Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family

 Sirach 3:2-6, 13-14

Colossians 3:12-21

Luke 2:22-40

Merry Christmas! I have to say that I have always found it to be a great shame when some people exercise the option to shorten our second reading today, as well as the shortened other readings involving the Sacrament of Matrimony, such as Ephesians 5:22-33 when that comes up in the Lectionary. Sometimes this is done out of defference to the modern feminist movement, because an important explanation of the sacramental theology of marriage is deemed by some not to be politically correct in this day and age. 

Still others prefer to exclude these important readings because they fear that it may give license to abusive spouses to "lord it over" their wives and simply order them around and you ladies are supposed to do whatever we say. St Paul would have understood that if that was what he meant, it was going to go over like a lead balloon even in the ancient world. Remember that he is writing to a lot of people who are former pagans, and the wives in that cultural milieu likely would not have taken very well to simply being ordered around. What Saint Paul was telling the Colossians and the Ephesians and us today is that Christian matrimony is to be patterned after Christ's relationship with the Church, we are the bride and Christ is the bridegroom. 

What that means in practical application is that our homes are to be a domestic Church, and husbands and wives can be Christ to one another, but in a family context, the husband should be the one to have spiritual leadership in a home, just as Christ has spiritual leadership over the Church.

We see the ultimate clear example of that in the story of the flight into Egypt.. When the time came to follow the spiritual guidance of the Lord and to leave Israel and go to Egypt, there is no way that this could have been an easy decision. Joseph already had to take his espoused wife from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census ordered by Caesar Augustus. Now he was being told that Herod and the authorities in Jerusalem were threatening Jesus' life, and Joseph took the lead, following the direction of the Lord as told him by the angel, heeding God's command, and taking the lead over his family when it counted. Similarly, when Herod died, the angel made it known to Joseph, and Joseph followed the Divine directive. St. Joseph exercised spiritual leadership, because he took charge not only of Jesus physical protection, but the spiritual welfare of his family.

Similarly, in the Gospel today we see Mary and Joseph going together as a family to the temple to present Jesus. When this happened, Jesus would have been identified as Joseph's son before the priests and the rabbis of the Temple. We see the declarations of who Jesus is from Simeon the holy man, and Anna the prophetess, but probably the most important passage of the Gospel is what we see near the end when it tells us that the Holy family returned to Nazareth, and that "Jesus became strong and filled with wisdom and the favor of God was upon him." Even Jesus had the example of holy people around him. What we are left to presume is that Jesus grew up not unlike any other child of his day, we don't hear from his childhood except for the finding in the temple at the age of 12. After that incident, we don't hear from St Joseph in Sacred Scripture at all, but we know that he was the leader in the family when it counted. Early on in Our Lord's life, Joseph is seen making the difficult decisions under God's direction.

Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Trinity, is the Son of God and He is God. He could have come into the world in any way that he chose in order to carry out his mission to redeem humanity, but from the foundation of the world it was chosen that he would come into the world as part of an ordinary household and a family with a mother and a father, in part to show us that this is the normative way in which children should be raised.

For a very long time in our society today, it seems that if children are to have any religious upbringing at all, it is often the lady of the house who does the hard work to ensure that the children know something about God. I've known of a few cases where it's even the grandparents who take that responsibility unto themselves. Sacred Scripture is quite clear, however, that Holy Matrimony is a type, or a living example, of the relationship between Christ and the Church. While spouses are to be Christ to each other in their personal relationship (and I don't know about you, but I can think of plenty of times when my spouse has truly been Christ to me), it is the man of the house who stands in the place of Christ as bridegroom in the Sacrament of Matrimony. Just as Christ is the spiritual leader of the Church, the man of the house is supposed to be the spiritual leader of the home. We know that there are often negative spiritual consequences if things don't happen that way.

A few years back, Touchstone magazine published a study from Switzerland that was undertaken throughout Europe and recorded by the European Union. The study found that if both the father and mother of a family attended church regularly, 33% of their children will be regular churchgoers, and another 41% will be irregular churchgoers but consider themselves practicing. only about a quarter of the children of faith-filled marriages end up not practicing their faith in any way at all. Conversely, if mother practices her faith but father doesn't practice his at all, only about 2% of those children become regular churchgoers. Another 37% of those children will attend church on an irregular basis, and 60% of those children will not practice their faith at all. Interestingly, if Dad is the regular churchgoer and Mom is not, the same study showed that far more children were likely to be loyal to their faith, between 38 and 44% of them depending on the circumstances. Some American studies have shown that practicing Dads yield children that are as much as two-thirds more likely to remain loyal to their faith. Some U.S. studies show the number when Dad is active in church to be as high as 93% of children who remain in the practice of Christianity.

Men matter, fathers matter, and we live in an age when masculinity and fatherhood are both under terrible attack. St. Joseph is given to us as an example and a model of manhood, of leadership, of fatherhood. It is time for men to reclaim the example of St. Joseph and reclaim spiritual leadership of their homes and families. The model of the Holy Family can show us the way.

Homily for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sirach 27:30-28:7

Romans 14:7-9

Matthew 18:21-35

There are great many truths taught by Our Lord or by the Holy Apostles which are difficult for the world to accept. We can sometimes tell which truths these are because they're the ones that people like to avoid discussing whenever the topic of Christianity or Jesus Christ happens to come up. There are a lot of people in this world who will more or less say that Jesus was a great moral teacher, but either in their words or their actions they will deny that Christ is who he claims to be. The world will make that denial because they do not wish to live in the way that we are called to live, because so much of what the world today calls good, God calls evil. So much of what the Lord God calls evil, the world says it's good, even praiseworthy. (cf. Isaiah 5:20, 2 Timothy 3:1-13)

There is perhaps no greater commandment of Christ that is more difficult to live out, however, than the one we find illustrated in the Gospel today, the command that we are to forgive in the same way that we are asking God to forgive us. We want God to forgive us our sins, to pardon our sins, to overlook our sins. In many, if not most cases, the sins we are asking forgiveness for are the sins that will send us straight to Hell because of the choices we have made. Yet Jesus repeatedly tells us that these sins will be forgiven, that we will be received by the Lord if we repent of our sins. The only catch is that we have to forgive others in the same way that we have been forgiven. We get a glimpse of just how unconditional God's love is for us, and we come to understand how difficult it is to give truly unconditional love to others, especially those who would wish us harm or do us harm.

When we think about how difficult that truly is, we realize that living the Christian Life isn't so easy, because we have to be like Christ, and that means to forgive others as we have been forgiven. Jesus's illustration of the servant who asked forgiveness of his master while refusing to extend forgiveness to a fellow servant who owed a much smaller amount shows us the reality that God is willing to forgive us the debt of our sins if we confess our sins, and the weight of our sins is far greater than any debt to be understood in this world. Therefore, Jesus is explaining to us that we should be ready and willing to forgive others, because their offenses to us are far less than anything we may have done in this life to offend God.

In living the life of a Christian we are called to be like Christ. Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, He is God, and so his nature is the nature of God. What are we told is God's ultimate nature? When the Lord God made himself visible to Moses, telling him that he would pass by on Mount Sinai and allow Moses to see the back of Him and He would say His name. When the Lord did say his name to Moses, the name itself is not actually mentioned in most English translations (we say "the LORD"), but it is immediately followed by an important suffix. God makes Himself known to Moses in this way… "the Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness."  (Exodus 34:5-6) Mercy and love and fidelity are so important to God's nature that He includes them in His very name. We hear these attributes of God in today's responsorial Psalm, which are verses from Psalm 103.

Our first reading from the book of Sirach invites us to do a very difficult thing for a lot of us (and any of us who have a real temper know how hard it is), and that is to let go of our anger, even forgiving the injustices our neighbor might commit upon us.

In the Gospel parable, the servant was not seen as wicked for asking his master to forgive his debt (something that we should be doing regularly when we ask for our sins to be forgiven in Reconciliation), but it was seen as most evil that he would not forgive a fellow servant a much smaller debt. The Master's reaction when he had heard what the servant had demanded of his fellow servant was to throw the wicked servant in prison until the debt was paid off.

Jesus tells his disciples that God the Father will treat all of us the same way if we do not learn to forgive our enemies from our heart. The big difference will be that if we die in our sins, it is our choice, not the larger society. We can ask forgiveness of God and our neighbor, but if we are not truly willing to forgive others, the faith is hollow within us.

Neither our Lord, nor any of the Apostles or the apostolic Fathers who have preached forgiveness have said that forgiving our neighbors who slight us, or do great injustice to us is easy. Jesus understands very well how very difficult and how very contrary it is to our human nature to extend the hand of forgiveness to those who have done us wrong, or even to those who wish us harm. That kind of forgiveness is completely contrary to our human nature, and God understands that. This is exactly why being able to extend forgiveness in the radical way that Jesus asks of us is something that takes great Grace, and is a sign before the world that the person who can forgive in the radical fashion which Christ asks of us manifests a sign of tremendous holiness of life, and they are showing that they can live out their Christian faith not only in word, but in action.

We are living in a time of tremendous upheaval in our nation. Not only have we been faced in recent months with a global pandemic which has seriously constricted our way of life and cost many their jobs or their livelihoods, but we have also recently seen protests, and in many places riots, over both the real and perceived abuses directed toward African Americans and other minorities by certain members of local police forces around the country. The resulting protests and riots have caused much disorder, they have also forced many Americans to take a hard look at our past as a nation.

One of the real difficulties, however, with the present moment in which we find ourselves is that the one thing you don't hear from all sides in these ongoing debates, discussions, and public disorder is the need for- and the willingness of-all sides to extend forgiveness to one another. Instead, because of the lack of an attitude of forgiveness, we see continuing disorder and riots in many cities, including the desecration of many public monuments. There is an utter unwillingness to forgive our neighbors.

We also would do well to remember that extending forgiveness does not mean forgetting injustices and wrongs done to us by others, forgiveness doesn't always equate to trust, and nowhere does Jesus ask that. But if we can truly learn to forgive, and leave the final judgment of others to God, our community, our country, our world would look a lot more like Jesus intended. As Christ forgives us, let us extend that forgiveness to one another. 

Homily for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 55:1-3

Romans 8:35, 37-39

Matthew 14:13-21

In today's Gospel we hear Matthew's account of Jesus' miraculous feeding of the 5000. One of the things that we know from the Gospel account is that Jesus actually was able to feed far more than 5,000 people that day, because Scripture tells us that there were five thousand men there, but they did not count women and children, and there were certainly women and children present, we can only guess at the actual number of people who were there that day and who were fed by this very important miraculous moment in the Life and Ministry of Our Lord.

Often, people will read the story of the feeding of the 5000 and see it as another manifestation of the Divinity of Christ, which it certainly is. While the Divinity of Christ is reiterated by yet another miracle, that is not the most important message of this event. The first message was one to the people who were present there, and one that speaks to us through time in the pages of Sacred Scripture, that this miracle of love for people who were not only physically hungry, but (far more importantly) they were spiritually hungry was a prefigurement of the Holy Eucharist, the feast of Thanksgiving where Christ provides for our spiritual needs by giving us himself.

The second message which Jesus is sending to us through time in the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 is a message that we need to hear today in a very special way, perhaps more than we have ever needed to hear it in our lifetimes, (certainly I have needed reminding of the other message of this miracle in my life). 

We are living in a time that can only be described as one of blinding uncertainty. A worldwide pandemic, brought on by a disease which the supposed "experts" cannot even agree on how best to treat or prevent. In the last six months we have seen our society grind to a halt, and even as we begin some semblance of reopening, nothing is normal. All we have to do is look around this church to see that. Many of our family members, friends, and neighbors have lost their jobs, and many more people are still unsure if they will have a way to provide for themselves in the near future. Even for those of us who have been relatively well provided for during this time in which we are living find that nothing is normal. We have to keep a distance from our neighbors, we have to wear masks to church, and we know that many people are afraid of whether or not they will catch the disease, and how it might affect their lives. 

In today's readings, however, the Lord is giving us a message of Hope. Yes, so many of us find ourselves in a situation that is so unclear, and for many it seems hopeless. Jesus was teaching and ministering to a huge throng of people, and the disciples didn't know what to do with them, they were ready to send them away because they knew they couldn't feed them. Jesus, however, had other ideas.

The solution of Jesus to the problem at hand was to do what only God can do, and Jesus is God… Our Lord provided for the obvious need of the people who were assembled there, even though doing so appeared impossible, but as Jesus himself said "with God all things are possible."

We are living in and through an extremely uncertain time, and many of us can honestly say that we do not know what tomorrow will bring. The Lord wants to remind us in all of the readings today that we can rely on him to provide what we need. Just when the situation may seem beyond our control, if we are truly willing to put our lives into the hands of God, he will provide for us, just in the way that Jesus provided for the 5000 and the women and children.

I do not recall a time in my lifetime when people were so fearful of their neighbors, or so afraid for themselves. In our country, we see great levels of civil unrest, and so much lawlessness now in many of our cities that it can rightly be called an uprising against legitimately constituted authority. Good people who are just trying to get on with their lives are afraid of what might happen to them, and many people are afraid of a virus with a 98% survival rate.

But Our Lord is showing us that he will provide for us. He will provide for us spiritually, and he will provide for our physical needs, but we have to believe in and trust in him. Just as he provided for the 5,000, he's ready to provide for us. He wants us to have faith that he can. Even now, he's reminding us, just as Saint John Paul II did, of what he told the disciples when they were in fear of their lives. "Be not afraid!"

About a year-and-a-half ago I recall that I joined Father Patrick up at Cor Jesu Monastery and assisted with Mass for the sisters. We deacons get used to doing things a certain way, and when preparing for the consecration I always pour roughly the same amount of wine in the chalice. On that particular day, Father had told me to fill the chalice up, since all of the sisters received from the one chalice, so what did I do when the time came to prepare for the consecration? I poured in my usual amount, and Father consecrated it. It was my mistake and I began to think we wouldn't have enough… yet miraculously not only did we have enough, all of the sisters partook of the chalice that day as they normally would. The Lord provided because the people had faith.

Jesus is ready and willing to provide for us and for our needs, if we are willing to submit totally to faith in Him. "All who are thirsty, come to the water," Isaiah says, "you have no money, come and receive grain and eat, without paying and without cost drink wine and milk!" The prophet asks, "why spend your money for what is not bread, or your wages for what fails to satisfy?" Jesus already gives us the very best because he gives us himself in the Eucharist. 

He wants to provide for our every need, all we have to do is to have faith that he can and understand that he knows what we need far better than we do.

Parish Bulletin Column On Spiritual Communion 7/5/2020

As we continue our spiritual journey together during what some have termed- not inappropriately - "coronatide," the most frustrating aspect of our shared experience for so many of us has been the limited nature of public worship, the Mass, and the regular availability of the Holy Eucharist. We have been compelled to limit the number of people who can come to Mass, as well as to wear facemasks when we come to Sacred Worship. Entire rows of pews in our nave must be roped off to keep people from sitting in them as we “social distance.”  It has been most difficult for deacons and priests, because bringing Christ to others in tangible ways is a big part of the ministry of Catholic clergy.

If there is one benefit to what our community is going through, it may be that perhaps this experience will help us not to take the frequent reception of Holy Communion for granted. I was reminded by a recent article in Homiletic and Pastoral Review that the practice of "Spiritual Communion," of not receiving the Eucharist physically for a period of time, but inviting Our Eucharistic Lord to dwell in our hearts and change our lives is not only an ancient devotional practice, at one time it was a far more frequent one. 

It was the great Pope St. Pius X who restored and encouraged the practice of very frequent Holy Communion among the laity, even encouraging people to receive the Eucharist daily if they were properly disposed. While the renewal of the Blessed Sacrament in this way has been a great blessing for the Church, in more recent times we have become so accustomed to receiving Holy Communion with such frequency that the regular practice of Spiritual Communion seemed to be non-existent among many Catholics, with the notable exception of those homebound who have not had regular access to the Holy Eucharist. 

Prior to the great reforms of Saint Pius, there were many Catholics who only received Holy Communion a few times a year, and yet were still obligated to come to Mass at least on Sunday under the pain of mortal sin. If someone wasn't receiving the Holy Eucharist, they were encouraged to make a Spiritual Communion, to unite themselves completely to Jesus in the Eucharist through prayer, and to do so in such a way that they longed for the Eucharist, understanding that it is really Our Lord - body, blood, soul, and divinity.

The lengthy period of time which we have recently passed in which we had no regular access to the Mass, but were asked to watch Mass on the internet or television, or listen on the radio, caused many of us to feel as though we were spiritually starving without the Eucharist. In many of these "virtual Mass" situations, the celebrant of the Liturgy will invite those watching to make a Spiritual Communion. There are many very good reasons why someone might not receive Holy Communion on any given Sunday. Perhaps you didn't get a chance to go to Confession before Mass. Perhaps you had to leave the church because of illness, or to tend to a sick child or spouse, or perhaps illness or quarantine is keeping you away from Holy Mass.

The practice of uniting ourselves in perfect prayer with the Eucharist when we cannot receive Our Lord is a way of reminding ourselves how much we long for the Lord Jesus, and how much we hope to be with Him in the heavenly liturgy for all eternity.

Act of Spiritual Communion:

My Jesus, 

I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. 

I love You above all things, 

and I desire to receive You into my soul. 

Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, 

come at least spiritually into my heart. 

I embrace You as if You were already there 

and unite myself wholly to You. 

Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.

Thoughts On the Anniversary of My Ordination

Every year this day passes and I remember it as I remember my wedding anniversary, or my wife's birthday, or my daughters' birthdays, or other significant days on the calendar. Each year, this day comes and it causes me to pause and reflect on the gifts of God in my life, and the opportunity that he has given me to be present for others.

There are times, I have to admit, when I wonder how it is that the Lord intends to use this wonderful Sacrament and vocation of service that he has given me, and that is now four years on. I often ponder this because I now have two beautiful daughters and a beautiful and wonderful wife who sacrifices much and puts up with a lot out of me. My weekdays are often covered over dealing with young children, while I sometimes see and hear of my brother deacons taking the time to engage in many ministries that I love and find that I don't currently have the time to do those things that many of them do. I find that I sometimes ask God "how can you use me to serve others in the midst of everything that we have going on?"

I have found, however, that the Lord has often made some use of me in ways that I am not expecting, often would not think of, and I certainly wouldn't ask. 

There have been the times that parishioners have stopped me after Masses or when I was on my way to the car to share with me that I said or preached something on a particular day that spoke to their heart and mind. People will sometimes stop me and ask if I will bless their holy reminder or their religious object for them. To be honest, I don't often think about this, but the times when I have been able to give the gift of presence and blessing to people when they have needed it didn't seem like much to me, but maybe it meant something to the people who asked for that blessing.

When our present crisis of pandemic first hit, in the first couple of weeks, all the clergy of the parish took the time to divide up the parish list and make a phone call to each parishioner to check in on them. I didn't realize how much I could serve someone with a simple phone call or text until we (all of our Parish clergy) did this and I heard the thank yous from parishioners and others who terribly missed sacramental life or the fellowship of their church family. The people of God were pleased to know that their priests and deacons were still there and still praying for them and thinking about them.

 

"What can I do to be of service to the people, Lord?" Sometimes I will ask Him that question and He will give me answers I don't expect. I certainly didn't expect to be able to help someone find a place to live, but I was able to do that once with a simple letter. "Make me an instrument, Lord..." I will ask Him, and He will do it. It is usually not in the ways I am expecting, it is very often not in ways that the rest of the world, and sometimes even the rest of the parish, can see. However, a long time ago I asked the Lord to grant me the gift of greater humility, and I am slowly beginning to learn what that really looks like. I will freely admit that I have a long way to go, so pray for me that the Lord will bring the good work he has done to fulfillment, and that will be the best deacon, husband, and Dad that I can be.

Four years ago, Bishop Stika laid his hands on me and bestowed upon me the Sacrament of Holy Orders as a deacon. I am truly blessed, the Lord has given me a great gift of Ministry, and the rare precious treasure of all seven sacraments. I pray that I may be able to minister to others in some small way for a great many more years to come, and I am so thankful for everyone who is blessing me with their kindness and encouragement. (A particular note of thanks to my friend Stephanie Richer, who took these wonderful photographs, and regularly uses her God-given talent for the sake of the Kingdom.)

Ad multos annos to my brothers in the Diocese of Knoxville diaconate class of 2016, and all of my brother deacons and priests everywhere who celebrate the anniversary of their ordination this month. Let us all remember that like Christ the Servant, to whom we are configured, we come not to be served but to serve, and may we, like Christ, give our lives in service for the sake of others.

Prayer for Our Local National Day of Prayer Observance

Tony the Misfit on Flickr / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

National Science Foundation

Almighty and Ever-living God…

For the sake of the Sorrowful Passion of your Only-Begotten Son, have mercy upon your people, O Lord, and upon the whole world. Grant, we beseech you, the healing of body, of mind, and of soul to all of those who are afflicted with the effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and of every other crippling illness. Give recovery to the cities and communities of our nation and the world who are suffering the effects of this disease, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, help those communities and their leaders turn to you, who alone may give them aid and rescue. We especially remember your precious poor of the world who do not have access to clean water or proper medical care during this epidemic.


We pray for those who are suffering the social and economic effects of COVID-19, particularly those who have been deprived of the dignity of meaningful work, and the fruits of their labor, knowing that many of our neighbors-our brothers and sisters-feel that their livelihood and even their God-given liberty is in danger because of something they cannot control. Come to their aid, O God, and to ours, for the power to restore us is yours alone.


We ask you, O Lord, to bring deliverance to the the nations of the world from degeneration, disaster, and war. We pray that our leaders will give themselves neither to a spirit of fear, nor to a spirit of reliance upon their own wisdom, but that they will turn to Divine Wisdom, which can only be found in the Risen Christ. When this trial is over, grant that its fruits may be used to your glory, that men and women will turn their hearts to God alone, and give you thanks and praise for your salvation.


We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.


Amen.


Note: The video version of this prayer was edited and shortened in order to fit within the allotted time for the observance. This is the original prayer as I wrote it.

Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14, 22-33
1 Peter 1:17-21
Luke 24:13-35

Today's Gospel is perhaps one of the most consequential in the New Testament aside from the 6th chapter of John. In this Gospel, we see two disciples of Jesus walking along the road to a town called Emmaus, moving away from Jerusalem. they were not aware that Jesus had risen from the dead, but they knew that Mary Magdalene and her companion had claimed to see Jesus alive. It wasn't something they were quite yet willing to believe, and alongside them on the road comes Jesus, and the Gospel account tells us that at first they did not recognize Him.


He asks them what they are talking about, and they want to know if he's the only person visiting Jerusalem that has no idea what's been going on there over the last week. So they proceeded to explain to Jesus about Himself, and they are going on about what had happened during Holy Week, and Jesus's response to this was to give them perhaps one of the greatest homilies ever conceived. We get a portion of it, but we know that it moved these men, because when they get to Emmaus to the lodging where they had planned to stay for the night, they invited Jesus to come in with them.


They still hadn't figured out who this man was, but they knew that there was something different about Him and the message that he was bringing to them, because rather than dreading what had happened over the last week, he had a message of hope, a message that told them they could trust that Jesus was the Messiah because he had to undergo the sufferings that he did. We are told that he opened the Scriptures to them, and that certainly let us in on the reality that we do not get in on all of this teachable moment, but we do get it a few critical bits and pieces.


These disciples invite the man that they do not realize is Jesus in to have supper and to stay with them, they extend hospitality to Him, a man who they believe to be a stranger at that point, so they are behaving in the way that disciples of Christ ideally ought to behave. Jesus doubtless saw the intent of their hearts when he went in with those men to that inn.


When I was growing up, if we had a dinner guest it was the custom in our home to ask the guest to say the Grace over the meal, and this was especially true if we knew that dinner guest to be a believer. It seems that our travelers were following that custom. When did the two disciples figure out that it was Jesus? When, and more importantly how, did Jesus make himself known? They recognized him, we are told, in the breaking of the Bread. This was a Eucharistic moment, and so it was in the Eucharist that these followers of Jesus recognized Him. After recognizing Jesus in the Eucharist, then these two disciples run back to tell the Apostles that they have seen the Lord themselves.


If we look at the whole incident as it is recounted in Scripture, we can even see a very rudimentary sketch, as it were, of the two major parts of the Liturgy. Jesus opens the Scriptures to these men, we are told that their hearts burned within them when he opened the Word of God to them. After doing this, Jesus made himself known to them in a Eucharistic way when they were at table, and so we can see the Liturgy of the Eucharist represented as well.


Their hearts burned within them when Jesus opened the Scriptures to them, and then they recognized Him in the breaking of the bread, and then he vanished from their sight.


Do our hearts burn within us when the Sacred Scriptures are open to us and we hear them? Do we yearn for the Word of God? Do we read Sacred Scriptures regularly, or is the Sunday Lectionary the only time we get a glimpse of it, and then because we hear it from others without having read it ourselves?


When Jesus spoke to the travelers on the road to Emmaus, he was able to open up the Scriptures to them because they were familiar with these passages, as most observant Jews and that day would have been, mostly because they would have heard them repeated in the Temple or the synagogue, and their parents likely would have known these Scriptures by oral tradition, at least. Are we as familiar with it that the Holy Spirit could open up the Scriptures to us and speak to our hearts when we read them, just as Jesus spoke to the hearts of those travelers on the road?


This passage tells us that the disciples on the road to Emmaus recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, they recognized Jesus in the Eucharist. The question that we all must ask ourselves is… Do we recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, do we recognize Him in the Eucharist?


If we believe that Jesus Christ is truly, corporeally, and substantially present in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, are we preparing ourselves to meet Christ personally when we come to the house of God for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? If we believe that Jesus Christ is truly and substantially present in the Eucharist, can we recognize Him here? Can we see him not only in our brothers and sisters, but also in the breaking of the bread as those disciples on the road to Emmaus did?


If we do understand and recognize that Jesus Christ is present in the Most Holy Eucharist- Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity - do we grasp that this is the Second Person of the Trinity, that Jesus is God? If we do profess and believe and understand this, and we recognize the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread, as our disciples on the road to Emmaus did, do we treat Jesus as God when we receive Holy Communion? We all should prepare spiritually for Mass so that we can recognize the Lord. Beyond that, however, none of us should rush though the Communion line. If we receive the Lord Jesus in the hand, we should hold our hands completely open until we are presented with the Eucharist. If we receive on the tongue, we should open our mouths completely to allow the Lord to enter in.


No one should ever be afraid to take the time necessary to give the Lord His due in the prayer that is the Mass, and whatever we do, unless there is an urgency-such as dealing with babies or very young children, or an emergency- we shouldn't leave before the proper conclusion of the Mass. If we believe that Jesus is present in the Most Blessed Sacrament, we can certainly give Him an hour of our time. He gave His life for us… It's the least we can do.




Note: This is the homily I would have delivered at Holy Trinity this weekend if public Mass had been held. As public Masses are not being held in the Diocese of Knoxville at present due to COVID-19, our priests and deacons are sharing their homilies/sermons via electronic means of various kinds. A copy of the same homily can also be found on our parish website.

The Tomb Is Still Empty

As I write this, we have just last week completed the most bizarre and unusual Holy Week I have ever experienced, and I would venture to say that most Christians-and certainly most practicing Catholics-have ever experienced. While many of us have taken to a prayerful recollection of the Holy Week events, I know that many others continue to question why public Masses are presently prorogued while entire communities of people can be found at the local grocery store or Walmart. I know that seems to be the appearance in rural East Tennessee where I live. Social media gives the impression that there are many Catholics and other Christian people who are frustrated at the present state of affairs. 

I know that my heart particularly goes out to those people who have been preparing to be received into the Church this Easter and whose formal welcome to our Catholic ranks is being unceremoniously delayed by COVID-19. My prayers are with them, especially because most people who are in a situation of delay in receiving the Sacraments of Initiation have some idea of when it is that they will be received into the Church, but this year, the "Tiber Swim Team" doesn't know with certainty the day of the meet.

Despite the uncertainty and unease in which the present situation places our local and universal ecclesiastical affairs, one thing that we absolutely must remember is that God is in control. We may not know with certainty when the present crisis will end and when the quarantine measures will be relaxed in such a way that we can return to some modicum of normality, especially within the life of the Church. We can, however, say with certainty that these days have been given to us in accordance with God's will and we can use them for our sanctification.

We can choose to sulk about the fact that we have not been able to fully engage in the life of the Church, or we can use this time to more fully appreciate the spiritual gifts that we have and that the whole Church has, and hopefully we will return to a more complete sacramental life without taking these things for granted.

One thing we absolutely must remember is that Jesus Christ has died and is truly Risen. We can have absolute confidence that the Lord is Risen and that He will one day return to us as He said He would. The tomb is empty and the Church is still here.

Very often I think that too many Catholics take their access to the Sacraments for granted, and perhaps I myself have been guilty of this at various points in my life and spiritual journey. There are some who only come on Christmas and Easter. This year they couldn't come on Easter. There are many who simply come whenever they feel like it, not respecting the command of God to keep Holy the Lord's Day every week, but they might cut out on Mass when their favorite sports or recreation are happening and they want to be a part of that instead, people just don't have time for the things of God. I've even met a few folks who will readily admit that they quit observing the faith and coming to Mass because they have somehow been scandalized by their pastor or their Bishop, or other leadership within the Church. Friends, our pastors and our Bishops have a great deal of authority in the Church under God, but at the Resurrection on the Last Day they will not be our judges. We will be judged based on how we fulfilled God's commands in loving God and neighbor with humility and with an obedient spirit. Some of us understand that this is a daily struggle for ourselves and others.

It bears noting, however, that God does tend to use ordinary life events to get our attention, and perhaps we should listen more closely to hear God in the events of the present pandemic and all of the situations which are connected to it and surround it. So many of the things which we value as a society have been taken from us by the pandemic, and some of these things people tend to place ahead of the things of God. 

A microscopic virus is the tool that is showing us what it is that we worship. So many are concerned because the economy is collapsing beneath the weight of this pandemic. Rather than put money, monetary policy and economics in their proper place at the service of humanity, too many people worship money and economic gain, and we are concerned because that money and those gains are being severely tested, and many in society are panicking over the results.

Rather than put sports in their proper place as a gift from God for the service of human rest, exercise, and leisure, we often worship athletes and the sports they play. Now we can't attend any sporting events, and there are nothing but old replays to watch on the internet or on television.

These are terrible side effects of this horrible disease, but God can use them as a way to cause us to reflect on what's really important.

I've seen lots of people on social media and in person talk about slights to religious liberty in the midst of all this closure. There have been so many who did not use their religious liberty to observe the faith, and now they can't observe the faith in a public gathering.

The tomb is empty, and we need to make sure that our hearts are not. 

The Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico is the first diocese in the country to resume the public celebration of the Mass, and they do so under some very strict and special restrictions from their Bishop. As we eventually return, may we always remember that we are there because of the Risen Christ. Let us pray for the souls of all who have died and all of those affected by COVID-19, and may we never take the Sacraments for granted again.

All God's Children Have a Mass On the Internet

If the COVID-19 pandemic has done nothing else for the Catholic Church in North America, it has suddenly made many of our priests and deacons experts at how to stream daily Masses live over the internet, or otherwise record them for posting on YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and other video social media. Not wanting to leave many parishioners without a connection to their dioceses or parishes, many bishops and parish priests have taken to the internet with a daily or weekly streamed liturgy that is usually available to all, one that was done with their parishioners in mind.

Not every parish has the wherewithal or the capability to do this (mine doesn't), but there are many who do, and for those who don't, there are many dioceses who are now sponsoring daily Masses. My own Bishop is streaming one on Facebook and YouTube each day from the chapel of his episcopal residence, and has since the beginning of the crisis locally. Bishop Robert Barron has even begun an initiative for daily Mass from his personal chapel sponsored by Word on Fire. It is one of the more popular new daily Masses being streamed.

In thinking about this new desire to connect with parishioners through media, we probably shouldn't forget those who were doing it long before we thought about any need because of a pandemic. The Catholic TV Network in the Archdiocese of Boston had a television Mass when such Masses were still in black and white. EWTN has been putting daily Mass on television and radio since the inception of that network.

When it comes to putting the Mass on the internet, one organization deserves particular mention. As far as I know, the National Catholic Broadcasting Council (Canada), which is chaired by a deacon (Deacon Mike Walsh), was among the first to put a complete daily-as opposed to merely a Sunday-Mass on YouTube. I have to admit that I have found that resource invaluable. 

The reason for this is because a couple of years ago at our diocesan meeting with Bishop Stika, he laid out a few expectations for his deacons. One of these is that we should attend daily Mass whenever possible, assisting at the altar if we can. I reminded the bishop that my physical limitations impede me from doing that every day. He said that in the absence of an ability to be at Mass every single day, I might consider a streaming Mass or a television Mass. I discovered the daily TV Mass sponsored by the NCBC on YouTube, and found it to be a help and support when I couldn't be at daily Masses.

Now, the Church finds herself in a situation because of the COVID-19 pandemic where public Masses are suspended. EWTN has begun putting their entire Daily Mass on YouTube, rather than merely the readings and homily, as they did for years. I always thought they should put the whole Mass on YouTube all along. Furthermore, many parishes have begun YouTube channels and Facebook outreaches, and their pastors are sharing their daily Masses with the world.

When this pandemic passes, I hope that many of the parishes, dioceses, and ministries which are making daily masses available via the Internet now will continue to do so. At nearly every Mass in which I assist, I always include a prayer for the homebound in the general intercessions. As more and more people are beginning to access the internet today, that includes many homebound people, and I firmly believe that parishes ought look for ways to connect with the homebound within their Parish boundaries, making them feel welcome and included even if they don't have a way to make it to Sunday Mass. More parishes having an internet presence with the ability to stream liturgies is one way to do that.

What To Do in a Time of Sacramental Dearth

We are living in a time of pandemic, and as a result of that pandemic, we are living in a time of sacramental privation, when the public celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass has literally been cancelled throughout this diocese, and in the entire Union for fear that the COVID-19 coronavirus may spread at the public gatherings that are the ordinary Sunday Mass throughout the Catholic world.

Of course, Mass is still being celebrated in our parishes, but if we may borrow a term from the Extraordinary Form, these are private Masses. In the Diocese of Knoxville, Bishop Stika has requested that the doors of churches be locked if private Mass is taking place in the church in order to prevent people from gathering in an environment where contagion might spread, even though he is allowing for churches to be opened at other times for Eucharistic adoration or private prayer.

Some Holy Trinity parishioners, as well as many other people, have expressed frustration to me that not only is public Mass suspended, they can't receive the Eucharist at all. People are frustrated, and it's easy to understand why. Even though we have been presented with many opportunities to join in Holy Mass via the Internet or television and make a Spiritual Communion, this is still not the same as being at Mass, and the Church doesn't pretend that it is. 

The contagion that is the COVID-19 coronavirus is a real threat and a real concern, however, (especially to those of us in an immunocompromised or vulnerable group to whom the disease can easily spread and place in grave danger) and so many of us will celebrate Holy Week from a distance, and it seems that this state of affairs could remain in place for some time. Many people are asking if there is anything that they can do to join in the prayer of the Church in a deeper way during this time since they cannot be at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass...

I want to commend to those laity who have not committed to praying part or all of the Liturgy of the Hours, also called the Divine Office every day that now, in this time when we do not have the ability to attend Holy Mass, is a great time to begin doing so. Priests, deacons, and religious all over the world are required to pray the Liturgy of the Hours every day, but there are many lay people who do so as well and it is highly encouraged by the Church.

In a time when we cannot attend Holy Mass because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Liturgy of the Hours provides us with a way to unite ourselves with the prayer of the Church in a daily way. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the Church's highest and most important prayer. Next to it in importance is not the Holy Rosary, as valuable as that is, and it is not Eucharistic adoration, as important as Eucharistic adoration is to our love of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. The Church's second highest and second most important prayer is the Liturgy of the Hours, or the Divine Office. If you cannot be at Mass, praying the Divine Office might be the next best thing. Why? When we pray the Liturgy of the Hours, we are praying and participating in a liturgical act. In normal times, the Liturgy of the Hours could even be celebrated in front of a congregation with a deacon or priest celebrating, and even potentially delivering a short homily!  So if you pray the Liturgy of the Hours, you are praying liturgically, and you are praying the Church's official daily liturgical prayer.

Someone might legitimately ask: "But deacon, doesn't praying the Liturgy of the Hours require me to obtain expensive liturgical books, and manuals to learn how to navigate them? I've heard that this is difficult?" If you have the resources to obtain the books, either the four volume Liturgy of the Hours or the Christian Prayer volume, along with an Ordo or guide to the Liturgy of the Hours, that's wonderful. It's always great to use liturgical books when doing liturgical things, and we should always do that in the case of the Mass itself. Using the books is something I would definitely recommend if you can afford it, but what if you can't? It can be an expense, I know because my set was expensive.

Fortunately, through the blessing of the internet, reliable sites such as IBreviary provide an app for you to use to pray the daily Liturgy of the Hours, and you don't even need a guide or an Ordo, they do all the work of laying out the daily Liturgy of the Hours for you, it can be right there at your fingertips. 

As a deacon, I made a promise to my Bishop when I was ordained that I would pray the Liturgy of the Hours every day, but I was praying it for years before I was ever ordained a deacon as a layman. To be honest, over the years, the Divine Office has become something of a habit, I've grown to take it for granted, just as I and many others have grown to take the Holy Mass too much for granted.

However, I have found that because of this pseudo-quarantine in which we find ourselves, I have come to value praying my daily office perhaps more than I ever have before. Many of you know that I don't drive so I rely on my wife or on others to ensure that I can get to Mass or to the Church for any other functions that I have to engage in. Even though Bishop Stika is allowind his deacons to participate in private masses during this time, it's not something I've had the opportunity to do, it would require me to ask someone to take me to the church who could not participate in what we were doing, and I don't feel that is right. As a result, I not only feel isolated from my fellow parishioners and our brothers and sisters, but from my brother clergy as well. I thank the Lord for social media because Father Patrick and I can at least talk regularly there!

However, through the Liturgy of the Hours I am not isolated from anyone. I am connected with my brother deacons and priests who are also praying it all over the world. I am connected with the religious and the lay people who are praying it every day. Through the Liturgy of the Hours, even though we cannot be together in worship, we are worshiping together.

I commend the Liturgy of the Hours to you, and I call upon our parishioners at Holy Trinity and everywhere to avail themselves during this time of the daily Office. I firmly believe that anyone who does this won't regret it, and I think that this holy prayer habit will last you far beyond our current pandemic crisis.

Homily for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sirach 15:15-20
1 Corinthians 2:6-10
Matthew 5:17-37

In today's Gospel, Jesus proceeds to remind us of what can only be described in today's culture and society as the hard teachings or the hard sayings of our faith. Many of us can define what mortal sin is because we were taught it in school or in Catechism, but a great many people don't understand where the definitions actually come from. The reality is that much of the definition of what constitutes mortal sin for the Christian-for the practicing Catholic-comes from today's Gospel.

In the first reading from the book of Sirach, we are reminded that we can keep the Commandments. Even though we have all sinned, Scripture repeatedly reminds us that we have the capability to keep God's Commandments in our lives if we are open to the Graces that we need in order to do so. The Bible tells us that the commands of God are not grievous. (cf. 1 John 5:3) It is important to remember that God understands our human weaknesses, He understands that we sin, but that doesn't mean that He's okay with it.

Jesus tells those who are listening to Him, both in His own time, as well as us hearing him two thousand years later through the words of the text, that he did not come to abolish the law, he came to fulfill it. In the Gospel, he doesn't do away with the Commandments of God and tell us we no longer have to obey them, as even some preachers today falsely teach. Instead, Jesus sets an even higher standard for what it means to obey God than many of His listeners had ever heard before. He tells them whoever fails to obey these Commandments, even the least of them-and teaches others to do so-will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but the person will be called greatest who observes the Commandments of God and teaches others to do the same.

Our righteousness, says Jesus, has to surpass that of the Scribes and Pharisees. What does He mean by that? The Scribes and Pharisees had the outward appearance of being followers of the Lord. They not only obeyed the law of Moses, but they obeyed a strict rabbinic code that was designed to help them maintain outward legal purity. What this meant in reality was that many of the Pharisees were following the law of God in an outward way, but within their hearts they were anything but pure.

Jesus tells us that not only are we to avoid murder, but we are even to avoid anger with our brother-our neighbor. What Jesus means by this is that we cannot hang on to our anger or sore feelings, as scripture tells us, "do not let the sun go down on your wrath." if we do hang on to our anger, Jesus says that we are liable to judgment in just the same way as if we had killed that person. If we call a brother a fool, discounting their value as a human being, we are liable to the fires of Hell, Jesus says. Do we have something against another person, do we have something we need to settle? Jesus says we shouldn't offer sacrifice to God until we settle our issues with those around us. As far as practical application, that ideally means that we should settle our grudges and our issues with others before we come to the house of God for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

When Jesus reminds us of the command of God not to commit adultery, he doesn't simply restate the law, and he certainly doesn't do away with it, as some misguided people would have us believe. Instead, Jesus tells us that we are guilty of adultery if we so much as lust after another person. We are guilty if we dwell on the sinful thought, not merely if we commit the act itself. Jesus raises the bar to a level that many in our society today might say that they find difficult to live out. The temptation to the sins of the flesh are everywhere to be found in our culture today, and because of the internet they are so easily accessible, when for centuries they were hidden from the view of the wider society. Yet Jesus asks us to live a life of chastity according to our state in life.

Jesus' repeated command in the Gospels against divorce and remarriage have been virtually overlooked by the entire Protestant world, and many Catholics only come in contact with this vital teaching about sacramental Matrimony when they come to the Church seeking to be reconciled and petitioning for a declaration of nullity. (Mind you, in no way am I saying that someone shouldn't do that if they have been in an invalid marital situation-that's why we have the annulment process-but it is terribly sad that for many people, the Church's teaching on the nature of marriage is not something they have been taught or fully confronted for one reason or another until they come to the Church needing to have the sacramental validity of a previous marital situation clarified). Jesus raises the bar of Holy Matrimony, telling us that Matrimony- sacred marriage- is between one man and one woman for life. Civil divorce does not bring an end to the Sacrament of Matrimony, and the Church clearly teaches us that civil divorce should only be used as a last resort or when it is the only option (cf. CCC 2382-2386), never as a solution to the problems that most married people confront in married life.

Considering all that Jesus tells us in the Gospel that is expected of those who follow him, and understanding the way that Jesus asks us to live in the world, there are many people who don't even try, they simply don't think it's possible to live in the way that Jesus tells us in the Gospel that we must live. Many people, and indeed many ecclesial communities, will tell us that they are all about living out the compassion of Christ, but the moral standards that he asks of us are another matter. Many people have come to believe a false theology that says that they can be saved regardless of what they do or how they act because at one time they made a sincere commitment to Jesus Christ. Those good people have it wrong… it is precisely because we make a commitment to Jesus Christ that we are expected to live the way that he has told us he wants his followers to live.

It is easy for any other member of the clergy to share the message of today's Gospel. It is quite another thing to live that Gospel out. How can we be expected to live in this way that Jesus describes here, in today's society and culture? there is only one way, and that is to allow ourselves to be open to God's grace in our lives to give us the help we need to live the life that Christ expects of us. We can be open to God's Grace by going to regular confession, and confessing our sins, we can live a fully sacramental life, we can be open to God's Grace by praying for strength to overcome our weaknesses and sins.

If we truly want a relationship with Jesus Christ, that involves accepting his Lordship over all things, including our life, and that means praying daily for God to give you the Graces you need through the sacraments. God's commands are not grievous, and he gives us the means before our very eyes in the Sacraments.

If we want to be as holy as Christ wishes us to be, we need to begin living a sacramental life, a life of prayer according to our station in life. If we are open to God's mercy and to his Grace, if we are willing to receive the gifts that he has for us, he can give us the grace to live exactly how he expects all of us to live, and to obey the moral law that he set down for all of us.

If we are truly open to a relationship with Jesus Christ, he will give us the strength we need to live the Gospel each and every day, in every aspect of our lives, including the strength to keep His Commandments.

Homily for the Presentation of the Lord

Malachi 3:1-4

Hebrews 2:14-18

Luke 2:22-40

The feast of the Presentation of the Lord commemorates the day that the infant Jesus was presented in the Temple in Jerusalem, and during these rites he would likely have received the ritual circumcision which the law required. Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to dedicate him and his life to the God who sent him.

Very fittingly, on the old Roman calendar it was this feast day which concluded the Christmas season. For centuries, people would take their household candles to be blessed on this feast day, for not only is this a beautiful symbol of the light of Christ, but for much of the Church's existence, the humble candle was the primary means of light in anyone's home. Because candles were traditionally blessed today, this feast received the name by which it became known in the English-speaking world for many centuries: Candlemas. 

Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to the temple and offered a sacrifice in accordance with the Law of Moses, and they consecrated Jesus to the Lord, just as the law commanded. Once again we see the example set very early on in the Life of Christ that obedience is a critical part of the virtue of a life that is at one with God. In obedience to the commands of God, Mary and Joseph dedicated Jesus to God In His Holy house. 

When they arrive there, they are given yet another sign of just exactly who Jesus is, in an infancy that was full of signs and symbols which very much put into the reality that Jesus was and is the Messiah and the Son of God. Simeon, a man who scripture calls righteous (or just) and devout, believed God that he would not die until he had seen Christ, and he recognized Christ in this little baby which had been brought into the temple by his parents. He said that Jesus would be the "downfall and rise of many in Israel," but he also issued a prophetic warning to the Blessed Mother that a sword would pierce her heart, owing to the reality that the Messiah would die and that the Blessed Mother would be witness to this. 

We know that aside from our very redemption by the Lord, as well as the loving desire on the part of God to again be close to man who he created in his own image, another reason which Christ came into the world was to set the example for us of just how it is that God expects us to live. One of the most important virtues which Jesus teaches us, and which the actions of the Blessed Mother and St Joseph re-enforce, is the extremely important virtue of obedience.

Obedience is not a word that we, as a society and as a culture, like to hear much today, yet obedience is exactly what the Holy Spirit repeatedly calls us to in the pages of Sacred Scripture. The Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, and the events which occur during this particular mystery of Our Lord's life, serve as an example and a testimony to us that from the very beginning of Jesus's life, He and His family on Earth practiced the virtue of obedience before God, and set the example for us, as we are called to imitate Christ.

Obedience is not something that is always easy, and let's face it, being obedient to God and to the Church is not always something that goes down well when we have to swallow some bitter spiritual or ecclesiastical medicine (I think that there are plenty of priests and not a few deacons who can verify that). However, no matter what our state is in life, or in the Church, we are called to a spirit of humility, and a spirit of what used to be bluntly called the fear of the Lord. We are all called to an obedient attitude toward what God asks of each of us, and what His Church asks of each of us.

Let us pray for the spirit of obedience and piety that Mary and Joseph had when they came to the Temple with the baby Jesus, and for the grace to be obedient to the Church's teachings, and through the witness of our faithfulness, we can help spread the good news of Jesus to the ends of the Earth.