Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Gospel is always very striking to me. It brings to mind a very vivid image of Jesus watching our lives, as if they were a movie. But for this movie, Jesus already knows the ending. He knows there will be a time of destruction, pain and devastation coming for us, yet he can do nothing to change the ending. This realization and truth moves him to tears.
Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
As the liturgical year comes to an end, the readings push us toward an eschatological view of the world. This is important, not because the end of the World is imminent, yet the end of days marks the end of this seasonal cycle. The first reading today continues in the book of Revelation. John was called upon by a voice from heaven and given a vision. The imagery of this vision describes the scene in a trumpet like voice. In vivid detail the picture portrayed is one where an angel takes the visionary through a large door into heaven. The scene that unfolds is one of the heavenly court and all its attendants.
Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s first reading, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” It sounds pretty simple and pretty great: just open the door and Jesus will come to dinner. This line from Revelation hearkens back to all of the stories in the gospels where Jesus eats with people in their homes. These stories often include a judgment from someone around Jesus. A Pharisee or other onlooker will ask how it is that Jesus could possibly eat with “those people.” We can get a good picture of God from Jesus’ eating habits. The table of God is meant to be full of people whom we’d rather not invite to dinner. In some cases, maybe we are those very people. Maybe we’ve felt the marginalization of the cast of characters in the gospels whom Jesus singles out for a meal.
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
Every day I try to read the newspaper, so I can keep up on current events. Recently Malala Yousafzai has been in the news. This 17 year old young woman from Pakistan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote education for women in her country and throughout the world. Malala persisted in her efforts to uplift young women despite the oppressive forces of the Taliban. Even after her assassination attempt, she returned to continue to campaign for others who did not have a voice.
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
One of the most interesting part of my ministry as a priest is being in conversations with people. Very often these conversations are with parishioners who recognize that it is time to change course in life. And I understand that. Even though I am a priest, twice in my life I have had to take a hard look at my life and seek conversion. In my conversations, my main question to the person is: “What do you think is the meaning and purpose of your life?” And then I clarify the question by asking, “If today you were standing before God, how can you look back at your life and be proud of yourself? Nine out of ten peoples answer is “I’ve never looked at it that way.” Once in a way, it is good to lift up our head out of the daily grind of life and look at our life from the big-picture perspective. It should not take a life-crisis to do this. Living our lives with our destiny in focus is a Christian virtue.
Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
I love the Psalms for two reasons in particular. First, they manage to capture the whole gamut of human emotion. Second, the Psalmist will just casually drop paradoxes into the Psalms without any hesitation. This is the situation with today’s Psalm. In particular the opening section of the Psalm seems to present a cause and effect that runs contrary to what we might suppose.
Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
I think we humans always face a basic temptation: when faced with something new, do we embrace it as the progress we seek, and that we think will be more fulfilling? Or do we reject that progress? Our technologies and online lives make that temptation ever present for many of us, I suspect. Should I buy an ipad? An iphone6? Will I be technologized out of existence if I don't have Google Glass? But many things are that way: fashions, business decisions, political persuasions.
Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin
Paul’s letter to Philemon is probably one of the least familiar and shortest (just 25 verses) New Testament letters, but rather powerful in its message. Paul is writing to Philemon, a slave owner, about his slave, Onesimus, who ran away and ended up in prison with Paul. Onesimus became a Christian, apparently, while in prison with Paul who says Onesimus has become his “child,” and Paul, his father. Paul is now sending Onesimus back to Philemon as the law requires, but is also sending this letter, not only asking for Onesimus’ freedom but also challenging Philemon to think differently about his relationship with his slave. He is asking Philemon to, instead, accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ. Paul, rather persuasively, even refers to sending Onesimus as if he is sending “my own heart,” and offers to take on any debt of Onesimus’ as his own. It’s really beautiful how he is truly treating Onesimus as if he is his son.
Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr
Have you ever had someone say to you, “I know that this person is your friend but…” And what follows is either gossip or worse put-downs. The readings for today seem to suggest to us that when someone is about to slander someone then ought to in the very least correct that person, or perhaps walk away. Today Paul reminds us to be obedient to our Christian duties. We were once non-believers who entered into sin. Now we have been rescued by the generous love of God who sent Jesus to free us from sin. For Paul, our salvation transpires through the sacrament of baptism. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is poured out on us through this bath of transformation. Thus we are made acceptable to the Lord and become heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop
Today’s lectionary readings urge us onward. They are complicated passages; they may even offend some of us. For example, why is St. Paul telling women to “remain under the control” of their husbands, so as to not “discredit” the word of God? Or similarly, Jesus’s parable seems peculiar: Jesus typically isn’t one to promote his disciples privilege over others, especially “servants”. And why, in this parable, do the disciples even have servants? Aren’t they to be the servants?
Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
Today is the Memorial of Saint Leo the Great. Saint Leo was a man who knew what it was to be constantly on guard throughout his papacy. During the twenty one years he served as pope he was constantly battling for unity within the church, rooting out heresies, and averting wars. His sermons are as inspiring today as they were in the fifth century. Leo was deeply committed to preserving the fullness of truth in the church and living true to the Gospel. Leo believed in the discipline required of living Christianity and, just as adamantly, embraced the ideas of mercy and clemency that characterized the life of Jesus. Today’s Scriptures are well suited to remember this Doctor of the Church.
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
Here is another one of these feast days that because it falls on a Sunday takes precedence over the readings for the 32nd Sunday of the Liturgical year. Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. Perhaps you are wondering what a basilica in Rome has anything to do with us. The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome. It is the Pope's cathedral. It was built in the time of Constantine and was consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324. This is the church where popes were consecrated. Because John Lateran is the Pope’s Cathedral, celebrating the dedication of this cathedral is symbolic of the unity of the Catholic Church. This is the relevance of the feast – that we believe that we here in Dayton are called to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ who chose Peter as its shepherd. To everyone who loves the church, this is the feast of the people of God.
Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s reading from Philippians, Psalm 112, and Luke are packed with goodness. There are many lines about giving to the poor, not making wealth an idol, and the eternal impact of generosity. What resonated with me was Paul’s line, “I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need.”
Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
On Sunday, during the responsorial psalm, my 3 year looked up at me and excitedly yelled (a little too loudly for Church), “Mommy, it’s the catechesis of the Good Shepherd!” I had to smile and get excited with him, because I think that the heart of our faith can be found in the lesson of the Good Shepherd.
Owen just recently started attending the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at Immaculate Conception parish. He is always hesitant and a little bit resistant to go, but once he gets there he loves the class. Something that I love about the Montessori style of this class is how much they encourage him to play on his own and to decide what “work” he wants to do, without much adult guidance. Now whenever we hear a reading about sheep or shepherd, such as today’s, he makes sure that I know what they are talking about.
Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Ugh. This time of year makes me want to turn off all forms of media. If I hear or see one more mean spirited campaign ad I might toss the television. Election season is truly one of my least favorite times. While walking today I just asked a person standing at my side, if they had voted. The answer that came back at me, for this educated man, essentially stated there was nothing and no one to vote for. I was kind of left dumbfounded; especially ask we walked under a sign that said support the human services levy. All this I could think of after that was the four billion dollars that was spent on naming calling and character assignation. Instead of sowing truth most of these ads sowed fear. The world will end if…. Still tell us the truth lies instead of promoting fear.
Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop
In a happy coincidence, today’s first reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians also happened to be the subject of my lecture on Monday. This remarkable text is one of the New Testament’s “Christological hymns.” Scholars say that texts like Philippians 2 very well might have been recited or sung in some of the earliest of Christian communities. That very fact alone makes reading it and hearing it a moving experience. We speak often of the Church over space and time, and here we have a text that brings us into the worship of our earliest Christian saints.
Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Although my Mom died over 13 years ago, she has been on my mind a great deal recently. When I read today’s readings, it brought back memories of my Mom and the generous hospitality that she shared with many people throughout her life. Her graciousness did not come from her desire to attract praise or recognition, but emanated from her deep belief in God and His call to serve others with love and compassion.
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
Every priest has his favorite ministry. Some priests like weddings, some like preaching, others like visiting the sick and still others teaching. I am among those priests whose favorite ministry is funerals. Last year, we had about 40 funerals here at IC. And If I add the funerals I had at St. Helen and at funeral homes, I had a funeral a week. I had funeral services of elderly and young people, people I knew well and those that I did not, those who died of natural causes and those who took their own life, those who believed and those who gave up their faith, and I also buried a little baby. The one thing that was common to these funerals was the each one of them was unfailingly was a deep experience of God. Not that the other aspects of my ministry are not divine encounters, but at a funeral, I cannot but confront the God who loves us beyond death.
Solemnity of All Saints
Today is All Saint’s Day. This has always been one of the most treasured feast days for me. I remember being in middle school and dressing up as St. Maximillian Kolbe, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Padre Pio. Every all Saint’s Day, the whole school was a melting pot of St. Lucies, Francises, Elizabeths, Dominics, and Joans of Arc. The sight of St. Loyola playing tetherball with St. Peter was spectacular.