Homily - 1 November 2020 - All Saints'

The Solemnity of All Saints

Dear brothers and sisters,

Mother Church encourages us to “rejoice in the Lord, as we celebrate the feast day in honor of all the Saints, at whose festival the Angels rejoice and praise the Son of God” (Introit). As we contemplate this great panoply of heroes and exemplars, we see the wide spectrum of humanity: men and women, boys and girls, rich and poor, the famous and the unknown, monarchs and peasants, teachers and students, nurses and patients, prisoners and free, explorers and home-bodies, and, of course, the glorious martyrs. The great wonder of it all is that there is room in their number for you and me!

As we gaze upon their wondrous multitude and ponder the stories of their lives, we cannot help but ask what holds this diverse group together. Their lives were all very different from each other’s, yet now they are bound together in an unbreakable bond of love. Each one of them, like each one of us, was baptized into Christ Jesus so “that we may be called the children of God” and might be made pure, “as he is pure” (I John 3:1, 3). Because they grew into a union with Christ Jesus through a death like his, they stand now “before the throne and before the Lamb” (cf. Romans 6:5; Revelation 7:9). We, too, are called to do the same, to grow into union with Christ Jesus; in fact, our principle duty in life is to grow into a full union with the Lord Jesus, to become saints, but how do we do this?

J.R.R. Tolkien once referred to the saints as “those who have for all their imperfections never finally bowed heart and will to the world and the evil spirit.”[1] Through their struggles and adversities, they maintained their allegiance to Christ and strove to live always in his love. In the end, they desired friendship with Jesus more than anything else and stopped at nothing to remain his friends. They remembered what we too often forget, namely, that

 

God wants [our] friendship. And once you enter into friendship with god, everything in your life begins to change. As you come to know him better, you find you want to reflect something of his infinite goodness in your own life. You are attracted to the practice of virtue. You begin to see greed and selfishness and all the other sins for what they really are, destructive and dangerous tendencies that cause deep suffering and do great damage, and you want to avoid falling into that trap yourselves. You begin to feel compassion for people in difficulties and you are eager to do something to help them. You want to come to the aid of the poor and the hungry, you want to comfort the sorrowful, you want to be kind and generous. And once these things begin to matter to you, you are well on the way to becoming saints.[2] 

The saints invite us to join their company and they show us the way to never finally bow our heart and will to the Evil One.

Very often, all that separates us from them is our weak desire, our less than fervent desire, for the friendship of Jesus. Thinking holiness too far beyond us, we listen to the temptations of the Evil One. We allow him to magnify our perception of our imperfections and then we allow our desire for friendship with Jesus to weaken and fade. We forget that the tempter is but “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44) and so we rob ourselves of the Lord’s grace. Even so, the Lord still calls out us to us and stirs our hearts to seek his face (cf. Psalm 24:6).

In truth, holiness is not beyond us. The Lord calls each of us to be holy. He does not ask us to do the impossible, but fills us with his grace each day. If we cooperate with his grace, holiness is very near to each one of us; it is only a confession and firm purpose of amendment of life away! 

It might seem strange to say so, but holiness, really, is as easy as one, two, three.

 

The essential means never leaving a Sunday without an encounter with the Risen Christ in the Eucharist; this is not an additional burden but is light for the whole week. It means never beginning and never ending a day without at least a brief contact with God. And, on the path of our life it means following the “signposts” that God has communicated to us in the Ten Commandments, interpreted with Christ, which are merely the explanation of what love is in specific situations.[3]

The three steps to holiness, the three essentials, then, are these: go to Mass every Sunday and holyday; begin and end every day with prayer; and make every decision according to the light of the Ten Commandments. These three steps are “the true simplicity and greatness of a life of holiness.”[4]

Holiness really is that simple, but this does not mean it is easy. Holiness is simple because it means loving God and loving our neighbor with all our mind, soul, body, and strength (cf. Matthew 22:37-39). Holiness is simple because it has union with Christ as its one focus, but living and loving in this way is not easy because union with Christ always requires a sacrifice.

May we never waver from taking up the Cross or shrink away from it because of its difficulty! Rather, let us always keep the essential before us and hope in the promised reward of seeing God face to face (cf. Matthew 5:12)! May the example and intercession of the Saints help us to desire friendship with God above all else. Amen!

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[1] J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter to Christopher Tolkien, 30 January 1945. In The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Humphrey Carpenter, ed. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000), 110.

[2] Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Catholic School Students, 17 September 2010.

[3] Ibid., General Audience Address, 13 April 2011.

[4] Ibid.

Homily - 24 September 2017 - On Blessed Stanley Francis Rother

The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

On Blessed Stanley Francis Rother

Dear brothers and sisters,

Yesterday in Oklahoma City, His Eminence Angelo Cardinal Amato, S.D.B., Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, in the name of His Holiness Pope Francis, raised the Venerable Servant of God Stanley Francis Rother, priest and martyr, to the dignity of the altars and named him Blessed. The ceremony of beatification is important for us, not only because we have another intercessor among that great “cloud of witnesses” in heaven who show us how to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, but also because Blessed Stanley is the first martyr born in these United States of America and the first American priest to be beatified (Hebrews 12:1).

A “man of noble heart” who “did not spare himself,” Blessed Stanley was born in Okarche, Oklahoma on March 27, 1935 to Franz and Gertrude Rother.[1] He had what might be called a typical American childhood. Growing up on a farm, he did his chores, went to school, played sports, and served Mass at his home parish of Holy Trinity. While in high school, he discerned a call to the priesthood.

Because of difficulties with Latin, his first attempt in the seminary was unsuccessful, but he would not let this deter him. He turned “to the Lord for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving” (Isaiah 55:7). After a second go at the seminary, he was ordained a priest on May 25, 1963.

He ministered in Durant, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City for five years before he joined the missions in the remote village of Santiago Atitlan in Guatemala where he very quickly connected with the descendants of the Mayans. He had to master Spanish and the native tongue, which he did by God’s grace, and translated the New Testament into Tz’utujil, which at that time was not yet a written language.

Blessed Stanley Francis Rother, priest and martyr

He put the skills he learned growing up on the farm to work in Santiago Atitlan and won the affection of the people, but not of the government. Because of her insistence on catechizing and teaching the people, the Catholic Church was caught up in a civil war during which Catholics slept in churches for safety and catechists disappeared.

In the midst of this strife, he knew that “helping these people could very easily be considered as subversive by the local government.” His expectation proved true and, after thirteen years of minister in the poor village, a parishioner complained to the government about Father Stanley’s preaching, his name was placed on a death list. His Bishop soon ordered him to return to Oklahoma, but Father Stanley protested, saying, “The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger,” but his Bishop would not relent.

He obediently left Guatemala for Oklahoma in January of 1981. His heart, however, longed to be with his flock in Santiago Atitlan and he received permission to celebrate Easter with them. He returned in April of 1981 and during the early hours of July 28, 1981, three men entered his rectory and killed him. To this day, no one has been charged with his martyrdom. His body was returned to Oklahoma, but his heart was kept in Santiago Atitlan.

Pope Francis called Blessed Stanley a man “who was driven by a deeply-rooted faith and a profound union with God” and set his liturgical memorial on July 28, “the day of his heavenly birth.”[2]

In Blessed Stanley Rother we see a man who could say with Saint Paul, “Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain” (Philippians 1:20-21). When he returned to Santiago Atitlan, he knew well the danger, yet he still returned. He lived a life of faith, of courage, and of love. His example shows us that a love for God and neighbor can be instilled first in the ordinary things of life; he shows us the importance of perseverance coupled with prayer; and, above all, he shows us the beauty and power of a generous and selfless love of others, no matter the cost. We are not all called to be martyrs, but that does not mean we cannot learn from the example of Blessed Stanley.

If a shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger, it means that holiness is found by doing our duty, by attending to the daily affairs of life, by being faithful in what is ours to do. If we do not run from our duties at the first sign of danger, or difficulty, or even boredom, we, too, will have noble hearts and will not spare ourselves in the service of others. May he intercede for us and teach us to fulfill the commands of the love of God and of neighbor. Amen.

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[1] Angelo Cardinal Amato, Homily, 23 September 2017. In Bill Sherman, “Former Tulsa Priest Father Stanley Rother Advances toward Sainthood,” Tulsa World, 23 September 2017.

[2] Pope Francis, in Angelo Cardinal Amato, Homily, 23 September 2017. In Bill Sherman, “Former Tulsa Priest FatherStanley Rother Advances toward Sainthood,” Tulsa World, 23 September 2017.

What's in a name?

William Shakespeare put a famous question upon the lips of Juliet: "What's in a name" (Romeo and Juliet, Act. II, Scene II, line 47). The importance of names these days receives little attention and prompts preciously little thought, which is why - apparently - naming children after Pokemon characters has become something of a trend:

BabyCenter reports names like Roselia, Eevee, and Onxy are on the rise for girls. For boys, the name of eager Pokemon trainer Ash is rising in popularity, along with Ivy and Shay [more].

I've enjoyed playing Pokemon Go because it is something like a treasure hunt, a way to make going for a daily walk a bit more intriguing and enjoyable. Still, were I married, I would not consider naming my child after a Pokemon character, nor would I consider naming my child after a character in the Lord of the Rings. Like all fads, it will fade and the child will be left with an odd name and lifetime or either having to explain it or feign ignorance.

The ancients and the medievals understood that names have meanings and can even play a role in a person's life, which is why they would sometimes wait a few weeks before naming a child; they wanted to see something of the child's personality before assigning a name to him or her. Have you ever met someone named Jim and thought to yourself, "He doesn't look like a Jim"?

There was once a time that we named our children after the saints, after the men and women who lived lives of proven holiness. We wanted the particular saint who shared a name with our child to watch over him or her and to lead the child in the ways of holiness. We wanted the child to look to the saint and to imitate the saint's life and grow to become like the saint.

I hope we return to this practice one day soon.

In the throne room of heaven, where is the Holy Spirit?

With their vibrant colors, playfulness, and blatant disregard for proportion, the illuminations found in the medieval manuscripts always delight my imagination and my desire for beauty.

Earlier today, while perusing my Twitter feed, I saw just such an image shared by Robert Miller in preparation for the celebrations of All Saints Day:

MS 18850 f. 275r

The illumination, of course, depicts the multitude of the Saints before the throne of God, where we see depicted God the Father and God the Son. The image is charming, but it left me what seemed an obvious question: Where is God the Holy Spirit?

As I pondered this question, it occurred to me that the answer is as obvious as the question itself: the Holy Spirit is within the hearts of the Saints.

Saint Paul instructs us to "guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within you" (II Timothy 1:14). What is more, he also tells us that in Christ, God "has put his seal upon us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee" (II Corinthians 1:22).

The Holy Spirit took up his dwelling within our hearts on the day of our baptism into Christ Jesus, and his presence within us was strengthened through the sacrament of Confirmation. This is why Saint Paul also rhetorically asks, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (I Corinthians 6:19-20).

The men and women whose faithful witness we sill soon celebrate are those who followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit dwelling within them and strove daily to glorify God in all things by keeping free of sin. By the aid of their powerful their intercession, may we, too, glorify God in all things and so join them before the throne of God.

A news round up - 15 October 2014

Here are few items of news you might have missed:

• Police in Utah are searching for a woman who robbed a Super 8 motel while, according to witnesses, dressed like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume. Though she apparently wore a black mask over her face, my guess is she had Raphael in mind; this seems like something he might do when angry.

• The U.S. Department of Justice created a Facebook page under the name of a woman and with pictures taken from her cell phone  - without her knowledge or permission - to help, they say, in criminal investigations. She is now suing the government for a breach of privacy and is seeking more than $250,000 in damages.

• The budget deficit of the U.S. federal government has now fallen to just $486,000.000,000. This is down from a budget deficit of more than $1,000,000,000,000 in President Obama's first term and after hitting a record $1,400,000,000,000 in 2009. This fall of the budget deficit is, I suppose, good news. Still, I wouldn't mind a personal budget like this.

• After studying data collected from the temperature of the oceans at various depths, the National Aeronautics and Space and Administration reports that it is unable to explain why global warming (even in the waters) has slowed over the last ten years, in clear contradiction to the projections of the computer models.

• As further proof that saints are just like us, Saint John Paul II was a fan of the classic movie, The Princess Bride. According to Cary Elwes, the late Pope called the movie, "Very good film. Very funny." That's a good enough endorsement for me.

• A petition on the web site of the White House to "Investigate Jehovah's Witness' [sic] Leaders for Child Abuse Cover Up and Protecting Child Abusers" has 191 signatures since being posted on Monday. 

• I'm not sure how I managed to miss this one until today, but a prisoner in Santa Fe is suing the state of New Mexico because his First Amendment freedom to practice Satanism is not being respected.

• The tallest cow in the world - standing at 6'4" - lives in Orangeville, Illinois (I didn't know where it was, either).

Tolton: An example of hope against despair

When Saint Paul wrote to the early Christians in Corinth, he exhorted them with a brief and profound statement: "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (I Corinthians 11:1). So closely did the Apostle to the Gentiles imitate the Lord Jesus that he could rightly say, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).  When see in these two sentences that who seeks to imitate the life of Saint Paul will, through imitation, come to imitate Jesus Christ and to become united with him.

This is the theological principle at work whenever Holy Mother Church presents certain lives of the saints to us, whether by means of the liturgical calendar or through another means.  We know that Saint Paul is not only follower of the Lord who imitated him to the point of conformity and so others can make his words their own.  In this way, we can also imitate Christ by imitating them.

In most every area of life we need guides or models to follow to learn the ropes, as it were.  We have teachers and tutors to help us with our academics; we have colleagues who train us in a new position at work; we are friends who teach us new hobbies.  The Christian life is no exception.

His Holiness Benedict XVI explained this aspect of life simply and well in his encyclical Spe salvi (Saved by Hope):

Life is like a voyage on the sea of history, often dark and stormy, a voyage in which we watch for the stars that indicate the route. The true stars of our life are the people who have lived good lives. They are lights of hope. Certainly, Jesus Christ is the true light, the sun that has risen above all the shadows of history. But to reach him we also need lights close by—people who shine with his light and so guide us along our way (49). 

Each of these lights reflects the light of Jesus Christ, but each one does so with its own subtlety, a point Benedict XVI highlighted in his many catecheses on the saints by concluding them with several things (usually three in number) we can learn to do from each one of their lives.

For this reason, while continually turning our attention to the saints of old, the Church presents new such lights to us and is constantly on the lookout for new lights, as in the person of the Servant of God Father Augustus Tolton.

A picture on my wall in Rome

I mention all of this simply because I read a short ago a little article by Dr. C. Vanessa White in U.S. Catholic that serves as a brief introduction to the life of Father Gus in which she mentions she has learned from him:

His sense of hope in the midst of overwhelming challenges has guided me to “keep on keepin’ on” when despair appears to be knocking at my door.

I know very well what she means.  Because he was also raised in Quincy, studied in Rome, and served in (what is now) the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois - three things I have in common with him - I find myself frequently calling upon his intercession.  I see in Father Tolton what Benedict XVI said about the saints: "The saints were able to make the great journey of human existence in the way that Christ had done before them, because they were brimming with great hope" (Spe salvi, 39).

If you haven't yet found such heavenly light, intercessor, and companion the coming season of Lent would be a perfect time to pick up a book on the lives of the saints.  Spend a few minutes each day reading about one or two of their lives and seeing what you might learn from them better imitate Jesus Christ and so become a light for others.

His sense of hope in the midst of overwhelming challenges has guided me to “keep on keepin’ on” when despair appears to be knocking at my door. - See more at: http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201402/augustus-tolton-pioneer-pastor-28450#sthash.tzB0cUuS.dpuf