First 'Men's Prayer Walk' a Success!

Yesterday afternoon, Saint Remy Parish revived a tradition from medieval England, and brought it to the fields surrounding the farm community of Russia, Ohio.

Over 100 men and boys answered my invitation to exercise spiritual leadership and guardianship over the parish with a "Men's Prayer Walk." So, yes, this was specifically pitched to men. (One girl did make it, however: a father brought his infant daughter along.)

Where did this come from?

Some time back, I came across an ancient practice -- still observed in some parts of England and Wales -- called "Beating the Bounds." As Wikipedia describes it, "A group of old and young members of the community would walk the boundaries of the parish, usually led by the parish priest and church officials, to share the knowledge of where they lay, and to pray for protection and blessings for the lands." Mindful that I was pastor in a rural parish, this idea struck me as something we could do.

It also occurred to me that this would be a great way to call men -- of all ages -- to exercise spiritual leadership; to exercise their tasks of guarding, guiding and giving. And, I thought it might help build friendships and comraderie.

So, several months back, I began describing the idea to a few people, and they liked it. They helped me develop it further. At one point, I planned it for a Saturday morning; but I was persuaded that a Friday evening would work better. So, we settled on the following plan. We would meet by 5:30 pm behind the priest's house and climb onto a hay wagon, which would take us out to the northern boundary of the parish. There we would begin our walk. Anyone who couldn't walk could stay on the wagon; and we also had a couple of other vehicles available. After walking for an hour -- during which we prayed ten decades of the Rosary, two litanies, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and a consecration to the Sacred Heart -- we climbed back on the hay wagons, and headed back to my back yard for a cookout.

I involved several men of the parish as my "wise men": one took charge of transportation; one took responsibility for food and drink, and a third handled set up and clean up. Several others pitched in with help and ideas -- such as games for the boys (what a great idea!).

My hope and plan was for 50 participants; we more than doubled that. Several men who took part didn't walk; instead, they rode in a golf cart. A number of the boys were in strollers, and some ended up riding their dads' back part or most of the time.

One of the ideas I came up with was to give the boys chalk, and a diagram for them to draw on the street as we went along. What I came up with looked like this:

S.     R.

 2  |  0

 1  |  6

O. P. N.

And in case you are wondering, that is meant to show a cross, surrounded by this year's date, and the words, Sancte Remigii, ora pro nobis, or in English, Saint Remy, pray for us.

Well, the boys really took to that, as I hoped! The only miscue on my part was I didn't plan for enough prayers; I prepared a handout, and we ripped through those prayers in about 35 minutes. So with the help of our recently ordained deacon, we added another set of mysteries, and sang "Immaculate Mary" and "How Great Thou Art." And we had some silence in between.

After an hour, we'd walked about 2.5 miles, then got back on the hay wagons and rode back for a cookout, with the last stragglers leaving after 10 pm. Everyone had a great time. Several young, unmarried guys were really enthusiastic, saying that they were going to see that more of their friends joined us next year.

And there will be a next year: I haven't set the date, but it will be June, and we'll pick up roughly where we left off, and walk another 2-3 miles; and so forth, until we walk the entire circumference of the parish, which is about 25 miles. I figure it will take 9 years or so.

There were many blessings, which make me thing the Lord looked with favor on our endeavor. The weather was perfect; there were no traffic problems (or any others), and a parishioner came to me the day before, offering some fresh ground beef for hamburgers -- as much as we could possibly want.

I might here explain, especially for the benefit of St. Remy Parish, that the actual northern boundary wasn't the road on which we walked, but a quarter-mile north; but that ran through the fields. In olden days, I imagine they would have walked through the fields, because it was rather important to know and maintain those boundaries in those days. The exact boundaries matter less to us today, but it is still worthwhile to have a sense of responsibility for the people of the parish.

And, for the benefit of our parishioners, here are the boundaries of our parish. The northern boundary extends from a quarter-mile west of Darke-Shelby County Road, and a quarter mile north of Redmond Road. Beyond State Route 48, that line continues until it meets Loramie-Washington Road, which is the eastern boundary. The line continues all the way south to Miami-Shelby County Road; and the southern boundary runs along that road, until it reaches a point a quarter-mile west of Darke-Shelby. For those who know the area, this means that our parish includes Dawson, Houston and Mt. Jefferson areas, as well as Russia and the surrounding areas.

Of course you want pictures. Here are some. This first one shows all the men, with the boys running ahead. I'm in there somewhere.

One of our boys carrying the cross. They took turns.

Here's one of our boys using the diagram I gave them to "chalk the walk."

Another of the boys letting people know we'd been there.

Here I am, with the deacon to my right, and the seminarian to my left. If anyone wonders why we didn't wear vestments...well, it was about 85 degrees, and we were in the sun for over an hour.

Jesus spent A LOT of time with the poor and overlooked. Do you? (Sunday homily)

The similarities between the first reading, 
with Elijah, and the Gospel, with our Lord, 
are obvious and striking. 

Elijah visits a widow, with a dying son. 
Jesus meets a widow at the funeral of her dead son. 
This is not an accident. 

There are a couple of things you can discover, 
if you are able to take time to read and really study the Gospels:

First, Jesus himself was deeply familiar with the Scriptures – 
what we call the Old Testament. 
Of course he is God, so that means, as a member of the Holy Trinity, 
he inspired the human authors. 
But if you approach the Gospels simply taking Jesus as a man, 
you can’t help noticing how fully imbued he was with Sacred Scripture.

Second, Jesus was very conscious of who he was, 
and what his mission was – and how everything he said and did 
represented a fulfillment of Sacred Scripture.

One of the things you will sometimes find people claiming – 
you’ll see it in films, or TV shows about Jesus, 
or even in scholarly articles and books about him – 
is that he only slowly became aware that he is God. 
So there was a recent movie about Jesus as a boy – 
I didn’t see it, but apparently it took this approach; 
it showed Jesus only gradually realizing he was the Messiah, 
and that he was God.

That’s not what Scripture shows, however. 
Here, Jesus knows exactly what he’s doing, and why. 
By performing this miracle – raising a widow’s son from the dead – 
he knows he is doing something only the great prophet Elijah did. 

If this were an isolated case, this wouldn’t be so clear. 
However, look at the whole story of what Jesus said and did. 
He performed healings, which fulfilled what Isaiah foretold. 
He fed the multitudes, which recalls not only the Manna in the desert, 
but also a miracle by the prophet Elisha. 
He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey – fulfilling yet another prophecy. 
I could go on, but you get the idea. 
Jesus both knew the Scriptures very well, 
and he very deliberately chose 
to do all manner of things in line with them. Why?

Because, of course, that is how he helps people to see 
that he is the Messiah, the hope of Israel.
But also, Jesus is saying, I’m like Elijah, only I’m more than Elijah. 
When Elijah performs this miracle, notice what he does. 
He calls out to God, saying, O Lord, please do this! 
Elijah has no power to heal this boy, and he knows it. 

But Jesus does not pray. He commands! 
Just as God said, “Let there be light” – and it was so; 
here, Jesus, God in human flesh, commands the boy to rise; 
and it was so!

There’s another detail here, and it’s the one I hope to leave you with. 
Notice, the widow did not seek out Jesus. 
In other miracles, people seek Jesus for help. 
But here, Jesus seeks her out. 

After all, it says he made a special trip to this place. 
I have no doubt he went there with this very purpose. 
And upon meeting the funeral procession, he seeks out the widow: 
he has compassion on her.

Even in our time, a widow who lost her only son would be in trouble. 
Those of us who have farms and businesses can appreciate that. 
But in those times, there wasn’t any Social Security. 
She would have been in a very bad way. 

And this recalls something that is also very clear in the Gospels – 
something Pope Francis has pointed out: 
how often and how insistently 
Jesus seeks out those who are poor and powerless.

Here in this community, you and I are extraordinarily blessed. 
We are a close community. 
We have a strong parish, strong family life. 
You or I may not consider ourselves “rich,” 
but compared to what so many go through…we’re rich. 

We are also rich in faith and devotion. 
Last week we had our Corpus Christi Procession, 
and the 11 am Mass was packed; the attendance was strong. 
We had high school seniors – graduating that day! – 
who were at the Mass, and took part in the procession.

So here’s the point I want to make. 
When Jesus walked the earth, 
he made a point to seek out those who were on the margins, 
those who might easily be overlooked, 
or who might be looked down upon. He sought out the poor.

You and I are his disciples. We want to be with him. 
So we might ask ourselves: am I seeking out those in need? 
Am I reaching out to those who might otherwise be forgotten?

About 800 or so people 
will come to Mass this weekend and hear these words. 
If every one of us accepts this mission: 
I will look around to see who – 
in my neighborhood, at work, at church, in school, in our community – 
is most in need, who might be easy to look past, rather than talk to. 
And I will reach out. I will seek them out.

And can we commit to take another step?
In this corner of Shelby County, there are people in need, 
but not a whole lot, and not the greatest need. 
Jesus didn’t just stay in Nazareth. 
He went looking for this widow. 
There are great apostolates to people in need in Sidney, 
in Piqua, in Troy and Dayton. 
I know many of us have helped provide food, and supplies, 
and donations; many have volunteered. 
What I’m suggesting is that we can do more. 

Jesus spent a lot of time seeking out the poor. A lot of time. 

The Priesthood, the Mass & the Eucharist (Corpus Christi homily)

Today we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, which is Latin;
translated, it means, the Body of Christ.
Until 40 years ago, there was another feast for the Precious Blood of Christ,
which was on July 1.
But really, today, what we are focusing on today is the whole Eucharist –
the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you look closely at the readings, they are more about something else:
and that is the priesthood.
Both the Genesis reading and the Gospel mention bread or wine;
but that isn’t the Eucharist – not yet. 

Let’s look at Genesis first. What we do see is a priest:
Melchizedek, who makes an offering of bread and wine.
Now, what really is a priest? A priest has one, essential role:
it is to sanctify the people of God.

A priest is a mediator: a go-between from God to us, and us to God. 
And at the center of that, the priest offers sacrifice.
That’s what Melchizedek did. Notice the psalm we prayed.
It said: “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
This psalm is a dialogue between God and King David –
and it is God who says this to David.
But of course, David died; so in what sense is this true?
It was understood as a prophecy: his descendant would be that “priest forever” –
and we know who that is: Jesus Christ!

This is important background for what happens at the Last Supper.
Jesus says to the Apostles: This is my body, this is my blood…
“do this in remembrance of me.”
The Greek word that Paul uses for “remembrance” is very special: anamnesis.
This not only means “remember,” but more like, 
“remember-by-making-real-and-present-here-and-now.” 
When God’s People kept the Passover down through the centuries, it was an anamnesis — 
the saving actions of God were made real and present in their midst. 
The word was used in the (Greek) Old Testament to refer to sacrifice. 
So the full sense of what Jesus said to the Apostles is this: 
You are to offer a sacrifice that makes my sacrifice on the Cross real and present, 
wherever you are. 

 And of course, that is what the Holy Mass is.
And if the Apostles offer a sacrifice, that makes them – and their successors – priests. 
We cannot rightly understand the Eucharist without the priesthood. 
In fact, there simply is no Eucharist without the priesthood. 

And so this is why I must now explain some things that we don’t talk about often. 
And I don’t do this to be hard on anyone, but to clarify confusion 
about what we believe as Catholics about the priesthood, and the Mass, and the Eucharist, 
and what the various Protestant churches believe, 
which many of our friends and relatives belong to. 

The sad reality is that when the Protestant Reformation took place, 
every single group that emerged in those days rejected three things 
which we believe Christ taught: first, that the Holy Mass is truly a sacrifice – an anamnesis; second, that there is a sacramental priesthood, handed down through the church; 
and third, that the Eucharist is the true and real Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ 
as the Catholic and Orthodox Churches teach. 

Now, I know many times we have conversations,
or we visit folks at their places of worship,
and our Protestant friends will talk about communion, 
or the Lord’s Supper, in very similar ways. 
Or they’ll come to our Mass, and say, I believe that. 

Now, I know many times we have conversations, or we visit folks at their places of worship, 
and our Protestant friends will talk about communion, 
or the Lord’s Supper, in very similar ways. 
Or they’ll come to our Mass, and say, I believe that. 
And, I think quite a lot of individual members of these churches do believe things 
about the Eucharist that goes beyond what their churches believe corporately. 
And, I might add, I am not doubting their sincerity, or their devotion, to our Lord. 

Still, there is no getting around the fact that the Christian movements 
that we loosely call Protestant or Evangelical
have fundamentally different beliefs on these matters, 
even if some language sounds similar. 

And this is at the heart of why when we Catholics attend a Protestant worship service, 
we do not receive communion in their churches; and why, when we have Mass,
only Catholics in a state of grace are to receive the Eucharist. 

*(Remember what I said, there are three things here. First is the priesthood. 
Only in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches do you have a sacramental priesthood. 
While the Anglican or Episcopal churches will use the term “priest,” 
if you dig deeper, you’ll find out that the Anglican understanding of their ordained ministers
is essentially the same as that of the other Protestant movements.
Meanwhile, other Christian bodies make no bones about it:
they don’t have priests, because they don’t believe in a priesthood, 
apart from what we all share in baptism. 

(Similarly, you may find the word “Mass” used occasionally
by some other Protestant churches; but not often.
In any case, they don’t believe it’s truly a sacrifice, as we do. 
The leaders of the Protestant movement insisted that there is no continuation, 
or making-present, of the Sacrifice of the Cross; it’s all in the past. 

(And, then, third – and as a result of these first two differences –
among our fellow Christians, there are a wide variety of beliefs about communion, 
or the Lord’s Supper, even if some language sounds similar. 
After all, we’re reading the same Bible, but reaching very different conclusions.)

Sometimes, we will try to be agreeable, and say, oh well, we all believe about the same thing. 
But consider this. Lots of Lutherans, lots of Evangelicals, lots of Mennonites and others, 
have paid a great price for their own, particular beliefs. Many have died for them. 
It’s not really respectful to suggest that, in the end, 
they sacrificed, or died, over a mere quibble. 

One way to see clearly the difference between how Catholics understand the Eucharist,
and how our Protestant brethren understand communion, is to ask this question:
What happens to the items they use in communion after the Sunday service ends?
What do they do with what remains? 

You see what happens here: the Eucharist is treated with the greatest reverence, 
and placed in the tabernacle; otherwise, what remains is consumed. 
And then, we adore – that is, we give worship 
which only God can be given, to the Eucharist. What does that tell you?
That we mean what we say: this really is Jesus!

But if you visit many of these other churches, rarely will you see a tabernacle.
And many of our fellow Christians will say,
It’s only bread and wine – or grape juice – It’s only a symbol, nothing more. 

So let me conclude with some practical suggestions for ourselves,
in how we approach the Eucharist, so that we can fully express what we believe. 

First, while the bishops in this country allow receiving in the hand as an option,
there is a lot to be said for the traditional and ancient practice
that prevails throughout the world, which is to receive on the tongue.
When I am at the altar, I am careful 
not to allow even small fragments of the Host to be lost.
That’s why we use the patens, and that’s why I carefully wipe them off. 
I do find small fragments there – we use them for a reason. 
So to those who receive in the hand, may I ask:
do you carefully check to see if any small portion
of the sacred Host is left on your hands?

Second, I notice sometimes people will refer to receiving “the Eucharist” in the center,
and then receiving “the wine” over to the side. 
But when you come up for communion, there is no wine up here. 
We know it is the true Blood of Jesus Christ!

Several weeks ago, a first grader asked me: 
how many “bodies” does the bowl you use at Mass, hold? He got it: 
the hosts we distribute ceased to be bread when Jesus, 
 through the priest, called them, “My Body.” And it’s the same for the chalice. 

Of course, some say, it’s only bread and wine. 
And from time to time, Heaven sends a miracle to set us straight. 
Recently in Poland, one such miracle occurred: 
During Mass a host was found bleeding, and upon scientific examination,
it was found to be human flesh. 
Jesus, in his consideration for us, 
allows the Eucharist to keep its prior appearance, 
because the alternative isn’t so nice. 

But Jesus meant what he said: This is My Blood, shed for you. 
Because we believe this, we will bring Jesus to the streets of Russia 
right after the 11 am Mass. I hope you will join us.

* After the 5 pm Mass, I mostly left out this section for brevity's sake.

God's Pet or God's Spouse (Holy Trinity homily)

Today is the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity.

When we talk about our believe that God is a Trinity--
God is Three while still being One--
We always wrestle with trying to explain this,
to ourselves and others.

But let me pose a different question: Why do we believe this?

And the answer is: because Jesus Christ told us this.
In so many places in the Gospels – such as today’s Gospel –
we hear Jesus referring to the Father, and to himself,
and to the Holy Spirit.
Even though he doesn’t use the term, “trinity,”
he makes clear that the Father is God, he himself is God,
and the Holy Spirit is God; yet not three gods, but one God.

So if someone asks you, why do you believe God is a trinity,
the answer is, because Jesus said so.
I believe it because I believe him.

Is it hard to explain exactly how it works? You bet.
But after all, we’re talking about God.
Why shouldn’t God’s nature baffle us?
That’s not the striking thing;
Instead, what’s remarkable is how much
of God’s mystery we can penetrate.

Look around at our world. Why, of all the animals,
is man uniquely so curious?

By all accounts, apes and dolphins are very bright animals.
They seem to like us. I don’t know why, but they do.
Yet they don’t seem overly curious about us.

Could it be that our unique capacity and longing for truth,
is a sign of God’s creation:
that God intends for us to seek to penetrate his mystery?
In other words,
maybe God created us to seek a relationship with him?

Now, we say that sort of thing: having a “relationship” with God.
Yet if we really think about it, does that even make sense?

I fixed breakfast this morning on my stove--
but I don’t have a “relationship” with my stove. Aren’t you glad?

I don’t have a pet--I like pets, but I’m too busy, I’d neglect it.
But for those who have pets, how do you describe that?
There’s a sort of relationship, and it’s real,
but it’s still pretty limited.

But let’s go with that. Is that what our relationship is to God?
Are we his pets?

The answer, if you really think about it, is no.
God gives us freedom you and I don’t give our pets.
But he also asks much more of us than a pet owner
asks of a dog or a cat.

Look at the Scriptures: God has bigger ambitions for us.
He calls us “friends”! The Son calls Mary, his creature, “Mother”!
He calls himself the Bridegroom--and we, his Church, his Bride.

And there it is. Bride and groom. A breathtaking image.
We wouldn’t dare to suggest it,
because it would seem blasphemous,
to suggest that sort of intimacy.
And that’s exactly what Islam accuses Christians of:
Blasphemy, because we state boldly that yes, we can have an intimate relationship with God.

We say it, because the Bible said it. Before Jesus said it,
God said it over and over throughout the Old Testament.

But how? How is this even possible?*

Saint Paul tells us in the second reading:
The Holy Spirit is poured into our lives.

God stoops down, and lifts us up,
into the life and love of the Trinity.

God isn’t a solitary other, infinitely distant from us.
Unapproachable. Unknowable. Always and forever far away.

Couples, you know what it is to strain your relationship.
How do heal it? Talk. Listen. Bend. Forgive.
What do we do with God: we go to him in confession.
We talk. He listens. We bend our stubborn will. He forgives.

In the Eucharist, he gives us his true Presence,
his own Body and Blood.
For us sinners! He came to us!
God the Son gives God’s own life to us!

So a practical person might ask:
OK, but what difference does it make?

It’s the difference between being God’s pet,
and being his intended, his beloved, his spouse.

You see, this explains everything about our Catholic Faith that often seems troublesome.

Why do we do penance? Why deny ourselves?
Why wait for marriage?
Why must marital love be open to life, all the time?
Why can’t marriage be two men or two women?
Why does God have so many rules?

Because we’re not God’s goldfish.
If I had a goldfish, I wouldn’t care about its choices.
But if you or I are engaged to be married--
does our future spouse--God--have reason to care?

You and I could be his Golden Retriever, doing neat tricks.
No. He’s preparing us, remaking us,
to be lifted up to realm of heaven.
To be filled with God’s love. Infinite. Pure.
Bursting with life. Never guarded, restrained, sterile.
More intense than all the stars of all the galaxies.

God chose us as his one and only. Forever.

* After I wrote this, I realized I left out a point I intended to make: namely, that because God himself is a community of love, this makes divine love meaningful. If God were solitary how would God love? But God is three persons, and truly loves; and we are raised up into that communion of love. I added this point when I gave this homily.

The two ways the Holy Spirit helps us (Pentecost homily)

I want to begin with a statement not from today’s readings, 
but from last week, 
when we recalled Jesus’ ascending to his throne in heaven. 
Last week, we heard Jesus say to the Apostles: 
“Stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high” – 
that power is the Holy Spirit; 
and the giving of that power is what Pentecost is about.

What does this Power do?

In the reading from Paul, he emphasizes power to change – 
the power to be a different person.

Recently I read a book called “Living the Truth in Love” –
it examined issues regarding the attraction
sometimes people of the same sex feel toward each other.

And part of the book included stories of people
who had “lived that life”; they had rejected God,
and in some cases, they were Catholics who rejected their baptism.

But they found their way back to the Faith,
and they found the power to live chaste lives,
according to the teaching of Jesus Christ.
And not feeling empty, because of what they’d given up;
but living full lives, full of God’s love.

That is “power from on high.”

One of the things the men and women I read about emphasized
was important for them was the power of the sacrament of confession. 
These folks, just like most, if not all, of us, know what it is like to try, and fail; 
try, and fail; try and fail again.
And many times, the temptation is to give up.

I know someone – actually, several someones –
who faced an addiction to ugly materials on the Internet.
Same story: always stumbling.
And at one point, he just came to believe
he would never overcome his bad habit.
And for a time, he didn’t even go to confession.

But a funny thing happened.
He may have given up on the power of the Holy Spirit,
but the Holy Spirit didn’t give up on him. He started back,
going to confession.
He looked around for ideas, and ways, to break his pornography habit. 
And step by step, he was able to overcome it, and leave it behind.
As I said, I know several people who can tell that story.

Power from on high.

But I don’t want to make it sound easy to change; it’s not.
It would make things so easy if only the Holy Spirit
would just take over, and change us, while we just watched.
But it doesn’t happen that way.
Peter and the Apostles received the fullness of the Holy Spirit
only after first making a choice to follow Jesus –
and in most cases, to leave everything behind –
and they had to go through the dark night of the Cross.
And even after that, they were gathered together,
and praying intensely, before the outpouring came.

The Power will come –
but it won’t let us off the hook from doing our part.

When Jesus told the Apostles to pray for that power,
there was something else at work.
He said: “you will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem,
in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

So this is the other power the Holy Spirit gives us: to bear witness.

That group of believers that was gathered in the upper room,
in Jerusalem, that day, was the Apostles, the Blessed Mother,
and some other believers, 120 people in total.

One hundred and twenty people,
versus the religious establishment of their day.
One hundred and twenty, against the might of the Roman Empire.
A hundred and twenty people, facing the whole world.

Who prevailed? Not the world; but the Power from on High!

The same Holy Spirit who powered the Church 
outward and forward from that day till now, 
is giving his strength to martyrs right now.

If ever you think you can’t find the strength
to speak up for your faith, and take a stand,
think of the Christians who are suffering so terribly
throughout the world right now.
The Holy Spirit is giving them courage, and he will do the same for you, 
if you ask, and if you really want it.

I want to describe two opportunities we will have, in Russia,
to bear witness.
In two weeks it will be Corpus Christi,
and as before, we’ll have a procession with the Blessed Sacrament.

Think of what a powerful statement it makes,
especially to our neighbors who aren’t Catholic,
or who aren’t active in their faith, when they see a huge turnout
to honor our Lord in the Eucharist.

And I want to give a special invitation
to an event for all the men of the parish, of all ages.

As I mentioned in the bulletin, I want to revive an ancient tradition,
in which the parish priest, and the men of the parish,
walk the boundaries of the parish.
The purpose was both to reach out to the people of the parish,
as well as to pray for the parish.

I’m asking men and boys – all ages –
to join me on Friday, June 24, at 5:30 pm.
We’ll meet here,
and then we have transportation out to Redmond Road,
and we’ll walk for 90 minutes.

For anyone who can’t walk the whole way, we’ll have a ride for you.
And while we walk and ride, we will be praying.
Then we’ll return here for a cookout.

Why am I giving this call to men in particular?
Because there is a need for men to provide spiritual leadership,
and this is your invitation.
The task of men is to guard, to guide, and to give.
I am asking you to join me
in praying for everyone in our parish boundaries.
Over several years, we’ll eventually walk the entire 25 miles
it takes to circle the parish. Will you join me?

The power from on high – the Holy Spirit – is still being poured out.
But remember, Jesus was counting on his disciples, then,
to pray and do what the Holy Spirit led them to do.
It’s the same today.

'Where's Jesus?' Three answers (Ascension homily)

This homily didn't have a text, but I followed a mental outline. It varied from Mass to Mass. What follows is an approximation of what I said at least at one Mass, if not all.

Today we observe the Ascension...I explained how bishops decided to observe on Sunday, although the actual event was on a Thursday, 40 days after the Resurrection.

This feast raises a question: Where's Jesus? He was here, but he ascended. Where is he?

The obvious answer is, "he's in heaven." And that's true, and I want to come back to that. But there are two other answers.

Second answer? He is in the people you and I are sent to serve. I recalled the passage in Matthew 25, with the sheep and goats, and those who feed the hungry, clothed the naked, etc., did it for Jesus; and the opposite with the goats: they did not do these things for Jesus, because they neglected the "least of my brothers." I pointed out that Jesus included those in prison, and people in prison are usually bad people. So there is no limit -- we are told to serve Jesus is every single person, without exception.

I also linked this to the Gospel telling us to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. Our witness of the Gospel has no credibility if we do not meet people's hunger and thirst and so forth.

The third answer, to "where is Jesus?" Is in the Eucharist. And I explained that as important as it is to recognize the Eucharist is Jesus' true and real presence, his Body and Blood, the point of the Eucharist is to unite us with Jesus; so we become part of him. This extends his Mystical Body throughout the world.

And then I circled back and talked about Jesus in heaven; which means, a human being, like us, sits on the throne of heaven. Human nature could not be exalted higher than that. I pointed out Jesus did not disrobe from his humanity when he ascended, but took it with him. And I pointed out the implications...

Human dignity is divine dignity. Every human being, from the first moment of conception to natural death, possesses this dignity. I talked about assaults on life at the beginning, especially disabled children, and also about the spread of "assisted suicide." I pointed out that it is a lie to say these laws are about remedying pain; there are many ways to help people in pain -- sometimes the government gets in the way -- and that the evidence shows more often, people resort to "assiste suicide" because they are sad, discouraged and without hope. And I predicted that if too many doctors and nurses and hospitals refused to go along, government will come back and force doctors and hospitals to provide this "right."

I also explained that the great confrontation, which is now upon us, is what Pope St. John Paul predicted, the confrontation between Church and anti-Church, Gospel and anti-Gospel, and it is about the design and dignity of human nature. At one of the Masses, I talked about torture, and how this is unacceptable because it both degrades the dignity of the one being tortured, as well as those who are tasked to carry it out.

I concluded by talking about our goal -- which is heaven. I don't recall just how I worded my conclusion.

What is a deacon? (Sunday homily)

This is going to be pretty minimal, I apologize. My homily this past weekend was not much connected to the readings. We had a member of our parish ordained as a deacon on Saturday, and so I explained what a deacon is, the origins of deacons, and how their participation in the sacrament of holy orders is the same as, and distinct from, that of bishops and priests.

I pointed out that deacons, like bishops and priests, receives holy orders. I am a deacon. Archbishop Schnurr is a deacon. All priests and bishops are first ordained deacons.

The word deacon comes from Greek, diakonos, which appears in the New Testament, and means "servant." The Lord Jesus uses this word of himself, as well as telling us that if we would be first, we must be the servant of all.

I recounted the origins from Acts. I explained the meaning of some of the rituals that happened at the Ordination Mass, and what they mean. I pointed out some of the distinct things a deacon does at Mass, and why, such as: proclaiming the Gospel (always), reading the prayers of the faithful, and assisting at the altar.

Sorry, I had rather brief notes, and I can't find them at the moment.

The nuptial meaning of the Eucharist; the eucharistic meaning of marriage (Sunday homily)

Note: this homily, with some adjustments, was given at a Mass marking a couple's 25 years of marriage, as well as the First Communion Mass.

This week I was reading an article entitled, 
“The Cosmic and Eucharistic Meaning of the Openness to Life.” 
That’s a mouthful! But the point it made is fairly straightforward. 

That there is a likeness between God’s plan for creation – 
how he made people and families – and God’s plan for salvation – 
how he came to be with us, and he died on the cross, 
and he gives himself to us in the Holy Mass and the Eucharist.

In the second reading, from the Book of Revelation, 
we heard about a “new heaven and a new earth,” and in that new creation, 
there is a city; but it’s also called “ bride,” 
prepared and “adorned for her husband.”

Think about any weddings you have been to. 
The bride is always beautifully adorned. 
The groom is usually standing up front, and in the back, the doors open, and wow! 

I’m usually standing near the groom, 
and I can usually get a good view of both the groom’s face, as he sees his bride, 
and the bride’s face as well. It’s a wonderful moment.

So this city, that’s also a bride, who is that? In fact, that is us. 
Jesus many times called himself the “Bridegroom” – 
and the bride he came for is us. We are his Church; we are the one he loves.

A man who seeks a bride has to do many things. 
He has to focus all his attention on her. 
He’s not going to win his lady if he doesn’t treat her as the most important thing. 
And he, himself, has to be the best he can be. 
Perhaps I’m old fashioned in this, and maybe things have changed, but – 
before I was a priest, when I was still thinking about marriage, 
if I asked a girl out, I dressed up. I put my best foot forward.

When a groom wins his bride – when she says “yes, I’ll marry you,” 
the groom has to be ready: he has to be able to provide for her; 
they have to have a home together. 
After they are married, they begin a new life. 
And everything that belonged to the groom, he gives and shares with his beloved.

The point is, all this is what Jesus has done for us. 
Has Jesus given us his best? Has he given us his all? How do we know?

You see, this is why we have the Cross. And it’s why we have the Eucharist. 
If ever we wonder, does Jesus really love us? Really? How can I be sure? 
Look at the Cross. He did that for only one reason – to win his people; to win us.

And, as if that were not enough, he gives us a constant reminder. 
He gives us his Body as often as we want in the Holy Eucharist.

There are some parallels here I want to hint at, 
but for delicacy’s sake, not spell out. 

But we know that the marriage of a man and a woman is ratified 
when they say “yes” to each other at the altar; 
yet there is a special moment that comes later. 
And I want you to notice that Jesus came, 
Jesus spoke to us, his beloved, many words; 
but the consummation of the marriage came when? On the cross. 
When he gave absolutely everything, holding nothing back. 
He poured himself out completely.

Husbands and wives can, and do, renew their covenant 
in a thousand different ways. 
And, if you don’t mind me saying so, it is a very foolish husband and wife 
who do not look for ways, day in and day out, to show each other, 
and tell each other, they love each other. 

I have many memories of my parents, but one I always treasure 
is the many times I saw my father come home from work, 
and my mom and dad would kiss and hug. 

Still, there is one special way that a husband and wife renew their covenant. 
It is God’s design; and what’s especially wonderful about this design 
is the wonderful gift that parents are sometimes given: and that is children!

It is a strange thing that something so basic 
that even a child can understand, should be forgotten, today, by so many. 
Namely, that married love, by its very nature, longs to bear fruit. 

Or, to put it in very basic terms, when you have a husband and a wife, 
the very nature of that relationship is that they want, and hope, to be, what? 
A father and a mother. A family. 

Not all are blessed with children, but when they are, 
and they see their own eyes and ears and nose, their body and blood – 
they know this is the best thing they have ever done, 
and nothing they will ever do will be more important, and more special. 
This is what the love God gave them – 
built into their hearts and bodies and souls – aimed for.

Notice, this design shows up in other ways. 
Some couples go and find a child to adopt, just as Jesus came to seek us out. 
When children grow up, the parents are still life-givers in other ways, 
with their grandchildren, their neighbors, everyone they meet. 
Not everyone marries; not everyone has children of their own; 
but every one of us has built into us a design to be a life-giver, 
which, if we choose, will be the most costly and thrilling thing we ever do 
with our lives: to be a man or a woman for others.

Isn’t that what priests and religious brothers and sisters do?

Jesus loves his Church. He gives himself totally to us; 
and we give ourselves entirely to Him. 
That love bears fruit. It is all of us. 

And just as spouses need a special way to renew their love, 
so we have that special way in the Holy Mass, and the Eucharist. 
Jesus gives us his Body and Blood. 

This is how you know I love you, he says. Not only because I tell you, 
but I show you. I give myself completely to you. 
I hold nothing back, Jesus tells us.

How to hear the Shepherd's Voice (Sunday homily)

(What follows are notes. When I delivered this homily, I filled in a fair amount.)

How can we be sure the voice we are listening to is really Jesus’?

First, I want to make a distinction between the voices we hear from outside, and the voice we hear within. One aspect of that “voice within” is our conscience. We hear a lot about conscience, but let’s be clear. Our conscience can be deformed – if we silence it, if we torture our conscience by rationalizing wrong into right, and if we seek voices that will tell us what we want to hear.

So that makes it all the more important to know: what are the resources where we can be sure we’re hearing Jesus’ voice “from the outside”?

Let’s talk about the voices that are outside us, that we can be sure about:

- The Scriptures
- The teaching of the Church
- The way we pray as Catholics – meaning, the Mass, as well as devotions such as the Rosary, the Sacred Heart devotion, the Divine Mercy.
- The lives of the saints are the best commentary on the Gospels.

Let me call attention to what I didn’t cite:

- Blogs and websites where people are arguing and attacking and complaining.
- Angry groups that have agendas they want the Church to pursue.
- People who are pessimistic and worriers.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying any of these people are bad people, or that you shouldn’t be friends with them, or talk to them, or hear what they have to say. What I am saying is that all these points of view can only give us a part of the truth. And I do think that we can become a little “hardened” in our point of view.

And part of the reason why some of these voices can be a problem is that we take all that fury and worry into our own hearts and minds, and the noise from without is turned into noise within. I’ve told this story before, but I recall my mother – when she was a young woman during World War II – she came home from work, and her mother was frantic. “What’s wrong?” “There were seven ships sunk today – I heard it on the radio!” In fact, my grandmother had heard the same report, of one ship sunk, over and over, all day long. If we tune into those voices that are telling us how terrible things are, over and over, where will that leave us?

The world has trouble. We want to be well informed. But some people think they are supposed to carry the weight of the whole world’s troubles on their backs. Who says?

OK, now I want to talk more about the voice within, and how we hear that. Conscience is only part of that voice within. The most important voice we hear in our hearts is Jesus himself – and we can hear his voice within ourselves if we want to; but it seldom just comes out of the blue.

So how do we hear his voice in our hearts?

If I am sitting with you, and you are speaking – and if you are, let us say, soft-spoken, do you think I’m going to hear you very well, if:

- The windows and doors are open and there’s noise from outside
- The TV is on with a Reds game I’m keeping one eye on
- I have a computer or a phone in my hand, and I’m checking emails and writing texts.

If you want to hear Jesus speak to you, you’re going to have to close the door, turn off the TV, and shut off the technology. I don’t mean never use them; I mean, give yourself some real silence.

I realize for many, especially when you have children to care for, this can be hard. Do what you can. But I believe for many of us, it’s not that we can’t do it, as much as we don’t especially want to. We always find reasons to put it off.

But remember, we’re not just tuning into silence or gazing into an empty sky. Jesus is clear: he wants us to hear him. He is speaking! The great enemy of our conversation with Jesus is noise and distraction, not just from outside, but within our own hearts and minds. We need silence; if only for a few minutes

'Hate speech' strikes Russia Ohio!

I'm shocked beyond words. I'm just going to post the pictures so you can see them for yourselves.

No doubt you've heard about the terrible incidents of "hate speech" erupting in so many places, particularly on college campuses in which...

I have to pause, I'm so full of emotion right now...

...in which the perpetrators use chalk -- on sidewalks!--to commit violence!

And now, it's happened here! In peaceful Russia, Ohio, right on the property of Saint Remy Church.

Here is the evidence; see for yourselves:

I know who the culprits are; they claim to be "pre-schoolers," but I'm sure it's just a ruse.

Pope Francis -- like Peter -- isn't perfect, yet Christ builds his Church (Sunday homily)

The readings have a lot to say about Peter, 
and on Friday, the successor of Peter, 
Pope Francis, issued a long-awaited document 
on questions of family life. 
So let’s talk about what Pope Francis said, and did not say. 
And let’s see what we can learn about his office as the Bishop of Rome 
and the successor of Saint Peter.

But I have to explain a lot of things, so this will take time. 
Some might think I’m going into too much detail; 
but lots of people really don’t understand these things. 
So it’s necessary to spell things out.

Three or so years ago, Pope Francis invited bishops 
from around the world to meet with him 
to discuss various questions about family life. 
They met for several weeks in the fall of 2014 and again in 2015. 
In the context of these meetings – and all that surrounded them – 
there were people raising very specific questions. 

What about people who are divorced and enter into new marriages? 
What about people who are living together, 
and perhaps have children, but are not married? 
What about people who are attracted to the same sex? 
And people were asking – including some prominent bishops – 
should the Church change her teaching, or her approach, 
to all these situations? 

And, of course, these questions were what got almost all the attention 
during the past two years, especially in the news media, 
that don’t really understand what the Catholic Church is, 
or what dogma is. 

They think it’s all up to the pope – he can do whatever he wants. 
And, of course, they are wrong.

One question in particular came up. 
What about people who now can’t receive Holy Communion at Mass 
because they are living in a situation that contradicts Church teaching? 
And very specifically, people who are divorced and have married again.

So let’s ask the question: 
why can’t some people receive communion at Mass? 
Why shouldn’t everyone come to communion whenever they wish?

The answer is found in what Saint Paul said. 
He explained that when we eat and drink 
the Body and Blood of the Lord, we must examine ourselves, 
to see if we are living as Jesus taught. 
If not, we have to repent and turn back to the Lord – 
which we do in the sacrament of confession. 

And Paul said something we cannot ignore: 
“whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily…
eats and drinks judgment on himself.” 

What Paul said applies to everyone, regarding all the commandments. 
If I am stealing at work, and I go to confession,
if I am not willing to change my ways, 
can the priest absolve me of my sins, 
when I admit that I’m going to continue stealing? 

The answer, of course, is no, he cannot. 
And the same is true if someone is violating any other commandment. 
We can always be forgiven, if we are willing to repent of the sin; 
and that means to turn from it.
Of course, there are special complications 
when we’re talking about a second marriage, we all understand that.

Nevertheless, what Jesus said about remarriage, 
in Matthew, chapter 19, could not be clearer. 
He said absolutely no to it.

Now, there’s a lot more that needs to be said, but time is limited. 

So all this is the focus, even as the Holy Father 
is trying to give attention to broader questions about the family. 
And now he issued a letter – which is lengthy, over 250 pages – 
that has a lot of things to say about God’s plan for the family, 
for marriage, for children, 
and about how important it is for the Church 
to help people prepare for marriage and to support them in marriage.

I haven’t had a chance to read the whole thing, 
but I’ve been looking through it. 
It has beautiful and powerful things to say. 
The pope could not be clearer when he reaffirms Church teaching – 
Jesus Christ’s own teachings, I might add! – 
when it comes to all these issues.

So keep that in mind when you hear various media reports.
Contrary to what you may hear, 
the pope has completely reaffirmed 
what we believe about marriage being permanent, 
and being always open to the gift of life. 
And he was completely clear about marriage being a man and a woman, 
and he explained why.

Of course, folks who have an agenda will ignore all this. 
They want to look for something new. 
And they think they found it, 
when the pope emphasizes compassion, and understanding, 
of accompanying people who aren’t where God wants them to be. 
These are good things to say, but they aren’t new. 
Pope John Paul said the same, and so have many before him. 

You’re going to see that some people are criticizing Pope Francis 
for being less clear than he might have been. 
They are saying that the pope may have given people some loopholes 
to ignore what the Church teaches. 
And already, there are “progressive” folks looking those loopholes. 
So it may be that the pope, or someone else, 
will have to come back and clarify some things.

This is a good time to explain, again, 
just what we believe about the pope. 
He has many titles, but the one that matters most – 
in terms of Scripture – is that he is the successor to Peter. 

In the Scriptures, we see how Peter was at his best and at his worst. 
In the Book of Acts, he could not be bolder 
or more solid in standing up for what is right. 

Meanwhile, in the Gospel, we see the uncertain side of Peter. 
This episode comes a few days after Jesus’ resurrection. 
Peter is fishing again. Is it because he’s hungry; 
or is it because – after denying the Lord – he’s going backward in his life? 

And then Jesus asks him, three times, “Do you love me?”
In the Greek, the word for love Jesus uses is much stronger 
than the word Peter uses in response. 
It is as if Jesus said, Peter, 
do you love me completely, unreservedly and totally? 
And Peter said, I love you in the usual sort of way. 
When Jesus asks the third time, 
he uses the same word Peter did. 
What does this mean? 
I think it means this: that Jesus knows Peter’s frailty, 
but that won’t stop him, the Lord, from building his Church on Peter.

This pope, any pope, is just as frail and limited as Peter was. 
What we believe is not that the pope is a kind of divine oracle, 
and every word he speaks will be divine. 

In the letter that Pope Francis issued, as good as it is, 
even he acknowledged that he was not attempting 
to do anything but reiterate the Church’s constant teaching, 
and to propose some ways to be more effective in our times. 

Is it possible the pope didn’t get it exactly right? Of course it is. 
We believe that God will protect the pope from teaching error. 
That doesn’t mean we believe God will ensure 
that every decision of the pope will be perfect.

The other thing it might be good to remember 
is that what has changed the world isn’t Peter by himself, 
or any of his successors – whether Sylvester, or Leo, or Gregory, 
or Boniface or Clement or Celestine or Adrian or Pius 
or John or John Paul or Francis. 

It is Christ who acts, Christ who reigns. 
That’s what the Book of Revelation was written to convey 
to early Christians who faced perils we cannot imagine. 

If you are troubled by our times – and they are troubling! – 
remember the Book of Revelation. 
It was written to reassure Christians in bad times.

Pray for the pope. Listen to the pope. 
Read what he said; I certainly shall. 
He is calling us to support people and help them 
find the purpose of their life in Jesus Christ. 
That sounds exactly right to me. 

Divine Mercy especially happens in confession (Sunday homily)

Today has become known as “Divine Mercy Sunday,” which is a recent tradition: 
it was only a few years ago that Pope Saint John Paul II gave it that name, 
inspired as he was by the message of Divine Mercy 
which Saint Faustina Kawalska received from Jesus himself in the 1920s and 30s.

And the thing that stands out from the Gospel, which connects to Divine Mercy, 
is what the Lord Jesus said to the Apostles about forgiving sins. 
This is an opportunity to go back and look at something 
in the Gospel we heard on Holy Thursday, that ties into this.

On Holy Thursday, the Gospel reading describes 
Jesus washing the feet of the apostles. 
And we know that on the same evening, he instituted the Holy Eucharist, 
and said to the Apostles, “Do this in memory of me.”

What you may not realize is the deeper meaning of Jesus washing their feet. 
And I want to say that some of the details I will share 
come from two Biblical scholars, John Bergsma and Brant Pitre. 

The foot washing is an echo of the ordination ritual 
which the priests of the Old Testament took part in; 
they were washed before they became priests, 
and they washed their hands and feet before they entered the sanctuary. 
Also on that same occasion, when Peter resisted having his feet washed, 
Jesus said, “you will have no part” or portion with me. 
This too harks back to what God said of the Levites, 
the priests of the Old Testament – 
that their “portion,” or inheritance, was the Lord himself.

So, understand that when Jesus was with the Apostles on Holy Thursday, 
this was – to use a modern term – their “ordination.” 
On that occasion, they became priests of Jesus Christ, his new priesthood.

Now we come back to today’s Gospel, which happens only three days later, 
in the same place, with all the same people, except for Judas the betrayer, 
and Thomas, who is absent. 
And Jesus “breathes on them,” 
and gives them the authority and power to forgive sins in his name. 
In other words, what we call the sacrament of reconciliation, or confession.

Now, the image of Jesus “breathing” on them is very vivid. 
And, honestly, it might seem a little odd. 
It may well have seemed so when it happened. 

It makes me think of when the Archbishop consecrates the sacred chrism 
during Holy Week, which is used for baptisms, confirmations and ordinations. 
There is a point when the bishop leans over the container of oil, and breathes on it.

It also recalls another moment, which happens at every Mass. 
When the priest is at the altar, and he takes the bread and the wine, 
what does he do?
He leans over, and speaks the words of Christ “to” the bread and the wine. 

All this recalls the Book of Genesis, 
when God created the world through the Spirit, 
by “speaking” it into existence: “Let there be light,” God said, and there was. 
But when Jesus breathes on the Apostles, this is not the beginning of Creation, 
but the beginning of the redemption of all Creation.

So let’s not underestimate the power at work in the sacrament of confession. 
When the priest is at the altar,
 and he speaks the words of Christ over the bread and wine, what happens? 
It becomes Jesus’ own Body and Blood. We kneel and we adore. 
We are filled with wonder and love, and we push all doubt out of our minds: 
yes, that truly is Jesus!

So what about when we hear the words of absolution, in confession? 
Sometimes people wonder, oh, were all my sins forgiven? 
Does God really forgive? 
You just heard the priest say it: ALL your sins are forgiven.* All of them! 
Why doubt that is true? 
To doubt that you are forgiven is like doubting that the Eucharist really is Jesus. 
It’s the same power, the same Lord.

Just as Jesus said to Thomas, he says to us: do not be unbelieving, but believe!

Now, what makes the sacrament of confession most effective is two things: 
First, we have to make frequent use of it. I think monthly is a good rule of thumb; 
but that’s a “rule of thumb.” It’s not my place to say anyone “must” go that often. 

That said, if you don’t see much fruit of the sacrament in your life, 
maybe take advantage of it more often.

And the second thing that makes this sacrament fruitful is a good follow up. 
I often say in the confessional that the best thing to do, after leaving, 
is to ask the Holy Spirit’s help in writing a spiritual to-do list. It’s not that hard. 
If we have been treating our family badly, or neglecting our spouse, 
or been lazy at work, 
or spending too much time with the wrong sorts of things on the Internet, 
or drinking too much—whatever it is, there’s your spiritual to-do list.

But when we have a very general resolution, 
have you noticed, nothing much comes of that? 
“Someday I’ll start getting up earlier.” It’ll never happen! 
We have to make very specific resolutions. “Tomorrow,” or, 
“Today, I’m going to stop cursing.”

In addition to a resolution, make a plan. If you’re going to go on a diet, 
you make a plan. If you’re going to learn Spanish, you make a plan.

If it’s too hard to get started – I know what that feels like! – 
then do what I’ve done many times over the years. 
Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the motivation. 
Just say, “Holy Spirit, help me to…” and fill in whatever it is. 
Pray that prayer every day, even several times a day. 
The Apostles needed Jesus to breathe the Holy Spirit on them, and so do we!

* OK, this is embarrassing...After the third time I delivered this homily, I realized I'd made a mistake. The words of absolution do not, actually, include the word "all," as in, "all your sins"! How could I make such a mistake? Because the "all" is clearly implied; and I have many, many times in confession made this very point. That said, in the last time I gave this homily, I had to clarify this, and I will do so in the parish bulletin.

Just one question... (Easter homily)

One question: Did Jesus rise from the dead? That’s all the matters.

If he did not – which is entirely reasonable – 
people do not rise from the dead, 
especially after such a violent death, and being sealed in a tomb …

…Then this is just a pleasant spring morning, 
and what are we doing here?

But what if Jesus really did rise from the dead?

Let me be as clear as possible.

I don’t mean, what if we Christians imagine he rose from the dead…
Or, what if we feel he rose “in our hearts”…
Or, he “rose spiritually” for believers.

No, I mean, his broken, dead body coming back to life. Reanimated.
He left that tomb under his own power. 
He appeared to many people – Saint Paul tells us, 
elsewhere in Scripture, 
that he appeared to at least 500 people at one time.

What if that happened? What then?

Perhaps you would like to know some details of what happened…

- Jesus certainly died. He took a horrible beating, 
and was nailed to the cross. 
The job of the Romans was to make sure he died. 
Who thinks they didn’t do their job well?

- He was buried in haste, because the Sabbath was about to begin. 
That means his grave was near the place of execution, 
which is what Scripture says. 

- People knew where the tomb was. 
The Romans knew, because Roman guards were placed there. 
The Jewish leaders who sought Jesus’ death knew – 
they asked for the Roman guard. 
And the disciples knew. Scripture tells us that Mary Magdalene, among others, 
was there when the tomb was sealed.

- When Peter and John came back very early on Sunday morning, 
they looked in, and saw no body, but they did see the cloths in which Jesus’ body was wrapped. What’s not entirely clear in the English translation, 
but what the Greek suggests, 
was that the cloths were in the exact position 
they’d been in when Jesus was laid on the stone. 
That is to say, the cloths themselves hadn’t moved; 
the body had simply left them! 
That’s what Peter and John and the others saw 
when they looked in the tomb.

- Sometimes people suppose the followers of Jesus 
were inclined to believe. But what do you think? 
If you believed he was the Messiah, the conquering king,
 and then he gets arrested, 
and executed in the most humiliating way possible, 
and then someone comes and tells you, oh, he’s alive, 
would you really be all that ready to believe such a story?

In any case, what the Gospels tell us is that they didn’t believe. 
Peter doubted. Thomas doubted. 
The two who were walking on the road to Emmaus doubted. 

What made them believe? Why should they have believed?

And even more confounding, why, would Peter, James, and John, 
the other James, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, 
Thomas, Matthew, Simon and Jude 
all spend the rest of their lives telling everyone 
Jesus rose from the dead – at the cost of everything they had, 
with all but one of them dying terrible deaths? 

Peter himself was crucified in Rome – 
we know this, because we have his bones, buried in Rome, 
under the Vatican, found again in the 1940s, 
precisely where ancient tradition said they were, 
they were found in Rome, 
and his bones had absolutely no reason being in Rome 
unless he went there to preach Jesus Christ.

Did Jesus rise from the dead?

What changes for you if he did?

The long road to the Covenant (Easter Vigil homily)

I want you to use your imagination. 
Imagine you were standing on a mountain. 
You got there by a very long journey. What an ordeal! 
Now you are catching your breath, and taking in the breathtaking view. 
Your gaze follows the slope of the mountain, 
down to the table-land below. 
Your eyes trace out the path you came, across valleys and rivers, 
until they spy out the far horizon, hazy in the distance.

And now, imagine that – in taking in this scene, 
you aren’t just looking at your own journey, 
but you are recalling a journey through time. 
And not just your own journey, but the journey of humanity; 
you are able to cast your gaze all the way back to man’s beginning.

You see, that’s what the readings tonight are helping us to do. 
Yes, these readings were an ordeal! 
Some parishes will cut out some of the readings, 
and try to make it “brief,” 
but that defeats the whole point of this Mass, 
which is unlike any other Mass all year long. 
This Mass is about the journey of man; 
or, more precisely, God’s journey with man, 
from the Creation to Redemption.

Two scholars I respect – Scott Hahn and John Bergsma – 
have aptly identified the theme that links all these passages, 
indeed, all the Old Testament, together: 
and that is the theme of covenant.

What is a covenant?
We can understand a covenant better 
when we contrast it with a contract. 
If you need someone to cut the grass, maybe you put out a sign, 
and a young person comes and knocks at your door, 
and you offer him the job. 
“Show up twice a week, here’s the mower, and I’ll pay you each week.”
If that college kid gets a better job, he’ll quit; 
and if he doesn’t show up reliably, you’ll let him go. 
That’s how a contract works.

But with a covenant, there’s no “quitting” or being fired. 
A covenant is forever. 

And a covenant is total. 
With a contract, all that student owes you 
is a few hours a week of work; the rest of the time is his own.
All you owe is the money you promised, and nothing more.

But with a covenant, each gives all to the other. 
Employment isn’t a covenant, but family is; and so is marriage. 
I belong to you, you belong to me, all in all, 
and we belong to each other forever. That’s a covenant.

And the first covenant began with creation. 
As Pope Benedict pointed out, 
the climax of Creation is the Sabbath;
later in the Book of Exodus, we read, 
“the Israelites [shall] observe the Sabbath 
throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant” (31:16-17). 

Also, notice God makes man in his “image” and likeness.” 
What does this sound like? 
It doesn’t sound like employer-to-employee, 
or even Creator to creature. But it does sound like father to child. 
Family. Family is a covenant.
After this we have the story of Abraham and Isaac, 
foreshadowing the Cross. 
Then the exodus from Egypt, 
which is also about the rejection of the false gods of Egypt, 
passing through the waters of the Red Sea to communion with God at Mount Sinai – 
another covenant.

And did you notice? We also heard Isaiah prophesy this:

All you who are thirsty, come to the water!
You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat…
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.

Why is God talking about food? 
What does that have to do with covenant? 
Notice he says, “I will renew with you the everlasting covenant…” 
What could he mean? Stay tuned…

As I said at the outset, 
we’re retracing our steps along a long, winding path. 
That path winds its way upward, up a hill – to Calvary. To Good Friday.

But the story of salvation doesn’t just lead from Creation to the Cross; 
it leads all the way to us. It leads to our own baptism, 
when we passed through the waters 
and were adopted as God’s children. 
To our confirmation, when we received the Holy Spirit 
promised by Ezekiel; 
and to the new and everlasting covenant, 
which we share in the grain that becomes the Body of Christ, 
the wine that becomes his true Blood. “Rich fare” indeed!

See that? The story of salvation leads right to this place, 
to this altar, to tonight!

This Mass tonight is not like any other Mass we celebrate. 
It is the culmination of this Holy Week, 
and the Holy Three Nights we’ve kept together. 
Thursday night when Jesus began his Passover, 
offering himself as the Lamb on the cross 
the next evening, Good Friday.

And there was a detail I meant to mention yesterday. 
Do you know that when Jesus died on the Cross, 
the evening sacrifice was taking place in the Temple? 
And do you know what they were praying for? 
We actually have some idea about this from ancient writings. 
Among the things they prayed for were:

- Redemption
- Forgiveness of Sins
- The coming of the Messiah, and
- The resurrection from the dead

And that brings us to this night. 
All the promises made, all the sacrifices offered; 
all the repentance and all the hope, 
all mean nothing if that tomb is not empty!

I began by proposing we are on a journey, 
but of course that journey does not end on this night. 
The empty tomb, the Risen Lamb, the Risen Lord, leads us on. 
He will lead us to the Father. That was the promise at the beginning.

That was what Adam lost, and which the New Adam brought back to us.
Humanity wandered a long way from the Garden to the Cross.

You and I have spent 40 days of penance and sacrifice. 
Tonight we return to the font and source of our Faith, 
which is Jesus, the slain Lamb, the victorious Lamb, 
who conquered death and hell 
and returned from the dead to lead us on. 
Tonight ends our mourning and begins our rejoicing. 

We are not at heaven yet, but this night, this Easter, 
and this Holy Mass is our taste of heaven. 
God has created us, claimed us, redeemed us, and called us. 
We’re headed home!

This is our Passover (Holy Thursday homily)

It’s important to peel back the centuries of our own tradition 
to reveal what lies at the root of what we do tonight.

The first reading describes the Passover, 
celebrated by the Jewish People. 
It speaks of the “the fourteenth day of the month” – 
that is, fourteen days after a new moon, which means, a full moon. 
Did you see what is overhead? A full moon.

The lamb was one year old and “without blemish”; 
and notice, the lamb was obtained several days before, 
and lived with the family until the day of sacrifice? 
Why is this important? 
Because it symbolized the lamb being part of the household. 

Then, with the whole assembly present, the lamb was slaughtered. 
Elsewhere in Scripture, it makes clear, not a bone is to be broken.

The blood of the lamb is then spread over the doorposts, 
to symbolize protection from divine judgment. 
Scripture scholar Brant Pitre – 
whose work I draw on for these details – 
points out that when the blood was spread on the doorposts, 
it would stain the wood, providing a permanent sign.

And then, finally, the flesh of the lamb was eaten. 
This completed the sacrifice.

At the same meal, there were “bitter herbs” recalling slavery in Egypt, 
and unleavened bread and wine.

On Sunday, we recalled how Jesus entered Jerusalem, 
along with probably a million other faithful to keep the Passover. 
The ancient Jewish historian, Josephus, 
says there may have been as many as two million. 
With such numbers, that means quite a lot of lambs were sacrificed: 
perhaps two hundred thousand or more. 

History records that 
all the thousands of priests of Israel were present, 
and they had a well-practiced system of doing this. 
Without being too graphic, just stop and realize: 
there would have been a lot of blood. 
It would have been powerfully present.

Now, I want to compare all that with what happened 
when Jesus gathered with his apostles. 
In all that Jesus said and did at the supper, 
he never mentions the lamb. 
Instead, he takes the bread, and says, 
“this is my body, given up for you.” 

If you were listening closely to the Passion of Luke on Sunday, 
you heard mention of Jesus taking a cup of wine not once, but twice. 
In fact, in the Passover meal, there were four cups of wine shared.

The first cup that was prepared: I say, “prepared,” 
because it was mixed with water. Does that ring a bell? 
Watch what I do at the altar in a few minutes. 
This was called the “cup of sanctification,” 
and the father began the meal with a prayer, over this cup, 
and the food is brought to the table.

The second was the cup of “proclamation” – it was prepared, 
but not drunk right away; because then the account 
of what God did for his people in Egypt, in the exodus, was recounted, 
and the father would explain the meaning of what they did. 
And isn’t that what I’m doing now?

After this, the meal would be eaten. 
And then when the meal was finished, the father would share the “cup of blessing.” 
Then those present would sing several psalms, 
and then the Passover was concluded with the fourth cup, 
called the “cup of praise,” and it completed the sacrificial meal.

If you noticed what Paul just told us, 
Jesus took the cup “after supper” – 
meaning, this was the third cup. 
Which raises a question that scholars wrestle with:  
what about the fourth and final cup?

Well, if you are here tomorrow, Good Friday, 
you will hear these words in the Passion we will all read together:

After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

I want you to notice that tonight, we will not finish this Mass. 
There will be no final blessing. 
We will go on a procession – recalling Jesus and the Apostles leaving the Upper Room, 
and going to the Garden of Gethsemane. 
In turns, we will keep watch with the Lord all night. 
Tomorrow, we will recall how the Lamb of God was slain.

Oh, I meant to give you one more detail. 
In Jesus’ time, when the lamb was prepared for the meal, 
in order to roast it, do you know how they did it? 
They took two skewers, made of wood. 
One was speared through the torso, from head to tail. 
The other was speared through both shoulders. A cross.

Tomorrow we will worship the Cross on which our Savior, 
our Lamb of God, was slain. This is our Passover. It begins tonight. 

Entering the Holy of Holies of our Faith (Palm Sunday homily)

With the long readings for Palm Sunday,
it behooves me to keep my homily brief. 
So, I will just point out a few details.

Let’s begin with the entrance into Jerusalem. 
First, you should know that huge numbers of people 
were present for the Passover. At least a million people! 
And second, because this was a sacred pilgrimage, 
it was a strong tradition 
that you did not approach the city except on foot. 

Add to that, the Prophet Zechariah had described 
the Messiah entering Jerusalem on a donkey.
So what Jesus did wasn’t just a curiosity; 
it would have caused tremendous excitement. 
It would have turned the city upside down.

Next, notice that the passage from Isaiah, 
and the psalm we prayed, are also prophecies. 
You do realize that what we heard from Isaiah 
was written probably 600 or so years before Jesus was born? 
And the words from the psalm might be from a thousand years before? 
Just stop and think about that. 
The details of Jesus’ life, his miracles, and his suffering and death, 
were all foretold centuries before!

I want to share something from Scripture scholar John Bergsma
about what we heard from Saint Paul. 
He says that “St. Paul probably has in mind here 
the ancient ritual of the Day of Atonement,” or Yom Kippur. 

And what happened was that, like the Passover, 
huge numbers of worshippers would be gathered in Jerusalem. 
The High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies 
and make atonement for the nation. 
And when he exited, he would give a blessing; 
and in that blessing, he would do what otherwise no Jew would ever do: 
he would pronounce the Divine Name of God over all the people. 
And when he did that, the entire assembly, as one man, 
would fall to their faces to hear the Name of God.

For us, that is the name of Jesus! 
And notice what we did a moment ago, 
as we heard the account of Jesus’s death: we fell to our knees.

This week, and especially the Three Nights 
of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, 
are the Holy of Holies for us. 
Let us pray for one another, 
especially for those who may need a boost of faith, during this week. 

And never forget what happened for the criminal beside Jesus: 
all he had to do was ask for mercy, and Jesus said, 
“This day you will be with me in Paradise”! 
Jesus is always ready to give complete mercy and restoration 
to anyone. All we have to do is ask!

Confession is necessary if we want the Promised Land (Sunday homily)

Maybe you’re wondering just why the first reading was included – 
what it means for us. 

The point of the first reading is that it is about us, and our journey. 
We are the people who are wandering in the wilderness. 
God wants to bring us to the Promised Land of heaven. 
Those who cooperate with his grace will get there. 
Those who are stiff-necked and hard-hearted and stubborn 
are those who fell along the way. 

As we make our way, we are sustained by the sacraments, 
like the Manna; in heaven, we will have God himself.

When the Children of Israel were in the desert,
God kept confronting them about being stiff-necked and stubborn. 
Am I stiff-necked? Are you? 
It occurred to me that the real problem 
isn’t the stubbornness I know about; it’s the things I don’t even see! 

Do we want to get to the Promised Land? 
Will we do anything to get there? Will we sacrifice? 
Will we change our lives? 
Will we let go of anything that holds us back?

This is why frequent confession is so critical. 
Because we don’t see what we need to see right away; 
we don’t recognize what we need to let go of all at once. 
And when we do see it, 
it can take awhile before we finally peel each finger away and let it go. 
Change comes slowly.

Father Amberger, from time to time, 
would take homily time to review the examination of conscience. 
That’s what I’m going to do today. 
You can take out the books with the readings – 
the booklet is in the back – and follow along, beginning on page 29. 
I will be delicate about certain matters; 
there are some grown-up words in this examination. 

Father Amberger also created these purple booklets; 
many of you have it. 
There are some in the front entrance, near the baptismal font, 
and some at the side entrance. 
This is very good at answering all the questions you may have.

Let me talk about mortal and venial sins. 
It’s a good idea to bring all sins to confession, 
but we must bring mortal sins. 
“Mortal” means they deal a deadly blow to our relationship with God. 
It’s a lot like a couple, or a friendship. 
There are little annoyances and slights that don’t help, 
but they don’t wreck the relationship. 

But some things we say or do can’t be overlooked. 
And they have to be spoken out loud, and repented of, 
before restoration takes place. 
The prodigal son understood that; and the Father, did too. 
So when we confess mortal sins, 
we also specify the number as best we can. 
That’s part of being truly honest with God and ourselves.

The First Commandment is God comes first. 
There are lots of ways we treat other things 
as more important than God, such as work or the cares of the world. 

When we openly and explicitly deny a teaching of the Church, 
doing so is a mortal sin; as is any false worship, 
which is what the occult and fortune telling and astrology are. 
Receiving holy communion while in a state of mortal sin 
is itself a mortal sin. 
Lying or concealing mortal sins in confession is a mortal sin.

The second commandment: not taking God’s name in vain. 
This sin becomes mortal when the harm we cause is grave: 
when our insult to God or what is sacred is deliberate. 

The third commandment is about the Lord’s Day. 
Missing Mass for no good reason – 
let me say that again, for no good reason – is a mortal sin. 
Some people misunderstand this. 
If you are sick or don’t have a ride or the weather is bad 
or you have someone at home to care for: these are good reasons. 
That said, it is disrespectful of Mass to leave early, 
again, without a good reason. 
And one way we trust our Father, rather than disdain him, 
is by setting aside Sunday as a day of rest and spiritual renewal – 
trusting that the other six days will be enough for what we need to do.

The fourth commandment is about respect, humility and gratitude. 
If you have trouble obeying your parents, 
or doing your part to help the family, ask yourself: 
what are you grateful for regarding your family? 
The flaws and failures of our family are easy to see.
Our own? Not so much! 

The fifth commandment: you shall not kill. 
Obviously this is about destroying human life – including in the womb. 
It also includes when we injure other people. 
These become mortal sins when the injury is serious. 
But don’t forget the way we hate and “kill” each other 
with words and in our hearts. God sees these, too. 

The sixth commandment is about honoring marriage. 
Sex is for husbands and wives; that’s where it belongs. 
Not because it’s bad, but because it’s so good and sacred. 
Before marriage? No. Outside marriage? No. Alone? No. 
With the lifegiving part deliberately left out? No. 
Seeking to create life in a laboratory, rather than in an act of love? No. 
Pictures I won’t describe or the wrong sort of entertainment? No. 
All these are mortal sins because they do grave harm. 

The seventh commandment: you shall not steal. 
Not paying our taxes – no, I don’t like it either – is stealing. 
Not paying employees a fair wage – 
and I think that includes tipping waiters and waitresses, 
because that’s part of their wage – is a sin. 
Not doing our own work is stealing. 
So is destroying someone’s property. 
Neglecting to help the needy is stealing from the poor. 
When what we steal is a significant amount, that makes it a mortal sin.

The eighth commandment: you shall not lie. 
Anytime we misuse our words and harm others – 
even with the truth, if we didn’t have a good reason – that is a sin. 
If the harm is great, that’s a mortal sin.

The ninth and tenth commandments are about coveting – 
which means they are about being content with what we have. 
This was the sin that led the prodigal son away from his Father.
And one way to combat this sin – which is also the sin of envy – 
is to remind ourselves of what we have, instead of what we lack. 

Sometimes it seems so hard to go to confession, but it really is easy. 
You don’t have to come to me, if that’s an issue; 
you can go to any priest. Remember you can go anonymously. 

The prodigal son took a long time to come to his senses. 
And, I suspect, as he trudged home, 
he reproached himself over and over; 
he worried about what Father would say, 
and how bad it might be. 
Maybe even he thought about turning around.

But he did come home – 
and his Father caught sight of him “a long way off.” 
God sees us a long way off – and rushes to embrace us. 
When God’s mercy surrounds us – that’s what happens in confession – 
that is a taste of the Promised Land.