Participation in Grace: Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Zechariah 2:14-17; Luke 1:46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55; Matthew 12:46-50)

On November 4th, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a doctrinal note entitled Mater Populi Fidelis.  As we have seen in the past, this document has not disappointed in terms of all the reactions that have surfaced, which highlight all the misunderstanding that is out there regarding the role of Mary in salvation history…misunderstandings that exist on all sides of the argument.

On one side, I heard some take the opportunity to falsely claim an “I told you so” moment as they perceived the document to be a change in Church doctrine to more align with the principles of protestantism,  and in the process attack the principle of infallibility.

On another side, I heard some take the opportunity to falsely claim a “how dare you” moment as they perceived the document to be a change in Church doctrine to strip Mary of dogmatic honor, and in the process attack the principle of papal authority.

Of course, like usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle.  Mater Populi Fidelis did not change a single Church doctrine; but rather, confirmed what the doctrines truly are and encouraged the faithful to limit certain Marian titles to situations where the context of the title can be fully understood.

There was probably a point in time of history where someone would hear the words co-redemptrix and mediatrix and have a reasonably high chance of understanding them in the proper context of Saint Paul’s letter to the Colossians: “for we are God’s co-workers”.

However, we do not live in those times anymore.  These words have simply become a point of confusion and a barrier to evangelization.

As it says in the document, “When an expression requires many, repeated explanations to prevent it from straying from a correct meaning, it does not serve the faith of the people of God and becomes unhelpful. In this case, the expression Co-redemptrix does not help extol Mary as the first and foremost collaborator in the work of redemption and grace, for it carries the risk of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ.”

Ultimately, no Church doctrine has changed.  Mary is still everything she ever was, the manifestation of everything that can happen to the human person that completely surrenders to the will of God.

Mary has a unique participation in salvation history solely through her cooperation with grace.  Through her cooperation with grace, she became a conduit of grace to the world.  (By the way, each of us have that opportunity to cooperate with grace and therefore become a conduit of grace to the world around us…particularly through missionary discipleship, practicing the works of mercy, and simply living the sacramental life of the Catholic Church.)  

Today’s memorial celebrates one of the occasions of Mary cooperating with grace.

At the age of three, Mary, accompanied by Anne and Joachim, walked to the Temple to be solemnly offered to God.  From that point, she was to sleep in the Temple apartments and live a life of prayer and assistance to the Temple priests and Levites.

It is said that after hugging and kissing her parents one last time, without hesitation, she climbed the 15 steps of the Nicanor Gate where two priests met her and accompanied her into the Temple to join the other girls that were in service to the Temple at that time.

At this point, Mary offered her entire life and will over to the care of God, which included vows of poverty and virginity.  She remained in service to the temple until she was later betrothed to Joseph, at which point she continued her perpetual virginity (to “know no man”) and live a life of humble poverty.

Today is a good day to enter into the mystery of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to offer or renew our consecration to God through our Lady.  Sacramentally climbing those 15 steps ourselves as we fervently offer everything we have, everything we were, everything we are, and everything we are ever going to be to God through the Mass.  Opening ourselves to the grace of Christ, the grace of the sacraments, as we receive Him in the Eucharist to be His conduit of grace to the world.  And then pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance to use that grace to set the world of fire.

Through our participation in grace, the Almighty has done great things for us, and holy is His Name.

Thanks be to God!

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How Did They Not More Quickly Find Its Lord?: Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time (Wisdom 13:1-9; Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5ab; Luke 17:26-37)

For if they so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its Lord?

“They”, our society, seek to define their own subjective truth based on their own desires as opposed to simply allowing the ultimate Truth of Jesus Christ inform them.  Ultimately, “they” seek a world without the true God.

Particularly since the protestant reformation, there has been a continually widening gap between what “they” believe and the actual Truth.  Sadly, that gap continues to widen with each subsequent generation.  

As each generation grows further from the Truth, an increasing number of people get to the point where they can no longer recognize the Truth, even when it is plainly in front of them.

Where “they” are today is simply the natural progression of a society that has abandoned God.

Our culture of death and hatred has continued to build and strengthen.  The disposable mindset of our society has expanded from the material to the personal.

If you think differently than me, you do not deserve to live.  If you look differently than me, you do not deserve to live.  If you are an inconvenience to me, you do not deserve to live.  If I have resentment towards you, you do not deserve to live.  If you believe differently than me, you do not deserve to live.

The number of people that celebrated the deaths of Charlie Kirk, Iryna Zarutska, Brian Thompson and so many others is simply alarming and it should be downright frightening.  It certainly is shocking, though (to be honest) not entirely surprising when we come to realize this is the natural conclusion to a worldview where God does not matter...a worldview where objective truth (the Truth of Jesus Christ) does not exist.

Each case has a common thread: total disregard for the value of life…total disregard for human dignity.  Somehow, to our society at large, it has become a greater evil to voice a differing opinion than it is to kill someone.  Somehow, to our society at large, it has become a greater evil to be different or unique than it is to kill someone.  Somehow, to our society at large, it had become a greater evil to inconvenience someone than it is to kill someone. 

Sadly, I do not believe it is going to get any better.  In fact, I think it will only get worse as “they” continue to progress further away from the Truth.

Think about it, if you can make up your own version of truth based on what you want to believe, you can do whatever you want.   You get to say what is good and what is evil.  You get to judge others based on what you say is true.

The protestant reformation began the process of removing the Catholic Church, the pillar and foundation of Truth, from influencing society.  That opened the door to the French Revolution; which began the process of removing God, particularly the Truth of Jesus Christ, from influencing society.  

Now, “they” cannot find the Lord because “they” have been systemically separated from Him over time through the onslaught of intellectualism, socialism, moral relativism, human secularism, and the like.  They speculate about the world through the lens of their personal bias, without regard to the reality of eternity.

Fortunately, for you and for me, we have the Catholic Church, the pillar and foundation of Truth as exclaimed by Saint Paul in his first letter to Timothy.  

If we diligently follow the teachings of the Catholic Church and diligently live the sacramental life Jesus instituted in the Catholic Church, then we are securely anchored to the Truth…the Truth that the rest of society is in desperate need of.

We are fortunate in that we can quickly find the Lord because He is here, truly with us in the tabernacle.  We can have an authentic encounter with Him through the sacramental life of the Church.  At every Mass, we hear the truth of His voice through the Liturgy of the Word and we receive the truth sacramentally in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Though the world around us continues to decay; through the Mass, heaven proclaims the glory of God.

Thanks be to God!

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Persevering in Truth: Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin (Wisdom 7:22b–8:1; Psalm 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175; Luke 17:20-25)

Jesus gives the disciples a very pertinent comment in our Gospel reading today: “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.  There will be those who will say to you, 'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'  Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.  For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.  But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."

To me, it brings to mind three major points for consideration.

First, we will long to see the days of the Son of Man, but will not see it.  This seems to speak to our eyes of faith.  How many among us do not truly believe in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist?  How many among us do not make God and His Catholic Church the center of their universe?  For those of us that truly live the sacramental life, we truly do live in the days of the Son of Man.

Second, those who run off in pursuit of those that say “Look!”.  I can’t help but think of all the protestant and non-denominational communities that continually say to us “here He is”.  Those who do not believe in the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and do not try to live a sacramental life are often easily distracted by these false calls as they want to be satisfied by the entertaining sermons and the concert style atmosphere.

But, we know the truth.  Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  He established the sacraments and the sacramental life of His Catholic Church to give us a tangible approach to follow His Way.  We need to avoid the temptation to run off in pursuit of these other things that are not part of His Way.

Third, we acknowledge how much Jesus is rejected in our current time.  That rejection is fairly evident by atheists, agnostics, and followers of non-Christian religions, even if it is through a lens of invincible ignorance.  That rejection is perhaps more painful when we see it from those who call themselves “Christian” and even more so from those “Catholics” that do not believe in the Eucharist and/or do not prioritize Mass.

As Saint Ignatius of Antioch said, “They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes.”

At the same time, we faithful few, know the promises of Christ through the sacramental life:  He will be with us through the end of the age, we will receive if we ask according to His will, and He will give us rest.  He also promised that we would be hated and persecuted because we truly believe and follow everything He teaches us through His Holy Catholic Church.  

Archbishop Lori reminds us of this reality in his monthly challenge.  In his challenge, he encourages us to persevere and remain faithful despite the hardships we must suffer for our faith.  He reminds us to put into action the admonition of Saint Paul: “Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer”.

Our saint today, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, was no stranger to this struggle.  She encountered difficulties, disappointment, and discouragement with every step of her ministry.  Despite this, she never lost faith and she never lost hope.  She persevered, one step at a time, in the midst of persecution and rejection, to follow the calling of our Lord through the Church in charity.

Is our walk with Christ all that different?

Archbishop Lori challenges us to learn more about the lives of the saints by selecting one or more martyrs to read about and then reflect on how we can imitate his or her perseverance and hope.  

In reflecting on the life of this saint, we can ponder the following questions:  Have you ever struggled with hope when life has brought challenges? Have you ever experienced bigotry, rejection, hostility or hatred on account of your Catholic faith? What are some concrete ways you can seek to grow in perseverance to face life’s difficulties?

We should always remember that through all generations the truth of Christ, His Church, and the sacramental life endures.  His word is forever.

Thanks be to God!

Holy Dwelling of the Most High: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9; 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17; John 2:13-22)

The archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome was one of the first churches built after the Edict of Milan in the year 313.  The Edict of Milan is the declaration by Emperor Constantine that legalized Christianity.  The archbasilica was dedicated on November 9th, 324.

It became the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the adjoining palace was the residence of the popes for over 1,000 years.

We often think of the importance of Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.  Obviously, it too is a very important church, especially since the popes have resided at the Vatican for the last several centuries.

Still, Saint John Lateran continues to be the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, which means Saint John Lateran is technically the ecclesial seat of the Bishop of Rome, namely the pope.  As such, Saint John Lateran is the mother church of the entire Catholic Church.

In fact, in Saint John Lateran, you can find a Latin inscription: “Omnium ecclesiarum urbis et orbis mater et caput.”  This translates to "The mother and head of all the churches of the city and the world.”

Pope Benedict XVI said, “By honoring the basilica, one intends to express love and veneration for the Roman Church, which, as Saint Ignatius of Antioch affirms, ‘presides over the charity’ of the entire Catholic communion.”

Jesus, as we see in the Gospel reading, certainly had zeal for His fathers house, which (as Saint Paul exclaimed in his first letter to Timothy) is the Church.  As Paul also exclaimed in his letter to the Ephesians, Jesus laid down His life for the Church.

Today is an invitation to reflect on our love for the Catholic Church.  Where is the Bride of Christ in my list of priorities?  Do I love going to Mass, or is it just something that I do?  Do I prioritize the Church over other aspects of my life?

Our readings today also remind us of the flow of sacramental grace from the Church that is meant to nourish us, strengthen us, sustain us, and ultimately sanctify us.  In the prophecy of Ezekeil, he sees water flowing from the temple, which allowed living creatures to live.  Fruit produced along the river was food and medicine.

Jesus then refers to Himself as the new temple in the Gospel reading.  Of course, Jesus, His flesh, the Eucharist is the temple of the New Covenant.  The Eucharist which is our food for eternal life as Jesus said in the Gospel of John and as Saint Ignatius of Antioch declared to be our “medicine for immortality”.

Sometimes we are tempted to think of our church building as just that, buildings.  The building itself is not important.  And, there is some truth to that.

But, it is not that simple.  Our church buildings are meant to be sanctuaries from the world.  They are meant to be places of refuge that we can escape from the toils of the world and the flesh to have a true encounter with the Holy One.  A spiritual encounter, yes of course, but also more practically an encounter with Him in the Eucharist.

In each church building is the tabernacle, where the very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ is held.  He is truly here, 24 hours a day, yearning to be with you.  To console you.  To heal you.  To sanctify you.

You can have a spiritual moment in the woods or on a beach.  But, it is here, in the sanctuary, in the actual presence of Jesus Christ, that you can have a truly holy moment.

Our parish churches also represent a victory in the spiritual war.  Each time a parish opens, it is like a new military outpost of the Kingdom of God opened in the enemy territory of the kingdom of this world.  Conversely, each time a parish closes, it is the enemy reclaiming that territory.  

Pope Francis, as well as other popes, looked at our parish churches as field hospitals.  Field hospitals that care for others, primarily through the administration of the sacraments, but also through the practice of the works of mercy and bringing others into the flow of grace in the sacramental life.

Our ancestors often spent considerable money, as well as blood, sweat, and tears establishing our parishes.  This was not just so we would have a nice building to gather in. But, rather, for what the building represents and more importantly, what the building contains.  Representing the household of the living God and containing Jesus Christ Himself.

For the first century Jew, the Temple was the center of the universe… very presence of God in their midst.  The new covenant fulfillment can never be less than the old covenant prototype.  The Eucharist (and by extension the Catholic Church) must be the center of our universe.

To the first century Christian, the Eucharist was the center of the universe.  Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who was a disciple of the Apostle John said, “I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire his blood, which is love incorruptible”.

Saint Ignatius also said, “They who deny the gift of God (the Eucharist) are perishing in their disputes”.  That should sound familiar when we look at the world around us.

Everyday, the news is filled with conflict, violence, and death.  Even our government cannot function due to conflict.  We cannot ignore the correlation of this reality to the rejection of the Eucharist by our society and the fact that the Eucharist is not the center of our universe….even for many Catholics.

Our recourse in the strife of this chaotic world is solely in the Eucharist. We must turn completely to Jesus Christ, who is truly present in the Eucharist, for strength and sanity during these troubling times. The Eucharist is our lifeline and refuge from the chaos of the world.  Ultimately our source and summit of faith, and our only means for eternal life.

Let us rejoice as the waters of the river (the flow of sacramental grace) gladden the city of God (His Holy Catholic Church), the holy dwelling of the Most High in the Eucharist.

Thanks be to God!

Reducing Measures Owed: Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time (Romans 15:14-21; Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4; Luke 16:1-8)

Jesus continues His eschatological parables today in our reading from Luke.  Our task this week is discern the meaning of these promissory notes.  

I have come to think of promissory notes as what we owe for the broken windows in our lives, if you recall my homily from a couple of weeks ago.  The broken windows represent the temporal punishment for our sins.  

Indulgences are the remission of temporal punishment for any sins that have been forgiven through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

In a partial indulgence our measures owed may be reduced by some amount.  Using the examples from Scripture, the measure owed could be reduced from one hundred to fifty, one hundred to eighty, or to some other value depending on the nature of the indulgence.

In a plenary indulgence, it is reduced to zero measures owed; meaning a complete remission of what we owe.  Or to paraphrase what Jesus said to Saint Faustina, our debt to His justice is fully paid off.

The grace from the Cross is applied through the Sacrament of Reconciliation in terms of forgiveness for the fault of our sins. The grace from the Cross can also be a remedy for what we owe for the temporal consequences of our sins. When we receive that grace through prayer, fasting, and/or almsgiving, it is called an indulgence.

After my homily on purgatory a couple of weeks ago, I received a few questions about how to reduce our time in purgatory.  It really comes down to two things.  

The first is to become as fully conformed to Christ as we can possibly be in our mortal life.  I am sure to talk more about this in another homily.

The other is to routinely gain plenary indulgences. The Church, through the charism of binding and loosing, has given us several prescriptions for obtaining indulgences.

Opportunities to receive plenary indulgences are far more common than many realize (and opportunities for partial indulgences are even more common).  For example, visiting a church on the anniversary that its altar was consecrated appears to be an opportunity for a plenary indulgence.  The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis was consecrated on June 29th.  Therefore, visiting the Basilica on June 29th is an opportunity for a plenary indulgence.  I believe the same is true for our parish altars as well.

Visiting any Franciscan Church (such as Saint Anthony's in south Saint Louis) on August 2nd is an opportunity to receive the Porziuncola Pardon.  

Eucharistic adoration, Stations of the Cross, and going on a retreat are other opportunities for a plenary indulgence that you can receive at almost any time.  

New Years Eve, New Years Day, Divine Mercy Sunday, and each day of the Easter Triduum are all opportunities to gain a plenary indulgence.  There are many others.

There is a document called The Enchiridion of Indulgences, which lists "nearly every" plenary and partial indulgence that is available in the treasury of the Church.

As we avail ourselves to this vast treasury of mercy, we must keep in mind that there are some conditions to receiving a plenary indulgence that we need to meet:

1. Complete the prayer or work prescribed for a particular indulgence; such as praying the Stations of the Cross on a Friday, visiting the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration, visiting a particular church on a particular day, going on a retreat, or whatever may be called for by a particular indulgence.

2. Detachment from all sin, even venial.  

This may be the most challenging requirement as it is also related to our conformity to Christ.  The more attached we are to things of the world and the flesh, the less conformed to Christ we are.  We need to take a serious look at our attachments and make progress toward divesting ourselves of those attachments.  Looking at our internet history, looking at patterns of sin, and looking at things that make us angry (or feel other negative emotions) could give us some clues to things from which we need to detach. I’ll unpack this more in a future homily.

3. Sacrament of Reconciliation

Generally speaking, you can receive Reconciliation 20 days before or 20 days after for receiving the indulgence.  Since it is important to be in a state of grace in order to receive an indulgence, I’d recommend receiving Reconciliation within a week prior to receiving the indulgence.  

4. Holy Communion

We must receive Holy Communion on the specific day that we intend to receive the plenary indulgence, preferably within the context of a Mass.  This is different from Reconciliation where we have a 40-day window to receive the sacrament.  We must receive the Eucharist on the same day we receive the indulgence.

5. Prayer for the intentions of the pope. 

Mass generally includes a petition related to the intentions of the Pope.  The Pope also has monthly intentions that you can refer to and pray for.  Many people will pray an Our Father and a Hail Mary for the Pope’s intentions, but this is just a suggestion and not a requirement as long as the Pope’s intentions are prayed for in some fashion..

If you are homebound and watching this online, and therefore unable to travel places to fulfill the requirement, I believe there is a Saint Dismas approach to these requirements that I would be happy to discuss in a particular situation.  Saint Dismas was the good thief on the Cross, a reminder that God will meet us where we are in our difficulties so that we may avail ourselves to His fount of mercy.

In the meantime, we can rejoice that Jesus has given us opportunities to, as He said to Saint Faustina, “draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church”.  These gifts of grace can be applied to either ourselves or to a loved one in purgatory to reduce the promissory note owed for our broken windows down to zero.  What an incredible gift of mercy.

Indeed, through indulgences, the Lord reveals to the nations His saving power.

Thanks be to God!

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