A Debt Paid - Lent 5 - April 6, 2025

 

Homily for Lent 5

April 6, 2025

A Debt Paid

 

            We just read the powerful story of the mercy of Jesus, who did not condemn but pardoned the woman caught in adultery. But it begs the question: why did God command adultery to be punishable by death? This law is in both Leviticus and Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. Some have said that God in the Old Testament was a God of unflinching justice, doling out punishment to evildoers, while the God of the New Testament was a gentle, merciful, and loving God. But that’s actually a heresy called Marcionism (Marcion said there were two different Gods, one for the OT and one for the NT). God is quite kind and merciful in the Old Testament, and Jesus can be strict with those who refuse to repent!

            So, how do we explain such a severe punishment for this sin? There are three explanations for it. First, as the great Catholic writer Flannery O’Connor once said, “to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost-blind, you draw large and startling figures.” The Israelites were spiritually blind and deaf. Surrounded by the pagan nations for hundreds of years, they had become numb to their immoral ways - including polygamy and loose morals surrounding marriage. So God needed to “shout” to get their attention: hey, adultery is not acceptable!

            Second, God often uses the physical to reflect the spiritual. Thus, Israel’s slavery in Egypt is a symbol of slavery to sin…crossing the Red Sea into the freedom of the Promised Land is symbolic of baptism, which “drowns” sin and opens the Promised Land of Heaven to us…and the like. So in this case, adultery being punishable by physical death is a symbol that lust is spiritually deadly, without repentance and Confession.

            But third, and most importantly, adultery is punishable by death because all sin is punishable by death - Jesus’ death on the Cross. It says in Scripture that “the wages of sin is death” - if sin means turning our back on God Who is the source of Life, what have we chosen? Death. But Christ could precisely say to that adulterous woman, “I do not condemn you,” knowing that He would be condemned for the sin Himself in a few short weeks, upon the Cross.

            Isn’t this the meaning behind Jesus’ enigmatic action of writing in the dust? What He wrote is anyone’s guess, but some ancient writers conjectured that Jesus was writing the sins of all present in the sand – sins that would be as easy to wipe away as simply as brushing one’s hand against the dust. Once the penalty was paid upon the Cross, all forgiveness could be unleashed, and sins could be wiped away.

            There was an old Tide laundry detergent commercial that illustrated this well. A middle-aged mother had borrowed her teenage daughter’s fashionable shirt, without the daughter’s permission. But while enjoying the night out, the mom spilled something on it. She knew her daughter would be furious – so she had to get the stain out to reconcile the relationship. Tide to the rescue! The shirt returned clean, the relationship restored.

            This adulterous woman’s sin was a scarlet letter upon her, preventing her from being one with God or her fellow believers. Our sin is a blot which also destroys relationships, because our sin shows that we are disobedient and have used God’s gifts of life, health, possessions, and free will very wrongly. Mercy to the rescue! We put our souls in the wash (the Confessional) and come out clean, the relationship restored – because the cleansing detergent is the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

            And then we live like the redeemed we are. Another example: imagine you are teaching a young person how to build a fire with flint and steel. They need two things: the tools, and the instruction. Instruction without tools would be futile; tools without instruction would be frustrating and doomed to failure. The Cross is the tool – without it, salvation would not happen. And the instruction is what Jesus ends the Gospel with: “Go, and sin no more.” We can’t “go” or “sin no more” without the grace won for us on the Cross, but the Cross is of no avail unless we are willing to go and sin no more. Christ wins the forgiveness, and then teaches us how to live like the forgiven.

            Back in the early 1900s in Paris, two 13-year-old boys were being forced to make their weekly Confession, but this time they wanted to have some fun. They invited their Jewish friend Aaron to play a prank on the priest – he was to make up ridiculous sins in a mock Confession. Aaron readily agreed, and went in to the priest, confessing bizarre and outrageous sins. The priest listened patiently, then said, “I will offer you Absolution, but first you must do something. Go up to the life-sized cross in the church and declare three times, You did all this for me, and I don’t even care. Then come back.”

            The imperious boy marched to the front of the Church, where he said to the crucifix with arrogance, “You did all this for me, and I don’t care!” Then a second time, a little less sure: “You did all this for me…and I don’t care?” Finally a third time he declared, “You did all this…for me.” And he broke down in tears, returned to the priest, and asked for baptism. He was baptized and eventually became the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, who died in 2008.

            Adultery was punishable by death because this is the cost of all sin: the death of Jesus Christ upon the Cross. But the stain of sin has been wiped away for those who believe and confess, allowing us a right relationship with the Living God.

Confirmation Homily - April 2, 2025

 

Homily for Confirmation

April 2, 2025

Stand for Something

 

            You are standing…for something. Never forget Who it is you are standing for. You may be seated.

            All of us must take a stand for something. What’s the core of your life that you would live and die for? A priest-friend of mine takes die-hard Yankee to the next level – his ringtone is the famous, “Yankees win!” call. Or perhaps you’ve seen the bumper stickers that say, “Lacrosse is life.” Maybe it’s your family, or a cause you’re passionate about, or making money, or just “enjoying life” – whatever that means – but all of us must take a stand for something.

            I would like to claim that Jesus Christ alone is worth living and dying for – because He has already lived and died for you. The entire reason why God-became-man in Jesus was for love of you…the only reason He died on the Cross was because He loved you…and His love for you has prepared a place in eternal life, just for you. Does money love you? Does lacrosse offer you everlasting life? Only Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World, offers what your heart burns for.

            But our response to Jesus Christ must permeate to the depths of our being. It’s not enough to be confirmed, we must live Confirmed. A simple example: Two trees will be standing tall, one healthy tree and one that is hollow inside. But once the wind comes, the healthy tree will continue to stand, while the rotten one will fall. Likewise, today our young people stand tall, professing aloud that they believe in Jesus Christ. But only those whose faith is healthy, who are Christian all the way to their core, will remain standing when the temptations, the peer pressure, the hostile postmodern culture begins to blow. Those who are hollow, who may look like Christians on the outside but inside are empty of Him, will be unable to withstand the storms of life.

            You see, tonight it is easy to stand for Christ. You are surrounded by your family and friends; you will celebrate tonight with a nice dinner and gifts. But there will come a time when it costs everything to stand for Jesus Christ.

            We have such beautiful examples of standing firm for Christ – the inspiring examples of the martyrs, those men and women who fearlessly shed their blood professing that Christ is Lord. The word “martyr” literally means “witness” – they were witnesses to the power of Christ Jesus. One of the early Church martyrs has always stood out to me. St. Polycarp knew St. John the Apostle personally, so he was literally a second-generation Christian. When a major persecution broke out, the Romans wanted to put to death anyone who was connected to the Apostles, and they publicly put Polycarp on the most-wanted list.

            When Polycarp heard this, he was untroubled. He hid out in the home of some friends, spending all night and day in prayer. Someone told the governor of Polycarp’s location, so he was arrested. But the governor had been good friends with the elderly Polycarp, so he prevailed upon him, “My dear friend, come – return to the old Roman gods, for the sake of our friendship.”

            Polycarp replied boldly, “For eighty-six years I have served my Lord, and He has done me no wrong. How can I turn my back on my Savior?” Seeing that peer pressure did not shake him, they tried suffering. The governor warned, “I have wild beasts that I will throw you to.” Polycarp responded, “Call them! What are you waiting for?” So the governor tried again, “If you will not tremble before beasts, I will have you burned.” And the courageous elderly saint said, “You threaten me with fire that burns for an hour, but you know nothing of the eternal fire prepared for those who deny the Lord. Bring on whatever you want – I will not deny Him.” They prepared a fire for him, but as he was placed on it, a most remarkable thing happened. The fire began to form an arch around him, as if he were in the midst of a golden dome, and the fragrant odor of incense came forth from him, until he peacefully gave up his spirit.

            What courage! What strength! He withstood peer pressure, threats, and suffering, because he was rooted in Christ. You never know what you are living for until you know what you would die for – and let us have the courage to be willing to live and die for the One Who lived and died for us!

            Your grandparents might remember that before the 1960s, when young people were Confirmed, the Bishop used to offer a very light slap across the face as part of the Confirmation itself. Sound strange? The whole reason was to emphasize that, as a confirmed Catholic, you must be ready to suffer for Him.

            This strange gesture actually has its roots in the Medieval tradition of conferring knighthood on a man. The Church used to call you, my dear Confirmandi, “soldiers of Christ” – ready to fight with love and truth, willing to withstand anything for your Divine King. In fact, listen to the words of the Catechism on what you are to receive here: “[Confirmation] gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.” Never be ashamed of the Cross – profess the Name of Christ boldly – be a witness with your life and death to the Truth of Jesus Christ and our Catholic Faith.

            My friends, in a few moments you will receive both a gift and a responsibility. The responsibility is that now you must not only follow Christ privately; you must now also stand for Christ, witnessing to Him publicly in your words and deeds. The gift, though, is that God is coming to dwell within your soul with His courage and strength, graces and virtues, to enable you to live that mission well.

            So stand firm. Stand tall. And tonight you receive the Holy Spirit that you may stand for Jesus Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life – so do not be afraid!

More than our GDP - Lent 4 - March 30, 2025

 

Homily for Lent 4

March 30, 2025

More Than Our GDP

 

            I’d like to make four points about this famous parable of the Prodigal Son, and then tell you a saint story!

            First point. Is a person merely a cog in an economic machine? Is everything reducible to commerce? Or is a person a gift, to be loved and cherished? This dichotomy is a major theme in this parable. We begin, for example, with the younger son asking for the inheritance – to him, his father is merely a bank account – give me what you owe me! More on that later.

            Second point. Where does the son take this money? The words in Greek are quite evocative: chora makra, which literally means “the great emptiness.” It’s not just a foreign country – it’s a place of no return, a vast expanse of emptiness, a deserted wasteland, the limits of human existence. Oh yes, people lived there – but there can be great emptiness and deserted wastelands even in the midst of crowds and parties. Last week in the first reading, God introduced Himself to Moses with the name, “Yahweh: I Am.” God is Being Itself, pure existence. So the farther one gets away from God, the more they are in the “great emptiness” where our human degradation and dissolution creeps upon us, until we are filled with a void.

            Third point – hedonism is boring. Hedonism is the belief that the only thing that matters is pleasure. Of course we think of decadent Roman emperors throwing lavish parties, but it is also the most common philosophy of the world today. I can’t tell you how many young people refuse to pray or attend Mass because “it’s boring.” Since when is “being entertained” the most important value in life? We live in a world with every pleasure at our fingertips at all times.

            But the truth is, hedonism eventually gets old. There are only so many slices of pizza one can eat, only so many impure websites we can look up, only so many vacations we can go on. Eventually it just gets dull. That’s why so many celebrities and rich people are so unhappy: they have every pleasure money can buy, and then find that it won’t buy fulfillment. But we don’t have to be rich to be a hedonist – many regular Americans believe that we should always seek pleasure, no matter what. But that just gets so boring!

            So the young man runs out of money – which brings us back to the first point. Where are his friends? Now that he has no money, they have abandoned him. He was only as good as the parties he could throw. Even when working “for pay”, the owners of the swine refused to give him anything extra. It was nothing but commerce, pure and simple. No relationship, no compassion, no love – just a worthless, utterly replaceable drone in the economic machine.

            Sound familiar? John Paul II says that the opposite of love is not hate – no, it is using. Treating a person as a mere means to an end. No one hated this young man – he had no enemies. But no one loved him, either – he was only a means to an end, totally disposable. Under Communist Russia, Stalin imprisoned about 18 million of his own citizens in the Gulag system, forced to work in inhuman conditions. One of their projects was to build a canal between the White Sea and the Baltic Sea, a 141-mile long canal. One day as it was nearing completion, they dug too close to the sea, and water began rushing through the unfinished canal. The commandants began ordering the prisoners to try to fill the hole with dirt, starting a major wheelbarrow brigade. But the dirt wasn’t coming fast enough to fill the hole, and the canal was in danger of bursting. So the commandants began throwing the prisoners into the water to fill the hole with their bodies. Later they explained their actions: it was hard to get more wheelbarrows, but easy to get more prisoners. A worldview that sees a person as disposable, only as useful as what they can produce.

            What a contrast to his return home! The father embraces him as a person and, rather than requiring repayment, gives gifts. He is given a ring and a cloak, symbols of a rightly-restored relationship. As John Paul II says, “Love is self-gift.” The son is human again – no longer just a faceless employee of a heartless employer, he is a son – a word that designates a relationship, since there is no son without a father!

            Interestingly, this older son also reduces relationship to commerce. See how he argues with his father – I served you, so you owe me a goat to feast on! But the Father brings it back to relationship – I have shared everything I have with you, for I love you.

            Do you see your earthly relationships in economic terms? Sometimes marriages fall into this trap – “I did the chores for the last three days, so I should get to buy the new pair of shoes!” Sometimes kids will play that game with their parents – “Mom, Dad, buy me that new iPhone!” – as if they are owed. Sometimes, our relationship with God becomes one of commercial exchange – “God, I will go to Mass every week if you will heal my mother from cancer.” But love is much more – love is, “How can I lay down my life for you?” Love is “I just want to be in your presence.”

            Fourth point, which is our takeaway. Everything in our relationship with God is gift, pure gift. Our life is a gift. His grace is a gift. And Heaven is a gift, free and unearned. I want to reemphasize this last point most strongly. I am amazed at how many good Catholics tell me, “I think life is a test to see if you’re worthy of Heaven.” My friends, no one is worthy of Heaven, no one! It is completely and totally a gift of God’s grace. Life is not a test, it’s an invitation. God has already purchased Heaven for us with the Blood of Jesus – we claim it by a faith that is lived out in love. I don’t know about you, but I hate tests – and I love invitations. Tests stress me out – what if I do it wrong? What if I don’t pass? Invitations allure, delight – someone loves me and wants to spend time with me! If our faith is a “test” then it becomes a burden, and we fear the test-giver. If our faith is an invitation, then it is a delight and I can’t wait to meet the Divine Inviter! Heaven is a free gift, given to us unearned by a good Father.

            There are a myriad of saints who lived out this parable powerfully, but I’d like to share the story of St. Mary of Egypt. Mary was from a small farming town down the Nile River, but she had heard of the bright lights of the big-city Alexandria – kind of the New York of its day. So at 12 years old, bored with her farm life, she ran away from home and went to Alexandria – and it was quite the experience…until she ran out of money. Not too many economic opportunities for a young girl, so she began to sell her body for money. For ten years she lived this lifestyle, never considering that there was a better way to live. Finally, a group from Alexandria undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and Mary came along – not out of devotion, but simply curiosity. She enjoyed seeing a new land and visiting the churches, but as she was about to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is built over the site of Jesus’ death and burial, suddenly a force prevented her from entering past the doorway. A second time she tried, and couldn’t get past the strange force-field. A third time, same result. She realized it was due to her sinful lifestyle, and was stuck with sorrow. Seeing a statue of Jesus and Mary in the courtyard, she begged for mercy, and tried a fourth time to enter the church – this time, able to go in. She made a good Confession and then heard a voice say to her, “You will find rest in the desert.”

            She made her way to the desert across the Jordan River, and there lived as a hermit in fasting and prayer for twenty years. One day she happened upon a priest, and asked for Holy Communion. She received Communion from him, and that night died of joy. A truly repentant sinner, she is now the patron saint of sinners who seek mercy.

            This prodigal young man saw the world in terms of hedonism and economics – everything was for sale. But this only led to the chora makra – the great emptiness. He was rescued, then, by the free and lavish grace of a Father who restored him to relationship in the house of love. Isn’t that our story, too?

A Dog's Life - Lent 3 - March 23, 2025

 

Lent 3

March 23, 2025

A Dog’s Life

 

            This might be a strange thought, but don’t dogs just have the easiest life? They just lie around all day, eating food, chasing squirrels, never having to worry about paying bills or mothers-in-law. What a life. But at the same time, it’s kind of a meaningless life. We need something more than food and sleep and recreation to give us a reason to get out of bed in the morning. We intuitively know we were made for something more.

            Our Scriptures today give us two beautiful elements of the nobility of the human person. In the First Reading, we see God introducing Himself to Moses. Of all the creatures in the universe, human beings alone can have a relationship with God. This speaks a great deal about who we are – God finds us worthy of His friendship. We see this capacity written into the heart of every man and woman who ever lived – for example, every culture in human history has had some element of worship. A desire to know and love God is so deeply ingrained in who we are, and it is evidence of our noble calling.

            In my first assignment in Bethel, it was very popular for parishioners to attend a Walk-A-Thon for cancer research, where they would walk around the high school track for 24 hours to raise awareness and money. Every year, the pastor and I would go to celebrate Mass there, so our parishioners could attend. One year we got there early and attended a beautiful memorial service they were having – there were pictures projected on a screen from people who had survived cancer, and people brought up lit candles to symbolize loved ones lost while music played and speeches were given. At the end of it, my pastor turned to me and said, “See? Human beings yearn for ritual, because ritual gives us meaning.” Deeply written in the human heart is the desire for relationship with God.

            But Christianity takes it one step further. Other religions are man’s search for God, but Christianity is God’s search for man. It is God who takes the initiative with Moses, and God who takes on flesh in Jesus Christ. We find, not only the satisfaction of our heart’s desire, but ultimately our dignity and nobility in our worship of God. As it is often said, “A man never stands taller than when he kneels before God.”

            We see a second element of that dignity in the Gospel, as Jesus gives this parable of the fig tree. In Scripture, the fig tree is always an image of Israel, and the fruit that God expects is the fruit of holiness. Yes, God expects a Christian’s life to be one rich in good fruits – good deeds, virtues, souls led to Christ. But rather than seeing this as the demands of a taskmaster, God expects great things from us because He has entrusted us with powerful tools – the Holy Spirit, grace, the Sacraments, our Catholic Faith – and wants to see a return on His investment! He believes that, with His grace, we are capable of great holiness – what an honor that He expects so much from us!

            One of my favorite movies is “For Greater Glory”, which we watched in our youth group this past fall. It tells the true story of the Cristeros – an army of men from Mexico who rose up against their own government to fight for religious freedom after the Communist Mexican president began persecuting the Church. The Cristeros had been led by a rather unsuccessful general named General Vega, who lost many battles. But at a certain point, the central commanders hired a new general, General Gorostieta, to lead the rebellion. He began to win battles and win the fight for religious freedom. But at a particularly poignant scene in the movie, the successful general calls over General Vega, who is disheartened and fearful, and says to him, “Tomorrow we go into battle, and it will be very fierce and dangerous. And I’m entrusting its leadership to you. Can you handle it?” General Vega is surprised, honored – and rises to the occasion, winning a resounding victory.

            We, too, are in a vicious battle – a battle for souls, a battle for holiness. But God honors us by expecting great victories from us. He has already equipped us through the Sacraments, prayer, grace (as it says in Scripture, “God is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or imagine”) and now He honors us by expecting holiness, virtue, and souls led to Christ. As St. Therese of Lisieux said, “The greatest honor God can do a soul is not give it much; but to ask much of it.”

            It’s easy to live a dog’s life. But a dog will never know the nobility of having a relationship with God. Other than Lassie, no one expects a dog to do great and noble deeds, or to pray. But God expects both from us – a relationship with Him, which He Himself initiated; and good works and holiness, which He Himself equips. Let us not live like an animal or a thoughtless tree – let us live like the noble, dignified men and women that we are.

Glimpses of Heaven - Lent 2 - March 16, 2025

 

Homily for Lent 2

March 16, 2025

Glimpses of Heaven

 

            Seven years ago I led a father-son pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi. It was a wonderful trip but one highlight in particular stands out to me. We were in Assisi, and right after dinner I invited everyone to hike up to the fortress that stands on the hill behind the town. We all hiked up there, and when we got to the top, the view was breathtaking. It had just rained, so a rainbow stretched from one end of the sky to the other. The sun was sending brilliant rays from behind the clouds, and we could see for miles in every direction. The boys were playing around on the ruins of the fortress, laughing and joking, and the men (all friends in Christ) were having an uplifting and inspiring conversation about the love of God. For a brief moment I felt, “This is exactly what Heaven is going to be like – surrounded by loving family and friends, in breathtaking beauty, in love with God and filled with the Spirit.” It was, perhaps, the happiest moment of my life – a true glimpse into Heaven.

            Every now and then, God will give us a glimpse into Heaven. Maybe it’s the awe we feel at the birth of a child; maybe it’s a beautiful piece of music or art that stops us in our tracks. Maybe it’s the joy we experience in the presence of a dear friend; maybe it’s a subtle peace we feel in a quiet church. For Peter, James, and John it was the experience of seeing Jesus in all His glory. These are but tiny glimpses of our true homeland, where the joy and beauty are far beyond anything our human eyes can see on this earth.

            And so we pursue Heaven, even though we only see a glimpse, because we are confident of the One Who has promised it. Abraham has to do the same thing in our First Reading. Most people have the wrong mental image – when God tells Abraham to “count the stars, just so will your descendants be”, we think that Abraham is walking out on a clear night, looking up at the Milky Way and seeing billions of specks of light. But that is not what happened – notice in the reading, when he asks God how he will possess it, God instructs him to prepare a sacrifice – and then later on, it says, “When the sun was setting, a trance fell upon Abraham.” Which means that God took Abraham outside and challenged him to count the stars in the middle of the day! How many stars do you see at noon? Only one – the sun. But how many stars are out there? Trillions, even though we can’t see them. How many descendants did Abraham live to see? One – Isaac. But almost four billion people on the earth today consider Abraham to be their spiritual father – Jews, Christians, and Muslims. He only saw a glimpse of the promise, but believed the Promise-Maker.

            Likewise, although we only see glimpses of Heaven, we believe the Promise-Giver. Thankfully, through the visions of mystics, He has revealed what we are in store to experience. In fact, St. Faustina had a vision of Heaven, and she lists seven joys that we will experience there.

            First, the greatest joy is the vision of God. We call this the Beatific Vision; that is, the vision of perfect happiness. When we see God Who is Love, we will know perfectly that we are loved, infinitely and personally. When we see God, the object and purpose of our lives, our lives and everything in it will make total sense.

            A second joy is that it is eternal. Even when I stood atop the hill in Assisi, there was a twinge of sadness that this moment couldn’t last forever. But imagine that we have the confidence that this joy will never be taken away!

            A third joy is that of gratitude and relief. Imagine that you have been training for the Olympics for thirty years. Thirty years of grueling workouts, denying yourself donuts, getting up early to train, constantly pushing and sacrificing and suffering. Then imagine that you have one shot – just one shot – to run your race. All those thirty years comes down to sixty seconds of running. You run, giving it all you’ve got – and win the gold medal. Imagine that feeling when you stand on the podium, saying to yourself, “It was all worth it!” That is the feeling when we enter into Heaven – our whole lives, with all the tears and prayers and lamentations, have been all worth it because they have gained for us the crown of glory!

            A fourth joy is no more suffering. It says in Scripture that God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Our bodies (which we will receive back at the end of time) will never know sickness or aches and pains. Our minds will never be troubled with unwanted thoughts, sadness, or fear. Our souls will never be tempted to sin. Our relationships will never be marred by division or misunderstanding, and we will never have to say goodbye to our friends again.

            A fifth joy is light. St. John tells us that “God is light; in Him there is no darkness.” Hell is darkness and stench; Heaven is beautiful, uplifting light.

            A sixth joy is the company of angels and saints. How amazing to be able to visit with St. Francis, or sit down with our Blessed Mother! We believe in the communion of saints, which means that we are united to fellow Christians on earth (the Church Militant, for we are still fighting the battle), our dearly departed loved ones (the Church Suffering, which is the souls in Purgatory), and those who have won the final victory (the Church Triumphant, which is the souls in Heaven). Death changes, but does not negate, the mystical union we have with the entire Body of Christ, whether on earth or in Purgatory or in Heaven. And if we have accepted Christ’s invitation to Heaven, then we too will be reunited with all of the other souls who have arrived before us.

            The final joy is hearing praises of God. Imagine hearing the stories of everyone in Heaven – the ways in which they cooperated with God’s grace, the incredible work that God has done in them and through them! Imagine hearing the songs of the angels as they sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy” to the thrice-holy God!

            God gives us glimpses of Heaven to stir our hearts to desire it, but only glimpses so that we realize we are strangers and pilgrims on this earth. After all, St. Paul tells us that “our citizenship is in Heaven.” If life were already perfect, we would have no desire to leave this world; but as it is, He gives us small glimpses of those Heavenly joys amidst this valley of tears, to stir up a burning desire for Him. But the good news is that, as a wise priest once told me, “Heaven is where God is being enjoyed” – so the more we desire God here, the more we taste the delights of Heaven here – so much so that, as St. Catherine of Siena said, “All the way to Heaven is Heaven!”

The Art of Saying "No" - March 9, 2025 - Lent 1

 

Homily for Lent 1

March 9, 2025

The Art of Saying “No”

 

            Jesus is able to overcome these three vicious temptations because He was strengthened through fasting. Wait – strengthened? Wouldn’t someone be weakened through fasting? Not at all – fasting and self-denial are the critical tools on the pathway to spiritual strength.

            Every society in history knew this. Consider the ancient warriors of Sparta, whose rigorous training is legendary. They were issued only one cloak, so that they would have to endure the cold winters shivering. Their food was meager, forcing them to be resourceful. They slept on the floor, practiced intense physical exercise, and lived a regimented life. Harsh? Definitely. But during the battle of Thermopylae, 300 Spartan soldiers were able to hold off 300,000 men for seven days, giving everyone in the city a chance to retreat, saving lives. Their discipline paid off! Even in our modern day, the rigorous training for the Marine Corps or Navy SEALS seems ruthless, but I am certainly glad that these noble men and women are defending our country.

            Sadly, Christians do not spiritually train through fasting nearly enough. Sorry to be blunt, but most American Catholics have grown spiritually weak and unable to resist serious temptation, because they have no idea how to deny themselves even a chocolate bar. So let’s discuss why we must fast, and how to do it.

            First, fasting brings about freedom. Remember the old Lays’ Potato Chip slogan? “Bet you can’t eat just one.” How often have we struggled to say no to that potato chip, that donut, that impure website, that word of gossip? We find ourselves trapped in slavery if we do not develop the strength to say “no” to ourselves. Most temptation is a battle between our flesh and our will – which one will have mastery? Our will is like a muscle – the more we exercise it, the stronger it becomes. So fasting – denying ourselves food or other pleasure – exercises our will, strengthening it, so that we can more easily deny ourselves a sinful pleasure. A man who can deny his flesh is a man who is not a slave to his flesh. Fasting leads to freedom.

            Second, fasting puts love into action. Once a man came to his priest halfway through Lent and said, “Father, I tried to give up dessert for Lent, but it was too hard, so I gave up.” The priest responded, “It wasn’t too hard – your love was too small.” Love is sacrifice – if we love someone, we want to give up things for them. So if we truly love God, we desire to make small sacrifices – and even big ones. One student in my Confirmation class asked me recently, “Fr. Joseph, is it bad that I have a desire to be a martyr?” I said, “No, it’s a very great blessing – because it means you have such a love for God that you want to give all for Him.”

            Third, fasting clears a space for God in our lives. Giving up our smartphone gives us time for prayer. Feeling the peck of hunger makes us realize that our true hunger is for God. We only have a limited amount of time, energy, attention, and money in our life – when we deny ourselves something, this frees up a space in our life to give to God.

            Fourth, fasting helps us identify with the poor. Most of the world still feels hunger every day – in solidarity with them, can we not experience the pinch of hunger for a bit? Most of the world does not have access to the luxuries we do – can we not give something up and pray for them? Fasting, then, is closely connected to almsgiving – the money we save from not getting the triple-shot venti latte can be given to a charity. After all, Tolstoy once said, “I am a participant in a crime if I have superfluous food and another has none.”

            Finally, fasting is obedience to Christ. Jesus Himself said, “Unless you deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple.” He was quite serious – daily self-denial is intrinsic to the life of a Christian. And, of course, He gave us the example of fasting in today’s Gospel. But it even goes further back than Christ. St. Basil recognized, “Fasting is as old as mankind. It was given as a law in paradise. The first commandment Adam received was do not eat.”

            But I can hear the objection in many of your hearts – doesn’t God want us to be happy? Why would He create such good pleasures if we weren’t supposed to enjoy them? Ah, fasting and self-denial is not about denying the goodness of the body, or saying pleasure is bad, any more than a diet is about denying the goodness of food. People diet because they are choosing a higher good (their health) over a lower good (this donut). They are choosing a long-term good over a short-term good. Likewise, fasting and self-denial is about choosing a higher good (God, eternal life) over a lesser good (pleasure).

            I can hear a second objection – we shouldn’t give up, we should take on – do something extra for God for Lent. Yes, that’s great, go for it – but don’t give up fasting. We should do all three (prayer, fasting, and almsgiving) and fasting is absolutely critical to growing in the spiritual life. So as you take on something positive this Lent, do not abandon the ancient practice of fasting – do both.

            So how do we fast? A wise priest once told me, “A sacrifice isn’t a sacrifice unless it hurts, unless it costs you something.” So, giving up spinach because you hate it is not a sacrifice! All you kids who want to give up homework for Lent – sorry, not a sacrifice. Choose something you love, and give it up because you love God more.

            I find it helpful to write down my fasting plans. It can also be helpful to be accountable to someone – your spouse, a friend – so they can ask how it’s going. You can fast from any pleasurable thing – smartphones, Youtube, unnecessary purchases, going out to eat, unholy music, or anything else. You could rise earlier to pray, or make it to Mass. But the traditional fast does involve food, and I can testify that a food-fast has the most spiritual power. Give up dessert, or drink nothing but water, or refrain from eating between meals, or skip a meal, or go vegan. Feel the pangs of hunger and unite them to Christ’s suffering on the Cross. However you choose to fast and deny yourself, we must practice them, in obedience to Christ and so that we train and discipline our bodies so that we can more easily resist temptation.

            I close with St. Augustine’s words about fasting: “Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, and kindles the true light of chastity.”

            If we learn to say “no” to ourselves, we will soon find it very easy to generously say “yes” to God.

Aspirin for a Heart Attack - Ash Wednesday Homily - March 5, 2025

 

Homily for Ash Wednesday

March 6, 2025

A New Heart

 

            A man went to his doctor with some pain in his chest. The doctor ran some tests, and then told the man, “I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that you need a new heart – open-heart surgery, the whole nine yards. If you keep your current heart, you will certainly die very soon. The good news is that we already have a donor, your insurance will cover the cost, and it will let you live until practically forever.”

            Anyone with a small modicum of common sense would say, “Yes! Let’s do the surgery!” But perhaps there would be some who say, “Wait – I kinda like my current heart, it’s not causing me too much pain, and it seems like a huge hassle to get the surgery and have to recover. Maybe later, not now, I’ve got too much going on.” We would all agree that such an attitude would be foolish!

            And yet, my friends, this should be the reason why we are here today – a new heart. If you’re just here for ashes, that’s like taking aspirin when you need a heart transplant – it might take away the pain for a bit, but it doesn’t address the fact that you’re dying. Ashes might make us feel all “religiousy” for a day, but it doesn’t take away the fact that you’re dying from your sins!

            But the good news is that we have a donor who will give you a new heart – Jesus Christ, Whose Sacred Heart burns away the impurities in ours. The cost is already covered – it was paid by the Precious Blood on the Cross. This new heart will allow us to live forever – an abundant like of grace and purpose here, and everlasting joy in Heaven.

            This means that we have to give up our old heart, our sinful habits, our disordered desires, our unhealthy relationships. It’s hard to do – and it’s the only thing that will save our lives. In Greek the word for “repentance” is metanoia, which literally means “turning-around”. Turning away from sin, turning to face the Lord’s presence.

            The biggest, and most fundamental turning that must occur is to stop living as if God doesn’t exist. Probably all of us would say that we believed in God – but then, practically, we live as if He has no impact on our day-to-day life. We make ourselves – our plans, our “truth”, our pleasures – the idol that we worship.

            Today, turn away from that idol and begin living like God not only exists but has loved you into existence, has a wonderful plan for your holiness, and has destined you for eternal life! Practically this means beginning a serious prayer life of at least 15 minutes daily; worshiping God every Sunday at Mass; coming to Confession at least once during Lent; and conforming your life to His teachings in the Scriptures and the Catholic Church.

            Ashes on your forehead are easy. They cost nothing. They may even make you feel good and pious for a day. But they are like aspirin when we need major heart surgery. The good news is that the new heart awaits you, given to you by Jesus Christ Who purchased it on the Cross. My friends, I beg you – stop living as if God does not exist. He exists and wants to be the central love of your life, the very reason why you live and breathe. Get rid of your dying, sin-laden heart, and allow Him to give you this new heart!