Restored Through the Sacramental Life of the Church: Friday in the Octave of Easter (Acts 4:1-12; Psalm 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a; John 21:1-14)

Today, we are going to talk more about this season of miracles to which our first reading witnesses.  

Last year, we said, Jesus did not heal every physical ailment that He encountered while walking around Galilee and Judea, but he healed many in order for them to be a sign of the true healing miracles He makes available to each and every one of us through the Sacramental life of the Catholic Church.

We must have faith that what was true in the beginning of the Church, continues to be true today.  We must have faith that the gifts of the Holy Spirit given at Pentecost continue to be exercised by His Church today, bearing fruit among His children.

Sometimes, however, we have obstacles in our lives that prevent us from receiving the healing the Holy Spirit wants to give to us through the Church.  We see an aspect of this in our reading today through the themes of poverty and crippleness.

The theme of poverty represents a total obedience to Jesus Christ and His Church, and it represents a total reliance on divine power as opposed to the government, our wealth, our possessions, ourselves, or whatever else we might tempted to rely on.

The theme of crippleness represents a complete helplessness or emptiness.  It represents what some may call, “hitting their bottom”.   It represents that place where all you really have left is Jesus Christ.

Coming to recognize the bottom and coming to recognize that, even with all the resources at our disposal, we cannot meet our deepest needs and desires on our own.  This often becomes the point that true faith can finally begin.  This often becomes the point where the beautiful gate of our soul is finally opened, perhaps for the first time, to grace, healing, and deliverance.

The crippled man had nothing left.  His life was in shambles…left begging outside the Temple.  A sense of pride long gone.  Perhaps even a point of realization that there is nothing the world, the flesh, or the devil can offer that can bring even the slightest bit of joy or consolation.

The Church, through Peter, offered Him Jesus Christ and he came to believe that Jesus could restore his life.  He came to believe Jesus could restore his health.  

Based on the phrase that the no-longer-crippled man clung to Peter and John is a pretty good indication to me that this man became a devout Christian, turning his life and his will over to Jesus Christ through the Sacramental Life of the Catholic Church.

That means he was obedient.  That means he was humble.  That means he was faithful.  That means he was truly healed.

As we complete this Octave of Easter and continue into Eastertide, let us renew those aspects in our lives:  Obedience, Humility, Faithfulness.  In doing so, let the miracle of healing through the Sacramental Life of the Catholic Church become a reality in your life in a superabundant way.

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone of our healing, deliverance, and salvation.

Thanks be to God!

Live Stream Recording

Healed Through the Sacramental Life of the Church: Thursday in the Octave of Easter (Acts 3:11-26; Psalm 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9; Luke 24:35-48)

Our reading today is in the aftermath of an incident that occurred at the Temple in Jerusalem shortly after the Apostles received their charisms, their gifts of the Holy Spirit, at Pentecost.

Peter heals the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate.  The power of the Holy Spirit made manifest through Peter and the Church in order to extend the Kingdom of the Sacred Heart of Jesus into the world around him.

We must remember that, sacramentally speaking, the Sacred Heart of Jesus is ultimately the Eucharist and His Kingdom is the Sacramental Life of the Catholic Church.

In his monthly challenge, Archbishop Lori reminds us “Jesus promised he would be with us always, and the Eucharist is his fulfillment of that promise. We encounter his presence most profoundly in the Eucharist, where he is truly present — body, blood, soul, and divinity — under the appearance of bread and wine.”  

He goes on to say the Eucharist is no ordinary bread, “but an encounter with Christ, who invites us, too, to enter into communion with him through the Eucharist.”

It is through the Eucharist and the Sacramental Life of the Catholic Church that we are granted healing and deliverance.  The Precious Blood of Jesus Christ and the Fire of the Holy Spirit flow from the side of Christ on the Cross into the Sacramental Life of the Catholic Church for us to receive like the crippled man in front of the Temple.

I’ll talk more about this tomorrow at Mass, but for today, Archbishop Lori challenges us to “remain in prayer and adoration for several minutes after Mass to grow in awareness of Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist.”

Ultimately, the crippled man was healed because he came to realize the true presence of Jesus Christ.  From that moment on, he “clung” to the Sacramental Life of the Catholic Church and all the people were amazed.

What amazing thing can God do in your life?  What amazing healing can Jesus bring about for you?

It all starts with the Eucharist and the Sacramental Life of the Church.  As Archbishop Lori asks in his challenge:  “Do you fully realize it is the true body and blood of Christ that you receive in the Eucharist? Do you habitually pray in thanksgiving after Communion for this immeasurable gift? Do you consistently participate in Mass on Sundays and holy days? Do you make an effort to attend more frequently, so that you might avail yourself of the graces of this great sacrament?”

Those are pertinent questions for us to meditate on this Easter season, especially if we feel we are somehow crippled ourselves, whether that is physically, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically.  We must cling to the Sacramental Life of the Catholic Church.  We must fully understand who He is in the Eucharist.  We must have complete faith like the crippled man. 

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth through the Sacramental Life of the Catholic Church.

Thanks be to God!

Spy Wednesday: Wednesday of Holy Week (Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34; Matthew 26:14-25)

The Wednesday of Holy Week is traditionally known as Spy Wednesday.  It is called Spy Wednesday because it is the Wednesday before the fateful Passover that Judas met with the Sanhedren to make a deal to hand Jesus over to them.  From that point, he spied on Jesus for the Sanhedren and would later make arrangements for His capture in the Garden of Gethsemane overnight during the Passover.  In return, Judas received thirty silver pieces.

As such, we look at Spy Wednesday as a penitential day commemorating Judas’s betrayal of Jesus.

We may wonder what led Judas to betray Jesus.  There are a number of theories out there, but there are two I like to reflect on:  The first is his zeal for what he expected out of the Messiah.  The other is simply his greed.

For the first point, many, including, I think, Judas, were expecting the Messiah to be a great civil King in the order of David.  He probably expected Jesus to lead a great revolt against the Roman occupiers and thus liberate the Jews from the Roman empire.

I suspect the frustration Judas likely felt as a result of the many times Jesus seemed to shun away from such opportunities probably eventually wore him down.  Maybe he saw handing Jesus over to the Sanhedren as an opportunity to put Jesus in a spot where He would have to take on this expected role out of a sense of self-preservation.

Perhaps behind this frustration was a sense of wrath.  

For the other point, we need to go back to our reading on Monday, which takes place six days before the fateful Passover.   Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair.

Who was the only person to react?  Judas.  Saint John makes it pretty clear the motivation for his reaction was greed or avarice.  

We have talked in other homilies about how capital sins (such as wrath or greed), if left unchecked, can (and often will) lead to more serious sin.  In this case, capital sins led to the betrayal of Jesus Christ and ultimately deicide.

As our reading today suggests, Judas was given opportunities to repent.  He refused.  In fact, he outright denies any wrongdoing:  “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”

His betrayal was made complete after he received the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Communion at the Last Supper.   In the process, confirming himself in unrepentant sin.  Or, as Saint Paul will put it later in his first letter to the Corinthians, “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.”

And answer, he did.  His demons tormented him to suicide.

Spy Wednesday reminds us that even the smallest indulgence of greed, wrath, betrayal, and the like can lead to profound consequences.

But the remedy, like many things, is to call out to Jesus Christ, surrender those things to Him, repent of them, and allow yourself to be transformed by the grace of the Paschal Mystery.

As we continue to walk with our Lord during this most holy time of the year, may we always call out:  “Lord, in your great love, answer me.”

Thanks be to God!

Live Stream Recording

Return to the Jordan River: Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent (Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7; John 10:31-42)

I find it fitting that our Gospel reading for the last Friday of Lent has Jesus going back across the Jordan to the place where He was baptized by John the Baptist.  It was immediately following His baptism that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to fast for forty days and face temptation.

Among other things, our Lenten journey is meant to be a period of solidarity with Jesus in the desert as we face our own temptations.

And so, as we approach the end of our forty days in our spiritual desert, Jesus returns to the place where it all started, the Jordan River.

This is significant.  Every time this spot on the Jordan River is mentioned in Scripture, it seems God is setting the stage for the next phase of Salvation History.

This is the spot on the Jordan River where Joshua led the Israelites across the river before entering into the Promised Land after wandering in the desert and facing temptations for forty years.

This is the spot on the Jordan River where Elijah was assumed into heaven in a chariot of fire before Elisha became part of God’s plan to preserve elements of the old covenant in a divided Davidic Kingdom of God.

This is the spot on the Jordan River where, as we said, Jesus was baptized before entering into public ministry and facing His temptations in the desert for forty days.

This is the spot on the Jordan River where, again, Jesus returns to before He goes on to Jerusalem to first be heralded the Son of David and celebrated with palms only to later be condemned to undergo His sorrowful Passion.  

All part of God’s plan to establish the new and everlasting covenant and usher in the Messianic Kingdom of God.

Today, sacramentally, we are present to this spot on the Jordan River through the Mass.  We are standing at the Jordan River, preparing for the next phase of Salvation History.  

Holy Week starts Sunday.   Sunday we get to celebrate Jesus as King and His triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  Holy Thursday, we get to rededicate our Temple, the Holy Eucharist, as we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist by Christ.  Good Friday, we get to walk with our Blessed Lord through His Sorrowful Passion.  Holy Saturday, we get to experience, in a very profound way, His resurrection and the transformation of His sacrifice into the Blessed Sacrament. 

The Liturgical and salvific importance of this may be evident to most of us, but it cannot be overstated.  At the same time, I’m willing to bet there is a personal significance to this that many of us are likely to not fully appreciate.

What is the next phase for the plan God has for your life?  Perhaps God has been spending this Lent preparing you for something and now it is time to take action to enter into that next phase.

I think that is our invitation today.  Spend some time in prayer and mediation at this spot on the Jordan River, asking the Lord what that next phase of your life is.  What has He been preparing you for?  What is He now calling you into action for?

One thing we can count on from Elisha’s experience at the Jordan River is that the Lord will provide what we need in order to carry out His will.  Whatever that next phase of your life may be, it will be fulfilled if we humbly allow the Lord to work through us.

Have faith in that as you sacramentally sit near the Jordan River today.  If you feel distress over the next phase of the plan, call upon the Lord, and He will hear your voice.

Thanks be to God!

Live Stream Recording

Christian Mysticism: Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent (Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22; Psalm 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23; John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30)

Theosis is a core concept in Christian mysticism, but it is a concept that we do not often talk about in the Roman Church.  It is a topic that is far more commonly discussed in many of the Eastern Catholic Churches.

In the Roman Church, we tend to use words like sanctification, which are intended to represent the same concept, but are often watered down to the point where they fall short of what theosis truly is and what it means to the life of a Christian.

I believe Jesus gives us a perfect phrase to ponder what theosis looks like and give us inspiration to continue to deepen a transformative relationship with God.

At the end of our Gospel reading, Jesus said, “I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”

Ultimately, that is a statement from a state of perfect theosis.  We have a name for this perfect theosis.   We call it the hyperstatic union, the human nature of the son of Mary and the divine nature of the Son of God in perfect union within the divine person of Jesus Christ.

Of course, none of us are a divine person, like Jesus is.  At the same time, we are called to reach the heights of the Christian life by bringing our human nature into full union with the divine nature…to become partakers of the divine nature, as Saint Peter said in his second letter.

When Jesus says, “I am from him”, He is referring to the fact that He shares the same essence with the Father, or as we say in the creed, consubstantial with the Father.

In our human nature, we cannot make that claim in its fullest sense.  Regardless, we are made in His image and likeness.  As we live the sacramental life of the Catholic Church more thoroughly, we can deepen that transformative relationship with God.  In the process, we begin to participate more deeply in the “from-ness” that Jesus speaks of. 

When Jesus says, “I know him”, He is not referring to an intellectual or a factual knowledge.  Rather, he is again referring to the hyperstatic union.  

We see glimpses of this throughout the Gospel, such as when Jesus said, “not my will but Thy will be done” in the Gospel of Luke.  

Still the reality of truly knowing Him is much deeper than mere words can convey.  The level of deferential love that is continually manifested between God the Father and God the Son leaves absolutely no room for any form of selfishness or even self will.

Through theosis we begin to understand God not as a concept, but rather through an experience of perfect love.  The goal of theosis is to move beyond mere knowledge of God to inhabiting the life of God.

When Jesus says, “He sent me”, He is reminding us that Christianity is not a private affair, nor is it just a “me and Jesus personal relationship” as we often hear in non-Catholic circles.

In order to become a greater partaker in the divine nature, we must become a greater conduit of grace to the world around us.  We must allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, in all our affairs.  

Ultimately, this is our call at every Mass.  “Ite, missa est," which translates to "Go, it is sent"; or, “Go forth, the Mass has ended”, as I will say in a few minutes.  

At that point, from a certain perspective, you will have been deified by the sacraments, particularly, the Eucharist (assuming you received in a state of grace, with the correct disposition, and with the correct intention).  

Go forth, be Christ to the world because through theosis, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

Thanks be to God!

Live Stream Recording

The Cedars of Lebanon: Friday of the Third Week of Lent (Hosea 14:2-10; Psalm 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17; Mark 12:28-34)

The Cedars of Lebanon are referenced dozens of times across Scripture.  But, we rarely ever discuss what makes the Cedars of Lebanon so special and how they relate to our spiritual life.

Throughout history, the Cedars of Lebanon have been a highly regarded tree that grows in the mountains of present day Lebanon.  Throughout this time, they have consistently symbolized strength, resilience, endurance, royalty, dignity, and even incorruptibility.

These trees were known for their high durability as well as resistance to damage from decay, insects, and water.  These characteristics made them highly sought after for the construction of mighty sea faring ships as well as majestic palaces.

Two important, foundational prototypes of the Catholic Church were constructed from the Cedars of Lebanon:  the Temple of Solomon and the fishing boat of Peter.

King Solomon obtained great amounts of the Cedars of Lebanon to be used for interior walls, beams, and ceilings of the Temple.  The Cedars of Lebanon symbolized strength, longevity, and majesty…ultimately helping the people be more mindful of the Divine presence and the permanence of the covenant.

The Catholic Church is one of the fulfilments of Solomon’s Temple in the New Covenant in so much as Jesus Christ is the new Solomon and the ultimate Temple (as he stated in the Gospel of John).  It is through the Catholic Church that the Divine presence is preserved on Earth.  

Archeological evidence around the Sea of Galilee suggests the fishing boat of Peter that we hear about in several Gospel passages was constructed out of the Cedars of Lebanon.  The strength of the Cedars of Lebanon enabled the boat to survive the crashing of 10 to 12 foot waves.  The boat provided safety in turbulent waters.

As we said in a previous homily, anytime we hear of a boat in the Scriptures, we should immediately think of what the Lord is trying to teach us about the Catholic Church.  The Catholic Church is the fulfillment of the Barque (or Boat) of Saint Peter.  She withstands the constant onslaught of violent waves of human secularism, relativism, and the like.  It is through the Catholic Church that we are provided safe passage to eternal life.

Regarding the symbols I mentioned earlier, the Cedars of Lebanon should provoke a sense of the fulfillment of these symbols in the Catholic Church.  

What was imperfectly strong in the Old Covenant, has been perfected through Christ in the New.  What was imperfectly resilient in the Old Covenant, has been perfected through Christ in the New.  What was imperfectly permanent in the Old Covenant, has been perfected by Christ in the New.

Like any other plant, the Cedars of Lebanon begin as weak seedlings.  They grow deep roots that penetrate the rocky terrain of the Lebanese mountains to establish a firm foundation and obtain the nutrition they need to grow.  

I read that for every 10 feet of height the tree obtains, there are 30 feet of roots beneath the ground.  Another way to look at that is that 25% of the tree is above ground, concerned about the things of the world around it.  Meanwhile, 75% of the tree below ground, concerned about being grounded in nutrition.

It reminds me of the Parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Matthew, “Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.”

If we applied the Cedars of Lebanon to our spiritual life, less than 25% of our life would be focused on the things of the world around us, while more then 75% of our life would be focused on grounding ourselves more deeply in the Sacramental life of the Church, the Scriptures, following the commandments, and performing works of mercy.

Indeed, through us, the Lord shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots.  We will hear Him and walk in His ways as he proclaims, “I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.”

Thanks be to God!

Live Stream Recording

To Suffer with Him: Thursday of the Third Week of Lent (Jeremiah 7:23-28; Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Luke 11:14-23)

This month, Archbishop Lori says, “As fallible humans, our strength and resolve sometimes collapse into weakness. May we always seek the courage to follow Jesus faithfully, even when the going gets tough.”

We see a sense of this in our readings today.  The Lord commanded His people to listen to his voice.  But, they did not obey.  They turned their backs to the Lord, walking in the hardness of their hearts.  Faithfulness gone.

Let’s face it, our post Christian, human secularist society echoes the very situation the Prophet Jeremiah describes.  As a society we continue to stiffen our necks and each subsequent generation does worse than their fathers.

What are the consequences to a society that has turned its back to the Lord?  Are those consequences present in our society today?  Increased addictions, check.  Increased violence, check.  Increased breakdown of marriages, check.  Increased dysfunctional families, check.

If this description leaves you feeling a bit uneasy, good.  That means there is hope.

Hope means that we are going to need to suffer for Christ.  Hope means we need to step outside of our comfort zones in how we love others, in how we evangelize to others, and in how we lead others to Christ. 

Hope means we need to sacrifice for Christ.  Hope means we need to eliminate those things from our lives that are not compatible to a life with Christ and encourage others to do the same.  

Hope means we need to live with a spirit of martyrdom.  Hope means we need to consistently embody the ultimate witness to truth, charity, and faith in Christ.  And, carry that spirit out into the world around us.

Hope means we need to lean into the sacramental life of the Church even more.  Hope means we need to listen to the voice of the Lord through the Mass and the Sacraments as frequently as possible.  Hope means we need to take courageous corrective action when the Church teaches something that is different than we had previously thought.

This month Archbishop Lori says, “I challenge you to pray the Stations of the Cross each week — in your parish community, with your family or individually — with the intention of receiving the courage to suffer for Christ.”

In his challenge, he asks the following questions, “Are you a good disciple of Christ? How can being a faithful Catholic help prepare you to take up your cross and follow him? Are you willing to suffer for your faith if called upon?”

The reality is that we are all called upon to suffer for our faith.  We are all called to be missionary disciples to spread the Kingdom of the Sacred Heart into the world around us and to lead those we encounter to the Sacred Heart in the Eucharist.

To suffer with Him in this way is a heroic response to this month's challenge.

If today you hear his voice through the Eucharist, harden not your hearts.

Thanks be to God!

Idol of Relationship: Friday of the Second Week of Lent (Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a; Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21; Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46)

Our first reading gives us several examples of codependency that can exist within the family.  The favoritism of Israel toward Joseph.  The anger and jealousy of the brothers.  The feelings of abandonment, rejection, and betrayal.  All symptomatic of a codependent family structure.

Codependency is a very relevant topic for our society today.  I have read statistics that strongly suggest nearly 90% of Americans suffer from some level of codependency.  

At its most basic level, codependency is the excessive emotional or psychological reliance on another person, place, or thing.  In this case, Israel developed an unhealthy attachment to Joseph.  Israel’s sense of self  (his very sense of identity) was based on his relationship to Joseph.  To put it in more Catholic terms, Israel made an idol of Joseph.

There isn’t enough context in the reading to know the exact nature of what the relationship was; however, we certainly see very clearly that the symptoms of a problem existed.

Codependent parents often fall into one of two categories: permissive or authoritative.  It is possible that Israel was permissive with Joseph, while at the same time,  authoritative with the other siblings.

Either way, codependency can have a profound impact on how siblings learn to interact, communicate, and relate to one another.  

Siblings in codependent family structures often exhibit routine efforts to gain attention and validation.  Siblings constantly exhibit jealousy, resentment, and insecurity (as we see in our reading today).

Growing up in a codependent family structure can lead to an adulthood marked with difficulties creating and maintaining healthy boundaries as well as difficulties creating and maintaining meaningful relationships with others and even with God.

Over time, intimacy and trust often erodes and are replaced with feelings of powerlessness and despair.  Stress, anxiety, depression, and other forms of emotional turmoil often become the norm.

Imagine how dysfunctional it really had to be in order for the brothers of Joseph to hit a bottom so low that it became desirable to either kill Joseph or sell him into slavery.

Of course, we know the end of the story for Joseph.  By the grace of God, he became a great leader for the Hebrew people.  He and his brothers were able to make amends.  Seemingly, at least, it was a happy ending for Joseph and his family.

If you find yourself, or someone you know, in a codependent situation, please know of my empathy and prayers.  There does come a point where we can “love” others too much.  A disordered love that is sourced from a point where we desperately need approval, acceptance, love, or friendship.  

From that point, it often spirals into a cycle of insanity consisting of growing guilt, shame, resentment, and depression.

Like any cycle of addiction, codependency can be broken by the promises of Christ.  Surrendering our lives and our wills, and particularly our relationships, to the care of Jesus Christ.  Learning and practicing authentic acceptance, detachment, and surrender are often the keys to conquering codependent patterns in our lives.

I’m sure we will go into more depth on these themes in future homilies.  However, here are three takeaways for today to start the journey of depending on God and embracing the freedom of Christ:

Spend time with God everyday.  Come to Mass, receive the Eucharist, spend time in Adoration, read the Bible, and make time for prayer in general.

Live for God as opposed to human validation.  Earnestly seek His will and resolve to live it out.  Come to understand what your charisms are and find ways to exercise and strengthen them.

Say “No” to unhealthy relationships.  Learn to identify the dysfunctional patterns that may exist in family structures, establish and maintain healthy boundaries, and allow God to be your guide and your strength.

Conquering codependency is most challenging, but sanity can be restored and healthy, loving relationships are possible as we remember the marvels the Lord has done.

Thanks be to God!

Live Stream Recording

Restitutio Pro Reatus Poenae: Friday of the First Week of Lent (Ezekiel 18:21-28; Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8; Matthew 5:20-26)

Last year, during Lent, we introduced the concept of reatus poenae. If you recall, reatus poenae is the concept that the impacts and consequences of our sinfulness (often through how we have hurt ourselves or others) remain in effect even though our crimes have been forgiven and forgotten in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

I’ll bring up again the baseball analogy that I have used a couple of times.  When my brothers and I would break a window playing baseball, we were generally forgiven right away.  However, in spite of the forgiveness, the window still had to be fixed.  Despite the forgiveness, restitution needed to be made for what we had done.

Today, I want to talk a bit more about the restitution we can offer for reatus poenae so that the broken windows in our lives can be truly fixed.

You may recall another homily from a few months ago regarding indulgences.  We said that indulgences are the remission of temporal punishment for any sins that have been forgiven through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The grace from the Cross is a remedy for what we owe for the temporal consequences of our sins….a remedy for the restitution we need to make for reatus poenae. When we receive that grace through prayer, fasting, and/or almsgiving, it is called an indulgence.  

When we receive a plenary indulgence, we are given a complete remission of what we owe for temporal consequences of our sin.  Restitution for our actions have been made.  Or to paraphrase what Jesus said to Saint Faustina, our debt to His justice is fully paid off.

We have a wonderful opportunity to receive plenary indulgences during Lent.  As many of you know, the deacons of the parish lead a Stations of the Cross prayer service each Friday evening during Lent at 7:00.  On Good Friday, the prayer service is at Noon.  

You may already be aware of this, but praying the Stations of the Cross (both during Lent and outside of Lent) is an opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence.

This year, the deacons will be more intentional to call out the plenary indulgence in the prayer service so that we may take advantage of this powerful grace from our Blessed Lord.

I invite all of you to come pray the Stations of the Cross with us this evening and each Friday during Lent with the intention of receiving this grace of remission for the reatus poenae in our lives.

Just a quick review of the requirements to receive a plenary indulgence:  

1. Complete the indulgenced act, which in this case is to participate in the Stations of the Cross prayers.
2. Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation within a window of 20 days before or 20 days after receiving the indulgence.  If you confess your sins sometime around mid-Lent, your should be covered for the season.
3. Receive Holy Communion on the day you will pray the Stations of the Cross.  Since all of you are at Mass this morning and will assuming receive our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist, you should be in good disposition to receive the indulgence this evening.
4. Pray for the intentions of the Pope. This is something we do at every Mass we celebrate, but the deacons should call this out in the prayer service as well.
5. Practice detachment from all sin.   This may be the most difficult of all the requirements, but at the same time, it is ultimately the purpose of Lent.

If for some reason you do not meet all requirements and do not receive the plenary indulgence, you will still receive a partial indulgence.  Partial indulgences can greatly reduce reatus poenae.

I hope to see you at the Stations of the Cross as we participate in the offer of Jesus to Saint Faustina to “draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church”.   

Today we praise Jesus Christ for the treasury of His Hoy Catholic Church because, if you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

Thanks be to God!

Live stream Recording