Holy Trinity Sunday

To begin the homily on this Trinity Sunday, I invite you to join me in making the sign of the cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This was one of the first prayers I learned as a child. And I use it all of the time: before and after my prayers, when I drive by a church, as I receive the Eucharist, when I dip my finger into holy water, or when I give a blessing. For most of us, this gesture is familiar, so common, I suspect, that sometimes we do it more out of habit and forget that it is a prayer. 

But for all its simplicity, the sign of the cross is a profound prayer because it expresses the central mystery of our faith; the mystery that we are celebrating today, which is the mystery of the most holy Trinity. So, what IS the Trinity? And WHY is it so important to Catholics, that the Catechism calls it the “central mystery of our Faith?” The mystery of the Trinity is the belief that we have one God; the same God who saved and protected Israel but that this God contains three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three persons are equal to each other in every way but they are not the same; in other words, each person is unique. So the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is not the Son, and so on. 

Perhaps most of you remember the mystery of the Trinity from your Catholic education or RCIA and you are simply wondering why it is the central mystery of our Faith. The Trinity is the central mystery of our faith because it reveals who God is. The Trinity helps us to understand the God who has created us, redeemed us, and who continually sustains us and makes us holy. The mystery of the Trinity teaches us, first and foremost, that our God is a God of love.  

The mystery of the Trinity teaches us that within God himself, we see a perfect, loving, relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But this divine love doesn’t just stay within the Trinity. For example, the love of the Trinity is what brings about the creation of the world. And in the fullness of time, this same love will move God to send his only begotten Son into the world, to save it from sin and death. Once again, love will move Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to protect and guide the Church until he returns at the end of time. These examples are just a sampling of the great mystery of the Trinity which teaches us about God who is all-loving and lives in perfect relationship as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

This mystery is not meant to be something that remains in our head. The Trinity is meant to transform our lives, our families, and our world. As humans, we are created in the image and likeness of God. As baptized Catholics, the life of the Trinity actually dwells in our souls through grace. 

We might ask ourselves the following questions: does my life reflect the life of the Trinity? Is the perfect relationship of love that exists between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit reflected in the way we live our lives? Within our own hearts, do we acknowledge and truly believe that we are made in God’s image and likeness? Do we embody this truth in the way we act, in the words we speak, in the entertainment we enjoy, in the clothes we wear, and the company we keep? Do people look at us and see an image of God’s love and joy? Or do they see things like self-hate, anger, revenge, lust, greed, or jealousy?

How about our families? It is in the home that the mystery of the Trinity is most powerfully reflected. Do our families imitate the loving relationship seen in our God? Don’t be afraid to ask if  your relationship with your spouse open to communication, correction, and growth? Are you able to make sacrifices for your family in all things? Are you open to the gift of life? Are you making sure that you love the people entrusted to your care? The love of God holds nothing back; he sacrifices everything for those he loves. We are called to love others in the very same way. So what does this mean in our everyday lives?

Children: love your parents and your brothers and sisters. Make it a habit to take care of others and think of them first. You can do this in simple little ways like cleaning off the table after dinner, unloading the dishwasher, sharing your time and toys, cleaning your room, and so on. But see in these little acts of kindness an opportunity to spread the love of God. 

Husbands and wives: love one another with a love that knows no limits. Remind yourselves of the commitment you made to each other on your wedding day. Be patient with each other’s faults and failings. Be willing to listen when your spouse wants to talk about a bad day. Make it a habit to think of the other person first; by doing little acts of kindness every day, you will reflect the love of our triune God.

This is the love of the Trinity, this is the example given to us by our God. Let us use this Trinity Sunday to remind ourselves of who God is and remember we are made in his image and likeness. We are called to worship the God of love and live out this love with our actions.

 I would like to conclude this homily in the same way that I began; with the sign of the cross. Let us be reminded now and every time we make the sign of the cross that we are called to be a people of the trinity, a people who live love and right relationship with ourselves, with our families, and with those we encounter each and every day.  In the name of the Father… 

Solemnity of the Ascension (Cycle B)

Two weeks ago, Marcus Knecht, the seminarian that was with us during the school year, invited the parish staff to Kenrick-Glennon seminary for lunch and a tour of the recently renovated campus. It is really beautiful, both inside and out and you can tell a lot of thought went into the remodeling project. I spent 8 years in that building so it was great to see a place which holds so many great memories brought back to life. 

The first year at Kenrick-Glennon I had no car. This was no big deal during the school year, because I could always bum a ride with another seminarian who was headed to the same place or find someone who also wanted to get out of the building. But that summer was a different story. I lived in my little 10x12 room during June, July, and August and I pretty much had the seminary to myself. It was tough. This magnificent building, which was full of life, learning, faith, and friendship during the academic year, was a like a tomb. I thought I would enjoy living there for the summer. There was plenty of time to read, watch movies, and sleep after work but it was strange to be in that place without my seminary brothers. It was a major letdown. Kind of like you experience when get home after a great vacation with friends and family and reality starts to sink in. Or when you go on an amazing retreat or summer camp with fun people and the time comes to say goodbye and go back home. It is hard to describe this funk, but it is a subtle, nagging emptiness best described as missing someone or something.

I thought of this when I saw the first reading for today’s feast of the Ascension. The ascension is that moment when Jesus returns to heaven. He literally “ascends” from among the apostles to take his place next to God the Father. Our reading tells us that the poor apostles just kept looking up in the sky, even as Jesus disappeared from their sight. After a while, two angels appear and ask them why they are still looking at the heavens. They remind the group that Jesus, although he is gone for now, will return in the same way when the time is right.

I sympathize with the apostles. Much like I felt that sense of loneliness and sadness when I was alone at the seminary and all my buddies were gone. Much like we might feel after those great vacations or school or camps or times with friends come to close, so to are the first followers of Christ. Imagine: for three years you have been with the Son of God, who has also become your teacher, your savior, and your best friend. You have shared birthdays, meals, travels, jokes, and just about everything else in those special days. Suddenly, this divine friend was put to death and after three terrible days, raised. For a little over month, Jesus continues to appear to you and your companions, he explains why everything had to happen this way, he brings you peace, life is starting to look pretty good again…and then he disappears into the sky.

I can only imagine how the apostles must have been feeling. They miss Jesus already! It had to be scary thinking about life without him. Yet, we know Jesus does not truly leave them. In fact, in a few short days, he is going to be present to them forever and always through the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Instead of letting them sit there and feel sorry for themselves, he gives them a mission, a purpose for their lives. As he ascends to heaven he says, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”  

This is the work that remains. This is what Jesus was preparing them for all along. After those three intense years of training and formation, now he is sending them out to be his witnesses not just in their families or towns, but to the whole world. This command, in a word, is what we call evangelization.

This exhortation of Christ, given 2000 years ago to the apostles, is something that is just as urgent today. There are still people who do not know Christ. There are still people who have not heard the saving gospel. Far too many people are still waiting to have Jesus and his loving message explained to them in a way that is compelling and real. And they aren’t all in some distant corner of the world. Many of them are our neighbors and friends and co-workers who have yet to see the gospel witnessed in the believers who surround them. 

One of the terrible misunderstandings in the Catholic Church is the notion that evangelization is something reserved only for priests, bishops, and religious. For most people in the pews, evangelization is something best left to the professionals; it is associated with high-pressure conversations and bible-thumping arguments. But that is not evangelization!

Each and every person who has received baptism is called to evangelize and to do so always. The most effective way to do this is by living our faith with integrity and openness. The best evangelizers are not necessarily the people with the most factual knowledge of Catholicism but rather those who have a personal, living, honest relationship of prayer with Christ the Lord. It does not mean our every action or conversation has to be about God. The essence of evangelization is simple: (To carry God with us) Make God present in our words, our work, our families, and our life. The most compelling argument for or against Christianity is our example. Hopefully, when people think of us or spend time with us, they catch a glimpse of the love, peace, mercy, and hope of Jesus.  

On this celebration of the Ascension, let us thank God for the gift of our faith, which was given to us by those following the Lord’s command. Secondly, let us resolve to share our own faith with those we encounter in life, not in pushy or preachy ways, but by the joyous and peaceful manner in which we act. Finally, let us recommit ourselves to the practice of personal prayer, so our witness to the gospel will not be mere words or empty showmanship but a genuine and passionate display of the life of the Holy Spirit. May each day of our lives here on this earth be filled with the missionary spirit of Ascension and when you leave Church today, may you “go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every person” you encounter. 

Mother's Day

By now, some of you may have noticed that I like to do things according to the book. I am a rule-guy, an oldest child of a chaotic family who craves order, guidelines, a return to his Germanic background. I find rules to be comforting and helpful and I try to follow them. When I was newly-ordained, I called my mom for advice. I said, “Mom, this weekend is Mother’s Day, but it is not a church feast day.” Should I preach about the readings and ignore Mother’s Day or talk about Mother’s Day and break the rules, so to speak. My mom, in her wisdom, was able to clear things up in one sentence. She said: “ Kevin, you have to say something about Mother’s Day otherwise you WILL suffer the wrath of countless women in your parish.” Having ten sisters and a mother, I knew exactly what she meant. So, today, on Mother’s day, I want to do more than simply mention my gratitude to all of you moms out there. I want to devote this homily to thanking you and challenging us all to treat you with even more love and respect. 

This suggestion was just one of many things I learned from my mom, from women over the years. As I have gotten older, I better understand the sacrifices my mom made to bring 14 kids into the world. In the past few years, my mom has shared with us more about the danger, the pain, the strange cravings, the unusual maladies, the physical discomfort, and other hidden details that accompanied the months leading up to each child’s birth. With 17 nieces and nephews, I have also heard my sisters talk about their pregnancies and what they are going through and all this helps me understand the reason this day is so special. There are few things in this world as deep, as beautiful as a mother’s love! What makes this love so unique? The high level of sacrifice, the complete gift of self, the significant emotional, physical, mental, and even spiritual price that is paid to bring new life into the world.

A mother’s love is special and cherished because it is costly! Imagine how different things would be if God designed motherhood to be as easy as picking up a good turkey at the grocery store! What would this day look like then? Would we feel the same way about mom? I don’t think so! When a mother loves her child, she gives the world a glimpse into the very love God has for us! Motherhood is a reflection of God’s Love for us which sacrifices everything so that we might have life, here on earth and in the world to come. God’s love holds nothing back, even sacrificing his only Son, Jesus, so that we might be saved. This is what makes Divine love perfect; it gives everything without hesitation.

On this day where we thank our moms and those women who have loved us without measure, it is a good idea to ask ourselves if we, as a society, are doing our part in returning that love. Is the love we show to women, to our moms, sisters, daughters, true and sacrificial? Is it meaningful and willing to embrace any difficulty? Or is it lazy, looking for what is easy and convenient? Far too often, I believe society is asking women to settle for that lesser love. 

There are many things attacking the dignity and well-being of women in our time. These, sadly, are accepted by many as the way things are. These include pornography, domestic violence, and the objectification of the female body. It is ironic that our society calls us today to honor motherhood while at the same time promoting the very practices that attack the dignity of the women we wish to show our appreciation for. 

Now there are many other evils in our society that are detrimental to women. But I want to focus on one in particular because it is quietly causing incredible damage. It is devastating to all people but it is harming women most deeply. Therefore, on this Day dedicated to moms and women, let’s honor them by considering what we can do make things better.

The evil that I want to approach is also the most difficult because it is considered a good thing by many. It is thought to be off-limits, something the Church shouldn’t talk about. It has been hailed as the liberation of women, the thing that levels the playing field against men. It was seen as the solution for many domestic problems and a new beginning for every female. It would give her control and power, she could be in charge without being subjected to men. This evil is found in the panacea known as artificial contraception. 

Since its introduction in the pill more than 50 years ago, artificial contraception has been touted as the answer to so many problems that plague modern women. It was supposed to improve marriage, marital intimacy, free women from the natural rhythm of their bodies. It promises many good things, it looks so perfect, and yet there continues to be a deep spiritual sadness and the nagging emptiness of being used.  

Why is it that our society has encouraged women to embrace contraception, which attacks the feminine nature or “feminine genius” as St. John Paul II called it? Why is it that so many women have accepted birth control as something that will make them happy, give them control, and make them equal with men? Yet, how often the very opposite comes true. More and more, women are seen as objects for men’s pleasure; things to be had on a whim without consideration for the woman or her body. The very thing that was supposed to empower women has led countless women to be used and hurt. The hallmarks of femininity, such as the reception of new life, a nurturing spirit, and quiet gentleness are being replaced by anger, bitterness, and domination. 

If there is one thing I want every woman, single or married, young or old, to hear, it is this: you deserve better! You deserve the respect of others! You deserve the respect of men for whom you are a daughter of God, a sister in Christ, or a beloved spouse. This respect should be given freely, not based on the pleasure you provide or the ways you measure up against worldly expectations. You deserve to hear from the Church and from a priest, that artificial contraception is a moral evil, it is lie that will only bring sadness, emptiness, and pain. 

As a woman you share the privilege of bringing new life into being. Allow this truth to take root in your life and don’t be afraid to respect yourself enough to demand this dignity from others. As men, we need to honor and cherish women as God created them. As a Church we need to support men and women in bringing forth new life and growing in mutual love and respect. This will strengthen marriages, fortify families, and build up society. On this Mother’s day, let us be thankful for the incredible gift of woman and motherhood, and may we honor and respect them in every situation.

5th Sunday of Easter, Cycle B

There is something wonderful about having a garden and learning the process of farming, even if on a very small scale. I don’t know if it is the smell of the soil, the excitement of seeing little sprouts emerging from the earth, or the satisfaction of eating food that you have cultivated and cared for, but it is thoroughly and uniquely human. It is also something which can be extremely difficult and frustrating.

For these reasons, it is hard to think of a better image to describe the Christian life and our relation to God, than the one Jesus chooses today: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” Anyone who has grown any sort of plant which bears fruit knows exactly what Jesus is saying and what the relation of the branches are to the vine. It reminds us that we die spiritually, that we are incapable of producing fruit, when we are not attached to the vine, or when we are not connected to the roots which nourish us. It also reminds us that when we are attached, the fruit that we produce - the prosperity of the land itself, comes to us naturally, as a gift of God. The gardener does the work and the vine he plants carries the sap and all its nutrition to us, and we, because we are in the right place, prosper and produce for the world the fruit that it needs.

All of us want to do good things, we want to produce good fruit, but many of us - in trying to do good things, often end up feeling burned out, exhausted, resentful, and even despairing. Yet there are others - others who do as much if not more, others who are full of hope and of life, full of care and love for their neighbors and their world, who never seem to fall victim to this plague, but rather go and on, helping those around them by what they do.

How does this happen? Where do they get the energy to continue doing good when others say enough is enough? I think it is because they are connected to the source of hope, to the source of life, to the source of care and love, for their neighbors and their world. All these things are things that God wants us to do, they are part of what Jesus calls the fruit of being in him.

In a plant, fruit is the excess, the overflow of the life that it has taken into itself. The more life a plant takes into itself, the more life it produces. When there is an abundance of sunshine to fuel photosynthesis, and when there is enough water and nutrients in the soil to be passed up the trunk and into the branches, those branches thrive, and grow, and produce, and grow again. The plant and its branches don't have to force themselves to grow, they do not have to make a resolution to bring forth sweeter fruit, nor do they need to remind themselves to be more abundant in their production.

They simply need to be in the place the gardener has prepared, the place where the conditions for growth and fruit-bearing are found. For us the right place to be is in the vine that has been planted by God and which is tended by God - the vine which we call Christ.

Friends, each one of us here are part of the vine of Christ. We are able to produce tremendous quantities of fruit, conditions are perfect for our growth ——because God himself tends us and ensures those conditions are perfect. All we need do to be fruitful is remain a part of the vine, and perform the simple tasks that every branch performs as a means of maintaining a fruitful life in the vine.

Basically there are only two tasks we need to do, just as there are only two tasks that a branch in a vine does.

First - the branch, through its twigs and leaves, receives energy from the sun to fuel its growth.  The leaves, by the miraculous process of photosynthesis, convert light into plant energy which helps to drive the system that produces fruit as its end result. So we too receive energy when we unfold ourselves before God and accept from him the light he offers to us in his Word, both the written word of scripture, and the living word of Jesus Christ.

Secondly - the branch, through its connections to the stem of the plant, receives moisture and nutrients from the soil, it receives the life-giving sap that makes its grow. In the same way we need to be exposed to the word of God, to the sacraments, to the daily graces of prayer, and the many other spiritual nutrients that the Church offers us. We need daily contact with these good things so that we might draw from them the strength and energy we need.

When we do these two things, we become like any healthy plant, which tracks the sun as it moves through the sky. They focus on it, they lean towards its light and turn wherever it is. If we abide in Christ, as branches on the vine, we begin to track the Son of God - when we lean out to receive God's word, when we absorb his words like the plant absorbs the sunlight, then we will have all that we need to get through each and every day. And not only get through the day but also produce good, holy, life-giving spiritual fruit for those around us.

There is indeed profound wisdom in the words of Jesus: “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remain in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.” Take a moment this week to go outside and look around at the trees and plants that are beginning their cycle of growth once again. God is a good gardener and what he plants and tends is tremendously fertile, incredibly productive.

God has planted the Vine called Christ in our midst, and when we are willing, he grafts us into that vine, and provides to us all things necessary for growth. All we have to do is remain a part of the vine and then we will produce fruit pleasing to Him and good for us and our world. 

Praise be to God, our King, our Gardener, our life-giving Vine. Amen.