"You must believe in Truth that whatever God gives or permits is for your Salvation." St. Catherine of Siena

Sometimes, truth is hard to accept, because we don't understand. The ways of the Lord are not our ways. God sees this present moment in my life in the context of eternity. I only see this present moment. St. Paul was aware of this when he wrote< :I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us." (Roms 8:18) God desires our eternal happiness with him. Whatever it takes to accomplish this he wills or permits in our life. Because of this desire we trust in his eternal plan for us. As we surrender to the will of God, we pray for the strength to embrace his will.

 "Believe me, if you knew Who is with you, you would not fear anything the world has to offer." St. Macarius the Great

Throughout the Scriptures, God would remind different individuals, "Fear not, know that I am with you." God says the same comforting words to each of us each day no matter our circumstances.  Jesus reiterated this same message when he said: "If you keep my word, the Father and I will dwell within you." In faith we attest that when we were baptized, we became adopted sons and daughters of the living God. God made his dwelling in us and remains in and with us, as long as we are one with him. And even when we separated ourselves through sin, he remains with us, calling us back to share in his life. Would not our life be different if we consciously lived in the presence of the Lord? Even in times of difficulty, we will know that we are not alone, but can turn to the indwelling presence of  God. This is the internal peace God desires for us, when storms rage all around us.

 "Holiness does not consist in not making mistakes or never sinning. Holiness grows with the capacity for conversion, repentance, willingness to begin again, and above all with the capacity for  reconciliation and forgiveness." Pope Benedict XVI

God does not look down on us when we fall. Rather, he sees our need for the grace to get up and return to him. Even if we fall again and again, God's merciful love for us reaches out to us again and again. Otherwise, we would stay down and remain alienated from him. It is when we respond to these graces that we begin to grow in holiness. When we share in God's life of love we grow in holiness. It is like a valve. The more open it is, the greater the flow of water. The reservoir of holiness is unlimited. The amount we share in depends on our openness to the turns of the valve. Each time we repent, each time we show love, each time we forgive, each time we obey the will of God, we are turning the valve more open and the flow becomes greater, as we share in God's life.

"You wish to reform the world: reform yourself, otherwise your efforts will be in vain." St. Ignatius

Before we can change the outside, we must first change ourselves from within.  It is easy to see the faults of others, while being blind to our own faults. Jesus said that we should take the wooden beam from our own eyes, before trying to remove the splinter from the eyes of another. Yes, the world is always in need of reformation and this includes the Church. But since we are part of the world and part of the Church, that reformation begins with ourselves first. When we are in a better relationship with God, then the world and the Church is in a better relationship with God. Repent for the Kingdom of God is within you. 

 "In the first place it should be known that if a person is seeking God, His Beloved is seeking him much more." St. John of the Cross

God is always the initiator, the first to love us, the first to gift us, the one constantly seeking us. Our seeking him is a response to the grace God puts into our hearts. How often have I heard it said that God is no where to be found! I pray and there is no answer, as if there is no one listening. Why are we seeking God? For our sake or for his sake? Sometimes  we seek God in the wrong places. Sometimes we run away from the Lord like stray sheep, looking for greener pastures on our own. But the Good Shepherd seeks us until he finds us. Sometimes, though we seek him, we are afraid of his voice because of our sins. Like the "Hound of Heaven" God comes after us, not to chastise us, but to bring us into a deeper love relationship. In your search for the Lord, don't struggle against the current, but let the current of his love engulf you. He will find you for he is never far away.

 "If a man finds it very hard to forgive injuries, let him look at a crucifix, and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him, and not only forgave His enemies, but even prayed His Heavenly Father to forgive them also." St. Philip Neri

One of the ways Satan entraps us is in area of our relationship with those who hurt us. He taps into that wound with the salt of  anger and unforgiveness. How often we have tried to play God and wish ill on those who have hurt us in some ways? This spider web keeps us in bondage away from the freedom of the sons and daughters of God. Knowing this, Jesus both taught and manifested the high road that will bring us out of this darkness into the true light and life of God, namely forgiveness. We forgive not for the sake of the other but for our sake. We forgive, because we have been forgiven of our many offenses against God. We forgive, because the life of unforgiveness is like a silent cancer, hidden within us and destroying us. Call upon the name of Jesus and ask for the grace to forgive and be forgiven.

 "He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire." 
St. Ignatius of  Antioch

So often we need to be reminded of the centrality of Jesus in our lives, as Lord and Savior. When all is said and done, nothing is more important and has a greater consequence than centering our lives on Jesus. When we loose this focus, our lives seem to be out of order. When we return to this focus, then things, though not perfect, make sense. Because of our fallen nature we tend to stray from the truth. Thus, we need to be reminded again, as Jesus did to Peter. His question "Do you love me," was to refocus Peter's commitment to him, so that he could truly follow him. "Who do you say I am" is not an idle question. 

 

Homily: Feast of Corpus Christi Year C

 

Reading 1: We know very little about the person Melchizedek. He was King of Jerusalem and priest of God. He recognized that Abraham was a man of God and that God was with Abraham. For it was God who enabled Abram to defeat his enemies. May God be blessed! Abram, in his turn, gave a tithe of what he had taken from his enemies in thanksgiving.

 

What are we here for? We have come to recognize what God has done for us in our lives. He brought us to salvation through the death and resurrection of his Son. We come to give thanks. We have come to acknowledge the blessings we have received this past week and to give thanks. We have come to offer our tithe as part of that thanksgiving, knowing that God enabled us to so work and earn a living. For this we return thanks to God through the gifts of bread and wine. These will be transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ.

 

Reading 2: Paul was not at the Last Supper but the Lord in revelation showed him what he did and wanted done. The specific insight Paul adds is the statement: “As often as you eat the bread and drink the cup you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

 

Two Things: This is not a remembrance of a past event but a participation, of being present, making present Jesus’ death on the cross and all that it means in this moment and place for us. We are just as present at the Last Supper and on Calgary as were the Apostles and the women. Different times and different people but the same reality, the offering of Jesus to the Father for our salvation. To do this in remembrance of Jesus is not re-acting but making present the same event which will always be a present event because Jesus is the same Yesterday, today and forever.

 

The second point is that as we celebrate in the present moment the mystery of Jesus’ death and life, we are anticipating his coming again in glory. Jesus lives and we shall live eternally because of this Eucharistic gift to the Father.

 

Gospel: Three action are present. First, Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God, revealing God’s plan and message. Second, he cured those who were sick. This confirmed his word. Third, he gave them a foretaste, a foreshadowing of the great event to come, the Eucharistic banquet. He did this by taking care of their present hunger through the miracle of the multiplication of bread and fish, enough to feed five thousand with twelve large baskets of left overs.

 

The teaching, the healing and the feeding were a preparation for the Paschal mystery of love: the gift of his Body and Blood, the gift of salvation through his death on the cross, the gift of eternal life through his resurrection.

 

The Feast of Corpus Christi was instituted as a public witness of Jesus’ victory over our greatest enemy, death. “At its very heart, the Eucharist is the answer to the question of death, for it is the encounter with that love which is stronger than death. Corpus Christi is the response to this central Eucharistic mystery.”

 

Like Abraham, who is blessed by Melchizedek, we are blessed to hear God’s word, to be given the bread of life and the cup of salvation as our offering. In response, we are to act on the Word of God, to offer with Jesus ourselves to the Father and to become more like Christ as we share his divine life.

 "A man who governs his passions is master of the world. We must either rule them or be ruled by them. It is better to be the hammer than the anvil." St. Dominic

It is hard but not impossible to govern our passions. How often people prefer to be hammered by their passions into a type of slavery than to choose with grace to master the passions. The reason we fail many times is that we make the passions the center of our lives, to which we bow down in worship as to an idol. What would happen if we make Jesus the center of our lives, bowing down only to him? Our passions will remain, but they would lose their power over us. This will not happen quickly, since the dominance of the passions has taken place over a long period of time. But if we persist in focusing on Jesus, even if we fall short at times, then this focus will become stronger and remain longer. 

 "You fast, but Satan does not eat. You labor fervently, but Satan never sleeps. The only dimension with which you can outperform Satan is by acquiring humility, for Satan has no humility." St. Moses the Black

Jesus' humility was a stumbling block for Satan. This was one of the areas he kept attacking Jesus in. The ultimate act of humility for Jesus was his embracing death by crucifixion. Where Satan thought he had finally defeated Jesus, the Lord in fact defeated his creature. By imitating Christ' humility, we put on the armor that will help us overcome the onslaught of the enemy. Our focus is not ourselves or our powers but on God and his powers to deliver us, as long as we trust in him and remain firm in him.

 Feast of Corpus Christi  Year C

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. 

· Notice Jesus confirmed his teaching by healing those in need. There seems to be two different processes used by Jesus. He taught and then he would perform some extraordinary sign to confirm the teaching; or he exercised one of the gifts of the Spirit and then gave a teaching to verify what he did.

As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, "Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." 

· Though they were concerned about the needs of the people, the Twelve did not realize that Jesus had a greater concern for them. They are approaching a problem from the human perspective. Jesus wants to teach them that the same problem needs to be approached from God’s perspective. Do we see how we do the same thing?

He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves." They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people." 

· In saying what he said, Jesus was testing the disciples to see how they would respond. Even though they had seen many miracles and even though they knew Jesus was a man of God, they still responded humanly. Do we act any differently?

· They had not yet gotten to the point of asking what God would want them to do in this situation.

Now the men there numbered about five thousand. 

· The number is significant since it indicates the extent of the miracle that Jesus would bring about. It is not a matter of stretching what is at hand but of a true miraculous multiplication of the little that is there.

Then he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty." They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. 

· There is a sense of confidence shown by Jesus.

· These are the ritual actions that Jesus will used at the Last Supper when he instituted the Eucharist.

· This miracle is a foreshadowing of the greater miracle of changing bread and wine into Jesus’ Body and Blood.

And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.

· Imagine yourself there. What would be your reaction first to know that Jesus performed a miracle to feed the crowd and second that there was this abundance even when all had been satisfied?

· What does it say about God’s love for the people?

· When Jesus shares his own Body and Blood with you, what does it say about his love for you?

 "Every drop of kindness has a ripple effect. You never know how far reaching each ripple might be." St. Joseph the Hesychast

An act of kindness is an act of love. That is why Jesus made love a commandment and a way of life for his disciples. We see this played out in the ministry of Jesus. Each time he performed a miracle, word went out and people would bring their sick to him. How often we have heard of examples of kindness and love done to strangers, who in turned reciprocated with greater love to others. We don't know the effects of each act of love. Only God does. He will reveal these to us in eternity. Our need is to love and let its effects be measured and directed by God. 

 "To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything he has given us--and he has give us everything." Thomas Merton

So often we take things for granted. We experience and enjoy many things, as if they were due to us. The simple things like the air in our lungs, the intricate functions of every part of our body, the food we eat and the water we drink--all are gifts of God's bountiful love for us. The psalms reflect the right response to the wonders of God's loving blessings, gifts and deeds. What would we be, if God had not created and sustained us in existence? Who would we be, if God had not redeemed us and shared his divine life with us? Everything from God is a gift of his love. How can we respond? St. Therese of Avila stated it well: "Love is responded to with love." And this love is a reflection and and expression of our gratitude to our Beloved. Take time now to express your gratitude and make it part of your everyday.

 "Do you want to have God always in your mind? Be just as he made you to be. Do not go seeking another “you”. Do not make yourself otherwise than he made you. Then you will always have God in mind." St. Anthony of Padua

How can we find God, who made us in his own image and likeness with our unique identity, if we are not satisfied with ourselves and seek to be other than who we have been called to be?  God knows me to be whom he has created. He doesn't know me as someone else. When we embrace our true identity in Christ, then we will be better able to see the Christ within ourselves. We are who we are by the grace and will of God. With all our faults and failures, he knows us as the one he has created and called to himself by name. Seek to perfect that person, not some fixation of yourself. 

 "Turn your worry into prayer and your fear into faith. What you can't control, give to God." Pope Leo XIV

Easier said than doing it. Yet, what is our option? Be controlled by worry, anxiety and fear or surrender to the Lord? Though the worry, anxiety and fear may linger to re-ensnare us, turning to the Lord and focusing out attention on him in prayer, faith and surrender brings a freedom. The father of lies offers us enslavement and darkness. The Father of truth offers us shared life with him.  It is our choice. Either we choose, with the given grace, the truth and live freely or we choose in the flesh the lie and live in depression, anxiety and fear.

 "Do not worry over things that generate preoccupation and anxiety. One thing only is necessary: to lift up your spirt and love God.:" St. Padre Pio

When Jesus had dinner in the house of Lazarus, Mary sat at his feet and listened. Martha busied herself with preparing and providing the meal. Upset that Mary was not helping her. Jesus' response was that Mary has chosen the better part. What Martha was doing was good. What Mary was doing was better. How often we fret over things that are not consequential, rather than focus on things that draw us to God. Paul reminds us to dismiss all anxieties and turn our focus to God. Life is too short for us to waste on the non essentials. What matters is what pertains to God.

 "Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips and the world in your heart" St. Ignatius of Antioch

A true disciple of Jesus Christ makes him the Lord of his life and words. Many people profess to be Christian, but are so only in name and because of baptism. However, their lives are no different than those who do not profess Jesus. They are more concerned with the things of the world than of things pertaining to the Lord and eternal salvation. If Jesus is the Lord of our lives in fact and deed then everything is second place in our lives. Our allegiance is to Jesus and not to the world. There is no straddling on the fence between the two. If we do, then we are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. Jesus will reject us. A true disciple is all in no matter the consequences. If Jesus is first in our hearts, then he will be on our lips.

 As the Feast of Pentecost is the birth of the Church, so the Monday after this feast is that of Mary, Mother of the Church. At the foot of the cross, Mary became both the spiritual Mother of each of Jesus' disciples and the Mother of the Church. How blessed are we to have such a person to walk with us as a individual and to walk with the Church as an entity. After the Ascension, Mary was with the Apostles and others praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, Mary was with the Apostles and others when the Spirit was poured forth upon them. As individuals and as a body of believers, we should seek her intercession and her protection, as we discern our journey to the fullness of glory with God.  Mary, Mother of the Church be with us and guide us to your Son!

 The Gift of Healing was an important ministry of Jesus and the Apostles and  has been for the Church down through the centuries. At the heart of this gift is the presence of expectant faith. It is God who heals. But how often Jesus would say, "Be healed according to your faith"? In his humanity, Jesus stepped out in faith when he saw a need or when asked to heal. But did the recipient or those asking also believed? Some healing will not be immediate or be known immediately. Sometimes, what the person thinks is the important need is not what God wants to heal. Each of us is given this Gift to pray for the healing of others. We are  only  instruments for the power of God to be manifested. In praying for the healing of someone, we pray always for the will of God to be done. Be not afraid to pray for the sick in the name of Jesus. Leave the results to God.

 The Gift of Tongues is expressed in two ways. One as prayer between the person and God. The other as a prophetic message to the community. The first needs no interpretation. The second, since it is a word to the community needs to be interpreted, not translated. Our God manifests himself in a variety of ways. Sometimes, he reveals his message to us directly through a prophetic word. At other times, h alerts us to his revealed message through the Gift of Tongues. This is evident in the Scriptures in St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians. Who are we to question God. We are called to be open to whatever way God wishes to reveal his plan and purpose. When a  prophetic word is spoken out loud in tongues, we need to ask God to give the gift of interpretation to someone. In any case, we need to be open to God to all his gifts, so that in all things he may be glorified.

 Homily Solemnity of Pentecost 

 

Reading 1: Something has happened to the disciples prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit. Their relationship with Jesus had changed. The initial encounter with Jesus was no longer the most important or that which made the significant difference in their lives. That initial encounter and the subsequent encounters were foundational but not necessarily lasting. They knew Jesus on their terms. They followed Jesus conditionally, as long as things went well and did not cost them. But when Jesus tested the strength of their commitment, they failed the test.

 

It was the encounter with the Risen Christ that solidified their relationship and enabled them to receive the outpouring of the Spirit. As a result, they were changed. Not just interiorly but exteriorly as well. No longer afraid, they were courageous. No longer afraid of the reactions of others, they yielded to the lead of the Holy Spirit.

 

Pentecost for them was the fulfillment of the promises made by Jesus to baptize them in the Holy Spirit with power. For ten days after Jesus’ ascension, they prayed, recalled their life-experience as disciples under Jesus. They repented of their sins. They waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit as Jesus had told them. Now, on Pentecost, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began proclaiming God’s mighty deeds in various tongues. From fearful men, they were transformed into zealot witnesses for Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Gospel: In hearing again, today, the Easter appearance of Jesus to the Apostles, the Church is helping us to see the connection of Pentecost with Easter.  On Easter Jesus encounters them, not as the man from Nazareth, not as prophet, teacher or healer. That relationship with Jesus is no longer sufficient. He is the Risen Savior and Lord, the Son of God, True God and True Man. It is this new encounter which seals his relationship with the disciples.

 

Extending his peace was to validate his forgiveness of their unbelief and their human reaction to his death on the cross. His commission is straightforward. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  As the Father had sent Jesus to proclaim and to witness, to evangelize and teach with signs and wonders as his credentials, so Jesus was sending the disciples to do the same.  As Jesus, at his baptism, received a fresh release of the power of the Holy Spirit, so he imparts to them that same gift.

 

What John is teaching us in his Gospel is that the Pascal Mystery, begun in the Incarnation of the Son of God as Man, culminated in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. To believe in the Resurrection of Jesus entails openness to the presence, plan and power of the Holy Spirit. To live fully in the resurrected life of Jesus in the present moment is to be open and respond to the gift of the Holy Spirit and his lead in our lives.

 

Reading 2: Jesus is Lord. The greater Jesus is the Lord of our lives in fact, the greater openness we will have to the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. The Lordship of Jesus is at the heart of our call to be holy and to grow in holiness, which can only be done in the Holy Spirit.

 

The Lordship of Jesus leads one to step out of the comfort zone of life into the waters of trust in the words of Jesus, acting in his name. The Lordship of Jesus brings us into community with one another. The bond of that unity is the Holy Spirit. To be of one mind and one heart can only take place if Jesus is our Lord and if we are living in the Sprit.

 

Being open to the various gifts of the Spirit enables us to proclaim Jesus as Lord as we follow the lead of the Spirit

 One of the Gifts of the Spirit that is misunderstood and avoided is the Gift of Tongues. The purpose of this gift is two-fold, personal edification and a  prophetic word for others. We are limited in our vocabulary in regards to praising and thanking God. The Gift of Tongues enables us praise God without limitation to our human vocabulary. It is the prayer of a child that trusts in the love of the parent, even when it can only utter child's babble. The heart of the parent knows the heart of the child. So God knows our heart as we praise him in our own language and in tongues. St. Paul talks about this in Romans 8:26-27. St. Paul himself desired that all would pray in tongues as he did.  What may sound foolish is the way that God invites us to a deeper relationship with him. Humble yourself before the Lord as a child and be a fool for Christ. 

 Feast of Pentecost: Gospel 

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." 

· That Jesus appeared on the first day of the week is one of the basis for our celebration of the Lord’s Day on Sunday, the first day, in contrast to the Jewish Sabbath which is the seventh day.

· The theology in the Gospel of John the Evangelist has a different focus than the other three Gospels. For him it is important to connect the central mysteries of the Paschal Mystery. These are: institution of the Eucharist (the Last Supper/Holy Thursday), the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus (Good Friday/Easter), the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

·    That the doors were closed and yet Jesus appeared in bodily form shows that the resurrected body is different from the ordinary human body. It has the same qualities but not limited by space and time.

· Why do you think Jesus initiates his Easter appearance to the Apostles with the greeting of Peace and ends with the forgiveness of sins? If you had denied the Lord, fled in fear, abandoned him at the time of his greatest need for support, would you be initially excited at his return or would you be expecting a strong reprimand or rejection? Anticipating this fear, Jesus reassures them of his forgiveness and love. How often have we experienced the same fear but received instead Jesus’ loving mercy and forgiveness?

·    Peace comes as a result of something else: relationship with Jesus. The greater the relationship, the greater is the peace. What is your relationship with Jesus at this point? What was it a year ago?

             The peace Jesus gives them is the grace of repentance and salvation.            

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. 

· They probably thought they were seeing a ghost. Jesus had to reassure them that he was truly risen and alive. How often has God had to reassure us on our journey?

· It was his suffering and death that has freed them of their sins and has brought them true reconciliation and peace with God.

· Though risen, the marks on his body remain visible so that they know it is the same Jesus.  He will carry these brand marks into heaven to be with him forever.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 

· Look up the Great Commission in Mt 28:18-20, or Mk 16:15-18.

· What Jesus said to the Apostles, he says to each of us. How have we fulfilled this in our lives so far?

· Have we personalized and accepted this commission of Jesus?

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

· One of the symbols of the Holy Spirit is that of breath. As God in the first creation breathed the breath of life into Adam and Eve, so now in the second creation Jesus breathes the life of the Spirit into the Apostles.

· You have been confirmed and empowered with the same gift of the Holy Spirit. To what extent are we conscious of the presence and lead of the Spirit in our daily lives?

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

· Though God has forgiven our sins, do we still hold on to them by not forgiving ourselves? Do we still hold others in bondage by not asking their forgiveness and forgiving them?

· How do you apply this Gospel message to your life today?

 There is the Gift of Knowledge for our sanctification and there is the Gift of Word of Knowledge for the service of others. When Jesus was in conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus had a Word of Knowledge about her marital situation. What the Spirit revealed to Jesus was not a word of judgment but a word of confirmation  to what was stirring in her heart. The proof of the Word of Knowledge lies in the other person. We are only called to be the messenger of the Lord to the person. Not every thought is of the Lord. It must be tested, but not stifled. Be open to the move of the Spirit and learn what is of God and what is not. Be not afraid to speak the Word given you.

 There is the Gift of Wisdom for sanctification and the Gift of Word of Wisdom for ministry of service. The first is for us; to second, for another. There are times we are talking to someone, when a thought comes to fore, which we had not previously thought of. It is an insight for the other person. It is a word that will give the other a deeper understanding of a question they are dealing with. Sometimes, we may tend to dismiss the thought. However, as strange as it may seem to say, ask God to give you a peace and then share it with the other person. Let the other person confirm if it is something that helps him/her on not. We are only instruments of God's word. We can be an open vessel or a closed valve. Trust in the Lord. Step out in faith and let God do the rest.