14 May 2021 – feast day of St Matthias – Acts 1:15-17, 20-26

      We always have some questions come up about our Masses on this sixth week of Easter, as the Ascension of the Lord is normally celebrated on the Thursday of this week.  However, in our diocese and in most dioceses in the United States, this feast day has been moved to this upcoming Sunday, in order for more of the faithful to be present for this celebration. Today, on May 14 each year, we celebrate the feast of St Matthias the Apostle.  

         Through our reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, we learn that Matthias was chosen to replace Judas as one of the apostles.  He was chosen before the descent of the Holy Spirit, but this choice was not made by the risen Christ, but by the other 11 apostles.  Tradition has it that the apostles were sent to different parts of the world to spread the Good News.  Tradition reports that James went to Spain, that Thomas went to India, and that Matthias was sent to spread the Gospel in Ethiopia and that he died a martyr there.  Just as pilgrims believe that James' remains are laid to rest in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, it is believed that the remains of Matthias are located at the Abbey of St Matthias in Trier, Germany, having been brought there by Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine.  Just as the remains of St James were rediscovered by a hermit in the 9th century in Spain, the remains of St Matthias were rediscovered there in the 13th century, at which time the abbey became a popular place of pilgrimage.  

        Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have challenged us as modern believers to undertake a new evangelization in the world.   We hear this term “new evangelization” so often, we might not really know how to undertake this new evangelization.  As I understand it, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis see this new evangelization as an attempt to evangelize our own corner of the world, especially those of us who live in the traditionally Christian countries were our faith is coming under attack by the secular elements of our society and where a lot of people have left the faith or have become inactive in practicing their faith. Pope Francis sees all Christians called to this new evangelization, as he states: “Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization; indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God’s saving love does not need much time or lengthy training to go out and proclaim that love.”

        St Matthias faced many unknowns and many challenges as he preached the Gospel throughout the world.  We also are faced with challenges as we bring the Gospel to others.  May we be inspired to live in the spirit of the Early Church and to energetically witness to our world.

14 May 2019 - Tuesday of the 4th week of Easter – St Matthias – Acts 1:15-17, 20-26

      Today, on May 14, we celebrate the feast of St Matthias the Apostle. Through our reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, we learn that Matthias was chosen to replace Judas as one of the apostles.  He was chosen before the descent of the Holy Spirit, but this choice was not made by the risen Christ, but by the other 11 apostles.  Tradition has it that the apostles were sent to different parts of the world to spread the Good News.  Tradition passes down that James went to Spain, that Thomas went to India, and that Matthias was sent to spread the Gospel in Ethiopia where he died a martyr’s death.   Just as pilgrims believe that James is buried in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, it is believed that the remains of Matthias are located at the Abbey of St Matthias in Trier, Germany, having been brought there by Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine.  Just as the remains of St James were rediscovered by a hermit in the 9th century in Spain, the remains of St Matthias were rediscovered there in the 13th century, at which time the abbey became a popular place of pilgrimage.  

        Pope Benedict and Pope Francis have challenged us as modern believers to undertake a new evangelization in the world.   We hear this term “new evangelization” so often, that one Catholic blogger feared that it would become a cliché or simply a slogan.  As I understand it, Benedict and Francis see this new evangelization as an attempt to evangelize our own corner of the world, especially those of us who live in the traditionally Christian countries were our faith is coming under attack by the secular elements of our society and where a lot of people have left the faith. Pope Francis sees all Christians called to this new evangelization, as he states: “Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization; indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God’s saving love does not need much time or lengthy training to go out and proclaim that love.”

        Matthias and the other apostles faced many unknowns and many challenges as they preached the Gospel.  We are faced with many challenges as well as we bring the message of the Gospel to our world.  May all of us be inspired to live in the spirit of the Early Church and to energetically witness to the world.

17 de febrero de 2019 - sexto domingo del tiempo ordinario - Lucas 6,17, 20-26

      El sacerdote franciscano, el padre Richard Rohr, escribió lo siguiente en su libro cayendo hacia arriba:  ”Siempre me he preguntado por qué la gente nunca quiere poner un monumento de piedra de las Ocho Bienaventuranzas en el jardín del palacio de justicia como hace por los Diez Mandamientos.” Tal vez las Bienaventuranzas no son tan directas como los Diez Mandamientos. No son tan fáciles de entender.  Se supone que las Bienaventuranzas son bendiciones, pero ¿cómo puede ser una bendición llorar o ser pobre o ser odiado? Podemos decir que cuando estamos expulsados ​​de nuestra zona de confort o cuando tenemos desafíos, cuando nos empujamos o cuando nos estiramos, esos son a menudo los momentos de mayor crecimiento y enriquecimiento en nuestras vidas. Tal vez las Bienaventuranzas nos desafíen en nuestros valores y en nuestra cultura.  Tal vez en las Bienaventuranzas nos desafíen en nuestra seguridad, nuestra seguridad y nuestra complacencia. Tal vez tenemos muchas preguntas y inquietudes en las Bienaventuranzas, aunque escuchamos el menaje de las Bienaventuranzas muchas veces en las Sagradas Escrituras. Sabemos que los sabios ancianos en nuestra sociedad son los que ejemplifican los valores de las Bienaventuranzas para nosotros. No son las estrellas en el televisor o las estrellas de los equipos deportivos. Las bienaventuranzas describen a las personas humildes y sin pretensiones que tranquilamente viven los valores de la fe en sus vidas.

       El 12 de marzo de 1622, el Papa Gregorio XV hizo santos a cinco hombres y mujeres españoles. Los primeros cuatro anunciantes ese día eran figuras muy famosas de la Iglesia en España en esta época: Ignacio de Loyola, Teresa de Ávila, Francisco Xavier y Felipe Neri. Todos se preguntaban quién sería el quinto santo. Se anunció que era Isidro Labrador, un campesino pobre de Madrid que nació en el siglo XI.  Nadie sabía quien era.  No era conocido como los demás. Cuando Isidro era joven, sus padres no podían proveerle económicamente, ya que eran muy pobres. Fue enviado para trabajar como obrero en una finca. Vivió una vida muy santa.  Asistió a la misa cada día. Isidro amaba a los pobres y amaba a los animales. Un milagro de la multiplicación de los alimentos ocurrió cuando Isidoro alimentó una bandada de pájaros hambrientos. En otra ocasión, Isidoro compartió su comida con un grupo de mendigos. La santidad cotidiana de San Isidro lo incluyó en este grupo de los otros grandes santos españoles. En su simplicidad de espíritu, en su humildad, Isidro Labrador ejemplifica el espíritu de las bienaventuranzas.

17 February 2019 - 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Luke 6:17, 20-26

    Franciscan priest Father Richard Rohr, wrote the following in his book Falling Upwards: A Spirituality Through the Two Halves of Life:  “I have always wondered why people never want to put a stone monument of the Eight Beatitudes on the courthouse lawn,” like they do for the Ten Commandments.  Perhaps that is because the Beatitudes are not as straight forward as the Ten Commandments.  They are not so easy to understand, are they?  The Beatitudes are supposed to be blessings, but how can it be a blessing to grieve or to be poor or to weep or to be hated?  Then I think about how when we are thrown out our comfort zone or when we are challenged or pushed or stretched, those are often the times of the greatest growth and enrichment in our lives.  Perhaps the beatitudes challenge those things that we assume to be the foundation of our culture and our values.  And it is good for us to be challenged sometimes, isn't it?  To look at what we believe and what we stand for in a critical way.   Perhaps they challenge our safety, our security, and our complacency.  Perhaps we don’t quite know what to make of the beatitudes, even though we have heard them again and again in Scripture.  Perhaps the wise elders that we have in society are the ones who exemplify the beatitudes to us.  They are not the rich reality stars or sport stars that we see on TV.  They are not the ones who bring attention and accolades to themselves, who think that they speak for others and who think they have it all figured out.  The beatitudes describe the humble, unassuming individuals who quietly go about living the values of the faith in their lives.  

     On March 12, 1622, five Spanish men and women were made saints by Pope Gregory XV.  The first four announce that day were very famous figures from the Church in Spain: Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, Francis Xavier, and Phillip Neri.  Everyone wondered who the fifth saint would be.  It was announced that it was Isidore, a poor farmer from Madrid who was born in the 11th century.  As a youth, his parents were unable to financially provide for him, as they were very poor.  He was sent to a rich landowner to work as a laborer.  He lived a very holy life, often going to daily mass. Isidore loved the poor and loved the animals. a miracle of the multiplication of food occurred when Isidore fed a flock of starving birds.  On another occasion, Isidore shared his food with a large group of beggars.  Isidore’s everyday holiness included him in this group of other great Spanish saints.  In his simplicity of spirit, Isidore the Farmer exemplifies the spirit of the beatitudes.