Lord, Teach Us How to Pray

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Last Sunday, we heard of Abraham’s hospitality to the Lord. At that point, Abraham did not know it was the Lord. Now (17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C) the Lord says to Abraham, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave…” The Lord will destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins.

How does Abraham respond?

Abraham does not deny the sin of the people. It seems like Abraham is bartering with God. Is this the way we pray? Let’s look a little deeper at what Abraham says to the Lord. How many innocent people must there be to spare Sodom and Gomorrah?

Abraham admits he is “but dust and ashes.” Abraham’s concern is not for himself. He seeks justice. He knows there are consequences for sin but what about the innocent? He asks the Lord, “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?”

There was much sin in Sodom and Gomorrah. Look at the world today. How much sin is there? One does not to look far to see sins against life, sexual morality, or greed. Unfortunately, sometimes the innocent do suffer because of the sins of others. We need to pray for the innocent and we need to pray for the conversion of sinners.

What does it mean to pray?

Do we pray to tell God what we expect him to do? Do we barter in prayer? Our prayer should not expect God to change his mind. He is the one who is all-knowing and all-loving. He knows what is best. So, we shouldn’t want to change his mind. Our prayer should lead us to conform ourselves to God’s will, not his to ours.

Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. His response? He presents the Lord’s Prayer to them. This prayer recognizes God’s greatness in saying “hallowed be your name.” In praying this, we acknowledge the great things God has done for us and speak of those deeds to others.

We pray, “your kingdom come,” asking that God’s will be done. In asking this, we need to seek to conform our will to the Father’s.

In the Lord’s Prayer we ask for forgiveness of our own sins, freely acknowledging we do not always do as we should. We also pray that we forgive those who have hurt us. In sinning, we are dead in our transgressions but there is hope. Jesus has obliterated “the bond against us” through his death on the Cross. He has brought us back to life. We need to die to the fleshy things of this world so that we may rise with Jesus to eternal life.

Returning to the notion of what prayer is, after presenting the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus continues to help us understand how prayer works. He speaks of the friend who comes knocking at midnight looking for food for his guest. Jesus speaks of how we may help our friend because of our friendship. God helps us because He loves us. Jesus also speaks of how we help the friend because of their “persistence.”

What is meant by “persistence”? One may suppose that it parallels what seems like Abraham’s bartering in the first reading. Do we not sometimes give someone who keeps nagging us what they want just to have them stop nagging? I don’t think that is the type of “persistence” we should strive for in prayer. To help us understand, I suggest another word, “perseverance.” However, I do not mean perseverance to simply get what we want. I mean perseverance in our trust in God to lead us to what is good for us.

Jesus then says, “Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” This meant sound wonderful. We get whatever we ask for. Do we? In today’s psalm, we cry out “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.” We want to have our prayers answered immediately. Yet, we realize they aren’t. Or are they?

What does it mean for God to answer our prayers?

If we think prayer is to get God to do what we want, then we probably think God doesn’t answer our prayers. What if we see the purpose of prayer as asking God to give us what is good for us? Here Jesus says, “What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when we asks for an egg?” There was a poisonous snake that looked like a fish. If one thought it was a fish, one might ask for it to eat but not if they knew it was a poisonous snake. Likewise, there was a scorpion that could curl itself up in a ball to look like an egg. One would ask for the egg, only to find out it was a deadly scorpion. How often might we ask for something we think it is good when it would be bad for us? Because God loves us, we trust him to give us only what is good for us.

When it seems like God doesn’t answer our prayers immediately, two things to think about. First, are we asking for something good? Secondly, maybe it isn’t time yet. Here, I turn to the word’s in today’s psalm, “When I called, you answered me, you built up strength within me.” Even when God doesn’t seem to answer our prayers immediately, he does give us the strength we need to persevere when we trust in him.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

New Upcoming Webinar – Praying the Rosary From the Heart

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After 3 1/2 months without doing a webinar/presentation, I am happy to announce that I have scheduled a webinar for Thursday, August 25th, at 6:30 pm. called “Praying the Rosary From the Heart.” Here is a description of what I will be covering:

The Rosary is a sacramental we use in prayer. We memorize the prayers but do we think about what the words mean? Do we know why we pray the Rosary? Do you know the origin of the Rosary? What about the Mysteries of the Rosary?

If you would like to attend you can register at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_l42WwS1KSficHuCC4YVTEA

I am also working on a new series of webinars for the fall, the topic and content are still in development but tentative dates are September 22nd , October 27th and November 17! I hope you can join us.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Catholic Liturgical Year and Lectionary

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I recently had a couple who are regularly readers of this blog and participants in my webinars ask me if I have anything new to offer on the liturgical year and/or the lectionary. As regular readers they are already aware of past articles like “The Liturgical Year” on my website. I wrote this article several years ago with some minor revisions made over the years. The liturgical year has not changed in recent years. The last changes I am aware of to the liturgical year were from the Second Vatican Council. Of course, this does not mean that my article, “The Liturgical Year”, covers everything that one could possibly know about the liturgical year. It doesn’t and it isn’t supposed to. This article is meant as an introduction.

Expanding on the information in that article, I have done presentations covering Lent, most recently, Starting Lent Right, and Advent, Advent: Preparing for the Incarnation. I have not done presentations on Christmas, Easter, or Ordinary Time. I am not sure a presentation on “Ordinary Time” is in order as we call it “Ordinary Time” to simply signify it is not Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter. It is the balance of the year. If you have questions about Ordinary Time, I welcome them and will do my best to address them. As to Christmas and Easter, I will have to give them some thought. We celebrate Christmas as a season with several memorials and feasts, the first of Stephen, the first martyr on December 26th, the Feast of the Holy Family, the Epiphany, and the Baptism of the Lord are a few of them. Likewise, we celebrate Easter as a season that includes Divine Mercy Sunday, Good Shepherd Sunday, the Ascension, and Pentecost. If you have specific questions about Christmas or Easter, please feel free to ask them by using the comment feature to this article.

You can also find some information about the liturgical year, specifically the colors, in the second part of my short video about the vestments wore at Mass.

You will also find the liturgical year discussed in the first half of my short video on “The Liturgical Books for Mass.” As I indicated above, in addition to asking about the liturgical year, the couple also asked about the lectionary. The Lectionary is the book we use at Mass that contains all the readings for Mass. The Lectionary last underwent a major revision from the Second Vatican Council (at the same time the liturgical year was restructured) with minor updates made in the translations around the year 2000.

The complete Lectionary in the United States is published in a four volume set. The first volume is the Sunday Lectionary. It is on a three-year cycle. In Year A we read predominantly from the Gospel of Matthew. Year B features the Gospel of Mark and Year C features the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of John is used during Advent, Lent, and Easter of all three years. The first reading is from the Old Testament, except during Easter when it is from the Acts of the Apostles. The Old Testament reading is selected to match the theme of the gospel reading, showing the connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament. On Sunday and holy days, the second reading is always taken from a New Testament letter.

The Lectionary for daily Mass follows a two-year cycle. Year I is volume II of the four-part lectionary and Year II is volume III. (Volume IV is suggested readings for special Masses.) Actually, the gospels for daily Mass are on a one-year cycle where we read from all four gospels each year. The first reading may come from the Old Testament or the New Testament and is on a two-year cycle. Generally there is no second reading for daily Mass except for some feasts and all solemnities.

I hope this helps you think about both the liturgical year and the Lectionary. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. I’ll end by mentioning I am in the early stages of preparing for some presentations in the coming months. I hope to announce something later this week.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Genesis 18:1-10a
Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 5 (1a)
Colossians 1:24-28
Luke 10:38-42
July 17, 2022

Abraham loved the Lord.  Today we hear of a time when “the LORD appeared to Abraham” but Abraham did not know it was the Lord.  Instead, “Abraham saw three men.” 

What was Abraham’s response?  As a man who loved the Lord, he also loved the people and offered hospitality to all who came near.  This was the expectation but it was more than a duty to Abraham. 

When he saw the three men, Abraham “ran” to greet them and showed respect to them as he bowed.  He offered his hospitality with water and food.  The food?  It wasn’t second pickings.  He “picked out a tender, choice steer” for them.

Abraham did not do this simply as a duty.  He did it with faith.  His hospitality did not go unnoticed when one of the men told Abraham that within a year he would have a son.

Hospitality was important in Abraham’s time and it remained important in Jesus’ time on Earth.  Martha welcomed Jesus with her hospitality.

Martha wanted to provide for Jesus.  Mary, on the other hand, did not help with the serving.  Instead, she sat at the feet of Jesus.

This upsets Martha.  Why isn’t Mary helping her?  They need to offer hospitality to Jesus.

Martha felt burdened.  She went to Jesus to ask him to tell Mary to help her.  Martha may have been stunned when Jesus tells her that Mary has “chosen the better part.” 

Is hospitality important?  For “He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.”  It is just to feed the hungry.  Hospitality includes food but it also includes being present to the person.  Looking beyond basic hospitality, today’s psalm speaks of justice as keeping the truth in our heart, not slandering, or harming, and providing with charity (not charging interest) to those in need.

Martha was right to be considered about hospitality.  Perhaps she just took it legalistic.  Jesus was in her house!  She should spend some time with him.  Do you spend time with your guests or do you feed them and send them on their way?

What had Jesus said to Martha?  “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.” 

Are you anxious?  What do you worry about?  Do you try to fix everything?  Do we feel like we have too much to do?

The Lord wants us to be concerned about others but not at the expense of having peace in our hearts.  When we feel like we have too much to do, we are to give it to the Lord. Say to the Lord, I feel like I can’t do it all.  Then let the Lord tell you what you are supposed to do.

If we worry too much about things, the worry itself becomes a burden.  It may pull us away from prayer, from spending time with Jesus.  What we need is both prayer and work. 

St. Benedict left his secular life for a life of prayer but he knew that the monks still needed to work.  The Rule of St. Benedict seeks a balance in daily routine of prayer and work.  We ask the Lord to help us find the proper balance of prayer and work.

What keeps us from prayer?  Is it important?

When it comes to work, we need to ask ourselves what work (how much) is God calling us to versus what/how much work do we feel pressured to do in this world to look good to others.  How much of our work is trying to make others happy?  How much of our work is because we set too high a standard of living such that we must work so much that we don’t have time for God? 

Will we feel burdened at times?  Yes.  Suffering is real and it can have redemptive value when offered in the Lord’s name for the good of others.  This is the type of suffering that Paul rejoices in. 

Does this mean that we should go looking for suffering?  No.  When suffering comes our way, we place it before the Lord and ask him to guide us.  We ask the Lord to help us know what work we are to do and when we are to pray.

The Eucharistic Prayers at Mass

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In the fall of 2020 I did a series of presentations entitled, Uncovering the Treasures of the Mass. The goal of that series was to help people understand why we do what we do at Mass. From better understanding, we hope for more active participation in the Mass. Active participation is not simply a matter of our external actions at Mass. It includes our internal actions. Are we paying attention, are we engaging with what is going on?

In part III of my series, Uncovering the Treasures of the Mass I spoke on the structure of the Eucharistic Prayers (slides 14-29). Today I would like to reflect on the differences between the Eucharistic Prayers in the hope of encouraging to attentively listen to the Eucharistic Prayer during Mass.

The Roman Missal contains ten eucharistic prayers. Generally, I think the most often used Eucharistic Prayers are numbers 2 and 3 but all are thoughtful prayers that can be used as the priest chooses.

Eucharistic Prayer I is also known as the Canon. For a long time this was the only Eucharistic Prayer used. It is the Eucharistic Prayer that includes extended lists of saints’ name. It also has special parts that are used during the Christmas and Easter seasons. All of the Eucharistic Prayers are addressed to the Father. Eucharistic Prayer I makes this very clear with its first words, “To you, therefore, most merciful Father, we make humble prayer and petition through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.” While the prayers are addressed to the Father, Jesus is included often, and the Holy Spirit is invoked.

Eucharistic Prayer II is the oldest of the Eucharistic Prayers used today. Originally it was attributed to Hippolytus but now it is less certain of its exact author but still attributed to the early church. It is the shortest of the Eucharistic Prayers. I find this shortness makes it direct and clear in its wording of “partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ.” Eucharistic Prayer II also has its own preface but it can be used with other prefaces (more on prefaces later). Lastly, Eucharistic Prayer II also includes an insert remembering the dead that can be used at funerals.

Like Eucharistic Prayer II, Eucharistic Prayer III includes a special insert that can be used at funerals. To me, Eucharistic Prayer III is the prayer that most explicitly includes the role of the Holy Spirit in what is going on as we celebrate the Eucharistic Prayer.

Eucharistic Prayer IV includes its own preface that is always to be used with it as it speaks of creation and how Jesus creates us anew.

Then comes two Eucharistic Prayers with the theme of reconciliation. They are known as Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation I & II. They both include their own prefaces but can be used with other prefaces. I find the second one a good choice during Advent for its references to the Second Coming of Christ as we reflect on our readiness for the coming. The first Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation is a good choice during Lent for its reference to Jesus’ saving action on the Cross. I use it at other times of the year when preaching on reconciliation and forgiveness.

So, that is the first six Eucharistic Prayers. I said before there are a total of ten in the Roman Missal. Well, technically there are seven. The last one, the Eucharistic Prayer for Use in Various Needs, is technically one prayer but with parts that vary both at the beginning and the end, it is presented in the missal as four prayers.

It was written for a Swiss Synod that meant from 1972 to 1975. It was later approved for general use. The first prayer has its theme as “The Church on the Path to Unity; the second is “God Guides His Church along the Way of Salvation”; the third “Jesus, the way to the Father”; and the fourth is “Jesus, Who Went About Doing Good.” I especially like the third one for its reference to Jesus as the way and truth and the life (John 14:6) as well as it call to look “into the signs of the times by the light of faith.” I also especially like the fourth one when preaching on our call to love our neighbor and the Corporal Works of Mercy.

So, these are the ten Eucharistic Prayers. Before concluding, I would like to say a little more about the prefaces. Except for the special inserts in Eucharistic Prayer I, the Eucharistic Prayers do not change for the liturgical seasons. That does not mean the liturgical seasons are forgotten. The preface begins the Eucharistic Prayers. There are two prefaces for Advent, three for Christmas, four for Lent, and five for Easter. There are also two for the Ascension as well as special ones written for Pentecost and other solemnities. There are eight written for Sundays in Ordinary Time. For weekday Masses there are six general ones plus ones written for saints, martyrs, pastors, and holy men and women. Lastly, there are five preface options for funerals. To cover all would be more than I hope to offer here. My point in mentioning the prefaces is how they incorporate different seasons and feasts into the Eucharistic Prayer.

If you would like to learn more about the Eucharistic Prayers, I invite you to watch part III of my series, Uncovering the Treasures of the Mass. I hope what I offered today encourages you to pay attention to the words of the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass every time you go. They are important words.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Seeking the Lord

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God had called Moses to lead his people from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. Our first reading today (15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C) comes just before Moses dies prior to the Israelites entering the promised land. After leading the people out of Egypt, God had instructed the people on how to live. The problem? They were not following God’s commands.

Throughout the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds them of what the Lord has taught and commanded. Today we read, “Moses said to the people: If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law.” “If only….” Moses had become frustrated with the people’s failure to follow God’s commandments.

He wants to encourage them. He tells them that God’s commands are “not too mysterious and remote.” In fact, Moses says, “No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” Created in the image of God, we already have God’s ways written in our hearts. In Baptism, we become children of God, called to follow him.

One might think it should be easy to follow the Lord but it is not. We face temptation. However, as our responsorial psalm verse todays says, “Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.“

Turning to today’s gospel, a scholar of the law comes to Jesus and asks, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Eternal life is what we are created for, to be with God. This is what it truly means to live.

Jesus responds by asking him, “What is written in the law?” The scholar responds by referring to Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, will all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” To truly live is to love God. We cannot fully love God without loving our neighbors who are as much children of God as we are.

The scholar has given the proper response. Jesus tells him, “do this and you will live.”

The scholar then asks another question, “And who is my neighbor?” In other words, who is it that I need to love. Jesus responds with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. “A man fell victim to robbers…” Who stopped to help him? It was not the priest or the Levite. Both were religious leaders and should have done what God wanted but instead, “passed by on the opposite side.”

It was a Samaritan (remember the Samaritans were despised by the Jews) who “was moved with compassion” when he saw the victim. He was not simply moved with compassion in his heart. He put his compassion into action, taking care of the man’s wounds, taking him to an inn, and providing payment for the man’s care. Everyone, including the complete stranger is our neighbor.

When we respond with love to those in need, our love for them can be a sign of God’s love. In caring for the physical needs of others, we help them to live in this world. In showing them love, we point them to what it truly means to live.

As Paul writes, “Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God.” Before Jesus became incarnate in the flesh, God seemed distant. Jesus puts a face to God. Created in the image of God, we have God dwelling in us. Can you see God in others? Can others see God in you?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Medicine of Mercy

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As I have been looking for topics for new articles for this blog, the topic of who can receive Communion in the Catholic Church has been in the news. In the news it involves politicians. I am not going to talk about politicians or any other particular individual receiving Communion. Today I would like to offer some thoughts that I have previously discussed in some of my previous blog articles on the Eucharist and in the third presentation in my series on the Sacraments that discussed the Eucharist.

As I begin, the first thing we need to remember is what it is that we receive in the Eucharist. It is not ordinary bread and wine. We need to look beyond the bread and wine to see the Body and Blood of Jesus. Recognizing what it is that we receive, we ask ourselves if we are worthy to receive it. Paul reflects on this in the quote on this slide taken from my third presentation on the Sacraments.

Can we “make” ourselves worthy? No, but the good news is that Jesus makes it possible for us to be worthy. The reality is that we sin. Sometimes it is venial sin and sometimes it is mortal sin (again this slide is taken from my third presentation on the Sacraments).

If we find we have committed mortal sin, then we need to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness that He is eager to bestow upon us. While the recent news coverage has centered on politicians who support abortion, any mortal sin breaks our relationship with God. Only God can restore the broken relationship. The good news is that He is eager to do.

In considering who can receive Communion in the Catholic Church, we also need to reflect on what the word “Communion” means. We use the word “Communion” to signify being in common belief, not simply with each other but with God. The word “catholic” means universal. In “Catholic” with a capital “C,” we are speaking specifically of the Catholic Church. This starts with a belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

It also includes formally joining the Catholic Church. In my article, “On Non-Catholics Receiving Communion,” I wrote “I was reading Exodus 12, when I came to Exodus 12:43, “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: This is the Passover statute. No foreigner may eat of it.” The Passover was to the Israelites what the Eucharist is to Catholics. It is essential to our identity. This verse from Exodus 12:43 tells us that the Lord himself prescribed that no “foreigner” could share in the Passover Lamb. I see this as laying a foundation for our Catholic teaching against non-Catholics receiving Communion.” The idea that non-Catholics should not receive Communion in the Catholic Church is not an invention of the Catholic Church. It flows from what the Lord said to Moses in Exodus 12:43.

Where do we find the truth that goes with this idea of “Communion” as holding a common belief? It is not human beings who are the origin of the Truth. It is God. God often reveals his Truth to us through other people but it always has God as its source (see my presentation, Where Do We Go for Truth).

In discussing the issue of receiving Communion, Pope Francis has referred to Communion as a “medicine of Mercy” (a phrase taken from St. Pope John XXIII at the Second Vatican Council) rather a reward for the good. The Eucharist is a gift to heal and strengthen our souls. Indeed, it is not a reward for being good on our own. We are not. We sin. In the Act of Contrition we “firmly resolve” to sin no more yet we do. We need the Eucharist to strengthen us. We may sin again but we should ask ourselves are we even trying to change. It is difficult. That’s why we need God’s grace, both in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is indeed a “medicine of mercy.” We take medicine when we are ill. If we know what is causing the illness, do we also not stop that? If we have ingested poison, should we not stop that? It is not enough to take the medicine if we keep taking the poison. Sin is poison to our souls.

To be Catholic is not to pick and choose what we believe. It is to seek to know what God teaches us and follow him. God gives us the Eucharist to strengthen us. We thank God for the gift of the Eucharist and for the Sacrament of Reconciliation for when we have fallen short.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

With Freedom Comes Responsibilities

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In our gospel reading today, Jesus frees people from illnesses. On the Cross, Jesus frees us from our sins.

In the United States of America, today we celebrate another time of freedom. Today is July 4th. It is the anniversary of when the colonists declared their independence from England. Why did they declare their independence? They were responding to taxes and rules imposed on them by England without representation.

In the Declaration of Independence they wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Yes, all humans are created equal. In the days when the Declaration of Independence was signed, women did not have all the rights that men did. Now, they do. In those days, there was slavery. We now realize slavery is wrong and recognize the rights of all people.

As we celebrate this national holiday it is a good day to express our gratitude for the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is also a good day for us to remember that with these rights comes responsibility, the responsibility to ensure that others enjoy these same rights.

Where do these rights come from? Our Declaration of Independence is clear here. We are endowed by our Creator with these rights.

Under the right of liberty, we pray that everyone have the right to freedom of religion, including to express our religion publicly. There are places in the world where one is not allowed to practice Christian. We need to stand for their religious freedom. Even in our own country, our right to speak about our religious beliefs is being restricted by those who seem more concerned with freedom from religion rather than freedom of religion.

We also have the right to “pursuit of happiness.” What does it mean to be happy? Our right to happiness does not allow us to infringe on the rights of life and liberty for others. We must stand up for the rights of all. Life begins at conception and ends in natural death. We must be prolife from the moment of conception till natural death. (For more on our responsibilities that flow from our rights, see my article, “Rights and Responsibilities.”)

We are free. I spoke last week (13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C) in my homily on the subject of what we do with our freedom. There is much work to be done. In our opening prayer today, we asked God for his help to do the work that remains. God, help us to do what you ask of us.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Isaiah 66:10-14c
Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20 (1)
Galatians 6:14-18
Luke 10:1-12, 17-20
July 3, 2022

We are called to be a missionary church. This means we are to share the gospel and God’s mercy with others.

Today we hear of Jesus sending out 72 others. He had previously sent out the Twelve Apostles on a mission. Today, the bishops are the successors to the Apostles but just as the Twelve were not the only ones called by Jesus, neither are the bishops. We are all called to share in the mission, each according to our gifts and our state in life, whether ordained, single, or married.

Sometimes people say they don’t know enough to talk about Jesus. You don’t have to know everything. It is worth noting that when Jesus sent out the 72, it says He sent them “ahead.” “Ahead” signifies that He will follow. We don’t have to do it alone.

He also sent them out in pairs. They went in pairs to bear witness together on what Jesus had taught.

When missionaries go out today, we should see ourselves as partners with them. Not everyone is called to be a missionary in going to other lands but we can support them.

Jesus says, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Our master of the harvest is God. We ask him in prayer to send out laborers. This should not be a one-time prayer. We should always offer prayers of support for the missions.

When He sent out the 72 (like the Twelve), Jesus told them, “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals.” They were not to worry about money. They were to trust that God would provide.

How does God provide for the missions today?

Through us. God invites us, each according to our means, to support the ministries of the missions and charities.

It is the practice in our diocese (each diocese may do it differently), that each summer missionaries are invited to come to our parishes and seek support in prayer and financially for their group. This weekend we welcome Sr. Ifeoma of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary (www.mshr.org) to hear about their work and offer our support.

The world we live in is becoming less and less open to the faith. We can become discouraged. Here, I think of the Israelites, who at the time of our first reading, were returning home from Exile in Babylon. God calls them to “rejoice” but it is difficult because they find Jerusalem in ruins.

God assured them that He would “spread prosperity over Jerusalem.” The Lord continues, “as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” God is there for us. We can trust in him.

When we do good, it is because God has given us the gifts to do it. What can we boast of? That our Lord Jesus Christ loves us so much that He willingly gave his life for us on the Cross. Knowing us gives us faith hope and from that hope we have faith to do our part to share God’s mercy.

In faith, we echo Paul’s words, “for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.” Jesus suffered for us. We accept our sufferings trusting in Jesus, bearing witness to his love.

Where Do We Go From Here?

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In its Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision released last week (June 24, 2022), the United States Supreme Court did what prolife advocates were hoping for. They overturned Roe vs. Wade.

I found my heart heavy with the news. I am certainly prolife but I worry about how much negative response there will be politically but even more so in terms of protests that would become violent and/or more vandalism and violence against prolife organizations. While there has been continuing vandalism, I am grateful it does not seem to have escalated.

I have never understood where in the constitution there was every a right to abortion but I am not a legal expert and this is not what I would like to write about today.

My topic for today is where do we go from here? For states with laws against abortion or with the support to pass such laws, this is an important step. I say “step” because the legal battle is not over. With states with trigger laws already in place to eliminate or restrict abortion, new legal challenges have already been filed in at least eight states.

I live in New York State where, unfortunately, there are laws that are meant to guarantee a women’s right to abortion. So, abortions will continue here. In fact, the NYS government is working to help women who come from other states where abortion is illegal to be able to come to New York to get an abortion. I am sad that this is how my tax dollars are being used.

What can we do?

We need to work to change people’s hearts to see abortion for what it is, the ending of an innocent life. The task is difficult. It might even seem impossible, but “nothing is impossible for God”

I believe we can find the answer to “what can we do” about abortions in the statement issues on May 12, 2002 by the New York State Catholic Conference, “Toward a Pro-Life Future in the Empire State.” (In particular see the bulleted list near the end.)

What we need to do is support those who might feel pressured to have an abortion. Who is pressuring them? There are those who think abortion is a good choice for the mother. A woman/family might also feel pressured to have an abortion because they do not have the means to raise the child. To be prolife, we must not only support the woman/family during the pregnancy but after the child is born. Please note that I am saying “woman/family” rather than just “woman” because we are talking about a decision that affects both the mother and the father as well as others in the household.

We need to support those who are considering having an abortion in their material needs. (One way to do this is to support local pregnancy resource centers that are prolife with prayer, volunteering, and financial support.) We must also offer our support to change people’s hearts so they will not even consider an abortion. The task is difficult. We may feel like “lambs among wolves” (see Luke 10:3) trying to offer a prolife message to those who support abortion. It is difficult to dialogue.

How are we to work to change people’s hearts? It begins with understanding our Catholic prolife teaching. Only then can we share it with others.

As I mentioned in my homily this past Sunday, we are not simply against abortion. What we are is prolife. We support all life from conception till natural death. This includes life in the womb. We can find the prolife teaching of the Catholic Church in paragraphs 2270-2275 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Last year I did a series of presentations called Treating Life with Dignity and Love offering Catholic prolife teaching. Of course, this is all from a Catholic perspective. In my blog article, “Biology Makes Me Pro-Life”, I offered the following secular reasoning (slide from Part I in my series Treating Life with Dignity and Love)

Life is precious, including in the womb. Psalm 139:13-14 says, “You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works!” God is involved in our life even in our mother’s womb. In Jeremiah 1:5 we read, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary at the time of Jesus’ conception.

Life in the womb is a gift from God. Pope Francis writes (slide from Part I in my series Treating Life with Dignity and Love)

We do not determine what is good. God does. We are created in the image of God (slide from Part I in my series Treating Life with Dignity and Love)

What I offer in this article is only the tip of the iceberg of Catholic prolife teaching. There are four presentations in my series, Treating Life with Dignity and Love), each lasting about one hour. If you have not seen them before, I encourage you to watch them. Part I covers the dignity of life in general. Part II covers abortion and the death penalty. Part III covers euthanasia. Part IV concludes with an overview of other aspects of Catholic prolife teaching.

May God give each of us the grace we need to support life in all stages.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff