Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

The following in Bishop Caggiano’s homily for the Blue Mass:

My dear friends,

What I’m about to tell you, I’m sure you will find hard to believe, but nonetheless it is true.

That when I was a young man, particularly a young boy, I was incorrigible, stubborn, wanted what I wanted, when I wanted. Of course, some people say to me, not much has changed in 65 years. That’s another story. And I got into a heap of trouble because of it. And ninety percent of the time, mom was the one who took care of it.

But every once in a while, it rose to the level of hearing the words “wait till your father comes home.” And my dad was a 245 pound longshoreman immigrant Italian from Brooklyn. So those words, even in my stubborn heart, gave me great pause to fear.

And he would sit there at the table pondering the punishment to fit the crime. And he would inevitably, somewhere in the speech, tell me “…and remember this is going to hurt me more than it’s going to hurt you.”

And in my mind I would always say “yeah, right”.

Interesting. Some of my closer associates know that as I’ve grown older I’ve come to appreciate the wisdom of my father more and more. For in fact he was right. Because as even I myself as a spiritual father of many people, I’ve come to realize that there are decisions you make for the good of the person before you, or the community in your care, that are not easy, that will not be well received.

But you don’t do it because it makes you feel good or you get satisfaction out of it. You do it because it’s right. And it is what needs to be done for the good (muffled).. take no pleasure in punishing or disciplining my sister and I. Those of you who are parents and grandparents know what I mean. But you do it so that your son or daughter could grow in wisdom, discipline and grace. That is the definition of Christian Love.

We gather here every Sunday to celebrate Divine Love. Love that has come to us in Jesus Christ. And my friends, we need to remember love is to choose to do what is good for those around us – wife, husband, children, grandchildren, relatives, friends, neighbors and even those who harm us – is to always make the choice to lift up our neighbor even when the choice is difficult, even when we may be persecuted by the choice, not appreciated because of what we do, not encouraged for the actions that we choose, but nonetheless we do it because we know it is right and it is good for the person for whom we are making the choice.

That comes as no surprise. For, my friends, each time we come here to this sacred Cathedral we have here the perfect definition of love. You don’t need a theologian to describe it. For here the Lord chose to die for us, not because it was pleasant, not because He enjoyed it, not because in the end it was inevitable. But He chose it so that you and I might have Life Eternal. He chose this for our good. This is the definition of love.

And I remind you and me of this because it’s the only way we could make sense of the scriptures today. Because Ezekiel speaks of this strange notion that if someone is doing evil, it’s not enough simply to mind your business, but to say something to them.

Well the reason is love. For love demands we choose to speak up for the good of the other person even when the person does not want to hear it. That is why the Lord in the Gospel today says the same thing. You see your brother or sister offending or sinning or doing something wrong or harmful to themselves, go and confront them. Not because it’s pleasant, not because you’re going to be welcomed by doing it, but because it is good for them.

You and I are the instruments of that goodness, to lift them up before it is too late.

If that is the vocation of every believer, then today on what we traditionally call the Blue Mass, I stand before you to thank all those who, every single day in their line of duty and active service, are the ministers of love in the world. For that, my brothers and sisters who are present here and not, that is exactly what you are.

For you go as law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, on the front line to do what – not to serve yourself, not to lead a comfortable life, not to hide from danger or harm, but you go in every day, wherever duty calls, so that you might lift up your neighbor, whether that neighbor is in a moment of crisis or being threatened by someone, or is in peril of health, you go out there to lift that person up and make the choices that have to be made so that that person might have greater life.

Those are choices this world doesn’t always appreciate. I’m sadly we live in a world that does not fully understand the nobility of your vocation. But in this Church we do. Because in many ways, my brothers and sisters, you make God’s love real to the people whom you serve, whether they realize it or not. But in this church we do realize it. And I, for my part, and on behalf of all God’s people, wish to say thank you to every single one of you for showing the world that love is still alive.

And of course today we have the opportunity to honor one, you Officer Torreso, for your heroic work in saving the life of a newborn. To consider that that child’s future was resting in the actions you had to take. And in that moment you are not thinking of comfort, you were not thinking of anything other than to save that little infant’s life. And you did. You’re an instrument of God’s creative love. And that child, as that child grows older, I hope and pray that he will pray for you. Because you were the instrument of his life in this world, and all of us are grateful to you for your heroic service. And you represent the heroism of everyone in this church who in other ways, perhaps known and unknown, have put your life in the service of someone else that they may have life.

And of course, we also remember those who died in the line of duty 22 years ago. It seems like it was yesterday when our city was attacked in a war we didn’t choose to fight. The thousands of people (that) died, and hundreds and hundreds of the men and women on the front lines, died with them. And hundreds and hundreds served those survivors for months after. And many have been slowly dying since. Those were heroism acts of love so that Christ was present in the darkest of hours in any person’s life who was in that place we now call Ground Zero. And so many others.

And so on a day like today, we pray that they will rest in Eternal Peace for the goodness of their life. For they did not fail love, and therefore, love will not fail them.

So allow me to end by simply saying to all of you who are here – and I ask you take this message to those who could not be here, for so many other responsibilities – thank you for your service. Thank you for being honorable. Thank you for doing what you do, even at times when the world and the press and whoever else does not appreciate it and will not encourage you. Thank you for being the Ministers of Love. And remember that love, true love, Christ’s love, never fails.

My dear friends,

At least to my way of looking at things, the early days of the pandemic seem like they were a thousand years ago. But you and I probably still remember those early months of the pandemic, more particularly as we struggled to figure out what this virus was and how it was transmitted.

Do you remember? Was it by touch? Was it by breathing? Was it in the air? And a lot of what we did in response was simply because we did not know how it was transmitted, that is, passed on from person to person. Now that we do know, we’re better able to protect ourselves.

As I was reflecting on the scriptures, particularly the Gospel, that came to mind. Because my friends, disease and viruses are not the only things that are transmitted in life. There is something far greater and more important, and it is the offer and gift of faith. It too is transmitted, meaning that it is passed on from person to person, generation to generation, starting with the men that we heard in the Gospel who are the apostles, the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Let’s consider for a moment how faith is transmitted. Because the Lord today in the Gospel is giving all of us a very specific challenge in that work. But before we realize the challenge, let’s look at how faith is transmitted. How is it passed on?

Perhaps in this coming week you could spend some time asking yourself the question, how did I come to Faith? When I look at my own life, it was certainly the experience of the Sacraments. Coming with my mom and my sister, and at times even my father, to Mass, to confession, to novenas, to adoration – not knowing who it was I was encountering until I grew older.

It was by word. What I was taught, what I heard from the preaching at mass and from other occasions, from being privileged to go to Catholic school and having my the sisters of Saint Dominic teach me. I was offered the word of Salvation in Jesus.

And then there were the role models. There were many because actions speak louder than words. So I think back on my teachers in school. Some who were religious, some who were not. The coach I had in high school. Some of my friends’ parents and of course, my own parents as well.

And then they were the leaders of the Church. I already mentioned the sisters. And it was the priests that I had the privilege to meet, many of them in high school and older. All of them, all of that has a role to help us, to what? Meet the Lord Jesus, hear His voice, feel His presence and His love. Respond yes to that and begin the Journey of Faith which lasts for a lifetime. That, my friend, is the Transmission of Faith.

So now, what’s the challenge for today? Jesus says the laborers are few. And of course, when He speaks of the shepherd, you and I immediately think of the shepherds – that is, the ordained ministers of the Church. And rightfully so. We have a unique role to play in the Transmission of Faith. And not just in our words but in our loving service to you, and by our example. And on this Father’s Day, we should give thanks for the spiritual fatherhood of our priests. All of them. Because even though they do not give life in a physical way, they give life in a spiritual way. And they’re asked to nurture that life and protect that life.

But this is the challenge. Please do not understand the word ‘shepherd’ solely to mean a deacon, a priest, or a bishop. For the Lord meant much more than that. The truth is, anyone to whom another life has been given to care for, to guide and protect is a shepherd or shepherdess. And our role understood that way is perhaps the most powerful way the offer of Salvation in Jesus Christ can be passed on to those entrusted to our care.

So today we celebrate Father’s Day. Natural fathers, godfathers, grandfathers, foster fathers. Fathers are given a unique role, are they not? For not only do they bring forth life with their wives, but they are called to nurture that life, protect that life, guide that life. That’s being a shepherd to your children, and in time, your grandchildren. You are playing an essential role to help them to realize that as you love your children, God loves them. You are father, He is Eternal Father.

And so on this day, we give thanks to all those who are fathers. Because the Lord is asking you, He is commanding you, to be His presence to all those entrusted to your care.

But they’re not just fathers. Those of you who are mothers, godmothers, spiritual mothers, religious mothers – all of you play an equal role. Because to you has also given the great privilege. Either to give birth to life or to take life and nurture it in the spirit of Christ. And so you too are shepherdesses, you too have been given lives that are meant to be molded, cared for, protected and nurtured, intentionally. Because the greatest gift you can give your child, mother, father, aunt, uncle, whoever it is, teacher, doctor, counselor, the greatest gift is not physical life, but eternal life in Jesus Christ.

And my dear friends, you do not need me to tell you in the 21st century, the transmission of life, that is the transmission of faith in Jesus Christ, is being broken over and over and over again. And there is now multiple generations who have not encountered the power, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ. And when we imagine how we can allow that transmission, or forgive me for putting it, that infection, to happen, we need to think and remember that every single person in the Church to whom another life has been entrusted, has work to do. In word, in witness, in authenticity, and most especially, in self-sacrificing love.

For it might be very blunt, if we say God is Love, and we say that Love took a human life and died on the cross for me, and I do not have people around me who will love me just as I am, even when I mess up, there’s no one in my life who takes an interest and will walk with me in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, if there’s no one in my life who is willing never to turn their back on me, if there is no one like that in my life, how can I possibly believe you when you tell me that God loves me? For He will only love me through you and me.

So there is a profound challenge the Lord is asking of us today in this 21st century in the life of the Church. But have no fear my friends, because with the grace and power of the Holy Spirit and being nourished by His sacred body, blood, soul and divinity, all of us here, spiritual fathers, natural fathers, spiritual mothers, natural mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts, doctors, lawyers, counselors, whoever we are, in this time when we need to find new ways to transmit the great gift of faith, perhaps the beginning and most important part of the task is staring us in the face when we look in a mirror.

My dear friends,

I was going to start my homily by stating ‘isn’t this a joyful day?’ but you have already proven it for our brother David. We come here in the presence of our living God to ask that the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit upon our brother David, who has been prepared for this moment all the days of his life, so that he might enter what I called at the beginning of mass ‘a great mystery’. For you, David, will be ordained into the Mystery the Sacrament of the Diaconate. And you will become a living sacrament of service; that is, to lay down one’s life in love, so that those who are loved may grow – increase – may have ever greater life.

It is the type of service, my friends, that the world out there does not quite understand. For service in our modern world is a quid pro quo. We do, to get. We serve in expectation of something in return. But that is not what brings us here today.

From the very mouth of the Savior I have come, not to be served, but to serve and give my life as a ransom for many. And so consider the adventure, the odyssey, that you have lived David, from when you were a little boy to the four ends of the earth, so that you might have learned and will continue to learn what this mystery really means.

For my friends, every Christian is called to that life of service. But there are some among us who live this sacrament so we might always be reminded of what it is we share and He sacramentally lives. In this case, our brother David.

Last night we had the opportunity to chat at dinner and you recounted some of the stories that I had forgotten about your time in itinerancy. So when I say you were prepared from the beginning, very beginning of life, so that was in the midst of mom and dad and your sisters and brothers who love you so deeply and have formed you, in times of triumph, and in times of crisis. You saw how God accompanied you, and them, in His love and mercy, at every moment of every day.

And I’m grateful to you, Sabrina, and Matt for giving us this gift. It is a precious gift. And it does cost, it does. And I, and we, are grateful to you and to your whole family for the gift of David that you now give to the entire Church.

And then, of course, in the way your brothers and sisters in the way have walked with you since your youth. And they are more your family, are they not, right? They walk with you with honesty. They walk with you with generosity. They walk with you with integrity. And always in love.

And I’m sure I’m not exaggerating to say you could not imagine your life now without that community of support. And no matter where you go, and only God knows in the end where you will go in ministry, they will always be there as part of your larger family. And they have helped you to come to this day.

But going back to itinerancy…the most exotic places I have ever imagined, you have gone to, and you have served. Sleeping on kitchen tables so that the creepy crawlies would not – kind of – make their home with you in the middle of the night. To learn different languages, different customs. To be able to see poverty and dignity go hand in hand. To be able to explore the depth and breadth and beauty of God’s mercy, that is not bound to our little world alone, but it is at the four corners of every place on Earth. And you were welcomed with generosity, hospitality, and true acceptance.

And why have you walked all that? First and foremost so that you could be a man of holiness. For our ultimate vocation is to enter into the glory of Heaven. But God, in His great love, has chosen this vocation. And you and your courage have discerned it and chosen it freely. Because this is the path God wishes you to walk for holiness of life now. And glory in everlasting life.

And I as your bishop and spiritual father are grateful to you, for all that you have walked and for your willingness to say yes.

Towards the end of our conversation last night, my friends, David and I remarked on the fact that, what a beautiful day to be ordained to Deacon on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And allow me to propose to you, David, and to your brother deacons, and perhaps to all of us who are here in this sanctuary, that it is the very heart of Mary that will be your catechism for your diaconate year, and for the rest of your life as a cleric.

But consider, my friends, this Heart of Mary Immaculate, chaste and pure. First and foremost, it was a heart that was open to the word of God. And she was formed in that word when she was a little girl in the words of the prophets, and the great revelation that came to God’s chosen people about the nearness and power and sovereignty of God and how He was a liberator from their slavery. And in that word of God that rested in her heart, it was that willingness to allow the word of God to lead her, that allowed her, when the word came to her in Gabriel, to say yes even though she had no idea at that moment where that word would lead her, no idea it would lead her to Calvary where she would say yes again and again and again.

Scripture says she pondered these things in her heart. And among that was the word which he bore in flesh, in the word that sets us free. So as Mary did, I ask you David to do, to allow the word of God to be pondered in your heart, to be disposed to it as you have all this time, to welcome it as divine fire that will burn away whatever is sinful in your life. And also to enlighten your mind so that you might do what we heard in the Gospel. To go out and teach all nations because the nations out there need to be taught the truth. Not what the world thinks is the truth, not what’s politically correct, which the world thinks it guides itself. It’s the truth who is Jesus Christ. He is the Living Word.

You have, up to this point, had the courage as a young man to face your own sinfulness and limitations, to grow in humility. I’ve seen that with my own eyes. So I ask you to follow our lady’s lead, so that the word can continue to mold you and form you into Holiness to be a holy preacher of the word who is Jesus.

But we also know that our lady’s heart was one that always was mindful of the needs of those around her, not her own. Consider, my friends, when our lady received the gift of the life of her Savior in her own womb. The very next thing she did was to go to Elizabeth, an old woman who had self-conceived. Not thinking of her own needs, she went to Elizabeth because, my friends, in those days an elderly woman who was pregnant, chances are she would not survive her own pregnancy. And so for months she went to attend to her elder, her cousin, and the one she loved, to give herself in self-sacrificing love.

And so you too, all of us, but you especially, to mold your heart so that you will continue, David, always to give your life in service to others, not account for your own needs, but for the needs of those whom you will serve. And it will hurt.

Simeon said ‘the sword will pierce your heart to our lady’. Because to love as Christ loves, as you all know, my friends, costs dearly, but rewards us infinitely. So walk with the heart of our Lady.

And if I may, finally, it was the immaculate Heart of Mary that allowed her, in her ‘yes’, to become the Tabernacle of Life, Tabernacle of the one who will become here, for us, the Eucharist, the Bread of Life.

As a deacon you will help me today, and countless others after me, at the Ministries here at the altar. But remember David, you are not being ordained to be a housekeeper of the altar. You are ordained so that you might bring the Bread of Life to hungry hearts who are abandoned. Elderly, sick who may even doubt if anyone loves them. And you will bring the Bread of Life to remind them that they are loved by Him, by you, and by us.

May Mary be your companion as you are the minister of the Eucharist itself.

So you may be sitting there saying to yourself, ‘my gosh am I ready for this?’ And the answer is, no one is. Are you worthy for this? No one is. That’s the beauty of God’s love. For He will grant you every grace you need so that you may minister as his deacon – and please God one day as His priest. And you will do it worthily, wisely, joyfully, because it will be Christ alive in you.

David, congratulations! We all are very proud of you. And you know in our own way we all love you very much. And today as your spiritual father I commend you to the Immaculate Heart of Mary who is your guardian, your protector, your defender, and your mother. May she lead you in this year ahead in your ministry to be ever more joyful, present, holy, faithful. And one day may she take you by the hand and lead you to the throne of her Son, one day to the Glory of Everlasting Life. May God bless you, David, all the days of your life, through Christ our Lord, amen.

My dear friends,

At first glance it may seem a bit odd that we gather today to celebrate the Feast of the Eucharist, the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Lord’s Body and Blood, when in fact you and I celebrate that same Sacrament every day of the year – except Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

And of course, the origin of the Feast perhaps cannot give us the answer to the question, why do we in fact celebrate this day? For in the medieval Church my friends, there was a general sense among God’s people that even those in the state of grace were not worthy to receive the Eucharist. This was the age of Saint Francis of Assisi, who tradition tells us, received the Eucharist three times, can you imagine, three times in his life, because he thought he was not worthy.

And so the Church, in that age, asked that the Eucharist be brought forth into the community literally to leave the Church, so that believers could look, at least, upon the Lord in His Eucharistic presence and have spiritual communion with Him – something we rediscovered, did we not, in covid – when we could not gather in person to pray.

But times have changed, and we now live in a time, since Pope Pius X over a hundred years ago, encouraging everyone who is a believer, a member of the Church, who is in the state of grace, to come forward and receive this great sacrament.

So I asked the question again, why do we celebrate this day? And I think, my friends, the answer to that question lies in a basic human tendency. That when we are familiar with something, we tend to take it for granted. We tend to forget how special it is. We become lukewarm and mediocre in our practice.

And so it seems to me it is good that we celebrate this Great Feast, to remind us of what we truly believe. And what is it that we believe about this great sacrament?

First, my friends, we call it the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass because, to the power of Grace, each time we come to Mass, you and I enter, in an unbloody way, into the one sacrifice Christ offered on Calvary for your Redemption, and mine. He offered His blood so that we might not have to offer our blood. But we enter into that one sacrifice so that its fruits could be ours. And the forgiveness of sins, and the redemption of our souls, and eternal life that comes from that sacrifice we depict over the altar, could be ours.

We also call it a Holy Meal. But it is a meal unlike any other. For its roots were in the Passover meal. When the Jewish people recall liberation that came to them through the hands of Moses as they passed through the Red Sea. You and I come to share a meal because the lord loves us so much
that He wants to be present to us completely. Not just in spirit, not just in mind, not just in soul, but in body.

For consider, of all the sacraments the Lord could have chosen to create. In this great Sacrament He gives us food that our bodies need to digest, because even our bodies will one day be saved in Him. He loves you so much that He is totally present to all of you and me. That is a meal unlike any other.

And we also believe it is a sacred memorial. In a few moments I will be at the altar and I will say the words ‘in Persona Christie do this in memory of me’. For my friends, we don’t remember history. We remember that He is truly, fully, substantially present here. This, my friends, what we remember is on this side of death we will never encounter Christ more fully than here.

And we also remember that the sacrament of His sacrifice must be the invitation of my sacrifice, and yours, in love for our neighbor, our wife, our husband, our child, our co-worker, even those who offend us. For it is not enough for us to receive the Eucharist if we do not remember we are, to do what the Lord did always and everywhere. For if we are not willing to sacrifice ourselves in love, how could we possibly think we are ready to come forward to receive the sacrament of His sacrifice, for you and me?

And lastly my friends, as Augustine, who is our Patron here in our mother Church reminded his believers 1600 years ago, we receive the Body of Christ to become the Body of Christ. We receive Holy Communion so that we might have communion with each other. We receive His body to become part of the mystical Body of Christ. And what does that mean? It means that in every country, language, race and culture, all who believe, all who receive His body, are truly one family in Him.

And as I’ve taught you many times, the bonds of Grace are far more important than the bonds of nature. And it is that unity that we bring forth into the world as His disciples.

So why do we celebrate this feast? So that your mind and mine, your spirit and mine, your faith and mine, may be strengthened and renewed. And that you and I might have the conviction to go out into that divided and unbelieving world and invite all God’s people to come to see, to adore,
to eat, and to live.

My dear friends in Christ,

Forever I will sing of the goodness of the Lord. Rightfully so, for you and I who are disciples and followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for we have much to sing about, much to be grateful for. The very blessings of our lives in faith, the community we form, the blessings that come in ordinary life, and in the most extraordinary ways, in faith. As we gather each day around the altar of our savior and enter into the mystery of His death and resurrection, and receive His body, blood, soul and divinity as the foretaste of everlasting life. We have much to sing about in thanksgiving to the Lord.

But it seems to me that today we have a singular blessing for which we will sing with all our hearts and minds. In this one historic moment in the life of our diocese, to have six of our brothers come forward freely, generously, to offer their lives to be configured to Christ the Priest, and to be a living sacrament of His merciful goodness and love. And to lay down their lives so that you and I might have greater life in Him. If that is not a blessing to sing about, I don’t know what is.

You, my dear brothers, to say that we and I are proud of you would be an understatement. When I look at you as I’ve come to know you all these years, so very different one from the other. The odyssey – if I may call it – of your life, for all its twists and turns, some of you traveling from foreign lands as young people or as young adults. Those who, in your studies and in your education, in the ups and downs, the successes and trials, the great moments of suffering and pain, the spirit had foreseen. And you by your generosity cooperated to allow this moment to occur.

And what I am most grateful to all of you is not simply your yes today, but how I have seen you grow into an unbreakable brotherhood amongst all of you. You are in many ways, my brothers, so aptly prepared for this moment. Because this moment is a moment of both challenge and great hope for the Church and for the world.

In your formation you know well what it is the Lord has asked of you. And yet I think it is good and just that we remember, all of us, in this sacred space. For these six, our brothers, were configured in baptism, adopted sonship into the mystical Body of Christ. And they’ve been called to a holiness of life.

And yet they have this other calling, that with by the imposition of my hands and the grace of the Holy Spirit, they will be configured to Christ the Priest. And to them will be given a three-fold function – the priestly, prophetic and kingly office of Christ to exercise on behalf of us, His body.

Recall what the Lord is asking. For you are called to sanctify God’s people, to lead them in prayer. Most especially entering into the Great Mystery of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with your unworthy hands, as our mind to allow simple bread and wine to become the antipasto of eternal life. I can’t help it, I’m Italian.

And yet, you will powerfully sanctify God’s people, to the extent that you seek radical personal Holiness yourself. For in the age in which we live, people may listen to what you say but they will look intently at how you live. And I have every confidence that you have walked that road and will continue to walk that road. That as a truly humbly, bold man of radical Holiness and leader of prayer, you will guide all of us to greater sanctity of life.

And then you are called to be prophets in our midst, which is to preach the Word of God. And as I’ve said to you many times, allow me on this sacred moment to remind you again; you are called to preach the gospel courageously, fearlessly and effectively. Be patient with God’s people at times when they cannot fully always appreciate what it is your heart aches to say. For you will find the words and gestures and actions and presence to convey the truth who is Jesus Christ.

And then, of course, as deacons you have already understood what the kingly office is, which is to serve, to give your life over as John the Baptist says, that they He may increase and I may decrease. And so as priests we lift up He to increase, which is His mystical body. And we, by decreasing, are giving over service which is the greatest of all authorities.

I know in my heart of hearts you are ready for this vocation. And that is why I am delighted to be here to be the humble channel of so great a Grace.

But allow me, for your sake, for my sake, and for the sake of all of us here today, my friends, in such great numbers. These are brothers are entering into the mystery of priesthood, joining their brothers, some of whom have served as priests for many years. And you and I navigate a world where it is filled with challenge to Christian Faith.

We heard from the first and second readings about how wolves will infiltrate, so that they might divide God’s people. We heard of how we need to stand firm against trickery and against truths that are not truths at all. You, my brothers, are entering into this mystery in a time which, for the eyes of those who do not believe, may be a time of perhaps wonderment and discouragement. But you go forth with hope and vigor and zeal.

Because, may I suggest, you follow the example of the man whom the church honors today – Saint Bernardine of Siena. Who in his own age, in the 14th century, found a world that had lost its path. And oftentimes a church that had become, lacks in its worship and in its witness.

And what did he turn to? The Holy Name of Jesus.

And that, my brothers, is what I’m going to ask you and me and us, in this church, to bring out into that world. For you are priests of the only One in
whom there is salvation for every person who has ever existed. For there is no salvation outside of the name of Jesus.

And if you wish to put the evil one at bay, if you wish to separate what is false from what is truth, bring forth the name, power and teaching of Jesus. If you wish to heal a broken world, if we wish to give hope to those who are lost, those who are searching, those who think there is no purpose and meaning to life, bring to them the name of Jesus and invite them and walk with them in the path before them.

There are many ways to live life, and you, my brothers, are entering into the great mystery of the priesthood, to show the world that there is only one true way to live life. There is only one way to have true hope. There is only in one name where every human heart. as broken as it can be. will find healing and strength. You, my brothers, will go forth carrying the name of Jesus. And you will help to bring His kingdom into this world in ways that you could not even begin to imagine.

So, my brothers, we are all praying for you. And I stand ready to help you in any way I can, to go forth from this church to be a happy, healthy, joyful and holy priest of Jesus Christ. Congratulations, my brothers, and may God bless you today and all the days of your life, through Christ our Lord, amen.

I have five brothers and sisters. And all six of us were born in about eight years, so we all follow each other from the biggest down to the smallest. But the smallest is actually the biggest.

And when I was growing up we were always the pride and joy of my mother and father. And I remember when, on Saturday morning, my father used to take us out to get a hamburger, or to the drugstore to get a milkshake, or just to go someplace around town, or to the park. Everyone would look at him and say “are they all yours?” and he would smile, and he would say “yes, these are my lovely children.”

But I always wasn’t pride and joy to my parents. Sometimes I brought them grief. Why? Because of disobedience. I wasn’t always a nice little boy who behaved. I can’t speak about my other brothers and sisters, they have their own conscience. But I know that I didn’t. And so I didn’t always bring pride and joy to my father and mother. Sometimes I did not follow their wishes and fell into disgrace, let’s say.

I actually remember one summer I was punished for the whole summer and I couldn’t leave my house. “You stay here all summer.” And I did. And it was a punishment. And it was a hard punishment. But I disobeyed, and I was rambunctious, and I was not nice to my neighbors on that occasion. And so I received my punishment, which I carried out.

We don’t always obey, unfortunately. And when we don’t obey, we are not necessarily the pride and joy of those who look after our own good.

I remember once in a seminary too, I didn’t obey my superior. I used to play in the band and we had band practice one afternoon. But I also used to work in the office and keep track of the accounting. And I was told to go to band practice. And I didn’t go because I didn’t want to, because I didn’t like the director. And so I went to work in the office. And the superior found out, of course, because they find out everything. They know everything. And I was punished also.

I remember that day I walked up and down with father and “why did you do this” and “you disobeyed” and “you didn’t do what you were supposed to do.” And I had to take it because I disobeyed, and I was punished. And we learned our lesson. So we’re not always pleasing necessarily to those whom we should obey.

And why do we disobey? The reason is very easy. We want to do our own thing. We don’t like what we have to do, and so we look for something else. We try to get out of it, and we invent our own way and our own things that are more important, that are better. And so we go off and do what we want. That’s what disobedience is – doing what I want, on my time, in my own way, with disregard for my duties and obligations and what I should do.

And things don’t always go so well. In fact, most of the time they don’t go well at all.

And disobedience proves one thing – it’s better to obey. Not only because of the outcome that you might see, but especially because of the outcome that you don’t see. In other words, when we disobey, we disrupt our peace and our joy. And really, what we disrupt is true friendship.

Because when God confides in us, when our parents confide in us, when others whom we serve confide in us, and we say “no” and we do our own thing, we displease them. And that’s the real damage. The damage is done to a friendship. God is our friend. Yes, He’s our Father. But He’s also our friend – our best friend.

Friendship is not to be belittled. Jesus himself tells His disciples, “I call you friends. No longer do I call you My servants . You are My friends because I have shared and I have given everything to you.” And that’s what a friend does.

And when I was growing up my father was my best friend. I could always go to my father any time, any moment, and tell him anything good, bad, ugly – anything. And he would listen. And he would give advice. And he would counsel me and love me. Even if I did something bad he would be there.

And that’s God for us too. And Jesus tells His disciples today, “whoever keeps My Commandments is the one who loves Me.” Because in the end that’s really what obedience is all about. It’s about love. Yes, we can obey so that we’re not punished. We don’t like punishment. We don’t like the negative consequences of our misbehavior. But even more important is when we betray that friendship out of lack of love. And so love is really the motivation to obey. “I respect you. I obey. I do as you wish because I know that you are looking after my good.”

I think my parents always wanted what was best for all of us children. I don’t think they did ever did anything that would harm us. Yes, some things were difficult to accept. Yes, sometimes it was hard to obey their orders. But in the end I knew they loved us, and they loved me. And they wanted what was best. And I wanted to love and please them. And that’s the motivation, really. Why we obey God and observe His Commandments, and listen to others, and heed them, and obey them; those who are over us, especially our parents. At work, those who have authority – legitimate authority – and exercise it in the name of the good of all. It’s not a question of going off and doing my own thing.

I remember one person in the Gospel who did that, the Prodigal Son. He went off to do his own thing, and it did not go well with him. But he did come back to his father. And his father showed the great love that he had for him, and was waiting at the door for him to come back. And so our Lord teaches us today that if we truly love and observe His Commandments, He will also love us even more than we know. And He says he will reveal himself to us. And that is really when we get to know God; when we follow His Will. And we do what He wants in our life.

“Well Father how, do I know what the Will of God is?” Well, we certainly know many things about the Will of God. He did give us Ten Commandments. So we know that’s His will. And Jesus also gave us the two great Commandments of Love, with all our hearts, soul, mind and strength; and love our neighbor also. And Jesus himself taught us the Supreme Love. “I give my life for you because I love you.” But more particular, how do we follow the way of God in our hearts? Well, we all have desires. We all have deep longings. We certainly know that if we go against the Commandments of God, we’re not doing His will.

But I have two choices. I have this road and that road I can go down. Well, if one of them is evil that’s obviously not God’s will. But if both are good, they’re legitimate options that we could take, how do we know which one God wants for us?

Well, God also works with us. He doesn’t work against us. And so we pray and we ask for discernment. And then we have to make a decision. And then we make a decision. Will not God bless us in our informed decision? Obviously, if we go through life just willy-nilly, choosing crazy things, the blessing of God may not be upon us. But when we try to discern, with the gifts and talents that He has given us, and ask the Holy Spirit’s presence – and that’s one thing also that God has promised us – the Holy Spirit. “I will ask the Father, He will give you another advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of Truth.” This Spirit of Truth will be in us and remain in us, to help us, to lead us, and to guide us. And so when we look to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to help us discern properly, in our own hearts and our own minds, the Will of God, how will the Holy Spirit fail us?

“Oh, maybe I should have made the other decision. Maybe I should have done that, maybe I should…” Well, that’s looking back to the past. It’s hard to change that. Can we make mistakes? Yes, we’re human, after all. But more important than making mistakes is learning from our mistakes, and using that to go forward. And asking the Holy Spirit, “can You continue to grant us light that we may discern the will of God in our own lives?” So we thank God for the gift of His Spirit. We ask him to help us, love and serve Him as we ought.

And today, we also celebrate our mothers. It’s not a religious holiday, I know. But it’s still a wonderful civic holiday. When we remember the love and the attention that they have all given us. And we ask God to look upon them and bless them because they are guides for us, they have done so much for us. In a great way I owe my priestly vocation to my mother, who sent me to religion classes when I didn’t want to go. She said, “I signed you up for religion classes.” I said, “I’m not going.” And she said, “yes you are.” And I said, “no I’m not.” And she said, “yes you are.” And I said, “no I am not.” And she said, “yes you are.”

And I went for 12 years, and here I am. Didn’t hurt me. And so she set me on a path to hear the Word of God and his call. And for that I am grateful. But for many many other things – see moms do many things that we don’t even see. Dad was loud. He spoke loud, He talked loud, he set down the law. Mom was quiet. She worked. She did things. She knew us, each one. She knew exactly what we needed when we need it. She had that heart of dedication, and giving and giving and giving. Before she passed, two years before she passed, I went home one day and I visited. And I said “mom, how can you be wearing those slippers? They’re full of holes. You can’t be using those.” And she said. “I liked them. They’re wonderful. They’re fine.” I said no and I bought her a brand new pair of sheepskin slippers. And I brought it to her for Christmas. And I forgot about it.

And then after she passed we were home and we were looking, rumbling through the closets. And I stumbled upon a box. And I opened a box. And I said, “there are the brand new slippers I bought my mother. She didn’t even use them.” I didn’t feel bad, and I know why she didn’t use them. Because she never thought of herself in the way of buying herself new things, getting this, getting that. She always looked after us first. She was always the last one to sit down at the table to feed us. She was always the last one to buy a nice blouse, or buy a nice dress for herself. She always made sure that we had everything.

I remember one day I came home from the Seminary, and she said “here’s a hundred dollars to buy yourself some socks.”

“Mom, a hundred dollars to buy socks? Socks don’t cost that much.”

“Well, you might need some in the future.”

And my dad looked over and he said, “can I have some sock money too?”

These are our moms. They look after us, they care for us, they love us greatly and dearly. And so we thank them for all the wonderful things they do for us and have done for us. And we ask God to bless them. And those who are looking on us from above, we ask for their presence and help still, as we live in this world. So at the end of Mass we’ll also have our blessing for our mothers’ pure present.

A couple weekends ago I attended the rededication of St. Francis Church in Weston. The ceremony of the dedication, or rededication, of the church is one of our best liturgies. It’s a very beautiful liturgy. And there’s a number of things that happen as part of it that are unique to that – they only do it then.

There is at one point, the altar is empty, and the bishop literally anoints the altar with Chrism. Chrism that was blessed right here on Holy Thursday by him, is poured on the altar and then rubbed into the altar. And then after that, the pastor of the church, usually – although the bishop can do it –anoints the church by going to the four corners of the church, and literally anoints the walls.

Another thing that’s done is the altar has incense on it, and is lit. The pastor then goes around the church incensing the whole building, and the people in it. The introduction to the rite of dedicating a church says “the incensing of the knave of the church indicates that the dedication makes it a house of prayer”. However, the people of God are incensed first. For it is the living temple in which each faithful member is a spiritual altar.

I mentioned this today because of the language that St. Peter uses in his letter is very similar language. He calls Christ a Living Stone and the people he is addressing– very possibly people had been recently baptized—are living stones built as an edifice of the spirit. The community of believers, then, is the temple, the place where God lives. The temple is not made by human hands or of carved stones, but of Living Stones; men and women—that’s you and me.

I remember a friend of mine being given a tour of a Protestant church. And he at one point said to the woman who was doing the tour, “this church is so beautiful”. And she said “oh sir, this is not the Church. This is where the Church meets.” And that is an important idea, because the word that we get Church from, “Ecclesia” in Greek, doesn’t have anything to do with a building. It literally means “the assembly”.

And so it’s a reminder that the building – of course – and of course we’re going to call it a church. I don’t think I’m going to stop that from happening. But the Church is the community ofb, and we are part of that. That we are the Church. The building in which we meet is important, and certainly we want it to look beautiful and to serve the needs of the community. But it is not as important as those of you that make it up. We, together with Jesus, have the potential for making something more beautiful than even the most beautiful building that we could possibly build. And that is a community bound together in faith, in Christ Jesus by love.

My dear friends,

As many of you know I have an older sister. And while my mother loved us both dearly, I have to confess my mother had a soft spot for me because I was the unmarried one. I was the priest and I was her only son.

And so in the last day of my mother’s life, as she was struggling to breathe from the lung cancer that eventually took her life, I knew. I knew that my mother was struggling in part because she was worried about who would take care of her son.

So after my family said all their goodbyes, my mother continued to struggle. And something inside of me said it’s time for you to just give your mother permission to go to the Lord. And so I leaned over and I put myself very close to her ear. And I whispered into her ear, I said “Mom”. I said “I will be okay. If Jesus is here, it’s time to go home. And I will not be far behind.” And she took two breaths and died.

The power of a voice.

You see my friends, today we gather on Good Shepherd Sunday because the Lord is reminding us that He is speaking to us. He is whispering to us. He is teaching us to recognize His voice in the cacophony and distraction and the noise of all the world around us. And you and I, as we spend our lives recognizing Him, then we are able to follow that voice.

It’s amazing to see that if you have sheep together from all different flocks. As soon as the shepherd whistles or speaks, his sheep find him. There’s no confusion. For the sheep recognize the one voice they can trust and the one voice they need to follow.

So today, on this Good Shepherd Sunday, we wish to follow the voice of Jesus, do we not? We wish to be faithful to Him. We wish to allow him to lead us to heaven. But before we can actually follow Him, there is another question we could ask and that is, where do we recognize His voice? Where do we actually hear his voice? Because if we don’t hear it, we can’t follow it.

And there are, my friends, many ways by which you and I can recognize and hear His voice. For example, when we pray, He is speaking to us if only we would be quiet and allow Him to speak first. When we sit before the scriptures, the Lord speaks to us in the beautiful stories and parables of His life. But we need to sit in silence. Once we have read it and allowed the Holy Spirit, through His inspirations and through the whispers in our hearts and minds, to help us to hear His voice and what He wants to tell us each time we read the scripture. For each time He may tell us something different.

In the sacraments the Lord is speaking to us. When we go to the sacrament of penance and reconciliation, the priest says “and I absolve you”. It’s not the priest, it’s Christ in the priest. And Christ is speaking to us. When here I will say “this is My body”, it’s not my body, it’s His. But He’s speaking to you and me.

He speaks in the people around us who love us. Husbands and wives, children and grandchildren, and dear good friends. He speaks to us. Speaks to us in creation, when we find the time to meditate and reflect on the beauty of the world around us. He is speaking to us. And He even speaks to us in the moments of our greatest suffering. When we are naturally forced to strip away everything else around us. He speaks to us in the silence, to assure us of our love for that which the world, even those who love us so much, that which (they not) they cannot give us, He can. Which is eternal life in Him.

We live in a world, my friends, of so many distractions. Many of us are far too busy. There are so many things around us. And in this new world that’s being born, in this digital, technological world, where there are millions of voices speaking to us all the time. We have to stop wasting time on the voices that do not matter. It’s Time to get rid of the noise so that we can, in all the ways I described, and so many more, learn to recognize the Lord’s voice. And when we do, to ask ourselves the question, are we willing to follow what He asks?

In the end, it’s interesting, my friends. Doctors tell us that of the five senses God gives us us, made in His image and likeness, the last one to end is our ability to hear. Perhaps God is teaching us that He gives us to the very end, the last opportunity to recognize His voice wherever it may come. And to follow Him home to everlasting life.

Sisters and brothers,

What difference does a name make? Perhaps in most circumstances of life, names could be incidental, accidental, or have personal significance. But what I’d like to suggest is today, the name – a single name – is the key to understanding the deeper meaning of what the Lord is trying to teach us in this extraordinary, perhaps most famous of all of His appearances after His resurrection. And quite frankly, my dear brothers, it gives a key to what you are preparing to do upon ordination, for the rest of your lives.

Allow me to explain. When I traveled to the holy land for the very first time, I made my bucket list of places I wanted to visit. And on that list was Emmaus, as we hear, precisely because of its significance. And I was shocked to learn that no one knows where Emmaus actually is. There is no consensus.

And into my struggle to to try to make sense of that, the guide, who was a Franciscan, pulled me aside and he said ‘Bishop, remember the word, the name Emmaus in one translation literally means nowhere.’

And that’s the key. For let us situate ourselves in the lives of these two disciples who are walking away from Jerusalem. You see my friends, they had an expectation of who God was and what he was supposed to do. And that expectation was totally dashed. They seek liberation in a way that God was not prepared to give.

And so when this Messiah ruler was crucified and their world collapsed, they were fearful, confused, anxious. They were fearful because they had associated themselves with a company that were now outlawed. And the community that they had formed so tight had scattered to the four winds.

And so we’re told in the Gospel, they’re walking away from all of that. They’re walking away from Jerusalem, where the ministry would continue. And so they were going literally to nowhere.

And Jesus appears and gives us the formula that every Christian needs to remember. To bring ourselves, and our neighbors, and our friends, and those whom we love and those whom we meet; bring them from nowhere to somewhere.

And what does He do? He first appears and makes His presence felt because, in a moment of great fear, and suffering, and isolation, and anxiety, and loneliness, presence is a great gift. It tells that someone cares, that someone is willing to walk with you without questions, without judgment, without agenda, simply because the person is worth it.

And as that journey continues, then I am sure the Lord was peppered with many questions. Questions that did not make sense to these two disciples. Questions that their hearts long to have an answer for, so that they could commit themselves to something. And patiently He answered those questions. And prepared their minds and hearts so that they could have an ever-deeper encounter with Him first in the Holy Dcriptures, in the great mysteries of salvation, and then ultimately in the breaking of the bread.

And what happened is that these people who are going to nowhere, dejected, fearful, isolated, alone, and anxious now suddenly the hearts were on fire. They began to burn. And in the breaking of the bread they found what they were looking for.

And what did they do? They turned around and now suddenly they were going somewhere. Back to Jerusalem, back to Mission, back to the scattered community to help bring them together. Back to the Lord that they thought had failed them. And despite whatever penalty was coming – and we do not know what happened to them, they may have in fact had their lives as the price for going somewhere – they turned and never looked back.

This story in sacred scripture is a profound one for you and me to reflect upon. Because my dear friends, there are many people in our own world who are going nowhere fast. Who are struggling with fears, loneliness, and anxiety. People whose expectations have been dashed. People who are looking for a God that does not fit their expectations, looking for a community that will care for them without judgment. A community that will answer their questions that they seek, so that they might commit themselves to something greater than themselves. Because every human heart wants to do that.

And so you see the methodology, the Lord is asking of Christians of every age and you and I in our own age, is to follow His example and to learn to walk and accompany those around us. To allow them the safe space to ask their questions and gently, mercifully, patiently allow them to encounter the Lord in word, prayer, friendship and Sacrament. Most especially here at the altar where they can one day receive His body, blood, soul and divinity so that they might choose to go somewhere which matters. Somewhere which lasts. Somewhere that has Eternal purpose. And that is walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

And you, my three brothers, you are now entering into candidacy which means you’re in formation to the act and it becomes ever more intense. So I admonish you, as I admonish those who are ready in sacred orders, those who are studying to be priests, and all of us my friends, in this age most especially, you need to lead us. To accompany those people whom society has decided are not worth the time or effort. To go into what I call the shadows and meet those individuals, and lead them from Emmaus to Jerusalem.

And I refer to those whom society does not consider to be worth much; the poor, the sick, the refugee,those who are struggling so personally and so deeply with mental illness, or just simply the anxieties of life. Those whom society does not consider to be in the upper echelons, or the movers or shakers, or the ones who are the influences of our modern world. You see they are God’s children too and they, many, are walking towards Emmaus. And we need to help them to find Jerusalem. Not because we are better. But because we are the servants of the Master who is the best of us all.

So my dear friends, as we reflect this coming week on this profound story, may I ask you: is there someone, one person that you know of, who you think may be walking towards Emmaus? Someone that you and I can purposefully and intentionally invite to walk somewhere else, and to simply be with them? Make presents with them? Establish perhaps a friendship with them? And in our patience and mercy, begin to travel with them in the wrong direction for a while, until with God’s grace they can see what we see. And begin to walk in the direction towards Christ. For there they will find their hope, their destiny, their happiness, their purpose, their joy.

Do what difference does a name make? A big difference. For my friends, we, our young people, our young adults, those whom society has forgotten, and all good people of will, we are all called to go from Emmaus to Jerusalem, and to Glory with our Risen Lord.

My sisters and brothers in the Lord,

Today, as we celebrate this eighth day, the Octave day of the Solemnity of Easter, as we do each year, we hear this very famous story of Saint Thomas, known as the ‘Doubting Thomas’.

In fact, in the tradition of the Church, he’s affectionately known as the Patron Saint of Skeptics. Bcause Thomas, as we heard, could not get beyond his human reasoning and his religious training, to conceive that this Master, whom he followed for three years, who was subject to crucifixion, could actually be alive again. He wanted to see it with his own eyes. How many times are you and I in that position as well?

And what happens? Jesus, in His great Mercy, appears and invites Thomas to do something absolutely extraordinary, literally to touch His resurrected body. To put his hands in the wounds that the Lord Jesus will have for all eternity, as a sign of His depth and breadth of the love He has for us and for the suffering He endured for you and me.

And to his credit, Thomas not only comes to Faith, but he is the first of the apostles to proclaim who Jesus truly is, “My Lord and my God”.

Thomas received the mercy of the Lord Jesus. Mercy, my friends, which is a love which meets us in our hour of need, whatever that need may be, but invites us to something more; that lifts us up, that’s an invitation and encouragement to a greater life. In Thomas’s case, to a life of true faith. A life that would make him a missionary to the Far East.

We should not be too hard on Saint Thomas. Because the apostles themselves needed Jesus’s Mercy. But don’t you think it’s interesting, that the first time the apostles met, the doors were locked and Jesus appeared and they rejoiced. And the second time He appeared, the doors were still locked. Because while they were struggling to believe, struggling to receive the gift of peace that Jesus wanted to give to them, it was not until Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came in His power, that they could receive it.

So Jesus in his Mercy appears to them again and again and again, paving the way for their great renewal. To rise to the greatness of holy apostles and fearless preachers.

There is not a person in this church who is not received the mercy of Jesus Christ.

Each one of us, as sinners, has received His Mercy, have we not? In the moment we went for the confession of our sins, kneeling in our own contrition, who came to us to lift us up in our hour of need, but not the Risen Lord? Who by His death and resurrection has forgiven every sin that seeks forgiveness. He met us at our need and lifted us up, and invited us to holiness of life. And every time we’ve fallen on our faces, He has done the same thing – lifted us up. Not to the same life, but to a greater life. And He does it not only in our sinfulness, but He does it in our time to suffering, loneliness, and pain and sorrow. The times when we attempted to despair or to give up, He comes to us in the Inspirations of the Holy Spirit by the charity and work of Christian men and women, and those of good will. And through the events of our lives, the Lord Jesus comes to us with His Mercy, to meet us in our need and to lift us up.

And we are grateful for receiving so great a gift.

And yet, my friends, there is a challenge. A profound challenge. Is that you and I who have received Mercy, is it not our task and mission to be the ambassadors of Mercy? That is, to be merciful to everyone we meet? For if the Lord has given it to us, who are we who bear His name, share in His death and resurrection, not to be equally merciful to those around us? And that, my friends, is at times very difficult to do, as you know.

Saint John Chrysostom, the Patriarch of Constantinople who lived in the 4th century, preached a magnificent homily on this very Sunday, the Octave of Easter. And in the magnificence of the Basilica of Constantinople, he reminded his people that they spent so much time dressing the altar, dressing the cathedral, with fine linens and gold and flowers and all, that we could possibly imagine to give honor and worship to Christ, he reminded them that there is no point to dress the altar with silk when Christ stands on the doorstep of the Cathedral homeless and naked. He said God does not look for golden vases, God looks for golden hearts.

In that, my dear friends, is what you and I need to reflect on this week. How much are we committed to be merciful to those around us; who are in need, who are mired in their sins, who have deeply offended us, who are simply looking for hope? And are we willing, not simply to give charity, but to give and meet their need and lift them up so that they might find a path to a greater life? The peace that Jesus talks about in the Gospel, which can only be found by finding Him in seeking radical holiness.

Are we willing to walk with our neighbor in Mercy, so that he or she may find what we have found?

For my friends, Saint Thomas walked as far as India to be an ambassador of Mercy. The question you and I need to think about this week, is how far are you and I willing to walk for Him?

My friends,

Happy Easter to you all. This morning we join our voices with Christians throughout the world to proclaim that Christ is risen, that He is truly risen. For today we celebrate, we extol, we delight in the fact that in the early mornings of the first day of the week, the Lord broke the chains of sin and death forever.

Having gone into the Abode of the Dead to free them, those who lived before Him, He now comes to us in the power of the Holy Spirit to give to us, through the gift of baptism, the same victory over sin and death. What He had by the very nature of being God, you and I are given to the great mystery of baptism.

And so my dear friends, I cannot imagine a more appropriate way to celebrate this day than to gather around Freya’s mom and dad, and her sister and brother, and her grandparents and her godparents, and invite this little girl into the very life of God.

Consider what will happen to her. In a few moments we will be at the font and I will pray the prayer of exorcism, and anointed with the oil of the Catechumens as a sign that she is free from original sin, and that the power of the evil one has no hold over her, or over you, or over me.

In using the waters that were blessed last night in the great Vigil of the Holy Night, she will enter in mystery in the Tomb of Jesus, into His death and rise to new life before our very eyes.

And she’ll be clothed, once again, in the white that her parents dressed her as a sign that she is a new creation in Jesus. And then she will be anointed with Chrism. You and I were anointed with Chrism, and in that moment, you and I became members of the mystical Body of Christ. And we are all priests, prophets, and kings in the Risen Lord, to be His messengers of salvation and hope.

And how godparents will receive the light from this one candle, because Freya will be enlightened by Christ and receive the gifts of faith, hope, and charity. What this little girl will receive, every single one of us already has.

And so I invite you this Easter morning, not simply to proclaim with our words that Jesus is risen, but may I suggest that we unlock the power of our own baptism, each of us, to allow the power of the Risen Lord to come through us to this broken, confused, complicated, and in many ways lost world. For His looking (world) looking for direction, the answer to the desires of so many people’s hearts, a world that’s seeking a path to hope and joy. And it only comes in Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. And it is to us to not just speak it, but to live it, and proclaim it in my actions and yours.

And so my dear friends, I’m going to invite you to join with me, as we go to the font in the back of church and celebrate Freya’s new life in Jesus Christ. And in her life, let us renew our own lives in the crucified and Risen Lord.

So my dear sisters and brothers in the Lord,

Tonight we gather on this Vigil in the Holy Night to join our voices with those of our fellow believers throughout the world and throughout time, to proclaim to the world that Jesus is risen, that He has truly risen from the dead. And as we heard Deacon Jim sing so beautifully the ancient Hymn of this night – the Exalted – when we heard that this is the night we believe Christ not simply broke the back of death, but also forgave all sins of those who seek forgiveness in Him.

This is the night that the sin of Adam was reversed, the night when creation was recreated and where you and I, and all who believe in Christ, have the hope to share the glory that is His forever in heaven.

Tonight is the great victory, the eternal victory of love. And we are not ashamed or afraid to proclaim it to the world.

And yet, my dear friends, as we do so the world may ask us, ‘where is this Risen Lord that you believe in? Where are the signs of His power in Grace? For you say that He has conquered death and sin and suffering, and yet the world is still filled with it. In fact, with each passing year it seems that the world becomes ever more broken, ever more confused, where war continues to take its tolls on innocent people, perhaps in the millions; where there are more and more who are turning away from God, and more and more who are no longer dedicating their lives to a life of love, in kindness, and respect, and forgiveness.’ The world may tell us tonight, ‘you who believe, where is this Risen Lord?’

And on this Vigil night my friends, we have an answer to give; an answer we need to reflect on deeply. For we can see the presence of the Risen Lord all around us, every day, if only we dare to look. And to look with the eyes of Faith so that we might teach the world how to look and recognize Him.

Recall what happened this night, my friends. Jesus rose from the dead in the middle of the night, in the quiet hours of the night. And there was no one present when He rose. He rose in the middle of a cemetery, which is the last place you would find people walking at night. And He rose on the even passing of Sabbath, where no observant Jew would leave his home for fear of breaking the law. The great triumphant victory that Christ had over sin and death was not come with great trumpet blasts, but came in quiet. It came humbly. But when He came, it broke the very Gates of Hell.

And for those who can see and recognize Him, He continues to dwell in our midst. You may say, ‘Bishop, where?’ well, when our sisters and brothers come in a few moments to the font of life, when the sacred waters wash over your heads, you will die and rise with Christ this very night. And there, my friends, we will glimpse the risen Lord in His power, in grace.

For those of you to be confirmed, the Spirit will come upon you with power and fire and glory, and He will fill your mind and your hearts, in your hands and your feet, in your eyes, with the very grace of God. And there, my friends, when our sisters and brothers leave this church alive in His Spirit, we are glimpsing where the Risen Lord is. And we will come to this altar and under the form of bread and wine, that same Risen Lord will come to us – all of us – so that He might dwell in our hearts. And with our eyes of faith we can recognize the one who left the tomb this night. For He is leading us to heaven.

But there is more. My friends, when a person chooses life over death, you can glimpse the face of the Risen Lord. When you see someone choosing to care for those who are dying and to walk with them with dignity and compassion, you can see the presence of Jesus risen with your own eyes. When you look into the face of a newborn child, it is the face of the Risen Lord you are looking into. When you and I sit with our friends who are in distress or suffering or lonely, or anxious or despairing, there is the Risen Lord in His power coming to heal and set that person free. Every time we see faith, hope and love, but most of all love, we are looking at the presence of the Risen Lord in our midst.

And when you and I consider that, my friends, He is all around us. Every day, in the most ordinary ways, this Risen Lord walks with us, feeds us, consoles us, laughs with us, walks with us to Glory. And you and I, my friends, will leave this church renewed in our faith in this Risen Lord, to be His ambassadors in the world.

And I ask you, when you and I leave in the days and weeks ahead, especially, my friends, those of you to be baptized and those of you to be confirmed, and those who will receive the sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time – never be afraid to love. Never be afraid to have hope and proclaim to all you meet, the Lord who has claimed your heart. And by doing that you are making the presence of the Risen Lord as clear as the day to the world around you.

And if we persevere my friends, we will see the day when all wars will end, all suffering will be healed, and every tear will be wiped away. Because Christ’s victory is already in our midst. Christ’s victory is our victory. And it is for that reason we can raise our voices and proclaim to a world that is waiting to see His face, we can tell that world ‘Christ is Risen! Christ is truly Risen! And come with us so that we may show you His face.’

So my dear sisters and brothers,

As we can well imagine, the customs of hospitality are very different among the various cultures and nations of what we’ve called our family of humanity. And it certainly changed over history.

The one thing they have in common is that they wish to make whoever is our guest feel welcome and a part of our family.

And so what we gather here tonight to celebrate, the great sacrament of the Eucharist, we are given this extraordinary episode in the life of Jesus where the custom of the age, to make a person welcome, is done in the strangest of times by the most unlikely of persons. For you can well imagine that in a time and in a place mostly of desert that was hot, to make a guest welcome you would allow them, and ask them as they enter into a home, to have their feet washed, so that the dust of the road could be washed clean, and they can be cooled and refreshed literally from the bottom up.

Tonight we hear that beautiful gesture of welcome is done by not a slave, but the Master of the House, the Master of the Table, the Master of all Creation. For was the task of the slave, or the servant, to make the guest welcome.

Jesus takes that place of a slave. The night before his life was forfeited by thirty pieces of silver, the cost of the of the life of a single slave in the Roman Empire. And if that was not provocative enough, it’s timing was strange. Because we hear in the gospel that Jesus washed the feet of the disciples after the meal was finished, after they reclined that table. Not when they arrived. Because Jesus was trying to teach them a lesson; a lesson not about what He was doing, but what He had already done.

For recall what happens at the table of the Last Supper. Jesus takes the rituals of the Passover, the celebration of God’s chosen people set free from the slavery of Pharaoh, and brought into the liberation of the Promised Land. Jesus takes that ritual and gives it eternal meaning by taking simple bread and wine and, foreseeing His death the next day, makes it the sacrament of our liberation from sin and death. And makes it the sacrament by which we will eternally be with Him in His glory. He gives it to the apostles to strengthen them. Yes, to encourage them yes, but also to give them the grace so that they might do what? That they might also give their life over for love of their neighbor, as the Master would give His life for the whole world.

For you see my friends, on this altar where heaven and earth kiss, on this altar when we enter into the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are seeing the greatest act of love creation will ever know, over and over again in the one singular, irrepeatable act of Jesus’s self-offering, freely given, so you and I may be set free from sin and death.

And in that remarkable self-empting, self-giving – in that remarkable act of love, Jesus waits until after he gives the sacrament to show them what it really means; with their own eyes, with their own feet, to teach them what it means to love, and to give, even if it requires to take the place of the servant or the slave. To be able to do what no one else would dare to do. To give and not count the cost. To make oneself available until perhaps there’s nothing else to give. Jesus is teaching them that whoever receives this must be ready to do this. And if we’re not ready to do this, to give, then we must examine ourselves deeply: of why it is we come here to receive the ultimate sacrament of
pure, divine love.

My friends, we gather here in quiet now. The bells are silent, the organ is silent. We have begun the great mystery of our salvation. We gather here as if we were in the upper room, huddled, waiting, watching. We gather around the table of the Lord. And in His priest you will hear once again the same words the apostles heard in that very first night we remember. And we will be able to do what they did; come forward to receive the bread broken and the cup shared so that the Life of Christ may dwell in our hearts, in our stomachs, in our spirit, in our mind, in all of who and what we are.

But let us consider, that as we adore the Lord in just a few minutes, let us consider how ready we are, how willing we are, how prepared we are, to truly follow in the footsteps of the Lord, being encouraged by his sacred body, blood, soul and divinity. And to love as he did with friend, spouse, child, nephew, neighbor, acquaintance, co-worker, and even enemy.

And if we are not ready to do that, let us sit before the Lord tomorrow on the Mount of Calvary when he shows us with our own eyes how much He loves us. And to pray that His Spirit may help us wherever we go, wherever we find ourselves. Even if it means taking the place of the servant and slave. Pray for the grace to love as He did.

My dear friends in Christ,

Each Holy Thursday morning, you and I gather here in the mother church of our diocese to ask our gracious and merciful Father, in union with His risen Son, to send the power of the Holy Spirit upon the oils which will become the vehicles of His healing and grace; oil that is the fruit of the olive. And yet it will become a powerful venue, avenue, channel of the very power and grace of God.

And so in a few moments I will have the privilege to bless the oil of the sick, which will bring consolation and peace. And perhaps healing in body and certainly in spirit to those who are suffering, those who are living unto the frailty of old age. We will ask the spirit to bless the oil of the Catechumens that will strengthen and encourage the minds and hearts and wills of those who are seeking full communion in the church, who have found the Lord in their hearts, who wish to become part of His mystical body.

Then of course I, with my brother priests, will invoke the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the Sacred Prism, which is the vehicle through which those who come forward are consecrated forever. All of us in this church, in the sacrament of baptism where you and I receive the gift of adopted sonship. We receive through adoption, what Christ has by nature in His death and resurrection. And we become forever sisters and brothers, united in a single mystical body who is Christ. And for many of us confirmed in that baptism with the Sevenfold Gifts of His holy spirit so we may rise to the challenges of our age.

And then to some of us here, you my brothers with me, unworthy as we all are, we have been chosen to enter into the great mystery of Holy Orders with our brother deacons, to be consecrated to ministerial service. And for those of us who are priests, to enter into the great mystery of becoming another Persona Christi and to become the instruments by which the power of the spirit can take the simple elements of bread and wine, and render them to be the body, blood, soul and divinity of the Risen Lord.

We all come here to be encouraged. We all come here to ask that Spirit to give us strength in these challenging times. And to those of us who are priests, to you my brothers, we come here to seek a great gift; that you and I may rise to the challenge of our times and to seek to live radical, fearless, courageous lives of holiness.

At the risk of striking a very somber note, and forgive me for raising this point, but for the last few months in my prayer and reflection I have given much thought. The Lord has led me to very interesting places in my prayer, reflecting on the very hours you and I are living on this Thursday we call Holy. For on the First Holy Thursday, I wondered to myself, what was in the mind and heart of the Apostles as they bustle to prepare, to sit and share the Passover meal with their master and rabbi.

To the great betrayer, these were the hours he made his definitive choice. I wonder what fears he had in his heart, what wounds that went unaddressed, what great disappointments that haunted him. The stubbornness, perhaps, of not getting what he thought he should deserve or what the people of God deserved or what they expected to get when the Savior finally came. I wonder what it was in his heart that created the sin that made him so blind and obstinate, that when he said ‘surely it is not I Lord’ and the Lord said ‘it is you who said it’. And (and) of course the apostles who remained by his side and the meal ran; in the garden when they began to glimpse what it was to walk in the footsteps of a Lord who exchanged His life for thirty pieces of silver, the cost of the life of a single slave in the Roman Empire. All good, faithful men who, to the path of their life, one in particular, veered to make grave decisions.

I raised that question, my dear brothers because the same father of evil that lurked in those hours remains in our midst, remains amidst all of us, at every turn in our lives. For he seeks to do whatever it takes to make sure that all of us, and especially you and I my brothers, not to seek that which is the requirement of our ministry, that we seek true fearlessness, courage, and the pursuit of a holiness that will require that we completely die to the Lord whom we love, and we all love in this church so deeply.

So I’m going to suggest for all of us who are here, but especially those of us who share the priesthood of Jesus Christ, that perhaps you and I can spend the balance of this day, the mystery of the Triduum, and the weeks and months ahead, to form a deep examination of life and conscience and to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to understand what it is in my life, and in yours, that does not allow us to seek that radical fearless holiness. To kick the father of evil out wherever he is lurking. So that with God’s grace, because it can only be with God’s grace, that we can rise to what the Lord is asking of us.

For this, my dear brothers, is whether we choose it or not, it is going to be the age of the Heroes of Faith. For the renewal of our Church will not come by program or initiative, it will not come by any glorious homily, it will come from the true witness of Holiness for all the baptized and for all who lead the Church. And I’m not ashamed to say I am convicted by my own words.

So what is it that you and I must root out in our lives? We begin with the wounds we carry. We all carry them. Wounds that will – sometimes we’re afraid to admit to – sometimes they are so deep, they’re painful even to admit they’re there. Wounds are nonetheless fester in my life, in your life, wounds that the father of evil can use against us to discourage us, to make us believe there is no hope for change, to make us think that our weaknesses will always be who we are meant to be. To lull uss into complacency and maybe perhaps worse, perhaps a lifestyle that seeks gratification or power or privilege or pleasure over an intimacy with the Lord. So perhaps we could ask for the grace of the Spirit for all of us. And for us, in leadership, to finally, if there are wounds in our lives, to ask the Lord for the gentle grace to see them and offer them to Him so His Holy Spirit can be balmed to heal them and to set us free.

And then it would seem to me, my dear brothers, that as good men, faithful men, as you all are, as I seek to be, sometimes we fall into the temptation to believe that our differences are a cause for division, when our differences should be a cause of celebration. That God has made us different so that we could be stronger together; that my gifts are not yours, your gifts are not mine, and together we are stronger when we share them.

We’re tempted to think at times that my way is the way, when it’s the Lord’s way that is the way. And so can we dare to work in the months ahead to grow into a true unity, a true brotherhood where we can speak honestly to each other, and that we can forgive each other. And that you can forgive me as I can forgive you. Because in the end, you have heard me say that we are embarking on an auditious, auditious experience together. Do you and I have been called in this moment in the life of the church to rebuild the culture of our Church so that it will permeate every aspect of our lives. I call it the one. Call it whatever you like. But to be able to build a world where all God’s children, in every aspect of their life, can recognize the presence and life of Christ. And to be able to be accompanied by sisters and brothers who love them, who know their name, and know their heart, and know their struggles, and will walk with them. I walking with you, you walking with me, we walking with one another.

And it seems to me for all of us in this church, on this eve of the great Triduum of our salvation, and especially you and I who shared this mystical precious, priceless gift of the ministerial priesthood. May we recognize that we cannot lead others unless we ourselves are being led. And you and I are being led by the Shepherd who calls us, caresses us, forgives us, empowers us, and leads us forward to lead God’s people in this time (time) of challenge, and in time that is pregnant with opportunity. For bursting new life for the church and to bring conversion to the whole world.

Let me just say this. I am deeply grateful to you, brothers, and to my brother deacons. But to you my brother priests, for all of your sacrifice, your generosity. Your hard work oftentimes goes unnoticed and unthanked. I am privileged to walk in your midst as your spiritual father and as your Bishop. For I know you now, after all these years, very intimately. And I’m proud of every single one of you.

But we have work to do to rebuild our Church. And we cannot do it without His grace. The Lord asked the original Apostles, ‘one of you will betray me’. We heard that yesterday at Mass. My prayer is for all of us in this holy church, especially for you my dear brothers, may it never be said of me, may it never be said of you, in answer to that question you have said so.

My dear friends,

When the Lord Jesus met his first disciples in the Gospel of John, he asked them the question, “what are you looking for?”, the question that everyone who has met the Lord must ask himself or herself. What is it that we are truly looking for in our lives?

Today, as we hear the passion read anew, we know the answer the crowd gave. They were looking for a king. And they got a king beyond their wildest imagination. For they were looking for a military king, a king who would dislodge the Roman Empire that held them in brutal subjugation. They were looking for one who would come with legions and might and armament and shield. That is why they gave Jesus the great privilege of being greeted with palms and cloaks strewn on the road. For that, my friends, was an honor given only to Caesar and his leggetts. For they were considered too important to have their feet touch the ground.

But the true King came for a different purpose; to enter into the city of David to show them, us, and all who would believe in Him, that He has come as the King of love. And the crowd went from adulation to crucify Him in five days.

The apostles remained with the Lord after He entered Jerusalem. But even they began to doubt. Because the Lord was willing to exchange His life for 30 pieces of silver. My friends, that was exactly what it cost to buy a single slave in the Roman Empire. But how could this King be a slave?

And so we hear that in the moment, when He was revealed in all His glory, the apostles ran and only a few women and the youngest of the Apostles remained. When the King was enthroned, not in gold, not in jewels, but His throne was made of wood, and His jewels were nails that held Him as He extended His arms upon all creation, and revealed what the love that only matters is free, self-sacrifice for the good of those around Him. In this case, for you and me. And when we come here to our blessed cathedral and we will uncover this image of the Lord crucified on the day we call good – for our sakes, not for His – we will look upon the King of all creation.

So allow me to ask us all, what are you looking for? What are you really looking for in your life? Where will you and I find the peace and the courage to face the sufferings that inevitably come for anyone who truly loves. How can you and I in the moments when we are before those for whom we can no longer help, before the mystery of suffering and pain, or when we look upon the challenges that surround us in this world, who is going to give us the hope and the peace and the joy that our hearts truly are looking for? There is no king, government, constitution, or society in this world that can give them. Only One. The One whom we welcome with the same palms in the city of our hearts.

So my dear friends, I ask you, this week, this week that is the holiest of them all, will you have the courage? Will I have the courage to walk with Jesus? To rediscover His kingship over your heart and mine? And will we rediscover the power He gives us in His resurrection so that we can love as He loved and to go forth into the world. And to love the sick and the afflicted, the immigrant and the poor, the recently incarcerated, the lonely, the anxious, the ones who are despairing. To love the ones that the world says are not worth our love. To love in a way that makes us weak and vulnerable. To love until it hurts and beyond. For if we do that, we will have a place in glory and we will have a throne made for us. And because our Lord died for us and rose for us, our thrones in the heaven to come will not be made of wood or nails, but it would be made of everlasting life.

So my friends, what are you really looking for? Let us follow the Lord. Let us go and see.