April 30, 2010
Posted in pastor
at 8:00 pm
MAY is the MONTH OF MARY, so I invite all of us to deepen our devotion to the Mother of God and our Mother, perhaps by adding even one simple prayer to her each day during this month. For those who already have a personal devotion to Mary, I ask you to consider TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY as taught by St. Louis de Montfort and promoted by John Paul II. You can read more in the brochures at both entrances “Total Consecration and your Baptismal Promises.”
I also would like to promote the practice of honouring our Blessed Mother on the FIRST FIVE SATURDAYS of each month.
Practices
The devotion involves the following practices on five consecutive first Saturdays with the specific intention of making reparation for the offenses against the Blessed Virgin.
1. Go to Confession (within 8 days before or after the first Saturday)
2. Receive Holy Communion
3. Recite five decades of the Rosary*
4. “Keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on fifteen mysteries of the Rosary” (separate from the Rosary itself)*
(*Preferably done in the presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle or at Exposition)
Promises
1. The Virgin Mary’s assistance at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation for those who practice the devotion.
2. Salvation of souls and peace as a result of promoting of the Devotion to the Immaculate Heart. (http://www.memorare.com/mary/firstsat.html)
For those who attend Mass normally on Sunday, this devotion would require you to attend 5 consecutive Saturday Masses; for those who already attend Mass on Saturday, I would recommend also attending Mass 5 consecutive Sundays.
In Christ, Fr. Tim
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April 25, 2010
Posted in Homilies
at 5:31 am
Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C, April 25th, 2010 – By Father Tim McCauley
On this Good Shepherd Sunday, the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, during this Year for Priests, I would like to share with you a bit about my vocation to the priesthood, in the context of the Easter season, and our call to share in the death and Resurrection of Christ.
When I share my vocation story with high school students, I always begin by recalling how, at their age, I never thought of being a priest because I wasn’t Catholic, I didn’t really believe in Jesus, and I was so shy that I knew I could never have a job that involved public speaking. Back then, for me to overcome my shyness would be about as likely as . . . I don’t know . . .someone rising from the dead, which is impossible! . . . Wait a minute! This is still Easter – there was a guy who rose from the dead – Jesus Christ! Yes, there is real power the death and Resurrection of Christ to transform our lives, and help us be the person God created us to be.
To hear and respond to the voice of the Good Shepherd at various stages of my life (cf Jn 10:27), I had to pass through a sort of death and resurrection: a death to an old way of life, the “old self” and a resurrection to a new life. The first came after university, when I left my whole life behind to travel for two months in Europe, while also reading the Gospels for the first time. I heard the voice of the Good Shepherd speaking to me through the Scriptures, slowly calling me to believe in Him and follow Him. (I encourage all young people here to make time for prayer in your daily schedule, so that you too can hear the Good Shepherd speak to your heart).
I came back home a convinced Christian, but I fell right back into my old bad habits of going out drinking every weekend with my friends. I knew I needed a radical change, another “death and resurrection.” So I went to live with my cousins for a year in NYC, while reading books such as The Imitation of Christ, Dante’s Divine Comedy, and the lives of the saints. This time I heard the voice of the Good Shepherd speaking to me and calling me into the Catholic Church through the saints such as St. Augustine in his autobiography The Confessions and in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. I encourage everyone to read the lives of the saints – very inspiring!
I want to emphasize that it took me about 10 years to find Jesus Christ through the Church, with the Church, and in the Church – the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church. From the age of 13 to 23 I was not very happy; you could even say I was borderline depressed. Why? Because I knew neither God nor the meaning of my life. But I was searching, reading, studying – the history of philosophy and world religion, until finally, after 10 long years, I found the truth in Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.
So I will never understand Catholics who claim to love Jesus but not the Church, who sever Christ the Head from His Body the Church, who never come to Church, and even criticize or condemn the Church. It took me ten long years of aching, longing, crying to find the truth in the Catholic Church, and yet there are Catholics who toss the Church aside like a piece of garbage – “pfftt! Who needs that?” St. Cyprian once said that whoever has God as his Father must have the Church for his Mother. Yet there are Catholics who, it seems, do not love their Mother who gave birth to them in the baptismal font. Forgive them Lord, they know not what they do.
So I became a Catholic, and thought I might become a Franciscan brother. Because I was still so shy, I thought I could hide in a monastery and sweep the floors and not have to talk to anyone. I knew I needed yet another “death and resurrection,” so I signed up for a year of volunteer work with a religious order in Rhode Island, with many ministries, such as teaching Grade 7 religious education and giving communion in hospitals, that challenged me to come out of my shell.
That year, I heard the Good Shepherd speaking to me through other Catholics, who at times would ask me and some of the other volunteers: “Are you studying to be priests?” And I would say, “Oh, no. I’m just volunteering for a year.” But their questions lead me to ponder and pray, and I realized that God was calling me to be a priest.
(A note to myself to remember to ask some of the young men in the parish if they have ever considered a vocation to the priesthood. I encourage all of you also to take a look around at the young men of our parish and to be so bold as to ask one of them, “Have you ever thought of being a priest?” or to say, “I think you would make a good priest.”)
Then I went to the Seminary and was ordained and sent for a year to St. Patrick’s Fallowfield and another year to Holy Cross. Then I heard the voice of the Good Shepherd calling me through the bishop of Ottawa, at the time, Bishop Marcel Gervais. He told me he wanted me to go to Russell. “Brussels?” I said, “In Belgium? Why?” “No, you nincumpoop! I said ‘Russell’ southeast of Ottawa (actually I’m just making this up; I knew where Russell was, having visited Fr. John Whyte out here).
To say “yes” to the Bishop (and Jesus the Good Shepherd) I had to pass through yet another death and resurrection, because at the time, I was getting more comfortable in my assignment, and I only knew one person in Russell, and I was still a very new, inexperienced priest. The truth is, when I first arrived here, although I knew how to celebrate Mass, weddings, funerals and hear confessions, I really did not know what I was doing as a pastor.
There was a study done in the States in 1999 of newly ordained priests,who reported feeling overworked, overwhelmed and undersupervised. They lacked abilities in the areas of “administration, management, finances, staff relationships, running meetings and dealing with conflict.” They felt frustrated, unequipped to do what was expected of them. (Dean Hoge’s 1999, cited by Bishop Kicanas in “Reflections on Dean Hoge’s Research on Priests in Origins, April 8th, 2010). I can relate to how these priests felt!
I want to take this opportunity to thank all those families and individuals who welcomed me so warmly even though you did not know me, and who were so patient with me in my inexperience. For any new priest facing tremendous demands and challenges, as well as so much indifference or hostility from the secular world and even from Catholics, it is so important for us to know we are supported in our lives and ministries by the people of God. Thank you so much, from the very beginning, for your love, support and prayers. And I sincerely ask forgiveness from anyone I might have hurt or offended because of my inexperience, ignorance, or personal sins and limitations.
I could go on and on by I am running out of time. As you know, every vocation must also be tested, whether marriage or priesthood, and God in His great love for us never allows us to become too comfortable. The voice of the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God, is always calling us to a deeper participation in His own sacrificial death and Resurrection.
When I was at Madonna House after Easter, the spring lambs were being born. I visited the farm one day and saw two lambs that had been born that morning. So cute, pure, sweet and innocent! Such beautiful symbols of Jesus the Lamb of God. The head farmer told me, “Yeah, we hope to get them up to 100 lbs before we slaughter them in the fall.” Such a short life, born for sacrifice!”
A lamb is a good symbol of the spirit of sacrifice in every vocation, and the liturgy today reminds us that “we are (God’s) people: the sheep of his pasture” (Responsorial Psalm). For all of us as Christians, the “Lamb is our Shepherd” (Rev 7 ). All of us are called to follow Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, in his sacrificial death and Resurrection.
Why do we fear the spirit of sacrifice so much? Do we think of ourselves as innocent lambs destined for the slaughter, that God is calling for the bloody sacrifice of our lives? Do not fear! The Good Shepherd is only calling us to sacrifice what Scripture calls the “old self,” the false self. God is only calling us to sacrifice our selfishness and sins, and to rise up to a new life.
I would like to end with a few words of Pope Benedict to young people, who are at a critical juncture in discerning their vocation. He speaks frequently of the need to “re-awaken the courage to make definitive decisions,” whatever our vocation might be – to marriage, priesthood or religious life, or a single person living out his or her baptismal consecration.
“The idea of risking a lifelong commitment, whether in marriage or in a life of special consecration, can be daunting. You might think: …’Can I make a life-long commitment now, without knowing what unforeseen events lie in store for me? . . . These are the doubts you feel, and today’s individualistic and hedonist culture aggravates them.
Take courage! Dare to make definitive decisions . . . There is no doubt about it: life is worthwhile only if you take courage and are ready for adventure, if you trust in the Lord Who will never abandon you.”
(March 23, 2009 Angola)
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April 24, 2010
Posted in pastor
at 1:04 pm
On this WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS, I would like to share with you some reflections from Pope Benedict’s message for this day, with the theme Witness Awakens Vocations. He writes, “the Lord makes use of the witness of priests who are faithful to their mission in order to awaken new priestly and religious vocations for the service of the People of God. For this reason, I would like to mention three aspects of the life of a priest which I consider essential for an effective priestly witness.” The Holy Father goes on to speak in detail of 1) Friendship with Christ, 2) the complete gift of oneself to God, and 3) a life of communion
Benedict in turn quotes from John Paul II: ““The very life of priests, their unconditional dedication to God’s flock, their witness of loving service to the Lord and to his Church – a witness marked by free acceptance of the Cross in the spirit of hope and Easter joy – their fraternal unity and zeal for the evangelization of the world are the first and most convincing factor in the growth of vocations” (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 41). Benedict adds: “It can be said that priestly vocations are born of contact with priests, as a sort of precious legacy handed down by word, example and a whole way of life.”
During this YEAR FOR PRIESTS, I ask for your continued prayers for priests, that we may somehow approach this beautiful ideal presented to us by the Popes, so that young men will be drawn to consider a call to priesthood. Especially at this time when the Church has been facing unusually hostile criticism as well as contemptuous attacks on our Pope, I ask again for your prayers for the Pope, Bishop Prendergast, and all priests. Thank you and God bless you!
In Christ, Fr. Tim
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April 18, 2010
Posted in Homilies
at 10:38 am
Third Sunday of Easter, April 18th, 2010 – By Father Tim McCauley
During a soccer match in Moscow on Easter Sunday, opposing fans chanted at each other. You’ll never guess what they were saying. They took turns chanting, “Christ is Risen” and “Truly He is Risen.” One correspondent who has attended soccer matches for almost fifty years said it was the first occurrence of this kind in the history of Russian soccer. Could it happen at Scotiabank Place? No, but we could make it happen in our family, in our parish!
Throughout these 50 days of Easter leading up to Pentecost, we must continue to repeat the Good News that Christ is risen from the dead. We must preach this truth continually to ourselves, and share this Good News with our neighbour. The world will tempt us to turn back in upon ourselves, to silence our voices and sadden our hearts. But just as the body of Jesus threw off the chains of death and burst out of the tomb, so must cast off the spirit of death, depression and despair, and instead choose to rejoice because Christ has risen from the dead and in baptism we have already risen with Him to a new life and become His intimate friends!
The first disciples were totally transformed by Easter, by the Resurrection of Christ and their friendship with Him, through His appearances and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The leaders, elders, scribes and priests of the Jewish people hated the Church, and dragged the apostles before their council and threatened them, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in his name.” We can understand the apostles being intimidated by these powerful men who controlled the media of the time, who knew how to stir up the crowds in their support. But the apostles replied, “we must obey God rather than human beings” (Acts 5:29); they continued to speak out boldly in the name of Jesus the Messiah, and proclaim in Him the Resurrection of the dead. After being beaten, then released, the apostles “rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of the name” (Acts 5:41).
There are people today who hate the Church, and want to discredit and silence the Church from proclaiming the truth of Jesus the Messiah, risen from the dead. Many of these people have very loud voices in the media and they try to drown out the Church’s proclamation of the Resurrection.
The apostles were not silent and neither are we. Like the Apostles, we the Church draw strength and courage from our friendship with Jesus and the power of the Spirit to proclaim Christ to the world.
We need to re-discover again the real presence of Christ in all the different seasons of the Church year. At Christmas time, for example, Christ is present in our world as a child, giving us specific gifts and graces associated with His childhood – the gift of humility, poverty of spirit, a childlike heart, trust in God, and so on. These are real graces most specifically available during the Christmas season.
Now, in the Easter season, Christ is present in our world as the Risen One, the New Adam in His resurrected body, as the joyful and triumphant conqueror of death who opens for us the gates of heaven. During Easter time, the Risen Christ offers us specific gifts associated with His Resurrection – the gift of joy, of boldness in sharing our faith, of courage in the face of death and all our lesser fears, of greater hope in heaven and a foretaste here on earth of eternal life, and so on.
How does the secular world view Easter? It’s a long weekend of three to four days, during which you might eat some chocolate eggs or bunnies, have a family dinner, and then it’s over. Tuesday morning and it’s back to business as usual. But not for us Catholics – it’s not back to business as usual, especially during these 50 days of Easter. Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and we have risen with Him, chosen by Him to be His intimate friends, and proclaim His Gospel to the world.
Consider the example of the apostles in today’s Gospel. On one hand, Jesus had ordered them to go to Galilee, where they would see Him (Mt 28:10). On the other hand, it seemed as if they were trying to go back to business as usual after the Resurrection; so instead of preaching the Gospel to all nations, they went back to fishing – back to their old jobs!
I have here a stone from the sea of Galilee, from the site where the meeting before Jesus and Peter took place, at the present-day Church of the Primacy of Peter. The apostles passed on their memories to the early Church of the exact places that Jesus had visited in His earthly life and in His Resurrection appearances. So we can be confident that Jesus did appear on this site. Therefore, it is possible that Jesus walked on this stone, or at least close by.
It was November 5th that we visited the sea of Galilee, but it was about 29 degrees, a warm summer day by the lake, at the cottage. It was so tranquil. We put our hands and feet in the water of the sea of Galilee, and then they were yelling for us to get back on the bus! If I had had more time there for prayer and reflection, I might have experienced something similar to what Fr. Bob Wild of Madonna House describes.
He writes: “It was at this site . . . where the reality of the kingdom, the new creation, came alive for me . . . one of the most perfect images of human existence, which has now been permanently transformed by the presence of the risen Christ . . . here the apostles recognized the risen Lord. Here the new Adam peacefully walked up and down the shore in the morning hours. Here was the reunion of Jesus with his friends, sitting with them around a charcoal fire as the sun rose over the lake. Is not this the return to paradise? Adam and Eve are no longer hiding from God (Robert Wild, Waiting for the Presence, 140-41) . . . Jesus came to restore us to paradise” (149).
Peter tried to hide from God after he denied Christ three times. For him to celebrate the first Easter, to be “restored to paradise,” restored to a deep, intimate, loving friendship with Jesus, he had to pass through a sort of death and repent. He had to move beyond his comfort zone to say the least; he had to hit rock bottom, look at the truth in the mirror, acknowledge the reality of his sin in denying his friendship with his Lord, and repent.
For us to enjoy this friendship with Jesus, we must pass through death, not only the finality of physical death at the end of life, but right now, a death to self, to selfishness, to sin. In death, we must let go of everything and make a total gift of all we are and all we have to God. For a deeper friendship with Jesus, right here and now, we must be willing to let go of something . . . what? Our pride? Our resentments and bitterness? Our greed and comfort-seeking at the expense of the poor?
It’s not easy, even for priests. A priest friend of mine from Prince Edward Island is joining Madonna House. So he had to give up his house, his car, his salary, his freedom. But he is happy. I look at him and I realize God is calling me to give more. It can be frightening, but it is always worth it to give up more so that we can gain more – the treasure of a deeper, more intimate friendship with Jesus Christ.
I recently read this quote: “For many souls the bitterness of death arises, not so much from the separation from beings who are dear to them, as from the anguish of entering into an unknown world in which the only realities which count are entirely outside all their past experience” (Christ the Ideal of the Priest, 106).
The risen Christ removes the bitterness of death and the anguish of entering into an unknown world outside all our past experience. We know what awaits us on the other side of death . . . the return to Paradise. Because we know who awaits us . . . Jesus, our Lord and our God, and our Friend who loves us.
Jesus asks Peter three times, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” The Risen Christ, present during this Easter season, present here today in His Church, in the Eucharist, in the power of the Holy Spirit, asks you and I the same question, “Do you love me?” He asks because He so desperately desires a deep, intimate, loving friendship with you and me. (By the way, one way to build this friendship is through quiet time of adoration, which we have every Tuesday and Friday before Mass and all day First Fridays).
Christ is risen, and there is life after death. There is a whole other world out there beyond our comfort zone, if only we will take a risk. Like the alcoholic who hits rock bottom but rises up again to a new life, we must be willing to begin again, to try again. Like a hockey player in the playoffs who sacrifices his body to block a shot or make a play, so that his team can win, we must be willing to risk so that can win. Like the marathoner who hits the wall but keeps going, we must also break through to the other side where Christ is waiting for us, walking by the sea of Galilee in the morning sun, asking us ever so gently, “Do you love me?”
Pope Benedict, in his very first homily as Pope, said this (back in April 2005):“Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us?
No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation.
And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you . . . Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ and you will find true life. Amen.”
(Pope Benedict, Homily for the Inauguration of his Papacy, April 24, 2005).
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Posted in kofc-events
at 5:54 am
YOU ARE INVITED ON SUNDAY, APRIL 18th TO A DELICIOUS
SPAGHETTI SUPPER SERVED BY OUR KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
HERE IN THE CHURCH HALL BETWEEN 5:00 – 7:00 PM.
This time the Knights are having a spaghetti sauce contest.
Come cast your vote.
Cost: Adults $6, Children $3, Family $20.
Profits to the Arthritis Society.
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April 15, 2010
Posted in pastor
at 6:00 am
Parish council is pleased to present a PRAYER INTENTION BOOK on the table at the entrance of the Church. The simple purpose of this book is to inspire prayer.
The Mass already includes the Prayers of the Faithful, or the General Intercessions. Sometimes we can fall into the habit of simply listening to these prayers, but without consciously formulating our own prayers and interiorly expressing them to God.
We hope the Prayer Intention Book will accomplish two things: 1) We can write our own prayers that we bring to Mass, thus reminding ourselves to actively pray for these intentions in Church 2) We can also pray for the other intentions listed in the book, and in this way pray for each other. There is no need to sign your name to the prayers, and you can be as general or specific as you like, such as “for a friend who has cancer,” “for employment for ____,” “for the conversion of a family member,” and so on.
At least one Sunday per month we hope to carry the book in procession with the gifts, as a symbol of bringing our prayers and intentions to the altar of God, offering them to our heavenly Father in union with the sacrifice of Christ.
In Christ, Fr. Tim
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April 11, 2010
Posted in Homilies
at 6:02 am
Second Sunday of Easter, Year C, April 11, 2010 – By Deacon Thomas Stephenson
As is usually the case, there is a lot of meaning packed into today’s Gospel, and the readings as well. We can’t go over everything, so today I’d like to focus on two things – scepticism, and signs. We hear of Thomas’s reluctance to believe what the Apostles told him about seeing Jesus, and we hear about the sign, Jesus’ resurrected but wounded body, that overcame his disbelief. There is probably no better known sceptic in history than St. Thomas. The term “doubting Thomas” is a common way to describe a person who has difficulty believing what someone tells him without having hard facts to back it up. When my parents named me Thomas, they couldn’t possibly have known what my personality would eventually be, but I have a strong sceptical streak, so I guess they chose correctly. Now, Thomas was not the only one who had a little trouble with doubts. Do you think that the other Apostles really believed Mary Magdelene when she returned from the empty tomb and told them she had seen the Lord? Remember, when He appeared among them, after saying “peace be with you”, Jesus showed them His hands and His side.
Although they had not actually expressed their doubts, Jesus must have known that this sign was necessary to overcome any of their remaining uncertainties. When Jesus comes the following week, He takes the sign one step further. He doesn’t just show Thomas his wounds, He invites Thomas to actually touch those wounds, giving him the proof that he had earlier indicated would be necessary in order for him to believe Christ was alive.
At the end of today’s Gospel, John tells us that Jesus did many other signs that are not recorded, but that “these are recorded so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in His name.” The Gospels are historical accounts of Jesus’ actions, teachings, and miracles. But they are not merely history; as John says they are written with the purpose of giving us the knowledge, giving us the proof, that will help us to believe. We also have Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium of the Church, to inform us and guide us, to strengthen our belief.
It is natural for us to be sceptical of things that are not readily visible or tangible. We’ve all heard the phrase “seeing is believing”. But we might also say that believing is seeing. This doesn’t mean that we need to suspend our use of reason. It means just the opposite – that we need to use our ability to reason in order to help us with things that cannot be seen with the eyes in our head, but only with the eyes of our heart. We can read the accounts of the Gospels, but if we only read then as history, we may as well be reading about Alexander the Great. But, using faith and reason, we can understand, we can see, that Jesus is the Son of God. And, we see Him here amongst us at every Mass, truly, physically present under the appearance of the host. We do not see His glorified but human body with our eyes, but our faith allows us to see Him in the host, and to actually receive Him in Holy Communion.
There are signs that God performs throughout our lives, but recognizing them, seeing them, works together with belief. It all works together: the more we believe, the more we are aware of these signs; and the greater our awareness, the greater our belief. The great signs performed by the Apostles as recounted in today’s first reading had that effect.
We are told that “More than ever, believers were being added to the Lord, great numbers of men and women.” People believed because of the signs they saw. We, too, are called to believe, not just because of signs we experience first-hand, but also by the signs and teachings of Christ that we read about in the Gospels. And, we don’t do this all on our own. The Declaration from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “Dominus Iesus”, states “Faith is a gift of grace: in order to have faith, the grace of God must come first and give assistance; there must also be the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and gives ‘to everyone joy and ease in assenting to and believing in the truth’”. We live in an age of great scepticism and scepticism is not necessarily a bad thing, if it helps us to deepen our understanding and strengthen our faith. Thomas knew Jesus was dead, so he was understandably hesitant to believe that Jesus was now alive. But he also kept an open mind – remember, he was with the Apostles that second Sunday evening – his doubts were overcome and his faith assured. These days, though, some people are such skeptics that they have difficulty even accepting that there is such a thing as truth. They may call themselves seekers, but if they begin with the premise that there is no truth, what are they really seeking? They are willing to believe all kinds of strange claims about some sort of exotic spirituality, especially if it makes no demands on them or if it aligns with their particular preferences and desires. But if someone is really searching for truth, they will discover that it is through Christ, and only through Christ, that we have eternal life.
That is what John tells us; this is why these things are written, that we may believe and have life in His name. Like Thomas before that second Sunday, we have not seen Jesus in person. We were not there in the upper room to hear His words, or to see His wounds. But we need not be sceptical. We can trust the reports in the Gospel, and believe without seeing as the Apostles did. We believe in the Resurrection. The resurrection means that He is alive, alive for each of us, and that we will participate in His Resurrection through the ultimate resurrection of our own bodies. Death has been overcome, Jesus Christ is alive forever. Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
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April 4, 2010
Posted in Homilies
at 9:00 am
Year C, April 4th, 2010 – By Father Tim McCauley
“Christ is risen from the dead, trampling on death by death. And on those in the tomb, lavishing life!” (With Bells!)
I would like to begin my Easter homily by briefly returning to Good Friday and the Shroud of Turin. When a group of scientist were invited to examine the Shroud, they were skeptical that it really was the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. One of them was expecting to find the brush stroke marks of the paint on the shroud then go home. But after hundreds of thousands of hours of detailed scientific examination of the Shroud, scientist cannot determine what caused the image. They know that image appears because of the oxidation of some of the fibers of the cloth, but they do not know what caused the oxidation, nor can they re-duplicate it.
One scientist said that his best guess for what caused the image on the Shroud was something called . . . the Resurrection. Yes, at the moment that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter morning, there was a mysterious burst of heat, light, energy – a sort of nuclear reaction – that left the image of His Body on the Shroud, the same linen cloth that Peter and John saw lying in the tomb (John 20:6). This power of Christ’s Resurrection is unleashed for us also, to help us conquer our fears and conquer the world.
But as we know, Jesus was not simply transformed into pure energy, pure spirit. He had what some have called a “trans-physical” body, a real body that the apostles could actually touch, but also a spiritual body (Cor ) that could pass through walls.
Over the years, I have noticed in the Church that we don’t hear or talk much about the Resurrection of Christ. We mention it on Easter Sunday. But it should be our focus for the entire season of Easter. In fact, every Sunday is meant to be a little Easter; on every Sunday we celebrate the Resurrection.
But for us moderns, the resurrection of the body seems to be so fantatiscal, so mythical, so far removed from our daily concerns. We treat it like something that we hope will happen to us at some point in the distant future, but the resurrection is not a reality for us, that influences our daily lives. Why not?
I have been wondering about this for years and years. I think the French Catholic philosopher Pascal said it best. He remarks that some people find it impossible to believe in the resurrection of the body. Pascal replies by saying that if God can create our bodies out of nothing, He surely has the power to re-create our bodies in the resurrection. Exactly.
The very first article of the Apostles’ Creed leads logically to the last. The first article is “I believe in God, the Father the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth” and the last is, “I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.” Belief in the Creator leads to belief in the Resurrection. Doubts about the Creator lead to doubts about the resurrection.
If we want a greater faith in the Resurrection, then I think the easiest and quickest way (as I mentioned, after years of reflection) is to get in touch again with our Creator, and to re-discover the first and fundamental stance of any creature before the Creator – adoration, the humble acknowledgement that someone else, an infinite and eternal Person, has created us.
We have lost touch with our Creator partly through our modern belief in philosophical materialism and atheistic Darwinism. I don’t have time in an Easter homily to go into detail, but we have bought into some very simplistic and misleading arguments for Darwinism, convincing us that we have evolved from nothing, rather than being created by the Person of God.
One brief example: have you ever heard this argument? Don’t you notice there are different breeds of dogs, from German shepherds to dachsunds to beagles and so on? Well, this is proof of evolution, isn’t it? Not exactly. It is proof of micro-evolution with a species, but there is actually no proof of macro-evolution from one species into another (“there is no fossil history of single-celled organisms changing step by step into complex plants and animals. On the contrary, the major groups of animals all appear suddenly in the rocks of the Cambrian era” Defeating Darwinism, by Phillip E. Johnston, p. 95)
Once we have some more honest and objective scientists, like those who allowed themselves to be persuaded by the evidence of the Shroud of Turin, then we will see that the evidence in nature also points to “the reality of God as our true Creator” (Johnson, 92). If we get in touch again with our Creator, and learn to humbly adore Him, then the Resurrection will also become more of a reality to us. The One who created us out of nothing can surely re-create us.
As I mentioned, the moment Christ rose from the dead, and left the imprint of His Body on the Shroud of Turin, was a moment of a tremendous burst of heat, light and energy, a sort of nuclear reaction. The Pope once wrote the following about the Eucharist, “the substantial conversion of bread and wine into (Christ’s) body and blood introduces within creation the principle of a radical change, a sort of ‘nuclear fission’ . . . which penetrates to the heart of all being” (Sacramentum Caritatis, #11, cf. 1 Cor 15:28). There is a link between the “nuclear reaction” of the Resurrection and the “nuclear fission” of the Eucharist, between adoring our Creator who created us out of nothing and will raise us from the dead, and adoring His Son Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
This adoration helps to unleash the power of Christ’s Resurrection in our lives, especially during this Easter season, to help us conquer the world and conquer our fears.
Do you notice that we as Catholics have special practices during Lent, but not during Easter? During Lent, we do penance and fast to open our hearts to receive the graces that Christ won for us through His temptations, His sufferings and His death. So why don’t we do anything special during the Easter season to open our hearts to receive the graces that Christ won for us through His Resurrection?
We have adoration. I would like to issue a special invitation to those who have never come to adoration, and don’t even know what this word means. In every Mass we adore our Creator who will one day raise us from the dead. But we adore Him more intensely when we enthrone Him on the altar during our all day adoration, usually First Fridays, but this month, First Friday was Good Friday, and this coming Friday we have the funeral of our beloved Joyce Piovesan at 11:00 a.m. But we will be holding a special Easter Holy Hour of adoration from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. I encourage those who have never been to adoration to come for even 15 minutes; it is one concrete way you can allow the power of Christ’s Resurrection to be unleashed in your life, to help you conquer the world and conquer your fears.
We have so many fears that enslave us! Fear of discomfort, fear of change, of risk, of failure, of being judged by others, fear of rejection, fear of being unloved, fear of a certain person or relationship, and so on and so on.
There was a study done recently and published in the Ottawa Citizen on Thursday that reported that millions of Canadians – 65% of the population – lose sleep over money troubles” (April 1st, 2010).
Just as there are some Canadians who support euthanasia and assisted suicide because they have forgotten Good Friday and the meaning of human suffering, I wonder if some of these millions of Canadians who lose sleep over money troubles have forgotten about Easter Sunday and the Resurrection of Christ. Christ has conquered DEATH, our greatest fear! Honestly, what do you fear more losing all your money or death? Christ has conquered death, our greatest fear, so through Him we can conquer all our lesser fears.
The letter to the Hebrews states that Christ shared in our flesh and blood – the same flesh and blood in which He rose from the dead – so that “through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life” (Heb 2:15). Jesus Christ, through His death and Resurrection, has freed us from the devil, from the fear of death and from slavery to any and all kind of fear.
Another way we can unleash the “nuclear” power of Christ’s Resurrection in our own lives, and celebrate the Easter season, is by making a conscious choice to face, head-on, one of our fears. Just do it. The risen Christ is with you! He lives in you through your baptism! His power is unleashed in you through adoration and Holy Communion! Remember what St. John writes in his first letter: “You belong to God, children, and you have conquered . . . for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Amen? Amen! Alleluia! “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling on death by death. And on those in the tomb, lavishing life!” (With Bells!)
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April 3, 2010
Posted in pastor
at 6:00 am
I share with you some highlights from Pope Benedict’s very first Easter homily back in 2005. He said, “(The Resurrection) is not just some miracle from the past, the occurrence of which could be ultimately a matter of indifference to us. It is a qualitative leap in the history of “evolution” and of life in general towards a new future life, towards a new world which, starting from Christ, already continuously permeates this world of ours, transforms it and draws it to itself. But how does this happen? . . . through faith and Baptism.”
Drawing on St. Paul, the Pope explains what happens in baptism: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). My “I” is taken away from me and is incorporated into a new and greater subject. This liberation of our “I” from its isolation . . . means finding oneself within the vastness of God and being drawn into a life which has now moved out of the context of “dying and becoming”.
The great explosion of the Resurrection has seized us in Baptism so as to draw us on.
. . . The Resurrection is not a thing of the past, the Resurrection has reached us and seized us. We grasp hold of it, we grasp hold of the risen Lord, and we know that he holds us firmly even when our hands grow weak.”
Let us pray that the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection will have real effects in our own lives, especially in the Easter season leading up to Pentecost, and draw us onward and upward toward eternal life. In Christ, Fr. Tim
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April 2, 2010
Posted in Homilies
at 3:00 pm
Year C, April 2nd, 2010 – By Father Tim McCauley
In all of the pews there is a picture of a face that I would like all of you to look at. This is the face of one who truly loves you. This is the face of one who has proven His love for you by suffering and dying for you. Once you come to know this Face, this Person and His love, you will never be alone again, and all your sufferings will be transformed into glory.
It is the face of Jesus Christ from the Shroud of Turin – literally the face of God. This is what Jesus Christ truly looked like. This picture is taken from the linen cloth that covered his body during his burial.
Do you want the proof? I will give you the proof. From the picture you only see the face, but the whole shroud reveals some astonishing details on the body. The linen cloth covered the body of a man, probably aged 30-35, who was 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighed around 175 pounds. We see on the face the white marks on the forehead make from blood stains from thorns pushed into the head. The blood is real human blood, type AB. You can notice some swelling under the right eye, where this person was beaten in the face. The cartilage on the nose has also been broken.
If you had a picture of the rest of the body, you would see that there is a wound in the right side of the torso, also covered in blood. And the whole body, back and front, is covered with gashes from whips and scourges, over 100 cuts in total. There is also a deep cut on one of the knees, indicating the person fell at least once, if not several times. There are also holes in the hands and the feet. It is interesting that the holes in the hands are not actually in the palms, but in the wrists. It has been demonstrated that a crucified man could never be hung from the palms, because the weight of the body would tear through the palms. A person could only be nailed through the wrist.
A statistician has estimated the chances that the shroud might have covered the body of another man beside Jesus, someone who was also crucified and who suffered from the exact same wounds – the chances are about 1 in 200 billion. All the evidence points to the shroud being authentic. I could go on and on and on. I invite you to listen to the CD on the shroud (in the foyer) or borrow the DVD on the shroud from the library.
One final piece of evidence: look how calm and serene is the face of this man who has been tortured and crucified. Usually, the face of condemned criminals who died by torture reveal their anguish and despair. But this face emanates a sense of heavenly peace, a sign of hope for us, that God can and does give peace even in the midst of the worst sufferings imaginable.
Why did Jesus have to suffer all this and die for us? There are many answers in the Bible and the Catechism. Jesus had to suffer and die in atonement, in reparation for our sin. From Adam and Eve down to you and I in the present day, we have disobeyed God and broken His commandments. Jesus became obedient to death, even death on a cross (Phil 2:8). His suffering and death was the perfect obedience to make up for our disobedience.
Jesus also suffered and died to prove God’s love for us. That God created us in the first place should have been proof to human beings of His love from the beginning. But the wonder that God would take on a human nature, and allow Himself to be tortured and killed by His own creatures, and still love us and forgive us – this is absolutely unbelievable, but true!
In one sense, Jesus, being God, could have saved us by shedding just one drop of blood, or by simply deciding (snap fingers) we are saved. But Jesus Himself testified that it was necessary for Him to suffer and be killed. I counted nine times in the Gospel where He says so (Mt 16:21, 26:54, Mk 8:31, Lk 9:22,17:25, 22:37, 24:7, 24:44, Jn 3:14)
Therefore, even though it is normal for us to have wished that perhaps the sufferings of Jesus had been shortened or lessened in some way, this was not God’s will.
Jesus, being God, thought of each one of us in His Passion. Accordingly, there is a sense in which every detail and every moment of the sufferings of Jesus contained a power to save each one of us in particular. Perhaps it was one specific thorn pushed into His skull, causing blood to flow down into his eyes, or perhaps it was the spit in His face from one of the Jews, that specifically atoned for my sins of pride or your sins of pride. Perhaps it was the 98th or 99th scourging that tore at the flesh of His back that atoned for one of our sins of the flesh. Perhaps you or I have been saved by the second last breath of Jesus Christ, just before He said, “It is finished,” and gave up His spirit.
Then we could say that every detail of the suffering of Jesus was necessary for our salvation. This will help us appreciate that every detail of our sufferings is also necessary for us to accept and offer in union with Jesus to carry out all the effects of His Redemption.
Again, it is normal that we might have wished for the sufferings of Jesus to be shortened or lessened, but this was not God’s will. Similarly, when someone we love is suffering, our grandmother or grandfather, our mother or father, or when we ourselves are dying, it is normal that we might wish for these sufferings to be shortened or lessened, but very often it is not God’s will. Very often it is necessary to suffer all these things for our salvation.
Jesus once told the Jews, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” And the Jews asked, “Is He going to kill Himself?” (John 8:22). How absurd, to think that Jesus was going to kill Himself.
And yet, in our post-Christian culture, there are many people who recommend that you kill yourself when you are faced with sufferings that will lead to death, and that our society should help lonely, isolated and despairing people to kill themselves when they are faced with such sufferings.
There is a strong movement in our culture among non-Christians and ex-followers of our Crucified Saviour who are working to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide. Without perhaps fully realizing what they are doing, they are working to spread darkness, death and despair in our country. All those who believe in God, who believe in life and in the dignity of the human person must stand up to them and fight to keep our current laws that allow people to share in the Passion of Jesus and in His redemptive death, leading them to the glory of the Resurrection.
I’m convinced that one of the main causes for this pro-euthanasia movement is the forgetfulness of Good Friday. Without Good Friday, suffering, especially the suffering that precedes death, is meaningless; therefore it must be eliminated at all costs, even if it involves murder.
We are in danger of reverting to the paganism of our ancestors. I remember reading about the Inuit (I think in one of Farley Mowat’s books) how, many generations ago in times of food shortages, it was the duty of grandmothers who were no longer useful and a drain on resources, to walk out into the stormy winter night and never return. Suicide for the good of the community. Some people in Canada want to return to this practice when grandmother is no longer useful. “Look Grandma. I’m busy enough and certainly don’t have time to take care of you. And there’s no way I’m going to pay more taxes for the system to care for you. So do your duty and kindly walk out into the stormy winter night.”
To prevent this horror from becoming an established law and custom in our country, we must teach people about Good Friday, to re-discover the meaning of human suffering by looking at the Face of the Man on the Shroud of Turin. He alone teaches us the meaning of human suffering, through His own redemptive suffering for you and me. “It was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer all these things and so enter His glory” (Luke 24:26). It is necessary for you and I to suffer many things in union with Jesus before we can, in union with Jesus, enter into our glory in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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Homilies