Christ the King of the Universe

The right to rule and govern, to judge or offer pardon, belongs to the King, when it comes to eternal rule and judgment that belongs to the King of kings alone.  Today we celebrate The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.  It is not just a pious title, but one that is real, true, and good.

When the Logos became flesh and lived among us, He lived among us as a humble servant.  Even His birth was a very humble event, born in a manger among the farm animals and farm hands.  He grew up in a poor hard working family, living among other hard working poor folks.  There was nothing that would have made you think, “Here is a king.”

Even when He began His public ministry and performed great deeds and miracles many believed He was not the Prophetic King, the Messiah that would come because they were expecting someone like King David, someone who would rule them and deliver them from the Romans.

Jesus did not want to come in that fashion but rather as the suffering servant so that He could teach us two things, one) the redemptive value of the Cross and two) to teach us how to live – what love really is.

Now, however, Jesus is no longer the suffering and poor servant, He is the One who sits at the right hand of the Father, governing and ruling the nations.  He still remains brother and friend to us, one who is close to us, but never again will He suffer or be poor.  And to Him belongs judgment of peoples as the Gospel of Matthew tells us.  “He will separate the goats and the sheep.”  Sometimes we get caught up in judgment and we find ourselves doing that, eternally judging others, that is a no-no.  Actually it is a very serious and grave sin to do so since we take the role of King of kings, which we are not to do; it belongs to Christ and Christ alone.

Next week we will begin Advent and prepare ourselves for Jesus’ first coming, Christmas, when He was the small and humble baby, this week, however, we are to reflect on Jesus as King of Kings, His second coming in glory, power, and judgment.  Yes it can seem a little scary and some would not preach about this kind of Jesus, but that would be to leave out an important aspect of who He is and the thought of Jesus as King of kings should make us fear a little, not to be frightened but to cause awe and wonder.  I leave you with lyrics of a beautiful song that I have loved since I have been a child, one that leaves me in awe and wonder about Jesus, King of kings.  “Who is the King of glory; how shall we call him?  He is Emmanuel, the promised of ages.  The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices.  Open the gates before Him, lift up your voices.”

Are You Ready?

For all intents and purposes Ordinary Time in the Church ends this week with this week being the 33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.  I know there is an in between week, next week – Jesus King of the Universe before the 1^st Sunday in Advent. Hard to believe that we are almost at Advent, comes upon us very quickly, “Like a Thief in the Night.”

Those were St. Paul’s words from today’s 2^nd reading to the Thessalonians.  The readings will begin pointing to our Lord’s Second Coming, this week and next in order to prepare us but also remind us of His first coming, the day of His birth.

St. Paul, however, was not so much concerned about the first coming of our Lord, but rather concerned with His second coming, which can come upon us like a thief in the night, just as Advent is almost upon us and it seems like it came out of nowhere.  How often is that true for many things in life.  For instance one day we wake up and we realize, my goodness I’m forty, fifty, sixty, or seventy years old, or the people we know especially when they were children now have children themselves, or if we were waiting for something like graduating from High School or College, and then there it is, graduation day right upon us, and not only upon us but come and gone.

St. Paul is reminding us, so too will it be with the Lord, He will come out of nowhere it will seem.  However, as St. Paul says, “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief.  For all of you are children of the light and children of the day.  We are not of the night or of darkness.   Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.”  As good disciples that day should not catch us off guard, if we live as children of light, and what does that mean specifically?  It means that we are to be faithful and virtuous.  Light constitutes visibility, warmth, radiance, a welcoming type of feeling, as where darkness constitutes fear, coldness, lack of sight or ability to see, hence the opposite of light, as one in hides in the dark. 

We are not to predict the day of when the Lord will return but neither are we to write it off as if it will happen much later, since both are predictions and predictions are wrong, what we are to say and believe, is that it could happen this very day or the next, but either way I am ready and not only ready, but I welcome it.  If I do not welcome the Lord’s return right here, right now, there is still some part of me hanging to what is here which will catch me like a thief in the night, for the things of here, the flesh and of the world distract me from my prize, to be with the Lord.  In the end there is really only one question that matters and only you can answer it, that question is, “Are you ready?”

Vocations Awareness Weekend

A few weeks ago we had our presbyteral convocation, an annual meeting of all the priests in the diocese.  I always look forward to it since I don’t always get to see my brother priests, so this annual event is beneficial on many levels, brother priests getting together for prayer, mass, social events, talks, training and some nice walks on the beach in Avalon.

At the end of the convocation Bishop gives his annual address to his priests.  Bishop Sullivan is an excellent speaker; he is down to earth, motivating, and inspiring.  You can clearly see he loves his priesthood and his desire to share that love is evident.  In his talk he made a number of points for us to consider as we move forward as a Diocese.  There was one point in particular that really hit home for me and that was that each of us priests is a vocation director and not just the man who holds that particular office, who by the way is Fr. Michael Romano.

I wish to extend that call by Bishop Sullivan and say that each and every single one of us is a Vocation Director.  You as parents are the first teachers, directors if you will of your children, shaping, molding and directing them towards first of all being model Christians, and then teaching them about vocations in life, i.e. marriage, family, priesthood, the single life.  Parents are the first to teach their children, and then it falls to teachers, us priests, religious, deacons, mentors to continue to plant seeds in those searching for their vocation.

There are young men out there who are thinking about priesthood.  It is our duty as a parish to help those seek out a vocation.  We are to encourage and challenge our young to make that call towards God in serving His people at the Altar and beyond.  This is done simply by asking a young man, “Did you ever consider the priesthood,” or by encouraging him, “I think you would make a wonderful priest.”

The response to priesthood is an honorable and blessed life.  Yes we give up some things, such as marriage, children, or the pursuit of advancement and riches, but we receive in marriage the People of God, we receive in children not just physical-blood offspring, but all children, and instead of the riches of the world we receive the riches of the Church.  Though we are not religious as diocesan priests we still take on a spirit of poverty in order to focus on what is true wealth, our relationships with our parishioners.  What a call indeed and what blessings.  When I was fifteen years old I did not see it, the blessings in all of that, but through others continuing to plant seeds in me I eventually understood the call when I was 26 years old and responded to God.  I thank the Lord that I did, I could not picture any other life for myself and my prayer is that if you are thinking about this call to priesthood that you answer it as I did and take up the call of Jesus our Savior to serve His people.  God bless you, Fr. John

Holy Family Forty Years!

We are celebrating so much this weekend. We are honoring all of our canonized Saints on November 1st, we are remembering all of our beloved dead on November 2nd, we will have our 40th Anniversary Mass and Gala on Saturday November 1st. That is quite a bit, but it will be memorable and grace filled.

We are honored to have our Vicar General and former pastor, Fr. Robert Hughes celebrating that mass for us. I thought it would be fitting and proper that the pastor who began the 40th year and planning all its celebrations be the priest to close out our 40th year. We will be blessed with Fr. Hughes’ presence.

Forty years, a generation, a great biblical number used and referred to often. “The Hebrews were in the desert for 40 years seeking the Promised Land. King David ruled Israel for 40 years, so too did his son Solomon, 40 days and 40 nights of rain, Jesus in the desert for 40 days.” A number as you can see used quite often. It is a number that applies to us now, “40 years a parish.” In terms of the age of Church, we are very young as the Church is over 2,000 years old, nice to know that we are young. But even in our youth, if you will, we understand and desire living the Gospel. We have seen the good fruits we have contributed to our parish as well as all of those who came before us.

Everything is about laying down the foundation. We have done that since 1974 and have done it well as the results show, the results of selfless giving, kindness, in our worship, our prayer, and our sacrifices. As your pastor know that I pray for you each day that all of your good works continue to build on the foundation we have already established in Jesus, Joseph and Mary, our patrons. There are many years ahead of us, those who were before have already paved the way and have made straight the way of the Lord. It is our duty and obligation to keep that pathway straight and I know that we will.

I want to thank you all personally for everything, from your sacrificial offerings to your smiles when we see each other. You are the apple of God’s eye. We must continue to keep each and everyone in prayer so that our family will continue to grow, to experience God’s blessings and that when people look at us they will always see a, “Holy Family!” Forty years, may God bless us for the work of our hands and may He continue to help us build on the foundation we have established. Cento anni and Deus vos benedicat!  Fr. John

Good Stewards Remember the Cross

Tonight after our 6pm evening mass we will burn our pledge cards which we took last week, prayed about, and made a commitment to God to take seriously our roles as stewards of our Parish and the Church at large.  Today’s Gospel reminds us of stewardship when Jesus spells out the two foundational commandments, “Love God, Love Neighbor.”

Loving God is a vertical movement, a relationship that moves upward and downward.  God Himself being the Master Steward, taking care of all of creation especially his sons and daughters.  The other relational movement is horizontal; its direction is sideways (left to right, right to left).  The two greatest commandments make a cross + leave it to God to show His subtle genius.

We understand our relationship to the Lord: He provides His grace and we are to respond as His children, living lives of active faith.  That gift that He gives us, His undeserved grace we are to share freely with others, which is the second commandment, the horizontal bar of the cross. 

I believe there are two ways we can demonstrate this love, two ways that stand out to me, obviously there are more than two ways in which we can express our love for neighbor, but again, these two are pivotal.

The first is forgiveness.  The great prayer Jesus taught us reminds us that we ask God to forgive us our trespasses\debts, as we forgive those who trespass against us\or are debited to us.  Sins are debits against our account and acts of righteousness are credited into our account that is why the debit language is used.  Everyone’s actions will be made manifest, every word we utter we are responsible for.  Jesus has set the bar very high and rightly so.  Anyway, forgiveness it is a part of being a steward.  When I withhold forgiveness especially when a person asks for it and I refuse to forgive or still want to get in the last word I am exercising power over another human being, which has not been given to me.  What has been given to me is responsibility for self and others.  In that responsibility I am to extend my hand in love, when someone wrongs me, no matter how bad or what it maybe, if they ask me for forgiveness as a steward entrusted with God’s mercies I am to immediately extend it to them just as Jesus immediately extended it to me after I wronged someone and asked Him to forgive me.  I would go even as far as saying that if a person never asks for forgiveness after wronging me I am still to forgive them in my heart in the presence of Jesus.  Not easy, but as a trust worthy steward whom God has placed His trust in I must act as He did. 

The second aspect of being stewards of love is to take care of the poor.  Pope Francis has been very outspoken on this.  He took the name of Francis because of St. Francis of Assisi, who gave everything in order to follow God and lived in earthly poverty, but there may have never been a richer man in the history of the world when it came to his treasure in heaven.  Pope Francis is motivated by this ideal, to live simply, and to also be generous to those in need.  Many good Christian-Catholics have also taken up this call to serve the poor.

I know, for example, that Bono from U2 has taken up this call with the many charities and causes he is involved in.  (He came to mind because I had U2 on in the background as I was writing this, “Every Breaking Wave…”) We may look at someone like Bono and fret because he has the money to give and that it’s a tax write off or publicity stunt, and not just Bono but anyone of greater means.  That is unfair and it’s not the way Jesus measures.  Everyone is measure-judged by what flows from the heart.  Look at the rich Zacchaeus who when moved by grace paid back fourfold and gave away half of what was his.  Jesus was impressed and assured him in his faith and love.  What we also do sometimes is that we blame the poor for their predicament, we hear things like, “they should go to work, they are milking the system, or why should I pay for them.”  I will not belabor the issue, I will leave you with this, if you can face Jesus and tell Him to His face that you did not give to the poor because they were milking the system or that they should go to work then you’re a braver soul than me.

There you have it, forgive as the Lord has forgiven you, because as Jesus says, “By the measure with which you measure will be measured unto you,” and give to the poor because, “The least you have done unto your brothers and sisters you have done unto me.”  

The symbol of the Cross + is everything to us, it shows us love but it also shows us that all relationships are connected, with God to us and then we with each other, the cross.  A Good Steward keeps that Cross in their heart always, loving God with all their heart, mind, and soul, and loving neighbor as oneself by being merciful and giving without cost.  All good Stewards remember the Cross!

Stewardship Sunday

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

          I am so thrilled and excited that our Stewardship Ministry this weekend is presenting “Stewardship of Treasure.”  I first want to thank them for putting together the great video we will see in Church this weekend and all the time and energy they have put into this project.

          Whenever we come together as a family, as a parish, we realize and become aware of all that is needed to make our family a truly Holy one as our name sake, “Holy Family” indicates.  There are ministries, committees, sacramental preparation such as RCIA and Rel. Ed., liturgical events, socials, staff, grounds, maintenance, etc., etc., that keep our family vibrant.  These ministries and every aspect of our parish life depends on our generosity.

          I just want to share with you briefly here our income and expenses for last year. (Later in November a more detailed presentation will be given on our budget and future capital expenditures)  For the budget year of 2014 (July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014) we had a total income of $1,480,958.33 and total expenses of $1,422,519.75 giving us a $58,438.68 revenue.  Our parish is healthy financially and that is because of your kindness, generosity, and love.  With some of the recent capital expenditures and those that are on the near horizon will demand that we go into our savings to pay for costs.  Last year’s projected revenue was to be over $100,000 dollars but almost half went for capital expenditures and other unforeseen expenses.  The next two years will bring further needed (and much needed) renovation and repairs throughout our facilities causing both revenue and savings to decrease.

          I ask that as you make this prayer pledge to God that you keep in mind the needs of our family.  The needs also go beyond just monetary pledges, but also time, work, and prayer.  All are needed for us to continue and to excel as a vibrant community.  I will not ask or tell you how much more you should give; I leave that up to you and our Lord.  Please take home the cards as Fr. Sanjai, Dc. Jerry, Dc. Joe and I also will do and offer your prayer and treasure to God, for as we give to the Church we give to God.  I also know that some maybe struggling, again, if you cannot give financially please continue to pray for us and help in our ministries, from which there are many to choose from.

          I am humbled by your love, prayer, and service to our family.  Please know you are in my prayers each and every day.  May God continue to bless you and your families and friends with much grace, joy, and peace.  In Christ Jesus our Lord, Fr. John

Likened to a Wedding Feast

What are weddings like?  They are events that are filled with great joy, excitement, a little nervousness I would imagine, and a lot of good food.  Officiating weddings is also a lot of fun for us priests and deacons, these are some of the happiest moments in peoples’ lives that we get to share in.  There is also something that makes us feel good when we receive a wedding invitation be it from a family member or friend.  The invitation tells us that we are important to the future bride and groom, they want us there to share with them in their happiness.  There is also the ritual involved of sending back the invitation, of actually preparing to go the wedding the day of.  We get dressed up in our best suit or dress, the makeup, the clean shaves, the doing of the hair, the whole nine yards so-to-speak.  We do all of this because it is an important day and we realize the day’s significance. 

Think for a moment how special a wedding day is.  Now think for a moment how special it would be to attend the Wedding Feast of the Lamb of God.  In today’s Gospel Jesus likens the kingdom of God to a wedding feast and wedding language is often used when Jesus refers to our relationship with Him.  When we think of the wedding feast of the Lamb we usually think of the wedding feast we will have with Jesus in heaven and that is true there will be that great heavenly feast we will all celebrate with Jesus.

And yet, Jesus already gives us a taste of this wedding feast here on earth, it is what we celebrate each and every Sunday, the mass or the liturgy.  Often we think of mass as obligation and it is that, it is obligatory, but it is also “inviting” in its nature.  Jesus sends us an invitation each week and His desire is that we attend in order that He can share His joy with us.  Listen again, in brief to the words of the Gospel,

"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.  He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.  A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."’  Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.  The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.  The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.  Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.  Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests."

We are obligated to go to the wedding of a family member, be it our brother, sister, cousin, good friend, but if you told them you only went because they were your brother, sister, or friend they would feel hurt, because you only came out of obligation and not from love also.  The obligatory nature of attending a family member’s wedding is a given, just like mass, but it also has to go beyond that, it must be moved in love, a response to an invitation is what Jesus is looking for, just as the bride and groom to be are looking for.

In the Gospel some went away to their farm or business, today others turn away because little Susie has soccer practice, others turn away because they are on vacation, others turn away because they are working, others because the wedding is boring, others because they are their own spiritual masters, and a slew of other reasons, all turning down the invitation from our Lord to His wedding.

There is a flip side, however, those who do attend the wedding must not become self-righteous as it is clear in the Gospel that Jesus throws out some of the invited guests whom were not chosen, they were the self-righteous, where as the sinner who repents and answers the invitation is most welcome, i.e. prostitutes, thieves, and murders will enter the kingdom of God before you (Jesus’ response to the self-righteous).

If we believe that we are truly in the midst of and celebrating the wedding feast of the Lamb, right now, right here, then what does that mean for us?  We are in the presence of God and each and every one of us, I foremost am a sinner, and yet God in His mercy extended an invitation to me. I have answered it, so have you since you are standing here with me, but the invitation goes even deeper than just arriving here, it goes right to the core of our being.  Jesus’ invitation is one of holiness and becoming more like Him.  The invitation is that we grow from what we receive and that growth is that we become saints so that the wedding feast of the Lamb is not just celebrated for one hour on Sunday, but that the wedding feast of the Lamb is celebrated in my heart and soul each and every moment, there is the invitation – how will you respond, how will you respond!!!