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Called to Holiness
February 23, 2020
“Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.” These words (Leviticus 19:1-2 cf) spoken to Moses, were to be presented to the entire Israelite community at the direction of the Lord God. Today, the last Sunday in Ordinary Time before Lent begins, these words received by our ears, enter our minds and hearts. They dwell within us, urging us to reject earthly things and embrace those that will draw us closer to God, especially during this upcoming season of Lent.
We are all called to be saints; we are all called to holiness. Saints are persons in heaven, whether officially canonized or not. When a person has been canonized by the Church, we call them Saints – with a capital “S.” All others in heaven are also saints; we just refer to them in writing with a lower case “s.” Ash Wednesday, February 26, begins a new Lenten journey – a time of penitence, a time for us to renew and improve our relationship with God; a time to focus on our calling to become saints, to become holy.
The Church has had an evolving process for declaring sainthood. During the first five centuries, the process was informal and based on public acclaim, termed vox populi, vox Dei (voice of the people, voice of God). Beginning in the sixth century, action by the local bishop was required before someone could be canonized.
In the tenth century, a cause for canonization followed along these lines: a deceased person’s reputation would spread; a request to the local bishop from the people to declare the person a saint occurred; and a biography would be written for the bishop. Upon favorable review, the bishop would issue a decree and thereby canonize the person. Now, however, the bishop collected eyewitness testimony from those who knew the candidate or witnessed miracles. The bishop would summarize the case and forward it for papal review. If the Pope approved, he would issue a decree declaring the person a canonized saint. The first documented case of papal intervention was in 993, by Pope John XV, in the cause of St. Ulric.
In 1588 when Pope Sixtus V reorganized the Roman Curia, he established the Congregation for Sacred Rites; one of its functions was to assist the Pope with reviewing causes for canonization. For almost 350 years, the process remained essentially the same. In 1917 a universal Code of Canon Law was promulgated. This rigorous code, which we currently use, contains 145 canons (1999-2144) on causes for canonization and includes provisions for an episcopal (diocesan) process and an apostolic process (Holy See), working and communicating with one another.
Usually a candidate for sainthood must have been deceased for five years before their case is accepted for review (“Servant of God”); however this requirement can be lifted by the Pope as we saw in the cause for Mother Teresa of Calcutta. In this procedure of 1917, there are three steps to sainthood. A candidate whose case has been accepted for review (i.e. a “Servant of God”) first becomes “Venerable,” then “Blessed” and finally “Saint.” Venerable is the title given to a person recognized formally by the Pope as having lived a heroically virtuous life or offered his or her life. To be beatified and recognized as a “Blessed,” one miracle acquired through the candidate's intercession is required in addition to recognition of heroic virtue or offering of life. Canonization requires a second miracle after beatification. The Pope may waive these requirements. A miracle is not required prior to a martyr's beatification, but one is required before canonization.
Wednesday we embark once again on our Lenten journey. We will receive a cross of ashes on our foreheads and hear the words, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Let us embrace the spirit of this season, a time for increased prayer, fasting, almsgiving and penance and renew ourselves in our search for holiness and sainthood. We may want to consider praying through the intercession of one or more of the candidates for sainthood who may have influenced our lives: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen; Fr. Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus; or Fr. Emil Kapaun (pronounced KAY-pun), a native son of Kansas. May God bless us on our journey to sainthood and holiness.
Father Storey
Deacon's Reflection
True Freedom
February 16, 2020
Today’s first reading from the book of Sirach is one of the foundational texts for the Church’s teaching that we are created with a free will and that we are responsible for our own actions. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1730, 1736) Sirach speaks about choices; choices between life and death, good and evil. As human beings we have the freedom to make choices.
God created us in His image, we’ve all heard that but what does it mean to be created in God’s image? Well, one of the ways we image God is that we have an immortal soul - infused into our being at conception -with it’s two great powers: the intellect and the will. It is with our intellect that we have the ability to know - more specifically to know what is true, good and beautiful. And with our will we are given the capacity to choose - to choose what is true, good and beautiful. God created us with a free will in order that we might be able to love. True love is more than sentimental feelings, it is an act of the will, to will the good of the other. Further, God placed in our heart a desire for Him, a longing to be united with Him. Since God is Himself Truth, Goodness and Beauty - when we choose well, we are ultimately choosing Him.
True freedom is not being able to do whatever I want. That is license and that is an abuse of my freedom. True freedom is the ability, the capacity, to choose the good. The more I choose the good, the more free I become. Jesus said. “If you remain in my word you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn 8:31) The more I choose evil, the less free I become - as St. Paul says, we become “slaves to sin” which leads to death.
Jesus in our Gospel is giving us a prescription for life, for freedom and for happiness. His teachings are from His Sermon on the Mount where He expands on the Ten Commandments. We should think of these commandments, not as restrictions to our freedom but, like all of Jesus’ teachings, as guidelines for us to lead us to freedom and happiness.
Picture yourself driving on one of those curvy roads in the mountains of Colorado at night, and it is raining. Just beyond the shoulder of the road is a steep drop off the edge of the mountain. The road is our path to God, the path of love leading to happiness and ultimately heaven. The headlights are like your intellect - showing you the safe way of the road. The steering wheel is like your will by which you choose to steer the car on that safe path. The guardrails and signs are the teachings of Jesus and His Church, the Catholic Church. They don’t limit our freedom but are given to help guide us, morally and spiritually, on our path through life safely - giving us true freedom to choose well, leading us to happiness and fulfillment. Ask Jesus for the grace to choose well.
Deacon Steve White
February 9, 2020
You Are the Light of the World
“You are the salt of the earth ... You are the light of the world.” The Gospel for today, the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A), (Matt 5:13-16) is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount whose beginning we usually hear on the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Last week, Feb. 2, the Fourth Sunday was superseded by the higher ranked Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
The Evangelist Matthew describes the Sermon as taking place right after Jesus called the first of His disciples in Galilee. Trying to avoid crowds, Jesus went up a mountain and His disciples did likewise. Once all were seated, Jesus began to give them a tutorial on what it meant to be His follower. In this passage, Our Lord makes use of metaphors to teach. He addresses His disciples, asking for not just words, but actions.
Today’s text immediately follows the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes called Jesus’ disciples to act according to His view of righteousness. To hear Jesus’ teaching and fail to act upon it is worthless, like salt that has lost its flavor. Salt was used both to season and to preserve food. In Judaism salt could become unclean and therefore useless and had to be discarded. Matthew implies that followers who have heard Jesus’ way of living but fail to walk in that path are useless as His disciples.
The second metaphor “You are the light of the world,” recalls Isaiah’s message in Reading I. The prophesies in the closing chapters of Isaiah (56 – 66) include words of hope and comfort to God’s people toward the end of their long captivity in Babylonia, and present an opportunity for a new beginning. They are reminded of their lapses that led to their downfall, and receive exhortations to adhere to a more faithful fulfillment of their covenant promises. In Isaiah’s prophesy, what truly fulfills the Lord’s call and command is concrete action on behalf of the needy, the poor and the oppressed.
St. Francis of Assisi had another way of stating this principle: “Preach always; use words if you must.” To be effective, words must always be accompanied by deeds; good actions must always spring from proper intentions; and righteous acts are not done to exalt the one who performs them, but to “glorify your heavenly Father.”
The metaphorical images used in this Gospel are certainly ones to which we can relate. We all recognize the importance of salt to our everyday lives. We, too, use it for flavoring, for a preservative, to treat slick roads in winter. During a power outage, we are plunged into darkness. What is the first thing we do? We reach for a light source. There is comfort in dispelling the darkness. But do we hoard that light source? No, we must share it. We don’t hide it; we must put it in a location where all in the house can benefit from its light. Jesus speaks to us, as well as the disciples, in His teaching. Our actions and deeds also must be for the honor and glory of God.
“Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your
heavenly Father.”
Father Storey
Encountering ChristFebruary 2, 2020
“Dear brothers and sisters,
Forty days have passed since we celebrated the joyful feast of the Nativity of the Lord.
Today is the blessed day when Jesus was presented in the Temple by Mary and Joseph.
Outwardly He was fulfilling the Law, but in reality He was coming to meet His believing people.
Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Simeon and Anna came to the Temple.
Enlightened by the same Spirit, they recognized the Lord and confessed Him with exultation.
So let us also, gathered by the Holy Spirit, proceed to the house of God to encounter Christ.
There we shall find Him and recognize Him in the breaking of the bread, until he comes again, revealed in glory.”
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord was observed by the Church at Jerusalem as early as the first half of the fourth century and possibly earlier. At that time, Christmas was not celebrated as its own feast, but was combined with the Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord, and the celebration of Christ’s first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana – all events showing Christ to the whole world; all ways in which the world encountered Christ – and celebrated on January 6. Hence the Presentation was originally observed on February 14, 40 days after the birth of Christ. By the end of the fourth century, the Church at Rome began celebrating the Nativity on December 25, so the Feast of the Presentation was moved to February 2.
A custom developed in the West around the 11th century, inspired by the Canticle of Simeon – “a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” – of blessing candles, lighting them and carrying them in procession on the Feast of the Presentation. This feast then also became known as Candlemas. While the procession and blessing of the candles is not often performed in the United States today, Candlemas is still an important feast in many European countries. The prayer quoted at the beginning of these Pastor’s Notes is one of those that can be used during The Blessing of Candles and the Procession (First Form) at the beginning of Mass when February 2, falls on a Sunday. This happens only once every five or six years, depending on how many leap years occur during that span of time. The brief prayer gives an insight as to why we celebrate this feast.
Usually we associate prophets with the Old Testament in the Bible, but in today’s Gospel from the New Testament we hear about two prophets: Simeon and Anna, who were associated with the Temple in Jerusalem. Simeon was a very devout man and God had shown favor to him by promising that Simeon would not die before he saw Christ. When Mary and Joseph, acting in their Jewish custom and guided by the Mosaic Law, traveled to Jerusalem with their new born Son to be presented to God in the Temple along with two small birds for the purification process, Anna and Simeon were simultaneously inspired by the Holy Spirit to go to the Temple.
An emotional Simeon held the Infant Jesus in his arms and praised God saying “Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant.” Simeon began prophesying regarding the Baby he held. At one point he told Mary, “you yourself a sword will pierce.” A warm, caring Anna was the perfect counterpoint to Simeon. She thanked God and told everyone gathered there about the Child. These prophets had an encounter with Christ to be cherished.
In a few short weeks, we will begin another encounter with Christ as we embark on our Lenten journey. What can we do to make this personal encounter with Christ ever more meaningful, as we are called to be saints, called to holiness? May God bless all of us as we follow once again in His footstepsFather Storey
A Star to FollowJanuary 26, 2020
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Every time we make the Sign of the Cross, we recall these roles attributed to each of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity: God the Father, the Creator; God the Son, the Savior; and God the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier.
For a very long time, people have used stars for navigation and guidance. God has given us a star to follow from birth, to salvation, and to sanctification.
Christmas may be in the past, but the Gift that we receive – Jesus coming into the world – remains with us. “In the beginning was the Word, ... and the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us.” When we celebrate Christmas, we recall the star that led the shepherds to the manger in Bethlehem, and we remember the star that the Wise Men (they themselves astronomers) followed, not to worship a star, but to worship the Child. That star led them, and with faith, we follow that star and find the greatest treasure ever, Jesus Christ.
As we conclude the Christmas Season, we are led by a star to the waters as John baptizes Jesus in the River Jordan, and we see the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and hear a voice saying, “This is my beloved Son.” In our Baptism, Christ invites us to follow the star and gain salvation through Him.
There is a third time that Christ advises us to follow a star: we hear, “Come follow me, and I will give you rest.” Then He quickly adds, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places... I will come back again and take you to myself.” (John 14:1-4)
We have followed the star to the birth; we have followed the star to salvation. And now we follow the star to sanctification. Life should never be scary. If we are really and truly into our Christian faith, nothing in this world should scare us. What does put fright in us is that we have God visibly in front of us; yet, you and I keep turning away from Him. It’s called sin. Every time we feel that God has drifted from us, guess who it is that really does the drifting.
Our solution is to know Him, to love Him, to follow Him. Come back to the Lord; come back to the truth. He is always by our side. “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Father Storey
Deacon's ReflectionLearning by Comparison
January 19, 2020
The four Gospels of the New Testament were written at varying times and each with a different purpose in mind. For example, the evangelist Matthew, whose Gospel is featured in the Church’s Liturgical Year A, wrote in Greek sometime after 70 AD. He was a Jewish Christian who wrote for Christians of a similar background, consequently, his account emphasizes that Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Matthew was a tax collector who was called by Jesus to become a disciple.
The evangelist John, also known as the Beloved Disciple, wrote around the years 90 – 100 AD. There are many who believe that John’s account was the result of collaboration among several authors. His Gospel was addressed to Gentile Christians and had the purpose of convincing readers that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.
This year we have a unique opportunity to compare the descriptions by two different evangelists as we read their Gospel accounts of the same event – Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan – on back to back weekends: the Baptism of the Lord and the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.
In last Sunday’s Gospel (Matt 3:13-17) Matthew presented two of his prominent themes: fulfillment and righteousness. He quotes Jesus as saying, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” After Jesus emerged from the waters of the Jordan following His baptism, the Spirit of God descended upon Him, and the voice of God was heard, “This is my beloved Son.”
In today’s Gospel (John 1:29-34), John the Baptist announces to the gathered candidates for baptism, the approach of Jesus: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” This metaphor of lamb recalls its essential part in the Passover: the use of its blood on doorposts to preserve the homes of Hebrews; its image as being involved in the suffering of the people, and its symbolism of Jesus being the sacrificial Lamb.
John the Baptist learned the true nature of Jesus’ divinity when God told him that on whomever the Spirit came down and remained, “He is the One.” John saw the Spirit descend from heaven as a dove and remain upon Jesus; John then testified that Jesus was the “One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”
As children of God, we should follow John the Baptist’s example to become witnesses of God. We should strive to live our lives:
· with faith, hope and joy
· with respect and witness to the truth
· with value for all lives
· with generous hearts and willingness to sacrifice for the good of others
Our comparison concludes with complete agreement between John and Matthew: “Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God,” reinforced by Matthew’s account, “A voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”
Deacon Phillip Nguyen
2020 Perfect Vision
January 12, 2020
In a rare moment of complete silence today, January 1, 2020, Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God, I contemplated what I might write for the next edition of Pastor’s Notes. With the holy days/holidays schedule the Pastor’s Notes for January 5 had to be to the bulletin editor by December 18. That was last year – last decade! Now just barely over halfway through the first day of the year, already we are faced with multiple changes to what was anticipated.
When we are having difficulties with our vision, we go to an ophthalmologist or eye specialist to be tested and fitted with corrective lenses. Multiple measurements are taken and adjustments are made to the sphere, cylinder and axis of the lenses to achieve as close to 20/20 vision as possible.
It is our life long objective to go to heaven and see Almighty God face to face. What do we need to do with our spiritual vision in order to attain this goal? I’d like to offer you a two-part prescription to adjust your spiritual vision. The first is to examine and follow the Sign of the Cross.
May all our actions reflect “In the name of the Father,” God the Father, the Creator, the one who loved us so much that even when we sinned, He sent His only Son to redeem us and show us the way back to the Father.
And of the Son: Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer; the One who came to earth, humbled Himself by taking on our human nature; the One who suffered, died and was buried, then rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, to show us the way back to the Father; the One who led not only by words, but by love for us in all His actions, thoughts and deeds.
And of the Holy Spirit, the One whom Jesus Christ pleaded with His Father to send so He could stay with us until the end of time. The Sanctifier, the Protector, God’s Life among us, our Inspiration to emulate God in all things.
The second part of our prescription comes from our Blessed Mother, Mary. We adjust our vision each time we consider the beautiful words of the prayer: Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Our Blessed Mother held God in her arms; she nurtured Him at her breast, she trained Him in the ways and traditions of His Jewish heritage.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. God, the Creator, endowed women with the bodily parts needed to participate in His process of creation. Mary, in particular, was chosen to be the Mother of God. What more perfect vision of God could a human have! Holy Mary, Mother of God!
Pray for us sinners: We are all sinners, and we must repent and seek God’s forgiveness. We should try to emulate the sinless life led by our Blessed Mother.
Now and at the hour of death: These words take on an ever-more poignant meaning for me. I just learned that a fellow priest, Fr. Tom Dolezal, has passed away today. I feel certain his devotion to our Blessed Mother, and his love of God sustained him in this final phase of his journey here on earth. Please remember Father Tom in your prayers.
Wishing you all the blessings and joys of this holy season. May our adjustments to our spiritual vision in 2020 lead us to 20/20 perfect vision of God. May the Light of the Infant Jesus shine through our lives and manifest itself to all we encounter.
Father Storey
God Shows His Face to Us
January 5, 2020
In the great Solemnity of Christmas and the ensuing Christmas Season, we hear the good news that God is truly here among us. Through the Person of His beloved Son, He comes close to us. He has become part of our human family and entered the world which He entrusts to humanity. We celebrate in thanksgiving the God Who created us, Who loves us, the God Who is wanting to show His face. He reveals to us that He is truly the Messiah, the one coming to save.
The Evangelist Matthew was writing for a Jewish-Christian audience and weaves their Scriptures, symbols and allusions to their ancestors into his Gospel. He gives their Hebrew texts new meaning, showing fulfillment in unforeseen ways in light of Jesus the Messiah.
We celebrate a fourfold manifestation of Jesus Christ that begins with the announcement to the shepherds of the birth of the Infant Jesus, and continues with the Epiphany wherein God shows Himself to the world through the eyes of the Wise Men. The three Wise Men embarked on a Christian journey, totally on faith – their only guide, a star. They had to have days of doubt, of frustration, sickness. Days of just wanting to turn away from this journey to which they had been called. Especially when the star grew dim and disappeared from their sight. But they persevered, and they were rewarded.
We read in Matthew’s Gospel, “After their audience with the king (Herod) they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother” (Matt. 2:9-11). This overwhelming joy which embraced the Wise Men can be ours!
Like the Wise Men we must persevere in our pursuit of God, not become disheartened. The joy of the Gospel will fill the hearts and lives of all who truly encounter Jesus.
The Baptism of the Lord is the third part of the manifestation. In today’s Gospel, God again shows His face to us. Let’s imagine ourselves on the bank of the River Jordan with other followers who had come to John to be baptized. Out of the crowd gathered there, came a Man from Galilee who also sought to be baptized. John protested vigorously that he, John, should not be the one who was baptizing; rather their roles should be reversed. But Jesus prevailed, and John did as Jesus asked. Then it became evident to all around just who the newly baptized Person actually was.
Luke tells us in his Gospel how God made His presence known: “After…Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (Luke 3:21-22).
The fourth manifestation takes place at the celebration of the marriage at Cana. Jesus, through His miraculous changing of the water into wine, reveals that He truly is God.
Wishing you all the blessings and joys of this holy season. May your families be safe in their travels and your time together be a true blessing. May the Light of the Infant Jesus shine through our lives and manifest itself to all we encounter.
Father Storey