God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very good.

Teenagers and children —“ you have a job to do.

We need you to build on the foundations we have laid. We need you to build, not by becoming us, but by adding your uniqueness, your gifts, your personalities to the Church —“ to the Christian life.

Adults, all of us, are afraid, not just for your safety, not just for your health, education, and well-being, but for the most important aspect of your life —“ that you share yourselves with us and that what you share be everlasting.

You are more than the future.

When people talk at you they tell you —“ ‘oh look you are our future.’ Then they try to capture your imagination and attention. They do this by trying to give you everything. Look you can be rich, we can provide you with cool music and clothes, fun and pleasure are easy. Just remember, you are our future.

Those sayings, those types of things are just a way for people to capture you. They want to capture you and turn you into what they are.

Mom and Dad, your teachers and friends, counselors, doctors, all want you to be their future. ‘Look, you are just like me.’

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Christian Family.

Our Holy Church chooses to mark this special day as a festival. Our Holy Church chooses to focus on family.

But what is family? Is it a group of older people and their future? Is it a group of clones where everyone thinks, looks, dresses, eats, and acts the same?

I don’t think that these would count as Christian families.

The essence of the Christian family is the conscious sharing of ourselves with each other. That is what heaven will be like —“ no barriers, no putting on masks. You will be the perfection of who you are, and you will share yourself freely in the adoration of God.

That means that we, here on earth, have to bring who we are to the table. It means that we all have to respect the fact that God created each of us in His image, as today’s reading from Genesis tells us:

Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.

God does not make mistakes. He doesn’t make errors in His use of His creative power. He endows, gives, each of us a share in His image. We each have a uniqueness —“ a unique personality, unique skills and abilities, all coupled with a natural desire to be part of a family, to be loved, and to reach God.

My dear children and teens, I do not want you to turn into me. I already have one me.

Remember that Jesus said a very powerful thing when he blessed the children:

“Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”

Jesus, being God, knows that each person, regardless of their appearance, status, age, or stature is valuable in His Church. As St. Paul tells us:

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.

What I wish for —“ and more importantly what I pray for —“ is that you turn into ‘the you’ God created you to be. I pray that Our Lady, our patron, watches over you and guides you so that you share yourselves with the entire Catholic Christian community. And finally I pray with Jesus who said:

I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.

We pray that the world does not bind you, but that you challenge the world by your Christian witness. We pray and ask that you be kept safe, and that you clearly see that you are valuable, not as our clone, not as our future, but simply because you are valuable to God.

Teenagers, children, you have a job to do. The job you have is to share yourselves with us as a community, and with the whole world – to share that part of God’s image that is you.

The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

As I stood at the altar this past Wednesday I experienced the most wonderful sensation, a beautiful feeling of love. I experienced that moment as Jesus was placed, body and blood, into my mouth.

Every so often God comes to us in a way that touches us deeply. He is, of course, always there. His presence is always real, but this particular moment was a step above the extraordinary.

It was a moment of savoring; a moment of sweetness and beauty. No words can describe it, but there I was, with Jesus in my mouth, and He enveloped me in His love.

He said, I’m here for you Jim.

Jesus says that a lot —“ to all of us. I am here for you Mary, John, Alice, Henry. I am here for you.

As in Moses’ day, God’s coming to us elicits a response. Listen to what happened:

The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.

The elders who received the Spirit of God prophesied. They could not contain or suppress the immense joy they experienced at receiving God’s Spirit.

God’s Spirit, His laws, His precepts give us joy. Joy is our response and our assurance —“ an assurance that we have found our place, our home, in God.

Jesus certainly spoke to me in that moment of communion. He was telling me to talk about the beauty, the peace, the joy found in Him. The beauty, the peace, and the joy found in His assurance.

Earlier in the week I sat down and considered topics for my homily. I prayed, read the scriptures, checked out websites, and considered our shared experience.

I looked at what happened during PolishFest. I thought, perhaps I should talk about the questions people asked —“ essentially, what differentiates the PNCC.

I could do a nice long homily teaching about, and touching upon, one-hundred and fifty points of difference. But to what end —“ to scream about differences?

The key concept, the source of our joy, the unifying aspect of our community, of the Church, is our election. This is Jesus’ assurance. We are the predestined, we are the elect, we all share in Christ and are heirs with Christ. We are bound together in Him and are all sons and daughters of the Father.

Jesus saved the world. His offer is on the table for everyone.

Our election, our sharing in Christ is not a symbol of our exclusivity, us but not them, but rather is the result of our answer to His offer.

We step forward saying yes, Amen, it is You Lord, You are for me Lord. We do that as individuals and in the way Jesus asked us to, as a community of believers, as the body of Christ.

St. James tells us:

Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.

If your joy is in the things you can count, gather, and store your joy is not a lasting one. If your joy is in your exclusivity, it is not a lasting joy. If your joy is found in that sublime moment, holding Jesus in your mouth, consuming Him so He can consume you —“ you have joy that lasts forever.

If we focus on differences, on enumerating points of conflict, then we miss the point of Jesus’ instruction to John:

Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.

Be assured, your presence here, your sharing in the Body and Blood of the Lord, your choice in taking up and living by the name Christian, surely marks you as the predestined, the chosen, and the elect. You are sharers in the salvation of Jesus Christ. Washed in His Blood you stand here in His presence accepting His promise of eternal life. Rejoice, be filled with His joy, a joy that will last forever.

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
—If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.—

Father Andrew, honored guests, my brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today we celebrate Spójnia Sunday, a day on which we reflect upon the connection between faith and works, a day on which we celebrate the insight and common sense of our Church’s founder, Bishop Francis Hodur, and of all our ancestors.

Indeed, this weekend we, in New York’s Capital Region, celebrate a great festival highlighting Polish and Polish-American culture. We highlight a people of faith, determination, and common sense.

These two celebrations flow from our unique heritage, from the strength of our traditions and from our commitment to the truth and honesty found in Catholic-Christianity.

Bishop Hodur and our ancestors understood Jesus’ lesson. They understood Jesus’ instruction regarding our place and our service.

They focused on faith.

Their strong Catholic faith was not an aside or a pastime; it was the center of their existence. From this center, from this grounding in Catholic-Christian ethics, they worked tirelessly for freedom, freedom from tyranny, freedom of expression, and freedom to worship God in full faith. They held to a dream that transcends national borders, while holding fast to a culture that joyously celebrates, and strongly defends the faith.

Through their hard work, they integrated themselves into the dream that is America. They put that dream into action in organizations like Spójnia, understanding the connection between faith, hard work, and the values enshrined in Our Country’s Constitution

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…

They struggled.

Bishop Hodur and our ancestors realized that the struggle was not just of the moment, but of eternity.

This week’s reading from the Book of Wisdom foretells the suffering of Christ —“ and of all Christians bound to Him.

Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.

This is the judgment of the worldly. Let us put God and His Church to the test. Let us gather evidence. Let us see if God is real and if His people hold the truth.

God Himself was put to the test in more than the philosophical sense. God Himself condescended to be mocked, dragged, beaten, whipped, and killed on a cross.

What the world didn’t realize was that the very test it subjected Him to would be His vindication. He proved Himself, not because He had to, but because He loves us.

His vindication was the raising of His Son from the grave to life. Jesus stood victorious over death and separated all of us from the snares of the world. Jesus showed us that the struggle is only a prelude to eternal perfection in His kingdom.

Our ancestors understood that well.

They set to work.

Last week’s second reading from James focused on the connection between faith and works. James took a very common sense approach to describing the fullness of the Christian life. Anyone can say they have faith in Jesus, but without the corresponding works, by which their faith is exhibited, their proclamation means nothing.

Today St. James tells us that:

Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.

As Catholic-Christians our responsibility must correspond to and come from the teaching of Jesuis Christ. These responsibilities have been delegated to us by our ancestors and our fathers in faith. We are to avoid all semblance of the disorder created by self interest, ambition, and jealousy. We, like Bishop Hodur, and our ancestors, are to engage in work for the common good.

That is why Spójnia, the Polish National Union of America is more than just an organization. It is a symbol and a public witness to our work. It is a symbol and a witness to our working together for the common good, setting ourselves as servants of each other, and of all people.

Bishop Hodur and our ancestors understood Jesus’ lesson very well, and by faith, work, and struggle they lived His word.

We, our families, our community, our organizations, and the Church are all called to struggle against evil. We are to uphold the banner of truth —“ the only truth there is —“ God’s truth. And, we are to work diligently on our salvation and for that of our brothers and sisters.

Amen.

See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?

When we consider the vast number of pages that have been written in regard to philosophy, science, theology, and the humanities, when we sum all that up, and look back across history, we may think that we have a right to be pretty proud.

We may think – ‘Look, mankind has created a lot. We’re pretty smart.’ The inherent danger in that declaration is equating accomplishment with truth. Do we rely on the array of what we have created as truth, neglecting God?

I think that captures the trend in humanity – one that has existed even before Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.

Remember, the scribes and pharisees of Jesus’ day lived that kind of existence. They relied on the words and thinking of the teachers that came before them. They certainly had the word of God to rely on, but it obviously wasn’t enough, especially in light of all the interpretations that followed, the oral teachings of their fathers and the Midrash. The Scribes and Pharisees needed the commentary of the Talmud to expand and clarify God’s Law, to codify the code so to speak.

Codifying the code is not wrong in itself, nor would the Pharisees and scribes have been singled out for Jesus’ criticism based on that fact alone. They fell rather on their reliance on those interpretations and codifications to the exclusion of God’s truth. Their code was not in line with God’s code.

The words of the psalmist, his poetry and song, come to completion in Jesus. Jesus worked to refocus The Jewish people on the truth of His Father.

If God is your center and source, if God is your help, if the laws of God are written in your hearts and used as the point of reference for your life, no one can prove you wrong.

Jesus lived in perfect oneness, in perfect unity with His Father. His Father’s will was His own. His Father’s laws were His benchmark. He tried to impress this on His followers. He tries to impress it on us – today, right here and now.

—Who do people say that I am?—

Who indeed! Someone wrote to me recently saying: ‘The Muslims don’t criticize Jesus.’

I responded by implying – ‘I guess it depends on what you mean by criticism.’ If we have no faith, if we are not focused on God, then we would say, Sure, they even write about him (small h) in their book. As a matter of fact we would be pretty close to Islamic belief, Jesus was a nice guy and a great prophet… with a great mom.

If however we have true faith, a true understanding and centering on God, the truth of God revealed to the world, then we would say ‘They do indeed criticize Jesus. They criticize Him (capital H) because they deny who He is.’

My brothers and sisters,

What kind of faith did Peter and the apostles exhibit?

Peter said to him in reply,
—You are the Christ.—

Can we join with Peter and acknowledge Jesus as God and man, as the Messiah and the Savior? Can we stand up and tell the vast majority of the world’s population that they’ve got it wrong?

A pretty brave declaration from Jesus’ closest followers don’t you think? We would be considered pretty brave for saying that today – you know, we might offend someone.

Unfortunately, it was the kind of declaration that in all its truth and power soon fell victim to the parade of human accomplishment.

Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

Peter was ticked. Jesus just said:

the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.

I just declared that You are God, lets go accomplish what I understand You are going to accomplish. What are you talking about? The documents I have in front of me say You are wrong. Here, let me straighten You out.

Peter found and quickly lost the center. He found the faith to proclaim the truth, then the awful weight of our humanity’s self-serving aggrandizement fell upon him.

At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, —Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.—

That about captures it.

Is God God to us? Do we center and judge by Him? Do we work with and relate to each other as He would want us to? Can we make simple proclamations of faith.

Our Orthodox friends say a lot with very few words. The continually pray one little prayer:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

A simple proclamation of faith – Jesus is God. A simple acknowledgment that we fall short of what God wants from us.

I encourage you to pray this prayer all day. Repeat it often, and contemplate its meaning. Above all focus yourself on Jesus – God incarnate.

St. James reminds us:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?

Faith judged by purely human standards has little value. Faith lived is everything.

Proclaim Jesus as God in all we do; let us live out the fullness of the faith.

As Christians we are to focus on, and be committed to God. We are called to live lives that set us apart from the age in which we live. Not apart from people, not apart from relationships, but apart from the spirit, the trend of the day.

You might not get that message unless you understand a bit of history.

In the first reading Paul is speaking to the Corinthians. He spent a lot of time in Corinth, and tried to build up the Christian community there. Corinth had quite a reputation.

The city had been destroyed by the Romans and was re-established as a colony by Julius Caesar. It was the capital of the Roman Province of Achaia. Crowds came to Corinth every four years for the games. Corinth was also known for its temple dedicated to Venus, filled with female devotees dedicated to a life of licentiousness.

Corinth was a center of traffic, excitement, wealth, and vice. If people referred to you as ‘Acting the Corinthian’ they meant that you led a loose life.

This is what Paul was confronted with, and over the course of a year-and-a-half he grew frustrated, but the Lord saw him through it all.

Acts Chapter 18 tells us:

One night in a vision the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city.”

So he taught the word of God among them, bringing many people to conversion; some of them noble, wealthy, and learned, but the great majority neither learned, nor powerful, nor noble.

Needless to say, Paul had to stay on top of them. They lived, much as we do today, in the midst of vice, easy money, loose morals, stunning compromises. Paul had to remind them, and he has to remind us, that our focus is not to be on worldliness, but on Godliness.

People, especially non-practicing Christians and outsiders, think that the message is: It’s great to be in bad shape —“ God wants it. Don’t get married, don’t have fun, rejoice in being sad, lonely, despised. Listen to Paul again:

From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.

It’s natural to say: You Christians focus so much on sadness and death —“ where’s the joy in life? They miss what we do have —“ the promise of everlasting joy. They miss what we truly desire – right living.

We can just about count our days. A recent study shows that your ethnic group, finances, and location have a lot to do with your lifespan. It certainly does, but it does not affect the span of your life. If life were of this world only I’d be concerned about my days, but life is everlasting.

That is Paul’s message. Do not act as if the things of the world are the totality of existence. Don’t bind yourself to the world or to the spirit of the age. Bind yourself to the truth:

For the world in its present form is passing away.

My brothers and sisters,

Jesus tells us:

—Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.

A person can have all the money in the world, or can be impoverished. Regardless of our material wealth or poverty, know that we are poor only to the extent of our love, dedication, and devotion to God. Knowing our poverty we must strive to reach Him. Jesus knows we are poor and has shown us the way to a wealth that will not turn to dust.

Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied.

Know that our hunger is a hunger for unity with God. We can have all the food in the world or be starving. Neither counts for much unless we seek God.

Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.

Know that we weep because of our distance from God. We can laugh or cry all the day long, but neither counts for much unless we draw close to God.

Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.

We are hated, excluded, insulted, and denounced because Jesus is a scandal to the world. Hated or loved, unless it is because our faith in Jesus Christ, it counts for nothing.

Today we honor St. Eugenia. Her name means “noble” in Greek. She was born in 280, and was the daughter of the governor of Alexandria, Egypt.

Eugenia embraced Christianity secretly in her youth, running away from her parents to live a life of prayer and self denial. When she was found she underwent persecution, especially from her father Phillip. He imprisoned her and was to have her killed. She remained faithful and eventually her father, Philip, was converted. He died a martyr’s death. Eugenia was taken to Rome where she converted many to Christ. She, along with Saints Protas and Hyacinth were martyred.

We, like Eugenia, need to keep our focus on God and our loyalty to Him. With Paul we need to focus on the kingdom. In following Christ we need to live His message. In doing so we have Jesus’ assurance:

Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.