Christ the King @ St. Vincent de Paul

HOMILY - SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE
NOVEMBER 24, 2019
7:30 AM, 10:30 AM (SUN) ORDINARY FORM MASSES



The fourth century BC philosopher Aristotle is known as the Father of Western Philosophy. Among his many writings are six works specifically on Logic (known as the Ὄργανον – or “Instrument”). One of these six works is titled  Κατηγορίαι or The Categories.

The Categories is his singularly important work in that it not only presents the backbone of his theorizing, but also had a major influence on western philosophy from that point on. Aristotle enumerates the variety of things that can be spoken of, as well as what can be said of those things.



More specifically, he lays forth ten categories: (1) substance; (2) quantity; (3) quality; (4) relation; (5) location; (6) time; (7) position; (8) having; (9) acting; and (10) receiving.

In the Categories, according to Aristotle, every object of human apprehension can be described using these ten categories.



Today is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

If we were to immediately apply human categories on the term “King,” we would perhaps consider the terms “figurehead” or maybe “tyrant.” Human kings, indeed fall short in many areas. And in our own day and age, leadership – even in elected republics – is sorely lacking.

In the first reading from Second Samuel, we hear of King David. He was anointed king twenty years before – as a mere boy. Considered so insignificant that the prophet had to keep asking his father Jesse if he had another son. Yet now, two decades later, he is King of Judah; and the remaining eleven tribes come to him, asking him to be their king as well.



They call him “[our] bone and [our] flesh” – terms not only of relation, but also words used in covenant making in the ancient world. They also recall the word of the Lord God spoken by the prophet,

You shall shepherd my people Israeland shall be commander of Israel.

And the word translated here as “agreement” is the Hebrew word בְּרִית (bᵉrîyth) – which is indeed a covenant – more than just an agreement, but rather it is a joining of persons and uniting of families.

In the Letter to the Colossians, St. Paul lays out Jesus’ qualifications. Even in the first century, many people gave Jesus lip-service, but failed to give Him pre-eminence. They sought to de-throne Him and considered Him just one of many spiritual guides.



St. Paul emphasizies that Jesus is (1) the Savior Who (a) rescues His people, (b) leads them into His kingdom, and (c) pays our debt – ultimately freeing us from sin and death.

He goes on saying that Jesus is (2) the Creator Who (a) existed before all creation, (b) created all things, and that (c) all things exist for Him – as we pray in this liturgy, “through Him, with Him, and in Him.”

Finally, Paul tells us that Jesus is the Head of the Church – meaning more than just “leader” or “ruler” but also “source,” “origin,” and “beginning.”



Finally, in the crucifixion scene from Luke’s Gospel, above His head is the inscription, “This is the King of the Jews.”

Jesus reigns from the Cross … the Cross is His throne, and in his interaction with the Good Thief (a unique feature of Luke’s Gospel) Jesus holds court from this unlikely throne – passing judgment, and granting pardon to the Penitent Thief.



The rulers, the soldiers, and the other thief see only the earthly categories: a convicted criminal, found guilty and executed through a slow, cruel, and painful torture and eventual death. While what was actually before their eyes was the Son of God, reigning from the Cross, and conquering sin and death. All through the power of Divine, self-sacrificing, agape (ἀγάπη) love.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ – let us look upon the scene that holds the central place on the reredos of the high altar. Let us gaze upon it – not with human eyes and earthly categories – but rather with the eyes of Faith. And see our divine and heavenly King ... reigning eternally and conquering sin and death – and in that moment renew our covenants of love with Him, as we receive Him in the Most Holy Eucharist.

33rd Sunday in OT @ St. Vincent de Paul

HOMILY - 33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
NOVEMBER 16/17, 2019
5:00 PM (SAT), 9:00 AM (SUN) ORDINARY FORM MASSES



According to a geneticist at UC San Diego who is researching DNA methylation in mammals, if you want to know how old your dog is in people years, multiply the natural logarithm of their age by 16 and add 31. This is based on an analysis of over 100 Labrador Retrievers and comparing the similarities of gene methylation between both species.

I always considered that a “dog year” was seven people years. That has somewhat less scientific support – apparently arising from a 1970s Alpo dog food commercial featuring Lorne Green, who introduced his dog and told all of America that “Duchess is 13. That’s like 91 to you and me.”



WebMD claims the first year of a dog’s life is roughly 15 years, the second 9, and the remaining years varying between 3 and 5 human years.

An 13th century inscription surrounding the Cosmati pavement in front of the high altar at Westminster Cathedral sets the number of dog years at 9, and lays out the ages of various creatures in various powers of 3. Based on the inscription, humans live to 81, whales live over 6,500 years, and the world itself will end after just less than 20,000 years.



Today is the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Our readings have been taking on an eschatological theme over the past several weeks. Eschatology being the theological study of the end of things – coming from the Greek word ἔσχατον meaning “the end” or “the last.”



Our first reading comes from the last chapter of the Book of Malachi – who just happens to be the last of the Old Testament prophets. The overarching theme in this book is how should the people of Israel live a godly life? And Malachi goes at it from several angles, enumerating all the different ways that the people have gotten it all wrong.

St. Paul, in the second reading from the Second Letter to the Thessalonians tells them – and us – to simply follow his example; so that we might be ready when the “Day of the Lord” – that is the Second Coming of Christ – arrives … whether in our own lifetime, or at some other time in the future.



The Gospel reading we heard from St. Luke is the last chapter before the Last Supper and Our Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. It concerns what is often called the “Tribulation” – what will occur before the end of time when “God's triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world.” (CCC 677)

Despite the excitement of the discourse, when all is said and done, Jesus admonishes us to persevere in order to save ourselves.

And so, here we are in the waning days of November, where the Church puts forward for our consideration the “Last Things.”



Since about the 16th century, the “Four Last Things” have meant Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. And there are countless books and writings by saints and others on these. (There is also a point and click video game on the Four Last Things, if you're interested in medieval art and music.)

So, what are we to do?

Reflecting on today’s readings, it would seem that the best way to prepare for the end … the ἔσχατον … the last things … is to live a godly life, in accord with the teachings and traditions of the Church and the Apostles – to follow Christ; and to persevere.

In other words, a good end comes about through a good life … and a godly life leads to a godly end.



As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ; let us pray for the grace of perseverance – and even more so, the grace of final perseverance. So that we might live … through, with, and in Christ … and reign with Him for eternity.

31st Sunday in OT @ St. Vincent de Paul

HOMILY - 31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
NOVEMBER 2/3, 2019
5:00 PM (SAT), 9:00 AM (SUN) ORDINARY FORM MASSES



Born in the south central French alps in the early 17th century, French scientist and philosopher Blaise Pascal was the son of a tax collector and a child prodigy. He designed and built mechanical calculators and wrote on fluid mechanics, projective geometry, and probability theory.

After his death, his philosophical and theological notes were published, titled Pensées – or Thoughts. Within this work is a philosophical argument – referred to as Pascal’s Wager – the gist of which is that an individual bets their whole life on the premise of whether or not God exists.



Pascal argues that a reasonable person should live as if God exists and foster a faith in God – since, if God does not exist one only stands to lose only limited or finite things … whereas if God does exist there are infinite and eternal gains to be had – namely Heaven … or infinite and eternal losses – namely Hell.

Today is the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time.

In todays reading from the Gospel of Luke, we hear the story of the chief tax collector Zacchaeus – who in his small efforts to see Jesus realizes that Jesus is looking for him as well.



His meeting with Christ – and subsequent repentance and conversion – turns the grumblings of the naysayers on their ears, and Our Lord proclaims:

Today salvation has come to this house …For the Son of Man has come to seeknd to save what was lost.

We hear in the first reading from the Book of Wisdom about God’s mercy and love – and how even the smallest details are willed by God – and how it is within His Will that all souls repent and believe in God.

St. Paul, in the excerpt from the beginning of the Second Letter to the Thessalonians speaks of remaining steadfast in our Baptismal call and to be firm in our Faith; and not become easily unsettled by random musings.



For ourselves, we can too often limit our perception of God and His goodness. Presuming that we can hide from God’s sight, or that God’s love is limited to other people or other things. Yet in both of these, we can fail to realize that nothing goes unnoticed by God and that He is actively seeking us out … seeking every single person … in order to bring them into His glory.

God’s mercy does not negate His justice ... and we must make an active respond to God’s mercy and love.



When we pray the Our Father, our pledge that His will be done – implies that the desire to conform our wills to God’s Will … and not the other way around.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ – let us repent of anything holding us back from being completely and totally committed to God … and in return may we receive the fullness of His grace, His mercy, and His love through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our life.