1/28/2012 – 2 Samuel 12: 1-7a, 10-17 – homily - Saturday of third week in ordinary time

         God's grace and God's truth can come to us in many different ways, even when we want to avoid it at all cost.  In today's first reading from the 2^nd book of Samuel, we hear how his truth and grace come to David in the form of a story told by Nathan.  It is the story of a lamb that is treated like a child by a poor, simple man.  Yet, a rich farmer, who has hundreds in his flock of livestock, steals this poor man's beloved lamb to serve as a meal for a visitor.  David doesn't immediately see the truth and the irony in this story, as it is really a story about him, how he took Bathsheba away from her husband, Uriah the Hittite.  God uses this story to expose the wretchedness of David's sins. 

         It is striking that even though Nathan is a prophet, in this case he acts as David's faithful friend.  He willingly and courageously helps David through pointing out his sins through compassion and love.  He does this in order to help David and the nation of Israel.  It also shows us that while we are often blind to our own sins, as David did not even initially see himself in the story, God sees our sins and is there to help us in the process of repentances and conversion.  David learned through this experience that his sin was not worth the price he would ultimately pay, which is a good lesson for us of us to heed. 

         Another good lesson for us to take away from this story of King David is that we are all capable of sinning, no matter who we are.  We can be tempted and lured into sin, we can be blinded to the truth and the reality of a situation. 

         As we get closer to the holy season of Lent, may the Holy Spirit lead us to disciplines and practices to incorporate into our lives of faith that will help us to turn away from sin, that will help bring about conversion & renewal in our lives.  May we become more aware of the sins that exist in our lives as we continue on our journey of faith.  

1/27/2012 – 2 Samuel 1:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17 – Homily - Friday of the third week of ordinary time -

          For the past 3 weeks, we have been hearing from the 1^st and 2^nd books of Samuel in our first readings, about the story of the prophet Samuel and the first kings of Israel, Saul & David.  We recently heard of David's heroism and courage in slaying the warrior Goliath, of David's mercy and compassion in sparing Saul's life when Saul himself was out to kill David.  Yet, today, we hear the tragic story of David's adultery and of his murder of Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba.

         Our sins have consequences, & David's sinful actions certainly had consequences for him.  Our responsorial psalm response today pleads: “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”  We are to come to the Lord in repentance for our sins, asking for his mercy and wanting to turn away from sin.  Just as our faith can grow like a small mustard seed into a large bush, our sins can also grow and grow if we let them.  The sacrament of reconciliation is there for us as a grace from God in order to forgive us from our sins & to help through the process of conversion, repentance, forgiveness, & renewal.  May we approach this sacrament each time in sincerity & humility, being truly repentant for our sins and wanting to repair and renew our relationship with God and with our brother and sisters. We need to get beyond the superficial sins that we usually confess to see the truly sinful actions and impulses that take ahold of us.  It is important to recognize that God's forgiveness is just a new start for us, not the end of the story.  We need to do penance and to do everything in our power to not return to our sins.  In many cases, with addictions of any kind and with other kinds of sin, this may be a life-long process and struggle. 

         As we continue to listen to the first readings from the 1^st and 2^nd books of Samuel, may we learn from the journey of the people of ancient Israel & see what lessons there are for us to incorporate in our own lives of faith. 

1/26/2012 – Thursday – Memorial Timothy & Titus – 2 Tim 1:1-8

         Today, we celebrate the memorial of Timothy & Titus, two companions of St. Paul on his missionary journeys.  We celebrate this memorial the day after the conversion of Paul.  Timothy later became the administrator of the important community of Christ's followers in Ephesus, while Titus served the Church in Crete. 

         In Paul's letter of 2^nd Timothy, he recalls the importance of the Holy Spirit in the gift of our faith, as well as how our faith has been passed down to us, with Timothy being greatly influenced by the faith of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice.  The faith of our fathers and mothers, the faith of our ancestors, lives on in us.  I look at how so many of you in our parish have had their lives of faith greatly influenced by the faith of your parents and grandparents, and how the elders of our parish so influence the faith of our younger members.  Things have not changed since the time of Paul, Timothy, and Titus. 

         Paul exhorts Timothy to stir into flame the gift of God that has been given to him, telling him, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather of power and love and self-control.”  Truly living our faith and our Christian values in our lives, discerning the will of God for us & trying to follow it – this is stirring into flame the gifts and the blessings that God has given to us. 

         Our lives of faith are not always easy.  Paul and his companions suffered great hardship & persecution for their faith, but their steadfastness, zeal, and the grace of God kept their faith alive.  May the faith of our fathers and mothers, may the faith of the great missionaries such as Paul, Timothy, and Titus, stir the flame within us, keeping our faith alive and vibrant.  

1/25/2012 – Homily - Wednesday – Conversion of St Paul – Acts 22:3-16; Mark 16:15-18

         Today, we celebrate the conversion of Paul, as we hear the very dramatic account of his conversion from the Acts of the Apostles, of how he was traveling on the road to Damascus when a bright light and the voice of God came out of the blue.  Perhaps many of us would like such a dramatic and clear event in our own lives when we are trying to make a decision or when we are searching for direction. 

         Paul felt God calling him to a very special mission: to bring the Good New of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.  Paul, who had been a persecutor of Christians, ended up being persecuted himself for the faith, spending an estimated time of more than 3 years behind bars for his role in preaching the Gospel to all.  Prior to his conversion, Paul had been very strict in his Jewish faith and zealous in his devotion to God's laws and commandments.  We can only imagine how strong a conversion Paul had to experience in order to stay true to his calling through so much struggle and hardship, spreading the Way of Jesus to people whom the Jewish faith would have considered unclean. 

         Paul has had a tremendous influence on our Catholic faith, so much so that we celebrated the 2000^th anniversary of his birth back several year ago as declared by Pope Benedict XVI.  We give thanks for the conversion Paul received in his life, and the conversions that still go on in our Church today, for those individuals who either being baptized in the faith or entering into full communion with our Church through the RCIA program.  We give thanks for all of the journeys and stories of faith these individuals bring to us, for the enthusiasm and new life that they bring to our faith communities.  As we celebrate Paul's conversion today, let us truly appreciate Paul and the others who have passed down their faith to us.  

1/24/2012 – Tuesday of the third week in ordinary time - Memorial of St Francis de Sales – Mark 3:31-35

       Jesus is in the midst of his ministry, in his proclamation of God’s kingdom, but perhaps his mother and his family are concerned for his welfare.  Perhaps they want to make sure that he is ok and well taken care of.  Yet, Jesus knows he needs to be occupied with his Father’s work, so he declares that his true mother, his true brothers and sisters, are those who do the will of his Father in their lives. 

         St. Francis de Sales, the saint whom we celebrate today, also displays in his life the same courage and conviction that Jesus exemplifies in today’s Gospel.  Francis de Sales was the Bishop of Geneva in the early 17^th century and was declared to be a Doctor of the Church in the year 1877.  Francis was destined to by a lawyer and a senator in his native country of France, but after earning his doctorate in law, he decided to become a priest.  He is known for his great preaching and for his support of the Catholic faith in the city of Geneva, which was a very strong center of Calvinist Protestantism.  With Sister Jane Frances de Chantal, he helped found the Sisters of the Visitation, a group of religious sisters who were to practice the virtues that Mary exemplified in her visit to her cousin Elizabeth: humility, charity, and piety. 

         Francis de Sales had a strong sense of identity in his Catholic faith, in his priestly vocation.  May we hear the calling we have as disciples of Christ, living out that discipleship with courage and zeal.  May we do our Father’s will just like Jesus, just like St Francis de Sales.