Homily for March 10, 2013 (4th Lent C)

May Jesus Christ be praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.

It has been nearly four weeks since we began our Lenten journey.  It has been nearly four weeks since we received the ashes on our foreheads and the invitation to repent and believe in the Gospel.  We have made our confession of faith in the goodness of God and our confession of confidence in the power of God.  We have heard the divine promise and we have joined the Lord Jesus and the three disciples on the mountain of the Transfiguration.  We have experienced divine patience as we take our part in the work that God is doing.  Last Sunday we were invited to share in the work of God.  On this Sunday we are offered something far more precious: we are offered a share in the very life of God.  Our focus is drawn today to the gift of divine relationship.

In our reading today from the book of Joshua, we hear of the entry of the chosen people into the Promised Land.  Having celebrated the Passover of the Lord for the final time in the desert, the chosen people of God now received the land promised to their father Abraham.  After their days of disobedience in the desert, at the word of the Lord, they were restored in their relationship and enjoyed the fruits of the harvest.

In our reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, we hear of the new creation in Christ that we are, and the gift of reconciliation that we have received.  The old order has passed away and new things have come to be in the reconciliation that has been won for us through the cross of Christ.  In his great mercy, the Lord has offered us his forgiveness when what we deserved was his justice.

And it was the justice of the father that the younger son deserved to receive in our reading from the Gospel.  Having asked for his share of the inheritance while his father was still alive, in essence regarding the goods of the father as more precious than the life of the father, the younger son left his home and family to set off for a far country.  This was not like the journey of Abraham to the land of promise.  This was not like the people of Israel leaving the slavery of Egypt.  This was a journey from freedom to the slavery of the senses.  And when the younger son recognized his slavery, he sought to return to the house of the father, not as a son, but as a servant.

More important than the conversion of the younger son, and more important than the jealously of the older brother, is the compassion of the father.  When the younger son approached with contrition in his heart and confession on his lips, he was received into the embrace of the father.  Reciting his well rehearsed confession, the younger son admitted: Father I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.  And the father stopped him.  It was not the gravity of the sins, but the denial of his sonship, that broke the father’s heart.  Quickly, the father said to the servants, quickly bring the finest robe and put the ring on his finger.  These were the signs, dear brothers and sisters, that the younger son was indeed a son and not a servant in the house of his father.  What was so damaging was not what the younger son had done, but that he had forgotten who he was.  The robe and the ring were the reminders of his identity.  They were signs of his relationship.

We have been offered, dear brothers and sisters, a share in the very life of God.  Claimed in the waters of baptism, too often we have sought our satisfaction in slavery.  This Lenten season, the Lord Jesus appeals to you through the unworthy ambassador of his mercy.  Come to his mercy and he will restore your relationship.  Bring to me, dear brothers and sisters . . . bring to me, dear flock entrusted to my care, your contrition and your confession, and by the power of Christ’s blood, I will restore to you your robe and your ring. Amen.

Preached at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC

Lenten Liturgy Lesson 3

When we celebrate the Sacred Liturgy we are joining in the celebration that is occurring in eternity.  We participate in that celebration at a particular moment in time.  There are one hundred and sixty-eight hours in a week.  With a few exceptions, the Lord only requires us to devote one hour each week to worship.  Only one hour out of the one hundred and sixty-eight hours in a week is required; it is far less than one percent.

I want to speak to you today about the time that we give for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  The moment in time when the celebration of Mass begins is not a surprise.  We have a schedule, and it does not change very often.  To be present at the beginning of the Mass means that you are in the Church and in place to worship before the priest and the ministers of the altar enter the Church.  If you arrive after that moment, you are late.  Arriving late for Mass on a rare occasion can occur for any number of unforeseen circumstances.  Consistently arriving late for the celebration of the Mass, however, is a choice.  And that choice demonstrates a number of things.  Consistently arriving late for Mass demonstrates a lack of love for the Lord.  It demonstrates a lack of respect for the people of God, and a lack of respect for the priest.  Our actions are a demonstration of our values.  If a person arrives early for a soccer game, and late for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, then that person has demonstrated what he believes to be truly important in this life.

To leave Mass early, which means to leave the Church before the priest leaves, is also a choice.  After the distribution of Holy Communion, there is the prayer after Communion, through which we give thanks to God, a few announcements for the good of the parish, and the blessing and dismissal.  When a person leaves after receiving Holy Communion, then that person fails to give thanks to God for so great a gift.  The person who leaves early rejects the blessing of God that will be given at the end of the Mass.  It is not simply a lack of presence to God, but a choice to reject God and his blessing.

It will only cost a person a few extra minutes of doing something that is far less important, to be present for the entire celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  That is far less of a cost than the cost paid by the Lord Jesus to be present at the celebration of the Eucharist.

Presented at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC

Homily for March 3, 2013 (3rd Lent C)

May Jesus Christ be praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.

We are now two and a half weeks into our Lenten journey.  We have received the call to repentance and the call to faith in the gospel.  We have joined in the confession of faith in the goodness of God and our confession of confidence in the power of God.  We have heard of the promise of God and we have joined the Lord Jesus and the three disciples on the holy mountain.  Today as we continue our Lenten journey and as we join the Lord Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem, we learn of the patience of God.

In our reading from the book of Exodus, we hear of the call of Moses on the mountain of God.  Long before he would go up the mountain to receive the law of God, Moses was summoned to climb the holy mountain to hear the voice of God and to receive the name of God.  The Lord God called Moses to lead the chosen people out of the bondage of Egypt.  Because he was standing on holy ground, Moses was instructed to remove his shoes.  In the presence of the One who is the end of the journey, Moses had no need for shoes to help him walk.  When the encounter on the holy mountain had ended, Moses put on his shoes again to begin the journey to pharaoh and to freedom.

In our reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, we hear of the journey of the people of Israel during the time of Moses.  Saint Paul recounts for the people of his time, and for the people of our time, the many ways that the Lord God provided for his people and the many ways that the people rejected the Lord.  Saint Paul provides us with a warning.  The Lord Jesus provides us with a promise.

In our reading from the Gospel today, we hear the urgent call of the Lord Jesus to repentance.  We hear the invitation of the Lord that repentance leads to life.  Today, however, we also hear the parable of the fig tree.  As presented by the Lord Jesus, the owner of an orchard had a fig tree that had produced no fruit.  The owner intended to remove the unproductive tree from the garden.  The gardener, however, interceded with the owner to allow the fig tree one more season to grow.  The gardener asked the owner to show patience.  The promise of the Lord Jesus is the promise of patience with his disciples.

The Lord God, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, has invited us to be part of the work that He is doing.  On the holy mountain, the Lord appeared to Moses and invited him to be part of bringing the people of God to freedom.  On the road to Damascus, the Lord Jesus appeared to Paul and invited him to be part of bringing all of the people of the world to faith and to salvation.  The Lord Jesus chose twelve disciples to proclaim his word, to share in his work, and to act in his name.  The Lord has chosen the weak and the broken to manifest His strength and His holiness.  What God could have done without Moses, and without Paul, and without us, He has chosen to do through Moses, and through Paul, and through us.  We have received a share in His work from His Divine Goodness, and we are allowed to continue His work because of His Divine Patience.  The Lord has given us another season of growth this Lent, so that we can bear fruit for the Kingdom of God.

As we celebrate this Eucharist today, we give thanks to the Lord for the invitation to gather on this holy ground.  We give thanks for the love that the Lord has for us, and for the patience that He shows toward us.  And we ask for the grace, in this season of growth, to bear much fruit for the Kingdom of God.  Amen.

Preached at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC

Lenten Liturgy Lesson 2

And with your spirit; Five times during the celebration of the Mass, the people of God respond this way.  Five times the beautiful and glorious bride of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb responds: And with your spirit.

This is not an ordinary response.  It is not an exchange like an ordinary greeting, such as “Good Morning.”  The liturgy contains a particular kind of greeting, a particular way that we address each other.  You are greeted by the priest a number of times during the Mass, and once by the deacon at the proclamation of the gospel, with the phrase The Lord be with you.  This is the greeting of the bridegroom and the friend of the bridegroom given to the bride.  Only those who have been ordained address you with The Lord be with you.    Only those upon whom the bishop has laid hands speak to you in this way.  Your response, and with your spirit, is your prayer, for the priest or the deacon.  It is your word of encouragement that he would follow the advice of St. Paul to Timothy, and fan into flame the spirit that is within him by the laying on of hands.  The beautiful and precious response, and with your spirit is your prayer and your word of encouragement for our ministry. 

The simple response, and with your spirit, signifies several things.  At the beginning of Mass, with the response, and with your spirit, you are asking the priest to gather you all together as a community united in the Lord Jesus so that we may offer an acceptable sacrifice.  At the reading of the Gospel, your response and with your spirit, is your request that the deacon tell you the Good News.  At the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, with your response, and with your spirit, you implore the priest to take you with him to the Last Supper, to Calvary, to the Tomb and to the Resurrection as he offers the sacrifice.  At the sign of peace, your response, and with your spirit, encourages the priest to enter into the joy of the Lord and the joy of his people.  At the conclusion of the Mass, as you respond, and with your spirit, you invite me and you implore me to bless the flock of God that has been entrusted to my unworthy care.  You seek to be blessed and to be sent forth so that you may walk in love as Christ loved us.

Presented at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC

Homily for February 24, 2013 (2nd Lent C)

May Jesus Christ be praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.

Today we are continuing our Lenten journey as we join the Lord Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem.  About ten days ago we received the invitation of the Lord to repent and believe in the Gospel.  Last Sunday we were invited to make our confession of faith in the goodness of God and our confession of confidence in divine power.  Today, our prayers and our readings draw our focus to the divine promise.

In our reading from the book of Genesis, we hear of the covenant that God made with Abram.  To an old man who had no children, the Lord promised to make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.  To Abram, who at the invitation of God had left his homeland in the Ur of the Chaldeans, the Lord promised a new and fertile land as his inheritance.  In response to the promises of God, Abram offered sacrifice.  Confirming his promises to Abram with a covenant, the Lord God received the sacrifice unto himself.

In our reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, we hear the divine promise of our heavenly citizenship and of our transformation in Christ Jesus.  We hear the invitation to imitate the apostolic way of life and rely in every moment on the promises of God, as St. Paul has shown us.  We are invited to embrace the cross as our glory, believing that the edge of the land of promise is a place on Calvary hill.  As believers in the divine promise, we claim our place as citizens of heaven which was promised to us in our baptism and in our profession of faith.  Offering the sacrifice of our daily crosses, we await the day of our transformation in Christ and the full revelation of the glory of God.

In our reading from the Gospel today, we join with Peter, John and James on a holy mountain.  Invited to the mountaintop by the Lord Jesus, these three chosen apostles are present for the miracle of the Transfiguration of the Lord.  As Moses had once gone up the mountain to receive the law of God, the Lord Jesus goes up the mountain to pray.  In prayer to his Father, the glory that is his as the Eternal Son was revealed in the presence of these disciples.  And in the light of glory, both Moses, the giver of the law, and Elijah, the prophet of the Lord, appear with the Lord Jesus.  The promise, however, that Moses and Elijah bring, is that the Christ will suffer in Jerusalem.  Moses and Elijah, speaking of the exodus that he would accomplish in Jerusalem, promise that the Lord Jesus will lead his people to the land that was promised long ago.  They, who are the representatives of the law and the prophets, are the receivers of the promises made by the Lord God to the people of Israel.  With the law and prophets, the apostles Peter, John and James, are witnesses to the declaration of the Father that Jesus is the beloved Son of God. 

What was promised to Abram as countless descendants and a land of promise is fulfilled in the Lord Jesus and in the members of his body, the Church.  Conformed to Christ in sacrifice and in sacrament, it is the footsteps of the baptized children of God that make all of creation holy ground and the land of promise.

And dear brothers and sisters, all that the law and all that the prophets foretold, the apostles beheld, on that holy mountain.  And what the law and prophets foretold, and the apostles beheld, by the grace of God, we receive.  On this holy altar, veiled in the simple gifts of the earth, the promised revelation and participation in the glory of the Lord is offered to us.

As we now approach the holy altar of God, let us claim our citizenship in heaven as we imitate Christ on earth.  Let us embrace our own cross as a promise of the glory that will be revealed.  And let us profess, with St. Peter, “Master, it is good that we are here.”  Amen.     

Preached at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC

Lenten Liturgy Lesson 1

On most of the Sundays of the season of Lent, I am going to give a brief catechesis on some aspect of the Sacred Liturgy at the end of Mass.  Since we do not sing the Gloria at the Mass during Lent, my brief catechesis will not add to the normal time expected for the celebration of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Mass is God’s celebration, and we have been invited.  This is not our celebration to which we have invited God. When we gather to celebrate the Sacred Liturgy and to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we are joining in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb of God.  Our worship on earth is a participation in the worship of heaven.  The altar servers carry out the ministry of the angels.  They bring the gifts to the table of the wedding feast.  The deacon is the friend of the bridegroom.  He is the best man.  He prepares the table of the feast, and stands at the side of the bridegroom.  The priest sacramentally re-presents Christ, who is the bridegroom of the Church.  And the beautiful and glorious bride is the assembly of the baptized.  Again and again the scriptures speak of the wedding banquet.  The Lord Jesus inaugurates his ministry and performs his first miracle at the wedding at Cana.  The entire book of Revelation depicts the wedding feast of the Lamb.  When we gather as a body for worship, we are taking part in the wedding feast.   And that means that the words that we speak to each other in the Liturgy, our prayers and responses, are wedding vows.  The words that we speak are filled with power, with history, and with promise.  They are not ordinary words, and they do not speak of ordinary things.  At the invitation of God, we are invited to add our voices to the words of love and promise that Christ professes to the Church and the Church professes to Christ her Lord.

Presented at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC

Homily for Ash Wednesday (February 13, 2013)

May Jesus Christ be praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.

The Holy Father will change during this Lenten season -- but will I?  Will you?  The Gospel will not change.  The faith once delivered unto the saints will not change.  The confession of the faith of Peter and the office of Peter will not change.  The man who holds this office, however, will change during this particular season of Lent.  But, dear brothers and sisters, will I change, will you change, during this particular Lenten season?

This Lent, when I encounter Christ hungry in the desert from his days of fasting, will I eat only what I need, and some days a little less, so that I will hunger more for the bread of life and for every word that comes from the mouth of God?

This Lent, when I read and speak of Christ praying in the garden of Gethsemane, will I embrace that one important thing, and rather than being busy about many things, will I be at the feet of the Savior?

This Lent, when I am confronted with the abundant generosity of Christ, particularly as he bestows his mercy without measure and freely offers his precious life to redeem and sanctify my life, will I respond with generosity in almsgiving to the poor and compassion to the suffering?

Will I be changed?  Will you?  Will I let God be God and Christ be Lord, just a little more this Lenten season?  Will I offer to God completely the territory of my body and soul that He conquered by the blood of His cross and claimed for himself in the waters of my baptism?

Will I be changed?  Will you?  We come today to be marked with ashes as a sign of repentance.  We come to be marked as a people who seek to be changed.  By God’s grace, and my cooperation with that grace, I will be changed this Lenten season.  By God’s grace, and your cooperation with that grace, so will you.  From sinner to saint, and from glory to glory, we will be changed by the unchanging love of Christ.  Amen.

Preached at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC