Baptismal Pilgrimage with the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:30-35)

There are certain readings in Scripture that encapsulate the Sacramental Life Jesus Christ instituted in His Holy Catholic Church. I believe this reading from Luke is one of those readings. It encapsulates the Sacrament of Baptism in a very particular way that enables us to spiritually enter into the full mystery that we are about to experience.

Let's take a quick review of the characters in this parable. Each of us have been in the role of the victim, prior to our Baptism. We had been robbed of original dignity by the father of lies and left to an existence without the life of grace. But Baptism restores this dignity and births us into the life of grace, it births us into the Sacramental Life of the Church. These children are our victim today.

The Good Samaritan, as you might imagine, is Jesus. He anoints the victim with oil and wine (the wine representing the Sacraments of Initiation which are Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist). He bandages the wounds of the victim (the bandages representing the Christian dignity that comes with Sacramental birth). Today, as we celebrate this Sacrament, Jesus will anoint these children with two different oils. The first is the oil of catechumens, which is used for the anointment of spiritual protection. The other is the Sacred Chrism, which is used for the anointment into the three-fold mission of Christ as priest, prophet, and king. Between the two anointings, of course, is the Baptism itself, where these children will be reborn through water and the Spirit. The bandages in the parable are represented by the white baptismal garments, which these children are already wearing.

In the parable, the Good Samaritan takes the victim to the Inn and asks the Innkeeper to take care of the victim until he returns. Many don't realize this, but the Inn is the Catholic Church and the Innkeeper is the Pope, echoing the three-fold instruction of Jesus to Peter in the Gospel of John to tend to and feed His sheep until He returns at His second coming.

Today, we will mystically retrace the steps of the of the Good Samaritan. Every well-designed Church has the baptismal font at the main entrance. The idea is that through Baptism, we are born into the Sacramental Life of the Church. Once the Baptism at the font is complete, we will do for these children that which the Good Samaritan did for the victim. We will carry them to the altar, just as the Good Samaritan carried the victim to the Inn.

Once at the altar, we will follow the model of Scripture as it relates to the infancy of Jesus. In accord with Jewish tradition, Mary and Joseph presented Jesus to God at the Temple. The Catholic Church has preserved this ancient and Sacred tradition. At the altar, not only will we present these children to God, entrusting them to His care that they may be fortified by the Sacraments of the Holy Catholic Church for the rest of their lives, but we will also give the parents a special blessing, just as Mary received a special blessing from the Temple priests.

Let us begin our spiritual pilgrimage with the Good Samaritan.

True Enmity: Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Gn 3:9-15; Ps 130:1-8; 2Cor 4:13-5:1; Mk 3:20-35)

Every time I read Genesis Chapter 3, or hear it read at Mass, one word always jumps out at me.  I hope this word jumps out at you as well.  That word is enmity!

Enmity has a special significance in the apostolic traditions of our faith, going back 2,000 years, and even back thousands of years earlier when you start to trace it back in to the Jewish roots of Catholicism.  But, outside of the handful of times we encounter the word enmity in Scripture, it isn’t a word that we have a whole lot of exposure to…particularly from the perspective of our daily vocabulary.

The Webster dictionary defines enmity as “active and mutual hatred or ill will.”  But this definition falls well short of the true context of what enmity really means in light of salvation history and our spiritual lives.  

The secular sense of the word enmity is based on the circumstances of the moment.  It is conditional as the moment passes.  That means it is temporary, or to borrow a word Saint Paul used in the epistle, it is transitory.

It is only natural that watered down definitions of key words that we use to describe our theology will lead to confusion and misunderstanding as it relates to the core dogmas of the Christian faith; including the dogmas referenced in our readings today:  the Immaculate Conception of Mary and the indivisible nature of the Kingdom of God, which is truly the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.  The Church, as Saint Paul described in the epistle, is built by God, not by human hands, but eternal in heaven.

With this eternal perspective in mind, what can we truly say about the word enmity?  To keep it simple, we can say the opposition of enmity is absolute, irrevocable, and ultimately complete.  This is what makes the revelation of the Immaculate Conception of Mary so very powerful and so very relevant to our spiritual lives and ultimately our salvation.

At the moment of her conception, Mary received a special and unique charism from God.  It was a return, if you will, to the original innocence humanity enjoyed before the great fall.  It was a return to a state of being where humanity did not know sin, and humanity did not have a fallen nature.  It was a return to a state of being where humanity was everything Satan is not; particularly, in full and perfect communion with God.

Ultimately, Mary’s gift was gift of full conformity to the Love of Christ.  From the very moment of her conception, Mary was completely ordered to Christ in every aspect of her being.

While it is fitting that Mary received this special grace that enabled her to fully live out her unique vocation as the mother of God, we must remember that we too are called to be completely ordered to Christ in every aspect of our being.  Or, as it states in the Catechism, ‘every action done so as to cling to God in communion of holiness, and thus achieve blessedness’.  Those who die in communion of holiness with God and are perfectly purified (perfectly purified meaning completely ordered to Christ), will live with Christ for ever in heaven.  It is this state of absolute holiness that constitutes the true context of what it means to be in enmity with Satan.

We may wonder how we can ever truly experience enmity with Satan if Mary required this one-time charism from God.  Mary’s Immaculate Conception is truly incredible, but God has given us a similar, incredible gift.  Saint Paul references this reality in the epistle.  He says the ‘grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people causing The Thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.”  That word Thanksgiving, “The Thanksgiving”, is a direct reference to the Eucharist, or Eucharistia (εὐχαριστία), in the first century Greek that Paul used to write his letters to the Corinthians.

Brothers and Sisters, all of this points to an irrefutable, objective Truth that we are obligated to believe as Christians.  The Eucharist and the other six Sacraments Jesus Christ instituted in the Catholic Church are actions of the Holy Spirit, just as the Immaculate Conception of Mary was an action of the Holy Spirit.  Each Sacrament is a movement of Grace that has as its goal total conformity to the Love of Christ and participation in His divine nature.

Living the Sacramental Life of the Church, as instituted by Jesus Christ, truly is the narrow path of salvation.  The Sacramental Life of the Church is the critical means of God’s plan to enable us to live a life of enmity with Satan and to become completely ordered to Christ in every aspect of our being…to truly live a life that is happy, joyous, and free through the total and absolute conformity to the Love of Christ.  

Please know of my prayers for you to continue to grow in the sacramental life of the Church and to allow yourself to be more deeply conformed to the Love of Christ.  Let us walk this journey of faith together on the narrow path of salvation as we trudge the road of happy destiny.  And together, may we come to more fully realize that what was true in the beginning is true for all eternity:  God promised Mary would have enmity with Satan.  What God promised to Mary, He offers to all of us through the Sacraments of His Holy Catholic Church.  The true holiness that consists of enmity with Satan and conformity to the Love of Christ is the challenge, the privilege, and the reward of being authentically, thoroughly, and unapologetically Catholic.  Thanks be to God!

Act of Entrustment and Consecration of Deacons to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

 Immaculate Mother,

in this place of grace,

called together by the love of your Son Jesus

the Eternal Servant, I,

a son in the Son and His deacon,

consecrate myself to your maternal Heart,

in order to carry out faithfully the Father’s Will.

I am mindful that, without Jesus,

I can do nothing good 

and that only through Him, with Him and in Him,

will I be an instrument of salvation

for the world.

Bride of the Holy Spirit,

obtain for me the inestimable gift

of transformation in Christ.

Through the same power of the Spirit that

overshadowed you,

making you the Mother of the Saviour,

help me to bring Christ your Son

to birth in myself too.

May the Church

be thus renewed by deacons who are holy,

deacons transfigured by the grace of Him

Who makes all things new.

Enable me to be an example of this grace.

Mother of Mercy,

it was your Son Jesus who called me

to become like Him:

light of the world and salt of the earth.

Help me,

through your powerful intercession,

never to fall short of this sublime vocation of the diaconate,

nor to give way to my selfishness,

to the allurements of the world

and to the wiles of the Evil One.

Preserve me with your purity,

guard me with your humility

and enfold me with your maternal love

that is reflected in so many souls

consecrated to you,

who have become for me my

true spiritual mother.

Mother of the Church,

obtain for me the grace to be a true servant

who does not serve myself

but rather give myself to God for His children,

finding my happiness in this.

Not only with my words, but with my very life,

I want to repeat humbly,

day after day,

my “here I am” and my “let it be done to me according to your word”.

Guided by You,

I want to be an Apostle

of the Flame of Love,

glad to assist at the celebration of

the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar as often as possible,

proclaiming the Gospel joyfully, 

marking the hours of each day and 

sanctifying the day with prayer,

and facilitating communion in the Church through

my service to the least of my brothers and sisters.

Advocate and Mediatrix of grace,

you who are fully immersed

in the one universal mediation of Christ,

invoke upon me, from God,

a heart completely renewed

that loves God with all its strength

and serves mankind as you did.

Repeat to the Lord

your efficacious word:

“They have no wine”,

so that the Father and the Son will send upon me

a new outpouring of

the Holy Spirit.

Full of wonder and gratitude

at your continuing presence in our midst,

in the name of all deacons

I too want to cry out:

“Why is this granted me,

that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

Our Mother for all time,

do not tire of accompanying me,

consoling me, sustaining me.

Come to my aid

and deliver me from every danger

that threatens me.

With this act of entrustment and consecration,

I wish to welcome you

more deeply, more radically,

for ever and totally

into my human and clerical life.

Let your presence cause new blooms to burst forth

in the desert of my loneliness,

let it cause the sun to shine on my darkness,

let it restore calm after the tempest,

so that all mankind shall see the salvation

of the Lord,

Who has the name and the face of Jesus,

Who is reflected in my heart,

for ever united to yours!

Amen

(Adapted from Pope Benedict XVI)

Victory on the Battle Field of the Heart — Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

I’m sure many of you had the same reaction I had when I learned the campaign to enshrine abortion rights in the Missouri constitution had submitted more than double the required number of signatures to move forward with the next step of the ballot initiative.  It certainly was not a joyful moment.

I found myself entering a rat hole reflecting on the extreme measures the campaign went to in order to gain signatures: meeting strangers on the side walk, striking up a conversation, and developing just enough of a relationship to get a signature…while realizing I had done none of that.  I had to remind myself that this moment is not a moment to waste on weeping and mourning of the current circumstance, but rather a moment of seeking to prepare for the next conflict between the Culture of Life and the Culture of Death.

I had to take stock of the situation by reminding myself that our recourse to this surely is not in Jefferson City and Washington DC, but ultimately in the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart.

That caused me to reflect on my spiritual life.  I assessed the level of prayer I am currently at, and challenging myself to increase it all the more.  Can I pray more rosaries with the intention of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart.  Can I go to Mass more often, potentially everyday, with the intention to defeat this amendment proposition on our hearts to be lifted up to the Lord.  Can I fast more.  Jesus said some demons can only be cast out with prayer and fasting.  I know there are several methods of fasting out there.  I just need to find one that works for me and then fast diligently, fast intentionally, and fast frequently for the intention to defeat this amendment proposition.

Ultimately, this war ultimately will not be won in Jefferson City or Washington DC.  This war will only be won on the battlefield of the heart.  To win the battle, it seems to me that we can take a lesson from the signature campaign.  It seems to me it is time for us to cross the battle line.  It is time that we cross into the enemy territory of the Culture of Death to befriend those who have beliefs that not align with our beliefs…to befriend those who proclaim the culture of death in its various forms under the guise of personal freedom.

It is time that we reach out to our “political enemies”…not to judge them and not to proselytize to them…but rather, just to be with them.  That doesn’t mean we need to affirm their beliefs.  It just means we should avoid actions or statements that may alienate them or push them further from the Truth.  It means to just be a friend.  Spend time with them, let them get to know us, let them discover that we are not the “evil people” the media and special interest groups try to convince them to believe, and ultimately we gain their trust.  

As we gain their trust and they begin to open up to us, we will have an opportunity to lead them to an authentic encounter with the Truth...we will have opportunity to lead them to an authentic encounter with the Love of Christ.  

Ironically, as it relates to this war between the Culture of Life and the Culture of Death, Love is our weapon of mass destruction.

This battle isn't about secular politics.  This battle is a rescue mission to save souls for our King Jesus Christ and our Queen Mary.  We are the knights on battle field.  We are the special forces, if you will, that have been entrusted with this critical and delicate mission.  The time for action is now.  Carry on Christian soldier and spread the joy of the Gospel.

Why Mass? We need the Bread of Life! -- Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter

The Paschal Mystery, which kicked off this great season of Easter, not only finished with the resurrection of our Blessed Lord, but also culminated in the consummation of the new covenant.  A covenant that Saint Stephen, and countless other martyrs throughout the age of the Church, have willingly sacrificed their lives in their personal response to what God initiated.

Throughout history, the establishment of a covenant required two things: an initiation by one party and a response by the other party.  God initiated a covenant with Adam, and Adam responded imperfectly.  God initiated a covenant with Noah, and Noah responded imperfectly.  God then initiated a covenant with Abraham, and Abraham also responded imperfectly.  God initiated a covenant with Moses, and Moses (as you can probably guess) responded imperfectly.  And, so one and so forth throughout the history of Israel in the Old Testament....until we get to the Last Supper.

At the Last Supper, in the context of the Jewish Passover, Jesus Christ through His divine nature initiated the new and everlasting covenant.  Then, on the cross, Jesus Christ through His human nature offered the perfect response.  On the cross, Jesus Christ drank from the fourth and final Passover cup (which is known as the Chalice of Hallel).  On the cross, Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself as the true Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.  On the cross, Jesus declared the consummation of the new covenant finished.

This transaction between initiation of and response to the new and everlasting covenant is the authentic context of Jesus's role as our one and true mediator with God.  Only Jesus Christ in His divinity could initiate an eternal covenant.  Only Jesus Christ in His humanity could offer a perfect response.

At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, the Bread of Life, to be our Passover Feast.  The Eucharist is the way Jesus desires us to worship Him.  But more than that:  The Eucharist is the mechanism Jesus gave us that allows us to substantially participate in His one-and-for-all sacrifice on Calvary.  The Eucharist is the mechanism Jesus gave us that allows us to efficaciously (effectively) participate in His perfect response to the new covenant.

This is why the Mass is so important.  Without our active participation in the Mass, our personal response to the new covenant is imperfect at best, and quite possibly not efficacious.  We need the Mass.  We need the Eucharist.  We need to drink from the chalice from which Jesus drank (namely, the Chalice of Hallel that is offered at every single Mass).  We need to eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood in order to have salvation and eternal life.  We need the Bread of Life!

The New and Everlasting Covenant Established

Throughout salvation history, the establishment of a covenant required an initiation and a response. God initiated a covenant with Adam, Adam offered an imperfect response. God initiated a covenant with Noah, Noah offered an imperfect response. God initiated a covenant with Moses, Moses offered an imperfect response. So on and so forth throughout the times of the Old Testament.

At the Last Supper, in the context of the Jewish Passover, Jesus Christ, through His divine nature initiated a new and everlasting covenant [Matthew 26:27-29].  Jesus Christ then, through His human nature, offered the perfect response to the new covenant on the cross as He drank from the fourth and final Passover Cup (the Chalice of Hallel), sacrificed Himself as the true Lamb of God, and declared the consummation of the new covenant finished [John 19:28-30].

This is the true context of Jesus's role of our one true Mediator with God. It really has nothing to do with intercessory prayer (as many mistakenly believe), but rather, the initiation of and response to the new and everlasting covenant. Only Jesus Christ could initiate the covenant in His divinity and also respond to it (perfectly) in His humanity.

At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist to be our Passover Feast [1Corinthians 11:17-33]. The Eucharist is the way Jesus desires us to worship Him. The Eucharist is also the mechanism that He gave to us that allows us to substantially participate in His sacrifice on Calvary and to efficaciously participate in His perfect response to the new covenant.

Without our active participation in the Mass, our response to the new covenant is imperfect at best, and potentially not efficacious. We need the Mass. We need the Eucharist. We need to drink from the chalice from which Jesus drank (namely, the Chalice of Hallel offered in the Mass) [Mark 10:35-40]. We need to eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood in order to have salvation and eternal life [John 6:47-58].

Most precious blood of Jesus Christ, save us and the whole world!

This is not Goodbye (Romans 8:31-39)

 There are few things more tragic than the loss of a young life, especially when the cause of death is something we cannot really understand.  When the cause of death leaves us with so many unanswered questions.  For some of us, the shock of unexpectedly losing a loved one may be such that we cannot even form the questions to ask.  And, that's okay.

Sometimes, walking by faith, rather than by sight, means we don't have the answers and we may not even know the questions.  We simply trust!  We trust as Job did.  When Job lost his family and livelihood, he trusted that God had not abandoned him in the midst of tragedy.  Job trusted that God was still somehow at work and would bring good out of the horrible situation he was in.

And, that is the truth of the Paschal Mystery.  Through the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; the kingdom of sin and death, the kingdom of hurt and pain, is conquered by love, joy, and eternal life.

Our beloved departed encounters the Paschal Mystery in a very profound way as we offer the funeral Mass to unite their death to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary and we commend their spirit into the loving hands of God, the Father.

We too, are part of the Paschal Mystery.  The Paschal Mystery was not a one-time event that occurred in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.  It is an eternal event that is omnipresent to all humanity throughout the ages.  The Paschal Mystery is most substantially present to us through the Mass, but it can be an integral part of our daily walk of faith.  I'd wager that Job knew the Paschal Mystery very well and that he found comfort in it.  The same can be true for us.

Currently, we are going through a passion of sadness, anger, unforgiveness, and a whole slew of emotions.  As part of the healing and grieving process, we must let go of a part of ourselves (let it die, if you will).  If we can do this, ultimately, we will experience a resurrection.  We will be able to look back and see the good God could manifest in the midst of even the most horrible and tragic events.

During a period of grieving, it can be helpful to contemplate on how the Paschal Mystery, through the Mass, is a participation in the great worship of heaven.  We can have great hope that our beloved departed are participating in the same great worship.  We can have great hope that we are sacramentally present to our beloved departed through, with, and in the Eucharist; and she present to us.  This can be of great comfort to those of us that feel like we didn't have the opportunity to say goodbye, since from a certain perspective, there isn't a goodbye to say.  A spiritual hug through the  Eucharist may not feel the same as a physical hug, but it can be every bit as profound.

For those of us experiencing anger and unforgiveness, I pray for the grace of forgiveness.  It may be forgiveness for the driver that caused this accident.  It may be forgiveness for ourselves due to some matter that was left unresolved with our beloved departed.  It may even be forgiveness towards God for allowing the death of our beloved departed in the first place.  Whatever it is, let the process of healing and forgiveness begin with this Mass.  As we enter into the Paschal Mystery of the Liturgy, open yourself to the kindness and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Let go of the negative emotions you carry and nail them to the Cross on Calvary.  Then, open yourself.  Open yourself to the fullness of love, fullness of comfort, fullness of peace, and fullness of forgiveness offered through the person of Jesus Christ - truly present in the Eucharist - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

The shortest verse in the Bible is "Jesus wept".  These two simple words inform the level of empathy Jesus has for those of us in mourning.  We can be confident in how deeply Jesus relates to us when someone close to us passes away.  Allow yourself to be comforted by the fact that Jesus is present, substantially present in the Eucharist, to mourn with us and to walk with us in our hurts and our pains.  Be comforted in the fact that this faith community also mourns with us, walks with us, and is here to love and support us as the mystical body of Christ.

The lives of the saints repeatedly and consistently attest to the truth of the Paschal Mystery and the truth of the Catholic faith.  The end of our mortal life on earth (which is in the womb of the Catholic Church), is not the end; but rather, is our birth into eternity.  To paraphrase Saint Paul, death cannot separate us.  Therefore, this is not goodbye!

Life and Death at Calvary (Luke 23:44-49)

For those who may not be familiar, the Dalmatic is the sleeved vestment that a deacon will typically wear while assisting at Mass. According to tradition, the Dalmatic is a symbol of Christian joy and happiness.

Let's face it, funerals rarely feel joyful and happy.  As such, deacons may elect to not wear a Dalmatic during a funeral Mass as a conscious act of solidarity with the family and friends of the deceased, who are mourning a great loss.

As we contemplate that sense of loss, we remember that the shortest verse in the Bible is "Jesus wept". This occurred at the tomb of His recently deceased friend Lazarus. Those two simple words informs the level of empathy Jesus has for those in mourning as we know Jesus deeply relates to the loss we feel when someone close to us dies. It is comforting for us to bear in mind that Jesus is here, substantially present in the Eucharist, to mourn with us and to walk with us in our hurts and our pains. And, we, as the Church of Jesus Christ, comes together in a special way during the funeral Mass to mourn with each other in solidarity as the mystical Body of Christ.

At the same time, we must remember that in the midst of the sadness and the grief, there truly is joy and happiness. Faith tells us mortal death is not the end, it is only the beginning of eternity. Through death, our baptism is fulfilled. Through death, we undergo the final purgation of our corrupt sinful nature to be brought into total conformity to and freedom with the Son of God...our sanctification is completed. Through death, we gain admittance into the fullness of the Wedding Supper of the Lamb and we are introduced into the love of the Holy Trinity.

As Christians, we live this mortal life in the womb of the Catholic Church. It is at this moment, the funeral Mass, that the Church births us into eternity.  It is at this moment, the funeral Mass, that the Church unites our death to the Sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary. It is at this moment, the funeral Mass, that the Church commends our soul into the hands of God the Father.

Which brings us to the heart of the matter. At the climax of the Paschal mystery, Jesus commends His spirit into the Hands of the Father. It is through the Paschal mystery of Christ that death takes on a certain dignity. In His passion, death, and resurrection, Jesus destroys the kingdom of sin and death.

Therefore, it is important that we strive to always be fortified by the Sacraments of the Church, particularly at the hour of death, so we can die with the merits of Calvary. We must never lose hope that the Sacraments have as their goal the final Passover feast...this Paschal mystery that, through death, leads to eternal life.

For Christians, the Paschal mystery, particularly the Eucharist, is at the center of both our life and our death. As Jesus said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”

It is through the Eucharist (the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ) that we can continue to be in an intimate communion with those that have gone before us in faith. Every time we go to Mass, every single time, we substantially participate in the great worship of heaven. We can have great hope that our dearly departed are participating in the same worship. As a result, we are sacramentally present to each other in the Eucharist. We can continue to pray for our dearly departed in their transition into eternity and they will continue to pray for us as we endeavor to trudge the road of happy destiny. So, in Christian faith, hope, and love; death is not goodbye, but rather, we'll be with you in the Paschal mystery.  A joyful and happy day indeed.

Live Out the Kingship of Christ: The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Matthew 25:31-46)

One of my favorite movies is the 1981 film Excalibur. In my opinion, it is simply hands down the best rendering of the legend of King Arthur. The sword in the stone, the knights of the round table, the quest for the holy grail, and other elements of the legend are presented in a particularly enchanting way.

The movie sparked an interest for me, not just in the legend and the lore, but also in the medieval history it came from. I began to have an appreciation the politics of that time period as well as the challenges and temptations most kings likely faced during their reign.

In the history of the Church, the role of a king was to maintain the peace of the realm, oversee the administration of justice, and to uphold the rule of law in the land. The king would provide for the safety and other life essentials of the people in his kingdom, in exchange for their services.

Some Medieval royals, such as Henry II of Bavaria and Louis IX of France, provide good examples of how a king was to provide for his people in charity. Both men are canonized Saints with feast days on the Roman calendar. We celebrate their attention on charity towards the people in their respective kingdoms.

Ultimately, these two holy rulers were simply imitating Christ the King in all things. They allowed the kingship of Christ to inform, shape, animate, and sustain how they approaced their daily responsibilities. They were a dim reflection of Jesus Christ, our true King of kings and our true Lord of lords.

Extrapolating on the prophesy of Ezekiel, it is Jesus that ultimately takes care of our needs: tending to us, feeding us His Body and Blood, giving us rest in the Holy Spirit (particularly on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation), shepherding us rightly through His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

On this, The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, we should recall that we too are baptized into this kingship of Christ, just like Henry II and Louis IX. We should renew our commitment to carry out the kingship of Christ in every aspect of our being. Afterall, we cannot truly love Jesus without loving our neighbor. We cannot truly love Jesus without loving the stranger in our midst.

Our Gospel today gives us a blueprint for how to more fully participate in the Kingship of Christ. It doesn't mean we have to invite total strangers into our home to eat Sunday dinner with us, as Louis IX was known to do. It doesn’t mean we have to have enormous amounts of wealth to donate to the relief of the poor, as Henry II did. But we can endeavor to do whatever is within our means.

More to the point, we can discern how God is calling us to meet this challenge to live out the Kingship of Christ in the particular circumstances of our ordinary world. Maybe God is calling us to help serve a meal to the homeless and hungry at the Saints Peter and Paul Community Services or through the Saint Patrick Center Casserole program. Maybe God is calling us to provide personal assistance to those in need through the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. Maybe God is calling us to visit the homebound or those in nursing homes. These are just a few examples of some of the outreach ministries we offer at the parish that enable us to live out the Kingship of Christ through our time, talent, and treasure.

Our acts of love are ultimately fulfilled in God's love for us. What we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we can do in the Kingship of Christ and for the kingdom that was prepared for us from the foundation of the world. Be Christ the King to those in our midst. Now, let's turn our full attention to the consummation of the Kingdom of God and the love He offers to us in the Eucharist. May the regrets of times we failed to love the least of our brothers and sisters, be transformed into a holy fervor to serve them this day forward...that we may truly go in peace, glorifying the Lord by our lives.

Daunting! - Reflection for Evening Prayer - Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time (Ephesians 3:20-21)

As Christians, we are called to live out the beatitudes; in particular, to perform the corporal and spiritual works of mercy for the least of our neighbors, as well as the stranger among us.  We are called to a life of service to the Church and to the World.  Let's not kid around, that is a daunting thought.  It is one thing live out the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church.  Yet, the fullness of the Christian life includes what happens between Mass.  How we respond to the call: "Go forth, glorifying the Lord by your lives."

As Christians, we called to take on the challenges within the Church head-on.  We are called to increase our awareness of those around us, meeting them where they are, and walking with them in faith.  We are called to help them conquer fear with love, discouragement with hope, and indifference with faith.   We are called to be conduits of the Holy Spirit to shape the culture and heal division.  In a Christian Anthropology class, Deacon James Keating would routinely ask us:  Are you ready for this responsibility?  Are you sure this is what you want?

Daunting!

Be not afraid!  Our reading today reminds us that God will do amazing things through us…things that are well beyond our imagination.  Just look at the examples we have from the past: Saint Augustine, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Catherine of Siena, Therese of Lisieux, and so many others.  These men and women didn't do great things because of their natural intelligence and abilities.  These men and women did great things because they completely surrendered their lives and their wills to God.  Their mission was the mission of God.  Their power was the power of God.  Everything they did was for the glory of God.

The same is true for us.  If we are feeling overwhelmed by certain aspects of the Christian life or by the idea of what we are called to do, you are not alone.  I think most of us have been there at various points of the earthly pilgrimage of life.  What I have learned about myself is that those times I am feeling overwhelmed or inadequate are usually the times I am trying to serve others on my own as opposed to allowing Jesus to serve through me.

God will do great things through us, far greater things than we can possibly imagine, if we can be humble enough to step aside and allow Jesus to serve His people through us.