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

 When we are confronted with someone presenting a religious message, 

there are three ways we can respond.

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

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

I saw some Buddhist monks in their bright orange robes. 

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

A second response is, “Is this useful?” 

A lot of people send their children to Catholic schools, 

who aren’t themselves Catholic, or even Christian. 

They appreciate the discipline, 

the quality of education, and the moral values – 

and our Bishop Leibold School has all this in spades.

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

Then there is a third response we can give. 

And that is to ask, “Is this true?” 

Week after week, deacons and priests give homilies.

We try to make it interesting.

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

how crushing! 

Many of us try to give something practical.

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

When Peter and Paul gave their witness,

maybe in a synagogue, or someone’s home,

or on riverbank or in a public square, 

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

Have you ever seen a street preacher? 

Or maybe someone on late-night TV? 

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

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

In every age, people have gazed at the stars 

and wondered what caused them to be there, 

and to move in the way they do. 

Here come Peter and Paul who say, 

none of the gods you believe in are true. 

They are false, every one of them. 

The one true God is the God of the Jews. 

This odd people who you conquered. 

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

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

And what did you Romans do? You crucified him! 

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

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

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

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

where both Peter and Paul’s bones were buried. 

There are huge basilicas built over their graves. 

 

Their bones are still there, sometimes on display!

And while it would take too long to explain it, 

There is no good reason to doubt 

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

in the two churches that bear their names.

So while we might wonder about a lot of things 

about this Catholic Faith, 

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

their bones are in Rome. 

What strikes me is this. 

Their presence in Rome, which is beyond doubt, 

Therefore that makes it beyond doubt they really believed it.

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

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

and for anyone to remember them.

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

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

And so, I put the question to you:

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

Melchizedek points to you (Corpus Christi)

 During the readings, I imagine you wondered, 

"Who is this ‘Melchizedek’ fellow?”

He was a curious, shadowy, figure: 

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

He brought an offering of bread and wine.

He blessed Abraham and all his descendants.

Who is Melchizedek? 

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

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

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

> Jesus, the rightful king of the universe;

> Jesus, who offers the new and everlasting sacrifice 

that is a blessing to all humanity.

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

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

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

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

This is why, the language we use as Christians 

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

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

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

Do we really think we are the same?

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

No one falls to his knees before me!”

That’s all true. 

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

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

This is because the Eucharist who we adore and receive 

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

Meanwhile you and are still "in process."

Here is the Body of Christ (the Cross),

Here is the Body of Christ (the Eucharist);

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

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

A tremendously powerful sign, yet only a sign.

The Eucharist is a sign too, 

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

Jesus, is truly and really here.

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

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

Why is this so?

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

the violence of the Cross? 

Second, because even that graphic reality, while true, 

is still not the whole of it. 

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

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

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

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

and the appearances of bread and wine.

The Sacrifice of the Mass, and the Eucharist,

Serve as a lifeline connecting us to that fuller reality, 

drawing us onward toward it. 

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

Glory for whom? Glory for us!

I said a moment ago that you and I, 

in calling ourselves the Body of Christ,

probably draw back from really thinking

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

Not yet! I repeat: NOT YET! 

But, that truly is what lies ahead for us.

No one said it better than St. Augustine:

If you want to understand the body of Christ,

listen to the apostle telling the faithful,

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

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

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

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

and by so replying you express your assent.

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

and you answer, "Amen."

So be a member of the body of Christ,

in order to make the Amen true.

Do you want to be God's goldfish? (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.

We believe it because we believe him.

Is it hard to explain exactly how it works? Sure.

But why shouldn’t God’s nature baffle us?

What’s remarkable is how much

of God’s mystery we are able to 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 this unique capacity and longing for truth in us,

is a sign of God’s creation:

that God intended us to try to penetrate his mystery?

In other words, God created us to seek a relationship with him.

Now, we say that: “a ‘relationship’ with God.”

But what does that even mean?

I fix meals on my stove, 

but my stove doesn’t have a “relationship” with me. 

I don’t have a pet; not because I don’t like animals, but I’m too busy.

But for those who have pets, how do you describe that?

There’s a sort of relationship there but it’s limited.

Is that what our relationship is to God? Are we his pets?

No! God gives us freedom you and I don’t give our pets.

And God also asks far more of us. God has bigger ambitions for us.

He calls us “friends”! The Son calls Mary, his creature, “Mother”!

He calls himself the Bridegroom, and we are his Bride.

What a startling image!

We wouldn’t dare to have suggested it ourselves,

because it would seem blasphemous,

to suggest that sort of intimacy.

And that’s exactly what some accuse us Christians of:

Blasphemy, because we state boldly that yes, 

You and I can have an intimate relationship with God.

God isn’t a solitary other, infinitely distant from us.

Unapproachable. Unknowable. Always and forever far away.

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 – being Three Persons – is himself a community of love.

You and I, through faith and baptism, are brought into that communion.

Couples, you know what it is to strain your relationship.

How do you 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.

Now, a practical person might ask:

OK, but what difference does it make that God is a Trinity? 

For us, it’s the difference between being God’s pet,

and being his beloved, his spouse.

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 we just do whatever we like?

Because we’re not God’s goldfish.

You put a goldfish in the bowl and it does what it likes.

But it never goes beyond that little world.

God has destined you and me for sharing his life.

To be life-givers. 

Truly free and full of possibility, 

which means full of responsibility.

God chose us as his one and only. Forever.

Pentecost & Beacons of Light (Sunday homily)

 There are five super-feasts the whole Church celebrates: 

Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, and today, Pentecost. 

These are the days when we bring out our best, 

just like our nation will do in a few weeks on Independence Day,

or families do for the most special occasions. 

Today is the family reunion for the Body of Christ.

Why? What’s so special about Pentecost?

Well, you could look at it this way. 

Christmas is when God gives the world his Son. 

Easter is when Jesus gives us the Father – by opening heaven for us. 

Notice how we signify that in every Mass: 

right after the Eucharistic Prayer, 

which recapitulates Jesus’ offering on the Cross, what do we do? 

We pray the Our Father.

And so, today is when the Father and the Son gave us the Holy Spirit – 

the third Person of the Holy Trinity. 

This forms the complete picture, if you will, of what our destiny is: 

to live forever in relationship with God, and with each other.

In the Old Testament, there were two key things about Pentecost: 

it was when the first harvest happened, of wheat.

And, it is when God gave his law to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Notice how these foreshadowings illuminate what Jesus did.

The Holy Spirit is the true law of God.

And with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, 

the Apostles began the harvest of believers 

that continues to this day.

But to return to a key point: the main thing that happens on Pentecost 

is the giving of the Person of the Holy Spirit 

to the Church as a whole, and to each believer individually.

Notice that: the Holy Spirit isn’t given only on an individual basis.

Sometimes people talk about the Holy Spirit that way:

They say, well, the Spirit told me to do such-and-such…

But the Holy Spirit is not about division. 

That’s what sin does: sin creates divisions and conflict.

The Holy Spirit creates oneness. One Body of Christ. One City of God.

And again, the Holy Spirit is a Person. 

You and I, individually and collectively, are invited 

to have a personal encounter and relationship with God.

For whatever reason, in God’s Plan, the Holy Spirit 

isn’t so much the word that is spoken – we call the Son the “Word” –

but rather, the Holy Spirit gives voice and force to that Word.

Think about how you and I, ourselves, speak.

We have a word we want to say; but if we have no breath?

It’s only a whisper, or nothing at all.

So it is with us as the Body of Christ:

We have a Word to speak, but we need Breath: the Holy Spirit!

Now, some of us are naturally quiet people.

Others of us, not so much! And that variation is wholesome.

But the Body of Christ, may I suggest, is meant to have – 

through our individual personalities and gifts – a bold voice.

That’s the Holy Spirit, giving boldness to the whole Church.

May I suggest to you that as we celebrate this great feast,

Each of us ask the Holy Spirit to help us to have that boldness.

It may not be in big talk, it might be in big action.

But let each of us be willing to be bold for Jesus Christ!

In a few weeks, members of our Pastoral Council and I 

will present to Archbishop Casey our request 

to finalize our coming together 

as the Parish Family of St. John Paul II.

As our three parishes have grown together, sharing our gifts,

We are trying to be responsive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, 

under the guidance of Archbishop Schnurr, and now, Casey.

We mere mortals can’t perceive the plan perfectly; 

there are twists and turns that come with human frailty.

Still, we know it’s true the Holy Spirit calls all Christians to unity.

So, surely he wants our parish family to become closer.

Remember, that’s the key to Beacons of Light:

Coming together to be a more powerful witness, 

to draw more people to Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit is the mighty breath 

that powers our word and witness!

And so, we say: Come, Holy Spirit!

The Ascension -- like Mass -- is about heaven (Sunday homily)

 The feast of the Ascension is NOT about Jesus leaving us. 

Rather, it’s about where Jesus wants to take us.

The Ascension is about heaven; 

Jesus wants to take you and me to heaven.

It’s the exact same thing with Holy Mass.

This is all about getting us to heaven.

This is something some miss, or don’t grapple with.

For one, way too many people take heaven for granted.

And if you do that, then what’s Mass?

It would be like going into court, facing a trial, 

but you were convinced that you’d never be found guilty.

So, there’s nothing at stake. You can just shrug. Not even show up!

So it is for many people coming to Mass.

Or else, people want Mass to boost their mood.

Or they can visit with friends. Or we get to reflect a little.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with any of these objectives; 

but none of these is the point of Holy Mass.

And, this means, by the way: if these goals don’t happen –

if you aren’t inspired, if you can’t have quiet reflection, 

if you don’t see familiar faces you hoped to see, 

and you don’t come out of church feeling “up” –

that doesn’t mean you, quote, “didn’t get anything out of Mass.”

It might mean you came with the wrong expectations.

People say: what do babies get out of Mass? Or any of us?

Answer: GRACE!

The Sacrifice of the Mass is about getting us to heaven.

It is Jesus our priest making an offering – himself! – for you and me.

And that demands a response. Some reject. Some shrug.

But when you and I strike our chest, like the tax collector:

Remember, Jesus said, that’s who left justified.

That’s the response. 

And again: if we take heaven for granted, why change?

No drama. Nothing at stake.

What Holy Mass does, as the Cross does, is to confront you and me,

like a mirror, showing us our desperate need.

And only then 

is Jesus’ offering on the Cross – and the altar – good news!

You’re drowning, Jesus says! I’m here to save you! Good news!

But not if I say, “Who’s drowning? I’m fine. No thanks.”

By the way, let me tie this into the great project 

of our parish family, our archdiocese, and our whole Church,

Namely, evangelization:

Drawing others back to the Faith, or drawing them here anew.

As long as people think: I don’t need it, then why would they be there?

On the other hand, the best pitch comes from conviction.

And that comes best, not from me – but you:

From you saying, not, “it’s kind of nice!” But rather: 

“This is my refuge in a storm.

This is my hope.

The Mass, and my Catholic Faith, gives me mercy, 

grace to change, and a way to understand what is dark around me.

“In a word, it’s about heaven.”

If you and I, together, are going to build our parish family 

as we know needs to happen,

Everyone is needed as a convinced messenger. 

Kid to kid. Teen to teen. Family to family.

Young adult to young adult. 

Senior citizen to senior citizen.

Here’s another reason to focus on the deep reality of Mass.

Our focus has to be beyond the externals of our parish.

Of course, let’s become more welcoming, let’s offer our best.

But there’ll always be something on the surface to find fault with.

The best message, I think, is to say, “it’s not about us.

It’s about Jesus. And he’s here.”

So, if you’ve ever been bored at Mass, this is your remedy.

Remind yourself that the salvation of souls is at stake.

Jesus, on the Cross, pleads for them, for you!

He wants us to plead with Him, for them. 

In a moment, at the altar, I’ll lift up His Body and Blood.

You hear, “Through him, with him, in him”: 

This is really Jesus offering himself to the Father.

This is the source of grace to change us.

This is what gives us salvation! This is the entirety of our hope!

Jesus is the point of every Mass. 

He’s in the Scriptures. He’s at the altar.

He feeds you. He goes in peace with you when Mass is ended.

And this is why the Ascension wasn’t a “going away” party.

Jesus went ahead to the Holy Trinity,

And everything that follows is him drawing us in,

Pulling in the drowning swimmers! That is, us!

Jesus hasn’t, really, gone anywhere.

It’s about him reorienting everything toward heaven.

Here’s there; he’s here. 

Mass is about heaven. This to there. 

Us to there. You and me: heavenly.

The City of God (Sunday homily)

There’s a lot going on in all the readings, 

but let’s focus in on the City of God in the Book of Revelation.

And while on that subject, please note: 

it’s called the Book of Revelation, singular, not plural. 

Why is that important? 

Because no matter how complex this book is, 

it’s not a mishmash of statements or visions. 

It has one, single subject; one revelation: 

and that is Jesus Christ and his work to save us. 

All the various details, which are challenging to penetrate, 

together form a mosaic that shows us our Savior. 

And so, we have a city, come down from God. 

A glorious city of gold. 

There are twelve gates that stand open all the time. 

This city is always filled with light. 

This is an image of who you and I, and all believers, 

will be when Jesus has completed his work. 

Not a place of violence or greed. 

Not different factions. You and I won’t be off on our own. 

We are a city – cities are people depending on each other. 

A family. The Body of Christ.

The first reading – without taking time to explain the whole story – 

is resolving a dispute. 

If fights and bad bloods among Christians discourage you, 

they began early! 

The gist of the Apostles’ advice in that first reading is: 

everyone be willing to make some accommodation, some adjustment, 

to maintain our community. Good advice, 20 centuries later.

I want to highlight a detail you may have missed. 

Notice the twelve gates of the city 

bear the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 

This reminds us of something St. Paul wrote 

in his letter to the Romans: 

God’s gifts and call to the Jewish People are “irrevocable.” 

There’s a lot more we could say about just how 

God intends his Chosen People to play a role in the full plan of salvation.

But for now, let’s be clear he does have that intention!

And realize, his plan is to bring each of us into that “chosenness,”

Not to push anyone out.

You may or may not realize that 

there have been disturbing re-occurrences in recent times 

of hatred and contempt toward Jews.

There was a murder in our nation’s capital days ago.

And a few weeks ago, someone painted ugly graffiti 

on a business just down the road from St. Henry Church. 

So, let’s take this moment to make clear: 

we Christians are called never to hate, rather to oppose hate. 

It may require some of us to speak up, 

maybe even to cause some awkwardness, in confronting bigotry. 

And, lest there be any lack of clarity, 

Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the Apostles were all Jews. 

God’s Plan is that we are a family that is together.

And that’s not just about Jewish or non-Jewish,

or any identity or nationality.

It’s about all the lovely hues of skin color, 

and the symphony of languages in which God is praised, 

all the stunning variety that God himself created.

All are called into the City of God.

What forms and perfects this spiritual family, 

this golden City of God, is Jesus Christ. 

Those who are included are those who let Jesus reshape them. 

You and I can refuse to cooperate, 

which is a frightening thought: 

that would mean we exclude ourselves from that hope!

The process of cooperating, of becoming that City, 

Isn’t easy, isn’t quick. It takes place in our daily lives. 

Each day you and I choose: will I be light or darkness? 

Will I stay close to Jesus, or put other things first?

Will I humble myself and admit wrong? 

Will I seek grace in the sacraments? 

Life in any city means we rely on others 

to supply our food and water and electricity. 

In the City of God, that’s the sacraments: 

our light and power and life.

So, brothers and sisters, look intently at that City.

That’s who God wants to make you. Let him do it!