Cecilia, martyr

Hosea 2:16-17,21-22; Ps 45 Listen to me daughter, see and bend you ear; Mt 25:1-13


Victor Frankl, a psychologist and a Holocaust survivor, in his book as he reflects on life in the prison camps during World War II, A man's Search for Meaning, speaks about the will to live. He noticed that when the men that were with him had no reason to live and nothing to hope in they quickly gave up and died, even committing suicide. But those who had hope, those who clung to the hope of being reunited with their families or being rescued, these were the ones who fought to survive.

He sums his experience up with one little line, "when we have a why to live, we can find a how to love."


Listen to the words of the prophet Hosea in today's reading as we celebrate the memorial of the life of St. Cecilia, "Thus says the Lord: I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart. She shall respond as in the days of her youth, when she came up from the land of Egypt. I will espouse you to me forever. I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord."

When we have a why to live, we can find a how to love!

As Jesus tell us in the gospel, "those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him."

When we have a why to live, we can find a how to love!

What is our purpose, what is our meaning. We have all been created and placed on a track to be espoused to God. Union awaits us. Why did God makes us? To love him, to serve in this life and to be with him in the life to come.

When we have a why to live, we can find a how to love!

Is this not what the saints teach us. They choose death because they have a reason to live. The martyr isn't one who dies but rather primarily a martyr is on who finds a "how" to love, who has a deep reason to live. A martyr is always the one who is alive.

St. Cecilia found a way to love. Perhaps this is why God allowed her body to be incorrupt. She was martyred in 230 and her coffin opened in the 16th century and her body was then as it was when she was laid in the cypress box upon her burial.

The incorrupt body of a saint points toward the reality of life and love.

Here is an excerpt written on the life of virtue:

"young parents need to be taught that love -- any love -- means more than sweet sentiments. Real love means the willingness and the ability to endure hardship, difficulty, sacrificial struggle for the sake of someone else's welfare and happiness. Love is sacrifice. A life lived in this way, giving one's whole self to others, is mankind's most noble achievement, and a sure road to real happiness".

St. Cecilia pray for us

leftovers

Daniel 1:1-6,8-20; Ps glory and praise for ever; Luke 21:1-4

"When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest...for she offered her whole livelihood."


As we approach Thanksgiving, most of us are clearing our refrigerators to make room for leftovers. Let's face it, leftovers are sometimes the best part of holidays.

And as good as leftovers are, Jesus points out in just a few sweet and well placed lines that leftovers don't get it when it comes to God.

The poor widow is the example and model for all of us.

From what she had, she gave.

What about us? How often do we skim when it comes to giving to God?

If there is one thing I learned thus far in ministry, I have never outdone God in generosity. Everything I attempt to give is primarily a simple act of returning the favor.

What we give in some sense is a sign of our appreciation for what we have received.

Instead of making room for leftovers, why not make room for God and go all in. It worked for the widow.

St. Peter & Paul

Acts 28:11-16,30-31; Ps 98 The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power; Matthew 14:22-33

Today we celebration the dedication of the two major Basilicas in Rome that in some sense represent the universal church: St. Peter's Basilica and St. Paul's Basilica.

Both church are built over the tomb of the great apostles that led the charge in proclaiming the gospel both the jews and the gentiles.

Beneath St. Peter's lies the bones of St. Peter and St. Paul houses the tomb of St, Paul, both of these men gave their life for the sake of Christ. Both of these men understood what it meant to be a temple of the Holy Spirit.

When you walk into these two great monuments of faith, instantly your eyes go upward and the soul is filled with awe and majesty, thus the visitor is prepared to contemplate the majesty of God.


The basilicas represent the life of faith and the promise of Christ who said he would be with us always until the end of the age.

As in the gospel for today where JEsus comes walking on water to the disciples who are being tossed about by the storm, so we are reminded that the storms of life will come; waves and wind will blow, but JEsus comes to us out of the storm, to be that calming presence we need.

JEsus doesn't prevent storms but rather he accompanies us through them.

In the midst of the storm we hear the words of Christ, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."

The BAsilicas of St. Peter and St, Paul remind us of that calming presence of Christ who accompanies us in the midst of the storms, who stands fast while the wind and waves crash around us, who beckons at us to come, who reaches stretches his hands out to grab us in our time of doubt and weakness.

Only a Basilica such as St. Peter and Paul can attempt to do justice to the calming presence, the rock like presence that JEsus is for us in life.
Virtual tour of St. Peter's Basilica


Virtual tour of St. Paul's Outside the Walls

what a mother

2 Maccabees 7:1,20-32; Ps 17 Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full; Luke 19:11-28

Here we go again. Yesterday we raised our heads and saluted the true man of faith, Eleazar, who was unwillingly to live a life of pretense when it came to his faith and chose to live a life of loyalty to God and thus die an honorable death.

He was a man's man.

Well, today we look toward the opposite sex. In today's first reading we encounter a women who is true to her faith.

The reading begins with these lines, "It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourages by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law."

What a way to begin a reading.

The stage is set. A mother and her seven sons are being persecuted. You know things are going to go well.

The very next line in the reading is very teling, "Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother,who saw her seven sons perish in a single day, yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord."

Then the reading continues, "filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage, she exhorted each of them..."

But first a question: why does a "womanly" heart need to be equated with "manly" courage? Surely, women are way more capable of being courageous in their own right without having to be compared to men in order to get notoriety.

Just a side note. What would it look like to say that a manly heart is filled with womanly ocurage? Becasue let's face it, to go through child birth requires quite a abit of courage, more than I have seen in a "manly" heart as of late.


The mother spoke thus:

"I do not know how you came into existence in my womb; it was not I who gave you the breath of life, nor was it I who set in order the elements of which each of you is composed. Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe who shapes each man's beginning, as he brings about the origin of everything, he, in his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law."

Wow! What a mother!
She is a true witness of womanhood.


When is the last time we saw this kind of love? How often do we make excuses for ourselves? How often do we excuse our chidlren from living the faith in hopes that we don't make it uncomfortable for them? Yet, here we disocver what it means when Jesus tells us in the gospel of Luke 14 that unless we hate our mother, brothers, chidlren, we cannot be his disciples.

What good is it for our chidlren to survive if they lose their souls in the process? Have we really helped them if this is the case?

being manly

2 Maccabees 6:18-31; Ps 3 The Lord upholds me; Luke 19:1-10

We continue today to read the story from the book of Maccabees. Again, a reminder, the story describes a secular leader trying to coerce the Israelites to abandon their faith and to turn to idolatry.

Many do in fact give in, while others seek to maintian their integrity of faith, holding to the covenant of God even in the face of possible death or severe mistreatment.


Today we hear the story of Eleazar, who is described as, "one of the foremost scribes,a man of advanced age and noble appearance."

Eleazar was being forced to eat pork. Pork as you know is considred unclean, unbecoming for one who is an Israelite.

Here is a snippet of the story as it unfolds.

"Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately, becasue their long acquaintance with him, and urged him to bring meat of his own providing, such as he could legitimately eat, and to pretend to be eating some of the meat prescribed by the king; in this way he would escape the death penalty, and be treated kindly becasue of their old friendship with him."

Think about that for a moment. THe persecutors, who had great respect for Eleazar, offer a compromise to get him off the hook. All he had to do was pretend to eat the meat and thus he would save his skin.

It sounds like a good idea, but Eleazar sees through the deceit.

"But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner, worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age, the merited distinction of his gray hair, and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood' so he declared that above all he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God."

Eleazar seems to be a man you would want on your side. He refuses to compromise. But more importantly he is aware of what kind of example he would be leaving if he pretended to eat the pork.

He states the following, "At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense; many young people would think the ninety-year old Eleazar had gone to an alien religion. Should I pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life, they would beled astray by me, while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age."

Eleazar isn't thinking about himself but rather he is mroe concerned with what it would mean to the younger generation. What point is it to save his life if he leads others astray.

Eleazar continues, "therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will prove myself worthy of my old age, and I will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws."


wow! What a man of faith. What a man's man, as they say.

In our society, we have, as C.S. Lewis speaks about, become men with our chest. I would add, men with out backbones.

Eleazar shows us what it means to stand fast. He shows us what it means to truly let the "Lord uphold him."

As the psalmist says, "The Lord upholds me."

when is the last time you let the Lord uphold you. Rather than trying to weasel out of something, especially matters of faithfulness, when have you stood firm and trusted in the Lord to uphold.

"This is how Eleazar died, leaving in his death a model of courage and unforgettable example of virtue not only for the young but for the whole nation."

Where have all the manly men gone? Where are those who manfully give their life?

Eleazar is truly a man's man, a woman's man, a young person's man, a man of faith.

coupons for the culture of death

1 Maccabees 1:10-63; Ps 119 Give me life, O Lord, I will do your commands; Luke 18:35-43

"In those days there appeared in Israel men who were breakers of the law, and they seduced many people, saying let us go make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us...Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, each abandoning his particular customs...all gentiles conformed to the command of the king, and many children of Israel were in favor of his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath." 1 Maccabees 1

The Maccabees are the last of the historical books of the Old Testament, written around 134 b.c.

The pagan mindset begins to take over the nation of Israel. A few people begin to persuade and seduce the nation to abandon its roots, its faith. SLowly, the Israelites become a minority yet they remain steadfast to their faith, refusing to surrender to the popular demand of the seductive voices of the time.


Sounds a lot like our society today. How many seductive voices are trying to get people of faith to abandon their roots and to give into the pressure of the popular culture, secularism and materialism. How often are we told that we should just all set aside our beliefs in order to become one people, who stand for nothing.

Sounds familiar.

The beauty of the maccabean line is they refuse to give in. THey hold fast in the fast of opposition. They are not seduced by the voices of the "modern" critics of their time. They guard their heritage, their faith. THey refuse to be unclean and be defiled.

They consider themselves custodians of the truth they have received in the covenant God made with them. They were "determined and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean; they preferred to die."

Every time we turn around our faith is being challenged and poked at. Every time we turn around defilement is upon us. Recently i came across an article where a abortionist doctor, in Orlando, florida, is advertising coupons for abortion that are only valid on Sundays.

"Dr. James Pendergraft, a Florida abortionist who earlier this year was order to pay $36 million in damages after a botched abortion left a baby alive, but severely disabled, is now attempting to attract clients to his Orlando Women’s Center by offering a coupon for abortions, valid on Sundays only.

The coupon, which can be used to kill an unborn baby up to 24 weeks old, is advertised on the main page of the Center’s website.

“Limited time special! Print this page and bring it in for $50 savings only on Sundays!” reads the coupon. “VALID FOR ABORTIONS PERFORMED BY 5/31/12. You must present this page to the receptionist at the time of the abortion ON SUNDAYS ONLY. $50 credit towards cost of abortion. No cash value.”

Coupons for the culture of death.

Think about the disgrace and sacrilege of such an invitation.

The Maccabees situation is not unlike our situation. And like them, we too as people of faith must resolve our hearts to stand fast and to counter such realities with increased fervor and faithfulness.

Hear the words of Christ from the gospel this morning, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."

Indeed, sight is necessary and faith shall pave the way, lest we fall into darkness. "He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God."

Jesus offers us life and all of its benefits, who needs coupons for death.

Just a quote:

I’d rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are; because a could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star. I’d rather be a has-been than a might-have-been, by far; for a might-have-been has never been, but a has was once an are. — Milton Berle

Dice v Scrabble

Wisdom 13:1-9; Ps 19 The heavens proclaim the glory of God; Luke 17:26-37

Listen to the words of the book of wisdom: "All men by nature are foolish who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not know him who is, and from the studying the works did not know the artisan...For if they so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its Lord"

I have recently been reading a book entitled, "I do not have enough faith to be an atheist." The book's premise is that atheist in order to be atheist actually require more faith than believers. There is more evidence for belief in God by looking and examining the world around us than the reverse.

It is a fascinating read. I don't agree with all of the "logical" conclusions because I think the authors makes some jumps, but the authors make good points. In the book there is this statement from Einstein, "God does not play dice with the universe." Then Philip Gold continues, "Einstein was right, God does not play dice with the universe, rather God plays Scrabble!"

I like scrabble. I like Word with Friends. SO I really enjoy the analogy.
Scrabble requires some intelligence or cleverness. It is not just random. The quote implies that when you look out into the world, we recognize order, design, specific complexity. The simplest life forms consist of such amazing complexity that it is equivalent to 1000 complete sets of Encyclopedia Britannica.

As the first reading tells us, so many have been distracted by the works of God they have missed the one who worked it. The psalmist tells us that the "heavens proclaim the glory of God." SO today, spend some time thinking about the created world. Spend some time looking at the design of it all. Let the heavens tell the story. Let the heavens proclaim the message. Be amazed.
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Today we celebrate the feast of St. Martin de Tours. At the age 15 he joined the army of the Roman Empire in 4th century. While a soldier he had an encounter with a poor naked beggar who was requesting alms. Martin, having only his sword and his mantle, cut his mantle in half and gave it to the poor naked beggar. THat night he had a dream in which JEsus was the poor naked beggar.

He chose ot leave the military and join the ranks of serving Christ. He told the general that he would "do more with than the sign of the cross to the enemy than with a shield and sword."


He did. At the end of his life as we was facing death, surrounded by his monks who he helped guide and formed, upon their request for him to turn on his back so that he might be more comfortable he responded

"Brothers, rather let me look toward heaven than to earth so that my soul in its journey home may take a direct flight to the Lord."

St. Martin pray for us.

How do we carry the cross in our life? What good do we do with the sign of the cross as soldiers of Christ?

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We remember our Veterans today on this 11th day of November. Countless men and women have served our country and the nations of the world in seeking to restore peace and bring about liberation. They have put themselves in harms way. They have put their lives on the line. We stop and pause to remember them, to thank them, to honor them. We ask God to protect those who continually serve.

Today thank a Veteran. Pray for them all that they may heal from the wounds incurred on the battle field. Work for Peace.

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Lastly here is a excerpt from a blog I follow. Melanie Ringley had an insight I thought worth sharing. Read if you like. She recently wrote a book about coming back to the church.

"That’s one of the things about people, whether they’re contemplating a return to the Church or conversion, or even if they’re cradle Catholics. Sometimes, we choose to ignore or criticize Church teachings because we don’t like them or think the Church is wrong, outdated, misogynistic, behind the times… in essence, we decide our knowledge is correct and superior to anything we might find in dogma or doctrine. It’s easier to criticize… and either walk away or ignore what’s there, to preserve our life and our views as they are.

It’s harder to research the reason for the Church teachings on birth control or celibacy or purgatory and determine where precisely we disagree. Sometimes, the results may even change our minds, or at least make it easier to submit our will and intellect. Sometimes, we lose our knee-jerk reactions… and gain knowledge. Or, having gained that knowledge, we are all the more capable of engaging in intelligent discussion over knowing God as He is.