Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: John 2: 13-25

Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, 
as well as the money changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, 
and spilled the coins of the money changers
and overturned their tables, 
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here, 
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, 
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them, 
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said, 
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, 
and you will raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, 
his disciples remembered that he had said this, 
and they came to believe the Scripture 
and the word Jesus had spoken.

While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, 
many began to believe in his name 
when they saw the signs he was doing.
But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, 
and did not need anyone to testify about human nature.
He himself understood it well.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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On April 15, 2019, just before 6:20 p.m., the impossible happened.

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The Cathedral of Notre Dame, located in the very heart of Paris, was engulfed in flames. In less than an hour, 800 years’ worth of culture, history, and religious art was reduced to ash and rubble; the interior of the cathedral was totally destroyed.

No one ever thought this architectural masterpiece, this fruit of Catholic devotion, would ever resemble a tomb – dark, dusty, emptied of its precious contents.

But there it was.

Images of the charred Cathedral went viral.

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Zeal for reconstruction consumed the city. In fact, donors from around the world have contributed to the church’s restoration project, which should be completed in a matter of years.

But have we missed the bigger point?

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As beautiful as Notre Dame was – and will be – the Church is not Notre Dame; the Church is not a physical building. Saint Paul reminds us, “We are the body of Christ, and individually members of it.”

We, the baptized, are Christ’s presence on earth because his Spirit dwells within us.

But the condition of Notre Dame seems to be an appropriate metaphor for the state of the Church today; we need to be rebuilt.

It’s no secret that Catholic devotion and church attendance have fallen over the last several years – and COVID is not entirely to blame. A variety of factors are at work.

But, perhaps, the more pressing question is this: How do we rebuild our community of faith?

It isn’t a matter of replacing roofs or stacking stones.

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Zeal for Christ must consume us.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus causes quite the stir. 

Imagine tables being overturned; coins bouncing across the floor; turtledoves flapping their wings, rattling their cages; nervous bystanders staring with their jaws dropped; tempers flaring; and Jesus in the center of it all, chasing moneychangers out with a whip!

Jesus knew his actions would provoke a response.

The religious leaders, filled with anger, question his authority. Jesus has taken over the temple, claiming it will be destroyed and rebuilt in three days. A brazen, impossible promise in their eyes.

But the disciples begin to see that Jesus isn’t speaking about the destruction of a physical structure; he’s speaking about the temple of his body. Jesus is the one whom the prophets foretold:

“Zeal for your house will consume me.”

In taking control of the temple, he initiates a new form of worship.

God’s presence will no longer be confined to the Holy of Holies, that innermost room within the Temple; God will place his Spirit in the heart of every baptized person, stretching his reign across the earth. 

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John places the cleansing of the Temple at the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, reminding us that this is one of the very first things a zealous disciple must do: 

Clean house; turn tables; remove things that prevent us from worshiping God or being fully committed to living the Gospel message.

As Saint Paul says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ living in me.”

Like Paul, am I consumed with zeal for Christ? Or are there tables within me that need to be overturned?

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It was this – zealous faith – that drove generations of architects, sculptors, artists, and artisans to create the masterpiece of Notre Dame. 

Think about it: most of the people who worked on building that church never saw its completion.

They dedicated their entire lives to working on Notre Dame, because they believed that, in some small way, their efforts mattered; they were part of something bigger than themselves. 

And when they could no longer lift another stone or brush, they handed on their work to the next generation, trusting that they would work just as hard with the very same zeal.

While the interior of that physical structure was nearly destroyed, their legacy of their faith lives on.

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The story of Notre Dame reminds us that the most valuable thing in our world – that which is truly irreplaceable – is not some architectural masterpiece.

It’s the faith that built it.

It’s that same zeal for Christ that will rebuild our Church today. 

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As we continue to journey through Lent may the Lord restore our inner selves, for we are living stones – the Church, the Body of Christ on earth.

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Gospel: Matthew 21: 33-46

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: 
“Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?”
They answered him,
“He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times.”
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures:

    The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone;
    by the Lord has this been done,
        and it is wonderful in our eyes?

Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This is a very pointed parable, aimed at human responsibility.

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The landowner acted first. 

He provided the tenants with everything they needed to produce good wine:  he bought the land, put hedges around it, built a tower, and planted the choicest vines.

Then he left, entrusting the future of his vineyard to his tenants.

He set them up for success, expecting good results. But the tenants only produced sour grapes.

Understandably, when the landowner returned, he held them accountable.

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Like that vineyard, the Lord has entrusted the future of Saint Pius X to us – and he expects good results.

We have the opportunity become a spiritual home for hundreds, if not thousands of people; this can be a place where hearts are changed, and God is praised week after week.

I know my own faith has grown since coming here. I’ve met so many genuine, kind-hearted people who are in love with Jesus, and who want to share that love with others.

Together, we can – and I believe will – do great things. 

This vineyard will produce “good wine,” because God has given us everything we need to succeed. We have his grace, a beautiful church, generous parishioners, and are developing a vision and mission.

Now it’s just a matter of sharing the Good News.

Who might you invite to join us at St. Pius X?

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Gospel: Luke 16: 19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied, ‘My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said,
‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.’”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Do you remember the old tv sitcom, Cheers?

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Can you visualize Sam, Woody, Carla, Cliff, and Diane all gathered around the bar?

There’s something incredibly comforting about sharing our troubles with friends, at times over a pint or two.

Perhaps that’s why the theme song was so catchy:

“Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see the troubles are all the same. You wanna go where everybody knows your name.”

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Speaking of knowing people by name, this is the only parable in the Gospels when Jesus mentions a character by name.

Think of the parable of The Prodigal Son, for example. There are no names given; they’re only referred to as the father, the older brother, and the younger brother.

But today Jesus mentions this wretched man covered in sores by name – Lazarus – reminding us that what Lazarus needs is not only food or a healing balm for his sores; he also needs to be known by name.

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Knowing people by name hasn’t always been a Catholic strong point. 

We go to Mass, we pray together, we exchange socially distant signs of peace, but how many people do we actually know by name?

My goal is to cultivate and expand the goodness found in the people here at Saint Pius X. I dream of making this a community where everyone is known by name. 

We hear the cry of the poor – and we know them by name. We engage our youth – and we know them by name. We pray for our neighbor at Mass – and we know them by name.

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Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.

So, why not come to Saint Pius X?

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