The Cloak of the Prophet: Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time (1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19; Psalm 81:10-11ab, 12-13, 14-15; Mark 7:31-37)

After my homily a couple of weeks ago comparing the relationship of David and Saul to the relationship of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches, someone asked me about the significance of David taking a piece of Saul’s mantle.  This tearing of the mantle represents the division in the Kingdom of God.

We see this theme again in our reading today.  The cloak of Ahijah, which represented the Kingdom of God, separated into the 12 tribes of Israel.  Jeroboam takes 10 of the tribes into rebellion against the house of David, the other 2 remaining faithful.

Again, there are a lot of parallels in our first reading to Church history.  This time the parallels are between Jeroboam and Martin Luther.

Both men recognized the abuses that were occurring and wanted to do something about it.  Some of these abuses were well intentioned such as financing the building of Solomon’s temple in the Old Testament and financing the building of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Church history.  Still, abuses existed, none-the-less.

Before they became rebels, both Jeroboam and Martin Luther were highly regarded.  King Solomon made Jeroboam responsible for the workers within the Tribe of Joseph.  Martin Luther was named provincial vicar within the Augustinian order.

Neither men initially intended to rebel, and the story of both men is far more complicated than I can do justice today…perhaps I’ll get into that in future homilies.  Ultimately, both men were pleading for fairness, but when the pleas were denied, both men crossed the line denouncing authority entirely.  Pride vs humily…how many times does that contrast come up in salvation history?

However, there are some important points we can be call out.  Both men were threatened with their lives.  King Solomon threatened to execute Jeroboam upon learning about the potential rebellion.  Similarly, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V gave permission for anyone to kill Martin Luther in the Edict of Worms.

Despite the bounties placed on their heads, both rebellions started without military response.  Unfortunately, both rebellions would lead to wars later.

Recall the 10 fragments from Ahijah’s cloak.  The 10 northern tribes rejected the house of David and followed Jeroboam into a modified religion.  The 2 southern tribes stayed faithful and continued the authentic worship prescribed by God.  Similarly, for all intents and purposes, northern Europe followed Martin Luther into a modified religion.  Southern Europe stayed faithful and continued the authentic worship prescribed by God in the Eucharist.

As part of the modified religion, Jeroboam presented two golden calves as the true gods of Israel and led many to sin as they frequented the calves.  Meanwhile, Martin Luther introduced two new religious doctrines: Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide.  Through their religious inventions, both men separated their followers from the true faith.

Both men broke from the priestly line.  Jeroboam made "priests" in his new religion, but none of them were from the tribe of Levi as prescribed in the book of Deuteronomy.  Martin Luther did not have a way to validly ordinate priests through a duly consecrated bishop.  Therefore, apostolic succession was broken and there are no holy orders in Protestantism.

Jeroboam’s new religion rejected many of the Old Testament scriptures as authoritative and often changed the wording in their books in an attempt to legitimize their religion.  Martin Luther did similar.  In his new religion, he rejected seven books of the Old Testament (and threatened to reject several New Testament books).   Further, he added the word “alone” to his translation of Romans 3:28 in an attempt to legitimize Sola Fide.

Understanding this history gives us better perspective of the place the Catholic Church has in Salvation History and how the non-Catholic ecclesial communities around us fit into it.

Let us thank God today that we have remained faithful to His household, which is of course the Catholic Church (as Saint Paul says in his letter to Saint Timothy).  Let us pray that the mantle of our High King (the cloak of our High Prophet) will become whole again in that our separated brothers and sisters will come home.  Home, where through the Eucharist, we can hear the Lord say, “I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.”

Thanks be to God!

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Postmodern Prophet: Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time (1 Kings 11:4-13; Psalm 106:3-4, 35-36, 37 and 40; Mark 7:24-30)

In our first reading today, we see Solomon in the role of both prophet and king.  Solomon was to be the king of the Davidic Kingdom of God….the king after the heart of God.  

We also see him as a prophet today.  He received the prophecy that the kingdom will be lost due to his failure as a king.  A failure due to the fact that he was not faithful to the Lord since he turned his heart to idols.

Similarly, by virtue of our baptism, we are kings and prophets in the Messianic Kingdom of God.  We also live in a world full of idols.  These idols can easily tempt us to unfaithfulness if we are not diligent at all times.

In his monthly challenge, Archbishop Lori reminds us, “In our prophetic role, we are called to speak God’s truth even when it is unpopular in the eyes of the world.”

Toward the end of his reign, Solomon failed to do this and the Kingdom suffered as a result.  We must ask ourselves:  How are we doing in our prophetic role within the Messianic Kingdom of God?  

Archbishop Lori helps us reflect on this as he asks the following: “Do you shy away from speaking the truth because you fear opposition or repercussions? Does your silence on issues of faith or morals sometimes give others the false impression of agreement? How do you make sure you are being respectful and charitable to others when speaking the truth?”

He goes on to challenge each of us to “learn more about the Church’s teachings on one or two contemporary issues that you are concerned about, so that you can better defend the truth when an opportunity arises. Look to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and booklets from the Order’s Catholic Information Service as resources.”

If you have not done the podcast “Catechism in a Year” with Father Mike Schmitz, I highly recommend it.  Or, if you have completed it, go through it again.

Another thought is to make sure you don’t just receive your news from contemporary news sources (even Fox news, for that matter).  Instead, learn to interpret the news through the lens of the Church and learn to apply it to the world around you.

Being a true prophet in our postmodern, post-Christian, world is an act of true heroism, but at the same time we realize from our Gospel reading that the “dogs under the table” are hungry for the Truth.  

We all know people that are slaves to human secularism, the culture of death, and the host of idols that constantly bombard us.  Often these people have been lied to, manipulated, and victimized.  You may be the only opportunity for that person in your life to come to realize and understand the Truth.  Can you be the voice of Truth to them…the Truth that will set them free?

As priests, prophets, and kings in the Messianic Kingdom of God: remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Thanks be to God!

Martyr of Justice: Memorial of Saint Paul Miki, Priest and Martyr, and his Companions, Martyrs (Galatians 2:19-20; Psalm 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6; Matthew 28:16-20)

When we hear of Nagasaki, Japan, our first thought may go to the detonation of the second atomic bomb during World War II.

But, today, we remember another incident at Nagasaki that happened three and half centuries earlier involving our saint of the day, Saint Paul Miki.

Saint Paul Miki was born into a wealthy family about the same time Christianity was introduced to Japan.  He was baptized at the age of five and raised Catholic.

He joined the Jesuit order at the age of 22 and became well known for preaching and for conveying deep theological concepts.

However, he never became a priest.  At the age of 33, just two months before his scheduled ordination, he was arrested.  He and 25 others experienced their own Way of the Cross.  

They experienced a death march of hundreds of miles through ice and snow from Kyoto to Nagasaki.  Then they were crucified and pierced with a spear.  Saint Paul Miki would have been Japan’s very first priest.

Among his final words, Saint Paul Miki said, “Having arrived at this moment of my existence, I believe that no one of you thinks I want to hide the truth. That is why I declare to you that since this way teaches me to forgive my enemies and all who have offended me, I willingly forgive the king and all those who have desired my death. And I pray that they will obtain the desire of Christian baptism.”

His life shows us that true martyrdom is not found in the finality of death itself, but rather testimony to Jesus Christ.  Martyrdom is about profound transformation and witness as opposed to simply dying for a cause.  It is justice that creates the martyr, not suffering.  The sanctification of the land through the blood of the martyrs is simply the fruit of that justice.

Saint Paul Miki embodied the endurance of persecution and torture.  In the process, he encouraged others, he proclaimed his faith, he invited his persecutors to embrace Christianity, and he expressed profound love.  His deep connection with Christ was on full display until he drew his last breath.  

Only through transforming union with Jesus Christ can someone express true joy in persecution, peace in times of trouble, and love for those who harm them.  

As Saint Maximillian Kolbe, who would later build a mission in Nagasaki, said, “Let us not forget that Jesus not only suffered, but also rose in glory; so, too, we go to the glory of the Resurrection by way of suffering and the Cross”.

That is the power of the paschal mystery…the paschal mystery we celebrate and participate in every time we come to Mass.  The very same transformation Saint Paul Miki underwent and that enabled him to become a martyr for Christ, is the same transformation we are invited to through the Mass and the sacramental life of the Catholic Church.

Today, through the Mass, we go to the resurrection by the way of the suffering and the Cross of Jesus Christ.  Allow the Blood of the Lamb to transform you today.  Allow the Blood of the Lamb to fill you with holy justice and a zeal to witness through missionary discipleship.  For we too are called to declare that there is no other way of salvation than the one followed by Christians.

Remember always that those who sow in tears, shall reap rejoicing.

Thanks be to God!

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Capital Sins: Friday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time (2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6a, 6bcd-7, 10-11; Mark 4:26-34)

Our first reading gives us an opportunity to reflect on the seven capital sins.  

The capital sins are pride, avarice, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, and sloth. They are called "capital" because they form the basis for other (often more serious) sins, as we see in our first reading.

Capital sins not only can lead to more serious sins, but they often become mortal sins over time in their own right. That being said, generally speaking, capital sins begin as simple imperfections.

We need to reflect on how the capital sins, no matter how insignificantly they may seem to manifest themselves in our lives, have come to hinder our true freedom in Christ and hinder the full movement of grace in our lives.

Let’s take a look at how the capital sins were manifest in the life of David.

Sloth is often defined as laziness or apathy toward responsibilities.  We often think of that as a physical laziness, but it can also mean spiritual apathy; including a neglect of our vocation.  

David was neglectful of his vocation.  Our reading begins with David sending his army out to fight the Ammonites.  A king faithful to his vocation would have been with his men.  Instead, David chose to stay in Jerusalem.  A decision that created a void of purpose that left him vulnerable to temptation.

Lust is the excessive craving for sexual pleasure.  This one is probably pretty obvious.  He saw Bathsheba bathing from his rooftop and pursued her, which of course led to adultery.

Avarice, or greed, is often thought of as obsessive desire for material wealth.  But, it is not limited to material wealth.  

Despite the multiple wives and concubines David had, he wanted the one thing that was Uriah’s.  He wanted Uriah’s wife.  He stole the poor man’s “beloved ewe lamb”, as Nathan would put it in the rebuke that you will likely hear tomorrow.

Pride is excessive self-importance or arrogance.  David thought he could take what he wanted without regard to anyone else.  Then, he made himself the author of life and death in his attempt to manipulate the situation.  He thought he was above the very laws he had the responsibility to uphold as king.

Envy is seen as jealousy over the traits or possessions of others.  Certainly envy was involved in David’s drive to pursue Bathsheba.  

However, I think there is another thread worth discussing.  As David was trying to trick Uriah, the righteousness and honor of Uriah prevented him from going home to Bathsheba…a level of righteousness and honor that David probably realized he was lacking in the moment.  This likely stoked a resentment in David that ultimately led to the murder of Uriah.

Wrath is intense or uncontrolled anger.  While we do not see this intensity in how the situation is described in our reading, we still get a feel for how cold and calculating David was toward his plan to have Uriah murdered.  Further, consider his indifference toward all the other men that died alongside Uriah, another symptom of his wrath.  Ultimately, it was a total disregard for the sanctity of human life in order to satisfy his own desires.

Finally, gluttony, which is an overindulgence in food, drink, or consumption.  In this case, gluttony is used as a weapon.  David uses excessive food and wine in an attempt to break the will and resolve of Uriah.

The story of David reminds us that the seven capital sins are part of human nature.  Each of us experiences capital sins as part of our lived experience.

Between now and Ash Wednesday, the invitation is to reflect on how each of the capital sins are present in your life.  What are some of the things in your life that you can give up that would help you resist the capital sins going forward?  At the same time, what virtuous acts can you put into regular practice to counteract the effects of capital sins in your life?

These are our invitations as we prepare our hearts for the season of Lent.  This is how we grow in our conformity to Christ.  This is how we enable the seeds of faith to grow in our life that they may yield fruit for the harvest.

In solidarity with David, let us pray: “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”

Thanks be to God!

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Division and Pride: Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time (1 Samuel 24:3-21; Psalm 57:2, 3-4, 6 and 11; Mark 3:13-19)

I find some interesting parallels between the relationship of David and Saul compared to the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches.  I will not go so far as to say the Great Schism is prefigured in our reading today, but there are some interesting parallels none-the-less.

We say the Great Schism occurred in the year 1054, when Cardinal Humbert, a papal representative, placed a bull of excommunication on the altar of the Hagia Sophia against Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople, leading to Cerularius excommunicating Humbert in return.  

Keep in mind the Hagia Sophia was the mother Church of the Byzantine Church similar to how the Basilica of Saint John Lanteran is the mother Church of the Roman Church.  Having said all of that, I prefer to not look at the Great Schism as a one time event, but rather an evolution of events that occurred over several centuries.

In 330, Constantine moved the capital of the empire from Rome to a city called Byzantium, which he rebuilt and renamed Constantinople…naming it after himself.

Constantine also wanted the head of the Church moved to Constantinople, but Pope Sylvester I refused to move from the original ancient patriarchate founded by Peter.  There were three other original patriarchates:  Jerusalem, founded by James; Antioch, also founded by Peter; and Alexandria founded by Mark.

Similar to the growing estrangement between David and Saul, there was an attempt to quell the growing estrangement between Rome and Constantinople.  The Council of Chalcedon officially recognized Constantinople as a patriarchate in line with the original patriarchates.

The well intentioned gesture did not really work.  Once declared a patriarchate in line with the original patriarchates, Constantinople effectively abandoned Rome, leaving the Pope defenseless.  

Thus, on Christmas Day, the year 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne, "Emperor of the Romans" in Saint Peter's Basilica, reviving the Western Roman Empire and creating the Holy Roman Empire.

Fast forward to the point of the story where the high priest gives David the “holy bread” and a powerful weapon in the “Sword of Goliath”, it was during this period of the Great Schism, two things happen:

First, the Holy Roman Empire, particularly the Knights Templar, became a powerful weapon for the Catholic Church.  In 1129, the Council of Troyes officially recognized the Templars as a military order.

Second, in 1215, Pope Innocent III called the Fourth Lateran Council . This council dogmatized the teaching of transubstantiation, confirming once-and-for-all that the Eucharist is truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ….holy bread indeed.

This leads to the next parallel, as we read today, David could have easily killed Saul, but chose not to.  There were a number of clashes between the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire during the Second and Third crusades.

In the Third Crusade, the Holy Roman Empire had a treaty with the Byzantine Empire to allow safe passage to the Holy Land.  Despite the treaty, Byzantine forces attacked in 1189.  The Holy Roman Empire won a decisive victory.  They could have easily continued on to take Constantinople, crushing the Byzantine Empire, but chose not to.

This is one example where the true prefigurement breaks down as the Holy Roman Empire would temporarily occupy the Byzantine empire during the Fourth Crusade (in 1204)…temporarily meaning ~60 years.  

The point of the parallel is that David and Saul separated definitely, more over pride, power, and other factors related to human weakness than anything theological.  Similarly, the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches remain in schism.  

Many theological reasons are often cited for the separation, but understanding the history paints a more complete picture of the non-theological reasons why the separation persists.  

Further, the Eastern Catholic Churches are proof the theological reasons cited are very reconcilable as most of them were part of the Orthodox schism and have subsequently come back into full communion with Rome.

Politically, neither the Byzantine Empire, nor the Holy Roman Empire, exists today.  So, where is the path to unity?

At the end of November, Pope Leo XIV and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople met for the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. While in Nicaea, both patriarchs signed a joint declaration affirming their commitment to achieving communion between the two churches.

Pope Leo said, “We are all invited to overcome the scandal of divisions.”  He urged Christians to nurture “the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life.” 

As we complete this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, let’s pray, fast, and give alms for the full unification of both lungs of the Church.

In our division and in our pride, have mercy on us, God, have mercy.

Thanks be to God!

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Like Other Nations: Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time (1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a; Psalm 89:16-17, 18-19; Mark 2:1-12)

If you have been following the news, you are probably aware of the physician assisted suicide legislature that was was recently signed into law in the State of Illinois.

Going against the Illinois bishops and even the Pope, Illinois is now a haven for physician assisted suicide.  A move that undermines the human dignity of some of the most vulnerable among us and undermines the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

In Canada, where assisted suicide has been the law of the land for several years, 4.7% of deaths result from assisted suicide.  That may seem like a low percentage, but if you apply that to the population of the United States, that would be over 15 million Americans.

The real danger is where does this go from here.  

Remember the abortion argument from 30-40 years ago…remember when Bill Clinton famously stated that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare”, and then contrast that to our current state.

Inch by inch, the culture of death built on that toehold to the point where abortion has not only been normalized and celebrated, but that infanticide has become accepted in many states such as Illinois and Minneasota.  

Procedures are not performed by well equipped physicians, but rather ambulances are called to Planned Parenthood on a regular basis due to complications.  And, everyday, women are coerced into abortions they do not really want.  Not safe.  Not rare.

The culture of death will not rest until death rules the day.  Each victory they win for a “rare” situation, or a “safe” situation, or in the case of assisted suicide, a “terminal” situation, only becomes the fortification for their next campaign.

In Canada, there are proposals to expand assisted suicide to allow those with conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia to request their death before the effects of their illnesses set in.  Provisions are also under discussion to allow assisted suicide for those that suffer from mental illness.

Regardless of its legal status and how normalized it may become, assisted suicide is still, objectively speaking, a mortal sin.  As it says in the Catechism, “Suicide is seriously contrary to justice, hope, and charity. It is forbidden by the fifth commandment.”

As I lay that truth bomb out there, I acknowledge that many of us have known at least one person (and some of us my have known several people) who have taken their own lives via suicide.  Perhaps some of us have even struggled with suicidal thoughts.  

I do believe Jesus has a special place in His heart for those who were driven to the point where they felt ending their life was the only option.  In many cases culpability for the sin is likely reduced due to mental illness, social pressure, side effects of medication, or perhaps even demonic oppression.  

Ultimately, we need more social empathy and better ways to recognize when people are reaching this dreadful point.  That is a homily for another day.

At the same time, we need to recognize and hold to the serious moral nature of the situation.  We must stand firm in the Gospel Truth which is contrary to any form of suicide.

Yet, many “Christians” support it.  The National Institute of Health conducted a survey among clergy (which included the wide range of protestant denominations).  28% responded that physician assisted suicide is morally acceptable.  The rate increased to 56% among mainstream and evangelical Christianity.

As the non-Catholic ecclesial communities around us and even many of the Orthodox Churches continue to acquiesce to the ways of the world, we are reminded that the Truth of Jesus Christ does not change and that the Catholic Church is the pillar and foundation of that Truth.

Our challenge is similar to the one proposed in the first reading.  Who is our King? Are we part of His Kingdom, which is the Catholic Church?  Or, would we rather be like other nations?  Do we want to be set free by the Truth?  Or do we want to be slaves to human secularism and the culture of death?

In the battle of life versus death, let us for ever sing the goodness of the Lord.

Thanks be to God!

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Spirit of Epiphany: Friday after Epiphany (1 John 5:5-13; Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20; Luke 5:12-16)

The season of epiphanies is upon us again.  Last Sunday, we celebrated the epiphany of the three Magi visiting the Child Jesus.   This Sunday, we will celebrate the epiphany of those that witnessed the baptism of the Lord.

As you may recall, this is a time for us to remember that epiphanies occur when people are hungry.  The wise men represent a hunger for a king.  John the Baptist and his disciples represent a hunger for a savior.  In our reading yesterday, the congregation at the synagogue in Nazareth represents a hunger for a prophet.

The man in our Gospel today also experienced an epiphany.  He was hungry.  He was hungry to be cleansed.  He was hungry for a savior.  He surrendered that hunger to the will of the Lord.  The Lord made him clean.  His epiphany made manifest as the report of his healing spread among the people.

We talked about Advent being a season of spiritual reset and preparation for receiving the ultimate Christmas gift.  Advent has passed.  Christmas is here and nearly gone.  However, some of us may still be hanging on to the spiritual leprosy we carried into the Advent season.  Some of us may still hunger for the Christmas gift that we feel like we never received…or if we are being honest, we probably received but never opened.  We hunger for our epiphany.

Meanwhile, the Spirit wants to testify to the Truth in your life.  The Spirit wants to work great signs and wonders in your life.  The Spirit wants to give you the epiphany you are hungry for.

This gives us an opportunity for self reflection.  Have we truly fallen prostrate like the Magi, surrendering our hunger, our life, our will to the Lord, pleading with Him to fulfill our desires?  Forsaking all else that we are tempted to put before Him?  Forsaking all else that may prevent us from experiencing the epiphany?

We must remember the Blood and Water that flows from the side of Jesus Christ on the Cross flows into the sacramental life of the Church and becomes the source of our great epiphany.

When we present ourselves to the priest for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we surrender our burden of sin and any other sources of pride or selfishness that may blind us to epiphanies.  We are truly made clean.

When we present ourselves to receive the Eucharist at Mass, we receive the medicine of immortality.  We receive the means of our sanctification and our conformity to Christ.  We receive the fulfillment of all our desires.

The Blood and Water that flows from the side of Christ can satisfy any hunger you may have, if you are truly open to and receive the testimony of the Spirit.

What is it that you hunger for today?  Pray for the Spirit to reveal to you where pride, selfishness, or some other human weakness may be interfering with your ability to receive the gift Jesus wants to give you to satisfy that hunger.  Surrender that weakness through the Mass, perhaps even through Reconciliation.  Then allow yourself to be truly bathed by the Blood and Water flowing from the side of Jesus Christ on the Cross.  Allow that grace to enter into you through the Eucharist….healing all wounds, cleansing all imperfections, wiping away all tears.

In doing so, we join the great crowds that assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, as we answer the call to “Praise the Lord, Jerusalem!”

Thanks be to God!

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