Ash Wednesday Homily - To Be, Rather Than To Appear

 

Homily for Ash Wednesday

February 18, 2026

To Be, Rather Than To Appear

 

            State mottos are funny things. For example, the state motto of Montana is “Gold and silver” – a little blunt! Some are inspiring – New Hampshire is “Live free or die.” Some are just strange – Oregon’s state motto is “She flies with her own wings”. But one stands out for its antiquity: North Carolina’s state motto is Esse quam videri – To be, rather than to appear. That quote originates in the ancient Roman author Cicero, a hundred years before Christ.

            But isn’t this exactly what Christ challenges us today? To be a Christian, rather than to appear as one. Fasting, almsgiving, and prayer are the three great pillars of Lent – but are they merely appearances, or do they point to a deeper desire to truly love Jesus Christ? The ashes we will receive in a short moment – are they just window-dressing on a self-centered life?

            Last summer, a parishioner gave me a watermelon, and it was one of the most perfect-looking fruits I’ve ever seen. No blemishes, perfectly shaped. But as soon as I cut into it, I was offended by the most awful smell – the thing was rotten to the core. I’d rather have an ugly watermelon that tastes great! So it is with Christians – it is more important “to be” than “to appear” to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

            The dust that will be smeared on your forehead is far less important than turning from your sins. This hour out of your year is far less important than what you do for the remaining 8,760 hours. Will you spend at least 52 of those hours worshipping God at Mass on Sundays? Will you come to Confession during this Lenten season? Will you make Jesus Christ the very reason why you breathe, the very goal that you pursue?

            Once a missionary priest to a foreign land was able to convert the native chief, who was illiterate. The chief was asked by a fellow tribesman, “How will you know about Jesus if you cannot read the Bible?” The chief answered, “I do not need to read the Bible when it is lived out every day in the life of this priest.” Would the same be said about you?

            All Catholic monks and nuns live according to a “Rule of Life” – a document that outlines when to pray, how to fast, what works of charity to perform. But some older monks and nuns are so holy that they are called “The Living Rule” – they live their Rule of Life so perfectly that it’s as if the document has taken life. They didn’t appear to be holy – they were holy.

            And so, as we begin this Lenten season, the goal isn’t to give up dessert so we’re ten pounds lighter by Easter. The goal is to give up all the sins that prevent us from truly being followers of Jesus Christ to the depths of our being. Otherwise, these ashes on our forehead are nothing more than a façade covering up a sinful and empty life.

            I close with the story of one of our great martyrs, St. Ignatius of Antioch. He was a bishop from the second century who was arrested and marched hundreds of miles to Rome where he would shed his blood for his faith in Jesus Christ. Along the way, he wrote letters to the churches in each town he would be passing through, seven in total. His most famous one, written to the Romans, urged them not to try to save him – he was happy to give his life for Christ. He writes to them, “[Do not pray for my rescue, but pray rather] that I may not merely be called a Christian, but really be found to be one.”

            That is my prayer for you this Lent, too – that you may not merely be called a Christian based on the ashes on your forehead, but may truly become one through your repentance and pursuit of Jesus Christ.

Ordinary Time 6 - Beatitudes, Part 3/3

 

Homily for Ordinary Time 6

February 15, 2026

Beatitudes, Part 3/3

 

            Today we conclude our discussion of these great rules for happiness, Jesus’ eight Beatitudes (if you missed the first two in this homily series, you can find them on the St. Jude’s website).

            Jesus goes on to say, “Blessed are the pure of heart.” This refers to the virtue of chastity. Most people view chastity in the negative – don’t have sexual intimacy out of marriage – but it’s actually a positive virtue, as it means seeing another person made in the Image of God and respecting them as such. John Paul II says that the opposite of love isn’t hatred, but rather using. Lust is precisely that – using a person for sexual pleasure – while chastity safeguards authentic human love, the desire to give and not to use.

            The story goes that two bishops were walking through the streets of Rome when a very scantily clad woman passed by. One bishop looked down to the ground in embarrassment, while the other one looked into her face as she walked by. When she had passed, the first bishop reproached the other one and said, “Why didn’t you look away? Didn’t you see what she was wearing…or rather, what she wasn’t wearing?” The wiser and holier bishop replied, “No, I only saw a soul.” Being pure of heart allows us to see God – and it allows us to see God in each person we encounter, because we don’t want to use them for our pleasure, but love them for the child of God they are.

            Our seventh Beatitude is, “Blessed are the peacemakers”. I doubt anyone who uses Twitter could ever qualify! The best way to develop peace, both the inner peace of a right relationship with God and exterior peace, is the virtue of magnanimity. This virtue is the opposite of pettiness. Someone who’s petty is always finding a tempest in a teapot; a magnanimous person has an eternal perspective. Consider – all the stuff we get worked up about, will it matter in twenty-four hours, let alone in eternity? So what if someone cut you off in traffic – what does it really matter? So our mother-in-law insulted us – why do we care so much?

            Magnanimity is seeing things through the eyes of God – so it is no wonder that those who wish to be peacemakers will be children of God. There is a beautiful story from the life of St. Dominic Savio, the schoolboy saint who died at the young age of 15. Two of the boys in his class were in an argument which escalated and they threatened to fight each other after school on the playground. Dominic overheard their tiff, so he met them on the playground after school. Immediately the boys thought he was there to be a tattletale, but Dominic insisted, “I won’t tell anyone about your fight, but on two conditions.” He pulled a crucifix from his pocket and said, “You must first say out loud, ‘Jesus Christ, You died for me, and I am going to offend You by harming my brother, for whom You also died.’ And second, you must throw the first stones at me.” The boys were moved by his courage and kindness, and they immediately dropped their rocks as their anger drained out of them. Dominic could be a peacemaker because he had this magnanimity – the eternal perspective which realized that a sin of anger was far worse than even an injury. Seeing things from God’s eyes!

            If you’re having trouble finding peace, might I recommend the beautiful prayer written by St. Theresa of Avila? It goes like this:

Let nothing disturb you,

Let nothing frighten you,

All things are passing away:

God never changes.

Patience obtains all things

Whoever has God lacks nothing;

God alone suffices.

            This is magnanimity – this leads to peace!

            Finally, Jesus praises those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. St. Cyril of Jerusalem once said, “No one can avoid the malice of the wicked, no matter how we live our life.” We could be the best and holiest person around and we will still face persecutions on two fronts: first, misunderstandings from even our friends and family about how we live our faith; and second, persecutions from the Evil One in the form of temptations and spiritual oppression.

            So the virtue in this case is the courage to endure out of love. We can suffer all things if we keep our eyes on the prize: eternal life with Christ. My father used to smoke cigarettes daily, but when he proposed to my mom, she refused to marry a man who smoked. So he gave it up cold-turkey – not easy, but love was a stronger motivator than nicotine. Likewise, we will have courage despite internal and external trials, if our love for God is stronger.

            And how many saints have gone before us who were opposed in their pursuit of holiness! We are given so many heroes who were persecuted – in every country, every age. They believed with every fiber of their being that Jesus was worth living and dying for. One of my favorites is the first Japanese-born saint, St. Paul Miki. He was educated by the Jesuits and converted to Catholicism, becoming a Jesuit priest himself. But the Emperor was suspicious of how this new Western religion was spreading, and felt his power threatened. So he made Christianity illegal in Japan in the late 1500s.

            The government rounded up 26 Christians in Nagasaki. Led by Fr. Paul Miki, they were led up a large hill to be crucified. But as he was dying, St. Paul Miki’s speech was the most significant. First, he proclaimed himself a Japanese – making the point that Christianity was not just a Western religion, but one that could be embraced by every culture. Second, he said, “Now that I am about to die, you would not assume that I would lie. So hear me speak the truth: Jesus Christ is Lord!” He continued to preach the Gospel, even from the Cross. Finally, his final words were: “After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.” He died forgiving the very people putting him to death!

            After the death of the 26 Japanese martyrs, there were no more priests allowed into Japan for three centuries – so the faith had to become deeply hidden. The Bible was passed down orally, and people would gather to pray in secret but they had no more Eucharist. Finally, in the late 1870s, a couple missionary priests returned to Japan and expected to find Catholicism extinguished – but instead, they found 30,000 hidden Christians who approached them cautiously and told them, “Our ancestors said there would be followers of Jesus to visit us once again, but we are not sure if you are the right ones. Can you answer the following three questions: Do you honor Mary? Are your priests without wives? Do you follow the Pope?” When the priests responded affirmatively, the people rejoiced – Catholicism was back in Japan!

            The early Church father Tertullian said, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.” The faith exists in Japan because of the heroic courage of those 26 martyrs, led by St. Paul Miki, and the courage of those who kept the faith in secret for centuries. We, too, should not be surprised or afraid when trials come in our walk with Christ, but endure them with courage based in a love for God that is stronger than death.

            And thus we conclude the Beatitudes. More than anything, Christ desires our happiness – not an easy life, but the deep fulfillment of a life of sacrifice and virtue, directed to eternal joy!

Ordinary Time 5 - The Beatitudes, Part 2 of 3

 

Homily for Ordinary Time 5

Beatitudes, Part 2 of 3

February 8, 2026

 

            Last week we read Jesus’ famous eight Beatitudes – His rules for living blessedly - and I spoke about the first two. If you missed it, you can hear it on our St. Jude’s website. Today I will speak about the next three Beatitudes – what they mean, what virtue they embody, and how they lead to our true happiness.

            Jesus goes on to say, “Blessed are the meek” – an often-misunderstood term. Meekness isn’t weakness – rather, it is strength under control. The virtue to cultivate here is that of self-control. As St. Maximilian Kolbe said, “What use are victories on the battlefield if we are defeated within our innermost selves?” It makes no sense to rule the entire world if we cannot control ourselves.

            The famous story goes that Mother Teresa approached a baker to beg for food for her homes for the poor in India. The baker, indignant upon being asked, spit upon her face. Mother Teresa took out her handkerchief, calmly wiped the spittle off her face, and replied, “That was for me. Now, how about something for my poor?” This perfect self-control so impressed the baker that he gave a generous donation to her.

            How do we grow in this self-control? The answer is simple…and simply unpopular. Daily sacrifice and fasting. Our life is a battle between our will and our flesh – which one will have mastery? The will is like a muscle, and when it gets a workout, it grows stronger so that we can more easily choose the greater good despite any difficulty. So don’t hit the snooze button…willingly give up dessert…don’t use the heated seats and be a bit uncomfortable on your drive…pray a little longer on your knees than is comfortable…hold your tongue from that unnecessary word that only serves to pad your ego. Only a self-controlled person is free – if we are beholden to our physical and emotional whims and desires, then we are ruled by them.

            Notice Jesus’ promise: the meek will inherit the earth. If we are free because we are interiorly self-controlled, then the whole world will be in our grasp, because we have our strength directed to the greatest good.

            But what is that greatest good? Jesus goes on to say that we are blessed if we hunger and thirst for righteousness. Interesting that we are blessed if we are not content – if we are discontented with the status-quo, tired of the same old life, yearning for something more. This might be easiest to see in contrast to a widespread vice: that of acedia. Acedia is mediocrity in the spiritual life – just settling for the same prayers that we’ve always done, falling into the same sins and dismissing them as “oh, that’s just who I am”, never going beyond the bare minimum.

            In the 1600s in Italy there was a teen girl named Veronica who was a pretty good person. She took care of the poor, and loved going to church – but also had the typical flaws of a strong-willed, somewhat vain teen girl. One day she was praying and she had a vision of Jesus holding out a heart that was made of solid iron. She asked what it meant, and Jesus said, “This is your heart – I long to give you a heart of flesh, on-fire for love.” She realized that she had been living a mediocre life and set about correcting her flaws and really praying with real fervor. She is now St. Veronica Giulianna. I wonder, if Jesus showed us our heart, would it be as cold as stone, as lukewarm as a bad bowl of soup, or on-fire with divine love – hungering for holiness?

            So what can we do about our lukewarmness in our faith? Some suggestions could be: go on retreat, pray in a new way, or make a pilgrimage to a holy place. Visit a cemetery and ponder the shortness of life and the length of eternity. Remember what St. John Vianney said: “If people would do for God what they do for the world, what a great number of Christians would go to Heaven.” And consider your lofty calling – you are made to be a great saint, overflowing with graces and virtues, another Christ in this world today…not a mediocre person who sullies the name of Christian with their lukewarm life.

            Jesus then goes on to say, “Blessed are the merciful.” How many feuds have escalated absurdly because people were unable to forgive? There is a small island between the US and Canada called San Juan Island. In 1859, an American farmer found a British-owned pig rooting around in his potato patch, so he shot the pig. The British owner informed the police, who threatened to arrest the farmer. But the American government got wind of it, and sent soldiers to occupy the island and claim it as American soil. The British responded by sending fully armed Navy warships to the island. Weeks of a tense standoff ensued – until finally cooler heads prevailed and the two countries backed down. People could have died…all because of a pig! If someone had just apologized and offered forgiveness, this absurdity would not have happened!

            Thus, the virtue here is mercy. Mercy differs from justice in that justice gives someone what they are owed, while mercy gives someone what we do not owe them – a greater kindness than they deserve. But isn’t this precisely how we have been treated by the Lord? We deserved wrath, and He gave us forgiveness – we deserved to die for our sin, and He took that death upon Himself. How blessed we will be if we can extend that same mercy to others!

            Next week, we will look at the final three beatitudes and how we can live them out so that our life will be truly blessed!