Apostle to India: Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle (Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 117:1bc, 2; John 20:24-29)

If I were to ask you to tell me the first thing that comes to mind when I mention India, I am sure I would get some wonderful responses.  Many of us might mention Saint Mother Theresa, who spent a large part of her ministry on the streets of Calcutta in India.  Some of us might think of food.  Afterall, we are blessed with some great Indian restaurants in West County.  Others might think of some of the Hindu temples we have seen pictures of, or perhaps even Hindu deities we have heard of.

Conversely, very few of us would probably think of India as the landing ground for an Apostolic Church.  Yet, that is exactly what it is.

In 1498, Vasco da Gama successfully sailed around Africa and landed on the southwestern coast of India.  What he found was the last thing he could have ever expected:  a vibrant, deeply established community of Christians. They did not speak Latin. Instead, they chanted their prayers in Syriac—a dialect of Aramaic, the very language spoken by Jesus. Perhaps more astonishing, they had all seven of the Sacraments.

When asked who brought them this faith, they simply responded: Thomas.

In the year 52 AD, Thomas, the Apostle, stepped off a ship onto the shores of Muziris, of what is now the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. 

When he arrived, Thomas found a melting pot of global trade.  This was a home to not only native Hindus, but also to Roman traders and migrant Jewish merchants. Naturally, Thomas began his preaching there, in the Jewish quarters, before his message rapidly rippled out into the broader Hindu population. 

Tradition holds that Thomas traveled on foot along the coastal rivers, establishing seven core faith communities—likely what we would refer to as parishes today in the Roman Church. 

The people who accepted his message did not abandon their culture. They formed the unique, beautiful liturgical life of the Syro-Malabaric Rite, which is comparable to the Latin Rite we celebrate in the Roman Church. 

They remained thoroughly Indian in their customs, dress, and societal structures, but profoundly Christian in their devotion. To this day, their descendants are known proudly as the Saint Thomas Christians.

Thomas’s journey did not end on the peaceful western coast. Eventually, he crossed over the subcontinent to the eastern shore, arriving near modern-day Chennai.

There, the Gospel message began to clash with the local religious establishment. In the year 72 AD, while praying on a hill now known as Saint Thomas Mount, the Apostle was attacked and martyred, pierced by a spear.

He was buried nearby.  Currently, the majestic San Thome Basilica stands over his burial spot. 

Today, millions of Saint Thomas Christians are part of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church, including the Sacred Heart mission in Hazelwood.  

They continue to sing their ancient Aramaic chants, and preserve an unbroken chain of faith that stretches back to the upper room of Jerusalem. 

I think it is time to let go of this image of the doubting Thomas many of us have, and remember instead his fierce, unimaginable courage. He was the skeptic who traveled further than any other Apostle to spread the Kingdom of the Sacred Heart.

Like Saint Thomas, the Apostle, let us go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Thanks be to God!

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Ordinary Saint: Memorial of Saint Josemaría Escrivá (Genesis 2:4b-9,15; Psalm 2:7,8-9,10-11,12; Luke 5:1-11)

Saint Josemaría Escrivá was born in Barbastro, Spain, in 1902. 

At the age of two, he nearly died from a serious illness. In the years that followed, three of his younger sisters passed away. Then his family lost much of what they had worked for when financial disaster struck unexpectedly. By the time he reached adulthood, he had already experienced a lifetime of pain, uncertainty, and disappointment.

For most people, such experiences can leave deep wounds. Chronic illness, loss, financial struggles, and daily hardships can easily lead to discouragement, bitterness, and despair. 

Saint Josemaría was not most people.  He responded differently. Rather than allowing suffering to push him away from God, he allowed suffering to draw him closer to God.

Through life's trials, he developed a profound trust that God remains present even when life feels fragile, unfair, or just outright impossible. He learned that faith is not reserved for the moments when everything is going well. Faith is strengthened through suffering, sacrifice, and ordinary struggles that seem to have no end.

As a young man, Saint Josemaría initially studied to become an architect. Later, however, he discerned a call to the priesthood and was ordained in 1925.

In 1928, he received a revelation that would come to define his life's work: every Christian is called to holiness, not apart from ordinary life, but within it. We do not need to escape our responsibilities, our families, our workplaces, or even our sufferings in order to find God. Instead, God meets us where we are.

Holiness is possible in the middle of everyday life. It is possible for parents caring for children, workers facing exhausting schedules, caregivers tending to loved ones, and those living with chronic pain, fatigue, or disability. God is present not only in extraordinary moments but also in the ordinary routines that make up most of our lives.

Saint Josemaría Escrivá taught that even the most common tasks can become holy when they are carried out with love, obedience, and a desire to serve God and others. The daily effort to persevere through pain, to fulfill one's duties despite limitations, or simply to begin again after a difficult day can become an offering pleasing to God.

To help others live this vision, he gathered his spiritual reflections into a book called “The Way”, a collection of nearly one thousand points for meditation on finding God in the midst of ordinary life.

He also founded Opus Dei, which is Latin for "Work of God." Its mission is to help ordinary men and women discover that their daily lives—their work, their family responsibilities, their struggles, their joys, and their sufferings—can all become pathways to holiness. Members seek to remain close to God through practices such as daily Mass, the reading of Sacred Scripture and other spiritual books, the Rosary, time spent each day in personal prayer, bearing witness to their Christian faith wherever they are, and small acts of self-denial offered in union with Christ's suffering.

On June 26, 1975, Saint Josemaría Escrivá died suddenly in Rome after casting a final loving glance toward an image of Our Lady in his workroom. He was canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II on October 6, 2002.

The enduring message of Saint Josemaría Escrivá is one of hope for ordinary people. As he taught:

"Sanctity is not for a privileged few. The Lord calls all of us. He expects love from all of us—from everyone, wherever they are; from everyone, whatever their state in life, their profession or job. For the daily life we live, apparently so ordinary, can be a path to sanctity... because all the paths of the earth can be the occasion for an encounter with Christ."

For those whose days are marked by chronic illness, persistent pain, caregiving responsibilities, financial strain, or simple exhaustion, Saint Josemaría Escrivá offers a consoling reminder: God has not abandoned you to those struggles. He is present within them. The ordinary circumstances of your life—even the difficult ones—can become the very place where you encounter Christ and grow in holiness.

Along with Saint Josemaría Escrivá, praise the Lord, all you peoples.

Thanks be to God!

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Deliverance and Spiritual Freedom: Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35; Romans 5:12-15; Matthew 10:26-33)

Fun fact about me:  I am part of the Healing and Deliverance team for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis.  While I do not have the faculties to conduct a solemn exorcism, I routinely help people find freedom from spiritual oppression, demonic harassment, or negative spiritual influences through prayer, inner healing, and ultimately the authority of Jesus Christ.  Often, I am called to break curses that have been placed on a person through a Masonic rite, a New Age practice, or some other spiritual oath.

The confession of Jeremiah in our first reading gives us a powerful example of the raw emotional and spiritual warfare experienced by someone under intense trial, followed by a profound breakthrough of trust in God’s saving power.  This is a confession that seems to parallel what we often see in spiritual warfare and deliverance ministry.

Jeremiah begins with statements that represent oppression, harassment, and ridicule which is often present is spiritual warfare.

In deliverance ministry, often one of the first steps is to get a person to realize that spiritual warfare is real and that it often manifests itself as a psychological or emotional issue.  Persistent thoughts of worthlessness or abandonment, obsessive fear, pervasive shame, and/or unceasing temptation are common.  Many have come to identify with lies the demons have told them about themselves or about God.

Jeremiah suddenly shifts into a theme of divine protection.  In many ways, he captures the very foundation of deliverance ministry:  the absolute authority of Jesus Christ.

In a deliverance session, we rarely see the dramatic, though it has happened where a demon will resist our efforts to free the person in spiritual bondage.  We rely on the authority of Jesus Christ that flows to us from the Cross and through the sacramental life of His Catholic Church.  When the name of Jesus Christ is properly invoked, the demons are generally powerless as they are sent directly to the Cross for Jesus to do with as He will.

Jeremiah reminds us that the Lord tests the just, and probes mind and heart, in a way that is not dissimilar to an examination of conscience.

In fact, many exorcists remind us that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is more powerful in spiritual warfare than even a solemn exorcism.

Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are absolved of guilt but we are also offered grace that heals the soul, restores communion with God, and strengthens us against further spiritual attacks.

Exorcism, and even what I do in deliverance ministry, is a powerful act, but it is often a response to an already deeply seated demonic activity. Conversely, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is preventative and curative — it can disarm evil before it takes hold, heal ongoing spiritual wounds, and free the soul from the grip of sin and demonic influence.

Demons know when we are not truly living out the sacramental life of the Catholic Church, and they try to find ways to take advantage of that.

We call these opportunities entry points.  Entry points demons often use to oppress someone include: unconfessed or habitual sin, curses, trauma or deep emotional wounds, unforgiveness or resentment, family or generational sin, involvement in the occult, involvement in Masonic organizations (such as the Shriners or the Scottish Rite), rebellion or disobedience (especially against the Church), lies and denial, as well as sexual intercourse outside of Holy Matrimony.

When I work with someone in a deliverance session, we investigate each of these common entry points to determine which ones may be open to demonic influence.  Oftentimes, it is a combination of several of them.  Once we have identified the open entry points, we can identify and renounce (in the name of Jesus Christ) the evil spirits that are oppressing the person.

In almost every case the spiritual release is evident.  It is a moment of release that I can generally see in their eyes as it is happening.  The demeanor of the person changes.  Smiles frequently appear where there were none before.  Tears of joy are common as the person experiences a freedom they did not realize was possible.

I have heard people describe actually seeing darkness leaving them as I was praying deliverance over them.  Many others describe a huge weight lifted from them.  Sometimes voices disappear or other signs of a presence diminish. On occasion, I’ll witness a miraculous physical healing as part of the deliverance.

Like Jeremiah, through these signs we truly witness the vengeance the Lord takes on the demons, for to Him we entrust our cause.

Our first reading completes with Jeremiah encouraging us to sing to and praise the LORD for being rescued from the power of the wicked.

This is generally how I end my deliverance sessions.  We thank the Lord for His presence, His love, and our deliverance.  Then I invite the Holy Spirit to fill every void in the person that was left as a result of the departure of the evil spirits and I ask the Holy Spirit to seal the person to protect them from future attacks.

Once the person has been delivered, I remind them that their relationship with God has been fully restored, but that it is up to them to take the next steps of authentic praise and freedom.  Through our session, their spiritual house, their soul, is swept clean.  However, it must be continually filled with grace through diligently living the sacramental life of the Catholic Church (which includes the frequent reception of the Eucharist, regular Confession, and daily prayer). 

Or as Pope Saint John Paul II said, “The Church, expert teacher of humanity and holiness, shows us ancient and ever new instruments for the daily combat against evil:  prayer, the sacraments, penance, careful attention to the Word of God, vigilance and fasting.”

Brothers and sisters, continue to truly live the sacramental life of the Catholic Church.  Persevere always to be in a state of grace.  Be victorious in the spiritual battle.

Our source of deliverance and spiritual freedom, Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Thanks be to God!

Transition and Transformation: Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time (2 Kings 2:1, 6-14; Psalm 31:20, 21, 24; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18)

Whenever Scripture brings us to the Jordan River, I find myself asking: What is God preparing His people for next?

Throughout salvation history, a particular spot ont the Jordan River has been a place of transition and transformation.

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 in the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, and is the same spot where Jesus would later return 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.

As we hear today, 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.

At each of these moments at this spot on the Jordan River, God was leading His people from one chapter into another—from preparation to purpose, from waiting to action, from promise to fulfillment.

In a spiritual (and even a mystical) sense, every time we come to Mass, we stand at this spot on the Jordan River. We come before God carrying the experiences, struggles, successes, and failures that have brought us to this moment. And God meets us there—to help us let go of the past, and to prepare us for what comes next.

God has been at work in our lives, shaping us through every season and every circumstance. The question is whether we are willing to trust Him enough to follow where He leads.

That same invitation is reflected in the recent consecration of our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. While such a consecration has significance for our country, it is also deeply personal. The consecration reminds each of us that true hope and lasting peace begin not in politicians, governments, ideologies, and worldly solutions, but rather in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the sacramental life of His Holy Catholic Church.

The Sacred Heart reveals God's love—a love that is faithful, merciful, and unconditional. The Sacred Heart invites us to bring Him our fears, our burdens, and our doubts. The Sacred Heart calls us to trust more deeply, to love more generously, and to live with greater compassion and humility.

When we allow the love of Jesus Christ to transform us, we cross the Jordan River. We move from fear to trust.  We move from self-reliance to dependence on God.  We move from merely getting through life to living a life that is happy, joyous, and free.

That journey requires commitment.

In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us that our hearts cannot be divided. We cannot build our lives around both God's kingdom and the endless worries and distractions of the world. He calls us to place Him first and to trust that everything else will find its proper place.

We see that same commitment in Elisha. Three times Elijah gives him an opportunity to turn back, and three times Elisha refuses. He remains faithful because he knows that following God's call is worth any sacrifice.

The same choice stands before us today. Where will we place our trust? In the things of this world that come and go, or in Jesus Christ, whose love endures forever?

The Sacred Heart of Jesus reminds us that God is still leading His Holy Catholic Church. He is still calling us forward. He is still inviting us to step into the next chapter of Salvation History.

May we have the faith to follow Him.  May our hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Thanks be to God!

Consecration to the Sacred Heart: Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Deuteronomy 7:6-11; Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 10; 1 John 4:7-16; Matthew 11:25-30)

Yesterday, the bishops of the United States consecrated our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. Not only is this a profound act of faith, but it is a public acknowledgment that our nation is in desperate need of God's mercy, guidance, and healing.

As I reflected on the consecration, I remembered a homily I preached on Independence Day last year. In that homily, I challenged the common assumption that the United States was founded upon true Christian principles. Rather, many of its roots can be traced to the Enlightenment—which exalts human reason above divine revelation, eventually fueling the French Revolution and opening the door to the very errors Our Lady warned against at Fatima. 

At the same time, God's grace has never abandoned this nation. From the mysterious Lady at Valley Forge to the miraculous victory attributed to Our Lady of Prompt Succor, divine providence has repeatedly intervened in our history.

Therefore, this consecration has the potential to become another chapter in that amazing story of grace.

This consecration reminds us that devotion to the Sacred Heart is woven deeply into the fabric of American Catholic life. Through the missionary efforts of the Jesuits and the faith of countless Catholic immigrants who enthroned images of the Sacred Heart in their homes, generations have proclaimed a simple but powerful truth: Christ must reign!.

You may remember the movie “The Replacements”, starring Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman. Near the end of the film, the team faces an impossible deficit at halftime. When asked what it will take to win, the coach responds, "Heart. Gotta have heart.  Miles and miles of heart."

In many ways, our nation finds itself in a similar position.

As we have said several times, we live in a broken world that has strayed further from God.  Our politics are broken. Our governments are broken. Our society and culture are broken. Perhaps even some of our families are broken.  

Pope Pius XI called devotion to the Sacred Heart "the extraordinary remedy for the extraordinary needs of our time." If those words were true nearly a century ago, how much more true are they today? Our needs have multiplied. Our wounds have deepened. Our dependence upon God has become even more urgent.

The Sacred Heart calls us to surrender—not to despair, but to trust. This consecration invites us to surrender our burdens, our fears, our sins, and our failures to the Heart that was pierced for our salvation. Through the Paschal Mystery, Christ transforms suffering into redemption, death into life, defeat into victory, and brokenness into holiness. He remains faithful to those who love Him, who keep His commandments, and who abide in Him through the sacramental life of His Holy Catholic Church.

The consecration gives us a choice.  Will we continue to place our hope in politicians, governments, ideologies, and worldly solutions that repeatedly fail to satisfy the deepest longings of the human person? Or will we finally place our trust solely in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, whose authority extends over every nation, every government, and most importantly every human heart?

This consecration is a public declaration that Jesus Christ alone is Lord.  This consecration seeks not merely national prosperity, but rather something far more powerful: national conversion.

Through this consecration, we ask for God's blessing upon our nation. We pray for unity where there is division, hope where there is despair, truth where there is confusion, and faith where there is indifference. Above all, we pray that hearts may be converted and that souls may come to know the immeasurable love of Jesus Christ.

The Sacred Heart reminds us that the Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Thanks be to God!

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