Tuesday 23rd Week OT @ St. Apollinaris School

HOMILY - TUESDAY 23RD WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
SEPTEMBER 12, 2017
8:45 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASS (3RD GRADE)



Saint Peter

Peter was also known as Simon or Cephas. He was the brother of Andrew. He became the leading Apostle after Pentecost until the Council of Jerusalem in 50 A.D. Afterward his whereabouts are not known with certainty.

Peter was crucified in Rome under Nero. An ancient historian records that he asked to be crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to be crucified as his Lord. The keys represent Jesus' saying, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven."

St. Peter's Day is June 29.

Peter, who was appointed by Jesus the leader of the new sect, is viewed by Roman Catholics as the first pope, was eventually martyred in Rome during the reign of the emperor Nero. As the story goes, Peter asked to be crucified upside down, so that his death would not be the equal of Jesus and the Romans supposedly obliged.




Saint Andrew

Andrew was the brother of Peter. He is said to have founded the church in Russia. He is the patron saint of both Russia and Scotland.

Tradition holds that Andrew was crucified in Greece on a cross saltire.

Saint Andrew's Day is November 30.

According to 15th Century religious historian Dorman Newman, Andrew—the brother of Peter—went to Patras in western Greece in 69 AD, where the Roman proconsul Aegeates debated religion with him. Aegeates tried to convince Andrew to forsake Christianity, so that he would not have to torture and execute him. But when that didn’t work, apparently he decided to give Andrew the full treatment. Andrew was scourged, and then tied rather than nailed to a cross, so that he would suffer for a longer time before dying. Andrew lived for two days, during which he preached to passersby.




Saint James the Greater

James was the brother of John and a son of Zebedee. He traditionally preached in Spain after working in Jerusalem.

James was beheaded by Herod Agrippa. He is the only apostle whose death is recorded in scripture (Acts 12:2). His shield shows a scallop (or cockle) shell, a symbol of pilgrimage by sea, and the sword of martyrdom. Sometimes three shells are shown without a sword.

St. James' the Greater's Day is July 25.

Acts 12:1-19 says that James was killed with a sword. The newly-appointed governor of Judea, Herod Agrippa, decided to ingratiate himself with the Romans by persecuting leaders of the new sect. After James was arrested and led to place of execution, his unnamed accuser was moved by his courage. He not only repented and converted on the spot, but asked to be executed alongside James. The Roman executioners obliged, and both men were beheaded simultaneously.




Saint John

John was the bishop of the church at Ephesus. He was exiled to Patmos and then returned.

Tradition claims that John was the only disciple to die a natural death, at great age. Various attempts were made on his life, including a poisoned chalice from which he was miraculously spared.

St. John's Day is December 27.

John was the only one of the original disciples not to die a violent death. Instead, he passed away peacefully in Patmos in his old age, sometime around 100 AD.




Saint Philip

A questionable tradition holds that Philip was a missionary to Phrygia and Galatia.

Philip is said to have been martyred by crucifixion or the spear, or bound to a cross and stoned to death. Two loaves of bread recall Philip's comment at the feeding of the multitude recorded in John 6:7.

St. Philip's Day is May 3.

Philip, the first of Jesus’ disciples, became a missionary in Asia. Eventually, he traveled to the Egyptian city of Heliopolis, where he was scourged, thrown into prison, and crucified in 54 AD.




Saint Bartholomew

Bartholomew probably preached near the border of India and in Armenia.

According to tradition, Bartholomew was flayed alive, crucified and then beheaded.

Saint Bartholomew's Day is August 24.

Bartholomew supposedly preached in several countries, including India, where he translated the Gospel of Matthew for believers. In one account, “impatient idolaters” beat Bartholomew and then crucified him, while in another, he was skinned alive and then beheaded.




Saint Matthew

Matthew was a son of Alphaeus and a tax collector. He was also known as Levi. According to tradition, he went to Ethiopia after preaching to the Jews in Palestine.

Traditional accounts of Matthew's death vary. Some say he died a natural death. Others say that he was crucified in Ethiopia and was then beheaded. His shield displays three purses.

St. Matthew's Day is September 21.

According to legend, the former tax collector turned missionary was martyred in Ethiopia, where he was supposedly stabbed in the back by an swordsman sent by King Hertacus, after he criticized the king’s morals.




Saint Thomas

Thomas was an evangelist in Persia and India. In India he is reported to have built a church with his own hands.

Thomas died when he was shot with arrows, stoned and left to die. A priest then ran a spear through him.

St. Thomas' Day is July 3.

Apparently Thomas preached the gospel in Greece and India, where he angered local religious authorities, who martyred him by running him through with a spear.




Saint James the Less

James (called "The Less" or "The Just") was a son of Alphaeus. He worked in and near Jerusalem and was probably its first bishop.

An ancient historian claims that James was pushed from a pinnacle of the temple at the age of 96. Near death, he rose to ask forgiveness for his enemies, who then beat him with a fuller's bat and sawed his body in pieces.

Saint James' Day is May 3.

According to Foxe, James, who was elected by his fellow believers to head the churches of Jerusalem, was one of the longest-lived apostles, perhaps exceeded only by John. At the age of 94, he was beaten and stoned by persecutors, and then killed him by hitting him in the head with a club.




Saint Simon

This disciple was also known as Simon the Zealot. Nothing of his missionary work can be authenticated, but he is variously said to have worked east of Palestine or to have accompanied Jude in his journeys.

An early historian claims that Simon was martyred in Persia by being beheaded or sawn in pieces. His shield indicates that he was a fisher of men through preaching the gospel.

St. Simon's Day is October 28.

Simon preached in Mauritania on the west coast of Africa, and then went to England, where he was crucified in 74 AD.




Saint Jude

Jude was also known as Thaddeus.

Traditions vary as to his field of missionary work. he is reputed to have traveled with Simon. His manner of death is also unknown, though some have supposed that he and Simon were martyred together.

St. Jude's Day is October 28.

According to several stories, he was crucified at Edessa (the name of cities in both Turkey and Greece) in 72 AD.




Judas Iscariot

Judas, whose emblem is a length of rope fashioned into a "J" or an "I", is rarely found in a list of the 12 Apostles. His place is usually taken by Saint Matthias, who was chosen by lot to replace Judas after he committed suicide, or by Saint Paul, who many believe to have been God's chosen successor to Judas.

According to Matthew 27:3-6, the treacherous apostle quickly felt remorse over his betrayal of Jesus and went to the Temple to recant. When the high priests ignored his plea, he threw down the 30 pieces of silver that he had been paid, and went off and hanged himself.  But Acts 1:15-20, gives a different and even grislier version of Judas’ demise. He says that Judas used the blood money to purchase a piece of land and then fell headlong from a high place there, so that “he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.” Jerusalem residents subsequently named the place Aceldama, which means “the field of blood.”

22nd Sunday OT @ St. Apollinaris Church

HOMILY - TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
SEPTEMBER 3, 2017
9:00 AM, 5:30 PM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES

Epictetus was a first century Greek Stoic philosopher. He was born in 50 AD into slavery. At the age of 18, he gained his freedom in Rome upon the death of Nero. 25 years later, he was banished – with all philosophers – by the emperor Domition. In exile, he returned to Greece and lived the remainder of his life teaching philosophy until his death at the age of 85.

Epictetus taught that philosophy was more than just a field of study ... but was rather a way of life. A quote attributed to him is:

What disturbs men's minds is not events 
but their judgments on events.

A similar thought is expressed by Shakespeare in Hamlet (Act 2, Scene 2), where the protagonist says:

There's nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so.

In other words, too often, an individual’s expectations play a larger role in their happiness … than whatever external event they may choose to pin the blame on.

Today is the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. 

In the first reading, the Prophet Jeremiah cries out in complaint to God – saying that he was “duped” by the Lord – overwhelmed by the end results of his prophesies. Instead of repenting, the prophet watches as Israel’s leaders and people dive headlong into the demise that he has prophesied … without regard or concern for what this means.

Instead of respect, Jeremiah is mocked. Instead of generating repentance, his message is laughed at. 

His expectation that the message of the Lord would turn the hearts of the people from sin causes him distress when they fail to repent. He knows what is coming, and can do nothing to stop it. And it disturbs him to his bones.

Last week, in Matthew’s Gospel, we heard St. Peter’s bold profession of faith:

You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Yet, despite Peter’s ability to articulate the Father’s revelation in that statement; his own expectations of what being “Christ” and “Son of the living God” should mean … interferes with his ability to grasp the fullness of Jesus’s mission … and earns him the harsh rebuke: 

Get behind me, Satan!

Jesus scolds Peter for thinking “as human beings do” and not with the mind of God. 

St. Paul parallels this theme in his letter to the Romans when he says: 

Do not conform yourselves to this age
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind …

Directing his listeners, and us as well, to pursue what is within the “will of God” namely, “what is good and pleasing and perfect [to God].”

Jesus, in the Gospel, doesn’t back down, but rather continues to raise the bar with his disciples … giving them three steps to eternal life:

(1) deny [yourself]
(2) take up [your] cross
(3) and follow [Jesus.]

This, indeed, requires us to allow God’s grace to transform our minds – so that we can be true disciples of Jesus Christ … without the limits and distortions of our own expectations … and without the false and misleading expectations of a world gone mad.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us – in receiving Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament – allow our hearts, minds, and souls to be transformed. Let us open ourselves to true and total renewal in Christ Jesus – through Him, with Him, and in Him. 

And then freed from the constraints of false and limiting expectations – let us offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” as we continue with this Divine Liturgy of the Mass … raising our bodies, minds, and spirits to God the Father, through the saving sacrifice of His Son, and in the Power of the Holy Spirit … joined as one body … right here – in this building … united in this sacred act of “spiritual worship.”

Passion of St. John the Baptist @ St. Apollinaris School

HOMILY - PASSION OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
AUGUST 29, 2017
8:45 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASS (3RD GRADE)



Today the vestments are red, and so either someone died or we're dealing with the Holy Spirit.

It is a martyr of sorts – today we honor the Passion of St. John the Baptist.

He was Jesus's cousin and was 3 months older than Jesus.

When he grew up, he became a great prophet. He lived in the desert, ate locusts and wild honey, wore camel skin robes. He baptized Jesus in the Jordan, preached a message of repentance, and was killed by King Herod ... the last part was what we heard in the Gospel reading.

John must have looked like a wildman in animal skins and eating bugs. He may have been a Nazarite – which was a man who was totally consecrated to God's service. Jesus said John the Baptist was a prophet, and even more than a prophet.

The way the Church picked today is because it is the day that the skull of John the Baptist was moved from the middle east to Rome in the 4th century.

It's kept in San Silvestro in Capite – which I think means St. Sylvester's Church with "the" head ... meaning John's head. And you can see the photos of the outside and inside of the church.

In the middle ages, on this day, people would refrain from using knives or eating off of platters ... as well as not eating anything that was shaped like a head. So, maybe in the middle ages, you could have gotten away with *not* eating your vegetables on this feast day.

St. John the Baptist: pray for us!

21st Sunday OT @ St. Apollinaris Church

HOMILY - TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
AUGUST 27, 2017
4:30 PM (SATURDAY), 9:00 AM, 5:30 PM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES



The word “sockdollager” is an Americanism – an American slang word – that initially rose to popularity in first third of the 19th century. It seems to have fallen out of use since the middle of the last century.

In case you don’t know, a sockdollager is either something or someone that is remarkable; or else it is a decisive blow – a knock-out punch, if you will.

It very well may have been the last word heard by President Abraham Lincoln, as it occurs in a punch line in the dialog of the play Our American Cousin, by Tom Taylor; and supposedly when the audience laughed, John Wilkes Booth fired that fatal shot at President Lincoln back in 1865.



The etymology of the word “sockdollager” is somewhat obscure. In 1893, an article in the Chicago Daily Tribune speculated that it was a metathesis (meh - TAHTH - us - sis) – that is, a confusion or transposition of syllables – of the word “doxology.” A doxology being the “grand finale” of many hymns and religious prayers – being, therefore, the decisive end to the singing of a hymn or the end of a religious service.

Doxology is a word that comes to us from the Greek, and means “glory words,” coming from two Greek words: doxa (glory) and logos (word).

We are most likely very familiar with doxologies, even if we just learned the word, because doxologies are often prayers and are found throughout our liturgical worship.



For example:

Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
 is a doxology from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit . . . is familiar to us as the prayer “The Glory Be,” and is also used as a liturgical doxology [in the Liturgy of the Hours and in the Old Mass.]

For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever, is the doxology following the Lord’s Prayer and its embolism.

Through him, and with him, and in him; O God almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours for ever and ever, is the doxology at the end of every one of the Eucharistic Prayers, and terminates with what is called the Great Amen: that is, the “grand finale” or “knock-out blow” as we descend from the highest-point of the Mass – the Consecration of simple bread and wine – into the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Today is the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time.

In the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah, we hear of Shebna’s demotion. Shebna has spent all of his effort within his office giving _himself_ glory, and God is taking him down a notch. Instead God raises up Eliakim – whose name literally means: “God will raise up,” – to a place of honor … because Eliakim has shown God honor, and given glory to God.



And in the Gospel, Jesus asks His disciples two questions: 


Who do people say that the Son of Man is?


and


[W]ho do you say that I am?

Peter gives the right answer, and in Jesus’s response to Peter, we hear Our Lord bless Peter for his insight, but then goes on to give the glory to God for having inspired Peter’s response.



Last week, we also heard from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. He outlined God’s plan for the Gentiles, carefully explaining that while Israel was called by God to be His chosen people, the Gospel message and salvation in Christ is universal – that is, catholic from the Greek word katholikos.

In today’s reading from Romans, St. Paul closes with a prayer and a doxology – praising God for His generosity to those who were once lost. Paul praises the “depth of the riches and [the] wisdom and [the] knowledge of God,” declaring God’s judgements and ways to be “inscrutable” and “unsearchable.” Recognizing that no one knows God’s mind … no one gives God advice … and that God is the giver of all things … and that God owes no one anything.



Paul’s humble prayer places us all at the feet of the Most High. In this prayer, he calls us to recognize that God is indeed God, and we most certainly are not.

In effect, St. Paul is “blown away” by God … he has had his proverbial socks “knocked off” by God … and as a “grand finale” proclaims a doxology:

For from him 
and through him 
and for him are all things. 

To [God] be glory forever. Amen.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ … and as we continue our prayers in this Holy Mass … let us open our hearts, and our minds, and our souls to receive the fullness of God’s grace in our very lives. As we pray the prayers and hear the words of glory in the doxologies … may we recognize God’s remarkable and holy Presence among us. May His Holy Spirit penetrate into the depths of who we are … transforming us from who we are … into who He has called us to be.

Wednesday 20th Week OT @ St. Apollinaris School

HOMILY - WEDNESDAY 20TH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
AUGUST 23, 2017
10:00 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASS (ALL SCHOOL)

Today is the Feast of St. Rose of Lima. She is from Lima, Peru and was born in 1586 and died in 1617. She is the first person in the western hemisphere to be canonized a saint. Among other things, she is the patroness of our diocese: the Diocese of Santa Rosa, as well as the city of Santa Rosa.

St. Rose was known for praying a lot, as well as many sacrifices. Where we may give up one or two things during Lent, St. Rose was always giving up things all the time. She live a life of great penance, and was known for her piety and holiness.

Which goes to the question: How can we become saints?

Why be good? The reason is that we need to build a foundation or a framework for God to work with. While God gives us everything, the primary virtues we receive in Baptism are Faith, Hope, and Love. The other virtues – the human or cardinal virtues – we have to work on: Justice (giving people the good they deserve), Prudence (doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way), Courage (standing up for what is right), and Temperance (keeping our thoughts, words, and actions within proper boundaries.) 

Once we've built a framework or foundation of virtue, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit which we receive in both Baptism and Confirmation perfect the virtues we have developed. No virtues, no gift. Lots of virtue, lots of gifts. We want to have something for the Holy Spirit to build on ... after all, we don't want the Holy Spirit flying off like a dove without a place to roost.

And once we have done our part to live a good life, and have allowed the Holy Spirit to perfect our good habits of virtue, we can experience the Fruits of the Holy Spirit – which are the first taste of the life of Heaven.

So, who wants to go to heaven? How about right now? Yeah. I thought so.

Nonetheless, we all want to go to Heaven, and in Heaven we know that Jesus will judge us based on our life. In the resurrection at the end of all time, we will receive the perfect life of the Trinity. 

And so, that's why this is the Mass of the Holy Spirit. Because school will help us, not only to get smarter, but also give us opportunities to work on virtuous living. Also, in the Sacraments we prepare for and receive, we will learn how to receive the graces configured to who we are; and experience a little bit of Heaven on Earth.

And in the end, we will – with God's grace – aspire to Heaven with God and the Saints for all Eternity.

20th Sunday OT @ St. Apollinaris Church

HOMILY - TWENTIETH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
AUGUST 20, 2017
7:30 AM, 10:30 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES



Paranomasia is the technical … or fancy way to say “pun.”

A pun is a form of word-play that takes advantage of multiple meanings or similar sounding words in an attempt to be funny or perhaps make a point. Puns have a long history, and exist in almost every language.

We seem to have a love-hate relationship with puns. They’re funny … usually corny … and often almost painfully awkward.



Puns can be homophonic: using words that sound alike, homographic: using words that are spelled alike, or visual: as in cartoons like the Far Side.

For instance, “How does Moses make coffee?” Answer: “He brews it!” Playing on the two word phrase “he brews” and the ethnic group the “Hebrews.”



Puns can even cross linguistic barriers, such as the tragic Chinese pilot involved in an mid-air crash with an American reconnaissance aircraft on April 1, 2001 … who was unfortunately named “Wang Wei.” (Wrong way.)

Alfred Hitchcock considered puns to be the “highest form of literature.”

Regardless of your take on puns, they do make us think. And they do make us laugh – if only for a short time … just before we fall into a facepalm.

In today’s Gospel we hear the story of the Canaanite woman.



In this pericope, Jesus and His disciples leave Israel and are in Gentile territory. The Canaanites were the original inhabitants of the land of Israel, having been driven out by Joshua – who succeeded Moses – over 1,000 years before the time of Our Lord.

And so, she isn’t really a Gentile … since she’s not from “outside” of Israel, but rather has been driven out of what became Israel.

So, what is all of this talk about dogs?

One idea is that this is all about language. We do know that in the Gentile world, the lingua franca – that is, the language of trade – was Greek.

The Greek word for Canaanite is Χαναναία (Chananaia).

And the Greek word for dog is κυναρίοις (kunariois).

Add to that, the word translated here as “did [Him] homage” – sometimes translated as “worshipped” – is προσκυνέω (proskuneoo) – which literally means “crawling around like a dog” … that is “on all fours.”



It seems that Jesus and the Canaanite woman are having a bit of fun with each other – or perhaps we might say a bit of “pun” with each other.

Nonetheless, after she is ignored, sent away, and finally teased … she perseveres. She humbles herself bodily – and quite possibly verbally. And through it all, displays her faith in Jesus – a faith which He calls “great.”

To our ears, Jesus sounds like a real jerk. Yet the joke gets lost in translation. “Canaanite” doesn’t sound like “dog” in English; and “homage” has nothing to do with dog crawling.

But with a little linguistic exploration, we can be let in on the joke … and recognize that rather than being a big jerk, Jesus is having a little fun … with Greek … in a Greek speaking area.

This, most likely, is why the Gospel writer goes so far as to indicate where this took place … as it requires a certain linguistic nuance to fully grasp the entirety of the story.



What does this mean for us? First and foremost, we should realize that only here does Jesus tell anyone that they have “great faith” – literally in the Greek “mega” faith.

And the recipe, if you will, for “mega” faith is perseverance, humility, and – if this story should teach us anything – a sense of humor.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us pray for a “great” faith … a “mega” faith … certainly founded on the infused theological virtue of Faith, but also supported by our own perseverance and humility … and when appropriate … insert some levity and a little humor.

Religious Education Congress @ Cardinal Newman High School

NOTES - THE YES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
AUGUST 19, 2017





Notes for talk 1-17 "Do Whatever He Tells You."


Notes for talk 2-17 "My Immaculate Heart Will Triumph"