5 May 2024 - homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter - 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17

The theme of today’s readings is God’s love.  We often hear about God’s love in our readings at Mass.  In fact, last Sunday, the second reading from the first letter of John stated that God’s commandment that we are to follow is this: “we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as (Jesus) commanded us.” Today’s second reading, also from the same first letter of St John, states that the centre of all living is love. It is not only the center of Christian living, but should be at the center of any kind of life.

There are so many saints that have exemplified God’s love in their lives and in their ministry.  The first saint I thought of in regard’s to God’s love was St Elizabeth of the Trinity, a Carmelite nun who was born in France in 1880.  She was a gifted musician and pianist.  And she was also very rambunctious and strong-willed as a child. Until the time she entered the Carmelite monastery at the age of 21, she worked with troubled youth and performed many charitable works in the city of Dijon. Her fellow nuns noted her great spiritual joy.  At the time of her death at the age of 26 from Addison’s disease, she believed that God had a special mission for her in eternal life, that through her prayers and intercessions, she would help lead souls to a deeper encounter with Christ Jesus.  Here is a quote from Elizabeth the Trinity about God’s love: “In the morning, let us awake in love. All day long let us surrender ourselves to love, by doing the will of God, under his gaze, with him, in him, for him alone…And then, when evening comes, after a dialogue of love that has never stopped in our hearts, let us go to sleep still in love.” I love her idea of us abiding in god’s lives at different points of the day, of being conscious of his love and allowing that love to live within us. 

Another saint I associate with God’s love is St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. I have always been drawn to St Ignatius and the missionary spirit of the Jesuits, and grew even closer to him when I journeyed to his home town of Loyola, Spain to pray his spiritual exercises for an entire month in 2019. Born in 1491, Ignatius spent his  young adult years as a solider.  After being hit by a canon ball that shattered his leg at the Battle of Pamplona at the age of 29, he had a profound religious conversion that ultimately led him to the priesthood. Here is his quote about God’s love: “Love is shown more in deeds than in words.” Ignatius knew that anyone can say a pleasant word. But it’s a person’s deeds that truly show their love of God and the love of their faith, which is evident in his profound spiritual transformation. As Catholics, we must also remember to do more than just speak about the love of our fiath. We must show that love with loving deeds and actions. 

The lives of Elizabeth of the Trinity and Ignatius of Loyola illustrate that our faith is not just a religion or a set of rules that are tacked onto an otherwise secular life. Our Christian faith is a vision of how our human lives can be lived out in fullness. Our faith teaches us how to be a real person. St Irenaeus Lyon stated: “The glory of God is a person fully alive.” Indeed, a person is only fully alive when he is full of love. Because such a person then truly reflects God, who is love. This also reflects something that Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said: “Where there is love, there is God.” Notice that Mother Teresa did not say where there are Christians, there is God, or where there is the Church there is God. It is love that should characterize our life of discipleship. Love is a way of life for us. It is an internal attitude that should influence everything we do and say and think.

The love we express out of our faith is to be unconditional. Sometimes people will love us back; sometimes they will not. Sometimes, even though we want to love people, they may reject us. Sometimes, another person cannot return genuine love as they may not be capable of doing so at that moment.  That is all the more reason why we need to reach out to them. People often learn to love by being loved.

As disciples of Christ, the most important thing is not that we are clever or successful or rich or famous. The most important thing is that we are able to pass on the love of God, just as Jesus loves us, just as Jesus is loved by the Father. Our love may empower others to be loving too. To be able to reach out in love and to experience being loved is God’s greatest grace.

Prayers of the faithful - Friday of the 6th week of Easter - 10 May 2024

Lord Jesus - you are the word of God. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us the love of the Father. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to faith.  

Priest: With humble hearts, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For all the faithful of the Diocese of Jackson: that God will strengthen our spirits, help us form supportive relationships, and guide us in our ministries and outreach to the poor and marginalized. 

2. For all married couples: that husbands and wives may appreciate the gift that they are to one another and help strengthen their partnership of life that they have formed together.   

3. For peace in communities experiencing terrorism, violence, conflict, or war.  They we may work to mend brokenness and practice justice.  

4. For all who are unemployed or looking for a new job, that the Lord will help them find their vocation and a work situation where they will be able to prosper and contribute to society.  

5. For all of our students, that they may feel God’s presence with them during the upcoming summer months. 

6. For our first responders, for the men and women in the military, and for our veterans.  May they feel the love and support of those whom they serve.  

7. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. 

Priest: We present our prayers through the risen Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  

Prayers of the faithful - Thursday of the 6th week of Easter - 9 May 2024

Lord Jesus - you are the word of God. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us the love of the Father. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to a life of discipleship.  

Priest: With humble hearts, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For all the parishes of the Diocese of Jackson: that God will strengthen the spirits of our parishioners, help them form supportive relationships, and guide them in their ministries and services. 

2. For all couples preparing for marriage: that they may appreciate the gift that they are to one another and form a partnership of life for the good of each other. 

3. For peace: that God will turn minds and hearts from violence, open new ways for dialogue about wounds and grievances, and help all who are burdened with anger to find life and hope.  

4. For all who have experienced abuse: that God will heal them, give them new courage, and renew their vision for a future filled with God’s promises. 

5. For all of our students: that they may feel God’s presence with them during the upcoming months of summer vacation. 

6. For healing for the sick and shut-in, and may the Lord welcome into eternal life the faithful departed. 

7. For the prayers we hold in our hearts. 

Priest: We present our prayers through the risen Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  

10 May 2024 - St Damien - homily for Friday of the 6th week of Easter - Acts 18:9-18

Today, we celebrate the feast day of a saint whose great work and enthusiasm as a priest in the state of Hawaii is remembered more than 135 years after his death. The date of a saint’s entry into enteral life is usually used for his feast day, but in this saint’s case, the date of his feast day which chosen for a different reason. On May 10, 1873, Father Damien De Veuster, a Belgian priest with the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, arrived on the island of Molokai in the Hawaiian islands to begin his ministry at the leper colony there. Damien had been born to a very poor family in Belgium. He had left school at the age of 13 to help out at the family farm. With so little formal education, it was thought that he was not suited for the priesthood. Yet, while in the formation period to become a priest, Damian offered to serve as a missionary in Hawaii, taking his brother’s place, since his brother was unable to go because of an illness. Damien volunteered to serve the lepers in Molokai after he served in different mission churches in Hawaii.  He served in Molokai from 1873 until his own death in 1889 at the age of 49, which came about after he himself contracted the disease from the lepers. Even in the midst of his illness, Damien was able to proclaim: “I consider myself the happiest missionary in the world.” Damien could have a combative and stubborn personality, which sometimes caused conflict with his companions and superiors, but his desire to proclaim the Gospel to others, and his love for those who suffer at the margins of society, speak so loudly to many in our world, both in the religious and the humanitarian sense. The joy that Damien felt was a joy that came from his faith.  Even Gandhi proclaimed: “The world can boast of very few heroes who can compare with Father Damien of Molokai.”  Father Damien’s holy life inspired countless priests and many members of the faithful, leading to his canonization in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI. 

In the first reading from Acts today, we hear about St Paul’s missionary activity in Corinth. Time and again in Acts, we hear how those opposed to Paul’s preaching turn him in to the civil authorities.  Yet, the Lord encourages him to persevere in a vision that Paul has.  Paul continues to preach the Gospel message and develops the early church in Corinth.  

Both Damien and Paul served the Lord out of love and fidelity. They both live and died serving the Lord with great joy in their hearts. May their example inspire us on our own journeys of faith.

9 May 2024 - Thursday of the 6th week of Easter - Psalm 98:1-4

Our psalm today declares: The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power….The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.  He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.”  The Lord’s saving power was revealed in a new covenant with his Son Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine, whom we celebrate in a special way during the Easter season.  May is also the month of Mary.  Many Catholics around the world celebrate a May crowning, in which flowers is present to an image of Mary, celebrating her title of Queen of Heaven and earth.  May has been Mary’s month since the medieval period. In the month of May, the winter season ends and the season of spring starts a new cycle of growth. With these new beginnings, we express our gratitude and devotion to Mary. In a special way, let us ask for Mary’s prayers and intercession during the entire month of May.  

8 May 2024 - Wednesday of the 6th week of Easter – John 16:12-15

We hear Jesus tell us about how he is sending us the Holy Spirit – called the Spirit of truth – to lead us and guide us to all truth.  We hear the word “truth” being bantered about all the time all around us, don’t we?  We hear some say: “I want the truth to come out” or “I am hear to speak the truth.”  Sometimes what we think is the truth can be our own perspective or how we see things, even though we don’t want to admit it.  We live in a world that is so divided these days that it might be difficult discerning what the truth is. It seems like even journalism today is more about advocating for an agenda rather than presenting facts.  I looked up “truth” in the Catechism and it directed me to the eighth commandment, “you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” The Catechism states: “Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.”  Like any virtue, we must have a well formed conscience and we must be cognizant of the formation we are receiving.  On May 19, in a week and a half, we will celebrate Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit in the world. The presence of the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us to the truth and to the right path is so important in our lives of faith. We must be cognizant of the Spirit’s presence with us.   

7 May 2024 - Tuesday of the 6th week of Easter - Acts:16:22-34

Today, we hear one of the most dramatic scenes from our readings from Acts during the Easter season, as Paul and his companion are brought before the court, flogged, and thrown into jail.  Paul, Silas, and the rest of the prisoners are freed from prison from an earthquake that happened in response to the prayers and hymns that Paul and Silas offered. The guard, who was responsible for the security of the prisoners, prepared to kill himself out of shame for having failed his responsibilities. Yet, Paul tells him not to harm himself, that Paul and the others are not going to escape. This brings about a conversion in the heart of the guard. We don’t hear the end of the story, which concludes with the magistrates setting Paul and Silas free and apologizing for having treated them as Roman citizens in such an unlawful and undignified way. In the midst of our hardships and sufferings, God can still be at work in our lives and there are still blessings to discover.  Out of the harsh circumstances which met Paul, Silas and prison guard, a story of conversion and Christ’s love developed. 

I want to mention a very interesting commemoration on this date. May 7 is also the anniversary of an apparition of the Archangel Raphael who appeared to the priests in the Church of San Lorenzo in the city of Cordova, Spain in the year 1578. The city was experiencing a major epidemic in which many people were dying. On May 7, San Rafael appeared and said, “I swear by Jesus Crucified, I'm Rafael the Angel whom God put as the keeper of the city." After that, people did not die any more because of plague. A major church was erected in the 18th and 19th century to symbolize the city being protected under the Archangel Raphael. May we give thanks for the many ways God blesses us on our journey of faith.