The Bossman

Moving from a modest hope to a great hope

10/29/2019

Romans 8:18-25 Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

Of the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity (love), it seems the virtue of hope tends to get short-shrift. We hear a lot more sermons and soundbites on faith and love, and hardly any ink is spilled on the virtue of hope. Maybe that’s one reason on November 30, 2007 Pope Benedict XVI felt the need to write a lengthy encyclical on the virtue of hope called “Spe salvi” which is Latin and means “in hope we are saved.” That’s a quotation from Romans 8:24, taken from our first reading today. The fundamental thesis of the pope’s letter on hope can be summed up in this one line: “the one who hopes lives differently” (no. 2). To illustrate the radical difference living with hope makes, Benedict related the story of a Sudanese saint canonized by his predecessor, Pope Saint John Paul II.

The pope emeritus wrote: “I am thinking of the African Josephine Bahkita, canonized by Pope John Paul II. She was born around 1869 – she herself did not know the precise date – in Darfur in Sudan. At the age of nine she was kidnapped by slave-traders, beaten till she bled, and sold five times in the slave-markets of Sudan. Eventually she found herself working as a slave for the mother and the wife of a general, and there she was flogged every day till she bled; as a result of this she bore 144 scars throughout her life.

“Finally, in 1882, she was bought by an Italian merchant for the Italian consul Callisto Legnani, who returned to Italy as the Mahdists advanced. Here, after terrifying ‘masters’ had owned her up to that point Bakhita came to know a totally different kind of ‘master’ – in Venetian dialect, which she was now learning, she used the name ‘paron’ for the living God, the God of Jesus Christ.” Think of the word “paron” as the equivalent of the Spanish word “patron” meaning “bossman.” Some Mexican restaurants are called “Patron.”

The pope continued: “Up to that time she had known only masters who despised and maltreated her, or at best considered her a useful slave. Now, however, she heard there is a ‘paron’ above all masters, the Lord of all lords, and that this Lord is good, goodness in person. She came to know that this Lord even knew her, that he created her – that he actually loved her. She, too, was loved, by none other than the supreme ‘Paron,’ before whom all other masters are themselves no more than lowly servants. She was known and loved and she was awaited…Now she had ‘hope’ – no longer simply the modest hope of finding a master who would be less cruel, but the great hope: ‘I am definitively loved and whatever happens to me, I am awaited by this Lord. And so my life is good.’

“On 9 January 1890, she was baptized and confirmed and received her first Holy Communion from the hands of the Patriarch of Venice. On 8 December 1896, in Verona, she took her vows in the Congregation of the Canossian Sisters and from that time onward, besides her work in the sacristy and in the porter’s lodge in the convent, she made several journeys around Italy in order to promote the missions: the liberation that she had received through her encounter with the God of Jesus Christ, she felt had to be extended, it had to be handed on to others, to the greatest possible number of people…this hope had to reach many, to reach everybody.” As I was reading the pope’s encyclical, it seemed the Holy Father, too, felt the same urgency to spread the spirit of hope in order to reach many, in order to reach everybody. Why? Well, when our hope is rooted in God, we live differently.

The phrase that jumped out at me in the pope’s writing was the contrast between a “modest hope” and a “great hope.” That’s what I would like you to take with you today and chew on. Ask yourself: do I live with merely a modest hope of meager happiness and fulfillment, or do I harbor a great hope in my heart for infinite happiness and satisfaction? Sometimes the difficulties of life beat us down like the blows of the masters beat down the spirit of Saint Bahkita. That is until she found a new Paron, namely, Jesus Christ, in whom Bakhita found a great hope.

My friends, I would suggest to you our hopes will only reach as high as the bossman, the paron, the patron, we are working for. What do I mean? If those you are trying to please are on earth, then your hope will be earthly. But if the One you are trying to please is in heaven, then your hope will reach as high as heaven, where the One who loves is in waiting for us. The greatness of our hope is always bound up with the greatness of our Bossman.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Rule of Thumb

Respecting our ancestors and successors

10/28/2019

Luke 6:12-16 Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

One of the first rules of thumb they teach new pastors is, “Don’t change anything for the first six months to a year in your new parish.” Recently, I was visiting with Fr. Stephen, the new pastor of Pocahontas, and we talked about that rule and why it’s good to remember. Why are new pastors taught that rule? Every new pastor faces a subtle temptation to succumb to the Messiah complex, to think he has come to save this parish instead of Jesus. That is, we priests are tempted to think the former pastor had left matters a disaster and thank goodness the bishop has sent me on my white horse to ride in and save the poor parishioners, like the damsel in distress.

The rule to not change anything (if possible) for at least six months to a year acknowledges that the Holy Spirit was at work in the ministry of holy priests long before I arrived. And just as importantly, the Holy Spirit will continue to inspire holy men long after I ride off into the sunset on my white horse. Another subtle temptation of some pastors is believing the next generation will undo and ruin all the good I have achieved here. That, too, is a failure to see the wondrous work the Spirit does in every age and through every pastor.

Today we celebrate the feast of two apostles, Simon and Jude. Not a lot is known about them. According to tradition, they both preached the good news in Persia (modern-day Iran). They both suffered martyrdom: Simon was sawn in half, and Jude was thrust through with a spear. In the gospel of Luke 6, Jesus selects 12 men to be his apostles. Now, why 12 rather than 7 or 10 or 20 or 1,000. Why not deputize all his followers to become apostles. Well, because Jesus is a good pastor, and he knows well the rule of thumb to build on the good work of those who came before him, and not change things arbitrarily.

In the book of Genesis, God has blessed Jacob with 12 sons who would become the Patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel. Each tribe named after each patriarch. Jesus knew the Holy Spirit had done good work before him. And what the preoccupation of the apostles after Judas betrays Jesus and hangs himself? Acts chapter 1 records the urgent need to restore the college of apostles to 12. They draw lots and elect Matthias. Jesus had predicted this at the Last Supper when he said to the Twelve in Luke 22:30: “You will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” In other words, there exists a continuity of collaboration between the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, the ministry of Jesus the Messiah in the 4 Gospels, and the apostolic activity of the Twelve in the New Testament, all the way down to the modern day pastors of Pope Francis, Bishop Taylor, Fr. John, and even to whomever succeeds us. To respect the role of each pastor, like an indispensable link in a long chain stretching back to Abraham and even Adam, is summed up in the rule of thumb, “Don’t change anything for six months to a year.”

The temptation of “Messiah complex” does not just afflict priests and pastors, it attacks all of us. When we become teenagers and young adults, what thought often crosses many young minds? We tend to think: “I’ll do things so much better than my parents did! I won’t make all the mistakes they did in raising us!” Like new pastors, so new parents, sometimes think they will ride in on their while horse and save the damsel in distress. But the sober reality is often the opposite. We make as many blunders as they did, and probably more. In order to resist that temptation, try to carry on the traditions of your elders: family get-togethers, church services, shared vacations, and even preserve the language of your ancestors, Polish, German, Italian, Indian, Spanish or Cajun! Remember the rule of thumb for new pastors and new parents: “Don’t change anything for six months to a year,” and maybe keep some family traditions forever, like your faith.

A friend of mine wanted to join the Cistercian monastery a few years ago, a very strict and austere religious order. They follow the rule of St. Benedict so rigorously, they say: “We don’t change the rule, the rule changes us.” That is how good rules of thumb really work.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Dogs or Dollars

Learning to appreciate the riches of poverty

10/27/2019

Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18 The LORD is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed. The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint. The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right, and the Lord will not delay.

Did you ever think that being poor could actually make you rich? The two terms “poverty” and “riches” don’t usually go together. Yet, I am convinced there is a goldmine of wealth that lies hidden in the poor. How we do usua

lly determine who is rich? Sometimes we judge a person’s wealth by the size of the house they live in, or the brand of the car they drive (like my Chevy), or the fine quality of their clothes, etc. Sometimes, we even look at a person’s zip code. Remember that 90’s television show called “Beverly Hills 90210”? The zip code said it all. That’s how we typically tell the rich from the poor, the haves from the have-nots.

One day a wealthy man took his son on a trip to the country so his son could see first-hand how the poor country people lived, and by contrast, be impressed by their own mansion. They stayed one day and one night at the farm of a very humble farm family. When they returned home, the father asked the son, “What did you think of the trip?” The son replied: “Very nice, dad.” His dad probed further: “Did you notice how poor they were?” The son answered, “Yes, I did.” The father pushed a little further: “So, what did you learn from this trip?” The boy replied: “I learned that we have one dog in the house, and they had four dogs. We have a fountain and imported lamps in our garden, they have a stream with no end and all the stars to shed light on their garden. Our lawn goes to the edge of our property, they have the entire horizon as their backyard.” At the end of the son’s reply, the father was speechless. The son punctuated his answer by adding: “Thank you, dad, for showing me how poor we really are.” Children measure wealth by how many dogs you have rather than how many dollars.

The book of Sirach, our first reading, also notices certain “riches” in poverty. Sirach says poetically: “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right, and the Lord will not delay.” In other words, the poor and lowly have the Lord’s ear and his heart when they pray to him, and he does not hesitate to help them. God gives the poor dogs and endless streams and sparkling stars and the whole horizon for their home. Most especially he gives them his love, which is the greatest wealth in the world.

May I share a few of personal observations about the riches of poverty, the wealth that the poor possess? First of all, the poor possess a greater degree of freedom of movement. Have you ever noticed how the homeless do not reside in one place very long, but most freely about the country? Priests, too, are called to cultivate a spirit of detachment from material things. Why? Well, so we can move more easily from parish to parish. One priest joked that when we are ordained the bishop should buy us all a Winnebago, so we could drive up to a new parish, and plug in and pray. When it was time to leave, we just unplug and proceed to the next parish. In other words, poverty of spirit leads to a freedom of spirit.

Another wealth that proceeds from poverty is spiritual sight and vision. On the other hand, a surplus of possessions can cause spiritual blindness. Revelation 3:17 severely criticizes the prosperous city of Laodicea, saying: “For you say I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor blind and naked.” Helen Keller, who was born blind, once remarked very insightfully: “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” A surplus of materials goods can make us blind to spiritual goods, like faith. We have sight but no vision. Is that why atheism is one of the fastest growing groups in our country?

A third treasure of poverty is living for a transcendent purpose, that is, to discover a vocation to be a priest, a religious sister, a monk or a nun. That is, we live more for the next world than for this world. Materials goods are good (to be sure), but they can weigh us down and chain our feet to the floor of this world. Poverty, however, provides us with wings to soar to heaven and kiss the face of God. Have you ever wondered why your pastor is from India, or your associate pastor is from Mexico? Do we ever ask why our own children do not become priests or nuns? I think we can find the answer in Luke 18. Jesus invited the rich young man to follow him, to become a disciple, a priest, but he went away sad. Why? Luke 18:23 reads: “When he heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.” Sometimes the good (material things) becomes the enemy of the best (spiritual things).

Folks, I hope you’re hearing this homily is the right spirit. I know we are all working hard to get ahead, to enjoy the fruits of our labors, and to give our kids a better life than we had. I am glad God has blessed many of you financially, and I’m really glad you share those blessing with the church! All that is very good. Yet, there is a certain downside of material prosperity, namely, spiritual poverty. On the other hand, material poverty can lead to a sort of spiritual prosperity. Some define wealth by dollars, but others define it by dogs.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Catholic Candy Store

Learning and loving the Bible and Catholicism

10/25/2019

Romans 7:18-25A Brothers and sisters: I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand. For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I cannot tell you how much I am thoroughly enjoying leading the bible study on the gospel of Mark. As I prepare for each session and learn more ab

out the Bible, I feel like a kid in a candy store – and the best part is the candy is free! Let me share two discoveries I have made lately that might surprise most modern Catholics, at least they surprised me.

First, did you know the original books of the bible did not have chapters and verses? Imagine reading the gospel of Luke (which has 24 long chapters) without any chapters or verses, and that’s how people read the bible for the first millennium (1000 years). Only in 1205 did Cardinal Stephen Langton create chapter divisions that we see in modern Bibles. Furthermore, only in 1551 did Robert Estienne, a French scholar and printer, include the verses to further divide the chapters. In other words, before the 16th century, no one could quote the bible by chapter and verse, because there weren’t any. All Christian were like modern Catholics who say: “You know, where it says somewhere in the bible to love your neighbor…” This is also why when St. Augustine (in the 4th century) and St. Anselm (in the 11th century) quote the bible, they do not use chapter and verse, just like me and you.

Secondly, the original Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament were written in all capital letters called “uncials.” The miniscules (small letters) were not included until the Middle Ages. Even more striking is the fact that there were no spaces between words, and not even any punctuation marks in the original manuscripts. No commas, no semi-colons, no periods. The punctuations were added later by editors of the Greek texts. That’s why when our poor lectors come up to the ambo to read at Mass, they might find Ephesians 1:3-14 which is one long run-on sentence, and their knees knock, they break into a cold sweat, and start to hyperventilate. Just be glad you were not a lector in the first century of Christianity where there were no periods at all.

The upshot of these discoveries is that Jesus did not drop the Bible from heaven in its complete, modern form as he ascended into heaven. Rather, the bible has undergone a mysterious and even miraculous evolution guided by the Holy Spirit and the Magisterium of the Church. Christians simply could not read the Bible today without the work of the Spirit and the Church.

Now let me say a word about one of the most intriguing passage of Sacred Scripture, namely, Romans 7:24, from our first reading. We read Paul’s anguished cry: “Miserable one that I am! Who will save me from this mortal body?” Now remember, before the Middle Ages, I would have said: You know, somewhere it says in Romans…” But thanks to Langton and Estienne, I can say that’s in Romans 7:24. In chapter 6 Paul talked about baptism and how that makes us new men and new women, indeed, we live “in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). But St. Paul adds in chapter 7 that even though we are new in baptism, we still struggle with our old, fallen nature, with a tendency to sin called “concupiscence.” This is the constant battle of every Christian; we feel like the tug-of-war rope pulled between good and evil.

Therefore, Paul continues in chapter 8 to talk about the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian maturity. In other words, the Christian journey that began in baptism keeps hitting hurdles called concupiscence and sin, which can only be overcome by the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Confirmation. Can you see how Romans 6 sets the spiritual stage for Romans 7, which in turn paves the way for Romans 8? In other words, don’t miss the forest by focusing too much on the trees. In the same way, don’t miss the bigger picture in Scripture by quoting chapter and verse, and overlooking the larger spiritual point the Holy Spirit is making in the whole Bible. Nothing less than our salvation is at stake when we read the Bible.

The more I study the Sacred Scriptures the more I love the Scriptures. Why? Well, I am discovering that the Bible is a thoroughly Catholic book. It could not exist without the efforts of the saints and scholars up and down the centuries. It was given to us as a gift from God, from the Holy Spirit, the principal Author of the Scriptures, for our happiness and our holiness. The more you love the bible, the more you will love being Catholic. Every time you open the bible, I hope you feel like a kid who just walked into a candy store.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Bless This Home

Holding on to our homes with a loose grip

10/21/2019

Luke 12:13-21 Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me." He replied to him, "Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?" Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions." Then he told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!"' But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?' Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God."

Yesterday afternoon, I went to bless Bill and Karen Hollenbeck’s new home. Well, it was new to them but I knew the previous occupants very well, namely, Eddie and Betty Christian. Do you remember them? Eddie Christian was a highly sought-after defense attorney in Fort Smith, and Betty was a devout Catholic lady. The very first time I visited that house on Park Avenue was when I arrived here in December, 2013 and Eddie was lying in a hospice bed in his home. Shortly thereafter we had the funeral Mass for Eddie Christian Sr. here at Immaculate Conception. As the Hollenbecks moved into their new home, it suddenly hit me that someday, they, too, will move out of that beautiful Park Avenue home, and leave it for someone else.

Every time I drive down Cliff Drive and pass Dr. Marlin Hoge’s home, I think of the many times I visited him to give him Holy Communion and Anointing of the Sick. Dr. Hoge was usually eating cereal or watching the NFL football games on Sunday. But he was always clear-minded and said all the prayers even as his body grew weaker. Now someone else lives in that beautiful home and they have removed the wheelchair ramp that used to go up to the front door.

Occasionally, I give visitors a tour of our beautiful church, and someone compliments me by saying: “Father, you sure have a stunning church!” I reply, “Thank you,” but I feel a little like the Hollenbecks and the Hoges and know someone was the occupant as pastor of this house of God before me, and one day I will leave it for my successor after me. That is both a very sobering thought but I believe it is also a very spiritual thought. In other words, every home has a line of succession, no one person, no one family, gets to hold on to a home forever.

In the gospel today, Jesus tells a similar sober but spiritual parable of a rich man who thinks he will hang on to his possessions forever. The man’s overconfidence prompts him to say to himself: “Now, as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!” Jesus, however, points out God’s perspective, saying: “But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared to whom will they belong?’” In other words, learn the lesson of the Hollenbecks and the Hoges, and don’t grow too attached to worldly wealth like a beautiful home. Sooner or later you will leave it behind to your successors, like I will leave this parish to another pastor, hopefully a long time from now! Rather, make your true treasure your precious faith, which reminds you your true home is waiting for you in heaven.

Another thing I have witnessed since arriving in Fort Smith is people’s exceeding generosity. In the past six years I have conducted three major fundraising campaigns. The first was for the renovation of our church, called “Restoring to Glory,” the second was for I.C. School, called “Tomorrow’s Promise,” and the third was for Trinity Junior High, called “Strike a Match.” All three were wildly successful, not because I’m such a good salesman, far from it. Instead, their success depended entirely on the people of Fort Smith, who are extremely generous with their gifts. Why is that? Well, one reason is that people here instinctively “get it.” Like the Hollenbecks and the Hoges understand well, we are ultimately stewards rather than owners of what we have, and we will leave it all to others. In other words, people of faith have their treasure in heaven, not on earth.

Archbishop Peter Sartain described the three stages of learning to become stewards using the three words, “mine,” “ours,” and “yours.” He said toddlers tiny hands grasp toys and declare defiantly, “Mine!” When people marry, they say lovingly, “Ours.” And when we stand on the doorstep of eternity, we say with faith, “Yours,” and leave everything to others. The sooner we learn to say “Yours,” the happier and the holier we will be. And that, by the way, is what I am thinking when I come to bless your home.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Angie's List

Seeing how laity support priestly arms to bless

10/20/2019

Exodus 17:8-13 In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel. Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, "Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur. As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. Moses'hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

A fundamental fact of our faith is that lay persons help the ordained ministers to fulfill our sacred functions. For example, lay people’s financial donations pay the bills - keep it coming! The laity’s faith permeate the public square like leaven raising the bread of the world and making it more Christian. A Catholic lay person can be president, like John F. Kennedy, but a Catholic priest cannot, like John K Antony. Lay people invite me to bless their home and give me supper to fill my tank, so I can keep rolling down the road. There is no way I could run a parish alone, or oversee a Catholic a school alone, or be administrator of a mission church alone. An ancient proverb teaches: “He who thinks he is leading but has not followers is only going for a walk.” No one leads alone.

The book of

Exodus 17 describes how Moses, God’s chosen instrument to deliver the Jews from slavery in Egypt, also needed the help of two assistants, Aaron and Hur, to fulfill his intercessory/priestly role. During the Battle of Rephidim, where the Israelites fought the Amelekites Moses raised his arms in prayer and blessing, and the Israelites were victorious. Think of Moses’ raised arms like the University of Notre Dame’s “Touchdown Jesus.” But when Moses’ arms grew weary, and he lowered them, the Amalekites had the upper hand. They literally raised their hands in victory. Aaron and Hur stationed themselves on either side to support Moses’ arms and the Israelites won the day. A priest cannot run a parish alone, and Moses could not bless the people alone. Every leading actor is surrounded on stage by a supporting cast.

Today I am going to lean on a lay person, like Moses leaned on Aaron and Hur, to help me with this homily, namely, Ms. Angie Elser, the mother of Fr. Stephen Elser, now pastor of St. Paul’s in Pocahontas. She developed a catchy way to sanctify the whole week; it’s a spiritual version of “Angie’s List.” She wrote: “My children and I translated and reinvented the simplicity of the popular social media days (Man Crush Monday, Twin Tuesday, Woman Crush Wednesday, Throw-back Thursday and Flashback Friday) into acronyms with attainable resolutions that have helped us grow each day in holiness.”

She began with: “Sabbath Sunday” - We are to rest just as God rested on the 7th day of creation. He gave us this example- we simply should follow His lead and rest while honoring Him in His glory.

“Me Monday” - Mondays can be tough with the start of a new week. A moment on Monday is dedicated to me. I either exercise or take a walk, slowly enjoy a cup of coffee, or wrap myself in a warm towel fresh out of the dryer, take a power nap, sing while driving, skim a magazine, or indulge in chocolate. Mondays have built-in moments for me.

“Thoughtful Tuesday” - Tuesdays are dedicated to thinking of others- to see the good in others, to help others, to pray for others, to simply be selfless placing emphasis and focus on the needs of others.

“Worship Wednesday” - Wednesday is mid-week. Worshiping God in an extra way (a prayer, Mass, adoration hour, rosary, Bible study etc.) is important to help keep my mind centered and focused on Christ.” By the way, Angie didn’t mention this, but Protestants have sanctified Wednesday long before we Catholics did. Protestants can help Catholics raise our hands, too.

Angie continued: “Thankful Thursday” - Thanking others and most importantly God is key in growing in holiness. Be thankful on Thursdays.” By the way, may I add that Jesus gave us the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday, and “Eucharist” means “Thanksgiving.” What day does the national holiday of Thanksgiving fall on each year?

Angie went on: “Forgiving Friday” - Forgiveness is humbling. Fridays I think of those whom I have offended and ask for their forgiveness. I also accept forgiveness from those who have offended me.

“Silent Saturday” - Saturdays I try hard to hold my tongue- to not speak unkindly of another and to rein in any words that may insult or hurt another. It’s also a day to be silent on social media- no scrolling, no posting, no time wasting. Saturday is silent in order to get all my chores and errands done so that I can rest the following day and begin again with “Sabbath Sunday.” That’s the end of Angie’s list.

Folks, Moses could not defeat the Amelekites alone, and I could not write this homily alone. Whenever we feel we’re alone, we suffer from a sort of spiritual illusion. The truth is we are always surrounded by saints and angels, seen and unseen, who support us and hold us up. I hope Angie’s List will help us hold up our hands in prayer every day. Then, we can score spiritual touchdowns all week, not just on Sabbath Sundays.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Jesus' Marines

Venerating and imitating the North American Martyrs

10/19/2019

Luke 12:8-12 Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. "Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say."

I love reading books about the lives of the saints and their singular dedication to Jesus. But what I love even more is reading books about the lives of saints who were martyrs for their faith in Jesus. The holy martyrs not only lived for Jesus, they were eager to die for Jesus. If all the saints serve in the Lord’s Army, then the martyrs are like the Marines, “the few, the proud, the Martyrs.” In a sense, the martyrs are the elite saints of the Catholic Church, and they deserve our admiration, our veneration and our imitation, if possible.

October 19, we honor the North American Martyrs, eight Jesuit missionaries who came to share the Good News with the native Americans. By the way, Fr. Martin studied theology in Rome and the American seminarians had a soccer team that played against teams from other countries. The U.S. seminarians attended North American College, and called their team, the “North American Martyrs,” maybe because they got killed all the time. But in his office, Fr. Martin has a picture of all his teammates holding the championship trophy from 2018. The North American Martyrs won the Clericus Cup last year.

In 1625, a Jesuit missionary named Fr. Jean de Brebeuf arrived in modern-day Quebec, called New France back then, to start evangelizing the native peoples. He was eventually joined by Frs. Rene Goupil, Isaac Jogues, Jean de Lalande, Anthony Daniel, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier, and Noel Chabanel. They enjoyed great success in converting the Huron nation to the Catholic faith. After he baptized his first Huron baby, Fr. Jean de Brebeuf exclaimed: “I would travel halfway around the world to baptize one baby so he might become a child of God!”

But another native American people, the Iroquois, were not peaceful at all, and they captured and tortured the Jesuit missionaries. One of their more exquisite tortures was to cut-off the “canonical digits” of the Jesuit priests’ hands – the thumb and forefinger. Why? In those days, a priest could only touch the consecrated Host at Mass with those two fingers. Presumably, without them, a priest could not say Mass. The Iroquois knew enough theology so that it was not only a physical torture, it was intended to be a spiritual one as well. But the Iroquois had not learned about a Catholic loophole called a “dispensation.” The pope gave special permission for the Jesuits to celebrate Mass using their remaining fingers. From 1642-1649, one by one, these eight holy Jesuits, these Catholic Marines, gladly died for their Captain, Jesus.

Reading the life and death of the North American Martyrs reminds me of the bravery and bold faith of Blessed Stanley Rother of Oklahoma City. He went to Guatemala and shared the Good News of Jesus among the native people there. It finally cost him his life, too, when people hostile to the work of the Catholic Church broke into his home and murdered him. Did you know every year we conduct a week-long mission trip to Honduras to share the Catholic faith with the people in that beautiful country? We are not quite as eager as the Jesuits or Fr. Stanley Rother to die for Jesus, but we are at least willing to give up a week of our life and endure some discomfort and pain for the sake of the Kingdom of God. If I come back after one of those trips without my two canonical digits, you’ll know it was a little harder than we had expected. But no worries, we Catholics always have dispensations.

Today, take a little time to read about the North American Martyrs, and their faith and fortitude. The holy martyrs are the Marines in the Lord’s Army, and their life and death may inspire us at least to be better foot soldiers.

Praised be Jesus Christ!