KNOCKANURE
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Sean Sheehy
14:20 January 2025
God’s Favour Rests on the Baptized
Jesus began His public ministry by seeking the baptism John was offering at the River Jordan. It was a momentous occasion when God revealed Himself as a Trinity of Persons. After John baptized Jesus the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove, and God revealed Himself as Jesus’ Father speaking from the clouds affirming Him as His beloved Son: “You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you” (Lk 3:22).
To be beloved is to be favoured and to be favoured is to be loved. To be favoured is to be honoured. To be loved is to be held dear by another. That day in the Jordan River God the Father revealed that He honoured Jesus as His Son and held Him dear by bestowing the Holy Spirit on Him as He began the mission of telling everyone that God the Father wanted them to be able to enjoy His love. God’s love would be enjoyed in the act of receiving the grace of repentance and the gift of forgiveness for sin. God originally created man and woman in His image and likeness but they disobeyed Him and so lost their likeness to Him. St. Augustine referred to this as the Original Sin, the consequence of which was the loss of holiness and eternal life. Only God could restore what man lost, since man and woman couldn’t redeem themselves. They were no longer pleasing to Him and lost their right to life and love dooming themselves to hell. The Church teaches us that, “Original sin is the loss of original holiness and justice due to Adam's sin. As a result man is alienated from God and also other men. Man has a wounded nature inclined towards evil. A denial of this fact can only lead to serious errors in education, politics, social action and morals (CCC 407).
In requesting John’s baptism of repentance for sin Jesus signified how He was going to restore man’s lost holiness. This is why Jesus commissioned His Apostles to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). Only a sinless man could make up for the damage caused by sinful man.
Because Jesus never sinned, His Baptism was a baptism of repentance, not for His own sins since He had no sin, but for the sins of men and women. His Baptism by John was by immersion of His body not just into the waters of the Jordan but the immersion of His human nature into the Holy Trinity in order to restore humanity to the state that it was in the Garden of Eden. John revealed to the people: “I am baptizing you with water but one mightier than I is to come … He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Lk 3:16). John’s baptism called for repentance for sin. Jesus’ baptism called for personal transformation through becoming an adopted child of God and in the process becoming free from Satan’s grip through reconciliation with God and His Church. It wasn’t just a cleansing from Original sin. The Greek word “baptizo” means immersion in the sense of dye penetrating a piece of cloth. The Holy Spirit reveals that in Jesus’ baptism, “you put aside your old self with its past deeds and put on a new nature, one who grows in knowledge as he is formed anew in the image of his Creator” (Col 3:9-10).
The Sacrament of Baptism that Jesus gave to His Church, is a rebirth into a redeemed nature with which God favours us. John’s baptism called for a radical change in behaviour, but Jesus’ baptism calls for a radical change in one’s nature. The “baptism of fire” which is the transforming power of the Holy Spirit’s actions in our soul, makes us a new creation, a re-born anointed child of God favoured and beloved by Him.
Baptism restores the capacity to be God’s true image and likeness – to be Christ-like. This makes the sacrament of Baptism so awesome and yet it is so little understood not only by those who receive it but all too often by those who administer it. It’s one thing to have the capacity for something but it’s quite another to exercise that capacity. That requires commitment, fidelity, and discipline. Hence the need to deeply understand this Sacrament that is essential for salvation.
God promised comfort to His people (Is 40:1ff). The greatest comfort a child can experience is the visible nearness of the parent’s love. God promised to come to His people so they would feel His nearness. “Like a shepherd He feeds His flock; in His arms He gathers the lambs, carrying them in His bosom, and leading the ewes with care” (Is 40:9-11). This is what God is doing with us in Baptism. The Psalmist expressed the deep human need for God’s nearness: “If You take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust. When You send forth Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth” (Ps 104:29-30). The Holy Spirit makes our spirit new in Baptism where He honours us and holds us dear. Through it God takes us into the love of the Father and Son for one another expressed in the Person of the Holy Spirit. We receive a new Father and Mother (God and His Church), a new family (the Church on earth and in Heaven), a new identity (God’s gifted child whom He calls by name), a new mission (save our soul), a new purpose (know, love and serve God here on earth and after death to be eternally happy with Him in Heaven), a new knowledge (God is among us and present in His Church), a new standard of love (love others as Jesus loves us), a new morality (love your neighbour as yourself), and a new destiny (Happiness in Heaven).
This is why Jesus gave His Church the Sacrament of Baptism so that, until the end of time, all men and women could experience God’s nearness as He prepares them for Heaven.
Take the time this week to reflect on your Baptism and what it means to you.
Do you realize that through Baptism God has favoured you and bestowed His love upon you calling you His “beloved”? That day Jesus began shepherding you and me as a member of His flock - His Church - cleansed from Original sin, and freed from Satan’s power over us. That day God the Father adopted us as His children and said to us individually as the water was poured over our head in the Name of the Holy Trinity, “You are my child, my beloved; my favour rests on you.” He was delighted that our parents put us up to be adopted by Him. He sent us His Spirit to guide our spirit to Jesus who showed us the way to live, taught us the truth about life and love, and offered us Himself as our life that’s eternal. “Because of His mercy He saved us through the bath of rebirth (Baptism) and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)
Someone said that “God meets us where we are, but He loves us too much to leave us there.” God, as a loving father, wants the best for us. He made us heirs to His Kingdom and all that the Kingdom offers, such as supernatural freedom, justice, peace, and love. He favours us with His presence in the person of Jesus in the confession boxes and on the altars of His Church. He gives us the gift of prayer and the divine virtues of faith, hope, and charity. He never abandons us.
How much of our time do we give Him – prayer, adoration, meditation, Holy Mass? Jesus continually knocks on the door of our heart seeking to enter our life with His warmth, compassion, and assurance that He is only too willing to help us shoulder our burdens.
He never asks anything of us that He doesn’t give us the wherewithal to accomplish. How grateful are we to Him for all His gifts, especially the supernatural gifts of Faith, Hope, and Charity??
But what is our response? Do we reflect on the Baptismal vows that we renewed in the sacrament of Confirmation? Are we truly obedient children of God? Are we any different in our attitude and behaviour than someone who has no faith? Have we taken ownership of the vows our parents made on our behalf the day we were baptized? Remember that only the Creator can perfect the creature. You are I are creatures and God is the Creator who alone knows what is best and most fulfilling for us. I have included a prayer for the renewal of Baptismal Vows – will you take ownership of these vows, renew, commit yourself to be faithful to them from this day forward? Our eternity depends on our fidelity or infidelity to them. (fr sean)
Renewal of My Baptismal Vows
Almighty and Eternal God! You know all things. You see the very bottom of my heart, and You know that, however sinful I have hitherto been, I am resolved, by the help of Your grace, to love and serve You for the remainder of my life. And therefore, O my God, kneeling before the throne of Your mercy, I renew, with all the sincerity of my soul, the promises and vows made for me (by me in case of adult Baptism) in my Baptism.
I now renounce Satan with my whole heart, and will henceforth have no connection with him. I renounce all the pomp of Satan, that is, all his lies and the vanities of the world, the false treasures of its riches, honours and pleasures, and all its corrupt teachings. I renounce all the works of Satan, that is, all kinds of sin.
To You alone, O my God, I desire to cling; Your word will I hear and obey; for You alone I desire to live and to die. I believe in You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. This is my Faith. I am proud to profess it through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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2nd Sunday C Happy New Year Jan 2025
Sean Sheehy
Wisdom to Bring You Happiness in 2025
This New Year marks the end of the first quarter of 21st century. The beginning of each year brings new hope that is realized only by those who have faith in God because hope flows from faith, not wishful thinking. For some, 2025 will mark their beginning in the womb; for others it’ll be their last year on earth. One thing is certain for the followers of Jesus, namely that God makes everything work for our good if we act according to His design (Rom 8:28). The Holy Spirit advises us that, “If it should be God’s will that you suffer, it is better to do so for good deeds than for evil ones” (1 Pt 3:17). Suffering is inevitable but with Jesus residing in our heart we emerge from it better rather than bitter.
On New Year’s Eve people usually wish each other happiness. But how many realize that happiness is impossible without God? The wisdom of St. Thomas reminds us that whatever can be taken away from us can’t make us happy. Only God can’t be taken away from us against our will and therefore He alone can make us happy. We can reject Him ourselves but no one can separate us from Him. The wise person seeks what he or she desires only where it can be found. A wise person doesn’t seek gold in a piece of lead. The wise person seeks happiness by lovingly obeying God who is the only source of human fulfilment that lasts. Jesus, God’s Word-become-man, assures us that, “The heavens and the earth will pass away but my word will not pass away” (Mt 24:35). It’s foolish to invest in what doesn’t last.
This year the Church concentrates on the Gospel of Luke. To be wise in 2025, we would do well to read and reflect on this Gospel along with reading the Wisdom Books in the Old Testament (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus/Sirach, and Psalms). In these Holy Scriptures we grow in our knowledge of God’s wisdom as He teaches us how to live in freedom, justice, peace, and love. Here we find the divine truths to live by that are guaranteed to help us make wise decisions. But knowing God’s Word isn’t enough in itself. We must let it form our attitude towards God, ourselves, and our neighbour. Without formation there’s no transformation and so we don’t change for the better. How many people identify as Catholic but don’t practice the Faith? How many are baptized but live pagan lives? How many who call themselves “Catholic” but do not attend Holy Mass every Sunday? Why are some in the Church trying to change her to suit their own disordered desires? The answer is that they haven’t let God’s Word direct their spirits and do not benefit from God’s wisdom. Formation comes about when we build our life daily on what Jesus tells us through His Church’s Apostolic teaching in Word and Sacrament. Thus we become transformed into intentional children of God who live as His faithful sons and daughters. It’s important to ask whether the way we’re living is based on information that’s true or false. Will it lead me to happiness or misery in the long term?
As I said earlier, a wise man or woman is one who lives in a manner that brings him or her happiness. What is happiness? It’s the state of well-being mentally, spiritually, emotionally, morally, socially, and physically. The Dictionary defines wisdom as, “the ability to recognize or judge what is true, right, and lasting.” Our sinfulness makes it obvious that this ability is severely flawed in us. Wisdom is no longer innate in us. We can only acquire it through the power of the Holy Spirit whose gift it is. We are wise when we live according to God’s revelation.
We need God in order to be wise. Why? Because He is the Creator and knows us much better than we could ever know ourselves regarding what we need for fulfilment and contentment. He alone sets the moral standard for us in the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes demonstrating wise behaviour. Besides giving us this information so that in living it we’re formed and transformed in His image, we need God to help us embrace the truth about what’s right and what frees us to be fully human and alive. Our problem is that we’re sinful, short-sighted, and tempted by Satan, we arrogantly think we know what’s best for us. Just because something feels good doesn’t mean that it is good. The Holy Spirit reminds us that “The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom” (1 Cor 1:18). Many have knowledge of God from reason, the Bible, and the Church but are foolish because they don’t act on that knowledge.
Knowledge of God by itself doesn’t make us wise unless we put it into action in our lives. The Holy Spirit revealed that “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov 9:10). God has instilled the emotion of fear in each of us for our safety. Fear of the Lord protects us from the danger of losing our friendship with Him and dooming ourselves to eternal suffering and death. Fear of the Lord, a gift of the Holy Spirit, (Is 11:2-3), alerts us to make sure we don’t separate ourselves from God through sinning. God seeks to communicate with everyone and for that reason He has “written His law in everyone’s heart. Their conscience bears witness together with the Law, and their thoughts will accuse or defend them on the day when, in accordance with the Gospel … God will pass judgment on the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” (Rom 2:15-16). The wise man or woman makes sure to develop a well-formed conscience through listening to Jesus’ authoritative teaching. The Holy Spirit warns: “See to it, then, that no one deceives you through any empty, seductive philosophy, a human wisdom based on the principles of this world rather than on Christ”(Col 2:8).
We just celebrated Jesus’s birth, God’s Word-become-man (Jn 1:1-18). He is Wisdom in the flesh. Jesus is God’s truth and the only One who can determine what’s right, just and enduring. Anything contrary to Jesus’ teaching is a lie, immoral, and corrupt. A wise person makes Jesus the centre of his or her life. How? Through repentance and faith in His Gospel as a loyal member of His Church. With Jesus as our centre, despite trials and tribulations, we’re able to proclaim: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens! God chose us in Him before the world began, to be holy and blameless in His sight, to be full of love. He destined us for adoption to Himself through Jesus Christ such was His will and pleasure – that all might praise the glorious favour He has bestowed on us in His Beloved” (Eph 1:3-6). Thus the wise person, knowing that God has chosen him or her to be holy, blameless and full of love, is able to be happy despite pain.
During 2025 let God’s wisdom help you to see that only He can bring you a true sense of happiness that lasts, which you won’t find anywhere else! (fr sean)
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Crescent area of Limerick city centre 22 December 2024.
Christmas hymns in the former Jesuit Church now run by the Christ The King Sovereign Priests, later Milford NS Carol Singers, a children’s choir under the direction of teacher, Orla Murray.
With over 20 different local groups from all over Limerick participating .
Mayor John Moran attending, his ancestors of Athea, they also had a butchers shop near the church.
Video link
https://youtu.be/su4tMF19Rfo
Filename
Limerick Entertainment 22 December 2024
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Dear Friends of Sacred Heart Church,
The season of Advent is coming to a close, and Christmas is nigh. And as we are arriving
at the conclusion of this time of penance and preparation, we are more than glad to listen to Abbé Malinowski’s first Sunday sermon today!
We are also excited to see the Christmas Carols performances this afternoon. Starting at 1 p.m.,
We are but a few days away from one of the greatest feasts of the year, as we celebrate God’s birthday as a fellow son of Adam, coming down from the Heavenly bliss to cure us once and for all from the dread of sin.
The importance of this beautiful feast is such that, aside from the Vigil Mass on Tuesday, the Church celebrates not one, but three different Masses in honour of the newborn King on this holy day.
‘Is not the One who is born today, writes Dom Guéranger, manifested in three births? He is born this night of the blessed Virgin; He will be born, by His grace, in the hearts of the shepherds who are like the first fruits of all Christendom; He is born eternally from the bosom of His Father, in the splendour of the Saints: this triple birth must be honoured by a triple homage. ’ And this means that this week will have a different schedule, particularly to allow us to publicly celebrate each of these jewels of the Roman liturgy. Please check the schedule at the back of this newsletter booklet and at the back of the Church for details.
And given the importance of this beautiful feast, we highly encourage you not to finish Advent without going to confession! We will keep our usual confession schedule today, on Monday and on Tuesday. We will make efforts to make sure no penitent is left unattended.
Please keep in mind that we will not have a confession schedule from Christmas Day until the 3rd of January. A priest is available at all times while the church is open. If you want to go to confession during this period, please ring at the Presbytery on the bell button to the right, at the back of the church.
We would like to thank you for your Christmas Dues. If you haven’t made your offer yet, we still have a few envelopes available at the back of the church.
And we would like to thank all of you for the beautiful and thoughtful Christmas cards we received over the last few weeks! We’ve placed them under our residency’s statue of Our Lady, and we entrust all of you to her maternal protection. Thank you for your dear wishes!
After Christmas, Canon Henry will leave us for his holidays. He is returning home to his family’s in France for some well-deserved rest, while remaining available to help the Institute’s French Province for the Sunday Masses.
May the Infant King bless all of you with a Feast of the Nativity filled with graces!
Wishing you a blessed week,
Canon Lebocq
Prior of Sacred Heart Church
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How is your Advent going so far? 🎄
In this episode of "The Catholic Gentleman," John Heinen, Devin Schadt, and Sam Guzman discuss how Advent isn’t just a countdown to Christmas—it’s a powerful season of spiritual preparation!
During Advent, God can use the most ordinary and repetitive moments of daily life—what Schadt calls spiritual déjà vu—to teach us love, patience, and surrender.
In parenting, marriage, or work, these moments are chances to turn toward God’s grace.
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Sean Sheehy Dec 18 2024
See the Face of God in the Manger
To prepare us for the awesomeness of Christmas Jesus’ Church proclaims the beautiful story of two women who played a key role in God’s plan to save mankind from sinfulness. On this last Sunday before Christmas we read about these two women in St. Luke’s Gospel (1:39-45). After the angel Gabriel announced that the virgin Mary was called by God to enable His Word to become flesh, she left Nazareth to visit Elizabeth knowing that both were pregnant in a most mysterious and miraculous manner. All she knows is that the angel spoke about things that were naturally impossible. The angel assured her that God can do all things and she placed all her trust in Him. Therefore, she willingly said “Yes” to God’s request. Mary believed that God was all-good and wouldn’t ask her to do anything that would cause her disgrace or failure.
Pregnant with the Christ-child, Mary set out alone to visit Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah. Imagine the thoughts that went through her mind! Elizabeth was past childbearing age and she and Zachariah had resigned themselves to being childless. But while carrying out his priestly duties, an angel appeared to Zechariah with the news that Elizabeth would give birth to their child. He was dumbfounded. Was this a cruel joke? Well, as the angel said to Mary, he found out that “Nothing is impossible with God.” Have you ever tried to imagine what that meeting of these two women must have been like? Elizabeth, though elderly, was six months into her pregnancy while Mary, newly married to Joseph but not yet living together, was pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
God chose these two Jewish women through whom He would change the course of history. John would become known as the “Baptizer,” preaching a baptism of water calling for repentance for sin in preparation for Jesus Christ who would actually make forgiveness of sin possible for those who repented. God chose the Jews as His people to bring His blessings to all people. This mission was epitomized in John who announced that the Messiah had come to redeem and save “all the nations.” Through Mary God fulfilled His promise of a Messiah in the Incarnation of His Word in her womb. In Mary, Jewish faith in God reached perfection in her unconditional “Yes” to welcome His Word as Savior of the world.
What do Mary and Elizabeth teach us? First of all, both women lived their faith. Elizabeth’s words of praise for Mary, “How does this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Blessed is she who believed that the Lord’s promises to her would be fulfilled” reflects her deep faith in the Lord’s promises in the Old Testament. She was “filled with the Holy Spirit” who enabled her to recognize Jesus’ presence in Mary’s womb. This was the same Spirit that empowered Mary to be the Mother of Jesus. The Holy Spirit brings people to Jesus, never just to Himself. Jesus explained the role of the Holy Spirit: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you” (Jn 14:26). St. John teaches us that, “This is how we can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that recognizes that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God” (1 Jn 4:2-3, 16).
The faith of these two women wasn’t just adhering to a set of Jewish beliefs. They demonstrated their faith through cooperating with God when He asked them to participate in a unique way in His plan to save mankind from self-destruction. Both of them challenge you and me to live the faith we say we have through seeking to do God’s will for us. It’s easy to say “I believe” until God asks me to do something that brings us discomfort. It’s easy to talk about faith in God but it isn’t easy to put all our trust in God. We need His Spirit to do so. The Spirit brings us to Jesus and Jesus brings us to His Father who has adopted us as His children and protects us from all our enemies. Both Mary and Elizabeth said “Yes” to the Holy Spirit and were able to put their faith in Jesus who had not yet been born. They were women filled with the Holy Spirit who united them with Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
The Holy Spirit calls us to Jesus even while we are still in the womb. Listen to Elizabeth upon Mary’s arrival: “For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.” God’s plan of salvation, through His Word-made-flesh in Mary’s womb, blesses all pregnancies from the moment of conception. Every baby is a sign of God’s hope for mankind. The womb is the locus for God’s greatest creativity.
What is God teaching us here? Here we see that life in the womb is human, a person, directly created by God and very much aware of God’s presence, even in this physically undeveloped stage. How do we know this? John, as a sixth-month old fetus, was aware of the presence of the God-man even as a fetus in Mary’s womb. Here God reveals that human life and personhood begin at conception. Abortion breaks God’s 5th Commandment, namely “Thou shalt do no murder” and destroys His new hope for mankind.
When Elizabeth identified Mary as “blessed among women,” she was speaking a truth that we all need to embrace. That truth is that God blesses all those who say “yes” to Him by embracing Jesus and bringing Him to others as faithful members of His Church carrying out the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. The Psalmist’s prayer, “Let us see Your face and we shall be saved” (Ps 80:2-19) was fulfilled when Jesus was born. In blessing Mary for allowing her womb to be the first sanctuary for His Son, God was blessing all men and women who allow Christ to be born through them as they live their masculinity and femininity to the fullest by being life-givers in accord with their abilities. In Jesus’ birth God showed us His Face that radiates Faith, Hope, and Love. God’s love shone perfectly in Jesus but His love also shines forth in the face of every infant.
As Advent ends, Christmas begins. Christmas is the celebration of God’s act of love in letting us see His face in human form through Jesus’ entry into our world where He joins us in the Sacraments of His Church, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In Jesus God blessed humanity by giving all men and women hope of eternal happiness through the grace of repentance and the gift of forgiveness. Christmas is a time when we remember how blessed we are despite our total unworthiness. God has sanctified us, thereby making us worthy of respect and protection – something that too many in our culture seem to have forgotten. Christmas isn’t a time to be merry. It’s not a time primarily for giving. Rather, it’s a time to remember. True giving flows from the memory that God has given us the gift of Himself by showing us His face in the Baby Jesus born in a humble cave because the world had no room for Him. It’s a time to remember that without Jesus we’re hopeless. Therefore, it’s a time of joy as we remember that God has come among us as one of us “in all things but sin.” Knowing that God blesses us with His presence, we’re equipped and encouraged to bless others with our presence. So when you view the Crib in your church and in your home see the Face of God in the Holy Child who radiates freedom, justice, love, hope, and peace. He is God’s present of Himself to you, so make your presence your present to those around you this Christmas. Jesus is Immanuel, God-with-us.
My prayer for you this Christmas is:
May you have Christ in your heart.
May you have Health in your body, mind, and soul.
May you Reap the reward of your labors.
May you Inform the world about the Lord.
May you Seek the truth.
May you Treat others well.
May you Mind what is precious.
May you Ask for God’s guidance.
May you Sow what you would be proud to reap.
Nollaig Shona agus Ath Bhlian Faoi Mhaise Dhaoibh Go Leir.
Fr. Sean
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Sean Sheehy 4 Dec 2024
Time to Discern What Is of Value to You
God creates every human being to be a steward of the earth which He created for man’s use and benefit. Every man and woman is called by God to, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on earth” (Gen 1:26-28). That means that each of us must take what God gives us and use it to glorify and serve Him through our use of what He has given us. Thus He commissions us to “be fruitful.” As stewards of God’s creation we’re primarily managers of what He has given us for the benefit of all. For that purpose He has given each of us gifts to be used for the common good. The common good is the perfection of humanity through using our will to freely choose God’s will in all things. To make sure that we manage what God has given us fruitfully we must be in constant touch with Him in order to be faithful and productive. To ignore the earth’s Creator leads us to think we’re the creators and view ourselves as gods acting as if we have carte blanche to do whatever we want without any accountability. The notion that we’re our own god, self-created, masters of the world, so prominent in today’s world, is one of the deadly effects of Original sin, that blind us to injustices of all kinds. Therefore we need, periodically, to re-evaluate our values and recognize that God has come on earth in human form reminding us that He is the Creator and that we are accountable to Him for our stewardship.
Jesus’ Church calls us as we begin this second week of Advent to reflect on the role God has given to us as the stewards of the world. The Holy Spirit encourages us in the words of St. Paul (Phil 1:4-6, 8-11): “I am confident of this, that the One who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the Day of Christ Jesus … May your love increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless in the Day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness, that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” Advent is a time to “discern what is of value to us so that we don’t waste and desecrate what God has given us by using it for our own self-gratification. When we’re bad stewards we bring sorrow and distress to the world as is evident today in advocating the killing of the innocent in the womb and those who suffer physically or mentally. God wants us to “take off your dress of sorrow and distress and put on the beauty of the glory of God forever, and wrap the cloak of the integrity of God around you” (Baruch 5:1-2) by being good stewards who enhance the dignity and sanctity of human life in each of its developmental stages.
How do we discern what’s of value to us? What we spend our money on tells us a lot about our values. Our life centres around four main areas of involvement, namely God/Religion, Marriage/Family, Work/Career, and Leisure. Identify the three important things that you value most in each of these areas of your life. In each category rank the three values from 1 to 3 in order of importance. These constitute your core value system which directs your thinking, feeling and acting, both unconsciously and consciously. Are these the values that you want to live by and be known for or do you want to change them? Which of these values would you say that you would definitely die for? Remember that a real value is one that you would die for. If you discern that you have a value you wouldn’t publicly stand up for and be willing to die for, then it’s not a real value for you. It’s only superficial. Are these values that you have discerned real values for you that enable you to be a good steward in the eyes of God?
Good values must reflect God because only He is good (Mk 10:18), and all goodness comes from Him. So for something to be good it must lead to God. If it doesn’t, then the fact is that it isn’t good and what’s not good is evil. That’s the reality. As God’s stewards our actions must reflect His Spirit in order for them to have a good effect on the world. This is why we must always recognize and honour the fact that “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad indeed … Those that sow in tears will sing when they reap” (Ps 126:1-6) and “the Lord is leading Israel (His stewards) in joy by the light of His glory, with His mercy and justice for company6” (Baruch 5:1-9).
As stewards of the earth, God has given us the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes to teach us the difference between good and bad values. Our problem is that we too often choose what looks good but turns out to be bad because we view it through the lens of the world rather than through the eyes of Jesus Christ. As stewards, we have the capacity to use the resources available to us either constructively or destructively. It was with this in mind that St. John the Baptizer “went through the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins … A voice of one crying out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths” (Lk 3:1-6). Bad stewardship and wrong values can only be overcome and replaced through repentance and forgiveness. God made this possible through Jesus for whose coming John prepared the people.
Jesus came to show and teach us how to live fruitful lives through being constructive in all our thoughts, words and actions through possessing and upholding the Christian values He taught, namely freedom, justice, peace, and love. We learn about these in the Gospels and His Church’s teaching. These values lead us to be fruitful stewards, giving glory to God in all we say and do. God sent His Son, the Word Incarnate, as the perfect human being. Why? Baruch tells us: “God means to show your splendour to every nation under heaven, since the name God gives you forever will be, ‘Peace through justice, and honour through devotedness” (Bar 5:4). Justice means that we live the values of Christianity by doing what’s right according to Jesus’ teaching. Hence we need to discern whether our values are such that they sustain our relationships with God, others, and ourselves. Good stewardship is living justly. Justice brings us a peace and assurance from God that can’t be provided by New Age therapy, mindfulness, yoga, Reiki or any other worldly pagan programme. This peace and assurance comes from God alone. “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you” (Jn 14:27).
To experience this peace we must “Make ready the way of the Lord. Clear Him a straight path” (Lk 3:4). So let us take the time to discern what is of value to us, repent of our selfish values and seek forgiveness so that the Lord who began this great work of redemption and salvation in us the day we were baptized can bring it to completion the day we die. This is our challenge this 2nd week of Advent. (fr sean)
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Christ the King Sunday B
Sean Sheehy Nov 20 2024
This Year of Grace Ends Honouring Jesus as Our King
The Catholic Church devotes the last Sunday of her liturgical year to honoring Jesus as King of heaven and earth. St. John (Jn 18:13b-17) records an exchange between Pilate and Jesus prior to Pilate handing Him over to be crucified. “Pilate said to Jesus, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom does not belong to this world.’ … Pilate said to Him, ‘Then you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say I am a king. The reason I was born, the reason I came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’” Jesus came into the world to grace us with the truth about God, ourselves, and what we need from Him.
Pilate was looking out for his own interests, which centered mainly on keeping his job. To do that, he had to keep the Jews happy. Otherwise, their report card on his governance might make him look bad to the Roman Emperor. Jesus, on the other hand, was also looking out for His interests, which centered on carrying out the will of His Father. His Father’s will was that every human being would experience His love through repenting their sinful state, seeking His forgiveness. While Pilate was concerned about himself, Jesus was concerned about all human beings. Pilate’s notion of kingship and Jesus’ concept were diametrically opposed. For Pilate being a king meant power, adulation, comfort, riches, servants, honor, and being first. For Jesus being a king meant being a servant to all. Which concept of kingship are you and I more attracted to? Pilate’s or Jesus’? What would the world be like if everyone adopted Jesus’ understanding of kingship? Imagine a world where people would be vying with one another over who could serve the most?
Have you ever reflected on what you are asking for when you say in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come”? When we ask God to send us His Kingdom we must be willing to serve others and testify to the truth because that’s what membership in His Kingdom calls for. Jesus as the King sets the tone and standard for all in His Kingdom. Membership in Jesus’ Kingdom gives its members assurances that cannot be given by any other power: unconditional love, eternal life, eternal happiness, complete freedom, justice, and peace. His Kingdom is the only Kingdom that will not end. All earthly kings are subject to Jesus. All earthly kingdoms give way to Jesus’ Kingdom. A year of grace is a year of benefits from God’s presence to those who are members of His Kingdom
Jesus pointing out that His Kingdom was a Heavenly one he said to Pilate: “If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” Worldly kings use force to keep their positions. History attests to the belief that might is right and so the powerful rule the powerless. But in Jesus’ Kingdom the members express their power in serving others rather than making servants of others. That is what a member of Jesus’ Kingdom does as a graced person during each year of grace. A year of grace is a time period in which God is present in and to the members of His Kingdom, which is visible here on earth in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
If Jesus is King and His Kingdom isn’t of this world, it follows that reasonable people, especially Christians, would use their time in this world to be active members of His Church, the visible sign of His Kingdom on earth. Since so many are using this world to deny, ignore, or compete with Jesus, we can conclude they are irrational. Why would we focus on something that doesn’t last? The Holy Spirit revealed that, “Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth … Behold, He is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see Him… I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, ‘the One who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:5-8). This is the truth to which Jesus Himself attested. To refuse to believe it is stupid.
Given this fact about Jesus, why would we embrace someone or something other than Him? Nothing else lasts or enables us to cross from a world that’s temporary to a world that’s permanent - where every tear will be wiped away; where there is no death or dying, no suffering or crying, no conflict or deprivation, no betrayal or irritation; where there is only fulfillment and happiness forever. As human beings endowed with the ability to reason and freely make choices, our behavior so often reflects a woeful lack of intelligent choices. When we look at ourselves, we have to admit that too much of what we do and say ignores what Jesus tells us. We think and act more out of stupidity than intelligence!
Next Sunday we begin a new Liturgical Year. Jesus’ Church calls it a “year of grace” because it offers us a new opportunity to be receptive to Jesus’ presence in us and among us as members of His Church. In the Person of His Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit, God the Father graces us with His presence. He is our Father who calls us to be present to Him as His adopted children whom He loves unconditionally. The highpoint of this grace-filled meeting takes place in Worship – the Holy Mass. The most central and vital action of every Christian is to worship God. As the priest proclaims in the Preface of every Holy Mass: “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give You thanks …” In worship, we recognize that God is God and we are His creation, totally dependent on Him for every good thing. In worship, we express order in the universe recognizing that God is in charge. In worship, we express the truth about who we are and our need for community. At Holy Mass in the company of Jesus, we testify to the truth that He saves us through His sacrifice on the Cross and recognize that it alone sets us free.
We cannot testify to the truth without publicly witnessing our relationship with Jesus since He is the Truth. The truth about Jesus is that He is the King of all creation and before Him “every head will bow and every knee will bend” (Rom 14:11). Reason amplified by Revelation tells us that we should take every opportunity during this new year of grace to bow our heads and bend our knees in the presence of Jesus whose Kingdom is without end. As rational creatures we must admit that there is no other king or kingdom that can compare to Jesus and His Kingdom. Jesus is the only king whose kingdom will not come to an end. (fr sean)
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Sean Sheehy
32nd B Sunday- Sean Sheehy
Would Jesus Draw Attention to Your Giving?
Sigmund Freud described the human psyche as a combination of three forces: ego, id, and superego. In Greek, psyche means spirit or mind. Our psyche is our spirit and it differs from our soul. Our soul is unchanging and eternal while our spirit develops and changes according to our values and circumstances. Our soul is our vital principle, that which makes us human. Our psyche or our spirit is demonstrated in our thinking, acting, and through our personality. You could say that our spirit is our mental attitude towards the world. Freud attempted to show that our mental attitude is the result of the interaction between the ‘Id’ as our desire for pleasure, the ‘Superego’ as our conscience, and the Ego as the balancer between them. He rejected religion as a neurosis and believed that pleasure was our main motivating force. The Ego’s job, according to Freud, is to ensure Id’s desire for pleasure is balanced by the Superego’s sense of right and wrong. Ego, in Greek and Latin, means the personal pronoun, “I.” From it we get the words egotism, egotistical, egomaniac. All have negative connotations. Why? Because they reflect self-centeredness and selfishness. The unholy trinity is Me, Myself and I!
Because of our fallen nature we’re all prone to selfishness and, as a result, sinfulness. Do you enjoy the company of selfish people? Do we enjoy being selfish? Yes, but we don’t like to admit it. Does it makes us feel good? No, not in the long term. To be selfish is to be a taker rather than a giver. Our ego wants us to continually look out for ourselves even at the expense of others. Like Oprah, we “love expensive presents.” Someone noted that in Heaven the busiest angels are those answering the phones in the Office of Requests, while the least busy angels are in the Office of Thanksgiving. Selfishness and gratitude aren’t partners. We’re always asking God for help but how much time and effort do we put into thanking Him through sacrificing our time and effort for the benefit of others as He has sacrificed Himself for us? We see this selfishness loud and clear on Sundays and Holydays in our country where only a small minority worship God in the Holy Mass. Is it any wonder that a culture of death prevails? Egotism always leads to the death of the human spirit and the starvation of the soul’s need for God.
The antidote to selfishness is generosity. Jesus Christ epitomized generosity of spirit by sacrificing Himself to ransom us from Satan’s grip on our soul through his appeal to our ego. Christianity is about practicing generosity in imitation of Jesus. Through His Church’s Sacraments, Jesus gives us the grace to eliminate our selfishness by putting Him first and then, through His love, putting others first thus conquering our tendency toward Me-ism. God’s Spirit inspired St. Paul to write, “Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – He will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works” (2 Cor 9:6-8).
There are three kinds of giving: Giving out of our surplus, giving what we don’t need ourselves, giving to get something in return, and giving without counting the cost or expecting a reward. Only the last kind of giving provides the antidote to selfishness. The first two are self-serving. St. Ignatius of Loyola prayed: “Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do your will. Amen.” He prayed this prayer hoping to receive the grace to be selfless and thus Christ-like, a faithful Catholic Christian.
God has revealed in the Old and New Testaments what He considers to be a generous spirit, an attitude that comes from the heart. The Book of Kings relates the story of a widow of Zarephath whom God’s prophet, Elijah, asked to bake a cake for him from her last portion of flour and oil before she and her son faced certain death by starvation. She trusted in the Lord’s promise through Elijah that He would provide for her if she shared her last bit of food with him (1 Kgs 17:10-16). God is always faithful to His promises, which is why all reasonable people should have faith in Him. The New Testament records brings another poor widow donating her last pennies to the Temple treasury. Her generosity drew Jesus’ attention. As Jesus put it, “”She contributed all she had, her whole livelihood” (Mk 12:44). He contrasted her donation to that of the scribes who donated out of their surplus, while she gave out of her poverty and trust in God’s providence. Their giving was self-serving. Her giving was selfless and an act of Faith in God.
One of Satan’s ploys is to convince us that we must rely on ourselves. That’s our unconscious motivation for why we’re selfish. But the fact is we can’t function without God who alone can save us from sin and death. That’s why Jesus tells us clearly, “The man who seeks only himself brings himself to ruin, whereas he who brings himself to naught for me discovers who he is” (Mt 10:39). We make ourselves naught for Jesus and discover ourselves as His followers when we give without counting the cost. As Proverbs reminds us, “The generous soul will prosper, he who waters will be watered” (11:25). We can’t be Christian and at the same time act selfishly. Giving isn’t always about money or things. It’s about being present to others, listening to them, praying with them, greeting them with a smile, offering them a helping hand, being patient with them, forgiving them, expressing gratitude for their existence – even those who annoy us or are our enemies, understanding them, encouraging them, affirming their gifts, recognizing, etc. I’m reminded of the last verse of a song made popular by Glen Campbell, “Let me be a little meeker/With the brother who is weaker, /Think a little more of others/And a little less of me.”
How do you and I want to face God’s judgment at death? The Holy Spirit reminds us: “Just as it is appointed that men die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him” (Heb 9:24-28). It is our choice now to decide whether we want to meet Jesus Christ as selfish or as generous people who give Him our total self - all our mind, heart, soul, and strength. He will judge you and me according to our deeds. Will our generous deeds outweigh our selfish acts, or vice versa? Now is the time to decide. (fr sean)
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800 years ago this year, in the year 1224, the first Dominicans came to Ireland. They were coming to a place they had never seen before, to a people they had never met, to a society with its own history and strange practices, but they came to share the Gospel inspired by the example of St Dominic and his desire to preach the truth of the Gospel.
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Sean Sheehy
Only The Poor Go To Heaven
28th Sunday B
Jesus taught that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle (a small aperture in the Jerusalem wall) than for a rich man or woman to enter heaven. Jesus stated that, “It is hard for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!” (Mk 10:17-30). I find this statement to be a wakeup call to practice poverty, namely making what we have available to help those in need. This particular Scripture is very important in a culture obsessed with the false god of wealth. Success or failure in political leadership is measured by how financially well off people are. The wealth of a person as a measurement of how successful he or she is not how God measures our success. This standard for measuring our wellbeing tends to completely omit morality, integrity, virtue, faith, and our obligation to share. A line in the hymn, “All My Trials Lord” reminds us that “If living was something that money could buy, the rich would live and the poor would die.” Money cannot buy Heaven. The rich have status on earth but the poor have status in Heaven. Status on earth is temporary but status in Heaven is permanent.
The famous are usually the materially rich and the materially rich are usually the famous. We seem to pay more attention to what we have than on who we are as persons and where we’re headed. People are rarely honored for the kind of person they are. People are more often than not rewarded for what they do, regardless of the kind of life they lead. In the big picture, who a person is rather than what a person does or has is far more important. Doing flows from being. However, the behavior of a person can be deceptive. On the surface, the action may seem to reflect a spirit of generosity but can be motivated by the false god of popularity. Look at the politicians who make all kinds of promises before an election but fail to fulfill even a fraction of them. They seem on the surface to be concerned with the welfare of the people but are mainly interested in money, power or prestige for themselves. Who a person is – the kind of character he or she has developed and continues to build – is far more important than what a person does or has.
St. Mark relates an encounter between Jesus and a rich young man who approaches Jesus and asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He addresses Jesus as “Good teacher.” Jesus makes a very important statement in response: “No one is good but God alone.” Only God is good and the source of all. Therefore, no one can do what is good without God. Whatever we call “good” is so only because it reflects God. Nothing that doesn’t reflect God is good, no matter how good it looks.
This young man is well off materially but lacks spiritual fulfillment. Jesus asks him if he has kept the Commandments, the minimum requirement for being a Jew. Jesus doesn’t mention the first three Commandments that spell out the minimum requirement for fidelity to God. He mentions some of those Commandments that spell out the minimum requirements for the building of a just community: you shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and mother.” The young man was pleased with himself because he was able to say, “Teacher, I have observed all these from my youth.” Jesus looked at him with love. The young man at this point probably thought he could sit back on his laurels and cruise the rest of the way to Heaven. Then Jesus threw him for a loop. “You are lacking in one thing.” What was that? Jesus told him to “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven; then come, follow me.” Mark wrote that, “The young man went away sad, for he had many possessions.”
Since he was young he probably had inherited a lot of material wealth. He would be considered a “good man” because he obeyed the Commandments. His encounter with Jesus exposed the fact that he was possessed by his possessions. He put more faith in his wealth for his security than in Jesus. In this exchange Jesus is telling us that if we wish to inherit eternal life we must stop relying on things and start relying on God. Trusting in material things for one’s security always sets up a person for deep disappointment and a starved soul that makes us less human in our attitude towards others. The wealthier people become the more they rely on what is material than what is spiritual and religious. To inherit eternal life a man or woman must be eligible for such an inheritance. An inheritance is a gift. A gift cannot be bought. On the surface, it looked like this young man was a truly godly man. In reality, he wasn’t. This story demonstrates that material possessions can be huge obstacles to religious Faith and trust. The only way material possessions can help is if we use them according to God’s will. Jesus teaches us God’s will in this story. This young man found out he followed the Commandments but he didn’t trust in God. Because he didn’t trust in God, he was unwilling to share what he had with God’s family, especially those who were the poorest. The result: “his face fell, and he went away sad,” addicted to his things and rejecting Jesus’ invitation to follow Him. Wisdom is putting knowledge of God into action. This young man was unwise, a fool. Don’t let your possessions make a fool of you. You will die one day and have to let go of all of them. Then what will you have to cling to for security and happiness?
We cannot enter Heaven unless we’re poor. Jesus revealed that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the poor (Mt 5:3). To be a Christian is to practice a spirit of poverty. Poverty is reflected in a spirit of availability – making our time, talent, and treasure available to our family, parish Church, and all who are in need . Jesus said, “Where your treasure is there your heart will be” (Mt 6:21). Where our heart is determines what we look to for security, power, meaning, purpose, peace, love, and life. These can never be fully attained here on earth. If our treasure is in Heaven, then our heart will be joined to the heart of Jesus that perfects our heart and fills it with a joy and a happiness that is eternal. Jesus taught, “Where I am, there will my servants be.” He spent the bulk of His time on earth with the poor, the needy, the condemned, the orphans and widows, the weak and the lost. Today He is in His Church continuing to call us to reform our life, repent and believe in the Gospel. That’s where we must be too, letting Him reform us through repentance for our sins and sharing our blessings with the poor so that they can feel blessed. That’s where Jesus needs us.
Every one of us will leave behind our material possessions when death comes. We cannot take our bank accounts, stocks, or property with us. Corpses do not have suitcases and hearses do not have luggage racks. We mustn’t wait for death to force us to give up our possessions. We must invest what we have through practicing the virtue of poverty that God translates into building up treasure in Heaven. When we invest what we have through totally relying on God’s providence we will become poor because to be poor is to recognize that whatever we give will be rewarded beyond our imagination. Jesus told His Apostles that whatever we give for His “sake and for the sake of the Gospel will receive a hundred times more now in this present age… and eternal life in the age to come. You and I cannot enter Heaven without becoming poor. The paradox of Christianity is that to become rich in eternity we must become poor here on earth. It is in giving that we receive. It is in giving that we know God’s love is aflame in our heart. The amount that we give and the attitude with which we give it, will be used by God to determine what is given back to us. (fr sean)
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29th Sunday B
Sean Sheehy
Heaven Is for Servants – The World’s Unimportant People
The worldly expectation is that the important people are to be served while the unimportant people have to serve themselves and others. In Victorian England servants were viewed as the lower class and referred to by their last name, while the Master and Mistress of the house were the upper class to whom the servants bowed. To be someone’s servant assigned him or her to a lower class of people. Society categorizes the educated and wealthy as more important than the illiterate or the poor. Those claiming royalty were viewed as ‘blue bloods.’ Ironically, the origin of the term ‘blue blood’ stemmed from the skin and veins turning blue due to the use of silvery cutlery and goblets which, of course, only the materially wealthy could afford. ‘Blue blood’ was actually a disease. Society divides the labour force into “white collar” and “blue collar” workers. The managerial, professional worker is associated with belonging to a higher class than the manual labourer. This is the world into which Jesus came and confronted. It’s a world that continues today in one form or another despite two thousand years of Christianity.
Jesus changed the world’s value system by exposing its inhumanity and replacing it with God’s will for man and woman. He challenged the notion of class distinction by changing the standard for measuring people’s importance. “He raised up the lowly and deposed the mighty from their thrones” (Lk 1:22). Jesus warned, “What profit does a man show who gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his soul in the process?” (Mk 8:36). Saving the soul is more important than amassing possessions. Saving one’s soul comes about only through living according to the example and teaching of Jesus who guaranteed His presence in His Church until the end of time saving men and women from the sins of pride, greed, lust, wrath, sloth, covetousness. He revealed that the truly great are those who enter Heaven by living a life of service to God and neighbour. He turned the world’s standard for measuring importance and success on its head by making servanthood rather than knighthood the criterion for entry to Heaven. He also made suffering a means to salvation by showing that if accepted and united with His suffering it would lead to resurrection from the dead and help to save others. God revealed through Isaiah that the promised Messiah (Jesus) “By His suffering shall …justify many, taking their faults on himself” (Is 53:10-11).
Jesus set the example by proclaiming, “The Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve – to give His life in ransom for many” (Mk 10: 45). To follow in Jesus’ footsteps, to be a true member of His Church, requires us to be like Him, namely to be a servant to others by sharing our gifts with them. He made caring for the needs of others a necessary requirement to be Christian. On Holy Thursday evening, after Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist and ordained the Apostles to “Do this in memory of me,” He washed their feet. Then He commanded His newly ordained priests, “You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and fittingly enough for that is what I am. But if I washed your feet – I who am Teacher and Lord – then you must wash each other’s feet” (Jn 13:13-14). To impress the importance of service as a visible sign of faith in Him, Jesus added, “What I just did was to give you an example: as I have done, so you must do” (Jn 13:15). This is what makes Christianity both unique and difficult for us because we are sinners and basically selfish. Struggling with a fallen nature we’re prone to egotism and self-obsession. We expect a payoff for what we do. But service doesn’t always guarantee a payoff because those who’re being served often can’t pay us back. It’s easy to serve when we’re being rewarded but it takes Christian Faith and fortitude to continue serving when we’re not rewarded. True service lies in giving without counting the cost. For that we need supernatural Faith, Hope and Charity.
Jesus’ apostles, James and John, were thinking about themselves when they put in their application for good jobs in God’s Kingdom. “Grant that in Your glory we may sit one at Your right and the other at Your left” (Mk 10:37). Don’t we all tend to look out for our own security? Jesus asked them if they knew the kind of service and suffering their request would entail. He didn’t scold them for their self-importance but took the opportunity to teach them a key lesson that we all need to learn, namely that, “Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all” (Mk 10:43-44). God's Kingdom is inhabited only by those who are willing to suffer and serve as the least important in society.
Service and suffering aren’t always easy because they involve sacrifice. Like Jesus, serving others requires that we sacrifice ourselves for their benefit. The biggest sacrifice of all is to put you before me. That involves giving up our own comfort and convenience in the process of responding to other’s needs. If Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, and if we want to be His followers, we must sacrifice ourselves for our neighbour if we want to be Christ-like – Christian. G.K. Chesterton reminds us that, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” Christianity has been left untried.” Why? Because it calls for humans to serve instead of being served, to be other-centred instead of being self-centred. The motivation stems from recognizing that, “Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield” (Ps 31:4-22). The more we serve the more our soul encounters the Lord who is our help and our protector enabling us to be selfless in our thoughts and behaviour.
It’s service to one another that the world is most in need of every day. Imagine what the world would be like if each of us was oriented to serving others instead of feeling entitled and expecting to be served. Service calls us to practice the virtues of generosity, humility, and charity. These virtues displace the vices of pride, lust, greed, jealousy and envy. They support and promote the preciousness of human life, thereby eliminating war, violence, abortion, euthanasia, sexual trafficking, etc. While the world divides people into classes creating class distinction that generates conflict, abuse, jealousy, envy, disrespect, virtue signalling etc., Christian service promotes repentance and reconciliation. This is why the world is in dire need of Christianity, like dry land needs water, to create communities that are productive and fruitful. A spirit of service is what the world needs now and what Jesus came to instil in the heart of every human being. Let’s not resist that spirit that reflects the Holy Spirit’s truth and love. The salvation of our souls depends on it. We cannot enter heaven without being servants. As servants we pray, “May Your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in You” (Ps 32:22). (fr sean)
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Sean Sheehy
Only The Poor Go To Heaven
28th Sunday B
Jesus taught that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle (a small aperture in the Jerusalem wall) than for a rich man or woman to enter heaven. Jesus stated that, “It is hard for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!” (Mk 10:17-30). I find this statement to be a wakeup call to practice poverty, namely making what we have available to help those in need. This particular Scripture is very important in a culture obsessed with the false god of wealth. Success or failure in political leadership is measured by how financially well off people are. The wealth of a person as a measurement of how successful he or she is not how God measures our success. This standard for measuring our wellbeing tends to completely omit morality, integrity, virtue, faith, and our obligation to share. A line in the hymn, “All My Trials Lord” reminds us that “If living was something that money could buy, the rich would live and the poor would die.” Money cannot buy Heaven. The rich have status on earth but the poor have status in Heaven. Status on earth is temporary but status in Heaven is permanent.
The famous are usually the materially rich and the materially rich are usually the famous. We seem to pay more attention to what we have than on who we are as persons and where we’re headed. People are rarely honored for the kind of person they are. People are more often than not rewarded for what they do, regardless of the kind of life they lead. In the big picture, who a person is rather than what a person does or has is far more important. Doing flows from being. However, the behavior of a person can be deceptive. On the surface, the action may seem to reflect a spirit of generosity but can be motivated by the false god of popularity. Look at the politicians who make all kinds of promises before an election but fail to fulfill even a fraction of them. They seem on the surface to be concerned with the welfare of the people but are mainly interested in money, power or prestige for themselves. Who a person is – the kind of character he or she has developed and continues to build – is far more important than what a person does or has.
St. Mark relates an encounter between Jesus and a rich young man who approaches Jesus and asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He addresses Jesus as “Good teacher.” Jesus makes a very important statement in response: “No one is good but God alone.” Only God is good and the source of all. Therefore, no one can do what is good without God. Whatever we call “good” is so only because it reflects God. Nothing that doesn’t reflect God is good, no matter how good it looks.
This young man is well off materially but lacks spiritual fulfillment. Jesus asks him if he has kept the Commandments, the minimum requirement for being a Jew. Jesus doesn’t mention the first three Commandments that spell out the minimum requirement for fidelity to God. He mentions some of those Commandments that spell out the minimum requirements for the building of a just community: you shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and mother.” The young man was pleased with himself because he was able to say, “Teacher, I have observed all these from my youth.” Jesus looked at him with love. The young man at this point probably thought he could sit back on his laurels and cruise the rest of the way to Heaven. Then Jesus threw him for a loop. “You are lacking in one thing.” What was that? Jesus told him to “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven; then come, follow me.” Mark wrote that, “The young man went away sad, for he had many possessions.”
Since he was young he probably had inherited a lot of material wealth. He would be considered a “good man” because he obeyed the Commandments. His encounter with Jesus exposed the fact that he was possessed by his possessions. He put more faith in his wealth for his security than in Jesus. In this exchange Jesus is telling us that if we wish to inherit eternal life we must stop relying on things and start relying on God. Trusting in material things for one’s security always sets up a person for deep disappointment and a starved soul that makes us less human in our attitude towards others. The wealthier people become the more they rely on what is material than what is spiritual and religious. To inherit eternal life a man or woman must be eligible for such an inheritance. An inheritance is a gift. A gift cannot be bought. On the surface, it looked like this young man was a truly godly man. In reality, he wasn’t. This story demonstrates that material possessions can be huge obstacles to religious Faith and trust. The only way material possessions can help is if we use them according to God’s will. Jesus teaches us God’s will in this story. This young man found out he followed the Commandments but he didn’t trust in God. Because he didn’t trust in God, he was unwilling to share what he had with God’s family, especially those who were the poorest. The result: “his face fell, and he went away sad,” addicted to his things and rejecting Jesus’ invitation to follow Him. Wisdom is putting knowledge of God into action. This young man was unwise, a fool. Don’t let your possessions make a fool of you. You will die one day and have to let go of all of them. Then what will you have to cling to for security and happiness?
We cannot enter Heaven unless we’re poor. Jesus revealed that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the poor (Mt 5:3). To be a Christian is to practice a spirit of poverty. Poverty is reflected in a spirit of availability – making our time, talent, and treasure available to our family, parish Church, and all who are in need . Jesus said, “Where your treasure is there your heart will be” (Mt 6:21). Where our heart is determines what we look to for security, power, meaning, purpose, peace, love, and life. These can never be fully attained here on earth. If our treasure is in Heaven, then our heart will be joined to the heart of Jesus that perfects our heart and fills it with a joy and a happiness that is eternal. Jesus taught, “Where I am, there will my servants be.” He spent the bulk of His time on earth with the poor, the needy, the condemned, the orphans and widows, the weak and the lost. Today He is in His Church continuing to call us to reform our life, repent and believe in the Gospel. That’s where we must be too, letting Him reform us through repentance for our sins and sharing our blessings with the poor so that they can feel blessed. That’s where Jesus needs us.
Every one of us will leave behind our material possessions when death comes. We cannot take our bank accounts, stocks, or property with us. Corpses do not have suitcases and hearses do not have luggage racks. We mustn’t wait for death to force us to give up our possessions. We must invest what we have through practicing the virtue of poverty that God translates into building up treasure in Heaven. When we invest what we have through totally relying on God’s providence we will become poor because to be poor is to recognize that whatever we give will be rewarded beyond our imagination. Jesus told His Apostles that whatever we give for His “sake and for the sake of the Gospel will receive a hundred times more now in this present age… and eternal life in the age to come. You and I cannot enter Heaven without becoming poor. The paradox of Christianity is that to become rich in eternity we must become poor here on earth. It is in giving that we receive. It is in giving that we know God’s love is aflame in our heart. The amount that we give and the attitude with which we give it, will be used by God to determine what is given back to us. (fr sean)
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Self-control, the ability to resolve a conflict between two competing desires, is frequently touted as the golden key to success. But many of the most popular ideas about self-control are actually at odds with how it really operates.
Here to unpack some of the lesser-understood and counterintuitive ideas around discipline and willpower is Michael Inzlicht, a professor of psychology who has studied the nature of self-regulation in depth. In the first part of our conversation, Michael unpacks the popular ego depletion model of willpower and how it hasn’t held up to scientific scrutiny. We then turn to the surprising fact that the people who seem to exhibit a lot of self-control don’t actually exercise a lot of discipline and restraint in their lives, that the achievement of goals is more a function of having virtuous desires, and what contributes to having those desires.
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Today’s Gospel and Psalm give us the flip side of the First Reading. In both, we hear of Jesus’ sufferings from His point of view. Though His enemies surround Him, He offers Himself freely in sacrifice, trusting that God will sustain Him.
But the Apostles today don’t understand this second announcement of Christ’s Passion. They begin arguing over issues of succession—over who among them is greatest, who will be chosen to lead after Christ is killed.
Again they are thinking not as God but as human beings (see Mark 8:33). And again Jesus teaches the Twelve—the chosen leaders of His Church—that they must lead by imitating His example of love and self-sacrifice. They must be “servants of all,” especially the weak and the helpless —symbolized by the child He embraces and places in their midst.
This is a lesson for us, too. We must have the mind of Christ, who humbled Himself to come among us (see Philippians 2:5–11). We must freely offer ourselves, making everything we do a sacrifice in praise of His name.
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Reflect
24th Sunday
Sean Sheehy
Why Jesus asked, “Who Do People Say I Am?”
Have you ever wondered about how people perceive you? Who does your family, friends, co-workers, and the people in your neighborhood say that you are? Sometimes people claim they don’t care what others view them. What really matters is who God says I am! It’s important to realize that who others say I am determines the relationships we have or don’t have. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” (Mk 8:27-35). Why did He ask that question? Was He feeling insecure? Why did He care about how others saw Him? Because He knew that image was important in fostering relationships.
People who want to be popular put time and effort into developing an attractive image of themselves. Politicians spend lots of money trying to get people to view them favourably. The image they portray often makes the difference between winning and losing elections. Was Jesus interested in popularity? No. Was He interested in running for a political office? No. Why, then, did He ask the question about how others perceived Him? He wanted to know if the people really knew Him.
We collect information about the world through our perceiving functions. We tend to base our decisions on our perceptions; on how we see things. For many, perception is reality. If our perception is incorrect our reality isn’t real. Whether our perceptions are true or false will determine whether our relationships are real or fake. The problem with perceptions is that they’re affected by the limitations of our observations. Remember the old saying, “Don’t judge the book by the cover.” First impressions shouldn’t always be lasting. Perceptions or images always need to be examined objectively before memorizing them.
Who we say we are and who others say we are determine the strength or weakness of our relationships. We relate to one another based on the images we’ve developed of one another. We are imaginative creatures with an imagination whose purpose is to create images of reality. Our images are our ways of managing reality. We’re incapable of grasping the totality of reality, even of ourselves never mind that of another. All we know for sure about another is what he or she tells us either verbally or nonverbally. Since we can’t grasp the totality of reality, we must settle for pieces of it. The pieces of reality that we grasp are called images. When you and relate to one another we don’t relate to the fullness of who we are but rather to the image we have developed of one another. The reality of the relationship between two people is in proportion to how well the images they have of each other reflect the reality that is each person. If my image of you truly reflects you, and your image of me truly reflects me, then we can have a genuinely productive relationship. However, if the images we have of each other are false, a genuine relationship is impossible.
Jesus knew that people would relate to Him according to the image they had developed of Him. If the image didn’t reflect His true identity they couldn’t have a real relationship with Him nor let Him have a true relationship with them. We learn from the Gospel that the majority of people had a false image of Jesus, thinking He was an Old Testament prophet, Elijah, Jeremiah, John the Baptizer. He asked His closest disciples what their image of Him was. Peter answered on their behalf, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him, “Blest are you, Simon, son of John! No mere man has revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father” (Mt 16:13-17). Having a true image of Jesus requires divine revelation. St. Paul reminds us that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). Therefore to form a true image of Jesus our mind and spirit must be receptive to the Holy Spirit as was Peter. Where does the Holy Spirit guide us? In the Bible interpreted by Jesus’ Church guided by the Holy Spirit. We cannot have a true image of Jesus without listening to His Church.
Even though Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, had a true image of who Jesus was, namely Immanuel, God-with-us, he still tried to make Jesus change His mission. He tried to stop Him from facing death in Jerusalem. Even though we have a true image of Jesus we all attempt to get Him to do what suits us rather than what He chooses to do in fidelity to His Father’s will.
This week Jesus asks you and me, “Who do you say that I am?” What is your image of Him? Your image of Him influences how you relate to Him, His Church, its purpose, and your role in it. Why do some people actively participate in the Church while others are simply observers? Participants have an image of Jesus as the Lord calling them to be His eyes, hands, legs, mouth, mind, emotions, body, etc. Those who are merely observers have an image of Jesus as someone who has come to save them but doesn’t expect them to do anything. Participators have an image of Jesus as the Lord who continues to save mankind from hell in collaboration with them through the community of His Church. Observers seem to have faith, but it is dead. “Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (Jas 2:14-18). Faith in Christ based on a true image of Him MUST be expressed in good works. There is no room for observers and volunteers in the Roman Catholic Church of Jesus Christ. Every Baptized and Confirmed member of the Catholic Church has received at least one spiritual gift from God to be developed and shared. Therefore, every person has a ministry in the Church. If a member of the Church isn’t doing at least one of the Spiritual or Corporal Works of Mercy, then he or she doesn’t have a true image of Christ. Without a true image of Christ, there can’t be a true relationship with Him. That is why He said to the foolish virgins, “I don’t know you ...” and didn’t let them into the banquet hall ( Mt 25:1-13). We can’t have a true relationship with someone when we have a false image of him or her and so we can’t have the benefits of the relationship.
Sadly, there are too many in the world, and even in the Church, who have a false image of Jesus and His Church. He is viewed as “nice” and His Church as “the Church of Nice.” But salvation comes only from the real Jesus and His true Church. The real Jesus warns us that, “If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross, and follow in my steps. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel’s will preserve it” (Mk 8:34-36). The real Jesus warns us that, “If anyone in this faithless and corrupt age is ashamed of me and my doctrine, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes with the holy angels in His Father’s glory” (Mk 8:38). The real Jesus reveals that “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn 14:6). Jesus is the only way to Heaven. You won’t find these Scriptures proclaimed from the pulpits of the Church-of-Nice.
Just as in human relationships developing a true image of one another is essential for true and genuine relationships, so is the development of a true image of Jesus and His Church essential in order to be a true Catholic Christian. Sadly, the image of Jesus and His Church that is promoted today by many in the Church is false because the Holy Spirit is being rejected so that Jesus is sanitized and His Church treated as another NGO. Let us turn to the Apostolic Tradition in which the Apostles hand on the true image of Jesus they developed of Him through spending three years in His company and guided by the Holy Spirit. Jesus founded His Church to faithfully protect and hand on that Tradition that contains the true image of Himself so that all people can come to know Him and form a true relationship with Him. Without the Church humanity and the world cannot know who Jesus truly is.
Reason tells us that if we want to have a genuine relationship with Jesus we must have a true image of Him. Our image of Him determines the caliber of our Christianity. Jesus said, “Where I am, there will my servants be.” If my image of Jesus is true, I will see Him as the One who has come to bring the world back to God and who asks me to let Him save the world through me. With that image of Jesus, I must ask myself, “What am I doing to make Jesus known as the only Savior of mankind?” (fr sean)
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Weekly Newsletter
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
15th September 2024
Dear Friends of Sacred Heart Church,
On this blessed 17th Sunday after Pentecost, we read in the collect: “Grant we beseech Thee, O Lord, that thy people may eschew all contact with the devil, and with a pure mind follow the only God.”
We find in these words a resumé our whole lives: our duty to flee from the devil and his works on the one hand, and to seek always and everywhere union with God by his grace on the other.
We are pleased to introduce our new members:
Canon Duarte, who celebrates today’s Solemn Mass and also delivers the sermon, is originally from Portugal. He was ordained just two years ago and served at the Institute School in Brussels prior to joining us in Limerick. We are delighted that he is now in residence with us.
Abbé Lally is a familiar face to many of you. I trust that his Birr accent will be a reassuring sound to the children and therefore an advantage to their learning and his excellent teaching and pastoral care!
Abbé McDermott, who received the cassock this past June in our seminary at Gricigliano, has expressed his desire to serve the Lord as an oblate. He will be with us in Limerick until the end of September before undertaking the preliminary short introductory formation program in St. Louis, Missouri. This is a customary step in the discernment of this beautiful vocation. He will then return to Ireland for a few months before resuming the extended formation schedule.
Abbé Malinowski, originally from Poland, arrived last Tuesday. His presence is required in Belfast until the end of September, but he will return to us here at the Sacred Heart Church until June. We are excited to welcome him back.
We also had the immense honour of a pastoral visit from the Bishop of Limerick yesterday, His Excellency Brendan Leahy.
He expressed an interest in the history and origins of each member of our community. His fatherly presence uplifted our spirits as he showed special attention to the painting of the church and in particular to the ceiling.
We are very grateful for his visit and special blessing on our presence here in the heart of Limerick.
I would also like to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to our choir members, whose dedication has been evident in the noticeable progress they have made. Words fall short in conveying how much we appreciate their commitment.
We will resume chant lessons for young girls this Saturday from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm. Parents are of course welcome to attend.
Lastly, a reminder that children catechism will resume next Sunday under the instruction of Abbé Lally. The first lessons will focus on the life of Jesus, for it is only by knowing Him more deeply that we can love and serve Him better.
Finally, I wish to draw your attention to a special occasion we commemorate today, the 15th of September, which is traditionally dedicated to the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. However, as this year it falls on a Sunday, the solemnity of the Lord’s Day takes precedence, and we only observe this feast in a commemorative manner.
In reflecting on this important day, it might be a meaningful opportunity to read and meditate on the Stabat Mater, the moving hymn that captures the sorrow of Our Blessed Mother as she stood at the foot of the Cross.
Additionally, I kindly ask that you keep Canon de Martin in your prayers as he celebrates his birthday today. We remember that he served as a priest here at Sacred Heart Church for two years and is now continuing his ministry in our Institute in Nice. Let us pray to Our Lady of Sorrows for him, asking her to intercede for him and bless him!
Wishing you a blessed week, through the intercession of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Canon Lebocq
Prior of Sacred Heart Church
Live stream from the Sacred Heart Church
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CIVIL RIGHTS: Hall describes six major threads braiding together during the long civil rights movement. First, racism was a national problem, not one simply confined to the South. Second, racial justice and economic justice, race and class, civil rights and workers’ rights, were inseparable. Third, “women’s activism and gender dynamics were central to both the freedom movement and the backlash against it.” Fourth, civil rights struggles outside the South beginning in the mid-1960s included the turn to Black nationalism. Fifth, the gains of the 1960s were the basis of efforts in 1970s to expand social and economic rights. Sixth, the resistance to all this and the consequent backlash against it have an equally long history.
For Hall, this longer history works to make civil rights “harder to celebrate as a natural progression of American values. Harder to cast as a satisfying morality tale. Most of all, harder to simplify, appropriate, and contain.”
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Shroud Gets Scientific Nod/ What’s Causing The Birth Dearth?
The Shroud of Turin got another significant nod from scientists. What do recent studies say about the shroud, believed by Christians to be the burial cloth of Jesus? Alyssa Murphy brings us a report. Then Peter Laffin provides analysis on the presidential debate. And finally, we turn to a growing problem in the US: a birth dearth. Why aren’t we having enough children to replace our population? Daniel Payne and Jonathan Liedl cover this story.