St. Jerome: ascending

Baruch 1:15-22; Ps 79 For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us; Luke 10:13-16

A few words from St. Jerome, whose feast we celebrate today

"Happy the man who makes progress daily, who does not weigh what he did yesterday, but makes his resolution for today and keeps it. The holy man sets his heart on ascending;the sinner, on descending. Just as the saintly man progresses day by day, the sinner regresses day by day. Happy the man who wholeheartedly ascends the highways."


Isn't this what Jesus is talking about in the gospel today. "Woe to you Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have long ago repented, sitting in sack cloth and ashes..."

Sounds like, the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida were descending and not ascending. What about you and me?

"Happy the man who makes daily progress, who doe snot weigh what he did yesterday, but makes his resolution for today and keeps it...the saintly progresses day by day."


Keep ascending. Keep climbing the mountain of the Lord.

champions of God's people

Revelation 12:7-12; Psalm 138 In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord. John 1:47-51

The opening lines of the first reading form revelation is spooky: War broke out in heaven.

Wow! This is pretty serious. Heaven is a place of peace and joy and love and fullness of life. Heaven is where birds sing and paradise welcomes all.

Heaven is a community of friendship, deep and intimate love that seeks the highest good of the other. There is no selfishness in heaven. And there is a War that rages in heaven.

The great coup where the servants seek to be the master. In a moment, in an instant, Lucifer the great angel himself chose to turn from God and thus began his fall into misery and self-loathing.

But Michael and the angels stand guard, hold their ground, wielding victory as they cast out the devil and all of his demons that seek to ruin souls.

"The dragon and his angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven."

What a sad commentary on the state of affairs for the devil. To choose oneself over God and thus lose a place in heaven. There was no longer any place for them in heaven. Why?

THe selfishness of the devil blinded him to the beauty that is God and he no longer could stand the array and light of heaven. It isn't that God kicks him out, but rather the devil doesn't want to be in God's presence.

This is the twisted reality of sin and the fall. The fall wasn't originally in the garden of eden, no that is the second fall. The original fall is Satan from grace. To forsake heaven for one's self, truly this is what "War" is in its essence.

Imagine "warring" against goodness! It seems bit odd or counter productive, but isn't this exactly what we do when we give in to temptation, act selfishly, speak hurtful words or hold grudges, choosing not to forgive, are we not warring against goodness? Are we not raging war against heaven trying to break through into our lives?


War broke out in heaven. How do we stop the war in our daily lives? How do we keep the fight raging in our choices and actions?

This is why we pray and ask Michael, Gabriel, Raphael to intercede for us. we hope that we might stand with them, and stop the war from raging inside of us and let heaven win, let heaven break through into our lives daily.

"They conquered him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony..."

There is the many we stand fast in victory.

O glorious prince St. Michael,
chief and commander of the heavenly hosts,
guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits,
servant in the house of the Divine King
and our admirable conductor,
you who shine with excellence
and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil
, who turn to you with confidence
and enable us by your gracious protection
to serve God more and more faithfully every day.


St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael intercede for us and help us become champions of God

Good King Wenceslaus

Nehemiah 2:1-8; Ps 137 Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you; Luke 9:57-62

In the words of Jesus, "No one who sets his hand to the plow and looks to what is left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."

I love the gospel today. People approach JEsus as he journeys forth and volunteer to follow him "wherever he goes" but they start to make excuses, "but first let me go..." you can fill in the blank with your own excuses.

How often is this our response to Christ? We seek to follow him and our resolve is real and strong but something comes up that seems more important at the time. Or we are afraid to let go, afraid we might miss out on something else if we follow to soon.

Perhaps we are afraid of what people might think or say or do?

With Jesus there is no missing out, there is just the fullness of joy and love that is abundant.

The risk is the reward.
*****************
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Wenceslaus. He was taught Christianity by his grandmother, St. Ludmilla. This alone should give us pause to remember our grandparents or anyone who taught us the Christian faith and how to follow Christ. Think of all those who have "trained us in the ways of faith" as we say at the baptism of a child.

Upon the death of his Father, Wensceslaus took over and ruled with a good heart, assisting the poor at every turn, attending their funerals, bringing them food and clothing, he even made the wine and bread for use at the altar during mass. He ended the persecution of Christians, built churches, and brought back clergy to celebrate and minister to the people.

In just a short 4 years he was known as the "Good King" of Bohemia.

His brother began to despise him. At the age of 22 he was struck down by his brother outside a church. He is considered a martyr for the faith since pagan brother disliked his christian lifestyle. He is the first slav to be canonized.

He never wavered in his willingness to follow Christ. He never made excuses. He did not delay nor worried about missing out. He just simply walked in the footsteps of Christ.


Also today we celebrate the feast of St. John Dukla, polish origin; St. LAwrence of Ruiz and companions who were martyred in Nagasaki, Japan.

HEre are a few words from Pope Benedict on praying the Angelus:

"As we pray this Angelus, we may join Mary in her "yes", we may adhere trustingly to the beauty of God's plan and to the providence that he has assigned to us in his grace. Then God's love will also, as it were, take flesh in our lives, becoming ever more tangible. In all our cares we need have no fear. God is good. At the same time we know that we are sustained by the fellowship of the many believers who are now praying the Angelus with us throughout the world,"

Again he tells us:

"Christ, risen from the dead, shines in this world and he does so most brightly in those places where, in human terms, everything is sombre and hopeless. He has conquered death -- he is alive -- and faith in him, like a small light, cuts through all that is dark and threatening."

***********Below is a picture of Ludmilla teaching Wenceslas the way to follow Christ

Here is a you tube version of the Christmas Carol: Good King Wenceslas

Lyrics to the Good King Wenceslas

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel


"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather

"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing

Presence of God

Today we honor the life and memory of St. Vincent de Paul.
Here are a few words from him,
"always begin your prayers with an act of the presence of God...Just consider that although we do not yet see God, faith teaches us that his holy presence is everywhere...penetrating all things and even our hearts to their very depths. Though our eyes may deceive us, but the truth that God is in all places will never deceive."

Practice the presence of God throughout the day. Recall this reality to mind often and be consoled and strengthen as the psalm tells us "God is with us.".

Be at peace in his embrace which comes to us by the warmth of the sun, the cool of the breeze, the shadows that fall, in the birds that sing, in the child at play, in the grown ups complaint. In all things God is near and he is present to us, let us be present to Him.

Cosmas and Damian

zechariah 8:1-8; Psalm 102 The lord will build up Zion again and appear in all his glory; Luke 9:46-50


Often times I hear self proclaimed preachers telling the people gathered that God wants to fulfill their dreams or make their dreams come true.

Every one seems to eat these words up. They flock to this kind of message.

I, however, cringe when I hear such things.
Do I really want a God who wants to make my dreams come true? It sounds cheesy and too much like disney land or hollywood.

We have emasculated our God by such notions. Think about God who goes around trying to make everybody's dreams come true. More importantly, think about all those dreams. Do we really want to make some them come true?

No, I refuse to accept a God whose sole purpose is too make my dreams come true. I need something more. I need some one bigger than my dreams.

I want a God who isn't caught up dream land. I need a God who has a plan. I need who God who has included me in his plan, a God who invites me to surrender my dreams or allow my dreams to be purified by his plan for my life and the life of the world.

This is something I can hang my hat on.

This is what Zechariah tells us in the first reading of today,

"I am intensely jealous for Zion, stirred to jealous wrath for her. Thus says the Lord, I will return to zion and dwell within Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the Lord of host: Old men and old women, each with a staff in hand because of old age, again shall sit in the streets of Jerusalem. The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets...I will rescue my people...I will bring them back ...they shall be my people and I will be their God with faithfulness and justice."

There it is, God's plan of action. Notice, Zechariah doesn't once speak of dreams.

St. Cosmas and St. Damian understood this. Thus they were willing to lay their life in order to be part of God's plan of faithfulness and justice.

These twin brothers who were doctors, who went around practicing medicine free of charge so that they might imitate God's generosity, were willing to give their life completely in martyrdom so that they might truly imitate the plan of action laid out by God' son: for the one who is the least among you is the greatest."

Set aside your dreams and jump into God's plan of salvation and there you shall find true joy and satisfaction, faithfulness and justice.

Cosmas and Damian pray for us

a little lip is better than lip service.

Ezekiel 18:25-28; Ps 25 Remember your mercies, O Lord; Philippians 2:1-11; Matt 21:28-32

Take a few moments and read the gospel, the story of the Father and his two sons. The meaning is crystal clear.

You have one son who tells the father basically, "up yours!" He tells the father that there is no way he is going in the vineyard. We don't know why? We just know he flat out refused. Then as he walks away something happens. His mind begins to race. His hearts begins to pound. His conscience begins to cry out.


There is something about walking away that pricks us.

Whatever happens, all we know is later he returns and enters the vineyard and gets to work. As Jesus tells us in the gospel, "afterwards, he changed his mind and went."


The other son, responded in the positive to his father. HE said, "yes, sir." HE even responded with politeness and honor, calling his father, "sir." But all that talk led to little action. In fact, he ran off and did his own thing. He never returned. He had no intention of returning.

Which son did the Father's will? This is a no brainer, of course the first son.

For we all know, we can take a little lip as long as action follows, but lip service is good for nothing.

So which are we? Are we those that give God lip and then change our minds and return rather than keep walking away or are we the those who talk a big game, say all the right things, but when it comes right down to it, we don't do it?

Which one: a little lip and lot of action or lip service and no action at all.

Do we pray good a game and remain part of the do nothing party or do we get in there and get our hands dirty doing the will of the Father, no matter how many times we have to turn around and change our minds.

When it is all said and done there is more said then done, if you are the second son.

God is always open to change and changing often.

A promise to do can never take the place of performance, and fine words are never a substitute for fine deeds.

promise keeper

Haggai 2:1-9; Psalm 43 Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God; Luke 9:18-22

Yesterday,I was visiting the 3k class room while they were painting their fish, with finger paint. As they were painting , i told them that i would learn all their names. So I went down the list and put to memory 15 names.

They were all impressed.

So i told them I would mention their names at mass on friday morning. They were all excited.

This morning, As i began my homily, i was again acknowledged the 3k class who were sitting front and eager to be acknowledged. As I was going down the list of names, i realized Iw as short a few names. In fact, their were four i could not remember. One of those young 3k's name that i could not remember happened to have to the same name as me.

Image! Of all the names I forgot, i could i possible forget, the 3K whose name was David. But I Did. The rest of the school thought it was the funniest thing.

Our memory isn't full proof. We forget. We forget often.

But, the reading point to the reality that God doesn't forget. IN fact Haggai, in the first reading for today, reminds the people, ""For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. This is the pact that I made with you, when you came out of Egypt, ANd my spirit continues to be in your midst."

Think about that for a moment. The time between the Red sea crossing and the egyptian event and the prophet Haggai speaking is roughly 1200 years. 1200 years had passed and yet God recalls it to his people that he has no intention of forgetting and every intention of following through.

God remembers. God keeps his promises.

When JEsus speaks of the suffering he must endure in the gospel, he is thinking of God who carries out his promise.

We may forget. But God does not. In fact the reason we are asked to go to mass on Sunday and celebrate in the community is so that by celebrating, we remember; we remember that God remembers.

God is a promise keeper. In Christ, he comes to keep us.