without this third person in the Trinity, we would still be staring up into the sky.

CONFIRMATION

            The Sacrament of Confirmation :

1)    Deepens our relationship to the Father

2)    Unites us more firmly to Christ

3)    And increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit within us.

• The grace of this sacrament gives us a special strength to spread the faith in word and action.

+  did you notice the enthusiasm of St. Paul in his words to the Ephesians?

            Is this the case with us?

My invitation to you is to revisit your Confirmation.

            Let’s take a journey backward so that we can move forward.

            Revisiting our Confirmation and to pray for a re-kindling of our present-day                              faith.

1)    What Saint’s name did you chose for your Confirmation?

2)    Do you remember why you chose that name?

3)    You might want to do some research again on your saint of choice.

4)    Does your saint’s expression of faith rekindle your own?

5)    Who was your sponsor?

6)    Are they still living?

7)    Does their life story illuminate yours?

There are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

            They are:        1. Wisdom     2. Understanding   3. Wonder and Awe

                        4. Right judgment     5. Knowledge     6. Courage     7. Reverence

And, there are hundreds of ways of expressing these gifts.

       How do you best manifest Christ in your life?

            Where are my gifts?

1. Is it your wisdom?    ….your understanding    …. or your natural wonder and awe …that bring people closer to God?

2. Perhaps it is your right judgment ….or endless knowledge ….or unshakable courage   …or deep reverence

…..that creates a bridge between heaven and earth.

ADULT   FAITH

            What am I doing to grow in my faith, to keep my faith ‘alive’?

1. Bible study

2. Book group

3. Eucharistic adoration on First Thursday’s

4. Service in Liturgical ministries

5. Service in ministries of service:

   1. St. Vincent de Paul

   2. St. Joe’s Food Pantry

   3. The Warming Shelter

   4. ..as a catechist

   5. …as a committee of Council member in our parish

   6. ..in our buildings and grounds group

   7. Ladies of St. Therese

   8. . . . . .

It is not Pentecost yet ….we’ll celebrate that next Sunday….but, let’s take this week to make space where the Holy Spirit can come to live in us.

            Jesus, you ascended into heaven to the right hand of the Father to intercede for us and to work with us until we are united with you in heaven.

            Help us to make good use of the gifts you have given for building up your body, the Church, and for making you known throughout the world.

            Give us an “adult faith” …and help us to share our faith in our families, in our parish community, and in the world.

Homily May 6 2012

   “Keep the Connection”

   In the television show “Who wants to be a millionaire?” there is a wild card called “lifeline” … a line of life.

            Sound maybe like a threat?   If it is cut or if it doesn’t work = death will come.

            In this case, you lose the game and any possible winnings that came with it.

That “lifeline” is having someone else to lean on ….

-         If our own strength . . . .

-         Or if our own ‘knowledge’ fails us.

     There are people who prefer to go it alone

            . . .so later they can say they did it all by themselves.

+ in reality, it’s quite rare that anyone can be entirely self-sufficient.

     How about “going it alone” with Jesus?

Have you ever heard someone say, “I believe in Jesus, but not in the Church?”

..or, I don’t need to go to church?   I do it on my own!

     Why this separation from the Church?

-         It’s too big . . too formal . . . too impersonal . . .

-         ..all we do is sit, stand, kneel, and once in awhile say something….

   +  ..but, we feel attracted to the person of Jesus

   + …his message of love, his actions of healing and forgiving…

Today’s Gospel presents us with a beautiful and powerful image of the community of faith and communion with Jesus.

    In place of separating ourselves from the Church of Jesus…the image makes the connection between the individuals of the community with the person of Jesus.

            “I am the vine, you are the branches.”

   The image of the vineyard has deep roots in the imagery and theology of the Old Testament …

• The vineyard being the image of the chosen people of God

• The people that God loves and nourishes

• The people that God wishes to produce “much fruit.”

    For the “new people of God” formed by those who believe in Jesus ….producing fruit is only possible when the community lives in intimate relation with Jesus . .

            . . .like the branches of the vine united to the vine.

• Jesus, in the heart of the disciples, gives them the grace to produce the fruits of the Spirit …especially that of love.

• Separated from Jesus there can be no real growth.

Jesus  yes   /   the Church  no …this need not be.

            The Church is called to be the historical remembrance of Jesus, the love of God for all and for the entire creation.

            The Church is called to grow more and more in union with Jesus and produce the fruits of the Spirit:

• Love, peace, joy, communion

…and all of us are called to join together …that the Church be the community in which the Spirit is alive and Jesus is known and loved.

•  Our sharing in the Eucharist ought to help make this a reality in our everyday lives.

    “I am the socket, and you are the plug-in.”

-         Not too many of us are that familiar with vineyards, or grape vines.

+ socket / receptical …and plug-in are a bit more familiar.

• That lamp or refrigerator won’t function

• The TV won’t turn on ….if they aren’t plugged in to the electrical outlet.

• Can we make our children “shine” …or our neighbors ….if we don’t serve one another as Christians?  …if we are no connected to Christ?

• The great challenges with the education of our children …

• Of a family full of love and a spirit of helping one another …

• Honesty in our society …and care for one another ….

• Effective solidarity …a real concern for the most needy …

….might it not be that we are not connected with Christ …by listening to his word, being nourished with His Body and Blood ….and a life of prayer that gives us direction and help?

Homily Holy Thursday 2012

“The trademark of Service”    The spirit of service ought to be one of the trademarks of our Christian identity.   When someone in the community needs help, forces are mobilized.    For some people the gestures of service or affection can sometimes seem awkward ….sometimes they don’t know how to respond.

   A family were being seated at a table in a restaurant when the two-year old accidentally stepped on his mom’s foot.   When she complained, the four-year old daughter instinctively bent over and kissed her mother’s foot ….much to the mother’s shame and distress.

    Sometimes we don’t know how to respond to the simple gestures of service and love because we live in a world that does not recognize a free gift or service of love, without compensation.    The scenes portrayed today speak of a love that is difficult to comprehend because of its enormity and the fact that it is free….which seemed to create some discomfort among the disciples.     Peter; “By no means are you going to wash my feet.”     Do we say the same thing when we are offered the love of God without conditions?     Perhaps we suspect …maybe with reason…that a love so generously offered cannot be matched with anything but love that is generously given.     And to love God like this…in the same extravagant manner that He loves us ….that requires a lot from us.

?  How do I receive love…when I consider myself unworthy of ? ?  Do I feel uncomfortable at times for the services and favors offered to me ? ?  How do I respond ?

Homily of April 1st 2012

“Could you not keep watch for one hour?”

This is what Christ said to his disciples that dark night in the Garden of Getsemani … he had gone off alone to pray, and coming back he found them asleep.   At the end of this week, having accompanied Jesus today in his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, I pray that the Lord won’t have to repeat these words to us.

1)    Vacation this week? …spring break?   Could you not take a short break on Holy Thursday to assist at Mass?  …to commemorate the day when I  instituted the Eucharist? …and when I gave you the commandment to “love one another as I love you”?

2)    Could you not take a short break on Good Friday to walk with me on the Way of the Cross?   …to accompany me at the hour of my crucifixion and death?

3)    Holy Saturday evening ….the time that you would spend in front of a TV or at a party….could you not come and celebrate together my resurrection and yours?

4)    I gave my life for the salvation of all …could you not follow my example by giving of yourself for others?   …for the poor, for the weak and defenseless….both in your family and outside of your family?

   This week is different from all others   …this Sunday, and the liturgies of the Paschal Triduum invite us to a ritual quite different from that which we usually do.   Showing our faith and piety this week is of utmost importance.   We are invited to leave aside the routine, the memories of other Holy Weeks, and to be especially attentive.

Isaiah:  “Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear..”

+ every morning, the true disciple of God hits the floor listening.

   “opens” = the Hebrew word employed here is the same word used what a scripture writer describes the digging of a well.

    = every morning God has to drill out my ear so I can hear what God wants me to do on that specific day.

+ listening is essential to discipleship

 “Could you not keep watch for one hour?”

Homily March 25th 2012

“Crisis Time”

   We live in a time of “crisis.”

• “crisis” comes from Greek and means a time of judgment or of decision.

The Gospel of John presents the coming of Jesus as a moment of crisis for the world

+ the Gospel puts us in crisis … a time in which we must make a choice.

+ every day we are offered opportunities of service.

   ? do I live them as impositions from the outside?

   ? or, as occasions to exercise my life with Christ?

    Do I resent having to do things for others ?

   Or, do I live with joy and generosity?

JESUS   “…but it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.”

          It was Jesus’ “reason for being”

          Have we discovered our “reason for being” ?    “raison d’etre”

   + “I will be your God, you will be my people.”

   + “It was I who called you forth from Egypt to give you a land.”

   + It was God who gave the gift of the Law.

…..many covenants were made and broken throughout Israel’s history

• But, the covenant promised by Jeremiah is unconditional and everlasting

• This one is not carved in stone …but recorded in the human heart.

• “all” would be privileged to know God

-         This covenant would also bring forgiveness of sins

-         Forever free of guilt

JESUS ….by embracing the Cross realizes this covenant.

This is “the WHY of the Cross”

• To establish

• To solidify

• To ratify the new and eternal covenant …promised centuries before.

+ love of God and love for one another are the law by which this covenant stands.

    Jesus revealed God in human flesh and blood …. In every word and deed, he showed the love God has for sinners.

    To seal this bond of unending love, Jesus offered himself in sacrifice.

+ just as a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, Jesus gave himself for the life of the world.

    Jesus agreed to the Cross …and all its consequences  … so that you and I might live and know the love of God.

          Crisis Time   =   it is time to make a decision.

Do we choose to remain in the world…

…or, do we choose to live with Christ?

Will we allow God to write His Law on our hearts ?…

…or, do we resist?

     What happens when any of us choose this world over God’s ?…

-         – - – - -  suffering and death !

      “The world” shouted “Crucify him!”

      “The world” condemned him.

Crisis …. The moment of decision…..

          We are challenged to accept the cross …symbol of ignominy and hate …to accept it as an expression of the purest, truest love humankind will ever experience.

          What do we say in response to such a love?

          + it calls forth more than words …..it summons celebration.

• Through this sacred remembrance we celebrate the new and eternal covenant.

• This is “His hour”     His “reason for being”

+ and we are graced by his fidelity to God and God’s purpose.

+ in God’s presence we eat the bread that Jesus gave …so that we too may be blessed, broken and shared with all who hunger for the communion we have been privileged to know and share.

Homily March 18th 2012

Why ?  /   Because !

    At the end of their program every day, “PBS News Hour” presents the names and photographs of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.   The silence is powerful as their images flash before our eyes.

            And we ask “Why?”

   We look at the pictures of the Stations of the Cross on the side walls of church, and perhaps we might also ask “Why?”

    John’s Gospel gives the answer:  Because of the love that God has for the world.

            + God gave his Son to be born into human flesh

            + and, God gave his Son to suffer and die for the sins of humankind.

And, because of God’s love, eternal life is accessible to all;

• Not just after death but here and now …through our belief in Jesus.

NICODEMUS    It’s interesting that his questions to Jesus are not “Why?” but “How?”

            Jesus offers us “new life” and “eternal life”

Why ?   Because God so loves us.

How ?   Believing.   “Whoever believes in him….”

    The word “belief” appears in John’s Gospel more than in any other place in the New Testament.

   The word “faith” never appears in John

• He always uses a verb to describe our connection with Jesus.

• Accepting Jesus means continual action on behalf of God.

   +  Each of us must decide for Christ or against Christ.

   …if “for” ..our actions will reveal our choice.

Just as Nicodemus’s actions revealed his choice.

            Our choice for Jesus is an internal migration, a spiritual path.

1)    We retake the promises of our baptism

-         I renounce Satan

-         And all his empty works

-         And all his promises

2)    I promise to always follow Jesus Christ.

3)    It is a spiritual journey

• From selfishness ……..to generosity

• From addictions …….to freedom

• From lies …….to truth

• From a lack of just with ourselves and those around us….. to justice

• From a lack of responsibility in our job and family …..to responsibility for the common good

• From envy ……to the recognition of all the good things we have and appreciation

• From solitude ……to a sense of community

• From sadness……to joy for the new life we are offered in Jesus.

Why?  Because God so loves us.     How?  Believing in His Son, Jesus . . .                                                                                                                                  ….and, taking a step in that direction.

Homily March 3-4 /12

“From Testing to Transformation”

   Last Sunday we heard of Jesus’ “temptations in the desert” …being put to the test.

Today we hear of his “transformation” …manifesting his divine nature.

LENT  …. A time that “tests” our discipleship …and leads us to “transformations.”

ABRAHAM …was tested ….he was “put to the test”  …and he showed his                                          unquestioned obedience.

PAUL  …tells us that although our faith be tested, “God is for us”                                                        …He is always on our side.

MARK   …shares with us the Transfiguration of Jesus

• “This is my beloved Son”
• He will suffer an unthinkable passion and death
• …may this vision of His glory strengthen your faith when you see Him suffer

“  SEE  ”

The use of this verb in remarkably important in today’s scriptures.

Abraham ascends Mount Moriah …this name means “the place of seeing.”

-         His son, Isaac, asks:  “where is the victim we will sacrifice?”

-         Abraham responds:   “God will provide.” …this can be translated as:

• “You will see.”
• God will “see to it” that there is a victim.
• Just as God will “see” that Abraham is obedient in all things.

“ Seeing ”   ….also takes place on Mount Tabor.

• Peter, James and John  “see” Jesus in glory
• They “see” him speaking with Moses and Elijah
• They “see” a cloud overshadowing them
• And, they hear a voice calling for their obedience.

+   “This is my beloved Son.   Listen to him.”

With them, we are invited to “see” Jesus as the beloved Son whom the Father

“did not spare …but handed over for us all,” as Paul reminds us.

 

The mystery of the Cross and Resurrection is an invitation to see God’s love for all God’s beloved children and trust in it.

Have you had any glimpse of the glory that awaits those faithful to God?

And, do you remember those “glimpses?”

This is precisely the effect of the Transfiguration.

+ in that scene on Mt. Tabor there are many memories . . .although the entire message is directed to the future.

1)    the presence of Moses recalls the Pact of Sinai …the relationship between God and his people.

2)    the presence of Elijah recalls the prophets …and they are remembered with affection.

+ the experience is so great, the disciples want to stay there!

-         Because they felt good there

-         In the safety of the love and presence of God

-         The God who had established a Covenant with his people

+ the entire history of Israel is remembered…it is brought to heart

• Renewing that presence with God
• Seeing the glory of Jesus . . . . they can cope with death.

The memory of the faithful relationship with God

The memory of the glory in the mountain of the Transfiguration

= helps with the conviction that death does not have the final word.

The one who has shown so much light

The one who is the Son of God

-         …will not be subjected to a final death.

+ and though Him, who makes us children of God, we can also hope to triumph over death.

TRANSFIGURATION

+ it is the proof of the Resurrection

+ it is the first taste of what eternal life will be like in Heaven

+ it is the first evidence that the promise of God is being fulfilled

. . . and so for this reason, we do not need to remain in the experience …

…but always carry it in our hearts.

As the “memory” tells us that God is faithful …our response must also be one of fidelity and obedience to his voice.

. . . that moment of light …will accompany them in the tough times that Jesus will face.

Homily February 26th 2012

“What is Out of Order?”

1)    The “Occupy Wall Street” movement proved to be an interesting movement because no one was protesting one thing in particular but many things in general.

-         Some protestors were concerned with very serious issues

-         Others were only concerned with numerous trivial issues

2)    Cairo and the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak

-         The protest was completely apolitical

-         The protest was not about a form of government

• Not about a particular ruling party

• Not about a particular issue

• Not about religion

+ what they wanted was justice from their government.

+ what united these protests throughout Egypt was the deep sense that         something is wrong in and with society.

3)    Now, imagine that we were to distribute paper and pencils to each of you, and we were to ask you to answer the question:

“What is wrong with the world?”

  How might you respond?

-         Could you fill both sides of the paper with a list of calamities?

• War                      -   violence

• Poverty               -   unemployment

• Homelessness    -   famine

• Greed                  -   apathy

• Global warming                        -   child abuse

• Spousal abuse   -   elder abuse

• An out-of-touch hierarchy  . . . .and more and more.

Now, as we consider our list, let us also ask,

            “Who is to blame for such a broken world?”

“Is there something deeply wrong with and in society?”   “And, who is to blame?”

The temptation is to blame “those people”

-         Liberals,   conservatives,   Democrats,   Republicans,   the younger generation,     the “boomers” .. . . . . . .

Peter Gomes (Baptist minister/Harvard Divinity School)

            “Just as the sins of a society begin with one individual, so the renewal and transformation of society begins with each individual.”

    He quoted the old cry:  “Lord, send a revival, and let it begin with me.”

+ some among us might assert their innocence …

-         And refuse to accept any responsibility for this world’s predicaments.

However, it could be argued that unless each of us plays an active part in alleviating the evils around us, then we remain complicit.

= in a word:  we are all accountable for the circumstances                                                                        in which we find ourselves.

Gomes:   insisted that we face ourselves squarely and admit three things:

1)    Evil is real

2)    The good are not as smart as they thing they are

3)    The good need all the help they can get.

+  One of the first and best defenses against every sort of evil is the acknowledgment that the good must work together against it.

• Gome, a Baptist minister, highly recommended the Catholic sacrament of Reconciliation.

1)    Confession not only cleanses a person spiritually but it also names evil for what it is.

2)    If objectives it

3)    And requires sinners to take responsibility for it.

Once evil has been honestly engaged, then with God’s grace and the support of other believers, evil can be overcome by goodness.

NOAH    the story reminds us that no one goes it alone in this world.

• God has chosen to be bound forever to us and to our world in a convenantal relationship.

• This bond with God offers human beings and all living creatures a dignity that is to be respected and preserved.

Just as Noah and company were preserved in the ark from the flood . . . .

Those who are baptized into Christ are saved through the waters of the sacrament.

In the desert, Jesus was not alone in his encounter with evil.

-         The Spirit and angel messengers supported and strengthened him.

*** Today, we are recruited anew in the struggle against evil.

            We acknowledge our responsibility for it, and our willingness to work toward its transformation.

Homily February 19-2012

The Joy of Forgiveness

“Duck Feed”   opening story about persistence …you’ll have to come to church this weekend to hear it.

+ the persistence and determination of the four men bringing their paralyzed friend to Jesus

-         Unable to penetrate the crowd around Jesus

-         They go up to the roof, open a hole in it, and lower their friend right down in front of Jesus.

   “The Joy of being forgiven”

…we see in today’s first reading and in the Gospel an underlying joy, and the reason for that joy is forgiveness.

ISAIAH

            The exiled Israelites are assured that God has forgiven them.

-         Their sins are no more

-         Nothing exists of their former transgressions

+   they are to surrender their guilt and their sad memories in order to welcome the newness that God has created in them.

MARK    the paralytic  …not only cured of his physical condition, but also forgiven.

            + the joy of his friends

            + the astonishment of the crowds, who are moved to glorify God. 

     As we reflect upon  these experiences of forgiveness, we might consider our own experiences of forgiveness and the resulting joy we knew.

            + reconciled with a friend or a family member after some hurt

            + true forgiveness

-         Without grudges

-         Without ever bringing up the incident again 

• This is the healing experience that breathes new life into a relationship.

+  this quality of forgiveness is invigorating and noble

=  because it reflects the quality of the forgiveness of God. 

SACRAMENTAL   FORGIVENESS

? does it bring us such excitement or contentment?

-         Has it become routine?

+++ the story of the young boy who, if he went to CCD and confession every Saturday morning, could go to the movies on Saturday afternoon.

            + how he would leave church feeling holy and free!

• This may be effective motivation for a child
• But as adults, we need the maturity in finding a purer and more honest motivation.

ISRAEL understood their need for forgiveness …in the void of their exile, they began to realize anew their need for God.

-         In their brokenness they were assured of God’s healing and forgiveness.

+ brokenness also led the paralytic and his friends to seek out Jesus.

+ in search of a whole and healed body, the paralytic was also to experience the holiness of forgiveness. 

            Might we be like the paralytic at times?   Sometimes powerless to help ourselves?

-         We may be too broken to realize our need for healing.

+ it is then that God sends us grace in the form of friends whose care leads us to help and to wholeness. 

+  Words to our “catechumens” who are preparing for the Easter sacraments.

            ? who were those friends who have brought you to the Church? 

+ words to the congregation:

            We are on the brink of Lent

-         It is good for us to remember God’s willingness to heal sinners

-         To mend the broken

-         And to reconcile all who have grown apart from God and from one another because of human weakness.

Do we feel dread or joy, guilt or gratitude?

   + God remembers not the sins of our past.  This assurance challenges us to let go of the worries that age us in order to skip like a child and experience the forgiveness that awaits us all.