For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/091307.shtml
It is one of the graces of the sacrament of reconciliation that a priest does not really have an option to be merciful or unmerciful. I suppose on those rare occasions someone may come in who is not contrite, and thus could be denied absolution, but it is much more likely that the proud will never venture near a confessional. I suppose also that a priest can make things difficult by failing to listen or by being lukewarm in the way he celebrates the sacrament. But by a large, a priest is in the confessional for one reason, and for one reason only, to give the gift of forgiveness. The priest does not have a decision to make with every penitent – whether to be merciful or unmerciful. He can only be merciful.
Jesus tells his disciples that the Lord is kind to the ungrateful and to the wicked. In the same way, there is no way for a priest to judge who deserves forgiveness, and it is not his job to pronounce a sentence that is adequate punishment for the crime committed. The priest has only one gift to give – the mercy won by the cross of Christ.
St. Paul tells the Colossians to be thankful, and to show this gratitude by saying and doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. The way we can be thankful for Christ’s ultimate gift of healing to us – his forgiveness of our sins and his victory over death – is to be as generous as He is. He is not stingy with His gifts, but hands over to us everything He has received from His heavenly Father. In giving thanks to Christ, we hand over our ability to judge whether another person is worthy of our love and forgiveness. Instead, we hand over to them everything we have received from our heavenly Father, and most especially the forgiveness we have received. Instead of judging others, let us pray that others will become holier than us, provided we become as holy as we should be!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Homily for Wednesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time - Holy Name of Mary
For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/091207.shtml
The beatitudes are the commandments of the new and everlasting covenant offered to us today in this Holy Eucharist. When we hear the beatitudes, we see that the Decalogue given to Moses is just a starting point. The Decalogue was given to restore right relationships. It was given so that those damaged by original sin would know how to do good and avoid evil while on this earth. But the beatitudes pertain to a happiness not confined to this life only; the beatitudes point toward a happiness that is in store for those who truly love the things of heaven more than the things of earth.
Paul reminds us that in baptism, we have all died to things of this world. Instead, we are now to use our freedom not to choose things that will make us comfortable for a lifetime, but to choose things that will make us happy for eternity. The difference between a lifetime and eternity is great, and so is the difference between the Decalogue given to Moses and the Beatitudes taught by Christ. Through the Decalogue, we live in right relationship to each other while on this earth. Through the beatitudes, we make visible the divine life that is hidden with Christ in God.
The more we are willing to be poor, hungry, weeping and insulted, the more we will be willing to love the kingdom of heaven more than the kingdom of this world. This is how we teach others to trust God’s promise of eternal life – by living not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The beatitudes are the commandments of the new and everlasting covenant offered to us today in this Holy Eucharist. When we hear the beatitudes, we see that the Decalogue given to Moses is just a starting point. The Decalogue was given to restore right relationships. It was given so that those damaged by original sin would know how to do good and avoid evil while on this earth. But the beatitudes pertain to a happiness not confined to this life only; the beatitudes point toward a happiness that is in store for those who truly love the things of heaven more than the things of earth.
Paul reminds us that in baptism, we have all died to things of this world. Instead, we are now to use our freedom not to choose things that will make us comfortable for a lifetime, but to choose things that will make us happy for eternity. The difference between a lifetime and eternity is great, and so is the difference between the Decalogue given to Moses and the Beatitudes taught by Christ. Through the Decalogue, we live in right relationship to each other while on this earth. Through the beatitudes, we make visible the divine life that is hidden with Christ in God.
The more we are willing to be poor, hungry, weeping and insulted, the more we will be willing to love the kingdom of heaven more than the kingdom of this world. This is how we teach others to trust God’s promise of eternal life – by living not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Homily for Thursday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/090607.shtml
It is natural for us to think that we will never be ready to see God face to face. How could we ever be ready for such an encounter? Intuitively, we think our survival is dependent upon our keeping a safe distance between ourselves and God. Sometimes, even our piety is our way of pretending to draw closer to God, when in truth we are more interested in keeping him at a safe distance. Since the fall, it is part of original sin to fear God as a slave fears his master. Indeed, before the arrival of Christ it was accepted that no one could see the face of God and live, so overwhelmed would we be by such an encounter.
So it is natural for Peter to be afraid when he realizes that the Almighty has drawn much closer to his life than he was ready for, much closer than he had wanted the Almighty to come. But in the person of Jesus, the Almighty makes himself known to us as one who is meek and humble. Jesus, though all-powerful, comes to us as one who is ready not to overwhelm us with his power, but to put his entire life in service of us. Jesus came to heal that well-founded fear that we have of the Almighty. He heals it by restoring, and even improving, that original relationship of trust and goodness with His Father that was lost through the sin of Adam.
Jesus must say over and over to his disciples – Be not afraid! He wants to free us from the fear of punishment, death and hell, for this fear is not the mark of the new and everlasting covenant that Jesus offers. Instead, Jesus offers us the fear of God that is holy – the fear that a Son has for a Father – wanting only to please Him and to respond to His will, trusting that God’s will is directed toward our eternal happiness.
It is natural for us to think that we will never be ready to see God face to face. How could we ever be ready for such an encounter? Intuitively, we think our survival is dependent upon our keeping a safe distance between ourselves and God. Sometimes, even our piety is our way of pretending to draw closer to God, when in truth we are more interested in keeping him at a safe distance. Since the fall, it is part of original sin to fear God as a slave fears his master. Indeed, before the arrival of Christ it was accepted that no one could see the face of God and live, so overwhelmed would we be by such an encounter.
So it is natural for Peter to be afraid when he realizes that the Almighty has drawn much closer to his life than he was ready for, much closer than he had wanted the Almighty to come. But in the person of Jesus, the Almighty makes himself known to us as one who is meek and humble. Jesus, though all-powerful, comes to us as one who is ready not to overwhelm us with his power, but to put his entire life in service of us. Jesus came to heal that well-founded fear that we have of the Almighty. He heals it by restoring, and even improving, that original relationship of trust and goodness with His Father that was lost through the sin of Adam.
Jesus must say over and over to his disciples – Be not afraid! He wants to free us from the fear of punishment, death and hell, for this fear is not the mark of the new and everlasting covenant that Jesus offers. Instead, Jesus offers us the fear of God that is holy – the fear that a Son has for a Father – wanting only to please Him and to respond to His will, trusting that God’s will is directed toward our eternal happiness.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Homily for Wednesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/090507.shtml
After many years of reading and studying the Gospels, and now having the opportunity to preach on them, I’m finally starting to get the hang of the messianic secret. Most prevalent in Mark, the messianic secret shows up in the other synoptic Gospels as well, as it does in Luke today, as Jesus rebukes the demons and does not allow them to tell others that He is the Christ.
It is characteristic throughout the Gospels that Jesus wants not simply to command faith from the top down to his disciples, but to elicit it from within their hearts. He knows how badly the disciples will need this faith after Pentecost. Jesus wants his disciples to trust their faith, for it is important for every disciple of Jesus to not just believe in Him because they are told to, or because everyone else does. No, every disciple of Jesus must answer the question that Jesus puts to his disciples, ‘Who do you say that I am?’
I’m so thankful to have been called a priest since in a sense, everyday I must give my answer to this question to those people I am called to serve. Hopefully people will come to faith in Jesus not because they are obedient to me, but because they will see in the witness of my life the truth that is written on their own hearts about the identity of Jesus. Jesus thus rebukes the testimony of the demons for several reasons. First, because demons are not trustworthy, although they are right in this case about his identity. Second, because He has not yet reached Jerusalem, where His identity will be put on trial and not before then. Thirdly, and most importantly, because Jesus wants to elicit faith from his disciples, and He wants to do it in the context of His entire mission of proclaiming and establishing the kingdom of God.
After many years of reading and studying the Gospels, and now having the opportunity to preach on them, I’m finally starting to get the hang of the messianic secret. Most prevalent in Mark, the messianic secret shows up in the other synoptic Gospels as well, as it does in Luke today, as Jesus rebukes the demons and does not allow them to tell others that He is the Christ.
It is characteristic throughout the Gospels that Jesus wants not simply to command faith from the top down to his disciples, but to elicit it from within their hearts. He knows how badly the disciples will need this faith after Pentecost. Jesus wants his disciples to trust their faith, for it is important for every disciple of Jesus to not just believe in Him because they are told to, or because everyone else does. No, every disciple of Jesus must answer the question that Jesus puts to his disciples, ‘Who do you say that I am?’
I’m so thankful to have been called a priest since in a sense, everyday I must give my answer to this question to those people I am called to serve. Hopefully people will come to faith in Jesus not because they are obedient to me, but because they will see in the witness of my life the truth that is written on their own hearts about the identity of Jesus. Jesus thus rebukes the testimony of the demons for several reasons. First, because demons are not trustworthy, although they are right in this case about his identity. Second, because He has not yet reached Jerusalem, where His identity will be put on trial and not before then. Thirdly, and most importantly, because Jesus wants to elicit faith from his disciples, and He wants to do it in the context of His entire mission of proclaiming and establishing the kingdom of God.
Homily for Tuesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/090407.shtml
Today we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of our Archbishop, Joseph Naumann, the 4th Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas. Archbishop Naumann was originally ordained an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, but for the last three years, he has been Archbishop of our Archdiocese. Archbishop Naumann ended his homily asking us to pray that he would be the shepherd that we deserve and that the Church needs. It is certainly a privilege for us to pray daily for this successor to the apostles, who has great responsibilities within our diocese. I trust that he has been given these responsibilities because of his courage, humility, and faith, which continue to bear fruit. To the one who has, more will be given, and he will become rich!
The people in today’s Gospel were amazed at the ‘authority’ of Jesus’ word. Indeed, late in the Gospel for today, they ask ‘What is there about his word?’. Pope Benedict XVI in his book Jesus of Nazareth has a beautiful section regarding the power of Jesus’ word. Jesus’ word is more powerful than that of the prophets who have gone before Him, because Jesus, like Moses, speaks to God face to face, as with a friend! Moses spoke with God as a friend intermittently, and saw God only as He passed by the cleft of the rock. Jesus, through His prayer and His divine relationship as Son, speaks to the Father continually, and always sees His face! The word He speaks is the word He receives from His Father. Thus it is unlike any word that has been spoken or that will be spoken afterward! Not surprisingly, this word that Jesus speaks has the power to cast out physical demons. More importantly, Jesus’ word, which is also his very life, came down from heaven to cast out the power of sin. Healing people of their physical demons gained Jesus interest from the crowds, but it was not for these miracles that Jesus was eventually crucified. No, it was His power over sin that led people to follow up their questions about the power of His word with questions about his true identity. For who but God alone can forgive sins?
Today we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of our Archbishop, Joseph Naumann, the 4th Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas. Archbishop Naumann was originally ordained an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, but for the last three years, he has been Archbishop of our Archdiocese. Archbishop Naumann ended his homily asking us to pray that he would be the shepherd that we deserve and that the Church needs. It is certainly a privilege for us to pray daily for this successor to the apostles, who has great responsibilities within our diocese. I trust that he has been given these responsibilities because of his courage, humility, and faith, which continue to bear fruit. To the one who has, more will be given, and he will become rich!
The people in today’s Gospel were amazed at the ‘authority’ of Jesus’ word. Indeed, late in the Gospel for today, they ask ‘What is there about his word?’. Pope Benedict XVI in his book Jesus of Nazareth has a beautiful section regarding the power of Jesus’ word. Jesus’ word is more powerful than that of the prophets who have gone before Him, because Jesus, like Moses, speaks to God face to face, as with a friend! Moses spoke with God as a friend intermittently, and saw God only as He passed by the cleft of the rock. Jesus, through His prayer and His divine relationship as Son, speaks to the Father continually, and always sees His face! The word He speaks is the word He receives from His Father. Thus it is unlike any word that has been spoken or that will be spoken afterward! Not surprisingly, this word that Jesus speaks has the power to cast out physical demons. More importantly, Jesus’ word, which is also his very life, came down from heaven to cast out the power of sin. Healing people of their physical demons gained Jesus interest from the crowds, but it was not for these miracles that Jesus was eventually crucified. No, it was His power over sin that led people to follow up their questions about the power of His word with questions about his true identity. For who but God alone can forgive sins?
Homily for Monday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time - St. Gregory the Great!
For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/090307.shtml
Popes Leo and Gregory are the only 2 popes to date in history who have earned the title ‘the Great.’ Many of us who have been inspired by the pontificate of John Paul II are already calling John Paul ‘the Great.’ Time will tell if the name will stick in the heart of the Church. Certainly his reputation for holiness is widespread, and his canonization is expected by many. There are those also, who think his contributions to theology, especially in the area of the theology of the body, are as monumental as were the works of Augustine and Aquinas. Again, time will tell. I for one am rooting that through the intercession of St. Gregory the Great, John Paul II will reach sainthood quickly and be known as John Paul II the Great! It gives me great joy on this memorial of St. Gregory to think that the impact St. Gregory had on the Church of the 6th Century was perhaps even greater than the impact of the papacy of John Paul II on our modern age. What a great pope Gregory must have been!
In today’s Gospel, familiarity breeds contempt. To be a disciple of Jesus, one must have a childlike faith, and be ready to see and to hear and to understand new things. Those in the synagogue at Nazareth are impressed with Jesus at some level, but they are more interested in His entertaining them and in testing the limits of his power than in allowing Him to convert their hearts to the kingdom of God. Isn’t it true that we tend to see the flaws and the intractable annoying habits of those close to us more than we see their ability to change? And yet Jesus hopes that as we draw in deeper communion with each other, we are able not simply to see the limitations of people but to see how God is at work in their lives. We are not to be focused on people’s inability to change, but are to celebrate with them the changes they are able to make. Change is hard. Seeing people differently, especially those closest to us, is hard! Yet we must do it! For being human is not being born to make mistakes. We should not be skeptical of those whom we think lack the power to change themselves, for in handing their lives over to Jesus, and trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, we know all things are possible for them. Yes, we may not change as fast as we want, but we should not transfer any of our frustrations to someone else. Instead, we are to celebrate that for those who hand their lives to Jesus, all things are new!
Popes Leo and Gregory are the only 2 popes to date in history who have earned the title ‘the Great.’ Many of us who have been inspired by the pontificate of John Paul II are already calling John Paul ‘the Great.’ Time will tell if the name will stick in the heart of the Church. Certainly his reputation for holiness is widespread, and his canonization is expected by many. There are those also, who think his contributions to theology, especially in the area of the theology of the body, are as monumental as were the works of Augustine and Aquinas. Again, time will tell. I for one am rooting that through the intercession of St. Gregory the Great, John Paul II will reach sainthood quickly and be known as John Paul II the Great! It gives me great joy on this memorial of St. Gregory to think that the impact St. Gregory had on the Church of the 6th Century was perhaps even greater than the impact of the papacy of John Paul II on our modern age. What a great pope Gregory must have been!
In today’s Gospel, familiarity breeds contempt. To be a disciple of Jesus, one must have a childlike faith, and be ready to see and to hear and to understand new things. Those in the synagogue at Nazareth are impressed with Jesus at some level, but they are more interested in His entertaining them and in testing the limits of his power than in allowing Him to convert their hearts to the kingdom of God. Isn’t it true that we tend to see the flaws and the intractable annoying habits of those close to us more than we see their ability to change? And yet Jesus hopes that as we draw in deeper communion with each other, we are able not simply to see the limitations of people but to see how God is at work in their lives. We are not to be focused on people’s inability to change, but are to celebrate with them the changes they are able to make. Change is hard. Seeing people differently, especially those closest to us, is hard! Yet we must do it! For being human is not being born to make mistakes. We should not be skeptical of those whom we think lack the power to change themselves, for in handing their lives over to Jesus, and trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, we know all things are possible for them. Yes, we may not change as fast as we want, but we should not transfer any of our frustrations to someone else. Instead, we are to celebrate that for those who hand their lives to Jesus, all things are new!
Homily Sunday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
For daily readings, go to http://www.usccb.org/nab/090207.shtml
Fr. Justin DuVall, OSB, then the vice-rector of St. Meinrad School of Theology and now the Abbot of St. Meinrad, had some simple but good rules regarding eating together. Within the seminary community of which I was a part, the dining room was not to be used as just a place to grab a bite. There were no newspapers allowed in the dining room. Gym clothes, especially smelly ones, were forbidden so as not to ruin the appetite of those dining around you. The last rule was probably the best. Once fellow seminarians started filling a table, it was considered impolite to start sitting at a new table until all the seats at the first table were taken. In other words, you should not pass by a table nearly filled with people you didn’t like in order to start a new table with your friends. Thus, even if you went through the buffet line with your friends, there was a chance you would end up seated next to some people that you did not plan to dine with. And you had to make the most of it.
It is true that there is a lot of diversity among people. We love different things, and our friends are those who tend to love the same things we do. As far as hobbies go, it is hard to spend time fishing with someone who would rather be golfing, and vice versa. But eating together is different. Eating is not a hobby, at least not as Jesus thinks of it. Eating together should be a time when we practice who we are becoming as the family of God, and family destined to eat together forever in heaven. We may not want to spend a couple of days traveling with a particular person, for various reasons, but Jesus instructs us that for at least the duration of a meal, we should be able to eat and to converse with anyone. In fact, the kingdom of heaven demands that we not dine simply with those who can pay us back. Instead, we are to spend at least a significant amount of time dining with those who are unlike us in someone way.
As Catholics, we practice this first and foremost at Mass. At Mass, we are all invited by Jesus to sit in the front row, whether our habit is to sit near the front of Church or in an obscure place in the back. At the Eucharist, Jesus humbles himself to serve us and to offer a marriage proposal to his bride, the Church. We know that He is ready to wash our feet, and even more, to offer Himself as food. Because of his extreme humility, no one at the Eucharist is left in the back row.
During the course of our lifetimes, we will have the chance to eat thousands of meals. Jesus invites us to take each occasion to build up the kingdom of heaven, and to do so in an even more intense way each time that we receive the Holy Eucharist with whomever Jesus has invited to this marriage feast of heaven. Let us not simply eat mechanically to feed our earthly lives, for Jesus reminds us, that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Fr. Justin DuVall, OSB, then the vice-rector of St. Meinrad School of Theology and now the Abbot of St. Meinrad, had some simple but good rules regarding eating together. Within the seminary community of which I was a part, the dining room was not to be used as just a place to grab a bite. There were no newspapers allowed in the dining room. Gym clothes, especially smelly ones, were forbidden so as not to ruin the appetite of those dining around you. The last rule was probably the best. Once fellow seminarians started filling a table, it was considered impolite to start sitting at a new table until all the seats at the first table were taken. In other words, you should not pass by a table nearly filled with people you didn’t like in order to start a new table with your friends. Thus, even if you went through the buffet line with your friends, there was a chance you would end up seated next to some people that you did not plan to dine with. And you had to make the most of it.
It is true that there is a lot of diversity among people. We love different things, and our friends are those who tend to love the same things we do. As far as hobbies go, it is hard to spend time fishing with someone who would rather be golfing, and vice versa. But eating together is different. Eating is not a hobby, at least not as Jesus thinks of it. Eating together should be a time when we practice who we are becoming as the family of God, and family destined to eat together forever in heaven. We may not want to spend a couple of days traveling with a particular person, for various reasons, but Jesus instructs us that for at least the duration of a meal, we should be able to eat and to converse with anyone. In fact, the kingdom of heaven demands that we not dine simply with those who can pay us back. Instead, we are to spend at least a significant amount of time dining with those who are unlike us in someone way.
As Catholics, we practice this first and foremost at Mass. At Mass, we are all invited by Jesus to sit in the front row, whether our habit is to sit near the front of Church or in an obscure place in the back. At the Eucharist, Jesus humbles himself to serve us and to offer a marriage proposal to his bride, the Church. We know that He is ready to wash our feet, and even more, to offer Himself as food. Because of his extreme humility, no one at the Eucharist is left in the back row.
During the course of our lifetimes, we will have the chance to eat thousands of meals. Jesus invites us to take each occasion to build up the kingdom of heaven, and to do so in an even more intense way each time that we receive the Holy Eucharist with whomever Jesus has invited to this marriage feast of heaven. Let us not simply eat mechanically to feed our earthly lives, for Jesus reminds us, that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
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