5th Sunday of Easter, Year C – Homily

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5th Sunday of Easter, Year C
Acts 14:21-27
Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13 (see 1)
Revelation 21:1-5a
John 13:31-33a, 34-35
May 19, 2019

Jesus gives us “a new commandment.”  Its words are simple, “love one another.” 

Jesus tells us that we are to “love one another” as He has loved us.  His love is most evident when He sacrifices his life for us on the Cross.  Are we willing to make sacrifices, to give something up for the good of others?  That’s love.

Today is Diocesan Mission Sunday.  We take up a second collection to support the ongoing work of our diocesan missions started by the Sisters of Mercy in Chile (where Sr. Kay was for a number of years) and the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brazil.  Contributing to the second collection is not simply “paying dues” or “giving alms.”  It should be an act of love, caring for the people who receive the benefit of the missions.  On this Diocesan Mission Sunday, we also offer the support of our prayers.

This is a way we can show our love.  This can be a way we follow the example of Jesus.

Can it be a challenge to make sacrifices?

Yes, that’s what makes it a sacrifice.  It won’t be a sacrifice if it were easy.  It isn’t always easy to love but we are called to “persevere in the faith.”  That means we are called to persevere in love.  As we hear in Acts, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

We can be made stronger by the hardships we face.  Some hardships are caused by human error and sin.  For instance, the current hardships caused by the clergy abuse scandal are a very trying time for our church.  People are losing faith and leaving the Church.  We are called to persevere during this hardship and trust in God.

There’s also the hardship we face from the declining number of parishioners and priests.  This means clustering of parishes.  It means loss of Masses.  Loss can be difficult to bear but we ask the Holy Spirit to use this time to transform our faith communities to make us stronger.  We commend all our hardships to the Lord.

We do so hearing the vision of John seeing “a new heaven and a new earth” while former way had passed away.  The new Heaven and a new earth is a vision of Heaven but it reminds us that God can help us face our hardships.  God is with us.  God transforms ordinary bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.  If we let him, He will transform us into the Body of Christ as a people. 

We are to bring Jesus to the world.  We are to be the hands of Jesus, helping others, loving others.

Does starting “new” mean throwing out everything from the past?  No.

Does it mean changing everything?  No.

What will change and when?  First, as to when, we received official word from the diocese that we will be implementing the regional plan at the end of June.  Fr. Tedesche will become the pastor of all three parishes (St. Michael’s, St. Joseph the Worker, and the Catholic Community of the Blessed Trinity) with a new assistant.  I will be moving to St. Luke’s in Livingston County.

As I mentioned last week, our Saturday night Mass will go away but the regional plan calls for our Sunday Mass schedule to stay the same.  We are not the only ones facing the loss of a Mass in the regional plan.  The church in Wolcott will also lose its Saturday night Mass.  The Mass in Savannah is changing from Sunday morning to Saturday night.  Other Masses are shifting times on Sunday morning.  All three parishes face changes in Mass schedules. 

We have already been sharing Finance staff to be more efficient.  There will likely be sharing of staff for Faith Formation, not simply to cut costs.  We do this to strengthen the programs for children and youth.  The dwindling numbers of children have made it hard to maintain the Sunday faith formation classes.  Working together with the other parishes, sharing resources, and eliminating duplication of resources will help us be a better church.

I want to go back now to the first words we heard from Jesus today, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.”  Jesus is the Son of Man.  He glorifies God by trusting in the Father’s plan and giving his life for us.  For this God glorifies Jesus by raising him up in the Resurrection.

In the hardships we face, we are called to “persevere in the faith.”  This means trusting God, commending it all to the Lord.  In trusting God, we give him glory.  In trusting God, we surrender our will to the Father’s. 

In our responsorial psalm verse, we sang, “I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.”  In our Mass, we praise God in word and worship.  Let us also praise him by surrendering our will to his in our daily lives.

4th Sunday of Easter, Year C – Homily

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4th Sunday of Easter, Year C
Acts 13:14, 43-52
Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5 (3c)
Revelation 7:9, 14b-17
John 10:27-30
May 12, 2019

Our gospel reading is quite short today but there’s still a lot we can talk about today.  The gospel passage I just read is only four verses but it comes from what is known as Jesus’ Good Shepherd Discourse in chapter 10 of John’s gospel.

As you may know, our Sunday lectionary is on a three-year cycle.  Every year on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, we hear some portion of the Good Shepherd discourse.  So, this Sunday is often referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday.

In this discourse, Jesus’ describes his role and relationship with his people.  He is the good shepherd who watches over his people.  As his sheep, we are to listen to his voice.  It is his calling, it is his vocation to shepherd us.

Understanding Jesus as the Good Shepherd, today is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in our Catholic Church.  That means it is a day for all of us to reflect on how God is calling each of us to be his disciples.  It might be in a vocation to married life.  For others it might be to the single life.  For some called to the single life, it can include a specific vocation to religious life or priesthood but not all.  

Being a parent is a vocation in how you raise your children to follow Jesus.  Thus, it is fitting that today, being the second Sunday of May, is also Mother’s Day.  It is a day when we express our gratitude and love to our mothers for the sacrifices they have made for us.

In the first reading from Acts, we hear of Paul going out on his first missionary journey.  He was a called to a vocation as a missionary, travelling to places where the gospel had not been heard to tell them about Jesus.  As we heard in today’s readings, not everyone liked what he preached. 

In the same way, sometimes our mothers have to tell us things we don’t want to hear.  They may make us do things we don’t want to do.  As long as it doesn’t conflict with what God wants, we need to respect what our mothers say.  When we are young, we obey what they say.

Motherhood is a not a vocation based on being popular.  Motherhood is a vocation rooted in helping children be good, to be who God calls them to be.

As a vocation, rooted in it is the spread of the gospel.  Mothers are called to share Jesus with their children because we are all called to be part of what John’s describes in the Book of Revelation as the vision of the “great multitude” he has of the people in Heaven.

We would like the journey to Heaven to be an easy one.  Yet, John speaks in Revelation about those “who have survived the time of great distress.”  Being a Christian isn’t always easy.  Neither is being a mother.  Sometimes children cause their mothers “great distress.”

The reality is we don’t always listen to Jesus’ voice.  Likewise, we don’t always listen to our mothers.  So, today is a day to thank our mothers for their continued love for us even when we have caused them distress.

Do you ask yourself how Jesus is calling you to live out your life?  Or do you think you know what is best for you?  Do you strive to listen to his voice?  Or do we make choices that violate what Jesus teaches?  Do we sin?

You see, Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves.  We know what we have done.  Jesus does too.  Jesus also knows what gifts He has given us.  He knows what we are capable of.  He knows what we are created for.

This is true for us as individuals and it is true for us as a community of believers.  We need to listen to Jesus’ voice.  Hopefully, you are all aware that we had an ad hoc committee with representation from all the Catholic parishes in Wayne County on how we can work together to ensure the continuing presence of the Catholic Church in Wayne County for years to come.  We asked God to guide that group.  Now, there are beginnings of a plan.  It won’t be easy.  There will be sacrifices, like the loss of a Mass here, tentatively the 4:30 Mass but we do this to strengthen us to work together with ministries like our faith formation for youth and children.  We are still waiting to hear from the diocese if the plan will be implemented this year or later.  I do believe that coming together can strengthen us.  We pray that Jesus as the Good Shepherd guides this process and each of us in our own lives.

The Food We Need

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We have many choices in what food we eat. We have various meats to choose from, beef, chicken, pork, and lamb. Or we can choose fish and seafood. There are numerous choices for vegetables ranging from peas and carrots to broccoli and brussels sprouts. Of course, there are fruits like apples and oranges. There are dairy products. And, of course, there is desserts and snacks like candy, cookies, and cakes.

What is the food you like to eat? After all, our bodies need food. We have to eat and we figure we might as well enjoy it. Think of when you go out to eat. Do you look for a restaurant where you get your favorite dish without having to make it yourself or do you go for the buffet so you can get a little bit of everything?

Now ask yourself where you look for fulfillment in life? A great meal can bring enjoyment that day but what about life in general? Do you seek fulfillment in having a fancy home, car, or travelling on vacation?

Where is Jesus in this?

There is one food I didn’t mention above, bread. Bread is a basic food. We use it as an image, bread and water, of what we need for life.

In the Bread of Life Discourse, (John 6), Jesus identifies himself as the Bread of Life and tells us that if we eat this bread, we will live forever. We are created in the image of God. We are created to know God. We are created to know Jesus and the love of God. Other things may make us happy for a day but only Jesus can fulfill us for eternity.

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year C – Homily

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3rd Sunday of Easter, Year C
Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41
Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13 (2a)
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19
May 5, 2019

Throughout the Easter season, our first reading comes from the Acts of the Apostles, the story of the early church right after Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Part of what the early church experienced was persecution.  Today we hear how Peter and the other apostles were brought in before the Sanhedrin for preaching about Jesus.  Their response was “We must obey God rather than men.”

It is not easy to be a disciple of Jesus.  Jesus knew his disciples would be persecuted just as He was persecuted.  He knew they would need strength for this.  That is why He did not simply die and never be heard from again.

Two weeks ago, on Easter Sunday, we heard the great news that the tomb was found empty.  Last week, we heard how Jesus appeared twice to his disciples in the locked room after the Resurrection.  Today, we hear of the third time He appeared to them.

To understand the significance of these appearances, we must pay attention to the specific words about the appearances.  Today’s gospel doesn’t call them “appearances.”  They are referred to as Jesus revealing himself.  He reveals to them what comes after death so that we might have hope in the Resurrection.

As Jesus revealed himself to his disciples on the shore, He did not simply appear, say hello, and leave.  What He did do was support them.

After Jesus’ first two appearances to his disciples, they went fishing.  We should not take this too lightly.  Several of them were fishermen by trade.  So, with Jesus no longer with them, they felt they had to provide for their livelihood.  So, they went back to was familiar to them, fishing.

On their own they caught nothing.  Maybe you have experienced the same problem, facing a difficult situation where you tried to take care of it in your own way without success.

Then comes Jesus.  He told them to “Cast the net over the right side of the boat” and the catch was abundant.  This is why it is important for us to listen to Jesus.  When we listen to Jesus good things happen.

The story of how Jesus provided for them did not end with the abundant catch.  While they were pulling in their nets with the abundant catch, Jesus was already on the shore, cooking breakfast.

He had fish before they brought the catch in.  More importantly, He had bread.  This leads me to the way in which Jesus supports us.  He feeds us with not just ordinary bread.  He feeds us with the bread that we know as the Eucharist.  It is the Body of Christ to strengthen us.  It is the Bread of Life that we need to live as Jesus calls us.

This is why it is important for us to come to Mass every week, to receive the Bread of Life, the Body of Christ.  We eat physical food on a regular basis, knowing it is necessary for earthly life.  We need to eat the spiritual food that Jesus offers us to nourish our souls.

At our 10:30 Mass this weekend, we have four children who receive this precious Bread for the first time.  We call it First Communion or First Eucharist.  I emphasis the word “first” because it is meant to be exactly that, the first time we receive it.  That means there should be more times afterwards.

These children have already been coming to Mass where they have been fed with God’s Word as found in scripture.  They have been attending religion classes and preparation for the Sacrament to help them understand exactly what it is they are receiving.

It is not simply ordinary bread.  It is the Bread of Life, it is the Body of Christ.

The Eucharist is a gift, a gift that we are not worthy to receive on our own.  Yet, Jesus chooses to make us worthy by giving his life on the Cross so that our sins might be forgiven.  We need to repent.  We need to turn back to Jesus.

Look at Peter’s conversation with Jesus today.  Why did Jesus ask him three times if he loved him? 

When Jesus was arrested and put on trial, how many times did Peter deny knowing him?  Three times.  Peter’s three times affirming his love for Jesus is to show his repentance for his sins. 

With that in mind, before these four children make their First Eucharist this weekend, in the Fall they made their First Penance.  Again, the word “first” should tell us that it should not be the only time they confess their sins.

I said before, we need to receive Communion weekly to feed our souls.  How often do we need to confess our sins?  I cannot give you a number.  What I can tell you that we are called to confess our sins whenever we are aware of mortal sin so that God can forgive us and make us worthy to receive the Eucharist we NEED.

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year C – Homily

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2nd Sunday of Easter, Year C
Acts 5:12-16
Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 (19)
Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
John 20:9-13
April 28, 2019

Last Sunday we heard that the tomb of Jesus was empty.  That was Easter Sunday. 

Today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter.  Today we hear how Jesus appeared to his disciples to show them that He is indeed risen.  It is not just our souls that go to Heaven.  If we believe in Jesus, we will all rise body and soul in the Resurrection.

I said today is the Second Sunday of Easter.  In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II designated this Sunday to also be Divine Mercy Sunday. 

When we hear the word “mercy”, our thoughts might turn to the forgiveness of sins.  Forgiveness is an important part of God’s mercy.  Knowing our need for forgiveness, Jesus first died for our sins.  Then, during his appearance in the locked room, Jesus gave the Apostles the power to forgive sins.

We need mercy in the world today.  Pope John Paul II knew this when he named this Sunday as Divine Mercy Sunday.  Likewise, Pope Francis also understood the need for mercy today when he proclaimed a Jubilee Year of Mercy. 

However, God’s mercy is not only about God’s forgiveness.  At the core of the message of Divine Mercy that came through St. Faustina is that God loves us.

Jesus died because God loves us.

Jesus appeared to his disciples in the locked room out of mercy because He knew they were confused and did not understand what had happened.  A week later, Jesus appeared again when Thomas was in the room.  Jesus knew Thomas did not believe what the other disciples told him about Jesus’ appearance.  Jesus appeared to Thomas not to condemn him but to help him believe.  Jesus appeared to Thomas because of God’s Divine Mercy.

Jesus “said to them, “Peace be with you” because He knew they were all struggling and confused.  In his mercy, He offered them peace.

Part of us receiving God’s Divine Mercy is to share it with others.  It begins with forgiving others.  Think of the words we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

However, our call to share God’s Divine Mercy is not only about forgiveness.  In calling for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis wanted everyone to realize that “mercy” is about the way we treat others.

One of the books published by the Vatican for the Jubilee Year of Mercy was entitled, The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.  The Corporal Works of Mercy come from Matthew 25:31-46 and call us to perform physical acts of mercy to feed the hungry and clothe the naked.  There are a total of seven Corporal Works of Mercy.  There are also seven Spiritual Works (found in various scripture passes) like “instructing the ignorant” and “comforting the sorrowful” (for a more detailed discussion on the works of mercy, please see my video presentation at http://www.renewaloffaith.org/video—the-journey-to-jesus–acts-of-mercy.html).

Sometimes we are the ones in need of corporal and spiritual works of mercy and sometimes we are the ones called to perform these acts of mercy.  Both require us to trust God.  When we need help, we can trust God to provide.  When we are called to perform works of mercy, we might feel lacking.  Here, we are called to trust God to provide whatever we need to do as He asks.

Jesus greeted his disciples with “Peace be with you.”  This “peace” is what we seek.  It is not simply the absence of war and violence.  No, the peace that Jesus offers is a deep peace. 

As part of his message of Divine Mercy to St. Faustina, Jesus told her, “Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy.”

The message of Divine Mercy is meant for everyone.  In the second reading, John found himself “on the island called Patmos.”  Patmos was a penal colony.  He was sent there by humans for giving testimony to Jesus.  I would imagine that God sees this as an opportunity for John to proclaim Divine Mercy to other prisoners.

Jesus offered the message of Divine Mercy to St. Faustina in early 20th century Poland.  That was not the beginning of Divine Mercy.  Jesus himself showed Divine Mercy in curing the sick, driving out demons, and dying for us on the Cross. 

God’s mercy goes back even further.  God has always been merciful.  Our psalm today repeats, “His mercy endures forever” three times.  (Psalm 136 repeats “for his mercy endures forever” over and over.)

We give thanks that “his mercy endures forever” whether it be his forgiveness, his compassion for our physical needs, or his help spiritually, we “give thanks to the Lord for he is good.”

God is always merciful.  Our experience of Divine Mercy begins in Baptism.  It continues always.  Knowing of God’s Divine Mercy, we can pray the words found on the image of Divine Mercy, “Jesus, I trust in you.”

Easter Sunday Homily

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Easter Morning
Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 (24)
Colossians 3:1-4
John 20:1-9
April 21, 2019

Our gospel reading this Easter morning tells the story of how Mary of Magdala went to the tomb early in the morning of the first day of the week. 

Upon arriving, she finds “the stone removed from the tomb.”  We know this must be important because “she ran” to Simon Peter and the other disciple.  Upon hearing the stone has been moved they ran to the tomb.  They enter and we are given a description of what they saw.  We are told that the other disciple “saw and believed.” 

We aren’t told much else.  If this is all you ever heard, it probably won’t mean much to you.  In these nine verses, we are not told whose tomb it was, how long the person had been buried, or the significance of tomb being empty beyond it being a surprise.

Hearing these nine verses alone would be akin to picking up a book and reading the next to last chapter and nothing else.  You don’t know what happened before and you don’t know the very end of the story.

Of course, in a way that is exactly what we do when we read this one passage.  It is part of a bigger story.  There are nineteen chapters before these verses and a chapter and a half afterwards.  And that’s if you just look at the Gospel of John.  There’s also the whole Old Testament before that tells the story of Salvation History, and Acts of the Apostles and New Testament letters that tell what happened after the tomb was found empty.

I can’t tell the whole story now.  I encourage you to read the Bible to hear it all.  For today, let me offer a very brief summary.

“In the beginning”, God created everything from a “formless wasteland” (Genesis 1:1-2:2).  God brought order to the universe.  The last “thing” He created was human beings but were not just another “thing” for God created humans “in his own image.” 

Since then, God has always been watching over his people.  He cared for Abraham.  God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through Moses.  God gave them a great king in David.  God sent them many prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

The problem?  The people often didn’t listen.  They did not follow God’s Word. 

They sinned.

God provided the perfect remedy for sin.  He sent us his Son Jesus.

At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus’ birth.  Jesus was Son of God but willingly “emptied himself” becoming one of us yet obedient to the Father even to death on a Cross (Philippians 2:6-11).

Before Jesus went to the Cross, He went around teaching what it means to be God’s disciples for He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).

He also cured many people who were ill and drove out evil demons so people would know that He had the power of God at work in him.

Unfortunately, not everyone listened.  In fact, there were those who directly opposed Jesus.  He wasn’t doing what they expected or wanted. 

In their view, since He didn’t do what they expected, He couldn’t be the Messiah.  So, they sought to have him killed. 

Jesus went through much suffering.  That was what we celebrated on Good Friday.  Ultimately, He was crucified on the Cross.  This was intended as humiliation.  (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). 

To someone who doesn’t know the whole story, it would seem like Jesus was defeated by his enemies.  He wasn’t.  His life was not taken from him.  He willingly gave it up as a sacrifice. 

If you read the Old Testament, you will find stories of the people offering sacrifices in atonement for their sins.  Those sacrifices were imperfect. 

Jesus is the Son of God, “without blemish” (Exodus 12:5), and so He is the one who offers the perfect sacrifice in giving his own life.  He is crucified for us.

He died on the Cross and was laid in the tomb.  It is his tomb that Mary of Magdala goes to.  It is his tomb that is empty on the third day.

This is Good News!  Jesus Christ is Risen Today.  His Resurrection shows us that not even death has power over him.  If you read the end of the story, you will hear that Jesus appeared to his disciples after his Resurrection so that they, so that we, would know what happened to him and know of eternal life.

Today we hear many different voices telling us how they think we should live.  Which voice should we listen to?  I choose to listen to Jesus. He is the one who died for me.  I trust him and I make him the stone that is the foundation for my life. 

Hearing what Jesus did for us should lead us to change our priorities from earthly things to “Think of what is above.”

Rejoice for Jesus Christ is risen today.

Easter Vigil Homily

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Easter Vigil
Genesis 1:1-2:2
Genesis 22:1-18
Exodus 14:15-15:1
Isaiah 55:1-11
Romans 6:3-11
Mark 16:1-7
April 20, 2019

Tonight we come as darkness falls.  Night comes and another day will follow. 

We come in a world where we know the darkness of bad things that happen.  Sometimes it’s little things, sometimes it’s big things. 

This Monday there was a huge fire at Notre Dame Cathedral.  There was very major damage.  Notre Dame stood as a sign in the Paris Skyline.  It was built as a house of worship for God and contained major images of our faith.  It was a place that revealed God’s light to the world.  It was a building that stood for over 800 years.

Where are those who grieve the loss caused by this fire to turn?

The Cathedral had over 800 years of history.  We turn to an even longer story, the story of Salvation History, the story of God’s love for his people to know that God is with us.

It goes back to the time of creation.  That’s where our readings began tonight, at “the beginning.”  The darkness covered everything.  “the earth was a formless wasteland.”

There was nothing, nothing but God.

God then brought order to the “formless wasteland.”  He “separated the light from darkness.”  He would separate the waters and bring forth dry land.  He brought order to the chaos as He created the plants, the animals, and, ultimately, humans in his own image, “male and female he created them.”  Then, “he rested on the seventh day.”

We thank God for bringing order to the “formless wasteland.” 

The story of creation from Genesis reminds us of God as the origin of all that is good.  God created “in the beginning” and God will create anew when He sends his Son Jesus to save us.

God did not create and then walk away.  For those who are open to God, He remained active in their lives.  Abraham was a man totally dedicated to God.  When God said go, Abraham went. 

Among the ways Abraham saw God’s blessings in his life was his son Isaac.  Abraham knew Isaac was a gift from God.  Yet, when God tells him that he shall offer Isaac “as a holocaust” Abraham did not resist.  Whatever the Lord asked of him, Abraham would do.  God told Abraham where to go to offer the holocaust and he went.  It must have been some distance for it took three days to get there.

As they got close, “Abraham took the wood for the holocaust and laid it on his son Isaac’s shoulders.”  Here I remember the words from the first reading from Isaiah on Good Friday, “but the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all.”

We take that reading from Isaiah as a prophecy about what will happen to Jesus.  We can see what happens to Isaac as foreshadowing what Jesus will do for us.  Isaac does not resist and neither will Jesus for He comes to do the Father’s Will.

Before God stopped Abraham, Isaac asked “where is the sheep for the holocaust?”  Abraham’s response is prophetic, “God himself will provide the sheep for the holocaust.”  God provides Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins.

Throughout Salvation History, God continues to be there for his people.  When they cry out from slavery in Egypt, God sends Moses to lead them out.  When they reach the Red Sea and the Egyptians are bearing down on them, there seems no way out, “The LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?  Tell the Israelites to go forward.”  Just when there seems no way forward, God parts the waters of the Red Sea and they pass through.

God does the same for us.  As the Israelites passed through the waters of the Red Sea, we need to pass through the waters of Baptism.  As the “LORD saved Israel on that day from the power of the Egyptians,” He will save us from our sins.

In our next reading, we heard the Lord say through Isaiah, “come to the water.”  God offers us living waters in the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He offers us true bread in the Eucharist.  When we don’t understand it all, we remember the Lord’s words, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways…so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

We aren’t going to understand it all.  Abraham won’t have understood why God asked him to sacrifice his son but Abraham trusted.

We can trust God because of all that is contained in Salvation History but most especially what happened on Good Friday, Jesus gave his life for us.

That brings us to our gospel tonight.  It is Easter morning and the women “went to the tomb.”  They went to complete the burial rituals.  They expected to find Jesus’ body in the tomb.

They did not.

The tomb was empty.

“They were puzzling over this” when two men appeared to them and said Jesus had been raised.  When the women told the others what had happened it “seemed like nonsense” but they would all come to believe that Jesus died and rose for us. 

Not even death has power over Jesus.

This is the story of Salvation History, beginning in Genesis from the time of creation to its climax in Jesus giving his life for our sins.

I spoke of baptism.  Most of us are baptized but we have three people here tonight who are not and wish to be.  Now, it is time for them to receive their own baptism.

Good Friday Homily

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Good Friday
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25 (Luke 23:46)
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
John 18:1-19:42
April 19, 2019

“Knowing everything that was going to happen to him,” Jesus first went off with his disciples.  Since He knew what was going to happen to him, He could have chosen to go off to a secret or new place that Judas did not know about.  Jesus didn’t do that.  He went to a place where He often met with his disciples.  Jesus did not hide.  In fact, when they came looking for him, He went out to them and spoke first.

He is not afraid for himself.  He knows what must happen but He is always concerned for his people.  With their protection in mind, He says to Judas and the soldiers, “So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” 

Jesus is arrested and put on trial.  It begins with him being questioned by the high priest “about his doctrine.”  Jesus’ response is to stand firm in what He had been saying all along.  He does not change his words to save his skin.

They then take Jesus from the high priest Caiaphas to Pilate to have him executed.  Pilate continues the questioning, first asking the people, “What charge do you bring against this man?”  Their response is, “If he were not a criminal, we would have not have handed him over to you.”  Essentially, they don’t have any charge the Romans are concerned with.

Pilate then begins to question Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” followed by “What have you done?”  Pilate is trying to figure why the Jews are so upset with Jesus, what’s really going on here.

Jesus responds with “You say I am a king.  For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”  Yes, Jesus is all about the truth.

But as Pilate asks, “What is truth?”

 Pilate asks a great question.  On a surface level, he is just trying to understand what the Jews have against Jesus.  Yet, I doubt that is all that he is thinking when he asks, “What is truth?”

My bet would be that Pilate spent a lot of time trying to keep everyone happy and not fighting.  This probably isn’t the first time the Jews have come to him with some problem that he isn’t concerned with.  On the other hand, he also has to keep Caesar happy.  Each side says things just trying to look righteous like when the crowd against Jesus says, “We have no king but Caesar.”  They want a messiah.  They want a new Jewish king.  Jesus just isn’t who they wanted to suit their desires.

Pilate will go on to speak words of truth.  Three times he said about Jesus, “I find no guilt in him.”  That is the absolute truth.  Jesus is innocent.

Shortly before Jesus’ passion begins, Caiaphas, the high priest who is the first to question Jesus, is the one “who had counseled the Jews that it was better that one man should die rather the people.”

Caiaphas meant these words in human terms.  The way he saw it, they (the Jews) had a nice comfortable relationship with the Romans.  He was afraid that Jesus was a threat to that as the people believed him to be a king.  So, Caiaphas thinks it is better to have Jesus killed than to upset the Romans.

Caiaphas is right that it is better for Jesus to die than the people but not in the way he thinks.  Jesus’ death is not to keep the peace with the Romans.  Jesus dies so that we might not die in our sins.

The truth behind Jesus’ death is found several times in our reading from Isaiah:

  1. “Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured.”
  2. “But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins.”
  3. “but the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all.”
  4. “Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many.”

Jesus died for us.  What more can we ask before we place our trust in him.

Caiaphas and those with him found Jesus “an object of reproach.”  When we hold fast to the truth of our faith today, people may not want to hear what we have to say.  They might find us a “laughingstock” or a source of dread. 

They may ridicule us but we are not to fear.  We are not to abandon our faith to keep the peace.  We are to trust in Jesus, giving it all to God as we pray as Jesus did, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Holy Thursday Homily

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Holy Thursday
Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-15
April 18, 2019

We began our readings tonight with God’s instructions for the first Passover.   It is to be celebrated once a year and put at the head of the calendar.

They are to sacrifice a “year-old male..without blemish.”  They aren’t supposed to take an old lamb they don’t want anymore.  They are to sacrifice a young healthy lamb so it represents a real sacrifice to them.

It is to be “without blemish” to be a worthy sacrifice, nothing imperfect.

It involves unleavened bread because they were “in flight” from the Egyptians and could not wait for the bread to rise.

It is called the Passover because, after they had marked their doors with the blood of the sacrifice, the blood served as a sign for God to “pass over” that house as He went from house to house, killing the firstborn of the Egyptians but not the Israelites.

The first Passover was celebrated as worship to God during the Exodus but it was not to be celebrated just once.  God told them to make it a “memorial feast,” “a perpetual institution” to be celebrated on an annual basis.  And so it was.  The first Passover was celebrated in the 16th century B.C.  The Passover has been celebrated many times since then.

Jesus himself, faithfully following the Jewish law, went to the Passover each year.  What we celebrate tonight commemorated the last Passover (the Last Supper) that Jesus celebrated.

This begins our Easter Triduum.  It was no accident that Jesus choose the time of the Passover as the hour for which He came.

Remember, at the time of the Exodus, God told them to put the Passover at the head of their calendar.  The Passover is central to Jewish identity as it commemorates the time when God set his people free from slavery in Egypt. 

Jesus takes the Passover and makes it something even greater.  He takes the bread and wine used as part of the Passover celebration and makes it his Body and Blood.

That’s we continue to use unleavened bread even today, as a reminder that we continue in a covenantal relationship with God dating back to the Exodus. 

The Israelites used the blood of the sacrificed lamb at the first Passover to mark their doors as children of God.  We are forever marked as children of God.

As the Jews continued the Passover celebration at God’s direction as a “memorial feast,” “a perpetual institution,” we hear Jesus’ words at the Last Supper to “Do this in remembrance of me.” 

It is a precept of our faith that we come to celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday and Holy Day.  We have daily Mass for those who are able. 

Paul reminds us that when we celebrate Mass, we are not just celebrating a Passover meal or the Eucharist in and of itself.  Paul writes, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.”

Jesus’ own words at the Last Supper include “this is my body which will be given up for you…this is my blood shed for you.”  Jesus took the Eucharist and united it to his sacrifice on the Cross.  Jesus, without sin, becomes the unblemished lamb for the sacrifice.  This is what we celebrate in the Eucharist.

Why is so important for us to celebrate the Eucharist weekly, if not daily?  Because it is the bread of life.  It is the food that strengthens us.

It strengthens us for what?

To serve.

The Eucharist is not something God gives us simply for our own needs.  God gives us the Eucharist to strengthen us to help one another.

Tonight is called the “Institution of the Eucharist.”  It is also called the “Institution of the Priesthood.”  The priest is the one who presides at the Eucharist. 

To do so, as a priest, I received the Sacrament of Ordination.  I did not receive this Sacrament for my own gain.  I was ordained not for my own benefit.  Rather I was ordained to serve others.

Tonight’s washing of the feet serves as a reminder of that.  At the moment, I am wearing vestments that signify my role as a priest but in a moment, I will take them off and wash the feet of twelve parishioners as a model of service.

God gives you the gift of the Eucharist.  What do you do with the grace you receive in this sacrament?

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year C – Homily

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Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year C
First Gospel – Luke 19:28-40
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 (2a)
Philippians 2:6-11
Luke 22:14-23:56
April 14, 2019

Today we mark the beginning of Holy Week.  We began our Mass today by hearing the gospel story of Jesus’ entry in Jerusalem as He began the first Holy Week.

He received a royal welcome with cloaks laid out on the road and the crowds proclaiming, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.”  They eagerly welcomed him into Jerusalem.

Things changed during the course of the week.  By the end of the Passion Gospel that we just listened to Jesus, had been crucified and laid in the tomb. 

The people went from proclaiming, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord” to shouting, “Crucify him!  Crucify him!” 

What changed?

To begin, not everyone was eager to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem.  There were some of the Pharisees who told Jesus He should rebuke his disciples for welcoming Jesus as a king.  They did not believe Jesus was a king and led the persecution against him.

To understand what changed during Jesus’ final week, we should take a look at the readings we heard today in between the two gospels.  In Isaiah we hear the Suffering Servant say, “I gave my back to those who beat me.”  In the psalm we see similar prophecies.  The Passion of Jesus fulfills many prophecies like these.  The hour has come.

To give his life for us, Jesus had to first, as Paul writes in Philippians, empty himself, humbling himself, “becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Pilate and the Romans often get blamed for crucifying Jesus.  Yet, in Luke’s Passion, we hear Pilate say he found Jesus not guilty three times. 

It is Peter that denies Jesus three times. 

How many times have we sinned?  How many times have we denied Jesus?  This is what Jesus died for.

We need to be like the “good criminal” who said to the criminal who ridiculed Jesus, “We have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.”  The good criminal says to Jesus, “remember me when you come into your kingdom” to which Jesus responds, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”  The good criminal is good because he repents.  Because he repents, Jesus forgives him and welcomes him into his kingdom.”

Jesus dies for our sins.  This was the reason for his Crucifixion.  He was not crucified because of the crowds calling out, “Crucify him!”  He was crucified because it was the Father’s Will.  It was not easy for him.  In the garden, Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.”

It is not always easy to do God’s will.  God will give us the grace we need.  When we fall short, He will forgive us if we give our lives to him, praying as Jesus did, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”