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homilies
In the fullness of time the Lord planned a remedy for our destructive selfishness which only destroyed love. The Father solved it by reconciling both levels of life in man, viz. physical and spiritual, body and soul. This was executed by his Son on earth as God and Man. Thus he revealed his personhood, and demonstrated it as a human being and God at the same time. He portrayed human life as the Lord had designed it. He demonstrated how the weak and errant will of humans could be elevated to the sublimity of divine life. “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,” he said. By sheer will power he showed the power of true and genuine love to conquer all, to master weakness, false deceptive desires, drives or beliefs as the obstacles and downfall of the human race. The most dramatic, powerful and effective display of this was his death—“He offered himself because he willed it.” His sacrifice reconciled the two levels of life by his death on the Cross and subsequent resurrection. On the “night before he died he took bread, blessed it and broke it saying: take and eat this . . . this is my Body (Matt. 26:26). He was very solemn and serious because it was NOT symbolic. He gave them God’s cup of his New Covenant “sealed with my blood” (Luke 22:20). He gave them his Eucharist. It was the sacrificial memorial of his Body, the Church, to be preserved without forgetting, a perpetual reminder, representation or the ultimate display of his love . . . uniting Man with God (CCC #362). Eating his Body and drinking his Blood was uniting with him, uniting and assimilating him with ourselves. Simply stated, he gave us a means of acquiring divine life and love. It was the Most Blessed Sacrament or Holy Communion whereby we unite “ourselves to Christ, who makes us sharers in His Body and Blood to form a single body” (1 Cor. 10:16-17) (CCC 1331). The Holy Eucharist is not only a gift but also an indispensable gift designed to incorporate us into the sublime state of union with him, the union of love. The divine generosity deserves acceptance in deep faith and generosity of love on our part. Its Greek name, Eucharist, brings us back to our origin. Because human love is unstable and treacherous we need to maintain and support it with food and strength to attain the love willed for us by God the Son in preparation for enduring love in paradise. By frequenting the altar rail for sustenance we are assimilating the graces we need to grow into the likeness of Christ as sons and daughters of God. We cannot love Sin and Christ simultaneously. We need restoration of divine life first in the sacrament of penance, i.e., the removal of all obstacles to Divine love. That is why receiving Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin is the sin of sacrilege, or abuse of the sacred. The very nature of the Eucharist should arouse a deep
sense of the Divine Lord and his majesty, his generosity in giving himself in “the
admirable exchange” whereby we give ourselves to him and he gives himself to us. In
this age of casual religiosity there is need of a revival of a keen sense of the divine
that prompts us to be conscious of the majesty, sublimity and holiness of God as we
approach the Throne of God with an attitude of reverence, awe, humility and gratitude for
such a unique and sublime honor. Your treatment of a thing shows what you think of it. We
owe God more than mere respect: He deserves love and devotion regardless of who is
watching or following us. Clearly how the Eucharistic Lord is handled or manhandled
reveals one’s faith or its absence. It is the Body of the Lord Jesus, made by
himself, enlivened for us men and our salvation. The Eucharistic Christ is not a thing but
a Person—divine, holy.
This is why the second commandment was issued. We need time for and with the Lord with whom we wish to spend forever after our time expires. Love of God requires spending time to foster this relationship. It is not that he needs it but we need him. Seek first the Kingdom of God and his justice and all else will be supplied. So time spent with God is more valuable than any other investment. As with tithing so with our time because Christ personally stated that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). It is for our own welfare and responsibility. According to Genesis 33: “The seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest holy to the Lord.” It recalls the seventh day of creation. Our sense of the Holy should motivate us to regard it so by dedicating it to the Lord. Neglect of it suggests the attitude of those people in the parables being invited to the banquet of the Lord, King. The Sabbath in Israel’s life was meant to keep man aware of reality—to cease work and reflect on the importance and necessity of the Lord in life, the neglect of which leaves man with nothing. The Lord’s Day was a weekly memorial day recalling Israel’s liberation from slavery and a sign of the irrevocable covenant of God with his people (Exod. 31). Israel’s survival through times of tragedy and suffering afforded much food for thought, remembrance and repentance. The original Christians realized its significance in the Resurrection Sunday of the Passover Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The name was changed from Sabbath to “the day of the Lord” whose death brought freedom from sin so that the significance of the Old Law sacrifice of lambs was supplanted by the Sacrifice of Christ divine, eternal, and immutable. It constitutes a human-divine continuity, unity and solidarity with countless generations of believers, including our own ancestors, many of them pre-Reformation, not to mention victims of persecution, fear and violence. “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Faith.” The obligation of communal offering of the Mass is a reminder of the sacrifice of his life by Christ as the victory over sin and the significance of the sacraments in the liturgical life of the Church. There should be no obligation to offer Sunday Mass other than each person’s love, gratitude and peace of soul in union with the Son of God. Love rather than fear or compulsion should motivate us to keep holy the Lord’s day, “no longer keeping the Sabbath but the Lord’s day in which our life is blessed by Him and by His death” (St. Ignatius of Antioch, CCC 2175). As Catholics we are invited guests to the Lord’s (last) supper as participants in the depth of riches contained in the Mass. Here we encounter Christ really and sacramentally present Body, Blood, Soul and divinity in contrast with his universal presence in the world. Our presence is more than mere physical presence but deep awareness and communion giving ourselves totally so that we can possess him personally and with devotion. The union of love can only be achieved by frequent companionship. St. John Chrysostom tells us that “you cannot pray at home as at church where there is a great multitude . . . the union of minds, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priest” (CCC 2226). Canon Law clarifies “participation in the Eucharist as an obligation unless excused for a serious reason” so that “those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin” (CCC 2181). Active participation, not mere bodily presence, is evidence of belonging and being faithful to Christ and his Body, the Church in solidarity with the saints. Our Faith should be such that on Sundays and holy days work and activities that hinder the worship due to God are contrary to the sanctity of the Day of the Lord. Rather should we utilize it for works of charity and mercy as the expression of our faith (CCC 2185). Mere presence at Mass does not satisfy the duty to God and neighbor. Secular activities and lifestyle do not enhance the spirit of sanctity and sacrifice that is the purpose of the Lord’s Day (CCC 2187). Salvation is a serious matter and duty for all, not to be minimized or discounted because “everybody does it”—assuming secular standards of behavior are acceptable to God. The evident absence of God from modern life can hardly be conducive to sanctity and mature Christianity. God does not endorse it no matter how many insist that he has to accept it sooner or later. In answer to the question: “Will only a few be
saved”? Jesus advised “the road is broad that leads to destruction” (Matt.
7:13).
It is obvious that Faith grows naturally because the infant knows no obstacle to grace and Faith. The experience of parental love leads easily to the awareness of Love Eternal and Divine. The need is felt and eagerly accepted as parents reveal their love. The universal search for meaning is active, felt, and reinforced by the example of parents revealing their own faith, hope and charity. This revelation in practice leads to the response to “Faith” as declared by parents and sponsors in the ceremony of baptism. “Words without thoughts never to heaven go.” As “the child Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52), so also should the Christian progress in Faith in response to the grace of God through experience. In time and practice the gift is strengthened and becomes the virtue of Faith with the capacity to know God and his Truth. The Catechism (#26) defines Faith as “Man’s response to God, who reveals Himself and gives Himself to man.” This revelation is not a theory but the very Person who is “the Way and the Truth and the Life.” Union with parents facilitates union with God and, therefore, belief in what he reveals (CCC 31-33). Since his personhood derives from God, the child has grounds for a healthy self-concept reflecting the Reality: God. A catechism of yesteryear provided the reason, purpose, direction and goal of life as: “to know, love and serve God in this life and be happy with Him in all eternity.” Fundamental as that is, the catechesis of this age promotes humanity as the modern meaning and goal of life in this world and age to the detriment of souls “in search of meaning.” Until the truth is taught, the glory, joy and happiness of vocations to religious and true marital life will be fictional to the exclusion of any serious consideration or choice. Faith is an essential ingredient of human life whether it be based on secular or sacred beliefs. The truth is one, certain, guaranteed and it is always true. The realm of life of the sacred pervades into eternity: heaven. The values of the world are as transient as any falsehood. “Heaven and earth will pass away,” said the Lord, “but My word will not pass away.” A single act of faith in Christ does not constitute a virtue (virtue means strength). A virtue such as Faith requires constant prayer and practice in order to attain the strength of a virtue. We must pray without ceasing. Our life is a training time for eternal life with God because prayer is union with God but neglect of it is alienation. The signs of alienation are blatantly widespread today
with suicide, divorce, abortion, lust and degradation replacing the divine and natural
laws of human nature.
Faith, then, was essential and critical. It is a gift given to all who are open and receptive. It was NOT an emotional surge from within but the surrender of the will to the inspiration of God. The Catechism defines Faith as “man’s response to God who reveals and gives himself to man” through the search and the divine revelation of God (CCC 26). Because man is created in the image of God who created him, he has an innate need and desire for God. As St. Augustine stated: “Our hearts are restless till they rest in thee.” Whether he realizes it or not man’s need for fulfillment can only be realized by the infinite love of God. The history of man and religion attests to this truth. Therein only lies the solution to man’s need for fulfillment. All living things tend to adapt to their environment. What and whom you listen to affects your beliefs. Modern media (means) exploit this fact very effectively. Realization of this fact must be considered seriously. Many are the expressions of the influence of persons on the uninformed mind of the young for either truth or falsity, good or evil. Faith is generated by impressions received by the innocent, naive, trusting youngsters awakening to reality—truth. The faith of children begins at birth through the experience of observation of parents’ practical expression of true respect for what is sacred: each person, the child in particular. Thomas Merton wrote: “The Saint preaches sermons by the way he walks, the way he stands, the way he picks things up and holds them in his hands.” Obviously prayer, devotion and consideration make a deep impression of faith in action and not only in words. This explains how faith is caught rather than taught in the early years of formation. In this light the sacred duty of parenting instills the seeds of love beginning and growing in time. The child is one of God’s objects of love—the initiation, germ, of the growth of personality and the maturation of true self-love endowed by God. Life, love and happiness result in the awareness of divine and eternal love. St. Thérèse of Lisieux experienced this in early life and reached sanctity at an early age. The theological virtues blossomed in her house. She knew that her parents loved her for herself and not for their own pleasure. She was a gift from God for them so that their love was God-centered and rewarding. Whether they are aware of it or not parents receive the gift of a person whose destiny is eternity at the end of the road of life. This alone should generate the wonder, gratitude and joy that “a man has been born into the world.” What they initiated was completed by the Lord of life. Where there is love the child enters an atmosphere of acceptance, joy, warmth and significance as a creation of God destined for glory and happiness initiated and facilitated by parents. Obviously one’s treatment of a person or thing reveals his/her definition and understanding of that object: either person or thing as is obvious with abortions. Evidence is clear in the reverence, tenderness, confidence, and security conveyed by a mother’s embrace personalized by her giving of herself to the infant. God continues to enrich the child through the parents as they communicate goodness of life and love, the encounter with the living God whose agents they are. Faithful parents enrich their environment through religious articles: Crucifix, statues, pictures as reminders of the ever present Lord. Many—even if not most—parents miss the depths of significance in the expectation and birth of an infant. “Made by God, special delivery” explains what it is. Realization of divine involvement in the creation of the child should produce positive, unselfish reactions in the parents. The expected child is a combination of both mother and father, through the courtesy and genius of the Origin: the Lord. A child is not mistake but a gift bestowed on a family. Preparation for a child involves attitude, faith, love—intangibles more lasting than accommodation. Eventually both child and parents are bonded by a mutual love. Here is the critical—urgent—impact on the child’s growth in all aspects. The loss of faith is so prevalent that it can be exposed. Anti-Catholics relieve their apostasy by blaming the Church. Many are the cause and excuse for their defection, and, today they are many. The Catholic Church is for sinners whereas others are for the saved. It is strange that “born Catholics” fail to recognize the perspective. Various explanations or excuses are produced by way of justification of this rejecting the truth and authority of Christ. Baptism is the regeneration of the unredeemed. Thus it is not only sacred but critical as a rebirth into glory and the Body of Christ. It is not a ritual to be performed but the birth of the infant into the life and grace of Christ. It is a responsibility of parents and sponsors to develop the divine life of the child as the most critical aspect of the path through this life into life eternal. Lapsing from the sublime state of union with God reveals carelessness of those who vowed fidelity to the vow of life in and with Christ in subsequent years. Failure to develop the growth of the virtue of faith reveals neglect for some of the many causes of loss of faith. Experience of superficial faith, conventional and social, gives the young a false idea, a shallow attitude towards God, religion and conscience. The experience of religiosity, levity or casual treatment of the church, sacraments, the Mass or “liturgy” can coalesce into rejection of them by those who had a poor experience with criticism, ridicule or heresy like Modernism in its many forms. Mixed marriages of the irresponsible, shallow faith, rejection of divine law are grounds for alienation from living the faith bestowed by baptism. Growth in prayerful devotion to God is justified as boring, and unproductive. Why, the secular media are more exciting, stimulating and socially necessary for success in today’s secular environment. Companions and heroes are allowed primary space and influence in the adolescent environment. Materialism dominates the mentality of so many that things take precedence to persons, especially God. Entertainment—narcissism—is expected, if not demanded in the “liturgy” and “services.” Absence is justified as coercion because “religion should suit us.” Abuses of liturgical theology and law erode the sanctity of the Mass and the impact of sacrifice in the life of a Christian. Social factors dominate some gatherings as religious. The marks of the Church are eroded by silence or ridicule where and when ecclesiastics quake before propaganda or pressure, in the wishful assumption that agreement is tolerance, Christian, charitable or effectual. Faith is a strong virtue, powerful and successful as the fabric of martyrs, i.e., Catholics who followed Christ rather than the public. It is so powerful that its enemies, intimidated by the truth of Christ, resort to violence to avoid truth. Faith is fulfilling, successful, peace, freedom and security: gifts sought by all but refused because of egoism and sin. In the light of faith can we succeed or be happy without it?
They were selected by the Master himself, Jesus, as leaders of the Apostolic band of disciples. They were outstanding in dedication, courage and daring with the kind of faith that inspired others once they had passed the supreme test of faith. Peter, solid as a rock and Paulus (meaning small) was a giant of the Lord like the great heroes of Israel. They grew up in different environments: Peter in Galilee as a fisherman and Paul as a brilliant scholar in Tarsus among Jews, Greeks and Romans as a sophisticated rabbi. In his choice of pillars of the Church Christ chose two stalwart and experienced disciples to lay the foundations of the Church to endure “until the end of the world.” The first was Peter, one of the first to be chosen as leader of the apostolic band. In this role he was faithful through trials and errors in his three-year novitiate leading him ultimately to his responsibilities as Kephas: the “Rock” and foundation of the Church. He is admirable in his assuming the spirit and courage of his Master who had trained him for the role. Although Peter and Paul were contemporaries, they grew up in different worlds. Peter was true Galilean Jew, Paul was a sophisticated cosmopolitan Jew of the diaspora in Tarsus, of Cecilia in Asia Minor. He was a dedicated Israelite expert in the Law and the Prophets’ revelations. He was fluent in languages, especially Greek and Hebrew. For all we know he may have passed Peter during his sojourn under Gamaliel his tutor. It was not until years later that these two leaders met in Jerusalem when Paul after his conversion sought out Peter as the first head of the Church. Later they had an encounter in Antioch regarding conflicting legalities. Both men were suited for their designated apostolates: Peter for the Jews and Paul for the gentiles. Peter it was who identified Christ as Messiah in the presence of the other apostles and merited the Savior’s endorsement as “The Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:15). On Pentecost Peter as the first Pope proclaimed to the world the pivotal and fundamental infallible doctrine of Faith: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you have crucified” (Acts 2:36). The lives of both of these apostles span the age of the transition of Divine Providence from the Old Covenant infidelity to that of the Spirit bringing liberty to the sons of God through Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the promise. Peter lived through this transition and Paul discerned it as one “born abnormally” (Cor. 15:8). One taught mankind its creed, one guards the heavenly gate through the power of “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Pre-Christian Rome had two mythical “gods” as founders: Romulus and Remus. “Roma aeterna” had two heroic witnesses to the eternal God. They died on different days in 67 A.D. Peter went first, crucified on the Vatican hill inside Rome. Paul followed outside the city as a Roman citizen, a victim to the sword. St. Augustine ends his sermon (#295) with the epitaph: “let us love their faith, their life, their trials, their passion, their profession and their teaching.” Suggested readings: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 440-443, 552-556, 640-642. |