This yadid dwelling place (Sunday homily)

 Every year, on or near August 14, you and I have the opportunity 

to recall the consecration of this house of God. 

And, I would say further, that it is also a duty.

Which raises the question: Why? Why do we do this?

First, because of gratitude. It is right to be grateful

that God worked through you, the people of St. Mary, 

to create this place where Jesus dwells with us.

Now, it is painful to say, but: how we miss our beloved former pastor, 

our friend, Father Jim Manning!

I almost said, we wish he were here, but he *is* here.

Holy Mass is where all the faithful are united, 

on earth, in purgatory, and heaven. So, he’s with us.

Just not as we would wish.

If he were speaking to you now, he’d be the first to say:

This anniversary, this church, isn’t about him.

And that’s true. But God works through events, and people.

And we are grateful Father Jim let God work through him.

I haven’t announced this publicly – but I have mentioned it to few – 

so, today I’ll let everyone know something.

Later this year – we haven’t finalized the date –

We’re going to rededicate the Parish Center, downstairs, 

as the “Father James Manning Pastoral Center.”

The same artist who created the beautiful image of Our Lady – 

that hangs in the baptistry – is creating a portrait of Father Jim.

When that is ready, we’ll put it in place downstairs, 

and everyone will be invited to a celebration at that time. 

No date set, but soon!

Now, if our friend Father Jim were sitting here, 

he’d be gesturing to me to stop talking about him!

So, learning from his good example, 

let’s talk about what we heard in the Scriptures.

In the psalm, we prayed, 

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!”

I looked up that word which is translated, “lovely.” 

The root word is “yadid.” And do you know what? 

It’s not about physical beauty.

That is because the “love” involved 

isn’t just affection or even attachment.

“Yadid” is an “intimate, convenantal” relationship. 

Of being “protected” and “cherished.”

God loves us with “yadid” – so much so, he came in the flesh, 

and formed a new and everlasting covenant with us:

That means Jesus, and his death on the Cross, 

and the Holy Mass where his “yadid” love is recalled!

That’s why this church was built. 

That’s why this altar is the center.

That’s why you and I “yearn” to be here!

God’s “yadid” is poured out here.

You and I become His “yadid” – 

that is, His beloved, sealed in a covenant –

And that makes this place “yadid” – lovely!

Of course, it’s about more than a building, but it’s not about less.

Our faith goes beyond this place; 

But this church is an expression of our faith.

And, of our hope.

You would not have contributed and cooperated and sacrificed 

to build this church, if you had no hope!

This sacred place continues a long legacy 

reaching back to our former spiritual home in Franklin. 

The windows and the stations of the cross came from there.

And just as those who built that church could not anticipate 

all the needs of the future, neither can you and I.

We can’t know, but you and I can hope 

that those who planted seeds of faith in Franklin 

are thrilled, as they look on from eternity, 

to see what is coming to fruition in Springboro.

What will future generations do with the legacy we hand on to them?

Right now, the present reality of being Catholic in AD 2025, 

in our country, is that this parish is coming together 

with Saint Henry and Our Lady of Good Hope in shared mission.

Recall, St. Mary was born as a mission of Our Lady of Good Hope.

But even after we are united under the patronage of St. John Paul II,

This church is now called, and will always be called, 

St. Mary of the Assumption Church.

Surely, we’ve all noticed farms around here giving way to homes.

There are going to be a lot of people 

coming to this lovely dwelling place for long years to come!

By the way, that term, “dwelling place,” doesn’t mean a house or home.

It refers to that most sacred place where God chooses to dwell.

So many of the people who helped this building rise 

are sitting right here. You cast your seeds of faith.

You sacrificed. You helped decide, and shape, what would result.

And yet – if you will forgive me – someone else decided, first:

God! God chose to dwell with us.

That not only makes this place beloved – lovely – it also reminds us: 

whatever time brings – and with enough time, it’ll bring everything! – 

you and I will come and go.

This neighborhood, our country, will change.

But God is here. He came to be here. And that will never change.

'From Sodom to heaven' (Sunday homily)

 The title of my homily is, “Six minutes from Sodom to Heaven”:

Some big topics will be dealt with briefly: buckle your seatbelts!

Clearly, I could just avoid the elephant in the first reading.

You and I really need 45 minutes, but I’m only taking six.

So, I will greatly summarize; I can’t say all that is needed.

I’m going to make reference to some delicate topics in a general way.

You may have questions. 

You may wonder how these things apply to you, or someone you know. 

Please don’t hesitate to call or email me.

So, some bullet-points:

- The Church’s teaching on what is right and wrong in matters of chastity, 

including what is appropriate between two men or two women, 

has not changed. 

- This teaching comes from Divine Revelation, both Old and New Testament. 

- What we believe is informed by how God designed human beings, 

male and female, helping us know what is right or wrong.

- Notice: I am talking about chastity in general, which applies to everyone.  

- Despite the slogans we hear, 

“love” means different things in different contexts:

Parents and children; friends; siblings; and mom and dad.

- The specific form of intimacy I’m referring to belongs only in marriage, 

Between male and female, and must always be open to the gift of life.

- Some will say, this is burdensome. But everyone, without exception, 

faces daily challenges cooperating with God’s Plan.

- If your kids ask, “what is chastity,” here’s an answer:

It is the virtue of treating our bodies and our gifts, which God gave us,

with reverence and respect. 

The better you and I learn to say no to our own, “I want it now!” voice,

The better we learn to say yes, very generously, to others.

That’s fundamentally why chastity matters.

- Everyone is called to be a life-giver, throughout our lives.

And that is the thread linking all the readings. 

Jesus highlights how we can be life-givers:

both in ordinary food, and in forgiveness.

To state the obvious: the Christian virtue of chastity can seem strange to some.

It is mocked and demeaned. It is challenging to live out.

Maybe you wonder: Why does God care? 

A lot of folks seem to think that, no, God doesn’t care.

That everything will sort out in the end and everyone’s happy forever.

But if that’s true, God could have told Abraham that – but he didn’t.

Jesus could have told us that – but he didn’t.

The hard truth we learn through life is that our choices matter a great deal.

They shape who we ultimately become.

By our choices – including whether we repent and convert –

either you and I grow into a God-like capacity to give ourselves away, 

or else we narrow ourselves, and even twist ourselves, 

around a counterfeit happiness that can never truly satisfy.

I will be specifically personal here about myself.

My particular shape is not a result of a really bad bee-sting.

I like to eat, more than I should. 

That is a moral failing in me. Gluttony is a sin – not a grace.

Pray for me that I love food less, so that I can love Christ more.

Each of us takes up the Cross, beginning in baptism.

Jesus offers everyone the best of gifts, the Holy Spirit,

who gives us clarity to see, and courage to choose: 

my “no” today opens up to thousand “yesses” in this life, 

and even more, eternal life.

Be like Henry! (Sunday homily)

Today we celebrate the patron of this church, Saint Henry.

That makes today a solemnity for this church!

And that’s why the readings and prayers for this Mass 

are different from what they will be at neighboring churches.

Henry was born in 973; he died on this day, in 1024 – 1,000 years ago.

The Benedictine Order reveres Henry as one of its patron saints.

Henry was taught by a Benedictine, Bishop Wolfgang,

And his wife, Cunigunde, lived in a Benedictine convent 

when she became a widow.

Henry may have felt an attraction to the religious life, 

but his family duties meant he would succeed his father as a Duke, 

and then become King of Germany and the Holy Roman Emperor.

He certainly devoted himself to building up the Church in his realm.

And he gave his support to a reform movement 

that had begun a century earlier 

at a Benedictine monastery in Cluny, France.

It is striking – if you read church history – 

to see how regularly someone was calling for reform.

But, given human nature, this is no surprise.

In each of our own lives, do we not wake up periodically to realize: 

I’ve gotten lazy, I’ve developed bad habits, I’ve let things slip?

Whether it’s John the Baptist, or a Benedict or Catherine of Siena, 

or Pope John XXIII, or the Emperor Henry, 

the Body of Christ on earth continually needs 

those who sound the alarm and call for housecleaning.

This is why our Catholic Faith has always included a focus on penance, 

meaning both including acts of self-denial in our regular routine, 

and of course, observing Lent each year,

and then, regular use of the sacrament of penance.

And that process of reform isn’t only about moral renovation.

Henry reorganized church structures to serve his times.

Our Archdiocese is doing the exact same thing in our time.

In Henry’s situation, they were trying to share the Gospel 

with the Slavic tribes to the east.

In our time, our parish family must go out 

and seek our families and neighbors and re-present Jesus to them.

Another striking detail from those times: it was anything but calm!

There were constant wars and political struggles.

Henry’s father was called “Henry the Quarrelsome”!

One of the wise decisions his father made 

was to entrust Henry to be educated by the bishop Wolfgang, 

who was later recognized as a saint. 

We might notice that not many politicians become saints!

Why did Henry? Maybe because of the seeds of faith planted early.

If you did the math, Henry lived only 51 years on earth – 

fewer years than this parish has been here in South Dayton –

And yet the light of heaven that shined through his life 

reaches forward a thousand years to us and beyond.

Think about that whenever you say, what difference can I make?

So many kings valued their wives solely for giving them heirs.

He and his wife Saint Cunegunda did not conceive any children. 

Other kings would abandon their wives; Henry remained true.

As king, Henry commanded armies and faced wars; 

but he was notable for seeking paths of peace and reconciliation.

There was one neighboring King who Henry would make peace with – 

then war would break out again, then peace, then war – 

It took a lot of patience before peace finally took hold.

Where did Henry learn these things? 

Was it when he got together with other kings and dukes?

Or was it when he attended Mass, 

or in the habit of prayer that he learned as a youth?

Perhaps as he and his beloved wife contemplated 

how to make a difference for eternity?

Again, it’s all about what you and I make a priority.

We always find time for what matters most. 

As St. Henry Parish comes together with Our Lady of Good Hope 

and St. Mary, as we work together, as we build together,

you and I can be just like Henry, as we:

Share our gifts with our community, not hesitantly, but confidently;

Be messengers of reconciliation, even repeatedly;

Don’t be discouraged as we plant seeds of faith; 

they will sprout, even if it takes a thousand years!

Love our country like Isaiah (Sunday homily)

Friday we celebrated our nation’s birthday: 

Almost 250 years of independence! 

I’ve seen news items recently claiming many Americans, 

including many younger Americans, don’t feel great patriotism.

I don’t know if that is true, 

but I will take this moment to say a few things about patriotism.

Loving our country is good and right.

The Fourth Commandment calls us to honor our father and mother;

That extends to all in authority and all who give us life.

In the Roman way of thinking, patriotism was a form of “pietas”;

We get our word “piety” from that. In Roman thinking,

It was about the devotion and obligation we owe:

To family, to our country, and above all, God.

You and I enjoy such remarkable advantages, 

that most people who ever existed, 

and most people alive today, do not have.

Maybe you don’t like our elected officials.

You have the freedom to say that in public.

You get to protest and organize and vote them out.

No, our nation isn’t perfect. 

As Catholics, we experienced prejudice in this country at times.

However, we’ve never enjoyed this level of freedom anywhere else.

Yes, our society is materialistic, and that’s bad.

But consider this. In 1900, 60% of the world’s population 

was in extreme poverty. Today, that number is 10%.

That’s huge progress. And our nation played a big role.

A lot of complaints people have 

come from misunderstanding our Constitution.

Someone says, why’d she get to say that? It’s called free speech.

Why didn’t they send that person to jail? 

Because a jury found him not guilty. It’s called due process.

Our Founding Fathers gave us the Constitution they did 

because they knew that without certain limits and protections, 

people could get run over.

And one of the best things they did was to give us  

the power to change our system of government.

Over the years, “we the people” have made a more perfect union.

That’s a lot to be grateful for.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah loves his country, too. 

God’s People were in deep trouble, in every way. 

Isaiah sees a better future, when God’s people 

would be secure, as in the arms of their mother.

Yet not only Israel, but all nations would be secure in, 

and draw life from, the City of God. 

Isaiah was the voice of conscience in his time.

That responsibility falls to you and me, 

especially given our freedoms and advantages! 

We might notice what Jesus told the 70 disciples.

Stay focused, don’t get distracted along the way. 

Don’t worry too much about what stuff you bring along; 

make sure you bring a peaceful spirit. 

If you find yourself getting worked up, stop and get prayed up.

One way to keep our focus is frequent trips to confession. 

When we feel anger, or worry, or we get off track, 

a good confession helps get our priorities back in order. 

In the second reading, Saint Paul said, 

“the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” 

He’s not saying, I don’t care. He’s not giving up, either.

He’s doing what Jesus did on the Cross:

Giving it all to the Father.

It was when our Lord was seemingly most powerless – on the Cross – 

that he poured out his grace on the world most abundantly.

There is a lot of anger and ugliness in politics.

Our right answer isn’t to turn away, but to bring a peaceful spirit.

Speak out; vote, get involved.

But do so with the grace and power of Jesus Christ.

Peter & Paul were certainly in Rome: what changes? (Sunday homily)

 When we are confronted with someone presenting a religious message, 

there are three ways we can respond.

First, we might say, “Isn’t that interesting?” 

A few years back, visiting Washington, D.C.,

I saw some Buddhist monks in their bright orange robes. 

That was my response: “isn’t that interesting?”

A second response is, “Is this useful?” 

A lot of people send their children to Catholic schools, 

who aren’t themselves Catholic, or even Christian. 

They appreciate the discipline, 

the quality of education, and the moral values – 

and our Bishop Leibold School has all this in spades.

In other words, they see a Catholic education as “useful.”

Then there is a third response we can give. 

And that is to ask, “Is this true?” 

Week after week, deacons and priests give homilies.

We try to make it interesting.

I have tried to make you laugh, only to have you not laugh – 

how crushing! 

Many of us try to give something practical.

But in the end, the only real question is: Is it true?

When Peter and Paul gave their witness,

maybe in a synagogue, or someone’s home,

or on riverbank or in a public square, 

there was little reason for anyone to ask, “is this useful?” 

Have you ever seen a street preacher? 

Or maybe someone on late-night TV? 

Don’t you think that’s how Peter and Paul looked to the Romans?

Then, now and always, people ask what gives meaning to life. 

In every age, people have gazed at the stars 

and wondered what caused them to be there, 

and to move in the way they do. 

Here come Peter and Paul who say, 

none of the gods you believe in are true. 

They are false, every one of them. 

The one true God is the God of the Jews. 

This odd people who you conquered. 

It was to that people God himself came, and became man. 

He became, not a Roman, not a Greek, but a Jew!

And what did you Romans do? You crucified him! 

The one true God died on a cross – and rose again!

That’s your hope! Not Caesar, but Christ! 

And God’s Plan was to send us—Peter, Paul—to tell you!

If you ever go to Rome, you can visit the places 

where both Peter and Paul’s bones were buried. 

There are huge basilicas built over their graves. 

 

Their bones are still there, sometimes on display!

And while it would take too long to explain it, 

There is no good reason to doubt 

those really are Peter’s bones, and Paul’s, 

in the two churches that bear their names.

So while we might wonder about a lot of things 

about this Catholic Faith, 

here’s a good, solid fact which hard-nosed people can appreciate: 

their bones are in Rome. 

What strikes me is this. 

Their presence in Rome, which is beyond doubt, 

Therefore that makes it beyond doubt they really believed it.

And they convinced others to believe and die for this Faith.

No other reason for them to go to Rome, to die there, 

and for anyone to remember them.

So, the improbable, persuasive witness of Paul and Peter continues.

We hear their words. We know they died for it.  

And so, I put the question to you:

Is it true? If so, what changes, today, for you?

Melchizedek points to you (Corpus Christi)

 During the readings, I imagine you wondered, 

"Who is this ‘Melchizedek’ fellow?”

He was a curious, shadowy, figure: 

a king and a priest, whose origins no one knew.

He brought an offering of bread and wine.

He blessed Abraham and all his descendants.

Who is Melchizedek? 

He is the foreshadowing of who would come: Jesus Christ.

> Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who has no beginning or end;

> Jesus, the first and true priest of all Creation;

> Jesus, the rightful king of the universe;

> Jesus, who offers the new and everlasting sacrifice 

that is a blessing to all humanity.

Melchizedek pointed forward to something greater; and so do we.

You and I are the image, the sign, for our time, 

that points ahead to the reality that is yet to come, 

a reality that is vaster and greater than anyone can possibly imagine!

This is why, the language we use as Christians 

is full of power even if we don’t realize it.

Here’s an example: you and I use the term, “Body of Christ,”

to speak of both the Eucharist, as well as ourselves.

Do we really think we are the same?

I can imagine you saying, “No! I’m not God! I’m not Jesus!

No one falls to his knees before me!”

That’s all true. 

And yet—when you and I call the Eucharist, as well as ourselves,

"the Body of Christ” — we truly are describing the same reality!

This is because the Eucharist who we adore and receive 

is already, and completely, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile you and are still "in process."

Here is the Body of Christ (the Cross),

Here is the Body of Christ (the Eucharist);

and here is the Body of Christ (the people).

This Cross is a sign of what Jesus did for us. 

A tremendously powerful sign, yet only a sign.

The Eucharist is a sign too, 

except the Eucharist is also the reality of what the sign points to. 

Jesus, is truly and really here.

But, if you will, under a veil – the appearance of bread and wine.

His Sacrifice for us is “veiled” within the Mass.

Why is this so?

First, because: do you and I really want to see 

the violence of the Cross? 

Second, because even that graphic reality, while true, 

is still not the whole of it. 

The Son of God became human and surrendered himself for us.

In sharing his dying and rising, you and I become one with him.

The full depth of this reality is just too much for us:

So it is, as I said, “veiled” by the Mass 

and the appearances of bread and wine.

The Sacrifice of the Mass, and the Eucharist,

Serve as a lifeline connecting us to that fuller reality, 

drawing us onward toward it. 

St. Thomas Aquinas called the Eucharist "the pledge of future glory."

Glory for whom? Glory for us!

I said a moment ago that you and I, 

in calling ourselves the Body of Christ,

probably draw back from really thinking

we’re the same as the Eucharist—and of course, we’re not.

Not yet! I repeat: NOT YET! 

But, that truly is what lies ahead for us.

No one said it better than St. Augustine:

If you want to understand the body of Christ,

listen to the apostle telling the faithful,

"You, though, are the body of Christ and its members."

So if it's you that are the body of Christ

and its members, it's the mystery that means you.

It is to what you are that you reply "Amen,"

and by so replying you express your assent.

What you hear, you see, is "The body of Christ,"

and you answer, "Amen."

So be a member of the body of Christ,

in order to make the Amen true.