Homily for Easter 5 - April 29, 2018

Homily for Fifth Sunday of Easter

April 29, 2018

Without Me You Can Do Nothing

            Two months ago, when the latest school shooting happened in Parkland, Florida, many politicians and celebrities predictably said, posted, or tweeted, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you.” In response, some people said, “The time for thoughts and prayers are over! Thoughts and prayers do nothing! It’s time to act, to pass laws, to rally for gun control!”

            Regardless of what you think about gun control, let’s talk about what you think about prayer. Does prayer “do” anything? Does it change things? If we really pray, does that solve our problems? Or do we have to figure things out on our own? After all, doesn’t the Bible say, “God helps those who help themselves”?

            Actually, no, the Bible doesn’t say that. It was Ben Franklin who said that, and it goes against what Jesus says in the Gospel today – “Without Me you can do nothing.” Notice He doesn’t say, “You can do some things without Me” or “I will help you live your life” but the absolute statement – nothing is possible without union with Him.

            I think this means three things. First, consider that we really have nothing on our own. Everything we have has been given to us: our life, our family, our gifts and talents, everything. It’s like a carpenter who is given wood, nails, and tools for free – yes, he is the one who makes the work of art, but he has to acknowledge that he received the “raw materials” without cost, from a very generous Giver.

            One of our middle schoolers had a great insight this past week when we were reflecting on this Gospel. He said that the phrase “without Me you can do nothing” also means that anything we do apart from God is worthless. All the money we earn, all the pleasures we have, all the sports trophies we win – in the end really means nothing. Without God at the heart of all we do – without seeking His glory in everything – then it all comes to nothing in the end.

            But the third meaning of this sentence “without Me you can do nothing” is that our life really requires union with God in prayer to function well.

            I think that we often misunderstand prayer. A lot of times we pray so that God can change our situation. God, make school shootings go away. God, heal my son with cancer. God, help me get a good grade on the test. But as Mother Theresa said, “I used to think that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us.”

            We should pray to know God and to become like God. That’s really the goal of prayer. I have always disliked the phrase “saying prayers” because prayer is so much more than reciting Our Fathers and Hail Marys. Prayer is first and foremost an ardent desire, a pursuit of God who is love. It’s not words that are recited; it’s a sharing of your life with your closest friend, the Lord.

We always make excuses about prayer, though. We say we’re too busy. Well, you’re never too busy to breathe, right? Who says, “Yeah, it’s been a busy day so I just stopped breathing for a couple hours.” Of course not! We breathe because we know we will die without it – we pray because we know we will die without it. When we have more burdens to carry, we need more strength to carry them. And that strength comes with our intimate union with Christ in prayer. As St. Francis de Sales said, “Every one of us needs half an hour of prayer a day, except when we are busy – then we need an hour.”

So, I will leave you with a saint and a challenge. First the saint: St. Rose Philippine Duchesne. Rose was born in France in the 1700s. As a young nun, she was fascinated by the stories she heard about America, particularly in the Wild West. She always had a burning desire to come and evangelize America – but she suffered from some major health problems. Finally, when she was in her late 60s, she was given permission to become a missionary to Missouri to work with the Potawatomi Indian tribe. She sailed over to America but was faced with another challenge: she was absolutely unable to learn the difficult Potawatomi language! Unable to speak to them and crippled with illness, all she could do was pray.

And pray she did! For hours upon hours each day, she would spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, begging God for the conversion of the Potawatomi people. Slowly but surely, as God’s grace began to work on the Indians’ hearts, they began to be attracted by Catholicism. They would often come to meet with St. Rose, and even though they didn’t understand French, they loved to just sit in her presence for hours. They nicknamed her “Woman-Who-Prays-Always”. Against many difficulties, this mission was a huge success and many Potawatomi became Catholic – because of the power of this praying woman, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne. Prayer made her a saint – and it called down the grace of holiness upon the whole tribe.

My challenge is to spend 10 minutes in prayer daily. Let me be honest – if you do not spend at least 10 minutes in prayer each day, you are not yet a disciple. People often ask – what do I do in those 10 minutes? Here’s what you should do. Start out by quieting your heart and mind, asking the Holy Spirit to enlighten you. Then read Scripture for a couple of minutes, asking God what He wants to teach you. Sit with what you read in silence for a couple more minutes. Pay attention to the movements of your heart, your desires, your memories, the Bible passage that you just read. Perhaps listen to a spiritual song. Then speak to God from your heart, thanking Him, trusting Him, telling Him how much you love Him, praying for the needs in your life. You will soon find that 10 minutes passes by very quickly and it soon becomes the cornerstone of your life, because without Him, “we can do nothing”!

Homily for Easter 4 - April 22, 2018

Homily for April 22, 2018

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Shepherding the Domestic Church

            Today is often called “Good Shepherd Sunday”, after the beautiful Gospel we just heard. It is often typical to talk about the priesthood, which is one way in which some people are called to be shepherds. But let’s be realistic – most of you are called to the beautiful vocation of marriage. So I’d like to talk about shepherding a different kind of church – the Domestic Church.

            “The Domestic Church” is the phrase that the Second Vatican Council used to describe the family. Such a great insight – the family is, indeed, the Church in miniature. It’s in the family that we grow in holiness; it’s in our families that we first learn about the love of God and the truths of our Catholic faith. Parents, then, are the shepherds of this Domestic Church – they are the ones entrusted with shepherding their family to Heaven.

            Daunting task? You bet. But today’s Gospel gives us some insights on how to become that good shepherd of your family.

            First, Jesus speaks about unity in the flock. And unity in the flock of the family can only come about through forgiveness.

            Dr. Scott Hahn tells a great story. He’s a nationally-known Scripture professor at my alma mater, and as he was studying the Old Testament, he noticed that it was a Jewish custom called the “Jubilee”. Every fifty years, the Jewish people would forgive any and every debt that anyone had – basically hitting a “reset” button on all debts. So Scott Hahn decided to try that in his house.

            He has six kids, and one day at the breakfast table he said to them, “Okay kids, your mom and I have decided that today is a day of Jubilee. You can come to us and tell us anything that you want to tell us, and we promise that we will forgive you, no questions asked.” His kids looked at him a little strangely, confused about what they meant.

            A few hours went past, and Dr. Hahn was in his study, when slowly the door creaked open. It was his oldest son. With a timid voice he said, “Hey Dad…did you really mean what you said about a day of Jubilee? When everything would be forgiven?”

            “Yes, son, I really meant it.”

            “Great!” his son said. “Then I want to tell you that it was me who dented your car the other day with a baseball…and pushed my sister down the stairs…and stole your hammer and didn’t return it…and…”

            The list went on and on. His dad just took it all in, his eyes getting wider and wider. He began to think this Jubilee wasn’t such a good idea! He was learning about some of his son’s sins that he never knew about! But then finally, his son wrapped it up and with a heavy sigh, said, “Whew! Thanks for listening, Dad. I feel so much better, knowing that I’m forgiven.”

            Dr. Hahn sat back in his chair after his son left, just amazed. Amazed at the power of forgiveness. Amazed at how his son felt so free to unburden himself when he knew there would only be mercy. And as he was sitting there, stunned, he heard his door open a bit, and his second child peeked in and asked, “Dad, did you really mean what you said about a day of Jubilee?”

            Forgiveness is the path to unity. If you want to shepherd your flock well, according to the Heart of Jesus, begin by forgiving your family members.

            Jesus then gives us the example of sacrificial love: “A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” Cardinal O’Brien from Baltimore once told me a story. When he was a younger priest, he was invited to the retirement party of a four-star general in the army. This general was so tremendously loved and admired by all of his men. They really viewed this general as a true father. During the party, the men urged the general to get up and give them a speech. They asked him to share the secret to his success – why had he inspired such loyalty and admiration in everyone around him?

            Reluctantly, the general got up to give a very short speech. He said, “You have asked me to speak about how to be a leader. When I was a young officer, I was told the greatest secret to leadership in the Army, and it’s very simple. Officers…eat…last.” And then he sat down. And Cardinal O’Brien told me that it was the most important lesson on leadership he had ever heard.

            Officers eat last. They are more concerned about the men under them than they are about their own ranks, honors, and awards. In the same way if we wish to shepherd our families following the example of Christ, shepherds eat last. They only take their rest once everyone around them is well-cared-for. A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep – a good father or mother lays down their lives for their family in self-sacrificial love.

            Finally, a third insight into leading your families to holiness is to keep your flock away from the wolf – that is, the Evil One. As parents, we have a special duty to preserve the innocence and holiness of our children. Sin should have no place in your home. Allow me to be extremely blunt – one of the greatest causes of sin and lack of faith among young people is unfettered access to the internet. What parent would leave their child unsupervised in a library where many of the books are filled with filthy content, where many of the videos are rated R, where violence and lust and atheism prowl? No good parent would do that – and yet parents don’t think twice about allowing their kids to spend hours on the internet, watching Youtube or playing games with random strangers. My friends, any parent who gives their child an iPad or iPhone and does not put restrictions on it has allowed Satan to enter your Domestic Church. You’ve practically invited the wolf to sit down with the sheep for dinner. I have seen too many young people fall into sin and lose their faith because parents have not been vigilant to keep the wolf away. I’m not saying to get rid of all technology – I am saying that you need to put filters and restrictions on your kids’ phones and iPads, and be constantly aware of what they are doing with technology. If you need resources for filters or how to put parental controls on an iPhone, I’m happy to offer some suggestions.

            My friends, all of us have people to shepherd. I have the parish and the high school; you have your families, coworkers, and friends. But in a special way, parents and grandparents are called to be shepherds of the Domestic Church – the family. When I see Christ face-to-face, I will be judged on how well I have led my flock to Heaven – and when you see Christ face-to-face, you will have to give an account of how well you have led your family to Heaven. Be not afraid, with God’s grace, to be the shepherds of the Domestic Church!

Homily for Easter 3 - April 15, 2018

Homily for Third Sunday of Easter

April 15, 2018

Scar Stories

            It may just be a guy thing, but young boys love to tell stories of their scars. It’s always humorous when I’m at the middle school and I just ask, “Hey, where’d you get that scar on your forehead?” and then the kid launches into an excited description of that time he was having a rock fight with his friend, and then he proceeds to show me three other scars and tell me their stories too.

            Scars have stories. Even Shakespeare recognized this when he writes in his play Henry V about the warriors that fought with King Henry at the Battle of Crispin’s Day. He writes: “He that lives through this day and comes home safe, will stand when Crispin’s Day is named, and will strip his sleeve and show his scars and say, ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s Day!’” For these men who fought with the king, their wounds would be their badge of honor, a testament to their courage. And Shakespeare goes on to say that any man who, out of cowardice, stayed home on Crispin’s Day would “hold their manhoods cheap” when in the presence of those brave warriors who bear the scars of the battle.

            Jesus, then, to show His courage, His victory, shows His disciples His scars. Have you ever thought how odd that is? I mean, if you’re going to resurrect into a perfect Body, why not get rid of those scars in the hands and feet? Why not look perfect?

            Very simple – the scars are a visible reminder of what He endured for them. When they see the scars, they see the price of repentance – but also the Victory of Christ.

            As an ancient homily from the second century says, “We had left a garden; Christ returned to a garden to be betrayed and a garden to be buried. See on His face the spittle He received in order to restore to us the life He once breathed into us. See there the marks of the blows He received in order to refashion our warped nature in His image. On His back see the marks of the scourging He endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon our back. See His hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for we once wickedly stretched out our hands to a tree” in the Garden of Eden.

            And consider the words of St. Theodore the Studite: “The Lord, like a brave warrior wounded in His hands, feet, and side, healed the wounds of sin that the evil serpent had inflicted on our nature.”

            His wounds undo our wounds. His scars wipe away our scars. All of us have wounds and scars – we can’t get through life unscathed. Sometimes those scars are caused by other people: maybe we’ve been abused, treated poorly, bullied, hated, rejected. Maybe people we love have died. Maybe we’ve struggled with depression, anxiety, illness, fear. Maybe the scars came because we made bad choices: the guilt of our sin, the addictions we’ve developed, the broken relationships that we just can’t heal. All of us have wounds; all of us have scars. It would be impossible for any human being not to suffer or be wounded.

            But wounds can either be healed, or kill us. Wounds that are brought to Christ, the Divine Doctor, can be healed. Wounds that we hide, that we don’t treat, will fester and cause misery and unhappiness – and eventually the spiritual death of hatred.

            We bring our wounds to Christ through prayer and Confession. Pray about it – “Lord, what are You teaching me through my suffering? How can You use it to make me more like You? What are You calling me to let go of? How can I trust You more?” This is bringing our wounds to Christ. Then, if the wound involves our own sin, we can bring it to the Lord in Confession. Sin is the biggest wound, because it wounds our relationship with God – thus, Jesus’ first gift here in today’s Gospel is that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” comes through our faith in Him.

            My friends, life is tough, and sometimes we suffer. We suffer because of other people’s choices, we suffer because of our own bad choices and our sins, and sometimes we just suffer because we’re human. But when we get wounded, we can bring those wounds to Christ. He can forgive our sins. He can heal our wounds and make them, like His, signs of victory and triumph.

Homily for Friday, April 6, 2018 - Friday of Easter Octave

Homily for April 6, 2018 – Friday of Easter Octave

Catholic Academy of Stamford Mass

A Different Life

            How many of you are Boy Scouts? I am an Eagle Scout, and Scouting has been a big part of my life and my family. The foundation of Boy Scouts in America comes from an unlikely source – an unknown young boy in England. You see, there were Boy Scouts in England before the program came to the United States. One day, a businessman from America named William Boyce was traveling in England. As it often is, it was very foggy in London that day – so foggy that he was completely lost and couldn’t find his way to his destination as he walked through the streets. A boy came to his aid, and led him to his destination. When Mr. Boyce arrived at his destination, he reached in his pocket to give the boy some money for his kindness, but the boy refused to take it. The boy explained that he was a Boy Scout and that he was just doing his scout’s duty to help a stranger.

            The boy and Mr. Boyce parted ways, but Mr. Boyce was so impressed by that boy’s generous action that the next day he visited the Scouting headquarters in England, got information on how the Boy Scout program is run, and brought it to America. Since then, more than 110 million young men have gone through Boy Scouts. All of this happened because one young boy decided he would live differently because he was a scout.

            It’s a temptation to all of us to let our faith in Jesus be just one more “thing” in our life. We have our sports, our school friends, being in the play, our families, our faith, our social media, our Fortnite life…and faith is just one part of who we are. But that’s not what our relationship with Jesus should be – it should be the driving force, the main goal of our entire lives! Our life should be different because we know and love Jesus Christ!

            St. Peter was struggling with that in the first reading. We know that Simon Peter was a fisherman, who for many years – probably until he was in his 40s or 50s – lived on a lake and would go out every day and fish. But then…he met Christ…and he gave it all up. It says in the Gospels that when Jesus called him, Peter literally dropped his nets and followed, never looking back.

            But even after three years, having seen all the miracles Jesus did, heard all the teachings of Jesus, watching Him walk on water and raise the dead and then get crucified and die and be Resurrected, Peter still didn’t get it. He didn’t know what to do, so he went fishing. That sounds strange to me – Peter, you’ve just seen the Risen Lord…and you’re going fishing? You’re the first Pope, called to preach the Gospel to far off lands…and you hop in a boat and put down some nets?

            But isn’t that our story too?  You’re called to be a saint…and you’re wasting your time on Fortnite? You know that Jesus loves you enough to die for you…and yet you find it hard to love your little brother or sister? You know that you were made to spend eternity praising God in Heaven…and yet you find it hard to praise God for 10 minutes a day in prayer?

            Consider this – what, in your life, is different from a kid who doesn’t believe in Jesus? Do you love like Jesus? Do you have a daily relationship with Him? Do you sacrifice? Do you obey your parents? If we believe in Jesus, this belief must change us!

            Say what you will, but one of my favorite pizza places in Stamford is Domino’s Pizza. I know, I know…but I’m not Italian so I’m allowed to love Domino’s. The man who founded Dominos Pizza, Tom Monaghan, was a devout Catholic – and a billionaire from starting this international pizza chain. As he continued to grow in his faith, though, he knew that following Jesus meant he had to live differently. He stopped building his dream house – because he felt he could better use the money to give to the Church and to the poor. He sold his $8 Million Bugati, since Jesus said it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God, and gave the money to a Catholic university. His faith in Jesus caused him to change his lifestyle!

            Peter spent three years with Jesus, but nothing had changed. He went back to fishing. Does your life look different because YOU follow Jesus?

Divine Mercy Sunday - April 7, 2018

Homily for April 8, 2018

Divine Mercy Sunday – Second Sunday of Easter

My Jesus Mercy

            So here is your Jeopardy question of the day: what famous American has on his tombstone the epitaph “My Jesus Mercy”?

            Answer: Al Capone. One of the most famous – or infamous – gangsters ever, Al Capone is no model of virtue. Ol’ Scarface, as he was known, worked his way up through the mafia as a bouncer at brothels, before running an entire empire of liquor during Prohibition. He was ruthless, willing gun down seven rival gang members in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, and was even named Public Enemy #1 in the city of Chicago. Eventually jailed for tax evasion, he died of syphilis at a young age. Not at all a saint or a role model to anyone!

            And yet, he dared to hope in Jesus’ mercy. This says far more about Jesus than it does about Al Capone – to have a Savior whose mercy even extends to the depths of human depravity! Whether we are a saint like Mother Teresa or a sinner like Al Capone or the vast mass of humanity in between, we can all turn to the mercy of God with confidence and hope.

            It is so valuable that our Church gives us this feast only eight days after we celebrated the Resurrection, because there is a close connection between Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection and the abundance of His Mercy. Jesus was only able to give the Apostles the power to forgive sins now, on Easter Sunday night, because it was Good Friday that purchased the power! It was Good Friday that broke open the floodgates of mercy, and now He entrusts His Church with the power to apply that mercy to souls.

            In fact, that is the entire reason why Jesus came! The name “Jesus” means “God saves” – and what did He save us from? Our sins. Why did we need saving from our sins? Because sin is more than just breaking a law – sin deprives us of the very divine life of God in our souls. Sin separates us from God who is Love Itself. Our hearts desire love, life, meaning and purpose – and sin gives us only death, despair, hopelessness.

            Thus, Jesus Christ came to bestow mercy upon us. No matter what we have done, how far we have strayed from the Lord, His mercy awaits to bring us home again.

            St. Jerome wrote a wonderful meditation on this. He was imagining the conversation between the soul and Christ. The soul looks upon the nail marks in His hands and His feet and says, “Jesus, You have gone to such great lengths to save me! How can I ever thank you?”

            Jesus responds, “If you wish to thank Me, offer Me your praise and Adoration.”

            The soul replies, “Yes, Lord, I will, but I wish I could offer you more! My money? My possessions?”

            “I made the entire world – I have no need of money or possessions.”

            “Then what can I give You, Lord? What would adequately thank You for Your love?”

            Jesus responds, “If you wish to thank Me, give Me your sins. Give me your past, your shame, your weaknesses. Let Me take them on My shoulders on the Cross, and let Me pour My mercy upon you. That will give Me the greatest joy.”

            What a beautiful meditation; what a beautiful Savior! He Who could have anything in the world wants nothing more than your sins, laid upon His shoulders, so that He can forgive them. There is nothing in the whole world that gives Jesus greater joy than forgiving our sins.

            And this isn’t just for huge sinners. All have fallen short of the glory of God, St. Paul tells us. All of us need repentance, to turn back to Him. It says in Scripture that “the just man sins seven times a day” because the little things, too – the lack of honesty, the impure glance, the sharp word, the grudge – prevent us from the abundance of life God wants for us.

            So, my friends, let us resolve to repent and trust that His mercy can cover us. Repent every day by examining your conscience before you sleep for the night, and beg God for His mercy. Repent by frequently going to Confession. Repent by apologizing to those you have harmed. If Al Capone could trust in the mercy of Jesus, how much more can we believe that He will have mercy on our souls?