6th Sunday of OT @ Ss. Francis and Clare

HOMILY 6TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

FEBRUARY 12/13, 2022

The 1987 movie, The Princess Bride, was produced and directed by Rob Reiner (Meathead from All in the Family), and had among its cast Andre the Giant, Peter Falk (Columbo), Fred Savage (The Wonder Years), and Billy Crystal (Saturday Night Live.)

The movie is the acting out of a book that a grandfather reads to his sick grandson – who is not at first impressed. It’s a love story, after all. And it’s dull – all that mushy stuff – until the sword fights, soldiers, and pirates.

Eventually, at what seems the end, the future princess Buttercup is about to be wed to the evil prince Humperdink. And a character known only as “The Impressive Clergyman” in the credits begins the ceremony.

MAWAGE is wot bwings us togeder tooday,

MAWAGE, that bwessed awangment,

that dweam wifin a dweam...

And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva...

So tweasure your wuv.

Thankfully, the wedding is interrupted before the vows are completed by the Dread Pirate Roberts, Buttercup is kidnapped by the pirate, who turns out to be her childhood love, Westley. After a sword fight and a seeming loss, Westley chases off the prince, and our lovers ride off on horseback … assumedly to a life lived happily ever after.

It’s available on Hulu and Disney+ if you have a subscription, or for $5 on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Vudu. YouTube wants $14,99 … but I don’t recommend spending that much money for a 34 year old movie.

Today is the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

It is also World Marriage Day.

And our first two readings sort of make that really difficult. But maybe not.

Yes, Jeremiah speaks of curses, but he goes on to speak of blessings. 

Paul speaks of futility and death, but brings us back to eternal life in the midst of faith and hope.

And the Gospel. 

The reading of the Beatitudes may seem to be so familiar that we don’t really listen. Out of the four Gospels, they are only found in Matthew and Luke.

This reading from Luke only occurs twice in the entire Lectionary. Today, once every three years, and on a Wednesday some time in September.

Matthew’s version, on the other hand, would have been two weekends ago last year, and on a Monday in June. 

It is also read on All Saints Day and All Souls Day; at Funerals, Ordinations, and Confirmations. And last, but not least, it is one of the many options for celebrations of Matrimony.

The word translated here as “blessed” has also been rendered as “happy.” Depending who’s approving what translation, it goes back and forth every 20 or 30 years. Blessedness – or

Beatitude is a possession of all things held to be good,
from which nothing is absent that a good desire may want.

At least according to the 4th century Saint, Gregory of Nyssa. And he goes on to say that Beatitude – being blessed – can only be fully understood in comparison to it’s opposite: misery, affliction, and suffering. 

And so, our readings may very well have a point. There are blessings, and there are curses. And hopefully you are married to the former, and not the latter. There is at times futility, and we all do die; but faith, and hope, and love help us to chart the stormy waters of the messiness of life … leading us to resurrection with Christ. 

And, of course, there are blessings and woes … but in the end, eternal life and in-between some happiness.

As we approach this altar to receive the Most Holy Body and Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, may the graces we receive in this Sacrament empower all the other Sacraments we have received … for a deeper outpouring of Faith, Hope, and Love … and may we receive, at the table of the Lord, many blessings … and much joy and happiness.

5th Sunday of OT @ Ss. Francis and Clare

HOMILY 5TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

FEBRUARY 5/6, 2022

Regula Sancti Benedicti – The Rule of Saint Benedict, was written in 516 AD by Saint Benedict of Nursia. It followed most community rules up to that point, but it sought to moderate monastic life between personal zeal and institutional formalism. In its original Latin, it consists of 13,317 words, 638 sentences, in 73 chapters. It’s not that big of a book. My own copy is only 111 pages, including the table of contents and the translator’s notes.250 years after it was written, Charlemagne had it copied and distributed throughout western Europe to encourage monks to follow it as a standard. Perhaps its most important influence was to set forth the idea of a written constitution and a rule of law.

The majority of the text covers the “how, what, whys, and whens” of operating a Monastery. Who gets what, how much, when and why. Everything from food, clothing, work, prayer, sleep, and punishment.

There are two chapters which perhaps we can take up on our own – Chapter 4 and Chapter 7.

Chapter 4 provides 73 Tools for the Christian Life, and Chapter 7 lists Twelve Steps of Humility.

Both of which are going to get really important in 3-1/2 weeks when Lent comes around!

The twelve steps of humility from Chapter 7 of the Rule are:

i. Fear God, ii. Follow God’s Will, iii. Follow Church Authority, iv. Even When It’s Hard, v. Confess Sins, vi. Reject Entitlement, vii. Esteem Others, viii. Stay in Community, ix. Listen Before Speaking, x. Don’t Be Silly, xi. Watch What You Say, xii. Be Your True Self.

And far from being a “self-help” chapter, the emphasis throughout is that it is God’s work in us … not our own work … that can help us grow in humility.

Today is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time. 

Our readings today have an undercurrent of Humility.

Isaiah has a vision of God, and in this vision he receives an insight – who he is before God Almighty:

Woe is me, I am doomed!

For I am a man of unclean lips,

living among a people of unclean lips.

Yet, God sends a seraphim – the angels that burn with a passion and love of God – to remove any wickedness and purge any sin. And at that moment, Isaiah responds to God: “Here I am, send me!”

In our second reading, St. Paul speaks of the proofs of the resurrection – Salvation, Scripture, and the many witnesses. And although Paul, himself, is an Apostle and a witness of Christ, he downplays it, calling himself:

the least of the apostles,

not fit to be called an apostle,

... [a persecutor of] the church of God.

Like Isaiah, Paul’s solution comes from above … God’s effective grace working within him.

And in the Gospel, Luke chapter 5, Jesus calls His disciples. But the story is perhaps too familiar.

If we place ourselves in the story, what do we see? 

A local carpenter walking on the beach gets into somebody else boat, talks for a while, and then starts to tell a group of fishermen, who are done for the day, what they should do to improve production. After an initial protest, they comply. And the result is “a great number of fish … that filled both boats.”

St. Peter sees this for what it is – a miracle – and falls “at the knees of Jesus and [says], ‘Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.’”

Humility. Humility. Humility.

Humility can be defined as “the virtue that … leads people to … a true appreciation of their position with respect to God and … neighbor.”

Isaiah, St. Paul, and St. Peter all found themselves in the Presence of God … whether in a vision or in the flesh. And all three were led to a humble recognition of who they were … and through God’s power were called to a greater mission.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ – when we find ourselves in the Presence of Christ Jesus under the appearances of Bread and Wine – may we gain the strength to truly appreciate who we are before God … and through God’s love and grace and mercy, may we recognize who He is calling us to become … as we strive to follow Him … He Who is our Way, our Truth, and our Life.

31st Sunday OT @ Ss. Francis and Clare

HOMILY 31st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OCTOBER 30/31, 2021

Barbara Woodhouse was born in 1910 in County Dublin, Ireland. She is best known for her 1980s British television show, and her series of books on Dog Training. Her motto was “no bad dogs,” and her particular style of Obedience Training continues to be taught in Britain and the US to this day. 

Obedience training for dogs has its roots in pre-history. Over 100 years before the time of Christ, a Roman farmer recorded advice for training dogs to herd livestock.

In the 19th century, a British Army Officer published a book titled: “Dog Breaking: The Most Expeditious, Certain and Easy Method, Whether Great Excellence or Only Mediocrity Be Required, With Odds and Ends for Those Who Love the Dog and the Gun,” intended to train hunting dogs.

And in 1911, a German military officer published his book, titled: “Training Dogs: A Manual,” still used today to train police and military dogs.

Woodhouse died in 1988 at the age of 78; but her method lives on. Her American protege, Brian Kilcommons, is an expert trainer and counts among his clients Diana Ross, Morley Safer, and Diane Sawyer. 

Today is the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Our Old Testament and Gospel readings both focus in on a single prayer, known to Jews as the Sh’ma.

Hear, O Israel!

The Lord our God is Lord alone!

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all your soul, 

with all your mind,

and with all your strength.

Looking at the original languages for the two readings it would appear that something has gotten lost in the translation from Hebrew to Greek to English.

The English word, hear, is defined by the Oxford dictionary as “to be aware of sounds with your ears.” And, interestingly, this comports pretty much with the Greek word used in the Gospel for ‘hear’ which is “akoue” and is where we get the English word “acoustic.”

Both the Greek and the English words imply what appears to be a passive event – mere sounds flowing into our ears.

But the Hebrew word “sh’ma” means more than just ‘hear.’ It also means to ‘listen, consent, understand, and obey.’ To hear God is to conform your will to God’s and to act on God’s word and to obey God’s word.

Hearing implies obedience, and obedience implies action.

In the Letter to the Hebrews, we hear at the end of the reading the phrase “the word of the oath” which points back to a covenant. And the covenant for us is found in our encounter with Christ in the Sacraments of the Church … and in the superabundant sacramental grace provided by the Sacraments in order for us to live out our lives in the world by leveraging the Supernatural virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, may His “once for all” offering on the Cross “always … save [us] who approach God through [H]im,” with Him, and in Him. May the graces we receive this day in the Sacrament of the Altar help us to hear, listen, obey, and act upon the Word of God in our daily lives by what we say and do out and about in the world.

30th Sunday OT @ Ss. Francis and Clare

HOMILY 30TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

OCTOBER 23/24, 2021

In the United States, roughly 1 million people are blind. There are an additional roughly 3 million people who have an uncorrectable visual impairment, and another 3 million who have a correctable visual impairment, but are unable to obtain medical intervention. Meaning, nearly 7 million “blind people” in the US.

While there are many things that can cause blindness, three of the top several diseases are (1) Cataracts, (2) Age-related Macular Degeneration (or AMD), and (3) Glaucoma. These aren’t the only causes, but for the point of illustration, they are the three I’ll be discussing.

Cataracts are caused by a clouding of the lens or lenses. AMD is caused by a degeneration of the back of the eye, obstructing the image coming into the eye right in the middle. Glaucoma, on the other hand, damages the optic nerve, causing the edges off the image to be lost to the viewer.

Blindness is in the top 10 disabilities, ranking at number nine, falling just before stroke (at number 10) and after diabetes (at number 8.)

Today is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Our Gospel Reading is the story of the blind man known to us as Bartimaeus … which is Aramaic for “son of Timaeus.” 

The story in itself is remarkable. He is a beggar. And when he hears that Jesus is passing by, he begins crying out. The crowd tries to shut him up … not a very nice thing to do … especially when the person passing by is a noted healer. And when he does go to Jesus, he gets up and throws aside his cloak … which is his coat, his umbrella, and most likely his home.

This chapter from St. Mark’s Gospel begins with Jesus speaking about the divine plan for marriage which was stricter than the practice of the time. The disciples shooing away children, and Jesus reversing that and allowing the children to come to Him and blessing them. Next, Jesus sets a high bar for a rich young man, who goes away sad … not willing to come to Jesus with nothing. Jesus then begins to speak of His passion, death, and resurrection.

As if oblivious to this, two of the apostles ask for top spots in the Kingdom of Heaven … ticking off the other 10 apostles who wish they had thought of it first. And then we have today’s story of Bartimaeus.
Why this story here?

Well, the apostles have been missing the mark so far, being confused on marriage, children, property, and power. The placement of a story of a blind man right after these seems to point to Spiritual Blindness.

There are three ways to look at Spiritual Blindness. One can be ignorant … not knowing, or not wanting to know about God or Jesus or the Gospel. One can be cynical … not seeing the goodness of God or thinking that everyone is out for themselves. And finally, one can have a hardness of heart … not wanting to love, or not feeling worthy of love.

These three causes of Spiritual Blindness … ignorance, cynicism, or heart-heartedness … do have cures. And the physician is Jesus … the Divine Healer … who comes to us with Faith, Hope, and Love.

Faith overcomes spiritual ignorance … Hope overcomes spiritual cynicism … and Love overcomes hardness of heart.

Finally, the last two stories in this chapter from St. Mark have Jesus asking the same question … first of his two power-hungry disciples and second of blind Bartimaeus. The question is:

“What do you want me to do for you?”

And that is the question I’ll leave you with. “What do you want Jesus to do for you?” 

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and DIvinity of Jesus Christ … as we receive Him … materially and spiritually … ask Him for whatever you want. And if you’re not sure what you want, ask Him for a deeper outpouring of Faith, and Hope, and Love. And as you receive from Him the graces of this Sacrament, know that “your faith has saved you,” and renewed by that faith … go on your way through, with, and in Christ Jesus Our Lord.

28th Sunday OT @ Ss. Francis & Clare

HOMILY 28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OCTOBER 9/10, 2021

Thin-slicing is a psychological and philosophical term that describes the ability to make snap decisions based on limited information or narrow windows of experience. Many studies have demonstrated that brief observations can be used to analyze complex situations at higher levels of probability than mere random chance.

These are what we might call  ‘hunches’ or a ‘gut feelings.’ There is the old saying that “the first impression is the most lasting,” and this, too – they say – comes from thin-slicing.

In his popular book titled Blink, author Malcolm Gladwell presents several examples and case studies where thin-slicing has proved more accurate than detailed research.

Thin slicing, however is not without its detractors. Prejudices and racial profiling also stem from drawing conclusions with limited knowledge. And research shows that emotions distort the accuracy of thin-slicing.

Gladwell acknowledges the limitations of thin-slicing, and argues that this type of intuition is developed by training, knowledge, and experience. 

Today is the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time.

In our Gospel reading from St. Mark today, we hear the story of the Rich Young Man. 

He has lived a life in accordance with the Ten Commandments, and proudly proclaims that he has “observed them [all] from [his] youth.”

Jesus tells him that he is “lacking in one thing”, and tells him to go and sell everything he has and give the proceeds to the poor.

The Rich Young Man obviously knew about Jesus. He was most likely not unfamiliar with Jesus’ teaching. And he revered Him, kneeling down before Him to ask his question.

He had a hunch that there was something extraordinary in these teachings … something extraordinary in the Person of Jesus Christ. And his first impression proves to be true.

But on second thought, he has misgivings. And he are told that “he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”

In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom, the author – considered to be King Solomon himself – tells how he treasured God’s Wisdom above scepter and throne, riches and gems, silver and gold, health and good looks … pointing out that “all good things together came to me in [the] company [of Wisdom] and countless riches [as well.]”

Too often we become creatures of habit, operating on instinct alone, and becoming immersed in the cares and concerns of the world.

God takes a back seat. His Wisdom is ignored for the ideas of society and culture. And God falls into second, third, fifth, tenth, or worse place.

What is that “one thing” that keeps us from truly following Jesus? For one person it might one thing … for another something entirely different.

The Letter to the Hebrews compares “the word of God … [to a] two-edged sword”. Slicing through our illusions and confusions to help us “discern [our] reflections and thoughts” in the Light of God’s Wisdom.

Jesus Christ calls each of us to follow Him. And to do this, we all must discern what that “one thing” is … give it up .. and follow Him. Otherwise we may end up going away sad.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us pray to slice through our thoughts and ideas … and clearly see in the Light of God’s Word – what is the one thing holding us back from a deeper relationship with God in Christ. May the graces of the Sacrament of the Altar truly “[f]ill us with [God’s] love” through all our days … every day … in the power and glory of the Holy Spirit.

27th Sunday OT @ Ss. Francis and Clare

HOMILY 27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OCTOBER 2/3, 2021

St. Francis of Assisi has been given a bad reputation in the modern era. He’s been co-opted by hippies, environmentalists, and others . . . for themselves, and without regard to who he really was. 

Francis felt called to serve in a heroic way. Twice, he tried to go to war. The second time, he had a dream with instructions sending him home. And so, he did – selling his armor and sword, and giving it to the poor. He spent time in prayer, seeking to know . . . more and more perfectly . . .  the will of God for his life. 

While in the chapel of the Monastery of San Damiano, the crucifix spoke to him . . . telling him three times: “go and repair my church which, as you see, is all in ruins!”

Initially, Francis thought that the point of the message was to rebuild that particular chapel. Later, he would realize that he was called to rebuild the Church – the big “C” church – reforming the Church, by demonstrating that the Gospel was not beyond being lived out day-by-day by ordinary people . . . in a spirit of charity and poverty.

He founded three orders: (1) the friars minor – or the “little brothers,” (2) the “poor Clares,” and (3) the “brothers and sisters of penance” – or what is now known as the “Third Order.”

Francis embraced the Gospel literally and radically, and this should give us all pause . . . begging the question: “Do we really allow the message of the Gospel to penetrate into the depths of our being?”

Francis realized that God had given us everything, and he desired to give everything to God. 

Today’s readings, for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, speak of the first covenant given by God to humanity – that is, Marriage.

A covenant is similar to a contract. But, where a contract is an exchange of goods . . . a covenant is an exchange of persons . . . that is, the establishment of a relationship. 

The best example of this is Matrimony, where husband and wife give themselves to each other completely: “in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.” to love and honor each other ”all the days of [their lives].” Marriage reflects the relationship of Christ and His Church.

In the same way, the other six Sacraments are also covenants – where we are brought into a deeper relationship with God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist – the Sacraments of Initiation – bring us into relationship with the Most Holy Trinity.

Reconciliation and Anointing – restore us spiritually and physically according to God’s Will. 

And Matrimony and Orders create a visible community . . . a family of Faith, Hope, and Love . . . to build up the Kingdom of God in the world.

St. Francis saw himself as the herald of a great King – that is, he proclaimed the Kingdom of God in a world . . . which like our own . . . had grown cold. Francis was a fire burning in that cold world . . . an intense fire of Divine Love.

Francis sought to live the Gospel in such a way as to be a living Gospel. His message was the message of Christ. And his life was lived for Christ.

And, as his mission found it’s origin with a message from the cross . . . toward the end of his life, he bore the stigmata – the wounds of Christ – in his own body . . . for the last two years of his life. And up and until he died, he was a living image of Our Savior on the Cross.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ . . . let us, in this covenant meal of the Eucharist, receive Christ totally . . . as we give ourselves totally to Him. And through the intercession of St. Francis . . . and in following his example . . . let us strive to give ourselves entirely to Christ . . . “through Him, with Him, and in Him” . . . may we – in all that we say, and in all that we do – bring the Gospel to the world by the manner of our own lives . . . in relationship to God and to His Church. 

24th Sunday in OT @ Ss. Francis and Clare, Birch Run

HOMILY 24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SEPTEMBER 11/12, 2021

Where were you last Tuesday? What did you have for dinner? What about breakfast? Who did you see that day? 

What about Tuesday, September 11, 2001? 

Strange, isn’t it? Why is it easier to remember?

It’s hard to believe that was 20 years ago.

For those younger than 20 … all this may feel like ancient history.

For myself, I was on the Chassis Electrical floor in the Ford Motor Engineering Building on Rotunda Drive in Dearborn. I had plans to go to lunch with my brother, and that evening had my second session of my first night school theology class. I’d even come in to work a bit earlier so that I could leave earlier in order to go over the reading for class and study.

I didn’t go to lunch with my brother. And there was no school that evening.

Here, in the Diocese of Saginaw, Bishop Ken Untener put out a statement at 5:30 pm that day. It reads:

Our first thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of today’s tragedy, and their families. This is not a time for words. It is a time for prayers.

. . .

Whatever was important to us when we got up this morning is not important now. We’re all stunned. The suffering is so massive that it’s hard to thing of anything. If Jesus, the Son of God, wept over Jerusalem, we can weep now.

The tenderness of God goes out to everyone touched by this – which is all of us.

Today is the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time. And today is [yesterday was] the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. 

Our readings carry with them a theme of “suffering.” 

The Old Testament reading from Isaiah chapter 50 is known as the 3rd Suffering Servant Song. In this ‘song,’ the prophet gives a vivid description of sufferings, and lays out a three point plan of submission in order to persevere in suffering. 

He speaks of (1) a submission of the mind, (2) a submission of the will, and (3) a submission of faith.

A submission of the mind so that we might learn . . . a submission of the will so that we might accept God’s will … and a submission of faith that we might learn to trust in God.

The world is confused about suffering. For the most part, the world sees suffering as meaningless and seeks to obliterate it. As Catholics, we believe that suffering can have meaning – so long as we unite our own sufferings with the suffering of Christ.

In the Gospel, Jesus gives the First Prediction of His Passion. Peter has just confessed his faith that Jesus is the Christ . . . the Messiah . . . the Anointed One of God. But Peter is confused about what this means. Jesus goes on to speak of His coming Passion . . . that He “must suffer greatly . . . be rejected . . . and be killed.” And Peter doesn’t like how that sounds. Jesus corrects Peter, and confirms that not only will He suffer, but that He is calling His disciples – and us – to suffer with Him . . . to: 

take up [your] cross, and follow [Him].
[to] lose [. . . your lives] for [His] sake 
and [for the sake] of the [G]ospel . . .

Saint James explains this further when he points out that our faith must be expressed in our works . . . or perhaps a better translation of works could be ‘acts, deeds, doings, or labors.’

Our Faith must be expressed in actions, not just in words. 

There is a Latin motto, “facta non verba” meaning “deeds not words” and there are countless organizations that embrace that motto – fraternities, schools, civic entities, police and military units. My own Michigan State Defense Force, First Battalion, Alpha Company has adopted this motto as it’s own. And I think it is a good motto for us as Christians.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ – let us pray that our faith may always move us to action. Let us remember the Sacrifice of Christ, and take up our own crosses with Him. And let us remember those who have sacrificed for us . . . for our freedom . . . and for our country. Knowing that there is meaning in their sacrifices and suffering . . . and let us take action for the future.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord . . . 

Below are JPG graphics of the bulletin insert on my background. 

  

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time @ Ss. Francis and Clare, Birch Run

HOMILY 23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

People are afraid of all sorts of things. There are lists and lists of different phobias.

A friend of mine is afraid of frogs. That’s a form of zoophobia – the fear of animals, which can be broken down further to batchophobia – the fear of amphibians, all the way down to ranidaphobia – the fear of frogs.

There are more commonly known fears, like arachnophobia – which is a fear of spiders, triskaidekaphobia – which is the fear of the number 13 (thirteen). And there are lesser known phobias like entomophobia – which is the fear of bugs, or scoleciphobia – which is the fear of worms. There is chiroptophobia – which is the fear of bats, and selachophobia – which is the fear of sharks.

Xanthophobia is the fear of the color yellow, spectophobia is the fear of mirrors, coulrophobia is the fear of clowns, and kleptophobia is the fear of being robbed.

Ecclesiophobia is the fear of churches, ouranophobia is the fear of heaven, and theophobia is the fear of God,

There’s even barophobia – which is the fear of gravity, autophobia – the fear of being alone, and panphobia – the fear of everything.

It seems that people can be afraid of just about anything – person, place, thing, feeling, temperature, sounds, ideas, activities … if you can experience it, you can be afraid of it.

Today is the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary time. 

In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, we hear a prophecy of three miracles done by the hand of God. God restores the land, He heals physical ailments and disabilities, and He relieves fear. 

The prophet says first, at the beginning of today’s text: 

to those whose hearts are frightened:

Be strong, fear not!

Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;

with divine recompense
he comes to save you.

And only after this, does he continue, saying: “[then] will the eyes of the blind be opened” as he enumerates the cures and the other miracles that God will perform.

But first – before any miraculous healings or restorations – God addresses fear. Miracles second. Fear gets dealt with first.

And I believe this is a very important point. Because just like there are fears for anything and everything under the sun, fear in a person’s life touches and affects everything in their life.

God first comes, not to heal us – but to save us. And He saves us from fear. Before we can move on to miracles and healings, we need to do something about fear.

Fear takes away your freedom. Fear drags you out of the present moment – leaving you ruminating in the past or worried about the future. Fear destroys your quality of life. Fear clouds your judgment. It upsets your emotions. Fear has some very serious consequences – in relationships, in the workplace, in daily activities, on physical and mental health.

There are all sorts of programs to get people to conquer fear by confronting their phobias. 

But perhaps, as Christians, we need to address our fears by first recognizing that it is God who can conquer our fears … God can destroy our phobias and vindicate us … It is God who saves us. But we need to give Him permission to act in our lives with His power … the power of His grace and His mercy … to right the wrongs of the past, and to take away the worries of the future. 

And when we have “let go” … and “let God,” only then we can address the other things – our own limitations and the world around us … with the freedom we have received in Christ as the children of God.

Once we have given our fears over to God, and are free from them … then our eyes and our ears will be opened … to God’s action and miracles in our lives. Our tongues will be loosened to praise God and to speak words of encouragement … to proclaim the truth of the Gospel. Then we will recognize in all people our brothers and sisters in Christ.

And it all starts … or stops with fear.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ … may the light of Christ poured out in the Holy Spirit enlighten us … that when Jesus tells us to “be opened” to His grace and His mercy … to receive the divine gifts of Faith, Hope, and Love … that we will let Him into our lives … our hearts … our souls … and allow God to save us … to heal us, and to restore us so that we might “be rich in faith and [inherit] the kingdom that [God has] promised to those who love him.”

21st Sunday in OT @ Ss. Francis and Clare, Birch Run

HOMILY - 21ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

AUGUST 21/22, 2021

In his 1964 book Games People Play, psychologist and author Eric Berne introduced a theory examining human interactions. Based on the idea that we are all social beings, and that we relate to people on multiple levels that change depending on who we are interacting with and the circumstances we are in.

He identified three levels, calling them Parent, Adult, and Child – and depending on our role, and the role of the other person . . . Berne claimed that individuals ended up playing different subconscious roles in what he called subconscious games.

Despite his influence on modern psychology and his clinical expertise in relationships, Berne himself was married and divorced three times over the course of almost 30 years.

Nonetheless, it can be helpful to evaluate our own relationships and interactions to see if we might be playing games in certain circumstances and work towards being more sincere and straightforward in how we deal with each other and with ourselves.

Today is the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time.

In today’s readings, we see God’s relationship with His holy people played out in various ways.

In the Old Testament reading from the end of the Book of Judges, Joshua gives the Twelve Tribes of Israel a bit of an ultimatum to make a definitive choice to serve the LORD; ending his appeal with his own firm choice, stating:

As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

In the Gospel, those who heard Jesus speaking on the Bread of Life – what we have been reading over the past several weeks – make the observation that:

This . . . is hard; who can accept it?

Indeed, Jesus is calling for a deep spiritual commitment ... a true conversion of heart, mind, and soul that – despite its difficulty – “gives life” . . . and not just life in this world, but rather “eternal life.”

Jesus offers this new life in God . . . this eternal life . . . to all who believe. Yet despite the promise, we are also told that “many of his disciples . . . no longer accompanied him.”

St. Paul further develops this them in his letter to the Ephesians – comparing the relationship of husband and wife to Christ’s relationship with the Church . . . that is, with us. Yet in the end, he still says:

This [too] is a great mystery.

For us to truly live out the Christian life requires a solid commitment from us which very often requires difficult choices between what the world or the culture may offer us on one hand; and what the law of Christ and the Church demand of us on the other. And worldly choices may appear to offer immediate gratification – something appealing which is in fact passing and ephemeral – Jesus Christ offers us life . . . and not just life here . . . Jesus offers us eternal life.

No matter where we may find ourselves, we are called to embrace our daily situations with Christian dignity . . . abiding in Faith, Hope, and Love. While our goal is is the satisfaction of life in abundance with Christ in God’s Heavenly Kingdom – this always requires from us a personal sacrifice if we are to truly receive and engage the sanctifying gifts of grace, mercy, and love that are offered to us through our relationship with God Almighty.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ . . . let us pray that through the mystery of the Eucharist we receive today . . . we might grow deeper in our relationship with God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May the sanctifying grace of all the Sacraments we have received strengthen our commitment to God and Christ; and direct us always to follow Jesus Christ ... He who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Assumption of the BVM @ Ss. Francis and Clare Parish, Birch Run

HOMILY - ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

AUGUST 14/15, 2021

As a little kid … probably around the age of 3 or 4 … my grandmother gave me a magnifying glass. I’m not sure my mom thought it was the best idea. She was probably concerned about me breaking the lens and hurting myself or one of my siblings with the shards.

For a toddler, a magnifying glass was magic. You could see all sorts of details when you held it up close to your eye. Of course, if you held it away from your eye at a certain distance, it was a view into an upside-down world. 

I would walk around the house with it held out at an arm’s length … watching as it flipped everything around in that little loop.

Which of course meant that at one point in time … I ran into a wall with it.

The lens survived. The handle and the metal loop that held the lens are long gone. Later on in my childhood, it took it’s toll on anthills and burning my name onto leaves.I actually still have the lens stored away somewhere with childhood treasures in a closet at my folks.

Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

An important holy day for a couple of reasons. One of which is that it is the patronal feast day of our diocese - the Diocese of Saginaw. It is one of the two churches that make up our parish, and it is the name of our Cathedral in Saginaw.

Secondly, it is one of the four Marian dogmas.

There is a misplaced idea in recent years that somehow anything related to Mary was stealing the show from Jesus. 

Over the past several years as a priest, I’ve worked in schools in both Michigan and California.. And I’ve yet to meet a kid who would think that if his mom were talked about in a good way that he was getting the short end of the stick.

In fact, back in the day - when life was tougher on the playground - many a fistfight was started over a comment or a joke that started or ended with “your mom.”

Nonetheless, for the record, all good theology on Mary - that is, the dogmas, the teachings, the doctrine about Our Lady - all good Mariology is based on good Christology.


And, in case you were wondering, the four Marian dogmas are:

1. Mary’s divine motherhood - which we celebrate on January 1
2. Mary’s perpetual virginity - which we hear every time we call her the “Blessed Virgin Mary.”
3. Mary’s immaculate conception - which we celebrate on December 8
4. Mary’s assumption, body and soul, into heaven at the end of her earthly life: 

    which we celebrate today.

In today’s Gospel, we hear one of the three “New Testament” hymns found in Luke’s Gospel. They are known by the first word or words in Latin, and are a part of the daily prayer of the Church. Their English titles are based on who prayed it in Luke’s Gospel. 

These are:

1. The Canticle of Zechariah
2. The Canticle of Mary
3. The Canticle of Simeon.

Today we heard the Canticle of Mary, known by it’s first Latin word: “Magnificat.”

The word “Magnificat” means “to magnify.”

In older, more literal, English translation of this verse, the first words are “My soul magnifies the Lord.”

Which begs the question: what do our souls magnify?

I would guess that at times, our souls magnify our selves, maybe sometimes our souls magnify our family, sometimes our work, maybe our friends.

Like that magnifying lens I played with as a kid, our souls are meant to be used for amazing things. And perhaps the greatest thing we can do is to magnify God with our souls, and with our hearts, and with our minds.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ - let us pray to be a lens to the world of the grace and mercy and love of God. May our souls magnify the Lord in everything we think, in everything we say, and in everything we do.