Category Archives: Weekdays

Friends in the Lord,

In the Gospel today, Jesus urges us not to amass treasures on this earth, but rather in heaven. He gives three examples of how earthly treasures easily vanish:

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Things made of metal rust apart. I once owned a Pontiac Sunbird – the thing rusted apart so fast you could almost see it disintegrate. Material things decay.

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Jesus also speaks of the problem of moths. Some may have an experience of pulling a favorite coat out of the closet, only to find some huge moth-eaten hole in it.

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And Christ reminds us of how our treasures can suddenly disappear when a thief takes them.

In commenting on this, Thomas Aquinas explains these things symbolically. (Cataena) Rust, he says, represents pride. Just as rust covers over beautiful metal, pride obscures the brightness of a virtuous life.

Moth-eaten clothes are symbolic of jealousy. As the moth eats away at precious garments, jealousy eats away at friendships, and destroys the reputation of our neighbor.

The thieves who rob us, represent the devils who want to rob us of heaven and take away the happiness of a Christian life on earth. In times of war, a person sends their valuable things to relatives to keep them safe, knowing that when the attackers come, they might loot the people of their valuables. So too in the spiritual life. We are at war in this world, with the demons and enemies of the Church; We must therefore send ahead to heaven those things which are of value: Good deeds, honesty, sincerity, purity, almsgiving, and prayers; these things form us as a person, and will be our glory in heaven. The evil pleasures of this life will fall away and not survive the trip.

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St. Paul says, be careful how you build your life in this world. If you build your life on gold and silver, which are the virtues, these will survive. But if you build it of wood and straw, these will be burned up in fire.

Some people accumulate many things in this life, material things to which they cling – but at death they lose all interest in this, they only wish they had done some good in their life.

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Jesus says, where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. If we make Jesus and good works our treasure in this world, we will be very happy in the world to come.

Friends in Christ, Our Lord today gives us a warning about the wrong path in the spiritual life. ‘Be not angry – you will be liable to judgment. ‘Call no one Raqa – that is idiot – you will answer to the Sanhedrin. ‘Call no one a fool – you will be liable to the fire of hell.

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Judging another wrongly can lead to a crescendo of evil in the heart, and it all begins with suspicion. It is very easy to form an opinion of someone. We dream up all sorts of things about a person. But how many times are we wrong about what we thought of them? This is called rash judgment, caused by evil suspicions. (Summa Q. 60) St. Thomas says that suspicion is evil thinking based on slight indications, and this is due to three causes.

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First, because a person is evil in himself; his own evil heart makes him prone to think evil of others, We see malice in others when it lives in ourselves.

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Second, it can be because one has ill-will toward that person. If you already despise a person, then any slight indication will make you think evil of him.

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Third, it can be because of much experience: says St. Thomas: “old people are often very suspicious, because in their experience, they have seen many times the failings of others.”

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When one begins to doubt another’s goodness from slight indications, this is a venial sin; But when we believe a person to be wicked, in a grave matter, from a mere slight indication, this is a mortal sin. It is contempt for our neighbor. To think great evil of a person without sufficient cause, is to despise him, and do him injury. The Lord speaks of this when he says, to call someone a fool will make them liable to the fire of Gehenna.    

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Consequently, unless we have evident indications of a person’s wickedness, we ought to consider him good, We should interpret in the best light, whatever is doubtful. St. Francis de Sales says, we must always put the best interpretation on the actions of our neighbor.

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Now this may lead us to be wrong from time to time, thinking our neighbor good when he is not. But there is no sin in this. But to have an evil opinion of a good person, is to do him harm.

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How can we think the best of another? One way, is to recall for ourselves some times when we WERE very wrong about what we thought of someone. There certainly were times when we thought evil of a person and were completely mistaken. The Lord says, all thoughts will be revealed on the last day. So, let’s make them good thoughts.

Friends in Christ, today as we near the end of the Easter Season, the Gospel reading is from the very end, of the gospel of John. The first reading from Acts, is the very end of Acts of the Apostles. Something is coming to an end here.

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In John’s Gospel, we see that the life of St. Peter is nearing the end. Jesus has foretold his death, that he will be a martyr, crucified like him. And it will soon be so. In Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul is in prison, in Rome, where he will die. He will be a martyr, decapitated for the Faith. So we are hearing about endings today. Endings to the gospel, to Acts, to the life of St. Peter and St. Paul – It is an indication, a sign for us, of the ending of the Apostolic Age. St. John will be the last of the Apostles, who will die at the end of the 1^st Century.

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Mother Church gives us these readings today just before Pentecost. And it is Pentecost in which we see that the Church has come alive by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is this Holy Spirit, who drives St. Peter on, drives St. Paul and St. John and the rest, to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.

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Jesus continues to live on in the Church, in his Mystical Body, which is us. He is doing many things, much good in us. At the end of the Gospel today it says that Jesus did many other things, more than could ever be written in all the books of the world – I think this means, that Jesus continues to live in his Mystical Body, in us, and he wishes to do many good things in us.

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The message therefore that we can take, is that even though the great Apostles will die – even though the Apostolic Age is coming to a close – the Church is alive, and this work of the Holy Spirit in the Church will continue and flourish to the end of time.

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After Pentecost we will return to Ordinary time, and the Liturgical color becomes green. Green – for growth. Growth for us in our daily spiritual life, and also growth for the whole Church. The death of the Apostles and the end of the Apostolic age were only the seeds for the growth of the Church. We grow by the grace and the Spirit of Christ, and together Mother Church grows in us.

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The Church is a great Ship; all through the scriptures, the ‘boat’ is the symbol of the Church, even from Noah’s Ark; in this Ship, the Church, the wind in our sails is the Divine Breath of the Holy Spirit, moving us through the waters of time. The world will pound and assail the Ship of Christ, but the wind blows, and we sail on, toward heaven.

Friends in Christ, today in the 1^st reading, we see St. Paul at Miletus – near Ephesus – he knows he will soon be arrested – and killed. So he gathers with the presbyters of the Church. This is where we get the word for ‘priests’ – presbyters. They came from all around Asia Minor to say goodbye; it would be the last time they would see him until the next life. St. Paul knelt down and prayed with them all. They were weeping as they threw their arms around him and kissed him, for they were deeply distressed that they would never see his face again.

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St. Paul prayed for his priests, and in the Gospel today, Our Lord also, prays for his priests. This is the long discourse Jesus has with his priests before his Passion. He prays for them: ‘Father, keep them in your name …. I do not ask, Father, that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the Evil One.’ Christ knew that the devil would be after his priests from day one, why? It is from the priest’s hands that the life-blood – Christ, in his body – comes into the Church. It is through the priest that forgiveness is given in Confession.

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St. Paul knew of these dangers; he said to his brother: ‘I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting that truth.’ St. Joseph Cafasso says: A priest is taken from people, and ordained for the sanctification of people; but he does not belong to the people; the priest belongs to God. The priest is to be a man of God, not a man of the people. (St. Joseph Cafasso, p. 22)

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For a few decades now, there has been a push by the secular world, to convince priests to stop being men of God, and to be men of the world. But Jesus says, ‘they do not belong to the world.’ We are called to live IN the world – but not OF the world, this is true for all of us.

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Yet essentially the priest’s life is a war against the Devil. Referring to his priests, Jesus prayed: ‘Father, keep them from the Evil one.’ That devil, is on the opposing side of everything the priest does.

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As I walked into a hospital yesterday, a young black man shouted out, ‘Hello Preacher!!’ I said, ‘How are you!?’    ‘Very good, very good.’ I saw that he was an Orkin man. I said, ‘You go around driving out pests.’ ‘SURE ‘NOUGH!, he said. ‘I do the same. Different kind of a Pest though!’ ‘Yeah…I gotcha!’

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The Church needs more men to step up for battle – against the Pest. But God gives us according to what we deserve, so we should pray daily, for more vocations to the priesthood. And if we know any young man of good character – a neighbor, a grandson – ask him: ‘Ever thought of being a priest?’

Good morning students of St. John Vianney!

We are, in these next couple weeks, in a very interesting time in the Church year. Sunday we will celebrate the Ascension of the Lord: for 40 days after he rose from the dead, and really it was yesterday that he ascended. Jesus has been with his apostles, teaching them more, eating with them, teaching them how to offer Mass – But Our Lord then ascended to heaven, and for 10 days they waited for the next step. They waited for the Holy Spirit to come, to bring them alive in Faith and determination and willpower. The Holy Spirit did come, on Pentecost, and he totally changed those apostles; they had been afraid of what was ahead.

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But when the Holy Spirit came, they not only felt the courage and joy to the next step, but they also helped many others on the path to heaven.

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There is something for us to learn here; our 8^th grade prepares for graduation in just over a week. Then to high school: other students, new friends, perhaps harder classes – in many ways, unknown territory, maybe some fears. These students who will begin a lot of new things in their life should realize that, like those apostles who were at first afraid of the next step, they have a special power to help them. For our 8^th grade, as long as they are living in the State of Grace, the power of the Holy Spirit is with them, in them .

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The Holy Spirit gives us his Gifts – what are they? They are 7: Knowledge, Understanding, Wisdom – Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, and Fear of the Lord. How will these Gifts help our 8^th graders in their new mission?

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Well – the 3 intellectual Gifts obtain for us the equivalent of experiential knowledge. They can help us to know things higher than us, not through a process of reasoning, but by means of a higher light. We are thereby able to know things almost as if we had experiential knowledge of them. This illumination gives us a sort of “intuition” or instinct to know.

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Francisca del Valle was only a poor dress-maker in the 1800’s. Yet her writings are admired by great theologians. Why? She was taught directly by the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

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Knowledge is the Gift which helps us to see the events of our lives according to the plan of God. Knowledge allows us in a moment to recognize what things will help us to find holiness.

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The Gift of Understanding allows us a sudden insight into a concept, or gives us those ‘Aha!’ moments, when the light-bulb comes on, and we get it, we finally understand.

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The Gift of Wisdom makes us love what God loves, and want what God wants. Our life then is directed only to God’s glory.

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The Gift of Counsel gives us a certain ‘instinct’ to make the right decision in difficult circumstances. This will be very helpful in high school, when the Holy Spirit will speak to our heart, and help us have good instincts for right decisions.

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The Gift of Fortitude gives a supernatural impulse to the will, enabling us to do great things joyfully and fearlessly despite obstacles. This will be very useful when peer pressure tries to pull us from God.

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The Gift of Piety helps us to love God as our dear Father, to have a child-like trust in his guidance. It leads us also to a trusting love of Mary and the saints, who are all part of the family of God.

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The Gift called Fear of the Lord is not a fear of God in the bad sense, but a fear of disobeying or displeasing God out of love for him. It makes us SO good.

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So we have the power inside to live good lives; the Holy Spirit is alive in us, and it is by his help that we can become great, no matter the situation. Every baptized person here has the Holy Spirit, 7^th and 8^th grade has even the special helps of the Holy Spirit from Confirmation. But let us all, this summer vacation, and in the step to high school, put all our fears aside, and call on this good Holy Spirit often.

Friends in Christ, today concludes the 40 days that Jesus spent with his apostles on earth after his resurrection. These were real days of Faith for them, living, eating, conversing, learning from a Divine, Risen, Man. But this would be Ascension Thursday when Christ ascended back to heaven, and then come 10 days waiting for him to send the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It has been customary however, in most places, to transfer the Ascension to Sunday so that the majority of people can ponder this important feast.

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But the readings today anticipate these events. Today Our Lord’s words to his disciples seem to them mysterious: ‘A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while and you will see me.’ ‘What does he mean by this, ‘little while,’ they ask?

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Christ’s words will be fulfilled really in three ways. First, he refers to his death and resurrection. As Christ went through his bitter Passion, his disciples in horror saw these words fulfilled. One day their loving Master was speaking to them at dinner, the next he was dead, hanging on the cross, then buried. ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me.’ But a little while later – 3 days – their joy was beyond words when they saw Jesus in the resurrection.

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As with many things in the Sacred Scriptures, there are other meanings implied. Our Lord was also referring to the day he will ascend to heaven, and they will not see him. But a little while later, they will see him, when the Spirit of Jesus lives in his apostles – when the Holy Spirit breathes his life into the Church at Pentecost.

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The Acts of the Apostles is called the Gospel of the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit is enlivening the Church. We see the Apostles doing what Jesus did: Miracles, curing cripples, healing, preaching repentance – Jesus lives in the Church, in his Mystical Body now. ‘A little while, and you won’t see me’ – the Ascension. ‘Then little while, and you will see me.’ – with the coming of the Holy Spirit.

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Finally, the meaning of Jesus’ words also refers to the great plan of salvation. ‘A little while, and you won’t see me.’ – this is the life we live in which we do not see the Lord in the flesh, but we look forward to the day, in the New World ahead, when we will see him again. ‘A little while, and you WILL see me. And then you will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.’

Friends in the Lord, today is Memorial Day, and we can ask: what is the meaning of this day? It is a day to commemorate those soldiers who died for our country. We also pray for all our deceased family members.

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This day originated in 1865 by former African-American slaves. They wanted to honor Union soldiers who died in the Civil War to free the slaves. All the graves were decorated, and so it was originally known as ‘Decoration Day.’ In 1868, General John Logan made Decoration Day nationwide. 3 years later, Michigan made Decoration Day an official state holiday, and soon every northern state did the same. By the early 1900’s the north and the south were able to put their differences aside and honor all those who died in the Civil War. After World War I it was extended to honor all Americans who died in war, and by the 20th century it became an occasion for people to visit the graves of their deceased relatives and friends.

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The name for the holiday gradually changed from ‘Decoration Day’ to Memorial Day, it officially became ‘Memorial Day in 1967.

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Many people observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and decorating the graves of their dead. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States; many fly it at half-staff from dawn until noon in honor of those who have died. At National Cemeteries and others, volunteers place American flags on each grave.

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As Catholics, we know that honoring the dead and praying for those who have died is very important; it is one of the 7 Corporal Works of Mercy: Bury the Dead. Visiting the graves of loved ones, praying for them each day, offering Masses for them – As Scriptures says, it is a godly and noble thing to pray for the dead. (2 Mac 12:46) The Catechism teaches, “The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in the hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead . . . honors the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit.”

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As America honors its dead – as they decorate graves of loved ones – we see the deep yearning in every person – a desire that death does not have the final word. But we know that death does not have the final word. ‘I saw the Son of Man who said to me, ‘Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death.’ (Rev 1:17)

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Looking out today on the vast cemeteries and all the tombs, we pray for those who died serving our country, and all the dead, with the hope that, following Jesus, all will awaken to the beautiful New World to come. Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.

Friends in Christ, in the first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, we see that St. Paul meets this young man named Timothy. Timothy is spoken of many times in the New Testament; he helped St. Paul a great deal, and he would lay hands on and ordain him.

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How did Timothy come to be a man of such good character? Well, we need only look at St. Paul’s 2^nd Letter to Timothy. In chapter 1 he says to Timothy: ‘Your sincere faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded it now lives in you also.’ The good character and faith of Timothy originated in his mother and grandmother.

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We cannot underestimate the importance of good parents and grandparents in our formation. In her book, ‘How to raise good Catholic Children,’ Mary Newland gives some basic advice on raising kids. First, she says, we much teach our children to pray. A daily habit of prayer: morning, meals, bedtime – this is a must.

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Secondly, we must train children in good behavior. Some parents allow their children to act like animals; but this ruins them. Kids need discipline, they must be taught right and wrong.

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She also says, we need to make sure children feel secure. Of course secure in their parents’ love; but we should also teach them that they can trust God. Like Timothy, children need to see that our faith is unwavering, total, and loyal to Christ.

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Mass: Bring your children to Holy Mass, help them to understand and participate. There are many books for children on the Mass.

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Confession: She says it is imperative that we bring our children to regular confession. Teach them to make an examination of conscience and to know the importance of being truthful with themselves. One day they will be in college with all the temptations and sins of youth; then will be the great value of their having known Confession and the habit of ‘beginning again,’ should they fall.

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Mrs. Newland says that we should celebrate the liturgical year with our kids, and this is SO true. By this they will come to know the saints and the Mysteries of the Faith. A special treat on Feast days for example – children then will be watching the calendar and will know the Feast Days by heart.

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Finally, we must remember that all families have troubles; difficulties are part of every family. But the struggle to be faithful through it all, with Jesus, is the marvelous teacher that will yield children of good character like Timothy.

“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.”

Friends in Christ, love of God, and love of neighbor, this is the cornerstone of the Christian life. Love of God we know. Love of neighbor – well, that can be the hard part! Now love is expressed in many ways, but one of the most powerful ways, is by the virtue of kindness.

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Father Faber[i] gives a very good conference entirely on the subject of kindness. Here are a few ideas he gives. ‘Kindness’, he says, is constantly bringing strayed souls back to Christ; kindness can open hearts that were stubbornly closed. Probably the majority of repentances, began because of an act of kindness. We’ve no doubt seen the cruel boy at school who antagonizes everyone and is always unhappy – perhaps we’ve also seen, how an act of kindness, the hand of friendship offered from another child can change that boy overnight.

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‘Kindness has converted more sinners than’ debate or logical reasoning’ ever did. And if debate or logical reasoning converted anyone, it was because it was done with kindness.

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Kindness can draw out from a person hidden virtues. Having felt the kindness of another, suddenly that person himself can show a generous heart and even empathy toward others. But not only on the outside – kindness offered to a person can change them on the inside. A new self-respect is brought alive, a sense of the dignity of being a child of God can be recognized, maybe for the first time. A kind act has picked up many a fallen person who has later gone on to do great things for Christ.

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It is true, that in the lives of all people, the angels are always trying to guide them. Angels are always around, giving their best effort. In addition to angels, God sends a stream of grace, always seeking entry into our souls. But along with angels and grace, a third group of figures are seen to be everywhere; making sad people smile, making the angry calm; the sick stop complaining, and the bitter become hopeful. These figures have a strange and wonderful power. People listen to them, who before did not listen to angels. They gain admittance into hearts which were otherwise closed to grace. These are the acts of kindness which are daily working in God’s service, everywhere on earth.

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It is in our power to do this almost daily. To change a person’s life by our acts of kindness.

[i] Spiritual Conferences, Father Faber, p. 16-17.

Friends in Christ, Jesus says: “Whoever loves me will keep my word.” Keeping his word – we might say, obeying the Lord – in this, he says, we will experience the Father’s love.

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The saints say,[i] ‘Holiness consists in loving God; and the love of God consists in fulfilling his holy will.’ This is really what it’s all about in the spiritual life; its about knowing God’s will, and then doing God’s will; to do God’s will in every moment, it’s how we become a saint. And if we are always doing what we know God wishes, we will always have peace. We will never be sad. Proverbs says: ‘Whatsoever shall befall the just man, it shall not make him sad.'[ii]

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St. Alphonsus says: ‘the crosses that God sends you are misfortunes, because you make them misfortunes; if you would accept them with resignation, they would no longer be misfortunes, but riches for paradise.’ …..You say, ‘everything goes wrong for me.’ Things go wrong for you because you don’t want the cross. But if you would say ‘thank you’ to God for these troubles, all would be well for you.

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Think about it. If we did God’s will, did what was right and best at every moment, we would never sin – that would save us a lot of sadness. We would have good character, and this would bring a great self-image. We would lose weight because we would never overeat. And we would be more successful in our work, because we would not be lazy or waste any time. Doing God’s will always would make us great.

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Even sickness can be embraced as God’s plan. We should not desire to be cured in order to avoid suffering, we should rather say: ‘Lord, if it be your will that I be cured, let it be; if you wish that I suffer, help me to do it well for you.

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Even death: if we say, ‘Lord, I lovingly accept death when you want it and how you want it – this is the greatest act we can make in our life. The Venerable Abbott Blosius says that at the hour of our death, if we make an act of perfect conformity to the will of God, it not only will deliver us from hell, but also from Purgatory.

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If we really had Faith, we would trust God in all that he asks of us. Then we would know his love, and he would all the more dwell in us.

[i] Ideas here are from Preparation for Death, St. Alphonsus, p. 450.

[ii] Prov 12:21 (Douay-Rheims Bible)