HOMILETICS FAILURE

HOMILETICS FAILURE

To whom do faithful Catholics turn for counsel and comfort when they are branded as flakes and failures for professing “all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God”? We turn, of course, to our priests for bold re-assurance. Instead, too often, we are told to conform ourselves to the way of the world, rather than conform our wills to Christ who is Truth (cf. Rom. 12:2, Col 3:2). A priest yearning for popularity and novelty will have no concern for unpopular teaching, even if it is the truth which sets us free (John 12:43, Gal. 1:10., 1 Thess. 2:4).

Too often, in fact, we do know the truth, and it makes us flee: if we know what is right, then we have to act as though the truth actually matters in our lives (cf. James 4:17). “If you don’t behave as you believe,” Bishop Fulton J. Sheen taught, “you will end by believing as you behave.” Such warnings are altogether too rare today. If faith comes from hearing (Rom. 10:17), some must believe we are deaf, for we hear so little about our duty “to infuse a Christian spirit into the mentality, customs, laws, and structures of the community in which [we live]” (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 13). We run from the teaching that “the Catholic Church is by the will of Christ the teacher of truth” (Dignitatis Humanae, 14), lest we actually have to do something, politically or socially, in line with that commission.

And when our pride consumes us, and when we sin, where, then, do we turn? We turn to our priests for admonition, direction, and forgiveness. So often, though, as Scripture, again, warns us: “Their preaching deceived you by never exposing your sin. They made you think you did not need to repent” (Lam. 2:14).

Scripture starkly tells us about the priests Nadab and Abihu, whose liturgical improvisations—departures, we might say, from “reading the black and doing the red”—caused the Lord to send fire, resulting in their deaths (Lev. 10:1-3). Traditionally attributed to St. John Chrysostom is this warning: “The road to hell is paved with the skulls of erring priests, with bishops as their signposts.” By the same token, Ezekiel carefully cautions all of us that, if we do not warn sinners to change their ways, we too will be held liable (33:7-9).

In the Army, I learned that “The commander is responsible for all that his command does or fails to do.” That concept applies as well to the parish priest, whose life is (or should be) dedicated to the salvation of the souls in his parish. There will be times, then, for priestly “tough love.” The Baltimore Catechism, for instance, listed “admonish the sinner” as the first of the Spiritual Works of Mercy (question #192). The current Catechism, though, has bowdlerized the word admonish, preferring the euphemism advising (#2447).

We return, then, to Father White’s point that people must not be given “a blank check so they can live in … disregard for the Church’s teaching.” This is equivalent to being given a serpent when we ask our father (or our priest) for a fish (Luke 11:11). Father White weakens a bit in suggesting that the disciplinary facet of the Church is “undoubtedly illiberal,” but immediately recovers in wisely and plainly telling us that “it is a sign of the seriousness with which the Church takes the truth of Christ, as well as the concern she has for the salvation of souls.”

Thus does St. Paul, after an exhortation to preach the word “in season and out of season,” ring the tocsin against the “itching ears” of those who will “accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings and will wander away from the truth” (2 Tim. 4:2-4). The truth must not be made to conform to the fads and fashions of the day but, rather, be exalted in order to call home those prodigal sons and daughters yet to come to their senses (cf. John 16:33).

It is time—past time, in fact—for parrhesia, meaning “boldness in speaking,” willingness to proclaim settled, established, irreformable Catholic truth (as in Acts 2:29, 4:13, 29, 31; and 28:31) as our Lord taught a hostile world (cf. John 7:7 and 18:20). Boldness in proclaiming the word from the housetops (Matt. 10:27, Luke 12:3) may result in smaller collections; it may not be well received by everyone (John 6:41, 66), but it is the path toward the salvation of souls. Isn’t that, finally, all that matters?

WEDDING BANQUET THE MASS

THE WEDDING BANQUET THE MASS

Teenagers often resist attending Mass. A reasonable (if unpopular) parental response is, “As long as you live under my roof and eat the food I provide, you’re going to Mass on Sunday, young man!” It takes decades to begin to love the Mass and to incorporate the Mass into our lives, and a little coercion along Biblical lines can help to reveal the urgency of God’s law.

This is why the temptation to “jazz up” the Mass to “appeal to the young people” is so dangerous.  It replaces the discipline of true love with the appeals of the superficial pleasures of our consumer society. (So help the parents and stick to the liturgical texts and rubrics, Father.)

The Mass, of course, has two major components, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. During the Liturgy of the Word, we ponder the word of God.  During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we enter into the saving mystery of Christ and receive Holy Communion, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. The Liturgy of the Eucharist – the unbloody re-presentation of the Cross and Resurrection – completes the Mass and is the pinnacle of all worship.  The Mass, with its Contemplation and Communion, is a participation in the Kingdom of heaven.

This pattern of contemplation and communion is perfectly compatible with human nature. Before a man and woman exchange marriage promises, they get to know each other, spend time with each other, and listen to each other.  This is an echo of the contemplation of the Liturgy of the Word.

The love of a husband and wife that follows marriage is a reflection of Communion, the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Sacrament of Marriage is, in the final analysis, a participation in the New and Everlasting Covenant, the marriage of the glorified Christ with His Mystical Body the Church.

The Penitential Rite is crucial to all this. Calling to mind our sins helps to repeatedly consider – and reject – the obstacles to our love for God and neighbor.  The communal Act of Contrition teaches us to repeat the same gesture outside of Mass, asking for forgiveness and being reconciled. The Mass teaches us to conduct our lives God’s way, not our way. This is the stuff of heavenly glory.

The Mass – the contemplation of the Word followed by the happiness of communion with Christ – not only brings us the grace of Christ. The structure of the Mass and honoring the Sunday obligation provides us with a template for every healthy and loving human relationship. Love of God and love of neighbor are inseparable. His happiness is our happiness, in the marriage of the human with the Divine.

In a very practical way, we can test and evaluate our aspirations – and our happiness – every time we attend Mass, the heavenly marriage banquet. But getting it right takes a seriousness of purpose over a lifetime with, please God, a lot of help from faithful clergy.

© 2017 

SISTER TERESA ANTHONY CARAPIET

Tribute          

SISTER TERESA ANTHONY CARAPIET  FC    

          (15^th. August 1931 – 26^th. October 2017)

               by Angelina Talu Chakrabarty (grand niece)      

   Shortly after finishing High School in Loreto, Bow Bazar, Calcutta, Lorna Carapiet entered the Novitiate in St. Helen’s Kurseong in 1947 at a very young age. She pronounced her first temporary vows on 29^th. September in St. Helen’s, and was appointed class teacher of the little children for some years. It was there that she revealed her sweet playfulness as an entertaining teacher: qualities she evinced all her life.

It is God who gives noble qualities to his creatures. He gave them to Sister Teresa Anthony: a thousand facets ground and burnished by family and teachers, co-religious and friends, the sheen of her pre-possessing personality, and the steadfastness of her friendship. A diamond of the first water, that never let anyone down.

She held positions like assistant and superior in other places like St. Agnes' in Howrah and St. Vincent’s, Kidderpore. She did pioneering work in Jorethang, South Sikkim, getting very many families over to the Catholic faith by the simple expedient of visiting them in their homes. The then Bishop Eric Benjamin praised her at a meeting of the priests and religious in Darjeeling, commending her as the apostle of evangelization, in fact, the only one. Another great achievement was her success over the attempts of the then Marxist government in West Bengal to take over St. Agnes School, Howrah. The case lasted about three to four years, but with the help of reputed lawyers and priests like Fr. Sheehy SDB, the Jesuits and Bishop Alan D’lastic, she came out victorious. This was, indeed, a test case, since if she had lost, the other schools would have been in danger of being taken over by the Marxists. On 29^th. September 2017 she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, and on 26^th. October 2017 she ascended for her eternal jubilee.

                                                                        

The fact that I am writing this is almost unbelievable. 

It's going to take time to understand that Aunty Lorna won't be around anymore. There are absolutely no words to express this, but when you're someone as special as Aunty Lorna, one must try.

She wasn't just any ordinary woman. Apart from dedicating her life to God, she dedicated her life to every single person she met. She changed so many lives for the better. I know everyone who is sitting here today can testify to the fact that, if you met her just once, you went back home a happy person. 

For my family Aunty Lorna was everything. Every small problem, every big event, every little fact was known to her. Be it a school concert, be it a family problem, or even a trivial fact like potlu or myself got a fever. I remember her coming every month to the house and never once forgetting to bring something for every single member of my family. I ask God for immense strength to help my family and me as we try to recover from this loss. 

There are some things I would like to say to her.

Dear Aunty Lorna, 

You meant the world to me. There is nobody who can take your place. Here onwards I hope you look down on us and guide my family and me through every single step. You are and will always be the pillar of strength that we rest on. Though what I feel now is in-expressible I know that we all should celebrate the beautiful life that you lived. You always made sure we were happy, so every time I think of you I will smile. You touched all our hearts in a way only we understand. 

I hope heaven is filled with Hershey's chocolates, dogs, and beautiful songs that you enjoy singing. I love you and you will always live on in our hearts. Until I see you, somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, where there's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby. 

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AWESOME LORD JESUS

THE AWESOME LORD JESUS CHRIST

Revelation 1:12-16

I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. (NIVUK)

Read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: in English, and many other languages

Revelation is John's faithful description of the words and visions Jesus gave him. Having been alerted by a trumpet-like voice, John wrote down what he saw, to send to seven churches in what is now western Turkey (Revelation 1:10-11). It sets the scene for the specific prophecies to them. The voice was behind him, so he turned around to see who was speaking. A man was surrounded by seven lampstands, like the seven-branched lamp holder in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:31-40). Now, each lampstand represented a church which should have been illuminating a dark world with the gospel (Revelation 2:1,5). The man himself was like the Son of Man in Daniel 7:13-14, who had all authority, power and glory; who was worshipped all over the world, and whose kingdom cannot be destroyed. This was none other than Jesus. He was dressed as a high priest (Exodus 28:4), and yet his hair was like that of the Ancient of Days (a description of God in His wisdom) in Daniel 7:9. Daniel 10:5-6 completes the picture of the Son of Man, "I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz round his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude." Ezekiel 43:1-2 attributes the rivers of truth in His voice to God: "… and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory." So, the Lord Jesus Christ is depicted as the high priest who is both man and God, the messenger feet declaring Him a prophet, and the gold sash differentiating Him as a king (the priest had a sash of blue, purple and scarlet in Exodus 39:29). The stars in His right hand were the 'angels' (meaning 'messengers') of the seven churches (Revelation 1:20). They may have been supernatural angels but the word could also mean the churches' truth-messengers (ie the teaching elders). Either way, they were under God's powerful authority. Coming out of the Lord's mouth was a sharp double-edged sword, which correlates well with the Word of God judging the intention of every heart (Hebrews 4:12). That awesome description is topped by His face which was shining as God's, in the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:25. Why such a lavish kaleidoscope of imagery? It was to ensure that John could not mistake that the Revelation came from the awesome Jesus: God and Man, Priest and King with a very important prophetic message. It is the Word of God about the future, without which it will be impossible to have hope in very dark days when internal corruption and external persecution will threaten the very existence of the church. Like the Early Church, it is easy for us to be complacent when there is no pressure, and to syncretise with ungodly opponents when trouble threatens. But if we do we have forgotten that the Lord Jesus is watching us, and that His presence is awesome in every way. That is why we need to take His authority seriously and be ready to listen to His instructions and obey without arguing.

Almighty God. Thank You that Jesus is awesome in His authority. Forgive me for failing to realise that. Please help me to take His Word far more seriously and to learn how to live so that I please Him. In His Name. Amen.

MARKS OF A PROPHET

THE MARKS OF A PROPHET

There are at least ten distinguishing marks of the prophetic office; these characteristics in the lives and ministries of believers identify them as prophets. These traits should be evident in varying degrees in the life of anyone with a prophetic gifting who is attempting to grow and develop in that gifting. They are most fully developed in those who have been raised into the prophetic office. Whenever we see any of these qualities displayed in someone’s life, we should encourage that person to grow and develop their gift.

1.     Preaching that exhorts and strengthens the disciples. The prophet’s message always builds up the lives of disciples; it never tears down. A disciple is a student; someone who is learning, maturing, and growing up in the Christian faith. These are the ones who are encouraged and strengthened by the prophet’s message. Those believers who have refused to mature, on the other hand, may find the prophet’s message to be harsh and painful. It always hurts to be outside of the will of God. A prophet’s word always builds up those who are striving to grow in Christ.

2.     Character that is true, honest, faithful, and holy. A prophet points to and reminds us of our destiny in Christ. Therefore, his life should display the character of Christ. While this is true of all believers, it is particularly critical for those in the prophetic office. The Old Testament prophets were held to a very high standard, not only by the people but by God. Moses was a prophet (see Deut. 34:10); yet one lapse on his part in representing God before the people resulted in God denying him the opportunity to enter the Promised Land (see Deut. 32:48-52). Character matters.

3.     A message that appeals not to the flesh but to the spirit. Growing disciples want messages that challenge and stretch their spirits. Babes in the faith who have no interest in growth usually don’t like prophetic preaching because it brings them under conviction. They are more interested in gratifying the flesh. The message of a true prophet always speaks to the spirit directly and without compromise.

4.     Prediction and fulfillment of prophecy. In other words, a prophet speaks something concerning the future, and God fulfills that prophecy. It could be a prophecy spoken into the life of an individual or an entire congregation. Whatever form it takes, such a prophecy will be specific in nature with clearly measurable fulfillment. Once the event comes to pass we know that God has raised that prophet into office.

5.     Spiritual discernment in the lives of others. This one sometimes makes people nervous, particularly those who know that their lives are not what they should be in the Lord. A prophet has the ability in the Spirit to discern spiritual reality in the lives of others, good or bad, and speak concerning that reality. This prospect creates anxiety in some people who fear that the prophet will uncover all the mess they have allowed into their lives. Have no fear. A mature prophet will never publicly uncover mess because God does not embarrass people. The prophet may address the problem privately with the person, if the Lord leads that way. However, he is more likely to exhort the person to follow God’s will and obey what God has told him to do.

6.     Declaration of divine judgments when needed. This is another one that makes people nervous. Sometimes a situation is so bad or has gone on so long that the word of the Lord through the prophet is one of judgment. Prolonged rebellion or disobedience to God, or refusal to heed prophetic warnings or respond to calls for repentance, will ultimately bring about God’s judgment. No one likes these kind of pronouncements, least of all the prophet, but sometimes they are necessary.

7.     Willingness to suffer for speaking the truth without saving self. A mature prophet has long since committed his or her life totally into God’s keeping and has recognized that suffering is an “occupational hazard.” Speaking the truth for God is more important than personal comfort. Sometimes suffering comes as a result of declaring divine judgment. Jeremiah spoke the truth about God’s coming judgment on the southern kingdom of Judah and was convicted of treason and imprisoned in a dry cistern. A true prophet is not afraid to suffer for the truth.

8.     A message in harmony with the Word of God and the known will of God. A prophet’s message will never, repeat never, contradict the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word always agree. Since a prophet is a “pneumatic” (Spirit-person), his word will also be in agreement with the Word of God. A message that goes against God’s Word is a sure indicator of a false prophet.

9.     Employment of symbolic actions. Prophets preach with pictures. Jesus used this method all the time in His teaching, painting pictures in people’s minds through the stories and parables He told. Prophets use pictures because that’s the way God reveals His will and His Word to them. A prophet sees how things are done in the natural and applies it to the spiritual.

10.      Ability and authority to judge the manifestations of prophetic gifts. A prophet serving in a recognized and acknowledged prophetic office has the ability and authority to identify and judge the presence, display, and use of prophetic gifts in others. In other words, a prophet has the ability to recognize and identify other prophets (both true and false).

EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

Obedient to Death: Exaltation of the Holy Cross

“Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.” —St. Rose of Lima

There is a line in the Mass readings for September 14 that grabs my heart every time I read it or hear it proclaimed:

…he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross. (Phil 2:8)

September 14 is the day that the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The line occurs during the Second Reading for the day, and is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.

He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Who is “he?” He is our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Sovereign King of all creation. He is God. But “he” also is the Son of the Father, the Word Incarnate who assumed human nature without losing his divine nature. As a child, I was taught that God becoming a man would be akin to my becoming an ant. Considering my childhood fetish for squishing ants, that analogy was life-changing for me. I don’t think I’ve intentionally squished a single ant since that day.

There’s a similar analogy in the readings for this feast. In the First Reading, the Israelites ungratefully complained to Moses about the way God was caring for them in the desert. To teach them a lesson, God sent a plague of saraph serpents which bit and killed many of the people. Of course, they pleaded for mercy. As a cure, God instructed Moses to make a serpent out of bronze and mount it on a pole. Those bitten needed only to look at it to be saved. The very thing that became the Israelites’ cure was the nuisance they just as well would have destroyed.

Like squishing an ant.

The serpent mounted on the pole was a foreshadowing of our Lord being mounted on the cross. The Scribes and Pharisees saw Jesus as a nuisance—a nasty little thing that bit at them and threatened their status quo—and so they decided to squish him, so to speak, by crucifying him. They, too, were ungrateful for all God had given them.

Our Lord had the power to strike them all dead then and there. Instead, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave. In complete obedience to the Father, he allowed himself to be mocked, scourged, crowned with thorns, beaten, and hung on a cross to die an agonizing death. Like the serpent, the One mounted on the Cross became the means of salvation.

Perhaps we might like to ask ourselves how we respond to the One mounted on the Cross. There are some, sadly, who would prefer to stomp on it and walk away. There are others who don’t understand its significance at all. There are others who understand its significance but ignore it or forget about it. Like an ant crossing the sidewalk or a garden snake slithering away into the tall grass, they pass by and don’t give it much thought.

The One mounted on the Cross is no ant, no serpent, and no mere man. He is the Son of God, the God-Man, the Christ. Let’s not just pass him by. Rather, let’s take a moment—or an hour, or a day—to gaze in love at the instrument of our salvation and to offer him the respect, honor, gratitude, praise, and worship he deserves.

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY YEAR 'A'

Peter, Francis, Jesus and Us                                 

Sunday, Aug. 27, is the 21st  Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). Mass Readings: Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138:1-3, 6, 8; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20

What must the other apostles have thought when they heard what Jesus said in today’s Gospel: “I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”

They must have known about Isaiah 22, our first reading, which Jesus is citing: “I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut; when he shuts, no one shall open.”

He is clearly conferring a high degree of authority on the fisherman. Says the Catechism, Peter’s “power to ‘bind and loose’ connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce doctrinal judgments, and to make disciplinary decisions in the Church” (553).

But “[t]he homilist must show that [Scripture’s] language is meant to apply also to us,” says the Vatican’s Homiletic Directory. 

This is one reading the Church has very directly applied to us.

“[R]eligious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra,” says Vatican II’s dogmatic constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium (25).

The apostles didn’t have anything near that clarity in today’s Gospel. But they did face with Peter the challenge we face with Pope Francis: following a human leader of a supernatural Church.

Consider the parallels: Pope Francis is “obsessed with the devil,” complained CNN. But it was Peter who said, “Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Francis was criticized for comparing human behavior to animal behavior — dogs’ “coprophilia” and “coprophagia.” Peter also compared sin to how “[t]he dog returns to its own vomit,” and “A bathed sow returns to wallowing in the mire” (1 Peter 2:22).

Crowds loved Peter. In Acts 5:15, they line the streets “so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any of them.” They do the same today.

Francis wants to “accompany” sinners with love — and Peter said, “Love covers up a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

But Francis is harsh when it comes to economic sins. He said “the proud, rich and powerful will end up … plunging into the eternal abyss of solitude, which is hell.” Peter was similarly harsh. Of Simon the Magician, he said: “May your money perish with you” (Acts 8:20), and he condemned Ananias and Sapphira to death for economic sins (Acts 5:1-11).

St. Paul said he “opposed [Peter] to his face.” Today, cardinals have sought corrections, too.

Why did Jesus build the Church on Peter — and Francis? “How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!” says our second reading.

Indeed! But that’s what he did. Our job is to trust. And follow.