'You are there' (Holy Thursday homily)

 A few years ago, I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land,

And I had the awesome privilege of walking the streets of Jerusalem 

along the real, original Way of the Cross;

And I was able to be at the place of the Last Supper, 

and the Garden of Gethsemane and Golgotha, and the empty tomb.

I was with other priests, and we had Mass – at Calvary! Right there!

Now, because it is God’s work and not merely a human work,

The Mass is the Mass is the Mass, wherever and whenever.

Every single Mass brings us to Calvary – every single one.

Nevertheless, when you and I come to this evening, this time of year, 

if we realize what we’re doing, there is something electric about it.

All of Lent has been a journey to this moment. 

We have prayed, fasted and shared our blessings with others, 

so that we, like the Apostles, 

can prepare to celebrate the Passover with the Lord.

Normally the Passover was celebrated as a family event; 

instead, Jesus was keeping the Passover with these chosen men. 

No one else was present.

The Passover, remember, was first celebrated in Egypt.

God’s People were slaves; and on the night of the Passover, 

God executed judgment against Egypt, and Israel left in haste.

But in order to understand fully the Sacrifice of the Mass, 

it helps to recall what happens when God brings his People to Mt. Sinai.

There, God instructs Moses not only in the Ten Commandments, 

but also in all the details of how they are to worship God; 

how the place of worship is to be arranged,

how the altar is to be constructed, 

and how the sacrifices are to be offered.

After all this, Moses leads the elders of Israel up Sinai, 

to ratify the covenant. And the Scripture says, 

“They saw God, and they ate and drank” the sacrifice.

Think about that in relation to the Last Supper – and the Mass:

“They saw God and they ate and drank.”

Did you ever wonder why the altar is traditionally elevated?

As at Sinai, we go up to see God.

In a few minutes, I will go up this altar, and as your priest – 

on your behalf – I will address our 

“Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God” – the God of Sinai.

And when we sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” 

we are joining host of angels adoring Almighty God!

The same angels who saw Calvary happen with amazement.

When some of us were kids, there was a TV show, 

“You are there,” and it took you back to some moment in the past.

But this is way beyond any TV show.

You and I, brothers and sisters, we are there!

At Calvary, and also, in heaven – all at once.

So before offering the sacrifice, the priest acknowledges 

the Virgin Mary, the Queen Mother.

Traditionally, the priest bows his head to the left toward Mary; 

and then forward, toward Christ. 

The priest then says, “Graciously accept this oblation” –

 what is an oblation? 

An oblation is an offering of food and wine, from the people to God.

It stands for you. You, and your prayers, works, joys and sufferings, 

go to the altar in that bread and wine.

The priest extends his hands like this. 

That is meant to suggest a dove – that is, the Holy Spirit.

In the Old Testament, God’s Fire would come down upon the sacrifice. 

On the Day of Pentecost, God’s Fire came down upon the Church.

In the Mass, it is the Holy Spirit that makes our human offerings

“become for us the Body and Blood of [the] beloved Son, Jesus Christ.”

The priest then recalls the words of Jesus at the Last Supper.

And what becomes so clear when the priest and the people 

face the same way, 

is that every word of this prayer is addressed to God.

Yes, at the Last Supper, Jesus spoke these words to the Apostles.

But the next day, on the Cross, 

he actually offers his Body and Blood to the Father. 

His Body is broken; his blood is poured out.

 

At the Last Supper, Jesus’ disciples would not have been surprised 

had the Lord pointed to the body of the lamb – on the table – 

to talk about covenant and sacrifice.

But then Jesus took up, not the flesh of the lamb,

But rather, the bread and the wine, and said:

This is my Body, given for you, this is my Blood, 

of the new and eternal covenant – eat and drink!

This was new. No one had ever done that before.

Then on Calvary, on the Cross, he completes the sacrifice.

He takes a last sip of wine, offered on a sponge and says, “

It is finished.”

And after the Resurrection, he showed himself alive,

that’s when the Apostles understood; and our Holy Mass is the result.

We do this sacrifice, as he commanded, in memory of Him.

Notice the priest lifts up the Body, and then the Blood.

While this allows you to adore the Lord, that is not the primary reason.

Rather, the Body and Blood are lifted up to the Father.

This is a Sacrifice: Christ offered himself to the Father.

The priest offers Christ – and us – to the Father.

Also, the separation of body and blood – recalls his death.

When the priest later puts a part of the Sacred Host into the chalice,

That signifies Christ’s Body and Blood being “together” – 

pointing to his Resurrection.

There’s one more detail worth reflecting on.

When this happens, the priest sings, “Mystery of Faith.”

The origin of this part of the prayer is unclear, but – 

It’s kind of like a big, flashing sign that says,

“This, this – right here, this! This is the moment!

This is the mystery; this is pulsing heart of the whole thing!”

After this the priest begs the Father 

to accept this “pure victim, this holy victim.”

Of course the Father will accept this Sacrifice; 

and yet this summarizes the whole drama of salvation.

Without Jesus, none of us can be saved. 

Everything in the Old Testament led to this.

This moment – I mean, tonight; and I mean, the Mass; 

and, the moment when Jesus once offered himself;

and, that moment is made present for us here at this Mass –

This moment is the pivot point of all history.

There are so many people who long to be here, but cannot;

Many watch over the Internet.

How sad that there are others who don’t realize what the Mass is.

Tonight, you and I are there in Jerusalem.

We are there at the Cross.

The Blood of the Lamb protects us. 

The flesh of the Lamb is our salvation.

Make the most of Holy Week (Palm Sunday homily)

 Listening to the Gospel we heard--the heart of our Faith --

Makes me fall silent. Maybe you, too.

That’s why we do this every single year.

If you’ve come this far in Lent, 

it maybe you feel you missed the boat.

You can still make Holy Week your Lent.

If you ever said, I wish I knew my Faith better, 

may I suggest that taking time during Holy Week, 

to come on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil,

will do a lot to help you go deeper into our Faith:

Because this week is the heart of our Faith.

If you are worried about a crowd, Holy Thursday, 

Good Friday and the Easter Vigil, plus two Easter Day Masses 

will be livestreamed on the Internet.

If you wish you’d gone to confession—it’s not too late. 

I’ll hear confessions Tuesday, Wednesday, 

Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

Come Thursday evening; as usual, church will be open all night.

Pray with him that night before his agony.

Keep watch with him in the Garden.

Come Friday to pray at the Cross. 

Come to the Vigil Saturday night 

when the Light of Christ conquered the darkness.

This is his week; it’s our week.

It’s about what we did to the Lord; 

even more, what he did for us.

Deathly 'life' or real life? (Sunday homily)

 One of the striking things you surely noticed 

coming into church this morning is that the statues are all covered. 

You may wonder why.

It’s part of the fasting of Lent. 

We don’t just fast from food; there are no flowers on the altar;

the music is simpler. As we go along, we leave more and more behind.

It’s also a kind of dying. 

Little by little, shedding more and more, 

until we are alone, as it were, with Jesus, in his suffering and dying. 

Why do we talk about death like this? 

Why do we keep an image of Jesus, dying on the cross, in front of us? 

Why do we Christians do this?

Let’s remember that death came into the world 

because of human rebellion against God.

That rebellion, however, doesn’t mean living without God; 

it means replacing the God who actually made us,

with the god of my own will, my own desires, making myself god. 

By the way, you know how so many people like to say things like,

believe what you want, God can be anything, it’s all good?

God is whoever you want him to be – that’s the sentiment, right?

The trouble with this idea is that

it means not a world centered on one God,

but a world of seven billion or so gods – one for each of us;

and what do you think that world looks like?

That’s a world of greed, injustice, murder and indifference. 

And that kind of so-called “living” – Jesus came to tell us – 

is a shadow experience of life; a kind of “deathly” living.

Whereas Jesus came to give us true life; the fullness of life.

And to have that fullness of life, 

you and I must die to what this world thinks is life. 

This is where God’s mercy is at work.

As you and I get a little older, our eyes aren’t so good, 

our hearing fades, our body doesn’t do all it used to…

this experience has a way of humbling us, and teaching us: 

you really aren’t God, you know that? 

And if we listen, and accept the lesson, we grow wise. 

And we are reminded: this life isn’t my destination; 

I’m on the way to something bigger and better. 

It is in letting go of this world that we gain the world to come.

This might be a good exercise for each of us: 

to look ourselves in the mirror, and ask the question: 

“Who is God?” And then tell ourselves: “Not you.”

Next week is Palm Sunday and then Holy Week:

if the Cross is the most important thing that ever happened, 

then Holy Week recalls the most important week in history.

We’ll have all our normal activities this year!

Make the most of it.

If you need to go to confession, but have been procrastinating, 

there are plenty of opportunities over the next two weeks. 

During Holy Week there will be many extra hours for confession. 

Do I live for me, for here, for this? Or do I want to live forever?

For America, for you and me, there is no remedy but Jesus Christ! (Sunday homily)

 For the last ten minutes or so, realize what you heard:

God has been pleading with you, begging you:

Come to me, trust me, give your heart to me!

Because that invitation was refused so many times, 

that is why we heard in the first reading the saddest possible words: 

“there was no remedy.”

If you were listening closely, you heard reference to ignored sabbaths: 

why did that figure so prominently here?

Here is why the sabbath was so important, 

and why ignoring the sabbath was such an offense to God:

the sabbath rest was given as a sign of God’s covenant with his people.

It recalled two things: the day God completed Creation;

And the day God rescued his People from slavery to Pharaoh.

Keeping the sabbath – keeping the Lord’s Day –

serves to force you and me to hit the pause button 

from all but the most essential work, and resting.

It brings us back to a place of quiet,

where you and I tune out the noise and we are alone in silence

before God our Creator and our final hope,

and we stop and remember: I am not in charge!

I did not create myself; I cannot save myself;

everything I have, and everything I hope for, comes from God.

And if you think I’m overstating matters, 

just stop and think about the state of our country. 

Whether you look at the frightening mountains of debt being piled up, 

or the arrogance of politicians and scientists and business owners 

as they manipulate human life as a commodity;

as we do business with China and other countries,

where modern-day Pharaohs enslave millions to make our products;

or we ignore God’s design for the human family 

and say, no, we like our own designs far better!

Congress is considering a law – the so-called Equality Act –

that would enshrine disordered attractions as normal.

Lest there be any doubt about its intent, this proposed law 

specifically repeals religious liberty protections 

to make sure you and I are punished if we don’t obey and agree.

During the debate, a member of Congress said, 

this is contrary to God’s will.

Another Congressman – on the winning said – declared, and I quote:

“God’s will is no concern of this Congress.”

So I’m going to be a prophet right now:

the one thing that will destroy our country is this mindset:

To set our faces against heaven and say, our will, not his, be done!

But we didn’t get where we are all at once.

This happens gradually: as nation, or to each of us individually.

If you own a car, you figure something out my father taught me  

about the value of boring preventive maintenance; 

checking tires and changing the oil.

You can skip these things and get away with it – for a while.

But long enough, and there will be no remedy.

Of course, if it’s only about a car, not so important.

But about a relationship? A nation? Our eternal salvation?

So back to where I started: God has tried, again and again, 

to invite you and me, each and every one of us, 

into an eternal relationship.

It’s why Jesus came: to give that invitation, in person.

It’s why he spent all his time with the Apostles, 

so that they would experience that sabbath rest with him –

not merely know things about Jesus, but to KNOW HIM –

to be lit on fire by the Holy Spirit, 

so much so that left all to follow him,

and they gave all after that to spread that Fire.

And that’s why each of us is here.

That fire of faith has been passed down and now it’s yours.

But just like the folks in the first reading, it’s always possible to say, 

that’s nice, but not now. Soon. Later. Some day. Too late! 

Don’t wait to ask Jesus to bring his light into your heart.

To cast out the sins and cynicism that have slowly darkened things.

A lot of people will wait – till the very last minute – to go to confession.

I’ll be very glad to hear confessions all during Holy Week;

but let me tell you, when the lines are long, I end up rushing.

There’s a part of us that likes that: that says,

I want to get in and out of the confessional as fast as possible.

But this, too, is a kind of sabbath-rest; time not so much with me,

but with Jesus, our God, our Creator, our Savior.

This is why I encourage you to make frequent use of confession, 

because that habit, over time, changes us.

This time of Lent leading into Holy Week is also a kind of Sabbath. 

It can be all, “blah-blah, I’ve heard it all before, let’s get through it”; 

or, you and I can hit the pause button, and listen, and remember:

I am not in charge. I cannot save myself.

All that I have and all that I am comes from God.

He is my only hope. 

No more 'private' Masses at St. Peter's Basilica? Say it ain't so!

 This morning I was shocked to see this headline at the National Catholic Register (the good one):

Vatican Prohibits Priests From Celebrating Private Daily Masses At St. Peter’s Side Altars

Four times I have visited Rome, three as a priest; and of course you always want to visit St. Peter's Basilica. Most of the time, it is crowded, although the sacristans and security personnel and other standers-arounders do try to keep things reverent. Some measure of modest clothing is expected, and if things become too noisy, someone can be heard intoning, "silencio!" There is a dedicated chapel for the Holy Eucharist that is very well protected from gawkers, but if you indicate you wish to pray, a heavy curtain is pulled aside and you will find a quiet, restful place despite the milling about in the colossal nave. Sadly, more recent security needs (I am recalling from my last two trip, 3-4 and 8 years ago) have made simply entering the Basilica tremendously onerous because if terribly long lines.

On the other hand, for those prepared to rise early, you can have a wonderful experience of the Basilica -- that is, of offering and perhaps attending Mass on one of the many side altars in the church, either on the main level, or the lower level. There was no great difficulty arranging to be given some side altar -- that is, if you weren't picky -- on any given day; and you reported to the sacristy, where lots of other priests were preparing for Mass, and then a young altar server would escort you to your designated altar. As I recall, the priest carried the chalice -- veiled -- and the server carried the water and wine. You asked for a Missal and lectionary in one of several languages; English was one that was available; and someone brought that along as well. (This system prevails in Washington, D.C., at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, although there's no altar server; you and any travel companions have to manage all the set up and clean up yourself.) And there, at the altar, a priest alone or with other priests, or with a group of laypeople, could offer a quiet Mass. And as you were led to "your" altar, you could see lots of priests, with or without groups, all along the walls at other altars, and a low mutter of prayer surrounded you.

It's not exactly clear from the article whether this ban on "private Masses" applies only to those offered by a solitary priest, without anyone else, or also to those who wish to bring a group along. I'm against both changes, but the latter would be truly shocking.

Why make this change? Covid can hardly be the reason: how does a priest offering Mass all by himself  threaten public health -- as opposed to...wait for it: "concelebration"?

I have my suspicions, but since I know little, I will not ascribe motives. I will simply offer several possibilities:

- Is it because of security? This Basilica is one of the most visible and visited Christian sites in the world, and keeping things calm and safe must be a tremendous headache, all before we add the fact that the Successor of Saint Peter and the College of Cardinals frequent this church more than any other. I can imagine someone trying to trim down the coming and going...Except, they aren't saying these priests can't visit; can't come to Mass; rather, they are shunting them from these quiet, early hours to later, more crowded times. Hmm, hard to see how that helps secure the basilica, but perhaps I am missing something?

- Is it because of budget cuts? Is it because there's just too much coming and going? As I mentioned, St. Peter's gets a LOT of traffic, and I can sympathize with some in the Holy See saying, "look, we're not stopping people from visiting, but things are out of hand. And, we're running big deficits" (which is true). Could be, but I'm a little skeptical.

- Is it because of someone's liturgical notions? There is a very loud, pseudo-scholarly argument that a priest offering Mass "all by himself" is bad and should be given very little tolerance: the so-called "private Mass." That a priest ought always to offer Mass with others; hence concelebration ought to be favored over a priest offering Mass "privately." And the article suggests this indeed may be a reason for the change, if not the reason. This is why I'm frustrated the article doesn't clarify whether this ban applies to a group of priests, or to a priest accompanying a group of laity -- but my hunch is that the latter two situations are still allowed, and that will support this thesis.

It is not true that a priest is not allowed, or "not supposed to" offer Mass privately. Check me out: Canon Law says he may do so for a "just" cause, which in church-law language is not a tremendously high bar. What might these just causes be? He's sick. He's on a day of rest. He's traveling. He's visiting a place of pilgrimage. Or, how about: there's a pandemic, and public authorities and ecclesial authorities have barred celebrations of the Mass with the people? Sounds cray-cray, but...it could happen!

What is behind this anti-"private Mass" mindset is a legitimate insight: that the Mass, the sacraments, and all the sacred actions of the Body of Christ are for God's People, and so having the Mass, and celebrating the sacraments, praying the Divine Office, and any other blessings and rituals of the Church, are public and should welcome the participation of the faithful. So, it's often that people want me to bless things: it seems better, doesn't it, that they be present when I bless them; and even if those particular people can't be there, doesn't it seem fitting that someone else be present? Sure! 

But what has happened in recent decades is that someone latches onto such admirable insights, which can be found in various documents issuing from (or after) the Second Vatican Council (ooh, you just knew this was going to come up, didn't you?), and then makes that insight a kind of liturgical North Star around which everything must be organized. 

This can become a kind of mania. Because there is a passage somewhere in Vatican II-related documents about preferring the faithful receiving the Eucharist from the Sacrifice offered in their presence, you have priests who think it's a sin -- and contrary to law -- to distribute the Eucharist from the tabernacle (in fact this practice is neither sinful nor contra lege); I know one such priest who would count out an exact number of hosts for each Mass, and then if he overcounted, he would -- in front of the faithful -- cram the remaining hosts into his mouth, rather than open the tabernacle and repose them there. 

So, of course it's generally preferable for a priest to offer Holy Mass with others. But back to some of the reasons a priest might offer Mass "privately." A priest is traveling, and he makes a trip around an area where there are many beautiful churches containing relics or shrines he longs to visit. His visits will spread throughout the day, naturally. He may not speak the local language; do you really think he should concelebrate in a language he knows nothing of? (Good luck persuading anyone to use Latin!) The local parish may be tremendously accommodating; but such a visit may also be disruptive. And -- to say out loud what we all know -- the observance of liturgical norms in this particular place may be rather...relaxed. 

And for that matter, for whatever reason, the visiting priest's arrival doesn't coincide with any scheduled Mass. What then? Shall he then ask the sacristan to ring up a gaggle of the faithful so that there is not inflicted on the Body of Christ, the horror of a (shudder!) "private" Mass? It doesn't happen often in a rural parish, but occasionally, I will have a priest call, or even knock on my door, asking: do you mind if I offer Mass today? And if I know -- or can establish -- that this is a priest in good standing, and there's no great difficulty, of course I let him do so. There are priests I know who will stop in periodically, so I just give them the keys, because they know where everything is and I trust them to take care of things.

Now, if you've paid attention, you've noticed me repeatedly put "private" in quotes in reference to Mass; because while there's a valid point here, that a priest is offering Mass in a less-public way than is customary, nevertheless, it remains the case that no Mass is ever actually private. No priest is ever offering Holy Mass "alone." There are always members of the Body of Christ present at all Masses -- right? And every Mass, offered anywhere, is always benefiting the entire Body of Christ. So can we just stop getting fussy about a priest who now and then wants to offer Mass very quietly, while he's on vacation, or on his day of rest?

"But what about concelebration?" I am not as much a foe of concelebration as some priests I know and respect, but they have a point that needs to heard: concelebrating Mass is not the same as being the celebrant of Mass, as can be seen very clearly if you take a good, hard look. And, whatever its antecedents in other branches of the Catholic Church, or in the far past of the Latin Rite, it remains true that in our Roman branch, if it existed prior to 1970 at all, it has been gone for a very, very, very long time. Such a change isn't a minor thing, and it isn't at all clear it's an entirely good change. There is something very good about a central focus at Mass -- so liturgists tell us! -- such that it's best to have but one altar; and to have but one chalice, and to have but one paten filled with bread to be consecrated. So what about having one celebrant in persona Christi capitis, as opposed to a liturgical seven-headed hydra?

Now, I think IF the concelebration is done just right...

Meaning, the added priests are vested really well, and don't mill about and get in each other's way, or act all chummy like they are at a party, but instead each and every one knows what he is supposed to do; and if they are all facing the same way -- as each other and everyone else, rather than facing the faithful and each other as if across a buffet table -- and the overall liturgy is itself conducted with dignity and decorum...

Or, if the added priest is but one, or maybe two -- as opposed to a busload...

And this happens only occasionally...

Well then, that sort of concelebration can be edifying.

But we all know that's not what happens, no matter how good the intentions of all concerned.

The reactions of the faithful -- who don't waste their time becoming learned in the arcanities of liturgists -- tell the tale. When concelebration happens, their descriptions don't reflect the expectation of one, ONE celebrant. No, the ever-observant faithful speak frankly of multiple celebrants. They know what they see. The following statement is simply true: without invalidating the Mass, or being illicit, the regular inclusion of concelebrants changes the Mass for all concerned in some significant ways. Are these changes good or bad? Wouldn't that be important to know?

So, back to St. Peter's Basilica. I don't know what's going on. I don't like this news, but it may end up being less of a change than it seems in practice -- i.e., there may soon appear more and more "exceptions" or else, a priest may be allowed to offer Mass as long as someone else is there to chaperone him. And in any case, I am extremely confident that this new restriction will not spread very successfully. You can be in a church a mile or two from the Vatican geographically, but experientially, you might as well be 10,000 miles away. Il papa may be pope down there, but ecce? Il sacristano!

Update: Father Z is on it...

Three things I cooked up this week...

 Saturday is our annual Spaghetti Dinner, the proceeds of which benefit our seminarians. Wednesday a group of intrepid volunteers helped me make the sauce. If you want the recipe, go back to the main page and type "ragu" into the search bar; you'll get several articles recounting the history of this sauce. The original recipe -- which I found on the Internet -- involved making braciole, by pounding and rolling out pieces of round steak, stuffed with Romano cheese and parsley. I did that once. Over the years, I've swapped in different meats, only to realize, two years ago, I'd lost any beef, so we added brisket; and last year, that I'd lost the extra salt, pepper, parsley and Romano cheese that was originally in the sauce. So after last year, I promised this would be the best yet -- because I'd get all that back in the sauce. Finally, we did it! And I can tell you, it is my best sauce. Carry outs only at St. Remy Hall, 5-7 pm, this Saturday, March 13.

That involved a lot of chopping -- vegetables and meat -- and lots of stirring. We started around 9:30 am on Wednesday morning and I was back around 4 pm to check, and pull out the spareribs so we could remove the bones. If you make this sauce, don't be shocked by any fat. Fat is flavor! At any rate, all that made for a busy Wednesday.

Meanwhile, I had four aluminum pans I'd taken from the "Casserole Crusade" table: several times a year we ask parishioners to take these pans home -- with lids and recipes -- and make dishes we can take to nearby shelters and soup kitchens. Everyone knows I take four, that's my challenge for others. This year I decided to make mac and cheese.

Sorry I don't have the recipe sheet that came with the pans, I threw it out in the clean up. But from memory, for each pan, 1-1/2 pounds of macaroni, 1-1/2 2 pounds of Velveeta, a can of cream of celery soup and a cup 2-1/2 cups of milk. You make the pasta according to the box, and then you mix everything together. (Updated 3/13: Sorry I misremembered the amounts!)

Of course, I was making four times as much, so lots of stuff to work with. The last time I tried this, melting the Velveeta was a huge headache; one of my crack staff suggested cutting it up and mixing it all in the hot noodles afterward, and just putting that in a low-temp oven till it's melted. Perfect!

Meanwhile, of course, you know I had to tweak this! So it turns out I didn't buy quite enough milk; so I had some heavy cream on hand, and added some of that. Also, I like when you put some breadcrumbs over the top, so I had a bag of plain, cornbread stuffing, and used that. I also added a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, some fresh pepper, and a little paprika and parsley for color. And I tasted it: good!

That would all normally be enough cooking for a week; however, I had taken some (four giant) chicken breasts out of the freezer over the weekend and not gotten around to cooking them. I was running out of week! So I fixed them in a way I often do...

First I cut up the breasts into manageable sizes; then marinated them in some kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, plus some garlic powder and just a little cayenne pepper (not too much unless you want heat). I let the chicken marinate in that for about a half-hour in the fridge; longer would have been fine if I'd gotten to it. I also got a bowl ready with about a cup or so of flour.

When I was ready to cook, I got out my big, deep skillet and put in about a half stick of butter plus a good pour of olive oil and got that warming up.  I began dredging the chicken in the flour. Not heavily, but coating the pieces pretty well. By the way: you could also use an egg wash here, if you want more coating, or even bread crumbs, but I prefer a light coating, so I just used the flour. When the fat was hot -- the skillet on a medium temp -- I started putting in my pieces of chicken. Don't crowd them! I turned the heat up a little bit, and cooked them long enough to get good color on them, but not to completely cook them. Then I removed them to a baking dish, while I got the oven going at 350 degrees. When all the chicken was cooked, I poured the pan drippings over the chicken, covered the dish, and put that in the oven for a half hour.

We had these with some frozen veggies I nuked with some butter, salt, pepper and herbs de provence. If I'd been a little sharper, I'd have cooked some pasta and tossed it with some parmesan or romano cheese. When I brought the chicken to the table, I put some parsley on it, just so it'd look nice; and I made sure to spoon out some of the drippings from the pan. This is one of my favorite meals, although I don't make it often. Back when I was a bachelor, I'd make this for company and folks would rave about it; but it isn't hard and doesn't take that long, and except for when you're sauteeing the chicken, you don't have to tend the stove too much, so you can visit better with your guests. I easily had enough chicken for six people; as it is, the seminarian and I have some leftovers.

So, I'm done cooking for a few days! The Catholic War Vets have a fish fry tonight; spaghetti Saturday; I the school kids have some sort of chicken carry out on Sunday -- I bought some tickets, now I have to remember to use them! Meanwhile, I have steaks and chops thawing in the fridge for next week. 

It's not about rules but a relationship (Sunday homily)

 The first reading is about God’s Law: 

God’s Ten Commandments, God’s “Rules.” 

We need rules; and even if we claim not to like them, 

in fact, we really do.

Many complain that the Church imposes rules, 

but the truth is, so often ordinary Catholics come to me and ask:

“Is there a rule for this situation?” 

And if there isn’t a rule – and I say, well, 

try to apply this scripture or moral principle, 

that usually frustrates people who come back with:

“Just give me a rule!”

As I said, rules are useful.

Every family has rules:

Who does what chores, on what days; 

how late is too late to be out on a school night, and so forth.

And – to quote the late Father Michael Seger, 

who taught moral theology at the seminary in my time:

“Rules exist to protect values”:

“Thou shalt not kill” protects the value and dignity of human life.

But life is always more than rules;

and in the fullness of time, God’s Word became flesh:

Jesus came to invite each of us into a relationship with him.

To know him not only as Creator, as Judge, and as Savior – which he is –

But just as much as a brother and a friend.

So all this raises a question which I now want to put to you, 

And, to be honest, I hope to make you think deeply about:

Is your Catholic Faith mainly about following rules?

Getting to Mass on time; keeping the communion fast;

praying your regular prayers;

no meat on Fridays during Lent;

not going too far on a date, not taking God’s Name in vain;

not drinking too much on a Friday or Saturday night;

and if you do these things, get to confession before communion.

As I said: every family needs rules, and that includes God’s Family.

HOWEVER…

If your faith is mainly about keeping rules? You’re missing it!

Our Catholic Faith is mainly, crucially, about a relationship!

God is a Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

So God is – within Himself, in a way we can’t quite explain – 

a relationship.

Life is a relationship. 

There is not one person here who could be here 

without a series of relationships. 

You never have been an island all to yourself, and you never will be.

Maybe the reason God created the world this way 

was so that his invitation to a relationship with him 

would be amplified and re-echoed in everything we experience; 

to give us every advantage, to have courage to believe, first, 

that a relationship with God is possible…

And then to find it easier to follow the path he gives us 

to that relationship – so we would be successful.

Most of us are really good at figuring out the rules;

even if you can’t quite figure out the rules for your taxes,

you can always pay someone to work them out for you.

Relationships are much harder.

Remember high school? There were always girls you noticed, 

but you were scared too death to talk to them.

I remember attending my 10-year reunion and seeing some of them – 

who were married – and thinking, why didn’t I ask them out?

Far harder is doing the work to make and keep a good relationship.

Lots of people are married – happily, it would seem –

but they don’t talk very much; 

they don’t spend much time alone as a couple. 

I know because you come and tell me – 

along with the sadness and frustrations 

that come with that disconnect. 

Lots of our children need to talk to their parents: 

so many of our girls are lied to about their value;

so many of both boys and girls are looking at stuff on their phones 

they know is poison, but they don’t know how to stop.

Kids: no one in the world loves you as much as your mom and dad.

Talk to them!

Parents, you know they are scared: so you talk first!

Relationships take work but it’s worth it.

True for friends and family, most true with the God who made you,

and who came to earth precisely to die on the Cross to save you,

and who wants nothing more than to have you and me with Him forever.

Those money-changers Jesus confronted that day?

They must have been so confused, because, after all:

They were following all the rules!

Don’t just follow the rules: know God!

Talk to him, discover him; make friends!

The most important day of your life (Sunday homily)

 What do you think was the most important day of your life?

Was it the day you were born? 

Or maybe when you graduated from school? 

Or when you met your sweetheart? Or when you were married?

Or do you have four or five most important days: 

when each of your children were born?

Was mine when I was ordained as a priest?

No: as very special as all those are, 

none of those was the most important day of your life. 

The most important day of your life – and mine – 

was the day we were baptized;

because that is when you were given eternal life!

You and I were joined to the life of the Holy Trinity

And we became citizens of heaven.

That changes everything.

What does that have to do with the flood in the first reading?

The flood washes away everything that is hostile to the life of God; 

everything that separates and distracts us from God.

And that is what baptism does, too.

So how do we get from a flood to the desert?

When you wash away everything that commands our attention, 

that seems urgent but actually isn’t as important as we think; 

when all that is gone, what’s left? 

The confrontation between good and evil that we see in the Gospel.

But what’s important is that it is Jesus facing the devil. 

He’s squaring off in the battle each of us faces.

The point is, he’s facing our enemy – on our behalf.

When humanity faced the devil the first time, what happened?

We lost. Our hope was destroyed.

So, as St. John Henry Newman said, 

“A second Adam to the fight and to the rescue came.”

You and I still face our ancient foe, day by day;

but we need not do so alone. Jesus wades into battle on our behalf!

That’s what Good Friday and the Cross are about. 

Jesus had a choice; he said, let the cup pass, 

but if not, thy will be done! 

Once again, that is what baptism is about:

you and I being joined to Jesus: we take up his cross;

And he takes up the battle on our behalf.

That’s why we recall our own baptism today, 

and why we will do that in a solemn way in six weeks on Easter.

Someone once told me, always have an action item in a homily.

So here it is: you have six weeks of Lent 

to discover the power and reality of your own baptism – 

the most important day of your life.

Go to confession: return to the purity of your baptism.

Renew the vows made for you; make them for yourself.

On the day of your baptism, you were set on the path toward heaven. 

It’s always a good idea to recheck your heavenly GPS

And make sure you know where you are headed. 

What is the leprosy God cares about -- and why? (Sunday homily)

 Let’s start this homily with the leprosy described in the readings.

Leprosy is a skin disease; it’s fairly uncommon today, 

and it is curable today. 

So for us in rural Ohio in 2021, leprosy is no threat to our community.

But in Moses’ time, there was no known cure; 

and when unchecked, leprosy would not only leave you disfigured, 

it could cost you fingers, toes, and finally, your life.

So it was obviously a big deal.

But the real leprosy God cares about – 

and wants you and me to care about – 

isn’t something that disfigures our bodies, but our souls. 

That, of course, is sin.

There is a huge mistake many people make about sin.

They – we – think of sin as mainly something you and I do.

It’s like breaking a traffic law: you went too fast, 

you rolled through a stop sign. 

Oops, yeah, I know I shouldn’t have done it. 

Let me pay my fine. 

So when this mindset is applied to the spiritual life, it’s like,

“Yep, I drank too much Friday night, let me go to confession.

Pay the fine. I’m clear, let’s move on.”

 

What’s missing entirely is the awareness that sin 

isn’t only something I do;

like leprosy, it is something that becomes part of me!

Not only will this spiritual leprosy will change me;

if I don’t confront it, it will ruin me.

Here’s where leprosy isn’t a strong enough image;

because where leprosy infects your skin and maybe other organs,

sin corrupts our hearts and minds and transforms our very selves.

Sin contaminates how you and I see things; what we care about.

Sin is a leprosy of the soul.

Here’s another thing: one of the reasons leprosy is bad 

is because you stop feeling. 

Your nerves don’t work so well:

so someone with leprosy might put her hand in fire and not realize it.

And that’s what sin does to us: 

you can put yourself into worse and worse peril and no longer care.

Now, I’ve reached the point in this sermon where I wish

I could take half of you listening over here, and say one thing;

and meanwhile, take half of you over here, and say something else.

So with everyone listening at the same time,

Please realize some of what I’m going to say doesn’t apply to you, 

but to someone else here, OK? That’s really important.

 

Because when it comes to sin and repentance and change,

some people are like, “I’m on cruise control, I’ve got this,” 

and they aren’t really taking things seriously enough.

They aren’t examining themselves…enough.

These folks could use to step up their spiritual life.

If this is you, you’re that guy who is driving,

and someone in the car is saying, “hmm…there’s a stop sign up ahead…”

Then, a little louder, “dude, you DO see that stop sign, right?”

Finally your friend is all in your face and you’re screeching to a stop, 

and you’re saying, “Hey, why didn’t you tell me?”

So I’m telling you. The Lord is telling you: wake up. 

Time to step it up!

But that’s only some folks.

Meanwhile, there are folks – and you know who you are! –

And what I just said is the absolute LAST thing you need to hear!

Because you’re at the other end of the spectrum.

Some folks don’t come to confession enough.

Other folks have turned confession into a torture chamber.

God love you, and he does! And I love you too! 

And I’m telling you, I’m begging you: 

stop tormenting yourself, in the name of Jesus, stop!

 

Some folks come to confession and treat God as a tax auditor.

God’s going to catch me not getting that right, and then I’m toast!   

So I’ll go ahead and declare that’s a mortal sin, just to cover my bases.

The point of confession is not to pay enough spiritual taxes 

to keep the heavenly IRS off your back!

God’s great purpose is not to catch you and me doing something wrong; 

rather, it is to help you and me to become the beautiful, 

heaven-ready saint that he longs for us to be.

Let me say that again:

God’s purpose is not to catch you doing wrong!

But to give you and me the grace we need to be saints forever!

So where some folks need to get moving;

Other folks, you need to relax a little.

Lent starts Wednesday. 

Now is the time to ask yourself two questions:

Do I really believe God is rooting for me, 

working hard on my behalf, to make it to heaven?

And second, what change is God calling me to make 

to help me along the way? 

Combating sloth on our journey to heaven (Sunday homily)

 We’ve all heard of the seven deadly sins, I hope?

Just to remind you, they are: 

pride, envy, wrath, greed, gluttony, lust, 

and there’s one more we don’t talk about much: sloth. What is that?

Sloth is more than merely being lazy, although that’s part of it.

This is the sin of indifference and lack of interest; of not caring.

It can poison our zeal for doing the things we need to do:

Praying, going regularly to confession, being faithful to our obligations,

and caring about the needs of others.

Saint Augustine talked once about how this life is a journey.

Sometimes, as for Job in the first reading,  

it is a “drudgery,” and a lack of hope.

When Job speaks of “months of misery,

and troubled nights,” 

I think that’s how a lot of people feel right now!

That discouragement can be lead us to one kind of spiritual sloth:

That “why bother” sort of attitude, 

where we just feel like we have no reason to keep going.

But you and I are on a journey through this world. 

If you are driving home, maybe it’s a beautiful day 

and you love seeing the scenery along the way.

Or maybe it’s sleet and snow, you can’t see,

And you’re white-knuckling it 

as you and other drivers slip-and-slide along I-75.

Either way, remember: 

the point of the drive home isn’t the drive, but home itself!’

Funny thing is, this is where a rough ride through storms 

is actually less bad than a beautiful drive. Why?

Because one of the spiritual dangers each of us face –

On our “drive home” to heaven –

Is that we fall too much in love with things along the way, 

and forget where we are headed.

That, too, is a kind of spiritual sloth:

gradually falling in love with this world and all it offers,

can make us gradually forget our first love, who is Jesus Christ.

Either way, sloth is simply not caring; 

either from being too sad; or from being too content.

One way we can identify sloth in our lives:

If we so content with where we are, 

that we’re not actively thinking about where we’re going to be next.

So there’s the problem. What do we do about it?

Well, these readings give us some remedies.

Notice Jesus is busy taking care of other people.

If it seems like you’re carrying the weight of the world,

if you are tempted to feel sorry for yourself,

one of the best remedies is to check in with people who need help.

In a few weeks we’ll have another casserole crusade to send good, 

home-cooked food to feed people who lives can be pretty rough.

If you go to the Bethany Center in Piqua, or the soup kitchen in Sidney, 

you’ll see all kinds of folks, young and old, 

including parents bringing children.

I’ll wager most of us have never been in that situation.

Do you want to help those kids get a good meal? Of course you do!

Well, then, sign up when the time comes to make casseroles!

Another remedy for sloth is how Paul just keeps to his task.

He says, I’ve got a job to do. Maybe I feel like it, maybe I don’t – 

but I get down to work all the same.

Paul remembers why he’s doing it: he’s thinking of home; of heaven.

A third remedy: when you’re discouraged and tempted to slack off, 

it’s time to double-down. 

If you don’t want to get out of bed to go to the gym,

what does your workout buddy do? Gets on your case, right?

You don’t feel like praying? That’s when you pray more.

Someone will say, “but I don’t feel like praying!”…

as if feelings are all that important? They aren’t!

Kids, I’ve got a secret to tell you, ready?

A lot of times, your dad and your mom 

don’t feel like getting up at 5 or 6 am to go to work. 

They don’t feel like making supper.

They don’t feel like helping you with your homework

Or even leading the family Rosary.

But they do it anyway. It’s not about feeling. It’s about love.

Love is a choice, not a feeling; we choose to love God,

We choose to love people in our lives,

Whether we feel it…or not.

So, sure, it’s nice if when our spiritual lives include good feels;

But a lot of times, that doesn’t happen.

Just keep going. We’ve got a journey ahead of us.

The Church is our Prophet and more powerful than we know (Sunday homily)

 The readings give us an opportunity to talk about what a prophet is.

But it’s also about who we are.

In the first reading, when Moses says a “prophet” 

would come after him, this doesn’t refer only to one person, but many. 

Of course, there were many prophets that came after Moses.

Many were great figures, like Isaiah, others tragic, like Samson.

Notice also, the Gospel shows us something 

you never saw anywhere before in Scripture. 

None of the Old Testament prophets 

ever exercised authority over demons. 

Only Jesus Christ does this. 

It’s a powerful sign that he is, of course, 

more than just a prophet, but God himself, become man.

A third point: after Jesus comes, there are no more prophets.

Instead, the Lord calls the Apostles; 

and they are the foundation of the Church.

They go out in his name and they, too have authority over demons.

To this day, this is an attribute of the Church.

Let me highlight that again: 

none of the prophets had this power over evil – but the Church does.

So that makes clear who has the authority in the world today,

Not only of a prophet, but of an Apostle, and really, of Jesus himself:

And it is his Body, the Church.

Now, I realize that as soon as I say that, 

people think of the weaknesses of so many bishops, 

so many disappointments, and it’s hard to believe what I’m saying. 

But I want to draw out a few things here.

First, don’t fail to see how much of Christ’s power is at work, right now,

through the Church.

Every time a baby is baptized, evil is cast out.

Every confession does the same.

Meanwhile, every day the Mass is offered 

and the Word of God is shared, 

both at Mass and in so many other ways.

And there is nothing more powerful 

than the Mass and the Word of God.

When you pray, you are as powerful as you will ever be.

That’s true because of the Holy Spirit you received in baptism!

It’s funny, in a way, because when people underestimate 

the reality of the spiritual power at work in the Church, 

they are doing exactly what people did to Jesus himself! 

People will complain about the bishops not being tough enough, 

and I’m not arguing with you. 

But it strikes me as odd to say, “because the bishops are weak, 

I’m turning away from what is really strong about the Church” – 

and that is the sacraments.

Here’s another point. If the Church is weak in many ways,

blame the bishops or the priests, sure; 

but the Church is 99% laypeople. 

You are where the bishops and priests come from. 

I’m not excusing leaders for not leading;

but so many people say, “oh father, 

if you just say something, people will do what you tell them.”

Oh, I wish I had that power! But I don’t!

It’s so much easier to say, it’s the bishops, it’s the priests, 

it’s the media, it’s big business, it’s the government…

But I think G.K. Chesterton got it right.

When asked, “What’s wrong with the Church?” He said, “I am.”

None of us has any hope of fixing what’s wrong in other people.

What you and I can do – and what we hate to do, 

that’s why we’d rather point elsewhere – is to change ourselves!

So if you want the Church to be a more powerful prophet in the world,

you need look no further than the mirror.

You and I both.

If you want to be spiritually powerful, if you want to combat evil,

Go to confession. 

Make your morning offering every day.

Your battle for daily holiness – and mine – 

is the front lines, it’s not somewhere else.

Of course, this is often tedious and feels pointless.

The soldier in the trenches can easily say, 

“It doesn’t seem like we are getting anywhere, 

none of this makes any sense” – 

right up until the day the war is finally won.

There is a Prophet in our world. It’s Us! It’s you.

Being generous is not foolish (Sunday homily)

 The first reading is from the Book of Jonah. 

If you have never read the whole book of Jonah, you can easily do it; 

it’s very short and it’s very funny.

When God first calls Jonah to go to Nineveh 

and call them to repentance, the prophet runs away. 

Why? You can find out in the last part of the book: 

Jonah knew God would end up forgiving the people – if they repented – 

and Jonah felt foolish having gone through all that.

Which raises a point: sometimes doing the right thing 

can make you and me feel foolish.

So, for example, someone comes to you and gives an apology, 

and you accept it. 

People around you say, “oh don’t be so foolish, that person’s fake! 

She’ll turn on you again.” 

And sure enough, that’s what happens. Was it foolish to forgive?

Which raises the question: is God foolish? 

To be good to those who ignore him? 

To forgive and forgive and forgive? 

God has forgiven me in confession more times than I can count – 

how about you? Should God stop being so generous?

To choose to be generous – with our time, 

with our talents and our money and other resources – 

is, purely and simply, the right thing to do. 

In doing so, you and I are imitating God. 

If you give food to a street person in Dayton, 

maybe he will throw it away, or trade it for drugs. You don’t know. 

But God knows exactly what everyone of us will do 

with the gifts he gives us – and yet God gives abundantly:

Above all, giving himself to us on the Cross!

It is not that we don’t want to be prudent; but in the end, 

it is simply a good idea to be generous; 

and I mean that in the broadest sense, not only with stuff, 

but above all, ourselves.

Today throughout the 19 counties of the Archdiocese, 

we are kicking off the annual Catholic Ministries Appeal. 

Archbishop Schnurr sends out a recorded message,

 which some parishes will play instead of the homily. 

I don’t do that; instead, I try to give my own homily, 

drawing on the Archbishop’s message.

Let me remind you of the good works you make happen with this fund:

- Catholic Charities and Catholic Social Services 

- Hospital, campus, and prison ministries;  

- Stronger evangelization efforts; 

- St. Rita School for the Deaf; 

- The seminary and vocation programs; 

- and our retired archdiocesan priests. 

To quote the Archbishop, 

“ Despite … tremendous obstacles and setbacks 

that many donors themselves encountered last year, 

the 2020 CMA campaign exceeded its fund-raising goal of $5 million…

“Catholic Charities and Catholic Social Services 

provide emergency food assistance, including drive-through options, 

to meet the increasing needs of families. 

  

“Hospital chaplains remain a vital, physical presence 

for those they serve, especially when 

family members were not permitted to visit.

  

“And our retired Archdiocesan priests, 

while a part of the high-risk population for COVID-19, 

continued to serve as they are able, helping with Masses, 

the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and more.”

Over the next couple of weeks, you’ll get a letter 

inviting you to take part. 

Also we’ll have some envelopes in the pews in a couple of weeks. 

Every year Saint Remy parishioners are generous – thank you! – 

and we exceed our goal. 

You should know that when we go above the goal, 

some of that comes back to our parish 

and helps pay for our programs for our kids.

The past 10 months have been pretty bumpy and stressful.

But one thing has stayed constant: you’ve been generous in helping people in need. 

And that’s an encouraging thing.

Let’s stay steady on that path. It’s not a foolish thing to do.

How would Saint Remy have handled Joe Biden?

 Today we celebrate our parish patron, Saint Remy. 

His day actually falls on January 13, 

but we’re allowed to shift the celebration to a nearby Sunday, 

and that’s what we do every year.

Saint Remy – or Remigius as he would have called himself, 

and that name, by the way, appears outside

on the stone up in the front wall of our church; 

if you’ve never noticed, go look at it after Mass! – 

lived at a time of great social and political upheaval. 

So while I am not saying our situation is exactly the same, 

I think he would have understood the anxieties 

lots of people face right now. He is a good saint for our times.

What Remigius had to deal with was, as I say,

really worse than our situation. His world was falling apart. 

And yes, I know some think that’s what you and I are facing now. 

I don’t agree, but there’s no point in arguing.

If that’s what you think – or if you know people who feel that way – 

then that’s where St. Remy can teach us some things.

In Bishop Remigius’ time, his homeland of Gaul – present day France – 

passed from being Roman to being part of the new Frankish Kingdom. 

Imagine driving through town one day, 

and where the U.S. flag was flying 

at the post office and the school yesterday, 

a new, foreign flag has taken it’s place. 

That gives you a sense of what the folks went through then, 

along with war and chaos along the way.

Now here’s the point, here’s what matters: How did Bishop Remy react? 

He kept his focus on his mission, 

which was basically the same no matter the situation: 

stay close to Jesus Christ, and be a witness to Jesus Christ!

So let’s just talk about what has so many people on edge right now. 

After a long and weird battle in the courts and on Twitter, 

leading to shameful events at the U.S. Capitol a couple of weeks ago, 

the question of who will be our next president is settled: 

it will be Joseph Biden. 

It’s no secret he didn’t get many votes around here, 

and the reasons are obvious: 

he takes terrible positions on so many issues. 

He is completely in favor of abortion on demand 

and he supports the redefinition of marriage.  

These positions, of course, are entirely contrary to the Catholic Faith, 

in which Mr. Biden was baptized and which he still professes.

Now, I am very tempted to make some observations 

about the political situation, but that will swallow up my homily, 

and that’s not why I’m here. 

Mr. Biden certainly wants to do some bad things, 

such as providing a lot more tax money for abortion, 

and that would be very bad; 

but you and I won’t be silent when he tries 

and I think he will have a tough fight if he goes down that road. 

There’s no reason to be fatalistic and just get panicky.

Meanwhile, other people are worked up; angry; losing sleep; frightened; paralyzed.

But this is not how Remigius reacted!

Saint Remy reached out to the new arrivals, the Franks. 

He befriended their leader, Clovis. 

And the result is on display in this window, right by Saint Joseph: 

Through the influence of his wife, St. Clotilde, and Remy, 

King Clovis was baptized. That changed everything that came after.

No matter what happens, your mission and mine 

fundamentally doesn’t change. We bear witness. 

I don’t blame anyone for feeling badly 

about the outcome of the election, but maybe it’s time to move on? 

Given the challenges ahead, does it do any good to lose sleep 

and get into angry conversations? How does this help? 

Especially the anger? How does that help?

Here’s an idea I have. Let’s notice something: 

Mr. Biden is – despite his terrible positions on several issues –

 a baptized, confirmed Catholic. And he goes regularly to Mass. 

He should not be receiving Holy Communion 

until he repents of his stance against these teachings of the Faith, 

but I am in favor of him going to Mass as often as possible; aren’t you?

Here’s something else. Notice who his patron saint is: Saint Joseph. 

And what did Pope Francis do a few weeks ago? 

Declare this a special Year of St. Joseph! Coincidence?

So here’s my idea. How about, starting today, 

you and I beg the intercession of St. Joseph, 

for our incoming president, also named Joseph?

Let’s pray for the conversion of his heart, 

and for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to work powerfully in him.

Doesn’t that sound like something St. Remy would do?

There are worse things...

There are worse things than losing an election.

There are worse things than losing an election that is stolen.*

For example, losing your soul. And one way you lose your soul is to affirm as good what only weeks before, you declared was evil. What happened at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 was evil; how do I know? Because it was evil when it happened in Portland, Oregon, over many months; and when it happened in Seattle and Minneapolis and in Washington, D.C., and in many other places last year, under the auspices of Antifa and "Black Lives Matter." 

Oh, you say the media and various politicians are hypocritical? Of course they are! But why do you make their hypocrisy your own?

When people argue, "well, they did it first," I recall trying that exact argument with my parents when I was 7 years old. They didn't buy it; no parents ever do.

There are people who are greatly discouraged about election results, especially the outcome in Georgia. Keep perspective. Elections go as they go; and if you think this is the first time anyone claimed there was widespread fraud, I refer you to the election of 1960, or how about the 1876 election? Check that one out. I don't blame people for not knowing history, but if you don't know much history, please stop with the histrionics about how our situation is the "worst EVER!" 

Also, let's actually review:

Former Vice President Joe Biden's victory is pretty narrow; not a landslide. You know who won by a landslide? Lyndon Baines Johnson: what an epic disaster he was! But we survived; and the political pendulum swung another way.

Even after putatively winning both U.S. Senate seats in Georgia, the Democratic Party has exactly 50 vote in the U.S. Senate; and they lost major ground in the U.S. House; this is an extremely fragile majority. It will be very hard for President-elect Biden to pass very much. In theory, if every single Democrat sticks together, they can enact almost anything. That's not very likely.

Meanwhile...

In the states, the GOP gained ground in controlling legislatures; that has implications for redistricting.

The courts are in the best shape they've been in for a long time, thanks to much better nominees from President Trump. Yes, of course Biden will name his judges, but Trump had a unique opportunity, as a result of a large number of vacancies, particularly in the appellate courts; Biden inherits, I believe, exactly zero appellate court vacancies. And, of course, Trump made a big impact on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Are you worried about election shenanigans? They didn't happen everywhere; and if you want a political environment favorable to addressing them, this is as good as you're going to get. Do you know what state did not have problems this time? Florida. Why? Because after the fiasco of 2000, the legislature fixed things. Now is the time for Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan to do the same. And guess what? The GOP is well positioned in many of those places, and guess what else? There's an election in two years, and I would expect the GOP, if it is smart and mobilized, to make gains again.

And spare me the claim that there won't ever be another free election. Just have some soothing tea and cookies and calm down. 

President Donald Trump, in my judgment, had an extraordinarily successful term. However, he governed in a remarkably chaotic way, and his public statements and representations were especially so. I'd say at this point, he really shot himself in the foot in the last few months. For him and his team to be caught unprepared for whatever election fraud may have happened -- and to have failed utterly to have a legal strategy -- is all on him. And while he is not responsible for the violent behavior of those who stormed the U.S. Capitol -- I think it's pretty clear many of them were not even Trump supporters, but who knows for sure? -- he is responsible for organizing and supporting a massive rally, and saying, let's go to the Capitol, and then it blew up in his face. There is, thankfully, a very short list of incidents of people attacking the U.S. Capitol; but now included in that list will be reference to "Trump supporters" doing so, on the day that his defeat for re-election was finally determined. That is something he did to himself.

If I were advising President Trump, I'd say, "it's never too late to learn to be disciplined in your message"; but I am doubtful he's going to learn that lesson at this late date. The GOP really isn't impossibly stupid and they will, before very long, move into opposition to Biden; but they weren't going to do it while their supposed allies were breaking into the Capitol! And they aren't going to do it in the next few weeks when Biden takes his victory lap. Let him have his victory lap; it won't be long before all that fades and he actually has to do something. Blaming Trump won't work out very well for long, and as I said already, his field of action is very limited. He can issue executive orders (which can be overturned by his successor, and may be struck down by the courts). When Trump is out of the picture, the political landscape will change. Take some deep breaths and be patient.

Meanwhile, before and after all this is whether you have any faith, and what you have faith in. If you have faith in God, then learn to accept that God is more patient than you (and I!) want him to be. And consider also that what God considers a successful outcome isn't the same for us. God's will will prevail. That is certain. Whether your will, or mine, or any other creature's, will prevail? Very different.

Remember the words of our Lord: "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his immortal soul"? Keep your soul. Keep to the law of love above all things.

Oh, and for all those on the left who suddenly discovered that rioting and intimidation is wrong? Welcome to the fight.

* I'm not really interested in litigating whether the 2020 election was stolen; but I'm addressing this point to people who are convinced that it was.

'See the light; be the light' (Epiphany homily)

 This is going to sound hokey, but: 

the title of my homily is: “See the light – be the light.”

We start with the Magi, these Wise Men, these seekers, in the Gospel. 

They saw the light. A star caught their attention, and they followed it.

God has a lot of ways to get our attention. 

It may not have happened to you, but it has happened to a lot of us. 

A lot of folks here can remember a time when God set them straight, 

turned them around, answered a prayer. 

 

When I was 19, I was in my first year of college, 

and I was at a point in my life 

when I was starting really to ask questions about God, 

about being a Christian. And I was going to a Bible study. 

And out of the blue, I heard Christ speak in my heart. 

I can’t really put it into words, but it was clear: 

he was calling me to follow him, 

just like he did with Peter and Andrew, James and John and others.

That was my experience; other people have different experiences.

One way or the other, God gets your attention.

For these Seekers in the Gospel, it was a star. 

They saw the light, and they followed it.

And that light brought you here, whether you realize it or not.

But notice what the other readings talked about. 

Isaiah told us that the Light would shine first on his people, Israel. 

But then, the light would shine to the world. 

How does the Light reach the whole world? That’s your part, and mine.

The Magi did their part; later the Apostles, 

and those who knew them; 

and generation by generation, the light has been passed to you.

Children, do you know what happened when you were baptized? 

The priest handed a light – a lit candle – to your godparent. 

And that godparent’s job, with your parents and family, 

is to get that light of faith into your hands, so it’s not theirs, 

but yours.

That candle stands for the light you and I receive in baptism, 

and no matter what anyone says or does, 

nothing can put it out, only you and I can do that.

And, thankfully, if we do, God gives us back that light 

when we go to confession. God wants us filled with light.

Each one of us is then that light someone else needs to see!

Be the light. Let it happen in you.

You and I will not know, until eternity, 

how even the smallest words or actions of ours 

can set great things in motion. 

When you are out and about, eating a meal, don’t be afraid 

to make the sign of the cross and say grace. 

It’s a small thing, but powerful.

We’re giving out blessed chalk today with a prayer, 

so you can mark your house as belonging to Christ. 

It’s a nice old tradition, and if you have kids, they’ll love it. 

It’s a reminder that each year belongs to Jesus:

This is the year of the Lord, 2021.

Small acts of kindness; everyday faithfulness, 

when witnessed by others, over time 

become a blazing sign of God’s grace.

You and I are here: we have followed the light, 

whether we knew it or not, here we are. 

Christ brought you here to change you.

To be light through you.

What does it really take to have a Merry Christmas? (Christmas homily)

 This has been a difficult year, 

and just the past few weeks have been especially so. 

We’ve had the most funerals ever in 175 in at least 30 years, 

and many ever, of for our parish*, 

making Christmas pretty subdued for a number of our families.

So many of us have endured worry and tension over the virus, 

over the economy, over politics, 

or because of stresses at home at work, 

simply from having everything turned upside down.

To quote a popular song, “We need a little Christmas right now!” 

Maybe we need a LOT.

I don't know about you, but I've been looking forward to this Christmas like none I can remember.

Now, here are some news items you may have missed:

In Finland, a member of parliament 

has been criminally investigated four times – 

for remarks she made in public. What did she say? 

She explained what Christians believe 

about sin and marriage and Jesus’ coming again. 

She has managed to avoid prosecution so far. 

This is a democratic country in Europe. 

In Nigeria, just about ten days ago, 

several hundred school boys were kidnapped by Boko Haram extremists 

who have carried out similar kidnappings before. 

After ransom was paid, many of the boys 

were released to their families a few days before Christmas.

 

And this item is from Christmas, three years ago:

Two men in red outfits and fake white beards walked through 

the devastated city of Raqqa [Syria] and rang their bells, 

causing disbelief among the residents who haven’t seen such a parade since 2013, 

when the war came to their city.

The Islamic State seized Raqqa in 2014 

and…imposed a strict interpretation of Islam on everyone, 

but the jihadis were expelled…in October [2017].

The Father Christmases stopped by…an Armenian Catholic church…. 

reduced to a concrete shell…  

The celebrations were put on by the U.S.-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance that ousted the jihadis. 

There was no priest…

Loudspeakers belted out hymns 

as some set up a large wooden cross on a pile of rubble, 

near a Christmas tree decorated with red and yellow balls.”

“There are no words to describe how we feel right now,” 

said Christian SDF member Harou Aram.

All of which raises the question: what, precisely, 

do you and I need in order to have a Merry Christmas?

 

If you aren’t all tuckered out on Christmas movies and stories, 

maybe take time to read a story by O. Henry, 

called “The Gift of the Magi.” There’s probably a movie or TV version.

It’s the beautiful story of a poor couple, 

having almost nothing to give each other for Christmas but their love. 

With all we’ve been through, the thing that we all had was each other. 

Our families, friends and neighbors. 

When we had some funerals this year, with the church almost empty, 

the streets of Russia were full. 

As people have faced needs for food and furniture 

and utilities and rent, behind the scenes, 

things get delivered, bills get paid. 

Our seminarian, Isaiah Callan, helped butcher his first steer – 

the meat was for hungry people – and I think he’s been back again.

A lot has gone wrong, to be sure, 

but don’t miss the fact that a lot has gone right. More than we realize.

You and I can take so much for granted!

Our church is not a bombed out rubble, and its doors are – 

and always were and with God’s help, always will be – open.

All this is a reflection and an effect of what brings us here, now: 

that God has entered the world, and given birth to hope. 

The light of heaven shines in the face of a child, 

and is reflected in your face and mine, 

and we cannot help but smile and feel joy and courage. 

You and I can only avoid hope by staying away…

But a funny thing happened this year, in Russia. 

Despite all that we’ve been through, and all that can discourage us, 

we didn’t “stay away.” 

I’ve hated having to ask people to attend Mass on weekdays, 

instead of Sunday, and God willing, before long, 

that advice will no longer be needed. 

But it’s an encouraging thing to say, 

“I’m sorry, Archbishop, but people just keep coming to church!” 

And I can report to you that for months, many months, 

more folks have been coming to confession. 

After the New Year, I’ll be adding some times for confessions. 

Whatever else that it is, it is more proof of God’s grace.

It has been rough. But our Lord chose to be born to a poor couple, 

oppressed by pagan Romans, huddling in a barn with farm animals. 

Lots of reasons to be discouraged, 

and when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, 

they found out even more trouble lay ahead for him and them. 

The joy of Christmas is not our prosperity or our stuff, 

or our national strength, or our success in business or sports. 

 

No, it is the realization that Heaven has stooped down to earth, 

become one of us, and said to each and all: 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, 

and I will give you rest.” 

The Son of God, born a child of earth, 

came that you and I can be reborn as children of God. 

And a little child will lead them – all the way to heaven.

What does it take, exactly, to have a Merry Christmas?

* After Midnight Mass, I realized the original claim might be overstated.

Whose House? (Sunday homily)

 In the first reading, King David wants to build a house for God. 

God tells David: he doesn’t really need it. 

Instead, God says that what David really needs to do 

is to allow God to build Israel’s “house.”

What does that mean?

First, it means that David – and those who would be king after him – 

are to be concerned with the spiritual welfare of the nation. 

If the nation is founded squarely on God, and centered on God, 

the nation will be secure. 

Then the house of God to be built will serve its purpose.

That was advice David’s son, Solomon – 

who ultimately built the temple – failed to follow. 

And so the kingdom of Israel gradually turned away from God; 

and the temple was destroyed.

But notice, as important as the temple was, 

what determined Israel’s fate was the faith of the people.

And what applies to the nation 

applies to the community, the parish and the family.

This church, which is beautiful, 

thanks to the sacrifices and care of many generations,  

is not something God needs. 

It is something we need, however. 

We need this house of prayer, this place of sacrifice. 

But a beautiful church doesn’t keep God at the center. 

That depends on us, and the choices each of us makes every day.

Above all, it depends on doing as we see Mary doing in the Gospel. 

She makes herself a house of God; a home for God.

As Saint Augustine said so beautifully of our Lady: 

she first conceived Jesus by faith in her heart, 

before she conceived him in her womb.

Your task and mine is to make our lives homes for Jesus. 

That is, someplace he lives – as opposed to being a guest.

I wonder: is Jesus really welcome to live in our lives? 

Or is he merely a guest? 

Guests don’t expect to go into every room, 

and they know not to stay too long. 

Some parts of the house remain private, because it’s not their house.

What would change in our lives – 

or for that matter, in our actual houses – 

if, instead of greeting Jesus at the door as a guest, 

we instead handed him the keys?

“It’s your house now, Lord; do what you wish with it.”

So with our house; so with our business, our farm, our car; 

so with our talents and gifts; 

so with our money and savings; 

so with our time, every day. 

So with all of our lives.

“It’s all yours Lord. Do with them as you wish.”

Called to be mirror of eternity (Sunday homily)

 You’ve heard me say before that Advent is mainly about eternity; 

it is about Christmas because that is a down-payment on eternity.

One of the reasons this is worth emphasizing 

is because it helps us be clear about Christmas too;

so we don’t misunderstand Christmas, the way our society does.

Stop and consider the way we celebrate Christmas as a society; 

and you’ll see that it actually distorts our focus. 

We start seeing ads and TV specials hinting at Christmas 

back in September, even August.

Once Hallowe’en is over, it’s all Christmas, all the time, for two months.

More, more, MOAR! Till we arrive at December 25, CHRISTMAS! Exhaustion! It’s over! Here come the bills, ouch!

See what we’ve done? We’ve turned Christmas into the climax.

But what if that’s all wrong?

Christmas isn’t the END; it’s the BEGINNING. 

It is the down payment on the complete redemption of humanity; 

on the New Creation, on what lies ahead for each of us.

Christmas is the first, concrete beginning of salvation –

of a relationship with God being possible, of heaven being opened.

If someone asks, why be a Christian, the short answer is, 

because of the eternity Jesus offers us.

Jesus came to fix what went wrong with humanity.

That’s why he was born; that’s why he died and rose.

You and I join our lives to his, living for him, watching for him, 

Till he comes again to bring us to that fullness of life.

Our life is to be what Advent models for us:

Keeping our gaze on the far horizon of eternal life.

This is a good time to recall the ancient Christian practice 

of giving up marriage for the sake of the Kingdom, 

which lives on in priests and religious, of course. 

Why should anyone give up marriage for the sake of the Kingdom?

So many people, especially in our time, simply do not understand it.

Nor do they get why anyone would take vows in religious life, 

and enter a convent or monastery. 

Is it because we think marriage is something bad? 

Hardly: we call it a sacrament. Marriage is something very, very good.

And that is precisely the point. 

There’s nothing noteworthy about giving up a bad thing. 

But when someone gives up something extraordinarily good, 

the natural question is, why?

And the answer is, they are looking to something better. 

To eternity. That is why when you see religious sisters and brothers, 

their faces are lit with an other-worldly light. 

They have given up possessions and the world and marriage, 

and they are full of joy.

To embrace the religious life is to be a mirror of eternity,

so that people see in your life, not the ordinary things of this world, 

but the New Creation that we hope for.

People see that you are dressed and ready for the Kingdom.

How do you know if you are called to the religious life?

Well, if you find yourself longing for more: for more prayer; 

for more Mass; for more than this world can offer; for more Christ:

Then this calling may be for you. 

And I want to remind you we have a second collection today 

to benefit those retired brothers and sisters 

who gave up so much of this world, 

precisely to be a shining witness of what lies ahead.

You are always generous, thank you in advance.

All the same, it is not only priests and religious 

who are called to be a witness to hope. 

Every single Christian – every one of us – 

is asked by Christ to be such a mirror of eternity.

And if that sounds demanding, it is. 

But then, realize that life makes more sense 

when we keep our focus on what we’re working toward and waiting for.  

Three ways to 'Prepare the Way of the Lord' (Sunday homily)

This Sunday the key idea in the readings is:  

“Prepare the way.”

In the first reading, a voice cries out: “prepare the way of the LORD!”

 In the Gospel, we learn whose voice it is: John the Baptist’s.

How do we prepare the way?

Well, Saint Peter tells us in the second reading:

“the day of the Lord will come like a thief” – we cannot know when; 

so “be eager to be found… at peace” with Christ.

So let me suggest some concrete things you and I can do, starting now, 

to draw closer to Christ and prepare the way for him in your life.

The first thing I want to highlight 

is spending time in the Lord’s presence – visiting him here,

particularly when he is on the altar for adoration, 

as we do on Thursdays.

It’s like the difference between calling someone you love, 

versus going to see that person. 

Sometimes a phone call is all we can do, and that’s a lot; 

but it’s obviously not the same as visiting in person.

Making a habit of prayer, especially taking time 

to come and pray before the Blessed Sacrament, isn’t just going to happen.

It will happen only if you make a firm resolution and concrete plan.

We have exposition every Thursday, 

from the 8:15 Mass in the morning till Benediction 

at 8:30 in the evening. Come anytime you want, for as long as you want. 

And we also do this on First Friday, all night.

The second thing I want to emphasize is confession.

If praying before the Eucharist is “face time,”

Confession is “heart time.”

I’m obviously not married, 

but two things are true of every marriage.

First, that there are always hurts and times of distance.

Second, there is always a need 

for open-hearted confession and forgiveness.

It is true that forgiveness doesn’t always come easily 

in family situations. 

But the good news is, even if your husband or wife 

doesn’t forgive easily and generously, God does!

Between now and Christmas, there will be plenty of opportunities 

for you to receive this sacrament. 

And, in the days before Christmas, 

I’ll have extra times here at St. Remy. Watch the bulletin for these. 

The third thing suggestion I have is to reach out.

So we have “face time”: adoring Jesus in the Eucharist;

And “heart time”: confessing our sins in the sacrament of penance;

So this is “go time”: go make some a difference in someone’s life. 

A lot of people at this time of year are sad, 

especially if they lost someone they love and the memory is sharp. 

No better time to check in with friends and neighbors, 

especially if they live alone and maybe are getting a little older. 

Especially now, with so much isolation!

And if you are feeling sad, helping others is the best thing for it.

We have a St. Vincent de Paul Society that helps people in need. 

If you want to be involved, they would love to hear from you. 

And they can connect you to opportunities 

in Piqua, Sidney, Troy and Dayton. 

Right here in Russia we have Rustic Hope, 

helping women facing an unexpected pregnancy. 

Craig and Connie McEldowney would love your help.

So would the food pantry in Versailles. 

What I’m going to say might annoy someone, and I’m sorry:

But with the virus getting worse in many places,

maybe each of us can think about how to go the extra mile.

If you’re getting any kind of symptoms, please don’t wave it off,

And realize that some people 

have really good reason to be concerned.

Not only for their own health, 

but also for people they live with or care for.

It should be obvious that if you test positive, stay home please!

And we all know there is a lot of skepticism about wearing a mask,

and I know all the arguments, pro and con.

But think of it as a way to put people at ease.

And, if you think I’m talking about this too much, 

Let me say, there are a good number of folks 

who think I need to go really full-bore on this. 

There are strong feelings both ways,

And I’m trying to be a bridge, I’m trying to hold us together.

This virus will go away, not soon enough, but it will.

After this, let’s not have bitterness and anger linger.

Trying really hard to think about and appreciate other points of view 

is also a really good way to help others, and be more Christlike.

Jesus is coming: at the end of time; and he comes in this Mass. 

If you want to be prepared, fix your eyes on him. 

Open your heart to him. Give him your hands for his work.