Twenty--forth Sunday of the Year - 2025

If you may have noticed people walking around scratching their heads lately it could be that they are church-going Catholics trying to figure out what on earth has Jesus been saying to us in the gospels these last few Sundays. Last Sunday Jesus said we cannot be his disciple unless we hate the members of our family. Two weeks ago, Jesus warned that many may not make it to heaven. Sunday before that Jesus said, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” and today Jesus gives us three parables that do not make sense. If this goes on, we may have no hair left to scratch. Let’s look at these three parables Jesus is using to teach us. Now the Scribes and the Pharisees are scandalized at Jesus welcoming and eating with sinners. Pharisees would have nothing to do with these “breakers of the law of God.” So Jesus answers with these two parables. The first is about a shepherd and his sheep; “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?" Well this will leave them scratching their heads because no one would do that, risk leave their whole herd to predators and thieves over one sheep. “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’  Again, no one would do that, they would look absolutely foolish, having a neighbourhood rejoicing over a lost loonie. Jesus has fashioned these examples to be counter intuitive to the extreme to demonstrate that when it comes to sinners God does not think like we do. Just the opposite.  “There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance”. God wants all his created humanity to be at home with Him in heaven. That is why God sent his Son into the world to bring every last one home. Jesus illustrates this with the story of the Prodigal Son which ends today’s gospel reading. The question for us today is where do I stand on the lost? Let them go to hell if they want to, they deserve it. Or am I here today in tears over those I know who no longer have any interest in anything having to do with God?  In this parable of the Prodigal Son there are three main characters. Which one do I most resemble?

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Twenty-third Sunday of the Year - 2025

If ever there was someone who wanted to put you to the test about your Christian faith, today's gospel text would make a perfect weapon. “Whoever comes to me and does not hate their father and mother, spouse and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even their life itself, cannot be my disciple.” So your Jesus wants you to hate your family – it says so right here. Now if you reply by saying that Jesus didn’t really say that or mean that, you create a whole lot of trouble for yourself. Would that not be true of anything the gospels quote Jesus as saying? Perhaps a little parable might help us here. Suppose you belonged to a family of a non-Christian religion. Your father is a strong, devote believer and he strictly demands that you follow this same religion and all its beliefs and practices. One day you come and announce that you are going to become a Catholic; you believe that Jesus is the son of God and that the Catholic Church is the true way to follow Christ. Your father tells you that if you do this, he will disown you, strip you of your inheritance and nothing more to do with you. And so you leave. In other words it all or nothing. In today's society, the worst thing you can do is promote hate. Hate crimes are of the worst kind of evil. Here Jesus is using hyperbole; which is an exaggerated statement or claim not meant to be taken literally. Like when Jesus said “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.” Mk. 9:43 Jesus is not teaching hate, but he is teaching unconditional love. To be his disciple Jesus wants our whole heart, our whole soul, our whole mind with all our strength. The problem we face in the Church today is mediocrity – I like some of the things the Church teaches but certainly not everything. In Matthew’s account of this issue Jesus is warning that to follow Him unconditionally will have its challenges.  “A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Mtt. 10:36 Jesus wants our whole heart first and above all. Half-hearted faith will never last in today's world. It slowly drains away until it is all gone. The choice is now in our hands.

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Commentary on the Sunday Gospel for  the Twenty-third Sunday. Dr. Brant Pitre, a Research Professor of Theology  at the Augustine Institute. View on Catholic Productions - LINK

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Twenty-first Sunday of the Year - 2025

Will Only a Few Be Saved?

Today’s gospel explores a question that can be traced back to the Old Testament times, a question quite prominent in Jesus’ time, a question very much with us today – who and how many will be saved? The Pharisees taught that God was planning new creation but who will be included – some believed all Jewish people but only Jewish people will be saved; but some believe that even some Jewish people, those who lived in rebellious times i.e at the time of the flood, or the people in the wilderness who did not enter promised land, and others would not be included. It was therefore of great interest to know what Jesus thought. They ask, “Lord will only a few be saved?” Jesus gives his answer with a parable, those standing outside of the locked door. (Perhaps those trying to get into a wedding banquet, symbol of the great banquet of the Kingdom Heaven.) Imagine for a moment there is a big banquet downtown Hamilton honoring the outstanding citizens of Hamilton of past 20 years. Obviously, those who have lived outstanding lives are invited. At door everyone is asked to show their invitation; not having an invitation the Doorman says who are you, there is no record of your good work – “I don’t know who you are”. Sorry, no admittance. Or think of it this way, people at the gate of heaven saying, “I have my baptismal certificate”, or others, “I stood up in church and professed Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior. Again, the Door Keeper replies that’s not enough, this is banquet for those who have lived holy lives in God’s service you’re not on the list, what have you done? “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, (in church once in a while) and you taught in our streets (we listen to sermons about you.)’ But the Lord will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’ Jesus had much to say on this question. "Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' Then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.' Matt 7:21 But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' (Wedding garments were often given as gifts to guests so all invited would not decline because their cloths were shabby.) Here  the wedding garment symbolizes Sanctifying Grace – unmerited gift given to all invited.) Mtt 22:11 The question, who will be saved, has been a long-pondered question in the Church and still is pondered today. Origen of Alexandria, a third-century Christian scholar, proposed a universal-ism answer – everyone is saved, even the Fallen Angels. This proposal was rejected by Church. St. Augustine and even St. Thomas Aquinas had a much more severe answer, saying the number will be much fewer. Church has not given definitive answer. In recent times the highly respected theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar argued that God’s will to save souls is universal but because we have been given freedom to choose some may refuse grace and heaven. Today we might do well to ask am I invited, which of the Spiritual and Corporal works will be listed to my credit. “Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God.” Will I be one?

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Twentieth Sunday of the Year

Sometimes Jesus says things that leave us quite puzzled, like when he said, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” Lk. 14:26 – or in today’s gospel, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” Lk 12:51. What are we to make of these kinds of pronouncements? Well in this instance in today’s gospel Jesus is actually quoting directly from the prophet Micah and appropriating the prophet’s words to himself. The prophet Micah is giving a scathing rebuke to the leaders of his time, for their failure to lead God’s people properly; for preferring to listen to prophets who spoke falsely, saying what the leaders wanted to hear. The prophet Micah is prophesying that God is going to send a Messiah who will shake things up and bring God’s will to order among the people. And when he does this it will cause divisions right down to individual households. Micah says, “… for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; your enemies are members of your own household.” Micah 7:6 “But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” Micah 5:2 Jesus is confirming that he is that messiah whom the prophet is foretelling God is sending. And as the prophet warned he is bring a cleaning fire upon the people. When God speaks it is not to say things people would like to hear rather it is to say what people need to hear, whether they like it or not. Because of this God’s word can and does divide between those who are willing to listen and accept God’s word and those who are rebelling. Our generation is no exception, we are witnessing much disorder in our society and rejection of God’s truth as it has been revealed through the gospel – so we are not surprised to see divisions, even in the household of the Church. Hear again these words of Jesus,  "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed!” We must not be scandalized by the struggles we are witnessing today, rather we need wise and careful discernment. What is God’s word to us today, who is speaking the truth for us to hear? Let us not forget that the Lord promised ever to remain with his Church, leading, guiding and protecting it. Our confidence comes through this promise.  The Holy Spirit remains in the Church and will guide us through these days of confusion and uncertainty. The worst response one could make would be to leave the Church and the practice of the faith. The Holy Spirit has not abandoned the Church, he is here to guide us to hear and understand Jesus’ living word to the Church today – and by it to guide on lives through uncertain times.

Nineteenth Sunday of the Year - 2025

Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,

for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Mtt 24:42

It is likely few of us have experienced being a servant – that is in strict sense of word – no rights, no say, no union, no where to go if you try to leave. More likely our experience is more about being served; we are all the masters expecting to be served. This is my life, my stuff, I paid my dues (my condo fees) – I expect to be served and if not just watch me complain. This way of thinking may well colour our view of religion. “I have church membership, I profess my belief, follow the rules, so now God must meet my needs, answer my prayers, serve me when I prayer.” In today’s gospel Jesus talks about this view of servants.  “Which of you whose servant comes in from plowing or shepherding in the field will say to him, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? Instead, won’t he tell him, ‘Prepare my meal and dress yourself to serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what he was told?” Lk. 17 So let us get this straight, we are the servants; God is the master who is to be served. As today’s gospel continues Jesus goes on to describes three kinds of disordered servants who must be dealt with: 1.       Those who say my master is delayed in coming - and to eat and drink and get drunk – might these be the ones risking a trip to hell? 2.       Those who knew what their master wanted, but were careless about doing what was expected of them – might these be those who require a stay in purgatory? 3.       Those who did not know they were servants at all – they must face a time of testing, repentance and conversion. Today, in our hearing of this word of God the question is put to us, what kind of servant am I? Luke ends this section with Jesus telling us how God actually will serve us: Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39 "But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." Lk 37-40 Am I ready for His coming?

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Eighteenth Sunday of the Year - 2025

Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me."  But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?"  And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."   Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?'  Then he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'  But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'  So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God." * * * * * *  The man in gospel finds himself overflowing with good fortune. An abundant harvest is a blessing from God, something every farmer prays for, indeed what all pray for. The problem here is not with harvest or the need for new barns, rather what happens in his heart. It changes him, blinds him to his true purpose in life and becomes the god he servers. Listen to his words ….. and I shall say to myself, now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, relax, eat, drink, be merry!” His problem is forgetting why he’s here, the true purpose of his life, what God he should be serving. Why am I here is the first question in the catechism: – to know, love and serve God. To use our allotted time to create a harvest of good works. The Gospel ends with that well known truth – “you can’t take it with you.” Materials things no, but there is something we do take with us; as the farewell blessing in funeral liturgy says, “Let them rest from their labours, for their good deeds go with them.” Remember these words … “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Mtt.25:35. I thought of Mother Teresa on her moving day when packing up to return to the Father’s House, how many truckloads it would take to bring with her all her good deeds done. * * * * * * THE IMITATION OF CHRIST – Thomas a Kempis The First Chapter IMITATING CHRIST AND DESPISING ALL VANITIES ON EARTH HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord. By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort; therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ. The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ. What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone. This is the greatest wisdom -- to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides. Often recall the proverb: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing." Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God. * * * * * *  First Reading for this Sunday - Ecclesiastes  1:2; 2:21-23 “Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities!   All things are vanity!” (Here is a link to an excellent video reflecting on this passage.) https://youtu.be/qWoPKMft2C4

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Seventeenth Sunday of the Year - 2025

In today’s gospel we have Luke’s account of Jesus’ teaching on prayer. The disciples see Jesus continually praying and they want to learn Jesus’ way of prayer. Jesus begins with an example of the kind of elements that prayer may include – adoration, thanksgiving, petition, reparation for sin. In today’s gospel we have Luke’s form of the “Our Father”.  Matthew’s version (we say in the liturgy) is found in Chp. 6 with the wording we commonly use when praying the “Our Father”. Luke continues with Jesus pointing out the need for perseverance as a necessary character of prayer. This follows with Jesus guaranteeing with certainty the efficacy of prayer. How often have you heard others complain, or even yourself, that God never answers my prayers? James in his letter points out (. . . you do not receive because you are asking for all the wrong things. Chp. 4:) Look, if you want to win the lottery buy a ticket and cross your fingers. Prayer is not about lotteries. For Jesus prayer is all about learning and knowing and understanding the will of God – who is God – who am I – why am I here – what is God’s plan for my life – what do I need to do to cooperate with his will for me; Lord show me. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness Jesus says in Matthew, and all these things will be added unto you. Mtt. 6:33 Our world today is so materialistic, believing that real value is found only in things, in wealth, in power, in material security. Is this not at the heart of why so many are turning away from religion – growing in a knowledge of God and God’s will – how will that help me to have a better life is their question? I encourage you to go to Matthew chapter 6: read and reflect on Jesus words about prayer where we hear . . . . .         Vs.19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal;          Vs.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also          Vs.24 No one can serve two masters – God and money.         Vs.25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?    Vs.33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. For Jesus, prayer is a relationship, a dialogue between us and our loving Father who wills only our good. “. . . for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Mtt. 6:8” It is we who do not know what we really need as we go to prayer. Prayer is discovering how the Father plans to take care of us. Vs.34 "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.

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Sixteenth Sunday of the Year - 2025

Once again – visit this tender story of Jesus with Martha and Mary. We know from John’s gospel that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus – here, Luke may be telling us about the beginnings that relationship. It is from John that we learn that this “certain village” is Bethany. To better understand the dynamics of this scene it helps to have some understanding of the importance of hospitality in the Jewish culture of this time. Hospitality to travelers was a religious obligation – it was God’s way of caring for those who must travel. Hospitality would include lodging, food, water for man and animals and to be given in as spirit of welcome and genuine kindness. Luke does not tell us exactly who of Jesus’ disciple may have joined him – but Martha clearly felt the pressure facing her. Those of you who have been the hosts for major family gatherings know what it’s like. But remember, Martha could not simply go to the freezer and fridge for what she will need, or call “Skip-the-Dishes.” Preparations of food where new from scratch every day. But here is Mary, siting at Jesus feet; a place only for disciples, a place that was not allowed for women. Martha seeing her sister Mary neglecting her religious obligations of hospitality, sitting among the men where she should not be, and leaving her to do all the preparations complains to Jesus; “do you not care . . . tell her to help me!” The way Jesus repeats Martha’s name no doubt was a tender expression. But now for Martha and for all Jesus’ disciples to come, a new obligation is given superseding all else – that of devoted attention to every word that Jesus speaks. Recall Jesus’ response to the Devil’s temptation in the desert: "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Harvesting from the world’s abundant resources for our daily needs is a real necessity. But to understand who provided them for us, what they are meant for, and how to use them wisely and well must take priority. When people of this world neglect to seek first the Wisdom from God, the negative consequences will surely be evident in a disordered world – a reality quite evident in our world today. Here in the liturgy of the Mass we have a perfect model laid out. We come seeking the Lord our God. We listen attentively to the Wisdom of God revealed to us in the Liturgy of the Word We come to the Lord’s table to have or hearts transformed by entering into communion with the God’s Divine Will. We go forth, to invite others into this Divine hospitality of salvation by our service to them. We come as Mary's' and we go forth as Martha's'.

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Fifteenth Sunday of the Year - 2025

The three Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke include this encounter with Jesus and the Scribe and the Pharisee in their gospels. Mark’s version suggests that the scribe questioning Jesus is impressed with Jesus’ teaching and wants to see if he and Jesus agree on the popular question of which is the most important of the commandments. But in Matthew as well as Luke, our gospel text for today, those questioning Jesus are trying to discredit Jesus’ teaching with trick questions about the commandments. First, they ask a popular question, ‘which is the most important commandment of the law’, and Jesus’ answer seems to agree with theirs. So, they try to entangle Jesus in the highly disputed question of ‘who is my neighbour’. It’s Luke who includes the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Jesus’s answer. There are some important lessons here for us Catholics who may consider ourselves to be truly devout believers because we go to church every Sunday no matter what. The Priest and the Levite in Jesus’ parable are no doubt on their way to fulfill their obligations of service at the temple or returning from doing so. But to do so they must be ritually clean. Coming into contact with blood would make them ritually unclean and unable to perform their religious duties in the temple. So they pass by the bleeding victim laying on the side of the road. Our coming to Mass on Sunday is a most profound religious act of which there is no greater. But we must come with hearts that are worthy. Consider these words of Jesus,  “So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.” Mtt. 5:23-24 Our religious practice must come from hearts that are humble and true. John, in his first letter asks how you can say you love God whom you have never seen when you fail to love your brother or sister right before your eyes. (1 John. 4:20) Jews at the time of Jesus’s parable hated the Samaritans for not following all the prescripts of the Law. But in Jesus’ parable it was the Samaritan who got it right, who fulfilled the essence of the Law. As you come seeking God’s forgiveness before the altar of God today, ask that your heart be filled with forgiveness and reconciliations for others. Our world is plagued by brokenness and division. It needs healers not haters. The Samaritan got it. Am I getting it?

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Fourteenth Sunday of the Year - 2025

The gospel for this Sunday has Jesus speaking these words; "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." There are two other texts that contain a similar reference: Isaiah 14:12 - "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! Revelation 12:7 - The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. It may surprise us to realize that the call to Evangelization is a call to warfare, to a spiritual warfare, to be fought here and now in our daily lives. This may be hard to get our heads around given that we are being anesthetized by a growing secularism in our society that has lost all sense of the reality of the spiritual. 'Follow your dream, whatever makes you happy, that's all that matters. Truth is subjective', so it goes. It's like we are sitting in our rec-room sipping a coffee and munching a cookie, watching T.V. while in and out of our house stretcher bearers are bringing in the wounded on stretchers, as a fierce war rages on outside, and we take no notice, oblivious, continuing watching our program. The casualties I refer to are those who are loose their faith, their connection with the spiritual life, their connection with the communion they had with their spiritual home; loosing their union in the Spirit with the Father and Jesus - this especially true of the younger generation. They are being dragged down into a world without God. I recommend you read chapter 12: of the Book of Revelation; its imagery helping us to see what Jesus is seeing.   ... a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. The Church the Body of Christ.   ... She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. The Body of Jesus dying on the cross. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. Originally the seven hills of pagan Rome - now the cities of the world, contaminated by atheism, imposing a secular world view.  The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. Mary the first Church and Jesus her son now born into the world. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. (the days remaining until the Second coming) The ascension of Jesus and the Church dispersed to all the world; under the protection of divine providence, never to be destroyed. Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. And so the Church lives on in this ongoing struggle with the Deceiver and his cleaver lies. "Roaming the world, seeking souls to devour." (Prayer to St. Michael)  Are you in? St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Feast of Saints Peter and Paul - 2025

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” This gospel passage for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, contains two of the most important questions we may ever be ask to answer. We might characterize them in this way;  the first is about religion ( “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ) the second is about faith (“But who do you say that I am?” ) Few questions receive more attention than questions about religion. What people say about religion can vary greatly:  about God, is there a God or not? if there is a God what is God like? are there many gods? why does God matter to us? which religion has got it right? So many questions like these make up the discussion, or the debate, or the argument about religion. In places like the Middle East, religion and conflict seem to go hand in hand. Here in our country the question seems to have become more muted, deciding instead that it no long matters that much, or just keep it to yourself if you have an opinion about religion. In the gospels, we see Jesus very much engaged in the religion questions of the day, but his purpose is to get to the deeper question, the question of faith, for it is what you believe that shapes the way you conduct your life. It is one thing to form theories and have opinions about religion, it is quite another to embrace with certainty what you are convinced is true. St. Paul made it quite clear when he said, that if it is not a certain fact that Jesus has been raised from the dead, our whole faith structure collapses into nothing. (1Cor. 15:14) It is the official position of our liberal, democratic society not to have a definitive answer to the questions of religion. As long as we do not impose our beliefs on others, or deny them their rights granted them by law, we can practice what ever religious beliefs we have. It is our country's guarantee of religious freedom under the law. So question one asks, "... what are people saying about ...?" After exploring the question of religion, Jesus turns to the question of faith. Jesus has come into the world to bring together and form a communion of people over which he will be the head. ("I will build my church." ) The nature of this communion will be to have a real yet mystical union with Jesus as head and a true and fraternal union with one another. Their instruction will come, by way of revelation and inspiration by the Holy Spirit forming and guiding their minds and hearts. ( “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.”) Their purpose is to live holy lives and be a sign and example for all the world to follow. (Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.) In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 1 John 4:8-16 The fact that in this county we have the freedom of religious belief and practice, which we respect, and see as a blessing, does not diminish the importance of the fundamental question: What do you believe - "who do you say I am?". And if your answer concerning Jesus is the same as Peter's, what is the state and condition of your "communion" in the Church that Jesus builds in the world? And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.

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