St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop
Philippians 3:17—4:1  +  Luke 16:1-8
November 4, 2016

“And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.”

“Our citizenship is in Heaven”.  What would our lives look like if we believed these words sincerely?  Saint Paul is exhorting the Philippians neither to place their faith in this world, nor to use the things of this world for their own sake. Continue reading →

Thursday – 31st Week – Ordinary Time [II]
Philippians 3:3-8  +  Luke 15:1-10
November 3, 2016

“‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”

Jesus’ first parable in today’s Gospel is heartfelt, offering hope as we hear of God’s compassion for the wayward.  Jesus offers a “moral” to the parable in explaining that “there will be more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” Continue reading →

The Commemoration of All Souls
Wisdom 3:1-9  +  Romans 5:5-11  +  John 6:37-40
November 2, 2016

“The souls of the just are in the hand of God.”

The belief we celebrate today is part of the “communion of saints.”  That’s a familiar phrase—we recite it in the Apostles’ Creed—but the “communion of saints” isn’t just those who are canonized saints in Heaven, but also the members of the Church who are in Purgatory, and on earth.  Today we who are members of that third group pray for those in the second, so that joined through prayer, we all may become members of the first. Continue reading →

The Solemnity of All Saints
Revelation 7:2-4,9-14  +  1 John 3:1-3  +  Matthew 5:1-12
November 1, 2016

“See what love the Father has bestowed on us, in letting us be called children of God!” 

“Children of God.”  That is what it means to be a saint:  to be a child of God.

We all know that a child resembles his or her parent, for good and for ill.  So in telling us that we can be called “children of God”, St. John the Beloved Disciple is telling us that there’s something in us that resembles God, that is inherently good, since of course there is nothing bad in God.  From Adam we inherit Original Sin and its consequences.

As we celebrate the feast of All Saints with the Church throughout the world, we ask:  “What does it mean to be a saint?”  “What is that something in us that resembles God?”

At the moment that each of us was conceived, as our parents shared in the power of God the Creator, that very God called each one of us into existence, and gave us life.

But it’s not the fact that we are alive that makes us children of God, for God could have given us any form of life He wanted.  He could have made us a plant, or a lower form of animal on the ladder of created things.  All these things have life, but they are not children of God.

We tend to think that it’s our gifts of personality, intelligence, social status, our salaries, or the size of our homes that makes us who we are.  And sad to say, in the eyes of other people that may be true.  Other people may rate us as persons according to these things.  But God’s ways are not our ways.

In the eyes of God, what makes you human is your capacity to be transformed:  your capacity to be transformed into something other than what you began life as.  This doesn’t simply mean the ability to change form:  all animals change shape and size from being an embryo, to an infant, to a youngster, to an adult.  We are a human being throughout, and are the same person throughout.

But to put this in a single word, human life is marked by the possibility of “transcendence”.  As humans, God has given us the power to change our position on that ladder:  we can climb that ladder, and reach for Heaven.  We can approach God and become like Him.  As children of God, we resemble God to the extent that we are holy.

The 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]
Wis 11:22—12:2  +  2 Thes 1:11—2:2  +  Lk 19:1-10
October 30, 2016

“So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus….”

Out of the 52 Sundays of the year, thirty-plus are Sundays in Ordinary Time.  When we reach these “Thirty-something” weeks, we know that the Church’s liturgical year is drawing to a close.  During these final weeks, the Church focuses on what are called “the Last Things”:  that is, realities that are commonly associated with the end of the world.  The Last Things are Heaven, Hell, death and judgment.

Of course, there’s never a shortage of prophets predicting that the end of the world is near.  However, with the world like it is today:  when we see politicians unable to speak civilly face-to-face; when we see health care premiums skyrocketing; and most ominous of all, when we see the Chicago Cubs in the World Series, you have to wonder if the Second Coming is near. Continue reading →

Monday – 31st Week – Ordinary Time [II]
Philippians 2:1-4  +  Luke 14:12-14
October 31, 2016

“‘For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’”

Although Jesus’ words today take the form of a command (“do not invite…”) to us as His disciples, we can reflect today on His words through a process of inversion.  That is, we can consider ourselves as those invited to a banquet.  The one inviting us is the Lord Jesus.  The banquet is the sacramental celebration of the Last Supper:  the Most Holy Eucharist. Continue reading →

The 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]
Wis 11:22—12:2  +  2 Thes 1:11—2:2  +  Lk 19:1-10
October 30, 2016

“…but he could not see Him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.” 

Out of the 52 Sundays of the year, thirty-plus are Sundays in Ordinary Time.  When we reach these “Thirty-something” weeks, we know that the Church’s year is drawing to a close.  During these final weeks, the Church focuses on what are called “the Last Things”:  that is, those realities that we associate with the end of the world.  Of course, there’s never a shortage of prophets predicting that the end of the world is near. Continue reading →

Saturday – 30th Week – Ordinary Time [II]
Philippians 1:18-26  +  Luke 14:1,7-11
October 29, 2016

“‘…do not recline at table in the place of honor.’” 

The virtue of humility is a thread that runs through today’s Scriptures.  Jesus weaves this thread through the parable that He tells after noticing that His fellow dinner guests were choosing the places of honor at the table (Luke 14:7).  They were not content to receive a sumptuous meal.  They wanted also to receive honor. Continue reading →

The Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles
Ephesians 2:19-22  +  Luke 6:12-16
October 28, 2016

“…with Christ Jesus Himself as the capstone.”

Those who receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders strengthen the communion of the Church by living as an image of Christ, who gave his life for the Church.  The life of the ordained minister, like that of the married person, is, first and foremost, relational.  Through this relationship between himself and Christ’s spouse, the Church, the one who is ordained administers the sacraments of the Church. Continue reading →