Christmas Homily 2025 - A Little Monstrance

 

Christmas Homily 2025

The Monstrance Who Descends

 

            Every year I help at a Catholic summer camp called Camp Veritas. The highlight of the camp is a powerful time of Eucharistic Adoration – which is where the Eucharist, the true Body and Blood of the Lord, is placed in this golden vessel called a monstrance – and we spend time in Adoration. One evening, the priest will carry Our Lord in the monstrance to each one of the 200 teens who are kneeling, singing praises to God. It’s an immensely moving experience – and a little exhausting, after holding the monstrance aloft for two straight hours!

            But this year, as I was bringing the monstrance around, I noticed that some of the kids were short – seriously small – and that they wouldn’t be able to see our Eucharistic Jesus in the monstrance. So I got down on one knee and brought Jesus to their eye-level. It was such a beautiful time – bringing Our Lord so low that these small kids could see Him.

            And isn’t that exactly what Christmas is all about? As much as we may look up into the sky, none of us have a window into Heaven. None of us can see God’s face or get to know who He is. He’s far too high above us, and we are far too small. So He decided to come down to our level, descending so that we can gaze upon the Face of God when we look into the eyes of the newborn Baby in Bethlehem.

            The humility of our God! Could you imagine a King who, seeing an enemy sinking in the mud, would be willing to take off his royal robes of silk and gold, leave his majestic throne and beautiful palace, and dive into the mud to lift him out? I doubt we’d ever see that in a human kingdom, but this is precisely the self-emptying of God.

            While we were still His enemies, lost in sin, He was willing to be born in a filthy animal trough. While we were still ignoring and rejecting Him, He was born into shivering cold. While we filled our lives with sinful pleasures, He endured hunger and thirst for us. While we were still trying to make ourselves like God, He became like us in all things but sin.

            Only love would give up the glories of Heaven for the miseries of earth. A love so powerful that He lifts us up from our boring, ordinary, sometimes-miserable, often-enslaved lives to invite us to eternal life with Him.

            So now that God is small, not just in the manger but in the Eucharist, what is our response? Well, gaze upon this monstrance. It is very beautiful, but it is empty. Jesus in the Eucharist is not inside of it. So despite its beauty, it’s kinda pointless.

            Likewise, our lives may be very fine on the outside. Maybe we’ve got a great job, a nice house, a happy family. But are we missing the very centerpiece of Jesus Christ? If so, then the beauty of our lives is ultimately empty. We were made to be monstrances – to contain Christ at the heart of our lives, and to show Christ to the world.

             You are not here today by accident, or just out of a sentimental custom. You are here because you have been invited by Jesus Christ. He is bringing you here to invite you to begin practicing your Catholic Faith, or perhaps to renew its fervor. He is bringing you here because perhaps He wants you to have a living, personal relationship with Him for the first time. No matter why you think you’re here, you have been invited. And now He asks for your response to this invitation. I’d like to invite all here to bow their heads. If you feel a desire to invite Jesus Christ into your heart in a new way this day, I invite you to pray this prayer after me. You may pray it out-loud or silently, or not pray it at all. It’s up to you to respond to this invitation.

            Lord Jesus, I believe in You. I believe that You are the savior of the world. I believe that You died for my sins. And now I turn away from my sins. I ask You to be my Savior. I ask You to live in my soul. I dedicate my life to You. Amen.

            This monstrance puts Christ at the center so that the world may see and adore Him. May our lives do the same.

Advent 4 - The Virtues of St. Joseph (Dec 21, 2025)

 

Homily for Advent 4

December 21, 2025

Joseph the Just Man

 

            We read today about a character who is both central to the story of Jesus, but very little understood: Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus. But this Gospel reveals four virtues of this most powerful saint – so let’s unpack the Gospel to see how Joseph can be an example to all of us.

            First, though, some background. Joseph and Mary were betrothed but not married. But what does that mean? Betrothal in ancient times was more than an engagement. It was a semi-binding legal contract that involved a public promise to marry. The groom would give some payment (called “mohar”) to the bride’s family, often a gold ring (which is why engagement rings are a thing). Then the groom would return to his house and spend up to a year expanding it, making it comfortable, before he brings his bride there and they officially live as man-and-wife.

            So breaking this betrothal was a significant risk – not only was shame involved, it was also possible that the man would lose his “down payment” and all the work on his house would be pointless. But this was a unique case. The book of Deuteronomy specifically states that a woman caught in adultery during betrothal was subject to being stoned to death, but as the Jews were under Roman law and could not execute capital punishment, they had to settle for public shaming and public divorce.

            So we see the first of Joseph’s virtues – his mercy, as he wanted to preserve as much of Mary’s dignity as possible by divorcing her quietly. It says that he was a righteous man, which means that he kept the law scrupulously – but he chose mercy over the judgment that the law proscribed. Here is a man who realized that the highest law is love and mercy!

            Some doctors of the Church (these are the saints who left us a rich treasury of writings about God) – such as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bernard – have an interesting interpretation, which I like very much. They say that Joseph did not think Mary was an adulteress, but rather he felt unworthy to be the father of the Son of God, and this is why he wanted to divorce her quietly. I think this interpretation is accurate to who Joseph is – a man filled with reverence and awe at the mystery of God – a second virtue of this great man. Who is worthy to become the head of the Holy Family? Who could be found to be the fitting father to the very Son of God? Joseph was conscious of his own unworthiness – and thus tried to step back from this marriage.

            But notice how the angel addresses him in the dream – “Joseph, Son of David”! Remember what noble lineage you have, what kingly stock you descend from! He is urged to take up the mantle and the mission that he was destined for, since he descended from the most noble king in Israel’s history – King David, who was called “a man after God’s own heart.” Isn’t Joseph truly a man after God’s own heart? So we see this third great virtue of Joseph – his kingly nature, being called out by the angel.

            And the angel gave him two tasks. First, to take Mary and Jesus into his home – to be the head of the Holy Family, the leader and protector of the most perfect and sacred human beings on this earth. And then to give the baby the name “Jesus” – to name a child, in ancient times, was the prerogative of the father, and it was an act of spiritual authority. So Joseph was willing to accept the mantle of leadership on behalf of others – another great virtue of his!

            Finally, we see how quickly he carries out this command – upon waking, he wasted no time to “take Mary into his home.” He has the virtue of prompt obedience – not hesitating, waffling, or equivocating – he responded to the Lord with a prompt heart.

            These four virtues are equally as pertinent to the spiritual life of every Christian. First, mercy. Our Church is governed by a set of laws called the “Code of Canon Law”, which has  over 1700 laws. But the final law is the most important – it reads, “The supreme law in the Church is the salvation of souls.” We, too, should be governed by such a law: The supreme law is to love God above all things and to love our neighbor in His Name. Of course, to love means to obey the laws of God and the laws of the Church, but this obedience must be motivated by love. As Pope St. John XXIII wrote, “In essential [things], unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity.” Joseph had compassion on the unwed teenaged Mary – and because he did, he was blessed with one of the most privileged lives – to raise the Son of God!

            Second, we too ought to be filled with reverential awe. Did you know that St. Francis of Assisi never became a priest, but remained a deacon, because he had so much awe for the Eucharist that he considered himself unworthy to celebrate Mass. He once said, “If I saw an angel and a drunken priest walking down the road, I would kiss the hands of the priest first before greeting the angel.” Here was someone who understood the awe-inspiring realities of our Catholic Faith – do we feel that same awe as we approach our Eucharistic Lord? A Protestant was once arguing with a Catholic about the Eucharist and asking, “What is it you believe about the Eucharist?” The Catholic replied, “We believe it is the Body and Blood of the Lord.” The Protestant challenged, “No, you don’t believe that.” The Catholic replied, “Yes, we do.” The Protestant said, “No, you don’t, because if you believed that you would never leave the Church, and approach Him on your knees.” Joseph was in awe that God had become man in Jesus; are you in awe that God has become this Eucharistic Host?

            Third, we must accept our vocation and not shy away from its crosses. Joseph had a mission and, as the son of King David, the strength to live it out. You, too, have a mission – all of us are called to holiness first and foremost, to become saints! And this is lived out in your specific vocation: maybe it’s the kids we are called to raise as faithful Catholics; the elderly parent we’re called to care for; the neighborhood we are called to witness to; the difficult job we undertake because it serves others. This is your path to sanctity, and you too are sons and daughters of a Great King – so take up your mantle and become holy as He is holy!

            Finally, we too are called to prompt obedience. The Sisters of Life, which is a religious order of nuns dedicated to the protection of all life and serving women in crisis pregnancies, have a saying: “See the need, meet the need.” If they see the trash can overflowing, they don’t wait for the next person to take care of it. If they see a dirty pot in the sink, it’s their duty to clean it. This prompt obedience is for the duties of our state in life (don’t procrastinate on homework, don’t scroll social media when you really need to be talking to your teenager about dating), for inspirations of the Holy Spirit (maybe I should pray…oh no, let me rearrange my sock drawer instead), and for our vocations. I went to seminary with a professional soccer player named Chase Hilgenbrinck (now Fr. Chase). He played on the New England Revolution pro soccer team, but knew God was calling him to the priesthood. He kept putting it off, thinking that when his soccer career came to an end, then he would become a priest. But one day he was reading a spiritual book and came across the line: “delayed obedience is disobedience”. It hit him like a ton of bricks – he left the game of soccer and became a priest (and now uses his soccer talents to spread the Gospel!)

            It’s no wonder that Joseph is the patron of the Universal Church, called the Terror of Demons and the most powerful in Heaven besides Our Lord and Our Lady. His virtues are beautiful – mercy, reverence, embracing his vocation, prompt obedience. And his virtues can be imitated by all Christians!

Advent 3 - Feast of Feasts (Dec 14, 2025)

 

Homily for Advent 3

December 13, 2025

Feast of Feasts

 

            Both our opening prayer and our prayer after Communion speak about “feasts”. But what is a feast, and what makes it different from a party? I turned to The Google for the answer: feasts are elaborate, often-ritualized meals with special food that celebrates an occasion. For example, every Thanksgiving feast includes turkey, even if you’d rather have pizza (and do not try to put turkey on pizza. That would be an unspeakable abomination). By contrast, a party is a gathering for entertainment and socialization. It may have food but that’s not the main purpose, unlike a feast. And it can just be for fun – it doesn’t need to commemorate an event.

            In our Judeo-Christian tradition, there are three main Feasts we celebrate. The first is the Jewish feast of Passover. It’s a rough feast – the food is not anyone’s idea of delightful. We had a Passover Seder meal in class at CKA a few weeks back, and when it came time to eat the bitter herbs dipped in salt water, there were more than a few grimaces…and even some kids politely spitting it out! Of course, that food is richly symbolic of the bitterness of Israel’s slavery in Egypt and the tears they shed, since the feast commemorates when God led them from slavery to freedom.

            But that feast is fulfilled – we now have a newer, better Feast – the Holy Eucharist. We, too, take special food – not bread and wine, but the very Body and Blood of God! And it, too, commemorates an earth-shattering event – the death and Resurrection of Christ.

            But what we do here at Mass will not be the final feast. Heaven is referred to as the “Wedding Feast of the Lamb” – when God and the human race are finally united like bride and groom. Isaiah refers to this heavenly banquet in delicious terms: a feast of “juicy, rich food and pure, choice wine.” And this feast will commemorate the final victory of God over sin and death forever, as the entire universe is renewed in Him.

            So, to sum up, the first feast of Passover is no more – it does not need to be celebrated because God has done something greater in Redemption. We celebrate that second feast at every Mass, remembering what God did for us in His death and Resurrection, but we look forward to that third feast of the Banquet Feast of the Lamb in eternal life, for God’s greatest work has yet to be done – the final victory.

            Why do I bring this up during Advent? We often call Advent a “season of waiting” – but not just waiting for Christmas – it’s about waiting for that final victory, waiting for the final Feast of everlasting life. Listen to the prayers at today’s Mass – in a few short moments we will be praying, “Complete what was begun in us in sacred mystery (aka, in the Sacraments, which do effect a change in us that is real but invisible), and powerfully accomplish for us Your saving work (in other words, bring about that final victory over sin and death).” A bit later, in the Preface (the prayer which introduces the Eucharistic Prayer), we pray: “When He comes again in glory and majesty, and all is at last made manifest, we who watch for that day (aka, the day of His final triumph) may inherit the great promise in which we now dare to hope (eternal life)”.

            Advent prompts us to consider the connection between Christmas and this great Feast of the Eucharist. For example, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a town which means “House of Bread”, and He was laid in a manger, a feeding trough for animals. Christmas celebrates the Incarnation, when God became man…the Eucharist continues the Incarnation, when God became bread. Even the name, “Christmas”, comes from “Christ’s Mass”!

            In 1263, a German priest was traveling through Italy and stopped in a small town called Orvieto to celebrate Mass. He was struggling to believe in Jesus’ True Presence in the Eucharist, but as he held up the Eucharist, it began to bleed all over the corporal (the cloth used on the altar). The Bishop was notified, who then told the Pope. The Pope, amazed at the Eucharistic miracle, decided to add a feast to the Church year – the feast of Corpus Christi, which we celebrate in June, honoring the Body and Blood of the Lord.

            For this new feast, the Pope asked two saints to compose hymns to the Eucharist: the Dominican priest St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Franciscan priest St. Bonaventure. The story goes that both of them came to the Pope with their hymns, and Aquinas went first. After reading his aloud, St. Bonaventure ripped his to shreds, realizing that he couldn’t come close to the genius of this Doctor of the Church.

            One of the hymns he wrote for the Feast Day of Corpus Christi is called “O Sacrum Convivium,” O Sacred Banquet. Here are the words:

            How holy this feast

            in which Christ Himself is our food;

            His passion is recalled;

            grace fills our hearts;

            and we receive a pledge of the glory to come.

            What we do here at this Mass is indeed a Feast to surpass all Feasts: we feast on God Himself…we recall His mightiest work of Redemption…and we receive grace. But even this Feast pales in comparison with the coming Wedding Feast of the Lamb in eternity, when all Sacraments will be taken away because we see Him face-to-face, when He completes His victorious work.

            And so, during Advent we wait…not just for Christmas, but for Heaven. And that’s why we’re joyful on this third Sunday of Advent – we’re going to a Banquet – where the lame are healed, the blind see, the despairing have hope, the spiritually dead will be raised to life.

Advent 2 - Rescue Behind Enemy Lines (Dec 7, 2025)

 

Homily for Advent 2

December 7, 2025

Rescue Behind Enemy Lines

 

            There have been many stories of heroism in the history of the US Army, but very few can top that of Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez. He was already wounded once in Vietnam and doctors told him that he would never walk again, but he forced himself – through excruciating pain – to relearn how to walk so that he could continue to fight for his country. One night in 1968, he heard over the radio that 12 Special Forces were trapped behind enemy lines, about ready to be decimated.

            Without hesitation, Roy boarded a helicopter to try to rescue them. But the chopper couldn’t find a place to land, so he leapt from the helicopter 40 feet above the field where his men were, behind enemy lines, to give them medical aid. For six hours he stayed with them in the midst of a chaotic firefight. At one point a Vietnamese soldier got close enough to stab him – so Roy just ripped the knife out of his side and kept fighting. Roy had to provide cover fire so that his men could board the helicopter and be rescued – he was the last one to be rescued, having suffered 37 separate shrapnel and bullet wounds. In fact, one Army doctor declared him dead before a second doctor noticed he was still breathing! He earned four Purple Hearts and a Medal of Honor, for saving the lives of these men by risking his own behind enemy lines.

            Why do I tell this story? Because this is exactly what Jesus did for us. The human race – not just in general, but you and I – are trapped in enemy-occupied territory. In this fallen world, we have an enemy who wants our destruction: the Evil One, sin, and brokenness. For centuries – and for much of our own lives – we’ve lived in darkness, tossed about by our fleshly desires and the fickle whims and despair of this broken world. We need someone to rescue us. And so, like a soldier descending from a helicopter, Jesus descends into our world at Christmas, sneaking in behind enemy lines, to rescue us. He, too, is wounded in the battle – we see Him with His five wounds behind us, on the Cross – but that was the price paid for our liberation.

            Sound crazy? Extreme? But great theologians throughout the centuries have had this same insight. Listen to the words of CS Lewis: “Enemy-occupied territory---that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”

            But some are sitting here this morning thinking, “My life is pretty good – why all this talk about rescuing us from an enemy?” Because brokenness and sin is all around us – and we need rescuing from a lot of things. Have you ever been fearful about the future? Jesus invites us to trust Him wholeheartedly. Have you ever wondered whether there’s any meaning or purpose to your life? Jesus gives us the most magnificent mission: to become saints and bring His Kingdom into the world. Have you made some life choices that you regret? Jesus can reorient our life to our true North Star, Heaven. Perhaps there are some hidden sins that are causing you shame? His mercy in Confession is enough to give us a new heart. Maybe we look at the headlines and are filled with despair – Jesus alone is the hope that God will bring good out of this messy world. Maybe we are tired and weary with all the demands put upon us at work, in our family – Jesus promises us that “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” Maybe we’re afraid of death, because we don’t know what’s on the other side – so we turn to the One Who has already conquered death by rising from the dead.

            So, we all need rescuing. We are all trapped behind enemy lines: the enemy of sin, brokenness, and the Evil One. We all need a Savior!

            You may be familiar with the Japanese art of kinsugi. If a bowl or dish breaks, instead of throwing it away, they fix it with a glue mixed with gold dust – producing a beautiful finished product that shines and shimmers. So it is with the presence of Christ in our life – He is the gold that both fixes and beautifies the brokenness of our lives and our world. He does so by entering into the brokenness, even to enduring loneliness, anguish, and death upon the Cross – defeating our ancient enemies by their own tactics. The Evil One wanted our misery and death; so Christ entered into misery and death on the Cross, transforming it into an act of love and redemption.

            Back in the early 1200s, southern Europe was a crossroads of warring civilizations: the Muslims from North Africa had invaded Spain and Portugal, and the Christians were fighting back in a series of wars and skirmishes. Tragically, over one million Christians from Europe had been captured and enslaved by these Barbary (North African) Muslims. Into this situation came a merchant from Barcelona called Peter Nolasco, who felt so moved by the plight of these Christian slaves that he founded an organization called the Mercedarians – a group of knights, noblemen, and priests who would give their lives to try to ransom these slaves. Those with money would purchase the freedom of these Christian slaves, but sometimes the price was too high. In that case, the Mercedarians would actually ask permission to switch places with the slaves, taking on their slavery and liberating the slaves. Over 70,000 slaves were freed by the Mercedarians, many of whom willingly gave their lives in exchange for others. For this, we now know the founder of the Mercedarians as St. Peter Nolasco, who inspired so many men to give their lives for their brothers.

            And is this not what Jesus did? He found us under the fear of death – so He endured death for our sake. He found us separated from God due to our sin – so Jesus, God Himself, became one of us so humanity would be reunited to God. He found us enslaved under the power of the Evil One, and so He defeated the Evil One with the greatest act of love: the Cross.

            So what now, for us? If you believe all this, then we must make Him the center of our lives. It’s fundamentally a relationship with the living God – He Who loved you into existence, Who takes your brokenness upon Himself, Who gives Himself to us as food in the Eucharist, Who burns with a desire to spend eternity with us in Heaven.

            It’s not hard to have that living relationship with Him. Daily prayer, weekly Mass, repenting and confessing our sins, beginning to conform our lives to His law. Jesus at the center of our lives is not a feeling, but it is a surrender – no more doing life “on our own”, but walking daily in trust of Him, seeking Him and loving Him.

            In a moment I will be seated, and I ask you to choose. If you’re ready, invite Christ to be the center of your life. You could pray a prayer such as, “Lord Jesus, I need You. I invite You into my heart and my life. Be my Savior, and let me experience Your love.” If you’re not ready, that’s okay too – just pray a silent prayer and be honest with God, something like, “Lord, I’m not sure about You yet. I’m not ready to make You the center. So show me who You are and give me the courage to say yes to You.”

            He took the first step, invaded behind enemy lines, to rescue you from sin and death. What will your response be?

Feast of Christ the King - Do As You Will

Homily for Christ the King

November 23, 2025

Not As I Will, But As You Will

 

            You may never have heard the name Aleister Crowley, but he is one of the more influential people in history. He was expelled from Italy, and the British press called him the “wickedest man in the world” in the 1930s. But he wasn’t a murderer or a thief, he was a philosopher – what did he do that was so bad?

            The answer: he founded a religion known as Thelema. It drew on the occult and Eastern mysticism, even bringing in some elements of Satanism. There was only one Commandment of Thelema: “Do what you will.” This was his great imparting gift to Western Civilization: do as you wish.

            One might want to consign Aleister Crowley to a dusty footnote of history, but his influence lives on. His face was featured in the famous montage of the Beatles’ “Seargent Pepper” album…Led Zeppelin wrote his famous commandment into the vinyl of their third album…David Bowie wrote a song about him, as did Ozzy Osbourne…and Timothy Leary, architect of the countercultural hippie movement in the ‘60s, called Crowley the “forerunner” of the cultural revolution that happened during that tumultuous decade.

            And the effect of this commandment, “Do what you will”, continues today. How many times have you heard: “Live your truth…you do you…be true to yourself…follow your heart”? We see this commandment of “do what you will” lived out so much in our culture – spiritual-but-not-religious people who seek God but on their own terms…transgenderism, where you can do what you will to your own body…relationships, priorities, choices about the future – most of our daily lives are lived by “doing what we will,” rather than obeying what God commands.

            “Do what you will” is not atheism. Most people believe in God, but many people want to pick and choose what to believe about God, which is called relativism – or sometimes, more bluntly, called “Cafeteria Catholicism”. Of course, we will only pick those aspects of God that already fit our lives and don’t force us to repent or sacrifice anything.

            Recently I visited a woman who was still very spry but had just been diagnosed with cancer and was very afraid. She insisted she was very devout and was a strong believer in God. So I said, “Well, to give you peace, would you like to go to Confession?” And she said, “No, I don’t believe in that.” “Well, perhaps you should at least go to Mass at your local parish.” “I think I can pray to God just as well at home.” She was wearing a Miraculous Medal, and had the sayings of Confucious on the wall above a Buddha statue. Syncretism – “do what you will” applied to religion.

            The truth is that a King demands obedience. When Pope St. Pius IX in 1925 established the Feast of Christ the King, he wrote the following words: “Jesus Christ was given to man, not only as a redeemer, but as a law-giver, to whom obedience is due.” As King, Christ has the authority to pass laws that must be obeyed. Jesus didn’t come to make us feel good about ourselves; He came with very specific laws we must obey for our own happiness, laws that demand even more than the 10 Commandments required: it’s not enough to avoid murder, now we cannot even harbor anger in our hearts. It’s not enough to avoid adultery, we cannot even look at a woman with lust. It’s not enough to avoid false oaths, we shouldn’t lie at all. And He added new laws: “Do this in remembrance of Me” – the command to worship Him weekly at Mass… “If something in your life causes you to sin, cut it off” – the command to rid our lives of anything that causes sin…and so forth.

            Yes, it is hard to obey these. But there is good news: First, we don’t have to rely on our own strength to obey Jesus Christ as King – He will give us grace to do so. So if we’re having trouble following the Lord, a good prayer might be, “Lord, help me to want to do your will, and give me the grace to carry it out.” Just be honest with Him about the difficulty – He will come to your aid, and use the aids He has already given – Confession, the Scriptures, the Rosary, daily prayer. Second, we must remember that His commands actually lead to happiness! It’s much like when we look at a sweatshirt or a suit-coat and see the tag. “Do not dry clean, wash with warm water, do not use bleach.” All of these instructions were given by the manufacturer so we know how best to care for our clothing, so it will look great for years. Likewise, our “manufacturer” (the Lord) has given us instructions so that we will flourish, both here and in eternity.

            Back in France in the early 1700s, a skilled shopkeeper named Jeanne Delanou was a Catholic – but of her own making. She kept her shop open on Sundays, in part so that she’d have an excuse to skip Mass, but partly just out of greed. She was very vain, and had many superficial friends just so she could be “popular” among the townspeople. She even had the reputation of being quite flirtatious with the young lads! She thought she was a good Catholic, a reputable woman, but in reality she just wanted to do whatever she wanted.

            One day a poor but holy beggar named Francoise stopped by the shop and asked her for shelter for the night. Ordinarily she would refuse, but something told her to offer hospitality. She allowed the holy woman into her home, and Francoise told Jeanne that she needed to consecrate her life to the service of the poor. Jeanne initially dismissed the idea – she had too many responsibilities at the shop! But long after the holy beggar left, the idea plagued her – could she actually stop making excuses and follow what God is asking? She finally asked a priest, who confirmed that this was indeed an inspiration from God – and that she had to leave behind her lukewarm, half-hearted Catholicism and actually get serious about following Him. She began to do just that – dedicate all of her free time to serve the poor and to prayer, eventually inspiring a whole movement of professional French women to do the same. She is now St. Jeanne Delanou, who had to stop “doing as she willed” in order to do as God willed.

            My friends, even many churchgoing Catholics are infected with the religion of Aleister Crowley – “do what you will.” But instead, we ought to take as our inspiration Our Blessed Mother, whose motto leads to Heaven: “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

Ordinary Time 33 - Thus Passes the Glory of the World

 

Homily for Ordinary Time 33

November 23, 2025

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

 

            In 1907, a book was released that shook the literary world: the first-ever dystopian novel, entitled “Lord of the World”, written by a Catholic priest named Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson. In the story, it shows a Catholic Church that is persecuted and meets secretly, because the atheistic one-world government rules all. The government is led by a man named Felsenburgh, who is not an evil man but whose motto is “God is man” – seeking to build a post-religious culture (not unlike what we often see today). They hear a false rumor that the Catholic Church is seeking to assassinate Felsenburgh, so the government burns down Rome and seeks to destroy the Pope and remaining Cardinals, who have fled to Nazareth. The Pope, of course, has no armies and no way to defend himself, so all he can do is place the Eucharist in the monstrance and process through the town, singing hymns to the Eucharist as bombers begin to rain down their firebombs. But as their hymn singing grows louder to drown out the bombs, the book suddenly ends with the most evocative words in the history of literature: “Then this world passed away, and all the glory of it.” Christ has come, let everything opposed to Him crumble into nothingness.

            Someday, all that the world values will pass away. Where are all the tyrants who persecuted Christians? Where are all the celebrities in history who, in their ego and vanity, considered themselves above the common horde? Where are those politicians who have grappled and lied and cheated their way to power? Thus passes the glory of the world.

            In the Gospel, Jesus’ disciples were marveling at the fine art that covered the Temple. But within one generation, the Temple itself was completely destroyed by the Romans. The only part still standing is the Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall because Jewish men and women travel to the site to weep over the loss of their Temple.

            So will happen to all things that glorify man but not God. In our first reading, Malachi speaks of destruction – but of whom? “All the proud and all evildoers.” God cannot allow evil to triumph over the good forever – there must be a time when all things that do not belong to God are conquered, once and for all.

            We’ve seen glimpses of that throughout history. In 1675, Pope Urban VIII, who was originally from the Barberini family, ordered that the bronze on the Pantheon be dismantled and brought to St. Peter’s Basilica, where it was made into the famous bronze baldacchino (canopy) that covers the main altar. In fact, the removal of that famous pagan temple made the Romans famously exclaim, “What the barbarians didn’t remove, the Barberinis did!” But then the Pope took that ancient temple and re-consecrated it into a Church – instead of a pantheon dedicated to all the pagan gods (pan-theon meaning “all gods”), it became a Church dedicated to Mary and all the Saints. All that does not glorify God will be transformed into something that does.

            So it is good for us to evaluate all things in light of this principle: Thus passes the glory of the world. If it is not of God, it will pass away. All those riches – what do they matter? Our good looks – how quickly they pass! The awards, the sports trophies – nothing will be remembered in a hundred years. I was speaking with a young man in high school this past week and asked what he wanted to do for a career. He told me he wanted to be an entrepreneur, so that his name would be remembered forever. But since the beginning of human history, about 117 billion people have lived on earth…how many of them are household names? A couple hundred, maybe? People who thought they were incredibly important a hundred years ago are now just names on a gravestone, quickly fading into obscurity.

            The only thing that remains is our eternal soul – which will last forever as an eternal glory or an eternal tragedy. We must keep this before our eyes always!

            In the 1400s, crowning a new Pope was quite a show. The Pope would receive a three-tiered gold crown, and sit on a chair carried by four men, to the chants and praises of the assembled throng. But starting in 1409, a new addition entered into the ceremony: a priest would stop the procession of the new Pope three times, carrying a smoldering handful of straw, and proclaim the words, Sic transit gloria mundi – thus passes the glory of the world.

            I sometimes wish we had that phrase plastered on sports stadiums, on concert venues, on the halls of Congress, on the doorway into Sephora. May it always be written on the heart of every Christian: thus passes the glory of the world – that we may live for the One Who ever endures.

November 9, 2025 - Beauty for God's Sake...and For Ours

 

Homily for Dedication of St. John Lateran

November 9, 2025

Beauty, for God’s Sake And Ours

 

            The year was 313 AD. Christianity had just become legalized through the Emperor Constantine, whose mother St. Helen was a Christian. But Constantine himself had no immediate interest in religion – he was interested in power and love. And he happened to fall in love with a noblewoman named Fausta, who lived in a palace on the south side of Rome called the Lateran Palace.

            Marrying Fausta meant that the palace became the Emperor’s, but he didn’t really need it, so he gave it to the Pope to please his saintly mother. The Pope ordered it to be turned into a church – at the time, the largest and grandest in Christianity. It was dedicated as St. John Lateran, and to this day it serves as the Pope’s official Cathedral – that is, the Church where he officially serves as Bishop of Rome and of the whole world. As the inscription above the church reads, “[This is the] Mother and Head of All Churches in Rome and in the World” – pretty doggone important. Today is the day we celebrate its dedication, back in the 324.

            But it begs the question – if God is everywhere, why do we need church buildings? A traveler to the Vatican might be scandalized by the opulence of the churches there – grandiose Baroque buildings filled with gold and silver and precious stones – wasn’t Jesus a poor carpenter from Nazareth? Do such churches disrespect His memory and prevent the Church from its mission to be close to the poor?

            Not at all – we build beautiful churches, to the best of our ability, for two main reasons: one about us, and one about God.

            First, we build it for us. A beautiful Church shows us that we have an immortal soul – we are not just merely bodies taking up space. Have you ever seen Communist architecture? It is very functional, but completely devoid of beauty – their apartment buildings are just square blocks, their statues are often brutal abstract concrete shapes without any meaning. Communist philosophy was ultimately materialistic – believing that human beings had no soul, but were just cogs in an economic machine. But because we have souls, we express ourselves in beauty – and the most spiritual things, such as prayer and worship, deserve the highest beauty.

            But we also build beautiful churches because they visually demonstrate the truths of our Catholic Faith. Gaze upon this Church and see the life of Christ in the stained-glass windows…see the crucifix to viscerally behold God’s love for you…observe how the gold tabernacle reflects our belief that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. In 988, King Vladimir of Russia needed to unite his vast empire which stretched from Ukraine all the way to China, and he knew that having one religion for the whole country would be a powerfully unifying factor. So he sent emissaries to the three surrounding religions: to an Islamic mosque, to a Jewish synagogue, and to Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, which was the largest Christian Church in the world. When the emissaries returned, they said that when they were at the Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia, “they didn’t know whether they were in Heaven or on earth.” So the Czar converted to Christianity, and the whole Russian country followed suit – converted because of the beauty of the Faith.

            Which brings us to another reason: beauty in churches makes us long for the infinitely greater beauty of Heaven. One time a priest was assigned to an inner-city church – one of those old-fashioned Gothic marvels with exquisite stained glass and a marble altar and old chalices made of gold. But the city had gone to seed, and the neighborhood was filled with poverty, homeless people, drug dealers. So the priest decided that to win over the hearts of his poor congregation, he would sell the beautiful artwork and chalices in the church and give the money to the poor. So he began to sell off the vestments, the gold and silver, the beautiful paintings on the wall. But to his surprise, instead of making the people grateful, they began to stop coming to church one by one, until there were only a handful of old-timers left. Finally the priest asked one elderly man, “Why didn’t the people appreciate what I did for them? I sold everything in the church so they could have food! Why is no one coming to church?” The old man replied, “Well, father, coming to church was the only time they got to enjoy something beautiful in their poor and miserable lives. You’ve taken that away from them, so they see no reason to go.” Indeed, to step into a beautiful Catholic Church is to step into a foretaste of Heaven, which gives us hope amidst an often-difficult life. Beauty should make us desire God, the All-Beautiful One!

            But we build beautiful churches for God, too. It can be such an act of heartfelt love to give our best to God. St. John Vianney, for example, possessed only two sets of clothes and his shoes would often have holes in them, because whenever someone gave him a little income, he would use it to buy flowers for his church or purchase a new statue of a saint. Or, for example, it took 120 years to build St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, which means that most of its craftsmen and artists never even got to see it finished – they did it solely for the glory of God! This building isn’t beautiful just for us, it’s beautiful because we honor God when we give Him our best.

            But it also recognizes Who is here. Unlike Protestant churches, which are really just meeting halls for prayer, a Catholic Church contains God Himself in the Holy Eucharist. In 2004, my home parish church in Maryland burned to the ground in a tragic accident. But as the church was aflame, my pastor ran into the burning building to rescue the Eucharist. He didn’t take out the priceless art or the valuable vessels – no, the only thing worth risking his life for was Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Thankfully, he and the Lord both got out alive. But it was an important lesson to me that the Eucharist is not a sign or symbol but Someone who is worth giving our lives for – and worth any expense to build a beautiful church to house Him.

            My friends, there should be no distinction between building beautiful churches and serving the poor. Both honor the Body of Christ – His Body in the Eucharist, and His Body in the distressing disguise of the poor. St. John Chrysostom gave a famous sermon on this when he said:

            Of what use is it to weigh down Christ’s altar with golden cups, when he himself is dying of hunger? First, fill him when he is hungry; then use the means you have left to adorn his altar. Will you have a golden cup made but not give a cup of water? What is the use of providing the altar with cloths woven of gold thread, and not providing Christ himself with the clothes he needs? Once again, I am not forbidding you to supply these adornments; I am urging you to provide these other things first. No one has ever been accused for not [decorating a church], but for those who neglect their neighbor a hell awaits with an inextinguishable fire and torment in the company of the demons. Do not, therefore, adorn the church and ignore your afflicted brother, for he is the most precious temple of all.

            So, it is a both-and – we honor the Lord when we serve Him in the needy, and we honor the Lord when we build beautiful churches for His glory. Let us not neglect either one.