The structure of the Church is not man-made, but is of God. Pentecost, Sermon of June 12th

The Solemnity of Pentecost

June 12^th, 2011

Acts 2:1-11

Then there appeared to [the Apostles] tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

John 20:19-23

And when [Jesus] had said this, he breathed on [the Apostles] and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

I would invite you to imagine with me a playground in which children are running to and fro, enjoying themselves as they play. The children are happy and free. And, surrounding this playground, there is not merely a fence, but a tall and sturdy brick wall. This wall completely encloses the children and the grounds, but there is still ample room for games and for fun.

However, one day, a man comes and begins speaking to the children and tells them, “This wall limits your freedom, it stifles you, it constricts you.” Some of the children begin to listen to the man and he continues, “Moreover, this is no playground at all, but is rather a prison. This wall is the barrier that keeps you from true freedom in the outside world.”

And so, several of the children, though not all, join with the man and they begin to tear at the wall. And, as the wall comes tumbling down on all sides, the children are horrified to realize that their playground is on a small island that is surrounded by cliffs on every side, falling off into the sea.

As the walls crumble, several of the children who were tearing them down stumble and fall off the cliffs and drown in the sea. Likewise, several children who were playing and not paying attention also get too close to the edge and stumble and fall into the sea.

The children who remain, however, are now gathered in the center of the island, huddled together in terror. Indeed, now they have truly become slaves of fear.

This image is something of a parable for an aspect of modern culture and, specifically, for the manner in which many in modern culture approach the Church. The Church, they will claim, has set up this enclosing and restricting wall of doctrine, moral teaching, and tradition. “Let us tear down these old fashioned teachings and traditions. They are a prison to free thought! Get rid of all this antique notion of faith and moral discipline.”

However, as they reject the doctrines of the faith, they imitate the protestant reformers and, as one doctrine falls, so too many others follow. Suddenly, as they turn away from the traditions of the faith, these individuals fall farther and farther away from the truth – just as the protestants continue to divide amongst themselves, daily forming new sects each one in contradiction to the others.

Closer to our own times, there is the cultural revolutions of the 1960s and 70s in the USA and the western world. Many individuals rejected the traditional moral teachings of the Church and of the natural law – “It’s too restrictive,” they said. “Let people be free and stop making them feel guilty all the time.”

And what is the fruit of their revolution? Tearing down the moral code, they fall off into the abyss of perversion. Alas, who can doubt the moral depravity of the modern world? How many souls have been lost because of these sins!

Underneath both of these radical notions – the rejection of the Church traditional faith and the rejection of the moral law – there is a fundamental misconception. These people fail to understand an essential point about the Church in herself.

The radicals will claim that the Church is made up of two separate realities: On the one hand, so they claim, there is the invisible, internal, charismatic spirit of the Church – this is good, and is given by God. This is what is essential about the Church. Then, on the other hand, there is the external, visible structure of the Church – this, so they claim, is man-made and is not usually very good. To these radicals, the visible structure of the Church is not essential, but is something added on by men.
And, when they say that the visible structure of the Church (I refer here both to the doctrines of the faith and to the moral teachings, as well as to the hierarchy of the Church and her liturgy), when they say the visible structure of the Church is “man-made” they mean two things by this. First and foremost, they intend to state that the hierarchy and the sacraments (as well as the doctrines and moral teachings) were not established by God, but were created by human beings. Moreover, and here we see just how radical their ideologies are, these individuals mean to say that the visible structure is “man-made” in the sense that it is made by males as opposed to females – apparently they think that anything made by God or by women is good, but if it be made by males it will necessarily be oppressive!

This radical view, even if it is extremely popular today (both outside and, sadly, even inside the Church), this radical view is directly contrary to the vision of the Church presented in the Scriptures.

Today, the feast of Pentecost, the feast of the birth of the Church, we recall that the Church is one reality – both in her visible hierarchical structure and in her charismatic spirit, the Church has been created by God, established by Christ during his life on earth, and confirmed by the Holy Spirit at the feast of Pentecost. The Church, both visible and invisible, is united as one and there can be no division or separation, nor can there be any contradiction, between the visible structure and the invisible spirit of the Church.

In the Gospels, we see quite clearly that Christ established his Church as a hierarchy. Recall that he did not make everyone who followed him an apostle. Rather, from among his disciples, the Lord chose twelve men. And he ordained these twelve men as his apostles and priests. And from among these twelve men, our Savior chose one (namely, St. Peter) to be the prince of the apostles and their visible head and ruler. Our Lord himself, during his earthly life, established the hierarchical structure of the Church – the Pope (that is, St. Peter), the Bishops (that is, the other apostles), and the lay faithful (that is, the crowd).

It was to the apostles that he appeared after his Resurrection and, as we heard in the Gospel reading, he breathed upon then and said Receive the Holy Spirit. Christ did not give the Holy Spirit immediately to all his followers, but rather he chose to entrust the gift of the Spirit to the ministry of his apostles.

Moreover, he did not give the power to forgive sins to all his disciples, but solely to these chosen men – it would be through the ministry of the apostles (that is, through his priests) that the sins of the world would be forgiven. Therefore, we see that Christ established, together with the hierarchy, also the sacramental life of the Church.

This visible structure which was established by Christ was also confirmed by the Holy Spirit on the feast of Pentecost. On the very day in which the Church was born, the Holy Spirit chose to confirm the hierarchical structure of the Church – for he did not descend upon everyone in Jerusalem immediately, rather he came down first upon the twelve apostles (for Matthias had already taken the place of Judas the betrayer). Having filled the apostles and inspiring them with the gift of tongues, the Holy Spirit then worked through the ministry of the hierarchy to bestow his blessing upon the crowd. For, as those present began to believe in the doctrine of the faith which the apostles proclaimed, they came to believe and received the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of baptism.

The miraculous events of Pentecost happen entirely within the hierarchical and visible structure of the Church! These two elements within the Church – the visible, external structure and the invisible, charismatic spirit – work together in perfect unison.

And so, as we consider the mysteries which the Scriptures themselves present to us on this feast, we recognize that the Church is not a man-made structure, but that this visible hierarchy (together with her teachings and her sacraments) is given from above by God himself. As there is only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, so too there is only one Church, founded on the one Rock, which is Christ the Lord.

It is better for us that Christ has ascended, Sermon of June 5th

The Ascension of the Lord

June 5^th, 2011

Matthew 28:16-20

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.

There is a great temptation to think that it would be easier to believe if only Christ would simply be present to us in the way he was present to his disciples during his earthly life. Wouldn’t it be easier if only the Lord still walked among us on this earth? After all, though we most certainly love and respect our Holy Father in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI; it probably seems like more people would convert to Catholicism if Jesus Christ himself were sitting in St. Peter’s Basilica.

All this boils down to one simple thought: It would have been better for us if only Jesus had remained with us and not ascended into heaven. This line of reasoning is a great temptation. And it is a terrible lie.

Our Savior promised us that it is better that he goes. He ascends to heaven not so much for his own sake, but for ours. His Ascension is what for the benefit of the world, for our salvation, and for the glory and exaltation of his bride, the Church. We are much better off, now that Christ has ascended. In fact, as counter-intuitive as it may seem, we have benefited from the physical and sensible separation which the Ascension has effected.

Christ has ascended into heaven and he is no longer present among us in the same manner as he was present to his apostles, that is to say he is no longer physically and visibly present among his people. Still, we know that he has ascended in order to intercede in our behalf, to pray for us and to answer our prayers. Indeed, the Lord did not abandon us when he ascended to his Father; rather, he his physical separation has brought about a greater unity through his grace working within us.

Now, to be very clear, when I say that it is better for us and for the Church that Christ has ascended into heaven; I do not mean this as a purely theoretical, spiritual, or theological claim. Certainly, it is true, on the level of doctrine, that the Church and each individual Christian has benefited from the Ascension of Christ; but I want to emphasize that, even on an historical and statistical level, we can see that it is better for us that the Lord ascended.

While it may seem to us that there would be more converts to the Faith if only Jesus had remained on earth, we must admit that this is historically not true. During his own life on earth, there were relatively few believers. Certainly, many individuals did follow Christ and many lives were changed and converted, but there was no great mass-conversion. Even the crowd which followed the Lord can scarcely be said to be true believers – one minute they will praise him, but the next they will cry out Crucify him! And we do not need to mention the fact that only a very few remained faithful to him at the Cross.

We must admit that the Church did not grow much during Christ’s life. The number of believers was very small – even the apostles were not much to speak of during this time.

However, after the Ascension, everything changed. Scarcely had our Lord ascended into heaven when, on the feast of Pentecost, the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaimed the Gospel with boldness. In one day, 3,000 people were converted and baptized – more came to believe in that single day after the Ascension than had converted throughout Christ’s whole earthly life!

Moreover, consider how the Church spread throughout the whole world – those who had ignored Christ during his earthly life (I refer to the Greeks and the Romans, as well as many of the Jews), these are now converted by the preaching of the apostles after his Ascension.

Simply looking at the history of the Church, with a scientific perspective, we must admit that it has been better for us since Christ ascended into heaven.

And this points us to the dogmatic or theological and spiritual perspective: What is the reason behind this truth? Why is better for us that Jesus did not remain on earth, but ascended into heaven?

Christ ascends in order to teach us the importance of prayer. If he remained visibly present in our midst, we would not grow in faith as we ought; moreover, we would fail to recognize the power of prayer. Jesus ascended to take our prayers to the Father. The Lord mounts the heights of heaven, not to distance himself from us, but rather to raise us up and to give real power to our prayers. This is why Jesus told us: If you shall ask me any thing in my name, that I will do.

The Lord ascends in order to teach us that, in the final analysis, the only thing that has any real power is prayer! Think of it, he goes forth from this world and completely rejects all that the world has to offer; but, ascending into heaven, he directs our hearts and minds to what is above, to the power of prayer.

The Faith will spread and the Church will grow only through prayer – even the work of missionaries only has power because of prayer. You and I, each of us, will become saints only through prayer.

This is the lesson of the Ascension: As Christ hides himself from our worldly vision, he invites us to look upon him with the eyes of faith. And, as we grow in the interior life of prayer and contemplation, we shall find that our Savior is with us always, until the end of the age.

Christ alone is the Way, all others lead to perdition. Sermon of May 22nd

In that day you shall know, that I am in my Father,
and you in me, and I in you. (John 14:20)

5^th Sunday of Easter

May 22^nd, 2011

John 14:1-12

Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.

Our Savior gives us a word of encouragement in today’s Gospel text. He says, do not fear, let nothing disturb you. Do not let your hearts be troubled. I have come as your way to salvation. In my own person, I have reconciled you with God and I will come again to bring you into the fullness of all joy in heaven.

Christ tells us, I am the way. Indeed, the Lord is our Way, he is our true and only access to the Father and to the life of the blessed which awaits us.

But, when Jesus says I am the way, he means this in two respects: Exclusively and inclusively. Exclusively, the Lord states, No one comes to the Father except through me – he is the only way to salvation and there is no other. Inclusively, he tells us, Whoever has seen me has seen the Father – all who trust in Christ, all who look to Jesus will be saved.

First, exclusively: The good Lord affirms not simply that he is “a way”, that is, one way among many. Rather, he says I am the way – he is THE way, the only way; apart from him there is no other means of coming to the Father or of gaining eternal life. Apart from Christ, there can be no salvation.

Our Savior offers a vision of salvation which is quite a bit different from that most prevalent in the modern western world. The two views – that of the Gospel and that of the world – can be compared by means of a certain metaphor.

First, the world’s vision of salvation: The world thinks that all ways lead to heaven and that, whatever choices people make and whatever they believe, all people will be saved. This vision may be symbolized by a metaphor of rivers and streams. The rains fall and the waters are gathered from many places into various streams and rivers. Then, these rivers flow together and ultimately all the water goes into the ocean – all the waters end up in the same place and they take many different paths to get there.

Christ, on the other hand, presents a very different vision of salvation. The Gospel vision can be compared to a tree: There is the solid trunk of the tree, it is in the center. And, from this trunk, many branches go forth, to one side or the other. As the branches break away from the trunk, they continue to separate, going farther and farther away from the center. There is no final unity, but rather the turns to one side or the other ultimately lead to different ends and to different places.

So it is with the Gospel – Jesus tells us that there is only one way which leads to salvation, and it is himself. He alone is our means of attaining to heaven; and every other path can lead only to hell. Our choices really do matter and what we believe really does make a difference – because there is only one path to heaven, and we must follow the Lord if we desire to come to eternal life with God.

When we consider this truth – that it is only through Christ and his Church that any may hope to come to salvation – we must not become over-confident. It is true, we have been blessed to be gathered into the household of the faith. We are blessed to believe in the Gospel. But, on the other hand, as we each examine our consciences, we quickly recognize that there are many ways (both big and small) in which we do not follow Christ, but instead seek happiness in other things.

A good question for our personal examination might be this: When was the last time I read a spiritual book that was written by a saint? There are so many silly books out there which promote all sorts of sentimental spiritualities – but when was the last time I read any book at all which was written by a saint? Have I ever read a book that was written by a saint? If not, it’s time to pick one up and to get started! We have the gift of the Catholic spiritual tradition, why would we look to anything else? Why waste our time with self-help books, when we have the true faith?

Again, consider all the pseudo-spirituality which is promoted through the new age movement and also through the modern fascination with eastern spiritualities and philosophies. Why look to thinks like eastern mediations? Why turn to Zen, Centering Prayer or Yoga? These can all only lead to one place – and it’s not heaven! And do not be fooled, these are all false spiritualities; however innocent they may seem. They are a false worship. But we have the Gospel.

Christ tells us; no, he cries out to us: “Why do you look to these false paths and false spiritualities? Why are you dabbling in these eastern prayers and meditations? Look, rather to me, for Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” And here we come to the inclusive aspect of our Savior’s words.

Jesus is the Way to the Father and whosoever comes to him will gain access to eternal life. He is come as our Savior and his one desire is that he should draw all people to himself and grant them the true joy of heaven. Because Christ is the sure and infallible way to the Father, he can say Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

Yet, we might ask: How can Christ say this, when we know that many who saw him did not see the Father? Consider the Pharisees; when they looked upon our Savior, they saw only a mere man and even an enemy. They did not see the Father. So many who lived with Jesus did not recognize him as their Savior and were not lead into communion with God. How then does Christ tell us Whoever has seen me has seen the Father?

Jesus speaks to us of something more than a merely physical or exterior looking. We see Christ not simply with our eyes, but with our minds and with our hearts. Thus, what our Savior means for us to understand is this: Whoever has seen me that is, whoever has meditated upon the mysteries of my earthly life and has gazed upon my humanity through contemplative prayer, such a one has seen the Father.

This is the promise of Christ – if we pray regularly, and especially if we take time daily for meditation on the mysteries of our Lord’s life; we will certainly be saved, we will certainly see the Father.

I am reminded of the wonderful prayer which is often said at the end of the Rosary. “Grant that by meditating upon these mysteries,” that is, upon the mysteries of the life, death and resurrection of Christ, “we may imitate what they contain,” for the Lord is our way and leads us by his own example, “and obtain what they promise,” which is to come to the fulfillment of all hope when we come to perfect enjoyment of the Lord as our Truth and our Life, in the glories of life everlasting.

There is no salvation outside the Church. A sermon on Divine Mercy, May 1st

Sunday of Divine Mercy

May 1st, 2011

John 20:19-31

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

On this, the feast of Divine Mercy, we consider the infinite riches of the love and mercy of God. Jesus is the incarnation of Divine Mercy – he is Divine Mercy in his very person. It is not simply that Christ our Savior brings the mercy of God to us, but he is that very mercy itself.

The Lord does not offer Divine Mercy to us as a thing, but rather as himself – for he opened his own Heart upon the Cross for us: Oh Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in you!

Jesus is the Divine Mercy and he has come in order that all might find life in him, through believing in his Name. But we might put this another way: If Jesus is the Divine Mercy, then this entails that there is no other mercy to be found, no other salvation, outside of Jesus Christ. There is no other Savior and no other Salvation than Christ our God. There is no other name by which any may be saved, than the Most Holy Name of Jesus.

These statements are not always popular in the modern world, nor even (sadly) in the modern Church. When presented with the fact that salvation is through Christ alone and through no other, there is a temptation to have a negative reaction. Some might think, “Why should salvation be limited to Christ? Why do people have to believe in Christ to be saved? If God is merciful, why does he limit his mercy by the Gospel of Jesus Christ?”

The Church has always considered such sentiments to the expression of a most profound ingratitude. It is not at all the case that Divine Mercy was open to people through all means before Christ and then, after he came, this Mercy was limited to Christianity – not at all! Rather, outside of Christ and his Church there has never been any opportunity for salvation – separated from Christ, there is no Divine Mercy!

Because Jesus is Divine Mercy itself, there is no other mercy to be found other than that which is given us in Christ our Savior. But the good Lord did not desire simply to come once into the world as Divine Mercy, but he wanted this Mercy to be shared with all people of all times and all places. To this end, Christ established the Church, which is his own Mystical Body.

As there is no salvation outside of Christ, so too there is no salvation outside his Church – for how can the Lord be separated from his Church? But again, this ought not to be thought of as limiting the Divine Mercy – quite the contrary, it is through the Church that the infinite riches of the mercies of God are spread throughout the earth. The Church is the vehicle and instrument of Divine Mercy, she is the universal sacrament of salvation!

The Lord appeared to his apostles and, breathing upon them said, Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained. With these words, our Savior established the salvific role of the Church and, especially, the sacrament of confession.

Sometimes people will ask, “Why do I have to go to a priest to have my sins forgiven?” This is a horrible way of thinking about the Divine Mercy! We should rather say, “What a gift that my sins can be forgiven through the sacrament of confession!” Rather than thinking of forgiveness as being limited by reconciliation, we should recognize that the sacrament is the great means of forgiveness. It is a wonder and a grace that our sins can be forgiven at all – who are we to reject the means of salvation?

This is not to say that only Catholics can be saved – not at all! However, if ever anyone is saved, it is always through the Church and through Christ. If a Buddhist is saved, he is not saved through Buddhism but through the Catholic Church. If a Muslim is saved, he is saved through Christ and his Church. The Koran has never brought salvation to the world, and the Hindu gods have never saved anyone – Christ alone is our Savior, he alone is our Salvation!

Only through at least a mysterious and unseen participation in the Church can any hope to find salvation. Outside the Church, there is no salvation – but it is possible for many who are not visibly united with the Church to participate in her saving work.

Our point is this: Salvation is in Christ through his Church, why would we ever look anywhere else? Why look to the world for consolation and peace? It is Christ alone who can give you peace, he alone is your joy! Why look to the world? There is no mercy for you there!

Likewise, why look to the religions of the east? Why dabble in things like yoga, zen, and eastern meditation? There you will find no mercy! The eastern religions have no salvation to offer you!

Rather, we look to Christ, to him who is the Divine Mercy. We run to his Sacred Heart, wherein we will find the path to life everlasting.

In baptism you died and, absolved from sin, you rose in Christ. Sermon of April 23rd

Easter Vigil

April 23^rd, 2011

Romans 6:3-11

Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin.

The early Christians would great one another with the proclamation of the Good News of the resurrection saying, “Christ is risen!” And the response, “He is truly risen!” And, for the early Christians, and indeed for all Christians of all times and places, this affirmation of the historical reality of the resurrection of our Savior was not merely the profession of faith in a past event, but rather the realization of the power of this event in the souls of all the faithful.

Certainly, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are historical events which were accomplished 2000 years ago – but they are more than simply this. The death, burial and resurrection are not merely something which happened in the past, nor is the Paschal Mystery something which happened only to Christ. No, we are meant to live in this reality continually, and to participate in it.

There are two ways in which we might speak about redemption: There is the objective redemption which Christ accomplished once for all when he died upon the Cross and was risen for our salvation. But there is also the subjective redemption by which the merits of Christ’s death and resurrection are applied to all who believe in him in every place and time.

Objective redemption is when Christ died and rose, once for all. Subjective redemption is when Christ dies and rises in us – and when we die and rise in him. Objective redemption will not bring us salvation unless it be applied through subjective redemption.

Objective redemption was the subject of the Gospel reading from St. Matthew – Christ was truly risen from the dead, the tomb was empty, and the women rejoiced in him.

Subjective redemption was the subject of the Epistle of St. Paul. Now there are many reasons why we look forward to this reading from St. Paul each year – among these is the fact that, when he hear the reader state, “A reading from the Letter of St. Paul…” we know that the Gospel is finally approaching and the nine readings are almost over! J

However, there is much more than this – St. Paul speaks to us of the means by which the objective redemption which Christ accomplished 2000 years ago in Jerusalem is applied to each of us today. St. Paul explains to us the mysteries which we celebrate at this Easter Vigil.

We participate in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus – in his objective redemption – through baptism and the other sacraments. St. Paul tells us most clearly, You who have been baptized in Christ have been baptized into his death. Baptism is a dying and a rising in Christ. Baptism is a true death and a true resurrection in the Lord.

In the waters of baptism, we die and are buried in Christ. And then we rise up from the font with Christ who has risen from the tomb. In the sacrament of baptism the good Jesus dies and rises in us, and our souls die and rise in him.

Now do not be mistaken: This is a true and a real death. It is true and real because it is a sacramental death. Baptism is real precisely because it is a sacrament – and you know that the sacraments are the most real things on earth! Indeed, if anything at all is real and true, the sacraments are real and true. Indeed, in baptism you and I have truly and really died, and we have truly and really been raised in Christ. Now, we must live that new life in him.

As the presence of Christ in the Eucharist is a real and true presence, so too the death of baptism is a real and true death. The only difference between the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the death we experience in baptism is that the Lord is substantially present in the Eucharist.

Through the mystery of transubstantiation, the bread and wine truly and really and substantially become the body and blood of Jesus. There is a substantial change in the Eucharist, but there is no substantial change in baptism. Baptism is a true death, and it is a real death – but it is not a substantial death. If it were a substantial death, then we priests would end the night in prison! J

No the death and resurrection of baptism is not a substantial dying and rising, but it is real and it is still true, because it is sacramental. In the sacrament of baptism we really die and rise in Christ. And this death is so real that St. Paul can say, The one who dies is absolved from sin. And, since we have died in baptism, we are now free from the debt of sin and from the yoke of the Law.

And what kind of death is this which we undergo in baptism? It is a crucifixion! The death of baptism is so real that St. Paul can say: You have been crucified with Christ!

The mysteries we celebrate in the Easter Triduum are not merely events which took place thousands of years ago to the man Jesus of Nazareth – no, they are the commemoration of events which have taken place in us. For the death and resurrection of our baptism is just as real and true as the death and resurrection which Christ experienced in his own body upon the Cross.

Once, upon Golgotha, the Lord suffered death and gained resurrection in his body according to his proper species. Now and through all time, the good Jesus suffers death and gains resurrection in his body the Church according to his sacrament of baptism – and we, his body, participate in the one death he died for all; with the firm hope that we will share also in the resurrection unto life everlasting.