TV Mass Homily
The Sunday TV Mass homilies from Bishop Swain.
“Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour,” Jesus warns. As the church year winds down and fall turns toward winter, our readings these next several weeks focus on the end times. Be ready we are advised, be prepared, be wise. The parable of the ten virgins is one that clearly points out the ramifications of being wise and prepared or being foolish and not prepared. It urges us to keep the light of faith alive with sufficient oil of faith, hope and charity. The Gospel reading scholars tell us is based on the wedding traditions of the day when it was the custom for the groom to come at an unknown hour to lead his wife to their new life together. However the gospel teaching is…
We welcome knights and ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre as we acknowledge Our Lady, Queen of Palestine and of the Holy Land. It is important that we raise up Christians in the Holy Land who have and are continuing to be persecuted for our faith both physically and economically, the result of which is the diminishment of Christianity in the land where Jesus was born, taught, suffered, died and rose. Our Lady, Queen of Palestine, intercede on their behalf. Our response to the plight of persecuted Christians reflects whether we take to heart what Jesus called us to in today’s Gospel reading. The truth that God, the Creator, gives life to us all, explains in part Jesus’ response to the question: which of the commandments is…
Jesus makes clear the stark truth in this parable: many are invited, few are chosen. God invites, we choose whether to accept the invitation. In this parable of the king’s wedding feast, some refused the invitation, some ignored it, some reacted with hostility, some came unprepared, and some were ready. So it is with the call of God. The invitation is to everyone; the response is our choice. Some of those invited to the wedding feast refused the invitation outright. Polls show that a vast majority of Americans say they believe in God, yet only about 25% attend church. Some would prefer to sleep in or to enjoy sports or leisure. I was among them for a while. God got my attention at a difficult moment in my life. In…
St. Paul urges us to “have no anxiety at all.” That’s a bit hard with all that is going on in our world – destructive weather, violence and shootings, terror and civil discord. Our hearts go out to all those hurting and all who worry about them. We pray in a special for those affected by the shooting in Las Vegas. These realities can lead not only to anxiety, but fear, even despair. St. Thomas Aquinas labeled despair “the sorrow of the world.” How in the midst of all that can we be not be anxious? St Paul provides the formula: he wrote “in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving make your requests known to God.” In other words with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through His church…
“The Lord’s way is not fair,” so the prophet Ezekiel in our first reading describes the view of the people of his day. When we have no satisfactory answer to natural or physical happenings we too may wonder about God’s way. But this reading is not about the weather or physical health. It is about spiritual well-being and our openness to living our lives in obedience to God the Father, in discipleship with God the Son, and in fellowship with God the Holy Spirit. Our human nature tends to buck the narrow yet freeing yoke Jesus invites us to put on. Is the Lord’s way not fair? St. Paul in the second reading from Philippians has the answer. God’s way is to humble himself by becoming man, then in obedience…
Once again we offer our prayers and support for all those innocently caught in the harshness of natural calamities especially from hurricanes and earthquakes, violence and injustice. While the news reports on large numbers of persons affected, the truth is that the impact is one by one, one person and one family whose lives are forever changed. We have also seen once again the courage and dedication of first responders and many volunteers who at personal risk offer hope in the midst of destruction. I was especially moved by the scenes from Mexico in an area where I led a pilgrimage just last October. I can envision the beautiful countryside, including a rural church high up on a hill dedicated to St. Michael and an urban one in Puebla dedicated…
We pray today while our brothers and sisters are dealing with a series of natural calamities including Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey. While there is too much water in some places, drought is devastating in North Dakota and parts of our own state. Forest fires of great magnitude are blazing out west, the smoke from which darkens our own sky. The list could go one around the world and in people’s lives. We pray for all in harm’s way and we pray for all those offering a helping hand that they may be safe. Monday is the anniversary of the human inspired calamity in our country simply known as September 11. Ever since, our government has been trying to provide what is called homeland security. There is a tension about…
President Trump has declared this Sunday a day of prayer for the victims of Hurricane Harvey and for the national response and recovery efforts. I have authorized a special collection at the discretion of pastors which funds will go to Catholic Charities USA and to dioceses affected. Often church institutions are not eligible for government funding. Thank you for your generosity. We continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in need. Simon Peter in last week’s Gospel inspired by the Holy Spirit recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus responded that no mere mortal could have told him that and then anointed Peter as the rock upon which he would build his church. In this week's reading only a short time later Peter now clearly the mortal one was something…
Our prayers go out to all those in harm’s way in Texas and Louisiana as a result of Hurricane Harvey whose devastating winds and drenching rains endanger and destroy. Our hearts are heavy at the sight and the plight of so many. May they receive the help and support they need. In the Opening Prayer in Mass for the End of Storms, we pray “O God, to whose commands all the elements give obedience, we humbly entreat you, that the stilling of fearsome storms may turn a powerful menace into an occasion for us to praise you. Amen.” It is in the midst of storms of many varieties that we must humbly admit how small we are and how dependent we are on God’s love and mercy to weather them.…
This has been another week filled with sadness, violence, and disrespect for life around the world and in our own country. We pray for all those adversely affected in any way and for reconciliation and peace. We look to our Lord Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life to guide us. He is the hope in the midst of sadness, violence and disrespect for life. With this real world background we listen to today’s Gospel which seems to have an uncharacteristic harshness to it. Of note is the reaction of the disciples to the Canaanite woman seeking healing for her daughter. Finding her annoying they said: ”Send her away.” That is not exactly a charitable reaction to a frightened mother. To put it in some perspective…
