Category: Homilies

Greetings, Church fans! I’m back from the wilds of North Dakota where the townspeople of Scranton were being terrorized by an infestation of ring-necked pheasants! I did well. Joy the dog, well…let’s just say she has a few things to learn about bird hunting. Below is this week’s meditation on the Great Commandment regarding love of God, love of neighbor and love of self. To see a video of the homily, click here. To see the whole Mass, click here.

In the early 1970’s Gale Sayers was a force to be reckoned with in the NFL’s Chicago Bears.  He once scored six touchdowns in a single game. Mr. Sayers was a man of faith. The title for his memoir, “I Am Third,” came from his life’s motto: “The Lord is first, my friends are second, and I am third.” I suspect his motto came from today’s gospel passage from Mark regarding love of God, love of neighbor and love of self, also known as “The Great Commandment.” 

       The dynamic from which the Great Commandment emerges is the classic first century rabbinical ritual of learning. It was typically a three or four stage process. The ritual was in initiated when the student asked a very basic question.  In this case, the student asks, “Which is the greatest of the all the commandments?”  Every seven-year old Jewish kid would know the answer. It is the Shema Israel. “Hear O Israel…”  It begins Jewish morning and evening prayer even to this day. It declares that God is one and that we should love him with all our heart, soul, and strength. In the second part of the ritual of learning, the teacher is expected to respond by relating that very basic teaching to another one in the Law.  Here, Jesus links love of God, with the command to love of neighbor as found in Leviticus 19:18, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

       The ritual of learning was completed when the student replies with another insight built upon the previous two. In the passage from Mark, the scribe does this beautifully and gains the praise of the Lord.

       I find it particularly fitting that the Great Commandment for love of God, neighbor and self is brought forth in this ritual of learning. Loving and learning share a similar dynamic. They both require that we look beyond ourselves if we are to grow in love or in knowledge, and hopefully, virtue. 

       Love by its very nature focusses on relationship with the other. In this case, love of God is source and foundation of our relationship with others. We can love our neighbor because we  are in a loving relationship with the Almighty.  Love of self follows when we realize that we are lovable.          In a similar way, when we seek the truth, we have to realize that we don’t know everything. We must go first to the One who is Truth itself. Next we have to be open to learn from the wisdom of others.  In either instance, the Lord is first, others are second, and we are third.                   

Sometimes its just better to take Jesus at his word, even when the saying is hard. To view the video of the homily, click here. For the whole Mass, click here.

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So often, it seems that our modern society is motivated more by comfort than by truth. It is so much easier to do the comfortable thing rather than the right thing.  So, it should come as no surprise that when the modern mind is confronted with an uncomfortable teaching of Jesus in the gospel, our first reaction is to try to explain it away so that we may remain in our “safe zone.”

       Jesus’ teaching about it being as easy for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is good example of this. 

       I remember when I was in high school, we were taught that in ancient Jerusalem, there was a small door off to the side of the city gate called “The Eye of the Needle.” Once the city gates were closed, it was possible for a camel to get through, but it had to do so on its knees. The implication was that we also had to “get on our knees” if we wanted to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s a nice thought, but completely unfounded in reality.

       Fast forward a few years to the Angelicum in Rome and my class in the synoptic gospels with one of the foremost scripture scholars in the world. We came to this very passage in Mark 10, so I asked him about the whole “Eye of the Needle” thing.

       His answer was curt: “Hogwash! There was no such gate! Jesus did not mince his words. Jesus was talking big camel, little needle, tiny eye.” 

       I was crushed.  My whole life had been a lie.

       Well, not really. If you think about it, what Jesus is describing is even more grace-filled than what a well-meaning catechist tried to tell us way back when.

       So, what was Jesus getting at?

       First, wealth in and of itself is neither good nor evil. It simply gives you more choices. Just like any superpower in the Marvel universe, one will have to decide if he or she will use it for good for evil.

       Second, with ownership comes responsibility. Responsibility takes a lot of physical and psychological energy and most especially time. All too often this can become a huge stumbling block to following Christ. A golden lock and chain still binds.  A golden anchor still keeps you from going anywhere. 

       Third, with the choices that wealth brings, the temptation to pride is so very great. And quite frankly, left to our own devices we won’t make the right choices. Jesus is right. Without God, “for human beings, it is impossible.” 

       But thankfully, “for God, all things are possible.” When Christ is at the center of our lives, we realize that we are not owners, but stewards. We are not saviors, but servants. This gives us the freedom to use the gifts we have been given in a way that is pleasing to the giver, and to build those relationships with Christ and others that truly are “treasure in heaven.”

Does Jesus really want you to cut off your hand or your foot, or pluck out your eye? Not really, but he is making a really good point.

Watch the homily on our YouTube channel by clicking here,

or if you want to see the whole Mass, you can check it out here.

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     It is truly a gift to live in a different country and in a different culture for a number of years. One gains a great appreciation for one’s own country but you also get introduced to some really fun cultural practices of your host country. One of my favorite Italian customs is how certain parts of the country celebrate the coming of the new year. I had been told not to be out on the street at the stroke of midnight, but I was not told why. Being curious, I found a nice, sheltered place to observe what might go on. Sure enough, as soon as the new year rang in all kinds of things came flying out of the windows of the apartments, to explode into a million pieces as they hit the pavement. Toasters and mixers and power tools and computers and all manner of household items plunged to their ignominious deaths on the cobblestones below.

       I found out later that it is the custom in those parts that if some household item has been giving you fits throughout the past year, at the end of the year you simply throw it out the window along with all the stress that it has caused you. Thus, you can begin the new year cleansed of the little demon that has plagued you so and renewed in spirit. It’s fun!

       This is essentially what Jesus is getting at in this week’s gospel passage. Our Lord liked to grossly overexaggerate to drive his point home. Here he does it regarding sinful tendencies. Does he really want you to cut off your hand?  No, but the hand is for doing. If you find yourself doing things you shouldn’t, then get those things out of your life. Does he really want you to cut off your foot? No, but we go where we tell our feet to take us. If you find yourself going to places you shouldn’t, perhaps you need to get that place out of your life. Does he really want you to pluck out your eye? No, but the eye is for seeing. If you find yourself looking at things you shouldn’t perhaps you need to get those things out of your life (and off your phone).

       Like the coming of the new year, a change of seasons is a good time to make adjustments in our habits our, attitudes, even the configuration of our household. Is there something in your life that has been giving you trouble and keeping you from following Christ with your whole heart and soul and strength? Now is a good time to “throw it out the window” and begin anew. 

Howdy, Church fans!

[This week we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pretty darn cool! But why is this such an important feast for us Catholics? For a video of the homily, click here. For the whole Mass, go to our Facebook page by clicking here.]

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It doesn’t happen very often, but this weekend the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the “Dormition” of Mary in the Christian East, is celebrated on a Sunday.

       This makes sense when one understands that everything the Church says about Mary is really a statement about Christ. As the mother of Jesus, Mary had a very special relationship with him. By virtue of her unique vocation as the Mother of God, from the first moment of her conception she was preserved from the stain of Original Sin. While this means that she did not sin, it does not mean that she was protected entirely from the wages of sin, namely death.  Even Christ died.

       [St. Mary Major story; who is the child?]

       But if we truly believe in the resurrection of Christ from the dead and in the resurrection of our own bodies at the end of the age, then it is entirely fitting that because of her unique vocation and relationship with Christ, at the end of her life, the Blessed Virgin Mary would immediately enjoy the fruits of the resurrection. 

       The Sacred Tradition—namely that which has been handed on to us from the apostles and their successors—is unambiguous; that at the moment of her death Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven. Mary had carried the Divine Savior in her womb. Then she carried him in her arms. Mary held his limp body as it was taken from the Cross. Mary beheld him after his resurrection from the dead and she received the Holy Spirit with the Apostles at Pentecost. 

       There is no part of Mary’s life which is not intimately entwined with that of her divine Son. Why would she not also share fully with him in his resurrection? It does not make sense that her own immaculately conceived body would undergo the corruption of the grave. 

       The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also a powerful affirmation of our own resurrection. If our own lives are united with Christ, in due time we can be assured of our own resurrection.            

       To be a human being is a marvelous thing. We have a body and a rational soul.  No other creature under heaven can make this claim. (I could make a case for dogs having an emotional soul, but I digress.)

       There is a popular myth out there that when we die we become angels.  It makes for great literature and fun TV, but it limps theologically.

       No, we Christians believe in the resurrection of the body and life of the world to come.”

       Yes, at our death, the soul goes to rest with Christ and all the saints. That’s why we say, “Rest in Peace.”

       But at the end of the age, when Christ comes in glory and all things are made new, our lowly bodies, such as they are, will rise and we will become what God has created us to be. 

       Our ultimate destiny is not to become something else. Rather, our ultimate destiny is the perfection of all that we are, body and soul. 

       That’s what the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come is all about.

       So I guess if you think about it, our celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also a statement about ourselves. She who is the most beautiful of all of God’s creation-Mary, who is the fairest honor of the human race-she who because of her unique vocation and her intimate relationship with Christ enjoys even now the fruits of the resurrection, shows us what lies in store for those who persevere in faith.

       In celebrating the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we celebrate the resurrection of Our Lord and we are strengthened in hope as we “look forward to the resurrection from the dead and the life of the world to come…Amen”.

Howdy, Church fans! Here’s this week’s offering. The video of the homily can be viewed on our YouTube Channel by clicking here. The whole Mass can be seen on our Facebook page. Just click here. A summary of text is below.

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     We sometimes make mistakes when we first start something new. It is part of the learning process. So it was that immediately after I was ordained, I was assigned temporarily to my home parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe. That summer, this same set of readings came up.  Musing on Elijah’s experience in the crossing the desert and how God provided a hearth cake and jug of water, I mused, “What is in this hearth cake? It has to have over 5000% of every vitamin and mineral known to man! After just two helpings, Elijah walks forty days and forty nights across some of the most inhospitable territory on the planet!” Then came my mistake.  I asked, “If anybody has the recipe for this hearth cake, please let me know!”

       The baked goods began arriving the next day. Soon they covered the kitchen table and then the countertops. The dining room table was next. There were enough carbohydrates to feed a small village for a month and then some. The crown jewel as Mrs. Rita Wichorek, a lovely woman from Bavaria, who presented me with a confection weighing at least ten pounds. As she placed it on the table she exclaimed, “Vell, fater! I don’t know vat a heart’ cake is, but vould you like a German apfelkuchen!”

       I learned that day to be careful what you ask for from the pulpit, because through his people, God will provide all that you need and more than you can imagine. 

       This is echoed very loudly in the gospel as we continue reflecting on the Bread of Life Discourse. In the wake of feeding the multitude, Jesus reminds his listeners that just as God provided for the Hebrews, so he had provided for them in the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. It got their attention, but now he is upping the stakes. He is moving beyond bodily food to the “bread from heaven.” Those who eat this bread will never die.

       I cannot help but imagine Jesus pointing to himself as he says these words. He is indeed the Bread from Heaven.  He is all we need and more than we can imagine. Eventually, this will become concrete in the Upper Room when he transforms the Passover Supper into the very Eucharist we partake of in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. As such, it is appropriately referred to as “The Lord’s Supper.” 

       At their last meeting, the Pastoral Council recommended that we celebrate our 50th year as a parish reflecting on and celebrating the gift of the Eucharist.  It truly is the source and summit of all that we are and do as a parish family.  It is through the Eucharist that we receive all that we need and more than we can imagine. 

[This is the bare bones of the homily. If you want the meat, watch it on our YouTube channel here. The whole Mass is on our FaceBook page here.]

     The day after my ordination twenty-seven years ago, I preached on this gospel passage at my first Mass. Of course, with a little more experience comes a little more perspective. The story of Jairus’ daughter and the woman who is healed when she touches the edge of Jesus’ cloak has not changed. Yet, it speaks very differently to me now. There are three different encounters: Jairus with Jesus and the pressing crowd; the healing of the woman in the crowd; the raising of Jairus’ daughter at his home. We can learn from each one of them.

       Jesus was having a busy day. He has just finished the Sermon on the Mount, cured the Gerasene demoniac, and put a pig farmer out of business in the process. The encounter with Jairus happens just as he gets back on his home turf. It must have been something to see a leader in the community falling at the feet of Jesus. But Jairus is not there for himself.  He’s there for his daughter. He doesn’t want Jesus the rabbi, he wants Jesus the prophet. He pleads for healing.

       I like Jairus. He shows us that we should never be afraid to approach Jesus with our needs or the needs of others. We should not hesitate to ask the Lord of Life for that which will give life. It’s a way of affirming our reliance on God’s love and mercy.

       The woman with the hemorrhage is something else.  She had to be discrete, primarily because the nature of her condition rendered her ritually unclean. She could not go to the temple or synagogue, let alone approach Jesus openly for fear of giving scandal. How ironic to be so isolated in the midst of a large crowd. The striking thing here is that Jesus is not unaffected by the encounter. So it is with any of us who do any kind of ministry in the parish, whether it’s as a eucharistic minister, visiting the homebound, catechist, group leader. One cannot emerge from the encounter unaffected. Sometimes we wonder just who was ministering to whom.

       Finally, at the home of Jairus, we can learn that when our resources have been exhausted, God is just getting started. It’s interesting that they ridicule Jesus just before he performs the miracle. Jesus says, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” As people of faith, we need to take heed. How easy it is to let our fear overcome our faith and forget that miracles really do happen even in the present day. We should never be afraid to ask for the miracle. 

       There is much to learn from each part of the story in today’s Gospel reading. May we have the faith to approach the Lord in our need, confident that he still wants to work the miracle of his grace in our lives.

Happy Father’s Day! Jesus calms the storm; but there is much more going on here than meets the eyes. Deacon Mick shares how we can weather the storms of life and emerge cleansed and renewed in faith. The text of his homily is coming soon. The video is on our YouTube channel here. The whole Mass is on our Facebook Page here

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(Yes, the text of his homily will be here soon.)

[Behold! The text of the homily. Check out the video on our YouTube channel here. If you want to see the whole Mass, you can check it out on our Facebook page here.]

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     To what shall I compare the parish family of St. Patrick’s?

     It is like a cottonwood seed. It is the tiniest of little seeds, about a tenth of the size of the head of a pin.  Released from its pod, it floats on the wind, lingers on the sidewalk and eventually finds root where in no time at all, it grows first the sapling, and then the branches, growing up to four feet a year.  In no time at all it becomes the largest of trees in Alaska. Soon it grows its own pods and sends its seeds upon the wind, where they cover lawns and sidewalks, affix themselves to screens and find their ways indoors. We know not how.  It’s just part of life up here.

       I am convinced that if there were cottonwood trees in first century Palestine, Jesus would have used them instead of the mustard seed to illustrate the Kingdom of God. The cottonwood, (Populus deltoides), are a first generation tree, usually the first to sprout up, hold the soil and provide cover for other flora and fauna after a receding glacier or wildfire. Mature cottonwoods can grow over 150 feet tall, have a canopy of 75 feet and a trunk over 6 feet in diameter. But it all starts with that little bitty seed.

       I look at the big cottonwood trees that rise up from the ground to the heavens. Then I look at that little bitty seed…and I wonder…

       How does it know? How does that itty bitty seed contain everything you need to grow one of those huge trees?

       Any geneticist or botanist can tell you the answer, of course, but it is still pretty incredible that something so huge could come from something so small. 

       It’s the same for us as a parish.

       We started out so very small, with 124 families,   carved out of territory St. Anthony Parish on the Feast of St. Francis, October 4, 1971.  We took root first in the Chester Valley School,

       “St. Chester’s of the Valley”  

       Then in the Tara Lounge

              Then in what is now the Deacons Hall

              Paid for by the Great Alaska Pipeline Classic where people bought chances the date, time and minute that the first barrel of oil would make it from through the pipeline to the terminal in Valdez.

       Twenty-five years ago on May 5, 1996, we dedicated the new church.

       Now, on the eve of fifty years, we have registered 930 families, serving in 48 identified ministries within the parish and the local community.

       So, if we are to run the parable of the cottonwood tree to its conclusion,

       I would say that while we are no longer a sapling, we have not quite matured as a parish.

       Nevertheless, I believe that we are poised for our next big growth spurt.

But how do we do so? 

       First, by the joyful and reverent celebration of the sacraments of the Church

       The liturgy evangelizes and teaches. 

       It is the source and summit of all we do. 

       It is the first priority of the parish. 

Soon after I arrived I formed the Liturgy Committee which is made up of the coordinators of all the liturgical ministries in the parish.

       As you can see, their efforts have born great fruit in the worship of our community, especially during the pandemic, and now into the future.

Second, by the intentional formation of disciples of Jesus Christ.

       So often we think of faith formation as something for our young people.

       First in pre-school and then in middle and high school and then confirmation

       And then what? 

              That is not an ending, it is a beginning.

       You never stop learning how to be a better disciple,     

              You can never exhaust the mystery of Christ or his Church.

       As St. Peter says, we should always be ready to give an account of the joy that is within us.

       To help us in this,

       Last July, we welcomed Mary Allison, our new Director of Catechetical Ministries. In consultation with the Catechetical Ministries Team, Mary has spent the last year evaluating past catechetical programs and developing a new program of faith formation to meet the needs of all parishioners from 9 months to 99 years and beyond. 

       Third, the parish evangelizes.

              Both ourselves withing the parish and then the local community in which we find ourselves.

       This is important.

              If we live this life joyfully and with faith,

                      It will be attractive.

       Remember if your entire life is spent bringing just one other person to Christ

       Is it not a life well spent? 

       For this pillar of our mission, this past fall, we formed the Evangelization Parish Life Team, comprised of all the ministries of evangelization, whether their focus was spiritual, social or service.  We looked at the needs and opportunities before us.  Then, earlier this year, we developed the position of Director of Evangelization, compiled a job description, recruited and held interviews. 

       I am happy to announce that on July 1^st of this year,  we will welcome Ms. Emily Brabham as our new Director of Evangelization and Parish Life. Emily’s first task will be to revitalize Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the parish while supporting the various other service, social and prayer ministries of Evangelization.

       But none of these pillars of our mission, the joyful and reverent celebration of the sacraments, the intentional formation of disciple of Jesus, or the evangelization of ourselves and our neighbors can stand alone.

       We need a body to consult with the pastor to help discern needs and opportunities and to help with coherent pastoral planning. 

       To that end, I am happy to announce that on June 23^rd the Pastoral Council will hold its first meeting. I thank you all for your prayerful discernment of its membership.  I will be introducing them to you next week!

       So, there is a lot going on here in our little part of the Kingdom.         I’m convinced that if there were cottonwoods in first century Palestine, Jesus would have used them instead of the mustard seed to illustrate the Kingdom of God. It only takes the tiniest seed of faith to make a great saint.  It only takes one parish family to change the world in 99504. 

[Deacon Mick had a great homily on the three aspects of the Eucharist on Corpus Christi this weekend. You can catch the homily here on our YouTube channel. The whole Mass is on our Facebook Page here.]

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The origin of the Feast of Corpus Christi

goes back to the high Middle Ages. 

It’s a moment to reflect

on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist,

The real presence –

the absolute reality of the bread and wine

becoming through Transubstantiation

not a symbol, not a representation but

the actual body and blood of our savior Jesus Christ.

The source and summit of and a beloved truth of

our Catholic Faith. 

About 45 years ago or so, the Feast of Corpus Christi

was combined with the Feast of the Precious Blood. 

So today at this Mass —— we celebrate the Feast of

the Body and Blood of Christ.

Our readings today

look at three different Eucharistic dimensions of the Mass:

power, —— presence —— and promise.

The Letter to the Hebrews today

takes us back to the great Temple sacrifices in Jerusalem

to show us the power of the Mass. 

Our Gospel reading takes us to the Last Supper

to show the real

and continuing presence of Christ among us in the Eucharist. 

Today’s reading from the Book of Exodus

takes us to the mountain of the covenant

to show that the Eucharist

is the place where the promise of God

and the promise of His people still come together.

Power, presence, and promise.

First, the power of the Mass

and a brief time trip to the Jerusalem temple. 

The letter to the Hebrews gives us a snapshot

of the Temple liturgy on the Day of Atonement,

Yom Kippur, and the ritual slaying of bulls and goats. 

In fact,

the temple back then had a whole array of sacrifices.

They all involved death

and the substantial sheding of blood. 

There was a whole array of sacrifices:

there were sacrifices to atone, to thank,

to adore,  to make peace,

and to make requests/petitions,

all of them striving, straining,

trying and yearning to achieve what Jesus did on Calvary, —— the perfect, complete sacrifice.

The Mass today is the true sacrifice

and all the bloody rituals in the Old Testament

were early symbols

foreshadowing what Christ would do. 

The Mass – this Mass makes present Christ’s powerful,

unique Calvary sacrifice. 

Today’s Mass however —  makes present the single,

all-powerful sacrifice of Christ with two differences.

First – the pain, the crowds,

the blood, the agony are gone. 

It’s an unbloody sacrifice. 

Secondly, we can add our prayers to Christ’s. 

It’s as though the Mass is

a powerful rocket

on which we can piggyback our prayers. 

We can fuse our petitions, big and small,

to the great powerful calvary sacrifice of Christ. 

That’s the power of the Mass.

In today’s Gospel reading,

we go from the Jerusalem Temple to the Last Supper. 

Jesus says, “This is my Body, this is my Blood.” 

Christ is present among us in many ways but

here in the Eucharist,

the Lord Jesus is present fully, substantially

and in an unobstructed way. 

Sometimes you hear people say,

we can see Christ in our neighbor. 

But that’s often difficult to do because

people’s personalities present a lot of interference

and Christ may be manifested in different ways. 

But in the Eucharist,

the Lord is present without obstructions

in a complete and total way. 

That’s the symbolism

of the red lamp

that we have displayed on the wall near the tabernacle,

it signifies the real presence of our Lord.

When we come to church,

we don’t have the hope that Christ will be here. 

He Is here! 

His presence does not depend on our mood,

our degree of faith

or whether we are in the state of grace. 

Christ is truly here. 

The Eucharist is the place of presence. 

And Christ will stay with us until the end of time. 

Who knows what changes will occur in the Church

over the next thousand years? 

But a thousand years from now,

in every Catholic Church

there will always be a tabernacle. 

Maybe in the middle, maybe the side,

but there will always be a tabernacle.

It’s the living presence of Christ

in all our joys and sorrows,

with us on our life’s journey

like the ark of the covenant that

traveled with the Israelites wherever they went. 

The Eucharist is the sacrament of Christ’s presence.

Finally, the reading from the Book of Exodus

takes us to the holy mountain

and the Lord’s promise to be with His people

and their promise to be faithful to his law.

“We will do everything the Lord has told us.” 

The Mass is the place of promise. 

When we receive  Holy Communion worthily,

we are promised that

we will be one with the Lord someday, face to face.

The Eucharist is also the place

of our promise to be faithful,

to be loyal to Christ and to his Church,

to be in communion with the Church. 

If we receive Communion on the tongue,

we are promising that

our tongue will not lie, deceive, slander,

gossip or speak in an un-Christian way. 

If we receive communion in our hand,

we are promising that

we will not turn our hands to violence or destruction

or hatred or anger but

will use them to build up the kingdom.

Whether we receive Holy Communion,

on the tongue or in the hand,

both eloquent and ancient gestures of commitment,

We need to understand and remember that

we are touching and consuming

the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ

not a piece of bread or a sip of wine.

It’s a time of reverence where

we are making a recommitment of our lives to Christ. 

And when we say “Amen,”

We should say it boldly

not amen but AMEN because we are not only making an affirmation of faith — of “I believe” but

are also making a promise to follow Christ faithfully. 

The Mass is the place of promise,

God’s promise to us of future glory,

our promise of fidelity.

Power, presence, and promise.

It’s important that we keep the Mass holy. 

It’s our Temple of a powerful sacrifice,

our table of unity around the real presence of Christ,

and our mountain of promise of fidelity

to Christ and his Church.

The Eucharist is

the greatest gift we have on this earth. 

It comes from the very hand of God. 

If we keep close to the Mass,

to the Eucharist,

wherever we are,

we will always be close to Christ.