Recent Posts

Most Used Categories

Year: 2006

You are Here :
Homilies,

Memorial: Saints Claudius, Asterius, Neon, Domnina, and Theonilla

‘My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
Are you envious because I am generous?’

Expectations, today’s reading, psalm, and Gospel are about expectations and the differences between the ways of God and our ways.

Recall the words God gave us through the prophet Isaiah:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.

God’s love, generosity, and mercy are boundless. Human attributes in those regards are rather limited. Humanity regularly fails on the road to God. We fail in our sinfulness. We fail in putting expectations on God —“ and in making God into our own image.

My brothers and sisters,

We contradict God’s expectation of us in our sinfulness. Sinfulness, the failure to meet God’s expectation, is highlighted in the first reading.

The shepherds of the people took advantage of their position. They made their lives comfortable. They cared little for the people under their care. God gave them a charge and they neglected it; they took advantage of it.

Sounds familiar doesn’t it. It is God’s indictment of failed spiritual leadership, a failure of the shepherds to meet God’s requirements. Even though we fail, God will not leave us without a shepherd.

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.

The Father sent His son Jesus to shepherd His people. He sent His Son to show us the way, the truth, and the life. God would not stand for the selfish shepherds of Israel, He stepped in, and as God said through Isaiah:

I myself will look after and tend my sheep.

God always acts in constancy with what He has told us.

As today’s reading was about our failure to meet God’s expectation, today’s Gospel is about our inaccurate expectations of God.

As people we seek justice, but often call down condemnation that is inconsistent with God’s mercy. As the first workers in the Gospel did, we demand our day’s pay, and call out against our paymaster when we feel cheated, expecting God to give us more than what we were promised in the first place.

God’s mercy and generosity are not for us to debate. None of us can lay claim to perfection in accord with God’s will and God’s ways. None of us should second guess God, because we all come late to the work.

Like the holy martyrs we commemorate today, Claudius, Asterius, Neon, Domnina, and Theonilla, we need to accept what is given. We need to bear the burden of the evils put upon us and keep our focus on God.

Claudius, Asterius, and Neon were martyrs in the persecution conducted by Emperor Diocletian. The three brothers were denounced by their stepmother to Lysias, the proconsul of Cilicia. Their stepmother turned them over so she could lay claim to their property.

It was a definite wrong, and an evil. Yet when they, along with the women Domnina and Theonilla, were confronted by Lysias they did not second guess or complain about their situation. They stood fast in their faith —“ faith in Christ Jesus. When tortured they did not question God’s expectations, nor did they confront God with their expectations. They simply allowed God to be God.

For their faith the brothers were scourged to death. Domnina was beaten to death, and Theonilla, a wealthy Christian widow, was beaten and burned to death.

The martyrs did not complain about the wages they received. They saw what they received, the crown of martyrdom, as the pearl of great price. They were willing to sacrifice everything to obtain that reward. They didn’t second guess God —“ they simply thanked God for the faith they received.

Claudius, Asterius, Neon, Domnina, and Theonilla firmly fell into line with God’s expectation of them. May it be so with us.

Amen.

Everything Else

Where service is king

Two recent experiences in the world of shopping and dining have left me very happy.

I don’t want anyone to think, based on my recent negative commentary on the Home Depot, that I only blog about the bad. I’ve always believed that doing good work and providing great service is worthy of a pat-on-the-back (as well as repeat business).

So here are a couple of outstanding examples of great service:

Nichol’s Market —“ Voorheesville, New York

Nichol’s Market is a mid-sized grocery store, typical of many small towns. It is also one of the few independent markets still left out there.

New York’s Capitol Region has two powerhouse chains as the primary grocery outlets for the area, Price Chopper and Hannaford. Most people shop at those outlets.

Nichol’s has found a niche that makes them successful.

They are small town with all the personal touches that make for a pleasant trip to the grocery. Neighbors meet each other there. The kids know each other from school. The associates care about your needs, and first and foremost, deal with customers as they would with their neighbors.

Nichol’s offers specialty products that cannot be found at the major chains. They make their own ‘Mom’s Kitchen’ deli meats —“ fantastic, fresh, great taste. They have a full service dinner menu, a catering service, a snack bar (coffee for mom and dad, ice cream and Italian sodas for the kids). They prepare their own specialty meats (fresh Polish (white) kielbasa, Italian meatballs, stuffed peppers and giant mushrooms, etc.) and their entire meat case carries fresh, premium quality items (try the boneless chicken thighs on the grill). You can even find kluski (Polish egg noodles). Finally, they carry locally grown produce (Shaul Farms corn, and local apples —“ yum).

If you live in New York’s Capitol Region head out to Voorheesville and shop Nichol’s. You can even order ahead on-line. And, if you see a guy walking around the store with his kids and a clerical collar say hi Deacon Jim.

Miyako Japanese Steak House, Albany (Guilderland), New York

Two Saturday’s ago the family was getting a little —“ well unhappy. It was later than usual, I didn’t feel like cooking, and we had to run over to OfficeMax. My wife wanted Chinese and the kids weren’t interested.

We passed by Miyako Japanese Steakhouse. I had noticed that the restaurant had opened a while back, taking over the location of a former pool hall. I made a command decision and said —“ we’re going there.

We arrived and were greeted very nicely. The owner asked us if we wanted a table. Not knowing better, and never having been there before, I said yes. After our order had been taken the owner and his wife came out. They explained that we would be much happier at a hibachi table and that the kids would have more fun. We agreed.

They, and the waiter, took us to a hibachi table in a separate room.

We’ve had hibachi before (when the kids were too young to remember) —“ and it is entertaining, but sometimes the entertainment takes the place of food quality.

Well not at Miyako. The hibachi chef was great fun. He really focused on the kids and they were in stitches laughing and having a great time. Beyond that, the food was great —“ excellent individual flavors and great quality. My son told the whole room that Japanese people are magicians…

Again, the owners’ personal touch and attention to detail win the day. If you’re traveling Route 20 (Western Avenue) in the Albany, New York area stop in. They have a great looking sushi bar and lunch specials too. It’s well worth it.

Saints and Martyrs

August 21 – St. Jeanne de Chantal (Św. Joanna Franciszka)

Miłosierny Boże, któryś błg. Joannę Franciszkę zapalił swoją miłością, udarowałeś ją cudownym hartem ducha wśród przykrych życia kolei, i natchnąłeś ją do założenia nowego zakonu na pożytek Kościoła i ludu, – użycz nam za jej przyczyną siły do pokonania słabości naszych, i zwyciężenia przeciwności jakie zbawieniu naszemu stawia świat i szatan. Amen.

Homilies,

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

but be filled with the Spirit,
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts,
giving thanks always and for everything

A Catholic, a Protestant, and an atheist were walking down the street. As they passed by a church the Catholic bowed his head. The Protestant and the atheist were wondering what it meant.

Sounds like the beginning of a joke doesn’t it? Rather, our Catholic friend engaged in a physical expression of the attitude St. Paul exhorts us to have: We must:

be filled with the Spirit
singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts,
giving thanks always and for everything

If our Catholic hearts are to be set on the Lord, if the melody and harmony in our hearts are to be focused on the Lord, then what is within us must burst forth. The music of our Catholic faith must show in what we say and what we do.

The psalmist knew this when he sang:

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.

Our Catholic friend, walking down the street, practiced this. His Protestant and atheist friends didn’t get it.

For them the words from Wisdom mean something completely different:

—Forsake foolishness that you may live;
advance in the way of understanding.—

Our Protestant neighbor would never bow in front of a church. To him the church is just a building, a meeting place. Sure, he may bow his head in prayer, but there is no bowing to the ‘things’ in the church, or the church itself. Without people in it, the church building is nothing. To him, his Catholic friend is foolish and lacking in understanding. Things are not the way to God. God cannot be found in silly superstitious practice. His Catholic friend has to read more, and discern God’s message for himself. By doing so, he will advance in understanding.

Our atheist neighbor would probably feel sorry for his Catholic friend. He is bowing to a building. What nonsense. His Catholic friend should leave his foolish voodoo superstitions and realize that reason and logic are the way to go. He seems like such a civilized fellow —“ it’s really sad. His Catholic friend needs to advance in understanding.

Our Catholic friend remembered his scripture and his catechism. He remembered that Jesus said:

—I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world.—

Our Catholic friend remembered that:

Jesus said to them,
—Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.

And our Catholic friend knows that to be Catholic requires that we kneel, bow, and prostrate ourselves before God. He knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that the church building is never empty —“ for it contains the Lord.

To be Catholic is not to walk through a set of rituals that have no meaning. Jesus is God and God told us that:

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him.

We know both by the light of faith, and by God’s very words, that what is here, on this altar and in this tabernacle is the flesh and blood of God.

Jesus, being God, is definitely not stupid. He is not a liar and cannot teach what is false. He specifically told us that:

For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him.

Jesus didn’t tell us that He was giving us a cool symbol. He didn’t tell us that he was giving us magical mystery food. He told us that He is giving us His flesh and blood to eat and drink.

The Holy Church in Her wisdom has taught us, has exhorted us, and commands us to bow, to kneel, and to prostrate ourselves before the reality of God’s presence. The Holy Church teaches us in complete unity with the Word of God that God’s presence is real, physical, and necessary.

Our Catholic friend remembered that. He remembered to live out the love song that is in his heart. He remembered to bow before the reality of the One who loves him beyond telling, who loves him enough to give him the bread of everlasting life.

Saints and Martyrs

August 19 – St. John Berchmans (Św. Jan Berchmans)

Ozdobo młodzieży, błogosławiony Janie! oddal odemnie wszelkie myśli i uczucia nieczyste, wzbudź we mnie miłość ku N. P. Marji, przejmij serce moje głęboko poczuciem spełniania ciążących na mnie obowiązków, i spraw abym w miłości Bożej wzrastając, wysłużył sobie wieczne z Tobą oglądanie Boga w niebieskich. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.

Current Events

Chaldean Catholic Priest Kidnapped in Baghdad

From the Assyrian International News Agency:

Baghdad (AsiaNews) — An armed group abducted a Catholic Chaldean priest last Tuesday and nothing is currently known of his whereabouts, this according to local Catholics. They report that right after the mass for the Assumption in St James Church (Doura neighbourhood), Fr Hanna Saad Sirop was stopped by a group of armed men. A person who was with the priest was let go but he was spirited away. The car used in the kidnapping was found days later but there were no traces of the criminals.

Fr Saad Sirop, 34, runs the Theology Department at Babel College, the only university-level Christian institution in Iraq.

Three days into the clergyman’s disappearance, there were no news about him or his kidnappers, said Jacques Issak, rector of Babel College.

The bishops of all of Baghdad’s Christian Churches sent a letter to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki asking they get involved. The Churches also urged various political parties do something.

Another Baghdad priest, Fr Raad Kashan, was abducted on July 17. He managed to get away by promising money to his captors. However, he was ill-treated and fled the country.

Mgr Basil Georges Casmoussa, Syro-Catholic bishop of Mosul, was kidnapped in January 2005. He, too, was released the next day.

Kidnappings are everyday occurrences in Iraq. Most are committed for ransom money, but many victims are killed after a few days.

For some Christians, targeting Christian clergymen is a way to frighten them into leaving the country. “I think that there are two reasons these kidnappings are taking place. [. . .] The first reason is money. But the second reason is that they want to push Christians out of Iraq,” Mgr Louis Sako, Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk, told the Compass news agency.

According to some estimates, before the 2003, Iraq had more than a million Christians. Today they are half that many. Some have gone abroad; many others have fled to the north, in the Kurdish region, where they get more respect and there is greater security.

Let us pray for his safe return.

All Right Reserved © 2005 - 2023