Humility. Annunciation, August 27 (2025-08-31)

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2025-08-31, 22^nd Sunday  ●● Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29, ●● Psalm 68 ●● Hebrews 12:18-19, 22;24a ●● Luke 14:1, 7-14

1. Gospel to homily

After the Gospel is read at Mass, the priest or deacon prays silently: “Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.”  It’s a reminder that these words are not just stories from long ago. They are alive, meant to wake us up, to cleanse us, to draw us closer to Christ and to remind us of being humble listeners.

And in Gospel we hear Jesus’ words: “Stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

 2. The Wake-Up Call

We all know how hard it can be to wake up in the morning. The alarm rings, but we’re tired, overwhelmed, wishing the day could wait.

Jesus speaks right into that feeling: “Stay awake.” He doesn’t say this to frighten us. He says it as a gentle reminder: Live each day as a gift. Don’t postpone love. Be ready—because every day is a chance to meet Him.

 

3. Humility Before God and One Another

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus also tells us: “When you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place.”

 

This is His way of teaching humility. Not false humility that puts us down, but true humility—remembering who we are before God: His children, completely dependent on His mercy.

 

Saint John Chrysostom said: “Look not at the place of honor, but at the need of the other.” This is humility: being awake to those around us, especially those who suffer.

 

4. A Community in Grief

And this week, suffering is not far away. Our hearts are heavy with grief after the tragic shooting at Annunciation School in Minneapolis.

Children, teachers, and families—our brothers and sisters in faith—have endured what no community should ever have to face.

There are no easy words when parents grieve their children, when the young carry wounds in body and spirit, when a school filled with life and learning is shaken by violence.

In moments like this, humility simply means kneeling before God together. We do not pretend to have all the answers. Instead, we weep with those who weep, we pray for those who have died, and we hold close those who are injured or afraid.

 

5. God’s Presence in Our Sorrow

Naturally, logically, we ask also how could such evil be permitted – allowed – by God?

Saint Augustine once said that evil is not a thing God created—it is the absence of the good that should be there. Violence, hatred, cruelty—these are not of God.

 

But even in such darkness, God does not abandon His children. Christ Himself took the lowest place—on the Cross. And from that place of suffering, He showed us that love is stronger than death.

 

Here is where Augustine’s reflection on love helps us. Parents don’t love their children because of what they accomplish or produce. A child is loved simply because they are. Their very existence is a gift.

 

That is why parents who lose a child grieve not only the present, but also the future—the birthdays never celebrated, the graduations never reached, the life they had only begun to know. It feels like not just one story, but an unfinished story, has been torn away.

 

And yet—this fierce love of a parent for a child points us to God’s love for us. God loves us, not for our achievements, but simply because we are His. In that love, He holds close the children taken too soon, and He does not let them go.

 

6. Living Humility and Hope

So how do we move forward in faith? Jesus gives us a path:

1. Take the lower seat. In humility, admit our need for God, and let Him be the one to lift us up.

2. Serve the hurting. Like the banquet host who welcomed the poor and the blind, we are called to stand with the grieving, the wounded, the forgotten.

3. Stay awake in prayer. Every time we pray for the dead and the injured, we are awake to God’s love, even in a broken world.

7. Closing Consolation

Jesus assures us: *“Blessed is the servant whom the master finds faithful when he comes”* (Matt 24:46). And again: *“All who humble themselves will be exalted”* (Luke 14:11).

 

That is our hope. Humility and faithfulness open our hearts to the God who heals, who lifts up the lowly, and who promises that death does not have the last word.

 So today, as we remember the victims and families of Annunciation School, let us entrust them to the God of mercy. And let us also ask for the grace to live humbly and lovingly, awake to His presence.

8. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, You are close to the brokenhearted.  Receive into Your arms the children and adults who died.

Bring healing to the injured, and comfort to parents, families, and teachers who mourn.  

Grant us the humility to take the lowest seat, the vigilance to stay awake in faith, and the grace to serve one another with love.

May Your peace, which the world cannot give, guard our hearts today and always. Amen.

Fire (2025-08-17, Sunday-20)

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Homily 2025-08-17, 20^th Sunday ●● Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10    ●●      ●●    Psalm 40 ●● Hebrews 12:1-4●● + Luke 12:49-53 ●●

Is there not something surprising -  shocking - in Jesus’ words today: *“I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already blazing. Do you think I have come to bring peace? No, but rather division.”*

At first this shakes us up. Isn’t Jesus a “nice guy”, or officially à Prince of Peace? Lamb of God? Isn’t he supposed to bring harmony, not division? The answer lies in what he means by this “fire.”

The Fire of God’s Spirit

Pope Francis once described this fire as the Spirit of God, burning with power to purify and transform. Pope Benedict pointed to the burning bush Moses saw: aflame, yet not consumed (Book of Exodus). God’s fire is not destructive but cleansing: it burns away what is false so that what is true can shine.

          The early Church Fathers saw in this fire God’s judgment and transformative power. And we see it most clearly in the Paschal Mystery: Christ’s death and resurrection, where the fire of self-giving love conquers sin and death forever.

This is no cozy campfire. It is like a refiner’s fire for precious metals, burning away selfishness, pride, and sin, until only what is pure remains for God.

 

Why Does Fire Divide?

If God’s fire is so good, why does it bring division? Because when we accept Christ without compromise, it sometimes clashes with the values of the world — even within our own families.

Jesus says, *“From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.”* Faithful discipleship can strain relationships: who makes Sunday worship a priority, how children are raised, how we forgive, how we show mercy.

The challenge is personal, too. Following Jesus means asking ourselves: *What do I really believe? Who do I really trust?* (cf. Jer 17:7).

 

Modern Witness: Dr. George Lombardi

Jesus warns us that following him may mean standing apart, even alone. That is not just ancient history — it happens today.

Years ago, Dr. George Lombardi, a young infectious disease doctor in New York, was suddenly summoned to India to care for Mother Teresa, gravely ill at the time. Prestigious doctors believed she had malaria, but Lombardi was convinced the real problem was her failing pacemaker.

The disagreement was sharp; some doctors walked away, leaving him under enormous pressure. Mother Teresa herself cautioned him not to alienate her local physicians. Yet Lombardi acted on his conviction, replacing the pacemaker — and he was right. Mother Teresa survived and lived 8 more years.

Afterward, Lombardi became a physician to her Missionaries of Charity whenever they came to New York.

What sustained him was love: devotion to his patient and selfless concern that cut through pride and fear. He also remembered turning on the TV at night in his hotel room—only to find that he himself was the evening news, under global scrutiny.

That is the fire Jesus speaks of: a love that puts the other first, even when it costs something, even when it means standing alone.

Choosing Christ’s Fire in Daily Life

We may not face the global scrutiny of TV cameras, but all of us know the weight of division or pressure — at home, at work, in our community. The Gospel calls us not to win arguments, but to serve the person in front of us.

Often this looks very ordinary: preparing a meal, caring for a neighbor, doing chores not just to “get them done” but out of love. That is discipleship in small things.

Jesus never said following him was about “being nice.” He said it meant letting the Spirit’s fire burn away fear, pride, and resentment. Sometimes that means hard choices others don’t understand — choosing truth, mercy, or fidelity in a culture that prefers compromise.

True discipleship is courage when it would be easier to shrink back. It is patience to forgive when it would be easier to stay angry (cf. Col 3:13). It is humility to let the Spirit give us words when we don’t know what to say (cf. Lk 12:12).

 

A Further Challenge: The Purity of Heaven

But there is also a further challenge. Revelation tells us: *“Nothing unclean shall enter \[heaven]”* (Rev 21:27). The New Jerusalem, the holy city, will be a place of perfect purity, where no sin or evil can enter.

Each time we kneel in the confessional and say, Bless me Father, for I have sinned, we invite the fire of Christ to burn away what is unclean. Repentance, conversion, and sacramental forgiveness make us ready for heaven.

That reminds us that the fire of Christ is not only for courage in this world — it is also to prepare us for eternal life. If God’s Kingdom is a place of holiness, then we are called even now to let go of what defiles: impurity, resentment, vengeance, and sin.

Each time we pray, *“forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,”* we invite God’s fire to purify us, so that we may be made ready for heaven.

Conclusion    Jesus longs for this fire to be blazing. It is already lit in the hearts of the saints, and in the hearts of ordinary disciples like you and me. Our task is to keep it burning.

So this week, let’s ask:

Where do I need Christ’s fire to burn away fear or selfishness?

Where do I need courage to stand for truth, even if it causes division?

Who do I need to forgive, so that God’s Spirit can move more freely in my heart?

This fire is meant to spread, like a holy wildfire. May Christ’s Spirit consume us so completely that -- when you - or someone on your own journey - is in a dark place ---   God’s brightness and light may shine.

[Click here for 17 minute video of Dr. Lombardi telling of his 10 days in India].

Assumption (2015-08-15)

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 Homily for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—a dogma of our Catholic faith: that at the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken, body and soul, into heaven.

 Our Orthodox brothers and sisters observe this same mystery on August 15 but call it the *Dormition of Mary*. “Dormition” comes from the Latin and Romance languages meaning “to fall asleep.” They describe Mary’s passing as falling asleep in the Lord.

 

Whether we speak of Assumption or Dormition, the truth is the same: Mary now dwells fully with her Son. As Jesus promised in the Gospel of John, *“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places… I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, you also may be.”*

 

This is not about some great celestial dormitory in the clouds. Heaven is not primarily a place—it is a relationship with God. In Scripture, when Mary and Joseph searched for a room at the inn in Bethlehem before Jesus was born, they were not seeking just a physical space, but a place where God’s promise could enter human life. The Assumption reminds us: our destiny is not to float away into the clouds, but to live forever in communion with God—a communion that can begin even now.

 

### Body and Soul: A Unity

Pope Benedict XVI offered a touching reflection on death. Many of us were taught that death happens when the soul leaves the body—as though the soul is a child rushing out of a classroom, eager for freedom. But Benedict reverses the image: it is not the soul fleeing the body; rather, it is the body that can no longer sustain the soul. The soul, still living, must move on.

 

This perspective reminds us that from our conception, God has given us a unity of body and soul that is never meant to be fragmented. In this life, the body may grow weak, but the soul remains alive—awaiting reunion with the body in the resurrection at the end of time.

 

### True Health and Wholeness

We often measure well-being by physical traits: our appearance, our sleep patterns, diet, exercise, and medicine. These matter, but they are not the deepest measure. We are made whole by love, forgiveness, and virtue—by refusing to treat others as objects, by seeking and granting forgiveness, by giving and receiving love. These choices shape our true health far more than any medical chart can record, and they prepare us for eternal life.

 

### A Glimpse of the End

The circumstances of our earthly death will be different for each of us—different ages, conditions, and health profiles. Sometimes, even in weakness, God grants flashes of clarity.

 

I saw this in a recent conversation with my mother. She has trouble remembering certain things, yet the other day I told her, “Today would have been Grandpa’s birthday. He would be 119.” Without missing a beat, she said, “That’s old.” I reminded her he lived to be 101, and instantly she replied, “So he’s been dead 18 years.” She did the math perfectly—without a calculator. Even with memory struggles, she grasped the moment.

 

We all hope for a long, fruitful life, perhaps to see our children’s children. But whether long or short, our lives end in one great meeting with God—the final judgment.

### The Transformative Nature of Death

 

Pope Benedict XVI wrote that death is a breaking—not to destroy us, but to form something new. It is like a cocoon breaking so a butterfly can emerge. For Christians, life is not a march toward death, but a daily rising toward new life.

 

Our humiliations, difficulties, and rejections—if endured in Christ—become steps toward transformation. Even the good things we achieve are meant to be offered back to God as part of our preparation for eternity.

 

Even the saints struggled to embrace this. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, though holy and close to death, once said, “Never will I learn to die.” And Jesus Himself, in His Passion, prayed, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will but yours be done.” In His humanity, He faced death with both fear and trust.

 

### Mary’s Witness

In the Assumption, Mary shows us what awaits those who love God. She is the first to share fully in her Son’s victory over death, body and soul united forever in His presence. Her destiny is our hope.

 

And so today we ask:

• How can we see both our humiliations and our victories as part of rising to new life?

• How can we live now in a way that honors the unity of body and soul?

• How can Mary’s Assumption draw us closer to her Son, who desires us to be where He is?

 

Our Lady of the Assumption, pray for us—now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Mobility, Humility, Fidelity (2025-08-10, 19th Sunday)

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 Homily 2025-08-10, 19^th Sunday ●● Wisdom 18:6-9 ●●Psalm 33 ●● Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19  ●● Luke 12:32-48 ●●

 Mobility, Humility, Fidelity – The Habits of Readiness

In today's Gospel, our Lord describes what it means to be entrusted with something.

          Our Lord also describes and prescribes the habits and mindset required to be part of His kingdom—His community, His Church. I believe these 3 habits, which I call mobility, humility, and fidelity, are not just ideals for “church/religion”  and heaven someday, but the pattern for living the best life we can *right now*.

These are the qualities that shape strong families, healthy communities, and faithful disciples. I’ve been blessed to learn them from leaders, teachers, --and from you, our parishioners, and other priests—and I’ll admit, I’m still learning how to live them fully myself.

And they’re not just for those with titles or offices. Every one of you is a leader in some way—in your home, your workplace, your friendships, and here in our parish.

The Call to “Lead Up"

One thing I hope we never lose at Lourdes is the ability to “lead up”, to exercise leadership from every level upward. Leadership isn't just a top down endeavor.

[[ And of course, you know this and young people know this very well  à that we don't trust leaders just because they have a title, just because they have an office or just because they dress a certain way, we trust them because of their authenticity and their integrity. ]]

Leadership also happens when people share information, ideas, and needs with those entrusted with guiding the community.

Early in my priesthood, a generous donor approached me, wanting to help a needy family in the parish. I didn’t know who to connect him with until a trusted parishioner pointed me in the right direction. That family received help—but it only happened because I, the leader, was also willing to be led in a particular direction.

That’s part of the picture Jesus paints in His parable: a master returns from a wedding and does the unexpected—He serves His servants. True leadership in God’s kingdom doesn’t cling to power; it moves quickly to act, to serve, and to care. That brings us to the first habit.

 

1. Mobility – Being Ready to Respond

Jesus tells us to be like servants who await their master’s return—alert, awake, ready to move.

A prominent YouTube podcaster and Pastor Craig Groeschel once described this in practical terms: *be a no-snooze person.* A University of Notre Dame study found that 57% of people hit the snooze. I am often among the 57% who hit the snooze.

But, you don't need a university study to know that if you wake up just one hour earlier each day for a year, you gain 365 extra hours—about 15 full days of additional time. Think of what you could do with that: 15 more days of prayer, more rest, more service. 15 more vacation days!

St. Josemaría Escrivá called this “the heroic minute”—getting up right away and beginning the day with purpose. In Gethsemane, Jesus urged His disciples not to fall asleep but to watch and pray.

I recognize that not everyone is a morning person, yet being intentional early in the day can help to shape our day, week, and life. (Jesus also woke up his disciples from actual sleep in the Garden of Gethsemane at his Passion!)

Mobility means readiness: in our spiritual lives, our family responsibilities, and our service to others. It’s the ability to move when the call comes, not later, not when it’s convenient.

And mobility naturally leads to the second habit—because if we are ready to act, we must also be ready to act for the sake of others.

 

2. Humility – Putting Others First

Humility isn’t just avoiding self-praise. It’s choosing, in big and small ways, to place someone else before ourselves.

[[What is “being humble”? Well, humility does involve, for example, not boasting about our accomplishments. Sense. But humility is not just something we practice to gain popularity so that people will not know about our accomplishments. Humility is about serving others. ]]

Think of the ritual of the sacrament of baptism. The very first question asked of the parents is not, “Do you believe in God?” but, “What name do you give your child?” Even before declaring their own faith, the parents name the child—putting that new life first, by name.

Leadership of any kind—whether you are a parent, a spouse, a teacher, or a volunteer—always tempts us to make things revolve around ourselves. I know I can fall into that trap.

 

 

[[We tend to make things revolve around ourselves. The trajectory of leadership is me.  All roads lead to me, not to Rome. I've experienced this myself, but Jesus shows us another way. ]]

In the parable, the master himself serves his servants. In the Gospel, the Son of God kneels to wash His disciples’ feet.

Humility is not weakness. It’s strength directed toward someone else’s good. And humility prepares the ground for the third habit—because to keep putting others first, we need staying power.

 

3. Fidelity – Staying Faithful Through Failure

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “God does not call us to be successful; He calls us to be faithful.”

Fidelity means staying committed to what is right—even when the results are invisible, even when we stumble along the way. In fact, failure is not the enemy of fidelity. Failure is the friend of fidelity.  Failure means we are trying, risking, and growing - and encouraging others to do the same.

 

[[The Divine Mercy Prayer reflects this. Have mercy on us and on the whole world. Have mercy on my trespasses. Have mercy on the trespasses against me.]]

 

Some of my greatest gratitude is for mentors who gave me room to make mistakes, but also the encouragement to try again. Each of us is a work in progress in God’s hands. Fidelity keeps us showing up, day after day, even when we’re tired, even when the fruit isn’t obvious.

Bringing It Together

Mobility keeps us alert and ready. Humility ensures we move for the sake of others, not just ourselves. Fidelity keeps us moving and serving even when the road is hard.

This is what the Master in the Gospel models: He returns unexpectedly, not to be served, but to serve. This is what our parish can model for the world—a place where people respond quickly to God’s call, put others first, and keep showing up in faith.

My hope and prayer is that Our Lady of Lourdes will be this type of community:

·       Where we respond without delay when God prompts us.

 

·       Where we choose the good of another over our own comfort.

·       Where we remain faithful, knowing God’s plan for us is merciful and good.

 

That plan includes FIDELITY.

It is a profession of in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

END OF HOMILY

Greed (2025-08-03, Sunday-18)

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Homily 2025-08-03, 18^th Sunday ●● Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23 ●●Psalm 90 ●● Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 ●● Luke 12:13-21 ●●

Theme: Spiritual Inheritance and True Wealth

 [_01_] Decluttering and the Gospel

Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant, author, and TV personality, best known for popularizing the KonMari Method of tidying or “de-cluttering”

Her approach emphasizes keeping only items that "spark joy" and discarding the rest, leading to a more organized and fulfilling life. She's known for her calm demeanor, practical advice, and the transformative power of tidying.

 In today’s readings, both Jesus and St. Paul challenge us to “declutter” our spiritual lives. St. Paul tells us: *“Seek what is above, not what is on earth.”* Jesus warns: “Take care to guard against all greed, for life does not consist in possessions.” In other words, what truly matters is not what we store up—but what we live for.

 Remember the 1987 movie “Wall Street”?

The movie Wall Street features Gordon Gekko (played by Michael Douglas) arguing that "greed, for lack of a better word, is good," presenting it as the driving force of human progress and a tool for liberation. In his speech to stockholders, he asserts that greed clarifies, captures the evolutionary spirit, and will "save the malfunctioning corporation called the USA". The scene is famous for its persuasive and almost dangerously confident delivery by Gekko, ending with the stockholders applauding the very concept of greed. (Reference: SlashFilm)

But, greed is not good. For Gordon Gekko, greed was his god!

          We can all be too attached to material things. Here is an example.

 [_02_]  A Car, a Choice, and a Lesson

A few years ago, I realized my car—15 years old, over 170,000 miles—needed either a big repair or to be replaced. It had served me well. When I asked the dealer about a trade-in, they offered me just $300. Worse, they told me it would go straight to a junkyard. That didn’t sit right. I knew the car had some life left in it.

 

So I reached out to the Archdiocese and Catholic Charities, and I was connected with a family who needed a vehicle.  My contact here was Cheryl Riley who is also director of Respect Life and Mercy House.

 

Cheryl Riley knew a family – parents and children in serious need of car Cheryl had already helped them get off the street and into housing.

 

We began the process of transferring ownership—but it wasn’t simple. They needed to get insurance, registration, everything in place. It took weeks. And in that time, I’ll admit: I started getting attached again. I liked the idea of having two cars. It felt comfortable. Secure.

 

But I knew I didn’t need two cars. I was being pulled toward comfort instead of generosity.

 

Marie Kondo says: *“Before letting go of something, say thank you.”* That struck me. I needed to thank the car—not just let go of it. Or in the words of Scripture: *“In all things, give thanks.”* Even for what we no longer have. Even for what we give away.

 

When the family finally came to pick it up, in the driveway right outside the church, I am glad I watched them carefully.

They immediately opened the back doors on “my” 4 door car and  installed two child seats. That moment reminded me the car was no longer mine.

And, I was glad about this!
The car that had once served me was now going to serve them. I could finally say goodbye. It wasn’t just about a vehicle—it was about detachment, and making room for someone else’s joy.

 

 [3] Conversion: A Change in Three Directions

The Catechism teaches that conversion  is not just a one-time moment—it’s a change in relationship:

·       a change in relation to ourselves,

·       a change in relation to God,

·       and a change in relation to others.

 

And we can practice that change through 3 spiritual disciplines: fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. These are not just Lenten practices—they are year-round ways of spiritual decluttering.

 

 [4] Fasting: Detaching from the Self

Fasting isn’t just about food. It’s about training our desires—learning not to be ruled by our appetites. That might be food, but it might also be our phones, entertainment, or even the desire for comfort—like keeping an extra car I didn’t need.

Traditionally, Catholics abstained from meat every Friday of the year—not just during Lent. Even though the requirement has changed, the invitation to make every Friday a small sacrifice remains. Skip a meal. Pass on dessert. Pray instead of scroll. Do something to remind your body that your soul is in charge.

 

Fasting helps us reorder our lives. It’s a way to say: I don’t need to hold on to everything.

 

Fasting is about giving up something good – such as choosing not to talk or to say too much. Talking is good, but the silence of fasting can help us to be in touch with who and what really matters.

 

[5] Prayer: Realigning with God

 

Prayer is our way of turning back to God. It’s how we quiet the noise and listen. Even five minutes a day—morning or night—can reshape your week.

Turn off the phone. Find a quiet space. Speak to God, and listen for His voice. Prayer doesn’t always change our circumstances—but it always changes us. It reminds us what matters, and who we are.

 [6] Almsgiving: Seeing the Other

 

Almsgiving – charitable giving - is more than giving money. It means giving attention, dignity, love. It’s seeing the people others ignore. Is there someone in your life—at work, school, or even in your home—who feels unseen? Learn their name. Make eye contact. Give your presence.

 

Giving your heart, your time, and your attention to others is how we invest in what matters to God. Generosity is a form of spiritual wealth.

 

[7] Where Is Your Treasure?

 

Jesus tells us: *“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be.”*

So where is your treasure? Is it in your reputation? Your possessions? Your achievements? For a few weeks, mine was in an old car—and I had to let it go.

We are not meant to store up treasures that rust and fade. We are heirs of something far greater. As Paul says, “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

 

 Our true inheritance is not in portfolios or property. It’s in the love of Christ, who gave everything for us—and invites us to live not just for today, but for eternity.

 So this week, fast. Pray. Give. Practice letting go.

 When you look at your own prized possessions, remember that one day they will belong to someone else. I am called to do the same.

 What we give away with love never really leaves us. It becomes treasure stored in heaven.

[_end_]