Saint + Elizabeth + Ann + Seton + Parish: Recent Episodes
Saint + Elizabeth + Ann + Seton + Parish
(August 2, 2026) Father Charles L Persing shares a story about Temple University to illustrate how we can do great things with simple gifts.
(May 31, 2026) God calls us to know, love, and serve Him, but who is he? Father Charles L. Persing dives deeper into the Trinity.
(May 14, 2026) Father Charles Persing describes the story of the Ascension and shares how it is relevant to our lives today.
We reflect on the face of God as it presents itself to us day after day, time after time, not only here but wherever we go.
(April 26, 2026) Father Persing reminds us on this Good Shepherd Sunday, that we are all called to serve and help others say yes to God's call.
(April 19, 2026) Father Charles L. Persing reflects on ways we find Jesus walking with us in our journey of life.
(April 12, 2026) On this second Sunday of Easter, Deacon Michelet describes Saint Faustina's devotion and background of this message of Mercy.
(April 5, 2026) On this Easter Sunday, Father Charles Persing emphasizes that God wants to be a part of our lives. "Christ is with us, risen from the dead..."
(March 7, 2026) Father Charles Persing shares a personal story today to illustrate his message about the Will of God in our lives.
(March 1, 2026) On this Second Sunday of Lent, Father Charles L. Persing reminds us that we may encounter God in many places, especially in the person of Jesus Christ, as in the Transfiguration.
(February 22, 2026) On this first Sunday of Lent, Father Charles Persing addresses sin, prayer, fasting, and our shortcomings.
(February 18, 2026) Father Charles Persing acknowledges that all of us will be changed and transformed with the light of Christ after we journey the next 40 days of Lent. We will represent God's holy people.
(February 21, 2026) Deacon Michelet encourages us to follow the New Law, a law of freedom that Jesus brought to us to "Love one another as I have loved you."
(February 8, 2026) How can we be "salt" and "light" in this world? What does this mean?
(February 1, 2026) Father Charles L Persing encourages us to recognize how blessed we truly are. So often we do not see true happiness in Christ because we are blinded by the chaos of our world.
(January 24, 2026) Father Michael Pray shares a personal story to illustrate the importance of light in our lives, particularly the light of Christ.
(January 17, 2026) Bishop Emeritus Ronald Gainer connects the words of Saint John the Baptist to the words that we use during the Liturgy of the Eucharist in the Mass.
(January 10, 2026) Father Peter Hill, from Unbound Ministries, illustrates the Gospel story about Jesus' baptism in the Jordan. "Jesus is saying to us that all of us are well-pleased by God not by what we can do, but by who we are - children of God."
(January 4, 2026) On this Feast of the Epiphany, Father Charles Persing encourages us to be a "star" to share the light of Christ in the world.
(December 28, 2025) On this Feast of the Holy Family, Father Charles Persing gives some background on this feast and shares a reflection on family life and relationships today.
Be those people who accept the joy which Christ gives us. Be those ambassadors of the very love that came down to us at Christmas.
(December 21, 2025) On this 4th Sunday of Advent, Bishop Timothy Senior reflects upon Saint Joseph in today's Gospel reading: his dreams, emotions, God's interventions, and the phrase, "Do not be afraid."
(December 21, 2025) On this 4th Sunday of Advent, Father Charles Persing asks us to pause and reflect on what voices we are listening to today. The Blessed Mother was faithful to God and did as He asked her by becoming the mother of Jesus our Savior. Joseph listened to the voice of God through his three dreams so that he could face difficulties and keep his family safe. Are we doing what God asks us to do even though we are unsure of how things will work out?
(December 14, 2025) Father Charles L. Persing focuses on the third Sunday in Advent and how we can bring JOY to everyone around us.
(December 7, 2025) Father Charles L. Persing shares the symbolism of the color purple in our Liturgical Season of Advent.
(November 30, 2025) As we begin to look forward to Christmas, Father Charles Persing encourages us to prepare ourselves spiritually during this Advent season. "Stay awake. Be ready."
(November 23, 2025) Father Charles Persing speaks about today's feast, the Solemnity of Christ the King.
(November 15, 2025) As we approach the end of our liturgical year, Father Charles Persing reflects upon the words of the prophet, Malachi and the coming of the Savior. Father Persing says, "There is always time for us to change, always time for us to be better, always time for God to purify."
(November 9, 2025) Deacon Michelet shares the background of the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. It is the official cathedral of the Pope as the Bishop of Rome and symbolizes "Mother Church."
Deacon suggests building our church by "forgiving others, welcoming strangers, and taking our spiritual lives seriously" in addition to receiving sacraments to achieve holiness.
(November 2, 2025) Father Charles Persing remembers all the faithfully departed in his homily today.
(October 25, 2025) On this 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Deacon Michelet encourages us to reflect on the virtue of humility and to ask God to help us to be humble.
(October 19, 2025) Father Charles Persing encourages us to have perseverance, patience, keep praying, and to never give up on our hope in God.
(October 12, 2025) Father Charles Persing shares many ways that we can have gratitude toward God in our relationship with Him throughout various areas of our lives.
(October 5, 2025) As we begin Respect Life Month, Father Persing encourages us to value the gift of life and reflect on our own attitudes towards respect life issues in our world today.
(September 28, 1025) On this 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Deacon Michelet elaborates on the gospel parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
(September 21, 2025) "Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me."
"We as a church do great things, but nothing will ever substitute for our call to PRAYER." - Father Charles Persing
(September 14, 2025) On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Father Charles Persing dives into the significance of Christ's Cross in our lives.
(September 7, 2025) Father Charles Persing reflects on our readings for today and shares what it may look like to be a disciple of Christ and bear the crosses of our own and also those of others.
(August 31, 2025) What does HUMILITY mean and how is God calling us to live this virtue out in our daily lives? Father Charles Persing answers these questions in his homily on this 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
(August 26, 2025) 40 HOURS DEVOTIONS: Day 3
Father John Bateman, pastor of Saint Joseph Church, Mechanicsburg, Pa describes Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's depth of devotion to God in the Eucharist, the "Gift of Finest Wheat."
(August 25, 2025) 40 HOURS DEVOTIONS: Day 2
Father John Bateman, pastor of Saint Joseph's Church in Mechanicsburg, Pa shares the events leading up to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's conversion to the Catholic Church and what drew her to this faith.
(August 24, 2025) 40 HOURS DEVOTIONS: DAY 1
Father John Bateman, pastor of Saint Joseph Catholic Church, preaches on Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's early life and her path to sainthood.
(August 24, 2025) Father Charles L. Persing educates us on the purpose of the 40 hours devotions as we began this devotion in our parish this weekend.
(August 17, 2025) Father Charles Persing encourages us to carry the flame of the Holy Spirit within us everywhere we go. Come, Holy Spirit!
(August 10, 2025) God calls us to be prepared and not afraid. Father Charles Persing encourages us to always share the good things that God gave to us and recognizing God's presence with us.
(August 3, 2025) "If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Do you have selective hearing when it comes to God? Father Charles Persing elaborates on this in his homily today.
(July 27, 2025) Father Joshua Weaver, the Director of Vocations in the Diocese of Harrisburg shares part of his vocation story and how God can answer our prayers in ways that we might least expect.
(July 6, 2025) Father Charles Persing focuses on today's gospel, reminding us that God cares for all of us and he chooses every one of us to be his disciples, to know, love, and to serve Him.
(June 29, 2025) On this Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, God is calling us on our own mission to preach the Good News just as these followers of Jesus did.
(June 22, 2025) On this feast of Corpus Christi, Father Persing reminds us that "we renew our hope that Christ is always going to be with us. That we consume the Body and Blood of Christ and then leave this place and become Christ to all of those we meet and all places that we go. We offer our lives on the altar and ask Jesus for pardon for our sins, expressing our gratitude to God for his blessing, and asking him to continually feed us who hunger for him to stay with and among us, even to the end of time."
(June 15, 2025) How much do you know about the Holy Trinity? Maybe you know more than you think. This week Father Charles Persing proves it to us.
(June 8, 2025) On this Pentecost Sunday, Father Charles Persing enlightens us with the many forms and interactions with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always working in our lives: guiding and directing us in our journey.
(May 25, 2025) Father Charles Persing reflects back upon our Lenten journey into these past six weeks of Easter.
(May 18, 2025) Father Damon Tritle encourages us to renew our trust in Christ as we grow closer to Him.
(May 18, 2025) Father Charles Persing reminds us that as followers of Jesus we are called to love others unconditionally.
(May 11, 2025) On this 4th Sunday of Easter, Father Charles L. Persing encourages and reminds us to turn to God as our Good Shepherd, and he will be there to support and care for us.
(May 10, 2025) On this 4th Sunday of Easter, Father Damon Tritle illustrates how Jesus always provides for us as our Good Shepherd, and how He is the perfect model for shepherds within our church, such as our newly elected Pope Leo XIV.
(May 3, 2025) Have you ever felt yourself to be lukewarm or in a rut in your faith? Father Damon Tritle encourages us to turn to God in these times so that he may help us.
(June 1, 2025) On this feast of the Ascension, Father Charles Persing gives a message of encouragement as he reminds us that God never abandons us.
(April 27, 2025) Bishop Emeritus Ronald Gainer illustrates in his homily today how "Mercy is Christ's Easter gift to us," focusing also on the gift of the Sacraments.
(April 26, 2025) On this Divine Mercy Sunday, Father Thomas Meinert focuses on God's Mercy in our lives.
(April 19, 2025) On this Holy Saturday Easter Vigil, Father Charles L. Persing reminds us why we need light and joy in our lives during this Easter Season.
(April 13, 2025) Father Charles Persing leaves us with thoughts of reflection on this Palm Sunday.
(April 12, 2025) Father Damon Tritle mentally prepares us as we enter Holy Week of Jesus' Passion.
(April 6, 2025) On this 5th Sunday of Lent, Father Damon Tritle emphasizes that the gospel reading today (John 8:1-11) that we are called to judge actions, but not another's soul - that is God's job.
(April 5, 2025) On this 5th Sunday of Lent, Father Persing encourages us to become more forgiving and ready to reconcile with others and with God.
(March 30, 2025) On this fourth Sunday of Lent, Father Damon Tritle builds on the parable of the prodigal son. He shares with us that God our Father in Heaven is a lot like the father in the parable.
(March 29, 2025) We all can find ourselves in the various characters' roles in the story of the Prodigal Son at different points in our lives. God never abandons us and is always waiting for us with his arms open wide with love.
(March 23, 2025) On this third Sunday of Lent, Father Charles L. Persing shares many examples in the Bible and other famous people who received second chances. God in his great mercy gives us as humans many chances to get it right. In what area do you need a second chance in your life? Father Persing encourages us to be bold and to ask God to be patient with us.
(March 22, 2025) On this third Sunday of Lent, Father Damon Tritle reflects on the Gospel of today. God's greatest desire for each of us is Heaven and has given us all seven sacraments for this end. Father Tritle enourages us to take advantage of this holy season by going to confession and receiving God's gentle patience, love, and forgiveness.
(March 16, 2025) On this second Sunday in Lent, Father Charles L. Persing encourages us to look towards God our light and salvation.
(March 15, 2025) On this second Sunday of Lent, Father Damon Tritle compares the Transfiguration with the Crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus' disciples saw him in his veiled divinity, and we too experience his veiled divinity in the tabernacle.
(March 9, 2025) Father Damon Tritle asks us to reflect on our spiritual growth as Christians, and shares the roots of sin. What is your root sin and makes you most vulnerable?
(March 8, 2025) On this first Sunday in Lent, Father Charles L. Persing encourages us, as the chosen people of God, to trust God to lead us during this Lenten season.
(March 1, 2025) As we approach the season of Lent, Father Charles L. Persing encourages us to not judge others, but to consider how we speak to and about others.
(February 23, 2025) Father Charles L. Persing encourages us this week to reflect on how we treat others.
(February 22, 2025) How does Jesus call us to love others? To be a light to others? Father Damon Tritle elaborates on this topic in his homily on this seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.
(February 16, 2025) Father Charles L. Persing addresses what our current culture thinks brings us happiness, then reminds us of how we can truly find happiness in this world. Listen for the answer!
(February 15, 2025) Father Damon Tritle encourages us to fight for our relationship with Christ as the world clutters up our lives.
(February 15, 2025) Bishop Ronald Gainer addresses the candidates for Confirmation from the parishes of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and Saint Katherine Drexel.
(February 8, 2025) Father Charles Persing asks us, "What is our mission?... Each of us has our own mission, and because our calls from God are so unique, no one else can fulfill our call."
(February 2, 2025) Father Charles Persing describes the encounter and symbolism in the Presentation of Jesus in the temple.
(February 2, 2025) Father Damon Tritle shares the meaning and purpose behind the details of the Presentation of the Lord and Candlemas.
(January 25, 2025) Father Tritle reflects on the second reading today, emphasizing that God has a specific role for each one of us, and he has given us the grace to accomplish our roles.
(January 18, 2025) "Do whatever He tells you." Father Damon Tritle shares a reflection on these words of our Blessed Mother and how they encourage us to follow God's will in our lives.
(January 12, 2025) Why would Jesus Christ desire baptism? Father Damon Tritle answers this question in his homily on this feast of the Baptism of our Lord.
(January 12, 2025) Father Persing reminds us that sacraments are God's work, and we cannot receive any other sacraments without first receiving this holy sacrament of Baptism.
(January 5, 2025) On this Epiphany Sunday, Father Damon Tritle encourages us to listen for small signs of God's voice and grace in our lives.
(January 5, 2025) Father Charles L. Persing reflects on the gifts of the Magi, and how the feast of Epiphany helps us to learn more about our relationship to Christ.
(December 31, 2024) On this last day of 2024 and the vigil of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Father Charles L. Persing gives us a message of hope.
(December 28, 2024) Father Charles Persing reminds us how we can learn from and be inspired by the example of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as a holy family.
(December 25, 2024) Father Charles Persing reflects on the word "silent" and its significance at Christmas.
(December 24, 2024) Father Damon Tritle reflects on the genealogy of Jesus and our salvation history.
(December 22, 2024) Father Charles L. Persing suggests to us that we reflect back on this year... Have we made any difference in the lives of others like Jesus has made an impact in our lives by coming to Earth as a baby in a manager?
(December 22, 2024) Father Damon Tritle reflects upon Mary's response to her cousin Elizabeth by glorifying God. Father Tritle says this is a "blueprint" for our lives - to seek God's will, not our own.
(December 15, 2024) Father Charles Persing uses a story to illustrate how we need to grow spiritually and give others a reason to rejoice and accept Jesus Christ into their hearts rather than just sitting around and waiting. "Let's be the transformation that he calls us to be."
(December 8, 2024) In this week's homily, Father Charles L. Persing refers to Saint John the Baptist as our "Spiritual GPS." He is the one who calls us to "Prepare the way of the Lord" during this Advent season.
(December 7, 2024) 2nd Sunday of Advent: Father Damon Tritle encourages us to go to confession and give alms this Advent, to make way for the Lord.
(December 1, 2024) Father Charles L. Persing reflects on Bishop Timothy Senior's visit to our parish and brings us to focus on the important aspects of Advent.
(November 30, 2024) Bishop Timothy Senior visits our parish for the first time. He shares some details about the life of our parish patroness, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Bishop also directs us to focus on the Season of Advent by creating some quiet moments for God in this busy season of our lives.
(November 23, 2024) Father Charles L. Persing shares a reflection on the Kingdom of God on this Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
(November 17, 2024) Father Damon Tritle focuses on the Sacraments, seven beautiful gifts of the Church that can guide us to Heaven.
(November 9, 2024) Father Tritle reflects on today's gospel story, focusing on humility in giving and surrender to God.
(October 27, 2024) Father Damon Tritle emphasizes on Bartimaeus' faith in today's Gospel. "The eyes of his heart are opened."
(October 27, 2024) Father Charles Persing walks us through the story of the blind man, Bartimaeus in today's Gospel.
(October 20, 2024) Are you prepared to help others in need? We are all called and challenged to give our lives to loving service to others in times of need.
(October 19, 2024) How can we serve others through our own suffering? Father Damon Tritle explores the possibilities of how we can serve others by offering our sufferings to God for others.
(October 6, 2024) Father Damon Tritle focuses on the Sacrament of Marriage and God's Divine plan for us.
(October 5, 2024) Father Charles L Persing shares a story on meeting "the one" and 12 tips on a happy marriage.
(September 29, 2024) On this 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Father Charles L. Persing encourages us to submit to the call of God and to use our gifts together, not in envy.
(September 29, 2024) On this 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Father Damon Tritle discusses casting out and severing things from our lives that lead us to sin because "it is better to enter Heaven without that thing, than it is to enter Hell with it."
(September 22, 2024) Father Charles L Persing shares thoughts of humility on this 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time.
(September 22, 2024) On this 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Father Tritle compares the Way of the World and the Way of Christians.
(September 15, 2024) Father Charles L. Persing asks us to pause and reflect on the questions: "What good has God done for me, and how can I be grateful for that? How can I raise my own cup and give thanks?"
(September 14, 2024) "Is your FAITH dead or alive?" In this homily, Father Damon Tritle explains what we can do to make our faith more alive and to make spiritual progress.
(September 1, 2024) On the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Father Damon Tritle encourages us to convert our hearts constantly to God and to ask Him to help us to keep the great commandments.
(September 1, 2024) On the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Father Charles L. Persing encourages us to keep the precepts which in turn keeps our hearts holy.
(August 27, 2024) On this third evening of 40 Hours, Father Jonathan Sawicki reflects upon the words of the Mass: "Behold the Lamb of God. Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world."
(August 26, 2024) Father Jonathan Sawicki reflects on the words of the Mass that we don't always hear said out loud while preparing the chalice: "By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity."
(August 25, 2024) Pastor of Saint Theresa Parish in New Cumberland, Father Jonathan Sawicki, shares with us during our annual Forty Hours Devotions the importance of Eucharistic prayers and our consequent responses in faith.
(August 25, 2024) Father Charles L. Persing encourages us to turn to our Lord, particularly during this weekend's 40 Hours.
(August 25, 2024) Father Damon Tritle reminds us to accept God's will for our lives and desire nothing more.
(August 18, 2024) Father Anthony Swamy, former parochial vicar of our parish, shares details about his current ministry of Shanthi Dham in India.
https://shanthidham.org/
(August 4, 2024) Father Damon Tritle touches on advantages and disadvantages of growing up in a Catholic environment and addresses the concept of "spiritual inertia."
(July 28, 2024) Father Charles L. Persing reminds us that everything that we have is a gift from God, and we are encouraged to see God's hand at work in our lives.
(July 21, 2024) Father Charles Persing reminds us of good shepherds and invites us to action to become one.
(June 30, 2024) Father Damon Tritle provides examples of faith and humility in the Bible and how we can implement it in our faith journey with Christ.
(June 23, 2024) Father Persing and Father Tritle both share how Christ is here to tame the storms in our lives.
(June 16, 2024) Father Charles Persing shared a story on Father's Day reminding us to seek out the love of God our Father
(June 2, 2024) On this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Father Charles L. Persing continues to focus on the mysteries of God, which includes the true presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.
(May 26, 2024) Father Charles L Persing emphasizes the mystery of the Holy Trinity and shares that we all would explain the Holy Trinity differently based on our personal relationships and experiences with God.
(May 19, 2024) Father Charles L. Persing encourages us to pray for, embrace, and to use our gifts of the Holy Spirit.
(May 12, 2024) Father Charles shares a Gospel message for the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord.
(April 28, 2024) Father Charles Persing reflects on today's Gospel readings and invites us to experience God's love as fruitful vine branches in God's vineyard.
(April 14, 2024) Father Anthony Eseke reminds us that we walk by faith and not by sight.
(April 7, 2024) Father Charles Persing reminds us of God's mercy and how it applies to our daily lives.
(March 17, 2024) Father Charles Persing invites us to reflect on our Lenten journey which started on Ash Wednesday.
(March 17, 2024) Father Anthony Eseke reflects on today's reading from the Gospel of John 11:1-45.
(March 10, 2024) Father Charles Persing reflects on the writings of a Christian minister Sharon Blazzard and asks us to examine John 3:16 and learn what it means to be walking in the light of Christ.
(March 3, 2024) Father Charles Persing reflects on today's reading of Epistle to the Romans and stresses our need to follow the Ten Commandments.
(February 25, 2024) Father Charles Persing reflects on expressing gratitude and glory to our Creator.
(February 18, 2024) On this 1st Sunday of Lent, Father Charles Persing invites us to a journey in a spiritual desert of temptations in preparation for the most glorious day of our faith: Easter
(February 14, 2024) What are you offering to God this Lenten season? Please join Father Charles Persing in reflecting on the 40-day path ahead of us.
(February 11, 2024) "Follow me as I follow Christ." Deacon David L Hall reflects on the words of the apostle Paul from his First Epistle to the Corinthians, reminding us that we ought to "do everything for the glory of God."
(February 4, 2024) Father Charles Persing reflects on the pain and suffering in the life of Saint Josephine Bakhita, followed by her healing and her path to finding Christ.
(January 28, 2024) Please join Father Charles Persing as he reads from the Holy Gospel according to Mark and reminds us that Jesus is always in our midst, always there to listen and bring us his forgiveness and love.
(January 21, 2024) Father Anthony Eseke reflects on the readings from the Book of Johah and stresses that our faith is a call-response relationship in which we enter by the mercy and love of God.
(January 14, 2024) On this Missions Sunday, Redemptorist Father Anthony Nguyen, C.SS.R. shares his thoughts on his Unbound ministry which is helping poor children and the elderly in 17 developing countries.
(December 31, 2023) Father Charles Persing reminds us that we are one family through the birth of Jesus Christ and belong to His Heavenly Kingdom.
(December 24, 2023) Father Charles Pefsing reminds us that our loving Father in Heaven always welcomes us despite all our shortcomings. "God has chosen us, God wants to be with us and be like us in all things but sin." The reason to belong for us is to be part of the Lord's saving grace, to follow Him, and to be found. Christmas is our story and our discipleship.
(December 23, 2023) Father Charles Persing reflects on the prayerful writing of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and asks us to be open to God's will and not be afraid to say 'yes' to Him.
(December 17, 2023) Father Charles Persing reminds us that we are called to be people of light in joyful preparation during this season of Advent.
(December 9, 2023) On this Second Sunday of Advent, Father Charles L Persing reminds us that we all are called to be messengers of Christ in proclaiming the coming of the Messiah while being faithful to our mission through our authentic Christian lives.
(December 3, 2023) Father Charles Persing reflects on the importance of patience and hope during the season of Advent.
(December 2, 2023) On this 1st Sunday of Advent, Deacon David L Hall cautions us to not let ourselves to be distracted by the secular focus of the season by drifting away from and forgetting the spiritual and repentance aspects of Advent. "Be watchful and alert."
(November 18, 2023) Father Charles Persing asked us not to hide our gifts, talents, and strengths but rather to use them for the betterment of others. God is interested in what He called us to be doing and not what we have done.
(November 12, 2023) Father Charles Persing reminds us that "we need to be prepared as we do not know the day or the hour" of the return of our Lord.
(November 11, 2023) Just like the Wise Virgins, live life to the fullest and prepare, by God's grace, for the future: this is the key takeaway from Father Eseke's homily.
(November 5, 2023) "Let us be Jesus to one another" is the crux of Father Charles Persing's homily this Sunday morning. "Authentic doing," in Father Persing's words, is the starting point and the culmination of our lives as the followers of Jesus.
(October 29, 2023) "We are called to be the people of love." Please join Father Persing for this week's homily.
(October 28, 2023) Deacon David L Hall reflects on today's Gospel reading and speaks about what God-focused love is, stressing that giving and loving are inseparable.
(October 21, 2023) Father Charles Persing reflects on today's reading from the Gospel of Matthew, asking us whether we render Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.
(October 14, 2023) Father Charles Persing reminds us that, despite all the uncertainty in the world surrounding us, we need to live in enduring faith in the saving Christ.
(October 14, 2023) Father Anthony Eseke reminds us that the will of God in the Kingdom of Heaven will rule in unity and peace. As in today's Gospel reading, we all need at least a basic responsibility to transform and dissolve any harmful elements we carry in our hearts and see others as brothers and sisters as God created us. "Let us continue to pray for peace in the world, and for the love of God, to reign and pervade all hearts of men and women," Father Eseke concludes.
(October 7, 2023) Father Charles Persing reflects on today's reading of the vineyard parable from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew and reminds us of God's commitment and love for us.
(October 1, 2023) Father Charles Persing reflects on what it means to be a true Christian witness.
(September 23, 2023) Father Charles Persing invites us to embrace the Lord who is always near.
(September 17, 2023) Father Anthony Eseke reflects on the meaning and practice of true forgiveness.
(September 16, 2023) Father Charles Persing reminds us of the essence and practice of true forgiveness.
(September 10, 2023) Our human relationships often end up in some sort of conflict. The nature of that conflict, Father Eseke says, depends on whether conflicts are constructive or destructive ones. Please join Father Eseke as he leads us this morning in discerning the situation as it reflects on our Christ-centered lives.
constructive conflict or destructive conflict
(September 9, 2023) The foundation of every Christ-centered life is love. Please join Father Charles Persing for this week's homily as he reminds us what we need to do as followers of Christ.
(September 3rd, 2023: Do you find it difficult to cling to your cross? Please join Father Charles Persing as he reminds us of Jesus's words: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
(August 27, 2023) Father Charles Persing encourages us to seek and follow Jesus asking ourselves, "Where is that Jesus wants us to be, and how do we respond to it?"
(August 20, 2023) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, invites us to the story of a Canaanite woman meeting Jesus and draws a parallel between her boldness to ask for help and our spiritual lives.
(August 20, 2023) Father Anthony Eseke, priest-in-residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, leads us through the Gospel story of the meeting of a Canaanite woman and Jesus. The story has several levels of meaning; the take-away messages are the importance of our personal relationship with Jesus, God's plan for our salvation, and the power of our faith.
(August 13, 2023) Father Charles Persing, the pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us that finding some quiet time away from the noisy world to approach God's presence in prayer will heal us and strengthen our infirmities.
(August 6, 2023) Father Charles Persing delivered a homily on the significance of the Feast of Transfiguration of our Lord and how our Christian lives relate to it.
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(July 30, 2023) What is it that your want from your life? Please join Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, as he reminds us about our priorities.
(July 23, 2023) Father Charles Persing delivered this Sunday's homily on the essence of our relationship with Christ.
(July 16, 2023) Father Charles Persing is inviting us to open the innermost niche of our souls and be receptive to the Word of God so that we may be the fertile soil and bring many a fold.
(July 15, 2022) Monsignor Robert Lawrence, our guest homilist, reminded us to strive for good soil that takes in God's words and makes the harvest abundant.
(July 9, 2023) Our guest homilist, Father Michael McFadden, reminds us that making Jesus "the center of our life" is paramount; "to live peacefully is a decision; if you need help, let Me know."
(July 8, 2023) Our guest homilist, Father Michael Messner, asks of us what we could do to reach out to others and share in their burden and alleviate their suffering.
(July 1, 2023) Father Charles Persing is inviting us to be the witnesses to our faith and to always reflect the Godly light people will follow.
(June 24, 2023) Drawing on today's Scripture readings, Father Charles Persing shares with us an important message: "When God chooses, God chooses the weak. 'Do not be afraid.'"
(June 18, 2023): Father Robert F. Ippolito, of Missionaries of La Salette, presented the history of his order and shared the blessings and challenges which his order faces in modern world.
(June 10, 2023) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us that we need to take the time to look and not miss the treasures that are passed on to us. “So often we miss the treasure that God has for us; so often we miss the treasure that’s held in this Eucharist because we just not take the time to really look and to reflect,” Father Persing concluded.
(June 4, 2023) "We need to just give ourselves completely to God, so that God who already understands us will allow us to understand Him," is the takeaway message which Father Charles Persing delivered in his homily for this Trinity Sunday.
(June 3, 2023) Father Anthony Eseke, priest-in-residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, delivered his homily about the mystery and essence of the Most Holy Trinity. Our human mind and human language are limited in our attempts to fully understand this concept. The Bible reveals the very nature and essence of God, giving us a foretaste of Heaven and asking of us to be active participants in our communion with the Most Holy Trinity.
(May 28, 2023) “On this Pentecost Sunday, we are invited to the renewal by asking the Holy Spirit to give us the trust we need to live in the love of Jesus Christ,” is the gist of today’s homily by Father Charles Persing. “Come, Holy Spirit, renew the face of the earth; come Holy Spirit, renew us; come Holy Spirit, renew me!”
(May 27, 2023) On the eve of Pentecost, Father Anthony Eseke invites us to contemplate the five activities of the Holy Sprit as believers to the power to the Spirit: inspiration, recreation, unification, reconciliation, and comfort.
(May 21, 2023) “What is your biggest burden or fear right now?" Deacon David L. Hall asks in his homily this Sunday morning. “Whatever it is, it is not forever. Our Lord is at work even in the hard things because we are being prepared for the full glory of God.”
(May 20, 2023) Father Charles Persing reminded us of the events which took place during this Easter season and invited us “to build and grow in our knowledge of Him.” In preparation for Pentecost, Father Persing asked us to strengthen our prayers for renewal, “so that others may see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.”
(May 14, 2023) In his homily this Sunday, Father Charles L Persing focused on the essence of Christian, sacrificial love and the following of God’s commandments. “Jesus teaches us that our life is about loving … about sharing Christ’s love, which is beyond all understanding,” Father Persing said.
(May 13, 2023) Deacon David L Hall reminds us today of the importance of keeping God’s commandments, as our token of love and gratitude towards our Creator.
(May 7, 2023) In this morning's homily, Father Anthony Eseke focuses on our broken human condition and the cardinal directions which can bring us to healing.
(May 6, 2023) "How many times do we think we know where we are going?" Father Charles Persing asked us in today's homily. "We think we have a path of life understood." Teachings of Jesus, as well as the guidance of the Holy Spirit, are always there to help us find our direction.
(April 30, 2023) The Good Shepherd listens to His sheep and cares about them. Please join Father Charles Persing in his homily this morning as he reminds us that we are never abandoned or alone.
(April 29, 2023) In relation to Psalm 23, Deacon David L Hall reminds us that "we need to listen to the voice" of our Good Shepherd.
(April 23, 2023) Father Anthony Eseke, priest-in-residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, reflects on the Gospel of Luke 24 through the lens of the narrative about the two apostles on their way to Emmaus. Father focuses on three elements: walk with Jesus, Holy Scripture, and the breaking of Bread.
(April 23, 2023) Walking with God is part of our Christian experience. That is our chance to encounter Christ, just like the two disciples had on their way to Emmaus. "We are not walking aimlessly and alone along the path of faith," Father Persing said. In those moments, "Jesus very patiently, very discreetly, very contently, continues to walk silently alongside of us."
(April 15, 2023) Deacon David Hall looks into how our lives are changed because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. "It is the basis of everything we are as Christians," Deacon Hall said. "The Resurrection of Jesus Christ has unleashed the Mercy of God, and it sustains us, and it surrounds us, and it follows us every day of our lives."
(April 9, 2023) "For every Good Friday there is an Easter Sunday. We are now the Resurrection people," are the key takeaways of the homily by Father Anthony Eseke, the priest-in-residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. Please tune in to the podcast on this beautiful and joyful occasion of the Resurrection of our Lord.
(April 8, 2022) "What has God done for us?" is the question Father Charles Persing is asking us on this occasion of Easter Vigil Mass. How do we respond to all the blessings our Lord has showered us with? How do we follow our Lord's teachings?
In closing, Father Persing reminds us that, "Now is the time to respond to the great gift of eternal life."
(April 7, 2023) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, asks of us to spend some time before the cross on this Good Friday and speak to Jesus, who is in our midst. Therefore, let us speak to Him, asking Him to forgive us, and let us also ask ourselves and forgive others.
(April 6, 2023) Father Charles Persing reminds us of the power and significance of our Church's Sacraments and that we have been called to holiness and to stand in His presence.
(April 2, 2023) On this Palm Sunday, please join us in reading of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew.
(March 26, 2023) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, reminds us of some questions that reach into the core of our Christian faith. Please join him for a short homily.
(March 18, 2023) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, reminds us that the Light of Christ is present in our world and that we need to open our eyes and see what we need to change.
(March 11, 2023) Drawing on today's Gospel reading, Father Charles Persing focuses on the example of the Samaritan woman at the well and the search for a deeper meaning of life.
(March 5, 2023) Father Charles Persing's message for this Sunday is allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us and make us good disciples of the Good Shepherd. This Lent is an invitation for us to change and, with God's grace, undergo a spiritual transfiguration in the imitation of our Lord's transfiguration on Mount Tabor.
(February 25, 2023) On this First Sunday of Lent, Father Charles Persing invites us to entrust ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and spend these forty days in full communion and trust in the Lord our God and away from the snares of the evil one.
(February 18, 2023) Drawing on today's Gospel readings, Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, shares his thoughts about Christian forgiveness as Jesus taught us.
(February 11, 2023) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, draws upon today's Gospel reading from the Book of Saint Matthew and reminds us that no two sins are alike, but we have to ask for forgiveness on the path of Salvation.
(February 4, 2023) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, encourages us to use our God-given gifts and be the light of Christ.
(January 28, 2023) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, shared what we need to consider doing in the response to our Lord's call to service.
(January 21, 2023) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, shares today what it means to encounter the turning point in our walk with Jesus as His true disciples.
(January 14, 2023) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, reminds us what it means to be a servant of God and how we respond to this call.
(January 7, 2023) Father Anthony Eseke, Priest-in-Residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, takes a look into the connection of the Nativity narratives in both the Old Testament and New Testament. Spiritual awareness and recognition is the mindset that recognizes God as the center of your life; God is its root. That life is to be a prayerful walk with the Lord, and the star of the Magi will always point to the way we need to be on.
(December 31, 2022) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, gives us all his blessing for the upcoming year.
(December 24, 2022) Deacon David Hall reminds us of the importance of seeking silence and holiness in our lives.
(December 24, 2022) On this Christmas Eve, Father Charles Persing invites us to spend the upcoming time searching for Jesus. "In our quest to find Jesus, " Father said, "we are going to find the goodness of God as well as a whole lot about us." Let us, then, make this search a significant event by choosing to lead Christ-centered lives.
(December 10, 2022) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, reminds us that this is the season of joyful expectation while we patiently await the return of our Savior through Whom God the Father manifests His glory and majesty. Let us, then, prayerfully prepare our lives for that moment of our Lord's return.
(December 8, 2022) Father Charles Persing, Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, reminds us on this Feast of Immaculate Conception that Mary was chosen from among the nations to be an example of faith and service, mirroring her motherly love for us as well.
(December 4, 2022) In preparation for Christmas, "follow this light of faith" -- Father Charles Persing asks of us -- "and God will be preparing us for what is to come with His gift of faith."
(December 3, 2022) Drawing on today's reading from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, Deacon David L Hall reminds us that '"repentance should be a regular part of our spiritual lives" and that "the only way we can allow God's mercy to enter our lives is through repentance." In this season of Advent, it is the time to face our sins and "prepare for the way of Lord; repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand."
(November 20, 2022) In preparation for this Advent season, we need to stand back and examine our conscience, with a question: Am I ready to stand before God? Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, invites us to prepare for that moment by repentance and the Sacrament of Confession. God's mercy is boundless.
(November 19, 2022) Father Anthony Eseke, the priest-in-residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, addresses the situation before and after World War 1 and how it relates to the Pope's decision to proclaim today's Feast Day back in 1925.
"As we are primarily citizens of the City of God, our Lord Jesus Christ is preeminent and He reconciles all of our differences," Father Eseke says, "so that we all can be brothers and sisters."
(November 13, 2022) Have you ever wondered what "apocalyptical writings" are and why they are so closely related to the notion of how we accept the end-of-life situations? Father Anthony Eseke, the priest-in-residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, reminds us that our courage, hope, and assurance our Lord gives us are sufficient to lead us through the times when we face these situations.
(November 12, 2022) How do we prepare for the Second Coming of Christ? Drawing from the Book of Malachi, Father Charles Persing reminds us that God never stops loving His people. God notices our imperfections, but He remains faithful and patient, waiting for us. Like gold in a fiery furnace, He purifies and tests us, humbling us in our pride.
(November 5, 2022) We have privilege today to welcome Father Anthony Swamy, who served in our parish for several years. Father Swamy is now in India and serves the Church and the poorest of the poor through his work in the Order of Missionaries of Saint Francis de Sales. Father is quick to joke but also serious and compassionate when describing the charitable work he and his brethren do in India.
(October 30, 2022) Have you ever wondered why Zacchaeus in Luke 19 climbed the tree to see Jesus? Have you ever heard of Father Augustuts Tolton, the first Black Catholic priest in the U. S. ? Father Anthony Eseke, priest-in-residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, discusses these two themes.
(October 29, 2022) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, examines today's Scripture readings about God's mercy and His relationship to His creation. "God is always looking at us in ways that we cannot see ourselves because there is nothing that God cannot do that is beyond His power, especially when it comes to dealing with His mercy," is a takeaway message from Father's homily.
(October 23, 2022) Have you ever thought of what authentic spirituality is?
Father Anthony Eseke, priest-in-residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, invites us to follow the true and authentic spirituality: the spirituality that is grounded in reverence and humility; the one that allows us to empty out before God both our failures and successes; the one that allows us to be transparent in our faith.
As God makes it possible, this moment of grace-driven spirituality is the start of the renewal in the relationships with each other and in the authentic attitude towards the broader society.
(October 15, 2022) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, draws on today's Gospel readings and reminds us that God's hand and assistance are only one prayer away. From the beginning up to the present day (and on), God will always watch over us and guide us -- we only need to trust His steady hand.
(October 1, 2022) Do we always trust God when life seems too difficult or challenging? Father Charles L. Persing reminded us this weekend to put our trust in God as He is at the wheel.
(September 25, 2022) "Jesus Christ died for our sins and came back from the dead to show us that God’s ways are above human reasonings and hopes," Deacon David L. Hall said in today's homily. "And believing that, we are called to follow Jesus in the way He loves––not putting our own comfort and convenience above a commitment to be like our Lord."
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(September 25, 2022) Drawing on today's Gospel readings, Father Charles Persing reminds us that "the call of Amos is our call, too." Therefore, let us step in our Christ-centered life and reach out to one another prayerfully.
(September 18, 2022) Are you making an effort to sustain meaningful and nourishing relationships in your life, many of which are usually just a phone call away? Do you cultivate a sense of detachment from worldly things? "God has provided you with the means; what more good can you do with your material possessions?"
These are the questions that Father Anthony Eseke, Priest-in-Residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, asks us to ponder introspectively as we listen to today's readings.
(September 11, 2022) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us that everything we do will ultimately be between our God and ourselves. Therefore, we should be Christlike and follow His commandments.
(September 4, 2022) Father Charles Persing, Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, takes a moment to remind us about the importance of the Eucharist and the opportunity for focus on the Eucharist during Forty Hours, Sunday through Tuesday.
(August 28, 2022) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us what it means to be humble in our lives, just the way Jesus taught us.
(August 27, 2022) Father Anthony Eseke, Priest-In-Residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, invites us to make Christ the center of our lives.
(August 21, 2022) "God loves us," Father Charles Persing reminds us, and what He wants is for us to love Him in return.
(August 13, 2022) "Keep your eyes on Jesus and follow Him," is at the heart of today's message by Father Charles Persing, Pastor of Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish.
(August 7, 2022) If you were to try to choose the most important trait of God, what would it be? Monsignor Robert Lawrence reminds us that God is trustworthy and always ready to journey with us. What does this mean for us, God's people? It means that His gifts of faith and trust are the greatest gifts He gives to us.
(July 31, 2022) "Where are your treasures and where do you store them?" asks Father Charles Persing, Pastor of the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. Rather than focusing on temporary treasures during our earthly lives, Father Persing reminds us to "listen to the voice of God and build your heavenly treasures."
(July 23, 2022) What are prayer and grace, and why they are so important in our daily walk with Christ? Father Charles Persing, Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, shares his thoughts about these crucial elements in our lives.
(July 16, 2022) Father Dexter Jay Nebrida of the Order of the Disciples of Mary, shares his missionary experience among the young people in the Philippines. "We must make sure to have space to receive God in our lives, " he said. And once we have that space, we should be able to say, "Lord, surprise me with Your love."
(July 10, 2022) What is it that we need to gain eternal life? Father Charles Persing, Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us that we need to consider our relationship with the most vulnerable, the poor, the rejected, the ones in need.
(July 3, 2022) In this morning's homily, Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us of the importance of being in union with each other as children of God in the proclamation of His Word and His Will.
(June 26, 2022) "Discipleship is difficult, but it calls us to be single-minded and dedicated to the cause of the Kingdom of God as it appears to us on Earth, as it unfolds in our midst," Father Charles Persing, Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us.
(June 19, 2022) What is the meaning of Eucharist and why does it matter to partake of Holy Communion regularly?
The Eucharist is the sign of God's love for us, says Father Charles Persing, but until we understand that mystery in heaven, until we fully understand why God loves us so much, let us eat His Body and drink His Blood until we are satisfied and see Him face to face.
(June 19, 2022) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us about the origins of priesthood through the Old Testament figure of Melchizedek, and about the importance of the Holy Eucharist in our lives as a gift from God.
(June 12, 2022) "People will not care how much you know until they know how much you care," is the old adage at the heart of Deacon Alex Bogdanoff's homily on this Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.
This is the same message, "Go there and make disciples of all nations," in Jesus's own words, in which He proclaims the Good News and sends us out to the world in need of change. "What you have inside of you, the world out there is looking for it," Deacon Bogdanoff said in closing.
(June 11, 2022) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us on the occasion of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity that we are not called to live alone in isolation, but rather to be united in the selfless, sacrificial, and eternal bond of love of the Most Holy Trinity, which is given to us as a gift and a source of strength.
(June 5, 2022) "What mission in life am I given?" is the question and the heart of Father Samuel Dubois's homily on this Pentecost Sunday.
The Holy Spirit gives us all different gifts and talents. The question we need to ask of ourselves is, "How is the Holy Spirit calling me to serve here and now and in this moment?"
"The Holy Spirit is always at work within us," said Father Dubois, "but it is up to us to allow that work to bear fruit. The Spirit does not force this to happen, but He will always be there when we need Him."
Let us, therefore, entrust our lives and calling to the care of the Holy Spirit. Let Him lead us in the proper direction of service through His power and His grace. "Follow it, and do not be afraid," Father Dubois concluded.
(June 4, 2022) Have you ever experienced that uneasy feeling of coldness to your faith? Or have you noticed something similar in the way you relate to others?
Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminded us on this Pentecost Sunday that we need to be open to and alight with the glory of Christ. "Ask the Holy Spirit on this Feast Day to come and rekindle in us the Spirit of new life and enthusiasm for being what we are called to be: light to the world," Father Persing said.
(June 3, 2022) How does a Catholic priest become a bishop? Father Charles L. Persing describes the process in which a priest may be appointed a bishop, the various types of bishops, and the duties and roles which a bishop may have.
(May 29, 2022) Father Charles Persing, Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, encourages us this Sunday to "look up to God" when we are in need.
(May 21, 2022) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminded us this weekend that our peace, and peace in the world, is rooted in Christ.
(May 22, 2022) In his homily this morning, Father Charles Persing, Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, talks about the peace of Christ and the power of the Gospel message He has left to us. "Let us keep His word," Father Persing said, "and let us accept His peace."
(May 20, 2022) WHAT ARE THE DUTIES of a deacon in the Catholic Church? In Father Charles L. Persing's videos over the next few weeks, he will focus on one of the various degrees of Holy Orders: Deacon, Priest, Bishop. In this video, Father Charles describes the responsibilities within the ministry of the diaconate.
(May 15, 2022) In his reflection to Scriptural readings for today, Deacon Alex Bogdanoff stated the existence of many different types of suffering: for our faith, as redemptive suffering, as well as the suffering from sickness or mental illness. Our Church, throughout the history, has been building hospitals to cure the sickness and alleviate the suffering. Thus, we need to pray for the suffering, Deacon Bodganoff said, "as this may be the time when abundant fruit is borne. We are brought in to share Christ's passion and be given the privilege of participating in His work of redemption so that God could be given honor and praise."
(May 15, 2022) The mesasge of love was at the heart of today's homily from Father Charles Persing, Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. "Love is gift; it is the greatest gift that God could give us. The question is whether we allow others to see that love in us? Are we true disciples? Do we love Christ as He loved us?" Jesus told us, Father Persing reminded us, " You are my disciples if you love one another the way I loved you."
(Mary 15, 2022) "Love is at the core of our Christian vocation; the command of Christ is to love one another," said Father Anthony Eseke, Priest-in-Residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, in his homily for the Fifth Sunday of Easter.
When we reflect on our love relationships, Father said important questions to ask are: "How do you see one another? What is your level of emotional agility? What is your level of firm flexibility?" Challenge yourself and grow in your love and your faith, Father said. "God's grace will embrace you and heal you,"
(May 13, 2022) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reflects on the meaning of the sacraments of First Eucharist and Confirmation as our young parishioners celebrate these milestones this month.
(May 8, 2022) "To whom are we listening? Are we listening to the right voice?" is at the heart of Father Charles Persing's homily for today. Father Charles explains that this voice is found in the sacred Scriptures. On the other hand, the voices of our modern world are not uniting us as a community of believers, but rather distort the truth and sow divisions. These voices are fulfillment of what our modern world wants and not what God asks.
"Are we on the narrow path to Heaven? How would our families, neighborhoods, workplaces be transformed if we listened to the voice of Jesus?"
(May 7, 2022) When you think about God, can you comprehend what the eternal life is like?
Holy Scriptures bring us a foretaste of that reality. Mass, too, is a place where Heaven touches Earth, and we are invited to witness that reality.
Thus, Deacon David L Hall of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish reminded us, "as we seek to follow Jesus in this world, it is good to remember that there is a larger reality" and that we are only a small segment of all God's people throughout the ages. Deacon Hall added that, "God is working through the Church below to finalize the Church above. And He is going to do that until every one who belongs to Jesus is truly His forever. The Good News from God is that you and I are invited to be part of it. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is here to lead us."
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(May 1, 2022) In his last weekend in service to our parish, Deacon William Dwayer highlighted the core lesson of today's reading: It is only with Christ that the apostles ... and we ... can accomplish good things.
(May 1, 2022) We have the privilege of proclaiming our love for God, Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, said in his homily this weekend. And in doing, we bring God glory and honor.
(April 29, 2022) THE AMAZING GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP with Jesus, and with those whom God has placed in our lives, is the focus of Father Charles L. Persing's reflection this week, as he considers the encounters of Jesus with the disciples after the Resurrection. Father Persing is the pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish.
(April 24, 2022) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, contrasts human mercy with God's mercy in his homily for Divine Mercy Sunday. God's mercy is so much more amazing and powerful than anything we can come close to offering to another, Father Dubois says, because Divine Mercy heals us and raises us to new and eternal life.
(April 24, 2022) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us of a phrase that appears a number of times throughout Scripture: "The stone that the builder rejected has become the cornerstone." Father asks, "How many times do we miss the people that God gives to us for a purpose, because we have our own selfish ideas about how people should be." He concludes by encouraging us to be the person that God has called us to be, regardless of what others may think.
(April 24, 2022) In his homily for Divine Mercy Sunday, Deacon David L. Hall reminds us: One day we all will face Him in all His power and glory. He will ask each of us: "Have you lived believing me, loving me, and following me?” We should never forget that ... and pray for mercy.
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(April 17, 2022) EASTER HOMILY FROM FATHER ANTHONY ESEKE, Priest in Residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. Father Eseke asks us to ponder three things this Easter: First, Jesus Christ is Lord. Second, "the Shalom," the gift of peace, the greeting that Jesus gives us after his Resurrection. And finally: we are now Alleluia people.
(April 17, 2022) Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, invites us to rejoice in Christ's victory over death and His message that we no longer have anything to be afraid of. Renewing our baptismal promises is our acceptance of the reality of the Kingdom of God that is to come.
(April 16, 2022) In his homily on this Easter Vigil, Father Charles Persing emphasized that God did not raise only His Son, but also all of us so that we can be lifted up to a new life. Therefore, let's "give ourselves to God, surrender to His will, and let Him choose our path -- even though that chosen path is not what we wanted," Father Persing said, "and live a life of sacrifice, by continuing the mission of the Church."
The cross of cruelty and the cross of blessings as well as the Stations of the Cross are our visible tokens whose messages we need to emulate, not only on Easter Sunday, but also throughout the year: let's live them!
(April 14, 2022) Has it ever occurred to you that the celebration of Seder on Holy Thursday was a God's invitation to us to the New Covenant? "Do this in memory of Me," Father Persing says, is God calling "each one of us to bring Christ to everyone we encounter."
(April 15, 2022) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us that Jesus' love for us transcends any love which our rational minds could grasp.
Sacrificing Himself, He did so that our lives would be eternal, with Him, and not lost in the darkness. "Out of love for us," Father Dubois says, "Jesus freely embraced His cross. It is His gift for us, so that we might be free, so that we might be loved, so that one day we might return home."
(April 10, 2022) In his homily this Palm Sunday, Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us of the necessity of our spiritual preparation in this Lenten season. Drawing closer to Christ and asking for forgiveness of sins, at this special time, will allow us to experience the mystery of Jesus wholeheartedly.
Father Charles L Persing explains the use and significance of Holy Oils in Catholic Church.
(April 3, 2022) Have you ever felt the hand of Jesus on your shoulder? Have you ever sensed His presence in your life and wondered which choices to make? Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us that we should center our lives around Jesus and let Him make us new. Making us new may require that, as we are pointing our fingers at faults, "we have to point them at ourselves," Father Persing said, "confess our own faults and conquer our own sins." And only Jesus can help us do that.
(April 3, 2022) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, invites us today to be more open and introspect of our own sins and mistakes. He also asks us to be to be more merciful and Christ-like to others. Emphasizing the today's Gospel message from John 8: 1-11, Father Dubois says that focusing on the mistakes of others, "no one has to look at their own." We, therefore, need to focus "on the things that matter."
Father Charles Persing concludes the series on Stations of the Cross and talks about the Resurrection.
(March 27, 2022) Do we know how to react properly in any given situation? Do we listen to the voice of God or do we rely on our own ego?
"Faith is not the belief that God will do whatever we want; it is the belief that God will do what is right," is the quote Father Charles Persing shared. He, then, reminded us that "God is constantly calling out to us; will we be able to remember what God has done for us?"
(March 27, 2022) Father Anthony Eseke, Priest-in-Residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, drew a parallel between a conventional five-step "hero's journey" and our own Lenten journey. Going though all the steps, Father Eseke emphasized that our heavenly Father always awaits us with His arms outstretched, asking us to "make a change."
Our prayer, then, shall be that our Lord will bless us on our spiritual journey, Father Eseke said, "and that our good Lord will give us the grace, and the strength to say ito ourselves: This time, grant us Lord the grace to change."
Father Charles L Persing shares his thoughts and prayers related to Christ's last moments on Earth.
(March 20, 2022) Deacon David L. Hall reminded us that our Christian lives have meanings that are not clearly obvious in our lifetimes. Life is neither punishments or a throw of dice, but has a much deeper meaning.
"Whenever bad things happen, we should remember that the world is not as it was meant to be––nor is it the way it shall one day be," Deacon Hall said. Every one of us is given a chance to draw close to God and to be fruitful.
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(March 20, 2022) Deacon William Dwayer encourages us to pause and reflect upon this Lent so far … Are we bearing much fruit?
(March 13, 2022) How do we show forth the grandeur of God? How do we step up to our calling as Bearers of Light?
Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminded us that living the corporeal works of mercy is the route to be taken.
As we read today's Gospel message of Transfiguration, "God is there," Father Persing said, "and is transfiguring us to become more like Him." Therefore, " on this Second Sunday of Lent, let us be the light of Christ, let us shine forth and restore ourselves with God's grace and God's help, to what He meant us to be, " Father Persing concluded.
(February 20, 2022) When you hate your enemies, what do you see? When you love your enemies, which image comes to your mind? Father Anthony Eseke, Priest-in-Residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminded us of the concept of Imago Dei: seeing the image of God in that person.
"Love, forgive, and reconcile" are the three things we can be in control when in the conflict with others, Father Eseke said. We are all God's anointed people through the waters of our baptism; love others the way our God loves you.
(March 11, 2022) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us of corporeal works of mercy and the Stations of the Cross: 5th, 6th, and 8th.
(March 13, 2022) Have you ever asked yourself what the Covenant, listening, and prayer have in common? Father Samuel Dubois, parochial vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us that our God is the faithful God who keeps His promises even when we are unfaithful. This season of Lent is a perfect time to look back at our lives and make an attempt to get closer to Him. The starting point is listening carefully to His voice, and then joining-in in prayer. Be the joy of our Lord, who always wants to be with each one of us.
(March 6, 2022) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, reminded us to take up our cross -- just as Jesus did -- and make our Covenant promises vibrant and alive.
(March 5, 2022) Deacon Alex Bogdanoff shares a personal story of healing in his family with the intercession of the angels.
(February 27, 2022) Father Charles L Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us not to seek the fault in others, but rather remember our own faults and be forgiving.
(February 20, 2022) Father Charles L. Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, focuses on an inescapable theme in the teachings of Jesus: Love your enemies.
(February 20, 2022) Are you burdened with hurt or injustice done unto you? Or, perhaps, because you sinned against someone? Have you tried handing over that burden and inviting the love of Jesus to help you heal your heart?
Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, invites us to do exactly that: "Hand your burden over to Jesus; ask Him to set you free. It may not happen overnight -- or in a moment -- but healing is possible; freedom is possible. Because God gives without measuring, without counting the cost; He gives of His limitless mercy and love."
(February 18, 2022) The third Sunday of each month offers an opportunity to pray the Divine Mercy Devotions at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. Our pastor, Father Charles Persing, invites you to join us in worship and adoration.
(February 13, 2022) Have you ever examined "the deep" of the Beatitudes or the Ten Commandments? What about the wisdom of Proverbs or Psalms? Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, invites us to a deeper engagement with these passages and books of Holy Scripture.
(February 13, 2022) A walk in faith can result in a multitude of experiences. Even searching for true happiness may take you outside of the realm of true faith. Experiences vary, but we need to remember that only by obeying God's Word can we look forward to the true happiness, Deacon Alex Bogdanoff emphasized. Therefore, "trust in God as a source of true happiness."
(February 6, 2022) Has your pastor ever approached you with the question whether you would like to volunteer your time and talents in some capacity? Have you ever thought that being open to such a question is actually answering God's call? Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, asks of us not to be reluctant to act when a situation like this arises. Being open to God's call is at the heart of Father Persing's homily.
(January 30, 2022) Who are you, and who helped you become who you are? Who was there when you had your first loss or your first failure?
Father Charles Persing asked us to picture the newborn shoes of a baby and image that child grow into an adult in size-15 basketball sneakers. So, what do we need to do as the guardians of our youth? We need to give guidance, direction, and teach them how to use their gifts, Father Persing said, in order to make our church and our world a better place.
"We are all called to excellence and to serve," Father Persing said, "in the end, according to Saint Paul, 'the greatest of these is love.'" That love that compels us to serve and to reach out to others beyond who we are to them: as encouragers and as witnesses to their spiritual growth. Prayerfully ask of Christ to bless our young, bring them the success and safety they need to become what He has called them to be.
(January 30, 2022) In a very concise homily, Father Samuel Dubois reminded us that, "God loves us and wants to work through us. "
(January 28, 2022) Father Charles Persing uses this opportunity to thank the staff and volunteers who helped during the season of Christmas. In addition, Father Persing talks about Catholic Schools Week and our Religious Education students, and suggests some ways to support and serve each other. In closing, Father talks about the upcoming season of Lent.
:(January 23, 2022) Do you remember the day of your baptism? Or the day of your Confirmation? Father Charles Persing reminded us that, “every one of us has been anointed with the Holy Oil of gladness, the Oil of service, the Oil of truth,” right at the time of our Christian initiation. It is in this joy that we should walk before the face of God and listen to His Word.
“Also, we need to be more attentive to the voice of God,” Father Persing said, “and let that joy overcome: the joy that was given to us when were called, when we were anointed, when we were sent. Let us have that same joy as those people who filled (that city) and listened attentively and quietly. Let us be filled with the Lord who really is our strength.”
The test of our faith will be at those moments of hardship. “When difficulty comes our way—whether it be illness or age or financial or problems in our relationships – let that joy of God be the foundation on which we live. God will see that it is good in the end,” Father Persing said, “as God always remembers who we are and where we belong.”
(January 23, 2022) The highlight of Deacon William Dwayer's homily is his invitation to challenge ourselves by taking the time to be nourished from the Scriptures.
Deacon Dwayer said, "As we begin this new year -- on this Word of God Sunday -- we have an invitation to engage more deeply with the Scriptures.” This can be done in many ways: prayerfully reflecting on the Mass readings in Seton Sunday, listening to a podcast of daily Bible readings while commuting, or taking part in a Bible study. “The important thing,” he said, “is that the Lord is waiting for us in the Scriptures; no matter how much we know them or how familiar they seem, there is always more in the Scriptures to nourish our souls."
(January 16, 2022) Reflecting on today’s Gospel reading, Deacon David L Hall said that “true faith gives birth to the twins of trust and obedience.”
“We may not understand what God is doing or why He says what He does, but faith that is grounded in God’s Spirit gives us the reason and motivation to trust and obey. ”
“When Mary speaks, we need to listen,” Deacon Hall added. Mary’s words resonate: “Let it be to me according to Your word,” as our God transforms us, His people, into reliable witnesses.
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(January 16, 2022) Deacon Alex Bogdanoff's reflection on today's Gospel reading is about the Wedding at Cana. "Let us imitate our Blessed Mother’s simple faith. Her Son will take care of the need. He will meet our physical and spiritual needs most abundantly, " Deacon Alex said.
(January 9, 2022) "God loves you in the same way He loves His Son," Father Samuel Dubois reminded us.
Keeping this in mind will strengthen us in the faith during the difficult times when we wonder whether we are loved or even worthy of God's love. The water at our baptism leaves an imprint on us and claims us by Christ for eternity.
Father Charles L Persing reflects on the feast day of our parish patroness, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.
(January 1, 2022) Have you noticed that “our spiritual resolutions, those times when we really want to be more God-like in our life,” Father Charles Persing reminded us, "make us want to be more Christian, to be the light that God has sent into the world, the star that guides others. And, perhaps, what we need to do is just be focused on the Lord.”
Christ changes everything for us once we are focused on Him. Let us then stay focused on our Lord in our life-long commitment.
(January 1, 2022) Today is the time when we think about our New Year’s resolutions. And about our plans and intentions. But, do we see the big picture? Father Samuel Dubois takes a step back and clarifies for us that, “Today is all about dwelling with the Lord: starting that year with Him and recognizing that each day and each year belong to Him. He is the Lord of all, and He loves us, so we are called to offer each day of each year to Him in His honor, to love Him in return.” Therefore, Father Dubois says, “Truly, the New Year’s resolution does not rest on us and what we choose; it rests on the love and the Providence of our God.”
(December 26, 2021) “There are differences between belonging and just fitting in," Father Charles Persing reminded us. "Yes, we always want to belong to something greater than us; we also spend a lot of time searching for that environment."
It is also true that God wants us to be part of this journey: the journey where “I can just be who I am and be accepted .... Being part of a family nurtures us, supports us, it gives us the direction that we really need in our life as we journey together.”
After all, Father Persing concluded, “God’s love for us is our love for one another. God is always there, present in His love, present in His acceptance, present in His forgiveness – as we offer each other the safety net that we call ‘family.’"
(December 25, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, shared with us what stands at the heart of Christmas: love.
"Being loved is the beauty of Christmas: it awakens in our hearts a simplicity of life. All God needs from us is not our stuff or accomplishments, but our love. Let us, then, open our hearts to the love of God: return that love to Him and give Him thanks for the joys and blessings that we share. Our God could rule with power and might, but He prefers to rule by a simple invitation of love. Let us, then, pray for each other that we may know the love of Jesus Christ – the simple love of a child," Father Dubois concluded.
(December 25, 2021) "This is the night when God intervened into our lives and changed us forever," Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, reminds us. "This is the night that we, the people who sat in darkness, have seen the great light."
"God is not keeping secrets from us," Father says. "He wants us to be the light for others who sit in darkness; He wants us to be love for those who are not loved. He wants us to be of service for those who have no one to help. He wants us to be Christ for one another. He wants to be with us. He needs us as much as we need Him."
"I encourage you to be the light in the darkness."
(December 25, 2021) The core message that Jesus wants us to remember, says Parochial Vicar Father Samuel Dubois, is: "You are loved. Not just by me or by your family or your friends – you are loved by the eternal God. If you ever doubt that, just look at the Nativity: The God of all the earth chose to be born in a village that was in the middle of nowhere; not for His own glory or honor, but to simply to say to you that you are loved! Because that is the message of Christmas."
(December 19, 2021) Have you ever thought what lesson remains true from all the way down to us today? Or why God "intrudes on our assumptions and pays attention to the wretched, the afflicted, the abandoned, and those who are nothing in the eyes of the world?" These are the questions Deacon David L. Hall, of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, asks today.
“We, ourselves, are called to be little and humble,” Deacon Hall emphasizes, with the meaning of Advent being filled with “the seeking, the repenting, and the waiting.”
“God has a right to break into my life without explanation:” Deacon Hall affirms. Jesus profoundly interrupted the world by, “entering our world through a door marked, ‘No Entrance’ and 'leaving' through a door marked, 'No Exit'.”
What will be your response to God’s interruption in your life today?
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(December 19, 2021) Did you know that prophecies are meant to encourage, build up, and console? That prophets themselves are messengers of God’s love, and that their prophecies are that very message? This is what is at the heart of Deacon Alex Bogdanoff’s message this Sunday.
"By virtue of our baptism,: Deacon Bogdanoff said, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us; He calls us to be His prophets. To follow His will, we first need to embrace His presence within us; then, pray to Him to guide our words and our actions; and lastly, step out in full confidence in His power and grace. "
This process prepares us both internally and externally to be a witness to the Glory of God and a part of His Kingdom on earth, both now and when He returns.
(December 12, 2021) “We are celebrating Him, but He is celebrating us,” was how Father Charles L. Persing started off his homily today.
"God wants us to rejoice in His presence. God wants us to be able to look at Him as He looks at us: with favor, with love, with compassion. He wants us to rejoice and live in that love; He takes delight in us because He has chosen us, He has forgiven us," Father Persing said.
"So, on this Sunday of the pink candle, let us look carefully and not lose sight of what is already under our noses – the delight of Christmas, Christ in our midst," Father Persing concluded.
(December 12, 2021) Have you ever wondered how Mary Magdalene overcame the mistakes she made? This theme is at the heart of Father Samuel Dubois’s homily today.
Mary Magdalene was a sinner who encountered Jesus; Jesus reminded her that she was more than her past and her mistakes. Through a “beautiful adventure with this mysterious Jesus,” Father Dubois said, “Mary Magdalene got a chance for a new start.”
This situation may be applicable for us as well. Let us relate to it as “the beauty of the Sacrament of Confession. We go in one person, and we come out someone totally different,” Father Dubois emphasized. Being washed clean in the grace of God prepares our hearts for the coming of the Lord.
Father Dubois closed his homily with the following words: “Do not be afraid; allow Jesus to call your name; allow Him to embrace you in the Sacrament of Confession, with His grace and His love, and to set you free. You deserve it.”
(December 5, 2021) In his homily, Father Charles Persing reflects on the time of preparation for the season of Advent. As we approach its second week, Father suggests that we us ask our God to forgive us our sins and listen to His guiding voice. Our God has already shown His ultimate demonstration of His love for us: by His birth, His death, and His resurrection.
If we are searching to find a true peace and happiness, we do need to surrender everything to Jesus. Quoting from the Old Testament Book of Baruch, Father Persing emphasizes that God’s mercy and His righteousness are a promise to us that He will never abandon us. Therefore, let us look beyond daily cares, Father Persing suggests; let us examine “what lies heavy on our soul?” Are we ready to surrender it fully to God? Or keep carrying it on our own? As the followers of Jesus, let us make the right choice.
(December 5, 2021) Priest in Residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Father Anthony Eseke, reminded us that, both in the Book of Baruch and in the Luke’s Gospel, we can sense a liberation: the days of sadness and pain are over, and the coming of our Lord is near.
The crux of the message from these two readings is the discernment of what is of value. Preparing our spiritual lives this Christmas season, let us take a step back and re-think of what is truly of value in our lives. Father Eseke summed in up as the “three Rs:” recognize, repent, and renew your relationship with God.
The grace that is given at the Sacrament of Confession is what we are invited to today; our interior freedom is the sensing the grace of true discernment. Let us then come to the confessional and renew our lives in Christ.
(November 28, 2021) Father Charles L. Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, shared a story about a group of people who froze to their deaths while around the campfire. Intrigued? A few verses reveal that these people did not freeze "from the cold without, but from cold within."
"Let us be for these four weeks a hand that reaches out," Father said, "a smile for those who have no reason, the light for those who live in darkness. Let us be hope, peace, love, and joy."
(November 28, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois, parochial vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, welcomes us to the season of Christmas. All other worldly things set aside, this Advent season should be the time of "preparation, time of centering our lives and focusing on Jesus."
(November 21, 2021) Drawing upon today’s Gospel message, Deacon William Dwayer, in serving at the parish from Mount St. Mary's Seminary, shared his thoughts about the end of the world.
We all have different preconceptions when we think about the Second Coming of Christ, he said. However, if look not only at what is "ending" but also at what is "beginning," we should not have anything to fear; God the Son came into this world to restore the prime covenant between fallen humanity and God the Father.
"Sin and death will pass away," Deacon Dwayer said, "and we shall see God as He is, in all of His glory." We need to be prepared for His judgment, he said, whether "Jesus comes to us, or we go to Him."
(November 21, 2021) Deacon Alex Bogdanoff, of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminded us that Jesus came into this life "not just to take part; King Jesus came to take over." He yearns for 100 percent of our being to follow His footsteps into His eternal Kingdom. To have a personal, intimate encounter with Jesus is "to experience His closeness, His friendship, and His love," Deacon Bogdanoff concluded.
Father Charles L Persing gives his perspective of Thanksgiving as a national, secular holiday as well as our understanding of it in our faith tradition -- and takes a moment to thank the staff and the people of the parish for the wonderful things we do for the glory of God.
(November 14, 2021) "If we love Christ, then why are we so fearful? Are we fearful of Him, or are we fearful of giving up the sins we love?" Father Persing asked us to keep this Augustinian quote on our minds as we consider the Second Coming of Christ. Are our names going to be written in the Book of Life, and are we ready to change and prepare ourselves for that most certain event?
(November 14, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois, parochial vicar for Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, took a deep look at today's Gospel message. Father Dubois emphasized that we, despite not knowing when the Second Coming will exactly take place, need not be worried and afraid. Our human nature does makes us worried, afraid, and stressed, but we need to remember that Jesus is always with us, now and forever.
Father Charles L Persing reflects on the history and meaning of Veteran's Day, honoring all those who served our nation.
(November 7, 2021) Father Anthony Eseke, priest in resident at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, explores the difference between giving when we expect something in return, and sacrificial giving, which we see demonstrated in the readings in today's Mass. Father describes three special ways that we can practice sacrificial giving in our own lives in response to the grace of God.
(November 7, 2021) Father Charles L. Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, shares a story and his reflection based upon Saint Mother Theresa's quote: "Do small things with great love."
Father Charles L. Persing reads from the Book of Wisdom and prays for the souls of all the faithfully departed.
(October 31, 2021) At the heart of Father Samuel Dubois’s homily is the message that our Church is not an entity that restrains Her faithful. Rather, our Church is all about saying “yes” to many things in our lives. She calls us to holiness by saying “yes” to God, “to the dignity, the honor, the beauty that we are called to hold and have,” Father Dubois said.
By saying “yes” to these things “we are called to hold and have,” Father concluded, “we will be very close to the Kingdom of God in this life; and in the life to come, we will dwell within its very borders.”
(October 24, 2021) In our journeys of life, we may have dark places of frustration and brokenness, like Bartimaeus in today's gospel, says Father Anthony Eseke. We can learn three lessons from Bartimaeus's story: First, we have Jesus, who is ready to help and heal our dark places. Second, we have to have the faith and the courage to call out. And finally, faith is not what we do when we need something from Jesus; faith is what we do as a sign of gratitude for all the great things God has done for us.
(October 23, 2021) Father Charles L. Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, considers the blind man, Bartimaeus, as a man of great hope and great courage. "How many times have you and I gone to the Lord to ask for things that are impossible, to ask for things for which we personally don't think there's an answer?" Maybe we doubt the power of God in our own lives, Father says, but let us never stop calling out in hope to Jesus.
(October 17, 2021) In this week's message, Father Charles L. Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, focuses on examples of servanthood in the Gospel and in a story from the Colonial days of what is now the United States. "Nothing is below our dignity in the eyes of God when we are true servants," Father said. He challenged us to look for occasions to serve each other, because "the closer we come to Jesus, the more we are expected to follow His example."
(October 16, 2021) Reflecting on today's Scripture readings, Father Samuel Dubois reminds us that there is nothing we have gone through or will ever go through that God has not shouldered. "So, if we unite ourselves to Him, we unite ourselves to His saving cross.”
Jesus walked in "our very steps," Father Dubois said. He "suffered as we suffer" so that, when we suffer, "we know we have a companion, someone with us."
This is all part of God's love for us, he said. "There is no more powerful testament of God's love than the crucifix . . . no more powerful way to share in His love than to be united to Him in our sufferings – whatever they might be."
Father Charles L. Persing reflects on the life and legacy of Saint Gianna, the patron saint of mothers and unborn children, and prays for her intercession.
(October 10, 2021) Deacon David L. Hall reflected on today's Scripture readings. The highlight of his homily is the message that "Each one of us can have a fear of inviting God to cleanse us of anything that distracts us from seeking and loving Him above all else . . . . If we make even a start to desire what God is offering, we will find that He knows how to give what we truly need. "
" ‘What is the desire of my heart? Lord help me to want You more than anything else.’ If we pray that, it is more than a wish; it is a request that the Lord will give to anyone who sincerely asks," Deacon concluded.
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Father Charles L. Persing talks about Saint Gerard, patron saint of expecting mothers and unborn children.
(October 3, 2021) Deacon William Dwayer asked us to reconsider our relationships in our friendships or in our marriages. Are we leading Christ-centered lives? Christ invites both laypersons as well as clergy to introspection on this crucial part of our identity.
"If we wish to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must receive Christ’s teaching, His love, and His grace with a trusting love of a small child. And in order to do that, we must have God in the center of our lives," Deacon Dwayer said.
Father Charles L Persing talks about Respect Life Month and what it means to create and enjoy healthy life relationships with others.
(September 26, 2021) Have you ever thought of “pew-and-pulpit synchrony”? Father Anthony Eseke, priest-in-residence at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, introduces us to the concept.
It relates to the theological and spiritual diversity that is at the heart of the three Scripture readings for today. “The Lord is the one, Who gives his Spirit freely . . . and the Spirit blows wherever it wills.”
“How can we today ask for the grace to enhance our tolerance?” Father Eseke asks. It is two-fold. The first one is “through the ‘dialogue of life’ . . . that binds all of us together, regardless of the ways we interpret our spirituality.” The second one, also based on the Scripture, is our need to be open to the walk of the Spirit . . . Who dwells in our hearts,” he said.
It is because we are too tight and too passionate about the positions we hold what we think about who God is . . . "God is bigger than what we can fight for,” Father Eseke concluded.
(September 26, 2021) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us that the Spirit of God is at work in all of us. "Are we responding to the Spirit of God?" Father Persing asks. "It is a gift from God . . . we can use it to serve our community . . . becoming brothers and sisters in the family of God."
We are called, he said, "to look freshly at that Spirit day after day, moment after moment, in our life and . . .cling to God . . . let God hold us.”
This week we are challenged, Father said. "We are challenged to look freshly at that Spirit in us; not to hoard it within us, not just share it with the people who are special to us, but to allow that Spirit to empower us, to bring Christ to life in our midst, to bring God’s Kingdom to reality in our presence."
Let us witness that "reality in our presence," he concluded.
(September 26, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, asked: "How is Jesus calling you to serve the poorest among us?" The challenge for us, he said, "is to give life to others by the way we live, by the way we love."
Father Dubois reminded us that "it is not up to us when God will call us to charity … we must give of ourselves: whether it is just a listening ear; perhaps, it is a prayer for someone in need. If we are blessed with good health . . . place it at the service of the Lord. If we are blessed with a share and the cross of suffering, also place it at the service of the Lord," he concluded.
(September 19, 2021) It is time to come and join one another at the Church, Father Charles Persing said. It is also time to spend some time in silence of our prayers and follow the words of Saint James and Saint Mark instructing us to become the true disciples of Jesus Christ.
"The challenge for us this week—once again from Mark and from James—is to really open our eyes, to open our ears, and our hearts, and our hands; to take our attitudes and our failures and sinfulness, and lay them at the foot of that Cross; to really turn our eyes to Jesus to look full into His face; and to go to a world that is dying and tell His perfect salvation to others who also seek," Father Persing concluded.
Father Charles L. Persing speaks about and prays for children, their parents, and our catechists on the occasion of this year's start of Religious Education classes.
(September 12, 2021) "Practice what you preach, " is the message at the heart of Father Persing's homily. Reflecting on his message from last week—the Apostle James's invitation to to be " doers, not listeners"—Father said, "If we want to know how to live, another great example is Matthew 25: 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, or ill? Imprisoned, or naked? When did we see you?'" Father concluded: "Our challenge this week is to really live that faith . . . to open our hearts to the Spirit of God . . . so, let us be those true doers of the Word and not just hearers; Let us demonstrate our faith by our works."
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(September 12, 2021) On this 20-year anniversary of 9/11, Father Samuel Dubois asks, "Where was God that day? He was right there." Father reminds us that without God' s sufferings and death, we would be without hope. With God, we have hope in darkness and sorrow.
Father Charles L. Persing reflects on Grandparents' Day and prays for all grandparents on this special day.
(September 5, 2021) Deacon Alex Bogdanoff, of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, invited us to reflect on our practical everyday lives: Is your life centered on seeing the less-fortunate ones through God's eyes? Do you walk an extra mile as a servant of our Lord helping the less-fortunate? How can we give "happy meals" to those in our lives who need our help? he asked.
The answer is close at hand. It is a simple truth: "Love looks like action: You can have the best of intentions in your heart, but if you do not do anything, perhaps you want to question how deep your love is," Deacon Bogdanoff said.
(September 5, 2021) Deacon David L. Hall reminds us that "being a Christian is wrapped up in an act of faith; through that, we enter a new dimension – a new way of looking at the world . . . God calls us to faithfulness . . . in the Church we are to relate to one another in faithfulness, letting our faith set the standard for how we see the world and one another. "
Deacon Hall cautions, "we are in a spiritual war for our souls -- two opposing sides -- and they are quite different. One side offers us a world of the good life, with a focus on things like nice houses and well-dressed people, and pleasant activities. On the other side, we see the lonely man who claims to be the king of the world; only His crown is made of thorns, and His life seems to have ended in failure. This day it can look like the world of wealth and power is the winner; which side do we believe? [The Apostle] James tells us that what we believe will, among other things, affect the way we respond to social status. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus."
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Father Charles L Persing talks about finding the time for and cultivating silence as the foundation of prayer life in this hectic world.
(August 29, 2021) Father Charles Persing, the pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Parish, reflected on today’s reading of the Epistle of James regarding a common situation: “We feel like we just want to raise our hand and say to God, ‘I have done enough. I quit. I just want to listen. I do not want to do anything anymore; I just want to hear you. I want to listen.’
“Now is our time to do something,” Father Persing reminded us. Saint James “used some words that were very strong. He said to us that we must give birth to the Word of Truth by living it. He uses the words, ‘Be a doer.’ Do not just sit back and listen; get up and do something. You know, get off the grass and move along, get off your couch, get out of your house, get back into your routine. And do not delude yourself, because what we need to do is take care of these things. If you do that, God is going very happy with you,” Father Persing said.
(August 29, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois, the parochial vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, asks what the opposite of hypocrisy is. “That is authenticity, integrity, holiness. Jesus will help us be authentic and integral people if we ask Him for His help,” he said.
Every Christian needs to ask themself the following questions: “How do we want to live? Who do we want to be like? Will be we like Christ or like our own distorted image of ourselves?”
Of course, Father says, all these are questions we know the answer to. “Each of us has beautiful qualities and good things we should be proud of; things we should give thanks to God for – but we also have areas to grow. And the only way that will happen is if we imitate Christ, who emptied Himself of self, who laid aside His glory so that we might be free, so that we might know Him,” Father Dubois said.
(August 22, 2021) Whatever may come in life, Father Anthony Eseke said, if we have made our decision for Christ, Christ never disappoints. If we decide to follow Him, His goodness, His joy, His sustenance, His protection, His blessing, will always be abundant in our lives.
(August 22, 2021) In today's homily, Father Charles L. Persing asks, "How many of us are still convinced that sayings of Jesus are easy? Most of us have found it very difficult to follow Jesus. Most of us have not walked an easy path in our Christian life. "
Father Persing continues: "How many times that you and I have gone through the moments of doubt and crisis in our faith life?"
For various reasons, some of us stop practicing our faith. Or find some other things of interest. Father Persing reminds us that, "No other person on this Earth, no matter how well-intentioned they are, or how well we know or love them, will ever love us in the way Jesus Christ loves us. And no one else, especially ourselves, can save us from our sins."
(August 15, 2021) Father Charles Persing, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, asks us to consider the following: "Everything that God gave to Mary, He gives to us. Mary was prepared to accept His gifts and His life and His resurrection – so, too, are we. You and I are called to be sons and daughters of our Lady, blazing trails and light through the valley in which we live, so that others may find Christ."
We recall the moments of forgiveness when we seek Mary's intercession. Those prayers are brought to the Throne of God, "so that we can fall on our knees and break bread together and give thanks to God in the Eucharist," he said.
Throughout the ages, God's mercy and forgiveness reaches to us. "Because just as for Mary, God for us has mercy and is always mindful of His Covenant and His unconditional love for those who serve Him."
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(August 15, 2021) In this week's homily, Father Samuel Dubois focused on the dilemmas and choices our Blessed Mother had to face once she accepted the call to be the Mother of God. “Love calls me to go forth, so I will; trust in God’s grace and all will be well,” is how our parochial vicar encapsuled the outcome of the call.
“However, if Mary had allowed worldly concerns and worries and fears to drive her life, to control her heart, the last thing she would have done is to visit Elizabeth. But she allowed herself to be sent, directed, by God – by that invitation to charity,” he said.
He continued: God wanted us to hear in today’s Gospel that we cannot live in fear; we cannot allow fear to drive us to anger and rejection of others. We cannot allow our hearts to be hardened to the needs of others. The message of the Gospel, the need to serve in charity is as real today as it was in this day of Mary’s life.
In his conclusion, Father Dubois said, “The fears created by or found in the world face us and confront us. We have to say, ‘No thanks, I live for Jesus, and with Him I am unafraid.’”
(August 8, 2021) “This week, you and I, are challenged to be the best for God, to follow the example of Christ in our love for one another.” With these words, Father Charles L Persing closes today’s homily. Father Persing reminds us that we need to set the example of faith ourselves, so that the others would witness it and follow Christ with us.
The message Saint Paul has for us is that Jesus is always walking before us, setting that example. But “what we see in Jesus, we need to see in one another,” says Father Persing. “Instead of looking for negativity, we come here to be one Body and one Spirit … we testify from whence our gifts come, and we are not afraid to say where we find our strength – the Eucharist and Jesus Christ.”
(August 1, 2021) Parochial Vicar Father Samuel Dubois raises the question: “What is it that we fill ourselves with? What is it that we try to find fulfillment in?” That may be any sort of earthly desire, but only God can fully satisfy our hearts. “Only God endures … and He comes to us in the Eucharist,” he said. It is the Bread from Heaven that nourishes us; let us then fulfill our hearts and our longing and our desires and find peace in Christ Jesus.
Father closes with the following thought: “We must each and all lay aside worldly things and instead center our hearts, our minds, our lives on the only thing that matters – the only one who fulfills – Jesus Christ. All we must do is receive it with open hearts and we will find what we desire, we will find true peace, true joy, and the love that never fades: the love of God Almighty.”
(July 25, 2021) Father Charles L Persing reflects on today's reading from the Gospel of Saint Mark. This is the reading that recounts the story of Jesus feeding 5 thousand people gathered on a mountain side: with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish -- and having 12 wicker baskets of leftovers. (DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT)
Referring to the Gospel reading, Father Persing invites us to reflect that, " (we) have only scratched the surface of what God has to offer to us." Father Persing closes with the following thoughts: "If we are that great crowd, are we the great witnesses ? Have we told someone about Jesus and the things He can do for us? That they, too, might want to come and see: that they might come in large numbers and recline at His table."
(July 18, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois invites us to reconsider what our attendance at Mass actually means. As we love our spouse and give selflessly to one another following our marriage vows, how much more grace can we get if we realize that our presence at Mass is a unique opportunity for us to be with our loving God. Father Dubois adds, " (it is) ... an opportunity to love and to be loved by our eternal, unshakable God, who is with us in all things."
(July 11, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us of all of the good that the disciples were able to do, despite their fears, when Jesus sent them out to the world. "It's Ok to be afraid," he said, "but we have to remember that God is on our side."
(July 3, 2021) Father Charles L. Persing, the fourth pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Mechanicsburg, offers personal thanks and a reflection on his commitment to serve as pastor to the parish he first served as parochial vicar in his initial assignment after his Ordination to the Priesthood.
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(July 3, 2021) In his homily at the Mass of Installation, Bishop Gainer offered three "labels" to Father Persing: Father, Shepherd, Teacher. Bishop continued: "But I’m not just going to use those labels; the Church’s words in the Rite of Installation modifies each of those labels with an adjective to describe the label. I’m not just going to say, you must be a father; rather, a loving father. And I’m not just going to say, be a shepherd; be a gentle shepherd. And I’m not just going to say, be a teacher; be a wise teacher. "
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(June 27, 2021) In introducing himself to the parish, Father Charles Persing, the new pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, said, "It is the duty and joy of every priest to carry out the mission of the Church, not for our own self glory, nor to satisfy our own particular needs and wants, but to bring Christ to all we meet, and to afford everyone the opportunity to experience God's love, forgiveness, and glory. Our call is to bring the living Christ to your heart. Our call is the salvation of souls. Like John the Baptist, Elizabeth Ann Seton, and all our favorite saints, we are called to lead others to Jesus -- to invite everyone to accept the gift of eternal life which comes from knowing Jesus Christ."
(June 20, 2021) On Father's Day, Monsignor William J. King gave his last homily as pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, 10 years to the day since he was appointed pastor here. He concluded with a reminder that runs as a thread through many of his messages during his time at Saint Elizabeth's: God's grace is sufficient.
(June 13, 2021) Father Logan Parrish, who served Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish as a Deacon during his studies at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, returned to celebrate Masses of Thanksgiving this weekend, sharing the story of a vision of priestly service that extends to four generations in his family.
(June 6, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois, parochial vicar for the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, reflects on the significance of Transubstantiation -- the change of ordinary bread and wine into the consecrated Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
The beautiful words of consecration are both a means of our salvation and of reality; they are true Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ, which we need to honor and give thanks to.
(May 30, 2021) On the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Monsignor William J. King, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, considers belief and unbelief by exploring two musical excerpts by Johann Sebastian Bach.
(May 23, 2021) Speaking to the students who received the sacrament of Confirmation at Masses on Pentecost, Monsignor William J. King urged them not be afraid to be disciples of Christ, “because that is what this world needs."
(May 16, 2021) Monsignor William J. King draws on today's Gospel reading and compares it to the world we live in. "We do not belong to this world," says Monsignor King, "our home is in Heaven. Let's start living as though we believe that."
(May 13, 2021) Monsignor King explores the mystery of Jesus's incarnation and life in human flesh, and His return to His Father in heaven.
Monsignor says, "Jesus gave the Church to announce that Gospel forever. But, then, He promised: 'When I return to my Father, I will send you another, an advocate, the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Guide, Who will speak to you all truth.'"
We need to allow God to empty us so that we can follow the way of Jesus in total obedience to the Father's will.
(May 9, 2021) Deacon David L. Hall, Pastoral Associate at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, said, "The standard for our life is love, but the idea of love is distorted by our world. We tend to think that love is warm, fuzzy feelings. We think love will make everything good for everybody. Love, according to Jesus, is doing what is best for another when it is inconvenient––even painful or deadly––to ourselves. And the “others” we are to love are not merely those who love us; the real test of love is how we relate, not to gracious saints, but to rascals."
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(May 9, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois relates the life story of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a Catholic priest who freely chose to suffer death in place of a fellow prisoner in a concentration camp during World War II. "If we are to be like Christ," Father Dubois said, "we have to be willing to carry the cross: the cross of indifference, the cross of apathy, the cross of the cruelty of others, so that we may be made worthy of the Resurrection, so that we may be raised to glory -- but, most of all -- so that our joy may be in Jesus, and in Him it may be complete."
(May 2, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois, Parochial Vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, reminds us that, just as without April showers there would be no May flowers, so without the times of trial and disappointment in our lives, we might be tempted to choose the temporal over the eternal.
(April 25, 2021) On "Good Shepherd Sunday," in his final weekend at our parish before his June ordination, Deacon Logan Parrish offered thoughts about how those who were listening to Jesus might have responded to His describing Himself as a shepherd.
(April 18, 2021) Deacon David L. Hall says that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ invites us to discover the greatness of God’s love so that our heart is shaken by that love…. and shaken by the horror and weight of sin, so that we fear offending God, and shudder at the idea of being separated from him.
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(April 18, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois uses the example of "sleeping like a baby" to describe the type of peace that Jesus offered to the disciples. When babies sleep, they sleep in true peace because they know that when they wake up, there will be someone there to comfort them or to meet their needs.
(April 11, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois emphasizes that today's feast of Divine Mercy presents a great opportunity for us believers. "It is the best help for us to grow in holiness that we could ever ask for," adds Father Dubois.
"Jesus I trust in You" are the words of a short prayer Saint Faustina left us, and we should pray it whenever we can. The prayer entails leading us into the unknown while trusting in God's mercy, not of our own choosing. Father Dubois closes with an invitation to the beauty of today's feast through the words "Jesus, I trust in You" which "will make all the difference in our lives."
(April 11, 2021) Each one of us is on a path either to judgment or to healing, says Deacon David L. Hall, Pastoral Associate at Saint Elizabeth Ann SEton Parish. Our healing (and our holiness -- our sainthood) is possible because Jesus took upon Himself the righteous judgment of God. This is Divine Mercy.
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(April 11, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois reminds us that only one thing lasts forever: God's love. Everything else fades away and falls apart, except for His grace. Recalling Saint Maria Goretti's martyrdom and the story of her murderer, who repented and eventually became a monk. Father asks, "If God could transform a man with the past like that, what could He do with me?" It is transformation, rooted in the Mercy of God, that is a direct testimony to God's forgiveness and love. Saint Faustina left us a powerful invocation that we can always pray: "Jesus, I trust in You." In closing, Father Dubois asks us, "How much room will you give God in your life to change, to transform you, to make you a saint? Trust in Jesus and all will be well."
(April 4, 2021) Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia! Father Samuel Dubois, parochial vicar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, invites us to celebrate and live in the joy of the Resurrection.
(April 2, 2021) Observing that, in our church, the shadow of the cross falls up our altar, and those on the altar, Father Samuel Dubois reminds us that the shadow of the cross falls upon us all, on the whole world, as a testimony to what humanity brought about on its own.
(April 1, 2021) God showed His great love for us by entering into our human life through Jesus, one like us. Jesus knows everything about us, yet He loves us, forgives our sins, and nourishes us through His Body and Blood.
(April 28, 2021) In his Palm/Passion Sunday homily, Deacon Alex Bogdanoff looks at all those surrounding Jesus in His last hours and says, "Who sent Jesus to the cross? The answer may surprise you."
(March 28, 2021) Deacon David L. Hall reminds us that our everyday words sometimes shock us. Many excuses or misconceptions are reminiscent of the judgment Jesus underwent during his tribulation. However, Jesus keeps coming back to us, giving us reminders of His self-sacrificing love. Turning away from our sins and opening ourselves to our true need for forgiveness is what Jesus is calling us to.
(March 21, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois encourages us to "invite Jesus in. If you can’t roll the stone away on your own, ask Him to do it. We are destined for the glory of God. All we have to do is ask for his help."
(March 17, 2021) Monsignor describes ways in which Saint Patrick's ordeals and sufferings as a victim of human trafficking became stepping stones for his subsequent ministry to the Celts. He concludes with a prayer relevant to the world today.
(March 13, 2021) Deacon Alex Bogdanoff reflects on the importance of establishing and strengthening our personal relationship with God. To live a Christ-centered life by the grace of God, one must learn first to trust God, regularly receive the Sacraments, and develop a rich, internal prayer life.
(March 7, 2021) Father Samuel Dubois reflected upon the Gospel reading today about the woman at the well. Reminding us about the amazing gift of confession, he invited us to allow Jesus to set us free. "Allow Jesus to make you whole," he said, "so that you can bring salvation to your own life and to the lives of countless others."
(February 28, 2021) Deacon Logan Parrish says that trust in God leads us to a transformation: The more we trust, the more transformed we become. Certainly, Abraham's trust in God, when asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, foreshadows the sacrifice of the Lamb of God that was to come.
(February 21, 2021) During these 40 days of lent, may we choose holiness and Jesus, so that these days may renew and transform us to make us more and more in the image of God.
(February 14, 2021) What is it that you need the Lord to make clean in your life today? Jesus has an eagerness to heal you and make you clean. Whatever causes you pain, worry, anguish, upset ... Do as the leper did in the Gospel: Say to the Lord, "If You will, make me clean." Without hesitation, Jesus will say, "Be made clean."
(February 7, 2021) Jesus' Mission: to seek and save the lost. Jesus desires to come close to us not when we feel the strongest, but when we are weakest. It is in Jesus where authority meets affection, where mercy finds its home.
(January 31, 2021) If Jesus can overcome the power of the enemy by just a few words… think about what He can do for us. This gospel should inspire our faith and encourage us. We have nothing to fear because God is with us. With His mighty power, He can conquer all of the spiritual enemies that are raged against us with all of His power and might. What are we to be afraid of? Absolutely nothing, as long as we trust in Jesus.
(January 24, 2021) What does God want you to do in life? If we follow our own goals and motivations, we will most likely fall short. However, if we follow God's goals and ambitions for us, He will anoint, bless, and multiply every effort that we offer.
(January 17, 2021) We all have a primary vocation to holiness, no matter our state of life, to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. God called Samuel... But it took an intervention from Eli in order for Samuel to understand and respond to God's call. We must be able to recognize the voice of God, just like Eli did.
(January 3, 2021) True religion has to be active and alive. Sometimes as Christians we become comfortable in our own souls. But that might not be what God wants for us. May we have the courage and grace to love and do things differently this year.
(January 1, 2021) No matter what happens ... God never drops the ball. He never stops holding and lifting us up. God never stops loving us.
(August 16, 2020) "I am more like any other person in the world, than I am unlike them," Monsignor King reminds us, as he considers the story of the encounter between Jesus and the Canaanite woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon, who sought His blessing.
(August 9, 2020) Why were the disciples terrified by the sight of Jesus walking on the water? Father Anthony Eseke analyzes this weekend's Gospel by looking at the storm, Peter, and Jesus Himself.
(August 2, 2020) The people learned that John the Baptist had been brutally killed, and they were in shocked disbelief. They needed Jesus to reassure them that this wouldn’t be the end. An astonishing and very graphic verb is used in the Bible text to describe his reaction. The verb describes one’s innards being turned inside out from deep emotion. Jesus was pulled by an energy beyond his grief to feed their hungers—their stomachs were empty, but so were their hopes and dreams.
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(July 26, 2020) From the beginning of the Bible to its end, from Genesis to Revelation, the one thing God talks about the most is — well, us! God is in love with humanity and can’t stop talking about us. How does God spend His treasure? That would be on us as well. Consider this: God sent His only-begotten Son to be with us, and to die for us. You — you — are the most important thing to God. DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT: https://links.steas.net/The-Price-of-Great-Pearls
(July 19, 2020) Just have faith and God will make everything better, right? And if things don't get better, it's because my faith is weak. Now would be when the buzzer sounds, because that's wrong thinking!
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(July 12, 2020) In his homily for July 12, Monsignor King invites us to consider the words of the Collect at today's Mass. We prayed for three actions: Grace, rejection, and striving. "Grace come from God – the Divine assistance we need at every moment in life. The rest comes from us: to choose whatever is of Christ, and to reject everything that is not. Be open to receive to the Divine Assistance and make consistent choices to follow Jesus and only Jesus."
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(July 5, 2020) In his homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Monsignor King invites us to consider this gospel message: Jesus tells us that it is not in our strength but in our weakness that we know the strength of God. In our strength, we know ourselves. In our weakness, we know God. DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT AT: http://links.steas.net/live-weak
(June 28, 2020) In his homily for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Monsignor King invites us to go beyond pressing the "Like" button and make Jesus central to our lives.
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(June 20, 2020) Monsignor King talks about how knowledge of Jesus was spread in the early days of the Church, and invites us to consider the stories that sustain and strenghten our own faith.
(June 14, 2020) "Jesus walks in this midst of human suffering and human pain. Where there is a voice that calls out for transformation of injustice, it is the voice of Jesus that speaks through His people. And we can enter in to that cry for justice that comes from our Lord in the midst of His people. We can enter into the transforming grace of the gift of God's Incarnation that changes us from the inside out."
(June 7, 2020) We love because we have first been loved by God, and each person we cast our gaze upon during the course of a day is equally beloved of our Father.
(May 10, 2020) "On this Mother's Day, we're very conscious of the many mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who are often in this very situation regularly in their days. Perhaps because of health or because of disability that comes from age, they are unable to move about or to go out as they once did. Perhaps in these days, when we're confined to our homes, when we're limited in our movement or our contacts, we now can sense what life is like for those who are limited by age or by disability or by illness."
(May 3, 2020) The more we look for things to fill the void within us, the more we realize it's not working. We're not meant to be filled with temporary things; we're meant to be filled with things of eternity, and grace, and glory, and goodness.
(April 26, 2020) "It is in the suffering Jesus, the Jesus who serves and suffers in our midst, that we find redemption, that we find hope, that we find the true God, and that is what distinguishes Christianity from any other religion."
(April 19, 2020) Thomas doubted at the Resurrection of Jesus and the appearance of the Lord because he wasn't with the other disciples. They had seen the Lord together; they could strengthen one another by their testimony. But Thomas stood apart; he stood alone. And in that aloneness, doubt arose.
(April 12, 2020) "Peace be with you." When He had said this, we're told, He showed them His hands and His side, His wounds. Not the glorious all-perfect Risen Christ, but the Suffering Messiah. In His brokenness, we find our peace.
(April 5, 2020) Reverend Monsignor William J. King, JCD, KCHS, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, compares the situation of those who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem with palms and singing to the situation we are facing today, and reminds us that God always has the last word.
(March 29, 2020) Monsignor King invites us to think about the persons in the story of the raising of Lazarus, and to consider which person we resemble most closely in our relationship to Jesus in these troubling times.
(March 22, 2020) Reverend Monsignor William J. King, JCD, KCHS, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Mechanicsburg, PA, celebrates a private Mass on Laetare Sunday, the halfway point of Lent. Download the Order of Mass HERE.
(March 15, 2020) MONSTERS AND GIANTS frighten the human psyche, and always have, even if — as for the woman at the well — those monsters are the creation of her own soul, her own guilt, her own shame. Jesus, however, speaks gently into the monsters that frighten us, as He did at the well, melting the shame, quenching the terror. Allow Him to speak His grace gently into your heart now, bringing living water to refresh, console, heal, and transform. No monster or giant can seize you from the loving arms of God.
(February 16, 2020) When Jesus says, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and the Pharisees, the words that are used describe movement from one place to the next. He says, unless you move beyond the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you can't enter the kingdom of God. You have to move from where you are to enter the kingdom of God.
(January 5, 2020) Maybe that's the revealing that is Epiphany: the revelation that you and I have no gifts that Christ needs. Rather, every gift we have comes from Him. You and I have nothing we can offer the Lord that He needs. Rather, He has everything that we need. We think we do great things for the Lord, but even the capacity to do the smallest things is a gift from Him.
(December 29, 2019) We call them the Holy Family not because everything went just right for them -- the sort of thing we write Christmas carols about -- but because when things went wrong, they never failed to turn to God for strength.
(December 25, 2019) Here's the mystery, the majesty, the wonder, and the awe of God's grace: Had God come in the power of a mighty earthquake, had the mountains shaken in terror, had there been a mighty sign in the skies, all might have understood the power of God. But here, the head of the household . . . here, the Father of all . . . crossed the battle lines and came into our world as a tiny infant.
(December 15, 2019) In the middle of this Gospel, Jesus seems to be saying, "I'm sorry if I'm offending you. The blind see, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the Good News preached to them. But I'm sorry; don't be offended by any of this."
(November 10, 2019) We often hear, “Life is short; better enjoy it.” How about, “Eternity is long; better prepare for it!” That is how to keep a true perspective on life and death.
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(November 9, 2019) In the promise of the Resurrection, we have not only the undoing of death, but the reintegration of the whole person, body and soul. But in the Gospel today, in the words of Jesus, we have even this better assertion: that the risen can no longer die.
(November 3, 2019) Jesus gave himself to anyone who would receive him. Jesus gave all kinds of people an opportunity. He ate with tax collectors, yes, but he also ate with Pharisees. The issue was not one of relative wealth, occupation or handicap. The issue was then what it is today, one of love and grace on Jesus' part, and one of acceptance or rejection on the part of others.
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(October 6, 2019) The truth is that, even with all the ups and downs of life, you and I can find peace, we can find joy, we can find happiness in Christ Jesus. That is the crux of our readings today: how can you sustain your spiritual well-being even in the midst of all of the struggles and challenges of life.
(September 23, 2019) People consumed with this world know what they want and they know what they have to do to get it. That is how they can be a model to us for how to live with passion for the kingdom of God. The dedication it takes to achieve advancement and pleasure in the here-and-now is the kind of dedication Jesus calls his disciples to have for following him.
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(September 21, 2019) Our preparation for the end of life must start now. How we live our life here, and what we place our trust in, will determine the outcome of our life, which is only begun here on Earth. Our Lord helps us to think about this.
The concluding evening of our annual Eucharistic Devotions, with homilist and musician E. Louis Canter, OEF.
Homilist and musician E. Louis Canter, OEF, leads us in an evening of sacred music and Scripture in a Taize-type service for the second evening of our annual Eucharistic Devotions.
A Sacred Concert featuring music by homilist and composer E. Louis Canter, OEF, for our annual Eucharistic Devotions, September 8 to 10, 2019.
Homilist and pastoral musician E. Louis Canter invites us to Forty Hours Eucharistic Devotions September 8 to 10 at 7 pm to explore the connection between Franciscan spirituality and the Eucharist. In his introduction at Mass, he said: "We indeed are brothers and sisters together, because we believe that He who we have taken into our bodies has now made us His Body, the Body of Christ. And so as we come together, we dare to ask questions: How am I being transformed by the Body that I have just received? How is the Lord Jesus Christ making room within ourselves, so that we can be so filled up that we can't wait to go out of this building to proclaim what God has done for us?"
What was the "secret" of the holiness of Saint Francis of Assisi? Listen to this excerpt from the first evening of our Forty Hours Eucharistic Devotions, with homilist E. Louis Canter, OEF. Join us on Monday, September 9, at 7 p;m for the second evening.
The readings today remind us that when our focus is on ourselves we will try to use every situation to our own advantage. A focus on self will be mostly concerned with personal comfort and security. In contrast, following Jesus reverses the way we usually think and live in everyday life. We are invited to enter into the incredible grace of being loved by God so that we ourselves become channels of his love and grace and mercy. That is what Jesus taught and modeled.
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It's a narrow road, and not everyone who cries out, "Lord, Lord" will end up on that narrow road, but only those who accept the grace. And there will come a time--we don't ever like to think this, but it is true. Our Lord said it so many times that we have to believe it. There will come a time when the invitation is no longer offered, and either we are in the household of God or we're locked outside.
Our expectations place limits on the grace of God and the activity of Jesus in our lives and homes. We expect a mild Savior to be at work, giving us positive things and gifts. But to listen to Jesus, there's an urgency to His message. The Lord wants to bring fire upon this Earth--to burn away all that is not of God, to usher in that age of peace which alone comes from God.
Each week we come to hear God’s Word. Each week we come to eat our Lord’s Body and drink his Blood. This is the very life of the Church. This is meant to hold us steady as we live in a confused and conflicted world.
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Saint Paul tells us just where our value is in this phrase: Your life is hidden with Christ in God. The true, essential value--the eternal value of your life--is hidden. It can't be measured, it can't be weighed, it can't be valued by the things that you have or the paycheck you earn or the money that you bank. Your value is eternal. It is intrinsic. It is spiritual. It is hidden in Christ.
We know that this meal took place as Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. In fact, tradition has it this occurred the night before what we call Palm Sunday, the Lord's final entry into the city. He had already told His apostles that He was going to Jerusalem, and there He would suffer and die. He stopped at Bethany, only two miles away from the city of Jerusalem, there for a dinner and an overnight visit with friends. We can only imagine what in the heart and mind of Jesus that evening, but we can be certain he was there, aware of the onslaught that would come soon enough, to spend a quiet evening with friends.
Remember that no one who struggles deeply with personal faith is alone. It is common to humanity to have critical questions which go to the core of one’s being. It is even more common to face circumstances that strike at the heart of life’s meaning and purpose (that is the effect of the original disobedience). If you have deep questions . if you have been hit with suffocating circumstances ... you are not alone.
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The very excuses we have for not following Jesus instantly, giving ourselves totally into his arms and care and providence ... the very obstacles that keep us from being true disciples, through and through ... the fears we have ... may be the doors through which Jesus can most clearly enter our hearts. Not obstacles at all, but entry points for grace if we but turn them around.
No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks back at what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God. The number 12 stands for those who, in spite of the challenges and difficulties they face--with the yoke, the oxen, the furrowing, the planting, the reaping, with obligations to farm and family--nevertheless plowed forward in the plan and purpose that leads to salvation.
Everything that God intends for us is encapsulated in the life of the God-Man Jesus. In Jesus, the Incarnation is the permanent unification of the Spirit of God with the human body. That is what Christmas is all about. It is the beginning of the story of what it truly means to be a godly human being.
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Our Lord reduced the whole corpus of commandments revealed in the Old Testament to three of them: relate to God, relate to one other, and relate to yourself in an appropriate and respectful manner. And that is the summary of the whole Law. So it is the relatedness in the Holy Trinity--the Father to the Son, the Son to the Spirit, the Spirit to the Father and the Son--there's where we can grasp how important our relationships are in our lives. They literally form, shape, and define who we are. We're not just islands, isolated, developing entirely apart. We're related.
The truth is, when we are brought into Jesus by His Love, we share in the love that the Father has for the Son, and the Spirit of God is in us because of that love.
I wonder if you've had someone in your life who you just could get along without? And you wonder, why is this person in my way? It's like when we received a gift. We don't like it; we put it in a drawer. And then it comes out of the drawer with a new appreciation. Our Lord reframed and redefined the relationship between the disciples and himself, between himself and the disciples, when he said, "Father, they are your gifts to me."
Around the world and throughout time, the whole human race has a record of seeking God. As Christians we know why: There is a “God-shaped hole” in our hearts––we are the result of special creation in the image of God.
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In this homily that really began at the beginning of Mass, Monsignor King asks us to consider the words of the "I confess" prayer and what they mean to us as a community of believers.
We don't celebrate motherhood and we don't affirm motherhood in our culture as motherhood deserves to be affirmed. Let's always keep in mind that the image that we have and the language given to us of the Church is not masculine and is not paternal. It is feminine and maternal language. We speak of the Church as "she" and "her." We have the feminine image of the Church and we have the maternal image of the Church given to us. And we speak of the first Disciple, the first Church, embodied in Mary, who is called the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, the Mother of us all. We can't lose sight of that.
There is a wildness to God's mercy. We like to think of religion as peaceful and calm and gentle. But that's not always the way of the Lord. There's a wildness to the mercy of Jesus, and if we let Him loose in our lives, He will tear our lives apart because, as the Good Shepherd, He will stop at nothing to get rid of those things that harm us, those things that endanger us, those things that will imperil our immortal soul.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The image of the shepherd, think about it: that profound connection that Jesus has with you and me as people of the flock. That deep bonding that Jesus has with all of us. That's what we celebrate tonight.
How do we know what Jesus commands? How do we know what to obey? For almost 2000 years the Rule of Faith initiated and confirmed by Peter and the other Apostles has formed and guided Catholic belief and practice. Above all the other voices trying to get our attention for the many issues inundating our world, we are called to listen to the teachings that flow from the Petrine Office. When the voice of the 2000-year-old Church instructs us, warns us, and seeks to guide us, it is living out this calling Jesus initiated with Peter: Feed my sheep.
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The question I've been asking myself all through the week is, how can we fight evil, but not let evil limit the power of love? How can we overcome evil, and not let the anger that is created by evil, to limit the light of love? And that's the challenge. Because the problem is when anger begets anger, when hate begets hate, then evil wins. It's part of our human mind to feel angry in the face of tragedy, to feel angry in the face of injustice. We have a challenge.
It wasn't the glory of the Risen Christ that he showed them at his first appearance, or any other. It was the wounded Christ who stood before them. It was not a resurrected body free of wounds, but it was the pierced body of the one who suffered he showed them as he offered them, "Peace."
It isn't in the removal of all of our wounds that we find the peace that Jesus offers. It is precisely in the wounds of Christ that we find healing and peace.
Has it occurred to you, as it has to me, to ask, why did Christianity ever catch on? Think of it for a moment. An obscure Jewish rabbi from a dusty corner of the globe, who didn't attend a rabbinical college and did not attain formal ordination, who was rejected by the religious authorities, repeatedly investigated by the politicians, and who died a condemned criminal, how is it that he became the most noted personality in human history--at least one of the three most influential persons ever?
The burial cloth that was used to cover Jesus was now rolled up. Does that tell us anything? It simply reminds all of us, now speaking metaphorically, that the cloth of pain and death that sometimes weighs us down, the fear of sickness that sometimes weighs us down, the pain of broken marriage, the pain of divorce, that sometimes has weighed us down, the pain of dysfunctional family relationships that sometimes weighs on us so heavily ... in the Resurrection of Christ Jesus, that burial cloth is now rolled up. And that's the faith we have in the Resurrection. And so what we celebrate this morning is not really that hopeful joy that, yes, we shall live eternally, but that, because He lives, we can face tomorrow.
Homily for the Vigil of Easter:
Every one of us, at one point or another in life, has to say, "Yes, Lord, I trust." And then we see the power of God, as if through Moses--fighting on our behalf, turning away the armies that would hold us back, dividing the waters that seem so treacherous for us. God--who has called you, created you for a purpose, given you a mission in life--says "I will fight to see that this mission is accomplished and nothing holds you back, nothing keeps you from the love I have for you, nothing keeps you from my arms, which will hold you tight"--and in whose presence you will find perfect love.
Father Eseke considers three of the things that escaped destruction in the Notre Dame Cathedral fire. First,"The crown of thorns is a beautiful symbol of the paradox of the Passion of Christ Jesus-- in one object, you have thorns, and it's also a crown. It's a contradiction. Yet it reminds us of the true essence of what we celebrate tonight."
Tonight is unlike all other nights in that it is, using the words from our liturgy, the Lord's Passover, and it is the inauguration of the priesthood of the New Covenant, and it is the institution of the Eucharist, the representation of the sacrifice of Christ and the highest prayer the Church as to offer. That all of this was done at the Passover Seder is no coincidence at all.
The crowds who cheered Jesus as He entered Jerusalem, or cheered Him on to the cross only a few days later, were fans, not disciples. They may have watched what He did, admired Him, spoke of Him, but never came to know Him or to learn from Him. Which are you?
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Our Lord promises us that our past might be healed. Israel had a long and sad past. We read of it in the first reading today: “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new,” God said to Israel. Israel had this frightful history of profound loss, and trauma, and that long, dark shadow cast over their generations kept them from appreciating the good that God had done for them. Saint Paul gives us the remedy in the second reading for today: “Forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.”
Do you think--like Jesse and Samuel, right now as we listen--we do not have our own cultural scripts, things that unconsciously have shaped the way we relate with each other and sometimes impede how we see God in each other? Once upon a time, the Earth rotated around the Sun. Today, the Earth rotates around me. That's a cultural mindset.
In the languages of the Bible, there is no definite article, 'the' Holy Spirit. In Hebrew and Greek, we say 'Holy Spirit'. I think using the definite article distances us from the personality of the Spirit of God. And Saint Paul tells us that Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts the love of God. And when we have that love within us, we can see the 'other' as gift of God to us.
We can wander anywhere in life, except apart from the embrace of God. It will always be there. It will never leave us. We tend to make religion too complicated; we tend to fill our prayers with too much "stuff." But only one thing matters, and that is the confidence that comes with a deep relationship with God.
Goodness is the awareness you have of God when you are moved to pray and serve and give. Goodness is the awareness of God that comes when you are tempted and know you need to turn away. Goodness is even the awareness of God that is there when you have disobeyed and you sense that inner voice to turn and put things right. Wherever we go, we’re the child of a wandering Aramean who learned to trust God.
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Confronting sin is not easy; it's not pleasant. It's painful. And we have to name the sin. Sometimes people don't name the sin as sin. The other aspect of dealing with a sin, once we are aware of the sin is, we need to accept a paradox. The paradox is, that there is God's grace in us, and we are always open to God's grace. But at the same time, there is a sinful inclination in us. So these two poles are always in us.
How does the love of God affect me? If it does not affect me, then the love of God is just an abstract, so it doesn't become personal. If the love of God is personal--He loves me deeply--then also He wants a response from me. So how do I respond to His love? The response to love is love.
The Jesus who came, who spoke of God, who spoke of God as a loving Father--it was not that He was drawing some inferences, or that he was talking in metaphysical terms. He was talking in real terms, because He came from the Father. He had experienced that love of the Father. He knew what was the nature of the Father. So it was His experience that caused Him to call God, "Abba, Father."
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Every breath we take, our ability to breathe itself, is divinely inspired. God breathes the breath of life into us. It's with that breath that we use our voice, that we speak. There is perhaps no faculty of the human person that has the power to do as much good or as much harm as human speech.
To love people who hurt you, and to give to people who not only are not able to repay but who may not seem to deserve it anyway, and to forgive without getting nasty about it, is to show that we really believe what Jesus says. When we choose to respond in love and forgiveness, and to give even when it hurts us, we are saying that nothing in this life is more important than showing Jesus’ kind of love.
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Chiasmus is a style where a writer of the Bible starts with one part of the story and ends with a second part that contrasts the first part. For example, in our first reading, we see Jeremiah doing a beautiful chiasmus. The central question that Jeremiah is asking is, 'Who is the person who puts his trust in human beings? And who is the person who puts his trust in the Lord?' Why have Jeremiah and Luke employed this beautiful chiasmus for us this morning? It is to make vivid in our minds a very important spiritual reality.
Let's see: "Blessed are you when they hate you and insult you and exclude you because of the name of Jesus. But woe to you when all speak well of you."
Peter tells us something this morning: Trust and obey. Even when your common sense and your logic tells you, 'This is hopeless' . . . Nothing is hopeless. Even when the science tells you, 'Just give up. Go home and get ready,' you don't give up, because the power of God sometimes goes against the science.
What is the appropriate and proper—kosher—use of the lips? When we speak: First to praise God, to give God the honor that is due to God. For prayer. To bless and not curse. To build up and not break down. To exhort and to encourage, and not to curse and discourage. We're given this tremendous power of communication, and our proper, appropriate use of it is to build us, to inspire, and to encourage.
We need to recognize that it is easy for us to be like the townspeople in Nazareth––expecting God to fulfill all our hopes while at the same time trying to keep our own boundaries and prejudices. This cuts us off from people God loves––people God wants to love through us.
We come to church each week, I hope, because we want to identify with God's good news. Jesus' words to the people of Nazareth tell us it is not good news if we can't get beyond our own expectations.
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Whether or not you accept the correction of God when things are going well in your life, remember when you find yourself in a place of darkness and hopeless, that there is a God. It is real. All of the things that are said of God, it is real. In a moment of challenge and darkness, remember the truth: It is real. And come back to the Lord.
The fundamental difference between the mission statement of Jesus the Messiah and the mission statement of the rest of us is that for most organizations, our mission statement is pointing to what we want to become. But the Messianic statement is not what is to come, but what has come to be.
A brief meditation on some of the most important words of Our Lady. To do whatever He tells us means that we spend more time in prayer listening than telling, and it means that we have to put it into action.
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It is sad that not all baptized people live up to their Baptism: “the grace of Baptism delivers no one from all the weakness of nature” (CCC #978). Here is the issue for us on this day that we honor the baptism of our Lord: Am I living out of my Baptism? Being baptized into Jesus Christ is our highest calling. Nothing is greater than being identified with Jesus Christ. The implications are eternal.
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Among all the people of God––among all the saints––no one has greater fullness of grace than Mary. She is first in the Church. She is first among the saints. She alone gave flesh to the eternal Word, and in so doing became the very Mother of God. In that grace, and from the very words of Jesus on the cross––Behold your mother, she is our mother, too. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
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We see the reality of the grace of God whenever a bit of light shines on our path. Christmas is the celebration that Jesus is that Light. God himself came to dwell among us and open the way to the fullness of Life. John opens his Gospel saying In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it….Download Transcript
On this final Sunday of Advent, the readings invite us to think through how we can become intentional in bringing the peace of Christ to our homes and our families, how we can ask for the grace to be able to heal broken relationships in our homes and our families, how you and I can become instruments that make functional all of the dysfunctional relationships in our homes and in our families. That's the heart of our readings today.
The daily news is not our guidebook. A lot of people depend on that, and the result is confusion, wonder, and rage. Jesus was right in telling us that the world would be in dismay and people would be consumed by fright if all they look at is the troubled world. There is a solution, however — a guide for the journey through troubled times — and Saint Paul tells us what it is, or better, who it is: YOU!
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In Advent we are called to wait for the Lord. We believe that Jesus came to fulfill Jeremiah's promise of the righteous branch. He fed the hungry, he healed the sick, and gave himself a ransom for our sins. Jesus wants us to know that this world still belongs to God. Nothing must shake our faith nor weaken our resolve that God is in charge and that Jesus is coming again.
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As recipients of the Lord’s mercy, we are to be a kingdom and priests to God––we are called to model the life of Jesus in us. What happens when we do that? Other people find out who God is. What happens when other people find out who God really is? The whole world is transformed into the glory of God! That's what Daniel saw in his vision. It’s the goal towards which all of human history is progressing.
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Jesus talks mostly about how his disciples should respond to the events going on around them. This is a wisdom that focuses on what we can do something about, not on the things beyond our control. We cannot do too much about the big catastrophes or way the world will end; the one thing you and I can do something about is our own response to the things that happen in and around our lives. How shall we respond to our world––even when it seems that it is falling apart? It is normal to fear for our comfort, our happiness, our security, and to wonder what might happen to us and our children.
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Why do people sometimes do bad things to one another? There is no single answer to that. And I do not pretend that I have the answers. But tonight I would just like to explore one single explanation, what I sometimes call the triangle of sights. What is this triangle of sights? How you see the neighbor. How you see yourself. How you see God.
We need a deep, pervasive, transformational conversion in the hearts and minds of people. We have the antidote for the strife and suspicion and mutual recriminations here before us tonight in the example of the saints.
We need to know that prayer is not merely “asking God for something.” Prayer is not a formula to learn and master. Prayer and true desire are intimately connected. How often do we really ask Jesus for our heart’s desire? When we ask for something half-heartedly, we are not asking out of desire. When we ask, but do not continue to ask, are we not showing that we are not desperate? And if we are passionate, is it for the right things?
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Here we are at Mass. Each of us has voices that speak to us through the day—voices that may tell us of our sins and remind us of our failings, voices that may keep us small and hobbled, voices that tell us we’re not worthy or fill us with fears, voices that keep us from voicing the desire of our heart. But here, here at Mass, every voice in our prayers and our singing says to the people around us, “Have no fear, the Master is calling you.”
We cannot know our hearts by ourselves. We rationalize too easily for our own advantage. So the Hebrews reading tells us that God gives us his Word, which is able to discern reflections and thought of the heart. That is one reason the Scriptures are read and proclaimed when Christians gather. We need to be taken beyond our own limited perspectives. Only in going beyond ourselves will we inherit eternal life.
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If Wisdom is the practical application of Knowledge, then what is it that we know? Well, there’s a Scripture in the book of Proverbs that says that the knowledge of God is the beginning of wisdom. The first thing that we know is that God will not disappoint us. Where God is, there is ultimate goodness. And so we begin with that knowledge. Our trust is in God and not in structures that are under the guidance of human beings.
I know that the issue of our sexuality has been a cause of major struggle and guilt for many, many people––especially in the Church. I remind us all of something John declares in his Gospel: God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (3:17). What God tells us about something so basic as our sexuality is always for our good. Knowing that we fall short and need his mercy and grace, we have forgiveness through God’s Son. We should always remember: God forgives us so he can heal us and make us holy. Salvation is a whole package!
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Today the readings would like us to reflect on and appreciate all the gifts of love and marriage that God has placed in our lives. The readings would like us to be grateful to God for the gift of your spouses, the gift of family, the gift of your brothers and sisters, of your children, your grandchildren. And so this is a special day that we reflect and also show gratitude to God for all the beautiful things that happen in our families.
God’s gift is abundant, and He gives it to whoever He wills. Joshua and John forgot to realize that God’s gift is inviolable; God’s gift is immeasurable; God’s gift is incalculable. In other words, we cannot use the metrics of supply-and-demand to calculate the value of what God has put in your heart and put in my heart. Because only God has it, and He gives it to you and gives it to me freely.
Jesus was preparing the disciples for his coming death, and all the while they were selfishly discussing among themselves who was the greatest…. It’s easier to be like the disciples that day than to be like Jesus. We are too easily aware of our status with one another. We can too easily keep record of how many times we have been asked to do the dirty work. We can too easily gravitate towards those who are most like us. We can too easily use our opinions selfishly. It is popular opinion—not Jesus—that says, “Take care of Number One.”
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The word of God is that power that makes even the wilderness to blossom. And that’s the message that all of the readings want us to hold onto this morning: the message of hope, the message of healing, the message of restoration in Christ Jesus.
All the faithful share in understanding and handing on revealed truth. They have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who instructs them and guides them into all truth. Catholicism is in and with the Faithful, who have received the Holy Spirit. Catholicism hasn’t been lost, stolen, broken, or hidden away. It is alive and well in the People of God!
Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church citations online HERE.
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The work of our hands is where we are called to be Christ-like. And one mark of being Christ-like through the work of our hands is to be Messianic—just like Jesus, who was sent to bring freedom to those who are captured, to bring sight to those who are blind, to bring liberty to those who have been held down by burdens. So you and I, through the labors of our hands, are called to be agents of freedom, agents of joy, agents of gladness.
What is religion? To have pure and undefiled religion is to recognize the dignity of every person and to cherish all our relationships—not striving and competing and trying to one-up the other, and trying to crawl or grab your way to the top. Instead, you’re just living as a pure person in relationship to God and with others. And this is who the widows and orphans teach us to be—to have that kind of simplicity in our experience as a human person.
You as Christians, you as Catholics, can indeed flourish in the wounded body of Christ because, fundamentally, our journey as Christians is an interior life with Christ. We all can flourish regardless of the woundedness, because our life with Christ is deeply and fundamentally interior. And it is that interior life that the Holy Spirit revives again and again.
Imagination is a gift from God. We can use our imagination to see something better, and then, in ourselves, we can respond so that we can move, in hope, toward something better.
If we are honest, too often we want God to come to us on our terms rather than us continually coming to God on his terms. We come up to something hard; our weak humanity cries out and we are tempted to turn away.
So Jesus asked the Twelve, Do you also want to leave? Forever the leading spokesman, Simon Peter answered him, Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”Download Transcript
Mary, in her exaltation as mother of our Lord, was given the privilege of being the first to enter fully into all that her Son has won for us. The Assumption of Mary is a sign of the fullness of salvation that is ahead for all who belong to Jesus Christ.
Pray for us, most holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.Download Transcript
Mary is the epitome of what it is to be human in the world. Her respect and esteem for everyone she came into contact with is the model for all humanity. Mary was, in a word, the first Christian. When we need to see a true Christian, to know what a Christian ought to be, and have a model to follow, Mary is that exemplar—that superlative example of how we ought to be and act toward one another. Then, assumed into Heaven, Mary points the way to eternal life.
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"You and I are on a journey. We want to get to the mountain of God: eternal life. How do we know that we are believing and listening and learning (which is another way of saying 'obeying')? What results can we expect? What should be the effect in us when we eat the living bread? We find that answer in the Epistle reading: our faith affects us in basic, tangible ways."
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When we’re facing these kinds of difficulties in our own lives, these painful periods when we feel like we just want to give up and throw in the towel and forget about it, God sends a messenger our way: Maybe just the smile of a little child, maybe a friend, maybe someone offering a prayer for us. We don’t even know it’s happening, and suddenly we feel a little strength coming on, and we can persevere and move forward in the promise that we will reach the mountain.
Saint Paul tells of an old self and and a new self. We’re all too familiar with the “old” and it’s not very good. God did not intend awful things; he created us to know and obey him, but he also gave us the dignity of choice. Long ago the choice was made to disobey God and choose by ourselves what is right and wrong. That is why something is horribly wrong in the world. We were not created to live without God.
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Paul tells us that, in Christ, those who have authority and those who have power in God’s kingdom are to be the servants and the last and least of all. They are there to meet the needs of the people, to heed their complaint, to fulfill what it is they need to thrive. So it’s inverted. In the world, it’s how many people serve me. But in the kingdom of God, it’s how many people I can serve.
The infinite God is able to “condense” himself totally and faithfully into the person of a human being! If God, the Maker of heaven and earth, is miraculously able to become a Man in the person of Jesus Christ, then that same God-Man Jesus is miraculously able to come physically again and again into what looks to us like simple bread.
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What are we to do when those responsible to care for us, hurt us or, worse yet, threaten to destroy us? What are we to do when those claiming to be God’s people reject—even hurt—us? Now there’s no denying that this is one of the most damaging, destructive things that can ever happen to us. Like abuse and neglect within a family, religious failure and abuse strikes at our core, our soul, our deepest self. It contradicts the moral claims of our religion, and threatens to destroy our confidence in those claims, and leave us doubtful and bitter.
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I want to highlight some important things from the Gospel that actually extends the Amos model as our paradigm for interacting with society. First, I love the fact that Jesus uses the motif of pilgrimage, journey. He sends them out, two by two, on a journey. Our Christian life is a pilgrimage. Your life and my life—we are on a journey.
Paul tells us that every suffering has a meaning. And what makes you overcome your suffering is to begin to locate and find the meaning in your suffering. Paul tells us that for him as Paul, the meaning in his suffering was the fact that vulnerability makes him spiritually humble. And when we are spiritually humble, we now become malleable in God’s hands. When you are spiritually humble, God can now mold and re-mold you according to His will.
Death is troubling whenever it comes. Death is never, ever, a convenience—and, on an emotional and relational level, never welcome. So it’s always troubling. And perhaps we’re not ever more troubled than when death is drawing near, and we—if we are facing death ourselves, or we are representing someone we know and love—we have to make a series of decisions.
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The Gospel tells of the power of God and the gracious healing action of Jesus. This is the essence of the Good News. God is more powerful than the awful things in this world. Jesus has come into our world to turn what seems “natural” upside down and to give a hope that the brokenness we see and experience in the created order will be healed.
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Among the nameless millions of people who span history and inhabit our world right now, God chooses to manifest himself in conspicuous ways in some (actually, a very few). This is meant to open our minds and hearts to wonder…. and to hunger and thirst for God.
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In fact, the Church teaches that the family is the first cell of a civilization of love, and that the family is the first church, and the parents are the first pastors of their children —in fact, the first face, voice, and touch of God for a child.
And so rightfully, as a society, we’ve chosen to honor mothers and fathers, because we have this innate knowledge of the potentiality—not only of parents biologically, but more importantly, spiritually, socially, and emotionally.
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From the beginnings of nation-states, the issues of immigration and providing for refugees has been problematic. Every nation has the right to provide for the integrity of its borders. No nation has the right to protect its borders by unjust means, however.
Within the past week, the United States bishops discussed and offered some critique to the current immigration practice of separating children from their parents at the United States borders.
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The way to be a good father is to take the Fatherhood of God as the preeminent calling of what fatherhood is all about. The way to honor our fathers is to practice the Truth of God through love. Fathers, love your wives and children the way God loves us and all will be well. But when we dishonor the Fatherhood of God in any way, individually or on a national scale, we are sowing seeds to our own destruction.
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Our roles and our relationships are complicated, and they switch up. They change out with each other, and it is sometimes complicated. It is most certainly complex. And those relationships certainly have a bearing on our roles and responsibilities and vice versa. And it’s true also within the members of the Godhead. And that should not be strange to us because, after all, we are created in the image of God and after His likeness. So if our roles and responsibilities are complicated and complex, so is true with the relationships in the Godhead. This is why the Holy Trinity has been so complicated. It took centuries for the Church to work through the identification of the individual Persons within the Godhead and their roles and responsibilities. Still today, it’s complicated to contemplate and talk about the Most Holy Trinity.
Here’s the astonishing thing, and Saint Paul tells us about it in our second reading: there are some people who do, in fact, spend more time nurturing seeds that grow toxic fruit than they do nurturing seeds that grow healthy fruit. Saint Paul tells us that there are two kinds of crops that can grow in the garden of our hearts: one kind is toxic, the other is healthy. You and I can grow healthy food within us, or we can grow deadly fruits. We bear fruit in our lives from the seeds we nourish.
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At the end of the day, the feast of Pentecost reminds you and reminds me that we are now reconciled reconcilers. The Lord has reconciled himself to you, and now he wants you to reconcile with each other. And so our prayer this morning, as we join Catholics all over the world to continue to celebrate the feast of Pentecost, is that the love of God, the true peace of Christ, will abide in our world—that the peace, which Christ and Christ alone can give, will abide in your heart and abide in my heart today. Amen.
You are the redemption of humanity. Because of Pentecost, humanity can be redeemed and made holy. Again, Saint Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, writes, “I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.” … The fruit of the Spirit is what makes humans truly human. The giving of the Spirit on Pentecost makes us who we were originally created to be.
Jesus wants us to have the oneness he has with the Father! And how the devil has sought to destroy the unity of God’s people! Christians are divided by ethnicity, nationality, economics, sexuality, and doctrine––just to mention some of the most significant. How can we be one? In our fractured world, what could possibly be a unifier? The simple answer is another of the desires we hear from Jesus: Consecrate them in your truth.Download Transcript
The Ascension of Jesus from the realms of earth to the realm of heaven tells us more about him. As well, it tells us about ourselves, our own lives and prospects.
Our belief in the Ascension is really rooted in our faith in the Resurrection. And as a matter of fact, the Incarnation and the Ascension are like corollaries—they go side by side. Just as in the Incarnation, Christ humbled himself and took our human flesh, at the Ascension, he now picks up all the glory that he poured into us at the Incarnation. That’s why this feast reminds that our faith in Christ is not in vain.
Early Christians went back and took this word out of mothballs, and they dusted it off and they reintroduced it to describe God’s love. Because really, how can you “love God” the same way you “love chocolate”? You just can’t do it. You need a bigger, better word for love. And so they introduced this word agapeo. Some linguists have described this as “love which seeks the best for the other, even at the expense of yourself.”
People need to know who Jesus is and what God has done in the death and resurrection of his Son. The Church needs faithful preachers. Parishes need faithful teachers. But beyond the roles that are rooted so visibly in the Church, every person who owns the name of Christ needs to be showing (and when possible, telling) the wonder of belonging to God through Jesus Christ.
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The ‘new’ Thomas is really where we want to be as believers in the risen Christ. Yes, as humans, sometimes we will have anxieties, we will have worries, we will have concerns, we will have fears, but like Thomas, we should be able to say, ‘My Lord and my God.’ That is faith in the risen Christ—the ability to totally surrender, even when reason cannot capture it.
Although there’s much in our world to cause us fear and anxiety, we know Jesus walks into our Upper Room, where we have locked away our hopes, our fears ,and our anxieties, he walks into that Upper Room and boldly, quietly proclaims, ‘Peace be with you.’ So that you and I, together with Thomas, can look confidently to the Lord and say, ‘My Lord and my God, show me the way.'
The message of Easter is that the very Life of God breaks into our world––this world where there is little escape from fear and sadness. It seems there is no escape…. unless there is something bigger and stronger and longer lasting. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is God shouting into our wolrd that death itself is not greater than the Life available to us in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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We encounter Martha only twice in the New Testament, and both times she’s complaining. We recall Martha from just those two encounters; we honor her as being one with an authentic heart. For although it can be said, ‘All you did was complain, my dear,’ it was in that complaint that she opened her truest self, her most authentic self—opened her heart to the Lord.
[In Psalm 51], David believes he’s finished. His career with God is finished. His reputation with the public is finished. And he’s even finished with himself. Now let’s face it—faith is tough, isn’t it? And there is a lot in our faith as Catholics, as Christians, as followers of Jesus, that is just tough for us to swallow . . . If you’ve had a tough time believing, then join Martha, David—oh, and by the way, join me. Faith is tough.”
Billy Graham’s message was often ridiculed. Intellectuals would sneer, and many religious people dismissed it as naive. Theologians said it was too simplistic. Unrepentant sinners would scorn it and laugh and turn away. But many, many ordinary people heard that simple message and had their lives forever changed. I think our Catholic churches could be stronger if we took a bit of a lesson from Billy Graham.
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There are two forms for the Gospel for this Sunday: one is long, and the other one is short. I asked Deacon to read the long form this morning. Everybody’s story deserves to be heard in its fullness. We have the story of the encounter between the woman and Jesus at the well. It points ups the divisions, the strife, the fracture that exists between people and within people. We live in a fractious, sharply divided world, and that affects our communities, it affects our Church, and it impacts our personal lives.
Sharing the Faith—sharing what we know to be the key to eternal happiness, sharing the joy we have in relationship with God the Father in Jesus Christ—is a fundamental part of who we are as a Church.
Let me suggest three spaces that we need to reclaim: The first is the Earth itself, the Earth as God’s gift to us. It’s a sacred space . . . The second space is human life itself. Human life, even if it’s in the first second, is a sacred space. It’s a sacred gift . . . The third space is the human body itself. How is the human body treated in our culture, in our society today? The human body has been objectified as a commodity . . .
Abraham learned to walk with God. Abraham learned to listen to the things of God and pay attention. Abraham learned to trust God over the course of his lifetime. That’s what Lent is all about. We’re given a certain period of a few weeks a year when we’re asked to change the way we live in a way that helps us to listen to the voice of God amid all the voices we hear in the course of a day. To pay attention to the things of God amid all of the distractions that come to us in life. And to trust God among all those things that call out to us in the course of a day.
A popular misunderstanding of Christian faith––we can even dare to call it a heresy––is that salvation is only forgiveness of sins. All of us surely need forgiveness, but the salvation that leads us to eternal life is so much more. We come to God and ask for the gracious forgiveness of sins because of the death of Christ, but we need to understand it is so that we can be healed of the tragic brokenness that affects all of us.
The Church is being very honest about a natural tendency that we have. If left to ourselves—let’s admit it—we had rather life always be comfortable and convenient. And so the Church says, you need to do some things sometimes to be reminded that our hearts do not always want to go in the right direction.
Create a clean heart in me, O God . . . As we begin our Lenten observance so aware of our sinful failures, we must remember that God offers us new hearts. For man this may be impossible, but for God, all things are possible.
We no longer banish persons with leprosy. In fact, more than 16 million people in the world have been cured of leprosy in the last 20 years. But sadly, we still neglect and reject the sick.
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We are called to become instruments of God’s love—to touch each and every one with love, with mercy, and with kindness . . . In a world that is threatened by hate and divisiveness, you and I as Christians, we are called to become imitators of Christ.
What we learn from Job and what we learn from Saint Paul is that, in those difficult struggles of life—when we are facing the anguish of a faltering faith, when we find it hard to believe in God, when we find it painful to face a prayer that appears unanswered, when our hopes are dashed—we do not suffer this way alone. Rather, the Church prevails for us. We pray for each other. We hold each other up. This is what it means to belong to the Church, to be a member of the Body of Christ.
What kind of friend are you? The friend who sits like Job’s friends—commiserates but really does nothing—or the kind of friend who brings one who is not well . . . not healthy . . . not in a good place . . . brings that person to Jesus.
Realistic optimism is the fact that, truth be told, sometimes life is not fair. Sometimes innocent people suffer. Sometimes things you don’t deserve come to you in life. Sometimes sickness and pain you don’t deserve comes to you. That is reality. That is the reality of life. But the optimisim is that we believe there is hope, because we are fundamentally a people of hope. And so for us as Christians, pain does not define life. Suffering does not define life.
What caused people to realize that with Jesus and the kingdom he proclaimed there was a distinctive power and authority? By all external observations he was an ordinary man, even a nobody. But when he talked, people were amazed. When he acted, people were astounded. And as he talked and acted, people could not help but be attracted.
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What Jonah learned [in today’s readings] is that those prejudices often are false. And if we leave the door open—if we leave the possibilities in place, if we make the effort, and if we are prompted by the Spirit and we go with that prompt—as absurd as it may seem, then suddenly what we imagined to be impossible becomes reality. And not only are those who we make an appeal to, transformed, but we are transformed ourselves in the process, and our lives are open to new possibilities by learning from those unlike us.
Let’s be honest: in a merely human sense, these “wise ones” had to have been disappointed at first in what they found. Theirs was a dream of finding a new world order, a solution to the troubling times of their world, but they found a poor couple rejected by their family and society, nursing and protecting an infant among animals.
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By affirming Mary as Mother of God, we affirm Jesus as Emmanuel, God With Us, God born as a fellow human being. How this dignifies humanity. How this dignifies womanhood. How this dignifies motherhood. This is just what Christmas and Christianity and the Church is all about. This is the essence of the Gospel.
If you’ve been looking in your life for fulfillment, run to the Lord, pick Him up, and hold Him close to yourself. And there, close to your heart, recognize—in the longings, the hurts, the hungers, the loneliness of the human heart—there is only One who will fulfill. That is the person of Jesus Christ.
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We don’t live in a world where all is calm and all is bright. We live in a world of constant tension and strife . . . . But still, there is something about this feast that every year draws us in, and draws from us hope, peace, prayers—a vision of what could be, and what we want so much to be, in this world.
The fact that God Himself has taken human flesh means that you and I have now been dignified in the image and in the likeness of God. The very fact of the Incarnation simply means that God—the light of God—now shines in the human experience. We are now a people of hope. We are now a people of joy.
What are you expecting God to do in your life because he sent his Son? It seems the world at large hardly expects to see Christians living from day to day any differently from anyone else. Maybe we think our sins disqualify us from God using us. If that idea comes into your mind, think of David. Maybe we think we are too insignificant––as Mary would have appeared to be. But the story is true and our Faith is true: on this fourth Sunday of Advent we live our days in the presence of the God who, through the angel, told Mary: nothing will be impossible for God.
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When we feel needy, empty, lonely, crushed—remember, “There is a Messiah.” And then when the gifts come in plenty, when we’re at the top of our game—remember, “I am not He.” My response is not pride. My response is not egotism. “There is a Messiah. And I am not He."
Regardless of what circumstances you may find yourself in right now, or what emotions Christmas might evoke in you, I’ve got a word for all of us this morning. The word is that the Lord God now ministers to your heart this morning, and ministers to my heart—and speaks the word of peace, the word of comfort, the word of courage.
We possess our full potential, our full personhood, from the first moment of our conception. Furthermore, we retain the dignity of personhood until the last moment of our natural death. We never lose our personhood—not with age, or disability, or incapacity, or dementia
The invitation this morning calls us to three things. Number one, keep your eyes on the things that matter in life. Number two, let your Christian love continue to burn every day; Christian love has no break, has no vacation. And finally, the right time to do that is now.
Watch Jesus. Watch what He does. Watch how He interacts with people, with everyone whom He meets. And then place yourself in that scene and watch how He interacts with you. Watch Jesus every day.
Above and beyond every person on this earth who has the prerogative of any power over others, we have a Good Shepherd who has promised: I myself will look after and tend my sheep (Ez 34:11).
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You will have noticed that, as we come close to the end of the liturgical year, the Church begins to place before us readings that remind us of the need to be spiritually awake, the need for us to continue to take a step back and look at how we can deepen our relationship with God…. So the question is, what are you ready to change in your life today, in your relationship with Christ?
Remember what is often said in athletics, ‘There’s no”I” in church.’ Okay, so that’s not often said in athletics, but it’s true. Jesus began His public ministry by calling together a group who would work together, pray together, learn together, and walk through the joys and sorrows of life together. Jesus hasn’t stopped calling His little flock, and that’s why we’re here together. There truly is no ‘I’ in church, and the witness we give to others (especially the kiddos who are at Mass) by our example goes a long way toward helping each person learn and walk with Jesus.
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‘No’ is not the answer we expect. We expect generosity. We expect outstanding generosity: ‘Yes, please, take all the oil you want.’ The disturbing part of this is that the parable is not about generosity. The parable is about the end of time and the return of the Lord.
The Psalmist describes integrity as someone who stands by his oath even to his hurt or to put it another way, makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise (15:4). Integrity is someone who is willing to say, ‘I was wrong.’ Integrity is helping others at a cost to ourselves. The test of integrity is when the heat is on––when we are under pressure.
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You may have heard it said that love liberates. It’s not just a metaphor. When people say that love liberates, it’s not simply a metaphor. It’s real. True loves liberates an individual, it liberates a community , and, believe me, it liberates a culture. And that’s precisely why, in our readings today, we now see Jesus reducing everything about religion and religiosity to love of God and the love of neighbor.
This faith of ours isn’t an academic discipline. Yes, it’s helpful to learn, helpful to know, helpful to study, helpful to have knowledge of its history, background, and meaning, but unless you can love, unless you can put this faith into practice in love, it matters not at all.
In the first reading tonight, we hear the exhortation, ‘You shall not abuse the sojourner, the alien, the stranger. You shall not do him wrong, for you yourselves were once aliens and strangers in the land of Egypt.
Before we were born, God knew every one of us. He knows our name. He knows what our days hold. He knows when the last chapter of our life on earth will end.
Remember we heard Adam say, ‘It’s not me; it’s this woman.’ And the woman says, ‘It’s not me.’ … You can just imagine, my dear brothers and sisters, after that dialog, that very evening, in our context of today—when they got back home—what do you think Adam would have said to Eve? Or what do you think Eve would have said to Adam? ‘Why are you accusing me to God? I didn’t do it.’ And therefore there is the need for reconciliation, to reconcile us to one another.
Where does your mind spend most of its time? Tearing yourself apart worrying about the woes and troubles of the world — and there are certainly enough of them to strangle yourself in worry — or reinforcing hope and strength and virtue by focusing on whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise?
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In the scheme of things in your life and in my life, where is God located? In the things going on in your life, as we are trying to balance a lot of things in life: our life’s ambitions, our life’s dreams. Where is God located?
You know the good news? The Lord’s vineyard is not a gated vineyard. It’s an open vineyard. And so when you change your mind at 4 pm and you want to go into the vineyard, come on in! You change your mind at 6 pm, come on in! Because his mercy is open. His invitation is open.
The first lie and the first sin were the same: to deny the dignity of woman and man as human beings, to betray their worth as created by God and breathing the very breath of God, to diminish their meaning as persons fashioned by God’s hands.
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Those who started to work early and worked all day were paid the promised day’s wage. Those who worked half a day were paid a day’s wage. Those who worked the last hour of the day were paid a day’s wage. That is the mercy of God. No matter when we turn to him––as a child or as an older adult––there is full forgiveness and the gift of eternal life.
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What does ‘Mass’ mean? It comes to us from the very charge we’re given at the end of Mass: Ite, missa est. It’s the past participle of ‘to be sent.’ It’s to remind us of that service aspect–that what we do here continues out there. It cannot be contained within walls, just as He could not be contained.
Jesus chose … to be related to all of us who bear His name in baptism by water and the Holy Spirit. That’s His family.
Sin makes us small—it focuses on our smallness: our small wants, our small desires and passions, a small world we construct around ourselves. Grace connects us to God’s majesty in the vast universe. It enlarges us, teaches us to have an outsized hope. Sin arises from small thoughts and ambitions—me! me!—but grace opens our visions to vast horizons, all touched with the grandeur of God.
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One fundamental question that people who study love and relationships try to answer is why relationships break down. Regardless of what explanation somebody has as to why relationships break down, there is something at least we can all agree about: Relationships can be nourished and broken relationships can be healed.
One of the difficulties with our mission as Christians in the world is understanding how I, as a frail, broken, repetitive sinner, can ever be a witness to the goodness of God. And how can I instruct another to turn away from sins which I myself have committed, perhaps recently? How can I do that?
You and I are together for three nights. So I thought we would look at that Man in the tomb with us for 40 hours in three ways. Tonight: Jesus of Nazareth—God made man, a human being who walked our dust and died our death. Tomorrow: Jesus Christ, the Church. And finally, then, on Tuesday night, Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament.
We’d like to believe God will never ask of us anything that is unpleasant. The witness of the Scriptures and the Faith proclaimed by the Church tell us that is not true. Paul gives the contrast in his letter to the Romans: offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God…. Do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed…. Jesus tells us that true life comes through dying to the old life. It’s the message of the cross.
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A few years ago when I was teaching at Catholic University in Washington, DC, I overhead two college students walking across campus. One asked the other to pray for him because he was going through a rough time. Astonishingly, the second student stopped, turned toward his friend, made the sign of the cross and began to pray for him right then and there. Why not? Did you do that this week? Hearing the troubles of the world, did you stop and pray right then and there? ‘Lord, help our troubled world; heal our divided hearts. Turn hatred and mistrust to compassion. Amen’ — That’s all it takes. In the middle of the office, the neighborhood, the family room. Pray. Here and now.
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Morning by morning, week by week, minute by minute, second by second, January to December, day in, day out, God is faithful to you and God is faithful to me.
For us as Christians and Catholics, the culture of welcoming is not a public relations strategy. It is not a marketing strategy. It is something that comes right from the heart of our vocation as Christians.
Nature is alive and growing, and God’s grace sustains it. And so the Church chooses green as the color for Ordinary Time. Color reaches into our senses every bit as much as music or art or architecture, or the poetry of liturgical language–because prayer involves every part of the human person.
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The disobedience of Adam marks all people; the obedience of Christ marks those who embrace the Second Adam. When we follow Jesus Christ we are lifted up from the bondage of sin so we can wing our way to heaven.
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It became clear to me—through worshiping and praying in other congregations—that they may be very, very good at talking about Jesus and singing about Jesus, but it was only in a Catholic Mass that I had the clear impression that we were not talking about the Lord, we were talking with the Lord, who was truly present in our midst.
Between the three Persons of the Divine Trinity, which we call Father, Son, and Spirit, there exists love so real that it took on the form of another Person. The Father so filled with love that the Son was generated by pure love. The Son looking back on the Father and so filled with love for the Father and the Father for the Son that their love became real and became the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
A mystery is not something we cannot ever understand. That’s not what a mystery is. A mystery is a truth that we need revelation to help us understand.
Pentecost shows us the meaning and power of what Jesus has made possible. In the body, Jesus could only be with a few people at one time; in the Spirit, the presence of Jesus is available to everyone all the time. The Spirit is like the air around us, present and ready to be breathed. Through his death for us, Jesus makes it possible for us to breathe―spiritually. His death removes our sins; his life gives us life.
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What does the Holy Spirit teach us about ourselves? What do I learn about myself, what do you learn about yourself from the Holy Spirit—but that you are spiritual? This is very important.
A young monk sought out a wizened old Abbot in the monastery. “Why,” the young man asked, “has my prayer become dry and distant?”
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The Lord rose as a full person, body and soul. That tells us that we are full persons, body and soul. We don’t despise our bodies, as if our bodies were something obnoxious, and something to be despised, disposed of, degraded. Our bodies are us. We judge in our culture, we judge people, we judge ourselves, our own value, based on our image, our bodies. And very often, the world is telling us, ‘You don’t have the perfect body.’
Think about this: As we follow Jesus, we are heading to the same place where he has gone. That is the meaning of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus suffered and was then glorified. Because Jesus has gone ahead of us into glory.... because even now the Spirit of Christ is changing those who belong to him into his likeness from one degree of glory to another(2Cor 3:18).... because of the hope we have as Christians––Christ in you, the hope of glory(Col 1:27), we can wait with patience and we can even suffer in hope.
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Jesus wasn’t playing a game, and He really meant it when He said, “If you love me, you’ll keep my commandments and I’ll send you the Holy Spirit.” It’s what He meant by love that makes all the difference.
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We open ourselves to be remade . . . to be a living stone . . . to be a dwelling place for God himself. This week, while you are getting dressed, look at yourself in the mirror. Look yourself in the eyes and into your soul. Then affirm your faith in Jesus and tell yourself: ‘The risen Son of God lives in me . . . I am a living stone in God’s house!’ As you do that, God will show something of himself through your life. And some day, you will be with Jesus in the Father’s house.
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So it is in every challenge of life. We know that things may look one way, but because of the promises and grace and gifts of God Almighty, they are in actuality different and better and holier. And that’s what this wonderful celebration is all about.
If we come to Mass with a closed heart, a closed mind, a closed soul, it’s often hard for the Lord to get through that closed barrier.
I’d like to suggest a prayer for this coming week (or maybe for the rest of your life):
Lord Jesus, I open my life today to your mercy. Help me to adore and obey you. Give me the grace never to ignore you. Let me be a channel of your mercy to the people I meet today. Amen.Download Transcript
Our salvation is like a bouquet of flowers. Yes, you can look at each stem in its isolation; it will be beautiful. But if you want to look at the totality, what some people would say is ‘the big picture’, then you’ve got to have faith—to perceive, to look, and to believe.
The last chapter of humanity has been written. It doesn’t end on the cross. It ends in resurrection. It ends in glory. It ends in restoration. It ends in reconstituting the original innocence with which we were all created in the Garden.
What is the worth of a person? …
*Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lacked any thing.
A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:
Love said, You shall be he.*
(Love, by George Herbert)
Here was Jesus, leaving the meal and putting on a servant’s apron, washing the feet of his students…. Jesus already knew that Peter would turn his back on Him in His hour of need, yet here He is, on his knees, as a slave, before him.
Each painful wound that Jesus carried, each particle of the cross he hoisted to his shoulder, comes from your life and mine. So as we begin a week we know so well, as we begin a week of events we can narrate without any text, allow the Lord to make this Holy Week yours. Let him reach into your heart and take the crosses you carry onto his own shoulder. Let him reach into your memories and heal the crosses that cause you pain.
In this act of raising Lazarus––and waiting to do it, even though it caused Mary and Martha more distress––Jesus showed his power over death even before he himself went to the cross.
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Even if you forget every other thing I said this morning, there are three things I don’t want you to forget: Number one, spiritual obedience. Number two, witnessing. And number three, worship. These are the three things that bring the joy of Christ in our hearts.
We need to understand that God works in these spectacular and powerful ways. We need to be awestruck sometimes. We need to be humbled sometimes. Knowing that God works in these ways which are beyond our comprehension is right and good. But we also need to be able to see God at work in a way that is much more intimate and personally encouraging.
There are lots of people who sit in the seats with Jesus, Sunday after Sunday. They might be attracted to him. Like Veronica, they’re interested in the image of Jesus. Or like Pilate, they may have heard something about him and they want to hear a little bit more. Or like the women from Jerusalem, they like doing good deeds, and the Church does good things, and so they are a part of the Church. But they’ve never looked Jesus in the eye. They’ve never seen themselves reflected back in the pupil of his eye. They’ve never spent time with him …
God does not overwhelm us. God wants us to trust him. So Jesus let three of his disciples see his glory once during those ministry days. It was enough to pave the way for a Faith that would change the world. We can believe today because there is a credible eyewitness record that has been established by the Apostles. Peter and John both wrote that they saw…. and they testified that these things are true…. and then they lived —in such a contrasting way to who they previously were—so that people looking at them took notice that they had been with Jesus.
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The more God’s Spirit controls us, the more we will be able to respond according to his character. So you see, as in the whole Sermon on the Mount, the emphasis is not so much on what we do in any given situation as it is on who we are. There are not enough rules to guide us in godly living, even if we could keep them by ourselves (which we cannot). But what rules cannot accomplish, God’s life in us can as we ‘live in the Spirit.'
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You—you—are the light of the world. Not someone else. You. Where do you go to get light in this world? What sheds light on the events of this world for you? Where do you go to have light brought into the misunderstandings of this world? For those who know you, you should be the one they look to to find meaning and purpose to the events of this world.
We see Isaiah drawing two lines for us: the vertical axis and the horizontal axis. And Isaiah now lays down a fundamental concept: that there is a correlation between our vertical relationship with God and our horizontal relationship with our brothers and sisters. And I can’t tell myself, ‘Oh, Father Tony, I love God and I am making progress vertically,’ but that vertical progress has no translation to a horizontal axis.
A right understanding of what God has said and done through his Son calls us to dare to believe that we do not need to live under the burden of what consumes our world, either frantically seeking the so-called good or living in fear of the bad. Christian Faith turns the world’s common values upside down. As Christians, you and I are asked to believe that there is another world far more important than this one….. and then let that belief—that faith—affect the way we think and speak and act.
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Jesus was wounded deeply when he heard that his cousin John had been arrested. As soon as Jesus heard that John had been arrested, His life changed radically. He left his hometown and the comfort that represented. He began teaching, healing. He began to surround himself with his 12 closest disciples. In the wounds of Jesus there is to be found the pungent goodness of God and the savory healing of the Lord.
What is it about human nature that is prone to divisions and divisiveness? What is it about human psychology—be it in our interpersonal relationships, in our intercultural relationships, and even in our inter-religious and intra-religious relationships—that is sometimes susceptible to divisions and divisiveness? What is it about our human heart? That’s the question.
Jesus took his human flesh from his mother. The Church teaches clearly, and has always taught, that Mary is not divine. She is human, a creature, just like us, created by God. When we come to faith in Jesus, we are adopted so that Jesus is our brother (Heb 2:11) and Mary becomes our mother. Then we are all one in Christ in his mystical Body. This Body, of course (as Paul explicitly teaches), has different parts, different roles, and different gifts. Not everyone does the same thing. Mary has a special role: She is Mother, because she is literally the mother of Jesus’ physical body, and as we are joined to Christ through the Holy Spirit as his mystical Body she becomes our Mother, too.
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The parable of Christmas … isn’t to bring the universe to me. but to open and expand my heart … that I might see possibilities in those who have no standing in this world, that I might see possibilities even in the darkness and the challenges and setbacks of my own life. When I think I have nothing to offer and nothing to live for and nothing more that can go wrong in my life, it’s in the midst of the darkness of that long winter’s night that we hear a tiny baby’s voice piercing the darkness. That’s that parable of God, making us unsettled, so that we can learn to trust only in God and no one else.
God’s love is so intense that it consumes sin. We are invited to enter into the love of God with such abandon that all our sin is burned up. That actually happens in the process of repentance and forgiveness.
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Have you ever thought that the Lord is drawing you deeper into prayer—where there are no words? Contemplative prayer is an ancient practice in the Catholic Church, but many think of it as something for monastics. In fact, contemplative prayer is used by people in all walks of life as an everyday form of prayer. This rich and meaningful form of prayer is one that Monsignor King uses frequently, and he shared it with us as the first gathering in our Advent Prayer Experience 2016 on the First Sunday of Advent.
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Scholars who study relationship tend to agree that the human heart is fundamentally dialectical. What that means is that the same heart that is capable of love is capable of hate. The same heart that is capable of laughter is also capable of crying. The same heart. That’s why you may have heard people say that love is like a candle in the wind. You need to guard it.
On many of the graves in Roman catacombs is an unmistakable paw print. On the concrete that seals tight the graves, there are words and symbols. One of the most common is a paw print. The message was about the deceased Believer: as a dog is loyal to its master and dependent for every good thing, so this servant of God was loyal, depending on God and waiting for his or her Heavenly Master’s return.
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Sometimes we can get so caught up in our doctrinal differences, we can get so caught up in our political differences—who is liberal, who is conservative, who is this, who is not that—that sometimes we forget that have one Lord, one Savior in Christ Jesus. That is the heart of our feast today: that, when all is said and done, regardless of the differences in our society, regardless of the differences in our community, it’s all about one Love, one Faith, one Baptism. And that’s why I think the gospel tonight is so instructional.
We ought to live now, even now, as though we were citizens of heaven, because truly we are. The woes and worries of this Earth will always be with us. But as Saint Paul reminds us, the Lord is trustworthy. May we turn our lives over to the Lord. And in the midst of a world that does not support the Gospel, may we find that the Lord does support us and give us dreams beyond this world.
The saints in heaven can intercede for us, the Pilgrim Church. And all of us can also intercede for the Suffering Church, those who have passed on but are not yet in heaven… When we celebrate sainthood, it simply reminds us that there is a future.
God is always faithful. Look around you—there are signs of His faithfulness. In the breath we breathe, we see His faithfulness. In family, in the gifts of your children and your children’s children, we see His faithfulness. In the gift of our church community, we see God’s faithfulness. So there is no doubt, and it’s not a secret, that God is always faithful. But, truth be told, sometimes in life we deal with issues, we deal with we deal with events, we deal with situations that may want to make us ask, "But God, where are you in all this?"
If you are aware of things in your life that are not right, let those things show you your need of God’s mercy. If you sincerely pray, "God be merciful to me, a sinner," God will give you mercy and mercy truly received will change your life
God wants to put a melody to the hymns of each of our lives. And God wants us all to bolster each other as we sing together those hymns. Every single person in this church today has a hymn to sing from the text of your life. Every person here has a story to tell of where you are at this moment in your faith. God’s grace wants to enter that story and sing it as a hymn. And God wants us all to join in singing that hymn together, so we can bolster each other in faith.
One glorified God in a loud voice and fell in gratitude at the feet of Jesus. Nine were never heard from again. Every commentary on the Bible, and every homily or sermon on this passage (Luke 17:11-19) I could find, condemns the nine and exalts the one. Why? What was the sin of the nine? Their sin was silence when the situation clearly called for action that glorified God and gave public witness to the work of God in their lives.
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The readings today remind us of the need to reaffirm the “gratitude attitude”… for us to have a thankful heart … for us to bring thankfulness to our relationship to God.
If you want faith, learn to trust God in small things and big alike; learn to trust that God has a plan and it is being worked out in our midst, even if you or I don’t see it or understand it. You and I — and our anxieties — are not the center of the universe (as disappointing as that truth may be): God is. Learn to believe that truth and your faith will be increased!
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26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Why would anyone “choose” hell? It is one’s own choice. Of course most people do not make the choice of hell explicitly; people choose hell passively by choosing other things above God. What kinds of choices lead people into hell? There is a stereotypical list of mortal sins, but nothing is said about the rich man in this story being sexually immoral or running an abortion clinic. This is a story of a man who chooses hell when he chooses to do nothing.
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23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Discipleship always takes place within a given socio-political climate, and Christian discipleship is not primarily a temporal political endeavor. Discipleship will always be subversive when it is properly understood and practiced. This is because no earthly socio-political structure is ever conformed totally to the Kingdom of God. When a nation-state is relatively “good” it is still not worthy of ultimate allegiance. When a nation-state is oppressive (and many Christians have suffered under such in the Church’s history), God’s people still obey the government to the extent they can––but all the more give ultimate allegiance to the King whose Kingdom goes beyond anything we can yet fully imagine.
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Humility is the route to true happiness. Humble heart, contrite heart— that is the route to greatness. That’s the point of the parable. So the lesson we learn from the gospel (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082816.cfm) today is about humility—how you and I and all of us need some humility in our lives.
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
When Jesus said he had not come to bring peace but to bring division, he was talking about the effect of his coming, not that this was the purpose of his coming. Later in his Gospel Luke reports Jesus clearly saying, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). God desires our salvation; that was the purpose for Jesus coming. Yet God gives everyone free will–the freedom and responsibility to choose, and there are some who will not submit to God.
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“The first parishioner I met from Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was Seminarian Rick Mowery, about two years ago. At that time, I didn’t know his father, but I could tell, then, he must be a good Dad, because I met his son. Throughout the summer, as I have gotten to know more of the parishioners here at Elizabeth Ann Seton, I realize that Father Mowery not only reflects the faith of his family, but also of everyone here at his church.”
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So what is prayer? Rather than a desperate last resort, prayer is the natural breath of a human spirit that was created to know God. Prayer is a way of always being in touch with our Father in heaven.
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Brothers and sisters, recognize who we are—the Body of Christ—and that we are truly brothers and sisters with those around the world who suffer pain and violence, whose hearts are breaking, and whose eyes day and night stream with tears. Ours is an invitation to weep with Jesus at the pain of this world, and to pray with Jesus that the grace and mercy of God, a loving Father, will change the hearts of those who plot violence and refuse mercy.
Christian Faith is a gift from God that is meant to open our eyes to an entirely new and different way of seeing. We are immersed in love and goodness. We are given every reason for hope.
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Enjoyment is an action; it’s not an attitude. Enjoyment is not in the actor, but it is in the action. And therefore it comes to an end when the action is complete….In the words of Saint Francis de Sales, let us bloom where we are planted, in the awareness of God’s presence among us. And this alone fills our hearts with joy that cannot be snatched away by any despair, loss, pain, or suffering of this world.
We light an Advent candle—one, two, three, four candles—to remind us of light that is ever increasing in our world, the grace of the Lord ever growing in our hearts, the mercy and joy of God Himself ever growing stronger in the midst of this world. Why don’t we pay more attention to that than we do to the voices of darkness and of evil and of threat? We can tune our ears to hear one or the other.
Just imagine what would happen a year from now if all of us think, "I have no time at all, not one minute, without Christ." The world would be a lot better. By virtue of our Baptism in the Lord, we are all fully equipped with every grace we need to cooperate with God’s plan, and our Lord provides us with the graces of the other sacraments throughout our lives…
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As we enter Advent, with the Church calling us to a hope and peace that can seem more fairy tale than reality, the world counters with surface celebrations and the enticement of more and bigger things. Which voice are we going to listen to in these coming weeks: the threatening voices, the diversionary voices, or the voice of God that blows through the Scriptures and the Church?
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(November 29, 2015) In the believing heart there is little room for anxiety and fear. Though the little deaths that come to us all bring darkness for a time, there is a light that grows brighter the nearer we march toward the end of time. The Advent wreath reminds us of that in a gentle yet powerful way. One candle, two, three, and four… then Jesus arrives calmly and quietly in a silent night so brightly illuminated by God’s grace that the world sings of angels and hope and new birth.
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(November 22, 2015) For my part, I count it among my greatest blessing from God to have been assigned to this parish. And on this Thanksgiving Day, I give thanks to God for the gift that you are—not only to me but to one another. As I have said so often, I say again, from the depths of my heart, this is a parish filled with saints. And each saint sitting in the pews today, has a story to tell of how God brought them, through the twists and turns of life, right here, today. May we never take for granted the grace of God that works in surprising ways, but always keep our eyes open to see what wonderful surprise the Lord has in store for us next.
(November 15, 2015) The Christian life is a life lived in communion with fellow believers, and it’s not just “me and Jesus.” The normal Christian life is a life that recognizes a need to share faith, hope, and love with others of like mind, strengthening and encouraging each other, as well as inviting others to the joy and hope of the life of Christ.
(November 8, 2015) Can we look back and see in our recurring embarrassments and frustrations, and even in our guilt, our underlying desire for what is right and true and good? In our hearts we know there is more, and the deepest truth is that the God who created me wants more for my life, just as I do.
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(November 1, 2015) The Lord’s plan is that He enter our hearts and change us from the inside, and out of the overflowing of goodness within us, we will want to do good, and we want to change the world. It first begins with the human heart.