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.