Father Michael

May 28th, 2023 Feast of Pentecost A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Holy Spirit: Gift of the Father” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Acts 2: 1-11) Ushering in the new age of salvation and giving new meaning to human existence, the Holy Spirit reinforced the fearful disciples and made them bold in their preaching of the Gospel. The gift of the Holy Spirit, in Messianic times, was foretold by the prophets. The sending of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles is the beginning of a new era, in which the Church was founded, and Christ’s Holy Spirit was given to “renew the face of the earth.” The Holy Spirit inspired and directed the disciples in their mission to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and was a more intimate and personal “presence” for them. The disciples were made “new men,”—transformed to their very being. ~~~ (1 Corinthians 12: 3-13) Endowing each disciple with specific and necessary talents, the Holy Spirit helped make the community of believers cohesive and charismatic. When these gifts are offered for the service of all, the result is mutually advantageous. The analogy of †Paul’s “mystical body of Christ” is a unique and distinctive contribution to the character and community of the Church. In an effort to initiate members into the Church,†Paul endeavored to temper their emotionalism and energies into a sincere and powerful, unified force for Christ. For †Paul, the union of the Lord with the faithful, and the faithful with one another, was possible only with the help of the Holy Spirit. ~~~ (John 20:19-20) Filled with Jesus’ Spirit, His followers went forth on a universal mission, preaching peace and forgiveness. The fruits of the Spirit— love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control—were alive within them. Today’s Gospel underscores the aspect of fulfillment in Jesus’ death and resurrection. His double salutation—“Peace be with you,” and His breathing on His followers—was a sign that a new era was dawning upon the human community. As promised by the Old Testament prophets Joel and Ezekiel, the new age of God’s saving intervention was associated with an outpouring of the gifts of the Spirit. This new age of salvation was realized through the mission of Jesus, Who suffered, died and rose to glory, in complete acceptance and obedience of the Father’s will. Empowerment †Luke exploits the Jewish tradition that saw Pentecost as the feast of the giving of the Law on Mount Sanai (Exodus 19-20.) According to Scripture, a mighty wind turned to fire and a voice proclaimed the Law. In a further refinement, the fire split into seventy tongues of fire, corresponding to the seventy nations of the world—thus proclaiming the law, not only to Israel, but to all of humankind. Similarly, †Luke, has the mighty wind and tongues of fire coming upon the group of 120 disciples, hiding in the “upper room.” But for him, the universal announcement was not the law, but the Good News—a proclamation that reprieved the sentence of Babel and reunited the scattered nations. †John has the giving of the Spirit happening on Easter Day. However, (in spite of their date differences,) both †John and †Luke said the same thing: the risen Lord Jesus gave the gift of the Spirit to the new Church, and inaugurated its mission. †Luke writes that it was about nine O’clock in the morning of Pentecost, (50 days after Passover, in the Jewish calendar,) when suddenly, a sound like a mighty wind filled the Cenacle, (the “gathering” of the disciples.) They saw “tongues of fire” descend on them, and felt themselves filled with wondrous power and confidence. We are told they also were able to speak in diverse languages, beyond any ability any of them had possessed before. The key word, here, is “power.” Power was exactly what they needed. Prior to the coming of the Spirit, the disciples had been crippled with fear and inadequacy. A great task had been entrusted to them by our Blessed Lord, but they had neither the strength nor the will to begin it. After all, they had witnessed what horror befell Jesus. But after the coming of the Holy Spirit, they were “empowered.” They left their hiding place, and set out to complete their unceasing task—courageously preaching the Gospel to all everyone on earth, welcoming them into the Mystical Body of Christ. Pius XII wrote: “…[Jesus] was made known by His Eternal Father through the Holy Spirit descending and remaining on Him; likewise, as the apostles were about to enter upon their office of preaching, Christ, Our Lord, sent the Holy Spirit down from heaven, to touch them with tongues of fire and point out, as by the finger of God, the supernatural mission and supernatural office of the Church. “If the Savior, by His death, became, in the full and compete sense of the word, ‘Head of the Church,’ it was likewise through His Blood that the Church was endowed with the full communication of the Holy Spirit, through which, from the time when the Son of Man was lifted up and glorified on the gibbet by His sufferings, She is divinely illumined” (Mystici Corporis, 1943.) For then, as †Augustine notes: “With the rending of the veil of the Temple, the dew of the Paraclete’s gifts fell copiously and abundantly on the whole earth—that is, on the Catholic Church—which is confined by no boundaries of race or territory” (Confessions, ca. 400 a.d.) Pentecost is among the truly great feasts of the year. We mark it by honoring the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, and thanking Him for His grace—which remits sins; makes effective the Sacraments; and bestows supernatural life upon all the humble children of the human race, who answer the promptings of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. We have witnessed individuals or groups of people, who, having felt powerless to change their situations, suddenly became able to do so when they felt “enabled.” We know what a good motivator can do for sports teams—when players, who had been consumed by self-doubt, begin to believe in themselves, going on to play far beyond their norm. When people are empowered, they become able and willing to take charge of their situation. They no longer wait for someone else to do it for them. They accept that they, and they alone, have to do something about it. For most people, this occurs over time, with a “growth process.” The development may be slow and painful for some (we don’t easily let go of old habits and old attitudes.) People begin to change when they are given love, and “come out of their shells,” releasing hidden energy from within. But when we are willing to change what needs to change, then we can find energy and hidden strength working within our souls, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The power that changed the apostles is also available to us. May God Richly Bless You! Spirit of God.docx To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here:

May 21st, 2023 Feast of the Ascension Jesus Ascends to the Father Stained glass window by F. Zettler (1878-1911,) at German Church at Stockholm, Sweden. A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Heaven and Earth” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Acts 1:1-11) In ascending to the right hand of the Father, Jesus has taken our human nature to glory beyond that of the angels. He is enthroned on high and lives forever in communion with God. †Luke describes the Ascension of Jesus through the eyes of the disciples, into the presence of God, as occurring “on a cloud,” the very vehicle on which He will come at the end of time. Having been “taken up,” into heaven, He signaled the beginning of a new era: the mission of the Church, about to be inaugurated. He commissioned the apostles, as the nucleus of His Church, with the continuation of His presence and power. No longer “earthbound,” Jesus now shares in the glory of His Father, and continues to guide and direct His community. ~~~ (Ephesians 1:17-23) †Paul describes the meaning of the Ascension, wherein God raised Jesus above all other earthly powers, and made Him Head of the Church, and Lord of all creation. †Paul viewed the Ascension as the logical conclusion and completion of the Easter season. God has raised Jesus above all nebulous powers in heaven and on earth, to His due position as “First-Born”—the Crown of creation, by nature; the “First” to be born from the dead by His Resurrection—“First,” in every way. Christians who are baptized into Christ, are also risen with Him; and with Him, we are exalted into heaven to be glorified. ~~~ (Matthew 28:16-20) Jesus directed the apostles to preach the Gospel to all nations, and promised to remain with them, always: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” With these words, Jesus gave the apostles “the Great Commission,” their “marching orders.” Fortunately for us, they were able to carry out this directive—and through their work, we have inherited a Great Church, in which we also are His disciples. We stand firm in His promise to, “To be with [us] to the end of the age.” The Meaning of the Ascension The feast of the Ascension completes the Feast of Easter, by establishing the God-man at the right hand of the Father in heaven, to reign as the conqueror of the death of mankind, and the head of the Church, whose mission is to enfold mankind within its embrace. “God ascends His throne amid shouts of joy; ascending on high, He has led the captives from darkness,” cry the alleluias of Ascension Day; Christ went up to heaven, but His followers on earth—and we among them—are to carry out His divine mandate—that we lead our brothers and sisters to Him from the entire earth. As He was about to ascend into heaven, He declared: “You shall receive the power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses for Me in Jerusalem, [in] all Judea and Samaria and even to the very ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8.) In this way He repeated to the apostles the command He had previously given them: “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” †Matthew tells us the apostles obeyed, and “went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them.” Christ said: As the father has sent Me, I also send you.” And in virtue of the Mystical Body, in His disciples, Christ, Himself, went out. †Augustine said: “Christus predicat Christum,” (Christ preaches Christ,) through His Church. In this way, Christ speaks to the nations. On this Ascension Day, may we reflect on the grandeur of the Church, the establishment of which, Christ, in His last words before rising into heaven, commanded to be established in every part of the earth. †Augustine said, “Every new local Church is a new generation of the historic Mother Church, founded in the days of the apostles”—from which our Church today is descended. “The Churches are the ‘daughters’ of the apostles—and the ‘daughters’ of the King, for Christ is the King of Kings.” The apostles preached the Word of truth and brought forth the Church, not of themselves, but of, and for HIM. Similarly, all Christians who participate today in the apostolate of the Church are descendants of those who watched Christ ascend into heaven. All preachers of the Gospel, through whom the Lord journeys through all the nations, are, in †Augustine’s words, “the feet of the apostles, sent through the whole world.” The life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus had made Him unforgettable for His apostles. The powers of priesthood, which He shared with them, made them conscious that His mission would be continued in them. Moreover, Jesus would dwell in them. He had only to confirm and deepen their faith by frequent appearances and instructions during the 40-days following the resurrection, during which, they experienced His love and care. His own Ascension into heaven gave them assurance that they could follow Him. But Jesus knew He had to impress upon them the fact that the Holy Spirit is a real Person. Repeatedly, therefore, especially at the solemn moment of His Ascension, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit’s vivid presence with them. Through His inspiration, their missionary zeal would embrace the world and bring all races to belief in Christ. Christ’s Ascension was His liberation from all restrictions of time and space. It does not represent His removal from earth, but His constant presence everywhere…as God is present everywhere. Other than His promise to the apostles, He gave them no other assurance. But that was enough to give them the courage necessary to embark on His continued mission. Therefore, we have a sense of Christ’s presence, and through that, we also have courage to face the world. In spite of the grave failings of His disciples, and many terrible persecutions—even today—the Gospel has come down to us across two thousand years. This surely is evidence of Christ’s promise, “I will be with you always, even to the end of time.” Jesus now depends on us—His witnesses in the world. It’s a demanding task, but a great privilege, too. When we witness to truth, justice, love and peace, we are witnessing to Jesus. The best way we can witness is to live truthfully. The way to witness to justice, is to act justly in all our dealings with others. The way to witness to love is to act lovingly towards others. And the way to witness to peace, is to live in peace with others. In short, the most effective way to witness to Christ is to live a Christian life. As Mother Teresa told us: “I don’t pray for success; I pray that I may be a faithful witness.” May God Richly Bless You! Lift Him Up.docx To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here:

May 14th, 2023 Sixth Sunday of Easter The Father Sends the Advocate A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Diversity in Unity” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Acts 8:5-17) We learn about the joy and enthusiasm with which the Samaritans received the Gospel. Cooperation between charismatic and administrative elements within the Church is an unbeatable combination. Healing ministries and acts of power were integral to the ministry of the early Church. Overcoming centuries-old prejudices and accommodating their cultural differences, Jesus’ attitude toward the Samaritans was one of acceptance and love. The disciples, beginning with †Philip, mirrored this acceptance after Jesus’ resurrection, and brought them into the “fold,” a testament to the power of the Holy Spirit, helping them to bridge human differences. ~~~ (1 Peter 3:15-18) The author of 1st Peter encourages Christians to remain steadfast under pressure in their attachment to Christ. All who love Jesus, who have been saved by His suffering and death, are called to glorify Him in great and small miracles of service. Just as we unite our struggles to the Lord, so we will share in His glory. This Reading reminds us of Isaiah’s “suffering servant,” whose silent innocence spoke volumes about injustice, and the power of self-effacing love in response to persecution. It also brings to mind †Paul’s advice to the Romans, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him…by doing this you will heap burning coals upon his head and the Lord will reward you” (Romans 12:20.) ~~~ (John 14: 15-21) If we truly Love Christ, we must listen to His words, and put them into practice in our lives. As promised, Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to His followers to empower them continue His work and do similar deeds. “Keeping the law” can be raised from the level of mere legality when the heart is motivated by love. The Holy Spirit was for the Johannine community (ca. 90s A.D.,) what the historical Jesus had been for His disciples, during His earthly ministry. Like Him, the Paraclete was the way, through which the believer discovers the “way” to the Father. Jesus’ words, “If you love Me…” reveal an identification with the God the Father of the Old Testament, and an affirm of the right attitude toward law and life—one of “love,” not solely obedience. Through the experience with Holy Spirit, believers of every age can come to know and love both Jesus, and the Father. Jesus’ Commandments: Love and Obedience The first Christians were an amalgam of people, from many walks of life: There were Jews, who put aside ancient creeds of a vengeful God and accepted a loving Jesus as their Messiah to become His followers; Gnostics renounced their innate “need to know” through their human senses, acquiesced to having faith to lead them; and pagans, who abandoned their “many gods,” recognized the One, True God and Father, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. All this diversity was unified in their adoption of His doctrine of love and obedience. Through their resolute spirit, they combined their perspectives to form new Church, developing and thriving in spite of persecution. As Christians, we do not follow another set of commandments in place of the familiar “ten,” but another way of life. We can’t really call ourselves “disciples,” and wouldn’t be very good Christians, if we don’t listen to Jesus’ words, and make an effort to live by them. But we must be clear about one thing: We don’t keep Jesus’ commandments so that He will love us; we keep them BECAUSE He love us. It was He Who first loved the apostles, and He did so, unconditionally. Human beings recognize that our greatest need is to be loved, unqualifiedly. Nonetheless, it is difficult for us to believe that is how God loves us. We tend to believe God will only love us when we are “good.” But that is backwards! God loves us because HE is good. Our very existence is a sign of God’s unconditional love. That’s the Good News in a “nutshell.” Our response is to try to return that love…. Jesus knew the Father loved Him, and He responded by loving the Father, by His obedience. We show our love for God in the same way—by listening to His Word and putting it into action. To love is to obey and to obey is to love (1 John 5:1-3.) Some people proclaim their love for Jesus in words, but deny Him by their way of life. But true love is shown by what we DO, not by what we say. It’s never been easy to live as a disciple of Jesus. So, when we have difficulty, our first recourse should be to confide in the Holy Spirit, dwelling within our immortal soul. For some, this takes the form of prayer. For others, it happens through mediation. Still others find solace in a quiet place, surrounded by the wonders of nature. It’s at such times when the Holy Spirit can do His best work—bringing us comfort to sooth our sorrow; enlightenment in times of confusion; and courage when we are weak. Jesus called the Holy Spirit, our “Advocate.” That’s a legal term for one who supports a defendant at a trial. Just so, the Holy Spirit is our defender. When we suffer for doing the right thing, knowing our cause is just, He will give us the strength to withstand criticism and rejection. There’s no mistaking true love. You can feel it in your heart of hearts—like a flame warming your soul, energizing your spirit, and supplying passion to your life. Love is our connection to God, and to each other. Love is the “climate” in which every good Christian lives. Taking “Leave” It’s never easy to part from friends. But some separations are more difficult than others. The most painful parting happens with someone close to us dies, because of is “finality.” Jesus’ speech to the apostles at the Last Supper about His leaving wasn’t typical. Rather than being “life ending,” He spoke of it as “Going to the Father.” He did, indeed, leave them, but there are degrees of leaving. Abandonment is one kind of leaving. We read, sadly, about babies being abandoned by their parents at birth. Such a thing is most painful and damaging, particularly in the case of the very young, or the very elderly. But Jesus didn’t abandon His apostles…. Rejection is another kind of leaving. We relate to this when we hear of someone who suddenly rejects their fiancée for another. Although extremely painful, emotionally, we are not dealing with this. Jesus didn’t reject His apostles…. Sometimes, leaving is necessary for the good of the one leaving. We see this in the case of a person leaving to return home, or leaving to take a better job somewhere else. This is certainly true in Jesus’ case—He was returning to His Father…to go to honor and glory. Finally, there is a leaving, which is for the good not only of the one leaving, but also of those left behind. This is the full truth of what happened. Jesus’ leaving was for the good of the apostles, too. His departure would not leave them unsupported and unguided as they had feared. He said: “I will not leave you orphans.” Even as He spoke about leaving them, Jesus told them He would be coming back through the Holy Spirit. They encountered Him after the resurrection, as the Gospels attest. And even though, after the Ascension, they did not see Him again, He assured them He would still be with them, even to the end of time. Jesus did not leave us orphaned or desolate. By our faith we are able to “see Him.” Through our obedience to His commandments, we are drawn into a loving communion with Him. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we have the same access to Jesus as did the first Christians—not as a vague memory of a person who lived long ago, but as a real, life-giving presence that transforms us. Nowhere do we feel closer to Him than when we receive Him in the Holy Eucharist. Then we are not simply “in communication” with Him, but in “full unity” with Him—a Holy Communion. (Catholics will remember the special “closeness” to Jesus they felt when they received their “First Holy Communion,” as children, or as converts to the faith.) Within this precious sacrament, Jesus nourishes our hearts with the food of the Holy Eucharist, which gives us the strength to do His will and live as His disciples. May God Richly Bless You! To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here: Cast Your Cares on the Lord.docx

May 7th, 2023 Fifth Sunday of Easter A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Kairos: A Time of Favor” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Acts 6:1-7) Our First Reading relates the growth of the first Christian community, and how they sorted out problems that inevitably rose, in a peaceful and just manner. Called together in one hope, by their faith in the one Lord, believers learned the responsibility of respecting the variety of believers’ opinions, lifestyles and theologies From the very beginning, the community of Jesus’ followers was “heterogeneous,” mirroring modern day believers’ pluralism and diversity. The various people who came to Jesus brought with them their cultural influences, ideals, motives and visions, which were not automatically eradicated by Baptism. “The Seven Disciples" who were appointed to minister to the needy were termed, “Diakonia,” from which our word, “Deacon,” derives. These men preached, evangelized, baptized and ministered much in the same way as did the apostles. ~~~ (1 Peter 2: 4-9) In today’s Second Reading, we read of the responsibility and special dignity of the members of the Christian community. It became an institution of “living stones,” welded together in visible union by the Holy Spirit, without Whose influence, we would be merely a “pile of pebbles.” Jesus, the principal “Living Stone,” invites nearness, gathering believers unto Himself to become the living stones of the new covenant—to form an entirely new system of religion, in which the entire people of God is a “royal priesthood.” Instead of animal and grain offerings— the norm in the Old Covenant—the new liturgy of God’s people was celebrated with “spiritual sacrifices,” and has become what we know as today’s Holy Mass. Our “unbloody” sacrifice has been made acceptable to God through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of His Son, Jesus. ~~~ (John 14: 1-12) Jesus consoled all those who were distressed at His leaving earth, assuring that all who believe in Him as “Way, Truth and Life—and work for the present and coming kingdom—are called to faith. Jesus’ formula for success did not involve material gain or fame. Instead, He charged anyone who has faith in Him to do the same works He did—even far greater ones. This legacy of faith is the “oil that greases the machine,” and without it, even the most extensive and organized religious programs are doomed. Jesus returned to His Father’s House, becoming “One” with the Father. Because of the Spirit, Whom He bestowed upon us, each believer is called to proclaim in both deed and word: “I am the Way (not a detour or dead end;) …the Truth (not a lie; ) …and the Life” (to give life and not take it,) in the manner of Jesus, Himself. Faith in a Time of Crisis Sometimes, life can get “very dark.” When this happens, we might struggle try to believe things that we cannot prove and accept the reality of the situation—even though we cannot understand it—in order to make sense of what is happening. At such times, strong faith is needed…but it’s precisely then that our faith can fail us. Without faith, life can be unintelligible and unbearable. Faith provides a source of comfort and inspiration, especially in trying times. We must always remember that “It’s not we who keep the faith…but faith that keeps us” (Ephesians 2:8.) When things are going well, it’s easy to convince ourselves that we have strong faith, but when a crisis arises, we discover how strong it is…or, whether or not we have any faith at all…. Some people think that if God is with them—if He really loves us—then no harm would ever befall us, and life would always be “smooth sailing.” So, when a storm does hit, we may experience a crisis of faith, thinking: “God has abandoned us.” During the Last Supper, the apostles were thrown into such a crisis when Jesus talked about his imminent death. Their hearts were troubled, and filled with fear. This was a particularly “teachable moment,” or “Kairos”—a time of favor—for them. Knowing they had doubts, Jesus consoled them, saying: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, and believe in Me.” In doing so, Jesus assured them at a time when they were most vulnerable. To help them believe in Him and in the Father, He bestowed upon them the gift of the Holy Spirit. So, no matter what happened, no matter how difficult life might become, they would have within them an “Advocate.” Of course, we know that when crises occur, having faith is easier said than done. We are, after all, human beings, with fragile psyches. But really, enlisting the help of the Holy Spirit, and stubbornly continue to trust God and His providence is the only thing one can do, in times of trouble. It’s then we must believe that, somehow, there is a purpose to life, and that some “good” will ultimately result from the “bad” in which we find ourselves. Trust is the greatest gift one person can give to another. When times get tough, it serves as the glimmer of hope enabling us to “get through.” The Importance of Home In today’s Gospel, Jesus told His disciples, “There are many rooms in my Father’s House. I am going to prepare a place for you. I shall return to take you with Me, so that where I am, you may be too.” It’s impossible to exaggerate how important “home” is to us. It’s been proven that if prisoners are given a choice between going home or staying in prison—in a luxury suite, complete with all the creature comforts—every single one of them would choose to “go home.” When we feel sad and lonely, most of us yearn to “go home,” where we know we’ll find a safe and warm place, filled with love. If we know we’re going home, even the longest trips seem bearable—never too long or too difficult. Remember the last time you returned from a vacation—that “tug” you feel to return home is almost palpable, isn’t it? And that’s returning from an experience that was, in all probability, quite enjoyable. But imagine, if you can, that you had no home to which to return…. A home is not simply a nice “house.” “Home” means a place with close ties to people who accept us for who we are, and who give us a feeling of belonging. However, no matter how many buildings we construct, and roots we plant, we can never have a lasting home. All we have, as †Paul put it, is “a kind of tent” (2 Corinthians 5,) that is folded and put away when we die. Therefore, we not only need a home “on earth.” We also need one when death brings down the final curtain. Without such a home, life would be a journey to nowhere—making our lives empty and meaningless. We see this in the case of children, for whom home is not so much a place, as a relationship of love and trust. A child can move around many times and not feel “homeless,” as long as their parents are near. It’s the same for those who have a close relationship with God. We spend our lives searching for Him, and groping our way towards Him. To die is to find Him; to meet Him; to see Him; to go to God; and to go to God is to go home. May God Richly Bless You! New Song, A.docx To View a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here:

April 30th, 2023 Fourth Sunday of Easter Jesus the Good Shepherd. A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “The Good Shepherd” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Acts 2:14.36-41) †Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Risen Lord, and urged his hearers to repent and accept Baptism. To move the hearts of one’s listeners requires talents to be attributed to the Holy Spirit. Every leader is also a great follower, who recognizes Jesus’ voice and responds to Him with faith. †Peter evoked a call to reform that involved a radical openness and reevaluation of the identity of the Person of Jesus, and of his significance for those who heard him. True reform requires conformity to Christ, in mind and heart; a daily turning toward, and transformation into the One Who died to sin and rose, in freedom, to life. ~~~ (1 Peter 2:20-25) The author urges slaves to bear their unjust sufferings with patience, as Christ, the Good Shepherd, bore His sufferings for love of us. Suffering is inevitable, and when endured out of love for others, in the name of Jesus, leads to the path of inevitable glory. At the time of this writing (80-90 A.D.,) the persecutions of the emperor Domitian had become an empire-wide campaign. So, the “call for patience” in today’s reading is all the more remarkable. Persecution was not the only form of suffering for the newly baptized—many of whom were also slaves. They were urged to take Jesus Christ as their model, in order to accept a better way of life. Early development of Church hierarchy, within the newly-developing Church, can be seen in the comparisons of “shepherd” to “pastor,” and “bishop” to “guardian.” Both leaders and followers are called to model their behavior on that of Jesus Christ. ~~~ (John 10:1-10) Every great leader is also a great follower of Jesus, who recognizes the Lord’s voice in the circumstances of daily life, and faithfully responds to Him. In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares His love for the disciples to the love of a shepherd for his sheep. Recognizing the voice of the Lord requires an openness to His Word. Just as the Pharisees posed a problem for Jesus of Nazareth, the Jewish leaders in the evangelists’ day were also a problem for Jesus’ followers. The Good Shepherd, Jesus, is portrayed as both the Gate through which the sheep must enter the sheepfold, and as the Shepherd, Who knows His own, intimately. As such, He is the Leader behind Whom all Who recognize His voice—and see Him as the Son of God, and the Savior—will follow. It is in Jesus, and through Baptism into Him, that the Christian finds their way to the Father. Sharing the Story Jesus told His disciples, “…I came, so that [you] might have life, and have it more abundantly.” One might wonder if Jesus was only talking about “eternal life,” or also about “this life.” I’d argue that He also meant these words to be applied to our life on earth, as well. It's a commonly-held opinion that to be a Christian means to be identified with “restrictions and prohibitions.” Many of us were brought up to believe in a theology of detachment from the material world. Present life was viewed as nothing more than a “time of trial,” full of temptations and sin. Such rigid spirituality may well discourage enjoyment of life, however, and can lead to “half-heartedness.” Living like that can mean that we are always “keeping something back,” always living cautiously, fearfully, miserly. But I believe we ought to be able to enjoy life to the fullest, while being devout and religious, at the same time. Of course, to live life “fully,” is not the same as to “live it up!” We must be able to recognize temptation and resist sin. Our lives are wonderfully unique, fragile gifts. Rather than regretting the past, or worrying about the future, humans should concentrate their attention on experiencing the present. But, because life is fleeting, it becomes ever more precious. The Aztecs had a saying: “We do not enjoy this world everlastingly, only briefly; our life is like warming ourselves in the sun.” The ”Good News” is that our Blessed Lord, our Good Shepherd, wants us to have life, and live it to the full. We should live in whatever way life presents itself to us, because everything is a gift from God. Life is imminently generous for those who prudently seize it with both hands—“Carpe diem,” as Robin Williams told his students (Dead Poets Society.) Mere existence is not sufficient. People are simply looking for meaning in life, but the whole experience of being alive—the rapture of living. We are meant to live fully, intensely; not to feel “cheated” at death. If one does not live in fear that life will end, they will not regret later that it may never have begun…. Wounded Messengers of Love People cannot live without incurring some wounds, along the way. Compassionate persons who raise children, or contrarily, care for the sick or the elderly, routinely receive plenty of “scars,” for their efforts. In fact, anyone who has truly loved another human being, or for that matter, has committed themselves to “a cause,” is fully aware of this. (The “slings and arrows” of hostile public opinion can be daunting—Shakespeare) Our “attitude” dictates how we will “react” to our wounds. Human nature would dictate that if we concentrate our attention on wounds, and their pain, we can become obsessed with injury to the exclusion of everything else—it can “consume” us. Human memory is a strange thing: we forget things we want to remember, and remember things we want to forget. People have reported that when they remember past injuries, they feel actual physical and emotional pain. But then, someone may see us in pain, and offer something soothing—perhaps, empathy, compassion, or actual physical treatment. This will allow us to remember that pain is part of life’s journey, and not something for which we should feel self-pity, or shame. It’s important for us to “remember,” of course, insofar as we learn from our experiences, but not to the extent that it detracts us from our true life’s mission—love. The poison of pain must not diminish the sweetness of our love. Therein, we understand that by solving a problem, not removing it from our memory, it takes on new meaning—keeping in mind that “meaning” is different than “happiness.” Having endured it, we want our pain to “mean something!” (On many occasions, this can be more important than happiness, itself.) Our Savior bore the wounds of His passion on His body…without hiding them, nor becoming bitter about them. Because they were an expression of His love, they had meaning. They were the mortal wounds the Good Shepherd acquired by caring for “His sheep.” His wounds should serve to allow us to recognize our own, and through them, learn that love triumphs over any disfigurations or scars of life. May God Richly Bless You! Brother James' Air.docx To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here:

April 23rd, 2023 Third Sunday of Easter Jesus breaks bread with the disciples on the Emmaus Road. A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Word and Sacrament” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Acts 2:14.22:28) In this reading, taken from a sermon on the day of Pentecost, †Peter preached about the Resurrection of Jesus to the Jews: Jesus, Who died, is now risen! God has vindicated his words and works and given Him a place of glory. The message of Easter for us is to live our lives full of faith and joy; and, to bring hope to the downcast. †Peter and the Eleven were not the only ones who experienced the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who wholeheartedly responded to †Peter’s sermon were also moved by the Spirit. Initiating them into a lifelong process, it also evoked a call to reform. All baptized believers are to embrace a radical openness to, and reevaluation of, the identity of the Person of Jesus, and of His significance. In Acts, †Luke envisioned a universal mission—that would form a universal community—wherein Jesus would be proclaimed as both Lord and Christ. ~~~ (1 Peter 3:15-18) Christians are encouraged to remain steadfast under pressure in their attachment to Christ. Through our Baptism, we become heirs to all the mysteries of salvation. Each time we meet Jesus, receiving Him in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we celebrate His victory over death and make it our own. Writing from Rome (80-90 A.D.,) the author of 1 Peter (†Peter, the apostle, died in the mid 60s,) was concerned that Gentiles who converted to Christ should recognize themselves as belonging to Him, just as the ancient Jews saw themselves: as “a chosen race; a royal priesthood; and a holy nation” (See: Exodus 19:6.) Today’s text compares Israel’s journey through the desert to that of the Christian life: Christians hope for salvation just as ancient Jews yearned for the “promised land.” The blood of Christ, from a “spotless Lamb,” has saved all peoples. ~~~ (Luke 24:13-35) The Risen Jesus joined Cleopas and another of His disciples on their journey to Emmaus (appx. 10-12 km from Jerusalem,) and showed them that it was by dying that He entered glory. Although exalted, Jesus is not gone from those who believe in Him. Each time the “bread” of His Word and of His body is broken, during the Holy Mass, He is with us. The ”Emmaus Story” represents a magnificent treasury of theological and Christological insights at several different levels of development. Unique to the Gospel of Luke, it is reminiscent of the actual experience of the Church in Syrian Antioch. In two generations following Jesus’ death, Antiochene Christians encountered the Risen Lord in the “breaking of the bread”—the earliest form of the Liturgy of the Mass. †Luke had an apologetic motive (a doctrinal defense,) in the delayed recognition of Christ by the disciples. They did not initially recognize Him, due to His having been “glorified” by His resurrection. Finally, recognition of Jesus as the Messiah came to them at the moment of His “breaking of the bread.” In so doing, He showed He abides forever with His followers. Similarly, in our journeys through life, we may be visited by unrecognized guests, who reveal truths to us, as well. Sharing the Story It is said that all sorrows can be bone if we can “tell a story” about them. The two disciples in today’s Gospel indeed had a very sad story—Plunged into gloom at the death of Jesus, their dreams of Him being the long-awaited Messiah had been reduced to rubble. A crucified, humiliated Messiah didn’t make the slightest sense! Even looking at the event from every possible angle, they still couldn’t make sense of it. When Jesus joined them on their way, He showed great sensitivity. People often find it’s easier to talk to strangers, and His simple, kindly manner enabled them to “open up” and pour out their story to Him. He listened patiently and lovingly, so that all that was “dammed up” came flowing forth. Jesus is said to have “accompanied” them. No matter what age we are, we also need someone to “walk” with us. Accompaniment is something very gentle. Interpersonal communion is established gradually, and mutual trust and desire for the truth increases over time. Even though people often don’t want to hear the truth, they can accept it when the “right moment” comes along. Jesus began to speak only after they had unburdened themselves. Then, He “opened the Scriptures for them,” reminding them the prophets had foretold the Messiah was to suffer and die, before entering into His glory. Far from being the end of their dream, Jesus’ death occurred in precisely the way it had. His words of light and warmth began to filter into their dark, cold hearts. However, it was not until it was “all over” that the disciples understood what had happened to them on their journey. But isn’t his how it always is, in “real life?” We live our lives forward, but comprehend them backwards—in retrospect. Lacking perspective and understanding gained through hindsight, we seldom know, at the time, what is happening to us. Typically, we have enough to do just to “cope,” hour to hour, day to day. Only afterwards—sometimes long afterwards—our eyes are opened and we can begin to appreciate our experiences. Eventually, we may even be grateful for our sadness, realizing we are often healthier for having been through it. This is what happened to the disciples: they realized the message of Jesus’ death—glory attained through suffering. Having left Jerusalem behind, they had lost faith. But then, they joyfully returned, transformed—their faith renewed—and resumed their discipleship with their community. Their encounter didn’t foster evasion of responsibility, but encouragement and commitment. We expect to find God in joy, not in pain. Realizing the meaning to our pain doesn’t remove it, but it does change our attitude. This is why the disciples were able to turn their lives around. For some people, faith is only a construct of the mind, having to do with truths, dogmas, doctrines, creeds and catechisms. But true faith is more concerned with the heart—consisting in a relationship of love with God, Who first loved us. Without this, faith is like a fireplace without a fire. Each of us can look on our lives as a series of “stories” that coalesce over time to form one overarching story. The sad fact is, however, that they all end in something we don’t like in our stories—death. We always want the “happy ending.” Our “happy ending” is eternal life with God in heaven. Jesus’ death and resurrection made that possible for us, and it’s something we always must have in the forefront of our minds. Otherwise, the doldrums and tragedies of human life can make us despair, and lose hope. Christ’s Resurrection opens all our stories to the prospect, not just of a “good ending,” but of a “glorious” one. The first and last words of each of our stories belong to God. The main thing that came across to the two disciples was the conviction that Jesus loved them. That made their “hearts burn.” The story shows that God’s goodness makes our deepest dreams come true, in the most surprising ways. And the story also shows us the true meaning of ministry: to walk with people; to be present to them; and to listen—these are the “essential good works” of today…for all of us…. May God Richly Bless You! To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here: God is Working His Purpose Out.docx

April 16th, 2023 Second Sunday of Easter Thomas inspects Jesus’ wounds A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Faith and Fellowship” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Acts 2:42-47) Every believer is called, to answer the challenge of daily living in a community. After Easter, those who followed Jesus gathered together and zealously continued His mission. †Luke wrote his two-volume work in the 80s C.E.—by which time the authoritative witnesses to Jesus’ life and His teaching had virtually disappeared. His intent was to teach disciples how to survive grow and flourish, as a vital and vibrant faith community, through his Gospel and through Acts. Characterized by worship of God and loving service towards one another, †Luke showed that the work begun by Jesus and the Twelve was being maintained by those whom they taught and to whom they witnessed. ~~~ (1 Peter 1:3-9) Born anew in His death, and healed by His sufferings, Jesus’ disciples launched a worldwide mission of peace and forgiveness. The wonderful paradox of Baptism is that it gives life as a birth into the death of Jesus. †Peter (or, one of his disciples,) wrote this letter (ca. 80-90 C.E.) to those who were the genuine heirs of the blessing our Lord spoke to †Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” The author refers to Baptism as a “rebirth” unto hope and an imperishable inheritance to be revealed in the “last days.” Then and now, those who are persecuted for Christ are urged to regard their sufferings as a temporary purification, just as were the Israelites’ wanderings in the desert, as recorded in Exodus. As Jesus’ own suffering and death was a brief passage to His exultation, so too, the believers who remain faithful, will survive their “moments” of persecution, and enjoy a “forever” of glory. Faith in the Resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our hope for eternal life—a hope which enables us to bear the trials of life with patience. ~~~ (John 20:1-31) All who live in Jesus Christ, and are made whole by Him, are called to partake in His missionary effort. When sceptics become believers, and warriors make peace, the legacy of Easter will be known to all. Today’s Gospel features two Resurrection appearances—First, on Easter evening, when ††John portrays the Risen Lord bestowing “the Spirit” on the apostles, mandating them to continue His mission. Then, secondly, a week later, we hear the story of †Thomas…unique to the Gospel of †John…provides an excellent lesson in faith, making the case for the “value of doubt” in the life of the believer. As such, †Thomas has become a source of encouragement for anyone who struggles to believe. For a time, those who had not seen the Risen Lord relied on the testimony of those who had. But as the “†Thomas episode” illustrates, even seeing firsthand was no guarantee of faith. By means of †Thomas’ doubts, the evangelist puts forth several theological points: (1) Jesus’ body was not an illusion—it was real—as His wounds attested—it was the same Jesus, Who died on the cross; (2) Believers are to move beyond the sensational aspects of the Resurrection to a committed faith. (Note: As written in †John’s Gospel, †Thomas never actually touched Jesus’ wounds. He came to faith when Jesus challenged Him to “Believe!.”) (3) †Thomas’ words: “My Lord,” and “My God,” reflected the early Church’s ever-deepening understanding that Jesus was the all-powerful Lord, equal to the Creator, God the Father. The Human Need to Touch Tourists, visiting “holy destinations,” in Israel, like Galilee, Jerusalem, and their surroundings, usually take photos, buy cards and souvenirs. They want to have some tangible mementos to take home with them to remember their experience, and show their friends the places they have seen. Pilgrims to the Holy Land often want to touch and to “kiss” things they see that have particular significance as they relate to Jesus’ life. In addition to standard collectibles, they may find a leaf, a wild flower, a pebble, a bottle of water from the Jordan river or, even some soil, that has special meaning. And here, we are talking about people whose faith is sound and sure. This expresses the universal human need for the visible, the concrete, the tangible. We can sympathize with †Thomas, when he declared he would not believe the Lord had risen unless he actually “touched” him. He was merely echoing the human cry for certainty. Nevertheless, where faith is concerned, we have to go beyond this. This is because there is no such thing as absolute certainty about spiritual things. If there were, faith would not be necessary. This is the argument made from the point of view of science, which requires a “method” for investigation of phenomena—and only becomes “conclusive” by repetition and review. One would think that simply “seeing” Jesus would have been enough for †Thomas. But having observed others healed by Jesus’ touch, or even when they touched the hem of His garment, given their faith was strong enough. But †Thomas’ faith was so weak, that He thought he had to actually touch the Redeemer, Himself. In truth, he was the wounded one, darkened by grief and doubt. Even though his wounds were invisible, to him, they were very real and painful. But Jesus saw them, and it was Jesus that touched †Thomas’ wounds, making him whole and well again. Most times, the human heart is healed only by the presence of another human being who understands human pain. The Lord’s wounds help us to recognize and find healing for our own wounds. Jesus’ wounds were caused by His love—the mortal wounds the Good Shepherd suffered for the sake of His sheep. The story of Doubting †Thomas brings home to us just how frail is the human container in which the gift of faith is carried. It also shows that Christian faith is essentially one in a Person—Jesus—who loves us, and has the wounds to prove it. At the heart of Biblical faith is not only the faith we have in God, but the faith God has in us. When Jesus told †Thomas: “You believe in Me because you have seen Me; but blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe.” This was a little “dig” at †Thomas’ stubbornness, that was also meant to encourage us when we are asked to believe without being able to see or touch Jesus. The Role of Faith Some people think that if they have enough faith, life will be “plain sailing” for them. But this is not so. The fact that we can swim doesn’t prevent us from being knocked about by the waves. In the same way, faith doesn’t shield us from the “hard knocks” of life or from death. So, then, what does faith do? It gives us bearings, and enables us to live in our uncertain world, without getting lost or giving in to despair. Just as swimmers trust they will be safe, if they don’t panic and do a few simple things, that the power of the sea will uphold them; so, believers entrust their lives to a power greater than themselves—a power greater than us all—the power of God, Who brought His son, Jesus, back from the dead. We cannot know the ultimate truths of some things, like how or when time began, what caused the “Big Bang” or, for that matter, existence, itself. Science advances constantly, and great human minds discover more and more about our world and the universe. But at some point, using ever more regression, we have to ask, “What was the cause of it all.” That is the point at which our faith allows us to conceive and trust in an all-knowing, all-powerful, unseen, uncreated God. He is the source of all our hope. And because the very concept of God is beyond human understanding, we have been given a Savior in Jesus Christ, to be our “conduit” to His greatness. Being wholly human and wholly divine, He was a Person Who lived on earth, as we do, and with Whom we can relate. This is the great mystery of our faith, and in which we take great comfort. To aid us in conquering our unbelief along the way, we enjoy the guidance of the Holy Spirit, living within our immortal soul. May God Richly Bless You! I Can See-On the Emmaus Road.docx To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here:

April 9th, 2023 Easter Sunday A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “He Is Risen, Indeed” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Acts 10:34-43) The feast of life (Easter) is not simply the celebration of One Man’s victory—a universal triumph in, and because of, that One Man—but is a grace that gathers all mankind to life. †Peter’s apostolic proclamations at Cornelius’ home, as well as others in Acts, are highly stylized, theological vehicles, through which, †Luke responded to the pastoral needs of the growing Church community. (They were intended to reach beyond historical and literary context in order to inform the reader of the meaning of the Resurrection Event.) Those speeches revealed the method that was developed by the early disciples for proselytizing Gentiles, and recounted Jesus’ life and ministry of healing and good works. †Luke credited the Holy Spirit for the growth and continued development of the Church. ~~~ (Colossians 3:1-4) Those who share in Jesus’ victory are to live like winners, no longer losing the battle to sin and evil. They are enabled to bear patiently with reality, rising above the pettiness and deceit one finds in everyday life, because of the new life they enjoy in the Lord. †Paul emphasized the fact that without the Resurrection, life “in Christ” would be an absurd impossibility! It is precisely because of the Resurrection, that Jesus’ victory over sin and death was afforded to all believers. We are heirs of that victory, or as †Paul said, we are “raised up in company with Christ,” calling believers to bear witness to Him by living worthy lives of justice, peace and truth. Redemption was not an exercise of freeing oneself from the body, or of transcending one’s lesser self by the attainment of secret knowledge, but was God’s gracious gift to a sinful and needy humanity. We must focus on Christ and the gift of salvation as our first step toward eternal life and glory. ~~~ (John 20:1-9) Because of Jesus, death has lost is finality and has become a passageway to a new and everlasting life. Jesus lives! The mystery of His rising gives meaning to His and our suffering, and sustains the hope of all who believe. If anyone truly anticipated Jesus’ Resurrection from the Dead, the Scriptures are silent about their expectations. Instead, each of the Resurrection narratives contain evidence that Jesus’ followers did not expect Him to rise. In fact, they seemed to have despaired of Him as the long-awaited Savior. However, in the wake of the Resurrection Event, faith developed, because of Jesus’ glorification and the early Church took an entirely different view of Jesus’ death—and subsequently of life—as witnessed in the enlightened perspective of the Gospels, which were written in the aftermath of the Resurrection. Easter Hope In his book On Being a Christian, Hans Kung explains that “Jesus’ Resurrection cannot be described as an historical event in the ordinary sense of the word.” As we have come to expect, in modern times, there were no human witnesses; no press passes distributed; nor any cameras to “record the scene” for all posterity. Rather, as the New Testament consistently attests, the Resurrection of Jesus was an act of God—an integral part of the final transformation [ultimate destiny] of the world. Kung goes on to explain that this perspective implies that the Resurrection Event is more than the divine vindication of only one particular Person—Jesus of Nazareth. God’s saving plan involves our Blessed Lord in such a way that after Easter, Jesus became the norm for human understanding of the relationship between humanity and God. When the evangelists wrote of Jesus’ Resurrection, they composed their narratives, replete with joy and hope spawned by this realization. The known world, outside Jerusalem, didn’t take much notice of the Resurrection of Jesus, because it was a humble, hidden event, that occurred in relative obscurity. The Resurrected Jesus did not appear triumphant in the Temple of Jerusalem, humiliating those who humiliated Him. Rather, only those whom He called by name; with whom He broke bread; and to whom he spoke words of peace; were aware of what happened. And even they had difficulty comprehending what they saw. Like us, they were skeptical—slow to believe. Yet, it was this hidden event that freed humanity from the shackles of death. Jesus rose as a sign to those who loved Him and followed Him, that God’s love is stronger than death. Jesus’ Resurrection must not be separated from the resurrection of humanity He saved. By entering fully into human life, He experienced the bitterness of death. Jesus became our Brother, and our Savior. His death was part of God’s “plan,” making Jesus the Pioneer and Leader of our salvation—pointing and leading the way along life’s road of obedience and suffering. Human beings will face anything, brave anything, as long as they know (or believe) it will not last forever…and that something better will happen. Individuals routinely face long, painful and dangerous medical procedures if they believe it will make them better; prisoners endure lengthy sentences as long as they believe they will eventually experience freedom, once again; people endure the rigors of long and miserable winters, because they know spring will come again. All this underlies the importance of hope. Hope is as necessary for the human spirit as air, food and water are for the body. It is amazing what can be tolerated and overcome, provided we are nourished with the “bread” of hope. Easter gives our fragile spirits an enormous “injection” of hope. Considering how much tragedy humans encounter in life—how so many good things are lost and important people taken from us in their prime (i.e. Thomas More; Mahatma Gandhi; John F. Kennedy; Martin Luther King,)—hope is surely needed. Of course, Jesus was also slain…but He rose again! At Easter, we still feel the pain of the world; pain in our families and among our friends; and pain in our own hearts. But a new element has been introduced into our lives. Jesus’ Resurrection doesn’t remove our pain, but it gives it meaning—lighting it with hope. All is different because Jesus is alive and speaks His words of peace to us, just as He spoke them to the apostles, long ago. Faith in Jesus’ Resurrection is the basis for our hope of eternal life. This hope enables us to bear the trials of life with patience. Therefore, there is a quiet joy among us and a deep sense of peace, because we know life is stronger than death; love is stronger than fear; and hope is stronger than despair. A quote from Billy Graham sums up our role: “As Christians, our great task is to obey the command to tell the whole world about Christ crucified, buried, yet risen again. My prayer for you during this season of the year, when we meditate on our Savior’s great sacrifice for us on the cross, is that you will be filled with great peace and hope, because ‘He is risen!’ That is the Good News.” May God Richly Bless You! All the Praise of a Lifetime.docx To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here:

April 2nd, 2023 Palm Sunday Jesus enters Jerusalem in Triumph A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Death and Life” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Isaiah 50:4-7) When The Servant Son appeared most defeated, He truly was triumphant. He, Who suffered for the sake of all mankind, won victory through His innocence. In God’s eyes, the disadvantaged and the persecuted possess a far greater dignity than those who abuse them. In ancient Israel, the prophets were ostracized because of the message they proclaimed for the sake of God’s Word and the integrity of the Covenant. Many suffered physical abuse, and some were even put to death. The “Servant Son,” described by Isaiah, was a prophetic figure who would suffer for the sake of the Word and the benefit of His people—at the hands of His own people—in order to bring about their salvation…firm in the belief that God has not abandoned Him. (Early Christians associated Jesus with Isaiah’s Servant, as is obvious from the way in which the Gospels, especially the Passion Narratives, were written.) ~~~ (Philippians 2:7-11) With no thought for Himself, Jesus gave all He had and all He was for others. To live completely, to hold nothing back, is to fully live the life of our Blessed Lord. Writing from prison*, ca. 61-63 A.D., †Paul urged the Philippians to imitate Jesus, exhorting them to make their attitudes align with His. In returning to the Father, Christ drew us with Him, because His saving sacrifice embraced everyone. Through Baptism, believers enter into the “parabola” of salvation with Christ, descending with Him into the “waters of life,” where they die to sin, to live new and higher lives in His Spirit. *Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians have been classified as “captivity” letters. ~~~ (Matthew 26:14-27; 66) By virtue of His innocence and His loving selflessness, all who believe in our Blessed Lord are made holy and whole. His sorrow and suffering have become blessings for us all. The evangelist, †Matthew (a Greek-speaking Christian, not the apostle, writing ca. 80 A.D.,) presents Jesus as the Messiah, as foretold in Jewish Scriptures, and as the redeeming savior for all people. He presents Christ’s passion and death as part of God’s foreordained plan for salvation. Nothing happened accidentally, nor was Jesus a victim of circumstances or inevitabilities. He fulfilled God’s will in all His words and works. The final, apocalyptic moments of the Passion underscore the fact that the death of Jesus was the long-awaited “Day of the Lord.” The tearing of the curtain of the sanctuary pronounced the fact that a new way had come in which to experience God’s reign—not through Temple rites, but through the saving death of Jesus. The Tracks We Leave Behind On any given snowy, wintery afternoon, when fields are covered with a soft blanket of newly-fallen snow, we might find tracks made by birds and other animals. Looking closely, we may be able to identify them, and even determine their activities. Most of what we might see is harmless—tracks of little creatures trying to stay alive in a hostile climate—scratching of sparrows looking for a worm; rooting of rabbits seeking blades of grass. Other evidence, however—perhaps a spatter of blood—may point to where a fox or bird of prey has made a kill. Normally, everything would be covered, allowing us to cross and re-cross such fields and see nothing of the activity of wildlife. But if the cover is “blown,” everything is “written” on the blanket of snow—innocence, fun, resourcefulness, pain, cunning and, sometimes, death. This also happens in our human world—perhaps in the workplace or the community—when people are forced to take a “stand.” Then, with their “cover blown,” people appear in their “true light”—some coming out “well,” while others, not so much. (It has been said that we don’t know the measure of a person until they have been “tested.”) Christ’s Passion and Death followed directly on the activities of Palm Sunday, when He was welcomed into the city, triumphantly hailed as a King. This stands in stark contrast to the end of Holy Week, which portrays how human nature is a “fickle” thing, and how the pressure of “public opinion” can dramatically sway people from their point-of-view. It wasn’t Christ, however, Who was judged on that fateful Friday, so long ago—but His disciples, and especially His accusers and executioners. But Jesus didn’t judge them…they did that, themselves—by the “tracks” they left behind. Any child could have determined who, among them, was “for Christ,” and who was against Him. Evidence of hatred and fanaticism of Caiaphas and the religious leaders, who plotted Jesus’ death, was clearly evident in all of the four Gospels. We read of the cold, calculating Judas; the denials of †Peter; the cruelty of Herod; the cowardice of Pilate; the unthinking hostility of the mob, shouting “Crucify Him;” and the dutiful obedience of the soldiers—all visible “tracks,” on the “snow-like” innocence of our Blessed Lord. All of us leave “tracks” behind us. This week gives us an opportunity to look at ours, as we contemplate the cold reality of our Savior’s ultimate sacrifice. We might discover ours are tracks of cowardice, hypocrisy (someone living only “for themselves,”) or those of courageous, generous people, not ashamed to be called disciples of Jesus. By them, we will determine if we are on Christ’s side, or against Him. For most of us, the extent of our true virtue is determined, not our “tests” in extraordinary circumstances, but by our normal behavior. Our modest, everyday incidents, rather than unusual ones, most reveal and shape our characters. Jesus showed us, by His character and stoicism, that the only way to overcome evil is by doing good. Out of the depths of His pain, He reached out to others, and forgave those Who killed Him. He brought hope to the repentant thief, and showed concern for His grieving mother. Like Jesus, some people are like sugar cane—even when crushed in the mill, completely squashed and reduced to pulp, all they yield is sweetness…. It's a great comfort to know that Christ, the innocent and sinless One, experienced a life of suffering before us, and did so to “the end,” death on the cross. There, He gathered all human pain and made it His own. The road of suffering is narrow and difficult, but it is not the same since Christ traveled it. Now, a bright light illuminates it; and even though it led our Savior to Calvary, it ended at Easter. Those who link their suffering to Christ’s become a source of blessings for others, and will also share in His Easter Glory. May God Richly Bless You! And This Is Love.docx To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here:

March 26th, 2023 Fifth Sunday of Lent A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Christ, the Resurrection and the Life” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Ezekiel 37:1-14) The exile of the people to Babylon is described in terms of death. Their return is described in terms of resurrection and spiritual renewal. A new life is a wondrous miracle on the purely physical level. Ezekiel was a man for all seasons, interpreting the hand of God in human history, in good times and in bad. He saw the return of the Israelites to their homeland as a new exodus from death to life. Just as at creation, God’s Spirit called forth life, in his vision, that same Spirit enabled the people to rise from their “graves of despair” to a new hope. Ezekiel saw himself as a mediator of that Spirit, by His ministry among his fellow exiles. ~~~ (Romans 8:8-11) It was the Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead. Now this same Spirit lives in us, and gives us divine life. †Paul believed the three concepts of flesh, sin and death were very much interrelated. The apostle believed that the Christian life, when lived in the Spirit, is destined for glory. Whereas sin once found its home in human beings, those who open their hearts to the Word (Christ,) will become homes (temples,) for the Spirit. To belong to Christ means more than grateful acknowledgement of what Christ has affected for humanity—more than mere external identification or nominal relationship with Christ. To “belong” to Christ, is to open one’s heart, mind and will to His Spirit, living within. Such a “Spirited” life anticipates, in time and space, the eternal realities of “resurrected” life; “tasting” eternity as it hints at absolute and complete renewal, which will take place at the end of time. ~~~ (John 11:1-45) In raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus shows that He is Lord of life and death. Resurrection to eternal life goes beyond “wondrous,” to “glorious.” As the last, and therefore, the greatest of the seven signs in †John’s Gospel, the raising of Lazarus is the threshold to the Passover event, which it introduced. (It is a visual presentation of †Paul’s theology in our Second Reading.) The “Bethany event” holds the sum total of Jesus’ words and works. He is “Life” and’ the “Resurrection” for all believers! Like Lazarus, the Christian believer will pass from death to life, by Jesus’ power. For us, eternal life is already ours! Because we have realized the “end times,” (joining with Jesus Christ in Baptism and the Holy Eucharist,) our physical death will truly be a “Passover,” or “Exodus,” for us. The Therapy of Tears One of the most surprising parts of the story of the raising of Lazarus is the part where Jesus broke down and cried. Perhaps it is the sight of a man weeping in public that surprises us. In general, men are not known for publicly showing emotions. We expect men to “take the knocks” of life, and “build a wall” behind which they hide their fragility—safeguarding their deepest feelings about life and other people. The Stoics of old were proud of their ability to conceal their feelings, hiding their anger, sadness and even their joy from others. Even today we are not comfortable with tears, which tend to be seen as signs of weakness. Nonetheless, tears have great therapeutic value, provided, of course, they are genuine and not merely sentimental. At times, leaders may show their vulnerability in public, but it is accepted only occasionally. If expressed too often, however, it may diminish them in the eyes of the people. Judiciously expressed, though, it can be an attractive quality—helping them become more relatable. Jesus’ heartfelt sympathy for Martha and Mary, in today’s Gospel story, helps us relate to Him as truly human. Grief is one of our strongest emotions. To be able to cope with it, we must learn to “work through it,” with as much honesty as possible, and continue to function. Some people are embarrassed to express their true feelings in public, preferring to keep them “bottled up” inside. Studies show such behavior can have dangerous consequences and may lead to serious emotional problems. Faith is our ally in facing death. It doesn’t mean we have “all the answers.” And it doesn’t dispense us from the painful work of grieving, but it adds a vital element: hope. Faith allows us to grieve as people who believe that death doesn’t have “the last word.” Faith also helps us to come to terms with our own mortality. For some, the agony that weighs on them is the result of having death banished from their thoughts and awareness. For others, especially in parts of our world where daily civil conflict and unrest are common, death is all too real and consuming. It’s important to think about death in a way that integrates it into life rather than excluding it. To become reconciled to death is a very great “grace”—that allows for a deeper and more human life, as well as a falling away of fear. An Invincible Spring Death is like winter—only worse. In nature’s winter, despite appearances to the contrary, life doesn’t’ cease. It merely goes “underground.” The outward dies, but not the core. But, in the “winter of death,” normal life seems to cease, altogether—seeming to rob us of everything we value. We heard in today’s Gospel that when the “winter of death” came for Lazarus, his sisters, Martha and Mary, were plunged into grief. But then, their friend, Jesus, came and shared their grief—so overcome with sorrow, that He also broke down. He challenged them saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me, even though they die [to this life,] will live.” It couldn’t have been easy for the sisters to hear these words, as all evidence was against them—yet, they believed. For them, as for us, death constitutes a severe test of our faith—a faith that teaches us that Jesus, though He experienced the winter of death Himself, rose from the dead through the power of the Holy Spirit, breaking the power of death…forever. He entered death’s dark kingdom and emerged victorious, and, as such, became a “pathfinder” for us, causing a new and invincible “spring” to dawn on all who believe in Him. It's only natural to be sad at the onset of winter, when spring seems far away. We see snow on the hills and feel the bitter wind in our faces. Through many years’ experience, we know that spring eventually comes again, renewing everything again. It’s the same when we are sad when the death claims a loved one, and we ponder our own impending demise. Because of our faith, we know death is an unavoidable part of every life, and we have Jesus’ own example to buoy us through any despair. Just as spring takes the sting out of winter, His promise of eternal life removes our doubt. Eternal life is not something that begins when we die. It begins the moment we hear the voice of Jesus and believe in Him. Even in the midst of winter, we know spring is quietly, at work, though it’s full blossoming is still in the future. May God Richly Bless You! Just a Closer Walk with Thee.docx To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here:

March 19th, 2023 Fourth Sunday of Lent A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Christ, the Light of the World” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Samuel 15:1-13) By our Baptism, we are anointed and set apart for a great mission. Today’s text shows how Samuel, in anointing David, performed the customary ritual of “consecration” in the ancient Near Eastern world. God chose David, the least of Jesse’s sons, to be king of Israel. While most people look at “appearances,” God sees “the heart.” Spiritual anointing set a person apart for a special task, and signified the presence of the Lord’s Spirit, within them. David’s anointing affirmed his loyalty by a pact with God, and a sign of his veneration and allegiance to Him. Through Baptism’s anointing, the Christian is empowered by God’s Spirit for the special task of reflecting the light of Jesus Christ in a world darkened by sin. ~~~ (Ephesians 5:8-14) Dark, secret, sinful deeds have no place in the life of an enlightened believer. †Paul told the Ephesians that since Christ has enlightened them, they must adopt a lifestyle in keeping with their new state. Conversion to Jesus Christ was expressed in many vivid metaphors in the New Testament, to wit: changing clothes; putting on a new person; putting on armor; and in this Reading, as moving from darkness to light. Each one involves turning away from sin; shielding oneself from temptation; divestiture, and rejection, of all that is not in keeping with the teaching of Jesus Christ ~~~ (John 9:1-41) There is no greater blindness than self-deception. The cure of the blind man was the sixth of seven “signs” in †John's Gospel. Jesus, the Light of the World, not only gives sight to those physically blind, but give the “light of faith” to the spiritually blind. Christ’s wondrous deeds were signs that pointed to a greater reality, within which, one was to perceive a glimpse of what would actually take place when Jesus’ “hour” had come at last. In the words and works of Jesus, “light” conquers the darkness. Significantly, the blind man’s sight and faith are ironically contrasted to the lack of sight of the Pharisees—who had “the Law,” the prophets and the writings, but could not hear the Word. They were the holy ones, of their day, but they did not believe! The early Church borrowed the healing gestures of Jesus—the breath of the Spirit and the anointing—that became part of the Baptismal Liturgy, still in use today. The early Church called the sacrament of Baptism “enlightening,” or “illuminating,” through which the Christian shares in the radiant light of Christ’s glory and truth. As we heard in last week’s Gospel, Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the “Source of water” for the thirsty believer. The Gift of Sight Since most of us are not blind, we might think today’s Gospel story has no relevance for us. But it is precisely that we can see that it is germane. It raises the question, “how well do we see?” To see well, good eyesight alone is not sufficient. “Blindness” is not only an affliction of the eyes! Many forms of blindness affect us. For instance: •Selfishness blinds us to the needs of others. •Insensitivity blinds us to the hurt we cause others. •Snobbery blinds us to others’ equal dignity. •Pride blinds us to our own faults. •Prejudice blinds us to the truth. •Impatience blinds us to the world’s beauty. •Materialism blinds us to spiritual values. •Superficiality blinds us to a person’s true worth, and causes us to judge ‘by appearances.” We see, not only with our eyes, but with our minds, hearts and imagination. All these can lead to a loss of vision, thereby darkening our lives and shrinking our world. It has been said that the greatest tragedy is not to have been born blind, but “to have eyes, and yet, fail to see”. Our most important “eyes” are the “eyes of faith.” The smallest child with faith sees more than the smartest scientist who has no faith…. A blind person’s journey from blindness to sight symbolizes the journey from unbelief to faith—a journey from darkness to light. Physical sight is a wonderful gift most of us take for granted. But faith is an even more profound and wonderful gift. Once a person is enlightened by faith, they can never again see life in the same light as before. Faith illuminates everything with an inner radiance and helps us find our way through the chaos, confusion and darkness of the modern world. It makes our lives voyages of discovery and helps us see “new landscapes,” with “new eyes.” On that subject, I am reminded of what Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “The fool wonders at the unusual; the wise person wonders at the usual.” We see this exemplified in the occasional commotion caused by an eclipse of the moon, the anticipation of which gathers interest in the media, with people staying awake, sometimes until the “wee hours” to witness it. One wonders, “Why should there be all this interest in the moon, simply because it is disappearing?” Considering that most of us don’t notice a full moon in the sky, much less stop to admire it, how can its absence create such anticipation? We must cultivate an appreciation of all the wonder around us—we must “stop and smell the roses,” as it were—and not be so concerned by extraordinary and infrequent occurrences. It's the Heart that Matters Today, it seems that “appearance” is more important than “substance.” One’s “image” is more important than their “reality,” and, because we sometimes look only at appearances, we judge by appearances. A line from The Little Prince, goes: “What is essential, is invisible.” Everything that makes up the essence of a person’s life is usually hidden from sight. This was the situation about which we heard in today’s First Reading, when Samuel chose David to be Israel’s king. Samuel saw that David’s heart “was good,” and he had “fine eyes and a pleasant bearing.” Further, we know that history has cited him to have been a “good king;” but it also points out his imperfections. When he sinned, (and he did so, grievously,) he always repented. In addition, also noteworthy was his ability to forgive his enemies. Also significant, several times in the Gospel, Jesus is called “Son of David”—meant as a compliment. David’s heart was “good.” In the final analysis, that is what matters most in a person. A “dark heart,” or an “empty heart” is something that shows the greatest poverty in a person’s character. We all know the burden of having a “heavy heart,” and a “broken heart” in our own lives. So, while humans tend to look at appearances, God looks at the heart, and sees what is “in” it. That is why only God can truly judge people. May God Richly Bless You! Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.docx To View a Recording of Today's Holy Mass, click here:

March 12th, 2023 Third Sunday of Lent Christ and the Samaritan woman Henryk Semiradski (1890)—Gallery of Art, Kyiv, Ukraine A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Living Water” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Exodus 17:3-7) In the Scriptures, thirst usually means more than the physical need for water. At times, when we are hungry or thirsty, we grumble—perhaps because we are “too satisfied.” Water figures prominently throughout the development of civilization. Historically, settlements sprung up near flowing rivers, to provide sustenance and as means of transportation. Symbolic of God’s power, creation was conceived as the Spirit (God’s breath: “pneuma,”) hovered over primordial waters. Periodic deluges were understood as the purification of sinful humanity—think “Noah, and the Ark.” The Chosen People’s formation as a people was an historical event called the Exodus, portrayed as a “watery passage” to freedom—think “the parting of the Red Sea.” With water so precious a commodity, and with thirst a constant companion, these metaphors readily lent themselves to an understanding of Israel’s need for God. Without God’s guidance, the wilderness would have become their tomb. ~~~ (Romans 5:1-8) Complete satisfaction of all our thirsts and desires is found in the salvation affected by Jesus Christ. The Joy, which the death of Jesus has bestowed upon us, should be seen on our faces, and in our lives. †Paul established the fact that justification has come through the redeeming power of God, in Jesus Christ. When we are at peace with God, we have access to grace, and we can boast in joyful hope of sharing God’s glory. When †Paul speaks in terms of the Holy Spirit and the incomprehensible love of God, it is obvious that he wishes us to understand God’s love as a living reality within the believer. His joy is contagious as he describes these blessings of justification in terms of present realities: “…peace…in which we now stand.” Liberated from sin and death, the Christian enjoys that freedom, here and now; in time and space; yet constantly moves toward the total freedom and complete perfection that will come with Christ, in Eternity. ~~~ (John 4:4-42) In the “wellspring of eternal life,” our hope and faith in Jesus Christ will find rest and fulfillment. In the fourth chapter of †John’s Gospel, Jesus is portrayed as the water of life—replacing the water that quenched the thirst of Judaism throughout the ages (Re: Torah—described the law as water, which purifies, slakes thirst and sustains life.) In the Sacrament of Baptism, we are bathed and drink of that source of life. Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well speaks to both His willing association with ALL people, regardless of station, and to the symbolic importance of water in culture, but more so, “living water,” herein used as a metaphor for eternal life. Loved in Our Sins One important and comforting theme running through all three of today’s readings—one that is the “heart” of the Good News—is that we are loved by God even as sinners. The Creator didn’t “write off” the Chosen People during their Exodus from Egypt, in spite of their grumbling. Rather, He provided water (and food) for them in the desert. Similarly, †Paul says “What proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” Then, in today’s Gospel, we hear how Jesus’ tender treatment of the woman at the well reinforced how He doesn’t insinuate Himself into anyone’s life. In fact, He began from a position of “weakness,” asking her for a simple drink of water. In this way He was disposed to receive it as a “gift” from her. Opening His heart in this way, she was then inclined to open her heart to Him. Jesus treats us with great respect—without hint of judgement nor condemnation. His manner was one of acceptance and understanding. (The holier a person is, the less likely they are to judge us.) Christ meets us “where we are.” He knows our deepest thirst—that of the heart, which ultimately, only God can quench. We find it difficult to admit our poverty, weakness and sins, preventing us from being receptive to the “gift of God.” It doesn’t do much good to be loved for being “perfect.” We need to be accepted and loved precisely as sinners. Only the person who has experienced this kind of love can know what it is…and that it can give us surprising courage and energy. It puts us “in touch” with our true nature—and offers us a kind of “homecoming.” Finding Our Own Well We know how pathetic it can be when people become dependent on material “handouts.” There is no development; no growth; only stagnation and, in all probability, regression, too. Dependency has a corrosive effect, eroding pride and self-respect. It’s often said people need a “hand-up,” not a “hand-out.” People can also become spiritually dependent. Most of us have been through years of education and spiritual formation of one kind or another, with many teachers and guides. Our experiences provided us with “waters of knowledge”—drawn from others. But we still thirst for more. (If we were lucky to have teachers who helped us to find our own “well,” we are even further along, now. Surely, one reasons, that should always be their chief concern—enabling us to become “independent learners.”) Many spiritual leaders fill others from their own “abundance.” That is good, up to a point, and it can show people the riches that are available. But it can easily result in making people dependent on the teacher, and content to live on spiritual “handouts.” Such an approach can make people aware of their own emptiness. Sadly, many are content to live like that. Christ, on the other hand, makes us aware of our own desolation…but rather than leave it there, He shows us how to fill it, not from without, but from within. How fortunate we are when we find our own inner well, lying hidden deeply within our own hearts! (This is the realm of the Holy Spirit….) Then we don’t have to be seeking here and there in search of spiritual nourishment. We will have an unfailing source inside us. But first, we must believe this well is really there…. Our inner spring is the life of God welling from inside us. It’s a discovery of living water, from which we can drink and refresh ourselves—that “bubbles up,” and leads us into eternal life! May God Richly Bless You! "Sometimes, we're taken into troubled waters--not to drown, but to be cleansed...." ~~Anonymous~~ Come, Let us Sing II.docx View a recording of today's Holy Mass, here:

March 5th, 2023 Second Sunday of Lent A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Our Transfiguration” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Genesis 12: 1-4) All who believe in one God are children of Abraham, and proof of God’s power to keep His promises. Throughout the centuries, patriarchal “sagas” have inspired and sustained the faith of Jews, Christians and the adherents of Islam. Within them are essential truths, around which have been woven a magnificent tapestry of fiction, legend, tradition and myth. Rather than merely “symbolic,” however, scholars widely hold that Abraham did, at one point in human history, respond to God’s call and was “transfigured,” to become the father of the people of God. His response, and that of other men and women, such as the patriarchs, have made the “will of God” a reality in human existence, culminating in the life and mission of Jesus Christ—and through Him, Christ, in His Church. The promises made to Abraham made him a futuristic figure—pointing ahead to the exodus of Israel to Sinai and to Canaan. ~~~ (2 Timothy 1: 8-10) The Christian knows that life may be difficult at times, but he/she is confident and well-equipped for any exigency. †Paul’s letters to †Timothy and †Titus are generally grouped together due to a similarity in content style and theology—and have been called the “pastoral epistles.” They were intended to be an aid to spiritual leaders of the Church, particularly Ephesus. Besides the internal persecution caused by heresy and false teachings, todays Reading reflects a situation of political persecution as well. To all these problems, including †Timothy’s lack of self-confidence in his leadership skills and health, †Paul suggests one answer: Through Jesus Christ comes grace, and by that grace, the Christian can become “transfigured,” and victorious over all hardships, sin and even death. ~~~ (Matthew 7: 1-9) There is no greater power of personal transfiguration than love. Some scholars believe the Transfiguration to be an anachronism, a post-resurrection appearance, projected “back” onto Jesus’ ministry—think: the Ascension. Others see it as a theological effort of the early Church to explain Jesus’ mission as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. While probably grounded in some very real experience on the part of the disciples, over the centuries it has been reconstructed and embellished so as to be a useful teaching tool for evangelization for the Church. The Transfiguration presents Jesus, experiencing a foretaste of His future glory of “Jesus the Messiah.” †Matthew depicts Him as the “new Moses”—with a New Law for a New Israel. Christ, as the embodiment of all wisdom, was shown to be the teacher of God’s mysteries. Moses and Elijah, representing the Old Law, teach, by their presence, that Jesus is the conclusion toward which both law and prophets moved the people. By His Incarnation, Jesus Christ brought into human existence the radiance of divinity. “Transfigured” for His disciples, Jesus pointed beyond the cross to His sovereignty over all peoples. A Peak Experience Our experiences affect us much more profoundly than do talks or lectures. Even though we may not be able to analyze them, we know they influence us (for good or ill,) and continue to do so, sometimes for years, afterwards. Jesus’ Transfiguration on Mount Tabor had great significance, first of all, for Jesus, Himself. It came at a crucial moment in His public life—at the start of His journey to Jerusalem. He knew that the same fate awaited Him there as befell all the prophets—violent death. Being wholly-human, naturally, He recoiled from such a fate. In order to reflect and pray about it, He climbed to the top of Mount Tabor, taking †Peter, †James and †John with Him. While there, He felt himself comforted, reassured, affirmed and strengthened for the ordeal ahead. He still had to face a dark and threatening future, but He knew it was what His Father wanted from Him. The experience was also of great importance for the three apostles—confirmed by their faith in Jesus—and helped them to face the dark future with Him. The Transfiguration could be called a “peak experience,” similar to those many of us have had. Ours may include light, peace, unity, joy, exhilaration or meaning—and the presence of God—true moments of grace. They may have been triggered not only by prayer, but by poetry, music, nature, etc. More often, however, they are likely to be the result of suffering some painful struggle. Occasionally, in His love for us, God allows us to taste the joys of the world to come—on earth—by giving us glimpses of the “promised land,” towards which we travel in faith. Though these experiences may be very beautiful, they should not become a preoccupation, for then religion would degenerate into a search for “highs.” Too much emphasis on “peak experiences,” which, by definition, are rare and unpredictable, narrows the scope of God’s influence in our lives, and renders the rest of life religiously unimportant. The sacred dimension is always present, and, in a strange way, the low moments may be just as enriching as the high ones. After Jesus’ wonderful experience on the mountain, He had to go back and resume His journey to Jerusalem. Similarly, we also have to “come down from the mountain,” into the plain or valley of ordinary life. True faith does not encourage escape from life, but helps us to commit ourselves more deeply to it. Emily Dickinson expressed this, beautifully, when she wrote: Exhilaration is the breeze that lifts us from the ground, and leaves us in another place whose statement is not found; Returns us not, but after time we soberly descend, a little newer for the termUpon enchanted ground. Disfiguration and Transfiguration Picture an old oil lamp. Covered with layers of dust and dirt, it might look wretched and useless. But if someone comes along, cleans off the layers of dirt, and polishes it until it begins to sparkle, and then lights it, suddenly, the lamp is transformed. It positively glows, radiating light and beauty to every corner of the room. Whereas prior to this, it was disfigured by dust, dirt and neglect, now it has become transfigured with beauty…yet, it is the same lamp. When objects (or people,) are loved and carefully attended, they are redeemed and rendered brighter, and more worthwhile. Of two potentialities, one for evil, and one for good, each of us has within us, consider the potential for evil. Human beings are capable of hatred, bitterness, cruelty, greed, envy, lust, etc. These ugly things bring out the worst in us, corrupting the heart. In turn, corruption of the heart coarsens the face and darkens the eyes. Evil disfigures us. Now consider our potential for good. We are capable of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, mercy, compassion, and so on—beautiful things that bring out our best selves—that purify the heart. Purity of heart softens the face and causes the eyes to shine. In this way, God transfigures us. Basically, we are transfigured by things we love, that excite us and move us; by what rouses our spirit and causes us to awaken and be alive—things that show us at our brightest and best. Sometimes, when we feel “down,” and prey to feelings of failure and worthlessness, suddenly, something nice happens to us—a friend calls, or we receive a letter, text or email with some good news—and we are changed. The truth, of course, only our attitude is changed, infused with a spark of joy, hope or love, kindled in our hearts. Then, we see ourselves, and our lives, in a new and better “light.” Because we are made in the image of God, we carry the splendor of divinity within us. Like the lamp, virtue causes that image to shine and so, transfigures us. May God Richly Bless You! My Soul Waits for the Lord.docx View a recording of today's Holy Mass here:

February 26th, 2023 First Sunday of Lent A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Temptation and Sin” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7) Temptation is very much a part of the human existence. God believes we are worthy of a second chance—as is evident in the way He deals with his people throughout history. The authors of Genesis have woven a tapestry of poetic answers to all of life’s most important questions. The obvious scientific ignorance in the text should not deter us, because the point of view is not scientific, but theological. Adam’s role, and therefore our own, is portrayed as unique in creation. Fragments of many ancient myths, found in the story of the fall, have been discovered in the writings of other civilizations. Adam and Eve allowed themselves to be duped by distorted truth (“You will be like God,”) and in disobeying God’s orders, they are alienated, not only from God, but from one another (i.e. shame, guilt….) God put before them “life,” but they chose “death,” as their first act of free will. This emphasizes that the source of evil in the world is none other than human will. ~~~ (Romans 5:12-19) The believer has a special strength and dignity in the daily struggle to enjoy the gifts of redemption—justice, grace and life. That one Person can do so much for so many is evident in the life and death of Jesus Christ. †Paul’s unique contribution to theology is his comparison of Adam as “type” with Christ as “antitype.” His point is that sin and its tangled web of evil are finally overcome, and that human beings are free because of the liberating act of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Adam alone is not to blame for all the sin in the world, because we are all personally culpable and responsible for our sins—and, in doing so, we confirm and reiterate Adam’s rebellion against God. Nonetheless, †Paul emphasizes that Christ’s grace—his gift of love and life—is far more powerful than sin. ~~~ (Matthew 4:1-11) Being tempted is part of being human; overcoming temptation is an integral part of “belonging to Christ.” Jesus’ resistance to fame, power and wealth during His time on earth is represented in †Matthew’s and †Luke’s stories of His temptations in the desert. No eyewitnesses were present, so Jesus must have related this story to His disciples. Christ’s temptation is analogous to our own, when we constantly are surrounded by negative alternatives to “right living.” The commonly-held belief that a living “entity”—“the Devil”—is the cause of our sinfulness is debatable, and reduces personal responsibility. Our very human nature affords us ample opportunities for making sinful choices—owing to our “free will” to do so—just as Adam did in the Genesis story. Jesus, as the “new Adam,” and “new Israel,” is presented to us as exercising His free will to overcome the lure of sin, no matter what rewards are offered as temptation. We must cling to His example of righteousness in living for our own lives. Paradise Lost, and Found, Again Before God gave Adam and Eve the “freedom to choose,” they were like automatons, programmed solely to do His will. They knew no regret, shame, remorse, sorrow, pain nor suffering. But having been given “free will,” it then became possible for them to be fully mortal—that is, to live by their conscious choices—having the opportunity to say “yes,” or “no,” to God. They abused that freedom when they chose to disobey Him. All our achievements, discoveries, wars—all the heights to which human beings have risen or the depths to which they have sunk—have been about using or abusing the God-given freedom of choice. We might think, hearing today’s story of the temptation of Jesus in the desert, that it was “easy” for Him to do the will of God. But that would be to ignore His fully-human nature. That He was “without sin,” does not negate His humanity, nor His free will. It must be remembered that sin is not an intrinsic ingredient to being human. We face evil every time with every choice we make. Clearly, we are creatures who possess strains of rebelliousness, self-centeredness and short-sightedness. These are the causes of our making wrong choices that then lead us to patterns of self-destructive behavior. Jesus’ important victory in the desert didn’t mean His war over sin was over. There were other attacks. Due to the repetitive nature of choices, we make them over, time and again. However, every right choice makes the next right choice easier, and when done often enough, eventually it becomes second nature. The real punishment is that it makes it more likely that we will commit the same sin the next time…. All of us have lost our childhood innocence. However, we can regain it; but this recovered innocence is different from the first. Childish innocence is immature, not responsible, unacquainted with sorrow and evil. Whereas, mature innocence is transfigured through responsibility and acquaintance with sorrow and evil. The first is harmless, through weakness; the second is innocent, through virtue. The first is incapable of committing sin; the second is unwilling to commit sin. Effective Penance Due to tradition, or training, most people believe they should undertake some penance, or personal denial, during Lent. As it may well be a good and worthwhile practice, penance is not an end in itself. The purpose of penance is not to undo the past—the past is behind us. Nor is it meant to persuade God to erase our sins and forego the punishment we deserve for them. The whole object of the practice is to reform our sinful way of life—to acquaint us with our better selves—to take a “step” in the right direction. When we first undertake to do penance, we are acknowledging that we are sinners. Secondly, we are expressing a desire to change our lives. Penance is an exercise in saying “no,” to ourselves—denying self-gratification. It is intended to show that we are capable of better things, and that we sincerely want them. We want to improve, but we cannot do so without the grace of God. Consider this: when people prune trees, they are not doing it to “punish” the trees. Rather, it is done to make the tree more fruitful, or to grow in a better way. Similarly, our penances must have as their goal to lead us to better lives. It’s a lot easier to undertake penance, even severe penance, than to attempt to change sinful attitudes or habits, however. For our penance to “bear fruit,” it must result in our making a sincere effort to change our lives…for the better. Lent provides us a window of opportunity to look within ourselves and see how we can become better followers of Christ. We must always remember that His victory over sin is a shining example, to help us be victorious in our own struggles with sin and evil. May God Richly Bless You! "Integrity is 'doing the right thing' even though no one is watching!" ~~C. S. Lewis~~ Lenten Meditation.docx View a live stream of today's Holy Mass here:

February 19th, 2023 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Forgiving Our Enemies” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Leviticus 19: 1-2:18) Holiness is not just for a few…the whole of Israel was called. Public worship of a people is, at its best, supposed to give expression to the life of that people. Leviticus gives us rubrics, rituals and legalese for the life of the Jewish community, as it had evolved by the sixth century B.C. God’s holiness was considered the basis for the human response to God, in ethical, moral behavior. Similarly, “love of neighbor” is presented at the end of a list of social improprieties to be avoided. The term was expanded by Jesus to include “all people,” irrespective of their tribal or familial allegiance. ~~~ (1 Corinthians 3:16-23) The Christian is a sacred “place,” in which love is free to “blossom.” †Paul treats Christians as “buildings,” when he refers to them as “temples” of God. In doing so, he reinforces that the “foundation” is Jesus Christ, Himself, in an effort to reinforce, within his Corinthian congregation, their true “roots, and beliefs.” Elaborating on the metaphor, he asks, “Are you not aware you are the temple of God?” and later, applies it to the individual Christian, as well. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit made them, collectively, a “Holy Temple,” to reinforce their community and joint basis in Jesus Christ, regardless of how anyone came to become part of the group. ~~~ (Matthew 5: 38-48) Christian ethical standards can be traced back to ancient times, and shown to us, in action, in the life and times of Jesus. Jesus’ fulfillment of the law, as was the subject of last week’s Gospel, continues today, using the metaphor of common custom, “lending.” (One was required to pledge some collateral when given a “loan,” and most often, it was their most valuable possession—their cloak. Since it also served as blanket, bed, raincoat and so on, it was given to the lender during the day, and returned to the borrower at night.) Rather than advocating “lending,” Jesus says “to give” to the one who begs, and exact no pledge (as was permitted by law for centuries.) Non-affiliation, and even hatred of those outside one’s own community, was also the norm, in Jesus’ time, but He extended the narrow concept of neighbor to include even one’s enemies. In times where even persecution of a person’s family was also common, Jesus urged His followers to consider enemies, also, as “neighbors,” and give generously to them, regardless of “tribal or familial allegiance” (First Reading,) as evidence of their higher fealty to God. A Better Way When Jesus said, “Offer the wicked man no resistance,” He was not telling us to be passive in the face of physical danger or abuse. We are not allowed to have hatred in our hearts for anything, not even our enemies. Hatred is a very dangerous emotion. It must be handled with great respect, and kept for a cause such as intolerance or injustice, not for any individual. This was the key to success for Nelson Mandela. Mandela spent more than 27 years in South African prisons. When he was finally released, he had every reason to feel bitter, and to come out vowing to get revenge on those who unjustly deprived him of his freedom. Instead, he emerged smiling, and sought reconciliation with the leaders of the regime that had put him in prison. In doing so, he became the cornerstone of a new South Africa. In his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, (1994,) he wrote: “I knew people expected me to harbor anger against whites. But I had none. In prison, my anger decreased but my hatred for the system grew. I wanted South Africa to see that I loved even my enemies, while I hated the system that turned us against one another. I saw my mission as one of preaching reconciliation, of healing the old wounds, and building a new South Africa.” When we hate we expend far more energy than in any other emotion. We must save our strength or better things Hate drives out everything else, and corrodes and warps the soul. Hatred poisons the heart, whereas, love purifies it. We are called to love our enemies, not for their sake, but for ours…because love is more beautiful than hate. The greatest gift we possess is the gift of love. There is one that can utterly destroy love—hatred. Hatred can destroy any of us—it is all-consuming. It creates a legacy of bitterness, hostility and resentment. Christ’s way is better—it is not a soft way, but a hard one—and it calls for great strength and toughness. The person who is truly non-violent, who is incapable of violence, is a person who is fearless. G. K. Chesterton once wrote, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found hard and left untried.” More than any other, the exhortation to love one’s enemies has been left untried…. When Jesus talked about “the enemy,” He did not necessarily refer to something as an enemy in war. He was talking about someone who is close to us—someone in our family, our community, our neighborhood or work-place—who makes life difficult for us—people whom we seek to avoid “at all costs,” whom we find “hard to forgive,” and who awaken in us feelings of unease, fear and anger, which can easily turn into hatred. An enemy can arouse hatred in us. When we discover our capacity to hate and harm, it is very humbling. At the same time, this can be a good thing, as it puts us “in touch” with our own poverty. Then, we discover, perhaps, that the enemy is not outside us, but inside us…. The problem is not with the other person, but in ourselves. It is only when we recognize and look at the world of shadows, the chaos within us, that we can begin to travel towards freedom. Only the truth can set us free…. Love Our Enemies? This is one of the most revolutionary things ever suggested. All revolutionaries in history have preached that enemies must be destroyed! Most of us find it difficult to love our friends, let alone our enemies. Enemies may be those who have done something evil to us, but oftentimes, they simply bring out the worst in us. Enemies expose a side of us we usually manage to keep hidden from our friends—a dark side we wish they didn’t know about us. Then, when ugly things stir inside us, we resent whoever is the cause…they become an enemy. We should remember that to love one’s enemies, first of all, doesn’t mean to do them “good.” Rather it means to allow them to be “different,” to be “themselves,” and not try to turn them into copies of ourselves, in order that we may love them. We are not expected to “feel love” for an enemy. Love is not a feeling, but an act of will. We can decide to love someone even though we don’t have “feelings of love” for that person. But, to love an enemy goes against our basic human nature. Only with God’s help can we expect to love in the way Christ asks of us. Our enemies are typically not those who hate us, but those whom we hate. Jesus recommended, “Love your enemy,” as a radical rejection of violence. Returning love or hate is one of the most difficult things we can do. It’s a very high ideal, and a very difficult one, but one that makes sense. As Christians, we are on the side of non-violence. However, this is not an option for weakness and passivity. Opting for non-violence means to believe more strongly in the power of truth, justice and love than in the power of war, weapons and hatred. We must try to respond to the worst with our best. May God Richly Bless You! Blessed Be The Lord.docx

February 12th, 2023 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time "I have come to fulfill the Law" A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “God’s Law is Freedom” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Sirach 15:15-20) Freedom to choose entails freedom to be responsible and freedom to be culpable as well. Written ca. 190 B.C., Sirach is one of the books disputed by the Protestants as non-canonical (apocryphal.) Earlier called Ecclesiasticus, Catholics, however, regard it as valid, and even a witty commentary on the world and its people. It treats the issue of the freedom of will to choose between right and wrong. Sirach’s work places the responsibility for evil in the world on human shoulders and exonerated God from all blame. As the author of Genesis saw the problem of evil in the world and sought to explain its oration so Sirach faced the problem of that existing evil and sought a solution for it in the proper use of free will. ~~~ (1 Corinthians 2:6-10) The Christian who finds wisdom in Christ crucified has to accept that he may regarded as a fool. †Paul relegates true wisdom, the only wisdom of any true value, to its origin with God, and located in the cross of Jesus Christ—a place of glory. Corinthians, by not accepting the cross and its wisdom, showed their immaturity. †Paul chided them with familiar terminology, talking about spiritual maturity (Gr: teleios,) as being possessors of a certain, “special” wisdom, stemming from the Greek background of mystery cults and gnostic tendencies. He likened this attitude as similar to “rulers of this age,” earthly agents of powers of evil. †Paul’s reference to the phrase, “eye has not seen…,” underscores his assertions that human wisdom cannot, of itself, achieve that which God, through the Holy Spirit, freely reveals to the faithful lovers of the Cross of Jesus. ~~~ (Matthew 5:17-37) Jesus believed in our infinite capacity for God’s grace and in our potential for goodness. Jesus’ statement, “I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them,” set into motion a series of challenges and demands, which were to lead His disciples far beyond even the perfect (outward) observance of the Law. His interpretation of the Law called for a far greater righteousness than the Pharisees’ adherence to the 613 Laws of Moses—in fact, suggesting their imperfection and incompleteness. For example, the prohibition of murder, (Exodus 20:15,) is enlarged to also forbid anger. In the event that one did not become angry and use abusive language, the responsibility for reconciliation is still imposed on both parties—who are each required to make reconciliation before any participation in worship. Jesus emphasizes, as did the prophets, the interdependence of brotherly love and true worship. Deeper Virtue One might think, “Virtue is virtue….” But consider: there is a shallow, inauthentic virtue—when one’s motive is not pure—an unworthy motive that can spoil even the best deed. Virtue is shallow when it lacks personal conviction, and is practiced merely out of convention, conformity, or routine. Virtue is inauthentic when the person is not sincere. But then, there is the genuine article—deep, true, authentic virtue. It’s not a “skin-deep” thing, but an expression of what one is, inside—a revelation of the heart. Sin and virtue, “badness and goodness,” are essentially matters of the heart. From this perspective, a Christian should assess them. Corruption of the heart is the word kind of “badness”—said to be “bad to the core.” “Goodness of heart,” is the best kind—being “good to the core.” We must not be content to look at only the surface of our lives—our words and deeds. We must also have the courage to search our hearts—to look “inside,” at our thoughts, intentions, attitudes and desires. This means when we consider our sins, we must consider the sins of the heart: resentments, jealousies, angers, hatreds and lusts. These may be our worst sins, and the root cause of our external sins. If allowed to go unchecked, them may lead, as Jesus says, to murder, sexual sins and infidelity. From a spiritual point of view, saying a person has a “cold heart,” or a “hard heart,” may be one of the worst characterizations, ever. Cold-hearted people are unable to show kindness, understanding or sympathy. Hard-hearted people may be even worse, still—unable to show pity, mercy or forgiveness. For all their piety, the Pharisees of Jesus’ day were both cold-hearted and hard-hearted. How could such people be virtuous? Describing a person as “warm-hearted,” or “soft-hearted,” immediately evokes one who is innately capable of kindness, goodness, tenderness, pity, compassion and mercy. These are virtues “of the heart.” Without them, we cannot consider ourselves truly human, never mind a truly religious or virtuous person. In the final analysis, it is the condition of our heart that truly matters. This will describe what we are like “deep down”—what we think of as “the real me.” The state of our heart is how we truly live. Goodness of heart is the goal to which we all should strive. When we do, our good deeds will flow from what we truly are, as naturally as good fruit comes from a good tree. They will be true, and genuine. Jesus and the Law Jesus found no fault with the law, itself, but with the way it was interpreted and applied by the religious leaders of His day. For them, the letter of the law was all that mattered. For Jesus, the spirit of the law was more important—not how many commandments obeyed, but the manner in which we obey them. Jesus saw the Pharisees approach as mere minimalism. He also saw their obedience to the law was rooted in fear. He wanted us to view the New Law from a perspective of love. When you love someone, you avoid doing anything to hurt them. Where there is love, there is really no need of law…. In fact, free observance of the law can be seen as true freedom. That is the intention I held when in selecting my episcopal motto—seen at the bottom of the crest, seen in the Masthead of this letter: “God’s Law is Freedom.” Freely acceding to a standard by which we measure our lives, we become free from any tyranny of retribution that formerly was a hindrance to our happiness. We can be free from “concern,” knowing that we are living righteously. Far from contradicting or abolishing the Old Law, Jesus’ New Law goes beyond it, and brings it to perfection. In summarizing all of God’s laws, then, we have only two: Love of God, and Love of Neighbor. In truth, then there is only one law…the Law of Love. May God Richly Bless You! To Know Thee.docx Bishop †Michael's Diocesan/Episcopal Crest

February 5th, 2023 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Our Christian Identity” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Isaiah 58: 7-10) Fasting “from-,” renders us “for-” doing, giving and being present for others. In concept and in practice, Hebrew spirituality is highly positive and altruistic. Isaiah speaks to us today about the triple dimension of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. True prayer gains energy from fasting, which frees the spirit; thus, making one more sensitive to God’s ways as well as the needs of others—as expressed in sharing one’s bread, shelter and clothing. Genuine worship of God is shown forth in the practice of justice and in concern for the poor and the needy. ~~~ (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) Temptation to “want” to appear wise, often springs from foolishness. Ours is a faith that bids us discover God’s ways and wisdom. †Paul adopted a more simple and direct manner of preaching to the Corinthians, after his apparent failure with the Athenians (Acts 17.) His “hard line” of the Cross dominated his ministry but was seen as all but foolish to the Greeks, who devoted their studies to the search for wisdom. †Paul realized that the “wisdom” of Jesus Christ, Crucified and Risen from the Dead, could not be achieved by augmentation or any amount of mental reasoning. Rather, the Spirit, by Whose power †Paul preached, would enable his hearers to come to the faith. The success of the Gospel doesn’t depend on human cleverness, but on the power of God. ~~~ (Matthew 5: 11-13) Christ’s followers will fall prey to the inevitable persecutions and hardships that lead to happiness of the Kingdom. “Salt of the earth” has always been a complimentary statement. A precious commodity in the ancient world, salt was at one time meted out for pay, giving us the word “salary.” Used to preserve food, and giving it a more pleasing taste, it was also given to newborn babies for medicinal purposes. Covenants of friendship were sealed by “taking salt” together. By Jesus' words, “You are the salt of the earth…the light of the world,” He indicated His disciples would be persecuted the same way as were the prophets of old, and by their work and words, give value to the earth. His Kingdom was prophetically resent, begun, yet not fully realized. Thus by their good works, His disciples would convey to all peoples the same values as was the “salt” of their normal life. In the same way, failure to believe, and live a life worthy of their calling would make them “tasteless” and useless. Let Your Light Shine People take notice of good deeds. They don’t have to be “spectacular,” but only simple, and effective to give witness to the “the light.” A good life is a strong and effective witness, and in itself, is a proclamation of the Gospel. “The light will shine” when one is a genuine person, who tells the truth and is fair in all their dealings. As Christians, we have a very positive role to play in the world—something to offer, something the world desperately needs—even though it may not always welcome it. We should not shy away or be apologetic for our role. A certain boldness and courage is required. This task is not simply for the individual Christian, but also the whole community. It is easier—and more effective—to witness to Christ as a member of a supportive community. Christ asked His followers to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. That doesn’t mean we must suddenly leave our jobs, rush out and get involved in a whirlwind of good works. It means that we are tasked with practicing our Christianity, not just in Church, but out in the world; in whatever situation we happen to find ourselves. All the more so, if, by reason of our position, we happen to situated on some “hilltop,” where we can be easily seen, when people look for “the light.” No matter in what profession we find ourselves, we know what is expected of us. Each of us must examine our own function in the world and ask how we can best practice our faith—how we can be “salt” and “light” for those to whom we minister, and during the everyday situations that occur. There is a tendency to take critical matters seriously and neglect trivial ones. This is when corruption is more likely to begin. There is only one remedy: set aside the time for important matters, and also tend to those with less initial effect, but often times, with long-reaching consequences. There is a tendency to think we are “good” because we are not conscious of doing any great evil. But what about those things we fail to do? Alexander Solzhenitsyn recalls, a he says, “with shame,” an incident he witnessed at his front door, while serving a captain in the Russian army: “One day, I saw a sergeant of the secret police, on horseback, using a whip on a German soldier, from a captured unit. Naked from the waist up, he staggered under the blows, his body covered in blood. Suddenly, he saw me, and cried out, ‘Mister Captain, save me!’ “Any officer in any army in the world should have put a stop to this torture, but I was a coward. I said nothing and I did nothing. This picture has remained in my mind, ever since.” He could have “brought light” into that dark situation, but he didn’t. “Be not simply good,” says Thoreau, “Be good for something. The Gospel is mainly about goodness. But goodness can’t be a “put-on” thing. They must be an expression of the kind of person I am. Clinging to the authenticity of the moment will result in lives lived as the best witnesses for Christianity. Another story, about a biblical scholar, goes to this point. Known for his great piety, as well as his diligent study of Scripture, he spent many hours of the day diligently studying, praying and meditating. One day, a holy man visited his town, and upon hearing of it, the scholar went to see him. He asked at the Church, but didn’t find him there. He wasn’t found at a local shrine, either. Eventually, the man was located in the marketplace. When they met, he told the holy man who he was, and of his daily study, prayer and meditation. Then he asked, “Please give me your advice on how I might grow in the service of God.” The holy man’s advice was simple and direct. Looking at him, intently, he told him, “It’s easy to be a sage or saint in your own room. But you should get out into the marketplace, and try to be a saint there.” We don’t know if the scholar had the courage to act on that advice, but it is the kind Christ, Himself, would have given. In fact, this is exactly He meant by our being the “salt,” and the “light.” No one puts a lamp under a tub, but puts it on a lamp-stand to shine for everyone. In the same way, our own “light” must shine in the sight of people, so that when they see our good works, they may give praise to our Father, in heaven. May God Richly Bless You! Let Your Light So Shine.docx

January 29th, 2023 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Sermon on the Mount A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Humility” Reflections on Today’s Scripture In our Readings today, it is not starvation and misery (evil things) that are blessed, but rather, a reliance on God. Those who know their need for God and live life as He would have them live, are truly blessed. Indeed, they are the most fortunate people in the world! Only God can fill the emptiness and the hunger of our hearts. Those who put their trust in humans will be disappointed, whereas, putting trust in God will bring satisfaction. God is the Champion of the poor, the weak and the lowly, who practice integrity and humility. (Zephaniah 2:3-3:12-13) In the Scriptures, survival is measured by one’s total dependence on God. Zephaniah was a minor prophet, only once cited in the New Testament (Matthew 13:41.) But his contribution was quite substantial. Active in the 7th Century B.C., He urged his fellow Judahites to learn from Israel’s downfall to Assyria, 100 years earlier, and recognize those circumstances were also rampant in Judah. Aberrations in morality, religious pride, lack of faith in Yahweh’s power to save and the false sense of security brought about by prosperity were just some of the abuses he saw. Only those who would take refuge in the Lord would survive the coming wrath. The “poor ones,” or the humble of the earth, are the “remnant” from which the new Israel would grow. ~~~ (1 Corinthians1:26-31) To understand /God’s ways and Wisdom, we must often reach int the realms of the incredible and the impractical. †Paul had a difficult time convincing the Corinthians of the value of poverty of spirit, and meekness. Their pretentiousness was wholly self-centered, and they regarded salvation as “pulling oneself up by the bootstraps,” rather than as the gratuitous gift of a loving God. Within this atmosphere of self-sufficiency, †Paul preached the all-sufficient Christ, wisdom of God—in whom alone is salvation and justice. In the last verse of today’s Second Reading, †Paul echoes Jeremiah (9:23-24:) “If anyone wants to boast, let him boast of this—understanding and knowing me”—and that everything came from the Lord, and depends upon Him and His wondrous goodness. ~~~ (Matthew 5: 1-12) We cannot take “by storm” a kingdom that grows only in the hearts of the poor and humble. They will fall prey to inevitable persecutions and hardships, but they will lead to happiness in the Kingdom. †Matthew gives us the account of “the Beatitudes,” as the “bill of rights” of the new Israel. They not only delineate membership in the Kingdom, but they also describe the ethic, whereby such membership can be obtained. The first four groups pertain to the unfortunate ones, humble and lowly of earth, without influence. The second four groups actively seek to affect goodness and justice on the earth. In his Gospel, the “poor” are those who find their home in Christ’s Word, and their treasure in His Kingdom, irrespective of economic status. Unlike †Luke, who puts the setting on a plain, †Matthew places Jesus on a mountain, portraying Him as the New Moses, giver of a “New Law.” The Beatitudes The Sermon on the Mount (†Matthew’s version) contains the essence of Christ’s teaching. They list the qualities He wishes to see in His followers, and were exemplified in His own life. A mere glance shows they are a complete reversal of conventional standards and values: Blessed are the poor in spirit…. Christ tells us we should be happy if we know our need for God, and put our trust in Him, rather than material things. Striving for worldly success and riches may make us the envy of all, but if that fails us, our lives will be empty. It’s not how much monetary success you have, but how rich you are “in God’s eyes” that matters. Blessed are they who mourn…. Christ says true happiness comes from gentility and kindness, and refusing to “trample” on others for your own welfare. These virtues are not signs of weakness, but of strength. There are many vital tasks which only gentleness can accomplish. The world, meanwhile, urges ruthlessness and toughness, causing people to fear you to achieve results. Blessed are the meek…. Christ tell us the most valuable things in life have to be bought with pain and sacrifice. We mustn’t confuse real happiness with cheap and passing thrills. Even though we may “sow” in sorrow, we will “reap” in joy. The world, however, lives by the adage, “live for now,” and strive to keep yourself “high” on one thing or another. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst…. Christ urges us to maintain values and standards, and prepare to live up to them. Worldly hunger for power, status and fame may keep us in “the limelight,” but solid values will strengthen us against temptation. Blessed are the merciful…. Christ tells us we must make allowances for the sins of others, and show mercy and forgiveness to those who make mistakes. Greatness lies in the ability to forgive. The world would have us believe we must “crush” our opponents, without mercy. It may make us seem like “the boss” to others, but it’s a shallow victory, long-term. Blessed are the clean of heart…. Christ teaches us to have clean hearts. It is from the heart that all our thoughts, words and deeds flow. So, if our hearts are clean, so also will be all that flows from it. The world is consumed with the need for clean “skin and teeth,” and the latest clothes. These may make us stand out among others, but again, they are shallow pursuits. Blessed are the persecuted…. Christ shows us value in making peace, spreading understanding among people. Those who welcome strangers and work for a just society are true children of God. Achieving worldly notoriety by sensational exploits may get us headlines, but simply being “outstanding” may not benefit others. Blessed are you when you are insulted…. Christ urges us to stand for “what is right,” and to bear honorable wounds. These are the marks of a true disciple. We should strive to gain honor on earth and glory in heaven. Worldly attempts to skirt the law and avoid penalties may temporarily enrich us, but will bring us no honor. The Beatitudes are our “badges” as disciples of Christ, making us rich in the sight of God. They mark us as children of God. They open our minds to a new way of “seeing and judging,” and give us a new set of bearings. The principles they represent are very beautiful—very precious. Living by their precepts is a life already enjoying the Kingdom of Heaven. Eternal life will merely be the “full blossoming” of a plant that is green with life. May God Richly Bless You! Blessed Is He.docx

January 22nd, 2023 3rd Sunday in Ordinary ‘Time A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Discipleship” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Isaiah 8: 23-9:3 Greater joy comes after sadness, and a deeper appreciation of God is found in His “absence.” He taught the lessons of freedom through slavery’s chains and let His people discover light through the lessons of darkness. As naturally occurring phenomena, light and darkness, as well as harvest and famine, have readily lent themselves to Scriptural authors as symbols for goodness and evil, life and death, salvation and punishment, etc. The role of the Messiah was to bring “a great light” to the people, who “walked in the darkness” of sin. As such, this prefigures Jesus’ ministry in the world. ~~~ (1 Corinthians1:10-17) Those who bring the Good News to others must be faithful and worthy of it. Jesus drew” people into a community of believers who heard a consistent “message,” in preference to those who became enamored of one or another of the “messengers.” †Paul had total conversion as the goal for his ministry. When met with resistance, he presented the Good News of salvation more fervently, hoping to gather those who were resistant. Directly confronting each factional group he encountered, †Paul reminded Christians of their basic unity was to be found in Christ, rather than any particular minister. ~~~ (Matthew 4: 12-23) To preach the most eloquent news the world would ever know, Jesus chose simple Galilean fishermen. From this group, He began His Church, who, in turn, were called to discover the hidden values in the world’s “least likely.” †Matthew shaped his Gospel with the intention of proclaiming Jesus as the fulfillment of all Israel’s centuries-old expectations. Using a series of “fulfillment-quotations,” drawn from the Hebrew Scriptures, he provided us with a clue to the origin and purpose of Jesus’ work, and proved He was the Messiah. Today, we hear how our Blessed Lord met people within the context of their daily lives, and called them to be heralds of His message of salvation (disciples,) to the world. Similarly, He comes to us, as we are, and summons our assistance in this holy task. The Arrival of the Light History is littered with examples of people who brought darkness into the world through their teachings. Jesus’ teaching was, in contrast, truly a source of light to all who accepted Him. He showed the light of forgiveness and reconciliation when He said: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” He rejected the darkness of neglect and indifference, urging people to care for one another in His parable of the Good Samaritan. The sick and wounded were rescued from their pain and illness and brought into the light of wellbeing. He rejected the darkness of domination and oppression, and urged those in positions of leadership not to lord it over people, but to serve them with gentleness and humility, in His teaching on authority. Outcasts of society, suffering the darkness of rejection came into the acceptance of the community. But, above all, it was through His deeds and encounters with people that He manifested His luminous goodness. Those who came to Him in the “darkness” of sin went away bathed in the “light” of God’s grace and love. Zacchaeus was clutched from greed and selfishness; Martha and Mary were brought out of their grief; and the Good Thief was called from hopelessness into the light of heaven. By rising from the dead, Christ scattered the darkness of the grave, and promised those who follow Him they will never walk in darkness, but always have the light of life. But not everyone has welcomed Jesus’ light. Sadly, some still refuse it, and remain mired in sin. His call for repentance reminds us to acknowledge our emptiness and welcome Him to light our lives. By living in His bright light, we become a source of light to others—disciples who bring a lamp for their steps and a light for their paths. Continual Need for Salvation Each of us has a “place” in our lives where we keep old hurts, hates, painful memories and fears locked away—our “messy basement,” or “unkempt attic,” if you will. Even the “tidiest” home has its “junk drawers,” in which we place miscellaneous tidbits of our lives. We don’t often talk about these areas, but instead, cover them and hide them away. Yet, our “dark areas” are those that have the most need of light, and would benefit most from it. By extension, society has dark areas of fear, pain, illness, sin, guilt, loneliness, and so on, that it pretends not to notice. One has only to consider the myriad homeless people living in our cities for a blatant example. By introspection, however, we can assume our individual psyches are cluttered with such blights—"unwanted baggage,” to use common parlance. Sometimes, it prevents us from becoming totally fulfilled human beings. Occasionally, people are so encumbered by their hidden-away regrets and failings, they cannot function in the world. It’s not difficult to understand how such conditions often spawn loneliness and despair. That is why even the most “complete” people among us are “in need” of the salvation brought by the Light of Christ. No matter how high one has risen in the hierarchy of human development (re: Maslow,) still, there remains the need for further refinement. One of the guiding principles of Buddhism is that one can never attain “perfection.” To guard against the anomie of such futility, Buddha reminds his followers that the reward is the continual pursuit. Similarly, for Christian disciples, we never lose the forgiveness of God due to our frailty as human beings. His love for us is unconditional. The only requirement that pervades our entire lives is that we recognize our need for His sanctifying grace, and constantly struggle to become more perfect individuals. We must incorporate our beliefs into our daily routine, and share them with others—if not overtly, by example. This too, is discipleship. We become a beacon of truth to those who will look to us for confirmation. Not everyone is endowed with the personality to preach, or reiterate memorized Scripture verses, but our very lives can stand as witness. Though completion of the task may be beyond our mortal abilities, we are reminded to be aware of our insufficiencies and continually strive to do better. It is for this very reason the Church fathers provided us the opportunity, at the beginning of every Holy Mass celebration, to receive General Absolution of our sins. Focusing on our lowly status is not meant to humiliate us, but to give us perspective, and be illuminated with the light of Jesus. May God Richly Bless You! Give Me the Wings of Faith.docx

January 15th, 2023 2nd Sunday in Ordinary ‘Time A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Getting to Know Jesus” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Isaiah 49: 3-6) The Mission of the Lord’s servant— responsibility for bringing light and light to the nations—has been delegated to all who call themselves followers of Jesus. Isaiah’s "Servant Song" was intended to bring hope to those Israelites exiled to Babylon, and think of themselves as a “servant” nation. Early Christians looked to the Old Testament to find these texts with which they substantiated their faith in Jesus. Jesus extended Salvation to the ends of the earth by His sacrifice on the Cross. ~~~ (1 Corinthians1:1-3) Survivors of darkness and sin are called to celebrate their blessings in Christ. †Paul reminds the Christians at Corinth, and indeed, all Christians, that we have a personal relationship with Christ, so intimate and so all encompassing, as to empower us to become like Christ. His saving gifts of grace, pace, joy and reconciliation are to be valued as blessings from the Father, bestowed on us because of, and in Christ. ~~~ (John 1:29-34) Christianity is in a continual process of survival and celebration. Those who recognize the salvation affected by Jesus are graced with His victory and light. †John’s Gospel bears witness to the higher Christology of the late first century Church, and has made the Baptizer enunciate His several Messianic titles: “Lamb of God,” “God’s chosen One,” and “He is to be baptize with the Holy Spirit.” Thus his work is seen as preparation for, rather than salvation by the Messiah. Jesus offered the world a sacrament where those who believed entered with Him into death and emerged with Him, victorious over sin, to live forever. Recognizing Jesus At the outset of †John’s Gospel, we find Jesus having appeared upon the public “stage.” †John the Baptist identifies Him as “God’s chosen One,” a role He did not take upon Himself. He was called by God and sent by God, and once the call came, He made a total gift of Himself to it. From that time on, He sought not His own honor, but the honor of His Father, seeing not “to BE served, but to serve all mankind. Through our Baptism, we are all called to be disciples of Jesus. This is not only a great honor, but a great privilege, as well. We must always remember it is a call to service. We need the Holy Spirit to touch our hearts, in order not to make ourselves the center of our world. We must put our gifts at the service of others, not just of ourselves. In our society, being chosen always implies that others are not chosen. This is not true for God. God chose His Son, and His disciples to reveal to us that we too, are chosen. In the Kingdom of God there is no room for competition or rivalry. In the Kingdom, each person is precious and unique. Taking Away Our Sins Jesus takes away our sins, in the sense that through Him, we have forgiveness for them, and so are able to put them behind us. When we are forgiven, a very real load, a great burden, is lifted from us, and we are able to go forward, freely and joyfully. But we also must accept responsibility for our sins. And, even when we are forgiven, everything doesn’t magically come right for us. We don’t suddenly become new people. Our old weaknesses, habits and compulsions are still with us, meaning we still have to struggle. Sin is not an “object” that can be removed from us. Rather, it is a “condition,” one of blindness and woundedness, in which we all find ourselves damaged and broken. Truly, we are a sinful people. Yet, our sinfulness is not the same as our sins. The first is the disease, whereas, the second, is the symptom. We live in a “condition of sin,” from which we need redemption. That is why Jesus came, redeemed us, and enabled us to live a new life. Jesus compels sinners to change their way of life not by condemning them and keeping His distance from them, but by becoming their true friend. He puts us in touch with that core of goodness that exists in all of us. Through His own luminous goodness, he evokes goodness in us. If we wish to overcome sin, evil must be subdued by goodness. This is why the Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation) is so powerful. In it, we can experience Jesus’ love for us…in our sins. Rather than an impersonal ridding of sins, it is an encounter with Jesus, our Savior, Who calls us away from sin, to life’s goodness. When we find it, in ourselves, we more readily will find it in others, too. We must keep in mind that the whole human family is damaged because of sin, thus, there exists social sin and social redemption. Jesus came to bring us back into a relationship with God and with one another. Victory over sin comes about as a lifelong struggle. We must resist despairing when we discover how little progress we make along the way. What is important is the struggle for goodness. The purpose of life is not to win the battle, but to wage it, unceasingly. May God Richly Bless You! Come, Holy Spirit, Still My Heart.docx

January 1st, 2023 Feast of the Holy Family The Holy Family’s flight to Egypt A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Family Life” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Sirach 3:2-14) Familial bonds are the first relationships to be experienced and those that bear the most influence in human development. To be a parent—to love a child—is to share in the divine activity that resulted in the Incarnation of Our Blessed Lord. Today's First Reading offers a practical application of commentary on family life, focusing on the Fourth Commandment: “Honor thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12.) The care for one’s parents was considered a sacred duty, the breach of which was regarded as a breach of the Covenant, itself. Jesus ben Sirach cited the traditional blessings of long life and riches as rewards for faithful offspring; and honoring one’s parents as an external activity born of an interior conviction. He saw the love of parents as an activity developed from a sensitive awareness to wrongdoing, and as such, would atone for sin. ~~~ (Colossians 3:1-21) For the Christian, the love learned within the family is extended and deepened through mutual care for the entire human community. Through Baptism, believers enter into the extended family of the Church that comprises all the people of God. †Paul labored to lay the foundations for a new center of Christianity in every community he visited around the Mediterranean, and tried to foster an atmosphere of familial care and concern. In this letter he confronts the mistaken belief that earthly control stems from “angelic beings,” and reasserts that Christ, alone, possesses the very fullness of God and did not dilute his sufficiency with need for angel intermediaries. Secondly, he addressed the tendency to adhere to Mosaic dietary laws, and stressed the Christian’s prudently-expressed “free-will,” as superior to blind-adherence to traditional Jewish tenets. Above all, we are to “put on love,” and be called to thankfulness. ~~~ (Matthew 2:13-23) Family love is brought to its fulfillment in the Sonship that Jesus shares with everyone who believes. The child who is nurtured and protected with loving care will learn of the goodness and generosity of God through that experience. Many parents keep an account of their children’s growth and development in a “baby-book,” documented with loving care and often illustrated with pictures. In †Matthew’s Gospel, we understand Jesus’ early development through the “lens” of Israel’s history. His escape to Egypt, with †Joseph and †Mary; the massacre of the “firstborn” by Herod; and the subsequent return to Nazareth are each chronicled as fulfillment of myriad prophetic citations from Scripture. As the “New Moses,” Jesus became the legislator of a new covenant between Israel and God—skillfully woven together as a symbiotic representation of Jesus’ early days. Like Jesus, Moses, was also threatened by a jealous tyrant (Pharaoh,) and his early life affected by astrologers and a miraculous escape. The Role of the Family If you plant a tree in an exposed place, it becomes very vulnerable—at the mercy of every wind that blows. If it survives at all, it will become twisted and shunted—a poor specimen of what it could have been. If you want a tree to grow to its fullest potential, you must plant it in a more sheltered place, with other trees around it. It is of vital importance, too, to be sure there is sufficient space between those trees. They must be close enough to receive shelter from each other, but not so close their development will be stifled. Each one needs adequate room to grow. It's not good for a tree to be “alone.” Nor is it good for any of us to be alone. For wholeness and good mental health, each of us needs the love and friendship of other humans. Our Creator did not make us to be isolated, or complete, within ourselves. We were made to be in a “community”—other people—in order to realize our fullest potential. This is where the concept of “family” is realized. Trees, planted in the form of a little “grove” is a good example of an “ideal family.” The space between them provides enough “closeness,” “intimacy” and “warmth” for satisfactory support, while allowing room to grow. This also minimizes dominance. We learn to form vitally important relationships with others in the family. Inability to relate to others has been shown to be a great handicap and sometimes promotes overwhelming sadness in adult life. Without close affiliations with one another, we are at the mercy of the “cold winds” of anguish and loneliness. Our family communities foster our ability to bond with others—to “make room” for others in our lives. Therein, we learn to share with one another; and become responsible for and to one another. The word “we,” is first learned in the family setting, without which, there would be no community, no sharing, no togetherness…. Of course, being so close also involves “risk.” While we learn how to help and heal one another, we also can learn to hinder and hurt. Sometimes, people keep their “best behavior” for outside the home, and their worst, inside it—becoming “angels” or “devils,” depending on the surroundings. (Conversely, one interesting observation: The difficulty some parents have with their children misbehaving in public, may suggest they have never taught them how to behave at home, either….) Harmony in the family can be achieved only by the practice of the virtues, about which †Paul preached: kindness; humility; gentleness; patience; mutual forgiveness; and above all, love (from today’s Second Reading.) These virtues build and foster community, but they are not easy to practice with consistency. We see the family under great pressure throughout society, today. It is not that people no longer value the family, but it is that we are not prepared for the disciplines that make it work. Families are built on bonds of commitment, fidelity and self-sacrifice. It was due to His life spent in a small community of love with †Mary and †Joseph that the Child, Jesus, was able to “grow in wisdom and favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52.) In our little community of the family, we have “a place;” we have “bonds;” we have “identity;” and we have “roots.” Even if a family knows hardship, this is not necessarily a bad thing: hardships can be a grace. Like trees that grow on hard ground and have firmer roots, such difficulties serve to better equip us to meet the inevitable “storms” of life. Parents and Children The primary obligation of parents is to love their children. From this, flows the obligation of children to obey their parents. This interdependence of roles must develop if people are to become upstanding members of society, with regard for one another…and the law. Having never learned this, criminals are wont to flaunt their disregard of each other and become burdens upon the world. Another outcropping of such deficiency is the neglect we see as regards the elderly and the homeless. Such people are “pushed to the margins” of our culture, and tend to become forgotten. There is a saying, “One mother can care for ten children, but ten children can’t take care of one mother.” Under God, we own everything to our parents. Jesus ben Sirach, (the author of our First Reading today,) asserts that kindness to parents is especially pleasing to God, Who even accepts it as atonement for our sins. This can apply, as well, to the homeless. They are increasingly becoming a major burden in cities and towns across the globe. For many, their conditions result from “poor choices” they have made. For others, “poor mental health” is the predominant factor. Still others, having been disappointed by mainstream society, have become disenfranchised, and have yielded to a gripping despair. If we are to serve each other to the best of our abilities, according to Jesus’ “Great Commandment,” it stands that we have an obligation to those with the greatest needs. It can be as simple as donating from our surplus to organizations whose focus is the downtrodden, or it may be expressed as a direct, communal outreach from our congregations. But in any event, if we firmly believe ourselves to be united within the Mystical Body of Christ, our efforts to include the marginalized of our world should be of paramount importance. In every context, then, the Holy Family serves as our model. In no circumstance do greater difficulties present themselves than in reaching out to people who seem to be “beyond help.” Nevertheless, it’s our first and holiest duty to offer kindness to others. God is served even when we offer a cup of water in His name…. May God Richly Bless You! Canticle of Fellowship.docx There is no recording of Holy Mass for today. We are "at sea," traveling to Hawaii.

December 25th, 2022 Christmas Christmas Day, 2019, at Valle Escondido, Boquete, Panama A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “God’s Caring Outreach” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Isaiah 52:7-10) Jesus Christ is “Good News,” and “Salvation” to all the nations. That which is proclaimed from the pulpit must resound more loudly and more joyfully in the marketplace. Our First Reading envisages the joy and hope of the people upon hearing of their release form exile and their imminent homecoming—with their hope attaining a “Phoenix-like” quality. In the events of history, the prophets readied their people for the creative, redeeming, purifying, loving and blessing Word of God. Today, we celebrate the “Christ-event”—the full realization of the ancient prophecies, for an exiled nation and for everyone. ~~~ (Hebrews 1:1-6) Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, is Father, Brother and Lord—the “message of glory” we celebrate. No longer “through a glass—darkly,” but in the light of Christ, do we behold the fullness of the Father’s love for us. Addressing the Hebrews in sort of a “before-and-after,” or a “then-and-now” comparison, the author of Hebrews enunciated the differences between the revelation of the Old and New Covenants. Today’s image is one of Christ’s divinity and equality with God. Besides asserting Christ’s superiority to the prophets and Old Testament revelation, Hebrews also underscores the Lord’s predominance over the angels, as “refulgence,” or “reflection” of the Father; and as the “exact representation” of the Father’s being. Christ is placed on par with Wisdom—formerly regarded as “sharing with God,” in both a cosmic role, and as one applied to the study of salvation. ~~~ (John 1:1-18) “Eternity enfleshed in time” is the gift of grace we call Immanuel—“God-with-us.” In the Word, God speaks the language of our flesh and blood—in the pulsing of our needs and aspirations and also in the shadows of our sinful, darker side. Before the Liturgical changes of Vatican II, today’s Gospel text was proclaimed at the end of every Holy Mass, thereby earning for itself the misnomer, “the Last Gospel.” Even though now discontinued in the new Liturgy, it did serve the purpose of climaxing every celebration with the compelling and beautiful truth of the Incarnation. Therein, Jesus is presented to us a not only the “bearer” of the Word, but He is also its “content…” the “Word-made flesh”—at once the Son of God…and God—Himself The Incarnation Christmas is all about the Incarnation—meaning God’s Son coming to earth as a human being. In so doing, Jesus conferred upon each person the dignity of becoming a child of God. It is a mystery of love, constituting the very heart of Christian faith. If someone wants to really understand, and be “in touch” with ordinary people, you have to go somewhere where no one recognizes you. You have to see what they see, hear what they hear and live how they live. Understanding it in an “abstract” way, is different than “feeling” it with your whole being. In Jesus, God drew near to us in person. He became one of us. Jesus is the true gift of Christmas. Far from being “at a distance,” as the popular song suggests, Jesus birth portends a life spent “in close quarters” with humanity. God always meets us wherever we are. His taking humanity upon Himself does not mean we have to reject our own humanity in order to know Him. Jesus’ life was meant to show us how to live, in fullness of humanity, uniting the sprit and holiness of heaven with our frail constitutions, at once. Our Blessed Lord simultaneously has become our Brother, our Savior and our Lord. Without Him, we would only have some abstract way to relate to God, and our souls would be empty, as were the countless generations of people, of whom we read in Scripture, anticipating the coming of the Messiah. His life, spent as a human, like us, walking our streets, wearing our shoes, teaching us The Way of God, is precisely what we celebrate at Christmas. The Son of God came to us, not as our judge, but as our Redeemer. As God’s children, we received from Him our dignity. We are not mere creatures, stumbling through existence with nothing more than instinct to guide us, but at one with our Creator, in a manner nothing else could have given us. Archbishop †Fulton Sheen once gave a talk, wherein he likened the Incarnation of Jesus to a person having the intellect and soul of a human, being born into a world solely populated by dogs. Such a man-dog would be unable to relate to his fellow creatures, except as one of them, all the while having the superior nature of a human being within him. Such a dichotomy of being, †Sheen said, was similar to what the divine Son of God faced when He became a Man, living among men on earth. Possessing the full nature of God, Himself, He was left to relate to His fellow humans from the perspective of a simple man. This analogy gives us some inkling what Our Blessed Lord Jesus may have felt as He interacted with people of earth. A realization of this may be what prompted the psalmist to write: “What is man, that You are mindful of him? And the son of man, that You have visited him? For You have made him [merely] lower than the angels, and [yet] have crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8.) In reality, Jesus’ coming to earth so elevated our “status” in the consideration of our Creator is virtually incomprehensible. Christmas—a Feast of the Heart Christmas shows us the heights to which human beings can reach. Setting Himself as the Example, Jesus became our most precious possession, as He was for God. He could have come to us with power and wealth. Indeed, the ancient prophets, and even people through the ages anticipated the Messiah arriving as a conquering King, to rescue them from their sorry lot in life. It helps us understand why so many—then, and still so many today—have not recognized Our Blessed Lord as the Messiah, like we Christians do. If He had come as a mighty King, we would have bowed and worshipped Him, to be sure. We would have felt weak and insignificant, which we surely would have been. His wealth would have made us more readily feel our own poverty in comparison. For some, His presence would have evoked a feeling of envy, and would have done great damage to our hearts. But He didn’t come to us that way. He, Himself came in weakness and poverty, even by the standards of a first century A.D. world. His weakness, though, made us aware of our own power; and His poverty showed us our riches, and gave us a sense of compassion—bringing our hearts to life! Christmas, then, indeed, is a feast of the heart, revealing in a small way what the heart of God is like. It also shows us our own capabilities, as we open our hearts, and begin to live. What makes us human is not so much our ability to think, but our ability to love. To the extent to which we open our hearts to God and to one another, we will experience something of the “great joy” the angels announced to the shepherds so many centuries ago. Joy is the fruit of love…. Joy is an overflowing heart…. May God Richly Bless You! God So Loved the World-Glad.docx There is no recording of Holy Mass for today. We are "at sea," traveling to Hawaii.

December 18th, 2022 Fourth Sunday of Advent A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Faith” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Isaiah 7:10-14) As part of the process of redemption, God promised not merely to “visit,” but to “be with” us. There is no greater evidence of His concern for creation than the Incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ. Isaiah wished king Ahaz to share his confidence in the Lord’s sovereignty over all the events of history. His words in today’s First Reading point to a future Messiah, to be born into the Davidic line; but to his listeners, (ca. 730-710 B.C.,) they were taken to mean a contemporary savior. As Ahaz’s reign did not bring the expected security, but led to the Babylonian Captivity, the people reinterpreted the verses in a future context. ~~~ (Romans 1:1-7) That promise, fulfilled in the Incarnation of Jesus, has forever dispelled the sadness and separation born of sin. Through His Davidic ancestry, Jesus was “royal;” but by virtue of his divine origin, He became Redeemer and Lord. †Paul’s opening verses of the letter to the Romans attempts to acquaint Christians with his vision of the Gospel, and to justify its orthodoxy. The Gospel of Jesus realized the hopes and prophecies of the Old Testament and also gave the Good News of Salvation its universal scope. †Paul’s claim to the title “apostle” was challenged, since he had not personally known the earthly Jesus. He explained to the nations that his service was the full realization of the universal salvation promised to the people from the Son of God in the Psalms. We are gratified that our belief in the Church and the Mystical Body of Christ is reinforced by history. ~~~ (Matthew 1:18-24) All who rejoice in the fact of Jesus as “God with us,” are called to translate their joy into tangible service and concrete acts of love. The “why” of Jesus’ birth is far more important than the “how.” Jesus’ nativity was not the result of purely human evolution, but due to the loving intervention of God in human history. The infancy narratives and the birth announcements are highly theological affirmations of the faith of the early Church. Immediately preceding today’s Gospel Reading, †Matthew traced Jesus’ genealogy, intended to confirm that He truly was a Son of David. His birth announcement was an expression of belief in Him as the Son of God, for the early Church, and for us, as well. †Matthew stresses that Jesus’ Incarnation is a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. “Fear” at Christmas Some people actually fear—perhaps, even, “dread,”—the approach of Christmas! Not that the “holiday” causes it, but the extra work, the “hassle” and the “splurge” of the season puts a strain on overstretched finances, not to mention the interpersonal conflicts which arise during annual family gatherings. Some trepidation stems from painful memories—of a death or tragedy that occurred at this time. For those who have suffered a loss, it may be felt again, at Christmas. Intense feelings of loneliness can result from seeing others surrounded by loved ones, reopening old wounds, that may have begun to heal. Others may be apprehensive of their advancing age, increasing infirmities or a more palpable sense of mortality. But those who fear the approach of Christmas can take heart and hope from the story of the first Christmas—there was plenty of anxiety present then, too. In fact, all the main characters were frightened at one time or another. Consider… …†Mary was afraid, to be sure, on awakening to the greeting from the angel Gabriel: “Do not be afraid, †Mary; for you have won great favor with God” (Luke 1:28-31.) She listened, amazed, as the angel told her she would conceive and bear a Son, and His name would be called Jesus. †Mary trusted God, overcame her fear, and said “Yes” (her “fiat,”) to what He was asking her to do. …†Joseph was afraid when he found †Mary to be pregnant, even though they hadn’t yet lived together as man and wife. (Custom had it that in such cases, a man was entitled to divorce an unfaithful wife, and have her “banished” from society.) But †Joseph also heard an angel say: “Do not be afraid to take †Mary home, as your wife, because she has conceived a son…by the power of the Holy Spirit!” (Matthew 1:20.) †Joseph was a just man and trusted in God, so he overcame his fear, and did what was in †Mary’s best interest. …It’s not surprising to believe that the shepherds were fearful, when they experienced the nighttime appearance of angels of the Lord in their fields. The Gospel tells us when the angels appeared, the “Glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” But, they also trusted God, went to Bethlehem, saw the Christ Child, and “returned to their flocks, glorifying and praising God” (Luke 2:8-20.) All of us are touched by fears, but we must not allow them to cripple us. We have to move from fear…to faith. Christmas can be a great help, urging us to trust that which enables us. Somehow, it’s easier to trust in God at Christmas than any other time, because we feel He is very close and very loving to us. In Jesus, God came in the form of a human Child, and surely, no one can be fearful of a baby…. Christmas challenges us to enter into an intimate relationship with God, trusting we will receive love…and always more love…. We all must do what we can to minimize our fears, and then ask God to…”grant [us] the serenity to accept the things [we] cannot change; to change the things [we] can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” (Serenity Prayer.) Loneliness can also be seen as avenue to grace. If we feel lonely at Christmas, we should not be alarmed. Remember that the human soul is always longing for something more (or for someone else)—that is our nature. Christmas awakens our deepest longings that only God can fulfill. Let’s not allow our fears to prevent us from opening our hearts to the “great joy” announced to the shepherds. Even when we are “alone,” we must remember the space in our soul reserved for a special guest…Our Blessed Lord, Jesus. The Christmas Debate Some people believe that the modern Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Christ, and therefore, should be abandoned. Meanwhile, others uphold the opposite position. It has been said that Christmas is merely “one big spending spree.” When one thinks of all the gifts, decorations, food, drink and so on, that we all buy, it might seem that the ultimate recipients of any reward are the merchants! But remember, no one is forced to “buy” anything—and most of the things that are purchased are “gifts” to be presented to others…. If one cherishes the “true meaning of Christmas,” it can be disturbing to witness abuses. Yet, we know that in all human endeavors, abuses can be found. Not everyone chooses to act responsibly. Always consider, if you open a window for fresh air, it’s possible for flies and mosquitoes to enter as well… It's not unusual for excessive indulging in food, drink and merriment to occur during this season, with all the holiday parties and such. But, again, “free will” has been given to each of us by our Creator, and people will act accordingly, irrespective of the “season.” We must concentrate our attention on the joy in the celebrations that accompany Christmas. A vivid example is the seasonal music that starts to pervade our soundwaves and media beginning well in advance of Christmas. Judging by its inclusion of songs—some written and first performed decades, and sometimes centuries ago—there is hardly any more cherished music to be found. If we concentrate our “investigation of Christmas habits” on any subgroup of people in the world, the poor and the lonely certainly would merit our attention. Their plight is seemingly more common a topic for discussion at Christmas. However, there also are many more charitable events, (i.e. food drives, coat drives, etc.,) and just plain “giving” for their benefit, during Christmas, too. As regards expectations, those who pin their hopes on the “worldly side” of Christmas will more often be disappointed. But if we concentrate on the “spiritual side” of the season, we never will be. Christmas precipitates an inordinate amount of goodwill. No one can deny that “barriers” do crumble, and a good deal of “togetherness” results. We see neighbors reaching across fences, forgotten people being remembered and scattered families reunited. Even if it doesn’t last long, it shows the way we ought to go. Surely, it’s getter to glimpse the light, than to live in perpetual darkness! Our world seems to be drowning in bad news, and the omnipresent media tends to proffer “headlines that bleed.” (By contrast, I readily enjoy the many “happy” videos and stories I see and read daily in so many places. How can anyone be made unhappy by “pet videos,” or lovely “homecoming” stories?) When all is said and done, we should focus our attention on the most anticipated, and arguably, the greatest event in human history: namely, the Incarnation—when God’s Son came to earth to confer upon all of us the dignity of being Children of God! May God Richly Bless You! Technical difficulties today…no Mass recording was possible. Recollection of Joy.docx

December 11th, 2022 A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Joyful in Hope” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Isaiah 35:1-10) When our hearts are open to God’s surprises, and when we are eager to discover His ideas, there is great joy. If only humanity would learn to harmonize its aspirations with God’s graces, our very natures would reap the benefit. The tone of our First Reading is one of unbridled exuberance within the theme of restoration. Its setting places it during the period near the end of the Babylonian exile (ca. 6th century B.C.) It is an idealized and lyrical song, coming from a people filled with hope upon returning home. Their route was replete with flowing oases and rich foliage that reflected their joy as a redeemed people. God’s saving power is seen in Isaiah’s vision of miraculous healing of their maladies, along the way, and the cessation of all predation among the creatures of the earth. Many of these phenomena were later chronicled in the actions of Our Blessed Lord among the people, during His ministry. ~~~ (James 5:7-10) Only those who are willing to wait patiently for God will know the happiness of finding Him; and the joy of being fulfilled by Him. Waiting for circumstances to change is like waiting for seeds to grow. Suddenly, without our control, something happens, seeds take root and flower, and our former anxiety is transformed into joy. Addressed to the 12 tribes of the diaspora, †James’ letter was intended as a response to problems of the new Church, at large—in a manner resembling Old Testament works, like Proverbs. Turning his attention to the poor, who thought themselves forgotten by God, †James chides them to “…be patient…;” “…steady your hearts…;” “…don’t’ grumble.” He urges believers to wait with courage for the appearance of the Lord, their Vindicator. †James offers as examples, the prophets, who were not discouraged by human failures and who recognized the impatience of human interpretation of the slowness of God’s actions; and urges the people to trust fully in His power to save them. In modern “instantaneous society,” everyone is well-advised to seek patience, to avoid disillusion. Such is the fruit of a loving faith. ~~~ (Matthew 11:2-11) When myriad preconceptions cloud our vision of the future, rendering us incapable of recognizing God’s ways in our world, disappointment results. Those who focus their vision on the heights to only look for greatness may miss the wonderful, everyday things happening all around them. For all his greatness and importance, †John the Baptist and his mission were merely preparatory to Jesus’ own. Our Blessed Lord’s era of messianic deeds and presence began a new standard that would be judged—not by human criteria—but by God alone. Learning this “new way” did not develop through the Old Law, or historical achievements, but in the person of God’s own Son! For this reason, Jesus proclaimed that even the “least born into the Kingdom of God is greater than †John.” He constantly had to demonstrate that his mission of a loving Messiah was superior to one of power and judgment, as had been expected from reading the ancient prophecies. “Gaudete”—Rejoice “Rejoice, the Lord is nigh!” As Christmas draws near, the Church emphasizes the joy, which should be in our hearts, in full realization of what the birth of our Savior means for us. During daily liturgies of this coming week, we will be reminded of the Gospel accounts of the Annunciation, and the Visitation—extremely “joyful” mysteries. †Paul bases Christian joy on the assurance of the salvation brought to us by Christ. He desires it to be so firmly established in the soul that no reason, human anxiety or sadness can ever overcome it, since the great peace of God hereafter must predominate over every other feeling. Yet, we must remember that, for †Paul, the “coming of the Lord” was not His birth at Bethlehem, but His Second Coming. The great joy of Christmas for us is to look forward, and see the day drawing near when the Lord will come again in His glory, to lead His people into the Kingdom. The often-repeated, “veni,” meaning “come,” (from the old Latin Liturgy of Advent,) is an echo not only of the prophets, but also of the last words of the New Testament: “Come Lord Jesus. Dying in Darkness The great astronomer, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642,) made extraordinary astronomical findings, using only a rudimentary telescopes and simple machines (i.e inclined planes.) A number of his observations confirmed those of Nikolas Copernicus (1543,) namely, that the earth revolves around the sun (heliocentrism,) and not vice-versa. (For many years, thereafter, the Church, with the majority of educated people of the time, accepted the Aristotelian/Old Testament-based “geocentric,” or earth-centered models.) Galileo’s discovery greatly enlarged our knowledge of the universe, yet he spent his last years in darkness, blind, and under house arrest for promulgating what the Church deemed “heresy.” (On October 13, 1992, Galileo was finally “exonerated” by Pope John Paul II. He has been called the “father of modern science” by such luminaries as Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.) When summoned before the Inquisition, he wrote: “Alas, poor Galileo, your devoted servant, has been for a month totally and incurably blind; so that this heaven, this earth, this universe, which by my observations and demonstrations, I have enlarged a thousand-fold beyond their previous limits, are now shriveled for me into such a narrow compass as is filled by my own bodily sensations.” Galileo can be likened to †John the Baptist—who ushered in a new age…the age of Jesus—and also died in darkness. †John was the greatest and last of a long line of prophets, who prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah. He was one of the selfless and courageous people who kept hope alive during the “long night” of expectation, when it seemed, for many, that the dawn would never come. And Jesus paid tribute to him, saying that †John was “no reed, swaying in the wind.” He was “his own man,” with a strong personality; a man of principle, who wasn’t easily influenced by prevailing trends and opinions. Rather, he devoted himself to an ascetic life, living only for his mission of preparing “the way” for Jesus. When that task was complete, he moved aside. His lifestyle, as well as his personal integrity, lent credence to his words—making him a living example of what he preached—to whom people flocked. Yet as great as †John was, Jesus points out that he missed the greatest thing of all: the coming of the Kingdom of God, and was banished to a dark, narrow dungeon, to await an ignominious death. This is where we encounter †John, in today’s Gospel—in doubt, wondering if Jesus truly was the Messiah. When the answer came back to him from Jesus, that “…the blind see…” and “…the lame walk…” he took that evidence as a great comfort—his life hadn’t been in vain. We all have our own struggles. Life can become very dark, at times. In spite of our best efforts, our lives can “turn-out” very badly—so, we, too, have our doubts from time to time. This is why we need to remember Jesus’ comforting words: “Blessed is the one who does not lose faith in Me.” We should draw inspiration from †John—a wonderful example of unselfish love. Our hope lies in Jesus—the One Who gives meaning to all our work, our suffering, our living and our dying. He, alone, can fulfill our deepest longings. Blessed are we if we do not lose faith in Jesus. And “twice blessed” are we, if we show forth our faith in deeds of love and mercy. May God Richly Bless You! Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart.docx To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here:

December 4th, 2022 Second Sunday of Advent A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Prepare the Way of the Lord” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Isaiah 11:1-10) For those who long for a world in which peace and harmony prevail, the daily work never ends. Peace on earth will be the result of continual human effort and cooperation with divine ideas. Today’s text from Isaiah is one of the most familiar of Jewish Scripture, (and is often quoted by those whose interests are purely secular.) Taken from his “Book of Emmanuel,” it represents Isaiah’s description of the ideal king—the long-awaited Messiah, who will establish a Kingdom of divine justice, among all peoples. This portends a world that would correspond, in kind, in an atmosphere of harmony, reminiscent, of Eden. ~~~ (Romans 15: 4-9) If we live with patience, faith and mutual support, all our hopes and dreams can become tangible, enjoyable realities. Those who learn the lessons of the past will be more able to produce a better future. †Paul told the Romans that their commitment to Christ would bring harmony to their everyday lives. In doing so, they would become “strong” in their Christian faith, to the exclusion of “weak,” still clinging to the Mosaic law, with its traditions of the ancestors. We must remember that during Advent, we are called to embrace, in mutual respect, patience and love, all those who still have not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior—ministering to them in prayer, so they may one day come into the fold of believers. ~~~ (Matthew 24:37-44) Remorse is one aspect of conversion; the other is positive growth and deepening commitment, manifested in deeds of love and justice. Repentance is not purely an intellectual decision; returning to the Lord requires the totality of our energies. For †Matthew, †John the Baptist represented the end of the first era that encompassed the age of Israel, from the patriarchs through the prophets. †Matthew’s call, like †John’s, was a program of reform, and would remain a constant challenge to all would be worthy of the name, “Christian.” Like †Matthew, †John’s baptism signified personal conversion, rather than simply ritual purification, and he acknowledged that it was merely preparatory to the coming of the Savior. He believed that only the truthful heart, responsive to God’s grace, in sincere repentance, would be blessed with salvation. God’s Promises Our Advent Readings glitter with bright promises—of the wonderful things that would accompany the coming of the messiah—“…Mountains leveled; …valleys filled; …winding roads made straight; …deserts in bloom; …the poor seeing justice done; …the weak no longer exploited; …war banished from the face of the earth.” Well, Christ has come—yet little seems to have changed! So, one might well wonder about all the great Scriptural promises…. Famine and food shortages still can be seen in many populations around the world; poor people are still exploited; and world-wide peace remains just an “elusive dream….” Generations of people, chronicled throughout Scripture and modern literature, have been led forward by promises. Promises play a big part of our lives, too. Parents who want a child to “be good” or do something specific, promise them some reward for their compliance. Ideally, we hope that this enticement is sufficient, and the child is motivated to work or behave accordingly. Most adults are reasonable, and also routinely are motivated to earn rewards for acceptable behavior. Business managers incentivize their employees with bonuses and paid time-off, in addition to their usual salaries or commissions. Married people promise lasting fidelity to one another, and build their lives on that assurance. One of Scripture’s main themes can be understood to be the Faithfulness of God. In spite of all the infidelities of His people, God will never forget the covenant (promise,) that He first made with Abraham. Throughout Advent, we are reminded of the wonderful gift He made to us in the person of Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, who opened Heaven’s doors to us. But the wonderful assurances of the ancient prophets were not merely promises. They were also judgments. So Advent should be viewed as not simply about the past, but also the present. It awakens us to the Savior’s presence among us now. It reveals His true identity and the nature of His mission, which is to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. We have a vital part to play in making His Kingdom a reality for others! During Advent, we have another opportunity to commit ourselves to Jesus and His Kingdom…. Christ established His Kingdom, first of all, in Himself. He is the “new Creation.” In Him we see humanity restored to the true image of God. Through His words and deeds, Christ inaugurated the Kingdom in our world. Through His Church, He continues this work. Christians must not “sit around and wait” for these promises to “fall from the sky.” They should be understand as a blueprint of what humankind could achieve by the grace of God, given to us, so lavishly, in Christ. The world is crying out for salvation. Christians must spread the Good News, and not be afraid to speak out, fearlessly, and work diligently, against social inequity, proliferation of unjust wars, and the like. Isaiah’s vision lives on in our midst as a task for today, and as a promise for tomorrow. Hope All through Advent, we make preparations for the coming of our Blessed Lord, Jesus, at Christmas. We are “hopeful” because we cling to His promises. Promises give people hope. Hope gives people goals. Goals motivate and energize people, encouraging them to struggle to attain some prize. On the contrary, people without hope, goals and encouragement, tend to “stagnate.” It’s been shown that even settled and satisfied people tend to fail to develop further, unless they have hope for some better future. That’s the overarching reason socialism has failed everywhere it has been attempted, in large part because it rewards complacency, and lacks incentives for people to excel. It is well to consider the true meaning of the word, “hope.” Candidates for public office speak of it as an attitude of expectation; for “benefits to be realized in the future” from policies they promise if voted into office. It’s not uncommon for people to put their hope in “flawed politicians,” so why not in God? For the believer, hope is far more encompassing. We hope” that our efforts in the “present” will make us worthy of life everlasting—the salvation of our immortal souls for all eternity. Hope, then, is a vital part of life. A substantial part of life is spent longing, and waiting in expectation of one thing, or another. It is impossible for most of us to consider life without hope. We draw our strength and our commitment to a great extent on the degree and quality of our hope. It's important not to confuse hope with “optimism.” Whereas optimism holds the promise of “better things” in the future, hopeful people, on the other hand, live in the present moment, replete with the consequences of all the choices human beings make. We believe that our Creator has endowed us with free will, and our destiny depends on how we exercise it. Isaiah’s hope-filled vision of the afterlife was embodied in eternal peace for all creatures. He foresaw predators and prey living a “communal existence,” without any aggression or malice—quite foreign to their natures on earth. After all, no one living would expect a wolf to lie down with a lamb under ordinary circumstances. (You can view a number of video offerings on YouTube, of course, that suggest such predator-prey relationships are possible, but they’re hardly “natural.”) Prey species owe their continued existence to constant vigilance for and successful avoidance of predators. Isaiah’s picture of a time of universal peace paints a beautiful picture of existence, in eternity, wherein the strong would no longer prey on the weak. (Very few of us realistically expect this to ever be the case during our lives on earth, however.) If all things and all people were perfect, hope would not be needed…. Hope is required precisely because we live in an imperfect world. For spiritual people, hope can be said to stem from promises made to us by God—and our faith in the life and teachings of Our Blessed Lord, Jesus—the only Son of God. He is the foundation upon which our hope rests. That hope is the anchor for our lives. May God Richly Bless You! We Gather Together.docx To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here: