Tuesday 8th Week OT @ St. Apollinaris School

HOMILY - TUESDAY 8TH WEEK ORDINARY TIME
FEBRUARY 28, 2017
8:45 AM ORDINARY FORM MASSES



FAREWELL TO ALLELUIA

Alleluia, or hallelujah, is one of the few Hebrew words adopted by the Christian Church from apostolic times. It means "Praise the Lord!"

Today this ancient and hallowed exclamation of joy and praise in the Christian liturgy is officially discontinued in the Western Church to signify the approach of the solemn season of Lent. According to the regulation of Pope Alexander II (1073) the Alleluia is not heard again till the solemn vigil service of Easter, when it once more is used as a glorious proclamation of Easter joy. 

Saint John the Evangelist mentioned alleluia in Revelation 19:1-6, and the early Church accepted the word from the beginning. From Jerusalem the custom of using it spread with the expanding Church into all nations. It is interesting to note that nowhere and at no time was any effort made to translate it into the vernacular, as Saint Isidore of Seville (636) mentioned in his writings. He explains this by the reverence for the hallowed traditions of the apostolic Church.

In addition to the official liturgy, as early as the third century the Christian writer Tertullian said in his treatise on prayer that the faithful of his time used to insert many alleluias in their private devotions. Saint Jerome (420) praised the pious farmers and tradesmen who used to sing it at their toil, and the mothers who taught their babies to pronounce "alleluia" before any other word.

In the Roman Empire the Alleluia became the favorite prayerful song of oarsmen and navigators. Saint Augustine (430) alluded to this custom, saying, "Let the Alleluia be our sweet rowing-song!" And some years later, the Roman poet and bishop Sidonius Apollinaris (480) described how the river banks and shores of Gaul resounded with the Alleluia song of the rowing boatmen. Even the Roman soldiers fighting against pagan barbarians used it as battle cry and war song. Saint Bede the Venerable (735), in his history of England, reported such an "Alleluia victory" won by the Christian Bretons over the Picts and Scots in 429.

Finally, the expression "Alleluia, the Lord is risen" became the general greeting of Christians in early medieval times on the Feast of the Resurrection. Apart from these popular usages the Alleluia has at all times found its primary and most meaningful application in the official liturgy. In the early centuries, the Roman Church used it only during Easter time, but it soon spread over the rest of the ecclesiastical year, except of course, during Lent. It used to be sung even at funerals and burial Masses as an expression of the conviction that for a true Christian the day of death was actually the birthday of eternal life, a day of joy.

The depositio (discontinuance) of the Alleluia on the eve Lent assumed in medieval times a solemn and emotional note of saying farewell to the beloved song. Despite the fact that Pope Alexander II had ordered a very simple and somber way of "deposing" the Alleluia, a variety of farewell customs prevailed in many countries up to the sixteenth century. They were inspired by the sentiment which Bishop William Duranti (1296) voiced in his commentaries: "We part from the Alleluia as from a beloved friend, whom we embrace many times and kiss on mouth, head and hand, before we leave him."

Thus the Alleluia is sung for the last time and not heard again until it suddenly bursts into glory during the Mass of the Easter Vigil when the celebrant intones this sacred before the Gospel, repeating it three times, as a jubilant herald of the Resurrection of Christ.

Excerpted and adapted from: Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs by Francis X. Weiser, S.J., Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York, 1958

8th Sunday OT @ St. Apollinaris Church

HOMILY - SEVENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
FEBRUARY 26, 2017
4:30 PM (SAT 2/25), 10:30 AM, 5:30 PM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASS

William Shakespeare’s play, “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” … often shortened to simply “Hamlet” … has, right in the middle of Act III (three) Scene 1 (one), a scene, known as the “Nunnery Scene” which contains the most-famous soliloquy in all of Shakespeare’s works; although it is makes up less than one percent (1%) of the entire play.

The protagonist, Prince Hamlet, contemplates existence as he begins:

To be or not to be, that is the question.

And ends two-hundred-fifty-one (251) words later with:

Be all my sins remembered.

In this short speech, Hamlet struggles … on the horns of a dilemma …between action and inaction, waking and dreaming, freedom and bondage, war and peace, good and evil, and ultimately life and death.

One could argue that ever since that first bite from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden, all mankind has been balancing – for better or for worse – on the knife’s edge – of these decisions.

“Hamlet” is Shakespeare’s longest work and is considered among the most influential and powerful tragedies in English literature … if not World literature. In its entirety the play requires four (4) hours, although it is rarely performed without being abridged.

Written in the wake of the English Reformation, the play alternates between medieval and modern themes expounding on a variety of philosophical ideas ranging from relativism, existentialism, and skepticism.

Nonetheless, it is one of the most quoted works in the English language and is placed among the world’s greatest literature.

Today is the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Our Gospel reading begins with another famous quote:

You cannot serve both God and Mammon.

Mammon, comes to us from the Syriac of Jesus’ day, meaning money, wealth, or possessions. By the middle-ages, Mammon was personified as one of the seven princes of Hell.

Nonetheless, I would posit that the emphasis here is more on personal freedom than on materialism.

Spiritually, excessive reliance on material things can weaken our will, cheapen our relationships, and injure our reliance on Faith, Hope, and Love.



Even the Beatles reminded us that “money can’t buy you love”; and Chuck Palahniuk’s “Fight Club” has the protagonist’s alter-ego, Tyler Durden, pontificating that: “the things you own end up owning you.”



As Christians, excess – of any kind – can destroy our ability to witness, damage our authenticity, and exhaust our joy.

Jesus tells us that “[Our] heavenly Father knows” what we need, and admonishes us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” and the rest is gravy.

We can often crucify ourselves with worry – trapped between the ‘two thieves’ of regrets over the past and anxiety over the future.



But God dwells in eternity, and we must seek the eternal now … the present state, in the presence of Christ: both in our midst and within ourselves.

St. Paul uses two words to describe our role in God’s kingdom: servants and stewards. The Greek word used for servant means “under-rower” – the rows of slaves on a galley ship; and while a steward may have administered great wealth, but he did not possess it.

And so, we are neither the captain of the ship; nor the owner of the kingdom – nor are we the judge, the jury, or the executioner. Rather, we are called to follow Jesus … and in following Him, we find all things in Christ.



We must become more and more aware of God’s presence with and within us … more aware of what God is doing for us – right here, and right now – lest we forget Him … and like the People of Zion in the First Reading from Isaiah, lose sight of Him … and mistakenly think that somehow, God has forgotten us. When He can never do that.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us ask for the grace to dwell with Christ in the eternal “now” of the kingdom of God. Let us pray for an increase in Faith in Christ, putting our Hope in God our Almighty Father, and through the generous outpouring of the Holy Spirit … Love God first and foremost with all our heart, all our soul, and all our might.

And just for fun ... Sir Patrick Stewart contemplates the letter "B."

St. Peter Damian @ St. Apollinaris Church

HOMILY - SEVENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
FEBRUARY 21, 2017
9:45 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASS


St. Peter Damian was born in 1007 AD in the town of Ravenna – the same town where our own parish patron saint, St. Apollinaris, was bishop ... only several hundred years later.

He study Theology and Canon (Church) Law, and did so well in school that by the age of 25, he was teaching in Universities in Europe. He chose, at the age of 28, to live as a Hermit – embracing a life of prayer and penance. He so excelled at this, that he was teaching other hermits how to persevere and live holy lives.

He lived through the reigns of 18 pope, many of whom asked him to assist in various reform movements to fight corruption in the Church.

At the age of 50, he was made a Cardinal and was a staunch reformer – dealing with many of the issues that plague the Church even in our own time. He worked endlessly against corruption and scandal.

He died in 1073 at the age of 66.

7th Sunday OT @ St. Apollinaris Church

HOMILY - SEVENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
FEBRUARY 19, 2017
7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 5:30 PM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASS



Born in Madrid, in 1863, Jorge Agustin Nicolas Ruiz de Santayana y Borras – or George Santayana as he was later known – was a philosopher, poet, essayist, and novelist. He came the United States from the age of eight, and was considered an American writer – although he always kept his Spanish citizenship and passport.
Although he called himself an atheist, he continued to treasure the Catholic values, practices, and worldview that he was raised in.
He is remembered for his aphorisms – pithy observations, expressing a general truth … that is, what would be called “figures of speech.” He is credited with the well-known saying:

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

At the age of 48, he left the US for good – taking up residence in Rome – where he died 40 years later at the age of 88, in 1952.
Today is the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
In the First Reading from Leviticus, we hear God tell Moses:

Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.

The Hebrew word translated here as “holy” is qadoush, a word meaning “pure, clean, and free from corruption.” In this way, holiness refers to the original state of humanity at the moment of creation in the Garden of Eden.
Yet, humanity’s original holiness was lost when Adam and Eve ate the apple at the prompting of the Serpent. So, here, in this reading, the Lord God is directing the people of Israel – “the whole Israelite community” – to recall … to remember … the past – humanity’s common past – of holiness, and to strive to return to that original state … the state in which humanity was created.
And at the end of today’s Gospel reading, we hear Jesus tell His disciples to:

… be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Here, the word translated as “perfect” is the Greek word teleios, which means “complete, final, ultimate.” That is, here Our Lord is telling the disciples to strive for what they are called to … and what they will become in the eternal Kingdom.
For ourselves, we are reminded that we were created in holiness, and are ultimately called to perfection in Christ.
In other words, where we have come from … is God. And where we are headed … is God. God is our Source … and God is our destination.
St. Paul indicates that what connects these two points is not something that the World can provide, nor is it something that another person gives us. Rather, it comes to us as a free gift – a grace – through the Power of the Holy Spirit. And so, not only is God the beginning and the end – the Alpha and Omega of our existence … but He is also the motivation, the direction, and the guidance that leads us between those two points.
We are created for Him, and we are called to Him in the end. And in His generosity, He does not leave us orphans in-between; but rather through the Sacraments and the Church … we are configured and led by His grace, and mercy, and love.
As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ … let us remember where we have come from … and direct our steps to our final end. May the Eucharist we receive today strengthen us to direct our thoughts and our minds and our actions … indeed, our entire lives, to God in Christ Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ss. Cyril & Methodius @ St. Apollinaris School

HOMILY - MEMORIAL OF SS. CYRIL AND METHODIUS
FEBRUARY 14, 2017
7:00 AM, 8:45 AM ORDINARY FORM MASSES

Today is the Memorial of Saints Cyril and Methodius. They lived in the 9th Century, and are known for evangelizing Eastern Europ. They have many titles: "Apostles to the Slavs," "Equal to the Apostles," and "Co-patrons of Europe." They were born in Greece, in the city of Thessalonica. Before going to Eastern Europe, they went to the Abissad Caliphate to try to convert the Muslims, to Khazar to convince the leaders to become Christian, and finally they went to the Slavs. The Slavs are the people in the areas we know now as Poland, Czech Republic, Slovaki, Slovenia, Ukraine, and Russia. In fact, the languages have much overlap. But in the 9th Century, the two saints developed a writing system (there wasn't already an alphabet for the Slavic language), a legal system (the law at the time was "might makes right"), and after that translated the Bible and the Liturgy to evangelize the Slavs. The written script they developed is called Galgolitic, and it evolved into Cyrillic – the script used to write Russian today. They have many feast days, owing to their popularity in Eastern Europe and other factors in choosing feasts for saints. Just prior to 1970, their feast was July 5, but it was returned to February 14 in 1970.

What we learn from today's saints is that it takes a foundation to properly know the Faith. They had to create an alphabet and civil infrastructure first. For us, it would mean learning to read, going to Mass, praying every day, and reading Scripture. Without a foundation, we run the risk of having a distorted understanding of our Faith.

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6th Sunday OT @ St. Apollinaris School

HOMILY - SIXTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
FEBRUARY 12, 2017
10:30 AM ORDINARY FORM (ALL-SCHOOL) MASS

Today's readings are on Wisdom, and how God's Wisdom is not the same as the World's Wisdom.

Worldly wisdom is based on experience, success, influence, and education.

God's wisdom is based on our relationship to God and to others. 

So, using the six letters of W-I-S-D-O-M, here are some guidelines on how to embrace and live in God's Wisdom.

"W" is for "Word of God."

We know that the Word of God is the Bible, but Jesus is also called the Word of God, and we just celebrated Christmas back in December and how "the Word became flesh" in the Person of Jesus.

The word used in the Greek original for "word" is "logos" which certainly means word, but also means "reason" (i.e. reasonable), "plan" (i.e. God's plan, not your plan), and is where we get the English word "logic." So, God's wisdom is reasonable and logical, and God's word shows us God's plan for salvation. The world is often unreasonable and illogical – just turn on the TV and watch the news. It often looks like in the world, nobody has a plan – or if they do, it conflicts with everybody else's plan.

And so, we must abide in God's Word – through Scripture, by seeking His Will in our lives, and by following Christ – that is, following God's plan for us.

"I" is for "Inspiration."

Inspiration means "to breath" or "to inhale." It literally means to draw in the "spirit." For us, this would mean the Holy Spirit of God, and by living in the Spirit, we are not only "inspired," but grow in grace and power in manifesting the charisms – that is the Gifts of the Holy Spirit – which are gifts of God that we use to grow as Christians and that we use to build the community of the Church.

"S" is for "Spirit."

We can't talk enough about the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew word for Spirit is, like we heard on the last letter, "breath." The Spirit is the Breath of God, and in Genesis, God used His breath to breathe life into Adam. St. Paul tells us that "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor 3:17) ... and having just finished an election cycle, I would think that freedom might be on a few minds. But politics and government can't ever give the true freedom that we receive in Christ by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Material freedom is only a shadow or a reflection of the spiritual freedom bestowed on us in Christ Jesus.

"D" is for "Divinity."

Baptism, according to the Catechism, admits us to the other Sacraments by bringing us into the Divine Life of the Holy Trinity. The early Church Fathers spoke of "divinization" or "theosis" meaning to be caught up in God. We use the phrase of being in "a state of grace." But that sounds an awful lot like a "state of matter;" like we're somehow solid, liquid, or gaseous grace. But St. Augustine said it quite bluntly when he said, "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God." Not that we are God Almighty, but that we realize our true call as children of God . . . brothers and sisters of Christ Jesus – our Savior, our Redeemer, and our Lord.

"O" is for "One."

There's the song from the late '60s that goes "We are one in the the Spirit, we are one in the Lord." And that "oneness" is our call, as well, in Christ. St. Paul tells us that "we are one body in Christ," and that there is "one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism" in Jesus Christ. We also pray in the Creed that we believe in "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic" Church. Unity is not uniformity. We are called to be united in Christ, but diverse in our gifts and talents. Baptism doesn't make us mindless zombies, but rather configures us as members of Christ; just as Confirmation configures us to utilize our talents to build up the Kingdom of God.

"M" is for "Mission."

Living in California, we might think of a mission as a place. But the word "mission" comes from the Latin word "missio" which means "to be sent." And so, we are sent by God into the world to live the life of Grace and build the Kingdom of God. To take this a step further, the word "Apostle" comes from the Greek word "apostello" which also means "to be sent," or "one who is sent." And so, we are sent, not to do our own things, but rather to serve Christ as modern-day apostles, in unity, in grace, in the Spirit, and in Christ Jesus Our Lord.

So, the Wisdom of God is very different than the Wisdom of the World. 

God's Wisdom is all about God living in us and God working in us, and us working with each other to spread the Gospel and build the Kingdom of God.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us pray for an increase in grace so that we might be energized in the power of God's Holy Spirit to truly be His children, united in Christ and joined to Him in His mission to spread the Good News to all the world.

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Tuesday 5th Week OT @ St. Apollinaris School

HOMILY - TUESDAY 5TH WEEK ORDINARY TIME
FEBRUARY 7, 2017
7:00 AM, 8:45 AM ORDINARY FORM MASSES


In today's and yesterday's First Readings, we heard the creation account from the first chapter of Genesis. In considering the creation story, it is important to consider the pagan creation stories. The mythologies of Rome, Greece, and even Europe saw creation as a conflict – often times with a lot of war, drama, and intrigue. A certain mountain was the head of a dead titan, a ridge was the spine of a defeated god. Gods and goddesses lived lives that were as tumultuous as the people who worshipped them, and often the Temple theaters presented plays that portrayed the conflict-laden gods whose behavior was the same as those who worshipped them.
In the Hebrew biblical account, creation is peaceful, ordered, and thought out.
God first distinguishes and separates opposites:

Light and darkness, Waters above and below, Dry land and oceans.

And then these opposites are arranged in harmony according to a plan:

Sun, moon, and stars; Birds in the sky, fish in the rivers and seas; Animals and reptiles.

And the pinnacle of creation is humanity – made in God's image and likeness.
But the fall of humanity came when our first parents sought to elevate their own wills ahead of God's will. And in today's Gospel, Our Lord points out that the Pharisees and Scribes have gone so far as to create their own human rules that sometimes conflicted with God's plan, and did not necessarily reflect God's will for His people.
It can be up for theological debate as to what it means that humanity is created in God's "image and likeness."
The creation account can help us to reflect on our own lives.
God created by distinguishing opposites, but then used both, and filled the opposites with life and motion.
When we distinguish opposites, and then seek to eliminate or destroy one – we're operating out of God's order, and doing our own thing. Or when we create, but instead of creating openness and fecundity, we seek to box in someone or something, or look to destroy life – we are going against God's plan.

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5th Sunday OT @ St. Apollinaris Church and School

HOMILY - FIFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
FEBRUARY 5, 2017
7:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 5:30 PM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES



Across the back of our church, behind the last row, are eight windows … four on each side. Go ahead, turn around and check. I would guess that for most of us, we’ve walked past these windows countless times. If I asked you how many windows there were, you’d have guessed maybe 6, 8, or 10. But there’s eight.



And going in order from left to right (that is, my left to my right), we have: St. Patrick, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Vincent de Paul, and St. Rose of Lima; and then, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Apollinaris, St. Therese of Liseaux, and St. Frances Cabrini.



So, behind the back rows, or actually behind all the pews in the nave of the church, there are eight saints. Which is kind of cool – that is, if you consider that “the saints have our back.” I like the way that sounds, and I think it’s a good way for us to think about the Communion of Saints.
If you come to church really early … when it’s still dark outside. Or if you come really late … again, when it’s dark outside. All of our beautiful stained glass windows are sort of “blah.” You can make out something … maybe a sort of human shape . . . maybe with with a funny-shaped head. But without the sunlight coming in from outside, the windows sort of lose their charm . . . they aren’t very beautiful at all.
Today is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Our readings have a common theme of “light.”
The prophet Isaiah encourages the people of Israel to practice what we might consider the “Corporal Works of Mercy” in order that our “light shall break forth like the dawn . . . and the glory of the LORD [will] be [our] rear guard.”
And the prophet goes even further, encouraging the practice of the virtues so that “light shall rise . . . in the darkness, and the gloom shall become . . . like midday.”
That is, being merciful and virtuous . . . has a positive outcome.
The psalm speaks how those who are “just” – that is, those in right-relationship with God and others – are “a light in darkness.”
And Jesus tells His disciples – and us as well – in the Gospel that we “are the light of the world,” and that our light “cannot be hidden,” nor should we “put it under a bushel basket;” but rather, that it “must shine before others” for the glory of God the Father.
St. Paul, in the Epistle, talks about how the Gospel shows forth the “power of God” without any need for embellishment or addition . . . and that the power of the Holy Spirit shows forth in the message of Jesus Christ, and in His Sacrifice for our redemption. That when our Faith is rooted in the Cross of Christ . . . that nothing more is needed.
And so for ourselves, we should learn from the example of the saints . . . and from their images in stained glass. For the windows, without sunlight, they are shadowy figures . . . not much more than a darkened wall. The beauty of the windows requires light to show through them . . . and the beauty of the saints requires the light of Christ to shine forth as well.
It’s sometimes too easy for us to relegate our Faith to 45 minutes a week. But the light of God . . . the light of Christ . . . and the power of the Holy Spirit . . . is in us . . . through Baptism, Confirmation, and Matrimony or Holy Orders. And we shouldn’t try to hide it . . . or hide from it . . . the rest of the week.
Because it is only when we allow Christ’s light to shine through us . . . in our lives . . . in what we say . . . and in what we do . . . that we are able to manifest the glory of God in our lives . . . and the power of the Holy Spirit in our actions . . . and in our words.
As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ . . . let us recognize that light within us. And let us realize that we “are the light of the world.” May the manifold graces of the Eucharist we receive today allow us to show forth in our lives this week . . . the brightness of God’s glory . . . and the light of Jesus Christ . . . in our daily lives . . . at home . . . at work or school . . . and in the world . . . a world that desperately needs the light of the Gospel . . . the light of our Savior . . . Jesus Christ . . . the Lord.

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