Because salvation is from the Jews: How Judaism and Christianity differ from every other religion, Sermon of March 27th

3^rd Sunday of Lent, Year A

March 27^th, 2011

John 4:5-42

Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

The woman of Samaria is a type for all humanity – in her the whole human race is mystically present. And what is the first thing we learn about this woman? That she is thirsty. She has a physical thirst. This thirst is indicative of the thirst which all people have – a thirst for something more, something beyond themselves; it is a thirst for happiness and fulfillment. All human beings have a deep longing. We are not complete and whole in ourselves: it is what Dorothy Day called “the long loneliness;” St. Augustine spoke of the restless heart.

All of us have this longing, this desire for fulfillment. The woman was thirsting, and in her thirst she went to well of Jacob. The Samaritan woman seeks to satiate this inner longing with natural water; in this we are meant to recognize the human inclination to seek consolation and fulfillment in the things of this life. As the woman went to the well, all too often we seek fulfillment in worldly delights and natural consolations.

But, coming to the well and looking for natural water, the woman finds the Lord. Christ was there, waiting for her to come. She was not so much seeking him directly, as seeking satiation from her thirst – but, of course, the only true fulfillment will come from Christ. God alone can bring true joy to the human heart.

And here we have something upon which we might reflect: Do we seek our consolations and our joys more in the Lord or in the world? Where is our delight – in prayer or in earthly vanities? Now I do not intend to claim that we must utterly reject the world, or that we must take no joy whatsoever in the world. Rather, we rejoice first and foremost in the Lord, and then we take joy in other realities insofar as they are gifts from God. In this manner, even worldly delights lead us back to God and to the hope of heaven.

You will have to take my word for it, but I can testify that those who find consolation in the Lord alone above all else, these also are able to take greater joy in the world than any others. I am thinking especially of cloistered nuns – you have never met people so joyful, so happy, and quite frankly so delightful as nuns who have left the world and chosen the life of quiet contemplation!

So, the woman of Samaria was thirty, in her thirst she sought natural water, but ultimately she found that her true joy and fulfillment could come only from the Lord. Up to this point, the story goes as we might expect.

However, there is an important element which must be stressed: Christ was also thirsty. Notice, Who is it who speaks first? It is Christ! The Lord first asks for water, and only later does he direct the woman to ask him for living water. The Good Jesus was thirsty too, and we may even go so far as to say that his thirst was the more intense. Yes, Christ had a natural thirst for water; but even more he had a spiritual thirst for the salvation of souls, and for the salvation of this woman in particular. This is why Christ said to the woman, Give me a drink; he desired her faith and her love. Our Savior thirsts for communion with us, so that we might not perish but might have eternal life.

This is what is so unique about Judaism and Christianity: We affirm that God so loves us as to even thirst for our salvation. God thirsts for souls, he thirsts for our salvation! The Good Lord loved us so much that he sent his own Son to die for us. And Christ, our God, he so thirsts for our salvation that he did not hesitate to endure every suffering in order that we might respond to his love.

This is the unique aspect of revealed religion: God thirsts for the human race. Every other religion witnesses to the thirst that humanity has for God – and every natural religion is a testimony to the human search for the divine. But only Judaism and Christianity have taught that God thirsts for man; that God is like a shepherd who goes out in search of the lost sheep.

Allah of Islam does not love humanity, nor less does he thirst for humanity. Allah would never become man in order to die for us. Precisely this doctrine of Christianity is what is most intolerable to Muslims: That God would humble himself and even die for us, out of love.

Moreover, the gods of the Eastern religions and cults have no love whatsoever for humanity. They do not thirst for you, they do not love you.

No, these other religions are signs of the yearning which human beings have for God, but they never attain to the highest teachings revealed to the Jews and then, through Christ, shared in the Church.

This is why Christ said to the woman of Samaria, Salvation is from the Jews. For it was first to the Jews that God revealed his love for the human race. This revelation was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ – and, through him, all people now have access to salvation.

Think on this: God thirsts for you, God loves you, God desires communion with you. Mother Teresa once said, “Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you – you can’t begin to know who he wants to be for you. Or who he wants you to be for him.”

When Confession is needed before receiving Communion

24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C.

September 12, 2010

Luke 15:1-32, The parable of the prodigal son

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him … Then the celebration began.

There is a very popular saying about love, which goes like this: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

My brothers and sisters, that is a lie. Love is not opposed to apologizing. Anyone who is married knows from concrete experience that love often requires us to say “Sorry”.

In fact, true sorrow can only come from true love; and perfect sorrow comes from perfect love. Sorrow is an expression of love. True sorrow heals and restores true love.

How well this is expressed by the parable of the prodigal son. It is love which leads the wayward son to have the confidence to return to his father and to ask for mercy. The son realizes that he does love his father and that he is heartily sorry for having offended him; what is more, the son also knows that his father truly loves him and will forgive him.

Even before the son has reached the house, the father runs out to meet him and welcomes his son with the embrace of love. The father has loved his son even when he was astray, now his love is complete as he forgives his son and draws him back into the family.

This is a very beautiful and encouraging parable – it teaches us so much about God’s forgiveness and mercy – but I would like to focus on one specific aspect of the story. Notice that the boy, when returning, is first greeted by his father and forgiven, and only then does he enter the house. First he receives forgiveness, then he enters for the feast.

Consider how inappropriate it would have been if the prodigal son would have simply come into the house without having apologized to his father, without first receiving forgiveness. It would have been terrible!

It is very clear: First forgiveness, then the feast. First confession, then communion.

This is why, at Mass, we begin with the penitential rite – conscious of our sinfulness and our need for God’s forgiveness, we say, “Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.” We recognize the need to say “Lord, I am sorry, have mercy on me, forgive me.” We must be reconciled with God; we must first receive his forgiveness, then we come to the feast of heaven.

However, we must also recognize that for serious sins, the Lord has given us a special sacrament which we must make use of before coming to Communion. I am referring to the sacrament of Confession. After committing serious sins, the Church requires that we go to Confession before coming to Communion. It is just like in the parable – first Confession, then Communion.

Now I know that this has not been preached about very much, and perhaps this is the first time some of you have heard this teaching. I don’t know why so few priests are speaking about it… The Catechism is very clear on this point, paragraph 1385 states: “Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to Communion.” Even the music books (Breaking Bread, OCP) in the pews state this in equally strong language on the inside of the front cover, under the “Guidelines for the reception of Communion, for Catholics.”

After committing a serious sin, we cannot receive Communion without having first gone to Confession. Instead, we must either remain in the pew or, if staying in the pew would be too difficult, we may come up and cross our arms to receive a blessing – but we must not take Communion when we have serious sin on our souls.

Now some will say, “But I have asked God for forgiveness in my heart, isn’t that enough?” Perhaps God has forgiven you, in your heart. However, if we have made only a “spiritual confession”, we are able only to make a “spiritual communion”; forgiveness in the heart can only lead to communion in the heart – thus, I would recommend offering special prayers to Jesus and professing your love for him, but one must not receive him in Sacramental Communion without Sacramental Confession.

If we want to receive Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we must first receive his forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession. If we desire to take Communion from the hands of the priest at Mass, we must first receive forgiveness from the hands of the priest in Confession.

My brothers and sisters, nothing is more effective in leading us to holiness and union with Christ than a good and worthy Communion. Nothing is more valuable before God than receiving the Eucharist in the state of grace and in a worthy manner.

On the other hand, nothing will destroy our union with Christ more than an unworthy Communion. Nothing is more effective in separating us from Christ and plunging us into the depths of hell than taking Communion after having committed serious sin and not having gone to Confession.

Let us make no mistake, a good and worthy Communion is everything! Everything relies upon the Most Blessed Sacrament of the altar!

But let’s get real practical. I would like to list three serious sins, sins which are very common and which must be confessed before we come to Communion. Certainly, there are many other sins, and there are even many other worse sins, but I mention these three because they are so common and so often misunderstood. Everything I say here is from the Catechism; it is not my opinion, it is the clear teaching of Christ and his Church.

First, skipping Sunday Mass. To skip Mass on Sunday, without a grave reason, is a very serious sin.  If we skip Sunday Mass, we must not come to Communion until after first going to Confession.

Second, any sin against the 6^th Commandment; that is, any external sexual sin either alone or with another person – I think you all know what sort of sins I am referring to here. Sins against chastity are very serious. We must confess any external sin against chastity before we come to Communion.

Finally, drunkenness and drug abuse. By drunkenness, I do not mean simply being a bit tipsy or loopy; I am talking about real intoxication, a loss of reason. To intentionally get drunk or abuse drugs is a serious sin, it must be confessed before coming to Communion. Moreover, to drive while under the influence is a serious sin – one must first go to Confession before coming to Communion.

I do not say this to be hard or difficult. This is a teaching of love! It is all about forgiveness and communion. But we must come to Christ in the proper order – we must approach God in a worthy and holy manner.

Be sure of this: The good and worthy Communions we make in this life will bring us all to the glory of life everlasting.

The happiest and most perfect vocation? To be a monk or a nun!, Sermon of September 5th

23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C.

September 5^th, 2010

Luke 14:25-33, The cost of discipleship

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes after me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple … Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

Of all the saints of the Church’s history, excepting the Blessed Virgin Mary, perhaps none is more beloved than St. Francis of Assisi. The joy of this great Saint was a light to the world in his day, and has shown through these 800 years even to illumine our own times. St. Francis may well be the happiest and most joyful man of the past millennium.

And yet, if we ask from where this joy came, we must affirm that St. Francis found his joy in hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life … in renouncing all his possessions and following Christ!

When still a young man, Francis renounced his father and mother, his brothers and sisters, his family inheritance, and followed Christ. He would no longer be bound to his earthly family, but to God above. In this he embraced the vow of obedience, by which all other relations are subjected to our relationship with God.

Moreover, Francis took upon himself the vow of poverty, renouncing all his possessions in order to imitate Christ who became poor for our sakes. Francis became known as the poor man of Assisi.

Finally, we must recognize that St. Francis can be said to have hated wife and children, when he vowed himself to perpetual chastity – becoming celibate for the sake of the kingdom of God.

It was these three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience which made St. Francis to be the happiest man of his age – through living out these vows, Francis followed Christ in the most perfect vocation.

We may be a bit surprised by the words of today’s Gospel, which speak of “hating” father and mother, wife and children, and even one’s own life. There is a great cost to being a disciple of Christ, there is a real sacrifice which must be made. Now I am sure that you have head in past homilies of how this word “hate” does not mean hate in the usual modern sense – our Lord, of course, is advocating that we love God above all and that all our other loves must be ordered to this love of God. We do not hate anyone, but our love for others must always be seen in relation to our love for God

Yet, you have probably also heard that Jesus is speaking in a hyperbole here, that he is exaggerating. In fact, it is true that most of us are not called to renounce all human relations and follow the words of Christ to the letter, but we must never forget that there some who are so called – this is not a case of pure exaggeration.

Consecrated religious– that is, monks and nuns – do take the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. And, just like St. Francis, monks and nuns really do live out the radical discipleship of which Christ speaks in the Gospel today.

Now you might wonder, “Can anyone really be happy, living such a life?” We need only look to St. Francis for our answer – there was none more happy, more full of joy than he, and yet he found his joy precisely in these vows. We affirm not only that one can be happy as a monk or a nun, but (what is more) there is no life happier! There is no life more joyful than consecrated life – the life of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Do you doubt the truth of this? Even statistically it can be proven! It is a very sad fact that about 50% of marriages today end in divorce – but I assure you that not nearly 50% of priests, monks, or nuns leave their vocations. If it is true that some particular monks or nuns have been unhappy; it is also true that, on the whole, they are among the happiest people in our country. I am speaking scientifically now: Those who have consecrated their lives to God through these three vows are, on the whole, far happier than married persons. Statistically, the happiest life in the United States right now is religious life!

And so, to you young people here, I ask: Have you thought about religious life? Have you thought of becoming a priest or a monk or a nun? There is no happier life. If you are called to be a religious, there is no life greater! Why, the life you live on earth will become a foretaste of heaven!

And to you here who are parents and grandparents, I ask: Have you encouraged your children and grandchildren to consider religious life? If they mention the thought to you, have you supported them? What are you afraid of? If you want your sons and daughters to be happy, help them to discern a call to become a monk or a nun, or perhaps a priest – there is no life happier, there is no surer road to joy!

But how can young people even consider the possibility of religious life, if they are never given an opportunity to see monks or nuns? It is a bit easier for them to have some encounters with diocesan priests, but you must work to give your children an opportunity to meet consecrated religious. There are a few monasteries and convents in the area – there are Carmelite monks in Wyoming, and Benedictines in North Dakota. Why not take a family trip some time? Especially, as your children come into their high school years, it will be important to give them some exposure to religious life – how else will they be able to discern if God could be calling them to this most precious and most joyful vocation?

May the joy and the love of Christ dwell in our hearts this day and, as we come into a more intimate union with his Most Sacred Heart, may we be drawn away from the cares of this world and begin to rejoice in the foretaste of life everlasting.

Recommendations for spiritual reading

A Dominican sister engaged in spiritual reading

November 1^st, The Feast of All Saints

Well, not even a full month into my new blog, I am going to break the format. This post is neither a sermon nor about Sunday. Rather, I have decided to post a small sample of books for some suggested spiritual reading. I gave this list to the parishioners this morning with a few words of encouragement:

“We are given the great blessing of a friendship and communion with the saints, but we need this to be more than just a theoretical fellowship. As human beings, we need some tangible reminders of this communion – and what better way than through prayer?

We can do more than simply pray to the saints (though that is already nine tenths of the work), we can also pray with the saints. We can pray after the model of the saints, taking them as safe and reliable guides in the spiritual life. Rather than running off to any number of silly ‘self-help’ books on spirituality, we ought to give pride of place to the spiritual writings of the saints.”

Below is a very simple and small list of recommended spiritual reading from the writings of the saints. Particular mention must be given to Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila (who are Doctors of the Church particularly for their spiritual insights) and also to St. Alphonsus Liguori (who is recognized by the Church for his writings about prayer).

Some recommendations for spiritual reading, from Fr. Ryan

If you want a good introduction to the spiritual life in general, consider: Introduction to the Devout Life, by St. Francis de Sales…

St. Francis becomes your personal spiritual director as you read this treasure. Though it is called an introduction, this spiritual classic will be helpful to people in all levels of the spiritual life.  300 pages.

If you are looking for a child-like spirituality, consider: Story of a Soul, by St. Thérèse of Lisieux…

In her autobiography, Story of a Soul, St. Thérèse tells us of the experience of her youth and her entrance into the convent. We are given a very personal insight into the spiritual life of this young girl, whom Pope St. Pius X has called the greatest saint of modern times.

If you want a book that can be read in 10 minute segments in the midst of a busy life, consider: The Way, Furrow, and The Forge by St. Josemaría Escriva…

The founder of Opus Dei offers a spirituality most especially suited to the life of working people. He understands how busy modern life can be and he will help you to live out your vocation as a lay person, active in the world.

“The Way, Furrow, The Forge” is available in a single volume edition from Scepter Publishers.

If you want to learn how to speak with God throughout the day, consider: How to Converse Continually and Familiarly with God, by St. Alphonsus Liguori…

In approximately 50 pages, St. Alphonsus teaches you how to “pray always”. This book can be read many times – it is a practical guide for growing in holiness while going about the activities of daily life.

If you want a book that can help you to pray the Rosary better, consider: The Secret of the Rosary, by St. Louis Marie DeMontfort…

St. Louis Marie DeMontfort is widely recognized as the Church’s greatest promoter of Marian devotion. He will help you to understand who Mary is in the life of the Church and who she wants to be in the life of your soul. The Secret of the Rosary and Secret of Mary are very short works of around 100 pages each.

Also, consider: The Secret of Mary and True Devotion to Mary, by St. Louis Marie DeMontfort.

If you want help with making daily meditations, consider: The Way of Salvation and Perfection, by St. Alphonsus Liguori…

St. Alphonsus offers meditations for every day of the year. He guides you into the depths of the spiritual life and will bring you to a closer union with our Savior. This book is meant to be used as a step by step guide-book during times of prayer.

If you like poetry, consider: A Spiritual Canticle and other poems, by St. John of the Cross…

The poetry of St. John of the Cross is the fruit of his mystical union with God. The poems themselves are relatively easy to read, and they are not very long. The Saint offers a more systematic explanation of the spiritual life in Ascent of Mount Carmel and Dark Night of the Soul.

“The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross” is published by ICS Publications.

Sermon on prayer, July 25th

17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

July 25^th, 2010

Luke 11:1-13, Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray

Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

If we are ever to succeed in the spiritual life, we must believe and accept this fundamental truth: In heaven or on earth, there is nothing more powerful than prayer. Prayer really makes a difference in the world – God really hears and answers our prayers and, because God is all powerful, so too prayer is all powerful. Nothing is more powerful than prayer.

I would like to share with you three stories which illustrate the great power of prayer.

First, consider St. Monica in northern Africa at the end of the 4^th Century. Her son, Augustine, had lost his moral compass; he had renounced the true faith, he had gone astray. And yet, Monica did not lose hope – with many tears and sacrifices she offered her prayers to God for her son’s conversion. And, because of her perseverance and her faith, God answered her prayer. Not only did St. Augustine convert to Catholicism and reform his life, he even became a priest and eventually a bishop. St. Augustine is one of the greatest and most influential Fathers and Doctors of the Church – the whole Church relies upon him for the clarity and brilliance of his teachings, and he relied upon the prayer of his mother Monica. How great indeed the power of prayer!

Second, we look to 16^th Century Rome. A young boy named Paulo Massimo, the son of a nobleman, has just died. His parents, grieved by their loss, call a local priest to come and offer prayers – the priest is named Fr. Philip Neri, he would one day be St. Philip Neri whose renown is so great that he has been called the Second Apostle of the City of Rome. St. Philip comes to the house, kneels at the foot of the bed where the boy’s body lay, and begins his prayers. The young boy suddenly opens his eyes, resuscitated by the power of St. Philip’s prayers, sits up in bed and begins speaking to his parents and the priest. How great the power of prayer!

And finally, consider that today, at the many altars throughout the world, priests will take bread and wine – and, by the simple words of the Eucharistic prayer, these natural elements will be transformed, becoming the very Body and Blood of Christ our Savior. Behold the true power of prayer!

Jesus tells us, “Ask and you will receive” – how shall we ignore his invitation? When we consider how powerful prayer is – for all good things can be gain through prayer – how is it that we pray so little and with such little zeal? Truly, there are many graces which are lost, simply because no one asks for them in prayer.

Do not doubt the power of prayer, it is far greater than any human power. All the kings of the earth cannot force the conversion of a heart, and yet the humble mother Monica won her son’s conversion through prayer. All the doctors in the world cannot raise the dead, and yet Fr. Philip restored life through prayer. No human or angelic power can effect the mystery of transubstantiation, and yet the prayer of simple priests throughout the world confect the Eucharist today!

We turn to the Lord and say: Oh Jesus, grant that in seeking, we may find you; that in asking, we may receive your blessings; and that in knocking, may prayer (which is the door to the interior life) be opened to us.

Sermon on Martha and Mary, July 18th

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. July 18th, 2010.
Gospel: Luke 10:38-42, Martha and Mary.

The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

As we listen to the proclamation of this Gospel text, we are probably all asking ourselves whether we are a Martha or a Mary. Well, I have some tough news for you…we are all Martha!
Martha is the symbol of the active life, the life in the world. This is the ordinary life, the life which we are all living – myself and all diocesan priests included! Mary is a symbol of the contemplative life, the life removed from the world, the life wholly and entirely consecrated to God through the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In our world, religious monks and nuns are Mary.

We are all Martha’s. We live in the world, we have not taken vows, we are not consecrated religious. But that is nothing to be ashamed of! The active life is a good life, it can be a very holy life, it is a great vocation. Notice that Martha was doing just fine, until she began to reject the vocation of her sister Mary. So too, the active life is good and holy, until it begins to reject or downplay the importance of the contemplative life.
There is a problem in the modern world: we tend to look for external and visible results, “productivity.” We do not see this in the monasteries and convents, and so there is a temptation to think that the contemplative life doesn’t really matter, that it doesn’t add anything to society, that it is a waste. It is as though we say to our Savior, “Tell them [the monks and nuns in the cloister], tell them to help us!” We make Martha’s words our own…and this is our fatal error.

The active life is good, it is holy; but the contemplative life is better. We must develop a love and respect for the contemplative vocation, because this is the life which is most close to the Sacred Heart of our Lord. Precisely because he loves his religious so much, we too love and support them! Perhaps even in our midst there may be some young people here called to that most precious and hidden life of contemplation.
For the rest of us, however, we must remain in the world. It is the good vocation to which God has called us! We must sanctify the world, by sanctifying our daily lives. We have a great task entrusted to us – to make the Kingdom present in the midst of the secular world!
How shall we ever accomplish this good work? It will only be through a deep commitment to the life of prayer. Our love and respect for the contemplative life will lead us to develop a sharing in that hidden life of prayer, even in the midst of our busy days. The heart of any vocation is prayer. The secular world will only be sanctified through prayer. We ourselves will only be saved through prayer.

Having entered into that interior castle, that cloister of the heart, that hidden place within the soul where we enjoy communion with our Creator; we will then be strengthened to go out and to share the riches of the divine life with others.