LATEST HOMILY
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 10, 2020

As we continue the Easter season, the readings move away from resurrection narratives of Jesus and we are now hearing from the readings of today how as baptized believers we are to participate in the life and mission of Jesus. The Christian faith is not a spectator faith, a faith where we just sit back and listen or study. These activities are important because they promote spiritual growth and development. Yet we are called to be active members of the Church. We are called to unite ourselves with Christ and carry on the work he started during his earthly ministry. 

Jesus tells his disciples in the upper room at the last supper “I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.” That is the challenge for us today to continue the work of Jesus in the world. On that fateful evening Jesus was a source of much joy and sadness. Because of his great love the disciples were overjoyed, but his message of impending suffering and death brought sadness to his followers. Yet Jesus will not leave us as orphans, like the disciples he shows us the way to life.

It is this way if we follow it that will make us fruitful disciples of Jesus. For this way is Christ himself. The disciples had accompanied Jesus for three years and had witness the mighty works of the Lord yet they failed to see that he was the way. Thomas, the man who likes to confront and the one with the very literal mind, protests: “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” He is clearly thinking in geographical terms. In fact, all Jesus’ words about going and coming are spoken on quite a different level of meaning altogether. However, we can be grateful to Thomas for drawing out of Jesus one of the great sayings of John’s Gospel: “I AM the Way — I AM Truth and Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” It is obvious from all that has already been said that the Way of Jesus, all the coming and going, the “places” which are being prepared are not to be understood in any literal or spatial sense. They are to be understood totally in terms of mutual relationships, the mutual relationships between Jesus, the Father and his followers. The “Way” of Jesus, through his coming suffering and death, will end in the new and abundant life he wants for all his followers. 

The Lord Jesus came to fulfill God's promise to bring his people, not simply to a land flowing with milk and honey, but to a restored paradise and new creation where we can dwell with God in perfect peace and unity. That is why Jesus proclaims, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. Jesus does not simply give advice and direction. He personally is the Way, and we cannot miss it. Through his life-giving word and Spirit, Jesus leads and guides us personally every day. To follow the Way of Jesus is not to go anywhere. It is to become a special kind of person, a person whose whole being reflects the Truth and Life that Jesus reveals to us. It is to be a person who is totally identified with the vision and the values of Jesus. To be such a person is to be a person of Truth and Life.

To continue the work of Jesus then is to follow his way into truth and life. In the first Letter of St. Peter we are reminded that we are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart….” We through our baptism have been chosen to bring the Good News to those who hunger for truth and life. We too must hunger for truth and life and so our lives must be a continuous conversion always turning towards the Lord. In this way we become better instruments for the work of God. 

This weekend we must recall our mothers both living and dead who showed as the way to Jesus. The way to love and to grow in holiness. We thank them for being our first teachers. We ask God to continue to bless them and may we always honor them with a spirit of profound respect. 

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 3, 2020

Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter; this Sunday is also commonly known as Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocations Sunday. This weekend we pray especially for the shepherds of the Church and for an increase of workers to tend the flock of Christ scattered throughout the world. We pray for ourselves too, that we may recognize Christ the Good Shepherd and follow his voice, which leads to salvation.

The image the Church offers us this Sunday is that of the Good Shepherd; the Church sees the Good Shepherd as an interpretation of the Risen Christ.  Jesus depicts aspects of what must have been experienced by many in his audience, some even first hand.  For Israel, while a land of agriculture and trade, was also a land of animal husbandry, particularly involving sheep.  In his extended talk of shepherd and sheep and gate, Jesus brings to the consciousness of many the qualities of a good shepherd and of his relationship with his sheep.

Also, as part of the awareness of his audience was the image of shepherd as used in the Hebrew Scriptures so well known to the people.  Famous are passages in which Yahweh describes himself as Israel’s first, greatest and only Shepherd.  His emphasis in using this image is the unending care of the shepherd for his sheep.  He alone can ‘lead them to lie down in green pastures’, he alone can adequately defend them, and he alone is best at laboring to find lost sheep.  Such a long-standing image of Yahweh plays a significant part of what Jesus is attempting to convey to his audience. [John Kilgallen, SJ]

By our very baptism we are all called to hear the word of God and make it our own. On this Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocations Sunday we are charged to pray for our shepherds those who presently serve the church and those who are contemplating service in the church.   

We are called to pray for our priests and bishop and those who are in formation to become priests. Amidst the coronavirus pandemic many priests have died around the world, some from underlying health conditions, others as a result of pastoral zeal seeking to bring comfort to the sick and suffering.  In early March during mass the Holy Father called on Italian priests to 'have courage to go out to the sick' amid the rapidly growing pandemic.'We pray to God also for our priests, so they have courage to go out to the sick, bringing the strength of the Word of God and the Eucharist,' he said. A good shepherd does not run away when trouble comes but remains with the flock. 

Yet the most effective way to pray for and support vocations in the Church is to recognize the basic vocation to be a Christian. We must first of all pray for the grace to live out our vocation as Christians because it is only from this reality that priestly vocations will blossom and take root. We must never forget that all the baptized have a vocation. “Thus, every lay person, through those gifts given to him, is at once witness and the living instrument of the mission of the Church itself…” [LG 33]

The Church can only grow when we all take up the challenge of our particular vocations and contribute to the holiness of the Church. We do this by listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd through the words and teachings of the Church and the actions of her liturgy. We do this by building a strong relationship with the Lord and sharing that relationship with others. We do this by dying to ourselves and rising to a new life in Christ. May Christ lead us all to verdant pastures and give us courage for the trials of this life.  May we heed the voice of the Good Shepherd who leads us to everlasting life. 

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 26, 2020

The Emmaus story is perhaps one of the best-known stories in the gospel. For the Christian, this story should help us to recognize our own pilgrimage on the road to salvation. Luke in telling this story begins with two disciples on the road from Jerusalem, for the evangelists Jerusalem was the focal point of Jesus’ ministry. Recall that throughout his public ministry Jesus was always heading towards Jerusalem. During Holy Week we followed Jesus to the holy city, to the last supper, the trial, crucifixion and his glorious resurrection, which we now celebrate.

The Emmaus story captures the Christian struggle to see Jesus, as he truly is, the Son of God. For Jesus is really the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the hope of Israel. In breaking open the scriptures to these two disciples Jesus explains the entire paschal mystery that is his purpose in this world. Luke is the only writer to speak clearly of a suffering Messiah. The idea of a suffering Messiah is not found as such in the Old Testament. Later, the Church will see a foreshadowing of the suffering Messiah in the texts on the Suffering Servant in Isaiah.

Why didn’t the two disciples recognize Jesus? St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) reflects on the dimness of their perception:

"They were so disturbed when they saw him hanging on the cross that they forgot his teaching, did not look for his resurrection, and failed to keep his promises in mind" 

"Their eyes were obstructed, that they should not recognize him until the breaking of the bread. And thus, in accordance with the state of their minds, which was still ignorant of the truth (that the Christ would die and rise again", their eyes were similarly hindered. It was not that the truth himself was misleading them, but rather that they were themselves unable to perceive the truth." 

Whenever we read or listen to this story let us be reminded that it reflects our Christian journey. – The two disciples were on the right road but were moving in the opposite direction of Jerusalem. They were in essence, running away from where Christ is to be found. We do it all the time.

•  Meeting Jesus in the unexpected place or person or situation. How many times does this happen and we do not recognize him, or worse mistreat him?
• Finding the real meaning and identity of Jesus and his mission in having the Scriptures fully explained. Without the Scriptures we cannot claim to know Jesus. Yet how many Catholics go through life hardly ever opening a bible?
• Recognizing Jesus in the breaking of bread, in our celebration of the Eucharist. The breaking and sharing of the bread indicates the essentially community dimension of that celebration, making it a real comm-union with all present.
• The central experience of Scripture and Liturgy draws us to participate in the work of proclaiming the message of Christ and sharing our experience of it with others that they may also share it.
• The importance of hospitality and kindness to the stranger. “I was hungry… and you did/did not feed…” Jesus is especially present and to be found and loved in the very least of my brothers and sisters.

The presence of Christ can be terrifying and shocking at times for all of us… it is at these very moments when we are given the opportunity to enter into a deeper relationship and understanding of who Christ is and how we fit into his mission. May this Easter season be for us a time of renewal and deepening of our understanding and acceptance of Christ present among us, in word, sacrament and in our brothers and sisters.

Many are searching for Jesus in this time of tremendous challenge and distress. Jesus is not far away, even if we remain at a physical distance from the church building and her sacraments we are united in the Word and the prayers of the Church. By being faithful family members, we strengthen the Church for the home is rightly called the ecclesia domestica. “The Christian family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial communion, and for this reason too it can and should be called "the domestic Church." 

St. Catherine of Siena’s search for the Eternal God is expressed in a way that should encourage us never to give up. “You are a mystery as deep as the sea; the more I search, the more I find, and the more I find the more I search for you. But I can never be satisfied; what I receive will leave me desiring more. When you fill my soul I have an even greater hunger, and I grow more famished for your light. I desire all to see you, the true light, as you really are.” 

May we embrace the Emmaus story in our lives so as to see Jesus. 

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
April 19, 2020

On this Divine Mercy Sunday during the pandemic of COVID 19, we cannot help but recall the words of Pope Francis ; “We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace. Our salvation depends on it. Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us. ... At times we are called to gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father's action in our lives… a time when the witness of believers might grow stronger and more effective.” How true these words ring out throughout the world at this time of fear, confusion, suffering and death. Yet in the midst of such uncertainty is the assurance of Divine Mercy.

The disciples of Jesus locked away in fear were in need of God’s mercy. And certainly God’s mercy was shown to each one of them, including Thomas who was not initially present. Thomas did not believe at first but to his credit he did not walk away, he did not totally dismiss this incredible story but wanted to see for himself before trusting. We are like Thomas sometimes, we must see in order to believe in the Divine.

One in whom we can trust is the resurrected Christ who invites us to receive his divine mercy. In his divine mercy all fear and worry loses its grip over our lives. This is possible however only if we believe in order to see and touch Christ and thereby become witnesses of his resurrection. By remaining with the other disciples for a long fearful week, Thomas teaches us that even in the midst of doubt and fear, we need to remain faithful to our core beliefs, we need to remain among the people of God and as St. Paul says work out our salvation. Thomas, like so many of the saints teaches us that perseverance through doubt and fear yields the peace of Christ whom the Christian should always long for. As our Lord told John in his vision, “I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever.” This is the God whom we seek!

The resurrected Christ then is the embodiment of mercy, for he died for each one of us that we may receive eternal life. That is why we describe God as a most merciful father for sending us his only begotten son. Sister Maria Faustina in her dairy begged God for his mercy; “O Lord, goodness beyond our understanding, who are acquainted with our misery through and through and know that by our own power we cannot ascend to you, we implore you: fill us with your grace and keep on increasing your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do your holy will all through our lives and at the hour of our death. Let the omnipotence of your mercy shield us from the darts of our salvation enemies, that we may with confidence, as your children, await your final coming…” 

In this time of trial, may we experience the mercy of God in our lives in a most profound way, giving us hope and assurance. May the words of Jesus ring true for us today and always “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” For to follow the risen Christ is an encounter which lasts for all eternity.

EASTER VIGIL 
April 11, 2020

The solemnity of this vigil and Easter day celebrated over a seven-day period and the season of Easter for another 43 days impresses upon the Christian the significance of such an event to the church and the world! Christ is the light that banish all sin and makes us holy. The Easter vigil begins in darkness outside and then led with the light of the paschal candle into the church symbolizes the Christian pilgrim from death to new life, from slavery to sin, to true freedom in Jesus Christ.

The first reading of this vigil taken from the book Genesis impresses upon us that at the very beginning “the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss…” God the Father commanded that there be light, and there was light. In your homes as you ponder the readings tonight you should realize that the church who is our mother and teacher in choosing these readings desires us to see the hand of God forming our universe, and then a people to be his own. We, made into God’s image, are partners in that work and stewards to take care of all that makes up this planet, especially all living things.

In the story of the Exodus. The great event in which God’s people are brought out of the half-life of slavery into full freedom and full life. We need no longer be slaves but God’s own people (yet many of us remain enslaved to habits and desires). 

The liberation from Egypt is an event celebrated and commemorated to this day by the Jewish people at their Passover. And we can join our celebration with theirs at this time.

As the crucified Jesus breaks through the bonds of death in glorious resurrection, he opens the gates of life for us too.

“I AM the Resurrection and the Life.”

“I have come that they may have life and life in greater abundance.”

“I am the Way: I am Truth and Life.”

This evening is usually the special time for catechumen to be baptized and the elect to become full members of our community in Christ. It is a time of special joy for them and for us. But in this time of COVID-19 we must wait to witness such a joyous event. We can at this time reflect on the meaning and the effectiveness of our own Baptism in our lives.

Our Baptism and Confirmation and our sharing in the Eucharist are the signs of our participation in this outpouring of life and love which we celebrate this evening.

The going down into the water is our dying to the ways of sin and evil.

The coming out of the water is a rising to the life God wishes us to have and experience.

Our baptism and confirmation are an ongoing reality reflected in the way we live out the Gospel from day to day.

From our homes we can renew our promises, renew our allegiance to Christ and the Christian community, which is his visible presence in the world.

May this night be the beginning of our renewal to let our light shine in a darken world that the gospel of truth and love may be made known through our living the baptismal promises.

PALM SUNDAY of the LORD'S PASSION 
April 5, 2020

The Church has given us five weeks to prepare for this day and the coming days of Holy Week. In this time of COVID-19 the past few weeks have provided us with even more time to remain silent and to contemplate on the paschal mystery. Today’s mass sums up the paschal mystery, which will be played out over the next seven days. Indeed, the entire season of Lent is a journey with the Lord in his suffering, death and resurrection. In her liturgies the Church strives to teach us the deep meaning of what it is to be a follower of Christ.  And even though during this Holy Week you will not be able to be physically present for the liturgies, I invite you to participate via live stream at 9:00 a.m. on the Archdiocesan Face Book page. As we enter into Holy Week and the drama of the paschal mystery unfolds before us, we should see these events not as individual occurrences but as a whole. 

Jesus came into the world to save it and now he is approaching his appointed hour. Today’s liturgy begins with his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and yet there are those in the crowds who disapprove of such a celebration, “some of the Pharisees …said to him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’” This is the beginning of the long shadow that will be cast upon Jesus leading up to Good Friday. Today with our palm branches placed on our front doors, we enter Jerusalem with Christ but we must follow him to Calvary if we are to be witnesses to the empty tomb. 

St. Paul in the second reading provides us with the key to unlock the mysteries of Holy Week. The reading is a hymn, incorporated by Paul in his letter to the Christians at Philippi, in northern Greece. It expresses the "mind", the thinking of Jesus, a "mind" which Paul urges us to have also if we want to identify fully with Jesus as disciples. "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus." The key word in the passage is "emptied". This kenosis, or emptying, is at the heart of Jesus' experience during his Passion.

As Jesus empties himself we too must empty ourselves from all that prevents us from having the mind of Christ. It is important to move beyond the intellectual understanding of the suffering of Jesus and embrace the mind of Christ. The pilgrim life leads to service, to humility, it carries us to Jerusalem, to the cross and the grave. This is where life is renewed and faith restored. 

As the drama of Holy Week unfolds, we watch Jesus and his response to his disciples, the crowds and his enemies. We watch not merely as observers but as followers eager to learn and live by his example. We must desire to enter into the mind of Christ, his pain and misery, for in so doing we will also enter into the joy of his Father’s kingdom.