December 30, 2022: Feast of the Holy Family

God chose to enter the mess of the world and place Himself in family life.

We can look to the Holy Family as an example of how to navigate life's messes by tapping into God's grace, so that we can reflect His holiness, just as in the darkness of the world, Christ shines as the Light of the World.

Ultimately, we express holiness in the way we love one another by edifying one another.

And as a domestic church, in sharing love in our families, we participate in the fulfillment of the Church's mission to bear His presence in the world.

December 25, 2022: Christmas Day/Feast of the Lord's Nativity

It was a marvelous day when Christ was born as the Word of God Made Flesh.

The world has truly never been the same.

The prophets spoke the Word of God, as the opening verses of the Epistle to the Hebrews states, and now that Word has become flesh in our world.

Into our darkness, a great Light has come and shines so brightly, because the Light of the World heals the darkness in us.  It is such a powerful Light, that, like the prologue of the Gospel according to St. John states, the darkness can't overcome it.  So even though we have reasons to be afraid and troubled, we need no longer fear, as the angel says, because Christ was born as the Anointed One, to be our Savior.

We now live in hope, because our God has come to dwell with us so closely, as one of us, a human person.  All the ends of the earth, and all Creation, truly marvel at this new reality that God is with us, a reality that reaches deep down, where nothing can touch it, a Truth firm in faith.

It is truly Good News, the greatest of all, and we are called to join with the angels and the shepherds in proclaiming it, bearing God's presence into the world.

Truly, we can declare, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth, peace, good will, on those whom God favors."

Jesus Christ is the Father's greatest Gift to us, and He calls us to be a gift.

December 18, 2022: Fourth Sunday of Advent

The great promise of God with us is that He comes to us in flesh, born of a woman.

No matter what fears we face, we have confidence in facing them because God came to be human, one of us.

Ahaz was uncertain in a time of turmoil for Israel as foreign powers sought to subdue the land of Israel.

St. Joseph wasn't sure what to do when Mary became pregnant before their marriage.

In both cases, God gave a sign of a Child Whose birth would reassure them of God's presence among us.

The world has truly been blessed because this Child was born to bring salvation to all.

In this promise is the basis of our hope, which leads to Eternal Life.

So just as Joseph welcomed Mary, the Mother of God, into his home as his wife, so we welcome God into our hearts, answering the call to holiness through the One Who pours His grace into our hearts through the Incarnation and Paschal Mystery of Christ, Who is God in the flesh, come so close to us.

December 12, 2022: Feast of La Virgen de Guadalupe

The peoples of the Earth rejoice because God has visited His people.

He sent His Son as our Savior, born of a woman.

Mary is blessed because she played such an important role in bearing our Savior into the world.

The appearance of La Virgen truly demonstrates that God desires for all to be saved.

So we join with Mary in offering our "Yes" to living for the God Who saves.

December 11, 2022: Third Sunday of Advent/Gaudete Sunday

Even as we are called to examine our lives and clear them out to be ready for the coming of Christ, we also rejoice in the reality that He is coming.

The reading from Isaiah speaks about the desert blooming in new life.

When St. John the Baptist, surely dealing with doubt while in prison, sends His disciples to inquire of Jesus if He really is the One to come, Jesus speaks about the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, the lame leaping, the dead raised to new life, and the proclamation of Good News to the poor.

We rejoice in our efforts to welcome Christ into our hearts, because of how great it is that God is coming and is transforming us to live the Abundant Life.

So we open ourselves up to God and wait patiently for His work to come to full fruition in us, like the farmer waits for the crops.

We can bear patiently with the process, aware of the joyful end that is surely coming, by opening ourselves up to the signs of how God comes to be present to us now.

That's why we have this great opportunity on Gaudete Sunday to rejoice, with a joy that goes deep down and transcends our circumstances to make us more aware of God.

Gaudete Sunday brings back great memories of the amazing feast St. Teresa's would host for the college students the Sunday evening before semester final test week started.  I was gladdened by the feast, and also those community members who said they would be praying for me in the coming week.  There is great joy in that community.

And I rejoice further as I mark 9 years since I first started this blog on Gaudate Sunday 2013.

December 8, 2022: Feast of the Immaculate Conception

When disobedience disrupted God's plan, He made a way for salvation, through a New Eve, Mary, the mother of all who have faith in her Son.

God overshadowed Mary with great grace, and He chose her because she was open to what God's grace could do in her life when she acknowledged the will of God.

We, too, are chosen to receive God's grace.  When we freely and fully open ourselves to it, God works great wonders in us.

May Mary of the Immaculate Conception, the Blessed Mother, intercede for us, and for the United States of America, under her patronage.

December 4, 2022: Second Sunday of Advent

In the midst of dark and hopeless circumstances, a flicker of hope emerges.

The first reading from the prophet Isaiah describes how a "shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse", and how there shall be a blossoming.  And then all the world will be restored to harmony, as described in images of various animals in concord with one another, even those diametrically opposed to one another, like a wolf and a lamb, like it was in Eden.

Indeed, God is drawing from the good old days and bringing forth something even better, because He Himself is coming to dwell among us through the Messiah, restoring the world in great glory.

And so St. John the Baptist comes to call the people to repent, so they are ready to welcome God's very Presence among them and have hearts shaped for all that transformation will mean, God's presence in us.

St. Paul calls on the people to live in harmony that reflects Christ's presence, Who came to fulfill the promises of the Patriarchs, but even more so, has brought salvation to the whole world, so that we all could be reconciled to God.

This day, I give thanks to God for the 12th ordination anniversary of Father Ted, who answered the call to the vocation of priesthood, to lead people in encounters with God Who has come among us in Christ and continues to be powerfully present in the sacraments that he administers as a member of the Holy Orders of the priesthood.

November 27, 2022: First Sunday of Advent

Happy Advent! Happy (Liturgical) New Year!

In a spirit similar to our recent celebration of Jesus Christ the King, Who rules over all time and space, we reflect on His coming again at the End of Time.

Jesus makes clear we don't know when that Second Coming will happen, so we must live in a state of readiness.  We realize our salvation is coming nearer and nearer, so we throw off the works of darkness and walk in the Light that is already ours because Christ came into the world in the Incarnation.

We walk in His light, centering our lives on Him and being present to Him Who has made Himself present to us, as symbolized of Mount Zion rising above all other heights, a focus point for God's presence among us.  In so doing, may we be transformed to always walk in that light, living in a state of peace deep down, and living in a way that reflects that Light in all we do, being ready to welcome Him as He comes to us now.

November 20, 2022: Solemnity of the Sunday of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Earlier this month in the United States of America was Election Day, when we made decisions about who would get authority to govern.

On this great and Solemn Feast Sunday, we recall that Jesus Christ is the Great King, not just because of what He has, but even more so, because of what He gives.

He created all in the Heavens and the Earth, sustaining everything.

When Creation was broken by the disobedience of humans, God showed us the full extent of His Love by sending His Son, Christ, Who emptied Himself so that He could reconcile us back to God.

It is in the same spirit of David, who united the tribes of Israel and was anointed King to lead the people to God.

Christ, indeed, is our great Shepherd, Who lay down His life for us on the Cross.

When people around the Cross mocked Him, saying He should demonstrate that He's a King by saving Himself, He instead demonstrated the power of His Kingship by laying down His life.

A thief beside Him acknowledged His innocence, and His power restore Him and bring him into the Kingdom, so that he prayed, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom".  Jesus immediately answered the prayer, guaranteeing that he would enter Paradise.

We share in that Kingdom, because, as St. Paul writes, the One Who created and sustains all things, especially through reconciliation, brought us from darkness into the Kingdom to live in the light with all the saints.  

As we end one liturgical year and enter a new year, we follow our great King and advance His Kingdom as we give of ourselves to edify others, with gifts of peace, light, and love that Christ gave us.  Indeed, He has demonstrated that He is a Mighty King because of what He has given to bring life to all the world.

November 13, 2022: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Drawing near to the end of the liturgical year, we focus more closely on the last things.

As people admire the impressive structure of the Temple, Jesus offers what are surely shocking words when He says it will be destroyed.  Furthermore, He talks about the great tumult that will accompany the transition of this world to the next.

That's why we, His people, should cling closely to what we realize by faith, that God accompanies us in all circumstances and will strengthen us in the face of whatever opposition we encounter because of our faith.  Jesus even goes so far as to say that we don't need to prepare a defense beforehand because He will give us "wisdom".

Ultimately, God will triumph over wrong, like the reading in Malachi describes, with the fiery destruction of those who reject God.  For us, the sun will bring us healing rays in the restoration of all that is good.

So let us work diligently, holding ourselves to high standards, and not getting caught up in others' business.  We strive to do our work well in these days as we await God's plan to unfold.

We who are people of faith can take comfort in the reality that God is unveiling for us, just as the word apocalypse refers to an unveiling.  He is pointing us to a greater Power at work in our world, even over what we would consider powerful.  And by faith, we will experience it fully, even as we get glimpses of it now to encourage and strengthen us.

Today marks the end of the jubilee year for the canonization of St. Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, and it's also the birthday of St. Augustine.  Both of these saints had great visions from God that compelled them to proclaim the power of God through their lives.

November 9, 2022: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

God came to dwell among us through Christ, the Word Made Flesh.

He continues to abide with us through the Holy Spirit, and He makes us a dwelling place for the Spirit as a Temple, the mystical body of Christ.

He has given us His glorious presence, which calls us to grow closer to God so we may reveal His presence to the world, and the reality that Christ died and rose again to choose a people to be in relationship with God.  And so, we are made holy, too.

November 6, 2022: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The fulcrum of the Christian faith is belief in the Resurrection, that we will die with Christ and rise with Him to new Life.

It is something we experience even now, which gives us strength.

A good case in point is the story from 2 Maccabbees.  The brothers and their mother can stand strong in the face of intense torture because they look ahead to post-Resurrection life.  It's remarkable they express such strong beliefs even before Jesus came, died, and rose to new life.

Furthermore, we believe in the God of the living, Who truly demonstrates His power over death through the Resurrection of Christ.  All of us who hold to this belief share in the great communion of saints, which keeps us connected with all those who have gone on before us.

Through belief in the Resurrection, they are more fully alive now, in a new state of being that transcends this world.

Our hope in this reality that we will one day experience in its fullness gives us reason now to live with purpose.  We face our difficulties with encouragement as we continue strong in the beliefs that God has revealed to us through His Word and the teachings of the Church, made alive through the Resurrection.  We are alive abundantly by faith, sustained by the Love that God reveals through the Paschal Mystery, and we go forth to share this life and love with the world, so they may join us in upholding the hope that comes through the Resurrection.

November 1, 2022: Feast of All Saints' Day

A constant theme in the readings for today's Feast is this idea of purity.

We gain purity not of our own accord, but through God, Who sent His Son Jesus as purification for our sins, and so that we may be more conformed to His Son, reflecting the image of God Who created us.

We furthermore demonstrate that purity by the way we live our lives, in humility that points others to the reality of God at work in us, who He calls and equips for sainthood in this world.

October 30, 2022: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Even when we as people have sinned and strayed from God, He still seeks after us, because, as is written in the reading from Wisdom, God's "imperishable spirit" is still in us, because He created us and loves us, even if the whole world is relatively small in before God's vastness.

Indeed, He spares us from punishment all the time and gives us a second chance to be right with Him.

Jesus looked past Zacchaeus's disreputable deeds as a tax collector, and recognized his potential to make amends when overshadowed by God's grace.

So when Jesus passed through Jericho and saw Zacchaeus in the tree, He arranged a visit.

There must have been an incredible outpouring of God's grace upon Zacchaeus, who committed to actions of reparation.

While we have a tendency to judge others, we are all in need of mercy, which God abundantly grants us so that we can live in the fullness of life He desires for us.

And that is the power of God's salvation, as St. Paul's words in the 2nd reading say, to work His Grace in us to restore us to who He has called us to be.

October 23, 2022: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God shows no partiality, yet it's clear that the way we pray matters.

It's notable that the Gospel passage mentions the Pharisee offered a prayer to himself, similar to how Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount speaks about those who make their deeds obvious to others, and they get obvious recognition.  And the Pharisees followed the practices of religion in an admirable way.

Tax collectors were known for taking advantage of their position to enrich themselves.  In this story, it's almost astounding that the tax collector prays in full awareness of his shortcomings, and offers an honest, humble prayer to the God Who alone he acknowledges is merciful.

May our prayers be offered in a humble, honest way as we acknowledge our shortcomings and be aware of how God raises us up, just as He raises up the lowly and needy.  While we, as humans, all make mistakes, by faith we recognize how powerful our God is in coming to our aid, if only we humbly acknowledge His ability to fill us with His Grace that sets us right.

Indeed, let us join with the spirit of St. Paul's words of reflection in proximity to the end of his life, having confidence that he fought the good fight of faith, finished the race, and kept the faith in a genuine way.  It is this faith that gives him confidence that God will deliver him to Heaven.

In this world broken world, our faith gives us that same assurance that God will bring us to Heaven as we faithfully follow Him each day.

October 18, 2022: Feast of St. Luke

In the Gospel of St. Luke, we come to understand how God came to us in the Flesh through His Son, born of Mary, with infancy stories narrated in great detail in the Gospel.  sent His Son, anointed with His Spirit, with a mission to bring healing to the world.

In St. Luke's 2nd volume of Acts, we see how the Holy Spirit continued to work through the apostles and those in the Church to continue building the Kingdom on Earth.

This past weekend, I attended Mass at St. Luke's Church in River Forest.  Father Stan focused on that feast day in his homily, and he remarked that we are part of the 3rd volume of St. Luke as the Holy Spirit continues to do God's work in and through us, through the same Spirit Who anointed Christ.  And we anointed in that same Spirit.

October 16, 2022: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Persistence is an important part of starting and continuing the life of faith.

We confess faith in God, and then we continue living in that faith day by day.  And God has promised to be present to His people and uphold them.

Jesus tells a story about a malevolent judge who finally renders a just decision for the widow who constantly petitions him, giving in only because he's so bothered by her persistence.  How much greater, Jesus states, is our God Who is just in the fullest way.

At the end of the parable, though, Jesus poses an important point in a rhetorical question:  Will God find people who are faithful and seeking Him when He comes?

Indeed, God is constantly reaching out to us.  Faith is meant to transform us so that we constantly seek Him.

Furthermore, we're called to support each other, just like Aaron and Hur support Moses so he can keep his hands raised so that Joshua can lead the Israelite army to victory.  We can encourage one another in pursuing God.

Because our God is so faithful, let us respond with similar faith, proclaiming at all times the Word of this reality in which we abide, regardless of whether it's easy or difficult.  Some translations of St. Paul's word to Timothy say to proclaim the word "in season and out of season", with athletic imagery, as athletes certainly have to keep in shape.  God has breathed upon His Word so that it can direct us in the right ways, ultimately leading us to salvation.  It's a worthy goal to attain, so let's keep at it.

This weekend, I celebrated the 17th anniversary of my Confirmation.  It was an important day when I made a confession of faith, and was called to continue living that confession of faith.

October 9, 2022: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

When sin broke the wholeness in which God created us, He set forth to restore us, ultimately healing us through Jesus Christ.

Sin separated us from God, just like the lepers had a condition by which they had to remain separated from the rest of society.  They had little means to restore themselves.

Then Jesus Christ came, and made it possible for them to come back to society, just as He makes possible the restoration of our relationship with God and with each other.  Through death and resurrection, we live for God and with God, the powerful message of the Gospel that St. Paul devoted His life to proclaiming even in the face of difficulties, because he knew its reality so deeply.

Now that we are healed and set free from what damaged us, it is only fitting that we recognize the power God alone has to make us whole, just as Naaman, after his reluctance to heed the command to wash in the Jordan River, recognizing God alone as worthy of worship.  May we join with the healed lepersin recognizing how good God is to us, and devote our days to praising Him, and extend our life-giving relationship to others so they, too, can experience this healing.

October 2, 2022: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

There's so much in this world that works against our faith.  It's easy to see why Habakkuk cried aloud in desperation to God as he sees turmoil around it, and why the apostles asked Jesus Christ to increase their faith.

Yet God comes through time and again to strengthen us.  He helps us to see that faith gives us what we need to face the circumstances of our lives.  He promises that if we wait, He will fully manifest His vision to us.

Indeed, as St. Paul writes, we have the help of the Holy Spirit to guard this rich trust of faith, so that we can endure in "bear[ing] our share of hardship for the Gospel", confident that God strengthens us. And by stirring into flame this great gift, we can face our difficulties while also living with a vital sense of purpose, moving beyond just going through motions of faith to letting this great gift pervade our lives and transform us to greater holiness.

It's this kind of holiness that allows us to fully live in the life and love God gives us, and in full awe of His gift of life, work to uphold the sanctity of life for all.

And even though the Sunday liturgy supersedes their feast, except in the Diocese of Gary, let us remember the Holy Guardian Angels, who are God's ministering servants helping us on our way to Heaven, so that we can live the vision of Heaven now.

September 25, 2022: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God is displeased with those who are complacent in the face of poverty.  It is not in keeping with the character of our God Who cares especially for the poor and lowly who are without the means to provide for themselves.  The prophet Amos declares that the complacent rich will be among the first to be punished in the coming exile.

The rich man in the Gospel parable enjoys an easy life in the lap of luxury, while Lazarus languishes at the door.  The afterlife brings a total reversal of their circumstances.

And that speaks to the call that St. Paul issues in the 2nd reading, to "pursue righteousness, devotion, faith love, patience, and gentleness", ultimately so that we can live to be a blessing to other people, and keep the commands, which ultimately call us to serve those in need as a way of living out our faith in Christ.  Indeed, in upholding our confession of faith through living it out, we will be well-pleasing to Almighty God as we strive toward Him.

I think about how Pope Francis called upon those gathered at the World Meeting of Families Concluding Mass to live out faith in this way within their families.

And I think about how that call has manifested itself each year with my RE students, through 9 years of the past and now to this fresh year, as we strive on in our journey toward Eternal Life with God and realizing God's presence now.

September 18, 2022: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus offers a strange parable, but the master's commendation of the dishonest steward's response to the pending termination of his employment is a call for us as people of faith to step up and embrace the gifts God has granted us, rather than focusing on our own gain.

He saved us through Jesus Christ, Who is our mediator before God always.  So now, in faith, we reach out to do good for others, seeking to support authorities, and also tending to the needs of the poor.

Ultimately, what we do with our resources reflects whether we serve mammon, which is our wealth, or if we served God.  We seek transformation of our hearts to direct our resources toward noble purposes that make God known.

September 14, 2022: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

God provides salvation for His people.

The story from Numbers shows the amazing love of God that He would save His people from the snakes after He sent them as punishment.

How powerful it is that God sent His Son to save us from sin.  Through His power of redemption, He went upon the Cross, an instrument of ignominy, and made it a symbol of glorious triumph, through His Paschal Mystery.

And we now live out the Paschal Mystery, as we join our sufferings and sorrow to the Cross, so that we may hope to rise to new life, reaching its fullness in Heaven.  Yet we experience newness of Life even now on our journey, throughout which, we proclaim Christ as our exalted Savior, who was once dead, and now is alive triumphantly forever.

September 11, 2022: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

While God is just, He is also merciful.

He intended to smite the Hebrews when they turned from His very Presence on Mount Sinai to worship a golden calf, but He relented when Moses pleaded with God to remember His mercy and His covenant promises.

Those promises find fulfillment in Christ, Who shows us the full extent of the Father's great Love for us.  He seeks after us earnestly like the shepherd seeking a lost sheep and the woman seeking a lost coin, and even recklessly like the father welcoming the son who strayed.  Now, when we repent, turning from sin back to God, He truly rejoices when we, who were lost, are now found, passing from death to life again.

Indeed, His capacity for compassion is immense, and someone like the older son in the parable can't accept that.  Yet the father in the parable is compassionate even in pleading with the older son to embrace the reality of the younger brother's repentance.

God works mightily in repentance, as seen in the life of St. Paul, who turns from persecuting Christians to proclaiming the way of Christ.  God chose St. Paul and transformed him by His mercy to be an instrument to advance His  Heavenly Kingdom by proclamation of the Gospel message.  And so He chooses all of us by bestowing His mercy on us so that we can His people walking in newness of Life, proclaiming this reality of justice, grace, and mercy by our lives.

As we think about the devastation that happens in the world, like the September 11 terrorist attacks 21 years ago, and other conflicts that occur today, we can open ourselves to the working of God's mercy in our lives to bring the world healing and new life.

September 4, 2022: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus Christ calls His followers to a way of life that isn't easy, and it compels us to take stock of the reality of the immense cost, renouncing all of what fills our lives to be wholeheartedly devoted to Him.

It changes the way we live our lives, giving us a different purpose, especially when we realize that there are many aspects of life that are futile and difficult.  We engage in our relationships so differently, because Christ is present among us, like St. Paul indicates that Philemon can embrace his enslaved servant Onesimus in a greatly different way.

And we know that God equips us who are committed to following this way, so that we can love Him above all else, and direct everything toward devotion to Him, because in this way, we find the most meaningful and lasting purpose for our lives.

It was 6 years ago that St. Teresa of Calcutta was canonized, a great example of someone devoted to serving Christ by meeting the needs of those around her, trusting in God even in the darkness she faced in life.

And I give thanks to God this day for the devotion to God my parents have had throughout their lives, which became the foundation for their marriage, which started 40 years ago today at their wedding.

Despite the difficulties of renouncing what brings us meaning so that we can follow Christ, He can have assurance in the promise that when we turn our loyalties to Christ, we will undergo a transformation that leads to an abundant new Life.

August 28, 2022: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of humility, offering Himself on the cross.

He instructs all His disciples to do the same.  He uses the setting of a meal to indicate that it's best to humble oneself and then have others exalt us.

It's also telling that he instructs the host to invite those who can't repay him, for he will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.  Following the way of CHrist, we are called to pour ourselves out by meeting the needs of the poor.

Faith is a gift that calls us to act in ways of service to others, pointing us to the reality of Heaven that awaits us through Jesus Christ, Who offered Himself so that we could draw close to God, unlike the theophany at Sinai. He has mediated a new covenant that cleanses us completely and equips us for the work of advancing His Kingdom through humble service to others.

August 21, 2022: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

It's notable that once again, the 21st Sunday is on August 21, as God manifests another important message about the life of faith, with a challenging Gospel message: Jesus indicates there is a narrow gate that opens to salvation, and some won't be strong enough to enter, and will be cast away when they knock at the door.

It's in the spirit of the 2nd reading, when the author reminds us that discipline is unpleasant at the time, yet eventually bears good fruit, so it's worth it to step up and strive through the difficulty of it.

God recognizes we all have the potential to make it through the narrow passageway, because He extends this invitation to all people.

The first reading, and even the Gospel, speak of people from all over the world striving toward God's holy dwelling as His Chosen People.

So we have great encouragement, each one of us, to strive toward God.  Rather than fixate on the worthiness of others and who will be saved, we are called to ensure we're doing our part to make much of this gift of salvation, being transformed now to be more like Christ as we live out the faith we have through the Paschal Mystery.

I once again recall the first Mass I attended at St. Teresa's as I began my time at ValpU was on the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time.  It was an important moment in my journey that still calls me to make something of the gift of salvation I have.

August 15, 2022: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Christ has risen from the dead, and as St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15, that necessarily means there will be a resurrection of the dead, body and soul, all the way into Heaven.

As the first disciple, Mary was assumed into Heaven, body and soul.  With her and all the saints, we hope to experience the fulfillment of that promise after living a life as she did, accepting God's will for her and magnifying the Lord with her whole being.  In so doing, she helped bring about the salvation so that we can have assurance of the Resurrection.  And we can live each day in that hope.

August 14, 2022: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Proclaiming God's message can lead to opposition for those of us who faithfully take up this work.

The first reading describes the suffering Jeremiah experienced when people opposed Him for speaking the words of God.  Jesus stirred up trouble, leading to His Crucifixion.  Yet He acknowledged that coming to proclaim the truth of God would lead to division, even in families.  Ultimately, even the agony of His suffering and death yields Resurrection and New Life.

For those of us who commit to living by this Truth, we have consolation that it is leading us to God, even in the face of the challenges we encounter from those who oppose it.  We see the example of so many saints before us, "a great cloud of witnesses", cheering for us to attain the goal of faith.  With courage and perseverance, we strive on in faith toward Jesus, Who gave it to us through the salvation won for us by the Paschal Mystery.

St. Peter's Chruch in the Loop of Downtown Chicago marked the conclusion of its 175th Anniversary Year with a special Mass this day, celebrated by Cardinal Cupich.  It is truly reason to celebrate that this church, set amidst tall buildings of commerce, law, and government in the Loop, proclaims the powerful reality of God that towers above those buildings.  It's this kind of occasion that reminds us of how we're called to proclaim this reality in the world by our living out faith in action.

August 7, 2022: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

We have been entrusted with the great gift of faith because God has saved us.  Because of it, we can be sure of what God says, and that He will fulfill His promises in His timing.  We live beyond what we perceive by senses to acknowledge that our God is real, recognizing what He has done for us.

So we are called to act and live by faith, ready to welcome God's presence entering into our lives, all the while growing in relationship with Him Who has granted us a share in His Kingdom.  We wait upon Him, as did our ancestors in faith, like Abraham, and the Hebrews in Egypt as they awaited deliverance.  It wasn't blind faith, because they went beyond what they could perceive physically and acknowledged God as real.  As we wait, we live in a state of readiness, demonstrating how real our faith is by living out our faith in a way of service to others, for this is pleasing to Him.

Indeed, God has done so much for us, and so we are called to act by stewarding faithfully all that we have been given so we can keep living by faith with great purpose.

In that spirit, I recall officially becoming a Knight of Columbus 4 years ago today.  It has been an honor to be part of a fraternal organization that acts in the spirit of our founder, Blessed Father Michael McGivney, who sought to steward the faith and empower others to do the same, especially in service to the needs of the world.

August 6, 2022: Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

There is no mistaking the reality that God has revealed His glory among us in His Son.  He is the One Who fulfills the plan foretold by the prophets to save the world, and lead us to glory.

So let us heed the words of the Father, when He told the three apostles that Christ is the Chosen One, and they should listen to Him.  Indeed, let us listen to the Son as we seek to so carry forth the glory revealed to us, that makes God real to us, and that gives us purpose in putting faith into action, living out the mystery.

July 31, 2022: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Life has a way of appearing meaningless a theme that persists throughout the whole book of Ecclesiastes and is clear in the selection from it for today's first reading.

There are echoes of that theme in the Gospel reading.  Jesus tells a person in dispute with his brother to not be so focused on earthly treasures.  He elaborates with a parable about a man who appears to have much, but ultimately, it is without substance.  (Notably, as Father Rex indicated in his homily, in this parable, God makes an appearance, which is rare for parables.)

St. Paul reminds us in the 2nd reading that we have been raised with Christ.  Now in this reality, it's time to turn our gaze upwards and focus on building treasure in Heaven.  We are called to leave aside wrongful behaviors of our old selves, and grow closer in relationship with God, more closely reflecting His image, and live to be a blessing to others.

Cardinal George was known for saying, "The only thing we can take with us when we die is what we have given away."  The statement seems counterintuitive at first:  Yet when we focus more on serving the good of others, driven by the spirit of what we have by faith, we truly build the kind of treasure that lasts, because we're living in love, made known powerfully when we give of ourselves.

Today is the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who had a radical conversion in his life, and was driven to focus on building up heavenly treasure, especially in founding the Society of Jesus.

Also, on today's date 20 years ago, Pope St. John Paul II canonized San Juan Diego.  The Virgen de Guadalupe appeared to him in 1531, and he had a part in helping foster the mass conversion of native Aztec people in Mexico.

Indeed, let us open ourselves up to how God is all around us, and how we can use the opportunities of each day to build heavenly treasure.

July 24, 2022: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Prayer is a way for us to communicate with God.  Ultimately, we come to know God more closely through prayer, and are transformed to reflect Who He is and see everything from His perspective.

Through prayer, we grow in faith and became more assured that our God is gracious and merciful.

That is why Abraham dared to beg God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah, as he bargained from pleading for 50 to down to 10 innocent people.  He had faith in God's mercy, and God recognized Abraham's faith, and so kept granting his requests.

So in our prayer, we seek from God the greatest good, the gift of the Holy Spirit, His living presence ever abiding with us.  Reading that last sentence in the Gospel reminds me of this day 17 years ago, Sunday, July 24, 2005, when I attended a summertime Confirmation preparation meeting.  It was an opportunity to embrace the greatest treasure of all that we have by faith.

We constantly ask, as a sign of our faith that God is the giver of the greatest goods. God may not always give us exactly what we ask, but, by faith, we are confident He will give us the very best, and so we go deeper into faith as a result.

July 22, 2022: Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

St. Mary Magdalene knew the great power of God at work in her life, through the healing touch of Jesus.

She was so devoted to Him, even when she went to visit the tomb after His death.

It was there that she first encountered evidence of the Resurrection.

And she was furthermore transformed when she encountered the Risen Christ.

She went to proclaim the reality of the Resurrection to the Apostles.

We now share in that mission, to be filled with God's love, and proclaim His Resurrection and the transforming power it brings.

July 17, 2022: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

There's something mystical about how God appears to Abraham as three people.  While the hosts in the two stories strive to wait on their divine guests, God ultimately desires to bless them.  Furthermore, we take time to listen and discern how He is directing our lives.

When God makes an appearance, we strive to welcome Him, knowing that He does marvelous work in our lives, just Abraham, Sarah, Martha, and Mary did in the readings for this Sunday.

He invites us into relationship with Him, to truly meditate on the Truths that lead us deeper into the abundant life.

When we are consumed with that Life, we are drawn more deeply into the mystery.  And we live it out through deeds of justice and service inspired by the transformation we experience when we deeply listen to God.  Ultimately, our service is a prayer that reflects Who God is, as we make Him real in the world.

July 10, 2022: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God has clearly given us the commandments for our lives.  It's not something inaccessible, but very near to us.  We love Him, and we love our neighbor by meeting the needs of those around us.

In Jesus Christ, we see that this commandment transcends the Law of Old and is meant to motivate us to reach out beyond our usual boundaries to meet needs.

We see ourselves under a mighty and gracious God Who created all things, and in Christ, has recreated everything by reconciling all to Himself through the Cross.

So we are now equipped to show our love for God by caring for others, making our love real and tangible.

He has given us access to Eternal Life, and we experience that reality now as we make God's presence real in our lives when we live out the love He has shown us to others.

July 3, 2022: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God greatly desires to bring abundance to all the earth, as described in the vision in the reading from the prophet Isaiah.  He has brought us abundance through Christ, Who declared He came so that we "might have Life, and have it more abundantly." 

Now, in Christ, we are sent forth on a mission to proclaim the coming of His Kingdom into our world, and the Abundant Life it brings.

Regardless of how people respond, we hold firmly to what Jesus says at the end of today's Gospel reading, that we should rejoice that our "names are written in Heaven", because God has put His mark upon us.  That is what truly counts, and what truly drives us forth.  We boast in God Who has saved us by His Cross.

We have been freed from obligations to the Law of the Old Covenant, through the salvation of the Cross.  In the New Covenant in Christ, we are now a new Creation, filled with God's grace, so we can carry on His mission.  We rejoice in the freedom we have in Him so that we can live to serve Him.

June 29, 2022: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

God gives us great assurance in this fallen world marred by troubles through rock-solid faith that the Church stewards.

Christ handed on the teachings of faith to the Apostles and the responsibility to safeguard and hand on the teachings of the magisterium, which have come down to us in the present day.

So no matter what troubles we face, our faith is a rock for us, making us aware of God, drawing us closer to Him, so that we can safely reach His Heavenly Kingdom, and take up the work of confessing faith in Him before the world, so others may know Him, too.

June 26, 2022: 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Over the past few weeks, we have celebrated the Paschal Mystery with a particular focus as Lent gave way to Easter Season and then some additional feasts after Pentecost.

Throughout these weeks, we recognize the great reason we have to rejoice that God sent Christ as our Savior to free us from sin.

Furthermore, He calls us to a new way of life, led not so much by rules, but by the Holy Spirit at work in us.

In a similar spirit to the gesture when Elijah puts his cloak on Elisha, Christ has clothed us so that we can be His presence in the world.

We are set free to be totally devoted to God, which calls us to unwavering commitment.

We are not so much focused on condemning those who do wrong.  Rather, we seek transformation in our own hearts, so that we live His love with others and thereby bring new Life to all the world.

It was wonderful to see my church friends' son Ezra experience the Paschal Mystery in his dying and rising with Christ in baptism as his parents affirmed their commitment to raising their son in faith, to live as a new creation.

June 25, 2022: Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Mary had a front-row seat to the wondrous events of God's unfolding plan of salvation, starting from the earliest days of Jesus.

She treasured these moments in her heart, pondering what they would mean.

And they have come to mean so much for us as people of faith.

Let us treasure these moments, and be transformed by their deeper meaning, drawing closer to the God Who reveals His great love for us.  And may we walk in newness of Life, together with Mary and all the saints, and so joyfully bless the world.

June 24, 2022: Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Father's Love is truly so great and abundant for us, even that while we were sinners, as St. Paul writes, Christ died for us.

Indeed, He loves us so much that He seeks us out so that we can be free from sin and, through His loving touch of shepherding, we are restored back to Him and the flock of His people.

He rejoices in bringing us back, so that we can live devoted to Him.

June 23, 2022: Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

The Gospel message of salvation is great, and how blessed are those called to proclaim it, in the spirit of St. John the Baptist.

His birth was such great news to his parents who had been unable to have children for years.

And their child received the great mission of pointing the way to Christ, being a light so that all the world would come to acknowledge the Savior God sent to the world.

June 19, 2022: Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Like Melchizedek, Jesus is the Great High Priest who leads us to God and a King Who advances a Kingdom that stands for God's righteousness.

He offers the gift of Himself so that we can be free from sin and live the Abundant Life.  On this Fathers' Day, we see the heart of our Father in the gift of what His Son offers us.

He offered this great gift at the Passover meal with the Apostles, and it is a gift that transcends time and space: Indeed, He offers it to us when we gather as a community at Mass, as we re-present Christ's sacrifice.

Furthermore, just as the bread and wine are changed at Mass, we are called to transformation, so that we become the Body and Blood of Christ in our world.

I participated in a Eucharistic procession today from St. Leonard in Berwyn to St. Pius in Stickney.  As we walked through the streets, I realized that the procession is a sign of how we're called to carry forth the experience of the Eucharist into our lives.  As the police stopped traffic while we crossed streets, especially the major thoroughfares of Ogden Avenue and Pershing Road, I wonder what the motorists thought as they waited for us.  We are called to have eyes that see that Christ is truly present in the Body and Blood of the Eucharist, which is part of what the Eucharistic Revival is about, which launches today.

May we always remember the sacrifice by which He offered this greatest gift, as St. Paul reminds us that Jesus told us to partake of the Eucharist in remembrance of Him.  And may we constantly partake of His gift, because in it, we find true satisfaction for our greatest need, and the sustenance for our mission.  It truly becomes a glorious gift when we live out this holy encounter with God.

And just two weeks after we concluded the Easter Season, we celebrate this feast that focuses on how the Risen Christ continues to be present to us in the Holy Eucharist, so we can be fully alive in Him.

June 12, 2022: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity

The Trinity is no doubt a great mystery, yet it is marvelous to see the Trinity revealed in our world and in our lives.

Through the past weeks from Lent through Easter Season, we see that the Trinity has been at work to bring about God's salvation for us.

The Three Persons of the Godhead share great love, and from that love came the Creation of the world, and we humans have been created to take a special place in it by revealing God, Whose image we bear.

We know the reality of the Trinity through the Paschal Mystery, because God has saved us through Christ, through Whom He bestows His grace and love.  We know the Risen Christ continues abiding with us in the Holy Spirit, His great gift to us.

So we go forth, guided by the Spirit, into greater Truth, to know God more deeply.  Even if the Trinity can't fully be understood, the Spirit is guiding us closer to God through amazing revelations.

In this first part of June, I think about all the family celebrations, with two wedding anniversaries and birthdays for two of my cousins, and the wonderful ways we share love with each other, thereby coming to realize how God is among us.  I also think about my extraordinary middle school experience, during which I grew closer to God through a profound new sense of faith, and the amazing revelations I've experienced in the succeeding years.

Indeed, our Triune God pours forth life into us so that we grow closer in relationship with Him, entering more deeply into the Mystery, and living it out more fully as we are transformed to be a life-giving gift to the world.

June 6, 2022: Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church

God chose Mary to bring forth His Son into the world.

And as we see in Acts 1, she continues to participate in the unfolding of the work of salvation, praying with the other disciples in the interlude between the Ascension and Pentecost.

Mary, through her intercession, helps the Church grow closer to her Son so that we can experience the fullness of salvation, and participate in the mission to proclaim Who God is and what He has done for us.

June 5, 2022: Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday

The Risen Christ breaks through locked doors and appears to the frightened disciples, breathing upon them new Life in the gift of the Holy Spirit.

At the Feast of Pentecost, when Jews from around the world are gathered to celebrate the firstfruits of the harvest, God breathes upon the disciples again, for there is a great sound of wind.  It is followed by tongues of fire that come upon each person individually, enabling them to proclaim the message of God.  Indeed, Jesus's promise before His Ascension to send the Holy Spirit is fulfilled days later so wondrously.  Reversing what happened as a result of the Babel tower attempts, God now sends the Holy Spirit upon the Church so that language, and all other actions, are directed toward glorifying God.

The Holy Spirit is the great gift that brings new Life to all the Earth, for it results from the Resurrection of Christ.

Indeed, we as people of faith have the ability to proclaim Jesus as Lord because of the Holy Spirit in us, the abiding presence of the Risen Christ.  The Spirit is manifest in various ways in different people so we can each do our part and join together as the Church to make Him known and bless the world, as we walk in the newness of Life.

So as we go forth from the Easter Season on this 50th Day, let us rejoice in the Holy Spirit, and His sevenfold gift, sharing and proclaiming that joy to the world around us.

May 29, 2022: Seventh Sunday of Easter

Throughout the Easter Season, we have been given visions of glory through the readings.

St. Stephen sees a vision of glory before his death.

It is a vision of the One Who holds all time in His hands and shines a great Light over all the Earth through His righteousness, like the vision is described in Revelation.

It's a vision we can experience now, for Jesus Christ prayed that all of us who profess faith in Him would experience Oneness, thereby revealing the glory of God.

May 31, 2022: Feast of the Visitation

In this Easter Season, marked by the joy of the Risen Christ Jesus, we have readings filled with joy.

In the womb, St. John the Baptist hears Mary's greeting and leaps for joy.  St. Elizabeth acclaims Mary as blessed for being the mother of the Lord and for believing the Lord's Word.

May we join in their spirit of rejoicing, for God has come to be with us, the people in whom He greatly delights.  And He continues to be present with us, working in our world through us as we make Him present to others.

May 29, 2022: Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Having risen triumphantly from the dead, the Risen Jesus Christ, after appearing to the disciples, ascends to Heaven.  He shows Himself our Savior when He offers offer Himself to the Father in Heaven.

Yet He makes it clear before He ascends that He will not leave the disciples alone. He promises to send the Holy Spirit, thereby clothing them with great power to continue His work and testify to His continuing Presence in the world, even as they display it.  The idea of "promise" appears more than once in the readings for today.

We can truly count on Christ, Who rose from the dead, thereby freeing us from sin and bringing us into newness of Life.  We can rely on His promises to remain with us.

So like the disciples, even at His Ascension, we rejoice and praise God for what Christ has done on Earth, and will continue to do, as we wait upon Him.  We marvel that Christ has made a pathway for us as humans to reach Heaven, while also continuing God's divine presence among us, so that we can experience Heaven even now.

May 22, 2022: Sixth Sunday of Easter

As we approach the end of the Easter Season, the Gospel reading offers us a selection from the Last Supper Discourse, in which Jesus offers profound words to His disciples before His departure.

He tells them that the Holy Spirit will continue to teach them and remind them of all He told them.  

Indeed, though He is departing from them, He will not leave them alone, but continue to be present with them.  In the Holy Spirit, they will continue to abide and live by His Word and in His love.  And He imparts deep peace, so that ultimately, they rejoice that He departs and then is present with them again through the Spirit, especially as they live His love.

The power of the Holy Spirit is clearly evident as the early Church addresses a controversy about what Jewish rules the Gentiles should obey to be part of the Church.  Ultimately, the Holy Spirit helps the church expand to include so many, while also helping them feel unity as part of the One Body of Christ, so that, as the Psalmist proclaims, all the nations might praise God.

The vision in Revelation depicts the New Jerusalem with 12 gates, signifying that the Church welcomes all people. The power of God is so great that there is no need for the sun to shine, for His presence fills the city, just as the Holy Spirit is God's presence that fills us now.

I thought about these words in John 14 when I graduated from college 9 years ago, and prepared to enter a new phase of life, while remaining connected with that experience, especially with my divine encounters in the St. Teresa's community. And customarily I share them with my students as we reach the end of the RE year.  Indeed, though Jesus is no longer physically present on Earth, He continues to be present with us in a mystical, yet very real way, as the Holy Spirit works in us.

May 15, 2022: Fifth Sunday of Easter

God is making us new.

He sent His Son Jesus as our redeemer, and so revealed His glory by showing us what Love is.  In that glory, shown at the Last Supper, Jesus handed on to His disciples, and us, a new commandment, to love one another as He loved us, a definitive sign that we are His disciples.

St. Barnabas showed this love to Saul after his conversion, and encouraged him in his faith so that they would go on to travel throughout the Mediterranean world and proclaim the Gospel, strengthening others to do the same, in cooperation with the work of the Holy Spirit.

So even now, we experience a New Earth and a New Heaven, because, as His Church, we are making His glorious love known, and so God is making us new.

May 8, 2022: Fourth Sunday of Easter/Good Shepherd Sunday

God is leading us to Eternal Life, which is depicted so marvelously in the image of Christ the Good Shepherd: He laid down His life for us, like any good shepherd would to protect his sheep.  Then  Christ resurrected, so that He could sustain us in newness of Life through the Holy Spirit:  We cleanse ourselves of sin, depicted in the vision in Revelation when robes dipped in blood are made white.   And He leads us to life-giving waters so that we know His care for us no matter what we face, and live the Abundant Life He desires for us.

Now as redeemed people, named by Him, we go forth to bless the world, living out a mission that is meant to impact all people, like Sts. Paul and Barnabas, who, in the face of opposition from Jews, take the message to the Gentiles, just as God intended it to spread.

Indeed, God desires to bring salvation to all people, so that they may experience Eternal Life through intimate knowledge of Him now.

We give thanks for the leaders in our Church God has called to shepherd us into a deeper relationship with Christ, so that we are empowered to make Him known in the world.

I think about my MLIS graduation 6 years ago this Sunday, and how I studied about accessing and organizing information for the purpose of helping others encounter it.

And I think about our celebration of mothers this day, biologically and otherwise, whose love for us brings meaning to life, especially in how it reveals God's presence in our world.

In the spirit of this day, I think about how much meaning Religious Education has brought to me, as I spend time growing in relationship with my students as we encounter God together so that we may enter more deeply into the Abundant Life.

Ultimately, knowing more about God is meant to bring us closer to the God Who loves us so intimately, so that we may have Life, and share it with all the world.

May 1, 2022: Third Sunday of Easter

In the midst of despair lingering after the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the disciples go out fishing, and it only goes downhill when they work all night without catching anything.

Then Jesus appears, and, before they recognize Him, He directs them to try something different.  Their sudden, abundant catch is a powerful sign that demonstrates the Risen Christ is there.  He furthermore fills them with new purpose, especially when Christ asks St. Peter three times, "Do you love Me?"  We see how they live that out later:  When told to stop preaching Jesus Christ, they submit in obedience to the Holy Spirit, Who compels them.

Indeed, this is the power of the Risen Christ, the Lamb Who rose victoriously and conquered death, and Who is worshipped in the vision in Revelation as the Almighty, above all.  He rose from the dead and lives forever, rescuing us from sin, and keeping us firm in dangers so that we can demonstrate His Resurrected Power in us.  He furthermore feeds us with Himself, calling us to become what we eat, realizing fully His living Presence within us so that we can make Him known as real in all the world.

April 25, 2022: Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist

By His Paschal Mystery, Christ has brought us to newness of Life, and has given us the mission to proclaim the message of salvation, the wondrous deeds God has done to save us bring us to newness of Life.

The man in white gave this message to the women who came to the tomb that first Resurrection Sunday.

Christ gave the same message to the apostles, and when they went forth to preach, He continued to be at work in them, as He is at work in us who, this day, are also called to proclaim the Gospel message.

April 24, 2022: Second Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy Sunday

There is great power that comes forth from the Empty Tomb and the Risen Christ.

He breaks through our human weaknesses and wounds with His peaceful presence, and in this, like the disciples, we rejoice greatly.  He enters the room where the apostle are through a locked door and speaks peace to them.  Later, in Acts, we see the apostles working great wonders, even curing people.

The Risen Christ calls us to go beyond the signs of His Resurrection to truly believe in Him.

Truly, He heals us, and continues to do great wonders in our world, as the Church continues to make Him known.

Indeed, He was once dead, and now He is alive forever and ever, ruling and reigning over all, so that our hearts may be transformed by believing in Him, and living the Abundant Life He brings.

Today, I give thanks for the ministry of two priests who were ordained at the end of April in different years: Father Augustus Tolton, the first African-American ordained in the USA, and Father Edwin Pacocha, who baptized me.  I also think about how Benedict XVI was installed as Pope on this day in 2005.  These three answered the call to serve, and the life of the Risen Jesus Christ flowed through them powerfully to bless the world by leading others to transformative encounters with the Living Christ.

April 17, 2022: Easter/Pascha/Resurrection Sunday

Jesus Christ, God's Anointed One, rose triumphantly from death as we celebrate so gladly this day.

The Resurrection is not just about what happened to Jesus, but what happens to His disciples, and us.

He appeared to certain people He chose to be witnesses to testify that He is alive.

Indeed, as His Chosen People Who confess faith in our Risen Lord, our lives are different when we encounter the Risen Christ.

Our sights are set above, and we live in newness of Life.  We live to testify that Christ is Risen by our attitudes and actions because the Resurrection is real, and we feel it joyfully and deeply within us.  We are bound for glory, and open ourselves to experiencing it now, showing the world not just an Empty Tomb as evidence, but our transformed lives.

April 16, 2022: Holy Saturday Easter Vigil

God has done a marvelous work throughout history.

He wondrously created the world and the universe.

Then, when the people He created in His image strayed from Him, He sought after us, establishing various covenants with His people.  And it all culminated in His glorious redemption through Christ.

Because He rose from the dead triumphantly, we who profess faith in Him are now called to live in newness of Life, which we experience when we join Him in dying and rising.

April 15, 2022: Cross Friday of the Lord's Passion

Jesus suffered greatly in His passion in obedient submission to the Father's plan for the salvation of the world.

Indeed, He stood for the Truth, even when the forces of evil arrayed to oppose Him.

Yet, in the spirit of the suffering servant in Isaiah, God exalted Him for what He did.

And so now we acknowledge Him as our Savior because He died to save us from sin.

We can truly count on Him.

And as He entrusted Himself to the Father in completing His work, so we entrust ourselves to Him, joining our sufferings to His Cross in the hope of the victory it brings over all evil.

April 14, 2022: Maundy Thursday

The night before He died on the Cross, Jesus Christ made it clear that His death was a sacrifice offered in obedience to God, revealing the full measure of God's love.

And He showed that love at the Last Supper.  He took the ancient tradition of the Passover, a celebration of God's deliverance, and instituted a New Covenant in His Body and Blood, offering Himself as the world's salvation.

He also offered Himself as a model to follow, that as He loved, so all of us who profess faith in Him should love as we live out the New Covenant.

April 10, 2022: Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

We see the great extremities of our human experience in the readings.

The crowds get excited as they acclaim Jesus upon His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, presenting Himself as Savior.  Then the crowds turn against Him later in the week, calling for His crucifixion.  Even the apostles stumble and abandon Jesus.

Yet Jesus still resolutely follows the path ordained for Him by the Father.  He enters into the mess of our world, offering Himself, knowing that God will work through the mess to demonstrate His power of redemption.  By obediently submitting Himself to the worst of humanity, He presents Himself as our Savior, Who redeems us so that we can be our best for God.

And so, as the early Christian hymn in St. Paul's epistle to the Philippians declares, Jesus will be exalted, as we open our hearts to transformation by faith and praise Him, Who suffered for us, and is our Savior, revealing to us, upon the Cross, the love of God.

April 3, 2022: Fifth Sunday of Lent

God is doing something new and amazing: As the prophet Isaiah foretold, He brings water and freshness to the desert, even the deserts within us.

Rather than stand condemned in sin without hope, God has provided a way for us to be free from sin.

He sent His Son to be our redeemer.  And as He spoke to the condemned woman brought before Him, so He speaks to us words that set us free from being weighed down by sin so that we can be free to live righteously.  He goes past the concerns of civil and religious law to bring her what she needs most, the mercy of God, just as He does for us.

So we continue our pursuit to grow in that righteousness, knowing what matters most, above anything else that might have value in the eyes of the world, is knowing the God Who saved us that we may have Eternal Life, and experience it even now as we live anew.

March 27, 2022: Fourth Sunday of Lent/Laetare Sunday

Here, just past the midpoint of Lent 2022, we rejoice at how lavish the Father's love for us is, displayed in the story of the father and his two sons.

No matter how great our sins, He still loves us so immensely.

Like in the reading from Joshua, He has removed the reproach of sin from us.

As St. Paul writes, he has reconciled Himself to us.

When we repent and turn back to God, He embraces us so richly, like the father who runs after the son who returns.  The son, and we, receive what we don't deserve: great mercy.  The father even embraces the older son, who doesn't think the younger son deserves such celebration.

But in God's eyes, it is truly worth celebrating that the one who is in sin turns to new life again and is a new creation.  And as a new creation, each of us is called to be transformed from the heart so that we extend the mercy we have received from God to others, that all the world may rejoice in such an abundant gift given so freely and richly.

March 25, 2022: Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

It was a wondrous day when God entered into human flesh.

He had a great plan in place that He presented through Gabriel to Mary.

The Son would be the great sign that God is with us, and the One Who would offer HImself to fulfill God's will.

Mary offers a great example of how to respond to God's call to be part of His plan.

She trusted that God had it figured out, even if she couldn't fully understand.  By her fiat, she entered more deeply into the mystery of salvation by bearing the Son of God.

So can we.

Even today, as Pope Francis has consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so we are called to consecrate ourselves to live out the call to holiness.

March 20, 2022: Third Sunday of Lent

Lent reminds us that God is calling us to repentance.  God isn't necessarily out to punish us, as Jesus states in the Gospel, because He desires our salvation.  Yet we realize, when looking back in history, that if we stray from God, as the Hebrews did in the desert, we can suffer great consequences.

In some respects, the parable of the fig tree is illogical, that the gardener would want to keep tending to it in the hope that it will bear fruit.  Yet so God is with us.

God is truly mighty, as He declares to Moses, "I AM Who I AM."  He simply exists.  Yet He connects with us as His people, also declaring to Moses that He is the God of his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  He is aware of the people's suffering in Egypt, and reaches out to rescue them.

So He does with us who are marred by sin.  Aware of such a gracious and merciful God, Who is truly a God of second chances, let's reach out to Him, repenting of our sins, so that we can bear great fruit, undergoing transformation so that we live to reflect His Holiness.

This set of readings was proclaimed 9 years ago when I attended Mass at St. Augustine Mission Church in Winnebago, NE, on the feast of the foundress, St. Mother Katharine Drexel.  Father Dave referred to the place as "holy ground", since a saint walked there.  Yet we, too, make the places where we trod holy ground when we repent, devote our lives to God, and display His Holy presence through our actions.

March 19, 2022: Solemnity of St. Joseph

It's a great day to think back to Christmas Day as we celebrate the earthly father of Jesus.

Throughout the centuries, God was unfolding a great plan of salvation.  He revealed to David that his house would endure forever through one of his descendants.

God then called St. Joseph to take his part in this plan.  While St. Joseph uneasily considered his response to Mary's premarital pregnancy, God revealed the way to him, and made it clear that the Child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would be Savior of the World.  Without any words of his recorded, St. Joseph responded and took Mary to be his wife, and helped usher in the world's salvation.

St. Joseph offers us a great model of trusting in God, aware that He is unfolding a great plan in our world, and graces us by choosing us to be part of it.

March 13, 2022: Second Sunday of Lent

Our intensified spiritual practices during Lent have a purpose, leading us to the glory of God.  Indeed, it's all about being transformed, to have new perspectives.

Abraham can't make sense of God's promise of numerous descendants.  God gives Him a different perspective by offering him the view of the numberless stars in the sky as a metaphor, and then Abraham believes God, an act of faith.

God then makes a solemn covenant.  In the custom of covenants of that day, God holds Himself to the penalty of breaking the covenant by passing through the pieces of the diced animal carcasses in the form of fire.

As God offers Abraham reassurance, so He offers it to the three apostles by giving a glimpse of His Heavenly glory in His transfiguration on the mountain.  He connects His glory with His preceding Passion, which He discusses with Moses and Elijah.

Indeed, He displays Himself as the Savior, and so God's voice commands the apostles to "listen to Him", the beloved Son.

We can count on God.  So as we journey toward His glory, let's listen to Him, so that we can be transformed and take on a new perspective that brings new purpose to Life.  Because of the Paschal Mystery, we are bound for glory, and, as St. Paul writes, "our citizenship is in Heaven".  May Lent be an opportunity for us to experience the transformation by which we focus on gaze on Heaven, so that, in the midst of whatever we face in life, difficulties included, we can live with purpose.

It was so fitting that I attended a Confirmation Mass this weekend, which included 5 of my RE students.  It was a glorious picture of encountering God's presence in a powerful way, and a great reminder of how God is at work all the time as we open ourselves to seeing His work.

March 6, 2022: First Sunday of Lent

We journey with Jesus into the desert, though the passage in the Gospel according to St. Luke notes that Jesus didn't go alone:  He went filled with the Holy Spirit straight from His baptism.  In the desert, He would be tested and given the chance to demonstrate what His identity as the Son of God truly means.  In contrast to the Hebrews' 40 years of wandering in the deserts when they were unfaithful, Jesus was victorious by showing obedience to God's ways.

In the difficulties we face in the deserts of life, it can be tempting to draw on our own power to make things better and take the easy way out.  But time and again, God demonstrates that He will meet all our needs abundantly, and we can count on Him.  So let's rest in Him, not testing Him, and follow His ways, marveling at how He has worked for our God throughout the past.

Let us proclaim that Jesus is Lord through our words and actions.

Desert scene in eastern Arizona along the route of the Southwest Chief

March 2, 2022: Ash Wednesday

The readings make clear it's time to get our relationship right with God:  It's time to recognize we are sinners.  We have a great Savior Who, by the Paschal Mystery, has made it possible to be restored to right relationship with Go, because He identified Himself with sinners so we could be free from sin and made righteous.

By virtue of our baptism, we are called to be ambassadors of Christ, to transformed and reflect God's character by living holy lives, ultimately living to please God, not just to impress other people.  It's what is in our hearts that truly counts.

St. Paul's words are truly bold because now is the acceptable time and now is the day of salvation, for us to embrace this opportunity God offers us by His grace and mercy.

February 27, 2022: 8th Sunday in Ordinary (Ordinal) Time

As has happened with the other selections from the Sermon on the Plain in the previous two Sunday's Gospel readings, so Jesus challenges us again this day to live differently than our human inclinations would direct us:  He challenges us to not be so quick to judge others, but rather to think more about ourselves and where we need transformation in our hearts and character.  Ultimately, the heart is what truly counts, because what is there that influences the way we live our lives.

God sent us His Son Jesus to be our Savior, the Gospel truth that attains its full power when it enters in us and transforms our hearts as we repent and turn more closely to God.  In the life of faith, we strive to root ourselves more deeply in God, which is the way to flourishing.

We come to see that God has given us a great purpose in Life because, as the 2nd reading from 1 Corinthians 15 describes, He has conquered sin and death by the Paschal Mystery of Christ.  It's marvelous that we hear this reading proclaimed on the final Sunday before Lent begins, which culminates in the Triduum when we remember and celebrate the events of the Paschal Mystery.

Knowing all that God has done to redeem us in Christ and celebrating God's goodness, we know that the work is worthwhile to repent, opening our hearts to transformation so that we may advance the Kingdom of God in the world by proclaiming Who He is with our lives.

February 22, 2022: Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

God revealed Himself in a special way with great insight to Simon, and when asked by Christ about His identity, Simon made a profound profession of faith, declaring Christ as the Son of God.

Christ then gave Simon the new name Peter, acclaiming his confession of faith so that he could provide a solid foundation on which to build the Church and the authority to safeguard the teachings that lead us to Eternal Life.  As the first Pope, St. Peter was called to be a shepherd, leading the flock into encounters with God.

And so this authority has been handed down to the Pope and the bishops through the centuries so that we, the faithful, can continue encountering God in transformative ways through the same timeless teachings that Christ first gave to His Church. 

February 20, 2022: 7th Sunday in Ordinary (Ordinal) Time

I think many of us would think that David would have been in the right for taking advantage of the opportunity to kill Saul and so vanquish a great threat against him, especially Abishai who claimed God had delivered him into his hands.

Yet David's choice to recognize Saul was still the Lord's anointed and let him live reflects the call in today's Gospel reading.

Picking up on the theme of last week's Beatitudes in Luke, we are called to love our enemies.

It's only natural that we would want to show kindness in return for kindness. God calls us to go beyond just what feels natural to demonstrate the supernatural, His merciful presence among us.

As part of advancing God's Kingdom in this world, we are called to reflect God's ways, the God Who shows love and mercy to all people, even those who don't deserve it.

When we go beyond natural expectations, we will receive a great reward

As difficult as this is, God empowers us through the transformation that is ours because of the Paschal Mystery.  We who are of the Earth will bear the image of the Heavenly One, as St. Paul writes, and that promise is our great hope.  We see it at work now as we encounter God and are transformed to reflect His character of mercy to all.

February 13, 2022: 6th Sunday in Ordinary (Ordinal) Time

God promises us not necessarily an easy life, but a blessed life with the assurance that comes from being grounded in Him.

While the world might indicate that we can get by okay without God, drawing on our own strengths, we're missing out on the great Source.

No matter what kinds of troubles we face, we have reason to rejoice when we grow more deeply in relationship with God, drawing upon Him so that we can live the abundant Life.  Indeed, we shall truly flourish even in difficulties.  By centering ourselves on God, we draw on the great Power of God that enables us to live a meaningful life no matter what hardships we face and be part of advancing the Kingdom by serving those who are in need.  God truly works His great reversal in our lives as we, in our poverty, turn to be filled by Him.

Indeed, this reality of faith is ours because Christ has risen from the dead, which means we, too, shall rise, as we experience now already, living in newness of Life with great purpose.

On this World Marriage Day, we rejoice that God makes Himself known through married couples who live out God's love in their marriage covenants, drawing from the source to live with purpose in blessing others, their children and beyond.

February 6, 2022: 5th Sunday in Ordinary (Ordinal) Time

The call of God isn't so much about how well-equipped we are, but the manner in which God demonstrates His power through us.

Clearly, when Isaiah sees the glory of God in the Temple, he is greatly filled with a sense of his unworthiness because he is among a people of unclean lips.  Yet God has the means to cleanse him so that he can be poised to hear the voice that speaks a call that appears to be directed to no one in particular.  And Isaiah, made ready, answers that call.

St. Peter must have had mixed feelings when Jesus told him to let down the net for a catch.  As a seasoned fishermen, he likely doubted this would do any good, but must have been stirred by Jesus's presence enough to follow the directive.  He was soon struggling to haul in an overwhelming catch, and then with his own unworthiness before the Lord Who could cause such a catch to happen.  Yet Jesus comes to St. Peter in his feelings of unworthiness, and reassures him, so that when they return to shore, St. Peter follows him.  Other fishermen with him do, too, having gone through the same experience.

Even St. Paul writes about his unworthiness to be an apostle and to experience an appearance of the Risen Jesus Christ.  Yet he recognizes that God's grace has works mightily in him, so that he is capable of preaching the reality of the Paschal Mystery, which he states in a stirring capsule summary earlier in the 2nd reading.

The Paschal Mystery is the ultimate way God demonstrates His power at work on our behalf.  So though we may be unworthy, we no longer have to be afraid, because God is able to equip us by His merits so that we can do His work of proclaiming the reality of Who He is and what He has done.  Indeed, He transforms us who believe.

So we can join with the Psalmist to declare that we, too, can sing in the sight of the angels, because we are not worthy so much on our own merits, or lack thereof, but on God's merits and His power.

February 2, 2022: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord/Candlemas

Surely it was a marvelous scene when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem.

They presented Jesus in fulfillment of the commands of the Law, but what was even more profound was that Jesus was presented in the Temple, He Who was the Savior of the World.

As Savior, He was born as a human so that He could purify His people and make their righteous in the sight of God.

Simeon was fully in tune with the movement of the Holy Spirit as He came into the Temple and recognized in the baby Jesus, the Savior of the World.  He then declared Him as the Salvation of all the world, both a Light for the Gentiles and Glory for Israel.

It is truly a marvel that Jesus was a blessing to Israel and the world, as both Simeon and Anna recognized and proclaimed.

On this Feast, when we rekindle the spirit of Christmas at the Nativity of the Lord, may His Light shine in our hearts so that we may shine it forth into all the world, for God has come to dwell among us forever in Christ, forever transforming us.  We, as people of faith, truly rejoice!

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph with candles on display at the altar in Ascension Parish in Oak Park

January 30, 2022: 4th Sunday in Ordinary (Ordinal) Time

God has come to speak His Word to us in Christ, and it can be challenging to rise to the occasion and live out that Word, because it calls us to new understandings about Who He is and Who we are, and calls us to a new way of life.  That is why it's important for us to be open to the transformation, deep into our hearts, so we can receive this Word and act on it.

As people of faith, we are anointed for a purpose, to be God's presence in the world.  I think of how powerfully we, the World Youth Day pilgrims, made God known in our gathering there 3 years ago, and how we were sent forth to make Him known, transformed by our encounters during those days.

Jeremiah faced many challenges as a prophet, because He spoke the words of God that upset people in their ways.  Yet God kept him firm, having chosen him for his work since birth.

So Jesus was anointed to be a prophet, and His own townsfolk in Nazareth found it so difficult to accept this One, Who had grown up among them, to be God's presence speaking to them--much as the people of Israel as a whole rejected Jesus as the Messiah.  

As people baptized in faith, called and anointed for His purposes, when we face opposition for proclaiming God's message, we can be confident that God has anointed us, since before birth.

May our lives reflect the vision of love that St. Paul presents in 1 Corthinians.  It is such a great spiritual gift that it lasts through all Eternity, for in true Love, we see God present among us, even as we await the revelation of His fullness.

January 23, 2022: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary (Ordinal) Time

With great joy in my heart, we cycle back to the same readings I heard proclaimed at the Concluding Mass of World Youth Day celebrated by Pope Francis in Panama City, 3 years ago on January 27, 2019.

And God's Word continues to be fulfilled among us, in our hearing.  

Jesus Christ came as the Incarnate God to our world as the Word Made Flesh, which we celebrated during Christmas.  He indeed made God's presence known, because He was anointed and came in the power of the Holy Spirit to do the good works of bringing joy and liberty to those in bondage and Good News to the poor, thinking even especially of the preborn, who are in need of so much support.

Indeed, since God has come to abide with us forever, we have reason for great joy, and strength from the joy of the Lord, Who speaks His very Word to us.  Each day is holy because God is among us, and so the words of Ezra and Nehemiah speak to us today:  Even in difficult circumstances, we can rejoice that God has given us His Word so that we can live with purpose.

In Christ, He has made us One Church, a Body with many parts, each contributing something unique. When we come together, the Body is truly at its best, making God known in the world.

The WYD 2019 pilgrims gathered to be present to God in a special way, and celebrate being part of one Church.  We return to our homes all over the world, still bound as one Body, and Christ has continued to be present among us as we have lived out our encounter with Him.

Today, we also celebrate Sunday of the Word of God, and recognize the importance of Scripture in our life of faith, because through it, God continually speaks to His people.  As a lector, I am aware of the role of this ministry to help the faithful more deeply appreciate what God says to us in the Scriptures.

And so the Word of God continues to be fulfilled as we go forth from our gatherings at Mass and do the deeds that make Him known.

January 16, 2022: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary (Ordinal) Time

Even in Ordinary Time, God is doing extraordinary work to sanctify time and the world.

After celebrating His manifestations at the Birth of Christ, the Epiphany, and the Baptism of the Lord, Jesus once again manifests God's divine presence with the first of His signs at the wedding at Cana.

When there is an implitictly urgent need to make more wine available, to save the newly married couple some embarrassment, Mary confidently turns to Jesus and directs the servants to follow His directives.

In a rather subtle way, Jesus provides an abundance of high-quality wine.

It's fitting that this first sign of Jesus in the Gospel according to St. John happens at a wedding:

God wedded Heaven and Earth by the coming of Jesus, Who brings us back into right relationship with the Father.  Jesus shows how greatly the Father delights in us, lavishing His love in the same way a groom delights in and loves his bride.

I find it apt to hear this Gospel passage proclaimed this weekend, because 5 years ago this weekend, I was in Florida to celebrate the marriage of my brother and sister-in-law.  A day later, I visited the Mission Nombre de Dios, the site of the first Mass held in the present-day USA, on September 8, 1565, when the Spanish came ashore to found St. Augustine.  Our Church has gathered at Mass for so long, because it is so important that we gather to recognize how God is present among us, and how He is wedding us back to Himself.

Aware of His presence among us, we are called to believe, just as the disciples came to believe in Christ.  And living in faith, we take up the great gifts God gives us through the Spirit, Who grants gifts specifically to each of us, so that together, as One Body, we can participate in the (Christmas) work of continuing to make God known in the world.

At the center of this photo is the window in Ascension Parish depicting the scene in today's Gospel reading.

January 9, 2022: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Throughout the Christmas Season, we have celebrated how God manifested Himself among us in Christ.

For this Sunday's Feast, we move beyond the narrative of Christ as a child to His adulthood.  God manifested Himself powerfully at His baptism, in the fullness of the Trinity:  He sent down the Spirit to anoint Him.  God spoke and acclaimed Him as His Son, with whom He was "well-pleased", affirming what Christ did by His baptism.

As people of faith, we join with Christ in baptism so that we, too, can become God's children, and share in Christ's mission to make God known in the world.  By His mercy, He has brought us through the waters of rebirth into new life so that we are equipped to live our faith by doing good works.

It is wonderful we have this Feast to conclude the Christmas Season because it demonstrates how we can embody the Christmas message:  By faith, we see God manifest in the world through Christ, and through these encounters, we are transformed to be like Him, through baptism, and through our living, make Him known in the world.

January 2, 2021: Sunday of the Epiphany of the Lord

When Jesus Christ was born, He brought a great Light that has shined to all the world, so that peoples from all over the world were drawn to seek Him.

The visit of the Magi demonstrates that all people can strive to reach Christ, because God has put in all of us a yearning for something greater, which only He can satisfy.  So no matter what troubles us and our world, we can rejoice in encountering the Light, because it is God's way of manifesting Himself to the world.

So let us join with all peoples to embrace the Light, which is Christ, worshipping Him with our treasures and growing in relationship with Him, for He is the great gift that when we receive Him, and He is born in us, He transforms us to live out the mystery of the Incarnation by making Him known.

January 1, 2022: Octave of Christmas/Feast of Mary, Mother of God

Mary certainly had much to ponder in her heart.

In the time He ordained in His infinite wisdom, God had chosen her to bear His Son in the world.

And it is through His Name that we are saved.

We are blessed because through, Christ, we see God and we access Him as we grow in relationship with Him.

As the years go by, God's grace continues to flow forth and work mightily in us.