4th Sunday, Year A Good Shepherd

 

The fourth Sunday after Easter is always dedicated to Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Today is Good Shepherd Sunday.

As the first pope, Saint Peter was the first chief shepherd of the Church. Recall what Jesus said to Peter after Our Lord rose from the dead. Even though Jesus rose from the dead and they had seen Him two Sundays in a row, the apostles didn't know what to do. So Peter, said to the Apostles, “I'm going out to fish,” and they said, “We'll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat. After fishing all night, they caught nothing. But the next day, Jesus appeared on the shore, though they didn't recognize Jesus. He told them to throw out their nets for a catch, and when they did, their nets were overflowing. John recognized Jesus, saying "It is the Lord!". Peter jumped into the water and swam to the shore. As Jesus was cooking a charcoal fire, He asked Peter,

 Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” And then again, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter said, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Tend my sheep'. The third time, Jesus said, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter responded, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep". These words show Jesus made Peter the Shepherd of the Church.

When I was in the Holy Land recently, we visited the church built over the sight where Jesus cooked fish for them and told Peter, he was to be the shepherd of the Church. The church is called, "The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter."

What was the very first way Peter shepherded the Jewish people and where did he do it?

When the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and Mary in the upper room and after they heard the strong driving wind, Peter boldly went out to the Jews gathered for the feast in Jerusalem, and said, "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." When the people heard him, they were cut to the heart and asked Peter and the others, "What are we to do, my brothers?" Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Did all the people who gathered outside the upper room, where Peter gave his sermon crucify Jesus? Yes. All of them may not have been there at the location, where Jesus was crucified, but every Jew, every Roman, every Gentile, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, etc...every person in the entire world from the moment the world was created until Jesus's second coming, participated, in the crucifixion of Jesus by our sins.

A bold shepherd will proclaim that every person, participated in the crucifixion of Jesus. And then tell them what to do, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Every pope, bishop, and priest is a shepherd, and every shepherd is called to bring souls to Jesus. A shepherd should not fear in proclaiming that everyone needs to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

When I was in the Holy Land, I met a priest from the United States, he said, he had been to the Holy Land before. He said when he went the wailing wall in Jerusalem, which is believed to be the remaining wall of the Temple, Jews accosted him. He told me, "I'm not wearing my clerics this time, when I go to the wall, so they don't do that again. They won't know I'm a priest." I was disheartened he wanted to hide that he is a Catholic priest. 

Our group was scheduled to go the wailing wall in a few days, and I thought I would wear my clerics, because I was willing to suffer for Jesus. I wondered, if I could have endured it. I hope so, yet I didn't want to presume I could take the persecution. However, at least I was willing to suffer for Jesus. A priest from a different pilgrimage group said that Jews spit on Christians, especially priests at the wailing wall.

The thought occurred to me, "If I go to the temple wall, I don't care if I get accosted, and I will say to the Jews, "You people of Israel, you and your ancestors crucified Jesus, the one and only Messiah. He is Lord and Savior. Repent and be baptized everyone one of you, for the forgiveness of your sins, and accept Jesus into your life, for only He is the way, the truth and the life. Only Jesus can help you obtain to heaven. Despite each of us participating in His death, He loves you and forgives you!" 

Due to war beginning, we never went to the wailing wall and so I never had the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to the Jews there. Only God knows if I actually would have said what I thought.

The pope is the chief shepherd of the church and like Peter, he is also called to proclaim the Gospel, not only to Christians but to every man, woman and child and to every religion, whether that be Jew or Muslim or Hindu.

Saints went to their death proclaiming the truth about Jesus. For example, in 1597, Japanese martyrs, St. Paul Miki and companions were crucified for trying to convert others. He said, “As I come to this supreme of my life, I am sure none of you would suppose I want to deceive you. And so, I tell you plainly: there is no way to be saved except the Christian way. My religion teaches me to pardon my enemies and all who have offended me. I do gladly pardon the emperor and all who have sought my death. I beg them to seek baptism and be Christians themselves.”

Imagine for a moment what would happen if the pope, the current chief shepherd of the Church, went to a Muslim nation and said the words of St. Peter, "....know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." "Muhammad is a false prophet. The one and only true prophet, who is Lord, God and King is Jesus Christ! And then would say to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Would he convert all those who heard him, or be martyred like St. Paul Miki and companions? A shepherd is to lay down his life to help many obtain salvation.

As our bus was traveling the countryside in the Holy Land, as we looked out the window, we could see the Bedouin people, who are nomads. They roam the country and live in tents. Every time I saw a flock of sheep, I saw a shepherd, who stood or sat by the sheep with a staff in his hand. He uses the staff to protect the sheep from animals and bring back those that wander off. There were no fences, so the shepherd needed to constantly guide the sheep, to keep them close to him.

Today, the Church needs shepherds, like St. Peter, the first pope and like St. Paul Miki and companions, to boldly bring all into the flock of the Catholic Church. We need bishops and priests who are willing to suffer for Christ and to lay down their lives for sheep.

I would like to close with some thoughts about young men, who may be called to the priesthood. There was a recent survey given to many priests. The results are that:

86% of priests surveyed, that as a child, both parents were Catholic. 88% of the time, during the most formative childhood years, were raised by a married couple living together; 97% were raised by both biological parents. Before entering seminary, 79% regularly prayed the Rosary, and 81% regularly participated in Eucharistic Adoration. 92% were encouraged by a parish priest to consider a vocation; 49% were encouraged by a friend, 46% by their mother, and 44% by a parishioner. 79% of priests served as altar servers.

The diocese of Wichita has more seminarians per capita than any other diocese in the United States.

We give thanks to God for the many parishes that have Eucharistic Adoration, and as a result, help young men and boys to discover their vocation in life.

Is there some young boy or young man, from our parish, God is calling to be a priest? And will he respond to become a shepherd to bring as many as possible to Jesus, the Good Shepherd and therefore obtain the gift of heaven? 

Survey Results: https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=69158

3rd Sunday of Easter - Road to Emmaus

 

Today's Gospel is one of the resurrection appearances of Jesus to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. As the two were walking down the road, sad and disheartened by the death of Jesus, who was crucified three days earlier, their eyes were downcast as they had hoped for the redemption of Israel. As they were walking, they didn't know Jesus rose from the dead that same day. They had hoped Jesus was the Savior, Lord and Messiah, but now He is dead, and they don't know what to do or think about the tragedy.

However, Jesus suddenly began to walk along with them, but they didn't recognize Him. Perhaps, it was because He had a new resurrected body that His appearance looked different. As they were walking along, Jesus began telling them about scriptures, which said He must suffer to enter into His glory. For example, Psalm 22 predicted, "they divided my garments among them." and "they have pierced my hands and feet and numbered all my bones." The book of Zechariah predicted, "...when they look on Me, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child." (Zechariah 12:10) The book of Micah, predicted His birthplace. "But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathaha, least among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel" (Micah 5:1) And Isaiah predicted, He would be born of a virgin. "Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bare a son and name Him Emmanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

After Jesus explained the scriptures about Himself, He gave the impression He was leaving. But they said, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”

Then when Our Lord sat at table with them, He did the same as at the Last Supper. He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. At the moment, they recognized Him, and He vanished from their sight. They said, "As we were walking down the road, were not our hearts burning inside us, when He explained the Scriptures to us?"

Filled with joy after their encounter with Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem to tell everyone they saw Him. They then heard Jesus had appeared to Peter.

When Jesus then told His apostles, "Do this in memory of Me" He commanded them to also take bread, bless it and by His power through the priest, Our Lord changed the bread and wine into His body and blood. The early Christians did as He commanded when they "gathered to break bread", they were gathering for Holy Mass.

Today's resurrection event, with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, was the second Mass. The very first Mass was the Last Supper, when Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it and said, "This is my body, which will be given for you." Then Jesus took the chalice, and said, "This is the chalice of my blood, which will be shed for you."

Through the sacred priesthood, for over 2000 yrs, Catholics attend Mass every Sunday. And at the Mass, Jesus through the ordained priest, changes the bread and wine into His Body and Blood, so that just like the early Christians, we can receive Jesus in Holy Communion.

When Jesus said "This is my body." He meant these words literally. He also literally meant, "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever." For 1,500 years Christians believed Jesus' words to be literal. In the 1500's, Martin Luther began to spread the error, the Eucharist is only symbol and not the real and true flesh and blood of Jesus.

Today, when non-Catholics attend Mass for the first time, they see things that can be confusing to them. They see the whole congregation stand, then they all sit, then they all stand, then they kneel, then they stand, then they kneel again. In a nutshell, we stand when we sing. We sit when we hear the Word of God. Out of respect for the Gospel, and because we believe Jesus speaks to us through it, we stand. Then we sit to listen to the sermon. Then later in the Mass we kneel because we believe when the priest says the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, Christ, the Son of the Living God, changes the bread and wine into His body and blood. We kneel because we believe that Host is truly the risen Jesus and because He is God and we kneel before this great mystery on the altar. When coming forward to receive Communion, we make a sign of reverence bowing our head and many kneel to receive Jesus, who is God, in Holy Communion. We return to our pew, we pray to Jesus. He unites His Heart to our heart and become one with Him. It takes faith to believe what looks like bread is truly Jesus.

Over the centuries, Jesus worked miracles in which the Eucharistic Hosts began to bleed. Never had this ever happened in a non-Catholic Church, because non-Catholics do not have the power and authority to change bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus, as do Catholic priests. They believe its only a symbol.

Jesus worked these Eucharistic miracles in Catholic churches, to increase the faith of believers, so they truly believe it is the true flesh and blood of Jesus.

Every Catholic church has a tabernacle, the gold box which contains the Sacred Hosts. We believe in the Tabernacle, Jesus is truly there. That is why when we enter and leave the church, we genuflect on one knee to Jesus, the King of heaven and earth.

Scott Hahn, a Presbyterian minister, originally very anti-Catholic, describes the first time he attended Mass, and how it changed his life.

He said, “I quietly slipped into the basement chapel down at Marquette, Gesu. They were having a noon Mass and I had never gone to Mass before. I slipped in. I sat down in the back pew. I didn’t kneel. I didn’t genuflect, I wouldn’t stand. I was an observer; I was there to watch. But I was surprised when 40, 50, 60, 80, or 100 ordinary folk just walked in off the street for midday Mass, ordinary folk who just came in, genuflected, knelt and prayed. Then a bell rang and they all stood up and Mass began. I had never seen it before. The Liturgy of the Word was so rich, not only the Scripture readings. They read more Scripture, I thought, in a weekday Mass than we read in a Sunday service. But their prayers were soaked with Biblical language and phrases from Isaiah and Ezekiel. I sat there saying, “Man, stop the show, let me explain your prayers. That’s Zechariah; that’s Ezekiel. Wow! It’s like the Bible coming to life and dancing out on the center stage and saying, “This is where I belong.”

Then the Liturgy of the Eucharist began. I watched and listened as the priest pronounced the words of consecration and elevated the host. And I confess, the last drop of doubt drained away at that moment. I looked and said, “My Lord and my God.” As the people began going forward to receive Communion, I literally began to drool, “Lord, I want you. I want Communion more fully with you. You’ve come into my heart. You’re my personal Savior and Lord, but now I think You want to come onto my tongue and into my stomach, and into my body as well as my soul until this Communion is complete.” Scott said, "And as soon as it began, it was over. People stuck around for a minute or two for thanksgiving and then left. And eventually, I just walked out and wondered, what have I done? But the next day I was back, and the next, and the next. I couldn’t tell a soul. I couldn’t tell my wife. But in two or three weeks I was hooked. I was head over heels in love with Christ and His Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. It became the source and the summit and the climax of each day, and I still couldn’t tell anybody.”

Scott was like the two men on the road to Emmaus. At Mass, his eyes were opened and he recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread, when the bread truly changed into Jesus. At that moment, He intensely wanted to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion, which is why he became Catholic. Today, he is now Catholic and a world renown biblical scholar and teacher at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. A few years after he became Catholic, his wife Kimberly and their children became Catholic too.

Today, every time we come to Mass, we have a personal and intimate encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. May all come to know Jesus is really and truly present in the Eucharist and through the prayers of the Mother of Jesus, may all come to know and love Jesus.

Divine Mercy Sunday

This weekend is the feast of Divine Mercy. Jesus asked Sr. Faustina that the Sunday after Easter be celebrated as a Feast of Mercy. Our Lord told St. Faustina, “On that day, the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.”

The Holy Eucharist is a font of mercy. The first time Jesus appeared to the apostles Thomas was absent. The following Sunday, Thomas declared he will not believe Jesus had risen unless he were to see the nail marks in His hands, feet and side. But, although the doors were locked, Jesus stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” and He told Thomas to put his finger in the wounds in His hand and in His side. And then Thomas made His famous statement declaring the divinity of Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas bears witness to the physical presence of Jesus and His divinity. Jesus is God! It was really Him and not a ghost, not an apparition and not only a spiritual presence. He and the other apostles experienced Jesus in His resurrected body, which is a physical body that can be touched.

The Eucharist is not only the spiritual presence of Jesus. It is His physical presence: body, blood, soul and divinity. His entire human and divine natures are present in the Eucharist. In the Eucharist is the resurrected and living body of Jesus. Not a hunk of flesh, but a person. We can’t have a relationship with a hunk of flesh, but a person. When we receive Holy Communion, Jesus passes through our body and we become one with Him. When we receive Holy Communion, Jesus always forgives our venial sins. But we are never to receive Holy Communion when in the state of mortal sin, otherwise we commit a sacrilegious communion. Jesus requires that we confess mortal sins in Confession. But, if our soul is in the state of grace, without a mortal sin, Jesus will forgive venial sins when we receive Holy Communion.

Our Lord St. Faustina, “Were a soul like a decaying corpse, so that from a human standpoint, there would be no hope of restoration, and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. Oh, how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God’s mercy!"

Let us look at examples of God's infinite mercy. The Rosary helped convert a satanist, Bartolo Longo. He was raised Catholic, but fell away from the Church and became a satanic priest. He eventually went to Confession, but fell into despair, thinking that he was too big of sinner to ever go to heaven. He said, “I experienced a deep sense of despair and almost committed suicide. Then I heard an echo in my ear of the voice of Friar Alberto repeating the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary: ‘One who propagates my Rosary shall be saved.’ Falling to my knees, I exclaimed: ‘If your words are true that he who propagates your Rosary will be saved, I shall reach salvation because I shall not leave this earth without propagating your Rosary.” From that moment, Bartolo Longo’s life was consumed with devotion to Our Lady and Her Rosary. He began to spread the Rosary wherever he could – preaching missions, giving out rosaries, teaching others to pray it, and encouraging public processions and recitations of the Rosary in areas where the faith had grown cold. He understood the Rosary not only as a private devotion but as a public proclamation of the truths of the Faith. He built the world’s largest basilica dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii, Italy. Through the Rosary, he experienced God's infinite mercy.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen will be beatified at St. Louis in September. One day, he encountered a drunk woman entering Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Instead of turning her away, he offered her tea and made a promise: he would not ask her to go to confession when she returned sober. When she came back, he gave her a tour of the church, and as they were walking by the Confessional, he gently ushered her inside it. She said, "You said you would not talk about Confession." He said, "I didn't. I just gently pushed you inside." That single encounter led to her conversion, and she eventually entered a convent, spending the rest of her life as a nun. This story illustrates a profound truth: God’s mercy often works through simple, unexpected moments. The woman did not need a grand gesture or a dramatic sermon. She needed kindness, patience, and a quiet invitation to return to God.

Fr. Donald Calloway was baptized Episcopalian, but his parents never went to church and divorced. As a teen, he became promiscuous, addicted to drugs and was often drunk. When his parents moved to Japan, he became involved in the Japanese mafia and was a drug mule, meaning he transported drugs to various people and locations. He was arrested and returned to the United States. While contemplating ending his life, he found a book on Medjugorje and read the entire book that night. That night, he had a terrifying encounter with the devil and cried out, "Mary!" And with that, the devil left and he heard a woman's voice that saying, "Donnie, I am so happy." He eventually became Catholic, and later a priest. He is now a member of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. Upon receiving Holy Communion on Divine Mercy weekend, all his sins and all the punishment due to his sins were washed away in the ocean of God's mercy.     Saint Bartolo Longo, the nun, and Fr. Don Calloway are all examples of how God's mercy in Confession can change one's life.

Our Lord said, “Come with faith to the feet of My representative. I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest...I Myself act in your soul. Make your confession before Me. The person of the priest is, for Me, only a screen. Never analyze what sort of a priest it is that I am making use of; open your soul in confession as you would to Me, and I will fill it with My light."

Confession and Holy Communion are not the only fonts of mercy. Baptism is an incredible font of mercy and can change the life of the greatest sinners.

When I was in seminary, I met Dr. Bernard Nathanson, an atheist, who presided over 70,000 abortions, and he personally did 5,000 of them, including his own child. He was one of the world’s leading abortionists. One day, he used an ultrasound, to help him do an abortion. Through the ultrasound, he saw the horror of what he had been doing, changed his mind and he became an outspoken defender of the unborn in the pro-life movement. Ultimately, it was the attraction of a merciful God and his desire to be free from his sins which led him to be baptized in New York City at St. Patrick’s Cathedral by John Cardinal O’Connor. He spent the remainder of his life working for the cause of life. If Dr. Nathanson would have died immediately after baptism, he would have went straight to heaven, because baptism washes away original sin, personal sin and the punishment due to sin.

Jesus told sister Faustina, “Paint a picture according to the vision you see and with the signature, ‘Jesus I trust in You!’ I desire that this picture be venerated first in your chapel and then throughout the whole world.” Every time we gaze upon the Divine Mercy image, it reminds us of God's infinite mercy and that there is no sin, God will not forgive. We only need to have confidence in His mercy.

Jesus taught St. Faustina the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us, and on the whole world”. He said, “Say unceasingly this chaplet. Anyone who says it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as a last hope. If the most hardened sinner recites this chaplet even once, they will receive grace from my infinite mercy. I want the whole world to know my infinite mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in my mercy.” Jesus also said, “I desire the confidence of my people. Let not even the weak and very sinful fear to approach me, even if their sins be as numerous as all the sand of the earth all will be forgiven in the fathomless pit of my mercy.”

Today, let us rejoice and give thanks to God for those who went to Confession during Lent, received Holy Communion in the state of grace and received His unfathomable mercy bestowed upon them.

Holy Wednesday - Healing of Paralytic - Mother Angelica

 

In the first reading today, a man crippled from birth was carried to a gate at the Temple. The men who carried him to the temple, did so, so he could beg for alms.

Obviously, no one was taking care of his needs, despite being crippled he had to provide for his own livelihood. At least some men, had the heart to bring him to a place where he could work, so to speak, by asking people for money. Peter saw the misery of the paralytic, looked intently at him, and said, "I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk." Peter then took his right hand, raised him up and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong. He leaped up, stood, and walking around, and went into the Temple and walking jumping and praising God.

When Mother Angelica was a young religious sister in Ohio, she had a floor buffing accident, which caused her to not be able to walk without using braces on her feet and crutches in her both of arms.

However, in 1998, on January 28th, an Italian mystic, Paula Albertini asked to pray with Mother Angelica because she said, Jesus wanted to heal her.

She at first rejected the idea and thought the mystic wasn't authentic. Eventually, she caved in, and did as she requested. They first prayed the Rosary together. When they were praying the Rosary, one of the religious sisters who was with Mother Angelica, saw a light come out of a picture of St. Francis of Assisi, which hung on the wall.

After the Rosary, Paola told Mother Angelica, she was healed and told her to take off her braces and walk.

At first, Mother refused because she said, "If I take off the braces, I will fall." Finally, she conceded, removed the braces. Her legs were wobbly and so, she said, "I told you, I can't do this!" But, as she turned around, she felt heat go through her legs and felt her legs strengthen. Soon she realized she was healed and just like the paralytic in first reading, she began to jump up and down, saying, "I'm healed! I'm healed!" She swung open the door and saw a security guard standing there dumbfounded. She said to him, "Do you want to dance with me?" To his shock and amazement, she grabbed his hands and they began to dance together and she gave thanks and praise to God.

The following morning, as Mass was about to begin, when the grate opened, those in the congregation did everything they could to see her. One could see that she had placed her braces on a ledge in front of the Tabernacle, to thank Our Lord in the Eucharist.

And when it was time for her to come forward for Holy Communion, there was a collective gasp, as they saw her get up and walk unaided to receive Jesus in Holy Communion.

Later at one of the live shows, she told the viewers, "Jesus healed me, to strengthen your faith. He did this for you!"

God can and does work miracles today. He does so many times through the power of the Holy Rosary. It was during the time they prayed the Rosary, Paulo Albertini had the vision and mother was healed. This true story can be found in my book, Miracles of the Rosary and the Rosary of Miracles.

The Virgin Mary at Medjugorje has asked that we pray three Rosaries a day, the joyful, sorrowful and glories mysteries.

 Wouldn't you agree that the world and our families need God's graces by praying the Rosary. Will you make that commitment to pray 3 Rosaries a day?

Easter Sunday - Father Kapaun's Last Easter

 

If you hear the words “Easter Morning”, what image springs to mind? Likely you think about: a bright sun shining in a blue sky, birds chirping in the trees, a glistening church filled with people. Easter lilies adorn the altar. Men dressed in their Sunday best, and little girls delighting in bright new dresses.

As Mass starts, the jubilant sound of the organ resounds over the assembly, and the Alleluia is once again sung like no other day of the year.

Christ is risen, and we share a Communion with the Lamb who lives by receiving Jesus in Holy Communion! The joy is filled to the brim and runs over even to our homes, where Easter baskets are filled with chocolate and the sweet aroma of ham cooking in the oven teases of the feast to come.

Seventy-five years ago, for a small group of Americans and the priest among them, Easter looked nothing like this. In fact, the contrast couldn’t have been more stark. It was a cold, gray morning when the 60 or so prisoners, who were officers, made their way past guards and up the hill to the rubbled steps of a bombed-out church. It was a motley and bedraggled congregation, led by their Chaplain.

Father Kapaun looked like all the rest of the prisoners with long hair and a scraggly beard. He had an old sweater sleeve pulled over his head as a cap and an eye-patch over an infected eye, but he wore his purple confession stole around his neck.

On Easter Sunday, 1951, he hurled at the communists his boldest challenge, openly flouting their law against religious services. In the yard, of the burned-out church in the officers’ compound, just at sunrise, he read the Easter service.

He could not celebrate the Easter Mass, for all his Mass equipment had been lost at the time of his capture. All he had was the things he used when administering the last rites to the dying–the purple ribbon, called a stole, which he wore round his neck as a badge of his priesthood, the gold ciborium, now empty, in which the Host had been carried when he had administered Holy Communion, and the little bottles of holy oil used to administer the last sacraments. 

He held up a simple crucifix he had fashioned from two pieces of wood as he began the service, reciting the Stations of the Cross from a borrowed missal.

As he spoke, the road to Calvary and the mysteries of our Lord’s Passion became real for the men, who themselves daily lived under harsh treatment and the shadow of death. "We are suffering", he told the men, "but Christ understands and suffers with us".

Then Father Kapaun switched tones, focusing on the Lord’s Resurrection and His glory. He reminded the prisoners that after their time of suffering, they too would experience the Lord’s Resurrection, as long as they didn’t lose faith or hope.

A chorus of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," sung by the Americans, echoed through the damaged church. They sang, "Mine eyes have seen the glory / Of the coming of the Lord ... Glory, glory, Hallelujah! / His truth is marching on."

Together all the men exercised their faith by singing the Lord’s Prayer, loud enough so that the rest of the men in the camp could hear. There was not a dry eye among them, and none who attended could ever forget the hope that Easter offered them.

The Easter service ended with the baptism of a prisoner. A priosner had confided in Kapaun earlier that he had wanted to become a Catholic, and the chaplain chose this special occasion to grant his wish.

Afterward, men shared with one another what the Easter service meant to them, and how special it was after having lived in the hellish prison for months.

But the chaplain broke into tears, surprising them all. When one of them asked why, he was crying, Fr. Kapaun said that it hurt him for not having been able to give them Holy Communion.

By outward appearance, this Easter service in Korea, was a very different vision than we will see in our churches today on Easter, but the reality was the same. Christ is Risen. He remains with us and are to remain with Him. We are to share His life with each other and the world.

This message wasn’t unique to Father Kapaun; it is re-echoed throughout history. On his Apostolic Journey to the United States in 1995, St. John Paul II left us the same message in different words: “There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us. And on the far side of every cross we find the newness of life in the Holy Spirit, that new life which will reach its fulfillment in the resurrection. This is our faith. This is our witness before the world.”

On this Easter, we pray that the Lord will bless you and your family abundantly, with this new life in the Spirit. May we all share our joy in the Risen Christ in a world in great need. Venerable Emil Kapaun, pray for us!

Easter Sunday - Eucharist is Risen Jesus

 

Jesus is Risen Alleluia! He is risen from the dead!

On Sunday, the first day of the Jewish week, Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb. When she saw the tomb empty, it never occurred to her that Jesus had risen. Instead, she thought that since “they” had ganged up against him to get him killed, “they” would not even let him rest in death and had done something with his body.

She reported it to Peter and John who both ran to the tomb, John running quicker and reaching the tomb first as he was younger. John waited outside until Peter arrived to allow Peter to go into the tomb first. John allowed Peter to enter first, since Peter had been chosen by Jesus to lead the Church.

Peter and John saw the burial cloths and John mentions two of them. Most regard them to be what we now call the Shroud of Turin and the Sudarium (the head cloth that covered the head of Jesus after His dead) in Oviedo in Spain.

John went into the tomb, and we heard in our Gospel today that he saw and believed. When Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain and they saw him transfigured, he told them they were not to tell anyone until he had risen from the dead, but they didn’t know what rising from the dead meant. On three occasions Jesus had told them He would be handed over, killed, and rise after three days. Again they did not understand what Jesus meant. Now suddenly, as John saw Jesus’ tomb empty, he remembered that Jesus had said he would rise from the dead and now he believed.

On that first Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to many. We take it for granted that He appeared first to His Mother Mary, but that it was so beautiful an encounter words could not do it justice and that it was so well-known at the time the Gospels were written that no evangelist put it into writing. The Gospels report on Easter Sunday Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, to the apostles, and to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

On the following Sunday, Jesus again appeared to the apostles. As Jesus appeared on Sundays, the early Christians met to celebrate the Eucharist on Sundays, and so the Christian holy day became Sunday the first day of the week while the Jewish sabbath remained Saturday.

The early Christians met on Sundays to celebrate the Eucharist because they knew that was how Jesus was present to them and we know it is how Jesus continues to be present to us.

The two disciples on the road to Emmaus learned that when Jesus explained the Scriptures to them, and then broke bread with them—the Eucharist—before becoming invisible to them.

Jesus did not go away after breaking bread with them but, in Luke’s Gospel He became invisible to them. They knew Jesus was still with them even though they could not see Him, and we know Jesus is with us under the appearance of bread and wine.

After the consecration, the bread is no longer bread but Jesus, and only has the appearance of bread. After the consecration, the wine is no longer wine but Jesus, and only has the appearance of wine.

Jesus is not in the tomb. He is risen and here with us as the Scriptures are proclaimed and here with us after the consecration under the appearance of bread and wine.

To reassure us, from time to time, Eucharistic miracles occur in which the bread not only becomes the body of Jesus at the consecration but also changes appearance to become human heart tissue, and the wine not only becomes the blood of Jesus at the consecration but changes appearance to become blood.

Hospital lab tests always show these Eucharistic miracles are heart tissue, myocardium, so we can say it is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the tests always show that the blood is blood group AB.

These Eucharistic miracles reassure us that Jesus is really with us in the Eucharist just as Jesus appeared on Sundays to the apostles to reassure them of His presence with them after His resurrection and appeared on Easter Sunday evening to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus is not in the tomb. He is risen and here with us after the consecration under the appearance of bread and wine. Let us rejoice, that Jesus is risen! Jesus is alive and Jesus is with us, most especially in the Eucharist, when we receive Him in Holy Communion, when we adore Him during Adoration and who remains with us in the tabernacle.

May the Virgin Mary, whom tradition tells us Jesus appeared first, help us to experience Her Risen Son!

Homily mostly taken from Fr. Tommy Lane

Easter Vigil - He is not here, for He has been raised from the dead!

We heard the readings proclaimed, which tell the story of salvation history. We first see God as the creator of creation, then God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham's faith causes him to believe even if his son would die, God would raise him from the dead. God then used Moses to help the Hebrew people escape slavery, and the crossing of the sea represents the water of baptism destroying evil and being saved by water. God then promises a new and everlasting covenant, which Jesus later indicates, the Eucharist is the new and everlasting covenant. We heard Ezekiel's prophecy that God will sprinkle clean water and create new heart, reminding us that through the waters of baptism our heart is made clean from sin.

As we began Mass this evening, the lights of the church were off, the fire was blessed and the candle was lit from the fire. When the candle is processed down the aisle, from the back of the church to the front, each person's candle is lit. The light from the fire of the Easter candle represents the resurrection of Jesus. Then the whole church is lit by individual candles, which represent each of us bringing the light of Christ into a world of darkness. Just as light easily overcome darkness, so the light of Christ easily overcomes the darkness of sin.

At the moment of baptism, the light of Christ enters our heart and we become beacons of light, as disciples of Jesus. Tonight, the darkness of original sin, that Ire Cordell's soul had when she entered life, will be illuminated through the waters of baptism. Ire spent many weeks preparing to be baptized, to get confirmed, and make her First Holy Communion. She has been looking forward to this night. Through baptism, original sin, that she has on her soul, and all her personal sins will be washed away in the ocean of God's mercy. Her heart will become a temple of the Holy Spirit. She will become a child of God, a member of God's family, a member of the Catholic Church, a member of the body of Christ.

After her baptism, through the sacrament of Confirmation, the Holy Spirit will descend upon her and make her a witness to Christ when she is confirmed. She will become a soldier for Christ and will receive the name St. Patrick. She will ask St. Patrick to pray for her from heaven for her various needs. Just as we ask one another to pray for us, we are able to ask the saints to pray for us. They are just people like us, but because they are close friends of Jesus, they can ask Our Lord to answer our prayers.

Later in the Mass, at the altar, after Jesus will change the bread and wine into His body and blood and Ire will then come forward to make her First Holy Communion.

Just as Mary Magdalene knelt in homage and embraced the feet of Jesus, so Ire will kneel before Jesus and receive Him in Holy Communion.

All of this possible, because Jesus rose from the dead, because He conquered sin and death, because He established His Church to give us the 7 sacraments, so that we can come in contact and have personal and intimate relationship with the risen Lord.

Today, because Jesus rose from the dead, He is alive and here today and every day, and as He promised until the end of time. His resurrection reminds us that Jesus is real and as God, we can turn to Him every day for anything.

The angel told the women, "Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here for He has been raised from the dead, and He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him."

The Jews believed in the resurrection of the dead, but most did not suspect they would see it for themselves in their own life. Yet, Jesus first appeared to one of the greatest sinners in the New Testament, Mary Magdalene, who was a prostitute. But, when she met Jesus and came to understand His love for her, she repented and began to follow Our Lord as one of His disciples. Why would Jesus first appear to a great sinner? Because, the greater the sinner, the greater the mercy one receives and one appreciates. And because of His great mercy. Recall the words of Jesus, who said, "Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

She came to understand how much God loves her and because of her experience of God's love, she was not afraid to go to a cemetery to anoint the dead body of Jesus.

She didn't find the dead body of Jesus in the tomb, rather to her amazement, and because she clearly did not expect it, she saw the angel and then minutes later, met Jesus alive in His resurrected body.

When she ran to tell the apostles that the angel told her, that Jesus was alive and rose from the dead, she was fearful and yet overjoyed.

Then suddenly, she sees Jesus, who met the women on their way to tell the Apostles. Her response was beautiful, "They approached Jesus, embraced His feet, and did Him homage." This was not the first time she embraced the feet of Jesus, because she had poured oil on them and then wiped His feet with her hair. She then embraced His bloody feet at the foot of the Cross. Now she embraced the same feet, which are now resurrected. Surely, she saw the wounds in His feet when she embraced them. The humility of Mary Magdalene moves our heart to see Our Lord's divine presence as God and her great love for Jesus.

Let us remember, that every day, the risen Lord stands before us.

Every day, we should bend down on our knees and pray to Jesus because He is risen! He is risen from the dead and He is alive!!

Jesus loves us so much, that He went through His horrible passion, His suffering and death on the Cross, to conquer sin and death, so that we may enter into friendship with Him, and then have eternal life with Him in heaven. By His own power, He raised Himself from the dead to prove His love for us.

Today and every day, let us rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus, because we are never alone and we are able to be one with Him in Holy Communion, where He unites His Heart to our heart and the two hearts beat in unison as one heart, sharing love with each other. Now that's a whole lot of love!

Let us be thankful for it and rejoice in it, for He is risen, He is risen indeed!

Good Friday - Saint Anna Schaffer

On Good Friday, we do not have Mass. Rather, the Passion of Jesus is proclaimed, we venerate the Cross and receive Holy Communion. The bread and wine are not changed into the body and blood of Jesus; the sacrifice of Calvary does not become present on the altar. The Church wants us to know, if it wasn't for the suffering and death of Jesus, we would not have Mass. But, the Church does not deprive us of Holy Communion.

Due to her sufferings, St. Anna Schäffer couldn't attend Mass. But, a priest gave her Holy Communion daily. She received the stigmata and shared in the Passion of Jesus.

Anna Schäffer was born February 18, 1882, in Mindelstetten in Bavaria (Germany). Her family was poor. After her father died at age 40, she dropped out of school at 14 and worked as a maid to help her family. She had hoped to enter a religious order, but had to help provide for her family.

  At age 11, she received her first Holy Communion, telling Our Lord, “Do with me as you want … if you will it, my Jesus, let me become an expiatory sacrifice to atone for all dishonor and all offenses that are committed against you.”

At age 16, Anna had a disturbing vision. She had a vision of Mary, who was carrying a rosary. She told Anna the importance of praying it, and warned her she would have much suffering in life. She was so upset by it that she left her workplace and couldn’t be convinced to go back.

She was terrified and probably confused as to why she should suffer. She and her family were already suffering due to their poverty. Why more?

It is a mystery why some suffer more than others. I have been relatively healthy and comfortable. Most people don't outwardly show their suffering. We just don’t know what other people are going through, do we?

On February 4, 1901, Anna had an accident while working at her job. She and another employee were washing linens which was done with boiling water in a large kettle. When the stove pipe came loose, Anna climbed up and stood on the edge of the kettle to reattach the stove pipe. She slipped and fell in boiling water, scalding her legs.

She was taken to the hospital, but there was little hope of helping her. Everything the doctors tried only seemed to make things worse. They didn't know if she would survive. After three months, more than 30 operations and many failed skin grafts, Anna’s doctors released her to the care of her mother. She was bedridden and in great pain.

Anna’s life looked bleak. Her dream of becoming a religious sister was gone. She was in constant pain and would be confined to her bed for the remainder of her life.

The devastation and despair would be crushing. Anna struggled with her fate for about two years, fighting depression and perhaps feeling angry about the accident.

Thankfully, Anna eventually found her strength in the Eucharist and in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She often couldn’t sleep, which led her into deep prayer to Jesus and in devotion to Mary. Because of her sufferings, she could not attend Mass, so, an abbot brought her the Eucharist daily. It sustained her in her suffering, and she wrote a moving description of how it fed her: “I cannot write by pen how happy I am every time after Holy Communion. Ah, I forget my earthly suffering and the longing of my poor soul draws me every moment to adore my God and Savior hidden in the Blessed Sacrament!”

The gift of the Eucharist sustained Anna and can sustain us in our struggles in life. We shouldn’t underestimate the power of the Lord’s body and blood to lift us up and strengthen us for our journey, whatever the journey is.

Now that Anna had accepted and abandoned herself to her suffering, she focused her energy on three things she felt were her keys to entering heaven: her suffering, her writing and her ability to knit clothes for friends. Many people came to visit her for comforting words and to ask for her prayers, which she always gave. She became well known for her patience and kindness, especially in the face of her situation.

In October of 1910, Anna had another vision of Jesus. In this vision, he told her she would feel the pains of his passion in atonement for sins against the Eucharist. When she took Communion that day, she was touched by five rays of fire on her hands, feet and heart. The stigmata lasted the remainder of her life causing her pain in those areas, especially on Thursdays and Fridays, Sundays and feast days.

Anna wanted nothing more than to emulate the suffering of her Lord, accepting it patiently and without rebellion. She united her suffering to His, rather than fighting against it. This unification of her suffering to Jesus's suffering made her prayers for others all the more powerful.

We have all heard that the best way to handle suffering is to offer it to God as atonement for our sins and the sins of the world. We are to use it to be fruitful for the greater good.

That’s a difficult ask. Anna prayed constantly for the strength and grace to bear it. We must as well.

When faced with suffering, the best we can do is pray for God’s graces and ask him to help us offer it up. Anna couldn’t do it alone and neither can we. Even if your suffering is internal, it’s a burden that is crying out for the Lord’s help. Don’t turn away from Jesus despair. Rather, give it to Him. Let Him carry you.

In 1925, Anna learned she had colon cancer which eventually caused paralysis of her spine. She died October 5 of that year only minutes after receiving the Eucharist. Her last word were, "Jesus, I live for you." A few years after her death, over 15,000 miracles have been attributed to her intercession.

St. Anna Schäffer was beatified March 7, 1999, by Pope John Paul II and canonized October 21, 2012, by Pope Benedict XVI. Her feast day is October 5. She is a patron saint of disabled and bedridden people and accident victims.

Pope John Paul II had moving words about her during her beatification:

“If we look to Blessed Anna Schäffer, we read in her life a living commentary on what Saint Paul wrote to the Romans: ‘Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us’ (Rom. 5:5). She most certainly was not spared the struggle to abandon herself to the will of God. But she was given to grow in the correct understanding that weakness and suffering are the pages on which God writes His Gospel…Her sickbed became the cradle of an apostolate that extended to the whole world.”

On this Good Friday, let us thank Jesus for His suffering and death and permitting us to share in His suffering. Let us also thank Him for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, whereby we receive Holy Communion to give us strength to endure our sufferings of life.

St. Anna Schäffer, pray for us in, our sufferings and help us to love Jesus in the Eucharist, as you loved Him!

Good Friday - St. Faustina "Surrender to Death"

In the reflection of His death on the Cross, Jesus said to Sister Faustina: “All this is for the salvation of souls. Consider well, My daughter, what you are doing for their salvation.” Then Sister Faustina said: “I saw the Lord Jesus nailed to the cross. When He had hung on it for a while, I saw a multitude of souls crucified like Him. Then I saw a second multitude of souls, and a third. The second multitude were not nailed to [their] crosses, but were holding them firmly in their hands. The third were neither nailed to [their] crosses nor holding them firmly in their hands, but were dragging [their] crosses behind them and were discontent.”

Naturally, this makes us think about how we carry or treat our own Cross, how Jesus sees us, and which multitude I’d fall into…

Then Jesus said: “Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those who resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less resemblance to Me in glory (Diary, 446).” 

In this life we will experience ‘pain and contempt’ for following the way of Jesus, by teaching His commandments, by testifying to the Truth. In our Gospel we just heard that dialogue with Pilate, “Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?””

In this world that follows many gods and saviors, this world that proclaims many different and competing truths, when we listen to the voice of Jesus Christ and proclaim the truth that He is the one and only Savior, we will most likely be rejected like He was. That rejection will be a Cross for just us as it was for Him, but we have to remember that our Cross is actually His Cross. So when we suffer, we must know that we are being united to Him, resembling Him. We need to resemble Him on earth to resemble Him in the Glory of Heaven.

In our first reading we heard the prophecy of Isaiah where he says, “He surrendered himself to death.” Many of you have heard about the Surrender Novena. The word “Surrender” is found often in scripture.

  To “surrender ourselves to death” will first mean that we have to die to our own sinful attachments, removing our sinful pride, and risking our popularity and status in the eyes of the world.  That is what happens when we proclaim the Truth and the response required by realizing Jesus Christ is our savior: we must listen to His voice, obey and teach His commands.

The prophet Isaiah said, "If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him…. Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. Therefore I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; and he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses."

By uniting ourselves to Jesus Christ, bearing our Cross and surrendering ourselves to death, we take part in His saving work. In this way our lives become “an offering for sin” or a reparation for the sins of others, we are able to intercede for transgressors and “win pardon for their offenses.” This reality is echoed in the New Testament by James, “My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

See, the cross of Jesus is truly a cross of mercy, a cross of love that seeks the salvation of every soul. Despite the pain and contempt, we may face, we should want to participate in His saving work, to help others know of the love and forgiveness and peace found only with Jesus Christ. 

As you come forward to venerate the Cross today, ask God to help you to embrace His Cross in your own life. Consider well… what you are doing for [the] salvation of yourself and others. Ask for strength and courage. Ask to resemble Him more and more. “Jesus, my Savior, hide me in the depth of Your heart that, fortified by Your grace, I may be able to resemble You in the love of the Cross and have a share in Your glory. Amen.” (Homily of Fr. Andy Upah)