Monday, July 15, 2013

Christ, the Good Samaritan Tells Us: "Go and Do Likewise"




Mass Readings for the 15th Sunday of the Year

Listen to my homily for today:



If you have trouble listening click here.

From Lumen Fidei, written by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, completed by Pope Francis:


Moses tells the people that God’s command is neither too high nor too far away. There is no need to say: “Who will go up for us to heaven and bring it to us?” or “Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us?” (Dt 30:11-14). Paul interprets this nearness of God’s word in terms of Christ’s presence in the Christian. “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)” (Rom 10:6-7). Christ came down to earth and rose from the dead; by his incarnation and resurrection, the Son of God embraced the whole of human life and history, and now dwells in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Faith knows that God has drawn close to us, that Christ has been given to us as a great gift which inwardly transforms us, dwells within us and thus bestows on us the light that illumines the origin and the end of life. 
From Pope Emeritus Benedict's Message on this year's World Day of the Sick:

Jesus helps us to understand the deep love of God for every human being, especially those afflicted by sickness or pain. With the concluding words of the parable of the Good Samaritan, “Go and do likewise” (Lk 10:37), the Lord also indicates the attitude that each of his disciples should have towards others, especially those in need.  
Various Fathers of the Church saw Jesus himself in the Good Samaritan; and in the man who fell among thieves they saw Adam, our very humanity wounded and disoriented on account of its sins (cf. Origen, Homily on the Gospel of Luke XXXIV,1-9; Ambrose, Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Luke, 71-84; Augustine, Sermon 171). 
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta would always begin her day with an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist and then she would go out into the streets, rosary in hand, to find and serve the Lord in the sick, especially in those “unwanted, unloved, uncared for”.  
In the Gospel the Blessed Virgin Mary stands out as one who follows her suffering Son to the supreme sacrifice on Golgotha. She does not lose hope in God’s victory over evil, pain and death, and she knows how to accept in one embrace of faith and love, the Son of God who was born in the stable of Bethlehem and died on the Cross. Her steadfast trust in the power of God was illuminated by Christ’s resurrection, which offers hope to the suffering and renews the certainty of the Lord’s closeness and consolation.
From Pope Emeritus Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth Book:
If the question had been 'Is the Samaritan my neighbor, too?' the answer would have been a pretty clear-cut no given the situation at the time.  But Jesus now turns the whole matter on its head: The Samaritan, the foreigner, makes himself the neighbor and shows me that I have to learn to be a neighbor deep within and that I already have the answer in myself.  I have to become like someone in love, someone whose heart is open to being shaken up by another's need.  Then I find my neighbor, or -- better -- then I am found by him.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church on Same-Sex Attraction:
2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition. 
2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.



Sunday, July 14, 2013

"Do Not Be Afraid to Go Down to Egypt" and "Out of Egypt I have Called my Son"

The meeting of Jacob and Joseph in Egypt

Listen to my homily for July 12, 2013:



If you have trouble listening, click here.

Mass Readings for the day

Friday, July 12, 2013

The Saints Teach Us to Respond with Radical Generosity to God's Word

This is the cave of St Benedict where he learned to respond to the Word of God.
Today is the feast of St Benedict, Patron of Europe.

Listen to my homily for today:



If you have trouble listening click here.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

"Go to Joseph, and Do Whatever He Tells You"

It was Joseph, as governor of the country, who dispensed the rations to all the people.In the Godless nation of Egypt, a God-fearing man saved the world. In this Godless society, a God-fearing man can help save the starving Masses. Just as the Pharoah told the people, to "Go to Joseph!"  We ought to go to St Joseph, the dispenser of the rations of graces to people starving for God.




Listen to my homily for today:


In the Godless nation of Egypt, a God-fearing man saved the world.
In this Godless society, a God-fearing man can help save the starving Masses.
Just as the Pharoah told the people, to "Go to Joseph!"  We ought to go to St Joseph, the dispenser of the rations of graces to people starving for God.
St Andre Bessette, a simple and humble Holy Cross Brother, who founded the National Shrine to St Joseph in Montreal, frequently told the millions who visited him asking for prayers and healing, "Go to Joseph!"
Why?
Let me point out one simple reason.  The blessed Patriarch of patriarchs touched Jesus.  St Joseph held the baby Jesus, and in doing so realized that it was the Lord who was holding Him. 
St Joseph teaches us how to be touched by God.  The touch of God is greatly needed today to heal and help the apostles of the Lord so, as in the Gospel, He may send us out to help heal the sick and proclaim the Good News.
Jesus touches us in Holy Communion.  It is here St Joseph's intercession is most keenly felt, for it is in the same touch of Jesus, that St Joseph perhaps more frequently and intensely than any other, save the Blessed Mother. 
To allow Jesus to touch you, may I suggest to you the recommendation of St Teresa of Avila, who had a great devotion both to St Joseph and to the Blessed Sacrament.  When you receive holy communion, do not swallow the host.  Let the host dissolve on your tongue.  This will most surely take a good 15 minutes.  It will not allow you to speak or to have interaction with anyone else.  You will have to keep very still.
Think about it.
You might say, well I don't have so much time.  Ok then, five minutes.  Give God five minutes where He can simply touch you.  Pure Love Himself is touching you, why would you want to go anywhere else or speak to anyone else?  Eternal Light Himself is touching you, why would you want your mind to be dissipated or distracted about anything else? 
Just hold the host on your tongue for a moment.  Allow Him to pray over that tongue, that thing that can cause so much damage or be the instrument of healing.  That thing that St James said "is a fire!"  Allow yourself to hold the host and in doing so realize that God is holding you.
In this touch of God amazing things happen.  He elevates you.  He transforms you.  If you stop for a moment and turn away from everything and everyone else and simply allow God to touch you.  You don't know how?  Go to Joseph!  Ask him.  He will show you how it is done.  While Jesus touched him for so many years He imparted to good St Joseph so many graces, merits, blessings, treasures, and infused into him divine contemplation, allowing him to become elevated above the saints and angels to the sublime vision of God.  He didn't do this just for St Joseph's own sake, but so that St Joseph could be a great intercessor and friend to you, to show you how to hold Jesus and show you how to be held by God.
If you do this just for 15 minutes, ok maybe 5 minutes, or hey, even for 60 seconds, the other seconds of the day will be different.  Your life will be deeply changed.
Pope Francis realizes the great importance of St Joseph.  He recently added him to the Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV, and he consecrated the Vatican to St Joseph together with St Michael.
May the prayers and intercession of St Joseph help heal, elevate, and inspire us, so that we may realize the lofty apostolic calling that Christ bestows on we who allow the divine Master to touch.