Homily for the First Sunday of Advent (B)

On this first Sunday of Advent our Gospel reading sets the theme of the season. In just a very short section of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus says three times: “Be watchful, be alert;” “Watch, therefore;” and finally, just “Watch!”

Our observance of Advent is indeed about watching and waiting – but not merely for the arrival of Christmas Day. We watch and wait for the Day of the Lord, the return of Jesus Christ in glory, which will usher in “a new heaven and a new earth.”

We long for this Day of the Lord and watch for it’s coming because we admit our own sinfulness and acknowledge the sorry state of this current world of ours.

This present world is so often fraught with all kinds of suffering, pain, and loss. It sometimes seems as if we are in a constant state of longing and waiting for some good thing to finally happen, or for some bad thing to finally stop.

In our first reading the prophet Isaiah gives voice to these longings and “invites us to cry out to God in complaint.” Isaiah’s mournful cry for God to “rend the heavens and come down” is echoed in our own questions and doubts: “God, where are you? Why am I going through this? Why have you allowed these terrible things to happen?”

For some, giving voice to this kind of doubt and frustration is scandalous: “Who are we to question God like that?” But if we do not turn to God when we feel burdened, oppressed and hopeless, then to whom can we turn?

Only true believers can “lament the apparent absence of God in the workings of this world.” Only the faithful can truly mourn for those who are afflicted and demand to know how long they will have to endure.

Today’s readings, and the entire season of Advent, invite us to acknowledge and lament the suffering and difficulties we often endure. That’s why Advent has a somewhat subdued and somber tone. Advent faces the harsh realities of the truth with honesty and doesn’t allow us to ignore them with a blinding naiveté.

But let’s also be very clear: neither does Advent allow us to become mired in hopelessness or despair. At the end of his lament, Isaiah turns in faithful prayer to God and says: “Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay and you are the potter – we are all the work of your hands.”

Advent reminds us that despite the truth of our suffering and longing, we are held lovingly in God’s hands. He is molding us, shaping us, fashioning awesome deeds that we could not even begin to hope for.

And so our waiting and longing is shaped by the great Advent virtue of hope – not by easy answers, or pious platitudes, but by the deep and overriding conviction that God is not at all absent from the world. He has, in fact, rent the heavens and come down – He has shown us His human face in His Son, Jesus Christ.

St. Paul says in our second reading: “in Him you were enriched in every way . . . so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

During this Advent season, as we become more and more aware of the deepest longings of our lives, we must also become more and more aware of the spiritual gifts that we have been given to aid us in our waiting.

Like the servants in today’s Gospel, we have each been given our own work to accomplish while the Master is away. When He returns, He expects to find us accomplishing this work – using the spiritual gifts we have been given.

We know that this work will not, by itself, be capable of accomplishing the things we long for most. We will not be able to build a perfect life or a perfect world with our own hands and minds.

But using our spiritual gifts as best we can reminds us of the Giver of all good gifts – and helps us see, that even in the midst of the world’s suffering and pain, there are also so many signs all around us that prove His coming kingdom.

This Advent, we remember that “we have a future worth waiting for and a God who keeps His promises:” “We wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving Day Holy Redeemer celebrates a special morning Mass for the holiday. Quite frankly, I am always surprised by the large turnout and I certainly enjoy that there is little else (tree decorating, Paschal fire preparing, etc.) that needs to be done for Mass on this day.

We spent much of the rest of the day watching football, reading and napping. Then, in the evening, Walter and I joined the Holy Cross men at UP for their Thanksgiving feast. We enjoyed all the usual Thanksgiving fare, and were even treated to the Gallagher family apple and pecan pies . . . this year courtesy of Mary, not Fr. Jim, Gallagher. While we most certainly missed Jim's company, I am happy to report that Mary's pies were a resounding success!

Portland Chinese Gardens

As I mentioned in the previous post, Tuesday was a wet and raw day here in Portland. So Walter and I spent the day in town, and mainly indoors at Powell's. But we did spend a little time outdoors at the Portland Chinese Gardens. 

During the month of November the members of the Japanese and Chinese Gardens here in town were given reciprocal entry rights at the two venues. Since I had yet to visit the Chinese Gardens during my time here in Portland, I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to check them out.

As you can see in the photos below the Portland Chinese Gardens are quite nice. I was particularly impressed with the architecture of the buildings and with their tea house - although Walter and I both had a bit of trouble handling their rather odd teacups. I suppose since they are in a more urban setting, the architecture would naturally stand out more to me than the gardens themselves.

Still, I don't think these Gardens are nearly as impressive as either the Portland Japanese Gardens, or the Chinese Scholar's Garden at Snug Harbor on Staten Island. But please do come and see for yourself!

Honored Guest

My special guest this week was Fr. Walter Jenkins, CSC.  Fr. Walter and I first met when he spent a year of formation at Moreau Seminary when I was a candidate seminarian. We've been dear friends ever since and though we haven't lived in the same place since then, we have enjoyed regularly visiting each other or sharing some vacation time together. Fr. Walter is currently studying for a doctorate in education administration at the University of San Francisco and he came up to Portland to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with me and the local CSC community.

On Monday, Walter and I took advantage of some wonderfully clear weather and drove the Mt. Hood Loop, stopping at Multnomah Falls, Hood River and Timberline Lodge. It was a rare treat to have such clear skies this late in November.

Tuesday was a pretty wet and raw day, so we spent a bit of time shopping in Powell's and then visited the Chinese Gardens (more on that in a separate post). 

Then on Wednesday we had yet another beautiful day which we spent in the Willamette Valley. We stopped at all three of the wineries that Kevin, Jeanette and I first discovered back in August. It was a much colder day, obviously, but it was just as clear which made for great views of majestic Mt. Hood:

Walter and I both have a discerning palete ;) so I was glad to take him to a few of my favorite restaurants and to try a few new ones. 

The Screen Door is fast becoming an essential stop on my tour of Portland, especially as it was just named one of the city's top ten restaurants by Portland Monthly Magazine. Walter and I both enjoyed the fried chicken, and took pecan pies home for later!

In a first for me, we also ate at Cafe Castagna. The dining room was very noisy and not much to look at, but the service was quite good and the food was most enjoyable. After a long day of touring I felt like a heartier meal was in order, so I enjoyed a steak and pommes frites.

Finally, we had Bay 13 to ourselves on Wednesday evening as the city emptied out for the Thanksgiving holiday. The scallops I had were nicely done, but the sweet potato "risotto" bombed: it wasn't risotto at all, but rather minutely diced sweet potato chunks. Still, we had a nice conversation with the waiter about the state of restaurants in Portland and, oddly enough, about some of the trends in "green" building.

I'll post more about our trip to the Chinese gardens and our Thanksgiving feast at UP, but let me say it was just delightful to have Walter spend the week here in Portland and I'm looking forward to the chance to call on him in San Francisco sometime soon!

A Very Portland Friday

Yesterday I kicked-off the weekend in true Portland style. Stacey and I enjoyed dinner at Simpatica Dining Hall, which you may remember as the sight of an anniversary celebration for the Noems, Jim Gallagher and myself. (Josh was busy working but luckily was able to join us later in the evening.)

On that first visit to Simpatica I signed up for their weekly email newsletter, so I receive word of their upcoming menus and events.  When I saw this menu of traditional comfort foods I decided it was time for a return visit.  The menu was as follows:

Louisiana-Style Crawfish Pie

Radicchio Salad with Apples, Dried Cherries, Candied Pecans and Blue Cheese

Fork Tender Pot Roast with Shallots, Root Vegetables and Yukon Gold Potatoes

Classic Yellow Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting and Vanilla Ice Cream

It was a typically wonderful meal. I think my favorite part was actually the Crawfish Pie which was delightfully spicy and baked in a truly delicious pastry. The pot roast was excellent as well - but was definitely missing Grandpa's carrot gravy. Finally, the cake was very nice but a bit dense and therefore not exactly what Stacey and I perceived as the classic formulation. Still, it was a great meal - and as it turns out, a great start to the evening.

After dinner, Stacey and I met Josh at the Doug Fir Lounge - a trendy new bar, restaurant and music venue on Burnside Avenue. I have been wanting to try this place for quite some time as it has been favorably reviewed in several different local publications.

It really was quite the experience, not only because of the decor and setting but most of all because of the people watching it allowed us to do. It seemed to me that the mainly young people who were gathered for drinks and conversation were dressed to impress in the hottest most up-to-date styles. I felt like I had stepped into a fashion magazine. Of all the restaurants and bars I have visited in this city, the Doug Fir felt more like something out of LA than truly of the Northwest - but it was definitely fun for a change of pace.

After a drink or two Josh mentioned that the famous Voodoo Donuts had recently opened a second location not far from where we were. This seemed the perfect way to end the evening.

Voodoo is known for outrageous donuts with all sorts of toppings, the tamest of which involve either candy or cereal. While their first location in Old Town Portland is more in keeping with their edgy personality, this second location is nice because it has convenient parking and ample seating to relax and enjoy your crazy confection.

After another busy week, Friday proved to be a wonderful evening of food and friends. It left me recharged for a busy weekend and ready to host a special guest this coming holiday week. More on that in another post . . . 

Homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King (A)

On this last Sunday of the Liturgical year, the Year of Grace 2008, it is fitting that the Church celebrates a Solemnity in honor Jesus Christ the King. Contemplating the end of time, as we always do at the end of a liturgical year, we remind ourselves that all times and seasons belong to Christ. And so the end of time is not really something to fear, but rather a moment for Christians to eagerly anticipate as it ushers in the fulfillment of God’s kingdom for which we long and pray.

As I have said so many times before, the feasts and solemnities of the Church year are not merely opportunities to remind ourselves of some doctrinal truth – or to commemorate something that happened two thousand years ago during Jesus’ life. The feast and solemnities of the Church year tell us something about us, and how we are to live in the here and now as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are especially privileged, therefore, to be able to participate in a celebration of Baptism this weekend – because it is the Sacrament of Baptism that gives each of the Baptized a share in the kingship of Jesus Christ, which we commemorate with today’s feast.

In just a few minutes, after I baptize ______, you will hear me address her in these words:

“God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into His holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet and King, so may you live always as a member of His body, sharing everlasting life.”

Then I will anoint her on the crown of the head with the sacred chrism.

Brothers and sisters, it is by Baptism that we became Christians – or, anointed ones – and we are sent by the Father, as Christ Himself was, to be a priest, prophet and king of God’s coming kingdom.

I think it’s accurate to say that we don’t often think of ourselves as called to be priests, and prophets and kings – and yet by Baptism that is what we are. So let’s look briefly at each of these offices of Jesus Christ and what it means for us to have some share in them.

Priest

First, priesthood: in all religions of the world a priest is one who sanctifies and makes holy – who offers prayer and sacrifice to the deity. Jesus Christ is the only High Priest of our faith: His life, death and Resurrection sanctifies and redeems all of creation. It is His sacrifice of Himself, on the altar of the Cross, that reconciles us to the Father and restores us to God’s friendship.

Yes, ordained priests participate in Jesus’ priesthood in a special way and are called to sanctify the Church, the People of God, especially by giving them the Sacraments and preaching the Word of God. But all the baptized are given a share in Christ’s priesthood!

All the People of God are meant to offer the sacrifices of their lives for the sanctification of others and indeed the entire world. Spouses and parents, children and siblings are meant to offer themselves in the daily sacrifices, small and big, that love and family life require – and they are to do so precisely so that they may help make their spouse, or parent, or child, or sibling a more holy person and help ensure that they will indeed be welcomed into Heaven.


We should ask ourselves: Do we usually appreciate and actually live out our high calling to help make other people more holy and to sanctify the world to Christ? Do we properly understand our obligation to offer God prayer and praise, and do we participate in Mass accordingly?

Prophet

Next we are prophets: A prophet is someone who witnesses to the truth, and in the Christian sense, one who announces the kingdom of God and proclaims God’s will for the world. Throughout Jesus’ ministry His words and actions announced the advent of God’s Kingdom.

In word, He used parables to explain what God’s Kingdom was like and taught people how to live for the Kingdom. And in His actions, especially when he performed a miracle or healed someone, He used His power to give people an actual experience of that Kingdom.


All the baptized share in Jesus’ prophetic mission to announce that the Kingdom of God is here in our midst. Every part of our lives can be, and should be, transformed into a means of announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We should ask ourselves: Do our daily actions and our works of charity give others an experience of the joy, peace and healing of God’s Kingdom? Do we, in speech, tell others about the joy and new life we have found in Jesus Christ and invite them to experience this for themselves?

King

Finally, and directly related to today’s solemnity we can speak of Christ’s kingship and our share in it. A king is one who rules and governs a realm. A human king uses power, and sometimes violence, to order society and to exact loyalty, and fear, from the people of his realm who are his subjects.

Jesus is truly the King of the universe, and His kingship is so much a part of his essence and nature that it has become his very name: Jesus, the Christ. But Jesus’ kingship does not subjugate us under His rule and it certainly is not obtained by physical violence, or power, or fear.

Rather, Jesus’ kingship is a result of His self-giving love. God the Father gives Jesus dominion over all creation precisely because He was obedient to the Father’s will even to the point of giving Himself up to death on the Cross.

As King, Jesus does not seek to ensure His own security or power. Rather, He re-orders society and brings about justice by choosing to identify with the poor, the persecuted, the lowly and the voiceless, instead of with the rich or powerful. He actually becomes one of the lowly ones, as we heard in today’s Gospel.

All the baptized share in Jesus’ kingly mission. That is to say that we are given the opportunity to help bring about a more just ordering of society – an ordering of society that protects and defends the stranger, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the imprisoned, the sick, and all those whose human dignity and very lives are at risk.

We accomplish this in our own homes, as parents – in a sense governing family life – when we give order and discipline to our children as they grow and mature as humans and as Christians. We similarly help them in becoming mindful of justice and growing in care for those in need.

We also share in Jesus’ kingship when we, like Him, lay down our lives in service – working for greater justice in the realms of law and commerce, education and technology, science and medicine, and in all the other areas in which we work and study. By the choices we make in our occupations and vocations we can help re-order society and make it better reflect God’s justice and God’s will for humanity.


On this solemnity of Christ the King, we should ask ourselves if we recognize Jesus’ authority over every aspect of our lives? Do we respect our parents or our children and the proper order of a Christian home? Do we work in our business or study to defend the vulnerable and build a more just society? Do we recognize in the poor and defenseless the “troubling disguise” of Christ the King?

Friends, our Baptism made us members of Christ who is Priest, Prophet and King and it was a pledge of the eternal life that Christ wants us to share in. On this feast of Christ the King, let us examine our lives and live up to our high calling, so that when Christ comes again as King and Judge, He will be able to say to us “come, you blessed of my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

It's Official!

This past weekend Fr. Joe officially announced to the parish that he will be reassigned this summer. We in Holy Cross have known this for a little bit, but it was now time to make the news public. Joe will be moving to Notre Dame to begin working with the Alliance for Catholic Education.

In his remarks at all of the Masses this weekend Fr. Joe also officially announced that I will be leaving this summer as well. I received my assignment to graduate studies last winter and it was confirmed and announced to the Holy Cross community a few months ago. I have not been keeping this a secret, but for many people this weekend's announcement was the first time they knew for sure that I was leaving this July.

In the coming weeks I'll have the chance to write a brief explanation of my plans for the bulletin and I'll be sure to post that here for your interest as well.

"Homework"

Work in the rectory dining room has been taking up a good deal of my free time recently. I have finished painting the walls of the dining room proper. This involved two coats of the new golden yellow color:

Then I did additional prepping so that I could paint polyurethane stripes on the walls to give them a subtle wallpaper effect:

The final result is difficult to see in pictures . . . 

and pretty subtle in person as well. I think it looks good, but I'm wondering if it was worth the additional work. Perhaps a darker paint color would have shown the stripes better, but the room is so dark I wouldn't have wanted to go that route.

Anyway, I have also finished painting an auxiliary room just off the dining room and also installed a laminate tile floor in that area. More pictures will follow of those projects - and now all that remains is the wood laminate flooring in the dining room and some painting of trim.

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Just a few weeks ago, after looking over the parish's fall schedule and realizing how often he was away, the pastor offered me some time away in November. So, on short notice I used frequent flyer miles to book a ticket to Dallas to visit the Haleys, Wilhelmsons and Reimers.

The trip came at a most opportune time. I've been really busy recently, both with parish commitments and my work to finish the dining room renovation. And after beautiful weather during the month of October, the first 12 days of November saw nothing but rain. I was ready for a break, and grateful for the chance to get away.

I had the chance to see Kevin and Jeanette's new house for the first time, and to meet baby Paul Reimer, Joe and Val's firstborn. I spent some time with Nick and Shelley Wilhelmson and their son Brady, who was born a year ago during my last trip to the lonestar state. And I also got to catch up with Matt Wilhelmson, who is back in Texas after graduating from ND in May, and with the rest of the Wilhelmson clan.

On Friday morning I concelebrated and preached the school Mass at Holy Family School where Val Reimer teaches Kindergarten. This was the second time I've been invited to do this and I have very much enjoyed both visits.

I also had the chance to preside at Sunday Mass at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish where the Haleys, Reimers and Wilhelmsons all belong. I have been attending Mass there for years during all of my visits to Texas, but this was the first time I had the privilege of presiding at this beautiful new church.

On Friday evening Kevin, Joe, Matt and I went to Texas Stadium to watch first round games for the Texas high school football playoffs. I had never been to Texas Stadium before and this was probably my last chance as it will be torn down at the end of the season when the Cowboys move into their new home. Although it sounds kind of corny, I couldn't help but feel like I had walked into the final scenes of Friday Night Lights! It was amazing to think that so many people were gathered to watch a high school football game!

Of course, we also had to "fend off death by starvation" so we did plenty of great eating and drinking as well. Some of the highlights included a chopped beef sandwich at Sammy's Barbecue

and shrimp tempura tacos at the TCU student hangout Fuzzy's Taco Shop.

As always Kevin and Jeanette were most gracious hosts and it was a really wonderful weekend. I'm left wondering if the History department at the University of Texas at Austin is any good ;)

Go Ramblers !!

Sorry for the blog silence. There are lots of fun things to post about, but no time to do it! Look for a blast of updates later tonight and tomorrow.

In the meanwhile, check out this ESPN article on the Siegfried Rambler football team. Siegfried Hall was my residence hall when I was an undergraduate at Notre Dame. The dorm's mascot is the Rambler, which is a reference to an early nickname for the University's football team: "Rockne's Ramblers." Siegfried's interhall football squad is in the championship game this Sunday in Notre Dame Stadium! 

Go Ramblers!

Bishops' Meetings

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Pope St. Leo the Great and proclaims from St. Paul's Letter to Titus:

"A bishop, as God's steward must be blameless, not arrogant . . . a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents."

This week, the bishops of this country hold their Fall meetings in Baltimore, Maryland. We should pray daily for our bishops who have been called to this beautiful but most demanding ministry.

Today, in the first session of the conference's meetings, Francis Cardinal George of Chicago, the president of the Bishops' Conference and considered by many to be the conference's real intellect, had the following to say. I think you will find that his speech sounds notes that are almost identical to other texts you have found on these pages:

"We can rejoice today with those who, following heroic figures like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., were part of a movement to bring our country’s civil rights, our legal order, into better accord with universal human rights, God’s order . . .

 . . . We can also be truly grateful that our country’s social conscience has advanced to the point that Barack Obama was not asked to renounce his racial heritage in order to be president, as, effectively, John Kennedy was asked to promise that his Catholic faith would not influence his perspective and decisions as president a generation ago. Echoes of that debate remain in the words of those who reject universal moral propositions that have been espoused by the human race throughout history, with the excuse that they are part of Catholic moral teaching. We are, perhaps, at a moment when, with the grace of God, all races are safely within the American consensus. We are not at the point, however, when Catholics, especially in public life, can be considered full partners in the American experience unless they are willing to put aside some fundamental Catholic teachings on a just moral and political order . . .

. . . In working for the common good of our society, racial justice is one pillar of our social doctrine. Economic justice, especially for the poor both here and abroad, is another. But the Church comes also and always and everywhere with the memory, the conviction, that the Eternal Word of God became man, took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, nine months before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This truth is celebrated in our liturgy because it is branded into our spirit. The common good can never be adequately incarnated in any society when those waiting to be born can be legally killed at choice. If the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision that African Americans were other people’s property and somehow less than persons were still settled constitutional law, Mr. Obama would not be president of the United States. Today, as was the case a hundred and fifty years ago, common ground cannot be found by destroying the common good . . .

. . . (There are) those who would weaken our internal unity render the Church’s external mission to the world more difficult if not impossible. Jesus promised that the world would believe in him if we are one: one in faith and doctrine, one in prayer and sacrament, one in governance and shepherding. The Church and her life and teaching do not fit easily into the prior narratives that shape our public discussions. As bishops, we can only insist that those who would impose their own agenda on the Church, those who believe and act self-righteously, answerable only to themselves, whether ideologically on the left or the right, betray the Lord Jesus Christ . . .

. . . We extend that pastoral concern, especially at the beginning of a new administration and a new Congress, to Catholics of either major party who serve others in government. We respect you and we love you, and we pray that the Catholic faith will shape your decisions so that our communion may be full . . . "

Dining Room Update

It's been quite some time since I updated you on the renovations in our community dining room. Admittedly there was quite a slow down at the end of the summer, as I enjoyed some time away - and at the start of the school year, as I was busy with work.

But there has indeed been progress.  The florescent lighting has been removed and replaced with six ceiling cans and two hanging fixtures for above the table.

While the ceiling was down, we painted all of the tiles a light brown. I'm glad we were able to "hide" the the yellowed white tiles and to make the room feel a little smaller with a darker color.

The painting of the walls has also proceeded apace. I selected a pale golden yellow (the middle test color) for the walls. I've also purchased the laminate floor that will soon be installed, as well as the majority of the furniture and accessories, including new chairs for the dining room table.

More pictures and updates as the project continues.

Pork & Apple Pie

The past few weeks have been quite busy, and this past week particularly so.  The pastor has been away on retreat where he will remain until the end of this coming week. I've been covering all of the sacramental ministry, doing my usual homily preparation and RCIA teaching, and also preparing to train a new batch of altar servers and other liturgical ministers.

In the midst of all this busyness, and the darkness and wet of November in Portland, I've been pretty tired of late.  I was therefore very much looking forward to an evening of good food and friends to lift the spirits.

Luckily, this time of year our little group has a tradition of gathering for pork and apple pie - a good hearty meal for the fall and winter months, and made from the apples the Noems and I picked up on Mt. Hood.

As usual, Ken Hallenius was responsible for the filling and the pie crusts were made from the Gallagher family recipe. Only this year the baker was not Fr. Jim Gallagher, csc but his sister Mary. With Jim re-assigned to Notre Dame, the youngest of the Gallagher clan and newest member of the North Portland Social Club admirably took his place.

I hosted the event this year, and with our dining room still under construction (more on that in a bit) we ate in the community room.  It was a most enjoyable and restorative evening!

Homily for The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (A)

Today the Church commemorates the dedication, in the year 324, of the Lateran Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Rome. At first, it might seem odd that the Church celebrates a feast day for a building – we usually do that for people: the saints – but on the façade of this ancient church there is an inscription that helps give us a sense of why this building is so important that we celebrate its dedication each year.

In Latin, the inscription reads: “Omnium ecclesiarum urbis et orbis caput et mater,” which means “of all the churches in the city and the world, head and mother.”

You see, the Basilica of St. John Lateran is Rome’s cathedral church and therefore it is the seat of the Pope who is the bishop of Rome. So we can rightly say that St. John Lateran is indeed “the head and mother” of all the dioceses, cathedrals, and local churches spread throughout the world.

When we celebrate this feast we celebrate the universality and unity of the Church throughout the world. But the prayers and Scripture readings for this feast invite us to go still deeper, and to reflect upon (1) Jesus Christ as the new Temple, (2) His Body the Church, and (3) the temples of our own bodies.


Christ the New Temple

In today’s Gospel passage Jesus is “consumed with zeal” for His Father’s house. He sees the Temple of Jerusalem being turned into a marketplace, and in righteous anger, He chases the money-changers and vendors from the sacred precincts. St. John records that when the Pharisees ask Jesus to justify Himself, He says: “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

The Pharisees completely misunderstand His meaning, but when Jesus is crucified, and blood and water flow out from His pierced side, and after three days in the tomb He rises to new life, His disciples do understand.

They understand that Jesus is declaring Himself to be the new Temple, the fulfillment and replacement of the Temple in Jerusalem. No longer does God meet humanity in the house that Solomon built. God and humanity now meet in the very person of Jesus Christ, and Ezekiel’s prophecy from our first reading is fulfilled: the water he saw flowing from the side of the temple, now flows from the side of Christ’s body and it gives the new life of Baptism to all creation.

The Church is His Body

Our faith assures us that Jesus continues live in His body the Church. Time and time again we read in St. Paul’s letters that we who have been baptized are members of His body: each with a particular mission to carry out, but dependant upon the other members, and held together by Christ our Head. We baptized are “living stones” built together into the Body of Christ, the new temple within which God and humanity are restored to friendship.

Our church buildings are therefore more than merely a meeting place where Christians gather and celebrate the Liturgy. Churches are physical, tactile manifestations of the body of Christ, to which we all belong.

That is why so many of the very best churches throughout the Catholic world, like the Lateran Basilica and our own parish church, were built in the shape of the Cross upon which Jesus’ body hung. Here in stone and glass we have a physical representation of the Church, and Jesus Himself is the head.


That is also why the Church has always deemed it worth the cost of providing worthy, dignified, indeed beautiful decorations for its church buildings.

We know that holiness is beautiful . . . that’s why all the world was captivated by Mother Teresa, and throughout history the lives of the saints have been found to be so compelling. Their holiness is beautiful.

But just as holiness is beautiful, so too beauty is holy! Beauty, like goodness and truth, can only be the fruit of union with God. And so, if the church building is to be a true representation of Christ’s Body the Church, then the church building must be beautiful enough to our senses that it makes a life of holiness understandable and compelling. As we long for beauty in our lives, we should long too for holiness.

The Temple of our Bodies: The Dignity of the Human Person

And so we come to the final point of today’s feast. St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminds us that we “are God’s building,” we “are the temple of God,” and that “if anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person.”

This is the high dignity of the human person. We are not merely bodies; we are a unity of body and soul, and a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

So many things in today’s world, and in our own daily lives, threaten to “destroy God’s temple.” The violence of war and poverty, the scourge of pornography, the misuse of science and medicine all strip humanity of its dignity and treat the human person as a mere object or commodity.

And in our own daily lives, in our own hearts and minds, we come face to face with the ugliness of sin. We so often fail to think and act toward others in a way that respects their dignity and reverences the Spirit that dwells within them.

Like he did with the money-changers in the Temple, Jesus longs to drive these agents of death from our lives. He wants to rebuild us as a temple of His Spirit, and to replace the ugliness of sin with the beauty of holiness.

Brothers and sisters, it remains only for us to yield to these designs of the Divine Architect.

Homily for All Souls Day Vespers

Our Commemoration of All Souls is an opportunity to remember and pray for all the faithful departed: our deceased family and friends, and “all the faithful departed who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.”

On this day, and very often during the holiday season that is fast approaching, the spirits of these departed loved ones seem to hover particularly close to us. Our memories just seem to be filled with images of these dear ones whom we have lost.

And as much as the memories bring back some of the smiles and laughs that were shared in good times, they can also bring back some of the pains that were shared in times of sickness and loss, and they certainly waken the sense of emptiness we feel at their not being here among us.

Whenever we feel this ache of loss, or feel the helplessness of accompanying a loved one through suffering, or stand vigil as someone dies, we come face to face with our own human frailty and are left standing before a holy mystery, searching for a good word to speak.

As we all know, all to well, words seem to fail us at those moments. No word seems capable of capturing our emotion or of healing our loss.

At times like these there is really only one Word for us to speak: we speak the Word that hates death even more than we do.

As Saint Paul describes it, we speak the Word that became flesh, and suffered, and died, and rose to life again precisely so that we, the living and the dead, might belong to Him, and that we might have a share in His life which is more powerful than any sin or death.

When we have the faith and courage to utter, either through our voice or through our actions, that eternal Word, then we have spoken the only Word that makes any sense whatsoever – the only Word that so loves life, that so genuinely acknowledges the dignity of the human person that it sanctifies the moment of death and transforms it into the instant of re-birth.

As we pray for our all of our departed loved ones, for those many souls around the world who been victims of a culture of death, and for those who are dying this very day, let us proclaim with hope and confidence the Word that lives to die no more.

Published

Well, I'm not sure this is what I had in mind for my first publication in America Magazine . . . but a letter to the editor I wrote two weeks ago was printed in the most recent edition.

My comment is in reference to an editorial written by Most Rev. Blase Cupich of Rapid City, S.D.  His Excellency does a very good job of articulating the Church's belief that racism is morally unacceptable for a Christian.  He makes the point that this is an important lesson to remember as our nation goes to the polls. The bishop writes: "to allow racism to reign in our hearts and to determine our choice in this solemn moment for our nation is to cooperate with one of the great evils that has afflicted our society."  He is most certainly right.

But in making his point the bishop made reference to Archbishop Joseph Rummel, the man I wrote my undergraduate history thesis about. With due respect, the bishop was now very much in my territory.

Though edited in the magazine, my response appears here in its original form:

"Bishop Cupich is right to remind us of Archbishop Joseph Rummel, the courageous Archbishop of New Orleans who publicly excommunicated three lay Catholics, including a politician, for supporting the intrinsic evil of racism. Rummel is certainly a bishop to be proud of in our Church's history in this country. Ever since I studied Archbishop Rummel as a history major at Notre Dame, I have been wondering when we will have brave bishops in this era who are willing to publicly excommunicate Catholic politicians who support the intrinsic evil of abortion. Since Bishop Cupich appealed to that history, I am sure he would be willing to follow Archbishop Rummel's courageous legacy."