Homily for Thursday of the 6th Week of Easter

For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/050108b.shtml

Mary, Mother of the Risen Lord, pray for us

The Gospel we just heard can be oversimplified and understood to mean that during our short pilgrimage on earth, disciples of Jesus will be weeping and mourning, while those who follow the ways of the world will be rejoicing, but that the tables will be turned in the world to come. This is true of course, but in the smallest way possible. Faithful disciples of Jesus must say 'no' to many things of the world, and to those who belong to this world only they may appear to be taking an unnecessarily difficult path of voluntary suffering. Yet those who follow the truth that Christ points out to them realize that the temporary 'sting' of having to say 'no' to something good and promising fades quickly when this 'no' enables a greater friendship with Jesus, who alone can completely fill every human desire. During our time on earth, we do embody the beatitudes, and consider ourselves blessed insofar as we are able to participate in the humility and suffering of Jesus. This is the mourning and weeping of which Jesus speaks. It is not true, however, that we must wait until the afterlife to experience the joy of which Jesus speaks. It is true that in the afterlife this joy will be complete, but even in this life, those who set their hearts on Christ alone are saved from the disappointment that comes from putting out trust only in the temporary things of the world. In light of the joy that comes from our friendship with Jesus, even a lifetime seems like a 'little while' when compared to the glory to be revealed in us!

Homily for Wednesday of the 6th Week of Easter

For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/043008.shtml



Mary, Queen of Vocations, pray for us!


This is maybe my favorite reading from the Acts of the Apostles, mostly because Athens is one of the few places I have been where Paul preached the Gospel. Mostly because of good fortune (long story for another time) I ended up in Athens with some time to kill in October of 2006, so I went with Fr. Bill Porter to the top of the Areopagus to visit the Parthenon. We took a bible with us and read about Paul's preaching there. Of course we had to laugh when we heard the reaction of the Athenians to Paul's preaching about the resurrection. Most of them said they might like to hear Paul about this another time!

Who are we to complain that preaching the resurrection of Jesus is difficult?

The Gospel today reminds me that indeed our heads cannot contain now everything that we will need to know for the future. Our futures consists of millions of small uses of our freedom, and in each situation, we are to call upon the Holy Spirit to remind us of Jesus' presence and to take from the truth that is His and deliver it to us as we need it. Just as we cannot haul around with us all the food and water that we will need for the rest of our lives - this would be cumbersome, so the Holy Spirit allows us to confidently travel light during this our pilgrimage, for the Holy Spirit will always be there to deliver to us the message of truth we need to hear from our Lord!

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Homily for Tuesday of the 6th Week of Easter

For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/042908.shtml

St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us!

Perhaps the most difficult part of discerning the priesthood or religious life is taking the necessary step to 'subtract' something from one's life in order to pursue something greater. Jesus is disappointed that His disciples in today's Gospel are not asking Him where He is going. It is one thing for them to be grieved at his promised departure from them, for certainly they are losing the greatest thing in their lives, His presence among them. The Lord has to tell His disciples, however, that it is better for them if He goes. They can only see the pain of losing His immediate presence and cannot therefore see by themselves the greater ramifications of His ascension into heaven. Jesus must remind them that He will only do what is best for them.

many young people who are theoretically open to a religious vocation are confused by their intense desire for marriage and for other careers. Ordinarily, we are in the habit of adding as many good things to our lives as we can. Discernment is more than this kind of addition, however. The best discernment takes place when we find the one necessary thing. Jesus promises that this one necessary thing is He Himself, and He always invites us to leave everything else behind in order to follow Him more exactly. So discerning the voice of Jesus is oftentimes as much about subtraction as it is about addition. In the end, discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life can be likened to Jesus' conversation with His disciples regarding his Ascension. It is better for you if I go, Jesus says. Will it be better for all concerned if we go with Jesus so that many will come to believe in the kingdom of heaven?

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Viva Il Papa! Viva!

Returned this morning from an incredible weekend in New York City with the Pope. Although we had to stand in the sun for 7 hours straight with no food on Saturday, we were rewarded with great seats right in front of the stage for Kelly Clarkson (just kidding, although she was there and did unofficial 'open' for the main event) . . . er, for Pope Benedict XVI. I tried to take some video with my camera (only allows 10 minutes of video) and I'll put that up later this week when I have a chance. It was a great prayer service and the best part besides the Pope's gestures, enthusiasm and words, were the spontaneous cheers and songs that rang through the crowd at St. Joseph Seminary in Dunwoodie, site of the seminarian and youth event. The seminarians were out of control boisterous, and I hope my amateur video captures that. On Sunday we had another glorious day, and although I could complain about how difficult it was to learn how to distribute communion at Yankee stadium, suffice it to say that distributing the Holy Eucharist at this papal Mass in my home country is something I wouldn't trade for the world! Thanks to Fr. Bill Porter, I was able to distribute on the lower level, which meant that during the consecration, I held a ciborium of hosts that the Pope consecrated. We then walked beside the Pope and I was 10 feet from him as he consumed the precious blood of the Lord. It was great! More reflections later on what the Pope said and what I experienced. Just for the record, I was standing in the hole between 3rd base and short during the consecration - right where ARod and Jeter usually play! I'll never be a fan of the Yankees, but I was able to do something on that historic field that went so far beyond the influence of baseball. I am so grateful!

Homily for Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041708.shtml



St. Peter, Vicar of Christ, pray for us!
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St. Paul does his best to preach to the Jews in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia. He speaks in terms with which they are familiar, quoting the law and the prophets. Pope Benedict as he addresses the United States this week will try to make his knowledge of the scriptures and of theology accessible to us. He will do this in speeches of course, but most importantly, through his homilies that He will given in the context of the Eucharist. This is where we as Catholics seek conversion. I look forward to hearing the homily the Pope will give today at National Stadium in Washington DC. Pope Benedict is a great theologian, but He will speak plainly to us for the benefit of our conversion to Christ. He comes not to be served, but to serve, in imitation of Christ who washed his disciples' feet before reminding them that they will carry the same cross that He will carry, since no messenger is greater than the one who sends him.





What is great about the Pope's visit is that we see clearly in him Christ's promise to leave as gift more than His words. Christ's words are indeed recorded for us in Holy Scripture, and there are many who appeal to Scripture as the only revelatory authority, and many others who are happy to receive the spiritual message delivered by Jesus but who want no part of the Church that He founded. The Pope leads his flock in accepting from Jesus not simply the responsibility to pass on His words, but also the great gift of sharing in His mission of reconciling the world to the Father. Jesus does not say in today's Gospel - whoever receives the word that I spoke receives me. No, He says that whoever received the one I send receives me. Through our confirmation each one of us shares in the responsibility of making Christ more present by offering our bodies as a sacrifice acceptable to the Lord, and by making up in our suffering what is lacking in the suffering of Christ. Through apostolic succesion that can be traced to St. Peter, Pope Benedict appears to us this week as one who has been sent (an apostle) to represent Christ to the people of the United States. Pray that our country will be humble enough to receive Him as we would receive Christ, and in so doing to welcome the blessing of our Father in heaven!

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Bale/Nomo disaster

Tonight was the first night all year when I had a chance to watch a few innings of the Royals and I turned the TV off because the game was so bad. Last time I checked it was 11-6. What is terrible is that this is the first time all year we are going to score over 5 runs, and we will not get the win. Bale looked very hittable what little I saw of him, and Nomo was terrible unless he got a guy to swing at his splitter in the dirt. I think we are paying Bale a fair amount so I guess he will probably get 3-4 more starts as long as we are staying around .500. Nomo could be gone tomorrow. I love the Royals' start, and I am so excited about Greinke and Bannister. I know there is no reason to complain right now. But these wins are just as important as those in September, and if we hand the 4-4 tie off to someone besides Nomo, who knows if this is one we might have let get away. By the way, the Royals are running the basepaths like kamikazes right now. They are getting away with it, but man, hasn't sabermetrics shown conclusively that you have to steal a really high percentage ot make it worth stealing at all? I'll be interested to hear Rany comment on the topic some more.

Homily for Wednesday of the 4th Week of Easter

For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041608.shtml

2nd Day of Apostolic Visitation of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the United States of America

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Mary, Mother of the Risen Lord, pray for us!

The pope is appropriately called the Vicar of Christ - his principal representative. I saw in the National Catholic Register today a large apologetic piece talking about the papacy. It looks like it has been prepared for printing in major newspaper around the country, and I hope that it is. The pope as the Vicar of Christ takes on the responsibility of speaking on behalf of Christ, and this is what he is in the United States to do. First of all, the pope must strive to know Christ, especially in the Scriptures and in the breaking of the bread, and no doubt Pope Benedict has done this well or he would have never been elected to this special office. But what is more, through the holy office of the papacy which is Christ's gift to the Church, the pope receive the special assistance of the Holy Spirit to help him to speak the words Christ would want us to hear. Just as Barnabus and Paul were impelled by the Holy Spirit to carry the Gospel to new lands, so Pope Benedict has also been driven by the Spirit to carry the Gospel to every corner of the earth. Now is the time he sees fit to visit the United States and to proclaim the Gospel to all people here whom he has the responsiblity to shepherd. May he be helped by all our prayers and he takes on this responsibility. The pope must imitate Jesus closely by always reminding us of the great love Christ has for us. The pope does not visit us to condemn us, but to remind us of all that Jesus did and said. It is the word of Christ which gives life, and gives life in abundance. It is this word that the pope comes to speak to us, so that we will no longer dwell in darkness, but can enjoy the happiness that God the Father intends for us through the redemption of His only begotten Son. The pope does not come to condemn, but in imitation of Christ, he does come to leave us a word that can lead to life, or if it is ignored, to death. Let us pray that our country will have the humility to listen to this Vicar of Christ, and the courage to be converted by the words we hear!

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