5th Sunday of Easter @ St. Apollinaris Parish

HOMILY - 5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
APRIL 29, 2018
9:00 AM, 10:30 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES



I had the occasion recently to have dinner with the parents of an old friend with whom I served in the US Navy. Over twenty years ago, he and I were enlisted Sailors deployed to northern Japan. Part of being in the military is saluting. As enlisted men, we saluted officers; but we were not saluted.

His mother related that when he was serving aboard an aircraft carrier – that is, a traveling city – that he waited in a long line of enlisted Sailors to go ashore, while the officers got to cut to the front of the line.



This (his mother said), among other things, motivated him to go forward and become an officer.
And while the privileges of being an officer are immediately apparent – being saluted, and getting to move to the front of the line for the liberty boat – the responsibilities, of course, are also greater.

Today is the Fifth Sunday of Easter.



In the Gospel we hear Jesus tell us “I am the vine.” This statement is the seventh and last of Jesus’ “I AM” statements recorded in St. John’s Gospel.

In this simile of the vine and the branches, Our Lord points out that the branches have the privilege of sharing the life of the vine, but also have the responsibility of remaining on the vine. This is an admonition for us to remain united with Jesus Christ in order to share the Divine Life He offers us.



In sharing the life of Christ, we then have the opportunity to “bear much fruit.” Not for ourselves, but for God and for the Kingdom of God.

Today’s pericope is only the first half of the story, though.

Jesus goes on in the second half of this discourse to tell the disciples that they are more than slaves or servants, but that they are His friends. This statement applies also to us.



As His friends, we have the privilege of knowing His will, but also have the responsibility of remaining in His will. Through this, we not only share in His joy, but our joy is perfected in living out God’s will.

And finally, at the very end of this section of John’s Gospel, Jesus gives the great commandment … summarizing this all with the mandate to “love one another.”



The more we open ourselves to God’s will, the more we find our own will aligning with God’s will. This in turn strengthens the life of God – what we call grace, mercy, and love – in us, and more closely unites us to God in Christ. And through that union, we are better able to not only love as He loves, but to become vehicles of God’s grace, mercy, and love to the wider world.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us pray for the graces we need to grow in our relationship to Christ – by remaining in him and by sharing in His Divine life. And as his disciples and friends, members of His Body, may we deepen our knowledge of God’s will and become more aligned with the Holy Will of God in all that we say and all that we do … so that we may experience the perfect joy of Christ Jesus, Our Lord.

4th Sunday of Easter @ St. Apollinaris Parish

HOMILY - 4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
APRIL 22, 2018
4:30 PM (SAT), 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 5:30 PM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES



It’s no secret that I’ve spent the last couple of weeks in Italy – starting  first in Rome, then Norcia, Assisi, and ending in Florence.

Part of my spirituality is looking and recognizing those events that I would call “signal graces.”



Signal graces are the little miracles that God tosses at us every day. These are somewhat off-the-wall and unexpected things – hence they are not dependent on us. But in their own ways, they show us how God, like a good Father, showers us with blessings when we do our best to abide in His will.



And there were signal graces that “popped up” during my trip to Italy. Such as … a brief visit with His Eminence Cardinal Burke … getting tickets (out of the blue the night before) to concelebrate Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday with the Pope … and finding out that I knew the Father Prior – sort of the second in command – at the Benedictine Monastery from twelve years back at graduate school in Ohio.



While those three things might be seen as coincidences, I would call them God-incidences – signs of God’s immense love for me, and signs to strengthen me in my call within the priesthood.

Today is the Fourth Sunday of Easter, sometimes called “Good Shepherd Sunday.”



It is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

Pope Francis, in his message for this event, points out that each vocation is as diverse and unique as the individuals that make up the Church. And having a vocation is not limited to priests or religious.
Each of us has a vocation – a call from God – which we have received from before we were born, strengthened in Baptism, and clarified in Confirmation, and nourished in the Holy Eucharist.



In his message, the Holy Father points out three aspects that he says are needed to properly accept God’s call – that is to properly accept and experience your own vocation.



The first aspect is listening.

We listen first through prayer which is the key to our relationship with God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We listen, too, to the Word of God in Sacred Scripture. And we listen to our hearts, and sometimes to each other. But in a noisy world, we need to recognize that God very often speaks to us in silence – in a still, small voice. And it is in that silence that we are best able to listen and hear God’s voice.



The second aspect is discerning.

Discernment is sort of a “Church-y” word that too often is over-used as a way to blow-off or a way to cop-out of doing anything. True discernment is done in relationship – our relationship with God, our relationship with the Church, and our relationship with one another. Discernment made outside of these relationships is fruitless, and is an exercise in futility.



The third and final aspect is living.

The Holy Father tells us that “the Lord continues to call [us] to follow him. We should not wait to be perfect in order to respond … nor [should we] be fearful of … limitations and sins, but [rather] open our hearts to the voice of the Lord.”



The Greek philosopher Socrates said: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” In terms of vocation, the vocation that is not lived out in the fullness of God’s grace is not a worthy vocation.

God doesn’t call us to be perfect, but He does call us to live our lives according to His call, and within His plan … His will for us. And it is in living out our vocations that we can best discern where God is calling us to follow Him.



As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us pray for God’s grace “[to] listen to [God’s] voice, to discern our personal mission in the Church and the world, and at last to live [our our vocation] in the today that God gives us.”

Let us listen, discern, and live out fully our own vocation in response to the voice of the Good Shepherd, Who knows us, Who lays down His life for us, Who leads us, and Who loves us.

Easter Sunday @ St. Apollinaris Parish

HOMILY - EASTER SUNDAY - THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD
APRIL 1, 2018
7:30 AM, 9:00 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES



A “Blue Moon” is second full moon occurring within a calendar month. Yesterday night was the second full moon of March. The “Paschal Moon” is the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. That was also yesterday’s full moon. Also, yesterday’s full moon occurred on March 31 in both the eastern and western hemispheres.

The last time there was a “Paschal Blue Moon” with Easter falling on April 1 was the year 1646.



The pope in that year was Pope Innocent X (the tenth). His rival in the College of Cardinals commissioned a painting of Saint Michael trampling the head of Satan … who oddly enough resembles Pope Innocent X.

During his reign there occurred both the First English Civil War, as well as the 30 (thirty) Years War in Germany.

History aside, the astronomical phenomenon we witnessed last night last occurred 372 years ago. Pretty cool.



Today is Easter Sunday. Jesus is risen! Alleluia! Resurrexit, sicut dixit! Alleluia!

This morning we heard from the beginning of the 20th Chapter of St. John’s Gospel.

My sermons over the past week have focused on St. John’s word play in Greek. And this morning’s pericope does not disappoint.



In today’s Gospel we hear that St. John, on arriving at the tomb first “saw” the burial cloths; and then St. Peter, when he showed up – in second place – went into the tomb and “saw” the burial cloths; and finally, that when St. John went into the tomb and also “saw” … and believed.

Awkwardly, three very different words are all translated as “saw,” providing us with a rather flat reading of a very dynamic story.

Fleshing out the meaning of these distinct words in Greek, it might be more proper to say that when St. John first arrived at the tomb, he “looked” (in the Greek “βλέπει”) into the tomb at the burial cloths. St. Peter, came in behind John, and entering the tomb he “examined” (in the Greek “θεωρεῖ”) the burial cloths. Finally, St. John enters in behind Peter, and “perceived” (in the Greek “εἶδεν”) the burial cloths.

Three different words, the first meaning to “look,” the second meaning to “examine,” and the third meaning to “perceive.” All, sadly, translated as “saw.”

We are here today for Easter.



How deeply are you participating in the liturgical action being played out in today’s Mass?

Are you “looking?” Sort of just hanging around, taking it all in.

Are you “examining?” Not just looking, but scrutinizing the details – the smells, the bells, the chanting, and the singing?

Or are you “perceiving?” Looking, examining, and understanding – not only with your mind, but with the eyes of Faith, the divine action and supernatural drama that is going on right here, right now?



Today’s Gospel reading begins with Mary Magdalene finding the empty tomb. During this week, we will hear of Jesus appearing to the ten disciples hiding in the upper room. And next Sunday, we will hear the story of Doubting Thomas.

Thomas moves from doubt to belief – by the supernatural virtue of Faith. The disciples move from fear to courage – by the supernatural virtue of Hope. And Mary moves from tears to joy – by the supernatural virtue of Love. Faith, Hope, and Love are the Baptismal gifts we have all received.



As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, may the eyes of our hearts be opened to be moved from looking, to a deeper participation in the Holy Mysteries of this day. May we be renewed in the supernatural virtues – the baptismal virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love – as we recall our own Baptism, and renew our Baptismal promises today … knowing that if we have died with Christ in Baptism, then we shall live with Him – and ultimately we shall reign with Him for all eternity.