Sacred Heart @ Holy Family Rutherford

HOMILY - EXTERNAL SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART
JUNE 10, 2018
12:00 PM EXTRAORDINARY FORM (LATIN) MASS



During the Octave of Corpus Christi in the year 1675, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque – a Visitation nun in the French town of Paray-le-Monial – had what is called the “great apparition.” She had a vision of Jesus holding out His pierced heart toward her and said:

Behold this Heart which has so loved men, that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself in order to testify to its love. In return, I have received from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and their sacrilege, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this sacrament of Love.

I was once asked to represent the Catholic position on “The Atonement.” I wasn’t familiar with this term, because it is perhaps one of the only theological terms that originates in the English language. In a sense, it relates to redemption, righteousness, and relationship.



When I arrived (late) at this theological “free for all,” someone from a mainstream denomination was carrying on with the theme of “What kind of Father kills his own Son,” and “Wearing a Crucifix is like wearing an electric chair, or wearing a noose.” In effect, mocking the Trinity and mocking the Cross.

After this enthralling discourse, it was my turn.

I began by speaking of the infinite Love of the Most Holy Trinity, traveling at an infinite speed, in an infinite quantity, with infinite force – and when this infinite … infinite … infinite … infinite Love meets the immoveable free will of humanity … it’s like a train wreck … like a high speed train being driven into a brick wall.



And then I pulled out my crucifix from under my shirt, and held it up, saying: “God didn’t do this. We did. We’re the ones who tell God, ‘No,’ or ‘Not now,’ or ‘Not yet.’ We are the ones who reject the infinite Love of God. And this is what that train wreck looks like.”

Today, I have chosen to offer the Mass of the Sacred Heart as an External Solemnity. This is allowed in the Extraordinary Form for this feast as well as in October for the Most Holy Rosary.

The Gospel provides us with an understanding of how the world looks at the “train wreck” that I described above. That is, what is the world’s response to the devastation caused by its rejection … our rejection … when the infinite, high speed, enormous Love of God … crashes into the brick wall of an immoveable, unrepentant human heart.



In the first place, God's love is inconvenient. Our Lord hung dead from his cross, but because it was the day before an important Sabbath, something had to be done with these bodies.

Secondly, the world is impatient to move beyond God's love. While Our Lord was dead, the thieves were not. So, the Romans broke their legs, hastening their deaths by asphyxiation.

Thirdly, the world is cruel in the face of God's love. Our Lord was already dead. His Blessed Mother standing by the Cross had to watch as a soldier desecrated His precious Body by piercing His side with a lance.



And despite the world’s response – Blood and Water poured forth. Signs of Baptism and the Eucharist – the entry into the Sacraments, and the Source and Summit of our Christian life.

The world does not comprehend the immensity, the abundance, the intensity of the Love of God for all humanity. And perhaps, neither do we. But today, we can pray the prayer of reparation, as Our Lord requested nearly 350 years ago.

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Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O sweet Jesus, Whose overflowing charity for me is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Your altar (in Your presence) eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Your loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful alas! that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Your pardon and declare our readiness to atone by voluntary expiation not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying for from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow You, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the vows of their baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Your Law. We are now resolved to expiate each and every deplorable outrage committed against You; we are determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior, for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent, for the frequent violations of Sundays and holidays, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against You and Your Saints. We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Your Vicar on earth and Your priest are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Your Divine Love; and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and teaching authority of the Church which You have founded. Would, O divine Jesus, we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood. We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Your divine honor, the satisfaction You once made to Your eternal Father on the cross and which You continue to renews daily on our altars; we offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Your Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can with the help of Your grace, for all neglect of Your great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past. Henceforth we will live a life of unwavering faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the gospel and especially that of charity. We promise to the best of our power to prevent other from offending You and to bring as many as possible to follow You.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and by the crowing gift of perseverance keep us faithful unto death in our duty and the allegiance we owe to You, so that we may one day come to that happy home, where You with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, God, world without end. 

– Amen.

10th Sunday OT @ St. Helena Parish

HOMILY - TENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JUNE 9-10, 2018
5:00 PM (SAT), 8:00 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES



Rhetoric is one of the three ancient arts of discourse – collectively known as the trivium – that is, grammar, logic, and (of course) rhetoric.

Rhetoric is the art of informing, persuading, or motivating an audience. It requires the speaker understand, discover, and develop words, ideas, and knowledge; and to appeal to reason, emotion, and beliefs; crafting words through invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery.



The orator Hermagoras of Temnos, from the second century B.C., took the septem circumstantiae of Aristotle – that is, the seven elements of circumstances – as a starting point for exploring any subject rhetorically.



Those seven elements are: 


Quis, quid, quando, ubi, cur, quem ad modum, quibus adminiculis.

And if your Latin is rusty, they are:

Who, what, when, where, why, in what way, by what means.

A mnemonic can be found at the end of The Elephant’s Child in Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, at the beginning of a poem, which reads:

I keep six honest serving-men:

(They taught me all I knew)
Their names are What and Where and When

And How and Why and Who.

These are sometimes called, in English, The Five W’s – questions whose answers are useful in gathering information. They are used in journalism, writing, research, or investigations as a sort of checklist for quickly getting to the bottom of things. Answering each of these questions with a factual answer can provide a basic outline of what is going on.

Today is the Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, and our readings present us with questions and answers.



In the Old Testament Reading, our First Parents have just fallen from grace. God Himself enters the scene and asks them three questions:

Where are you?
Who told you [this]?
Why did you do [it]?

These three simple questions form a sort of examination of conscience – which can be helpful when dealing with a personal failure or shortcoming.

In the Second Letter to the Corinthians, today’s reading has Paul providing answers to questions about Faith and Hope, suffering and eternity.



In the Gospel, Jesus’ relatives must have been asking questions, too; and they have come to the conclusion that Jesus is “out of his mind.” When in fact, the reality of the situation was: Jesus was certainly “out of their mind” – that is, thinking outside of the box. But there is no question that in doing His Father’s will, Jesus is always thinking with the mind of God.

Which raises the question: How are we to understand more fully the mind of God, or the plan of God, or the power of God … with only the use of a limited human intellect. God is infinite, we are finite. God is all-knowing, we need instruction. God is immortal, we only live for what seems a short time.



We need to rely on the the grace of God and the gifts of God … poured out on us through the Sacraments … and in particular through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit – so that we can aspire to lift our minds to Divine things.

The gifts of Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, and Counsel inform and direct our minds; in order to raise our thoughts to the heights of God. While the gifts of Fortitude, Piety, and Reverence direct our will toward God … and in the direction of God’s will and God’s plan.

In the Sacraments, we answer questions all the time – Baptism, Matrimony and Holy Orders all require the responses: “I do,” “I do,” “I do.”



And shortly, we will profess our Faith together, answering the question: “What do I believe?”

At the end of the Gospel, Jesus asks: "Who are my mother and my brothers?” And immediately gives the answer: “[W]hoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Which begs the question for us – are we doing God’s will? And if not, what is keeping us from putting into action those words we will all pray before Communion: “Thy will be done.”



As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us pray that our answer to God’s call and God’s Will … will always be “Yes.” And in that “yes,” we can be assured that we are living through, with, and in Christ; attuned to and knowledgable in God’s Word; and doing all we can to follow Him – the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Corpus Christi @ St. Apollinaris Parish

HOMILY - SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
JUNE 2-3, 2018
10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 5:30 PM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES



Launched on April 25, 1981 … the Los Angeles Class submarine – the Corpus Christi – drew wide criticism from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as well as Catholic politicians. One thousand demonstrators protested the event, with 21 arrests and one even making a bomb threat. While the submarine was named for the city of Corpus Christi in Texas, the thought of a nuclear capable vessel being named after the Latin words for “the Body of Christ” was considered offensive to many.



The bishop of the Corpus Christi diocese, as well as the bishops of two of the three dioceses of Connecticut expressed their opposition to the name. However, the mayor of the City of Corpus Christi, on behalf of a quarter million residents, saw it as an honor to have the new submarine named for their beloved city.



Thirty-five years later, the USS City of Corpus Christi sits in Bremerton, Washington … having been de-commissioned in 2016, after thirty-five (35) years of use.

Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.



This feast is of relatively recent origin, the Mass and Office texts having been prepared by none other than St. Thomas Aquinas in the year 1264. The immediate reason was to commemorate a miracle, one year before, where a German priest, doubting the generosity of Christ in coming Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist … was given a singular miracle when at the Words of Institution, “This is My Body,” the host began to bleed onto his hands and onto the altar cloth.
But even more than commemorating a 13th century miracle, this day celebrates the central mystery of our Faith – what the Second Vatican Council referred to as the “source and summit of the Christian life.”

And so, while 35 or more years ago, Catholics were so moved to protest the naming of a nuclear sub after the Body of Christ … perhaps they missed the fact that even beyond nuclear power, the power of the Most Blessed Sacrament surpasses all human power … not to mention surpasses our mere human understanding.



Which begs the question – do we realize the infinite and unlimited power of the Most Holy Eucharist to transform our lives and draw us into the Heart of Christ and into the Will of God?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church outlines what are called “The Effects of the Eucharist,”
These fourteen effects are but a minimal subset of the infinite transforming effects of the power of the Eucharist – which, I daresay – far too many Catholics take for granted.

The effects, enumerated by the Catechism are:

1. Cleanses and separates us from sin,
2. Commits us to the poor,
3. Communicates the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity,
4. Establishes the community of believers,
5. Foretaste of eternal life,
6. Growth in Christian life,
7. Increase of the grace received in Baptism,
8. Source of conversion and penance,
9. Spiritual food,
10. Transforms us through Christ,
11. Unites us with Christ,
12. Unites us as Christians,
13. Unites us with the heavenly liturgy,
14. We participate in Christ's sacrifice.

If we were to tune into just one of these effect – fully in any given week – we would be blown away by the power of God operating in our life.



And if we were to take to the streets – not in protest, but in praise and in thanksgiving – to proclaim the marvels that God has done for us … would we muster thousands, or a mere 20 souls … willing to do so?



As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ … let us pray for a deeper appreciation and experience of the transforming power of Christ. And if we are able to participate in the procession through the neighborhood today – following the noon Mass – let us pray that the infinite and manifold graces of the Most Blessed Sacrament may not only change and transform us – but also transform our homes, our neighborhood, our country, and our world – for the greater glory of God.

Trinity Sunday @ St. Apollinaris Parish

HOMILY - SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
MAY 26-27, 2018
4:30 PM (SAT), 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES
12:00 NOON EXTRAORDINARY FORM (LATIN) MASS AT RUTHERFORD, HOLY FAMILY



Today is Trinity Sunday.

The doctrine of the Trinity was fleshed out during the Fourth Century, due to what is called the Arian Heresy. What we have from that time is the Creed we normally recite at Sunday Mass.

The point in question revolved around the word “consubstantial.”

In the Greek language, the word was “homoousious” … which Arius cleverly twisted into “homoiousios” in order to spread his teaching. This would be similar to changing “consubstantion” to “cosubstantial.”



As early as the year 325, and then made even more clear in the year 381 the Creed we recite was formulated and finalized. Yet it wasn’t until the year 586 that the Creed was recited within the Mass.

For the next 500 years, this was good enough, until petitions were made to the pope for a feast day honoring the Most Holy Trinity. It was not until the 14th century, 300 years later, that was it placed in the Missal on the Sunday after Pentecost, and has remained there until the present day.



While the word “Trinity” itself is not used in Scripture, Jesus speaks of being “one” with God the Father, at Jesus’s baptism, the voice of the Father is heard, and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, today’s reading has Jesus instructing the Apostles to baptize using a trinitarian formula. The doctrine is alluded to in the Old Testament, and spelled out in more detail in the New Testament letters.



On top of the that, we have the hagiography of St. Patrick using a Shamrock to teach the Celts about the Trinity in the Fifth Century.



The scholastics devising an almost mathematical representation of the Trinity indicating that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all are God, yet are distinct persons, and then declaring step by step that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God; however, the Father is not the Son nor is the Father the Spirit, and on and on through the entire equation.



In art, we have the famous image of the Trinity from the Russian iconographer Rublev.



The renaissance painter Botticelli’s image of the Trinity, currently in a museum in London shows the Father and the Holy Spirit embracing the crucified Son.



The images of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries show the Father and Son enthroned – as if they are imperial or royal figures – with the Holy Spirit enshrined between them. Such images exist even in statues from that time – as seen at the parish Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Marsa, Malta.

But all of these images fall short of the immensity and majesty of God. Our human representations are merely attempts at encapsulating the infinite, immortal, invisible Triune Godhead in finite, mortal, visible ways.



Scripture tells us in Genesis that God created everything through His Word. And so perhaps we might seek a verbal means of expression.

And, for what it’s worth, we have just such a thing.



In our liturgical worship, we use what are called “doxologies” from the Greek “doxa” meaning “glory” and “logos” meaning “words.” And so, towards the end of the Introductory Rites, we sang (recited) the Gloria – “Glory to God in the highest … almighty God and Father … Lord Jesus Christ … with the Holy Spirit …”

Most likely you are familiar with a simpler formula that we pray in various ways “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit …”



At the end of the Eucharistic Prayer – whichever of the dozen or so is used – the priest prays “Through Him, with Him, in Him …” offering the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ to the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

One of the longer greetings in the Mass begins “Grace to you and Peace from God our Father …”



And at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, we pray “Holy, holy, holy” – to the “thrice holy” Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Our worship is filled with verbal images of the Most Holy Trinity, and while it pervades the prayers, perhaps we do need today’s special Solemnity to remind us that through our Baptism we are called to share in the Divine Life of the Most Holy Trinity, and while there are concrete signs and graces of God’s presence in our daily lives, how that will come to be in the next life remains shrouded in mystery.



As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ – let us pray for a deeper relationship to the One, True, God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And while our human understanding may fall short of the magnitude of God’s majesty … let us offer our prayers of praise and worship God with all our heart and with all our mind.

Pentecost Sunday @ St. Apollinaris Parish

HOMILY - PENTECOST SUNDAY
MAY 19-20, 2018
4:30 PM (SAT), 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES
12:00 NOON EXTRAORDINARY FORM (LATIN) MASS AT RUTHERFORD, HOLY FAMILY

The rock band Pink Floyd was founded in 1965, and is distinguished for its extended compositions, philosophical lyrics, and sonic experimentation – making it one of the most commercially successful and influential groups in pop music.

A peculiar phenomenon was first observed in the 1990s concerning Pink Floyd’s 1973 albumThe Dark Side of the Moon (that’s the album cover with the triangular prism on it,) and the 1939 classic movie The Wizard of Oz. Supposedly, if you watch the movie with the sound turned down while starting the album at the third roar of the MGM lion, the music seems to match up with the movie.



This effect, known in popular culture as The Dark Side of the Rainbow, or The Wizard of Floyd, has been described as a synchronicity by it’s promoters; and as apophenia – that is, mere confirmation bias – by it’s detractors.

Nonetheless, it has become a bit of a pop-culture phenomenon over the last 25 or more years; and even has its own Wikipedia page.



Today is Pentecost Sunday. Fifty days since the end of the Paschal Triduum. Pentecost marks the end of the Easter Season.

Pentecost is associated with the coming of the Holy Spirit. And for most of us, we know that there are Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Fruits of the Holy Spirit … and perhaps you can rattle them off like a well-memorized lesson. But how do these affect you in your daily life? What is the place of these gifts and fruits for an Average Joe and Mary Catholic?



According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1831) “The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit … complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them.”

Which requires us to take a step back. If these gifts complete and perfect the virtues, what are the virtues?



The “big three” are easy: The theological or supernatural virtues are Faith, Hope, and Love. We receive these in Baptism, and they are strengthened in us through our exercising them in our daily lives; as well as through our worthy reception of the Sacraments, most especially the Holy Eucharist.
So, what do Faith, Hope, and Love do for us?

Like the scarecrow, the tin-man, and the lion – we all need a little boost. Not from a wizard, but rather from God. Faith affects the mind, Hope affects the soul, and Love affects the Heart.



In a similar way, the first three human virtues of Prudence, Temperance, and Fortitude allow us to properly apply and use our mind’s thoughts, express moderation in our body and soul, and persevere when things become difficult.

Justice, the fourth of the human virtues allows us to balance the actions within our lives by giving of ourselves to God, and to neighbor … in an appropriate mix and measure

These seven virtues – which we possess in varying quantities – are in turn completed and perfected by the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.



The virtues of the heart are perfected by the gifts of Wisdom and Fortitude. Wisdom allows us to make appropriate choices in prudently discerning between the desires of our heart, and Fortitude helps us to have courage as well as to follow through and persevere.

The virtues of the mind are perfected by the gifts of Knowledge, Understanding, and Counsel. Knowledge being what fills our mind, Understanding being how our mind processes what it knows within itself, and Counsel being the application of our mind to help others and affect external events.

The virtues of the soul are perfected by the gifts of Fear of the Lord and Piety. Fear of the Lord allows us to show proper reverence for God, and Piety allows us to respond to God’s grace in serving both God and neighbor.



And finally, “[t]he Fruits of the Holy Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory.” By sharing in the Divine Life of God, the Fruits of the Holy Spirit become a foretaste of Eternity for us in our daily life.

As we grow in virtue by ordering our minds, souls, and hearts to God … the Holy Spirit perfects and completes our efforts through God’s grace. The end result, then, of living a Christian life is holiness – expressed in our lives as the twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.



As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ … let us pray for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to be poured out in our lives … to complete and perfect our virtues … and as we conform our lives more and more – day by day – to God’s Holy and Perfect Will, may we experience the Fruits of Holiness in our lives through the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit Talk @ St. Apollinaris Parish

NOTES - GRACE AND THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
ST. APOLLINARIS PARISH
MAY 12, 2018
9:30 - 11:00 AM

Link to MP3 audio file of the talk. ~130MB

Link to a PDF file of the notes from the talk.

6th Sunday of Easter @ St. Apollinaris Parish

HOMILY - 6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
MAY 5-6, 2018
4:30 PM (SAT), 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES



Released as a non-album single in July 1967, the Beatles song “All You Need Is Love” was later included on the US “Magical Mystery Tour” album. It also appears in the 1968 animated film “Yellow Submarine” as well as its soundtrack album. Although it was first performed a week before as the British contribution to the “Our World” show which was a live global television link.



The song was written by John Lennon, although it was credited to both Lennon and McCartney. It captured the sentiments of the “Summer of Love” era. While the message is simple, the musical composition is full of asymmetric time signatures and complex changes. There are 7/4, 8/4, 4/4, and 6/4 measures mixed throughout. The song begins with the French National Anthem (“La Marseillaise”) and contains elements from Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood” and Wayne Shanklin’s “Chanson d’Amour.” Other musical pieces that are heard in the fade out are “Greensleeves,” elements of Johann Sebastian Bach, and the Beatles' own “She Loves You,” and “Yesterday.”



In all, the word “love” is said in the song 111 (one-hundred-and-eleven) times.

Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

Our readings today focus on salvation and love.



St. John tells us throughout his writings that God is Spirit, and so we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. He tells us that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness and no sin. And he tells us that God is Love, and if we remain in love, we remain in God.

Love then, doesn’t define God, but rather, it is God Himself that defines love.

We hear in the second reading:

In this is love
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Human love, is a response to God’s primordial love … a love which pre-dates any other. And is shown forth in time in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the Cross – the same Sacrifice which we re-present on this altar in an un-bloody way.



God’s love, then is a higher form of love … a total self gift of Himself poured out in a sacrificial way. This sort of love is not a feeling or an emotion. Rather, Divine Love is an act of the will, and our own ability to love God and to love others as God loves us, requires that we make a choice. And in that choice, our love will be shown forth in what we say and what we do.

That is, while God loves us infinitely always … our love for God and our love for one another is as much … or as little … as we choose to make of it.



Jesus admonishes us to “remain in [His] love” and commands us to “love one another as [He] loves” not so that we’ll be miserable … not to keep us from being happy … but

so that [His] joy may be in [us]and [our] joy might be complete.

By remaining in Jesus love, we can experience not only a share of His Divine Life … not only a portion of His Divine Love … but in loving as He loves and by remaining in His love, we experience His Divine Joy to the fullest.



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 remain in His love, to respond to God’s love for us in our lives, and to receive His joy in its fullness.

May the Eucharist we receive today shine forth in our lives this week … as we bring God’s grace, love, and mercy … from this place … to those we will meet in the world.