November 24, 2019: Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

We rejoice greatly this great Feast day:  Christ is our King, largely because His moment of triumph came durring His Passion, a portion of which is depicted in today’s Gospel reading from St. Luke.

Jesus was crucified, and the charge above Him read, “This is the King of the Jews.”

While many mocked Him, a thief crucified near Him, recognizing his sin and Jesus as his savior, pleaded for mercy, that Jesus would remember him when He came into His Kingdom.  Jesus promised Paradise for this repentant thief.

And so He promises Paradise to all of us who acknowledge the reign that is rightly His because He died, and rose again to save us from sins.

He is truly above all, because He created all things.  And like His ancestor David, who was anointed King of Israel, Jesus was anointed to the the suffering King, anointed for the purpose of dying to bring us to the new, abundant Life we now have in Him.  As St. Paul writes in the Epistle to the Colossians, Jesus is truly "firstborn from the dead".

He promises that we will join His reign in its fullness one day as we strive to be faithful subjects in His Kingdom, which we bring to this earth even now as we abide in His ways of mercy and love.

November 17, 2019: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

When the End of Time comes, God will recreate the Heavens and the Earth by unleashing great fury and tumult, all in an effort to reestablish justice and righteousness.

Yet even leading up to that tumult, there will be great strife in the Earth, as has been confirmed throughout history and even in what's happening in our world today.

We as God's people aren't shielded, as people opposed to God oppose us who live by faith in Him, which can lead to strife for us.

But we can have assurance that in holding on to our faith, God will bring us through.  And when He unleashes great fury of judgment on the earth, we will be the beneficiaries of what the prophet Malachi says is the sun of righteousness that will bring healing to all our brokenness and restore us, and so our lives will be preserved.

So as St. Paul encouraged the Thessalonian community, let's remain diligent in doing the work God has called us to do, as we eagerly await the Day of the Lord.

November 10, 2019: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Resurrection gives us a purpose to our living now, because through the Paschal Mystery of Christ, God promises that we will attain to the Resurrection for ourselves.

We can live in hope that all difficulties of this life will give way to the reward of the next, and all the joys are a foretaste of that reward.

That is why we can stand strong in our faith, as did the brothers and their mother in the story from 2 Maccabbees.  And we know that we are living a glorious life even now, for, as Jesus asserts, we are children of the living God.  So we go forth with this encouraging word, to continue in the faith that gives us hope of Life and Resurrection.

November 9, 2019: Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica

The Church is the Body of Christ.  He dwells in each of us, and brings us together as His Living Body on Earth.  He brings us alive by the Paschal Mystery of His Death and Resurrection so that we may bring His presence and all the accompanying graces to the world, so God may truly be known on Earth.

November 3, 2019: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ever since humans first turned away from God into sin, He has been out to bring us back into right relationship with Himself.

The reading from Wisdom has rich, insightful words about how God rebukes sinners so they will turn from sin and back to Him, because He has created all, and so loves all.

That is on display in the Gospel reading, the story of Zacchaeus.  As a tax collector, working with the hated Roman authorities, and amassing wealth selfishly, the Jewish people consider him on the wrong side.  Yet there's something so compelling about Jesus that Zacchaeus goes to great lengths to see Jesus, even going out on a limb literally.

Yet Jesus is after Zacchaeus, too, as the first sentence of the reading indicates that Jesus has a definite purpose for going into Jericho, which is to invite Zacchaues to open his home, and his life, to Jesus.  This encounter compels Zacchaeus to repent of his ways and make things right.

Truly, a relationship with Jesus is meant to be life-changing.  Like Bishop Casey spoke so insightfully in his homily at St. Martin de Porres Parish at their Feast Day Mass today, we are not to be stuck in our limitations, but are called to go out on a limb and embrace a new perspective.  Jesus comes to us even today, telling us He must come into our homes and lives today, as He invites us to change our perspective on ourselves and others to a way that leads us closer to God Who loves us so much.

November 2, 2019: All Souls' Day

Christ's redemptive work in death and Resurrection has totally transformed our existence.

No longer does death have power over us the way it did before.  Death now serves God's redemptive purpose, for those of us who abide in Christ's righteousness.  The faithful departed are in the hands of God, entering into the full reality of the Resurrection.

And in Christ, we remain connected with all those who have gone before us.

November 1, 2019: All Saints' Day

What a great feast it is that we can celebrate all the saints in Heaven, known and unknown, even as we celebrate our call to holiness.  This call leads us to Heaven, where we will join a great multitude in praise of God, Who has lavished His love upon us, and called us His children.  We experience such love even now, and this call to holiness also gives us the opportunity to live as saints in our lives now.

God has called us His children, lavishing His love upon us, and we can show that love through holy living, displayed through humbly serving others, striving courageously through any challenges in life, because we live in glory even now.