Featured Homilies

Since the very early centuries of the Church, two penitential pastoral practices have been maintained: an exhortation to Prayer, Fasting and Service to the Poor on the one hand and keeping of Wednesdays and Fridays as days marked out for the penitential “Character,” so to say, on the other hand.

Today the Church invites us to begin our observance of Lent, a 40 day period of Prayer, Fasting and Service to the Poor. This annual period is, in fact, a journey, a Pilgrimage, which culminates in our celebration of the central Feast of Easter, the Resurrection of Christ from the dead.

In the Gospel Reading for this Sunday Mass (Matthew 7: 21-27), Christ presents us with two images: one is the image of the person who actively responds to the Word of God when he hears it. Jesus says that this person maybe likened to the man who builds his house on a solid foundation.

For many people, the image of an “angry” Christ is impossible to imagine because there has been such a distortion and “re-invention” of the Messiah. Yet it is precisely in the pages of the Four Gospels, recorded for us by the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, that we find the real Jesus of Nazareth, as Pope Benedict XVI tells us in his book of the same name.

Bartimaeus, the young blind man whom we meet in today’s Gospel Reading, cries out to Jesus: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” Although he is physically blind, he is able to “see” Christ through “his eyes of Faith,” so to say. He acknowledges Jesus as God and Messiah. We also note that Bartimaeus is not put off by the stern rebukes of those in the crowd who were, as St. Mark writes:…telling him to be quiet!” On the contrary, the young man kept calling out.

Divine Providence consists in the dispositions with which God leads his creatures toward their ultimate end. God is the sovereign Master of his own plan. To carry it out, however, he also makes use of the cooperation of his creatures. For God grants his creatures the dignity of acting on their own and of being causes for each other.

Very frequently, the Pharisees would approach Jesus in order to trap Him in His speech. Saint Mark says: “they were testing Him.” In this passage from the tenth chapter of Mark, they ask Jesus a question about divorce. Christ answers their inquiry but not in the way they expected or wanted Him to do.

The First Lesson read at Mass today comes to us from the Old Testament and forms part of what is called the “Wisdom Literature” of the Bible. The Sacred Author of this Book, writing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, offers to his readers a series of “spiritual aphorisms’ which reflect true wisdom for living daily life.

A careful reading of the New Testament, especially the four Gospels helps us to understand that Christ is calling each of us to go beyond the minimum requirements of the law and, in fact, Jesus calls us to practice the virtues to a degree that is truly heroic. The passage from Saint Matthew that was just read is ample proof of this truth.

Tempted again by arrogance and pride, the Chosen People decided, as the text reads:…”to make a name for themselves…”They were not satisfied with being God’s Chosen People.

The first Scripture Reading for this Mass is taken from the Book of Genesis, the book “of the Beginning,” the Book of “new Life,” so to say. After all that has happened, God wants to “begin anew;” God wishes to give mankind “another chance.”

As we know from accounts found in the Old Testament, God the Father established a Covenant, that is to say, a personal relationship with the people He shoes to be His own, the people of Israel. As part of this Covenant, God revealed that the Ten Commandments, the Decalogue, were to be understood as a concrete way for the Jewish People to express their love and fidelity to Him as the One and Only God.

The apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes, at the time a small village in the foothills of the Pyrenees, in 1858, was significant for many reasons. Europe, in the mid nineteenth century, was still suffering from several ills: the effects of the fraudulent claims of the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and France herself could not shake completely the catastrophe that was the French Revolution.

By celebrating the Feast of Saint Scholastica, the Church is recalling not only this remarkable Benedictine Abbess and the Sister of St. Benedict, but also the incomparable contribution of Monastic Life to the life and vigor of the Church.

The two Scripture Passages from the New Testament assigned by the Church to this Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time seem to be opposed to one another.

The Letter to the Hebrews, a portion of which we just heard, contains two virtues which are, on the one hand, essential for genuine holiness, and on the other hand, very difficult to live.

Today the Church invites us to honor Saint Blaise, Bishop of the Diocese of Sebastea in Armenia and martyred for the Faith in the year 316 A.D. The blessing of throats on his feast day is attributed to his healing of a young boy who was choking to death from a fish bone in his throat; the two candles used in The ceremony are derived from the candles brought to Blaise in prison by the boy’s mother.

The Gospel passage from Saint Matthew that is read at this Sunday Mass is a clear but demanding call from Christ to view and to understand everyone and everything according to the radical principles of Divine Revelation. Unless each one of us undergoes this interior change, this interior conversion, we will not understand what Jesus is asking of us.

Saint Thomas Aquinas, who’s Feast we celebrate today, devoted his entire life as a Dominican Priest to Prayer, Study and Teaching. Among his multiple works are the well-known Summa Contra Gentiles, Summa Theologica and several hymns and prayers for both the Mass and Office of corpus Christi: Pange Lingua, Adoro Te, Devote and Lauda Sion.

As a young woman living in the 15th century Italy, Angela opened a school for young women in Brescia, in the Lombard Province. Later, after training 25 young women as teachers, Angela founded a teaching order of Religious, known today as the “Ursuline Sisters.”

The Gospel narrative from Saint Matthew read at this Mass relates the miraculous cure of two persons: a leper and the servant of a Roman Officer. Given the Gospel, it is important to speak for a moment about the miracles of Jesus.

Both Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose tell us that Saint Agnes was 12 years of age when she suffered Martyrdom on orders from the Emperor Diocletian at the beginning of the fourth century. It is Saint Paul who provides us with a description of the qualities of one who would be a martyr

Both the Epistle and the Gospel for the Mass on the Feast of Saint Fabian and Saint Sebastian contain the same phrase: “Do not be afraid…” Fear is a very strong emotion and, unless it is checked and overcome, can paralyze a person; it can inhibit one from thinking, speaking or acting in a responsible manner.

Early in this New Liturgical Year, having just completed the celebration of Christmas, the Church now invites us to begin that period of the Church Year which is called “Ordinary Time;” yet, it is anything but prosaic.

Traditionally, the Feast of the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan, at the hands of John the Baptist, is celebrated on the Sunday following the Feast of Epiphany. And it is the opening lines of the Prophet Isaiah (42: 1-4) which present an ideal portrait of Christ as He is about to begin His Public Life; as He is about to carry out the will of His Father.

Epiphany is that Feast that recalls the visit of the Magi or Wise Men to the newborn Messiah in Bethlehem. The word “Epiphany” itself means “a manifestation” or “showing.” Jesus is “showing or manifesting: Himself to three stately persons representing the Gentile or non-Jewish world. The English Benedictine and early-Church historian, Bede the Venerable, has recorded their names for us: Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchior.

Epiphany is that Feast that recalls the visit of the Magi or Wise Men to the newborn Messiah in Bethlehem. The word “Epiphany” itself means “a manifestation” or “showing.” Jesus is “showing or manifesting: Himself to three stately persons representing the Gentile or non-Jewish world. The English Benedictine and early-Church historian, Bede the Venerable, has recorded their names for us: Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchior.

It is entirely appropriate that during these days of Christmas and, on the first day of the new Civil Year, our attention is directed to that Human whom God chose to be the Mother of His Son. True to His Word, God the Father sends to us His own Son, Who is also the Son of the Virgin Mary of Nazareth. She is the ancilla Domina, the Handmaid of the Lord.

It is entirely appropriate that during these days of Christmas and, on the first day of the new Civil Year, our attention is directed to that Human whom God chose to be the Mother of His Son. True to His Word, God the Father sends to us His own Son, Who is also the Son of the Virgin Mary of Nazareth. She is the ancilla Domina, the Handmaid of the Lord.

When one prayerfully and carefully reflects on the Feast of Christmas, certain truths present themselves to the person of Faith. Among these is the radical nature of what has taken place. God has become a child, a person, placing himself directly into the lives of all men, women, and young people. He entrusted Himself to us in the helpless state of an infant.

The opening verse of the Gospel of Saint Matthew contains the family history of Jesus the Messiah. Many readers of this Gospel are puzzled by this lengthy catalogue of names. The inevitable question is always: Why did the church include this information in the Gospel?

Our Lady is the third and most important guide given to us by the Church for our journey through the Holy Season of Advent. Recently, some reflections were made on the first two guides: Isaiah and John the Baptist.

e know from a careful reading of the four Gospels that Jesus regularly expressed His humanity. He wept over the fate of Jerusalem. He was tired, hungry and thirsty. And there were occasional displays of anger.

John the Baptist is one of three persons whom the Church places before us to act as our guide during this Advent Season. The other two are well-known to us: Isaiah and Our Lady.

Each year, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady is celebrated during the Liturgical Season of Advent. This is entirely appropriate because the meaning of the Title is that the Virgin of Nazareth was conceived without Original Sin as preparation for her vocation as the Mother of God.

The Gospel for this Second Sunday of Advent introduces us to the extraordinary figure of John the Baptist. He is an austere figure who has been given an especially demanding task: to prepare the people for the long awaited Messiah.

Christ has come, historically, fulfilling the prophecy. But there is more. We recall the coming of Jesus each year during our Liturgical observance of Advent so as to make Him and His Gospel a living reality, something vibrant. It is the responsibility of each one of us, as members of the Church, to live the Gospel, to become living witnesses to Jesus.

During the holy season of Advent, the church offers us the words and example of three important persons who guide and encourage us through his period of special preparation for the Liturgical observance of the Birthday of Christ.

The reason for Advent is to serve as a period of preparation for the Birthday of Christ. In our time, however, commercial interests and a deeply entrenched secularism have reconfigured these weeks into a continued series of shopping periods and festive celebrations of a Feast that has not yet come! As a result, many arrive at Christmas Day in a state of moral and physical exhaustion.

Today, on the last Sunday of the Church’s Liturgical year, we are invited to honor the Kingship of Christ. The narrative from the Gospel of Saint Luke is taken from the Passion Narrative on Good Friday: Jesus is in agony hanging on the Cross.

This Gospel passage from St. Luke is a continuation of the chapter read at Mass yesterday morning. New, Jesus enters the Temple and confronts the merchants for their impious behavior in carrying out commercial business within the hallowed walls of God’s House, the Holy Temple.

uring these last days of the church’s Liturgical Year of Grace, we are asked to reflect on the transitory nature of all creation. The Holy Spirit is prompting us to realize that we must avoid an inordinate attachment to material things, no matter how beautiful or costly. One day all such things will cease to be.

During these final weeks of the Church’s Liturgical Year, the selected Scripture Lessons remind us of the passing and transitory nature of creation and all that is in it.

Today’s feast is that of Saint Josephat, an Eastern Rite priest and bishop who was martyred by dissidents as he tried to bring unit to the Church in the sixteenth century.

On this Feast Day of Saint Martin, the Church has chosen the account of the Last Judgment found in the Gospel of Saint Matthew. This selection was prompted for a number of reasons. One of them is that the conversion of St. Martin began when he was an officer in the Roman Army stationed in Gaul. He was on night patrol and met a beggar poorly clothed. Martin gave him a portion of his red military cloak.

During the month of November when the Church prays for all of the faithful departed, the discussion between the Sadducees and Christ calls to mind the reason for these prayers: our belief in the resurrection of the dead. Jesus rose from the dead and promised us that we too can look forward to our resurrection and to eternal life with Him.

The history of the Church is filled with both darkness and light. The darkness is personified by those members who are unfaithful to Christ and to the Gospel. The light is personified by those members of the Church, both canonized and not canonized, who remain faithful to Christ and to the Gospel, they strive each day to live their Baptismal Vows even thought is very difficult.

Each year, during the month of November, the Church invites us to remember and to pray for our beloved dead, those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. We believe that for them, because of their faith in the Risen Lord, life is changed, not ended. It is changed from one side of the kingdom to the other, from earthly life to eternal life.

Zachaeus is a man of small stature but very interested in Jesus and so he climbs a nearby sycamore in order to catch a better view of Christ as He enters Jericho.

Throughout the four Gospels, Jesus meets and speaks with various groups of persons: the young, those who are ill and the poor. He shows compassion and understanding and is willing to alleviate their suffering.

Today the Church honors two members of the Apostolic College, Saint Simon and Saint Jude. Eleven of the Apostles died as martyrs for Christ and the Gospel. Each made the supreme sacrifice in order to remain faithful to the Truth which they lived and preached.

The Parable that the Church has placed in the Gospel for this Sunday Mass is the story of the Publican and the Pharisee at prayer in the Temple.

The Gospel for Mass today is a continuation of the same chapter of Luke that was read at the Holy Sacrifice yesterday morning. In this section, Christ chides His listeners because, although they know the signs in nature that can predict the weather, they cannot, in Jesus’ words: “read the signs of the times.” Some of the people are not paying attention to what is happening around them.

The language and tone which Christ uses in the Gospel this morning may take us somewhat by surprise: “setting the earth on fire,” “great anguish,” “establishing division,” setting family members one against the other. How are we to understand all this?

The parable that Saint Luke records for us in his Gospel, and that the Church has assigned to this Sunday Mass, offers us an insight into the necessity of prayer and its effectiveness.

Throughout the four Gospels, Jesus will, on the one hand, reveal Himself plainly as the Messiah and, on the other hand, will veil His true identity. This situation may seem confusing but Christ has His reasons. To those who believe, to those who have faith in Him, Jesus draws aside this veil and shows Himself as the Messiah.

Padre Pio was born Francesco Forgione on May 25, 1887, in Pietrelcina, Italy, into a simple peasant family. At the age of 15 he entered the Capuchin Franciscan Friars, and was ordained a priest in 1910. In September, 1916 he was assigned to the Friary in San Giovanni Rotondo in central Italy, where he lived for the rest of his life.

The journey of John Henry Newman to the truth and to the Catholic Faith was a long and arduous one. For several years, Newman had undertaken a study of the Father of the church and, as a result, came to realize that the fullness of truth was to be found in the Roman Catholic Church and so he became a Catholic. A short time later, he went to Rome and, having completed his studies, was ordained a priest. This decision carried with it numerous personal sufferings and deprivations. His family and friends turned away from him and he was dismissed from his position at Oxford.

Today the Church invites us to honor Saint Robert Bellermine, important teacher and doctor of the Church. The first Scripture Lesson chosen for this feast is taken from the Old Testament Book of Wisdom and it applies personally to this remarkable Jesuit scholar:

Today is the Liturgical Memorial of two early Martyrs, Cornelius, who was a pope and Cyprian, who was a bishop. Whenever the Church invites us to honor the martyrs, we are able to recall the words of Jesus from the Gospel “Unless one takes up his cross and follows me, he cannot be my disciple (Luke 14: 25 – 33).

The Gospel passage for this Sunday Mass contains the familiar Parable of the Prodigal Son, the younger brother who left home and squandered all of his inheritance. Today, however, I should like to speak about the older son who stayed at home. At first glance, this young man seems to be the perfect son to his father; he is conscientious and doer everything he is told to do.

A centuries-old custom invites professors and students to invoke the Holy Spirit at the commencement of each new school year. We do so because it is He who grants to each one His Gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord. These gifts will help each to carry out his respective duties and responsibilities in accordance with the vocation each one has: student, teacher, administrator.

All of the teachings of Jesus call us to a strong adherence to the virtues. Christ Himself places great emphasis on the central one of charity, love for others. How we live this demanding perfection reveals the state of our relationship with God and one another.

the Gospel read for this Sunday Mass, Jesus makes clear to all who choose to listen that He requires certain conditions if a person wishes to be His follower. They are demanding and formidable and yet, they are not impossible. Christ asks that all who follow Him be willing to accept hardships and difficulties; that all who follow Him consider what is being asked and be willing to make the necessary changes in one’s life; to undergo a conversion so that what each one owns or possesses will not be a stumbling block to his being a faithful follower of Jesus; to be willing to live a simple life style and to give generously to the poor.

The Scripture Lessons chosen by the Church for the Feast of Saint Gregory the Great contain those characteristics necessary for one who has been called to be a servant of the truth. St. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, says: “But we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord…while holding this treasure in earthen vessels…that the power may be of God and not form us.”

After having instructed the people at the shore of Lake Genneseret, Jesus steps into Peter’s boat and gives instructions to “put out a short distance from the shore.” Christ further instructs them to lower their nets for a catch, even though the apostles had been fishing all night and was unsuccessful.

The Sunday Gospel Readings for this Liturgical year are taken from Saint Luke. In the passage chosen for this Sunday, Jesus offers us two important lessons: one in the virtue of humility and the other invites us to practice thoughtful and kind generosity to those who are poor and neglected by society.

Tradition places the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor, five miles east of Nazareth. The event takes place about three weeks before the Passion and Death of Jesus. Peter, James and John are invited to accompany Christ and to witness this extraordinary event. Jesus appears completely transformed, “transfigured.” He appears to the three apostles as He will appear following His Resurrection.

In light of what transpires in this well-known passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew in which Christ appoints Peter as the Chief of the Apostles and confers on him the primacy, it seems all the more contradictory and paradoxical that we witness, at the very same time, Peter attempting to dissuade Jesus from the Cross. It was Peter also who denied Christ three times. How are we to understand such a puzzle?

Today’s Gospel recounts Jesus’ return to His hometown of Nazareth, and as we learn from the narrative, His reception was not a cordial one. Those present in the synagogue assume a critical attitude and an air of snobbery and arrogance. They mock Christ and ridicule Him. These harsh critics voice skepticism of both His family and His teachings.

Parable of the Sower and the Seed read in Saint Matthew’s Gospel this morning is related in a particular way to the Liturgical Memorial which the church celebrated on July 11: The Feast of Saint Benedict. Christ wants us to understand that the Sower is God; the Seed is His Sacred Word found in Scripture. The images of the path, the rocky ground, the thorns and the rich soil are images of the souls of all of us who listen to the words of Scripture.

The Gospel read on this feast of Mary Magdalen recalls the encounter between the Risen Christ and the penitent woman. It is one of the most poignant in the New Testament. Jesus calls her by name and it is at this point precisely that Mary recognizes who He is.

Our lady has many titles; the most well-known are recited during the Litary in her honor. Yet, all of her titles, as beautiful and significant as they are, derive from her most important one: Mother of God, Theotokos, “God-Bearer.” But the Church does not celebrate titles; she honors persons. And today, we honor the mother of God, under her title as “our Lady of Mount Carmel.”

Today the Church invites us to honor Saint Bonaventure, Franciscan Briar, Professor of Theology, Superior General of the Order, Cardinal – Bishop of the Sea of Albano and Doctor of the Church. One might rightly ask how one man was able to manage all of these responsibilities simultaneously; how he was able to keep everything in balance.

Today, 11 July, is the Liturgical Memorial of Saint Benedict, the Father of Western Monasticism and the founder of the Order which bears his name. Venerable Pope Pius XII, declared him to be Patron of Europe because of his valuable contribution to the patrimony of the Church and Western Civilization.

During these recent weekday Masses, Christianity has been speaking about what makes a true apostle, a genuine disciple. Today He continues with a rather sobering description of what one can expect if we become His followers. All too often, reflecting the prevailing view of our culture, we expect everything to “go well” for us; we anticipate genuine success and an enduring popularity.

Once again as He did earlier in the Gospel of Saint Luke, Christianity gives His Apostles and us a description of what is to be expected: what to do and what not to do. Advice, counsel, guidance are very helpful and Jesus wants us to know and understand what lies ahead for us as His Chosen ones.

The Gospel passage from Saint Luke read at Mass this morning is, in fact, an invitation to become Christianity’s followers. Jesus begins č an invitation to pray for more “laborers in the vineyard.” You and I accepted that call on the day of our Baptism and it continues until the day when Christianity calls us to Himself.

The Gospel assigned by the Church for this Mass is, in fact, autobiographical. St. Matthew, writing in the third person tells us the story of his vocation, his conversion, his call by Christianity to be an apostle and evangelist.

Today the Church in the United States honors one of the most well known of all missionaries to the New World: Padre Junipero Serra. He was born on the Spanish Island of Majorca on 24 November 1713 and entered the Franciscan Order at the age of 17.

The three Scripture Lessons chosen for this Sunday contain two related themes: Vocation and Fraternal Charity. The First Lesson (I Kings 19: 16-21) describes the vocation of the young man, Elisha, to succeed the prophet, Elijah and Luke’s Gospel account (9: 51-62) describes the willingness of a young man to follow Jesus.

The Miracle of the Multiplication of the Brad and the Fish recorded in the Gospel of Saint Luke and read today on the Feast of Corpus Christi reveals to us the profound love which Christianity has for each and every person.

The Feast of Pentecost originated as a celebrated day in the Jewish Feast of Weeks (Oeut. 16: 10) or the Feast of Harvest (Ex. 23.16). Later, among Greek – speaking Jews, the Feast came to be called Pentecost meaning “fiftieth” day after the Spring Feast of Passover. It became a Christian Feast when the Holy Spirit came to our Lady and the Apostles (Acts 2: 1-4) on this Day.

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthias, the Apostle who was chosen to take the place of Judas Iscariot who betrayed Christianity for thirty pieces of silver. It is important to note the qualifications this new Apostle must have as they were explained by Peter, the Chief of the Apostolic College.

Today the Church invites us to celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, the return of Christianity to His Father. Jesus has completed all that God the Father had asked of Him, fully and without reserve. His Birth, His Public Life, His Passion, Death and Resurrection, all were according to the Divine Plan.

During these remaining weeks of Easter, the Gospel Readings at Mass indicate to us that Christianity is preparing His Apostles for two very significant events which are related, one to the other: Ascension Day and Pentecost. For the past three years, Jesus has instructed His Chosen Ones in those truths which He will ask His Apostles to preach to others. Everything He said and did was in direct consequence of carrying out the Will of His Father.

Our time honored Catholic customs dedicate the Month of May to Our Lady, the Woman whom God chose to be the Mother of His Son. This was part of God’s Providence which He revealed in a veiled manner in the Book of Genesis (3:15) when God the Father promised to send the Redeemer.

Death is, and will remain, a deep and unsettling mystery. Christianity has, however, through His Passion, Death and Resurrection, drawn back the curtain and has allowed us to see the limitations of this reality. For all of us who believe in Christianity and the resurrection of the body, physical death in the beginning of a new life: Eternal life with God. It is the way in which each one of us will begin eternity.

Today’s Gospel Reading from Saint John relates the conversation Christianity has with the Apostles prior to His Ascension into Heaven. Jesus consoles them: “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” He tells His chosen ones. Christianity is going to send the Holy Spirit, the Feast we will celebrate this year on 23 May, Pentecost Sunday.

Today the Church invites us to honor Saint Catherine of Siena, Dominican Mystic and Doctor of the Church. Catherine lived in the 14th century, a period filled with great difficulties and challenges for the Church. Her love and fidelity to the Church and to the Vicar of Christianity led her to counsel Gregory XI to return to Rome from the French city of Avignon in 1376.

According to Tradition, today is called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” It takes its name from the text of the Gospel. In Biblical times, shepherds were a common sight. And although they did not enjoy a high social ranking, they were very important in the agrarian society of the day.

This morning we heard one of the most familiar and dramatic passages in the New Testament: the Conversion of Saint Paul. This event is often the subject of scholarly dissertations and homilies. It is also a favorite subject in Art. One can call to mind, for example, the dramatic painting of Carravaggio.

During these weeks of Easter, the Church invites us to read passages from the Acts of the Apostles. Today we meet Philip the Apostle and a royal official from the court of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. The official, the Royal Treasurer, is reading the Prophet Isaiah. In the meantime, the Holy Spirit instructs Philip to go to him and offer to explain the text.

Following His Resurrection, Christianity appears many times to those who are His followers. This is especially so in regard to the Apostles. The Gospel for this Easter Mass is taken from Saint John (21: 1 – 19). After having fished all night, the Twelve are headed for shore. Christianity calls out to them to try again. This time, they meet with success.

During the Easter Season which the Church celebrates for seven weeks, our entire attention is placed on the Risen Christianity. The daily Gospel Readings for this Season describe His numerous appearances to many people. By allowing Himself to be seen and speaking with these people, Jesus assures everyone that He is alive; He has risen from the dead!

Today we are invited to celebrate that Feast which is central to the life of every member of the Church and to the Church herself: the Resurrection of Christianity from the dead.

In these final weeks of Lent, the confrontations between Christianity and the Pharisees become more frequent and, as we learn from this account from Saint John, they have now turned violent: “They picked up stones to hurl at Him.” Their aggressive attitude and verbal exchanges have gone far beyond words. It is clearly an act of hatred and desperation.

Today the Church invites us to celebrate a Feast which is central in the History of Salvation: The Annunciation of the Lord. It is the Day on which Our Lady gave her consent to God’s Plan to overturn the effects of the sin of Adam. By voicing her “Fiat,” the Virgin of Nazareth is given a unique role in man’s salvation.

The Gospel Lesson from Saint John on this Fifth Sunday of Lent recalls the meeting between Christianity and the woman caught in adultery. Those responsible for finding her and bringing her to Jesus do so for disingenuous reasons. They hope to trap Him so that He contradicts the Mosaic Law. But Christianity knows their thoughts and refuses to oblige these men.

Today is the feast of Saint Joseph, the Foster Father of Jesus and the Patron of the Universal Church. In describing the Husband of Our Lady, the Preface of today’s Mass refers to him as the “just Man.” This term has particular significance. In the language of the Bible it means one who is virtuous and upright; one who always obeys God. Saint Joseph was certainly such a man.

At Mass during these days late in the Season of Lent, we “listen in” to a series of conversations which are recorded in the Gospel of Saint John. They take place in the closing weeks of Jesus’ life. Christianity is responding to a number of accusations and charges brought against Him by some of the Jewish leaders. For three years Jesus has been preaching and working miracles and the simple and humble people see and believe but these men do not.

On this fourth Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to reflect on a well-known parable from Saint Luke: The Prodigal Son. And while it does seem that the principal figure in the story is the younger brother, it is also true that one should take a closer look at the older brother, “the perfect son:” the son who “always obeyed his father.”

During his tenure as Roman Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate was involved in several controversies with various Jewish factions; some of them turned violent. Because of the particular incident mentioned in today’s Gospel Reading from Saint Luke, some of the Jews believed that the victims of Pilate’s wrath on this particular occasion were being punished for their sins.

The account of Joseph and his brothers found in the Book of Genesis is, on the one hand, a very dark and sad narrative and on the other hand, it is one that is filled with the marvelous workings of Divine Providence.

The Gospel selection for today’s Mass is the very familiar parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus from the Gospel of Saint Luke. God’s judgment against this man of wealth comes about, not because he is rich, as some people believe, but because he is selfish. Wealth, in and of itself, is not immoral. Rather, the morality of wealth is determined by the way it is used.

On this second Sunday of Lent the Church invites us to reflect on Saint Luke’s account of the Transfiguration. This event takes place about three weeks before the Passion and Death of Jesus. Christianity takes His closest apostles, Peter, James and John to the mountain and is “transfigured” before them, allowing the three to see Him as He will appear after His resurrection. The purpose of this vision was to lessen the shock and scandal of Good Friday.

The prophets, who play such a prominent role in the Old Testament, were men who God chose to express His will to the people. In this passage from Ezekiel, who was one of the four Major Prophets, God reveals that every sinner who repents, every sinner who renounces his former way of life and undergoes a genuine conversion and confesses his sins will be forgiven; that person will be returned to the Father’s embrace.

Today’s reading from St. Matthew offers us a reflection on Prayer: its importance and its efficacy. This Gospel passage is most appropriate because prayer is one of the three pillars of the Lenten season.

On this first Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to reflect upon Luke’s account of the temptations of Christianity in the desert. Jesus had entered the wilderness for a 40 day period of prayer and fasting in preparation for His Public Life in response to the Will of His Father.

The Gospel for this Lenten Mass comes to us from Saint Matthew and is that portion concerned with the question of fasting. This particular test is timely in view of the fact that the Church has just entered the Lenten Season in which the practice of fasting has such a prominent part.

At Mass on Ash Wednesday a portion of Saint Paul’s second Letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 5: 20-6: 2) was read during the Liturgy of the Word. In this letter, Paul reminds his listeners that the present is “… a very acceptable time; …now is the day of salvation.”

It has been the venerable and ancient practice of the Church that during the Holy Season of Lent we are called to the practice of three special Spiritual Exercises: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.

Throughout the four Gospels, the attitudes and behavior of the Pharisees is consistently disappointing. Again and again, these men show their contempt for Jesus; they treat Him with distain. And this passage from Mark’s Gospel reinforces this view

On this Sunday prior to our annual observance of Lent, we are asked to reflect on the Beatitudes as they are recorded for us in the Gospel of Saint Luke. But at first reading these teachings of Christianity seem not at all possible to follow.

Saint Mark tells us that “people brought to Him a deaf man with a speech impediment and begged Him to lay His hands on him.” There is already in this passage a recognition that Jesus possessed certain powers that were beneficial to those who were ill. This cure and others like it always contained a “hidden element,” that is, a spiritual cure.

Today’s Feast of Our Lady recalls the apparition of the Mother of God to Bernadette in the Grotto of Massabielle at Lourdes. We know that the Blessed Virgin Mary was the faithful servant of God, the one who always did as God asked. This fidelity, this response to God’s Holy Will is by no means something that is easy.

For this feast of St. Agatha, the Church has chosen a portion of Paul’s first letter to the Christians at Corinth. The Apostle to the Gentiles reminds the Corinthians and us that the majority of Christians come from the middle and lower classes to serve as a reminder that all that is good and holy originates with God our Father and with Christianity and the Holy Spirit.

Prior to their first missionary efforts, the Twelve are given special instructions by Jesus so that they can properly understand the mission. To properly understand this passage in Mark, we must also have a proper view of Divine Providence. This does not mean that we live and act irresponsibly, allowing God to do everything for us.

The term “Kingdom of God”, which Jesus uses throughout the Synoptic Gospels, is used to designate the central theme of His Mission: The invitation to submit oneself to God’s Will and thereby achieving the transformation of the world reflected in the Beatitudes.

Today the Liturgical Calendar invites us to honor Saint Thomas Aquinas. As a child, young Thomas was educated by the Benedictines in the Abbey School at Monte Cassino.

Saint Luke tells us that Jesus, guided by the Holy Spirit, returns to Nazareth “where He had grown up.” He enters the Synagogue on the Sabbath and reads from the Scriptures. Christianity tells his listeners that He is the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets. In other words, Jesus is saying: I am the Messiah.

On 22 January, 1973, the Supreme Court ruled that it was permissible to take the lives of children in the womb. Today, on the anniversary of that decision, Roe v Wade, this mass is offered in reparation and atonement for the grave sin of abortion.

Early in the fourth century, during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Diocletian, Saint Agnes suffered martyrdom, “in odium fidei”. Both Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine attest to her young age and she is mentioned in the Roman Canon. With the passage of time and the change in political and social structures, giving one’s life, death by martyrdom, while still present, has been accompanied by a contemporary form of suffering for the faith: “a white martyrdom.”

Today the Church invites us to celebrate the feast of Hilary of Poitiers, a fourth century Bishop and Doctor of the Western Church. During Hilary’s years as a Priest and Bishop, the Arian heresy caused deep divisions in the Church. Arian taught that Christ was not truly God; that Christ was not divine but only human.

On this final day of the school term, as we prepare with joyful anticipation to begin our Christmas celebration, it is fitting that the last collegiate mass of the semester contain Matthew’s account of the Birth of Christ.

The inclusion of the Genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Saint Matthew serves as a particular reminder that Christ was born into a family: Our Lady is His Mother; Saint Joseph is His Father. Jesus had grandparents and ancestors; He came from the royal Line of King David. We know from the study of Bible History that some of Jesus’ ancestors were very good people; others were not.

Today, the third Sunday of Advent, is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday, so called from the opening word of the Introit (Phil 4 : 4 – 5). It sets the tone of joyful expectation for the Birthday of Christ and Second Coming, as does the permitted use of Rose Vestments.

As our special models and guides during this liturgical period of Advent, the Church invites us to listen to Our Lady, John the Baptist and Isaiah. Each in his own particular way will help us to better understand this special period of “waiting” and of “expectation”.

During the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, immediately after the recitation of the Pater Noster, The priest says this prayer: Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Francis Xavier was born into a family of the Spanish Nobility in the city of Pamplona on April 7, 1506. While studying in Paris, Francis met Ignatius Loyola, a fellow Spaniard. The young nobleman entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained a Priest in 1537.