Why did Jesus praise the dishonest steward? (Sunday homily)

 The parable Jesus told is confusing in some ways. 

But here's the key point: 

Jesus is telling us to have the right approach 

to money, and stuff, and material success.

Let's compare the worldly way with God's way:

The worldly way is to use people to gain success and money;

God's way is to use money and position to gain people – 

that is, for the Kingdom.

One of the principles our Church teaches 

in the category of social justice 

is "the universal destination of goods." 

What does that mean?

It means that while we may own this or that thing, 

ultimately, everything belongs to God; 

and God gave everything in Creation for all his children to enjoy.

Think of a family. Mom passes out slices of pizza to everyone. 

He intends everyone to get some. 

What happens when Mom or Dad looks up 

and sees one child has three slices, and two have none?

God doesn't intervene the way my parents, or yours, would. 

But he sees, and he will hold us accountable.

Now, the point is not socialism, 

because that just lets people in government play god, 

and they make a mess of it. 

Rather, the point is that you and I help 

every one of God's children get a fair chance. 

And while my pizza analogy works for a household, 

It doesn’t work for understanding the resources of our world.

Many people mistakenly argue that our world is resource-poor,

and that we have too many people. 

First, it is simply not true that our world is lacking in resources.

This is a good and abundant world. 

It is a worldly way of thinking to say, there are too many people.

God never says that.

Remember the large, hungry crowds following Jesus?

The disciples voiced the worldly mindset when they said, 

“send them away.”

Second, that “too many people” mentality fails to grasp 

that people, themselves, are the greatest resource of all. 

It took human ingenuity to turn mold, that grows on cheese, 

into a revolutionary life-saving medicine: penicillin.

Lots of places in our world are poor, not for lack of resources,

But because of conflict and corruption and roadblocks to opportunity. 

God gave us the gift of human intellect, guided by conscience,

so we can work together to share our abundance 

for the sake of human well-being. 

Let's get back to how we approach our stuff and our plans.

It is good to be a go-getter; and to seek financial security.

But the key question we might ask is...

What is it all for?

What will I do with my success, and whatever stuff I acquire?

What Jesus praised was not the dishonesty of the steward,

But his prudence in using stuff to create relationships, 

For the sake of his future.

And Jesus’ point is this:

What makes sense to do in a worldly way,

Makes even more sense to do in light of eternity.

The crooked steward was thinking about his future. 

What about your eternal future? 

The best use of our stuff, Jesus tells us, 

is to gain people for the Kingdom?

If you have a house, you can welcome people.

If you have a car, you can give rides.

And whatever you have – money, stuff, talent, or time –

you can give it away.

Of course, the most important “thing” to give away is…yourself.

You and I can do a lot of good with stuff; but it is giving ourselves, 

creating relationships, that makes the most difference.

We talk a lot about “stewardship,” but that’s all it really is.

None of our stuff will be with us in heaven.

But we can bring people.

'The answer to darkness is not more darkness' (Holy Cross homily)

 Last weekend and this, I am giving a financial report at all Masses, 

in order to be transparent and accountable.

But the readings and the events of the past week also need attention, 

so I will circle back to that in a moment.

(Here I repeated the financial report from last week; 

I couldn't be present at all eight Masses on one weekend.)

Now, let me pivot to that first reading which is very strange.

Why would God tell Moses to make a bronze serpent?

For that matter, why did God send serpents 

among the people in the first place?

The key is to recall both the serpent in the Garden: 

who was, more than an enemy of God, an enemy of humanity.

But here’s another detail many miss: 

the serpent was also one of the false gods of Egypt.

In short, God was reminding his people of their choice:

Go back to being slaves of evil in Egypt or go forward to a life of faith.

That’s why the serpent was nailed to the pole:

The healing they needed was to cast away the false god.

Destroy it and accept that it was destroyed.

Perhaps you wonder why our Lord Jesus 

would connect that episode to his own saving death on the Cross.

He is telling us that, like the Israelites, 

You and I must crucify all our false hopes and false gods.

And the number one false god each of us worships is ourselves.

Our own greed, lust, wrath and pride.

This past week brought a sad remembrance of 9/11, 

and shocking assassination of a political activist in Utah.

I remember the anger unleashed by those attacks 24 years ago:

I felt it myself at the time!

And there is a rage beginning to boil in our present day.

I’ve seen people say online, we have to “hate” those 

who commit these acts of violence, and those who justify it.

To which I say, I hope you say: 

NO! Nail that hatred to the Cross!

Crucify the false god of wrath and violence.

The answer to darkness is not more darkness.

You and I, as the St. John Paul II Parish Family, 

are called to be joyful Catholics sharing Christ with everyone. 

Our work is never done—and with your engagement and support, 

there is no telling how far we can go.  

Let’s dream big. Let’s do more. And let’s keep building a parish 

that draws others from darkness to the light of Jesus Christ.

Our Lady of Good Hope (Sunday homily)

This weekend, we do something special 

for Our Lady of Good Hope Church. 

We celebrate the patronal feast of this church!

When I arrived, we tried this in January, 

but further research reveals that this title comes from Dijon, France – 

where they have tasty mustard, too! – in the 1000s. 

There’s a great deal more in this weekend’s bulletin.

One detail that jumps out at me 

from the history of the devotion to Our Lady of Good Hope 

is the times when people were facing challenges – 

far worse than any we face. 

They responded by crying out to Mary, 

and through her intercession, they prevailed. 

Moreover, they didn’t just stay inside the church, waiting. 

They took the image of Our Lady to the streets, 

recalling David’s actions in the first reading, 

and how we brought our Lord Jesus to the streets of Miamisburg 

the past three summers.

Also this weekend, I am once again providing you a financial report 

to be transparent and accountable. 

In this weekend’s bulletin, you’ll find a summary 

of the fiscal year that ended June 30, 

as well as the budget for the current fiscal year. 

Our finance committee helps prepare the budgets and track spending. 

Our pastoral council weighs in on major spending decisions and planning. 

Your parish staff and I have been careful stewards 

of what you have entrusted to us. 

And I am grateful for so much commitment and wisdom. 

For all activities last year, we spent about $7 million, 

with almost half of that in Bishop Leibold School. 

Remember, nearly 50% of our income 

also comes from Bishop Leibold tuition. 

The good news is this: together, we are maintaining stability. 

We continue to pay our bills, 

You and I sustain many activities and apostolates, 

and we educate more than 380 students 

in a Christ-centered environment at Bishop Leibold School. 

We have almost as many involved in our Parish School of Religion, 

high school programs and special sacramental preparation. 

Two-thirds of every dollar goes directly to people—

our teachers, our parish staff—and the rest to the programs 

that bring faith alive for parishioners of all ages. 

A year ago, I presented a budget planning to spend about $3.5 million on non-school activities; 

we ended up spending about $3.2 million. 

So, you can see, we are trying to squeeze every dollar! 

For this current year, the budget is virtually flat, 

and even then, there’s a small deficit of $3,000. 

But here is the more important issue: what could we do with more?

One of the great gifts we have in our parish family 

is the staff leadership that helps me not get bogged down, 

so we can all keep a view to the far horizon. 

Dr. Wallace, who served our school so faithfully, 

is now meeting one-on-one with parishioners, listening to your hopes, 

and helping us strengthen the financial future of our parish family. 

I’ve also asked our parish directors: 

if you had more resources, what would you do? 

Their responses are inspiring. 

You’ve heard about them over the last several weeks 

in what we have published in our bulletin. Allow me to highlight a few. 

• Faith Formation: hiring deeply needed staff members 

to support our continuing growth, 

to include adding another night of junior high youth ministry, 

walking more closely with the 40+ adults 

on their way to becoming Catholic and their sponsors, 

and enhancing the skills of our catechetical leaders 

to serve our entire parish family in every season of life.

 

• Outreach & Care: Creating a greater presence in Franklin, 

West Carrollton and Moraine, 

to help meet material and spiritual needs.

• School Ministry: Enhanced technology and classroom support, professional development, 

and competitive salaries to recruit and retain excellent teachers.

This is part of what more looks like. 

This is what your generosity can make possible. 

I said it last year and I will say it again. 

If all we want is a balanced budget, that’s easy: 

we can balance lower, lower, less, less. But don’t we want to do more? 

Reach further? Sow more seeds of faith? Help more in need? 

Change more lives?

In the pews, you’ll find pledge cards, 

which will mark the end of our Open Wide the Doors program for 2025. 

I’m asking you to prayerfully consider three things:

1. Share a prayer request. We will bring your intentions to prayer as priests and deacons.

2. Offer your time. Volunteer opportunities abound, 

and your involvement makes our parish more alive.

3. Increase your offering. If you already give regularly, 

consider an increase. If you don’t yet give regularly,

perhaps today is the day to start—

even a small commitment makes a difference.

Many parishioners find electronic giving 

to be the most reliable and secure option. 

If you’d like help setting that up, our staff is ready to assist you.

You and I, as the St. John Paul II Parish Family, are called to be 

joyful Catholics sharing Christ with everyone we encounter. 

Our work is never done—and with your engagement and support, 

there is no telling how far we can go. 

The name of this church is not, Our Lady of Standing Pat!

Let’s dream big. Let’s do more. And let’s keep building a parish 

that draws others to know Jesus Christ.

Note: I gave this homily also at St. Mary of the Assumption, leaving out the information about the title of "Our Lady of Good Hope," as we only observed that in Our Lady of Good Hope Church.

The best seat in the house (22nd OT Sunday homily)

When we are children, we all have those moments 

when we are trying to get mom or dad’s attention. 

Look, mom! Look! Look! LOOK!!

Of course, our parents want to look and see what we’re doing;

But they might be driving, or fixing dinner, 

or getting other work done, and they can’t always look. 

They might even get irritated.

But let me tell you something, 

and this is true no matter how young, or how old, you are: 

parents never stop wanting to look at their children. Never.

Whenever I have a baptism, afterward, I ask to hold the baby.

You know what happens: if the baby is peaceful and content 

in her mother or father’s embrace, once she’s in my arms, 

she getting agitated and cries. 

Then, when I give the baby back, he’s calm again.

That infant recognizes his parents but doesn’t recognize me.

That connection literally begins with conception, 

and is cultivated in a thousand ways from that point on.

That complex reality of love and trust and interdependence

is absolutely necessary for each of us to be healthy and balanced.

Not just as children but throughout our lives.

On the other hand, some children do not experience this, early in life, 

and that can leave a wound that can take a long time to heal.

All this came to mind because of what happens in the Gospel:

People jostling for the best seats; 

not because they are most comfortable, 

but because they gain the attention of the host.

They want to impress or push some agenda.

But consider: if you have a solid relationship with the host, 

why do you need any of that?

This is the key to true humility: knowing who you are; 

having that peaceful, confident relationship with God.

What passes for humility – downing myself, denying our gifts – 

is actually false humility.

Accepting mistreatment, being a doormat – 

is not only false humility, it is a destructive distortion. 

And so, let me state this clearly:

Never does God expect any of us to endure abuse or degradation!

If you’re being mistreated, at work or at home, that’s never OK.

Get help. Don’t wait. Ask someone you trust. You can talk to me.

True humility comes from having that good relationship with God, 

and therefore, having security and confidence. 

That enables you and me to acknowledge our gifts 

and accept our weaknesses. We know who we are in God.

Then there’s no need to impress anyone.

So, the natural next question is, how do I get to that place?

Just as baptized child needs to be in his or her parents’ arms,

So you and I need to have a strong relationship with God.

Without that, we have a spiritual wound, an insecurity.

We don’t fully know who we are.

That friendship with God requires more than an hour a week.

It needs periodic apologies and patching things up;

In spiritual terms: a regular examination of ourselves,

And frequent use of the sacrament of confession.

And, let me explain something a lot of people miss.

The real success of a fruitful confession is less about 

what happens in the “box,” in the confession room, 

and far more about what happens in the 30 minutes beforehand.

I mean, specifically, the way we examine ourselves spiritually.

There are many guides available, just look online 

for “Catholic examination of conscience.” 

It’s always a series of questions, based on Scripture, 

to help us see what we need to see, and then, confess.

That helps us overcome fear and grow in holiness.

Today is a good day to ask: do I have that friendship with God?

And to do the work to build that friendship.

Then any seat in the house is the best seat.

Many or few? (21st OT Sunday homily)

 Perhaps you have noticed there are times when 

someone asks Jesus something, 

but his response doesn’t really answer the question!

Rather, Jesus answers the question that should have been asked.

So, today, “Someone asked him, Lord, will only a few be saved?”

Pay attention to how Jesus responds.

He refers to a narrow gate—so that sounds like “few,” right?

But, later, he refers to people coming from east and west, 

north and south—that sounds like a lot.

So the question Jesus actually answered was, 

not “how many” are saved; but simply, how to be saved.

And that is by striving to enter the “narrow gate.”

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the gate, 

and whoever enters through Me will be saved.”

So, why is the gate is “narrow”? That sounds bad.

But remember why cities had gates: 

because they also had walls, to keep out threats.

A narrow gate means you can see clearly who comes and goes.

That is perfectly apt for Judgment Day:

no one will slip anonymously into the Kingdom. 

One by one, you and I will meet the gaze of Jesus our King, 

and either he knows us, or not.

A narrow gate doesn’t mean only few enter; 

it means you have to be patient and wait your turn.

It also means that while you might squeeze in,

Nothing you bring with you, will.

Not bad habits and attachments to food or booze or the Internet.

Nor the baggage of unforgiveness and recrimination.

All that must be left outside, or else we are left outside.

Notice also what our Lord said:

“Many will attempt to enter, but won’t be strong enough.”

In fact, none of us is “strong enough”! No one!

You and I have got to drive out of our minds  

every last trace of the idea that anyone 

gets to heaven because we’re good enough!

No one can be “good enough”; no one can be strong enough.

You and I get there by grace, which makes us fit for heaven.

Remember the lost sheep – how did it get back home?

The Lord puts it on his shoulders.

Only Jesus is “strong enough”—and he will carry us through!

Till now, there’s a word I haven’t uttered: hell.

Is hell real? Jesus knows that it is. He talks about it a LOT.

In the Gospel, Jesus says that people will be cast out, 

because he never knew them.

That means there was never a true friendship.

What’s more, when you and I arrive at the narrow gate, 

will we actually be willing to leave behind whatever we brought along? 

People assume that there will always be a chance to repent, later.

But let’s be candid: as the years go by, 

we not only get hardening of arteries;

even more, you and I also get hardening of habits and attitudes.

“Later, later, later” pretty easily turns into “never.”

Assuming you can always repent later is called “presumption.”

And it leads to a hardness of heart.

So, what about hell?

The conclusion I reach is this:

No one is “sent to hell” so much as people turn away from heaven.

We “refuse” heaven by refusing the graces God gives us.

The most dangerous spiritual place to be 

is not being constantly in line for confession, 

having failed over and over, and feeling as weak as a kitten.

No, the dangerous frame of mind is to think, 

I don’t need conversion. I’m just fine.

But the good news, which Jesus puts right in front of us, is:

There is a way to heaven; it’s narrow, but wide enough for two; 

Jesus, carrying you.

This yadid dwelling place (Sunday homily)

 Every year, on or near August 14, you and I have the opportunity 

to recall the consecration of this house of God. 

And, I would say further, that it is also a duty.

Which raises the question: Why? Why do we do this?

First, because of gratitude. It is right to be grateful

that God worked through you, the people of St. Mary, 

to create this place where Jesus dwells with us.

Now, it is painful to say, but: how we miss our beloved former pastor, 

our friend, Father Jim Manning!

I almost said, we wish he were here, but he *is* here.

Holy Mass is where all the faithful are united, 

on earth, in purgatory, and heaven. So, he’s with us.

Just not as we would wish.

If he were speaking to you now, he’d be the first to say:

This anniversary, this church, isn’t about him.

And that’s true. But God works through events, and people.

And we are grateful Father Jim let God work through him.

I haven’t announced this publicly – but I have mentioned it to few – 

so, today I’ll let everyone know something.

Later this year – we haven’t finalized the date –

We’re going to rededicate the Parish Center, downstairs, 

as the “Father James Manning Pastoral Center.”

The same artist who created the beautiful image of Our Lady – 

that hangs in the baptistry – is creating a portrait of Father Jim.

When that is ready, we’ll put it in place downstairs, 

and everyone will be invited to a celebration at that time. 

No date set, but soon!

Now, if our friend Father Jim were sitting here, 

he’d be gesturing to me to stop talking about him!

So, learning from his good example, 

let’s talk about what we heard in the Scriptures.

In the psalm, we prayed, 

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!”

I looked up that word which is translated, “lovely.” 

The root word is “yadid.” And do you know what? 

It’s not about physical beauty.

That is because the “love” involved 

isn’t just affection or even attachment.

“Yadid” is an “intimate, convenantal” relationship. 

Of being “protected” and “cherished.”

God loves us with “yadid” – so much so, he came in the flesh, 

and formed a new and everlasting covenant with us:

That means Jesus, and his death on the Cross, 

and the Holy Mass where his “yadid” love is recalled!

That’s why this church was built. 

That’s why this altar is the center.

That’s why you and I “yearn” to be here!

God’s “yadid” is poured out here.

You and I become His “yadid” – 

that is, His beloved, sealed in a covenant –

And that makes this place “yadid” – lovely!

Of course, it’s about more than a building, but it’s not about less.

Our faith goes beyond this place; 

But this church is an expression of our faith.

And, of our hope.

You would not have contributed and cooperated and sacrificed 

to build this church, if you had no hope!

This sacred place continues a long legacy 

reaching back to our former spiritual home in Franklin. 

The windows and the stations of the cross came from there.

And just as those who built that church could not anticipate 

all the needs of the future, neither can you and I.

We can’t know, but you and I can hope 

that those who planted seeds of faith in Franklin 

are thrilled, as they look on from eternity, 

to see what is coming to fruition in Springboro.

What will future generations do with the legacy we hand on to them?

Right now, the present reality of being Catholic in AD 2025, 

in our country, is that this parish is coming together 

with Saint Henry and Our Lady of Good Hope in shared mission.

Recall, St. Mary was born as a mission of Our Lady of Good Hope.

But even after we are united under the patronage of St. John Paul II,

This church is now called, and will always be called, 

St. Mary of the Assumption Church.

Surely, we’ve all noticed farms around here giving way to homes.

There are going to be a lot of people 

coming to this lovely dwelling place for long years to come!

By the way, that term, “dwelling place,” doesn’t mean a house or home.

It refers to that most sacred place where God chooses to dwell.

So many of the people who helped this building rise 

are sitting right here. You cast your seeds of faith.

You sacrificed. You helped decide, and shape, what would result.

And yet – if you will forgive me – someone else decided, first:

God! God chose to dwell with us.

That not only makes this place beloved – lovely – it also reminds us: 

whatever time brings – and with enough time, it’ll bring everything! – 

you and I will come and go.

This neighborhood, our country, will change.

But God is here. He came to be here. And that will never change.

'From Sodom to heaven' (Sunday homily)

 The title of my homily is, “Six minutes from Sodom to Heaven”:

Some big topics will be dealt with briefly: buckle your seatbelts!

Clearly, I could just avoid the elephant in the first reading.

You and I really need 45 minutes, but I’m only taking six.

So, I will greatly summarize; I can’t say all that is needed.

I’m going to make reference to some delicate topics in a general way.

You may have questions. 

You may wonder how these things apply to you, or someone you know. 

Please don’t hesitate to call or email me.

So, some bullet-points:

- The Church’s teaching on what is right and wrong in matters of chastity, 

including what is appropriate between two men or two women, 

has not changed. 

- This teaching comes from Divine Revelation, both Old and New Testament. 

- What we believe is informed by how God designed human beings, 

male and female, helping us know what is right or wrong.

- Notice: I am talking about chastity in general, which applies to everyone.  

- Despite the slogans we hear, 

“love” means different things in different contexts:

Parents and children; friends; siblings; and mom and dad.

- The specific form of intimacy I’m referring to belongs only in marriage, 

Between male and female, and must always be open to the gift of life.

- Some will say, this is burdensome. But everyone, without exception, 

faces daily challenges cooperating with God’s Plan.

- If your kids ask, “what is chastity,” here’s an answer:

It is the virtue of treating our bodies and our gifts, which God gave us,

with reverence and respect. 

The better you and I learn to say no to our own, “I want it now!” voice,

The better we learn to say yes, very generously, to others.

That’s fundamentally why chastity matters.

- Everyone is called to be a life-giver, throughout our lives.

And that is the thread linking all the readings. 

Jesus highlights how we can be life-givers:

both in ordinary food, and in forgiveness.

To state the obvious: the Christian virtue of chastity can seem strange to some.

It is mocked and demeaned. It is challenging to live out.

Maybe you wonder: Why does God care? 

A lot of folks seem to think that, no, God doesn’t care.

That everything will sort out in the end and everyone’s happy forever.

But if that’s true, God could have told Abraham that – but he didn’t.

Jesus could have told us that – but he didn’t.

The hard truth we learn through life is that our choices matter a great deal.

They shape who we ultimately become.

By our choices – including whether we repent and convert –

either you and I grow into a God-like capacity to give ourselves away, 

or else we narrow ourselves, and even twist ourselves, 

around a counterfeit happiness that can never truly satisfy.

I will be specifically personal here about myself.

My particular shape is not a result of a really bad bee-sting.

I like to eat, more than I should. 

That is a moral failing in me. Gluttony is a sin – not a grace.

Pray for me that I love food less, so that I can love Christ more.

Each of us takes up the Cross, beginning in baptism.

Jesus offers everyone the best of gifts, the Holy Spirit,

who gives us clarity to see, and courage to choose: 

my “no” today opens up to thousand “yesses” in this life, 

and even more, eternal life.

Be like Henry! (Sunday homily)

Today we celebrate the patron of this church, Saint Henry.

That makes today a solemnity for this church!

And that’s why the readings and prayers for this Mass 

are different from what they will be at neighboring churches.

Henry was born in 973; he died on this day, in 1024 – 1,000 years ago.

The Benedictine Order reveres Henry as one of its patron saints.

Henry was taught by a Benedictine, Bishop Wolfgang,

And his wife, Cunigunde, lived in a Benedictine convent 

when she became a widow.

Henry may have felt an attraction to the religious life, 

but his family duties meant he would succeed his father as a Duke, 

and then become King of Germany and the Holy Roman Emperor.

He certainly devoted himself to building up the Church in his realm.

And he gave his support to a reform movement 

that had begun a century earlier 

at a Benedictine monastery in Cluny, France.

It is striking – if you read church history – 

to see how regularly someone was calling for reform.

But, given human nature, this is no surprise.

In each of our own lives, do we not wake up periodically to realize: 

I’ve gotten lazy, I’ve developed bad habits, I’ve let things slip?

Whether it’s John the Baptist, or a Benedict or Catherine of Siena, 

or Pope John XXIII, or the Emperor Henry, 

the Body of Christ on earth continually needs 

those who sound the alarm and call for housecleaning.

This is why our Catholic Faith has always included a focus on penance, 

meaning both including acts of self-denial in our regular routine, 

and of course, observing Lent each year,

and then, regular use of the sacrament of penance.

And that process of reform isn’t only about moral renovation.

Henry reorganized church structures to serve his times.

Our Archdiocese is doing the exact same thing in our time.

In Henry’s situation, they were trying to share the Gospel 

with the Slavic tribes to the east.

In our time, our parish family must go out 

and seek our families and neighbors and re-present Jesus to them.

Another striking detail from those times: it was anything but calm!

There were constant wars and political struggles.

Henry’s father was called “Henry the Quarrelsome”!

One of the wise decisions his father made 

was to entrust Henry to be educated by the bishop Wolfgang, 

who was later recognized as a saint. 

We might notice that not many politicians become saints!

Why did Henry? Maybe because of the seeds of faith planted early.

If you did the math, Henry lived only 51 years on earth – 

fewer years than this parish has been here in South Dayton –

And yet the light of heaven that shined through his life 

reaches forward a thousand years to us and beyond.

Think about that whenever you say, what difference can I make?

So many kings valued their wives solely for giving them heirs.

He and his wife Saint Cunegunda did not conceive any children. 

Other kings would abandon their wives; Henry remained true.

As king, Henry commanded armies and faced wars; 

but he was notable for seeking paths of peace and reconciliation.

There was one neighboring King who Henry would make peace with – 

then war would break out again, then peace, then war – 

It took a lot of patience before peace finally took hold.

Where did Henry learn these things? 

Was it when he got together with other kings and dukes?

Or was it when he attended Mass, 

or in the habit of prayer that he learned as a youth?

Perhaps as he and his beloved wife contemplated 

how to make a difference for eternity?

Again, it’s all about what you and I make a priority.

We always find time for what matters most. 

As St. Henry Parish comes together with Our Lady of Good Hope 

and St. Mary, as we work together, as we build together,

you and I can be just like Henry, as we:

Share our gifts with our community, not hesitantly, but confidently;

Be messengers of reconciliation, even repeatedly;

Don’t be discouraged as we plant seeds of faith; 

they will sprout, even if it takes a thousand years!

Love our country like Isaiah (Sunday homily)

Friday we celebrated our nation’s birthday: 

Almost 250 years of independence! 

I’ve seen news items recently claiming many Americans, 

including many younger Americans, don’t feel great patriotism.

I don’t know if that is true, 

but I will take this moment to say a few things about patriotism.

Loving our country is good and right.

The Fourth Commandment calls us to honor our father and mother;

That extends to all in authority and all who give us life.

In the Roman way of thinking, patriotism was a form of “pietas”;

We get our word “piety” from that. In Roman thinking,

It was about the devotion and obligation we owe:

To family, to our country, and above all, God.

You and I enjoy such remarkable advantages, 

that most people who ever existed, 

and most people alive today, do not have.

Maybe you don’t like our elected officials.

You have the freedom to say that in public.

You get to protest and organize and vote them out.

No, our nation isn’t perfect. 

As Catholics, we experienced prejudice in this country at times.

However, we’ve never enjoyed this level of freedom anywhere else.

Yes, our society is materialistic, and that’s bad.

But consider this. In 1900, 60% of the world’s population 

was in extreme poverty. Today, that number is 10%.

That’s huge progress. And our nation played a big role.

A lot of complaints people have 

come from misunderstanding our Constitution.

Someone says, why’d she get to say that? It’s called free speech.

Why didn’t they send that person to jail? 

Because a jury found him not guilty. It’s called due process.

Our Founding Fathers gave us the Constitution they did 

because they knew that without certain limits and protections, 

people could get run over.

And one of the best things they did was to give us  

the power to change our system of government.

Over the years, “we the people” have made a more perfect union.

That’s a lot to be grateful for.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah loves his country, too. 

God’s People were in deep trouble, in every way. 

Isaiah sees a better future, when God’s people 

would be secure, as in the arms of their mother.

Yet not only Israel, but all nations would be secure in, 

and draw life from, the City of God. 

Isaiah was the voice of conscience in his time.

That responsibility falls to you and me, 

especially given our freedoms and advantages! 

We might notice what Jesus told the 70 disciples.

Stay focused, don’t get distracted along the way. 

Don’t worry too much about what stuff you bring along; 

make sure you bring a peaceful spirit. 

If you find yourself getting worked up, stop and get prayed up.

One way to keep our focus is frequent trips to confession. 

When we feel anger, or worry, or we get off track, 

a good confession helps get our priorities back in order. 

In the second reading, Saint Paul said, 

“the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” 

He’s not saying, I don’t care. He’s not giving up, either.

He’s doing what Jesus did on the Cross:

Giving it all to the Father.

It was when our Lord was seemingly most powerless – on the Cross – 

that he poured out his grace on the world most abundantly.

There is a lot of anger and ugliness in politics.

Our right answer isn’t to turn away, but to bring a peaceful spirit.

Speak out; vote, get involved.

But do so with the grace and power of Jesus Christ.