Ash Wednesday @ St. Apollinaris Parish / Justin-Siena

HOMILY - ASH WEDNESDAY
MARCH 6, 2019
7:00 AM, 12:00 NOON ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASS



Organizing consultant Marie Kondo has her own particular organizational method she calls the “KonMari” method.

She refers to what she does as “tidying up,” as opposed to “cleaning up.”

“Cleaning up,” she says, is something that you do to your surroundings. “Tidying up” is not so much about getting rid of things, but about making a choice … or deciding how to live … and what you want to keep in your life.



Marie Kondo stresses that we should only hold onto the things that “spark joy.”

The first step, she says, is to make an enormous pile of all the things you have, and then when you see all of this in one place, you can choose the things that truly “spark joy” … and let go of the rest as not essential to your life.

We find ourselves this morning at the cusp of Holy Lent.

Today is Ash Wednesday.

Marie Kondo’s “Tidying Up” can give us a way to apply Lent to our daily lives.

Just as “tidying up” differed from “cleaning up” – where one was externally focused and the other internally focused … Lent should be less a period of “self-improvement” and more of a time of “self-reflection” and “self-discovery.”



Over these next 40 days, we can take an assessment of our heart, mind, and soul – looking at all that we are and all that we do. And instead of looking at Lent as a time of “giving things up,” we can approach Lent from the perspective of what do we want to hold on to … and what do we want to get rid of … keeping only the things that “spark joy” and letting go of what doesn’t.

When the 40 days are over, we will hopefully find ourselves in a better place … as better people … living a better life. But even more so: in a holier place ... as holier people ... living a holier life.

We have 6 weeks to examine the enormous pile of experiences, memories, attitudes, and ideas that make up our life. And we can choose, not only those things that “spark joy,” but the things that also “spark” love, peace, perseverance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.



These are the 12 gifts of the Holy Spirit, and these are all given to us as a foretaste of heaven on earth.

Let us take this season of Lent to “tidy up” our hearts, minds, and souls … in order to draw closer to God … taking it as a time of “self-reflection” and “self-discovery” … to learn who we are, and to gain a clearer vision of who God is. Let us choose to live the life of heaven here on earth, holding onto only those things which “spark” love, joy, peace, perseverance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control … and living that way each day … in everything we say … and everything we do.

All Saints Day @ Justin-Siena High School

HOMILY - ALL SAINTS DAY
NOVEMBER 1, 2017
11:55 AM MASS



Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints.

We often think of canonized saints as the only type of saints. But saints are real people, not statues. By virtue of our Baptism, we are called to be saints.

In order to be a canonized saint, there are five steps.

1. Be dead for 5 years.
2. Local bishop opens an investigation of their life and sends it to Rome. When it is accepted by the Congregation for Saints, the individual is given the title "Servant of God."
3. The Congregation for Saints reviews the materials from the investigation and if it is determined that the person lived a life of "heroic virtue," they are given the title "Venerable."
4. Then, there are two possibilities. If the person died for the faith as a martyr, they can automatically move on to the next step. Otherwise, there must be a miracle attributed to their intercession. The miracles are fastidiously examined and must be outside of science. If the person was indeed a martyr, or if a miracle occurred through their intercession, they are given the title of "Blessed." 
5. Finally, after this, if a second miracle can be attributed to their intercession, they are given the title of "Saint." 

The difference between Blesseds and Saints is that Blesseds are for a particular region, while Saints are for the whole world-wide Church.

Now, for ourselves, how do WE become the saints we are called to be?

1. First is Holiness. This means, literally, "set apart for service to God." Every time we set aside something: time, effort, or ourselves ... in service to God, we grow in holiness. Saints gave all they had to God, and we can work toward giving more and more of ourselves to God.
2. Second is Virtue. We all have good and bad points to our lives - virtues and vices. Saints had "heroic" virtue. This means that they allowed God to perfect, through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, their virtues; while working to lessen their vices – and make up for their mistakes.
3. Finally, is Perseverance. Saints may not have been perfect, but they all kept trying. Never give up on being a Saint, and never be discouraged. Work constantly to grow in holiness and virtue, and God will bless your effort, and through His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, your imperfect efforts will be perfected through God's power.

And that's how Saints are determined, and how YOU can be a Saint!

Wednesday 2nd Week of Easter @ Justin-Siena High School

VISUALS - WEDNESDAY OF SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
APRIL 26, 2017
11:55 AM ORDINARY FORM MASS



The Gospel was from the Emmaus encounter. And how they recognized Jesus when he "took," "blessed," "broke," and "gave" them bread at the table.

 
 

We can recognize Jesus in our own lives when we realize we are "taken" up in Christ (or "chosen" by God,) when we are "blessed" or become a blessing for others Latin for blessing is benediction = bene (good) + diction (words). When we say and hear good words we are blessed and become a blessing to others. We are all broken, but not in the same ways. When we acknowledge our brokenness, we recognize that others have strengths that support our weaknesses, and that our strengths can support their weaknesses. Finally, we are not made for ourselves, but for others. This means we are given to one another, and need to make a gift of ourselves to each other and the world.



For a more thorough treatment of this, see: Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World, by Henri Nouwen.

          

Ash Wednesday @ Justin-Siena High School

HOMILY - ASH WEDNESDAY
MARCH 1, 2017
10:30 AM ORDINARY FORM MASSES

R = Remember … that you are dust, Jesus in the breaking of the bread, we are one body in Christ

E = End … old habits, negativity, revenge, isolation

P = Penance … give up / let go of what hold you back / down … take up what lifts you up

E = Expect … a miracle, God’s grace, to be surprised, amazed, more than can be expected

N = Newness … “Behold, I make all things new,” (Revelation), “See, I am doing a new thing,” Isaiah

T = Try … Saints aren’t perfect, Saints are just the ones who got back up … you never know unless you try

Hebrew - “Turn around” translated as "repent"


Greek - “Change your mind” translated as "repent"

Special thanks to Prolific Prep for helping with the homily!

Immaculate Conception @ Justin-Siena High School

HOMILY PROPS / NOTES - SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION BVM
DECEMBER 8, 2016
10:20 AM ORDINARY FORM MASS  

The "math" behind the Immaculate Conception:
There are 4 Marian Dogma.
2 Ancient: Perpetual Virginity, Mother of God (Theotokos).
2 Modern: Immaculate Conception, Assumption.

The "science" behind the Immaculate Conception:
At Baptism, we are filled with grace. Through sin, we separate ourselves from God's grace. Through Reconciliation (Confession) we are restored to the life of grace. In the Eucharist, we receive countless graces through this Most Blessed Sacrament. This is the ordinary way to remain filled with grace available to Catholic Christians.

In the Immaculate Conception, Mary was created full of grace. By this special gift of God, she never sinned, and remained full of grace throughout her entire life. This was the extraordinary way that God allowed Mary to share in the graces of the Sacraments before Christ's Sacrifice, and before Jesus established the Sacraments of the Church.

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