The Funeral Mass for Ethan Harold Mahoney Mike and Becky, Quinlan, Wyatt, and Ainsley, Grandparents, Extended Family, Classmates and Friends of Ethan, Parishioners, My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The dreadful task of saying something when there is nothing to say now falls to me. I have begged the Lord to give me some small words that may bring some comfort to you. Our hearts are all broken and that is as it should be, because we love Ethan and he loves us. There is an ancient maxim in the Church which tells us that “the law of prayer is the law of faith.”[1] This is another way of sa ..read more

The Funeral Mass for Steven Cosner Dear brothers and sisters, Even as Mother Church continues to rejoice in the marvelous wonder of the Lord’s Resurrection and his triumphant victory over the grave, we gather this morning at his altar to implore his mercy as we prepare to entrust the mortal remains of Steven to God. It is perhaps, then, a curious thing that this morning we hear the Lord say through the Apostle John, “there shall be no more death” (Revelation 21:4). The Lord Christ can destroy that ancient enemy because he has already contended with him and emerged the victor. Consequently, for ..read more

The Third Sunday of Easter (B) Dear brothers and sisters, We deceive ourselves when we say to God something along the lines of “just give me a sign so I know you are real.” The Apostles saw a sign greater than any for which we would dare to ask, and still they had trouble believing (cf. Matthew 28:17). If they who saw the clearest of signs still struggled in their faith, why should it be different for you or me? When Christ Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees before his Crucifixion, he cautioned them, saying, An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it exc ..read more

Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection Mass During the Day Dear brothers and sisters,   There is a curious absence in the Gospel chosen for this Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection. Did you notice it? “In today’s Gospel Jesus is not even seen, but He leaves signs, so that those who desire Him, those who seek Him, may finally meet him anew.”[1] How carefully do you look for the signs he has left for you? How ardently do you desire him? How diligently do you search for him?   In this intriguing detail of the absence of Jesus, we have an implicit reminder of what Christianity is ..read more

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion Dear brothers and sisters, We would rather not remain at the foot of the Cross, gazing up at the tortured body of the Son of God. No, we would prefer to bypass over the sorrowful suffering of Good Friday – as well as the strange and silent stillness of Holy Saturday – and skip straight to the glorious triumph of Easter Sunday. However, in her wisdom, Mother Church knows it is good for us to pause, at least for a day, at the Cross. It might seem strange to think of Jesus going through his Passion and Death doing so as a resolute and heroic warrior, but that is ..read more

Homily for the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper Dear brothers and sisters, J.R.R. Tolkien once said, “It is the heroism of obedience and love not of pride and willfulness that is the most heroic and most moving.”[1] As we celebrate this evening the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of Love, we encounter the most heroic act of obedience and love that could possibly be imagined. We know “love cannot be imagined without sacrifice, and one cannot imagine love flourishing without friendship to nourish it.”[2] Love, sacrifice, and friendship, then, form the themes for our meditation ..read more

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (B) Dear brothers and sisters, As we enter into this holiest of weeks, we hear the great cry of “Hosanna” (Mark 11:9, 10)! Not only do we hear it, but we shout it ourselves. Though the Gloria and the Creed are sometimes omitted from the offering of the Holy Mass, the exclamation of “Hosanna!” is never omitted. This word itself is not unknown to us; we sing or say it, as we said, every time we participate in the Holy Mass, but today “Hosanna!” takes on a special significance. Yet, what is this word? What does it mean and why we still shout it today? “Hosanna” i ..read more

The Fifth Sunday of Lent (B) On Saint Patrick Dear brothers and sisters, Were today not Sunday we would be celebrating the memorial of Saint Patrick, whose image is enshrined in this sanctuary. Given that many of you have Irish ancestry, it is fitting for us to give thanks to God for the bright light shining through the example of Saint Patrick’s life. People have put on their green, drunk their beer, and will likely dine on corned beef and cabbage for dinner (though the Irish do not eat this). Many Americans will do this to celebrate a fabricated Irish heritage more so than Patrick himself ..read more

The Fourth Sunday of Lent (B) LaetareSunday Dear brothers and sisters, It has become such a commonplace in our minds and hearts that Jesus was “lifted up” on the Cross that his having been lifted up no longer gives us pause for thought (John 3:14). Why was it that the only Savior of mankind had to be lifted up? And not simply lifted up, but lifted up and suspended upon a Cross?       Many preachers have rightly pointed out that crucifixion was considered the most ignoble of deaths in the ancient world, and that the Romans had perfected this gruesome and excruciati ..read more

Ash Wednesday Dear brothers and sisters, Much like Saint Valentine’s Day, we might say Ash Wednesday is a day about love. It might seem strange to say so, given that February 14th has largely become associated with romantic notions of love, and that on Ash Wednesday Mother Church calls us to “take up battle with spiritual evils.”[1] The only way to truly battle against spiritual evils is to do so with the love of God, by growing deeper in his love and spreading his love more authentically. Today, then, is an opportunity for us to consider the nature of love, which is, perhaps, why Saint Paul e ..read more