Don't answer too quickly (Easter homily)

Tonight’s Mass is supposed to be an ordeal. 

In the modern day, we have made it much easier.

It used to have many more readings, and would go all night.

When the faithful receive the Holy Eucharist,

particularly those doing so for the very first time, 

and the priest shows the Lord to the faithful, saying, 

“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world; 

blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb”:

This would happen just before sunrise.

In other words, it coincides with the Resurrection!

So, for those who are becoming a Christian tonight,

With baptism, confirmation and the Holy Eucharist:

This night is especially for you.

For the rest of us – including those who were baptized 

in other Christian communities, 

and tonight enter into the fullness of the Catholic Faith – 

this is a re-experiencing, a rediscovery of these mysteries.

We call them mysteries, by the way, 

because the Apostle Paul and the first Christians called them that. 

The word “mystery” suggests something hidden and inaccessible; 

and that’s the point: Jesus gives us access!

The veil is torn in two; heaven is open; you and I are born again!

The other thing about a divine mystery 

is that pulling aside one veil doesn’t “solve” it. 

With God’s creation and redemption, there is always more. 

So the long vigil is meant to reinforce 

that exploring this mystery goes on, as it was in the beginning, 

is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

That is one reason why – 

although we are baptized and confirmed only once – 

you and I re-encounter these mysteries each year at this time, 

each Lord’s Day, and even every day.

In a few minutes, the deacon and I will lead you to the font.

The Easter Candle, the pillar of fire, goes before you.

Unlike pharaoh who perished in the sea, you are led safely through!

In baptism, you die: with Christ.

We all die; but this is the death you and I choose: 

with Jesus, accepting his cross and making it our own.

Every time you make the sign of the cross, 

Every time you bless yourself with holy water, you remind yourself:

I died with Christ, and through him, I will rise again!

So I want to be very clear and serious here:

this moment is a fork in the road, an ending and a beginning.

I will ask you to renounce sin and the vanities of this world.

I will ask you if you believe

in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 

and in the faith given to us through the Apostles.

Before you answer those questions, I must warn you:

to be a Christian has always been costly.

There has always been a tug-of-war 

between the kingdoms of this world, 

the kingdom of our own will, and the kingdom of Jesus.

And if no one ever told you this, I tell you now:

your choice of allegiance to Jesus Christ and his Kingdom,

which is in this world, imperfectly, in his Church:

that choice will cost you, sooner or later.

It may seem over-dramatic to speak of martyrdom; 

we’re in Ohio after all, not ancient Rome!

But martyrdom comes in a thousand small, daily, tedious choices 

long before it becomes some great climactic witness.

Probably none of us will ever stand before a guillotine; 

but every one of us faces the refrigerator, the computer, 

and the emperor that is our own will.

It isn’t a firing squad, but criticism from coworkers, friends and family, 

that cows us and shakes our resolve.

So, why should anyone profess this faith? Why should you?

On behalf of the faithful, some of whom are gathered around you, 

and on my own behalf as a Christian, I testify:

God has acted in time and history.

Jesus, the Son of God, having our same flesh,

revealed to us a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

For our salvation, he embraced the Cross. 

He truly died and rose, in his mortal body, from the dead.

He is the judge of all mankind, to whom he offers not only mercy, 

but new life, fullness of life, and union with God, 

in the resurrection and the new world to come.

Jesus, risen from the dead, is the true and faithful witness!

He drew you here and he invites you to life.

The Axis (Good Friday homily)

This day, which stands at the center of our Sacred Three Days,

Is the Day of all days.

The Cross stands at the center of time; and all Creation, all history, 

revolves around it as the earth revolves on its axis.

Thus everyone, without exception, 

must come and stand before the Cross. 

That is the meaning of the Final Judgment each human soul will face.

So it is a mercy that God has draws us here, now,

while you and I can still be changed by it.

We see the Cross, and we ask “Why?” 

Be very clear: No one made Jesus do this. 

The Father did not make his Son do this.

Before time, Father, Son and Holy Spirit knew man would sin. 

God saw it all, 

From the vanity and self-importance,

Wrath and pride, lust and greed and gluttony;

To the cruelty people visit on each other large and small,

From Cain and Abel, to Hitler and Mao,

To the crack of a whip, the prison of a slum, 

The office of an abortionist, and all the forms of our indifference.

Before anything began, God saw it all…

And He went ahead. He chose to create us.

And he chose to become one of us.

Was there no other way but the Cross? 

Of course there was. God chose this way. 

Remember, God didn’t invent the Cross; humanity did. 

Had God never become man, 

man would still have faced a cross, but now alone; 

and it would have been all death with no life.

St. Thomas Aquinas tells us the Cross was “too much”: 

“Any suffering of his, however slight, 

was enough to redeem the human race…” 

The Cross is God’s exclamation mark 

on the sheer extravagance of his mercy.

God did the maximum where the minimum 

would already have been generous!

Archbishop Fulton Sheen said this:

“I tell you that if God had not come down …

and given us the supreme example of sacrifice, 

then it would be possible for fathers and mothers, 

men and women of countless ages, 

to do something greater, it would seem, 

than God himself could not* do, namely, 

lay down their lives for a friend.”

Why the Cross? 

Consider an amazing image from our patron,

Pope Saint John Paul II:

God came to earth—so man could put God on trial—

so that man could forgive God.

Our late pope asked, "Could God have justified himself 

before human history, so full of suffering, 

without placing Christ’s Cross at the center of that history? 

"Obviously, one response could be 

that God does not need to justify himself to man. 

It is enough that he is omnipotent. 

From this perspective everything he does or allows 

must be accepted. 

"But God, who besides being Omnipotence is Wisdom 

and—to repeat once again—Love, 

desires to justify himself to mankind.

"He is not the Absolute that remains outside 

of the world, indifferent to human suffering. 

He is Emmanuel, God-with-us, 

a God who shares man’s lot 

and participates in his destiny.

"The crucified Christ is proof of God’s solidarity 

with man in his suffering."

We blame God. God does not argue. 

He comes to us; offers himself for trial. 

Pilate presides, and we are in that court as jury. 

We found him guilty; we sentenced him to death.

The price is paid. God himself atones. 

God and man are reconciled.

We see the horror of the Cross; we see the horror of human evil; 

and we wonder—can man be saved?

The Cross is our answer.

It is God saying “Yes.”

* typo fixed.

Our first Supper as a family! (Holy Thursday homily)

Mystical Supper Icon, All Saints Russian Orthodox Church, Las Vegas.

Tonight’s Mass marks something very special for our parish family.

Look: you have never seen all these priests and deacons at one Mass.

I realize that this is a change: having Holy Thursday Mass together. 

And it may take some getting used to. 

But, if you and I are truly a family, then – like every family – 

There are moments when we’re busy in different ways.

Yet on certain occasions, it is necessary that we come together as one.

Tonight is one of only two times in the whole year

when the Church insists a parish has just a single Mass together – 

the other will be two nights from now, the Vigil of Easter.

Let’s peel back the layers of what we’re doing here.

The first reading describes the Passover, 

celebrated by the Jewish People. 

The lamb was one year old and “without blemish”; 

it was obtained several days before and lived with the family.  

Why is this important? 

This points to Jesus, who became a member of the Jewish household, 

a member of the human family.

Then, with the whole assembly present, the lamb was slaughtered. 

When we come to church tomorrow, what do we recall?

Jesus is crucified with the whole assembly present.

The blood of the lamb is then spread over the doorposts.

This is protection from divine judgment. 

By the way: when you and I are baptized, 

that’s when the blood of the Lamb covers us! 

When we fall back into mortal sin, confession renews it.

And then after the lamb is sacrificed, its flesh was eaten. 

This was necessary to complete the sacrifice.

But only those who were members of the household could eat the lamb.

So, this is why only those baptized 

and who have chosen to join themselves to the household – 

that is, the Church – and who are also in a state of grace,

receive Holy Communion at Mass. 

While the lamb is central to the Passover,

Notice the accounts of Jesus’ Last Supper never mention a lamb.

Why not? Because HE is the lamb!

Instead, he takes the bread, and says, 

“this is my body, given up for you.” 

And of course, there was a cup of wine.

But did you realize there were four cups of wine.

The first was called the “cup of sanctification,” 

and the father began the meal with a prayer, over this cup, 

and the food is brought to the table.

The second was the cup of “proclamation” – 

it was prepared, but not drunk right away; 

because while the food was on the table,

the father would tell the account of what God did 

for his people who were slaves in Egypt.

By the way, when these events were “remembered,”

the understanding was that in remembering, you were present!

You were actually brought there spiritually, through the meal.

So, when Jesus tells the Apostles, “do this in memory of me,”

two things:

That reveals he made a plan for each of us to be part of his Passover.

Jesus planned for what we call Holy Mass,

and for priests to offer this sacrifice.

And second, our “remembering” here, 1,995 years later,

likewise makes you and me truly present: 

in the Upper Room, at Calvary, at the empty tomb.

It happens not because we want it; but because he wants it!

Now, back to the Passover.

After everyone ate, the father would share the third cup, 

called the “cup of blessing.” 

And Saint Paul just told us that this was the cup Jesus took up, 

and said, “This is my Blood.”

I said earlier there were four, where’s the last one?

Tomorrow, you and I will hear these words in the Gospel of John:

After this…Jesus said, “I thirst.”

There was a vessel filled with common wine….

They put a sponge soaked in wine…up to his mouth. 

When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” 

And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

So, we don’t finish this Mass tonight. No final blessing.

We do go on a procession – to a special altar – recalling the Garden.

Let me share something very special 

about how Father Manning arranged this church.

By the way, Father Jim wanted to be here 

for this first gathering tonight as a family. 

He was a huge part of the work that brought us together.

Now, notice: the window to your left shows Melchizedek and Abraham. 

That meeting foreshadows the Holy Mass, 

and it’s referenced in the Eucharistic Prayer.

Look over to your right: that shows the Apostles 

gathered with Jesus on the night before his death. This night!

There’s still another detail I want to share with you.

In Jesus’ time, when the lamb was prepared for the meal, 

in order to roast it, do you know how they did it? 

They took two skewers, made of wood. 

One was speared through the torso, from head to tail. 

The other was speared through both shoulders. A cross.

Tomorrow we will worship the Cross on which our Savior, 

our Lamb of God, was slain. 

Tonight is our Passover. It begins tonight. 

'The Week of Salvation' (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 may be that 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?

These days will help you go deeper into our Faith,

because this week is the heart of our Faith.

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

There are confessions Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

To accommodate everyone, we added a Sunrise 7 am Mass 

here at Our Lady of Good Hope just for Easter. 

And, if Masses are crowded, let’s try to have good humor and patience.

We’ll have folks we don’t see very often;

Yes, your favorite seat may be filled.

Our generosity of spirit can only make it more likely 

we’ll see them again.

Also, as the Mother Church for our parish family,

Our Lady of Good Hope is the site of our shared Easter Vigil.

We have a large group of men, women and children 

Who will be baptized and confirmed 

and receive Jesus in the Eucharist the first time.

This is the week of salvation. His week; our week.

It’s about what we did to the Lord; even more, what he did for us.

Why so much death? (5th Sunday of Lent homily)

 

This Gospel provides an opportunity to deal with a question 

that sometimes people ask about us Catholics: 

Why do we talk about death so much?

Why is an image of Jesus dying on the Cross so prominent?

Many say we should focus on the Resurrection.

Sure: but you can’t talk about resurrection without talking about death.

One answer might be: well, death is just part of life.

That’s true, but only to a point.

It ignores something else we Christians believe: 

that God, in the original plan, did not want us to die. 

Let me say that again:

God’s original plan did not include death!

The world we live in – which includes sin and death –

is not the world God wanted for us;

And it isn’t the new world he is preparing for us.

Sin means that our life is a shallow, shadow kind of life. 

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. 

And that means not a world centered on one God,

but a world of seven or eight billion 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.”

Dying to self is the very hardest thing we do: 

we fight it from the first word many of us learn – “No!” – 

to our last breath.

And yet: think of those whose sacrifices gave us our freedoms.

Think of those who, when disaster strikes, run to the fire.

Think of your own parents.

Only when we die to ourselves do we become life-givers.

At this Mass, we are joined by those preparing to be baptized in two weeks.

Baptism is dying with Jesus, so that we can live for him forever.

Dying to shadow-life; rising to eternal life.

They are here to pray, 

but also, to seek our prayers, for the grace of conversion.

God has called them; and their witness reminds us: 

he’s calling you and me too!

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. 

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

Who is blind? (4th Sunday Lent homily)

 

Credit: Masterfile

Of all the people in the Gospel who couldn’t see,

only one was healed.

It was he who, without question or delay,

simply went and did as the Lord said.

Everyone else tried to analyze, argue or deny.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t try to understand.

Some questions we ask help us to see;

There are others we ask that aim to delay choosing.

So often, there comes a point when we know:

no more delays—just go!

When I was 19, I left the Catholic Church,

And joined another church. I came back 10 years later.

Over that time, I had questions,

I debated and wrestled—and that was right.

But, there came a moment, and I remember it vividly.

It was during Lent: as I drove home from work one day,

past a Catholic church, I heard the question in my head:

“What holds you back?” And I knew: “Nothing, Lord.”

A day or two later,

I went to confession for the first time in 10 years.

So, how about you? Are you holding back, or delaying,

on something you know the Lord wants you to do?

For a lot of us, that’s how we handle the sacrament of penance;

That is to say, we hem and haw and put it off.

It’s no great mystery why that happens.

Not many of us want to admit our sins,

especially to another human being.

Maybe we get discouraged,

Or we rationalize, I’m doing pretty good.

Just so you know; priests go through the exact same thing.

Again, the blind man could have had all the same feelings.

Did you notice, he didn’t ask to be healed?

Maybe he’d gotten accustomed to his situation or given up hope.

It amuses me to imagine him arguing with Jesus:

“Hey, what’s with this messy mud on my eyes?

Can’t you heal me without that?”

That makes me laugh, 

because sometimes I have conversations like that:

“Do I really have to do it this way?”

Instead, he simply went and did what the Lord asked.

He, and he alone, was healed.

So—for the sacrament of penance—just go!

We have confessions Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 

Thursday, Saturday and Sunday!

Check the bulletin.

As Mass began today, we prayed the words of Isaiah:

“Rejoice…”

But wait, Lent is about self-denial—

what are we rejoicing about?

Well, consider the blind man in the Gospel.

After the Lord put clay over his eyes,

and sent him to the pool:

what might he have been thinking?

I don’t know, but: if he felt certain he would be healed, 

would not his heart have swelled with hope?

Would he not have raced to that pool? 

Well then, the same for us:

Even as we pray, and confront our sins,

and ask God to help us change,

You and I really can be sure

God will forgive and heal us.

Here at this Mass, some among us can’t wait to be baptized.

They’re racing to the pool! In a moment, 

I’m going to invite you to join me in praying for them, 

for God’s help on the rest of their journey.

Meanwhile, the rest of us can—in confession—

Go back again to the pool of Jesus’ healing forgiveness.

And, when we share the Eucharist at Mass,

We are the blind man who can now see.

We come to worship the one who healed us.

It's not about them, it's about you (Sunday homily)

 These readings are about heaven and hell.

Let’s start with heaven.

In the first reading, Moses asks to know God’s Name. 

He wants to draw closer to God. 

After all, Moses and God’s People had been in slavery 

for over 400 years. 

The stories of what God did in Abraham’s life, 

in the lives of Isaac and Jacob and Joseph, were all distant memories. 

Perhaps even God himself seemed very distant. 

In Hebrew, names are more than just what someone is called.

They express the essence of who someone is.

When God tells Moses he is “I AM WHO AM,” 

he is revealing his true nature, 

that he is the One who truly and fully exists.

By responding this way, God is being very intimate with Moses,

And encouraging Moses’ desire for that intimacy.

Notice that: God WANTS US to know him this way!

This intimate union with God is heaven.

That is what heaven is.

So, whatever else you imagine heaven to be,

First and last, it is complete closeness with the Blessed Trinity.

And please remember: God wants this for us.

You and I don’t talk God into this; he’s talks US into it.

The problem is never God’s want-to, but ours.

You and I never have to change God’s mind. 

It is our mind, our lives, that need to change, 

and God is always at the door our heart, 

you and I only need to invite him in.

At the beginning, I mentioned hell. Where does that fit in?

Well, that’s what Jesus is warning against in the Gospel. 

Unless you and I repent, he says, we will all likewise perish.

He doesn’t mean natural death, but spiritual death.

And, one of the escape routes we choose to avoid a serious question

is to focus on other people – instead of ourselves.

Jesus says: don’t focus on whether those Galileans were sinners.

That’s a way to avoid thinking about the really hard question:

My need to change.

Our Lord Jesus points to a fig tree yielding no fruit.

God is patient – vastly more patient than you and I are.

In fact, this is actually one of the major reasons 

people don’t believe in God; 

because they say God is too slow to act, to bring justice.

“Why does God wait?” people ask. 

Still, don’t presume on God’s patience.

Jesus said it: give the tree some time; but: 

if it doesn’t yield fruit, cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?

There’s nothing fruitful about looking at others and saying,

“Oh yeah, she’s a fruitless tree!”

Ask yourself…about yourself.

The Gospel – the Good News – Jesus brings us 

is what he, as God, told Moses so long ago: 

He is True Life, and he invites each of us to be fully alive with him.

There is always an invitation, as there is right this moment, 

to become that life-bearing, fruit-giving friend of God!

Take advantage of this Lent: of many opportunities for confession;

of the opportunity to turn back to Jesus.

The Power of 'No' (Sunday homily)

 Let me repeat something that is so simple we may miss it:

Lent is all about conversion. 

That’s the point of self-denial, of taking more time for prayer, 

and of giving away money or things to others.

You and I don’t fast and pray and give things away

In order to gain more of God’s love;

He already loves us as much as he possibly can.

We also don’t do these things for a show.

The only point is the extent to which this helps our own conversion.

And note that: Lent is about our own conversion; 

it’s not your job to convert her, or him.

Even in the family: true conversion has to be me choosing it for me.

Focus on your own conversion, and let that be your witness.

So we start with humility.

In the first reading, the faithful Israelite must confess:

My father was a nobody. My ancestors were slaves.

We didn’t set ourselves free – God did it.

In fact, everything we have comes from God.

And in the Gospel, even Jesus the Lord humbles himself.

But perhaps the main thing we might notice

in the Gospel is the power of a single word: NO.

How much you and I need to learn the power of saying “NO”:

No to temptation; No to all the tasty and enjoyable things 

that are too important to us;

“No” to all the distractions and short-term things 

that so fill our thoughts, that we fail to focus on the distant horizon.

This is really hard. But it’s an essential part of our Lent.

We know this, because Jesus himself did it. 

He went into the desert and fasted.

He said “No” to pretty much everything – 

food, drink, entertainment, other people’s company –

before he launched on his great mission of our salvation.

He did it, without needing it, to be in solidarity with us.

And thus he makes clear how much you and I DO need it.

Notice we began Mass with the sprinkling of holy water.

Remember that Lent is also about preparing for baptism, and – 

for those of us who have been baptized – 

about renewing and reclaiming it.

[And I might mention, at this Mass, we have some folks 

who are preparing to be baptized in six weeks. 

Today we acknowledge them as the “Elect” – 

meaning, they are chosen by God to enter into the new life of baptism. 

And we have others who were baptized in other communities, 

but now wish to be part of the fullness of the Catholic Church.

It is the grace of their baptism that urges them to this! 

And we want to pray for them along the next steps.]

Recall that when you and I were baptized, 

The deacon or priest asked three questions;

And we, or our parents, gave three renunciations. 

We said “No” to Satan; 

“And all his works?”

“And all his empty show?”

And notice, Jesus is tempted by the devil after 40 days.

That means his struggle with evil corresponds to Holy Week.

Good Friday represents the devil seeking to kill him,

Perhaps because he would not bow down to him.

When you and I learn the power of “No” when it’s needed,   

We gain the power of a true “YES” when that is needed!

YES to being truly generous with ourselves and our time and our stuff.

YES to trusting God with peace and calm.

YES to going deeper and farther, 

the way Peter stepped out of the boat, 

and walked – albeit briefly – on the water.

So if you want to take something away from this homily,

Take a simple word. That word is “No.”

Use this Lent to learn how to say that word and mean it:

A “No” to the stomach, a “No” to the eyes, and a “No” to the ego:

So you and I can receive the fullness of God’s life.

That’s a good way to make Lent fruitful, don’t you think?

The hardest fast (Sunday homily)

 Everyone knows that Ash Wednesday is this week, right?

And we all know that those 18-59 are obliged to fast 

on Ash Wednesday – and on Good Friday. 

That means one full meal and two snacks if you need them.

And, we all know that the focus of Lent 

is on repentance and self-denial: 

that’s why we pray more seriously, and look to be more generous, 

and we choose to give things up.

Allow me to point out: the hardest fast is not from food.

It is from words.

The words you and I speak.

And the words we listen to. 

Fewer words mean more silence.

What happens if you die right now? (Sunday homily)

 Lent begins in two and a half weeks. 

For the next three Sundays, 

you and I will hear from Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, 

from chapter 15, where he talks about resurrection.

This is a great transition to Lent.

Let’s recall what we believe as Catholics.

At the moment our life in this world comes to an end, 

you and I will immediately face Christ as our judge.

We call this the “particular judgment.”

And in that moment, Christ will weigh our faith: 

did we respond to his grace? Did we obey his commands? 

Did we repent of our sins and turn to him for mercy?

And then, one of two things will happen.

If you or I die without God’s friendship, having rejected his grace; 

refused to change, or, perhaps gave mere lip service, then what? 

Remember what he said: “Not everyone who cries, ‘Lord, Lord!’ 

will enter the Kingdom.” 

And they will say, “but look what we did in your name!” 

And Jesus will say, ‘Depart from me! I never knew you!’”

So, if that’s where any of us are in that moment before Christ, 

then we will go to hell, precisely because we refused the grace 

and the conversion of our lives that would prepare us for heaven. 

On the other hand, if we “die in God’s grace and friendship,”

As the catechism states it (Paragraph 1030), 

then we enter into heaven. 

But at that point, you and I may need some further brushing-up, 

so that we are truly ready for heaven. 

This is what purgatory is.

If you and I make this life a time of conversion, 

of breaking bad habits, of self-denial, 

we will not need much from purgatory.

Here’s a prayer that you may want to pray each day:

“Lord, send me here my purgatory.” 

The point Saint Paul wants to make is simple:

Do not make the mistake of thinking this life is all there is.

You and I are meant to live forever.

Moreover, our bodies are not just something 

we throw away or leave behind. 

We will have our bodies back in the resurrection.

So Lent is coming, and we have a few weeks to gear up.

Since I mentioned purgatory, that’s a good way to understand Lent: 

You and I are seeking our purgatory here and now.

Our sacrifices, penances and extra prayers are tools, 

in service of what Lent truly is about:

Conversion. Change of heart. Change of life. Getting ready for heaven.

The origin of Lent is that it was a time of intense preparation 

for those who were going to be baptized at Easter – 

and that is why they fasted, and prayed intensely, 

and examined their lives so closely.

And for those of us who have been baptized,

Lent is our time to re-embrace our baptism.

So, notice: at Easter you will be asked to renew those vows.

It's not a mere ritual; it’s a very solemn moment.

So, Lent is near. It’s time to get ready.

You should have seen by now 

we will have a Eucharist-focused Mission in two weeks, 

leading into Lent. 

It will also be a lead-in to an opportunity for all of us 

to focus particularly on the Holy Eucharist during Lent. 

There will be many opportunities for prayer and reflection.

I want to issue everyone in the parish a challenge:

Let’s make this the best Lent you’ve ever had.

I’m asking that we all unite in that desire – 

and help each other make it happen.

Here’s some simple but serious homework:

First: now is the time to think about your plan for Lent.

And, second, I ask everyone to begin praying that this Lent 

will indeed be a powerful time of conversion for our parish family. 

Pray for yourself, your family, and for each other. 

Let’s pray for our St. John Paul Family to experience conversion.

Five easy ways *everyone* can answer God's call (Sunday homily)

 I bet this has happened to you.

You put new lights – brighter lights – into your kitchen, 

and then, you look and grimace: hmm, that floor doesn’t look so good! 

Or, it’s the bathroom, and you look in the mirror! Hmm, not so good!

That’s when you turn down the lights!

Something like that – yet far more transcendent – 

happened to Isaiah in the first reading, to Paul in the second reading, and to Peter in the Gospel. 

The intense reality of who God is 

illuminated for them the disturbing reality of their own lives.

Isaiah said: "Woe is me, I am doomed!

Paul said, “I am not fit to be called an apostle,

because I persecuted the church of God.”

Peter said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."

Now, perhaps you can think of a moment 

when you experienced something like this. 

I recall being on an airplane 

and it suddenly went very bouncy-bouncy, 

and I intensely wished I’d gone to confession.

My prayer was something like Isaiah’s.

But please notice, however disturbing this experience is, 

it is a mercy – it is a grace!

Would it have been better had Isaiah not woken up?

Would Paul have been better off not converting?

Notice also, in each case, this searing of their consciences 

preceded Isaiah, Paul or Peter being sent with a mission.

Please remember this whenever someone asks you 

to pitch in or take on a project.

You might want to answer, no, ask someone else.

But what God really wanted to hear was Isaiah’s, “send me!”

There are a lot of individual tasks that make up our faith-family.

We all rely on people to organize different things.

By the way: sometimes people notice a change, and ask, 

why did that change? Why did that go away? 

Often the answer is, we need help to organize it.

And there really is something for everyone to do.

The overall mission is clear. You and I are witnesses of Jesus.

We are his messengers.

Being sinful and weak doesn’t disqualify Isaiah, Paul or Peter.

But they all needed conversion.

And for everyone who wonders, when will someone revive things?

Don’t wait for someone else. Answer like Isaiah: “send me!”

How do you do that? How is that accessible to absolutely everyone?

I’m going to give you five things everyone can do.

First: everyone listening to me can pray.

If you and I reach the Kingdom, 

we’re going to be stunned by how much tired, persevering prayer 

held this world together like spiritual duct tape.

Prayer doesn’t have to take hours of our day.

Start each day with the morning offering.

If you drive to work, turn off the radio 

and pray the Rosary or Divine Mercy chaplet.

You’ll be a more patient driver, I prophesy!

Pause periodically – just for 10 seconds! – and remember God.

Second, everyone can say, “I believe in Jesus!”

Our little children can say that. 

Our oldest, tired-est parishioners can say that.

You don’t have to be a theologian. 

But it is our lives that make our words credible.

That leads to third: like Peter, Paul and Isaiah: seek conversion.

Ask, and God will light up what needs to change.

Fourth and fifth:

The early Christians won their world by their love.

They were generous and forgiving.

Everyone can give something. 

And everyone, sooner or later, faces the choice to forgive.

That’s what it is: not a feeling but a choice:

To let go of that wrong and give that to God.

Imagine how Paul felt to be embraced 

by the Christians he tried to kill!

What if they had refused?

So, there you have it: five ways everyone can answer the call.

Pray. And say. Convert. Give. And forgive.

The Light of the World (Presentation Homily)

 Today’s feast is celebrated every year, 

but it only falls on Sunday every once in a while. 

The formal name is the “Presentation of the Lord”;

Another name is “Candlemas,” because of the candles of course.

But why candles?

On one level it’s kind of obvious: 

Jesus comes to the temple, and he is the Light of the World.

But let’s you and I drill down on that, shall we?

When Jesus was born, he looked like any other baby.

When the Apostles met him, they encountered a man like them.

Jesus ate and drank, he worked and got tired and had to rest.

Then, on one occasion, 

Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain, 

and he was, quote, “transfigured” before their eyes.

The Gospels say that he was brilliantly bright.

The apostles fell to the ground; 

maybe the sight scorched their eyes?

In other words, in that moment,

they saw, as much as human eyes could see, 

what it really means to say Jesus is “the Light of the World.”

 

You and I don’t dare stare at the sun – it sears our eyes.

And yet Jesus, our Lord, is vastly more luminous,

more full of power and fire!

All the suns and stars and galaxies are but a little candle next to him!

When we say, “a Light for revelation” came into the temple…

Realize how intense and awesome that Light truly was!

If the sun in our sky could somehow enter this church,

maybe that gives a sense of it.

But consider what happened in the temple that day.

God chose not to give that kind of sign.

Instead, it was the eyes of faith – Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna – 

That saw the Infinite Light of Jesus.

And that’s how it works for you and me.

This is as good a time as any to remind you that it’s time 

to make our own commitments to the Catholic Ministries Appeal.

By now you should have gotten a mailing about it.

 

You know the projects it pays for:

Caring for our retired priests;

Caring for the poor and needy;

Supporting a Catholic presence in prisons, hospitals and colleges;

Supporting our seminary and our vocations programs, and more.

There are cards and envelopes in the pews, if you need one.

Your pledge, like one candle, may not seem like much,

But united to Christ and all our candles, it is a bright light!

There’s something else here, and it has to do with Jesus’ priesthood.

The first reading describes the Lord coming to purify the temple, 

and to offer a pure, all-powerful sacrifice worthy of God.

This is a foreshadowing of what would happen on Good Friday;

And what is made present in every single Mass.

It is not too strong to say that right here, right now, we are there.

Every single Mass, you and I are there, 

with Jesus, offering himself as the Lamb of God.

So: are you and I like most people in that temple that day,

Ho-hum, nothing special?

Or, are do we see as Simeon and Anna, recognizing the Lord is here?

I know, you might be frustrated because you try, 

yet with kids and diaper bags and the cares of daily life,  

it seems impossible to do more than to “get through” Mass.

If that’s you; if you’re harried and hassled, my word for you is this:

Just be here and trust Him.

His light is here, and he will shine on you, in you, and it’ll happen.

Not in a day; not on our timetable; but in his time.

Present yourself to the Lord and let him accept that offering.

But you’ll be a glorious saint one day. He’ll do it, not you.

Or, maybe you’re here, and you think, boring!

I don’t like this music; this homily is no good!

I don’t like the people sitting around me…

My answer is: you’re right: everything is awful!

Twelve years ago, I made a trip to the Holy Land.

And I was able to offer Holy Mass at Calvary! At the Empty Tomb!

As far as Mass goes, on this side of heaven, that’s as good as it gets.

Still, you know what? 

People were coming and going, it was crowded and often rushed.

Before you know it, we had to move on to the next stop.

I will never forget that trip to the Holy Land, and yet:

Right here, right now, it’s every bit as real and holy,

because the Light of the World, Jesus our High Priest,

Comes here at every single Mass and fills this temple with his glory.

And whether that light fills the temple of your life is up to you.

Jesus' Liberation (Sunday homily)

 Jesus chose this Gospel passage to announce: he is the Messiah.

That’s what he did in that synagogue that day.

People were waiting for something like this.

It must have been an electric moment.

Notice what Jesus identifies as the heart of the Gospel:

Liberation. Redemption. Freedom.

But what does that mean?

He is not speaking primarily about political freedom.

Jesus never organized a demonstration or circulated a petition.

Political freedom and activism are very worthwhile – 

but they were not Jesus’s starting point. 

Jesus focused on changing lives.

If you are poor, what counts as good news?

Maybe having that threat of no heat, no water, no home, go away?

A week’s groceries is good news.

Even better news is that you aren’t treated as “less than”; 

that you are treated with dignity; you matter.

Would it shock you to hear that there are people 

who don’t come to Saint Henry or Our Lady of Good Hope or Saint Mary, 

because they aren’t sure they’ll be welcome?

They don’t know if their clothes are nice enough.

They aren’t sure they know anyone who is here.

 

So if you want to bear “good tidings,” think about people 

who may not feel welcome in “our” circle – and change that.

Who are the “captives” to set free? Lots of people.

What about folks who need alcohol – too much?

Or people hooked on food? Or sports, or work? 

How about addiction to the Internet? 

Either to the latest news or gossip or outrage 

on Facebook and Twitter;

or to dark materials on websites

you don’t want anyone else to know you look at.

How do we get free from these addictions?

Only Jesus Christ can set us free.

Only he can give you and me the strong enough “want to,” 

to be willing to change what needs to be changed, 

to confess our sins without holding back,

and be willing to ask another human being to help.

Alcoholics Anonymous originated something called the Twelve Steps. 

And the first step goes like this:

“We admitted to ourselves that we were powerless over alcohol – 

that our lives had become unmanageable.”

People in AA recite that, and the rest of the Twelve Steps, 

to one another in regular meetings.

A lot of people are captive precisely because 

they aren’t ready to take that first step. 

How does this work?

The obvious starting place is the Sacrament of Confession.

After that is looking for people we trust who we can talk to.

Jesus wants to set people free. 

He asks you and me to be the face of that liberation;

To be the hands that help lift people out of the prisons of their shame.

I am convinced that lots of people – here, listening to me right now –

could experience that freedom, 

if only they are willing to open up to another human being and say,

“I need help. I’m addicted to…” fill in the blank.

“And I need a partner to hold me accountable and help me get free.”

How does this work?

Well, we have about four hours of confessions each week.

We priests are happy to meet you there.

But after that, the task is for each and every one of us.

Are you ready for a friend or family member to come to you?

Ready to say, I’ll listen; I won’t judge or reject you?

I’ll keep my ears wide open and mouth tight shut?

Twelve-step groups are all around for alcohol.

For people dealing with drug and pornography addiction, 

there are meetings around Dayton and Cincinnati,

along with online resources.

These Twelve Step resources are one tool to help,

Along with prayer, confession and Christian fellowship.

There are things we can do to be set free – if you are ready.

In the first reading, when Ezra was reading God’s Word to his People, they were crying! 

Why did they cry?

Because they realized how far they were, in their lives, 

from what God had for them.

But remember what Nehemiah said: “Do not be saddened: 

because rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength.”

Jesus coming to be with us, to bring us complete forgiveness, 

and to give us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us – that is our joy. 

Sadness? Because we’ve missed out? 

Because of what enslaves us and others? Absolutely.

But replace that sorrow for sin with rejoicing for mercy!

Christ forgives! Christ liberates! Christ is with us to set us free!

Catholic Ministry Appeal (Sunday Homily)

 As you know, this time of year we revisit the Catholic Ministries Appeal. 

And Archbishop Schnurr prepares a homily and sends it out, with the option of playing an audio.

The Archbishop leaves it up to the priests 

whether to play the audio or not. 

My preference is to take his message and present it in my own homily. 

All the good parts that follow are from the Archbishop! 

If you don’t like anything that follows this introduction, that’s my fault!

Salvation history tells the story of God’s unfailing love for us. 

From the first moment of creation, with His loving, outstretched hand, 

God began to put order into the chaos of nothingness. 

After the heavens and earth came into being 

and were filled with the manifold wonders of creation, God paused. 

He looked at what He had made and saw that it was very good. 

Man and woman, created in God’s own image and likeness, 

stand at the pinnacle of creation, 

and it is to man and woman 

that God entrusted the care of all He had made. 

Even after the Fall, when all hope for mankind 

and the world seemed lost, God did not abandon His creation. 

Rather, He began, little by little, to guide it back to Himself, 

to restore what had been lost by sin. 

God’s greatest desire is that we should all experience 

the same fullness of life and love 

which was His gift to mankind at the beginning of time. 

Looking toward the coming of Jesus as Messiah, 

Isaiah proclaims, as we hear today, “The Lord delights in you.” 

He has made us for Himself, and as the bridegroom 

gives everything for his bride, so does God give everything to us. 

He delights in us and wants us to have all 

that is necessary for our salvation. 

Furthermore, God has made us stewards of all His creation, 

and He calls us to use everything at our disposal for the good of others – 

thereby sharing in His work of redemption. 

Saint Paul points out, each of us has something to contribute. 

The Holy Spirit, poured into our souls at Baptism 

and strengthened and sealed by the grace of Confirmation, 

nurtures the gifts and talents 

which God entrusted to us from the first moment of our conception. 

The Holy Spirit enables those talents to bear fruit. 

The gifts God gives us are meant to benefit one another. 

You and I need each other. 

This is the sign that is the Church: 

Jesus did not merely create an individual relationship with each of us; 

he created His Body on earth, and calls us to be part of Him.

A temptation exists to think that my contribution 

may not be significant, that I don’t really have much of a role to play 

within the seemingly limitless expanse of God’s work of redemption. 

But you and I really know that isn’t true. It’s an excuse. 

As you see at wedding feast at Cana, God gives abundantly. 

But notice: you and I have to be willing to cooperate. 

Maybe Jesus would have granted the gift of wine 

without Mary coming to him – but that’s not how it happened. 

You and I have to be ready to cooperate. 

So the connection to the Catholic Ministries Appeal is obvious. 

Every donation to this annual archdiocesan collection 

supports various parts of God’s work of redemption 

which none of us can accomplish on our own. 

The ministries supported by the CMA assist the most vulnerable, including the hungry, sick, imprisoned, the hospitalized and the marginalized members of society.

The funds raised through the CMA 

provide for the formation of seminarians, our future priests, 

who make God present to us through the sacraments. 

They also support our retired priests who continue to minister 

to the People of God in this archdiocese and beyond.

Archbishop Schnurr thanks you for your support for the Catholic Ministry Appeal, and so do I. 

Our family of parishes has been very generous over the years,

and with your help again, we can continue 

to combine our small, personal contributions together 

to make a big difference together.

Jesus stands with you (Baptism of the Lord homily)

Today we recall when Jesus showed up 

on the banks of the Jordan River and asked to be baptized.

We might wonder, first: why did he do this, 

and second, why is this important to us? What does it mean?

John was baptizing people as an act of repentance. 

They were confessing their sins along the way.

So: they were, in a sense, going to confession.

The shocker is to see the Lord Jesus get in that line.

Jesus puts himself squarely with us, in our situation. 

He does not hesitate at all.

This is also about Jesus showing himself as the new Adam.

The first Adam rebelled and failed to keep God’s law, 

and that set the whole, sorry story of human history in motion. 

Here, Jesus does the exact opposite.

This Adam is obedient. He fully does his Father’s will. 

And, most astounding, Jesus accepts the punishment for sin 

that otherwise was due to Adam and the rest of us.

So, when Jesus came to be baptized, he accepted 

his vocation as the faithful Son, the new Adam, the Messiah.

So, notice this: Jesus never says, there’s no need to change.

Jesus never offers a path bypassing the Cross.

Now: what does this have to do with you and me?

When you and I were baptized, we became one with Jesus.

So, the question is, will you respond to God as Jesus did?

Will you embrace the life you have been given?

Will you take up the Cross? Will you be a witness to Jesus?

Maybe you never gave much thought to your baptism. 

Think about it now. 

At a certain point, each of us must decide 

to make the commitment of baptism our own. 

So, in case it wasn’t clear, this is why I sprinkled you with Holy Water. 

And, in case you never realized it, 

when we recite the Creed in a moment, 

you and I are confirming our baptism.

Something else happens when we are baptized.

Saint Paul said we become “heirs of hope of eternal life.”

When Paul calls us “heirs,” that is no metaphor.

Children not only inherit all the stuff their parents owned, 

they inherit all that their parents are.

When children are conceived and born, 

What do people say? “You have your mother’s eyes!”

“You look just like your daddy!”

And as we grow to adulthood, like it or not, we become a lot like them.

So, to be “heirs” with Jesus, means that when the Father said, 

"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased,”

He didn’t only say it to Jesus. He said it to you and me, too!

That’s what the Father said – of you – when you were baptized.

It is what he says every time you and I go to confession.

Each of us has moments of doubt.

Maybe you are single and wondering, what does God have for me?

Are you called to be a priest or in religious life?

Or you are married

and you despair of ever being a good enough parent. 

Every mistake is always on your mind.

Perhaps you are a young person, and you hate being asked, 

“what are you going to do with your life?” Because you have no clue!

In recent years, many people have been “coming out” 

and saying, “I’m gay,” or “I’m trans” and the like. 

So many of us don’t know how to react. 

There is a much broader problem: 

more and more people simply do not know who they are. 

Many, many people don’t know what it means to be a child of God.

And by that, I mean, a God who relates to us 

and acts in our lives and wants you and me to know him.

A lot of the anger and alienation in our society is a product of this:

that people who were created to be loved, are starved for love.

Sooner or later, each of us will meet a family member or friend 

who says he or she can’t relate comfortably with the opposite sex.

Some, who are say they don’t know if they are male or female.

Don’t dismiss them. Don’t mock them! Walk with them. 

And tell them:

Jesus got in line with you! He takes up your cross with you!

The Holy Spirit wants to come down on you!

You and I cannot resolve all the confusion of our times.

But we can remind people: You are a child of God.

'What does it mean to be a faithful Christian?' (Epiphany homily)

 Let me start with a straightforward question:

“What does it mean to be a faithful Christian?”

If you were pressed to answer, what would you say?

Maybe someone would say, you receive your sacraments.

Or, you go to Mass faithfully and go to confession.

Or, you give to charity and the church, you live a good life.

Or some combination of the above.

These are good answers, but incomplete, 

especially if people end up talking about following rules 

or checking off items on a to-do list.

Here’s the answer I propose to you:

To be a Christian is to be another Christ;

And I want to put a big, bold line under the word “be” in that sentence.

This isn’t just a matter of things we DO.

Rather, it’s all about who and what you and I are:

It is what you and I become, 

which happens only with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Today is the Solemnity of the Epiphany.

Epiphany represents the first 

revealing and sending-out of the Good News of a Savior, 

of God coming into the world to set a longed-for change in motion. 

On Christmas we were given the present,

On Epiphany, we tell everyone, “Look at the great gift God sent me!” 

This brings to mind the startling words of St. Athanasius: 

“God became man so that men might become God.”

Epiphany – with the arrival of foreigners to venerate the child King – 

is when this astounding news began to be revealed to the world.

Now, someone might find those words shocking. 

After all, isn’t that what the devil wanted? To be God?

Here’s the difference.

Satan wanted to kick God out of heaven.

What God wants is to have us join him and be united to him.

So when God offers you heaven, it’s not a sin to accept!

So back to my opening question: 

What does it mean to be a faithful Christian?

It’s about who we become. Little Christs. 

People filled with the light of Christ, changed by it, 

made pure, made new, made heavenly.

There’s a film that plays on TV this time of year, 

you’ve probably seen it, called “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

At one point, the hero George is trying to woo his wife-to-be, Mary.

He romantically offers to lasso the moon for her.

And then he says, “you could swallow it, and it'd all dissolve, see? 

And moonbeams would shoot out of your fingers and your toes, 

and the ends of your hair.”

Am I the only one who, hearing that, thinks of the Holy Eucharist?

God gives us, not the moon, but “true Light from true Light.” 

He literally gives himself to us, holding nothing back.

What happens when we receive God fully, not fighting him?

If there is a challenge or an “action item” here, how about this?

In this new year of our Lord 2025, pray and think about 

how you will let that heavenly light penetrate you, change you – 

and to shine out of you.

Let’s you and me think about our life as a Christian, 

not in terms of “doing,” although that is important – 

but rather, in terms of WHO YOU ARE, and who we WILL BE.

You surely have noticed, I speak often about confession.

Confession is the sacrament of conversion.

And what many don’t realize is, sin isn’t just something we DO.

It’s about what you and I are becoming.

If I lie, once, twice, five times, over and over…

At some point, it’s what I am. I am a liar.

Confession is that essential step of opening up to let God change us.

It is the first step admitting, I can’t do this on my own.

You’ve also heard a lot about change: the life of our parish – 

our three parishes coming together – is all caught up in change.

That, too, is a process of conversion.

You’ve been very open, and that is a huge part 

of any success we’re experiencing.

But remember, the essential point of all we’ve been doing 

is to become a family of believers who are powerful witnesses.

The Catholic Church of 2025 can’t just wait for folks to show up.

Part of the conversion we ask for is to be witnesses.

It’s not mainly about the right words, or memorizing explanations.

Yes, knowing our Faith is important.

But the witness that attracts others is how genuinely you and I live it. 

So that brings us back, not merely to what we do – 

but what and who you and are becoming, by God’s grace.

Jesus came into the world to show you, me, and everyone 

what it means to be not twisted and broken, but fully alive in God. 

Truly free, not enslaved by sin and habit.

Full of grace; full of life. Full of heaven. Full of God. 

“God became man so that men and women might become God.”

So, the daily choices we face? That’s how we sort it out: 

These things don’t get me there. 

But other choices help me become more like Jesus. 

Maybe I’ll seek those more.

Who do you want to be? What will you do to get there?