Wednesday Papal General Audience 12.04.2024; focuses on homilies: no more than 10 minutes long, says Pope Francis

 

Pope Francis waves as he arrives at the weekly General Audience  (VATICAN MEDIA Divisione Foto)

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Pope at Audience: Homilies should be focused and no longer than 10 minutes

Pope Francis continues his catechesis cycle on the Holy Spirit and the Bride, focusing this week's General Audience on the role of preaching in the Church, encouraging preachers to rely on the Gospel’s content and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

By Francesca Merlo

In continuing his cycle of catechesis on the Spirit and the Bride, Pope Francis dedicated his Wednesday General Audience to the evangelising work of the Holy Spirit in the preaching of the Church's ministers.

Addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope reflected on the First Letter of Peter, in which the first Pope defined the apostles as “those who preached the good news to you [through] the Holy Spirit."

Pope Francis explained that in this expression we find the two constitutive elements of Christian preaching, namely "its content, which is the Gospel, and its means, which is the Holy Spirit."

The content we preach

Reflecting first on the content, Pope Francis recalled the use of the word "Gospel" in the New Testament.

It has two principal meanings, said the Pope. When it indicates any one of the four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), the word means "the good news proclaimed by Jesus during His earthly life."

However, after the first Easter, the word “Gospel” assumes its new meaning "of good news about Jesus, that is, the Paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ," said the Pope.

He explained that this is what the Apostle Peter calls “Gospel” when he writes, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”

Pope Francis went on to note that the preaching of Jesus and, subsequently, that of the Apostles, also contains "all the moral duties that stem from the Gospel," starting from the ten commandments up to the “new” commandment of love.

But, stressed the Pope, "if we do not want to relapse into the error denounced by the Apostle Paul of putting the law before grace and deeds before faith, it is necessary always to start anew from the proclamation of what Christ has done for us."

It is for this reason, the Pope continued, that in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, "I insisted a lot on the first of these two things, namely the kerygma, or 'proclamation,' on which every moral application depends."

The means by which we preach

Turning then to the second of the two elements of Christian preaching, "means," Pope Francis noted that when considering kerygma, "we must bear in mind the means by which it is proclaimed."

The Gospel must be preached “through the Holy Spirit," said the Pope. "Preaching with the anointing of the Holy Spirit means transmitting, together with the ideas and the doctrine, the life and profound conviction" and thus “not with persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power."

Speaking off-the-cuff, Pope Francis urged preachers to transmit "one idea, one sentiment, and one invitation to action" within at most 10 minutes.

"After 8 minutes, preaching gets dispersive and no one understands," he said. "Never go over 10 minutes, ever! This is very important."

In bringing his catechesis to a close, the Pope noted that some might object, saying that it is easily said but wondered how it can be put into practice if it does not depend on us but on the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Preachers, he said, must pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to proclaim Christ with their preaching.

Secondly, he added, preachers must not preach themselves but Jesus the Lord.

"Not wanting to preach oneself also implies not always giving priority to pastoral initiatives promoted by us and linked to our own name but willingly collaborating, if requested, in community initiatives, or entrusted to us by obedience," he said.

In conclusion, Pope Francis prayed that the Holy Spirit might teach the Church how to preach the Gospel in an efficacious way to the men and women of today.

Cardinal Arinze: Shorten up those homilies

 

Cardinal Arinze cautions priests against lengthy homilies

Cardinal Francis Arinze during the centenary celebrations of Bigard Memorial Major Seminary in Rome in November 2024. | Credit: Bigard Memorial Major Seminary

By Jude Atemanke

Enugu, Nigeria, Nov 17, 2024 / 07:00 am

Vatican-based Nigerian Church leader Cardinal Francis Arinze has urged priests to avoid lengthy homilies, saying a homily should not be an exhibition of “theological acrobatics” but rather a reflection of the priest’s prayer life and a clear, concise proclamation of the Gospel.

In his keynote address during the 12-day centenary celebrations of Nigeria’s Bigard Memorial Major Seminary, Arinze emphasized the importance of priests delivering homilies that are deeply rooted in Scripture, liturgical texts, and sound theology. 

“A homily well prepared should last around 10 minutes. A university lecture of 45 minutes is for a different setting. A homily is not a display of theological acrobatics nor a harangue about money,” the cardinal said during a Nov. 13 event.

A homily, Arinze added, “is not an exposition of the local political climate nor a social disquisition on the economic hardships of the people. It should be the sharing of the prayer life of the priest for the past week in the presence of the Lord Jesus in the holy Eucharist.”

He explained that the major points of the homily are best put in writing and that the language of a homily should be clear — “not an admixture of English and the local language, nor an exhibition of the preacher’s ability to navigate in idioms.”

“A poor homily is an offense against the Word of God and against God’s people gathered to hear his word,” the cardinal said.

In his address titled “The Impact of Formations House on Education in Nigeria,” Arinze reflected on the priestly vocation and the role of seminaries in preparing future priests.

“It is expected that the seminary will train the future priest to be a good pastor of God’s people. He is the spiritual director of individual Catholics and of their associations … [h]is patient attendance at their meetings, where he delivers well-prepared addresses, is one of the ways in which he serves them,” the cardinal continued. “Lay leaders remain necessary according to the nature of each association. But the priest is their irreplaceable shepherd. As a good shepherd, he is neither in front nor behind his people; he is in their midst. As the pope would put it, he has the smell of the sheep.”

Arinze noted the alarming trend of young people drifting from the Catholic faith, turning instead to African traditional religions and other superstitions. 

“In many parts of our country, Nigeria, there is a lamentation that many young people today are rather poor in their knowledge of the Catholic faith. Many of them relapse into practices of the African traditional religion,” he said.

“They may engage in real idol worship; they believe in charms; they consult fortune tellers and some go so far as to kill even a relative in the hope that that will attract big money. It is not a surprise if such young people keep away from the sacraments.”

Arinze continued: “The problem is not solved by blaming the catechists for a job not well done. Some Nigerian dioceses have a remarkable increase in the number of their priests … Suppose such a diocese adopts the policy that a priest is to be the teacher of religion in every class in schools primary or secondary. It is not below the dignity of the priest to teach the young about God and religion. Moreover, the teenagers need answers to life’s challenges.”

“The seminary also has the role of preparing its [students] to be good preachers. A priest should be a convinced announcer of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.”

In his keynote address at the beginning of the 12-day centenary celebrations, Arinze reflected on the challenge of inculturation in the Catholic Church in Nigeria.

The cardinal pointed to ongoing efforts in the Church to respect local cultures, including the adoption of local names in baptism and hymns in Indigenous languages. 

However, he underscored the need for a more thorough and careful process of inculturation, involving bishops, theologians, and cultural experts. 

“For an element of culture to be inculturated, the bishops’ conference of the area or country in question has first to set up a multidisciplinary study commission of experts in theology, liturgy, scriptural studies, ethnology, psychology, and music. Such a high-powered commission will have to sift the many sides of an indicated custom or tradition and, if it considers it ripe, make recommendations to the bishops’ conference,” he said.

“Inculturation is very demanding on a local Church,” Arinze pointed out. “It is not a one-man affair. It is not the fruit of someone’s over-fertile imagination, which concocts an idea on Saturday evening and forces it down the throat of the innocent and unsuspecting Sunday Mass congregation the following morning.”

As Bigard Memorial Seminary enters its second century of formation, Arinze expressed gratitude for its successes, calling on future generations of seminarians and priests to continue the work of evangelization and faith integration. 

“Bigard Memorial Seminary has come a long way in 100 years in preparing clergy for evangelization. It has done a good job!” the cardinal said. “May the Lord of the harvest continue to bless and guide this respected alma mater of ours as it walks into its second century. May the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles, intercede for Bigard.” 

Bigard Memorial Major Seminary in Enugu was founded in Onitsha in 1922 and officially opened in 1924. It was moved to its current location in 1951. It was named after benefactors Stephanie and Jeanne Bigard, a French mother and daughter who were foundresses of the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle, who donated the funds for the main building.

In 1982, Pope John Paul II visited Bigard Memorial Major Seminary, the first Nigerian seminary to receive such a guest. 

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

A strong thought provoking homily for today by Deacon Greg Kandra

 

Deacon Greg Kandra

Loving our enemies: Homily for February 19, 2023, 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

What we have just heard may be one of the most famous passages in all the Gospels. The great Jewish scripture scholar C.G. Montefiore has called it “the central and most famous section” of the Sermon on the Mount.

It is also the one that is most fundamentally Christian – because it is the passage that calls on each of us to be the most like Christ.  More than that, it calls on us to be “perfect, like the Father is perfect.”

That is a tall order.

Look at what it entails:

Turning the other cheek.

Giving away your cloak.

And the most radical and counter-cultural of all: Loving our enemies and praying for our persecutors.

It sounds so nice and reassuring.  But think about it.

Love your enemies. Pray for your persecutors.

Consider all the people who have hurt you.  Those who have lied to you.  Stabbed you in the back.  The ones who gossiped about you or judged you unfairly.

Consider the friend that you trusted, who betrayed you.  The co-worker who broke a confidence.  The person whose name you’d rather forget — the one who wounded you, or disrespected you, or took advantage of you.  Look back on all the people in your life who have left bruises and scars, with a word or a look or a touch.

Now, imagine trying to do what seems impossible.

Love them.

Love them and pray for them.

Pray for their good.  Pray that grace will come into their lives.  Pray that their eyes may be opened, and their hearts may be healed.  Because the chances are, if someone has hurt you or persecuted you…it’s probably because someone once did the same to them.

It is a vicious cycle.  As Shakespeare put it: “Sin will pluck on sin.”

And that fundamental truth of our humanity – that the cycle just keeps going — may be one reason why Jesus, in this gospel passage, says: “Stop.  Enough.  Break the cycle.  Let it go.”

Love your enemies and pray for your persecutors.

I have a hard time with it, I’ll tell you.  When someone has hurt me deeply, I’ve spent a lot of nights lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, imagining wonderful ways of getting even.

But that kind of thinking is ultimately self-destructive – and counter-Christian. And Jesus himself knows that.

He knows we can do better.  He knows we can aim higher.

Be perfect, he says, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

In the final moments of his life, he showed us that perfection.  He taught us what he meant.  Surrounded by his enemies and his persecutors, he hung on the cross, stripped, bleeding, gasping, as they gambled for his clothes and waited for him to die. And in that moment, Jesus pleaded, and prayed: “Father, forgive them.  They know not what they do.”

Here is Christian perfection – our model for life, captured at the moment of death.  Here is love beyond measure: a prayer for a broken and unknowing world.

At one time or another, each of us has been suspended on our own cross, feeling helpless, or hopeless, facing cruelty or injustice.  Maybe some of us are there now, angry at what life has done to us.

How do we pray for, and love, those responsible?

As Jesus reminds us: it’s not hard to love those who love us – or to pray for those who matter to us.

Yet: we need to love those who hate us, and to pray for those who attack us.

How do we begin?

Writer Emmett Fox, in his book “Sermon on the Mount,” explains it in a way I think we all can understand.  And it starts with something so simple, but so hard: forgiveness.

He says: by not forgiving we “are tied to the thing [we] hate. The person perhaps in the whole world whom you most dislike is the very one to whom you are attaching yourself by a hook that is stronger than steel. Is this what you wish?”

I think we all know the answer.  We need to detach ourselves from that hook.  Then, and only then, can we begin to heal, to pray for those who have hurt us so deeply and, by God’s grace, love.

I can’t talk about forgiveness without thinking of what happened 17 years ago in the small town of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. You know the story. A man by the name of Charles Roberts walked into a one-room schoolhouse and shot 10 young girls before turning the gun on himself. Nickel Mines is Amish country, devoutly Christian. The Amish responded not with vengeance or anger or rage, but with compassion.

They responded with love.

The day after it happened, a member of the community, wearing his black coat and hat, went to the home of the killer’s parents, to pray with them, grieve with them, console them. He wanted them to know he didn’t blame them.

They day after they buried their children, several families attended Charles Roberts’ funeral. They hugged the man’s widow, members of his family. One of the Amish women, still grieving the death of her daughter, embraced the mother of the man who did it and whispered, “We are so sorry for your loss.” Later, they raised money for a fund for the widow and her three young children.

Charles Roberts’ mother has written a book about forgiveness, and put it simply: 

Forgiveness, she says, isn’t a feeling. It’s a choice.

So is love.

We are hearing this Gospel just four (three) days before we begin the season of Lent — when we will hear scripture calling us to rend our hearts and embark on a 40 day journey of prayer, fasting and alms-giving.

40 days that call us to draw closer to Christ by trying to be be more like him.

Hearing this challenge to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors is a fitting prelude.

So today, let us pray to do what Emmett Fox suggested: detach from the hook.  Let us pray for the grace to love the unlovable, to forgive the unforgivable, and to remember in prayer those we’d rather forget.

I have a long way to go to achieve that.  Maybe most of us do.

But only in beginning that journey toward love, only then can we dare to approach the perfection Christ spoke of – a perfection we can never fully attain, but to which we all have to strive, day by day, prayer by prayer.

Work to be more than what you are, Christ said.

Strive to be perfect, like the Father.

Jesus showed us the way.

How could we not try to follow?

A Homily for the Ascension of the Lord

 If you ever listened to the radio between 1970 and 2004 perhaps you remember Casey Kasem and the musical countdown known as America's Top 40.  No show would end until Kasem spoke these trademark words: "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars".

In life that advice often is reality.  We may be reaching for the stars, in the form of goals and dreams, but must remain firmly planted in our present moment, in our present reality.  Keep reaching for the stars, yes, but be the best you can be now and do the best you are called to do now!

As people of faith, we are called to reach for Heaven while working for the Kingdom right here, right now.

Today we arrive at the important Feast of the Ascension; a Solemnity.  We remember from Scripture and Tradition that the Ascension occurs 40 days after the Resurrection; some of us may recall when we celebrated the Ascension on a Thursday.  Yet here we are today celebrating the Ascension with not one, but two accounts of the Ascension of Jesus.  St. Luke, in the reading from Acts of the Apostles, tells us that Jesus was lifted up and St. Mark, in his Gospel tells us that Jesus was taken up.  So it's safe to say Jesus went up, all things point up.  But why?

Jesus went up to Heaven because the Ascension of the Lord is the logical next step after the Resurrection.  After perfectly fulfilling the will of the Father by dying for us in the greatest act of love the world will ever witness, then rising from the dead on the 3rd day, Jesus now returns to the Father.  Jesus takes his rightful place at the right hand of the Father, to intercede for us.  Jesus, now in Heaven, pleads for all of us! 

And remember, Jesus, ascended to the right hand of the Father in Heaven has never been closer to us.  Jesus, ascended to Heaven, still comes to us in Word and Sacrament, in our daily activities, in our coming in and our going out.  Jesus, ascended, is really, truly close to us!

Jesus also reminds us of the promise of the Holy Spirit.  For the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon the Apostles at Pentecost, which we celebrate next week, Jesus must take his rightful place in Heaven, next to the Father; God mounts his throne to shouts of joy!

And of course Jesus shows each of us what we too should do.  Heaven must be our destiny.  Like Jesus before us, we should set our sights on Heaven.  We must prepare, in this life, for our eternal citizenship in Heaven.  As we prayed in the opening prayer, where the Head has gone before in glory, the body is called to follow in hope.

Still we are called to work out our salvation here on Earth.  Jesus is reminding us to live fully every day we are given.  He tells his disciples, which means he is also telling us, go out into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.  In the Mass, we know that a Deacon or Priest proclaims the Gospel but all of us are called to proclaim the Gospel daily.  We do this by our witness to our faith, our prayer life and those times when we offer service and charity to one another.  Yes, we are called to serve our brothers and sisters by proclaiming the Gospel; preach the Gospel always and if necessary use words.  By our doing, and our very being, we too preach the Gospel!

In the week ahead, can we recall the Ascension of the Lord and be a witness to someone this week?  Maybe we can share a prayer or a word from Scripture, or perhaps we can do something for someone who can't do for themselves.  This week, we will be preparing for Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit.  We are now at the start of the Novena of the Holy Spirit, the oldest novena of the Church.  Saturday is day two, tomorrow is day three; we can pick up the Novena right now and continue praying the Novena until next Saturday.  The novena can be found on websites like EWTN. 

So if we can reach for the stars with our feet on the ground; we can strive for Heaven, our forever home, now, while we work for Kingdom and proclaim the Gospel, right here, right now!  Keep reaching up!

Homily for 5th Sunday of Easter

 

Today I’m going to show my age because I want to tell you about one of my favorite TV shows; it was called Make Room for Daddy; a very long-ago show that starred Danny Thomas.  What a gem he was.  An actor who was a man of great faith, a devout Catholic who, when faced with challenge and struggle, prayed to God and promised to build a shrine to honor Him.

We know today that the shrine is St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis Tennessee; the premier pediatric cancer hospital and research facility in the world.  No child is refused treatment at St. Jude and the family never receives a bill for the treatment and other expenses the family might incur.  All for the glory of God through the intercession of St. Jude Thaddeus.  Even a well-known and wealthy actor like Danny Thomas knew, without God he could do nothing; with God, he could do anything!

As people of faith do we make room for our Daddy?  Do we know with God, as our Father and Jesus our Savior we can do anything?

The Gospel tells us so with Jesus’ beautiful image of the vine and the vine grower:

I am the vine, my father is the vine grower…remain in me as I remain in you.  I am the vine, you are the branches…without me you can do nothing.

For we who are Catholic how do we remain in the Father and Jesus the Son?  Foremost because we are fed by the vine grower; we are fed with the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of the Father.  In the very participation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we remain in Jesus through the worthy reception of the Eucharist.  He feds us too in the proclamation of His Holy Word.  We hear the words of the Gospel along with two additional readings, usually from both the Old and New Testament.  Today, as part of Easter season, we hear from the Acts of the Apostles and the letter from St. John.  We are fed too by the beautiful words of the Responsorial Psalm: I will praise you Lord in the assembly of the people.  The beautiful prayers of the mass, parts of the Eucharistic prayer, all of this feeds us because God the Father is the vine grower, Jesus the vine and we are the branches.  And we are called to remain in Him.

Dear brothers and sisters, the church, all of us, has been through a most challenging and confusing time.  For many of our brothers and sisters it has been a long time away from the Mass, meaning in person.  We have been dispensed from attending Mass as Bishops struggled with what to do, often receiving confusing and contradictory counsel.  As detailed in today’s letter from our own Archbishop, after lengthy consultation and prayer, that dispensation will end beginning with the Masses of the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 6, 2021.  It is time to come home, to return to the table of the Lord, to participate fully in the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

As the Archbishop states: as we more frequently venture out, to socialize, shop, attend various events and activities outside the home, it is time to consider what the Lord is inviting us to; to be his branches, remain attached to vine, give glory and honor and worship to the vine grower.  For most of us, it is time.  For some, it may not be time; it may actually be impossible.  If this be the case, know that we will continue to live-stream, encourage the praying of an Act of Spiritual Communion, and to stay in touch with us at the parish office.  But again, many of us know it is time to return, so the vine grower and the vine invite you home.

For those of you have returned for some time now we know firsthand what a difference it has been to be back worshipping in community here at our beautiful parish church.  Know that you are so appreciated, as are those who will be returning soon and those who will be unable to return.  Your support, during this most challenging year, has allowed your parish to continue to respond to the many spiritual and physical needs of your brothers and sisters and our beloved parish as a community of faith.

On this most glorious Sunday when our Archbishop has called us all to come home, I have but one question to all of us who are the branches and in the spirit of good Danny Thomas:

Do you have time, will you make a way, to just Make Room for Daddy?

A homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter; a teaching homily on the Presence of Christ in the Word of God especially in the Mass

 I think it's safe to say that all of us who survived 2020 looked forward to the New Year; 2021.  While not without some challenges, even a few set-backs, on balance 2021 seems to be moving in a better direction.  The word hope seems to be used more these days than this time a year ago.  To that end both our Holy Father, Pope Francis, looked forward by dedicating the new year to good St. Joseph.  We too have responded here as we currently have an ongoing Consecration to St. Joseph well underway.  Then our Archbishop, Gregory Aymond declared 2021 to be the Year of the Eucharist.  In doing so, the Archbishop asked that monthly, we preach on the Mass, explaining the many parts of the Mass and their meaning.  We have heard about the opening rites, the penitential rite and the opening prayer, known as the "collect".  Today we are tasked to preach on the presence of Christ in the Word.

The Mass is really presented in two parts; the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  This should never be viewed as some type of separation rather it is a single act of divine worship.  All of us, as worshipping Catholics should be eager to both hear the Word proclaimed and participate in receiving the Eucharist.  

So today we unpack the Word of God and why it is vital to every celebration of the Mass.  The Church has determined that every Sunday Mass will have 2 readings, a responsorial psalm and the Gospel.  The Gospel is the high point of the readings therefore we stand and we introduce the Gospel with a robust Alleluia, except of course during Lent.  

These readings, over the course of a 3 year cycle on Sundays and a 2 year cycle on weekdays, allow us to experience almost 75% of the Bible.  This year we are in Cycle B, where we explore the Gospel of St. Mark.  Now, since St. Mark is the shortest of the 4 Gospels we also hear from St. John, especially during the Easter season, although today we heard from St. Luke.  In today's Gospel, Jesus, very much alive having risen from the dead, shares a meal with his disciples and opens their minds to understanding the Scriptures.  This is what occurs at every Mass; Jesus invites us to a meal, a banquet, the banquet of His body, blood, soul and divinity and He too wants to open our minds to the Scriptures, through the readings and the homily.

For our part, we are called to be attentive to God's Word and to discern what is God saying to me?  What does he want me to learn from His holy Word?  God desires that we unite ourselves to His Word, allowing the Scriptures to penetrate our very hearts and help us to experience joy and peace.  There is no better way to prepare for Mass than to read the readings before Mass, to make notes or jot down any questions.  After Mass, it is also recommended that we review what we heard proclaimed,  to reflect on the words of the homily and offer it all to God in prayer.  Praying with Scripture is highly commendable.

When we heard the Gospel of Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus we recall that while Jesus broke open the Word, their hearts were burning, when Jesus broke the bread, their eyes were opened.  This experience is the Mass.  At every Mass we attend, our hearts should burn with excitement and joy at the very words we hear proclaimed and our eyes opened at the Consecration and words of Institution; the breaking of the Bread.

When we leave this Mass today, may we be fully aware of the great gift of the Word of God and the Eucharist; a single act of Divine Worship!

Palm Sunday Homily Year B

 

Homily for Palm Sunday

Have you ever known anyone who speaks out of both sides of their mouth?  You know; say one thing one day then a completely different thing another day.  Truth is, we all have probably spoke out of both sides of our mouth sometime in our lives.

We may recall a politician or perhaps a public figure, like a talk show host or famous entertainer, who has spoken out of both sides of their mouths.

As people of faith, do we speak out of both sides of our mouths when it comes to following Jesus?

This Palm Sunday gave us the opportunity today to hear two Gospels proclaimed.  In the opening Gospel from St. John we hear of that first Palm Sunday.  The crowds are welcoming Jesus with praises of Hosanna and Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna to the Son of David!  Jesus was truly receiving "rock star" treatment.  And then we hear the account of the Passion, Crucifixion and death of Jesus from the Gospel of St. Mark.  We not only read, but participate in those angry words from the crowd: Crucify Him!  Away with Him! We have no king but Caeser!  Give us Barrabas!  Crucify Him!  Remember, these were many of the same people just days earlier praising Jesus and singing Hosanna's.  These people certainly are speaking out of both sides of their mouths.  And we, the people gathered today, say these words out loud as we participate in this Gospel.  From our lips we are asked to say these same words, Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!

This is our reminder that we too are guilty of the same sin of the people of two-thousand years.  We gather on Sunday and sing Him praise, we worship Him because He is our King of kings and Lord of lords.  But how often do we push Him aside during the week?  How often do we reject Him in our everyday hustle and bustle?  When we reject others; when we are not kind to people we know or have no care or concern for our persecuted brothers and sisters, we are shouting Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!  We are speaking from both sides of our mouths.  When we sin, we seperate ourselves from Him.  When we insist on doing it our way; following our will and not the will of the Father, we too are shouting Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!

On this Palm Sunday, on this day when we have heard the Passion, we can acknowledge that we too speak from both sides of our mouths but we go forward depending on God's loving mercy and forgiveness.  As we leave here today, with those blessed palms as our reminder, can we pray the words from today's Gospel uttered at the foot of the cross by the Centurion: truly this man was the Son of God.  May our prayer all week be our personal proclamation that for us, Jesus indeed is the Son of God!  In the days leading up to our Easter celebration, we still must journey through Lent and the days of the Triduum.  On Wednesday, we have the opportunity for a moment of sacramental grace at the deanery Reconciliation Service at Most Holy Trinity.  There are details in today's bulletin.  And Thursday, we gather as a parish family to remember the Last Supper when Jesus gave us the great gifts of the Mass, the Eucharist, the Priesthood and the gift of service in the washing of the feet.  Our celebration begins at 7 p.m. Thursday evening.  Please make every effort to come.  And don't forget we will have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, at the Altar of Repose until 10 pm.  Then we arrive at Good Friday; will we remember this day solemnly and prayerfully?  Or do we use this day as a reason to throw a lavish crawfish boil, complete with family & friends and lots of laughs?  Now, I'm not against crawfish boils, and fun.  But this Friday is Good Friday.  It is a day to contemplate that great gift of Jesus' death on a cross for you and me!  Our remembrance of the Passion begins at 3 p.m. and we will have Stations of the Cross at 6 pm.

All these things we can do, to honor the Savior and remember His great love for us.  May our week of preparation for Easter include our desire to be humble, like Jesus was humble, becoming obedient to the Father, to the point of death.  Like Jesus, may our humility help us to empty ourselves of excessive worldliness, and accept the gifts of Jesus' great love. 

Following Jesus' example, may we not speak out of both sides of our mouths.  Instead, may we proclaim with one loud united voice, as we heard in today's second reading: Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!

Homily for 5th Sunday in Lent

 Numerous broken bones throughout his body, 30 in just his right arm.  Shrapnel in both legs.  Both eardrums ruptured.  His carotid artery punctured, his right lung collapsed.  His jaw was obliterated and he lost the vision in his right eye.  He flat-lined three times.  He endured over 40 surgeries and 3 years in the hospital.  He is Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient; a highly decorated Marine.  In 2010, Cpl. Carpenter suffered these debilitating injuries when he literally threw himself in front of a live grenade to save the life of a fellow Marine.  When he appeared on the David Letterman show, and the list of his injuries was read, he responded: "I am an overachiever".  His bravery is truly inspiring, his sense of humor endearing.

41 years ago, an Archbishop in a war torn country visited a hospital to offer Mass and preach on this very Gospel we heard proclaimed today.  This Archbishop had endured much suffering because he actively opposed the civil war raging in his country and the social injustice visited upon the poorest and the weakest of his people.  Despite many warnings from the government to cease his opposition, he persevered, in obedience to the Gospel.  He said these words: "that we may give our body and our blood to suffering and to pain --- like Christ, not for self, but to bring about justice and peace for our people.  Let us join together, then, intimately in faith and hope at this moment of prayer"  His words stopped right there because at that very moment a gunmen burst into the chapel and gunned down Archbishop Oscar Romero.  He gave his life for true social justice, for the poor and the marginalized.  He gave his life for the Gospel and obedience to the Father.  Pope Francis canonized Archbishop Romero in 2018; he will forever be known as St. Oscar Romero.

In both Cpl. Kyle Carpenter and Archbishop Oscar Romero we have extraordinary examples of living out the messages proclaimed in today's readings.  In both of these men, we have extraordinary examples of obedience, faithfulness and concern for others, sacrificing self for the good of the other.

"Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered, and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."  These words from Hebrews are words of great hope and words that we would do well to know and to live.  Suffering is something that none of us will escape.  Like Cpl. Carpenter and Saint Oscar Romero, we too will suffer.  In my ministry, many share with me their suffering, from illness, the loss of a loved one, being bullied,  financial concerns, maybe even struggles with faith.  Yet in each of these instances, I hear hope, I hear trust and I hear a desire to be obedient to God's perfect plan.

How can we be faithful, how can we learn obedience, how can we be a people of hope and joy in a world of suffering?  We must become a grain of wheat.  That grain of wheat, Jesus tells us, must fall to the ground and die and produce much fruit.  Yes, we are called over and over again to die to self, to preserve our lives for eternal life, to serve Him and follow Him.  If we can persevere in obedience and faithfulness, listen to His promise: "where I am, there also my servant will be.  The Father will honor whoever serves me." 

There is so much hope, so much promise in today's readings but perhaps someone is hearing this and saying, how can I possibly do this?  How can I really obey Him?  How can I stay hopeful when confronted by suffering?  All good and proper questions.  Since Jesus suffered, and He suffered for us, he can sympathize with us in times of pain and hurting.  Turn to Jesus in prayer, deep intimate prayer, and ask Him to take on your pain as we offer our pain to Him.  When we struggle with obedience and faithfulness, we can turn to the words of Psalm 51, also heard today: "Have mercy on me God in your goodness, in your compassion wipe out my offense."

In the week ahead I plan to do the following as part of my Lenten journey.  I plan to read the entire homily of Saint Oscar Romero about that grain of wheat; his final words ever spoken before giving his all for Christ.  I also plan to read about the heroic witness of Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, who gave his body so another would not die.  I will ask myself, can I be more like Saint Oscar Romero and Cpl. Carpenter?  And I will pray Psalm 51, in it's entirety, at least one morning this week.  And every morning this week, as I rise to face another day I will ask God to create a new heart in me, a heart that will die to self and live to serve Jesus by serving one another.  Will you consider joining me?

If we have died with him, then we shall live with him, if we hold firm we will reign with him.  Unless a grain of wheat shall fall upon the ground and die, it remains but a single grain with no life.

A homily for the 2nd week of Lent

 When EF Hutton speaks, people listen!  Do you remember this TV commercial?  This investment firm’s advertising campaign implied that every word EF Hutton spoke was important, so people listened and took action.  If they listened carefully, the client made money.  Well, we all know by now, EF Hutton is no more. 

In our lives, people speak, we listen, perhaps we take action and the result has some benefit for us.  We were taught to listen to our parents, teachers, coaches and our boss.  When we got married we learned early on that part of the formula for a great marriage includes listening.  When we come to church, we should be listening too.  Unfortunately many studies tell us that listening is a struggle for us.  All too often we want to speak and not listen.  There is a reason God created us the way he did; he created us to listen because He gave us two ears and only one mouth.

 

As people of faith, we are commanded to listen to Jesus because God the Father told us: this is my beloved Son.  Listen to Him! 

 

Every 2^nd Sunday in Lent the Church gives us the Gospel of the Transfiguration!  The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all detail the Transfiguration and each account is remarkably consistent.  In each account of the Transfiguration we hear the voice of God the Father. We only hear God’s voice twice in all of the New Testament, once at the Baptism of Jesus (where He reminds us that in Jesus He is well pleased) and at the Transfiguration (where He tells us listen to Him). 

 

In the context of the Gospel of Mark, which we heard proclaimed today, the command listen to Him is to be understood as all the Good News of the Kingdom of God as proclaimed by Jesus.  If we want to know the Good News, if we want to share eternal happiness one day with God in Heaven, we must listen to Him!

 

In all the Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration we have the appearance of both Elijah and Moses.  The presence of Elijah and Moses embodies all of the Old Testament, the law and the prophets.  The Good News proclaimed by Jesus is deeply rooted in the Old Testament Scriptures.  We are called today, in hearing again the Gospel of the Transfiguration, to embrace all of the Scriptures; the New Testament and the Old Testament!  We are challenged to read and delve deeply into the Bible and listen! 

 

Listen to Him is not a mere suggestion from God; this truly is the path to glory.  The glory that shone forth from the transfigured body of Jesus Christ at Mt. Tabor is the same glory that stretched out His arms for us on that Cross, the same glory that burst forth in the Resurrection and the same glory present in His Holy Word, the Scriptures, and that perfect glory present in the Eucharist, His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, which we receive at Holy Communion in the physical appearance of bread and wine.

 

Of course, this is not mere bread and wine.  Today we hear the word Transfiguration in the Holy Gospel but as Catholics we should be very familiar with the word Transubstantiation.  This is the word, given to us by the Church to describe the changing of the bread and wine into His Body & Blood.  The words and actions of the Priest at the Consecration, the bread and wine become the actual, the real Body and Blood of Jesus while maintaining all the physical appearances of bread and wine.  It is a mystery of our faith and a real and present reality.  We are challenged to know not what we receive at Holy Communion; we are challenged to know who we receive at Holy Communion!  And we are challenged to receive Him worthily, by being properly disposed, properly prepared and spending all of our time before receiving Holy Communion listening to Him!

 

In the week ahead, as we continue our Lenten journey, our challenge is to LISTEN.  Can we ask ourselves throughout the week, do I really listen to Jesus?  Do I follow what He teaches?   Can we commit this week to listen to Jesus by reading the Bible at least twice this week?  Reread today’s readings perhaps tomorrow and read next Sunday’s readings at the end of the week.  Listen to what His Word is saying to me personally.  We have an opportunity to listen to Him next if we attend our Lenten Mission which begins next weekend with our Mission Presenter speaking at all masses.  This is a prime example of God calling us to listen, but we must accept the invitation!  And we can listen to Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  As we confess our sins listen to the words spoken by the Priest, giving us our penance and absolving our sins.  And when you really listen carefully, you hear Jesus for it is Jesus forgiving our sins.

One more point from today's Gospel; Peter proclaims: it is good that we are here.  It most certainly is good that we are here.  As we see hopeful signs concerning this pandemic, as more folks are vaccinated, we are all praying for the day when all of us are here; and that too will be very good.  Perhaps today is the day for us to prayerfully consider our return to Mass.  Know that I am not talking to those, who for whatever reason, still cannot return, for all the rest of us, we want to welcome you back to Mass, back to our beautiful church and our church family.  We are made to worship in community, as the Body of Christ, and we want you, if at all possible, to come home.  Yes, it is good that we are here.

 

Yes, when EF Hutton spoke, people listened.  Guess what?  EF Hutton is no longer in business today.  When Jesus speaks, we are called to listen; Listen to Him!  Jesus is not out of business and never will be; we should always listen to Him!  

And, welcome home!

Let Jesus show us the way; Homily for 1st Sunday in Lent

 I want you to show me the way; the title to one of the many big hits of Peter Frampton.

We often want others to show us the way, to show us how, to lead us and guide us.

As people of faith this Lent, we only need Jesus to show us the way!

We arrived at Lent this past Wednesday with the imposition of ashes, remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.  An important reminder that when we allow Jesus to show us the way, we are not just talking about this life, which certainly will end, but forever, eternal life with Him in Heaven!  Today we heard these words from Jesus in the Gospel: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”  These are among the 1^st words of the public ministry of Jesus.   And Jesus is showing us the way; repent of our sins, turn away from the temptations that lead to sin and believe the Good News!

Jesus will remind us that along the way, especially in this season of Lent, there are three mileposts to our journey: prayer, fasting and giving alms.  Prayer is something I dare all of us agree we do.  But in Lent we are called to go deeper in prayer.  Jesus, by example, shows us the way with the 40 days spent in the desert.  We know that Jesus prayed in the desert, and persevered in prayer despite the temptations of Satan.  What prevents us from persevering in prayer?  What are our distractions beside the devil wanting us not to pray?  At all the many important moments in the life of Jesus as recorded in Scripture, He prayed.  In all our important and not so important moments in life, we too must pray.  Do we?

What does it mean to fast?  One of the ways to stay on the right journey is to fast not just in Lent but all through the year.  Fasting is another way to imitate Christ, to let Him show us the way.  Fasting is a tangible reminder that there is nothing, even our food, that we absolutely have to have or to be dependent on, besides, of course, the example and promise of Jesus.  Fasting should be done quietly and with humility, never allowing us to seek praise or recognition because we fast. Fasting is so much more than just trying to lose a little weight.  While we are speaking of fasting, let’s speak of abstinence.  As Catholics we are to abstain from eating meat during Lent.  What a big sacrifice down here!  So while seafood is good, and yes, we should support our Knights of Columbus fish fry dinners, maybe we can ask ourselves, is what I am about to eat truly a sacrifice.

Almsgiving is an opportunity to share our treasure, given to us by God, with others.  Giving alms is something we can do all year but we focus more intently during Lent.  Almsgiving is not necessarily giving from our excess, but giving from the heart by giving from our necessities.  While we often give something up for Lent, giving to someone in need during Lent is a wonderful thing to do.  Maybe we can all pledge to visit the poor boxes in the back of church every time we come to this place during Lent.

So this Lent, can we all pray to allow Jesus to show us the way, to follow Him even into the desert, to confront our sins and temptations, to pray more, to sincerely fast, and to share with others by giving alms?  I think we can.

And can I leave you today with a few words of wisdom from the Holy Father, Pope Francis:

Do you want to fast this Lent?  Fast from hurting words and use kind words, fast from sadness, and be filled with gratitude, fast from anger and be filled with patience, fast from pessimism and be filled with hope, fast from worries and trust God, fast from complaining and contemplate simplicity, fast from pressures and be prayerful, fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy, fast from selfishness and be compassionate, fast from grudges and be reconciled, fast from words so we can listen!

In other words, Pope Francis is telling us to let Jesus show us the way!  Will we?

My Homily from Ash Wednesday on February 17th

 I'm starting with the man in the mirror; I'm asking him to change his ways.  And no message could have been any clearer; if you wanna make the world a better place take a look at yourself and then make a change.

Lyrics from the great Michael Jackson and for me, a reminder about what Lent is really all about.

As people of faith we are all challenged to change; to turn away from sin and believe the Good News, the Gospel!

Lent is seasonal.  The seasons of the year are the rythym of our lives and so are the seasons of the church year, the liturgical year.  Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, is the end of Ordinary Time and now we arrive at Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday.  The rythym of Lent is prayer, fasting and almsgiving, a turning away from sinful ways and changing to a life of holiness; the holiness that Christ calls us to.  

Jesus challenges us to embrace this Lenten rhythym and not be like the hypocrites who do supposedley holy things for the attention of it all.  Jesus is calling us to a deeper, more intimate relationship with God our Father.  Jesus says embrace this rhythym of prayer, fasting and almsgviving with humility, sincerity and simplicity of heart.  Allow this call to repentenance manifest itself in change, starting with that man in the mirror.  

What about ashes, what do they signify.  First of all, ashes are not a Sacrament, they are sacramental.  The ashes received today are not the most important thing received today because that belongs properly to receiving Jesus in Holy Communion.  Still, the ashes signify quite a lot.  

Receiving ashes, no matter the form of distribution, signifies humility and repentance.  Remember Job?  When he finally encounters God and truly believes, he declares God his creator and Job, like you and me, mere creatures; mere dust and ashes in the glorious presence of God.  Job embraces his sonship with God the head, the Father.  We can quote Genesis 3:19: remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.  

Ashes also signify a reminder of death and a call to wisdom.  The call that we shall return to dust could be interpreted another way: remember you are going to die.  A salient and sober reminder that all this is passing, yet we get so worked up about these passing things and prepare poorly for the most important thing.  We are called to change and not be like the man who stored up all sorts of worldly things only to discover that his soul will be required this very night or the man, storing up treasure upon trasure and never being generous toward to God.

Ashes alone cannot atone for sin.  To receive ashes on Ash Wednesday and not go to confession soon misses the point.  If we truly desire to repent, if we want to change that man in the mirror, if we want cleanliness and holiness than from the sacramental reception of ashes we should go to the Sacrament of Confession.  

Ashes is also a call to faith and a renewal of the mind and heart.  When the Gospels declared repentance, the Greek translation is metanoia.  We know metanoia as a spiritual change of heart, a new way of thinking.  We are challenged to love as God loves, to think as God thinks.  This is only possible by God's grace, working through Scripture and the teachings of Holy Mother Church.

So today we receive ashes.  We are challenged to see beyond the ritual of the act itself and become that change.  Maybe the change Michael Jackson sung about, but definetley the change God asks of us. 

Repent, and believe in the Gospel, and make that change.

Again, one of my first homilies as a Deacon, fill me with the joy of salvation

 Homily for 6th Sunday Ordinary time 2.14.09

Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
Psalm 32
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
Mark 1:40-45

I had the opportunity to travel all across Louisiana for several years and there are not too many places I have not seen. One day, I approached the community of Carville, La. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River in Iberville Parish, this community was the home of the last facility in America that legally isolated and quarantined those suffering with leprosy. From 1894 thru 1999, this community was commonly referred to as the nation’s leper colony. Today, the facility is closed and houses a museum and Carville is perhaps more famous for one of its native sons, political consultant James Carville.

We all have heard examples of separation and isolation in our nation’s history. From slavery to segregation to internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, our history is replete with examples of isolation. Sometimes we experience isolation. Perhaps we have isolated ourselves from others; from those who look differently or we judge as unworthy. And sometimes, we are the ones being judged and cutoff from others.

As people of faith, are we able to love and reach out to others as Jesus loves and reaches out to all; even to those society deems different or unworthy?

In today’s Gospel, Mark introduces us to one such leper who approaches Jesus. This would be most unusual as lepers were considered unclean and no one was to have any contact with a leper. Leprosy was highly incurable, contagious and offensive to sight and smell. The leper was despised, isolated and not even allowed to publicly worship God. They were considered the “living dead”. To warn others of their presence, they were forced to wear a bell around their neck and proclaim loudly, “unclean, unclean”. Despite this, the leper we meet today takes note of Jesus and senses something different about Him. And so he asks, “If you wish, you can make me clean”. The leper comes to Jesus, open, vulnerable, begging yet hopeful, full of faith. And Jesus, responds as the Savior He is. He replies, “I do will it, be made clean.” And then he touches the leper. And the leper is made clean.

What a remarkable parallel between this faith filled leper and us, filled with faith too, gathered here today. We too reach out to Jesus and kneel before receiving Him and say “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed”. Like the leper, we ask to receive Him, to be touched by Him and be healed, to be made clean.

We also, like the leper, say to Jesus, “If you wish, you can make me clean” thru the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Yes, in Confession, we are made clean. For we say, “Bless me Father for I have sinned”. And we hear Jesus respond, “I do will it, be made clean” as we hear the Priest say “I absolve you of your sins.” In Reconciliation, in Confession, like the leper, we ask, we receive Jesus’ healing and touch and we are made clean.

In the Gospel Jesus commands, “go, show yourself to the Priest”. At this point, the leper has been healed. In the Anointing of the Sick, we hear these words, “Is anyone among you sick? Summon the presbyters (priests) of the church”. And it continues, “Pray over him and anoint him and the prayer of faith will save the sick person. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.” Again, like the leper, we ask, we receive Jesus’ healing and touch and we are made clean.

There is another remarkable parallel between the leper and us gathered here today. In the Gospel, Jesus dismisses the leper with specific instructions. He is told to tell no one, beside the priest, primarily so Jesus can withdraw and pray. We know that the leper could not comply; not because he is disobedient but because his joy is too much to contain. At the end of every Mass, we to are dismissed: “go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” But unlike the leper, we are not constrained to tell no one; in fact we are encouraged to spread the Good News. But what are our post dismissal realities?

Do we live our faith away from Mass? Do we share the Good News with those we meet; our family, friends and coworkers? Do we discuss the readings or the prayers with others? Do we volunteer for ministry? Do we attend daily Mass when we can? Do we frequently receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Do we attend Adoration and Benediction on 1st Friday’s? Will we attend Stations of the Cross in Lent? Can we donate our time, talent and treasure to our local food bank, nursing home or hospital?

Will we, having been made clean, and filled with the joy of salvation, reach out and touch those who also need to be made clean?

Just as the leper reached out and desired the healing touch of Jesus, Jesus now waits for us, arms outstretched as we prepare to receive Him in Holy Communion. And He desires us to reach out to those among us who need our help and prayers; to break out of their isolation and separation and help them to be made clean too.

Carville, LA will always be a place of remembrance of those isolated and suffering from leprosy. May our faith in Jesus’ healing touch and our example make this place a permanent remembrance of those included and accepted and loved and made clean!!!

Fill us Lord with the Joy of your Salvation!!!