20th Sunday Canaanite Woman

 

This weekend’s Gospel is about perseverance in prayer, humility and faith.

In the Gospel, the Canaanite woman approached Jesus trusting Him to help her daughter. She said, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” Despite her cries, Jesus did not answer. It seems that Our Lord did not pay attention to her. However, because of her faith, she would not give up until Jesus helped her.

And then to make matters even worse, Our Blessed Lord said something, which appears to be harsh. He said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Could it really be He was unconcerned for the woman’s daughter, because she was not a Jew? Or was He only expressing what the Jews were thinking at the time? Despite His words to His disciples, she came and knelt before Him saying, “Lord help me.” What great faith she had! What humility! What perseverance!

Jesus continued to pretend to not want to have anything to do with her, and said something, which sounds insulting, “It is not right to take the food of the children, and throw it to the dogs.” Was Our Lord really insulting her by calling her and the Canaanites, dogs? During the time of Jesus, the Jewish people looked down upon the Gentile people, who weren’t Jewish. They often referred to the Gentiles as dogs. Our Lord was stating, it’s not right to give to her (a non-Jew), what was meant for Jews. Jesus wanted her to know that He must first preach the Gospel to the Jews.

The Jews are God’s chosen people. Yet, Jesus was about to show all those who were present-- Jew and non-Jews are now accepted into His kingdom. She continued to persist in her pleading and she said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”

Our Savior only pretended to not want anything to do with her, or the Canaanites, because those listening did not want anything to do with a woman, who is a non-Jew, from the land of Canaan. One of the reasons why Jesus didn’t reply to her immediately was to allow others to see her great faith and her humility, which many of the Jews didn’t have. He also wanted to use her as an example, to show others that not only was He concerned for the non-Jews, but they can even be an example for the Jews. Perhaps Jesus even wanted His Disciples to also intercede for her; instead they told Jesus to send her away.

Everything comes to a climax when Jesus exclaimed, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” Our Lord rewarded her for her perseverance by complimenting her unshakable faith. How wonderful is the revelation of her great faith, perseverance, and trust--- many of the Jews didn’t have. Her persistence was answered by her daughter being healed and her persistence led to a deeper understanding of Jesus’ love for everyone, Jews and non-Jews.

The noble mothers who appear in the Gospels are always seeking the best for their children. They know how to appeal to Jesus for assistance and favors. Recall that it was the mother of James and John who approached Our Lord to seek the first seats in heaven. The woman in today’s Gospel is a perfect model of constancy in prayer, a model intended for all those who tire easily when praying to God.

You would be surprised at how many times women have told me, that they had been praying for their husbands their whole life, so that they would become Catholic. About 10 years ago, a woman told me she prayed for her husband everyday. She said three years before he died, after they had been married for nearly 60 years, he joyfully became Catholic.

When I was a young priest, I went to visit a dying man who was unconscious. His wife told me, that another priest baptized her husband the day before I came to visit. She said he had started to go through the OCIA process to become Catholic, but had to stop due to his cancer. She told me she prayed every from the day of her wedding, for over 50 years, that he would become Catholic. He became Catholic two days before He went to be with Jesus.

We are reminded of saints like St. Monica, who prayed many years for the conversion of her son, St. Augustine. She was so distressed because her son was living an impure life with multiple women and he believed in false doctrines of another religion.

Once when St. Monica approached a bishop asking what she could do to help her son to become practicing Catholic, the bishop told her, “Go your way, as sure as you live, it is impossible that the son of these tears should perish.” From then on-- she stayed as close as possible to her son, Augustine, and she prayed and fasted for his conversion. When he finally turned away from his loose living and false ideas, he was baptized Catholic, became a priest, a bishop, a canonized saint and even a doctor of the Church. St. Augustine would later write, “If I did not perish in error, it was due to the daily tears of my mother, who was so full of faith.”

Today, there are many parents greatly concerned about their children. A parent’s greatest fear is that their child may not go to heaven. And when they see their children no longer coming to Mass, beginning to live a life of sin, no longer thinking about God or caring about their own salvation, the tears of parents fall upon the pillow at night, so concerned for their loved ones.

Yet, the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel, so concerned about her daughter and St. Monica, so worried about her son, and the holy women who prayed everyday for their husbands, invite all of us to keep persevering in prayer, to not give up, to trust and to believe God can-- and will touch the hearts of our family members, who have lost their way.

By our daily persevering prayer, our fasting, every time we attend Mass and receive Holy Communion, our rosaries, and because of our tears—God will answer, though He may pretend at the moment as though He is not listening.

However, in fact, He is helping not only our family members, but helping us to grow in our faith, teaching us to persevere, and is so pleased by our humility, as we come before the Lord on bended knees when we cry out, “Lord help me!”

Assumption of Mary August 15th

 

Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. Pope Pius XII, in Munificentissimus Deus (1950), defined that Mary, "after the completion of her earthly life" (note the silence regarding her death), "was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven."

Eastern Catholics are more apt to believe Mary didn’t die when She was assumed into heaven. After all, Adam and Eve would not have died if they had not eaten the forbidden fruit. When it would have been time for them to go to heaven, they would have been assumed without dying.

Catholics from the west, like St. Alphonsus Liguori and St. John Damacene believe Mary died. Perhaps, the reason why She may have died was because She wanted to experience death like Jesus, Her Son, to be as perfectly conformed to Our Lord as possible. In other words, She wanted to die, like Her Son, out of love for Him.

Here we can picture the event of Mary entering heaven. Upon entering the gates of heaven, Her own body became suddenly glorified as She received a transformed and resurrected body. Her clothes became dazzling and with an immense glow, Her veil, mantle and dress are arrayed in gold, sparkling like the sun.

Though She knew the Trinity better than any human being, and perhaps, at times, had a tiny glimpse of heaven in one of Her ecstasies, She was immediately enamored and overcome by the beauty, the glory, the power and the majesty of God in heaven. Her eyes welled up in tears as She gazed upon the multitude of angels and saints, and, to Her shock and amazement, they all bow down in humble reverence to Her, the Queen.

There, next to Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of heaven, is Her faithful spouse St. Joseph, whose glory shines for all to see. He appears in bodily form. Just as St. Francis de Sales suspected, his body did not undergo corruption and was assumed body and soul into paradise.

Jesus takes Mary’s hand and walks Her to the throne of God the Father. Upon arrival, She kneels before Him and bows. He takes Her left hand and lifts Her up. There, before Her, are three large golden thrones. On the left is the throne of God the Father, next to His is the throne of Jesus and to His left is the throne of Mary. The three take their seats and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, hovers above the three thrones. There is total silence in heaven, as all know the Father is about to speak.

Jesus and God, the Father stand. Between the two, a royal crown studded with gems suddenly appears and is placed on the head of the Virgin. At the moment the crown is set, a burst of light comes forth from above and twelve stars appear and glisten like that of a giant halo.

The twelve stars above Her head apply to both the twelve patriarchs of the tribes of Israel (original people of God), and the twelve apostles (renewed people of God). The twelve stars also represent Her Queenly dignity and Her rule over angels and saints.

She is clothed with the sun, meaning She is surrounded by God’s power and protection and shines with grace as the Mother of God. The moon under Her feet represents Her Virginity, Immaculate Conception, and Her power over created things.

The Father spoke, “Behold, O creatures of heaven, this is the handmaid of the Lord. The Queen of heaven and earth. She is my daughter, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Her and do whatever She says. In Her hand I place the scepter, in which I have bestowed my entire ocean of Mercy, from now unto eternity. Those who love, honor and ask for Her intercession will find a loving and caring Mother. She is the image and model of the Church founded by my Son. She is my daughter. She is the Mother of the Redeemer and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. What I say, I decree, unto eternity.”

The host of angels and saints sing the most beautiful and elegant hymns praising and giving thanks to God and the Virgin Mary. Exceedingly high notes are mixed with tones that correspond in perfect harmony. To those on earth, if the singing could be heard, it would cause ecstasies of rapture. “Praise to the Virgin! Praise to the Queen! Praise to the Blessed Trinity for whom She was created and has exalted above heaven and earth!”

Today, let us give thanks to God for Mary’s Glorious Assumption into heaven. She is the new Ark of the Covenant, because within Her womb if Jesus, the new and everlasting covenant. As the book of Revelation states, “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant was seen within His temple; and there were flashes of lightening, loud noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. A great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

How beautiful these words describe Mary in heaven of heaven and earth assumed into heaven.

19th Sunday, Take Courage, It is I, Do Not Be Afraid!

 

Take Courage it is I, Do not Be Afraid!

Sometimes we expect God to suddenly shout to let us know He answered our prayer by overwhelming us. But God usually does not work that way. Jesus comes to us in simple ways.

In the first reading, the Lord was not in the fire, nor the strong heavy wind, nor the earthquake. Rather, He was in the tiny whispering sound in the silence of the cave. Jesus comes to us in the silent movement of the heart.

Just think of all the things we worry about: parents worried about their children, people worried about their health or that of others, farmers worrying about the weather or their livestock, or crops, or financial worries, worries about relationships, worries a job, about so many different things.

From time to time, we all feel frightened like the disciples in the boat and like them we cry out in fear. But just as in today’s Gospel, Jesus comes to us and says, “Take courage; it is I! Do not be afraid.”

Was Jesus ever afraid? Did Jesus ever worry? Yes, He did. And what did he do when He had worries and how did He cope?

On two occasions in the Gospel we see Jesus afraid. On each of the two occasions he prayed to his Father and in prayer he got the strength to continue and face the difficult situation. In Gethsemane, the night before His crucifixion, He prayed to His Father to let the cup, pass Him by. Jesus’ prayer was answered because He got the strength to face His passion, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

On another occasion, also thinking of His passion, Jesus said, “Now my soul is troubled.” (John 12:27)On this occasion He prayed to His Father and recovered His strength during prayer. When troubles and worries come our way, we turn to Jesus.

Have you ever been afraid of something and didn't know why? I had this experience as a priest. When I was ordained and began my first assignment at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Wichita, I was terrified to stand before such a large number of people. At times, Masses had over 1000 people in attendance.

As I began the homily, fear would become more intense. I remember grabbing the pulpit so hard that it caused pain in my fingers. At every Mass, I had this tremendous fear, most especially during the homily. This continued every day up until about 8 years ago, when I went on a retreat and decided to do the St. Ignatius prayer method.

Before I began the prayer, I said this simple prayer, "Jesus, why am I so frightened to stand before a group people, most especially when I give homilies?"

As I began to pray, I pictured Jesus and Mary standing in front of me. They were looking at me and I was looking at them. Then I remembered something that happened when I was a child, that I hadn't thought of for many years.

When I was in 4th grade the school had a play. I had no part in it, except I was just in the background with most of the other kids. That is until the day before the play began, our music teacher came up to me, and said, "Jeff is sick and he can't do his part in the play. Will you play his part?"

I was horrified because Jeff was one of the main characters, and said, "Mrs. Lewand, I can't memorize all those parts by tomorrow." She said, "You don't have to. The other main character, Tim, knows both his part and your part too. He will whisper what you are to say and then you just say it out loud" I said, "Oh, that's great. That will be easy!" The next night as the play began, Tim said his part and then he said my part, and I repeated it.

However, there was a big problem. Tim didn't whisper. He said my part out-loud and then I repeated what he said. What do you think the audience did? They laughed every time I spoke. As the play went on, I became more and more embarrassed. When the play was over, I went behind the curtains and cried my head off.

The teacher came up to me and said, "Why are you crying? Everyone loved the play. You did a great job!" I responded, saying, "No, I ruined the play because everyone was laughing."

As I remembered this event that happened so many years ago, I felt all the emotions that went with it. Most especially, I was embarrassed and angry and felt stupid.

But because I was in the presence of Jesus and when all these emotions died out before Our Lord, I had peace.

To my astonishment, Jesus healed me from the fear I had through my whole life.

Now I am no longer afraid to speak before a crowd. I had this problem of fear from 3rd grade until I was 56 years. And I was healed, thank you Jesus!

Just as Jesus invited Peter to step out of the boat saying, "Come!", Jesus invites us to give Him our fears.

According to scholars, the apostles were in the boat from noon until at the fourth watch of the night, most likely they were battling the storm for 10 to 12 hours because the storm was preventing them from making it to shore. They must have been exhausted and afraid they were going to die. Amazingly, Peter had the faith to ask the Lord to walk on the water and he got out of the boat and began to walk, until he saw how strong the wind and began to sink, crying out, "Lord, save me!"

Jesus stretched out His hand and helped him into the boat and immediately the wind and waves suddenly calmed.

This is what we are to do, to have the faith to step out and trust Jesus, and ask Him to take away our fears, knowing He till take us by the hand and give us peace.

The way the prayer method works, is you invite Jesus to come into fear or memory and to heal it. You can use the prayer for other emotions such as anger, sadness, or any traumatic event you may have experienced.

When troubles come our way, we may be tempted to forget that God is still with us. It is strange really, but that is what happens to so many people when they get upset. They think God doesn't pay attention. But that is not so. God is always with us. We cannot always rely on our feelings, and we can rely on them still less when there is something bothering us. As the storm in our heart is raging, Jesus is walking towards us, just as He walked on the water toward the Apostles.

The truth is that Jesus is with us always, whether or not we feel His presence. Jesus was standing by me all those years whenever I gave a homily or stood before any crowd and was fearful. But, Jesus waited for me to invite Him to remove that fear, and heal those emotions caused by the play, when I was a little child and He did. I did not even know what was causing the fear until Jesus helped me to recall the memory.

My friends, all you have to do is picture in your mind what is reality, that Jesus and Mary are always with you and looking at you, and all you need to do is invite them to come into whatever emotion or event from the past that needs to be healed. And allow yourself to experience those emotions such as fear, guilt, sadness, embarrassment, anger, etc.

Don’t ever forget that Jesus and Mary are always with you no matter what your feelings tell you. Jesus and Mary will not abandon you.

Remember to trust Jesus in time of fear, worry and anxiety, as Saint Padre Pio said, "Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer."

Saint John Vianney - August 4th Sermon on the Dignity of the Priest

 

Today is the memorial of St. John Vianney, the patron of parish priests. He lived from 1786 to 1859. In a sermon on the priesthood he said.

"Go to confession to the Blessed Virgin, or to an angel; will they absolve you? No. Will they give you the Body and Blood of Our Lord? No. The Holy Virgin cannot make her Divine Son descend into the Host. You might have two hundred angels there, but they could not absolve you. A priest, however simple he may be, can do it; he can say to you, "Go in peace; I pardon you. " Oh, how great is a priest! The priest will not understand the greatness of his office till he is in Heaven. If he understood it on earth, he would die, not of fear, but of love. The other benefits of God would be of no avail to us without the priest. What would be the use of a house full of gold, if you had nobody to open you the door! The priest has the key of the heavenly treasures; it is he who opens the door; he is the steward of the good God, the distributor of His wealth. Without the priest, the Death and Passion of Our Lord would be of no avail. Look at the heathens: what has it availed them that Our Lord has died? Alas! they can have no share in the blessings of Redemption, while they have no priests to apply His Blood to their souls!
The priest is not a priest for himself; he does not give himself absolution; he does not administer the Sacraments to himself. He is not for himself, he is for you. After God, the priest is everything. Leave a parish twenty years without priests; they will worship beasts. If the missionary Father and I were to go away, you would say, "What can we do in this church? there is no Mass; Our Lord is no longer there: we may as well pray at home. " When people wish to destroy religion, they begin by attacking the priest, because where there is no longer any priest there is no sacrifice, and where there is no longer any sacrifice there is no religion.
When the bell calls you to church, if you were asked, "Where are you going?" you might answer, "I am going to feed my soul. " If someone were to ask you, pointing to the tabernacle, "What is that golden door?" "That is our storehouse, where the true Food of our souls is kept. " "Who has the key? Who lays in the provisions? Who makes ready the feast, and who serves the table?" "The priest. " "And what is the Food?" "The precious Body and Blood of Our Lord. " O God! O God! how Thou hast loved us! See the power of the priest; out of a piece of bread the word of a priest makes a God. It is more than creating the world. . . . Someone said, "Does St. Philomena, then, obey the Cure of Ars?" Indeed, she may well obey him, since God obeys him.

If I were to meet a priest and an angel, I should salute the priest before I saluted the angel. The latter is the friend of God; but the priest holds His place. St. Teresa kissed the ground where a priest had passed. When you see a priest, you should say, "There is he who made me a child of God, and opened Heaven to me by holy Baptism; he who purified me after I had sinned; who gives nourishment to my soul. " At the sight of a church tower, you may say, "What is there in that place?" "The Body of Our Lord. " "Why is He there?" "Because a priest has been there, and has said holy Mass."
What joy did the Apostles feel after the Resurrection of Our Lord, at seeing the Master whom they had loved so much! The priest must feel the same joy, at seeing Our Lord whom he holds in his hands. Great value is attached to objects which have been laid in the drinking cup of the Blessed Virgin and of the Child Jesus, at Loretto. But the fingers of the priest, that have touched the adorable Flesh of Jesus Christ, that have been plunged into the chalice which contained His Blood, into the pyx where His Body has lain, are they not still more precious? The priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus. When you see the priest, think of Our Lord Jesus Christ."

18th Sunday, Multiplication of Loaves & Multiplication of Hosts at Mass

 

In the Gospel today, we see how the multiplication of the loaves is a foreshadowing of the Eucharist and the Holy Mass and we come to know Jesus' love for us by multiplying Hosts during the Mass of St. Don Bosco and the Mass of a priest from Oklahoma at World Youth Day.

As the crowds followed Jesus into a deserted place, Our Lord’s Heart was moved with pity. And so after a long day, without food in a deserted place, the disciples wanted to dismiss the crowds, so they could get something to eat. But Jesus said, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” It may seem odd to carrying fish, in a deserted place, but at that time, dried or baked fish was carried for traveling.

Jesus ordered the crowds to sit on the grass. He took five loaves and two fish, and “looked up to heaven, said the Blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples who in turn gave it to the crowds”.

How could 5,000 men, not counting women and children, eat from 5 loaves and 2 fish, and be satisfied? It was a true miracle. It foreshadows what happens at Mass. How is it, all who attend Mass can receive Jesus in Holy Communion? There is only one Jesus. At Mass each person is able to receive the whole and entire person of Jesus. At Mass, it’s a multiplication of His presence, a true miracle.

Some modern Catholic theologians, say when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish the people shared their own bread and fish with those who didn’t had any. But this is absolutely false. This idea contradicts scripture, which says Jesus “looked up to heaven, said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples who in turn gave it to the crowds”.

There is not a single Church Father, nor Pope, nor document of the Church referring to the multiplication of the loaves, as one big time of sharing. This false idea clouds the fact, Jesus worked this miracle for the purpose to foreshadowing and preparing hearts for the marvelous gift of the Eucharist. Today, Our Lord’s presence in the Eucharist feeds millions of souls by multiplying His own Body, through the hands of His priests.

There are eight points of how the multiplication of the loaves foreshadow the Mass.

1. Jesus was concerned about their hunger. He said, ‘I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” (Mark 8:2-4) They hadn’t eaten for some time and were hungry. (We don’t eat by fasting before Communion, which creates a longing for Jesus). The people are hungering for earthly food, but when we come to Mass, we hunger to receive the heavenly food, the body of Christ.

2. “When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34) As Jesus fed the crowds through His teachings, so Jesus feeds the crowds through priests, His shepherds, through the Sacred Scriptures and homily at Mass.

3. Jesus told His apostles, “Give them some food yourselves.” (Priests, as shepherds feed many with the body and blood of Christ.)

4. At another multiplication Andrew said, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:90) Andrew gave the bread and fish that came from the boy to Jesus to be multiplied. (At Mass we give our self and our gifts with the bread and wine given to the priest, who gives it to Jesus. The little we give is multiplied by God’s grace for others).

5. “Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.” (Matthew 14:19) At the Last Supper, “Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples.” (Matthew 26:26) The bread is blessed, broken and given to eat. Our Lord’s blessed body is crucified as a sacrifice on the Cross and then His body is given to us to eat during the Holy Mass, after the sacrifice of Calvary is re-presented on the altar. The Mass foreshadows the banquet of heaven.

6. All ate and were satisfied. Our hearts are filled with grace when we receive Holy Communion, and our soul is satisfied by that which is eternal.

7. The bread and fish were multiplied so all can eat.

(At Mass Jesus multiples His presence so all can receive Him in Communion).

8. They “picked up bread filling 12 wicker baskets left over”. If Jesus is concerned about not wasting bread, how much more is He concerned about the Particles of Hosts left over after Communion. Each particle is the whole and entire person of Jesus.

The Lord loves His people and He greatly desires to come into the hearts of His people.

Besides working the miracle of multiplying His presence during the Mass when bread is changed into His risen resurrected Body, sometimes Jesus works additional miracles so as to satisfy those who come to Mass hungering for Him.

A priest from Oklahoma attended World Youth Day in Denver in 1993. During the papal Mass of Pope Saint John Paul II, he helped distribute Holy Communion. He said, "As the youth were coming forward, I realized I was going to run out of Hosts." There came a point when there was only one Host left and then after he gave a communicant Communion, he looked down and there was another Host, before his eyes, Hosts were multiplied until the last young person received Holy Communion and was the last Host in the ciborium. It was a miracle of multiplication of Hosts.

During time of the life of St. Don Bosco from 1815 to 1888, Jesus worked a miracle on the feast of the Annunciation on March 25th.

Everyone at the Mass noticed there were only eight Hosts remaining on the corporal in the Tabernacle, they wondered what St. Don Bosco would do. He had to give Communion to 360 young people at Mass. Giuseppe Buzzetti was serving Mass that day and saw how the Hosts were multiplied. Buzzetti became one of the first Salesian priests, founded by St. Don Bosco.

My friends, the Heart of Jesus is moved with pity for us and so Our Lord gives us His body at Mass, that we may unite our heart to His Heart in Holy Communion. Let us thank Jesus for His tremendous love for us by giving us the Holy Mass and Himself in the Eucharist.

Saints Mary, Martha & Lazarus (Body of Saint Anne) - July 29th

 

Today is the memorial of Saints Mary, Martha and Lazarus, who were siblings. I happen to run across a story about the three after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Not long after the death of Our Lord, a terrible wave of persecutions began. Around the year 47 AD, a notable group of Christians was captured by the Romans and put out to sea in a boat without sails or oars. Among them were St. Mary Magdalene, her siblings saints Martha and Lazarus. This noble group had in their possession the relics of the body of St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, which they took with them.

Although the Romans hoped for these venerable Christians to perish at sea, the boat miraculously sailed to the shores of southern France, and the precious relics were taken to a town known as Apta Julia, France. The body of the Saint was buried in an underground chapel.
The miraculous passage by sea and the preaching of its passengers made a great impression on the local people of the area, who were converted to the Catholic Faith. Soon a church was built over the spot where the remains of St. Anne had been reverently laid.

750 years later, in 792, a 14-year-old boy, John was deaf, blind and mute was in attendance of a church being consecrated and the emperor Charlemagne was also present.

During the ceremony, John suddenly became exceedingly excited. He rose from his seat, walked to the altar, and began to strike an altar step over and over with his walking stick.

After Mass Charlemagne called workers to remove the steps. To their surprise, underneath the steps was a large door that opened to a subterranean passage.

The young boy entered without hesitation, leading the small group, with Charlemagne at its head, down a stairway. He continued down a narrow passageway until they had reached a wall that blocked the way. The boy indicated once again with his stick that it should be removed. This revealed another long passageway, which again the blind boy led them through, as if he were familiar with the way.

Finally, at the end of this corridor, the men discovered a crypt where a vigil lamp in a small niche burned, glowing with heavenly beauty. It must have been incredible to behold: A vigil lamp that had been burning, untended by human hands, for what appeared to be centuries.

As Charlemagne and the entourage in wonder stood before it, the lamp suddenly went out. At that very moment the boy immediately regained his hearing, vision and ability to speak. The boy cried out, “It is she! It is she!” Charlemagne, not understanding what he meant, nonetheless repeated the words.

Who was she? The townspeople already realized that this was the burial place of the mother of Our Lady, for they knew from tradition that she was buried somewhere under the church.
The workmen opened the door of the crypt. The air smelled sweet, like incense, and a casket lay within it. In the casket was an elaborate Oriental winding cloth, and the remains of a body. The inscription atop the relics read, “Here lies the body of St. Anne, mother of the glorious Virgin Mary.”

The Lord used the friends of Jesus, Mary, Martha and Lazarus whose house He often stayed to save the body of St. Anne, the grandmother of Jesus.

Recall that Jesus wept over the death of Lazarus and then raised him from the dead four days after he was laid in a tomb. Though Martha complained about her sister not helping to make dinner for Jesus, she was the one who had the faith in Jesus ability to raise someone from the dead for she had said to Jesus, "Even now Lord, I believe whatever you ask the Father, He will give you." She would go on to declare, "I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world."

Lazarus and Martha's sister Mary Magdalene was a for former prostitute, who sat at the feet of Jesus when Martha was preparing dinner. Jesus defended Mary saying, "She had chosen the better part."

My friends, be friends of Jesus. You can be like Mary and sit and the feet of Jesus listening and adoring Him. Or you can be like Martha, who did many good things for Jesus and whose faith is a witness to the world.

Or you can be like Lazarus and trust that when you die, the Lord will grant you eternal life and raise you from the dead at the end of the world, as Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me will have eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day."

17th Sunday, Wisdom to Vote for Judges, Who have Wisdom

 

In the first reading from the First Book of Kings, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, "Ask of me something and I will give it to you."

Solomon could have asked for a long life, or riches and material possessions or ask that God defeat his enemies. But, he didn't. Instead, he asked for the gift of wisdom. He said, "Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong."

Solomon understands wisdom is more valuable than material possessions or his own needs. His example encourages us to seek God’s guidance-- before seeking personal gain. It reminds us that true success comes from aligning our decisions with God’s will. Solomon does not rely solely on his own abilities, but turns to God for wisdom, demonstrating the trust that every disciple should have in the Lord. Solomon wants to properly judge God's people and to distinguish right from wrong.

What is wisdom? We will discuss two types of wisdom, practical wisdom and God's wisdom.

Practical wisdom consists in the kind of learning that can only be obtained by experience. There is a difference between a wise carpenter, who has been building houses for decades, and one who has only been on the job for a week. The longtime carpenter has had his judgment shaped by his experience. He knows just how hard to hit a nail, how to join a stubborn board to another, how to fix a wall bent out of shape. That kind of build-up of practical experience is a real form of wisdom. Yet it is limited to a technical sphere. We can also gain wider life experience that over time helps us live more effortlessly. Learning over time how to get up early, work hard, save money, help others, and consistently make good decisions is a kind of wisdom that comes with experience. If we live well, we will accumulate this type of wisdom that enables us grow in the art of living.

However, there is a more important wisdom associated with God. St. Thomas Aquinas describes it as "right judgment in accord with eternal law." To put it another way, wisdom is seeing things the way God sees them. 

Judges make decisions on behalf of people accused of things or they decide what is just verses what is unjust. They attempt to judge rightly, but if their decisions are not associated with God, they can be seriously wrong.

When we elect a judge, we want someone who will "distinguish between right and wrong" and who will "judge with an understanding heart". We want the judge to be bring about justice and judge in accord with God's eternal laws. This is why it's important to give witness to our Christian faith in everything we do including politically. Because if laws are not associated with God's eternal laws, judgments can be gravely harmful to those involved and the community.

But, if judges are guided by the Christian faith, our state and country we will prosper with peace and justice. Our country was founded on Christian principles.

On January 22, 1973, the United States Supreme Court made a judgment that the US Constitution protects the rights of pregnant women to choose to have an abortion. Their erroneous judgment resulted in 60 million abortions from 1973 to 2022.

When we are young sometimes we make unwise decisions, but we think they are good at the time. Sometimes, we are pressured into choosing do something, we really don't want to do. We have to remember that Jesus understands and He forgives. God's mercy is infinite and we should trust Jesus. We are loved by God, whether or not we make wise decisions.

In 2022 the Roe vs Wade decision was overturned by the Supreme Court, which resulted in each state determining if abortion is legal. However, overturning of Roe vs Wade didn't solve the problem of abortion in our country.

All laws should be in accord with God's eternal law.

In 2019 and 2024, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the Kansas constitution allows abortion. But, the actual state constitution does not even mention abortion. The error in judgment by the judges of the Kansas Supreme Court allows no restrictions on abortion at all, which has resulted in thousands of women coming from other states for abortion in our state of Kansas.

Supreme Court Judges appointed by presidents and judges appointed by governors of Kansas have not made right judgments in accord with God's eternal law, which has caused terrible harm including deaths to children, and spiritual and emotional harm to American citizens.

It used to be that the people of our state voted for the Kansas Supreme Court Judges, but that changed 100 years ago, and so now there is a process by which the governor appoints the Kansas Supreme Court justices.

On August 4th, the people of Kansas will have opportunity to vote on whether or not return to the people of Kansas the right to elect our own Kansas Supreme Court judges, rather than a group of lawyers & non-lawyers, who give their recommendation to the governor, who appoints them. The question is-- is it best to be sure Kansas Supreme Court judges will judge in accord with God's eternal law, if the governor chooses them or if the people of Kansas choose them?

You have the opportunity to change our constitution to allow Kansans to elect their own judges. As Christians we want to elect judges with practical wisdom and especially judge in accord with God's eternal law. We want judges who will turn to God for wisdom and align their decisions with God's will. As Solomon said, "to judge God's people and to distinguish right from wrong."

Written in the US Declaration of Independence, it states, "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." This statement makes it clear that all Americans have the right to life. Life is foundation of all rights, and if we don't have life, we cannot have the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Retired Archbishop Naumann of Kansas City, said, " I encourage Catholics, fellow Christians, all people of faith and people of goodwill to pray for wisdom and prudence in casting their votes. As the retired archbishop of Kansas City, I do not speak for the archdiocese. But as a registered Kansas voter, I will be voting to restore to Kansans the ability to choose the justices who serve on the Kansas Supreme Court. I encourage Americans to educate themselves about the process for selecting judges and state supreme court justices in their states. Our Founders wisely created a governing system that has served our country well for 250 years. God has blessed abundantly the United States of America. We must never take for granted the sacrifices made by so many of our ancestors, who helped found and preserve our nation. We need to be educated and involved citizens for future generations to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that have been entrusted to us."

Starting Monday, you can go to the Rice County courthouse in Lyons and vote in advance or you can vote in Little River on August 4th.

Just to let you know, Planned Parenthood, the nations largest abortion provider wants you to vote NO. Kansans for Life wants you to vote YES. It's your choice.

My friends, the Lord is not speaking to you in a dream, like he did to Solomon. But He is speaking to you today, saying, "Ask of me something and I will give it to you." Will you ask for riches, material possessions or to defeat your enemies? Or will you have the wisdom of Solomon and say, "Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong", so that when I vote-- our state will have the greatest opportunity to have judges who will follow God's eternal laws, and judge in accord with Your will. Amen."

May Mary, the Seat of Wisdom, who held Jesus, the Eternal Wisdom in Her arms, as a Child, help us to wisely vote in accord with God's eternal laws and vote with right judgment and an understanding heart. 

16th Sunday Kingdom of Heaven (Weeds & Wheat)

 

 The kingdom of heaven is like…

In the parable of the weeds among the wheat, Jesus confirms what we already know to be true: evil exists in the world. We see evidence of it all around us.

Kansas is the wheat state. We produce more wheat than any other state in the US. To get rid of weeds, it’s also impractical to walk through the fields and pull up weeds, which is very labor intensive.

Farmers use ground sprayers in the fields to spray the weeds before harvest. The tires usually don't damage wheat because it is a robust plant.

When harvest draws near if weeds begin to show up, crop dusters (airplanes) are filled with chemicals used to kill weeds.

The majority of farmers allow the weeds and the wheat to grow together. Then when harvest comes, the combines separate the grain from the chaff. The grain goes into the bin and the weeds fall to the ground.

In the world today, sometimes it seems as if evil is winning. We can wonder, will the weeds eventually choke out the wheat and overturn the field of God’s kingdom? Will the weeds destroy the wheat and ruin the wheat harvest? When Jesus went through His passion, it seemed as though all was lost. At the moment of His death on the Cross, it appeared evil defeated God’s kingdom of love and truth. But paradoxically, it was then evil was defeated. Death was destroyed by the death of Christ.

The fact is, by His death and resurrection, Jesus won the victory over evil. In the end, the angels of God will sort the good from the bad and evil will be destroyed forever. Someday God’s kingdom will reign over all the earth.

Meanwhile, how can we hasten its coming? It’s significant that after telling the first parable about the weeds and the wheat, Jesus then tells two more parables about the kingdom of heaven.

He said, the kingdom of heaven like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large bush. He said, it’s like a little yeast that leavens a whole loaf of bread. These are hopeful images. God’s kingdom isn’t static. It begins in many small ways and then grows and grows.

Each of us has a part to play in helping grow God's Kingdom! With every prayer, with every act of faith, with every good deed, with every Rosary, with every hour spent before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration, you will build the kingdom of heaven on earth.

Making time for prayer, reaching out to someone in need, helping the poor, speaking up in defense of life—in these ways and more, you can participate in growing God’s kingdom. Yes, they can seem like small things. But so are the mustard seeds and the little pinch of yeast. And so fields of amber grain grows into a mighty wave to be harvested.

So don’t get discouraged by the evil you see on television or the internet or in the newspaper and don’t give up hope. Believe that your small acts of faithfulness really do make a difference. And taken together with other believers, they become a mighty force in choking out the weeds of this world. By our holy life we lived during our time on earth, we will produce great fruit in God’s kingdom. But those who do evil and unrepentant, who are the weeds of this world and who did not love God nor will neighbor be cast into the fiery furnace to suffer the eternal fire of hell.

Let us turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the great woman of faith and ask our heavenly Mother to help us to grow in our faith, to live out our faith, and plant our faith in the world, so that the Kingdom of Her Son, will come on earth as it is in heaven.

15th Sunday, Parable about the Parable of the Sower

 

Imagine the day Jesus taught the Parable of the Sower. The people were accustomed to Jesus teaching in parables about the kingdom of God because Jesus gave most of his teaching about the kingdom in parables. They would automatically compare themselves to the characters in the parable and see whom in the parable they were like. Everyone knew some seeds do not sprout, while some seeds produce a good crop. But what did Jesus mean by the Parable of the Sower?

Jesus Himself was sowing seed-while teaching about the kingdom of God. Some didn’t take His message and His words to heart and produced no fruit.

Others took His message to heart for some time, and then gave up and so produced only a little fruit. And some took His message to heart and produced an abundance of fruit.

Why is it some produce fruit for God's kingdom and others apparently not? Maybe it’s best to give a parable about the parable of the seed and the Sower.

There was once a farmer with four boys. The father wanted to increase the value of the ranch. They had all discussed whether to build a new larger barn, or to add onto the existing barn, or to tear down the barn and use the land to grow corn.

They could not come to an agreement, so the father, as head of the family, decided to make a decision. He decided it would be best to build a new barn. The father set out and with the help of his friends and neighbors completed the new barn.

But oldest son refused to help. He thought it would be best to build a granary instead, and then build the new barn. Even though many neighbors, and those in the community helped the farmer to build the barn donating their time and supplies for its completion, the oldest boy continued to complain after it was completed. He told his friends, “Look at that mansion my father built. What a waste of money. The money would have better spent on building a granary. If we would have built the granary first, we could have made more money before we built the barn.” The oldest boy was completely blind to the love and charity of the neighbors. He failed to see how the new barn brought together so many good-hearted people, as they worked for a common purpose. His constant complaining even after the barn was completed, became a source of division and caused some to become unhappy. The oldest boy is like the one in parable, whom the evil one came and stole away the love that was sown in his heart.

The second oldest boy began to help build the barn. But when his older brother complained and persecuted him, he stopped working and let the volunteers do the work. He wanted to tear down the barn and to grow corn on the soil. After it was built, he too complained and was blind to the charity of all the volunteers. He is like the one, who fell away when tribulation and persecution came.

The third son also agreed to help build the barn at first. That is, until he began to worry about the bills. He thought it would be best to sell the entire farm and take the money to buy himself a new home, a new car, and to travel the world. He is like the one in the parable of the Sower who hears the Word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and so he bears no fruit.

The youngest son heard what his father had to say and did not question it. He trusted his father and decided to work on the barn with the workers and volunteers. He saw how many donated their time and talent, and treasure and even came in the evenings after getting off of their regular jobs, to help build his father’s new barn.

Because he saw the many who donated their time, talent and treasure, such as lumber, the paint, the lighting fixtures, the glass for the windows, and the trucks to carry the wood, his heart was touched and never once complained.

He decided to talk to his brothers to help them see what a remarkable thing which had occurred because of building the new barn. He gathered his brothers together and said, “Look, I’m the youngest of us brothers and my words don’t amount to much, because I am so young. But listen. Let me explain what has happened. You know the farmer across the road, who never would let us borrow his snow plow in the winter. He and his family came to help build father’s new barn. You should have seen how many people came to help. They worked hard all day at their regular jobs and then came to build the barn even to the late hours of night. Some donated wood, others glass for the windows, some even helped dig the hole to lay the foundation. And the ladies, they cleaned the new bar and cooked dinner for us each day.”

And what’s even most amazing; we all had fun and laughed together. Perhaps it was because we prayed together before we began to work each day. We all became one like one family, who loves each other no matter what. “Brothers, I ask you to see Jesus in your neighbor, and see the good hearts which built such a fine barn. Please come next week to see the barn and celebrate with us. Father is having a banquet. Why complain any longer, for the barn is now built, complaining can do no good, but cause dissension. Father says he forgives you and loves you and wants you to celebrate with us. Let us all be one happy family united together in love. For God is good-- and through many people---, He has done something truly marvelous.”

The three older brothers were astonished at their little brother’s words. When he spoke, he seemed to be sowing love within their hearts. And so they turned to him, and said, “My little brother, we are sorry, for it is true, it does no good to complain about something that has already been completed. Thank you for loving us enough to help us see what God has done in the hearts of so many good people. We will be there at the banquet as one family in joy and in unity.”

The youngest boy is like the one in the parable of the Sower, whom the seed fell on rich soil and who bore much fruit.

May our hearts be open to bear good fruit cultivated by love for God and neighbor. And may the Virgin Mary protect us from the enemy who wants to steal our joy, help us to persevere through persecution, turn away from worldly enticements, and rather than worrying trust in God's plan for us.

14th Sunday - America's 250 Years

 

 This weekend we are celebrating our country's 250th birthday, when our founders declared their independence from Great Britain.

There were 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence. They were courageous because they knew if their name appeared on it, England would consider it an act of treason and they risked death or imprisonment.

But, they wanted to give the men, women and children of our new country something England nor any other country had ever given before, freedom. Because of these 56 men, our country was the first country in the world to to declare that all men are created equal and has God given unalienable rights, of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Did you know why John Henry Hancock signed his name so large on the declaration of Independence? He wanted the King of England to see his name without putting on his eyeglasses. He wanted to the king to know, that he was ready to defend what he signed, which stated, "And for the support of this declaration with a firm reliance of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."

These men trusted God in His divine providence will help bring about the birth of our nation.

The founders of our country wanted Freedom to live without tyranny. Freedom to bear arms. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. They would no longer kneel before the King of England, but rather kneel before the King of Heaven and earth.

The statue of Liberty is a sign of hope for the millions of people who came to our country seeking freedom and it is the hope of the world who longs for what we have. The image of the Statue of Liberty on its base declares: "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" These words move us to serve those who legally come desiring the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our rights are not given to us by the government, but are God given rights. No government has the power or the right to take them away.

In our country every citizen is treated equal, but it has taken years for us to understand it. For example, it took years and the civil war to end to slavery, but God helped us root it out.

Today, we need God's help so that all Americans respect life from the moment we are created in our mother's womb. Unborn downs-syndrome children and many other children do not yet have the legal right to live. But, we as a nation must stand against this evil just as we stood against slavery. The citizens in the US are the most generous in the world. But, we need to open our hearts ever wider to provide for the needs of unexpected single mothers, end abortion in our country and protect the elderly from euthanasia.

We currently have enemies in our own country, who are Marxists, communists and socialists. Our enemies want to burn our flag. They want to take away our right to bear arms. They want to change our constitution. They want to burn our cities. They want to take away our freedom.

Our greatest enemy today is communism. It is the enemy of freedom. It is the enemy of religious freedom. Communism opposes life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They don't love God, they don't want religion and are atheists. They want to take away our land and property. They have no respect for laws.

But despite our differences, we love our fellow Americans and want them to enjoy a life of peace and freedom, but we need to win them over by love, through prayer, convincing arguments and our good example.

Fr. Kapaun and many American soldiers stood up against communism and died for freedom. Saints, blesseds, servants of God fought for our country and by their example show us how to live the way God desires of us. Bishop Fulton Sheen who will be beatified in September gave many homilies warning against the evil of communism. Today, we must fight communism and stand up for democracy.

On August 4th in our state of Kansas we have the opportunity to vote for democracy. Currently lawyers appoint our Kansas Supreme Court, but we want the people of Kansas to vote for them. I encourage you to vote Yes on August 4th. President Thomas Jefferson acknowledged that his "best ideas of democracy" had been secured at church meetings. He said, "Democracy is Christ's government in church and state." 

Have you ever heard the story about the presidential election of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. They were friends who both signed the Declaration of Independence. But when Thomas Jefferson won and John Adams lost, the presidential election, he became angry and would not speak to Jefferson for years. However, after many years John Adams began to write to Thomas Jefferson and he would write back. They renewed their friendship. Amazingly, 50 years after both signed the Declaration of Independence, they both died on the same day, July 4th, 1826, just hours apart. This goes to show that we must protect our selves from the enemy who wants to sow division. We must be friends with others and at times in charity mutually disagree with them.

Millions of Americans have died protecting our freedoms. We need to stand up for them. And even die for them if necessary, so that future generations will have what we have. We want to pass on the gifts that God has given to us.
Explorers crossed oceans, they climbed mountains, went through deserts. In the USA, we are the land of opportunity. We have freedom of speech. We dream big and are free to make our ideas and dreams come true. If we are poor, we the opportunity to go to college, to become an athlete, to start a business.

Americans invented the light bulb, the airplane and the Internet, the refrigerator, telephone, electricity, nuclear energy by the splitting of atoms, MRI, Cat Scans, PET scans, polio vaccines, penicillin, I-phones, microwaves, personal computers, traffic lights, lasers, & chemotherapy. We have the most Olympic medals. And the modern organized Catholic school system was developed in the USA.

How is it we can invent all these things, and do all these great things for humanity? One word, GOD, the giver of every good gift. God uses us to help others, to create things for society. And we must acknowledge all these are from God and by God, otherwise, we can become proud and take credit for what God, the author of all good, has done.

In the Gospel today, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

Jesus wants us to have a meek and humble heart, like His. We are to avoid pride, and live the virtue of humility.

Out of humility, we must declare that gifts God has given to our nation are gifts from God, our creator. We should thank God every day for all He has given us. We should thank God for our beautiful land, spacious skies and prosperous people. We should thank God for those who stood up to defend our country and those died for our country.

Out of humility, we come to serve, rather than be served. We want to help our fellow Americans. We want other nations to have what we have, God given freedom.

Due to the World Cup soccer, thousands of Europeans have come to our country. They are shocked at how loving, kind and generous we are. They say, that their news media portray us as wicked, evil, prideful, uncaring and selfish. Europeans were surprised when complete strangers told them hello. One man said, "Everyone here smiles." He said, "I can only remember three times that my mother ever smiled at me." The man said, "In my country the news media lie to us. But, we have seen for ourselves what Americans are really like."

The truth is most Americans are hospitable. Most of us generally want what's best for others. Most Americans are good people and will help others if they can.

However, there are people in the US, who abuse their freedom to hurt others. Pope John Saint Paul II said, "Freedom is not the right to do whatever we want. Rather, freedom is the ability to live responsibly the truth of our relationship with God and with one another.”

No one has the right to trample on the rights of others. That is not freedom.

Today, we want to live out our nation's ideals, to believe and proclaim to our fellow Americans and the world, that "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.., the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "

My friends, let us humble ourselves and give God all the credit for what He has done for our great nation. And let us be ready to defend her freedoms, even to lay down our life, if necessary, and continue to ask God to bless our good ole USA.