Easter 7 - A Better Way To Live

 

Homily for Easter 7

May 17, 2026

A Better Way To Live

 

            It was three o’clock in the morning when I was startled awake by a high school sophomore barging into my room and crying out, “Fr. Joseph, come quickly, they’re about to call the police!”

            We were on a week-long service trip to build houses for the poor, but one of the students named Peter may have come for other motives. He had quite a reputation in the school – rule-breaker, drug user, overall troublemaker. I was quite reluctant at taking him on the trip, but figured maybe God could do something in his life.

            But here I was at three in the morning, standing in the boys’ bathroom with the camp director and Peter, after other boys had accused him of doing drugs. I was too tired to be furious – maybe only disappointed. I took him off by himself and asked if he did it. Predictably, he denied it – but I knew it was a lie. So finally, in frustration, I said, “Peter, I’m offering you a better way to live. Jesus is offering you a better way to live. Will you take it?”

            He looked at me, mystified. If this were a Disney movie, we’d see this as a life-transforming moment, cue the dramatic music. But life isn’t a Disney movie. And after that week, I never saw Peter again, as he transferred out to another school. I still pray for him.

            This world offers us one way to live – but Christ offers us a better way. Christ is warning His disciples that they live in the world, but are not to be of the world. The “world” does not mean that this physical earth is in any way bad. It was created good, and it was given to humanity to rule in the Name of God. But we believed the lies from Satan that God could not be trusted, and that we could make ourselves gods – and in doing so, we gave the dominion over to the Evil One. So the “world” is Jesus’ shorthand for all of the lies and forces that are opposed to His Kingdom.

            And let’s be honest, we find these lies everywhere. We drive behind an Amazon delivery truck and it reads, “Warning: contents may cause happiness.” Really? Material things can make me truly happy? My box of Cheerios reads: “You deserve joy.” What have I done to deserve joy? And is a bowl of Cheerios the source of it? Jesus wants to offer us a better way to live. He has chosen us Christians in the midst of the world, to live as salt and leaven and light, but living according to the truths of Heaven.

            Let’s examine a few of the lies that the world tells us.

            For example, the world says that image is more important than reality. It amazes me that people can become rich and famous for being “social media influencers”. They may have nothing actually to say, but they’re good looking and so people follow them anywhere. Can anything be more shallow? Some of the teens at my school are all into a trend called looksmaxxing, which can be a pretty extreme focus on making sure we have the perfect physique. Back in the day, we called that the sin of vanity. A man’s strength is more than big muscles – it’s having the interior self-possession to die to self so to live for Christ. A woman’s beauty is more than hair and makeup – it’s being adorned with virtues and holiness. Jesus calls us to a depth of spirit that’s more than skin-deep. Holiness may not look Instagram-worthy but the reality is far more important than the image.

            We frequently receive the message that success is more important than doing God’s will. But as Mother Teresa likes to remind us, “God has not called me to be successful, but faithful.” The world thinks that the successful person is the one who goes to the best schools, climbs the corporate ladder, pads their bank account, is a “winner”. But at our judgment, God will ask, “Did you do My Will? I made you to be a garbage collector – were you the best garbage collector you could be?”

            In the early 1990s, a young Polish girl named Beata had graduated high school but had no funds to go to college, so she prayed about where to go next. She was invited to become a nanny to a wealthy family with one little boy in Italy, so she packed up and moved to a new country. Although this family was not religious in the least, Beata brought a small image of Our Lady to the boy, and taught him some prayers, both in Polish and Italian. The boy was fascinated by these prayers, and asked for more. Beata began bringing him to church, which prompted the young boy to begin asking his parents to take him, as well. Pretty soon, even after the nanny returned to Poland, the boy kept that fervor of faith growing – and we now know him as St. Carlo Acutis. But there would be no St. Carlo if it were not for Beata. To the world, it looked as if she was just a simple, uneducated laborer – but she fulfilled God’s plan for her life, and brought a saint out of it (she’s still alive, by the way!). Have you ever asked God’s plan for your life? And are you living it out?

            We hear the world say, make your own life, your own moral code. It boggles my mind how many people tell me, “Oh, God doesn’t mind what I’m doing.” Last week someone told me that God didn’t mind the fact that they were divorced and remarried, even though Jesus said clearly in Matthew 19 that “he who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery.” Last month someone tried to tell me that God was okay with them being transgender because, as they said, “He made me this way.” No, He did not – we live in a fallen world with many disordered desires, and God has made it clear that there are only two immutable genders. It is an error called relativism to believe that we have the power to make our own ethical or moral compass. Truth is received from God; it’s not invented by man.

            Finally, the world does not believe that eternity is approaching. Driving up the Route 25 connector, you may have seen the graffiti on the rock wall that reads, “Live fast – die young.” The world lives by the motto, YOLO – You Only Live Once. If that were the case, then fill yourself up at the banquet of life! But we actually live twice – and this is just the appetizer. So don’t fill yourself up so much that you lose the hunger for eternity.

            My friends, if we are citizens of a country, we have to follow the laws of that country. As Christians, we are citizens of Heaven – just passing through this world on our way home. St. Claude di Columbiere said, “If you follow the truths of Jesus Christ, you will condemn the lies of the world, you will trample its idols underfoot; the world, henceforth, will want nothing to do with you.” True – rejecting the world’s lies will make the world reject us – but what a better way to live!

            Eight centuries ago, a teen girl named Chiara Offreduccio was living the life. Her family was one of the richest in town, with an estate that overlooked the plaza in front of the church. They were faithful, but shallow people – and Chiara already had her future picked out for her. Marriage to a fine nobleman, a wonderful life full of the riches that the world could offer. One day she was leaning out her window, overlooking the courtyard in front of the church, when she saw a poor beggar stand on the church steps and begin to preach that Jesus Christ alone was worth living for. As a crowd gathered to listen, this teen girl’s ears perked up. What a novel idea – to live for something deeper than just the shallow, vain life of parties, dresses, gossip and intrigue? Was there really a better way to live?

            That night, she went to meet with that beggar, who encouraged her to live according to the Gospel. He was dirt-poor, wearing a patched robe, but radiating joy. She wanted to join him, so she arranged to run away from home. A few days later, she executed the plan, and the humble beggar met her in the church late at night, welcomed her, and cut off her hair as a sign that she belonged to God alone.

            Her family thought she’d lost her mind, so they sent out search parties to find her. When they realized she had followed this young madman, they thought she’d fallen prey to a cult. Her uncles tried to bring her back, but miraculously her body became so heavy that they couldn’t budge her an inch. They eventually relented, and this young girl became known as St. Clare of Assisi, the first female follower of St. Francis of Assisi.

            The great St. Francis had offered her a better way to live – for God, for Heaven. That same offer is extended to you this day. Are you tired of the endless rat-race competition of the American dream? Does it all seem futile to you? If so, maybe you’re ready to reject the lies of the world and live that better life in union with Christ that He offers you now.

Ascension Thursday - May 14, 2026

 

Homily for Ascension Thursday

May 14, 2026

They Worshipped but Doubted

 

            I’ve always been intrigued with the small detail from today’s Gospel: when these Apostles saw the Risen Lord, it states that “they worshipped, but doubted.” How can you worship if you doubt? And why would they doubt after having several encounters with Resurrected Christ?

            I think they doubted because seeing a man risen from the dead was so outside of the realm of possibility that they wondered if it could even happen. Resurrection was impossible! They saw Him die; they saw the body cold, the tomb sealed. And yet He spoke with them again; He ate breakfast in their presence; He invited them to touch His wounds. Psychologists call this “cognitive dissonance” – when we try to make sense of two contradictory truths. The truth is, Jesus died. And the truth is, He is alive.

            So, they worshipped, but they still couldn’t make sense of this new way of being. It was so extraordinary that they still doubted – until the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost, which so convicted them of the truth of the Resurrection that they were able to fulfill Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples” – believing so deeply that they gave their lives for Him.

            I think that we also worship, but doubt – although our doubting comes from the exact opposite reason. We don’t doubt because the Catholic Faith is so extraordinary it’s hard to believe – rather, we doubt because it is seemingly so ordinary that we don’t recognize the full, powerful, earth-shattering teachings of Christ.

            For example, do you believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist – not a sign or symbol, but His true Body and Blood? I certainly hope so. But if the answer is yes, then why do we so easily skip Sunday Mass if we’ve got sports? Why do we show up at Mass in shorts and flip-flops? Why does this church turn into a social hall with loud conversations after Mass, completely ignoring the Real Presence of God Himself in the tabernacle? Why would we not make time in our busy schedule to visit the empty Church during the day and spend time with Him?

            [I’ve seen many of you sitting in the lobby or in the gym while we have our Tuesday Masses going on. What does that say about what we believe? Is it Jesus or is it not? Because if it’s just bread, we should pack this up and go home. If this is Jesus, why would we choose to do anything except be in His presence? And how many of you don’t even bother making a visit to Jesus during your school day? The God of the universe is literally down the hall and we don’t bother stopping by. Do we believe, or do we doubt like those Apostles?]

            Back in the 1960s, there was a lieutenant governor of Quebec named Paul Comtois. He was a man of great devotion, leading his wife and five kids in the Rosary daily even as he led the Province of Quebec with great wisdom. His love for the Lord was so intense that he asked his Bishop if he could turn a spare room in his house into a chapel and keep the Eucharist there. The Bishop agreed, on the condition that Paul be personally responsible for the safety and care of the Blessed Sacrament. He agreed, and would often pray before and after his visits to Parliament.

            However, on a cold day in February 1966, his house caught fire. He was able to get all of his wife and children out safely, but our Eucharistic Lord was still inside! Without a second thought, he rushed back into the burning building to rescue the Lord. But by that time it was too late – the house collapsed around him. When firefighters finally put out the fire, they found that he had died clutching the Eucharist to his chest – and the Eucharist was unharmed.

            Inspiring, right? Here was a man who didn’t doubt – he believed. And that’s how we know what we believe – what we’re willing to die for.

            Or, for example, do we really believe that we will live forever, either as an eternal triumph in Heaven, or an everlasting tragedy in Hell? Because if we really believed this, then why in the world would we care about the really silly petty stuff that occupies our days – and neglect the only thing that really matters: our eternal soul?

            St. John Vianney once said, “The lukewarm soul is that soul who would like to be worldly without ceasing to be a child of God. You will see them at one moment bowing before God, his Savior and his Master, and the next moment bowing before the world, his idol.” He goes on to tell the story of visiting one young woman who was rather careless about her spiritual life, and asking if she wanted to go to Confession. She said, “No, not to you. You would make me give up my fun in life.” (By “fun” she meant many sinful amusements). She continued, “I go to Fr. So-and-so, because he’s not as strict and just tells me to try to be good. After all, we cannot all be saints in this life.”

            Poor girl! She went to Mass weekly and didn’t commit huge sins, but gave no thought to the fact that her time here was limited, and her life was meant to prepare her for eternal glory if it was lived rightly. She believed, but she doubted.

            And this is the case for many of us. Oh, we’re Catholic all right. But we’ve become so bored with our faith that it has failed to impact our lives. We believe, but we doubt.

            So what must we do? We can’t only believe the teachings of Christ, we also have to live out their implications. If the Eucharist is truly Jesus, we must never pass up an opportunity to come to Mass or make a visit to the Lord. If this life really does prepare us for eternity, then we ought to seek to make real progress in the spiritual life. If Jesus really is God, and His teachings in the Scripture are real, then we need to forgive our enemies, love our neighbor, and take up our crosses.

            Our Catholic Faith should always remain extraordinary. God became a person. God died for you. You now get to eat God, and you have the opportunity to be with God forever. Blessed are those who worship, praise, and believe!

Easter 6 - Faith Is Our Rosetta Stone

 

Easter 6

May 10, 2026

Faith Is The Interpretive Key

 

            When Christianity came to northern Africa in the mid-300s, one effect was that people started to read and write in Greek, rather than in the old Egyptian hieroglyphics. After a while, everyone forgot how to read this ancient Egyptian language. For centuries, these pictures remained a mystery to archeologists and researchers, until a game-changing discovery in 1799: the Rosetta Stone. This stone told the same story in three languages, allowing people to place the Greek writing side-by-side with the hieroglyphs – and for the first time in the modern world, archeologists were able to interpret this mysterious language.

            Life can be mysterious, too. Why are we here? What’s the meaning of suffering? How can we find happiness? What’s the secret to a good marriage? Is there life after death? I remember coming across a book one time entitled, “Ten Best Guesses About Life” – the author said that he didn’t have any actual answers, but here were his best guesses about those deep questions that plague every human being.

            But goodness, doesn’t your heart cry out for something more solid than just a “best guess”? We need some sort of Rosetta Stone, some rock-solid interpretive key to understanding what life is all about – and thanks be to God, we have that. It’s our Catholic Faith.

            Faith is the interpretive key to making sense of the mystery of life. Pope John Paul II said, “It is only in the mystery of Christ that the mystery of man truly becomes clear.” Psychology can help us understand ourselves; therapy can give us insights into our behavior; science can shed some light upon what it means to be human; but only our faith in Jesus Christ shows us where we have come from, how we are to live, and where we are ultimately going.

            Where have we come from? Many of you who grew up with the Baltimore Catechism remember the first question: “Who made you? God made you. Why did He make you? To know, love and serve Him so that we can be eternally happy with him in Heaven.” It’s that simple!

            How are we to live? Jesus Christ, of course, is the model of our behavior. If you grew up in the ‘90s like I did, you remember the phrase WWJD – What Would Jesus Do. It was plastered on posters, tee-shirts, bracelets, every bit of Christian swag that my youth minister could find (looking back, it was quite cringe!). A nice, but incomplete, idea. We are to live, not just like Christ, but in intimate union with Christ through grace. In today’s Gospel, He speaks about giving us the Commandments…but also about giving us the Holy Spirit. We obey Him, but with the strength given by grace. We live a pure, forgiving, merciful, courageous, trusting, surrendered life – by His power in us.

            Where are we going? The Spirit puts the answer in our hearts – we were made for a better world, a place without the brokenness and sin that we wallow in here.

            And this sheds light on every aspect of our lives. What is work for? For developing our talents to the glory of God, serving others, and making it an offering to the Lord. What is the purpose of legitimate pleasure? It is meant to be a foretaste of Heaven. How do we have good friendships? By seeking people who are pursuing virtues themselves, so that we may be positively influenced by them. What’s the secret to a happy marriage? Imitating Christ’s self-sacrificing love. How can we suffer well? By offering it up to Jesus in love, and allowing it to purge us of our faults. How do we make good choices? By bringing them to prayer and seeking the Lord’s will for our lives. How can we be truly happy? By loving God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and sacrificing our life for the good of our neighbor. It is our Catholic Faith that helps us interpret the mystery of human life!

            So, I have a homework assignment for you. Consider an aspect of your life that perhaps you’re confused or unhappy or not at peace about. Maybe it’s a relationship; or your marriage; or your work; or a suffering you’re enduring; or some other stress in your life. This week, go and research what Christ has to say about this particular topic. Don’t go looking on TikTok or Youtube; go straight to the source: the Bible and the Catechism. The answers are there if we know where to look!

            And if we start to see the world through the lens of our Catholic Faith, what joy and meaning we will have! In the early 1900s, there was a young man from Poland named Jan Tyranowski. He was a quiet man in his thirties – a tailor, an introvert, a man who kept to himself due to his bad health and shy temperament. One day he was at Mass when the priest said from the pulpit, “It isn’t difficult to become a saint!” Jan realized that this was indeed his calling – to become holy in his own life – and his ordinary life began to make sense. He started imbuing his work with prayer; offering his bad health to God as a sacrifice; studying the Lives of the Saints; frequenting the Sacraments. The priest noticed that this young man became more fervent in his faith, so he asked him to help out with the parish youth group. Reluctantly – because he was still painfully shy – he agreed. But pretty soon, the Nazis invaded Poland and took the priests into the Dachau concentration camp – leaving the parish without any leadership.

            So Jan took it upon himself to keep working with the youth. He began secret weekly meetings at his apartment where young men would gather for fellowship, a spiritual talk, and praying the Rosary together. One day, a new young man named Karol showed up – and was very impressed by Jan’s spirituality. Karol had been questioning the meaning of his own life, but hearing Jan speak about everyone’s call to holiness, he realized that this was the purpose of his existence – to glorify and love God, and spend eternity in Heaven. Young Karol decided to become a priest – and later on became a Pope and a saint, St. John Paul II. For his part, Jan is now Venerable Jan Tyranowski – on the path to sainthood himself. He sought the answers to life, and found them in Jesus Christ and his Catholic Faith.

            Life is not a mystery when it is lived in the light of Christ, who reveals man to himself.

Easter 5 - The Early-Church Lifestyle

 

Easter 5

May 3, 2026

The Early-Church Lifestyle

 

            It was my first semester of college, and I was completely torn. I had made the college baseball team, and they practiced two hours a day, six days a week. At the same time, I had joined one of the “households” on campus (a “household” at Franciscan University is like a Catholic fraternity) and they had significant commitments – they prayed together twice a day, and had other events like mandatory fun nights (nothing is quite as fun as “mandatory fun”!). I couldn’t fully embrace either the team or the household, because both competed for my time and energy.

            Many Christians have a similar struggle. They can’t fully enjoy the life that Christ offers them because their time and energy are split between the soccer field, the office, the internet, the vacation home, and the Lord. But this was not the case in the early Church – we continue reading from the Acts of the Apostles, where the early disciples lived a daily faith that consisted of praying with fellow believers, the “breaking of bread” (the Mass), listening to the teachings of the Apostles, good deeds, and fellowship with one another. It wasn’t just a part of their life – it was their life, and it was beautiful and holy.

            St. John Vianney once said, “Religion must be about us as the air we breathe.” And Jesus in the Gospel calls Himself “the Way and the Life” – He’s not just one part of life, but He is life. He’s not just one way to live, but the Way. So, our Catholic Faith must become a lifestyle.

            That doesn’t mean we don’t work or play or go to parties. I’m sure those early Christians did all of the above – I mean, we gotta make a living – but everything in their lives were evaluated in terms of their Faith. Much like a professional athlete will sit down to dinner and ask, “What food will help me become the best athlete I can be?”, so a Christian must approach his day and ask, “What will help me become the best Christian I can be?” Christianity must become a lifestyle – otherwise it’s not authentically following Christ.

            So here are five very practical ways to make Christianity a lifestyle.

            First, start each day with a morning offering, and begin each activity with offering it to Jesus. Everything we do can be made holy if we offer it to God. For example, did you know there is a patron saint of soccer players? St. Luigi Scrosoppi was an Italian priest who taught at a boarding school for poor children, but he was best known as the kind-hearted, virtuous soccer coach at that school. He taught the kids that sports could develop great virtues such as fairness, courage, perseverance, and teamwork, and he would begin every practice and game by offering it to the Lord. All we have to do is pray, “For You, Jesus,” before we begin a meeting, a homework assignment, a chore, or even an enjoyable activity – and then do it in a way that pleases Him.

            Second, before making a life decision, ask the Lord and consider His will. If one were to take a hike, we would have to get a map. Before a battle, we to consult the general and get the plan. Before we embark on any life choices – we have to consult our King. If we’ve got a difficult conversation coming up, we say, “Lord, guide me – put Your words in my mouth.” If we have a choice to make about what college to attend, we bring it to prayer: “Jesus, show me Your will,” and then we pay attention to the signs He gives us, and the thoughts He inspires in our minds. No more trying to figure life out on our own – we were meant to live in desperate dependence upon our Heavenly Father!

            Third, surround your life with good Catholic media and sacramentals. I know many parishioners have done the “Bible In A Year” podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz, and there are hundreds more such as “Godsplaining” or “Pints With Aquinas” which we can incorporate into our drive-time or workout routine. And while our ears are occupied with podcasts or Christian music, our eyes can be occupied with the sacramentals (things such as a crucifix, Rosary, statue of Our Lady, etc) that we fill our life with. I happened to be chatting with one of our seventh-graders at the school where I teach, and he opened his locker to grab something, and I saw a small crucifix hanging in his locker. Not in-your-face, but a subtle reminder that God is with us at all times.

            Fourth, the early church valued community – they “did life together”, as our Protestant brethren say. It used to be that the Church was the very center of the community – Bishop Caggiano, growing up in 1950s Brooklyn, reminisces about how the Church was also his school, sports teams, parties, dances, feast days, processions…everything in life was provided by the Church. He and the other families were bonded both by their Italian blood and by their Catholic Faith. That’s not the case anymore, which is why it’s important to be intentional about finding Catholic community. My sister in Maryland has a group of five Catholic families who all gather via Zoom every single morning at 7:30am for morning prayers together – and these are families with young kids (my sister’s youngest is two years old!). Many sociologists say that the increase in loneliness and anxiety is because our American culture has lost what they call the “third places”. We all have our homes (the “first place”), and our work or school (the “second place”) but throughout human history, culture and community thrives at “third places” – the front porch, the café, the local barbershop, and the church. As Woody Allen once quipped, “Half of life is just showing up” – half of discipleship is just showing up to be surrounded and supported by other Christians!

            Fifth, of course daily prayer should season our day with God’s grace. Most Catholics pray at night and at meals, but those “scraps of time” in between are also vital. Those five minutes in the restroom? Don’t scroll your phone – thank God for all the things you’re grateful for. Standing in line in Big Y? Enough time for a decade of the Rosary. Recent stats say that Americans spend 4.5 hours daily on their phones – if we can replace just a tenth of that wasted time with prayer, how quickly our lives would change!

            My challenge for you this week is to make a small change to incorporate Christ into your lifestyle. Offering your day to Jesus, asking the Lord for His will, surrounding your life with Catholic media and sacramentals, intentionally seeking community, and using our scraps of time for prayer. My friends, for the early Christians, their walk with Christ was not just something they did on Sunday. It was a way of life – which is why the early Church was overflowing with saints; why the Church quickly spread to the end of the earth. Jesus is more than a part of the journey – He is the Way. He is more than an academic subject to study – He is the Truth. He is more than just a part of life – He IS LIFE.

Easter 4 - Sharing in the Mission of the Church

 

Homily for Easter 4 – Good Shepherd Sunday

April 26, 2026

Sharing In the Mission of the Church

 

            The sign that a plant or an animal is mature is that it can reproduce. And the sign that a Christian has a mature faith is that they can also reproduce – by making other Christians.

            It is often said that the Church does not have a mission, the Church is a mission. The mission of the Church is very simple – Jesus outlines it in Matthew 28 when He says, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all I have commanded you.” So the Church’s mission is threefold: to evangelize (make disciples), celebrate the Sacraments, and catechize (teach others how to follow Jesus).

            But the Church’s mission is not just for priests and nuns – it is for every Christian! If you’ve received the Sacrament of Confirmation, you are both empowered and required to bring souls to Christ – the entire point of that Sacrament is to make you a missionary in your own life!

            But let’s ask – why is it necessary for a mature Christian to have a hunger for souls? Because if we love Jesus, we must love what He loves – and what does He love more than anything? Souls! He would do anything to purchase our souls, even to death. St. John Bosco, who ran a boarding school for poor boys in Turin, Italy, had the following phrase inscribed over the door of his school: “Da Mihi Animas, Cetera Tolle” – Give me souls, take away all the rest. When young St. Dominic Savio walked through the door and read the motto, he immediately understood and said, “Ah, here your business is not to make money, but to make saints!”

            Jesus makes a pretty radical claim: that He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” He is not one truth among many or just one way to live your life. No, there is an exclusivity in what He claims – He is the only One who leads to Heaven, and that His Church is the only true religion. In fact, we believe that “outside the Church there is no salvation.” Does this mean that only baptized Catholics go to Heaven? Not necessarily. Rather, it means that anyone who is saved is saved in and through Jesus Christ – not through their own religion, deity, or spiritual practice – and that the Catholic Church has the fullness of what Christ taught and the best access to Him. This radical claim should spur us on to want to bring every soul to Jesus in the Catholic Faith. We were beggars who have found spiritual food in the Eucharist, so we turn to the hungry around us to share this feast.

            How do we do this? Our three readings give us the three ways to participate in the mission of the Church for souls. First, by prayer and suffering for souls. St. Peter’s letter, which we read as our second reading, speaks to us of the great good of suffering well, in union with Christ’s suffering. If Christ’s suffering saved the world, then our suffering can also help Him save souls. Not that we can add anything to Christ’s sufferings, but since we are members of the Body of Christ, we are applying Christ’s sufferings to Monroe in 2026. Christ wants to suffer and pray in and through us for souls, here and now, because we as Christians are called to extend the presence of Christ throughout history and throughout the world.

            Here’s an example. When St. Therese of Lisieux was in her teen years in France in the 1800s, she had a burning desire to pray for the conversion of sinners. One day, she happened to read in her father’s newspaper that a horrendous crime had been committed: a man named Henri Pranzini was found guilty of murder and would be executed in a few days. Therese made it her mission to pray and sacrifice for this man, especially praying that the Precious Blood from the Wounds of Christ would grant him the grace of repentance. But Pranzini showed no signs of repentance – he turned down the offer of Confession, and continued to grow angrier and more hateful as the fateful day approached. As Therese read the paper daily to check on his status, she only increased her prayers more and more fervently. Finally, the day arrived – and Pranzini was led to the guillotine, executed for his crime. The following day, Therese desperately checked the paper – and lo and behold, the article on the front page described Pranzini standing on the scaffolding, holding a crucifix and kissing the Sacred Wounds three times before his death! He had repented, at the last possible moment! Therese saw that as the answer to her prayer – the power of fasting and sacrificing for souls!

            But prayer should be coupled with words and deeds. Today’s first reading shows Peter using such powerful words that over 3,000 people were baptized that very day! (His arm must have been very tired from all those baptisms!) Notice that Peter did two things as he preached: he invited, and he explained. He gives very specific instructions: repent, be baptized, believe in the Lord Jesus. We, too, should be concrete in our invitations: “Hey, want to go to Sunday Mass together?” “I know you’re struggling with something, could we pray together?” “You look like you could use some peace and quiet – want to come to Adoration?” This is how Jesus worked – His first encounter in John’s Gospel were with two men who followed Him from a distance. He asked them, “What are you looking for?” They asked Him where He was staying, and He responded with those powerful words, “Come and see.” It was an invitation to meet their deepest need by coming to see Him – so we hear the needs of modern men and women: need for love, meaning and purpose, acceptance, forgiveness – and invite them to meet Christ.

            But our invitation must also be supported by explanation. What would you say if you invited someone to pray the Rosary, but they responded, “Nah, you Catholics worship Mary. I don’t do that.” How would you respond? St. Peter tells us in his letter that we should always have a reason for the hope within us. Do you know your faith well enough to explain it to a nonbeliever? We need to! Study the Catechism, read good spiritual books or listen to Catholic podcasts, dive into the Bible. We need to be able to explain our Faith – we could say to our unbelieving friend, “As Catholics, we don’t worship Mary; rather, we honor her, since she was closest to Christ on earth, she is closest to Him in Heaven. Now will you pray the Rosary with me?”

            Prayer is good, and words are good, but this must also be supported by the power of our witness. Listen to the words of St. Charles Borromeo: “Be sure that you first preach by the way you live. If you do not, people will notice that you say one thing, but live otherwise, and your words will bring only cynical laughter and a derisive shake of the head.” But to be clear – just “being nice” is not witnessing to the truth of Jesus Christ. Witness is directly commensurate to what we’re willing to sacrifice for.

            Back in 2015, twenty Christian Egyptian construction workers were captured by Islamic radicals and brought to Libya. These terrorists wanted to make a statement that Christianity is powerless in the face of the weapons and force of Islam. They brought them to a beach and gave them a chance to give up their Christian faith, but each of the twenty refused to deny the Lord. So the captors beheaded them one-by-one…but there was a twenty-first person who had been kidnapped as well. It was a friend of the twenty, but he professed no particular religion. But upon seeing his friends die for this Jesus, he said to the terrorists, “Their God is my God now.” And he lost his life as well – evangelized by the silent witness of the twenty who died for Christ.

            Sacrifice is what sets believers apart from nonbelievers. I used to have a close friend named Lance, who was an atheist. He and his wife had adopted their niece and nephew out of a horrifically abusive situation. The two kids were pretty broken and psychologically wounded – they had major behavior problems and were in-and-out of psychiatric hospitals. One day I was hiking with Lance and I asked him, “As an atheist, what do you think is the meaning of life?” He said, “I think it’s to make the world a better place.” Hmm, okay. I can accept that. But later that day we were talking about the struggles he was having with his kids and I asked, “If you had to do it all over again and adopt those kids, with all of their challenges, would you do it?” He thought for a moment and said, “No, probably not. It’s been too hard.” I thought – what a perfect opportunity to “make the world a better place”, as he claimed – but because it cost him something, he wasn’t willing to do it, because he had no faith, no desire to imitate Christ.

            The only credible witness is sacrificial love. Ordinary kindnesses can be done by pagans and atheists; but making a sacrifice for the sake of God is something only possible with the grace of Jesus Christ. We see this in the Gospel – Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” Who is willing to lay down His life for the sheep. If Christ had not died for us, would we believe His teachings? Would we know of His love for us? Probably not. Likewise, if a Christian does not die daily to himself, the world will not see the truth of Christianity reflected in their lives.

            My friends, we should be filled with a zeal for souls to come to know the love of God and win Heaven, because the mission of the Church is our mission, too.

Divine Mercy Sunday 2026 -

 

Homily for Easter 2 – Divine Mercy Sunday

April 12, 2026

Struck to the Heart

 

            The word “mercy” comes from the Latin “misericordia”, which is two words: “miseri” (suffering) and “cordia” (heart). So mercy literally means “suffering of the heart”. We say that in English – someone’s suffering “struck me to the heart”.

            And as we look at the Crucified Lord, we see that He, too, was struck in the heart. One of His most prominent wounds is that penetration into His side – which, ironically, is both an act of mercy for Him and for us.

            In the middle ages, soldiers would often carry a very short, sharp dagger into battle called a “misericorde”. If an opponent on the battlefield fought courageously but was mortally wounded, a knight would draw his misericorde and put him out of his misery, quickly and relatively painlessly, in admiration for the opponent’s courageous fight. One quick blow to the heart from the misericorde, and the suffering would be ended.

            Thus, when the soldier pierced Jesus’ side on the Cross, he was not merely seeing if Jesus had actually died; he was also providing an act of mercy for a heroic warrior who fought to the death.

            And so when Jesus shows His open side to Thomas, He is saying, “Behold, I have fought for you! I have fought for your freedom, your salvation. Put your hand in the wound which purchased everlasting life.”

            Every time I drive down I-95 or the Route 25 Connector, my eyes are assailed by those obnoxious billboards for personal injury lawyers. All of them have a similar message: “Hire Bob Smith, he will fight for you!” There is something deep within our hearts that longs for an advocate, someone who will take blows and sufferings on our behalf, and who will overcome an enemy greater than we can handle on our own.

            So when Christ shows His wounds, He is showing that He is our advocate! He has fought the ancient foe of death and Satan, and overcome him. Sometimes boys will show each other their scars, each one coming with a story: “This is where I fell off my bike…here is where I tried the 360 and landed on the stick…this one I got when I got too close to the fire.” Scars are a story of a challenge that has been met, and conquered. So Christ shows His wounds to the Apostles to tell them, “The enemy has been met, and overcome.”

            What does this mean for us? Three things. First, realize that God is on your side! It amazes me how many Catholics think that life is a test and God is just waiting for us to slip up so He can send us to Hell. How can we believe that when we see the wounds He endured? Clearly, this God is madly in love for us and willing to do everything to bring us to Heaven. Never doubt that!

            Second, realize that our scars will become our glory. Even Jesus’ resurrected Body still has scars – but they no longer hurt Him. Rather, they are now a sign of everything He has overcome. Many of us are carrying a lot of scars – we’ve been abused, bullied, rejected, hurt. We are struggling with mental illness, or addiction, or loneliness, or shame from our past. Turning to Jesus doesn’t make these scars disappear; it just gives us the strength to overcome them. When we arise on the Last Day, made new in Christ, we will still have our scars – they are part of who we are – but they will become a sign of what God’s mercy has accomplished in us, and no longer cause us pain.

            Finally, Christ gives us an example to imitate – many of us are called to suffer on behalf of others. Many of you may have seen the famous Italian movie, “Life Is Beautiful.” It features a Jewish man and his son who are arrested and taken to a Nazi concentration camp. But the boy is too young to understand what is going on, and his father wants to protect his innocence, so he pretends that the whole thing is a game. The father suffers greatly to hide the son and to keep him from realizing the full horror of the camp. Spoiler alert – the father eventually gives his life to keep the guards from finding his son, and the son is able to be liberated and reunited with his mother.

            Many of us are called to similarly defend others to the point of sacrifice. Parents, for example, must heroically protect and defend their children, both physically and (more importantly) spiritually. Those in leadership positions in a company should not be seeking their own benefit, but primarily the benefit of those who work for them. Anyone with influence over others will have to fight a battle for their freedom.

            Too often, people want to take the easy way out instead of suffering the wounds and blows that leadership entails. I see that in parents who just give in and give their kids cell phones without any limitations because they don’t want to fight their teens. I see that in leaders in the Church who won’t “rock the boat” by ever making a tough call or preaching about a difficult topic. I see that in our government who will allow corruption to run rampant because it’s easier than having to root it out.

            But to be a leader is to fight on behalf of others, and when we fight, we get wounded! So if you are called to any leadership position, prepare yourself for the battle, get ready for the wounds, and look to your captain, Jesus Christ, Who has fought for us first.

            And think of the great things that such wounds can accomplish! According to Tradition, the man who speared Jesus’ Heart was a Roman soldier named Longinus. He had poor eyesight, but when the Blood and water that flowed from Christ’s pierced side happened to gush upon him, his eyes were instantly cured – and he came to believe that Jesus is Lord. He became a Christian and suffered martyrdom in Italy – he is now known as St. Longinus. Christ’s wounds became his mercy and his healing.

            Mercy is found in the suffering, wounded Heart of our Lord.

Easter 2026 - A Holy Madness

 

Easter Homily

April 5, 2026

A Holy Madness

 

            My uncle is one of those tin-foil hat UFO chasers from California. He fits all the stereotypes, believing that aliens could read his mind and that trees can speak to us. In fact, his Facebook bio says that he is a, quote, “Revolutionary/Shaman/Wizard/Spirit/Troublemaker.” But I must admit that I believe something even crazier than he has ever believed: that a man rose from the dead.

            Just think for a moment how crazy that sounds. If I were to tell you that I saw George Washington eating at Bill’s, you’d think I’d lost it. And yet, I’m here to claim that a man who was brutally executed is now completely alive, forever and ever. He walked again on this earth, ate and drank, His tomb is empty, His body is glorified in Heaven. And that now this Divine Man should be followed as Lord and God.

            Seems like foolishness, right? Imagine how the early disciples felt. When Mary Magdalene told the Apostles that she had seen the empty tomb, Peter did something completely undignified – he ran. This would be a very inappropriate action for a grown man to do – but he didn’t care. He needed to know the truth. When he encountered the Risen Lord, he was so convinced that he spent the remainder of his life sharing that good news with others. Imagine the response he got, as he preaches the Resurrection in the first reading – most people discounted Peter as a raving lunatic. But those with faith to hear recognized in Peter’s words the only hope that really mattered – Jesus Christ is risen, so our life and our eternity now belong to Him Who has conquered death.

            Paradoxically, the Resurrection is the most reasonable belief of all. We know that the tomb is empty (no reputable archeologist in history has ever claimed to have found the Body of Jesus), the Resurrected Christ was seen by over 500 people, and many of the eyewitnesses died as martyrs, proclaiming that Jesus is alive. So though the world thinks us crazy, it is reasonable to believe in the Resurrection. I’m willing to bet my life that He is Risen.

            The great thinker Blaise Pascal said that if you believe Jesus is Lord and you’re wrong, there is nothing to lose, but if you’re right, then you have everything to gain. Conversely, if we do not believe in Jesus and Jesus doesn’t exist, then nothing happens, but if we refuse to believe in Him and He does exist, then we lose everything. So the rational choice is to believe in Jesus Christ – we have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

            After all, what is real craziness: believing that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, or believing that money, success, or pleasure leads to happiness? What is crazier: to give your life to Christ in the hopes of an eternity with Him, or to give your life to this world which will pass away when we die? I’d rather give my life away to God than to possess this entire fallen world. St. Paul says the same thing in our Scriptures: our life is hidden with Christ in Heaven, so we must seek the things that are above.

            And boy, does that look crazy to the world. It was a cold winter’s day in Grenada, Spain in the 1500s when an itinerant preacher named Fr. John of Avila came into town. He stood on a small platform in the town square and began to tell the townspeople of the good news of Jesus Christ. Out of curiosity or boredom, a small crowd began to gather, then grow. When he got to the part about Jesus Christ having risen from the dead – and how our lives belong to Him and to eternity – a wealthy man in the crowd was so moved by this realization that he climbed the platform with the saint and began to throw his money out into the crowd. “I will no longer live for this world! God alone! God alone!” he cried out, publicly telling everyone his sins and crying for God’s mercy.

            Well, the authorities couldn’t let this crazy man continue to make a scene, so they quickly took him to the local mental asylum – but he continued to rave about how he repents of his sins and believes in God. A week passed with the man still overwhelmed with tears and bursts of laughter. So the doctors summoned the man responsible: Fr. John. He met with the formerly-wealthy man, now poor and disheveled, and they spoke for a while. Finally, Fr. John came out and said, “This man is not crazy. He just believes with his whole heart. We would do well to do the same.” They released the man, who used the remainder of his wealth to open a hospital and serve the poor in town. Both men became saints – St. John of Avila, the preacher; and St. John of God, the great servant of the poor.

            I pray that all of you may be filled with the same holy madness. Love makes us do things that the rest of the world considers crazy. Forgiving our enemies. Forgoing the sports game to worship Christ at Sunday Mass. Staying faithful to our spouse, loving our difficult parents. Hoping for a Heaven we cannot yet see. And the craziest one of all: living and dying for a Man who is risen from the dead.

            So, yes, the wisdom of Heaven may seem like foolishness to this world. The truth of the Resurrection seems like madness to scoffers. But I pray that this kind of holy madness overtakes us all. After all, it would be truly crazy to choose this passing world over eternity!