The Essence of True Faith

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 1, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Dt 4:1-2, 6-8 / Ps 15 / Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 / Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the essence of true faith and how we live it out in our daily lives.  The common thread running through these scriptures is the call to authenticity: living out our faith not merely through external observances but from a place of deep inner conviction and transformation.

In our first reading, we embrace the wisdom of God’s law. Moses emphasizes the importance of observing God’s commandments. These laws are not just rules to follow. They are a source of wisdom and a means of maintaining a close relationship with God. Moses reminds the Israelites that, by living according to God’s statutes, they demonstrate their closeness to God and their wisdom to the nations.

We can observe that nowadays secular values often dominate. We are called to uphold the wisdom of God’s teachings. These commandments are not burdens but guides to living a life that reflects God’s love and justice. We must ask ourselves: Do we see God’s laws as mere restrictions, or do we recognize them as a pathway to true freedom and wisdom? By living according to these teachings, we become witnesses to God’s presence in the world. Showing others the beauty of a life lived in harmony with divine wisdom.

James, in our second reading, reminds us that every good gift comes from God and that we are to respond to these gifts by being doers of the word.  It is not enough to listen to the teachings of Christ. We must put them into practice. James gives us a clear image of what this looks like: caring for those in need and keeping ourselves pure from the corrupting influences of the world.

In a world where it is easy to hear the word without allowing it to transform our lives, James challenges us to live out our faith in concrete actions. Being Christians is not about what we say or even what we believe in our hearts. It is about what we do. How do we care for the marginalized, the vulnerable, and those in need? Are we willing to live out our faith in ways that might be uncomfortable or challenging? This reading encourages us to look at our lives and ask, are we truly living as doers of the word? Or have we become complacent, content with merely hearing and not acting?

In today’s gospel, we see a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees over the issue of ritual purity. The Pharisees, along with some Scribes, questioned Jesus why His disciples eat with unwashed hands, which, according to Jewish tradition made them unclean.

Jesus’ response goes beyond the surface of the ritual and delves into the heart of what true purity and holiness are about. His words challenge us to reflect on the authenticity of our faith and the motivations behind our religious practices.

There is a story about an old Jewish rabbi who was in a Roman prison. Rabbi Akiba was on a minimal ration of good and water. It was just enough for him to survive. One of the rabbi’s students asked the warden if he could bring in more water for the rabbi. The warden agreed. As time passed, the rabbi grew weaker and weaker. Finally, it became necessary to call a doctor. The old man’s problem was diagnosed as dehydration.

The doctor’s report confused prison officials. They could not understand how the rabbi could be dehydrated. He already had enough supply of water to drink. The guard was told to watch the old man closely to see what he was doing with his water. It was then that the mystery was solved. The guards discovered that the rabbi was using almost all his water to perform religious ritual washings before he prayed and before he ate. As a result, he had little water left to drink.

In the heart of the matter, in the gospel, Jesus challenges the Pharisees and Scribes who focus on external rituals while neglecting the more important matters of the heart. Jesus makes it clear that true defilement not from external sources but from within, from the evil thoughts and desires that reside in the heart. This teaching cuts to the core of what it means to live a life of faith. It is not about appearances but about the purity of our intentions and actions.

Rabbi Akiba’s story helps us to understand today’s gospel. It helps us to understand also why the Jewish leaders are surprised when they see Jesus’ disciples eat without performing the ritual of washing, which they are accustomed to do before eating their meal. The Lord uses their criticism to point out what is essential, and this essential is the heart of morality. The heart of morality is no other than the heart of a person.

The Pharisees and Scribes were known for their strict observance of the law, particularly the external rituals that were meant to signify cleanliness and holiness. However, Jesus exposes the danger of adhering to rituals without understanding their true purpose. The problem wasn’t the washing of hands itself but the elevation of the tradition above the commandment of God. Jesus quotes Isaiah saying, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.”

This warning is not just for the Pharisees but for all of us. We must ask ourselves, are our religious practices, our prayers, our Mass attendance, our acts of charity done out of genuine love for God and neighbor? Or have they become mere routine, empty of meaning? We need to be vigilant that our external expressions of faith are always rooted in a heart that seeks to love and serve God.

Jesus’ message in today’s gospel calls us to authentic faith and worship. God desires a relationship with us that goes beyond mere observance of the rules. He wants our hearts. Authentic worship is not just about what we do or say but about who we are in the depths of our being. It’s about the heart transformed by God’s love, a heart that seeks to love God and neighbor with sincerity and humility.

The readings for this Sunday challenge us to move beyond superficial expressions of faith and to embrace a deeper, more authentic relationship with God. By observing God’s commandments, being doers of the word, and focusing on the purity of our hearts, we can live out our faith in a way that truly honors God and reflects His love to the world.

As we go about our lives, let us remember that true faith is lived out in actions that flow from a heart transformed by God’s love. Let us commit to being people who not only hear the word, but embody it, allowing our faith to be a source of life, wisdom, and grace in a world that so desperately needs it.

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist Brings Order to Our Life

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 25, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b / Ps 34 / Eph 5:21-32 / Jn 6:60-69
by Rev. Mr. Mark De La Hunt, Permanent Deacon

The Holy Spirit rewrote my homily this morning. He has never done that before. He wrote this homily on Saturday morning in two hours and forty-five minutes, when it normally takes me twelve hours over the course of a month. I am sharing that with you, because I am guessing the Holy Spirit did this because He knew people were going to come to Mass this weekend needing to be healed of something or needing to have their life reordered in a way that was not going to happen with my first homily.  He reoriented my homily to be more about testimony, sacraments, and life than about scripture and apologetics (i.e., defense of the faith).

The Holy Spirit highlighted five verses from today’s gospel on John 6. As I pondered them, I saw them as a summary of our life with the Holy Trinity.

• We say, “This saying is hard, who can accept it (Jn 6:60)?”
• Jesus, somewhat sarcastically says, “For this reason I have said to you no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father (65).”
• Still, instead of surrendering to His Father’s will we act on our own and, “As a result of this many of His disciples returned to their former way of life (Jn 6:66).”
• Jesus asks those of us remaining, “Do you also want to leave (67)?”
• We, the mystical body of Christ respond, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God (68-69).”

(By the way, guess what the verse is for “They returned to their former way of life”? It is 66, as in Jn 6:66. This was not a clever writing technique by the apostle, John. The Bible did not come with chapters and verses; they were added hundreds of years later by the Catholic Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.)

If the Holy Spirit guided the numbering of the verses, then verse 66 must be important to us. What does it mean to return to our former way of life? For the Jews that day, it meant returning to a life where death was final, and where some religious rituals had become corrupted: things like getting a bill of divorce for practically any reason and stopping financial assistance for aging parents by dedicating that money to the temple (Mt 15:3-6).

Similarly, before Jesus came and established the Catholic Church, the former way of life in Rome and Europe was one of worshipping creation, what we call pantheism and paganism. They also worshipped manmade idols that represented many gods. Under these beliefs, the strong dominated the weak. Men dominated women. The wealthy dominated the poor and abandoned the sick when plagues came through. Wealthy men received an education, not the poor and not women. Sex was an act of domination, not love. Infanticide was common, especially if the baby was female (Hahn 75).

The horror show I just described is why Joshua and the Israelites in the first reading chose the one true God over the many gods of their neighbors. Their neighbors’ many gods demanded sacrifice of them (including of babies for the god Baal).  Their one true God, whom we know as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, sacrificed Himself for our good.

As crazy as the former way of life in Rome and Europe sounds, many of those horrors are happening again as more and more people turn away from the one true God.  Infanticide was common in China when their atheist (no god) government forced the one-child policy on their people. Tragically, infanticide happens in our country too. Also, in our country, the young and the strong can legally kill the old and the sick under the sinisterly named movement “Death with Dignity.” Domination and degradation of women is everywhere and is glorified. Education is trending down, especially for the poor. Marriage is being redefined to be “anything goes,” while traditional families are struggling to survive. Even our fundamental identity as men and women is being redefined and worse, becoming undefined.

The world is moving from order to disorder. One God brings order to the world. Many gods or no-god brings the world disorder or chaos. This is true for the world as a whole, for governments, and for us in our personal life. Even authentic religions that have been around since before Jesus have significant disorder, such as no hope of an eternal life with no more pain and no more tears. These ancient religions often have no respect and love for the poor and weak either. Mother Teresa was once asked by Jansenist priests in India to care for one of their sick priests, because their religion forbade them to do so.

Ok. That is a lot, and it can be disturbing and rob us of our peace. Let’s turn away from the darkness now and focus on the Light. If we want order and sanity and peace in our lives, we must center them on Jesus, the one true God. How do we center on Him?  First, we center our life on Him in the Eucharist.

Henri de Lubac, a French priest and prominent theologian, said it this way, “If we are to grow in love and holiness, we must make the Eucharist the center of our lives, because in doing so, we make Christ the center of our lives. If we receive Christ worthily in the Eucharist and worship Him in Eucharistic adoration, He will fill us with His grace and enlarge our hearts to love and serve more perfectly (Martin 131).”

Here is a story about Jesus in the flesh, in the Eucharist bringing order and sanity and peace into the life of a seventeen-year-old boy, right here in Holy Name of Mary about fifteen years ago. He was a tall altar server who towered over Fr. Sal (inside joke). He participated in parish faith formation, youth group mission trips, DYC, and diocesan retreats. But he found his life to be a struggle and confusing, especially the tension between teenage hormones and Catholic teaching. Know what I mean teenagers, and twenty somethings, and thirty somethings, etc.?

He came to church on Wednesday evening for confession, and afterwards walked into the nave to pray his Fr. Sal penance of one Our Father and One Hail Mary in thanksgiving for God’s forgiveness. On Wednesday’s there is also Adoration, so Jesus’ body in the Eucharist was on the altar in the monstrance.

The young man bowed down his head in prayer, but then heard a Voice say, “Noah, look up. I am right here.”  He blew it off as being his own thought and kept his head bowed down. The Voice came again, tenderly, “Noah, look up. I am right here.”  Noah told me that at that moment, he went from knowing about God to knowing God deep down, as a loving Father who is merciful and who is with him and for him.  This was especially poignant, since Noah had just come out of Confession.

By the way, what Noah experienced could be described as an awakening of the Holy Spirit’s gift of knowledge noted in Isaiah 11, which we all received in the Sacrament of Confirmation. It had been dormant, but Jesus in the Eucharist sent the Holy Spirit to Noah to fan it into flame. In a way, Noah had experienced a theophany.

I asked Noah to explain the Voice. He said it was not a sound, and it was not a thought. I asked him how he knew it was not a thought. He went on to describe it with the same phrase that the woman in my Eucharist story from my last homily used (It is as if the Holy Spirit is at work here 😉).  Remember how the smell of candles by the monstrance brought her back to her grandma’s house and her grandma’s hug and a feeling of safety? She told me that the feelings were “even more intense than when grandma was alive?”  Noah told me that the Voice was “more intense” than a thought. And the Voice did not come as thoughts do; it did not feel like his thought. It came from outside, not from within.

This is how the Holy Spirit moves through the Body of Christ. He speaks to all of us and even uses the same words like “more intense.” Noah and that woman do not know each other and have never met.

Noah and that woman, though, know their answer to Jesus’ question, “Do you also want to leave [Me]?”  They and all of us, say with Peter, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life -this is My body…this is My blood.”  If the homilies are boring, or the music is lifeless, or the people in the pews next to us are cold, we still come faithfully for Mass and for Adoration. In other words, we come for Jesus in the flesh.

We don’t just have a personal relationship with Jesus; we have an intimate relationship with Him. Because it is not just spiritual, but is also physical (flesh and blood) in the Eucharist, it is “more intense” than a personal relationship! That is why today’s second reading is about marriage, the most intimate and intense relationship two human beings can have. In the marital embrace, one man and one woman give themselves to each other mind, body, and soul, withholding nothing including their fertility. This becoming one in the flesh in marriage is a sign of the Eucharist.

At Holy Communion, Jesus, the groom, waits for His bride (us) at the altar and consummates that relationship by entering into us: body, soul, and divinity. The entirety of scripture from Genesis to Revelation builds up to the Eucharist here on earth that we may be at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb at Mass and in heaven when we are born to eternal life. John saw this in a vision and wrote about it in the book of Revelation.

Before their wedding day, the bride and groom go to Confession to empty their soul of disordered things, so that there is room for all the grace and order God desires to pour into their newly married life. So too, we should go to Confession regularly to make room in our soul for all the grace and order our Groom desires to give to us in the Eucharist.

If you have not been to Confession in a long time, you need to go. You are in spiritual danger. People do not just wake up one day and commit mortal sin, wrecking their life and the lives of others. This happens after a thousand small bad decisions or venial sins are committed but not confessed. Confession opens our eyes to our sinfulness, blots out those sins, and protects us from making a terrible mistake.

Here are a few takeaways.

1. To center our life on the Eucharist is to center our life on Jesus (Martin 131).
2. When our life is centered on Jesus, we become free, free from oversensitivity to criticism and from a need for honor, wealth, power, and pleasure.
3. Free from those disordered desires, we have a greater capacity to receive Jesus’ grace so that we can love others as Jesus loves us, unconditionally. St. John Paul II said freedom is measured by our capacity to love.
4. Therefore, when centered on the Eucharist, our life becomes ordered through Jesus, increasing our capacity to love our spouses, our parents, our friends, and, quite frankly, to be better evangelists.

To increase your centeredness on Jesus in the Eucharist, sign up for the next Holy Name of Mary all-night adoration. It begins every fourth Saturday of the month, starting at 7 PM.  Or go to adoration at Holy Name of Mary on Wednesdays between 10 AM and 6:45 PM. If you show up at 5 PM, like Noah in the story, you can go to Confession while you are there, to make as much room in your soul as possible for all the grace Jesus wants to give you. Stay a little longer, and you can even go to Mass at 7 PM, scoring a Catholic hat trick (hockey reference) of grace with these three encounters with Jesus.

If, after all I have shared, you still struggle to see Jesus in the Eucharist, or you start to struggle months from now, then turn to His mother. She always leads us to her Son. Let’s turn to her help now.

Mother Mary, you first held baby Jesus in the town of Bethlehem, which means house of bread, and placed Him in a manger where animals go for sustenance. When we come forward for Holy Communion today, share with us what you saw when you first looked upon your Son in the Eucharist and share with us the joy you experienced at carrying Him again in your body. Amen.

Citations

1. Francis Martin & William M. Wright IV. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture – The Gospel of John. Baker Academic 2015.
2. Scott Hahn. Evangelizing Catholics – A Mission Manual for the New Evangelization. The St. Paul Center 2014.

Eucharistic Revival – Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 28, 2024 — Year B
Readings: 2 Kgs 4:42-44 / Ps 145 / Eph 4: 1-6 / Jn 6: 1-15
by Rev. Mr. Mark De La Hunt, Permanent Deacon

Today is the first of five Sundays dedicated to the sixth chapter of John’s gospel, which is Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist. To place a greater emphasis on the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of the Catholic faith, Father Nixon and I will alternate preaching over these five Sundays. This is our way of participating in the Eucharistic Revival that the United States Catholic Church is in the midst of.

The big moment of the Eucharistic Revival occurred July 17-21, in Indianapolis, Indiana, the first National Eucharistic Congress in eighty-three years. Tens of thousands of on-fire Catholics gathered there to “encounter the living Jesus Christ, be healed and unified by His Real Presence, and to be sent out “for the life of the world (Revival).”

The prophets of our time gathered with them, Bishop Barron, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Sr. Miriam, James Heidland, Fr. Josh Johnson, Matt Maher, Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Jackie Angel, Sr. Josephine Garrett, Fr. Boniface Hicks, Jonathan Roumie, and Deacon Larry Oney and Fr. Dave Pivonka who led tent revivals at HNM, and many of your other favorites. Leading up to the Eucharistic Congress, four Eucharistic processions, walking with Jesus in the Eucharist from the north, south, east, and west collectively processed 6,500 miles to Indianapolis. Their procession paths formed the shape of a cross, blessing our entire nation.

I am challenging all of you to make this Sunday and the next four a personal Eucharistic Revival. Read and pray over John 6 while asking the Holy Spirit to reveal what the Eucharist means for your life. My license plate, by the way, is John6, because it is so essential to our faith, to bringing people to Jesus in His Catholic Church, and to His making all Christians one in His body again, as He intended from the beginning and as it was for over 1,500 years. Here is a trailer for John 6.

1. In this Sunday’s gift, we sit with the five thousand Jesus fed from a few loaves.
2. That miracle points to next Sunday, August 4, when Father Nixon will preach on the passage where Jesus tells the people that Moses didn’t give their ancestors manna from heaven, but His Father. He then tells them, “I AM the bread of life (Jn 6:35).”
   2. a. Side note. In this gospel Jesus refers to Himself with the name God gave for Himself to Moses in the burning bush, “I AM (Exodus 3:14).” Jesus is God. That is fundamental to understanding the Eucharist, for what God says, is.
3. In the passage on Sunday, August 11, I will preach on how Jesus responds to His followers’ disbelief with even stronger words, “I AM the living bread…whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh (Jn 6:51).”
4. On Sunday, August 18, Father Nixon will preach how Jesus’ followers begin to argue among themselves over this. The people asked, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat (Jn 6:52)?”  Jesus answered them, “…my flesh is true food and, my blood is true drink (Jn 6:55).”  (Pay attention on how when we reject the Eucharist, we lose unity. Unity among Christians and unity within our families.)
5. Finally, on Sunday, August 25, I will preach on the passage where we hear the sad news that because of this teaching, “many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him (Jn 6:66).” Think about how sad it is that these people, so hungry for God, were fed by Him but rejected His teaching because it did not fit their personal beliefs, so they returned to their unmet hunger. Jesus asks the twelve if they will reject Him too, and Peter responds for all Catholics down through the ages, saying in all humility, “You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God. (Jn 6:68-69).”

Ok, you have seen the trailer, now you are ready to start streaming Episode One, today’s gospel. Once I have spoken about the theology, I will share a local Eucharist story related to today’s gospel and wrap up with how to apply the theology and the story to your life.

Notice what Jesus did with the five barley loaves that the boy had. John wrote, “Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them (Jn 6:11).”  Matthew recalled the same miracle this way, “Taking the five loaves…and looking up to heaven, [Jesus] gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people (Mt 14: 19).”

Matthew emphasized the priesthood with the disciples distributing the bread to the people. By the way, Luke and Mark also emphasized the priesthood. However, John, in his profoundly Eucharistic chapter 6, emphasizes that the bread comes from Jesus by having Him give it to the people.

One more detail that ties the passage to the Eucharist when we look at the spiritual meaning. What did Jesus ask them to do when all had eaten? “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted (Jn 6:12).”  What does Father have me do after all of you have eaten the Bread of Life? He has me gather all the leftover Eucharist and place it in the Tabernacle to feed others during the week. And as for the fragments and crumbs, I meticulously wipe them out of the bowls, into the chalice with water and any drops of Jesus’ precious blood that are left as well. Then I consume them “so that nothing [sacred] will be wasted.”

By the way, when the deacon is doing this, the priest quietly prays, “What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart, that what has been given to us in time may be our healing for eternity.”

That wraps up the theology of today’s gospel; here is the Eucharist story. As I reflected on the left-over fragments in the gospel, it evoked a memory of First Holy Communion at Holy Name of Mary this year. Father became ill during Mass, before consecrating the bread and wine. While he was being cared for, I led the congregation in praying the rosary. Once Father was safely on his way to the hospital, I went to the tabernacle and opened the ciborium while a parishioner finished leading the congregation in praying the rosary. The ciborium was about half full, and it is a small ciborium.

The church was beyond capacity with all the families, extended families, and friends of the First Holy Communicants. Accordingly, we told the congregation there was not enough Eucharist for everyone, and in my mind, I imagined that only the children, their immediate family and a few others would receive until we ran out. I gave the children and their families the Eucharistic bread and then began to give it to others, breaking the Eucharist to feed as many His Body as I could. It bears repeating that every pew was packed. The narthex and the cry room were full. People were standing, because all the extra chairs were used. Yet, after everyone was fed His body, like the scripture says, “some [was] left over (2 Kgs 4:44).”  God is good.

Please don’t leave here and email the bishop that Deacon Mark said he multiplied the Eucharist like Elisha and Jesus multiplied bread. 😉 My point in sharing that story is that when we give what we have been given by Jesus, especially when we take a leap of childlike faith and give without prior warning and with no preparation, there is always enough of whatever we are giving. Jesus told St. Paul His grace is always enough. That is why he sent out his disciples with no money, no food, nor extra tunic (Mk 6:8-9).

Here is some guidance on what you can do with what the Holy Spirit has placed on your heart this morning. We go to Mass to receive the Eucharist, yes, but Mass isn’t just about getting. It is also about giving (Sri Podcast). During my training to be a deacon, it was made crystal clear that as wonderful as the grace is of preaching from the altar, it is what we do after we leave the altar that makes our preaching effective.

Dr. Sri, in his Revival podcast said it this way. Jesus didn’t hold anything back on the Cross. We are to be like Him. Don’t hold back in giving of yourself.  Peter Kreeft, in his reflection on this gospel, wrote that “All spiritual goods…multiply when shared (Kreeft 606).” Love, hope, and joy come to mind. My personal experience is that material goods also tend to be enough when shared.

So, after coming to the altar to receive Jesus’s body and blood, you must go out into the world and give away whatever Jesus has given you. No matter how meager it is, be confident in giving it to whomever He asks. In doing so, you will know the joy and strengthening of your faith that comes from experiencing firsthand Jesus’ abundant grace. Amen.

Citations

1. Dr. Ed Sri. Hallow Eucharistic Congress Podcast. July 2024.
2. Peter Kreeft. Food for the Soul. Reflections on the Mass Readings. Cycle B. Word on Fire 2023.

Faith, Compassion, and Healing

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 30, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24 / Ps 30 / 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15 / Mk 5:21-43
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

Our readings today collectively highlight God’s life-giving nature and His desire for us to live in fullness and health.

The Book of Wisdom tells us that God did not create death, and that all creation is wholesome. These foundational truths set the stage for understanding the miracles in the gospel reading. Jesus’ actions in healing the woman and raising Jairus’s daughter from death to life are manifestations of God’s will to restore life and wholeness. The readings also show Jesus’ immeasurable compassion.

In the first reading we are reminded that God did not create death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living. God’s creation is fundamentally good and destined for immortality, reflecting His own nature. The passage underscores that death entered the world through the envy of the devil, highlighting the contrast between God’s life-giving nature and the destructive forces of evil.

The second reading, from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, emphasizes generosity and equality within the Christian community. Paul encourages the Corinthians to excel in the grace of giving, just as they excel in faith, speech, knowledge, and love. He points to the example of Jesus Christ who, though rich, became poor for our sake, so that through His poverty, we might become rich. Paul’s message is one of mutual support and sharing, ensuring that no one is in need while others have abundance.

Generosity doesn’t always have to involve money. In Father Mike Schmidt’s Catechism in a Year podcast, at Day 255, addresses how to engage in acts of solidarity and generosity beyond just giving money: spending time with those in need, listening to their stories, providing companionship. Sometimes a listening ear can be more valuable than money. We can also get involved with local charities or community organizations. Volunteering can address broader issues and provide structured support to those in need. Spiritual support can be powerful. Pray for those in need and let them know that we are praying for them. This can provide comfort and hope. By engaging in these actions, we can embody the true spirit of solidarity and generosity, providing meaningful support that goes beyond financial aid.

In the gospel, we encountered intertwined stories of Jairus’s daughter and the woman with a hemorrhage. These narratives highlight Jesus’ power over sickness and death and the transformative impact of faith and compassion.

When Jesus was carrying the cross, Veronica stood out for her unwavering compassion. As Jesus stumbled under the weight of the cross, bloodied and exhausted, Veronica pushed her way through the hostile crowd, and in a moment of pure, selfless love, she removed her veil and gently wiped the sweat and blood from his brow. To our amazement, the image of His sacred face was miraculously imprinted on the cloth. This act of kindness in the midst of such suffering was a testament to her deep faith and compassion. Veronica’s gesture, though small, had a profound impact. It was a beacon of humanity and love, shining brightly in the darkness of that day. Her bravery and empathy have inspired countless generations to show kindness, even in the face of adversity. Saint Veronica’s story reminds us that true compassion requires courage, and that even the smallest acts of love can leave a lasting impression, much like the image of Christ’s face on her veil. She’s celebrated not just for her miraculous cloak, but for the profound compassion that drove her to comfort Jesus in His hour of need.

In the gospel reading, the woman with a hemorrhage had suffered for twelve years, enduring much at the hands of many doctors and spending all she had. Despite her suffering, she clung to a glimmer of hope. She believed that simply touching Jesus’ cloth would heal her. Her faith, born out of desperation, propelled her to act. Jesus acknowledges her faith saying, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your disease” (Mk 5:34). This encounter underscores that, even in our darkest moments, faith can lead to healing and restoration. Some have also claimed that Saint Veronica is the same as the biblical woman who suffered from twelve years of hemorrhages. While these traditions and assertions cannot be proven, we do know that the bleeding woman displayed great faith in the Lord and was healed.

Meanwhile, Jairus, a synagogue leader, showed remarkable faith and patience. Despite being informed that his daughter had died, he trusted Jesus’ assurance, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mk 5:36). Jairus’s faith was tested by the delay caused by Jesus’ interaction with the woman, yet his belief remained steadfast. Jesus’ response to Jairus’s situation demonstrates that delays do not diminish divine power. God’s timing, though often mysterious, is always perfect. Jesus’ words to the girl, “Talitha koum, little girl, I say to you, get up” remind us of His authority over life and death.

Both stories intertwine to show how faith in Jesus connects and uplifts. The woman’s bold faith and Jairus’s patient faith exemplify different aspects of trusting in God. Their stories teach us that faith is not a one-size-fits-all experience, but a deeply personal journey. Whether we approach Jesus in desperation or impatience, what matters is the trust we place in Him.

Jesus’ actions highlight His boundless compassion. He stops to address the woman suffering despite being on a mission to save Jairus’s daughter. His willingness to be interrupted for the sake of showing love and mercy calls us to examine our own priorities and attitudes. Are we willing to pause and show compassion even when it disrupts our plans? We are challenged today to reflect on how we live out our faith and compassion in everyday life. Are we willing to reach out in faith like the woman? Or wait patiently, like Jairus, trusting in God’s timing? Are we generous with our resources, ensuring that our abundance helps those in need? These stories of healing and restoration challenge us to trust in Jesus’ power to transform our lives and situations.

The exhortation to generosity in the second reading calls us to act with compassion, ensuring that we support and uplift one another. In our lives we might face situations where our faith is tested, and where the needs of others intersect with our own journeys. Let us remember that Jesus’ power to heal and restore is ever present. As we navigate our faith journeys, we will draw strength from the examples of the woman and Jairus, trusting in Jesus and showing compassion to those around us.

May Jesus Christ be praised, now and forever.

Right on Time

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 23, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Jb 38:1, 8-11 / Ps 107 / 2 Cor 5:14-17 / Mk 4:35-41
by Rev. Louis Benoit, Guest Celebrant

Today’s gospel has a few meanings.  One meaning is that Jesus is the fulfillment of God in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, especially in the book of Psalms, like the psalm we just heard, we hear how God is over all creation and over the storms and the winds, with God having domination over all those things.  So, we see Jesus fulfilling these Old Testament aspects of God, being creator and domineering over all.

Also, at the beginning of Mark’s gospel, we are told who Jesus is.  However, for Jesus’ followers, that gradually unfolds as the gospel goes on.  As they see Jesus doing various things, it deepens their faith in who Jesus is.

And so, we have, at the last line of today’s gospel, “Who then is this, whom even the wind and sea obey?”  It’s the deeper knowledge of who Jesus is, as they come to a deeper faith in Him.  For the apostles, it’s a deepening of faith.  And it’s a faith that needs to be deepened.  He asked them, “Why are you terrified?  Do you not yet have faith?”  And that’s not just an admonition, but it’s calling them into deeper faith in who Jesus is, and of course, they are questioning it.

Who then is this, whom even the winds and sea obey?  Now, for us, it’s a very good gospel.  How many times in your life have you felt you were in your own little boat on rough seas and by yourself, and you don’t know where to turn?  I think anyone who has logged in some adult years can identify times when that has happened.  And yet, do you doubt that Jesus is in the boat with you?  I think we do doubt when we are being tossed about by the waves of life, and wondering where God is, but Jesus is with you.

You know, the apostles weren’t too keen on that, but although He was asleep on a cushion, He was with them, and that’s for us to see that Jesus is with us.  And we have things that keep us from that.  We have a peculiar situation in our country that militates against that, that we so over-emphasize independence.  We tend to ignore our dependence on God and others.  And we are very dependent on people.  This over-emphasis on independence is not a good thing, because we are extremely dependent.

You’re dependent on dozens of people every day.  We can’t live alone; it’s impossible.  And so, we have to get that sense of dependence, and many times in a sense of dependence, we find the presence of Jesus in other people around us.  If we get too much into our own independence, we don’t see it.  But Jesus is with us, and many times it’s with the people who are surrounding us.  We’re not as independent as we think.

Years ago, I was chaplain of a Youth Development Center.  It’s kind of a reform school for young men, and many of them were extremely belligerent and believed that they didn’t need anybody and could get by on their own.   So, I played a little game with them.  I said, “Well, if you are so independent, what would you do if you were out in the woods alone?  How would you survive?”  A response might be, “Well, I’d get an axe and I’d chop down some trees.”  I would respond, “Wait, wait, where did you get that axe?  Didn’t somebody provide that for you?”  And as I played that game and kept pushing it, and they realized that if they were totally independent, they’d be standing naked in the woods.

We’re terribly dependent, and we really need Jesus, and we really need each other, and sometimes “each other” is the presence of Jesus.  That’s the way it is, and we have to realize our dependence on Jesus, and that Jesus is with us to calm the storms of life.

The other aspect of this, a totally different aspect but a very important one, is that it’s God’s creation, not ours.  We have a terrible time with this.  But God is the one who is running the show, not us.  And we have to learn to be able to discern God’s action in our lives and what that action is calling us to.

I know that almost any of you my age or even a bit younger can recall times in your life when things happened that you hadn’t planned, but it worked out for the best.  You know, God was working, and it was God’s plan, not yours.  And so, it’s for us to see that no, we’re not running the show, and when we try to run the show, we can end up feeling very alone, swamped by the waves of life.  We are trying to run everything ourselves, and we do the best we can with life, but always with an openness to God’s presence, God’s plan, and God’s direction.  It’s God’s, not ours.

I love an old spiritual that the gospel choir at St. Gerard’s used to sing.  The chorus of the song says, “He ain’t always there when you want Him, but He’s always right on time.”  That’s a bit humorous, but it’s quite profound.  You know, He ain’t always there when you want Him, but He’s always right on time.

Rooted in Faith and Love

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 16, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Ez 17:22-24 / Ps 92 / 2 Cor 5:6-10 / Mk 4:26-34
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

This Sunday, we celebrate the liturgy with hearts open to the word of God, which reveals the mysteries of faith and the kingdom of heaven. Today’s readings, filled with imagery of growth and cultivation, invite us to reflect on the role of fathers, both earthly and heavenly, in nurturing and guiding the growth of their families and communities.

In the first reading, from Ezekial, God promises to take a tender shoot from the top of a cedar and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.  This tender shoot will grow into a majestic cedar, providing shelter and shade for all creatures.

This image is a powerful reminder of the role of parents as planters and nurturers. Fathers are called to plant seeds of faith, love, and virtue in the hearts of their children, trusting that God will bring these seeds into fruition. Just as the cedar grows strong and tall, so too do the seeds of guidance and example provided by fathers help their children grow in strength and character.

The psalm speaks of the righteous flourishing, like a palm tree and growing like a cedar of Lebanon, planted in the house of the Lord. This flourishing is not just physical, but spiritual and moral.  On Father’s Day we honor the fathers who, through their steadfast love and dedication, have created environments where their children can thrive. Their commitment and sacrifices are akin to the nurturing environment provided by fertile soil, allowing their children to grow deep roots in faith and moral integrity.

Karol Wojtyla Sr., father of the future Pope John Paul II, played a pivotal role in shaping his son’s spiritual life, as detailed in the book, John Paul II: Man of Prayer. Widowed when his son was just nine, Karol, known as “the captain,” was a quiet, upright, retired soldier and former tailor, who took on the roles of cooking, cleaning, and making his son’s clothes. He encouraged his son in his friendships, studies, and sports.

But most importantly, he instilled a deep faith in him. Their modest apartment in Wadowice, Poland was described by John Paul II as a domestic seminary. The elder Wojtyla set an example through his own deep and unselfconscious piety, praying often on his knees and making prayer a constant in their lives.  The two would read the Bible and pray the rosary together.

One significant detail from the book highlights this devotion.  Sometimes, young Karol would wake in the night to find his father kneeling in the dark, praying silently. This profound example of faith and integrity greatly influenced the spiritual formation of the future Pope.

Paul reminds us in the second reading that we walk by faith, not by sight. Fathers often embody this principle in their role as providers and protectors, making countless decisions and sacrifices, motivated by love and faith, even when the outcomes are uncertain. Paul’s message encourages fathers to persevere in their mission, trusting that their efforts, guided by faith, will be pleasing to the Lord.

Finally. in the gospel of Mark, Jesus uses the parables of growing seed and the mustard seed to illustrate the kingdom of God.  These parables highlight the mysterious and gradual growth of the kingdom, often unnoticed, but unstoppable. Fathers can draw inspiration from these parables, understanding that their efforts, even the smallest acts of love and guidance, are like seeds planted in the hearts of their children.  Though the growth may be slow and imperceptible at times, the impact is profound and enduring.

A man was visiting a farmer and saw him planting his field. “What are you sowing?” he asked. “Wheat” was the answer. “And what do you expect to reap from it?” he asked. “Wheat, of course,” said the farmer.

The very same day, some little thing provoked the farmer to go into cursing and swearing.  The visitor asked, “What are you sowing now?” The farmer said, “What? Do you take such serious views of every mood, word, and action?” The visitor replied, “Yes. For every word helps to form a permanent temper. And for every word we must give account, and every act aids to form a habit. And habits are to the soul what the veins and arteries are to the blood, the courses in which it moves and will move forever. By all these little words and actions, we are forming character, and the character will go with us to eternity, and according to it will be our destiny and the destiny of others forever.”

Jesus’ parable emphasizes the natural and gradual process of growth.  The seed grows night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up. This underscores the idea that spiritual growth and the advancement of God’s kingdom are often not immediately visible but occur continuously and inevitably over time.  It reassures believers that God is at work, even when we do not see immediate results. Our role is to plant the seed and trust in God’s timing for the growth and fruition.

The transformation from a tiny seed to a large plant signifies the profound impact the kingdom of God can have on the world and on individuals’ lives. The mustard plant becomes large enough that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.

This highlights the inclusive and expansive nature of God’s kingdom, providing shelter, refuge, and community. It challenges believers to consider how their faith and actions can contribute to creating a welcoming and nurturing environment for others.

The parable encourages us and those who may feel that their efforts are too small to make a difference. It reassures us that God values and can use even the smallest acts of faith and kindness in a world that often celebrates immediate success and grand gestures. This parable invites us to appreciate the humble beginnings and trust in the long-term impact of our faithfulness.

This Sunday, the Church calls us to trust in the power of small beginnings and our role in enhancing the growth of the kingdom of God. It encourages us to nurture our faith; be patient with the process; and contribute to a community where all can find refuge and support. This reflection invites us to embrace the mystery of God’s work in the world and our lives, holding onto the hope that even the small seeds of faith can grow into something magnificent.

Today, brothers and sisters, as we reflect on the readings and celebrate Father’s Day, let us give thanks for the fathers and father figures in our lives.  Let us recognize the vital role they play in nurturing, guiding, and supporting their families.  Their love and dedication reflect God’s love for us: a love that is patient, steadfast, and ever-present.

As we honor our fathers, let us also pray for them, that they may continue to be strong and faithful stewards of their families, and that they may be blessed with wisdom and grace to lead their children towards life rooted in faith and love. May all fathers find joy in their vocation, and may their children grow to be the living testimony to their tireless love and devotion.

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Abide in Him

Fifth Sunday of Easter
April 28, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Acts 9:26-31 / Ps 22 / 1 Jn 3:18-24 / Jn 15:1-8
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

As we come to the Fifth Sunday of Easter, we find ourselves immersed in a season of renewal and growth.  The readings for this Sunday offer profound insights into the themes of love, unity, and the transformative power of faith.

The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, offers a powerful example of the transformative power of faith.  We witness the conversion of Saul, who after encountering the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, undergoes a profound spiritual transformation.  Formerly a persecutor of Christians, Saul becomes Paul, one of the greatest apostles of the early Church.  His conversion serves as a reminder that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace and mercy.  It is never too late for redemption, and God can work miracles in the most unlikely of circumstances.

In the second reading, from the first letter of John, we are reminded of the centrality of love in the Christian life.  Love is not merely a sentiment or emotion, but a concrete expression of our commitment to God and one another.  As followers of Christ, we are called to love, not only in word or speech, but in deed and truth.  Our love for others becomes a tangible sign of our discipleship and a reflection of God’s love for us.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus presents the metaphor of the vine and the branches, illustrating the intimate relationship between Himself and His disciples.  Just as branches draw nourishment and life from the vine, so we too draw our strength and vitality from our connection to Christ.  This imagery reminds us of the importance of remaining rooted in Christ, for apart from Him, we can do nothing.

This passage invites us to reflect on the nature of our own relationship with Christ.  Are we actively abiding in Him, allowing His love to flow through us and bear fruit in our lives?  Do we seek to cultivate a deep and abiding faith that sustains us through life’s trials and challenges?  As we ponder these questions, we are called to recommit ourselves to the journey of discipleship, continually striving to deepen our connection with Christ and bear witness to His love in the world.

Somebody once compared a Christian to a basketball player.  He said that to be a good player, it is not enough that you know how to dribble or avoid getting fouls.  What matters most is to be able to shoot, to make points, and to be productive.  We are called to not only observe and learn about Jesus, but also to allow Jesus and His presence, His message, His attitudes to become so much a part of us that Jesus lives in us, and we live in God and abide in each other.  Further, we gain our source, our meaning, and our fruitfulness from that connection to Christ.  Without Jesus, our efforts are misdirected and fruitless.  Connected to Jesus, our actions and efforts can bear much fruit by God working in and through our lives.

The great saint Thomas Aquinas contended that we could have an idea of religion through the meaning of the three etymologies of the Latin word religio:  to bind—religare, to read—legere, to choose— eligere.  We are by nature religious beings.  We come from God, and we’ll return to God.  We can lead the fullness of human life if we fully bind ourselves with God.  We read our life’s situation in the light of God’s kingdom, and we choose to love God above all things.  Real happiness results when there is communion with God in our lives.

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever remains in Me and I in him, will bear much fruit.”  The connection to this image of the vine and branches can’t help but highlight the importance of the Eucharist.  In the Eucharist, Jesus comes to us in the form of food and drink.  We take Jesus in, and He becomes part of us so that we may become more like Christ in our words, actions, and lives.  The gospel you heard today is very special, because it shows us that we are all connected to our Lord.  We are friends and members of Jesus.

What Jesus wants to teach us in today’s gospel is the extreme necessity for us to remain.  What does to remain in Christ mean?  To remain in Christ means first, to listen to Him and keep His words.  Actually, we can refuse to listen to Him at all or we can listen to Him and then render Him lip service unsupported by any good deeds.  We can accept Him as Lord and then abandon Him in the midst of difficulties and temptations or attribute all of our difficulties and temptations to Him.

Second, is to recognize that Christ alone is the real vine, and that without Him we can do nothing of value to God.

Third, is to live in the Church, which is the mystical body of Christ.  (One of the popes appropriately said that one who does not have the Church as his or her mother cannot have God as his or her Father.)

Fourth, is to see God in all persons and things, even in our enemies and those things we do not like.

Fifth, is to have an active sacramental and prayer life.  Do we always pray?  Do we regularly attend Mass on Sundays?  Do we avail ourselves of the sacrament of confession?  How about if we spend just a few minutes talking about the word of God instead of talking about nothing?

Lastly, is to be convinced that there is a need to prune the structures, methods, approaches, and other things that have become old and obsolete in order to give way to new ones and to remain always with Christ, the everlasting, who Himself is the vine.

As we meditate on the readings this Sunday, may we be inspired to deepen our relationship with Christ, to bear fruit in our lives, and to love one another as He has loved us.  May we, like the early disciples, be empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the good news of salvation and to be agents of transformation in the world.

Can I Get a Witness?

Third Sunday of Easter
April 14, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 / Ps 4 / 1 Jn 2:1-5a / Lk 24:35-48
by Rev. Jay Biber, Guest Celebrant

Some of your fellow parishioners are away on a Cursillo weekend.  If you are not familiar with that word, it’s a Spanish word which means “a short course.”  In Christianity, it began almost a hundred years ago as a way of revitalizing the Faith among lay people.

And so, this is a women’s Cursillo going on this weekend, and like all Catholic stuff, there’s a specific order to it.  There’s reason behind it.  It’s ordered so it exposes the core elements of the Faith in an ordered way, but it’s also very personal.  There’s a lot of witnessing to people’s own experiences.  One of the things that happens is what they call the Emmaus Walk.

What we begin the gospel with today is the end of that walk.  Two discouraged disciples encounter Christ on the way to Jerusalem, on the road.  They are so discouraged and heartsick.  They think that everything they hope for is gone.  They meet the risen Christ, but they don’t recognize Him, and He explains it all.  He lays it all out to them – this is how it had to happen.  And then at the end, when did they recognize Him?  This is the breaking of the bread; that’s when they recognize Him.

The women on Cursillo this weekend are from as far Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Waynesboro, Roanoke, this whole part of the state.  On this Emmaus Walk, two participants are paired with each other; they go out and walk for half an hour.  They are a couple of days into this experience already, and it’s probably begun to shake up their hearts a little bit.  This is the time when they’re saying, “This is the time; what’s going on in there?”  They get a chance to talk; and they know they won’t be judged.  They probably don’t know the other person to start with.  But they know that God is at work, and it’s a good opportunity to put their faith into words.

At the core of our Faith is the capacity to take into the world, sort of like charity.  It begins at home, but it doesn’t end there.  The giving of witness, a testimony is a way of doing that.  Telling the stories begins at home, but it doesn’t end there.  The allusions to witnessing are strong.  If you believe you have a gift to give, a gift around which you can organize your whole life, a gift that echoes through the ages, that gift can be shared with simple people, complicated people, rich people, poor people, educated, not educated people.  We can give that gift to our children by telling them here’s where you are, you’re a member of this family, you belong here, you’re not just some piece adrift in the universe.  As you’re at this table, you’re part of a great family, and it goes way, way back in time and every place on Earth.

Think about Peter in the Acts of the Apostles.  He says the author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead.  Of this we are witnesses.  That’s what the apostles were doing – being witnesses and giving a testimony.  And then of course in the gospel, it is Jesus himself.  Thus, is it written – He’s laying out what you can do with your children and tell them the stories that say that Christ would suffer and rise from the dead.  So, you don’t have to panic or run away.  No – He said this was going to happen and that repentance for the forgiveness would be preached in his name.  Where?  To all the nations.  And you are witnesses of these things.

In the summer of 1983, I had completed my seminary studies but had declined ordination in 1972.  I went into the business world, enjoyed the heck out of it, and thought I’d be married with a family by 1982.  But it didn’t happen, and I began to consider ordination.  People asked if it was the hand of God, and I said no, I think it was the foot!  He was nagging me.  I thought I had a better idea, but long story short, I was in Boston at the time, and happened to meet the bishop; he asked if I wanted to go to school.  I said no, I need to decide if I have enough faith for something like this, and I don’t know if I’d be any good at it.  I needed to know if people would think I was any good at it.  I said I don’t know what I think; you’ll have to throw me in the pool.  So, he did; I started off at six months at St. Vincent DePaul by the shipyard in Newport News.  That was a special blessing because it was way ahead of its time in a lot of ways.  It was a very integrated parish.  I sang with the folk group and a gospel choir both.

When summer came, I knew this would be a real test because I worked up at what was then called Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.  I liked it, because it was a combination of the hospitals I had known in Boston, a little of Mass General, and a little bit of Boston City Hospitals – Mass General being the high-end teaching place for all the exotic stuff, and Boston City being a tough hospital in the inner city.  MCV (now VCU Medical Center) was both.  I spent ten weeks there in the summer of ’83.  And I was a wreck at the end of it – we were on call two nights a week and saw all that comes in in the course of a night.  My special unit was the burn unit in which people come from all over.  I also had general surgery which included a lot of gunshot and knife wounds. These are tough places to be.  I wondered if I could bring faith to this whole world, not just to Catholics.  It was awful at the time, but it did the trick, and I decided that I could go on.

At the same time, I realized that I was going to benefit from being there.  Broad Street in Richmond is a great dividing line between white and black neighborhoods.  And there I was on campus at VCU staying in one of the dorms.  And somebody recommended that I visit a Baptist Church right near here – Cedar Street Baptist.  So, I would go to Mass at St. Peter’s (the original Cathedral for our diocese) near the state capital, and then I’d go to Cedar Street Baptist, and there I experienced my introduction into this brilliant black culture, where the whole idea of witnessing is very important.  The gospel choir and the preaching are very important, and they would say that it’s not even a prayer until you break a sweat.  There’s an energy to it; ours is beautiful but much more modest.  There are so many beautiful ways to pray.  So, we’d be singing and then there was a quiet, beautiful ritual to it.  As it warmed up, you’d hear the Amen Corner.

We have our own Amen Corner; we have the back and forth which is a core of our worship.  “The Lord be with you.”  “And with your spirit.”  “Lift up your hearts.”  “We lift them up unto the Lord.”  We do that throughout the whole liturgy.  The antiphon is the back-and-forth prayer.  In the black churches, there was a time when the church was the only place they could legally meet.  The church was where everyone was at home, and as the preacher would warm up, people would say, “Come on now, preach!” to encourage.  At some point, he would ask, “Can I get a witness?”  They recognized the depth.  Of course, this is a witness that’s gone through things that you can’t imagine.  This is a witness that goes back how many generations?  A witness where the only one was God; the only one was Christ.

What a lesson.  You know, the centrality of the witness that would tell the story and break out into a testimony.  I had an event this past week in Lexington where there were a lot of college kids.  There was free pizza – what’s not to love?  The program was on loss and joy and included a bunch of kids from W&L and VMI and also parishioners.  I told them that I look at them differently than their professors do, because I look at you and I say, I want you to be ready to be able to your 3-year-old seven years from now, to be able to give a witness to your 10-year-old, to your 16-year-old, to put the story of your faith on your own lips, and learn how to do it with great confidence.  I want to say that you want to have children, that you are not afraid, and I have the big story of our Faith to tell them, and the personal stories that go with it – the personal stories that illumine the big story.  And I said that’s what I like to see.  Of course, giving a witness is a little bit like dancing – you’re scared stiff because you move one foot and you don’t know what the other is going to do yet.

But what a beautiful gift to give – it’s how the faith gets spread to the corners of the earth.  Our way of looking at things, telling the big story, as those women are doing on their Cursillo this weekend, telling their stories as well.  It becomes an enormous gift, because I know that whatever happens to my child, in success or in moments of difficulties, Christ will be there.  I’ll have words on my lips to say that we don’t have to run from anyone.

Who Is This Man?

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
March 24, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Is 50:4-7 / Ps 22 / Phil 2:6-11 / Mk 14:1-15:47
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

Today we embark on a profound journey that encapsulates the contrasting emotions of jubilation and solemnity, celebration and sacrifice.  As we wave palm branches and chant “Hosanna,” we join the crowd in welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem, acknowledging Him as our King and Savior.  Yet, intertwined with this triumphant entry, is the shadow of the cross looming over Him.

Today, the Church begins Holy Week with Palm or Passion Sunday.  What is the correct title?  Is it Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday?  Well, actually, it is both. At the beginning of the Mass today, there is the blessing of the palm branches, and then there is the long gospel narrative of the suffering and death of Jesus.  What does all of this mean as we begin Holy Week, going on to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter?

With Palm Sunday, we begin the yearly journey, a journey not so much toward a destination, but a journey into a sacred time.  We follow Jesus as He accomplishes His Paschal Mystery, which is His suffering, death, and resurrection, or in simple terms, the saving mission of Jesus.  Jesus wants to save us from our sins and bring us closer to God.  The readings of Palm Sunday invite us to reflect deeply on the mysteries of Christ’s Passion, inviting us to walk alongside Him in His final moments.

In the gospel narrative, we witness the fickleness of human nature as the same crowd that hailed Jesus with hosannas later cries out for His crucifixion.  This stark comparison challenges us to examine our own commitment to Christ.  Are we truly devoted to Him, or do we falter when faced with adversity or societal pressure?  From the depths of human weakness and sinfulness, Jesus wants to lift us up to God and to living a life of holiness, a life for which God has created us to live.  As we walk with Jesus through St. Mark’s account of the Passion, we are challenged to answer, perhaps for the first time, or perhaps for the hundredth time, the Jesus question:  Who is this man that died on the cross and what does His death have to do with me?

The painfully detailed description of Jesus’ sufferings will bear no fruit in us unless we face this question and offer our personal answer.  Our answer may start us on a lifelong commitment to Christ, or it may deepen a commitment we made long ago.  We may struggle with darkness and with many more questions and find ourselves on our knees at the foot of the cross, but we cannot walk away from the Passion without an answer.

There is so much to ponder as we read the account of the plot to kill Jesus, the anointing at Bethany, the treachery of Judas, the Passover preparations, Jesus’ prophecy of His betrayal, His institution of the Eucharist, His agony in Gethsemane, His betrayal, arrest, and trial, Peter’s denial, the judgement of Pilate, Jesus’ humiliation and torture, His crucifixion, death, and burial.  We could spend a lifetime mining the depths of the Passion narrative and this would be a fruitful way to spend a lifetime.

The urgent issue, however is that we truly encounter Jesus through this story.  We do not know how long our lifetime will be.  We cannot wait.  We cannot put off our answer until a tomorrow that may never come for us.  The Passion narrative invites us to contemplate Christ’s unwavering obedience to the Father’s will, even in the face of immense suffering.  Jesus’ agony in the garden of Gethsemane reveals the depth of His humanity as He grapples with the impending ordeal, but His prayer, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me.  Still, not my will, but yours be done,” embodies the epitome of submission and trust in God’s plan.

As we meditate on Christ’s journey to Calvary, we are confronted with the harsh realities of sin and its consequences.  The betrayal by Judas, the denial by Peter, and the abandonment by His disciples, serve as poignant reminders of human frailty and the prevalence of moral weakness.  Yet, amidst these betrayals, Jesus extends forgiveness and compassion, exemplifying divine mercy in the face of human sinfulness.

At the heart of Palm Sunday lies the profound mystery of redemption, the sacrificial love of Christ poured out for our salvation.  Jesus willingly embraces the cross, bearing the weight of our sins so that we may be reconciled with God.  His cry of abandonment, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” echoes through the ages, encapsulating the depths of His solidarity with humanity in its darkest hour.

Palm Sunday beckons us to journey alongside Christ embracing the paradox of the cross, the instrument of suffering transformed into a symbol of victory and redemption.  May we, like the faithful centurion who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion, profess with conviction, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”  May our hearts be stirred with gratitude for the immense sacrifice of love offered for our salvation, and may we respond with renewed dedication to follow Christ faithfully, even to the foot of the cross.

As we enter into Holy Week, no matter how many times we have walked the way of the cross with Jesus, watched Him die, attended His burial, and dwelt in darkness at the tomb waiting for the light, it is a time for us to face right now the central question, Who is this this man who died on the cross and what does His death have to do with me?

Spiritual Blindness

Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 10, 2024 — Year B  (Readings for Scrutiny Year A)
Readings: 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a / Ps 23 / Eph 5:8-14 / Jn 9:1-41
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

Most Catholics know that the third Sunday of Advent is also known as Gaudete Sunday, the day on which our excitement for the coming of the Lord is heightened, because the Church assures us that it will soon be upon us.  Less known is Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent.  Both days refer to happiness.  In fact, the word Laetare means “rejoice” in Latin.  Gaudete means “joyful.”  The connection is obvious, as they are both days of joyous anticipation in the midst of what might seem like darkness.  In fact, Easter is exactly twenty-one days from Laetare Sunday.

As we journey through the Lenten season, the fourth Sunday of Lent offers us a profound opportunity for introspection and spiritual renewal.  This Sunday invites us to rejoice amidst our penitential practices, for we are reminded of the boundless mercy and love of God.

The gospel reading for this Sunday tells us the story of the man born blind, whom Jesus heals.  This miraculous healing serves as a powerful metaphor for the spiritual blindness that afflicts humanity.  Like the scribes in the story, we, too, can be blinded by our own pride, prejudice, and self-righteousness.  We may fail to recognize God working in our midst, and the transformative power of His love.

Someone once said to Helen Keller, “What a pity you have no sight.”  Helen Keller replied, “Yes, but what a pity so many have sight but cannot see.”

Jesus, toward the end of the gospel, says, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see.  And those who do see may become blind.”  In other words, this gospel passage concentrates on the distinction between physical and spiritual blindness.

The early Christians saw physical blindness as a metaphor for the spiritual blindness that prevents people from recognizing Jesus.  This story of healing of the man born blind testifies to the power of Jesus to heal not only physical blindness, but above all, the spiritual blindness of the heart.

How many blind men do you think are in our gospel today?  I’m sure most answers will be “one,” because there is only one identified blind person.  But I would rather say that there are four cases of blindness in this story.  The first blind ones are the apostles themselves, because they ask, “Who sinned, the parents or the blind man himself?” instead of helping the person.  The Jews believed that a person got sick because he was being punished for his sin or his parents’ sin.

The second blind ones are his parents, relatives, and neighbors.  Even though they witness that it is Jesus who heals the blind man, they refuse to say it.  They refuse to witness because of their fear that they would be expelled from the synagogue by the Pharisees.

The third blind ones are the Pharisees, because they refuse to acknowledge that Jesus had performed the miracle of restoring sight to the blind man.  They suspend their belief because of their biases against Him.  Instead, they call Jesus a sinner because He violated the law of the Sabbath.  They are blind to the truth already in their eyes.

The fourth blind one is, of course, the blind man himself.  A source said that eighty percent of our work depends on our eyes.  Eighty percent is rather a big chunk of activities.  It means that totally blind people have an output of only twenty percent with regard to work.  But based on experience by most blind people, even if they cannot see with their own physical eyes, God finds means by sharpening their other senses in order to go on with life.

This could be the case with the blind man.  He could not see with his physical eyes, but he could see and sense with his heart.  This could be the reason why he easily feels the accepting and healing attitude of Jesus toward him.  But Jesus cures him because of his faith and trust in Him.  Though he was blind physically, he could see with his heart.  The other three groups could see with their eyes, but not with their hearts, as fear, cowardice, prejudices, biases, and their own selfish interests blind them.

Today’s gospel gives us hope because Jesus Christ performs miracles for us.  He cures us of our sickness and feeds us with His Word, Body, and Blood.  But above all, He died for us and then rose from the dead and brings us to eternal life.

Like Jesus who is our light, and shows us the light of truth in our path, let us all, too, show the light and be a light while we are still alive.

There is a story about two soldiers who found themselves recovering in the same hospital room during World War II.  Every day, the one beside the window of the room would describe the outside world to the other soldier, who was paralyzed from the neck down.  Not only did he share many beautiful and exciting stories about the outside world, he also continued to give cheer and hope to his disabled comrade.

Then, one morning, the soldier beside the window died.  On that same morning, the disabled soldier was transferred to that other soldier’s bed upon his request, near the window.  He found out that there was nothing beautiful outside the window.  There was just a wall.  His friend who had just died was blind.

Our readings today challenge us to examine our own spiritual blindness and to seek the healing touch of Christ.  They call us to open our eyes to the marginalized and oppressed, to see the humanity in every person, and to respond with compassion and love.  Just as Jesus restored physical sight to the blind man, He invites us to open our hearts to His light, allowing it to illuminate the darkness within us and guide us on the path of righteousness.

As we continue our Lenten journey, let us embrace the message of hope and joy that Laetare Sunday brings.  Let us rejoice in the mercy of God, who calls us to repentance and offers us forgiveness and redemption.  May we open our eyes to see His presence in our lives and in the world around us.  And may we respond with gratitude and love.