Viva Cristo Rey! Christ the King Lives!

 

Deacon Dave · Viva Cristo Rey! Christ the King Lives!

Homily for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Nov. 26, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 25:31-46. Theme: Viva Cristo Rey! Christ the King Lives! 

 At 10 a.m. on Nov. 23, 1927, a 36-year old Jesuit priest was taken from his death-row cell and marched across the prison yard. He was among the most wanted men in Mexico. As he walked he held a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other. One of the guards approached him and with tears in his eyes begged forgiveness for what was about to happen. Upon arrival at the place of execution, the priest asked permission to pray and knelt before a wall that was stained with blood and riddled with bullet holes. Then he stood up, extended his arms in the form of a cross, and facing the firing squad he exclaimed in a loud steady voice: “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” “Christ the King Lives!” Shots rang out and the priest fell to the ground. To the frustration and dismay of the government authorities - and despite great danger to themselves - 60,000 Catholics lined the streets of Mexico City for his funeral procession, repeatedly chanting his dying words: “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” “Christ the King Lives!” 

That priest was Father Miguel Pro, whom we now honor as a martyr and whose feast day is appropriately celebrated every year close to Christ the King Sunday which we are observing today. He ministered during the bloody persecution of Catholics in Mexico in the 1920’s, but for a short time he sought refuge not too far from here down in Los Gatos. In order to evade the police he became a master of disguises, continually avoiding capture and persistently bringing the Gospel and the Sacraments to the Catholics of Mexico City. And he had a great sense of humor and daring when carrying out these escapades. For example, one time he dressed in a fancy suit, lit up a cigarette and then walked hand-in-hand with a female parishioner right in front of police headquarters. The officers thought they were seeing just another young couple out for an evening walk, having no clue that they were greeting one of Mexicos’ most wanted and that hidden safely in the women’s purse were consecrated hosts of the Blessed Sacrament being brought to the sick and dying. 

Blessed Miquel became a government target precisely because he stood up for the truth, bravely defying the anti-freedom laws which forbid the display of faith in public. He ignored these illegal policies, firm in the conviction that no earthly government has the authority to deny religious freedom or eject God from civic life. He protested the idea that the practice of religion was to be confined behind the walls of a church, or kept politely within the parameters of one’s personal life as a simply private matter. He knew that a truly free and just society was one built upon public faith in God. And you know, we are actually in a similar situation today. 

 In our own nation, people of faith are told to keep God and His Word to themselves when it comes to our schools, our workplaces and in our politics. Our present-day attacks on religious freedom may not be bloody but they are nonetheless very real and carried out by means of discriminatory government directives and echoed by the public voice of a very anti Judeo-Christian biased media. We need to have within us the very same spirit as Fr. Pro and make his cry our own: “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” “Christ the King Lives!” 

Pope Piux XI established Christ the King Sunday just 2 years before the martyrdom of Fr. Pro as a way to highlight the importance of faith and support religious freedom. Humanity had just come out of the never-before-seen horrors of the First World War. The godless tyrannies of Communism in Russia, Facism in Italy and Nazism in Germany were rising and demanding absolute loyalty while canceling human rights. But those who kept faith amidst persecution made a huge difference. People with faith had much more inner strength to endure and survive. It was faith that led them to put their own lives on the line to serve and protect their suffering brothers and sisters. And so, Pope Piux XI hoped that Christ the King Sunday would inspire Christians to recommit to Christ and live according to the values of the Gospel so that it would be possible to build a civilization of love, rooted in peace and justice, and characterized by compassion and mercy. 

The message of today’s celebration is that it means very little if we simply say that Christ is King but do not make him Lord of our lives. To do so, we must dethrone ourselves and give this pride of place to Jesus. It means we must put and keep Christ first in our lives as King of kings and Lord of Lords. In return, He will bless us and transform us into Kingdom-people whose hearts become healed, restored, changed and forgiven by obedience to His Word and the grace of His Sacraments. And then he will send us out as ambassadors of the Kingdom, as missionary disciples who share with others what Jesus has done for us and what He can do for them. In this way we enable the grace and Good News of the Kingdom to touch and influence our families and our friends, our neighborhoods and our workplaces, our government and our politics. And this is really what today’s celebration of Christ the King Sunday is all about. I would like to end by leading you in a prayer based on that which Pope Pius XI asked to be recited every year on Christ the King Sunday: 

 Christ Jesus, I acknowledge You as King of the universe 

And I enthrone You as Lord of my life. 

 I here and now renew the promises of my Baptism 

 asking You to live and reign within me. 

Open my mind to be taught by your Holy Word. 

Open my heart to be fed by Your Holy Sacrament. 

Open my mouth to share Your Good News to others 

so that Your Kingdom may come to every human heart. 

 Amen.

The Mexican government took photos of Fr. Pro's execution thinking that they would serve as a scare-tactic warning to protestors. Their plan failed and actually had the opposite effect of increasing faith and uniting the people against their unjust government.

Blessed Miquel Pro kneeling before execution.

Fr. Pro at the moment of his martyrdom.

The Talent of Intercessory Prayer

 

Deacon Dave · The Talent of intercessory PRayer

Homily for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Nov. 19, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 25:14-30 Theme: The Talent of Intercessory Prayer 

 Today’s gospel is known as the “parable of the talents”. And as with every parable, the characters and plot of the story represent something deeper than what appears at surface level. The Master of the parable is God. The talents represent a gift we have been given by God for the sake of spreading the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ. As an aside, a “talent” in Jesus’ time was a financial figure that equaled a common laborer’s payment for 15 years of work, so that gives us an idea of why the Master expected wise investments! Finally, the Master’s evaluation of the servants’ responsibility symbolizes our own personal judgment before the Lord at the end of our earthly lives. We will each be held accountable for what we have done - or failed to do - with the talents that God has entrusted to us. 

 Just as none of the three servants received the exact same amount of money, so not all of us are born equally talented. This reality check can help us avoid the mistake of comparing ourselves to others. Too often we look at those whom we admire for their outstanding abilities while minimizing or even overlooking the very real and worthwhile gifts which we ourselves have been given. But I want to suggest that there is a talent we have all received and which enables every one of us to invest in making a real difference in the world and, indeed, in the lives of others. And that talent is intercessory prayer. 

 Not all prayer is intercessory, of course. We have the prayer of praise and adoration by which we express our dependence upon God and gratitude for His blessings. And there is contemplative prayer and meditation in which we ponder the Scriptures, reflect on the mysteries of our Faith or simply rest peacefully in the Divine Presence. Then there is intercessory prayer by which, as its name implies, we present various persons and petitions to God, asking Him to bless and assist them and us in our various needs. 

 You know, often people talk about intercessory prayer apologetically as if it’s the least they can do to help others. Or they refer to it as a kind of last resort when all our human efforts seem hopeless! But this outlook is all backwards! Prayer is the first thing we should do when dealing with situations head-on because it can go where we cannot. Prayer is not confined by walls or hindered by geographical distance. It opens up doors, not physical ones but opportunities to reach out to someone. This can be especially significant in situations where actual doors would be shut to us. Our prayer can travel through those locked doors and penetrate into the heart of the person behind them. 

 This is why we keep praying for someone even if we don't see observable results within the time-frame we would like. Our prayer can become like powerful waves of the ocean that pound against the hull of a boat. If they keep crashing incessantly against the ship it will find or make a weak spot allowing the water to enter in. And even just a little crack in the closed heart of a person is all that God’s grace needs to penetrate and take effect. And so we don't give up praying for someone even when things seem to be against us because we trust that the continual waves of our intercessory prayer will eventually open the pathway for Christ into their lives. 

 And this basic power principle of prayer is also how we can reach out to the larger world in its needs. Take, for example, the horrible present situation in the Middle East. Can we realistically make a difference and contribute to de-escalation and peace? Of course we can! Authentic peace and lasting social renewal can only happen in a meaningful way with the conversion of hearts, person by person. And the only way hearts are truly transformed and people are changed is by the grace of God. If peace and reconciliation are not rooted in a real change of hearts then they are only temporary and fragile. So when we pray for peace we ask that those involved become personally aware of God’s deep love for them which will open their hearts to the gift of Jesus as Lord and Savior, as Messiah and Prince of Peace. 

 But we need to be aware that there are two temptations that keep people from fully using their talent of prayer: distrust and laziness. Distrust is a lack of faith rooted in the idea that God won’t hear prayers because of our sins or that what we are asking is in fact impossible, even for Him. And so there are people who won’t even try to begin to pray. They see it as a waste of time and energy. The second obstacle is spiritual laziness which is rooted in an improper sense of priorities and time management. This manifests itself in a person who, for example. has no problem juggling work, family needs and social life yet somehow cannot find the time to pray the rosary or some other form of intercessory prayer. Laziness leads us to bury our talent and do nothing with it like the wicked servant in today’s parable. What we need to ask ourselves is this: which of the three servants do I choose to follow in putting my talent of prayer at the service of our Master and His Kingdom?

The Master & Servants of the Parable

is There Oil In Your Lamp?

 

Deacon Dave · Is There Oil in Your Lamp?

Homily for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Nov. 8, 2020. Gospel of St. Matthew 25:1-13. Theme: Is There Oil in Your Lamp? 

 At this time of year as nature seems to become more quiet and a bit lifeless, the liturgy turns our attention to the fact that we are each moving closer to the end of our time on planet Earth. Catholic spirituality reinforces this theme by setting aside the month of November as a special time of prayer for the faithful departed. We all know that death is an inescapable fact for each one of us and that we need to be better prepared for our ultimate meeting with the Lord. And so through today’s parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids, Jesus is asking each one of us: Are you prepared? Are you ready to meet Me when I arrive? 

 Ancient Christian writers tell us that the lamps and oil in this Sunday’s parable can be interpreted as symbols for the body and the soul. The foolish bridesmaids had beautiful ornate bridal lamps but they were running on empty and fundamentally useless because they did not have the one thing necessary: a flask full of oil. In a similar way, we can have great lamps, that is, bodies that are in excellent physical condition. But inside ourselves we can be running on empty by lacking the one thing necessary to receive eternal life: a personal and vibrant relationship with God. 

 In both Scripture and in the Liturgy, oil is a symbol of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why it’s used in the Sacraments to consecrate us to God, to anoint us as His holy people, and to bring His healing touch into our lives. It’s this oil of the Spirit that enables us to speak with God from the heart in prayer. It’s the supernatural fuel that enables us to keep moving forward in the Christian life even amidst ridicule or difficulty. It’s the spiritual energy we need to remain faithful to Christ by keeping the flame of faith burning brightly in our lives and guiding us along the way. 

 So, it’s important to always be checking our personal oil level on a regular basis. When we start running low on this fuel we need to fill up the flasks of our lives because there are some things that we just cannot borrow from others. I think this is what the parable means when it says that the 5 wise bridesmaids would not lend any of their oil to the foolish ones. It’s reminding us that we can’t borrow someone else’s faith. We can’t borrow someone else’s grace. We can’t borrow someone else’s relationship with God. But what we can do is make sure that we keep replenishing this oil of the Spirit by praying from the heart every day, by reading and applying the Word of God to our lives, by repenting of our sins and confessing them, by receiving Jesus in the Eucharist with mindfulness, and by doing our best to treat those with whom we live, work and socialize with kindness and mercy. 

 Some people take the risk of being like the 5 foolish bridesmaids who waited until it was too late to check their lamps and fill up with oil. Such people know they should focus more on God in their lives and get things in order, but they assume they have plenty of time to do so. They put it off for later, for tomorrow, for “another day”. But in doing so they risk sharing the bitter disappointment of those foolish bridesmaids who unexpectedly found the door to the feast shut and locked! This locked-door symbolizes for us the fact that it's too late to change once death comes knocking. 

 Our years here on planet Earth are just a tiny drop in the bucket of our whole existence. Now is the time to choose God. Now is the time to choose Christ. Now is the time to choose eternal life. Once the door to the heavenly wedding feast is shut tight and locked, our opportunity to make these choices comes to an end. And so we need to keep this parable in mind and listen to the voice of Jesus speaking deep inside us and asking: Are you prepared? Are you ready to meet Me when I arrive?

A Clear & Ever-Present Danger!

 

Deacon Dave · A Clear & Ever-Present Danger

Homily for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 5, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 23:1-12. Theme: A Clear and Ever Present Danger!

 Our readings this Sunday put the spotlight on the personal integrity of Church leaders as shepherds of the flock of Christ. And this isn’t a very comfortable topic in our times which have been overwhelmed by public revelations of abuse, corruption and breach of trust by bishops and priests. Perhaps we can find hope in the fact that nothing can obstruct the grace and light of Christ from reaching His people. Nevertheless, the ordained leadership of the Church must honestly reflect on today’s Gospel as a searing examination of conscience. 

 Pope Francis is often pointing out the great spiritual and moral danger of clericalism. Clericalism is when a man sees himself as "higher" or "better" or "holier" or "privileged" simply because of his ordination. It misleads him into thinking that he should be treated in a differential manner. Clericalism leads to "climbing the ladder" in Church leadership in order to claim its status of power, prestige and position. Clericalism was behind the deceitful behavior of abusive bishops and priests who perceived themselves as being above the rules. It is also what was behind the covering up of crimes in order to preserve the public image of the Church. Clericalism is a clear and ever-present danger to the well-being of the People of God. 

 Jesus dealt with this issue in today’s Gospel. He criticized the religious leaders of His time for putting forward their own agendas and self-interests at the expense of the people. He exposed their show of religious zeal as a sham and pointed out their pride in wanting to be honored and preferred to others. He condemned their strutting around in public dressed in the finest and fanciest robes of their office for all to see. These leaders were classic examples of ministers who fail to “practice what you preach.” And yet despite all of this…Jesus still upheld their legitimate authority as religious teachers. But He clearly made a distinction between the need for their divinely appointed office and the personal integrity of the ones who held it. 

 And this distinction makes a lot of sense to me because we do need a Church leadership that carries with it the certainty that God will direct us through it. Jesus did, after all, establish a teaching Church led by official teachers as the gospels clearly attest. We need bishops, priests and deacons who lead us, who assure proper organization and care of the flock. We need those who have studied long and hard and can teach us important things about our Faith. We need those who have been officially commissioned to preach the Gospel and celebrate the Sacraments for us. 

 At the same time we must realize that the clergy are sin-affected people like all of us. They have to struggle with the same kind of temptations and battle the same sort of desires that we all do. These things do not suddenly disappear when a man is ordained. And quite often if he is placed upon a pedestal by well-meaning people he may feel compelled to live and act in a way that is artificial but expected. This special treatment can even make it harder for him to see and admit his own weaknesses and sins. 

 So, how should we relate with our ordained clergy? Are we to turn a blind eye to their sins and ignore the lack of true leadership evident in some of their lives? No. not all. But it does remind me of an old saying, attributed to St. Teresa of Avila, which says that “God writes straight with crooked lines”. This means that despite weaknesses and sins, despite even laxity and corruption, God can still achieve His purposes through them. Christ can still teach us His Gospel through them. Grace can still reach us through them. In fairness to us it really cannot be otherwise because without human leadership how are we to receive the Word of God, offer liturgical worship and receive the blessings of the Sacraments? 

 So, what we need to do is follow the wisdom and directives found in today’s Gospel. This means that as long as what they preach is in accordance with the Faith, listen to the clergy because the Holy Spirit has sent them out as messengers of the Gospel. But don’t be shy or afraid to point out corruption or dereliction of duty when you see it. Quite often people grumble and complain but nothing ever changes because they refuse to speak up out of a false sense of respect for the clergy. As a baptized Catholic, a member of the Body of Christ, you have a responsibility for the well-being of the Church. Refuse to treat clergy differently than you would treat any other human being. And above all pray daily for all bishops, priests and deacons that having preached salvation to others they may not lose it for themselves.