Easter homily - "Desperate for the Resurrection"

When early Christians greeted each other on Easter Sunday, one said to another (in whatever language), “Christ is risen!”  The other would reply, “He is risen indeed!”  I have done this every year that I’ve been here, and joked about greeting each other on campus like that.  But, people have done that!  I have been greeted that way by you, and I’ve heard that you’ve greeted each other like that. Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!

About 30 of us watched the movie, “The Passion of the Christ” on Friday night.  It is incredible.  I was reading the other day that a movie and book have come out on the miracles from “The Passion”.  The producer of each says there are more than 70,000 stories of miracles and conversions from that movie.  One involves a murderer who turned himself in after watching “The Passion”.  It was obviously a fruitful production. It’s accurate and powerful….very powerful.  It’s tough to watch, of course, because you walk with the Lord every step through his passion and death. 

If we walk with the Lord, the passion is brutal, but the Resurrection is so sweet.  Think about his experience in coming back to life.  His body died, and his soul left his body.  We say in the Apostles Creed that He “descended into hell”; he spent three days freeing the good men and women from the Old Testament to Heaven.  His soul then returned to His body, and His body is alive again.  Just about all of the marks from His Passion are gone.  His tortured body is now pristine and glorious.  He has triumphed over His enemies…his wounds…sin…and death.  As much as we agonized over Christ’s crucified body, we rejoice even more in his risen body! 

We can have a resurrection experience in this life.  It’s different from Christ’s in that it involves death and rising of His body.  Ours would be death and coming back to life of our soul.  Souls are immortal, so they don’t die forever.  But, they can die to sin.  There can be a lack of life…a lack of anything good.  The person whose soul is in this state of mortal sin and goes to Confession, walks out of the confessional like Christ walked out of the tomb.  They are risen!  Or, maybe someone whose faith seems dead…someone who is just going through the motions…someone who doesn’t get anything out of Mass or prayer…and then have an Epiphany or “ah ha” moment…a grace-filled experience that breathes life into their souls.  They rise up in faith!    

Eight GW students became Catholic last night at the Easter Vigil.  Today’s Washington Post has a story about the record number of adults becoming Catholic in the Archdiocese of Washington this year.  Over 1,300 came into the Church last night in our area! They are the faces of new life in Christ through Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist.  Their old selves have died; the new selves live.

Our community in general is desperate for this Resurrection experience…desperate for Easter and Spring after a long winter and semester…after a long, long month filled with tragedies on campus.  We had a memorial Mass at Newman last week for one of the students who died recently. More than 100 people jammed our chapel to pray together and remember Carlos Pacanins.  Dozens of his family and friends spoke at the end with stories, memories, and reflections.  So many of them – almost all of them – spoke of Carlos as if He is in Heaven or on the way.  They spoke of his Resurrection! 

Finally, we could say (but won’t) at every Consecration at Mass when the priest holds up the Host and Chalice, “He is risen!  He is risen indeed!”  The Eucharist is the Risen Body and Blood of Christ.  At that moment, we are supposed to whisper what St. Thomas said, “my Lord and my God”.  It is truly Him and He is truly risen.  That’s our man.  That’s our God .  That’s Him who created you and saved you.  That’s Him who loves you and sees you as good.  You are good and you are loved. 

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!

 

 

Easter Masses tonight, 7:30 and 10

Happy Easter!! Christ is risen! 


Masses tonight at 7:30 and 10 pm (NO 5:30)
St. Stephen's Church
2436 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Wash, DC, 20037

Good Friday confessions, 12 noon - 6 pm, GW Newman Center

 

2210 F St, NW, 1st floor parlor

 

 

“The Sacred Triduum- the three holy days"

As we enter into the Easter Triduum, the following is a deep and rich meditation for Holy Thursday (cf. Lk 22:14-20) from “The King, Crucified and Risen” by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.:


“The Sacred Triduum – the three holy days (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) – opens with joy and sorrow, love and betrayal, life and death, the promise of eternity and a feeling of impending death at the Last Supper. This is the great day of paradox – that is, apparent contradictions mysteriously containing truth. For example, we call this Passover meal the Last Supper. But these simple events are the beginning of billions of commemorations in Eucharistic liturgies. Could anyone there have imagined Bach’s Mass in B minor, or a Mass performed by native Africans singing an accompaniment to the renewal of the Last Supper?

It’s a very sorrowful meal. Christ promises the Eucharist, which has been the greatest single source of spiritual joy and consolation that the Christian world has ever known. Christ leaves the supper to be arrested; within eighteen terrible hours He will be tortured to death, and yet He tells us that He will be with us till the end of the world. The most significant sign of His presence is the bread and wine consecrated and transformed at the re-presentation of this holy meal.

During the past several days we have been meditating on some of His discourse to the apostles in John’s Gospel. If you have been reading along, you realize that these pages, including John chapters 5 and 6 and chapters 13-17 (called the Book of Glory), contain the most profound revelation of who Jesus Christ is and what He can be to those who seek to love Him.

Try to take some time during the Holy Triduum to read and meditate on these events. Although they happened so long ago, they are repeated over and over till the end of the world.

Any thinking Christian knows that Christ is betrayed, abandoned, humiliated, and suffers hunger and thirst constantly in his members. ‘I was hungry and you gave me no food’ (Mt 25:42). He is constantly on trial somewhere in the world, and He is left alone in our own neighborhoods in the sick and the dying.

The events of Holy Thursday are almost all incomplete realities. They look forward to what is to come for their completion. The very next day the Blood of the Eucharist must be shed and the Body must be broken. But even then, what do we see but the corpse of an atrociously abused man, like the image seen on the Shroud of Turin? We must keep going so that the Eucharist is not a funeral procession and the life of Christ is not just another noble failure. He lives! On the third day He comes back to life, never to die again. ‘I am with you always, to the close of the age’ (Mt 28:20).

There is so much in the Last Supper, and then there is the agony in the garden and the arrest of Jesus. Start anywhere prayerfully and thoughtfully, and you will walk into the vast tunnels of a gold mine. The events of these days can teach us every year and, in fact, every day of every year, because they come back to us not only in our memories but also in the sacramental reality of the daily Eucharist.

Is there one word that can sum up Christ’s deeds and our response as disciples? Obviously the word is love. It begins the account of the Last Supper in John 13:1: ‘Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.’

The Gospel is above all a story of love, and love should be our response. St. Paul, who was called after all these things came to pass, summed it up so well in words that should guide our minds and hearts: ‘The charity of Christ urges us on’ (2 Cor 5:14).”

"6 Times Stephen Colbert Got Serious About Faith"

From www.relevantmagazine.com:


Next year, when David Letterman signs off as host of The Late Show for the last time, Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert will take over, positioning himself as the new face of CBS late night.
Though he’s made a name for himself by creating an over-the-top persona satirizing the hyper-conservative on The Colbert Report, the real Stephen Colbert—the one headed to CBS—is very different from the character he’s created. When he’s not in front of the camera, Colbert is frequently teaching Sunday school, attending mass or spending time with his family, who are all devout Catholics. Here are six times the funnyman got serious about one of his favorite topics: faith.

The Time He Talked about Faith and Tragedy with The New York Times

Back in 2012, The New York Times profiled Colbert, who reveal details about the man behind the persona.

At one point in the interview, Colbert talked about the experience of losing both his father and two brothers in a plane crash when he was just 8 years old. Colbert said it was the example of his mother’s faith that has helped him process the tragedy: “She taught me to be grateful for my life regardless of what that entailed, and that’s directly related to the image of Christ on the Cross and the example of sacrifice that He gave us. What she taught me is that the deliverance God offers you from pain is not no pain—it’s that the pain is actually a gift. What’s the option? God doesn’t really give you another choice.”
 

The Time He Explained Hell on NPR

When Colbert was a guest on NPR’s Fresh Air, host Terry Gross asked how Stephen Colbert—the real, religious father, not the persona—explained complicated issues like God and hell to his own children. And though not all Christians may agree with his personal interpretation of what hell looks like, his thoughtful response is a reflection of someone who has genuinely wrestled with big ideas surrounding faith: “I think the answer, ‘God is love’ is pretty good for a child. Because children understand love … My son asked me one day, ‘Dad, what’s hell?’ … So, I said, ‘Well, if God is love, then hell is the absence of God’s love. And, can you imagine how great it is to be loved? Can you imagine how great it is to be loved fully? To be loved totally? To be loved, you know, beyond your ability to imagine? And imagine if you knew that was a possibility, and then that was taken from you, and you knew that you would never be loved. Well that’s hell—to be alone, and know what you’ve lost.’”

The Time He Embarrassed a Guy that Suggested God Caused Evil

Poor Philip Zimbardo. When the Stanford professor appeared on The Colbert Report in 2008 to promote his book The Lucifer Effect, he clearly didn’t know what he was in for. Despite a jab at Dr. Zimbardo’s villainous facial hair, the interview—which focused on a behavioral experiment that the book is based on—started out civil enough. Then at the 3:30 mark (warning, the video contains a bleeped-out explicit word), things take a dramatic turn when the discussion turns to the origins of evil in the Garden of Eden. When Zimbardo suggested that, “Had [God] not created hell, then evil would not exist,” Colbert broke character and snapped, breaking into an impromptu theology lesson. “Evil exists because of the disobedience of Satan. God gave Satan, and the angels, and man free will. Satan used his free will and abused it by not obeying authority. Hell was created by Satan’s disobedience to God, and his purposeful removal from God’s love—which is what hell is. Removing yourself from God’s love. You send yourself to hell. God does not send you there.”

The Time He Argued for Christ’s Divinity

Stephen Colbert is not a fan of Bart Ehrman. The religious scholar came on The Colbert Report to promote his book Jesus, Interrupted which questions the credibility of the Gospel and the divinity of Christ Himself. It got brutal. For nearly 7 minutes, Colbert deftly explained seeming contradictions in the New Testament, showed how Scripture supports Christ’s divinity and intellectually embarrassed the scholar in Zimbardo fashion. You can watch the entire exchange here.

The Time He Discussed the Importance of Humor in Faith

In 2012, Stephen Colbert took part in an event called “The Cardinal and Colbert: Humor, Joy and the Spiritual Life” at Fordham University. Moderated by Rev. James Martin—Jesuit and priest and author—the event featured a light-hearted, but intelligent conversation about faith and humor between Colbert and Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York.
“If Jesus doesn’t have a sense of humor, I am in huge trouble,” Colbert joked at the event. Though the two discussed a variety of issues, the one thing Colbert made clear was the genuine love he has for the Body of Christ and being a part of the Church: “Are there flaws in the Church? Absolutely. But is there great beauty in the Church? Absolutely … The real reason I remain a Catholic is what the Church gives me, which is love.”

The Time He Used the Bible to Advocate for Immigration Reform at Congress

Though much of his testimony before Congress—advocating for immigration reform and farm workers—was played for poignant laughs (“Like most members of Congress, I haven’t read [the bill]”), Colbert also used a another strategy to get his message across—quoting Scripture.
After talking about how he spent one day as a farm worker (making him an expert, of course), Colbert got serious about his motivations. "I like talking about people who don't have any power, and this seems like [some] of the least powerful people in the United States are migrant workers who come and do our work, but don't have any rights as a result. And yet we still invite them to come here and at the same time ask them to leave. And that's an interesting contradiction to me. And, you know, 'whatsoever you do for the least of my brothers,' and these seem like the least of our brothers right now …. Migrant workers suffer and have no rights."

Homily - "Go to the Cross"

I was planning on just saying to you tonight to go to the Cross.  This week the Church goes to the Cross in commemorating the events of our salvation.  On Holy Thursday, we celebrate Mass at St Stephen’s on the night that Jesus instituted the Eucharist and the priesthood.  Later that night at Newman, we try to stay up all night with Christ in the Garden, and have about as much success as the Apostles did.  Good Friday, I will be offering confessions from 12 noon – 6 pm at Newman.  Bring your sins to the Cross, and the blood of the Cross wipes them clean in the sacrament of Reconciliation.  Then, on Holy Saturday night and Easter Sunday, we of course celebrate the Resurrection of Christ and victory over death.  So, yes, go to the Cross this Holy Week.

But, the Cross has come to you.  My gosh, the Cross has come to you.  In the past two weeks, there have been four tragedies involving GW students.  Last week, two students were involved in car accidents: Carlos who died Saturday night and Carrie who is fighting for her life.  All of the recent tragedies have affected every one of us here, so we all have a share in the Cross right now.  On Ash Wednesday, I said to be Christ-like this Lent, and gave specific ways to do that.  We never would have pictured the Lent we have had.  I guess we should be careful for what we wish.  God has allowed you the best way to imitate Christ: through the Cross. 

When we get our piece of the Cross, it’s usually bigger and heavier than we want.  God apparently trusts you all a lot because He has given you a huge Cross.  I ask you to embrace it.  Christ embraced His Cross, and be like Him.  Don’t run from the Cross, go it.  Unite your suffering with the Cross of Christ.  The Church says that if we accept suffering with faith and love, we unite our suffering with Christ.  And, it can be redemptive. 

Why do we call it Good Friday?  Because of the good that came out of it: salvation.  Through His Cross, Christ saved the world.  Or, at least, He offers salvation to the world.  If you unite your suffering with Christ and offer it up for someone else, you can save them.  Your suffering can be redemptive like Christ’s.  I know people who have complained about their crosses and suffering; then,  then heard the teaching on redemptive suffering.  They stopped complaining and started to “offer it up” for someone else. 

Please know of my deep love for you, and my deep respect for at least being open to this.  Please know of God’s deep love for you.  He created you, and “God don’t make junk”.  You ARE good, and you are loved.    

QB Jim Kelly: “There is no way I’d be here without my faith"

NEW YORK (mmqb.si.com) — On a high floor of Lenox Hill Hospital Saturday afternoon, Jim Kelly, 54, lay propped up in a hospital bed, his head back, hair matted and tousled, a round of pain meds and antibiotics coursing through his veins. He looked tired. His daughter Erin, a freshman at Liberty University, held his hand as he ticked off what life has been like for him lately. Four Kelly brothers and father Joe ringed the room, along with younger daughter Camryn (pictured atop this story), and his wife, Jill, followed his every word from the foot of the bed.

“There is no way I’d be here without my faith,” Jim Kelly said. “It’s been such a roller coaster. So many things. The Super Bowl losses, the fabulous career, my son born sick, making the Hall of Fame, my son dying, two plates and 10 screws in my back after major surgery, one plate and six screws in my neck after another surgery, a double hernia, the cancer, surgery on my jaw, the cancer coming back, now what I’m facing. But …”

He looked at Erin.

“When you’re going through pain, you’re what?” he said.

Not even a millisecond elapsed.

“Kelly tough,” said the eldest daughter of Jim Kelly.

 

* * *

The story of Jim Kelly’s second, and more serious, fight against cancer is a complicated one. But toughness is a part of it, for better and worse. As is humor. Last June, doctors removed part of his cancerous upper jaw, made a prosthesis of six fake teeth and bone, and fastened it into the hole left by the surgery. They grafted a rectangle of skin from his upper left leg to replace the skin that was lost on the roof of his mouth. The prosthesis works like a giant retainer; Kelly can remove it, and he looks like an old man without his front teeth when it’s out.

“Have you met JK Swag?” Jill said Saturday afternoon. “After surgery, Jim said, ‘I will never pull this out.’ He didn’t want us to see him like that. Jim, introduce JK Swag.”

With that, Jim took the device out of his mouth and began talking like an unintelligible old geezer and scowling, and the room roared. Then he put his teeth back in.

“Sometimes,” Erin said, “we understand JK Swag better than JK.”

“The normal person wouldn’t have been able to take it,” Jim Kelly says. “Some days, I don’t know how I did. I’d look up to the Lord and say, ‘I give. Uncle. You got me.’ ”

The family will need those moments in the coming weeks. Today, provided a slight fever is under control by this morning, Kelly begins a regimen of treatment—chemotherapy Monday and Tuesday, radiation Wednesday, Thursday and Friday—designed to stop the cancer that is dangerously close to the carotid artery in his head. It’s too perilous to operate now, even if the cancer that has spread up his infraorbital nerve can be neutralized, because there’s no guarantee all of it can be found and removed. If doctors operated and all the cancer wasn’t eradicated, weeks could go by before chemo or radiation could begin while he recovers from surgery, and that crucial time could allow the cancer to spread into his brain unabated. So for now, it’s several weeks of aggressive chemo and radiation. Kelly’s New York oncologist, Dr. Peter Costantino, called Kelly’s condition “very treatable and potentially curable” last week.

“If he’s saying it,” Kelly said, “I hope so. I just know there’s a lot of work to do, to shrink the cancer. I just pray it works. If you hear I’m about to have surgery, then you know it’s working. That’s the goal. But it won’t be an easy operation.”

It’s a complex cancer. There’s not a big tumor in his head, but rather countless microscopic ones. That’s probably a major reason why the cancer was tough to diagnose when it returned. Kelly was having headaches—“massive headaches and migraines”—and doctors thought it might stem from problems with the teeth that remained after the jaw surgery last June. He had six root canals on the left side of his mouth in the months after the surgery. But still the pain, the headaches, remained.

“The pain became a blessing,” said Jill Kelly. Without the pain, doctors might not have been as aggressive in searching for the pain’s root cause. And because Kelly has a long history of clamming up about his pain, doctors took notice when he said his head was really hurting him.

After a while this winter, Jim Kelly knew there was something amiss. And further scans this month showed the little spots of cancer, many of them riding up the nerve leading to his brain.

“I guarantee the normal person wouldn’t have been able to take it,” he said. “Some days, I don’t know how I did. I complained about my headaches for months, and for a while I thought it was just part of the healing process from such a serious surgery. But obviously it was more than that. I’d look up to the Lord and say, ‘I give. Uncle. You got me.

“But now, this is just another river to cross. Now we know what it is, and we’ll keep fighting. Whatever I did in life”—now he motioned to the crowded room of family—“I never did alone. So we’ll fight. It’s in the Lord’s hands now.”

At times, the support system has him feeling a little guilty. He walks the halls here and sees patients, some very seriously ill, alone. “There’s a lady down the hall,” he said to his brothers the other day. “Anybody visit her? I never see anyone. We should bring her some of my flowers.”

“Part of that,” piped up Dan Kelly, “is the influence my mom had on us all. Mom would give away our winter coats. She’d say, ‘That kid needed it more. You boys will be fine.’”

The Kelly family follows that Christian message now. Sometimes, their message and belief is so strong it sounds like a gospel tent in the room.

“All the fame Jim had in football,” said Dan. “I honestly believe that is just an instrument for God to use his notoriety for a greater purpose. What was his plan? Not many people can endure the kind of pain Jim is enduring, and the pain—we despise it. But we know the purpose.”

“He can be a messenger of hope,” Jill said.

“You know it,” said Jim.

“It’s such a great opportunity for Jim to be on the same level as everyone else, for people to see him struggle and to identify with him. It gives everyone strength,’’ said Jill.

“You got that right,” said Jim.

 

* * *

On Friday night, I put out a message on Twitter to my followers. I asked if any of them had a message to send to Kelly, whose illness has been reported far and wide. I wanted to see what the level of compassion and concern was.

Here how the response started, from Samuel Nielsen of Wisconsin: “1,573 people live in North Prairie, WI and every one of them is praying for you, Jim.”

Then words came from Rochester, N.Y., Dallas; Princeton, N.J.; Peru, Ill.; the nation of Peru; Bullhead City, Ariz.; Boston; Windsor, Ontario; Lexington; Huntsville, Ala.; Bolivia; Edmonton; Delta Junction, Alaska; Brazil; Perth, Australia; Sweden; Red Deer, Alberta; Put-in-Bay, Ohio; Dublin, Ireland; Cork, Ireland; Sioux Falls, S.D. (“No one circles the wagons like Jim Kelly,” wrote Clay Beeker); Kuwait, the Philippines and Hyderabad, India. “Met him once at a Bills tailgate. Made me feel like I’ve known him for 15 years,” wrote Adam from Toronto. And: Qatar; Altoona, Pa.; The Woodlands, Texas; Newcastle, Wash.; Iceland; Zephyr, Ontario; Mumbai, India; Lone Tree, Colo.; Panama City, Fla.; the nation of Panama; Guadalajara, Mexico; Onaka, S.D.; American Samoa; Sydney, Australia; Tacoma; Hong Kong; Pakistan (Pakistan!); Donnybrook, Western Australia; and scores from Buffalo and Hamburg and the environs in western New York. Scores.

Why? Why the overwhelming love for Kelly? My theory: People love the fighter he was as a player. People loved much else about him as a player (called his own plays, never whined about losing the Super Bowl four straight years). People felt for him after his son died. People in Buffalo never had a bad thing to say about him. He never left Buffalo after his career for greener—or warmer—pastures. Blue-collar guy in an increasingly white-collar game.

And the overwhelming sadness of a good man’s life being threatened too soon.

Wrote Rich Gannon (yes, that Rich Gannon): “Please know brother that you remain in our thoughts and prayers. No hill is too tough for a climber like you.”

Wrote Allan Ruigu of Nairobi, Kenya: “Saw Kelly’s daughter’s pic with him in a hospital bed, heart wrenching. Get well soon & be strong.”     

Wrote Julien Urgenti: “I started watching football in the early 90s in Lyon, France. My love with football began with Kelly’s Bills. Go Jim!”

Wrote Asif Malik: “Get well soon, Jim Kelly. A great player on the field and I’ve heard, an even better person off it. (from Istanbul) #beatcancer”

I read 15 or 20 of them to Kelly and to the room of Kellys. He took a moment to compose himself.

“Humbling,” he said. “Humbling. I had no idea. I mean, I don’t do Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, whatever. But they tell me about it. There’s a lot of ‘Get well, Jim Kelly,’ out there, and I am so appreciative of that. I really don’t know what to say.”

After a while, a doctor came in and said she had to clear the room to examine Jim. Camryn and Jill’s mom went to get a bite to eat. The brothers went to relax downstairs in a waiting room. Jill and Erin adjourned to a waiting room down the hall that they’ve filled with inspirational Bible verses (“The Lord is my helper … I will not be afraid”). It’s the Kelly women who have raised awareness of his disease and made it an international thing.

They’ve done it through social media. Particularly noticeable was an Instagram photo Erin posted last week of her and her father laying in his hospital bed watch the Syracuse NCAA game on TV. Jim looked as weak as a pup. Erin looked devoted, hanging onto his arm. It went viral, quickly. Erin was stunned at the reaction, but it’s a social-media world, and emotional pictures of struggling heroes and their clinging daughters … well, that’s going to be a home run. And it was.

“We’re a sports family,” Erin said. “I just wanted to hang out with him. I never thought it would [go global] the way it did, but I like it because it shows the realness of our family. And that’s the raw truth of what he’s going through.”

She puts out pictures for the world to see, she said, “so people will pray. We believe in the power of prayer.”

The college freshman is a mature kid. She is not a hunter, but her father is, and so, for a Christmas present, she told her dad she was getting her hunting license, and the two of them would go on a hunting trip. “He’s my buddy,” she said. “I want to.”

Earlier this month, when Jim and Jill Kelly had a moment alone, and they were digesting the news that the insidious cancer inside Jim’s face and head had returned with a vengeance, they began reflecting. When they reflect, the subject is often their late son Hunter, who died at 8 of a rare nervous system disease in 2005.

“Well,” Jim said, “I know where my son is, in heaven. And I’ll probably see him before you.”

“No!’’ Jill said. “NO! Do NOT say that again!”

Jill Kelly recalled the story down the hall from her husband on this rainy Manhattan afternoon.

“That,” she said, “cut to my heart. I lost it.”

But the thought is unavoidable. The reality of their lives, all of their lives, is that Jim Kelly is fighting for his. He’s in the best hands he can be, and all they all can do is hope, and pray, that modern science works, and these microscopic cancer cells don’t continue the march to Jim Kelly’s brain.

“He’s never been through anything like this, obviously,” Erin Kelly said. “But I know the way he raised us. And I know who he is. He will fight this till his last breath. He’s a Kelly.”

Pope Francis goes to Confession

The Path to Pope Francis' Much Beloved Virtue of Mercy

First Comes a Humble Heart

LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, April 06, 2014 (Zenit.org) - Here is Bishop James Conley's latest column from the Southern Nebraska Register.
* * *
Mercy begins with humility.  Mercy is the generous forgiveness that restores relationships and rights wrongs.  Mercy is a manifestation of love in the face of sin.  But each act of mercy requires a humble heart, a heart capable of approaching another, confessing a wrong, and asking for forgiveness.  Mercy requires an awareness of our sinfulness, and an acceptance that sin is real, and harmful, and damages our relationships.

Last year, in a now famous interview by a journalist, Pope Francis, when asked how best to describe himself, told the world “I am a sinner - this is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.”

In a later interview, he said that he is tempted to sin regularly—to think “bad thoughts about someone,” for example, and that he must regularly fix his thoughts on the mercy of God and to remember God’s love for all sinners.

 

Last week, Pope Francis took an unusual opportunity to demonstrate humility.  He was leading a penance service in St. Peter’s Basilica.  Priests were stationed in confessionals throughout the basilica preparing to hear confessions in multiple languages.  While he was making his way to a designated confessional to hear confessions himself, the Holy Father, unbeknownst to those attending him, made a detour.  He stopped in front of a confessional, knelt before the crucifix, and began confessing his sins to the priest. Imagine the surprise of the priest whom providence chose to hear the pope’s confession!

 

In the sacrament of confession, waiting with joyful expectation, was Christ himself - offering his divine mercy to Pope Francis.
We all know humility is not an easy virtue to live in a consistent way.  But if we want to be friends of Jesus Christ, intimate disciples of the Lord, we need to approach him as sinners, sinners who are in need of mercy.

 

In 1931, Jesus appeared to a young Polish nun: Sister Faustina Kowalska.  He was wearing a white garment with rays of white and red emanating from his heart.  These rays, St. Faustina would later report, represented “blood and water. The white ray stands for the water that makes souls righteous.
The red ray stands for the blood, which is the life of souls.”

 

Christ told her that “my heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners….it is for them that the blood and water flowed from my heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy.”

 

The Lord longs to forgive our sins.  We need only to approach him, as Pope Francis did last week, with the knowledge that our humility will draw us into an ever-deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

On April 11, St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center will host “Divine Mercy:
A Catholic Spiritual Gift,” a workshop seminar for all Catholic healthcare professionals.  The workshop will tell the story of St. Faustina Kowalska, and unpack the meaning of the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ.  It will offer opportunities for healthcare professionals to understand the relationship between the ministry of healing and the ministry of mercy.

I pray that all healthcare professionals will attend this workshop, and that they will approach their ministry in the hope of Christ’s divine mercy.  And I hope that all of us might approach Christ in humility, and receive his divine mercy, and be transformed!

“Don’t ever get so sad that you lose sight of the Resurrection"

Click HERE to listen to Sunday's homily.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta was known to say, “don’t ever get so sad that you lose sight of the Resurrection”.  We had a sad week last week at GW, one of the saddest ever in the history of this university.  Two students died: Lynley, a senior, and Ben, a freshman.  On behalf of GW Catholics at the Newman Center, I offer deep condolences and sympathies to those who knew them.  I ask you to pray for them.  I posted a prayer on the blog site, GW Catholic Q & A, that would be good to recite regularly for them: “Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them”.  Pray that God will grant mercy to them.  Pray that they asked for mercy.  God, who exists outside of time and space, can take our prayers now and apply them to the moments leading up to their deaths…and move them to ask for mercy, or express sorrow or repentance.  Pray that they were ready to meet God.

Father Sirianni is the GW hospital chaplain who lives here at St Stephen’s.  In the short window between the time Ben, who was Catholic, entered the hospital and died, Father anointed him which is huge; basically, he saved him.  He brought him the Grace of Christ and forgiveness of sins at death. “Anointing of the Sick” used to be called “Last Rites”.  In emergencies or when someone is gravely ill or approaching death, call a priest to anoint the person.  I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night; call us!  We are ready for the call….to save a soul and send them home to God.

This Gospel story of Lazarus being raised from the dead could not be more timely for us.  If we believe that Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, then we believe that He can raise Lynley and Ben, too.  Lazarus was dead for four days.  The Lord even waited a couple more days to perform the miracle just so that everyone knew that he was dead.  But, he also says that this “will not end in death”.  We believe that the events of last week will not end in death.  It ends in life.  It ends in resurrection.

We are men and women of the resurrection.  Lazarus’ resurrection points to Christ’s resurrection.  One of the main reasons we don’t ever get so sad that we lose sight of the resurrection is that it’s opens the gates to Heaven!  Before Christ rose from the dead, no one went to Heaven.  Without it, there is no hope of eternal life.  It opened the door for us to live forever.  What hope and joy that brings!  Also, if God can conquer death, He can conquer anything in my life.  There is nothing that makes me sad that He can’t conquer.  If He can raise Lazarus from the dead, He can raise me up from my sadness or win victory over whatever it is that is making me sad. In general, the resurrection brings such hope and joy that we should be people who show this…people should see our joy because of the resurrection. In fact, many people become Catholic because of the joy of Catholics…that comes from believing in and living the resurrection.  I honestly don’t know how people get through life and death without faith, especially in the resurrection.

Last week, over twenty of Ben’s friends came to the Newman Center to Mass on Wednesday night to pray for their buddy.  It was quite a sight to see.  It was right after Mass that they learned he died, so they asked me to lead them in a short prayer service.  Then, some of them came back to Newman later that night to pray individually.  Yes, in times of need, come to God, come to Newman, come to me.  It was such an inspiring thing to see that many college students coming together to pray.  It struck me that they believe.  They believe in the risen Christ and came to be in His presence; the Eucharist is the Risen Body and Blood of Christ.  They came to pray to Him and just be in His presence.  There is faith on this campus in the risen Christ!  Maybe it’s not practiced as regularly as it should be, but it’s there.  Seeing that was seeing one of the good things God is bringing out of these tragedies.

Finally, I have said this many times since I’ve been here, but not as much this year.  You are good and you are loved.  I beg you, I beg you to believe these two very important truths deeply in your heart: you are good and you are loved. They will help immensely overall in life but especially when hard times hit, especially loneliness or isolation.  If you are having a really tough time on a given night and are thinking about ending it all, please know you are not alone.  We are here for you.  I am here for you.  I have made a deal with some people who were thinking of ending it all that they had to call me first.  They did, and a few lives have been saved, thanks be to God.  The point is that there is someone with you.  You are not alone.  My cards are in the back of Church.  Call me.  I don’t care if it’s three in the morning.  Call me.  You are not alone.  Believe that, and believe that you are good and you are loved.    

  

Pray for Lynley and Ben

Please pray for GW senior Lynley Redwood, who died Tuesday and GW freshman Benjamin Asma, who died Thursday.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.  May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.  Amen.

"Astonishing Footage of Twin Babies..."

               
               

"Body Image": New book on Theology of the Body

The husband of our former campus minister, Alecia, has written a new book involving  Theology of the Body.  John Acquaviva, PhD, emailed me the following about it.  Check it out!

I wanted to personally invite and encourage you to help me to promote this message to the GW community and beyond.

The book is titled  "Improving Your Body Image Through Catholic Teaching" and it is now available via an ebook on Kindle.  The hardcopy will be available in about 3 weeks.

The foreword is written by Teresa Tomeo; and Christopher West and Greg Popcak have endorsed it. 

Here's a direct link to the Kindle version:

http://www.amazon.com/Improving-Image-Through-Catholic-Teaching-ebook/dp/B00ITDQTYG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1394667845&sr=1-1&keywords=john+acquaviva

Homily - "Be light in my darkness"

Click HERE to listen to Sunday's homily.

We have a speaker series after dinner every Tuesday, and I am excited about our speakers coming this week.  They are two ladies from “Isaiah’s Promise” and “St Joseph’s House” who work hand-in-hand to help children with disabilities.  “Isaiah’s Promise” works with parents whose unborn babies have been diagnosed with disabilities; they help the parents carry the babies to term.  “St Joseph’s House” helps children with major disabilities.  I went to a fundraiser for both of these charities a couple months ago.  They each showed a DVD which blew us all away.  The work that they do is heroic, but to especially see these kids…they are sooo happy!  Because they are sooo loved.  It really was incredible; they will show the same videos Tuesday night. 

I’m excited to have them anyway but particularly with tonight’s Gospel  (Jn 9:1-41) about the man who is born with a disability (blindness) which Jesus removes.  He is asked why the man was born blind, basically the same as why did God allow him to be blind.  The Lord’s answer: “so that the works of God might be made visible through him”.  This gives some understanding to why some people are afflicted with disabilities or disorders – either physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, or spiritual.  Now, this may not be the answer some would like, and they will say it’s still not fair that these people have to suffer so much.  But, it is a profound experience to see the works of God through them.  It was profound and moving to see the joy of those kids on the video; it was the joy of Christ!  I was watching the NCAA tournament last night.  One of the players has a sister with Down Syndrome.  They showed her in the stands cheering so loudly for her brother who was playing well; she was going crazy!  They kept talking about her, saying she had such a “big heart”.  This is what I’m talking about.  Seeing the works of God through them raises us all up; it raises the human spirit to another level.  It’s so inspiring…and significant. 

Many people when they hear this Gospel will say, ‘if God only worked a miracle like that for me’, I would believe like the blind man did.  A student sais this very thing to me the other night.  I get this.  We all want to see God work a physical miracle in our lives.  We are visual people, so this makes sense.  But, I would ask you to think about other “miracles” God has worked in your life.  And again, not just physical, but psychological, emotional, sexual, or spiritual.  If you spend the rest of Lent looking back on your life, I guarantee you will find something major God has done for you.  I don’t think you wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t.   But, maybe we have taken it for granted, or even forgotten about it.  If you’re like me, you have trouble remembering things more than 24 hours ago.  As a society, we seem to have memory loss after 24 hours!  Do remember what God has done for you, and the “miracles” he has worked in your life.

The fact that you are here - choosing to come to Mass every week – is a “miracle”.  We have students who are becoming Catholic at Easter…choosing that in college is a “miracle”.  Waiting until you’re married to have sex is a “miracle”.  Okay, technically, these are not miracles because God does not change the laws of nature to do them.  But, He has changed human nature in them.  God changing a heart is more powerful than a miracle… every time.  I just ask you to think about how God has worked powerfully in your life as he did with the blind man.

Finally, be open and honest.  Be open with God.  That’s a huge part of this Gospel.  The difference between the blind man and the Pharisees is that he is open to Christ and His Power and the Pharisees are not.  Be honest with God.  Be brutally honest with Him especially if you’re in darkness in general or in a specific part of your life with Him.  Throughout Scripture and Tradition, God’s closest friends are so honest with him; respectful, but brutally honest.  As you see Him tonight in the Eucharist – where He is made visible to us through the eyes of faith - tell Him what you need.  Tell Him, “Jesus, give me some light.  I’m in darkness.  There’s some blockage here.  You are the light of the world.  Be light in my darkness”. 

     

"Healing of Families", Saturday, 1-4 pm

 

 

 

President Obama to meet with Pope Francis Thursday

US President Barack Obama to Visit Pope Francis Thursday

Global and Domestic Issues Among Topics Expected to Be Discussed

By Junno Arocho Esteves

VATICAN CITY, March 26, 2014 (Zenit.org) - The world will be watching tomorrow as US President Barack Obama will have his first meeting with Pope Francis. The president’s wife, Michelle Obama, along with US Secretary of State, John Kerry, are also expected to be present.

 

A representative from the US Embassy to the Holy See told ZENIT that President Obama would likely raise "global poverty and inequality issues” with the Pope. The representative also said that Obama will “discuss a range of global issues” with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

 

One of the major international issues that will probably be discussed are the rising tensions between the US and Russia. The US, along with several European allies, have laid sanctions on key Russian politicians after the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

 

While specifics on what will be discussed are very limited, many are speculating that the disputed Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate will be among the topics discussed. The mandate was discussed in January during Secretary of State Kerry’s visit to the Vatican. Following that visit, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said that the Holy See “expressed its concern, shared by the bishops of the United States, regarding rules regulating the health reform relating to guaranteeing freedom of religion and conscientious objection.”

 

The Health and Human Services (HHS) federal mandate requires employers to pay for insurance that provides abortion-inducing drugs, contraception, and sterilization procedures to employees. Although an exemption was made for religious institutions, many Catholic organization or Catholic-run businesses are forced to abide by the regulation or face heavy fines.

 

Hobby Lobby, a Christian-owned arts and crafts store, is fighting the mandate saying that certain contraceptives result in abortions, thus contradicting their religious beliefs. Currently, the case is before the US Supreme Court and a decision is expected in June.

 

Commentators have noted that polls show Pope Francis is significantly more popular among US citizens than President Obama is.

-----------------------------------------------

Pope Accepts Resignation of Controversial German Bishop

Calls on Faithful of Limburg Diocese to Regain Climate of Charity and Reconciliation

VATICAN CITY, March 26, 2014 (Zenit.org) - The Holy See today announced that Pope Francis had accepted the resignation of Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg, following an investigation into the construction of a new residence.

 

The German bishop was heavily criticized when it was revealed that an estimated €31 million ($42 million) was spent on the construction of a new residence and offices. Much of the spending had been authorised by his predecessor.

 

The German prelate was later placed on administrative leave pending the investigation carried out by the Congregation of Bishops.

 

"Awaiting the diocese of Limburg to ascertain a situation that impedes the fruitful exercise of his ministry on the part of Msgr. Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, the Holy See has accepted the resignation presented by the prelate on 20 October 2013,” a communique from the Holy See stated.

 

The Holy See has named Bishop Manfred Grothe, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Paderborn, as Apostolic Administrator of the diocese. Bishop Tebartz-van Elst will receive another assignment “at an opportune time," the Vatican said.

 

Knowing that the scandal has caused much divisions within the diocese, the communique stated that Pope Francis has asked the faithful “to accept the decision of the Holy See with docility and to commit to regain a climate of charity and reconciliation." (J.A.E.)

"Where Eve said no... Mary said yes"

                          Happy Feast of the Annunciation!!

integratedcatholiclife.org

“The Church Fathers were fond of exploring the relationship between Eve, mother of all the living, and the new Eve, Mary the Mother of God. Where Eve grasped and lost, Mary surrendered and received; where Eve said no to the alluring mystery, Mary said yes. The angel of the Lord — an agent from a realm beyond what can be seen and known — appears to the maid of Nazareth and greets her in what Balthasar describes as the language of heaven: ‘Hail, full of grace.’” (Fr. Robert Barron)

Homily - "Life-changing encounter"

Click HERE to listen to Sunday's homily.

Tonight’s Gospel (Jn 4:5-42) is one of my favorites: the Samaritan woman at the well.  It is all about an encounter with Christ. The Church puts this Gospel strategically on the 3^rd Sunday of Lent which is also the first scrutiny for those coming into the Church at Easter.  It is to emphasize that to be Catholic is to focus on this personal encounter.  The Church herself has said that it’s not about a religion; it’s about a person, Jesus Christ.  I can relate to this Gospel story because it’s one conversation that changes her life.  It was one conversation in college with a priest that changed my life.  We were talking about the Eucharist and he said, “Greg, this is my body means this is my body”.  I don’t know if it was just one line that changed her life, but it was one encounter that changed her heart and life forever.

We see it in the way she addresses the Lord.  First, it’s “Jew”.  Then, it’s “Sir”.  Then, “prophet”.  And then, “Christ”.  She goes from this conversation to tell others that she has met the Christ and they come to believe.  She is seen as the first Christian evangelizer…she converts a whole town!  It may have been what Jesus said about her personally that changed her heart about who he is.  She could see that he was a prophet; then told others what he told her about herself. 

The encounter begins with and is centered on water.  She comes to Jacob’s Well which has great significance in the Old Testament.  Water symbolized the life God has given us.  When she comes with her water jar to draw from the well, Jesus offers her greater water…”living water”.  She basically asks him, ‘who do you think you are! Are you greater than our father Jacob?’  He replied by saying that whoever drinks the water from that well will be thirsty; whoever drinks the water from his well will never thirst.  She begins to be attracted to what he is offering (as anybody would), and asks for that water.

The living water He is offering is the Holy Spirit.  We can see clearly an allusion to Baptism.  For it is in the waters of Baptism that we first receive the Holy Spirit.  Again, this amazing Gospel is given for those who are preparing to be baptized at Easter.  He is offering them what he offered the Samaritan woman: the water that wells up to eternal life!  She wants this water, and seems to drink from it during their conversation.  That is, she gets a taste of the life in the Spirit. 

If you noticed, she left her water jar at the well and went off to tell others about Christ.  That was the very reason she came to the well!  This might be the experience of many of you in coming to GW.  You brought your water jar looking for all of the natural benefits that GW offers with a major, career, or internships.  These are all good like the water of Jacob’s Well.  But, you have had an encounter with Christ, and have left your water jar at the well.  In other words, you have seen what the woman saw: that the supernatural transcends the natural.  That what you are really looking for is found in Christ and through His Spirit (for it is only in the Spirit that we know and live Christ).  The living water that He offers is truly satisfying.  It’s on another level.  Life in the Spirit is supernatural.  It transcends the natural.  Just like with her, the natural leads to the supernatural and is fulfilled by it.  This is what Christ offers her.  He heroically crosses the lines of gender and culture to reach her; he wants her soul and heart that much.

I am offering you an experience with the Holy Spirit this coming Saturday at St. Stephen’s from 1 to 4 pm.  This is for GW Catholic students and their friends.  It’s called the “Healing of Families” seminar.  An African priest has written a book with the same title and brought this to the United States.  Over the past  couples of years, many, many people have experienced healing of family wounds.  We all have family problems.  They are intense.  This will be intense in looking at the wounds that are there from childhood trauma, unforgiveness, unhealthy relationships with friends, involvement with the occult, and family tree issues.  The first two hours we will understand where problems come from in families, and then identify them in our own.  The last hour will be to bring all of our family wounds to the Holy Spirit for him to heal them.  I know this might sound hokey to some of you; it did to me in college.  But, it’s like the Healing Masses we started here years ago: at first people were wondering, ‘what is this?’.  But, now they are very popular.  Basically, people see it’s the Holy Spirit and it’s awesome and helpful. 

Please be open to coming on Saturday to experience the power and healing of the Holy Spirit.  It really is the same opportunity that the woman at the well had: an encounter with Christ and the living water He offers: life in the Spirit that wells up to eternal life.

 

 

Tonight: Stations of the Cross, Adoration, and the BIG GAME!

Join us tonight at Newman for:

Stations of the Cross, 5:30 pm
Eucharistic Adoration, 6-7 pm

Then, watch GW men's basketball in the NCAA tournament, 7 pm, St Stephen's rectory.  Go GW!!

"Joseph is the model of the daddy"

On St. Joseph

"St. Joseph is the model of the educator and of the daddy, of the father"

VATICAN CITY, March 19, 2014 (Zenit.org) - Here is a translation of Pope Francis’ address this morning at the general audience, which in light of today’s solemnity, he dedicated to St. Joseph.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!

Today, March 19, we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and Patron of the universal Church. Therefore, we dedicate this catechesis to him, who merits all our gratitude and our devotion for his having been able to take care of the Holy Virgin and her Son Jesus. Joseph’s characteristic is to be a guardian: it is his great mission, to be a guardian.

 

Today I would like to take up the topic of guardianship according to a particular perspective: the educational perspective. We look at Joseph as the model of educators, who takes care of and supports Jesus in the course of his growth “in wisdom, age and grace,” as the Gospel says. He was not Jesus’ father: Jesus’ Father was God, but he behaved as a father to Jesus, he behaved as a father to Jesus to make him grow. And how did he make him grow? In wisdom, age and grace.

 

We begin with age, which is the most natural dimension, physical and psychological growth. Joseph, together with Mary, took care of Jesus especially from this point of view, namely, he “brought him up,” taking care that he did not lack the necessary for a healthy development. Let us not forget that the diligent looking-after of the life of the Child entailed also the flight into Egypt, the harsh experience of living as refugees – Joseph was a refugee, with Mary and Jesus – to escape from Herod’s threat. Then, once they had returned to their homeland and were established at Nazareth, there is the whole long period of Jesus’ life in his family. In those years, Joseph also taught Jesus his work, and Jesus learned to be a carpenter with his father Joseph. So Joseph brought up Jesus.

 

We pass to the second dimension of education, that of “wisdom.” Joseph was for Jesus an example and teacher of this wisdom, which is nourished by the Word of God. We can think of how Joseph educated little Jesus to listen to the Sacred Scriptures, above all accompanying him on Saturdays to the synagogue of Nazareth. And Joseph accompanied him so that Jesus could hear the Word of God in the synagogue.

 

And, finally, the dimension of “grace.” Referring to Jesus, Saint Luke says: “And the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40). Here, certainly, the part reserved for Saint Joseph is more limited compared to the ambits of age and of wisdom. However, it would be a grave error to think that a father and a mother can do nothing to educate their children to grow in the grace of God. To grow in age, to grow in wisdom, to grow in grace: this is the work that Joseph did with Jesus, to make him grow in these three dimensions, to help him to grow.

Dear brothers and sisters, Saint Joseph’s mission is certainly unique and unrepeatable, because Jesus is absolutely unique. And yet, in his taking care of Jesus, educating him to grow in age, wisdom and grace he is a model for every educator, in particular for every father. Saint Joseph is the model of the educator and of the daddy, of the father. Therefore, I entrust to his protection all parents, priests – who are Fathers – and those who have an educational task in the Church and in society. In a special way, I would like to greet today, Day of the Father, all parents, all daddies: I greet you from my heart! Let’s see: are there some daddies in the Square? Daddies, raise your hand! But how many daddies! Best wishes, best wishes on your Day! I ask for you the grace to be always very close to your children, letting them grow but being close to them, close to them! They are in need of you, of your presence, of your closeness, of your love. Be for them like Saint Joseph: guardians of their growth in age, wisdom and grace. Guardians of their path; educators, and walk with them. And with this closeness you will be true educators. Thank you for all you do for your children, thank you.

Many good wishes to you and happy Daddy’s Feast to all the daddies who are here, to all daddies. May Saint Joseph bless you and accompany you. And some of us have lost our daddy, he has gone, the Lord has called him. So many who are in the Square do not have their daddy. We can pray for all the daddies of the world, for the living daddies and also for the deceased and for our own, and we can do so together, each one remembering his daddy, if he is alive and if he is dead. And we pray to the great Daddy of us all, the Father. An “Our Father” for our daddies: Our Father …

 

And very best wishes to the daddies!
 

Homily - "Bear your share of hardship for the Gospel"

Click HERE to listen to Sunday's homily.

Ash Wednesday homily - "Be generous with God this Lent"

Click HERE to listen to Wednesday's homily.

In one of his first audiences, Pope Francis made a statement of what it means to be a Christian that I want to be our focus as we begin Lent. He said,  "Being Christian... means being in Christ, thinking like him, acting like him, loving like him; it means letting him take possession of our life and change it, transform it and free it from the darkness of evil and sin". This is a strong statement.

Our Pope preaches a strong message about being Christ-like.  And, he practices what he preaches! It is so refreshing to see our shepherd be Christ-like in his own unique way! He represents what the Church is all about: Jesus Christ.  The person of Christ is the center of our religion.  Being more Christ-like is what each of should strive for this Lent.  I'd like to focus on three ways to be more Christ-like, with the Holy Father in mind.

First, be detached.  What we see with Pope Francis is a man who is free, detached from the things of the world.  It is so inspiring to all of us to see him live so simply and detached.  He has said "bag that" to all of the bells and whistles of the papacy...trading in the nice Popemobile for a '84 clunker, getting rid of the Prada shoes, and foregoing so much of the grandeur of the papal office.  He says bag that, I just want to live simply, live like the poor, and serve them.  We try to be more detached during Lent, taking on small penances and fasts so that we will be more attached to Christ.  Christ himself fasted from food and drink for forty days in the desert.  He was totally detached from the things of the world. We try to imitate his detachment so that we will be more attached to Him.

Second, be humble.  When the Holy Father was first interviewed as Pope, he was asked to describe himself.  He answered, "I am a sinner".  That is the Pope! Humility means honesty.  He is simply being honest.  Each person who courageously goes to Confession tonight or during Lent is humbly saying what's true: "Lord, I'm a sinner.  Please forgive me".  Look at the humility of Christ: He came down from His throne in Heaven to be born of the Virgin Mary...into our mess.  He got gritty.  He got dirty for us.  He lived a poor life, humbling himself, even "to the point of death, death on a Cross".  During Lent, we want to come down from our thrones, get dirty, get gritty, and humble ourselves for Christ.

Third, be spiritual and religious.  Last year on Ash Wednesday, I made the same challenge and asked GW Catholics to focus solely on attending Mass every Sunday during Lent.  And, you responded! We had record attendance last year.  I issue the sake challenge.  Even if you fail in your fasts, or forget to go meatless on Fridays, if you attend Mass every Sunday, that's a good Lent!

Jesus says we need to be spiritual and religious.  In John 6:53-54, he says we need to receive the Eucharist if we want to go to Heaven.  When little kids ask me why we need to go to Mass, I tell them it's to get to Heaven, and then quote John 6.  "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.  Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life within you".  We need to be religious and receive the Eucharist at Mass in order to get to Heaven, but also to live like Christ.  Jesus is talking about Grace: "you have no grace within you".  Grace is a share in God's life.  It is a share in His power and strength, His love, mercy, kindness, generosity, and patience. His Grace makes it possible to be like Him! The primary reason we go to Confession or Mass is to receive Grace.  When it comes to bring Christ-like, it's all about Grace.

Finally, be generous.  Be generous with God this Lent.  The saying is, "God is never outdone in generosity".  We see this played out in the small sacrifices we make for Him during Lent; He gave us the biggest sacrifice of all - His life on the Cross.  Be generous with Him this Lent in your prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  He will surely reward you because He is never outdone in generosity.

Ash Wednesday Masses @ GW

Masses tomorrow at 12 noon, 6 pm, 8 pm - Marvin Center, 3rd floor, Grand Ballroom.

Can you donate $20 for our Appalachia service trip?

A group of 15 GW Catholics, Amy (our campus minister), and I will go on a service trip to Appalachia (rural West Virginia) over spring break from March 8-15. It's called "Alternative Spring Break". We will be building and renovating homes for low-income families.

The students have to raise over $10,000 in order to go on the trip. This covers their transportation, housing, project fees, tools, food, gas, etc. Can you help them meet their goal?

You can help send these students on the trip by donating through our website. Click here to go to our site. Click on the orange PayPal "donate" button. Your donation will go to the GW Newman Center which will put it toward the Alternative Spring Break trip.

A donation of $20 will pay for a student's housing for a night.

A donation of $50 will pay for a student's tools and equipment for the week.

A donation of $100 will pay for a student's transportation for the week.


On behalf of the students, thank you very much for your generosity!

Homily - "Our lives are in God's hands"

Click HERE to listen to Sunday's homily.

 

I was reading about a study on catholicexchange.com that involved 68 college students and analyzed the relationship between spiritual meditation and anxiety. Some of the students were trained to do a spiritual meditation for 20 minutes a day for two weeks while others were trained to do a non-spiritual relaxation technique for 20 minutes a day for two weeks. After the two weeks, all if the students came to the lab.  The researchers had the students do their meditations for 20 minutes, and then had them put a hand in a bath of cold water for as long as they could.  They measured several things including anxiety.  The results showed that the students who had practiced spiritual meditations had lower levels of anxiety than those who had practiced non-spiritual meditations.  Many studies have been done over the years, and the majority have come to the same conclusion: those who practice religion or spiritual meditation have lower levels of anxiety than those who don't.

Two points to make on this tonight. The first is the importance of daily, spiritual meditation.  Every GW Catholic should be meditating for 20 consecutive minutes every day.  It takes at least that much time to get quiet with the Lord and out of the noise of the world.  Two solid daily practices that take about 20 minutes are Lectio Divina and weekday Mass.  And, these are awesome practices to do during Lent! We have sheets in the back of Church to teach you how to do Lectio, and daily Mass times in our bulletin.

The second point is the importance of spiritual meditation with regard to anxiety, as the study points out.  College is a time of stress and anxiety for most people; it's off the charts here at GW! I don't know how you all deal with it and still stay as composed as you are.  I just hope that it's within the realm of reality...that you're not escaping reality to "take the edge off". If you're keeping it real, that's amazing. Christ takes the edge off and gives us peace and calmness like no other.  He says in Matthew 11:28 to come to Him, "all you who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest".  In other words, all you who are stressed out or anxious or worried, give that to me.  Give God your worries! He will give you rest... He will give you call...He will give you peace.  It's a peace that the world cannot offer.

Jesus says in tonight's Gospel: DO NOT WORRY.  He says it over and over again.  It reminds me of John 6 when He teaches over and over again about the Eucharist.  It's like what marketers say, that consumers need to see an ad 7 times before they will buy the product.  That's why I talk about the Eucharist and Confession so much...so that you will get it.  It took me 20 years to get it! The Lord is saying it over and over again so that we will get it.  DO NOT WORRY.   He's not saying do not work or do not plan.  He is saying that your worry should not exceed your work.  Do not overworry.  Give your worries to Him! Live in the present, let go of the past, and don't worry about the future. Living in the present has been a helpful focus for many students with whom I work in spiritual direction.  Consider doing spiritual direction which can help with letting go of anxiety, developing a prayer life / spiritual meditation, and living according to God's Plan.

That last point is what I will close with.  If we put together tonight's first reading and Gospel, we get to the idea of Providence.  Providence is God's protection and governance over all creation.  It means God has a plan for your life...and that He hasn't forgotten you.  The major part of that word is "provide". He will provide all you need.  Jesus says that the Father knows all you need.  He will provide all you need to do well with your mid-terms, your internships, your relationships, your careers, your vocations, your finances...everything.

Our lives are in God's hands.  Meditate on this during Holy Communion tonight. Your life is in His hands.  Give Him your worry.  Give Him your heart.   Give Him your life.  Say, “Jesus, I trust in you.  You will provide.  My life is in your hands”.