KNOCKANURE
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29 May 2026;
The Holy Trinity: What It Means for Believers
Sean Sheehy
God Is Both One and a Trinity of Persons: The Love that’s Perfect and Perfecting
There are five different beliefs about God extant in the world today: atheism, pantheism, polytheism, and monotheism. Among monotheists there are two different beliefs. Jews and Muslims believe in one supreme God, and Christians who believe in one supreme God who is also a Trinity of Persons, equally distinct and totally united in one Divinity. Atheists believe there’s no God. Pantheists see the universe and everything in it as God. Polytheists believe there are many Gods. Monotheists believe there’s only one God, Creator of all things who has no beginning and has no end and sets the standard that determines whether a person goes to Heaven or hell. Since all beliefs about God aren’t the same, all religions can’t be the same. A person’s religion reflects his or her concept of God. The effectiveness of our religion depends on whether our concept of God is true or false. The only way to know someone is to listen to him or her and observe his or her behavior. Actions reveal more than words. Therefore, to know God I must listen to Him and observe His actions. The Old Testament is the written record of God forming a particular people, the Israelites, and involving Himself in their lives and history. Muslims view the Qur’an as God’s word even though there is no clear evidence that He revealed Himself to Muhammed. The New Testament is the written record of God coming among the Israelites in the Person of Jesus Christ, the Word of the God of the Old Testament, who became man in the womb of a virgin named Mary. Jesus revealed Himself to His followers as their Messiah, Teacher and Redeemer and the fullness of God’s revelation of who He really is. Jesus is God-made-man, God who made Himself visible in human form, through what He said and what He did. Through, with, and in Jesus we know the true God. There’s no other God than He who revealed Himself in Christ Jesus. Jesus completed and perfected the Jewish concept of God when He revealed God as One but also as a Trinity of Persons.
God’s Nature
Jesus revealed that God’s nature is to love and, as a result, give life. “Yes, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16). Jesus showed that He was the Way to Heaven and the fullness of humanity, the Truth about God and what humanity needed, and the Giver of eternal Life. In Jesus, “God’s love was revealed in our midst in this way: He sent His only Son to the world that we might have life through Him” (1 Jn 4:8). St. John points out that, “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 Jn 4:16). No one can have a personal relationship with God as God because He is too beyond our comprehension. We can only have a personal relationship with another person. In and through the Person of Jesus God made it possible for men and women to have a personal relationship with Him in the Persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit thus enabling us to be loved by Him and to love Him in turn.
The Nature of Love
The nature of love is sacrificial, the sharing of oneself with others in community. Love can only be expressed by persons building community through seeking a relationship of unity that honors individuality, distinctness, equality, and a willingness to care and sacrifice themselves for the good of one another. Love is the blood that gives life to a community. Therefore, for God to be Love, He could now be alone because the nature of love is to care and share. Since God always was and always will be He had to be a community of Persons always, while at the same time being one God. This is the mystery of the Holy Trinity that makes Christians different from all others. “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken” (C.S. Lewis).
Knowledge of God as a Trinity of Persons
Where did this knowledge come from? It was implied in the Old Testament beginning in Genesis revealing God as Creator creating through His Word, and breathing life (His Spirit) into creation. Jesus directly revealed God as a Trinity of Persons, really distinct and equal in all things, totally united with one another, inseparable from one another, enjoying one and the same Divinity. St. Patrick used a shamrock as an image in helping Irish pagans come to some understanding of the mystery of the Holy Trinity as one Divine nature expressing Himself in three Persons. The shamrock possesses three identical but distinct leaves that are united in one stem. Jesus emphasized the importance of the Holy Trinity in calling all people to salvation when He 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” (Mt 28:19). To be a Christian means to do everything in the Name of the Holy Trinity, which means acting out of love which fosters unity in the community and decorum in the forum. Catholics in making the Sign of the Cross on their persons reminds themselves that the Way of the Cross gives them admission to the Life of the Holy Trinity.
Why God Is a Community of Persons
God is love precisely because He is a Community of Persons in love with one another. Therefore, in creating us in His image God created us to be like Him by being a community of persons in love with one another. Spiritually, psychologically, morally, socially, economically and physically, a community of love is essential for our human development. The absence of such a community stunts our spiritual, psychological, moral, social, economic and physical growth. Since God created us for community it’s only in that context that we can grow in God’s image and likeness. But we’re prone to sin and selfishness so we need help in forming and maintaining a community of caring members.
God Shares His Love
God as Father lovingly adopts us and unites as His family in His Son’s Church. God as Son lovingly saves us from our sinfulness through His grace of repentance and His gift of merciful forgiveness made available to us in and through His Church. God the Holy Spirit makes us holy and wholesome by strengthening us with His gifts His gifts in Baptism and Confirmation. Since the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one God, they unite us in Jesus’ Church. How does this happen? God is perfect love. He shares that love with us through the power of the Holy Spirit who leads us to Jesus who, in turn, leads us into the Father’s embrace. God’s perfect supernatural love perfects our imperfect natural love by purifying us from our selfishness and concupiscence. God revealed Himself as, “Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6). In His love He perfects us by gracing us with these same qualities that enable us to be tender, compassionate, slow to become angry, kind and faithful towards others. When the God of perfect Trinitarian love brings us into the relationship of the Father and Son, personified in the Holy Spirit, we’ll have a true sense of belonging to Him, then we’ll be able “to mend our ways. Encourage one another. Live in harmony and peace…. And greet one another with a holy kiss” (2 Cor 13:11).
Implications of Knowing God as a Trinity of Persons
Believing in God as a Trinity of Persons united in a love so strong that it is personified in a third Person, namely the Holy Spirit, our deepest yearning to belong, be powerful, be free, and be joyful are met. The Holy Spirit brings us into the Father-Son relationship enabling us to share in God’s love which transforms us – that’s what conversion is all about. We cannot experience God’s perfect love without perfecting our ability to love, heightening our sense of community, and enhancing our willingness to care and share with one another. For this to happen we must allow the Holy Spirit to steer our spirit, which is the dimension of our soul that seeks the divine, to God as our Father, our Redeemer, and our Advocate and Sanctifier. It’s important to begin and end each day by asking the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and enkindle in us the fire of His divine love which brings us into that glorious relation enjoyed by God the Father and God the Son united in God the Holy Spirit. Christians are a Trinitarian people who follow the Way of the Cross in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, worshipping one God, forever and ever. The God of Christians is the only God who can fulfil the deepest needs of men and women, the need for perfect freedom, justice, love, and peace. (fr sean).
Love
To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him is the greatest adventure; to find Him is the greatest human achievement. (St. Augustine)
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23 May 2026
Lay led liturgies inadequate
Sean Sheehy
Lay-led liturgies won’t save the Irish Church, Catholic Herald
Ireland is soon going to run out of priests. This will not come as a surprise to anyone who has been attentive to news from the Church here over the past decade or more. A not insignificant number of dioceses have not seen any new vocations in that time, others one or two, the rare few a small, steady flow. So it is unsurprising that the Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, warned recently that we are going to see lay-led Eucharistic liturgies in the near future in Ireland. He is not the first to have mooted such a move, merely the most recent, so it is nothing against His Grace when I say that lay-led Eucharistic services are a very bad idea.
Consider first the case for lay-led liturgies: that 20 or 30 years in the future, when Ireland is facing a major shortage of priests, rural areas will not have a resident pastor. They will then have a choice of driving to their nearest town for Sunday Mass, or else participating in a lay-led Eucharistic liturgy. Now, it is questionable to me whether these conditions really demand a measure like lay-led liturgies, which canonically are only meant to be used in emergency situations and with the permission of the local bishop. This is not a massive mission territory like Brazil; it is unlikely that you will need to drive more than an hour to get to a town with Mass on a Sunday.
Taking this into account, the dangers of introducing lay-led liturgies far outweigh the benefits for three reasons: first, we already have a Catholic population who struggle to grasp what the Eucharist is; second, it runs the risk of clericalising laity in a society where the “privilege of the altar” is still coveted; third, the liturgies would maintain the status quo rather than encouraging a missionary outlook.
I won’t dwell too long on the first point as it has been amply covered before. A poll a decade ago found only 25 per cent of Catholics believe in transubstantiation – a stark figure indeed. This may well require more nuanced investigation, such as was provided in the United States by the Centre for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). This found secular studies perhaps overegged the issue through confusingly laid-out questions. However, anecdotally, the problem is bad in Ireland and removing the Eucharist from the context of the Mass is unlikely to strengthen or clarify already confused beliefs.
Then there is the problem of clericalism, one of the key targets of Vatican II reforms. These were intended to encourage greater lay participation in apostolic works, particularly evangelisation. In Ireland, this was an issue, with the priest holding an unhealthy level of social power and evangelisation regarded as a priest’s job. In Ireland, there is still a perception that the priest holds a privileged position – I remember hearing one would-be permanent deacon speaking of his attraction to the “privilege of the altar” – and unfortunately, the liberal capture of Vatican II has tended to embed a clericalised vision of what lay empowerment looks like.
So we hear suggestions that women can only be equal if they are allowed to become priests and parish sanctuaries became full of not-so-extraordinary Eucharistic ministers. The language around greater lay involvement has tended to emphasise this, speaking of lay “ministries” rather than apostolates. Giving permission for lay-led liturgies risks further blurring the lines between the clergy and the laity, which does no good to either party.
This leaves me with my last and most pressing objection: that lay-led liturgies are another example of a maintenance mindset, not a missionary one. Ireland is running out of priests and those that are left are overburdened by a structure that was designed for a time of abundant vocations. Yet while there have been welcome introductions of lay bereavement teams and suchlike, we have seen no widespread structural reform like amalgamation of parishes or closing churches. Such moves would be very unpopular; Irish people are very attached to their local churches and understandably so given our history. But there is persistent refusal to address the fact that we have far more churches than we need and the present structure threatens to run priests into the ground.
This is where proposals like lay-led liturgies are especially unhelpful, suggesting that we can both have our cake and eat it. Some parishes have, as it were, jumped the gun and already introduced the practice, without apparent episcopal approval. Instead of Mass on a Monday, for instance, the priest will take a much-deserved rest and leave it to the parishioners to lead their own service. This is the quintessential “Irish solution to an Irish problem”, as former Irish prime minister Charlie Haughey once put it. Instead of addressing the fact that priests are overworked by structural reform, we have the development of lay-led Eucharistic liturgies that maintain a bloated Church structure. The broader introduction of such a model may cushion the blow for local communities, but that is not what is needed. What we need is to be confronted with the truth: that the lay faithful must either actively engage in evangelical outreach, or else risk losing their local church.
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20 May 2026
Pentecost- Sean Sheehy
Pentecost: The Source of the Church’s Unity, Sanctification, Truth, Fidelity and Continuity
Unity, sanctification, truth, and continuity are essential characteristics of the mission of Jesus’ Church. Just before His passion, Jesus prayed to His Father, “I do not pray only for them (Apostles). I pray also for those who will believe in me through their word, that all may be one as You, Father, are in me, and I in You; I pray that they may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent me” (Jn 17:20-21). Here, Jesus revealed that the unity of His followers is an essential sign of His Church as a visible witness to the world that He is indeed the Messiah of God and that He continues to be present in and through His Church offering salvation to every man and woman if they freely choose to believe in Him. With this in mind, St. Paul warned the members of the Church to, “Make every effort to preserve the unity which has the Spirit as its origin and peace as its binding force. There is but one body and one Spirit … There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all, and works through all, and is in all” (Eph 4:3-5). Disunity among Christians is a scandal and a rejection of the Holy Spirit. To ensure Church unity Jesus asked His Father to send the Holy Spirit of Truth to sanctify and assure her continuity. He empowered His Apostles to forgive repentant sinners: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you …If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound” (Jn 20:21-23).
A Christian Is One Who Is in Union with Christ
In the Sacrament of Reconciliation Jesus reunifies repentant sinners with Himself, with His Father, and with His Church through the ability of the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t take a genius to see that to be Christian one must be united with Jesus and with His Church in order to convincingly testify to the world that He is the only One who can bring justice, peace, and salvation to men and women. Unity is the necessary foundation for stability. It is sanctification and truth in action. Jesus gave Peter the task of strengthening the Faith of believers. Thus, the papacy is the source of stability in Jesus’ Church fostering unity, sanctification, and continuity in the Truth until Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead. He informed Peter, “I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned back (overcome your stumbles) strengthen the faith of the brethren” (Lk 22:32).
Role of the Pope
The Pope, equipped with the charisms of the papacy, must provide the kind of leadership that enables the Church to facilitate Jesus’ transforming presence in the lives of her members with His Truth that unifies and sanctifies them individually and communally. Jesus commissioned His Apostles to “Go, make disciples of all 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. And know that I am with you always, until the end of the world” (Mt 28: 19-20). Since the Father and Son are totally united in the Spirit, so all the baptized are meant to be united with the father and the Son in the Holy Spirit of love and truth.
The Holy Spirit and Jesus’ Transforming Presence
Adherence to Jesus’ word transforms us. But we won’t let His word transform us unless we love Him. “Whoever loves me,” Jesus revealed, “will keep my word” (Jn 14:23). We can’t love Jesus without freely asking the Holy Spirit to lead us to Jesus. We can’t know Jesus without the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord, unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). Since Jesus and His Father sent the Holy Spirit to His Church guiding the priestly leadership of Peter and the other Apostles “to instruct you in everything, and remind you of all that I told you” (Jn 14:26), it follows that the Holy Spirit sanctifies and enlightens us with the divine truth through the teaching and preaching of Jesus’ Church. The Holy Spirit leads us to union with Jesus through His Church faithfully handing on the Apostolic Tradition that includes the Commandments, Beatitudes, experiencing Jesus in the Sacraments, and in learning how to live the Christian life spelled out in Church’s Catechism and her preaching and teaching of the Holy Scriptures recognizing Jesus as the Way, the Truth that sets us free from sin and eternal death, and the Life that is eternal. Through the Church’s Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation Holy Spirit comes to us personally where He enlightens and encourages us with His gifts and the fire of His divine love equipping us to give public witness to Jesus as Lord and Saviour of mankind.
Pentecost
We’re all prone to sinfulness which undermines truth, unity, sanctity, and continuity. To achieve these virtues, we need the Holy Spirit to unite us to Jesus, as branches to the vine (Jn 15:5), to make us fruitful. Jesus, in turn, brings us to His Father who adopts us as His children. To bring His mission to completion here on earth, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to His Church through coming to rest on her ordained leaders on Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2:1ff). On that day Jesus’ Church was born and became visible in the persons of Peter and the other Apostles. Peter, as the head of the Apostles, spoke publicly for the first time that Jesus is the only Lord and Saviour of mankind. Miraculously, the people heard their words in their native languages calling them to Faith in Jesus. Prior to Pentecost the Apostles were fearful about the future. But having received the Holy Spirit, they became enthusiastic and courageous, fearing nothing. The Spirit transformed them through His gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, piety, perseverance, and wonder and awe. Through these gifts the Holy Spirit assures the Church’s fidelity to Jesus her Head in her witness.
The Biblical Symbols of the Holy Spirit
Who is the Holy Spirit? He is the Advocate and Sanctifier (Jn 14:26) of Jesus’ Church. He is the third Person of the
Holy Trinity. He personifies the love that God the Father and the Son have for each other. He is the One sent by the Father and the Son to bring Jesus’ Church to share in their loving relationship. As members of the Church the Holy Spirit enables us to share in the life and love of the Holy Trinity. The effects of participating in the Holy Trinity become evident in the various symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. The Spirit is depicted as a Dove, symbolizing the compassion, sympathy, and gentleness instilled in us; Oil, symbolizes the Spirit’s authorization to minister, heal, cleanse and refresh; Light, symbolizes the power to dispel the darkness of sin and ignorance of the truth; Wind or Breath, symbolizing the unseen life-giving and creative functions bestowed on His Church; Fire, symbolizes the empowerment to witness to the truth. It also symbolizes purification, warmth and fuel to propel us into action. In obedience to Jesus the Church depends on the Spirit for continuity in teaching the truth and deepening the understanding regarding Faith and morals. “When He comes, however, being the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth” (Jn 16:13). Thus, Jesus assures His Church that she will never err in her teaching.
The Divine Resuscitator
The Holy Spirit is a kind of Divine Resuscitator. He revives and rouses Faith in Jesus Christ and His Church when doubt creeps in or Faith grows cold. He guides the Church to counter apathy, indifference, refusal to participate in the Sacramental life, lack of repentance, forgiveness and charity. The human spirit is always influenced either by the Holy Spirit or the spirit of evil. The Holy Spirit is life-giving, promotes the culture of life reviving us, stirring us up, and rousing us to faith. The evil spirit is life-taking, promotes the culture of death, and is disheartening and ugly. The human spirit is basically selfish. Just as the light encourages the flower to open its heart and enrich the world with its beautiful petals, so the Holy Spirit encourages us to open our human spirit to the beauty and gift of Jesus present in His Church. If our human spirit isn’t influenced by the Holy Spirit, it will be influenced by the spirit of evil. Only the Holy Spirit of Love and Truth dispels and renders impotent the spirit of evil. Therefore, we need to pray every day: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.” It is the Holy Spirit that empowers Jesus’ Church to maintain unity within herself. The Holy Spirit is the means through which Jesus sanctifies His Church’s members, and makes her the indefatigable upholder of the Truth. (fr sean)
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13 May 2026
Ascension of Our Lord
Sean Sheehy
Jesus’ Ascension: Heaven Is Opened
The Church celebrates Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven when He returned to His place at His Father’s right hand. Easter is all about the Resurrection but the importance of the Ascension is often overlooked. Yet the Ascension is the completion of the mission which God the Father gave to Jesus – it was the icing on the cake, so to speak. Why? It was in His ascension that Jesus made it possible for man and woman to enter Heaven. Being banned from Heaven was the curse or consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve on mankind and the legacy inherited by humanity dooming every man and woman to both physical and spiritual death as the “wages of sin” (Rom 6:23). After the Original sin Heaven was closed to men and women. It wasn’t opened again until Jesus in His glorified body ascended to His Father. St. Augustine emphasized the importance of the Ascension for humanity. He explained that the Resurrection of Jesus is our hope; His Ascension reveals our dignity and that our body is destined for Heaven and therefore isn’t disposable or an obstacle to holiness but rather is created by God to be glorified like Jesus’ body. The Holy Spirit tells us through St. Paul: “Dearly beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall later be has not yet come to light (fulfilment). We know that when it comes to light, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn 3:2). Again, the Spirit reveals that “will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified Body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself” (Phil 3:19). Therefore, we must treat our physical body with dignity because it is destined for glory.
Confronting Doubt
Following His resurrection, Jesus spent forty days with His Apostles preparing them to spread the good news that Heaven was opened to receive all who believed in Him and lived according to the Gospel. The number ‘forty’ biblically signified a period of preparation but also of probation during which a person proved his trustworthiness. Jesus spent forty days showing His incredulous disciples they could trust that He was truly raised from the dead in His human body. Why? They still didn’t fully believe everything He had taught them about Himself, especially His Resurrection. St. Luke related the reception the risen Jesus received from His eleven Apostles when He met them in Galilee: “When they saw Him, they worshiped, but they doubted” (Mt 28:16). So, He called out their disbelief: “Why do such doubts cross your mind? Look at my hands and my feet; it is really I. Touch me, and see that a ghost does not have flesh and bones as I do” (Lk 24:38-39). He demonstrated to them that He was indeed the Messiah who teaches with authority, exorcises demons, brings hope and forgiveness to sinners, performs miracles, and raises people from the dead.
His Presence in His Church
To announce to future generations that Heaven was opened and accessible, Jesus commissioned His Apostles, the leaders of His Church which He founded on Peter, to, “Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands that I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time” (Mt 28:19-20). Thus, Jesus commissioned His Church under the leadership of His Apostles and their successors, the Pope and bishops of His Church, to continue the mission of salvation He had established on earth. To accomplish this mission, He promised them the Holy Spirit as their Advocate and spirit of Truth. In this manner Jesus shared His authority and power with His Church in the persons of her ordained leaders on earth, to save man and woman from sin and eternal death. He promised them: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). That promise was fulfilled on Pentecost Sunday. Their mission was to witness Jesus’ presence in their own lives and spread the good news that He wanted everyone to have the peace and happiness that only He could give through receiving the grace of repentance and the gift of forgiveness made visible and tangible in the Sacraments of His Church.
The Witness of the Spirit
To be Jesus’ witnesses the Apostles needed to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. “John baptized with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). They had received John’s water baptism of repentance but had not yet received the Holy Spirit that enabled the Church to be born. Jesus was referring to Pentecost when the Spirit would “proceed from the Father and the Son” (Nicaean Creed) and descend on them thereby giving visible birth to Jesus’ Church led by Peter and the other Apostles. The Holy Spirit is essential in order to enlighten our spirit so we can recognize Jesus as our Saviour. “… no one can say: ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3) and His Church as the visible sign of His Kingdom on earth. Jesus endowed John’s water baptism of repentance by making water the visible sign of the Holy Spirit actually cleansing the soul from sin thereby creating the Sacrament of Baptism. Water cleanses the body but the Holy Spirit cleanses the soul. It’s our soul that makes us human. Therefore, the source of our humanity needs to be cleansed by the Spirit of Truth from the stain of Original Sin that darkens our intellect and weakens our will so that we could come to know God and do His will through embracing Jesus as our Way, our Truth, and our eternal Life.
The Continuity of Jesus’ Spiritual Presence
The Apostles and over five hundred disciples (1 Cor 15:6) were the first witnesses to Jesus’ Resurrection. His Apostles were witnesses to His Ascension. What’s a witness? A witness is a person who can credibly testify to an event that he or she personally saw, heard or experienced. To witness Jesus implies personal knowledge of Him through seeing, hearing, and experiencing His presence in our life. How can you and I say we are witnesses to Jesus' presence since He is no longer with us in the flesh? Jesus’ Ascension deprived the Apostles and disciples of His physical presence but it did not deprive them of His spiritual presence. He assured them, “Know that I am with you always until the end of the world” (Mt 28:20). The Church Jesus founded on Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, is the means He provided in which to see and hear Him thereby making her members His witnesses. Thus, St. Paul prayed for the members of the Church at Ephesus to be true witnesses of Jesus: “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of Him” (Eph 1:17). Jesus intercedes with His Father on our behalf at the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation to give us the Holy Spirit with His gifts especially of wisdom and perception. Since perception is reality for the perceiver, it is important that what we perceive is real, true, good and beautiful. There’s a huge difference between knowing about someone and knowing him or her personally. Only a person who knows Jesus intimately can truly witness and testify to His presence. It takes personal knowledge of Jesus to humbly and confidently invite Him to enter our life. To invite Jesus into our life we need to know where He is and what He wants us to be and do. This again is where His Church is essential because it is through His Church that the Holy Spirit can ordinarily “…enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope His call holds for you, what rich glories He has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers” (Eph 1:18).
The Visible Sign of Jesus’ Presence
God has made Jesus “…the ruler of everything, the Head of the Church; which is His body ...” (Eph 1:23). The Church - Jesus’ Body - can only function under the direction of the head, namely Jesus. To benefit from Jesus’ direction, it’s necessary to belong to the body, the Church. Therefore, to be directed by Jesus as His witness through the power of the Holy Spirit it’s necessary to belong to the Church, which is His body that exists both in Heaven, on earth, and in Purgatory where all her members exist. Just as the productivity of every organ of the body is necessary for the good of the whole person, so the productivity of every member of the Church is necessary for the good of the whole Church. The purpose of the Church is to be the visible sign of Jesus’ spiritual presence calling all people to embrace the Holy Spirit who guides them to Him in and through His Church so that they may enter Heaven, which He opened through His Ascension. To benefit from Jesus’ Ascension, you and I must invite Jesus into our life by asking the Holy Spirit to enlighten our mind with personal knowledge of Jesus. Then we must be willing to tell others that He wants them to know Him personally and belong to His family on earth in preparation for joining His family in Heaven where all participate in the life and love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We cannot accomplish this without His Church, which is His body. (fr sean)
God vs Evolution
One day a 6-year-old girl was sitting in a classroom when the teacher was explaining that evolution showed there was no God. To prove his point he asked a boy:
“Tommy, do you see the tree outside?” Tommy said “Yes.” He then asked Tommy, “Do you see the grass outside?” Tommy said “Yes.” He told Tommy to go outside and look up and see if he can see the sky. Tommy went out, looked up, and then returned saying, “Yes, I saw the sky.” The teacher then asked Tommy, “Did you see God?” Tommy answered “no.”
The teacher smiled and said, “That's my point. We can't see God because he isn't there. He doesn’t exist.”
From the back of the class a girl spoke up and asked the teacher for permission to put some questions to Tommy. The teacher agreed:
The girl asked, “Tommy, do you see the tree outside?” He said, “Yes.” She asked, “Tommy, do you see the grass outside?” he answered, “Yesssss,” getting tired of the same questions. The girl asked, “Tommy did you see the sky when you went out?” A bit irritated, he answered “Yesssss.” She asked, “Tommy, do you see the teacher?” Looking at the teacher, Tommy answered, “Yes.” Then she asked, “Tommy, do you see his brain?” He answered, “No.” She looked at the teacher and said, “According to your teaching, sir, you must not have a brain because we can’t see it!”
When it comes to “seeing” God “we walk by spiritual Faith, not by physical sight” (2 Cor 5:7).
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Sean Sheehy
6 May 2026
Hope Flows from Practising Faith and Love
Dostoevsky wrote, “To live without hope is to cease to live.” Every person born into this world needs the virtue of hope in order to be creative and look to the future with a positive spirit. But hope on a natural level isn’t sufficient to sustain our enthusiasm in the face of obstacles, pain, suffering, failure, or betrayal. We need more than the natural virtues to sustain us when nature lets us down, especially in the face of suffering and death. Hope flows from practising faith and love. But natural faith, hope and love won’t sustain our relationships when we’re hurt or betrayed. On a natural level hope is simply wishful thinking and can’t assure us of a particular outcome. We need a hope that gives us assurance regarding the future. This is where God comes to our rescue by giving us the capacity in Baptism to receive and exercise supernatural virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love whose practice helps us rise up from the limitations of our natural faith, hope, and love. In supernatural Faith God unites us with Himself. God fills us with His Spirit in supernatural Love. In supernatural Hope God motivates us to overcome all the obstacles as we strive for perfection. Concerning supernatural hope, the inspired St. Paul noted that, “this hope will not leave us disappointed, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). The absence or the non-exercise of any of these supernatural virtues spells failure in our relationship with one another and with God.
Hope Is Faith and Love in Action Virtue
The Catholic Church defines virtue as, “A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of him/herself. The virtuous person … pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions. The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God” (CCC 1803). Good habits keep us balanced so that we can be at our best by resisting deficiency or excessiveness in meeting our physical and spiritual needs. Faith, hope, and charity are good habits because they come from God and in exercising them, we’re doing God’s will. It takes the practice of virtues to overcome and eliminate vices. Virtues provide the incentive to do good works. Jesus reminds us that “our commitment to Him is proved by works, not merely words” (Ignatius Study Bible, Jn 14:15). St. Augustine said that supernatural hope is the greatest of the three divine virtues because it’s the result of exercising in our life the capacity for supernatural faith and love which God gave us in Baptism. It’s through exercising these virtues, St. Paul reminds us that, “In hope we were saved” (Romans 8:24). Pope Benedict XVI points out that, “Hope, in fact, is a key word in Biblical faith—so much so that in several passages the words “faith” and “hope” seem interchangeable. Thus the Letter to the Hebrews closely links the “fullness of faith” (10:22) to the confession of our hope without wavering” (10:20) (Spe Salvi 2). Faith, hope and Love are inseparable, always interacting with one another. To have supernatural faith is to have supernatural love and to have supernatural love is to have supernatural hope.
Supernatural Hope Reigns
Easter is a season of hopefulness. Jesus took on the hopelessness and darkness of evil, suffering, and death on His shoulders as they nailed Him to a cross. But in His Resurrection Jesus conquered these enemies of life and replaced fear of them by supernatural hope in Him through having supernatural faith in Him. That’s why Jesus’ followers are an Easter People; a people assured of a bright future in which to hope knowing they have a place reserved for them in Heaven. A hopeless Christian is a contradiction in terms. The nature of a Christian is to be full of hope even in the most appalling situations. Jesus died on the cross full of hope because of His faith in His Father.
Hope Springs Eternal
The Apostle Philip displayed this supernatural hope when, despite persecution, he brought the Good News of Jesus to Samaria (Acts 8:4ff). Then we see Peter and John administering the Sacrament of Confirmation to those baptized by Philip giving them the supernatural hope of salvation. They “prayed, that they might receive the Holy Spirit…. and upon arriving laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:15, 17). Hope springs eternal so, “The rejoicing in the town rose to fever pitch” (Acts 8:8). Their joy came from the supernatural faith they received upon hearing Jesus’ Good News and receiving God’s love through the Holy Spirit giving them the hope of rising from and conquering wages of sin, namely suffering and death, (Rom 6:23). The Apostles’ hope, sprung from the faith God gave them that encouraged them to preach and teach Jesus’ Good News, fearless of persecution. Hope always encourages endurance because faith in God always says that for the faithful person the best is still ahead. Napoleon is said to have once remarked that, “Courage is like love; it must have hope for its nourishment.” Supernatural hope nourishes courage because it is based on faith in God “for whom nothing is impossible” (Lk 1:37).
Hope Brings Joy
St. Peter urges us to, “Venerate the Lord, that is Christ, in your hearts. Should anyone ask you the reason for this hope of yours, be ever ready to reply ….” (1 Pt 3:15). Christian hope is well expressed by the Psalmist: “Shout joyfully to God all the earth. Sing praise to the glory of His Name … Come and see the works of God, His tremendous deeds among the children of Adam” (Ps 66:4-5). God’s tremendous deed was to redeem us from our sinfulness which He completed in Jesus’ Resurrection. That’s our reason to shout joyfully, even in the face of death itself. That’s why we can be optimistic, which means expecting the best of all worlds. Helen Keller wrote that, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” A renaissance writer, Francois Rabelais, recognized the source of hope when he confessed, “I place no hope in my strength; nor in my works: but all my confidence is in my God my protector, who never abandons those who put all their hope and thought in Him.”
Sacraments of Hope
Jesus is our Hope-Giver. We need Him not only with us but in us. Jesus joined love and obedience when He said: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (Jn 14:15). To love Jesus is to obey Him and to obey Him is to have faith in Him. The heart-felt obedience of Jesus’ commandments signifies His Spirit’s presence guiding us in love of Him. To shore up our weaknesses, fickleness, and sinfulness Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide His Church in calling people to Baptism and Confirmation and thus receiving the power to practice the supernatural faith, hope and love in order to be “perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (My 5:48). Every Church member receives the Spirit of adoption in Baptism and His gifts to be Jesus’ public witnesses in Confirmation. The Holy Spirit is present in Jesus’ Church and in each of her members so that the “universal Church and individual Christians are temples of the Holy Spirit” (CCC 797). The spiritual gifts of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, prayerfulness, counsel, perseverance, and fear of the Lord enable Christians to be signs of supernatural hope that is based on God’s fidelity to His promises. Therefore, we must constantly ask the Holy Spirit to help us in this mission of bringing this divinely created hope to a world that at best can only promote wishful thinking.
Exercising the Capacity for Hope
Catholics are so blessed to have the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation wherein God has given them the capacity to exercise supernatural faith, hope, and love. Of course, it is one thing to have the capacity for something and quite another to exercise that capacity. The Church visibly expresses and exercises this capacity in her liturgy. Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven deprived the Church of His physical presence but it did not remove His spiritual presence from within her. She teaches us that Jesus is always present in her, especially in the Liturgy, where “He ministers through His priests, speaks through the Holy Scriptures, and sanctifies us through the Sacraments” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Jn 14:18; CCC 788, 1380). When we believe in Jesus’ presence in His Church, and participate in her Sacraments, especially in the Holy Mass, we’re exercising supernatural hope because in it we unite with Jesus worshipping His Father and our Father through the Holy Spirit. Every Holy Mass is a visible expression of the supernatural hope God gives us. This we’re able to say with confidence that the best is still ahead. (fr sean)
Jesus’ Church Brings Hope
“Your Church throughout the world sings You a new song, announcing Your wonders to all. Through a virgin You brought forth a new birth in our world; through Your miracles, a new power; through Your suffering, a new patience; in Your Resurrection, a new hope, and in Your Ascension, a new majesty.” (Liturgy of the Hours).
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29 April 2026
Easter 6 A
Sean Sheehy
Have You Confirmed the Reservation Jesus Made for You in Heaven? Amen
We live in a time of doom and gloom in the world while many no longer live in the presence of God. People express their worry about the future of the economy, their health, relationships, children, disease, friendships, jobs, housing, old age, or the future of the Church? The culture of death is promoted much more than the culture of life. But as members of Jesus’ Church shouldn’t we be upbeat, knowing that the best is still to come? Jesus tells us that we shouldn’t worry. God revealed through His prophet Isaiah: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Is 41:10). He asks us, “Which of you by worrying can add a moment to his lifespan?” (My 6:27).
Worry Is Useless
Actually worry can shorten your lifespan and make it a drudge! Did you know that the Old English root from which the word ‘worry’ comes means ‘to strangle’? Someone said that worry is like sitting in a rocking chair using your energy rocking back and forth but going nowhere. Worrying is a waste of time. It locks you into the future. It robs you of the present, which is the only time you have to prepare for the future. The present is the only time in which you can address what you’re worried about and do something about it by first of all having Faith in God. Without Faith in God today you can’t be hopeful of a bright tomorrow regardless of what it may bring. Faith in God is the “confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see” (Heb 11). Jesus, through His Church, provides the antidote to worry by giving us hope knowing that Jesus has prepared a special place for you. All you have to do is trust in Him and live according to His teaching knowing that He has made a reservation for you in Heaven.
Reservation in Heaven
Jesus allayed our anxieties when He assured believers: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house; if there were not, I should have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too” (Jn 14:1-3). Do you know that He reserved a room for you the day you were baptized? Have you confirmed the reservation through daily prayer, Sunday Holy Mass, frequent Confession, and acts of charity? The antidote to troubled hearts is trusting in the Lord’s presence as your Good Shepherd. Read and listen to God assuring you of His continued presence revealed in Psalm 23. All the saints are witnesses to this fact because He shepherded them through the “dark valley” to “green pastures where He gives them repose,” namely the place reserved for them in Heaven. I have, and I hope you have too, experienced Jesus’ shepherding in our lives thus far. Putting our trust in Jesus means letting Him take our hand to guide us out of dark places into God’s light where we can look ahead with confident hope. This hope is supernatural, a divine virtue God gives us as a gift, and not just wishful thinking. In the words of the divinely inspired St. Paul: “This hope will not leave us disappointed, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5).
Supernatural Faith
Our problem is trust. We focus too much on the natural and ignore the supernatural. To trust naturally is to rely on the integrity or ability of a person or thing. To trust supernaturally is to rely on God’s integrity and ability to save us from our proneness to sin, perfect our soul, enlighten our mind, and fill our heart with His love giving us the strength to be His true image and likeness in the world despite all opposition and obstacles. Without supernatural trust, fuelled by the Holy Spirit, neither you nor I will find our way to that place prepared for us the day we were baptized. We can’t trust what we don’t know. Trust requires knowledge. Without knowledge we won’t trust another person, unless we’re naïve or foolish. But we need to be able to trust because without it a relationship is impossible. This is why trust is a process based on knowing the other as a person of integrity and reliability. We never totally trust anyone at any given time with natural trust, including God. This is why we need God to give us and help us practice the supernatural virtue of Faith. Trust is faith on an emotional level. Coming to know God we realize that He alone deserves to be totally trusted because He is always faithful to His promises. The epitome of His trustworthiness is to be seen in Christ Jesus who sacrificed Himself in order to save His followers. We come to know Jesus through His Church who hands on the Apostolic Tradition which Jesus personally gave to His Apostles, whose witnesses they were, and they in turn handed it on to their successors whom they ordained, namely the Pope and the bishops. To assure the continuity of this Tradition Jesus and His Father sent the Holy Spirit to guide His Church to all truth.
The Necessity of Knowledge
There are two kinds of knowledge. There is a clear difference between knowledge about someone and knowledge gained through a personal relationship. This distinction is very important when it comes to knowing Jesus. We might know a lot about Jesus but how well do we actually know Him personally? The same goes for His Church. We can gain knowledge about a person from others or books. But we can’t know a person for who he or she really is without spending time in his or her company. The biggest reason why relationships fail is that people don’t spend nearly enough time getting to know who they really are. Building relationships takes time spent in mutual listening, respecting, believing, empathizing, giving good feedback and asking true questions. The first two characteristics of listening are respect for the speaker giving the speaker your full attention focusing on the intent rather than just the content. When that happens, communication and relationships deepen and trust grows. This is also true in our relationship with Jesus. Do we show Him our utmost respect and give Him our full attention as He speaks to us in the Gospel and through His Church’s Tradition?
Jesus and His Father Are One
Thomas and Philip had spent three years with Jesus but they still didn’t know Him. They saw His works and heard His words. Thomas complained that he didn’t know where Jesus was going, so how could he know how to get there. (Jn 14:5) All Philip wanted was to see God the Father (Jn 14:8). Jesus explained to Thomas that He was the Way to His Father’s house, the Truth about that house, and Life that was lived there (Jn 14:6). He told Philip that He and His Father were completely one with each other. “To have seen me is to have seen the Father …” (Jn 14:9). Philip and Thomas had only natural faith and didn’t yet have the supernatural Faith that would enable them to have supernatural trust in Jesus.
Faith in Jesus Solves Problems
How well do you know Jesus? You know you know when you face each day with supernatural Faith in Him and confront your problems by seeking and trusting His wisdom. Jesus promised us His blessing when we have Faith in Him: “Blessed is the man who finds no stumbling block in me” (Mt 11: 6). The early Christians faced major problems both internally and externally. Internally the community was getting larger and suffered from growing pains. Externally they were being isolated and persecuted. But they faced everything with supernatural trust in Jesus’ guiding Spirit. The Apostles were faced with defining their role as ordained leaders of the Church when groups complained of discrimination over food distribution. Led by the Holy Spirit’s gift of wisdom, they called a meeting of the whole community and stated that, “It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; …so select … seven men … filled with the Spirit and with wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the Word” (Acts 6:2-5). Trusting in the Holy Spirit the Apostles solved the problem.
The Role of Apostolic Leadership
Did the Apostles view themselves as being above serving at table? No. They saw that prayer and proclaiming God’s Word was essential to keep the community Christian. Prayer and God’s word kept them true to the Tradition Jesus gave them to hand on in His Holy Name. In prayer we ask for God’s direction and help to exercise the supernatural virtue of Faith, Hope, and Charity, and in the Word, proclaimed by His Church’s bishops and clergy, we come to know Jesus personally and His will for us. It’s through listening to His Word that you recognize Him in His Church’s Sacraments and experience Him intimately in our life. That intimate relationship is the foundation for a hopeful future which holds the bright promise of that place Jesus has reserved in Heaven for those who love Him. When you are tempted to worry, use it to remind you of what Jesus has in store for you and the reservation he has made for you. “Lord, let Your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in You” (Ps 33). You confirm the reservation Jesus has made for you by actively belonging to, “‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that you may announce the praises’ of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). (fr sean)
Ignorance Is Destructive
“Ours may become the first civilization destroyed, not by the power of our enemies, but by the ignorance of our teachers and the dangerous nonsense they are teaching our children” (Thomas Sowell)
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22 April 2026
Easter 4 A Sean Sheehy
The Only Way to Heaven
American humorist, Seba Smith, around 1840, wrote a short story titled “The Money Diggers” in which he noted that, “There are more ways than one to skin a cat.” He was talking about the many ways to dig for money. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a love poem in the nineteenth century which began with the line, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Jesus teaches us that there may be many ways for doing many things but there’s only one way to enter Heaven, namely His way. In his play “As You Like It”, Shakespeare, through the forlorn character of Jacques, opined that, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.” The world may be a stage but life is not a play; it’s real and often painful. It’s an experience of one’s developing self from the moment of conception to natural death expressed in thoughts, words and actions. There are entrances and exits such as conception, birth, entering and leaving childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, old age, finally exiting in death and entering the beyond. A good exit is more important than a flamboyant entrance because the way we exit determines the smoothness or roughness of our entrance into the next stage or phase of life. Death is our final exit from the world in which we now live, move, and have our being. How do we prepare for it satisfactorily? A productive retirement follows when we exit a career or job with a vision of what we want to be and do as we enter the next phase of life. For the Christian, a good exit means being prepared to enter Heaven. St. Peter teaches us that “the goal of our Faith is the salvation of our soul” (1 Peter 1:9). There’s only one way to achieve that reality, namely through, with and in Jesus Christ. This is why St. Peter in his first sermon confronted the Jewish leaders’ willingness to hand Jesus over to be crucified, reminding them that they killed the only one who could save them. Bishops and clergy have an obligation to confront the world with this truth just as Peter did.
There’s no stairway to Heaven as God revealed in the story of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9) whose builders tried to gain entrance to Heaven on their own. Rather, we walk with the One who has descended from Heaven and now has ascended and resides there. Regarding who will be saved, Jesus responded: “Enter through the narrow gate, the gate that leads to damnation is wide, the road is clear, and many choose to travel it. But how narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!” (Mt 7:13-14). Jesus tells us, “No one has gone up to Heaven except the One who came down from there – the Son of Man who is in Heaven” (Jn 3:13). Later He explained, “… it is not to do my own will that I have come down from Heaven, but to do the will of Him who sent me. … Indeed this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day” (Jn 6:38-40). Jesus is the Good Shepherd who “calls His own by name and leads them out …” He promised that, Whoever enters through me will be safe … I came that they might have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:3, 9-11). Fullness of life can only be experienced in Heaven.
We hear people today, even leaders of the Church, claim that “all religions are paths to God.” That is a lie which Satan loves because it either reduces or dismisses the importance of Jesus and His Church as necessary for salvation. Jesus states clearly that, “… no one comes to the Father but through me” (Jn 14:6). The Word of God through St. Peter emphasizes that Jesus is the only Savior: “There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other Name in the whole world given to men by which we are to be saved” (Acts 4:11-12). The fact is that there’s no other way to Heaven. Jesus is the only Savior of mankind. Neither Islam, nor Buddhism, nor Hinduism, nor Confucianism, nor any other man-made religion can save a man or woman from hell. That’s why in death everyone must opt either for or against Jesus who “judges the living and the dead” (2 Tim 4:1). Since Jesus and His Church cannot be separated, no one can opt for Jesus without also opting for His Church. That’s why St Peter publicly proclaimed this truth on Pentecost Sunday when he preached the following: “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). Those who heard Peter’s confrontational sermon implored in their guilt, “What are we to do?” Peter responded, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:37-38). Repentance and baptism marked the exit from their sinful ways and their entrance into a new way of life, namely Jesus’ way, the Christian way, through membership in His Church. It is active membership in Jesus’ Church that prepares a person for a positive exit from this world and a happy entrance into the next world.
Jesus revealed that, “Eternal life is this: to know You, the one true God, and the one you have sent, Jesus Christ” (Jn 17:3). The intentional member of the Church can declare with assurance in the words of the Psalmist that, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for You are at my side with Your rod and Your staff that give me courage” (Ps 23). Imagine the peace and security that prayer gives us when Jesus is at the centre of our life. Jesus shepherds us through His Church and guides us through the Holy Spirit to meet all our needs by accompanying us and calling us to yoke ourselves to Him (Mt 11:29) as we enter and exit the different stages and experiences of life. He walks with us daily through, with and in His Church’s prayer, worship, Sacraments and service, especially in the Holy Mass where He enables us to be present with Him at Calvary where He sacrificed Himself to atone for our sins in order to save us. This is a visible display of His love for us. Through His Church’s Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick Jesus enables us to die peacefully by preparing us for a good exit from this life through dying with Him in order to rise with Him (Rom 6:8). Jesus empowers us to “suffer injustice and endure hardships through making us aware of God’s presence,” reminding us that He is always with us. “You have seen … how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself” (Ex 19:4). Peter reminds us: “Christ suffered for you … to have you follow in His footsteps. By His wounds you were healed. At one time you were straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls” (1 Pt 2:21-25). What greater security could anyone wish for than that which Jesus offers us? He calls you and me by name and wants to have a personal relationship with us as members of His Church into which He granted entrance through Baptism. Do you recognize His voice as He speaks to you and meets you in each of His Church’s Sacraments especially in His Mass through the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist? He is the only One who can take you to Heaven since He alone knows the way because He is the only Way to Heaven, the only Truth about who God is, who we are and how to get to Heaven, and the only giver of Heavenly Life. If you don’t hear Jesus it’s not because He isn’t speaking to you but because you aren’t listening. “Today, if you should hear His voice, harden not your hearts as at the revolt” (Heb 3:15). What do we need to do? We need to reform our life, repent, and believe in the Gospel. That is the only way to Heaven. He has given us His Church to make that possible. It is all so simple, isn’t it! Like the Nike slogan, “Just do it!” (fr sean)
Gifts to Pray For
Lord, grant me the gift of wisdom, discipline, and understanding, that I may not be hardened by sin, weakened by laziness, or blinded by foolishness. Amen! (Liturgy of the Hours)
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22 April 2026
Easter 4 A Sean Sheehy
The Only Way to Heaven
American humorist, Seba Smith, around 1840, wrote a short story titled “The Money Diggers” in which he noted that, “There are more ways than one to skin a cat.” He was talking about the many ways to dig for money. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a love poem in the nineteenth century which began with the line, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Jesus teaches us that there may be many ways for doing many things but there’s only one way to enter Heaven, namely His way. In his play “As You Like It”, Shakespeare, through the forlorn character of Jacques, opined that, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.” The world may be a stage but life is not a play; it’s real and often painful. It’s an experience of one’s developing self from the moment of conception to natural death expressed in thoughts, words and actions. There are entrances and exits such as conception, birth, entering and leaving childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, old age, finally exiting in death and entering the beyond. A good exit is more important than a flamboyant entrance because the way we exit determines the smoothness or roughness of our entrance into the next stage or phase of life. Death is our final exit from the world in which we now live, move, and have our being. How do we prepare for it satisfactorily? A productive retirement follows when we exit a career or job with a vision of what we want to be and do as we enter the next phase of life. For the Christian, a good exit means being prepared to enter Heaven. St. Peter teaches us that “the goal of our Faith is the salvation of our soul” (1 Peter 1:9). There’s only one way to achieve that reality, namely through, with and in Jesus Christ. This is why St. Peter in his first sermon confronted the Jewish leaders’ willingness to hand Jesus over to be crucified, reminding them that they killed the only one who could save them. Bishops and clergy have an obligation to confront the world with this truth just as Peter did.
There’s no stairway to Heaven as God revealed in the story of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9) whose builders tried to gain entrance to Heaven on their own. Rather, we walk with the One who has descended from Heaven and now has ascended and resides there. Regarding who will be saved, Jesus responded: “Enter through the narrow gate, the gate that leads to damnation is wide, the road is clear, and many choose to travel it. But how narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!” (Mt 7:13-14). Jesus tells us, “No one has gone up to Heaven except the One who came down from there – the Son of Man who is in Heaven” (Jn 3:13). Later He explained, “… it is not to do my own will that I have come down from Heaven, but to do the will of Him who sent me. … Indeed this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day” (Jn 6:38-40). Jesus is the Good Shepherd who “calls His own by name and leads them out …” He promised that, Whoever enters through me will be safe … I came that they might have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:3, 9-11). Fullness of life can only be experienced in Heaven.
We hear people today, even leaders of the Church, claim that “all religions are paths to God.” That is a lie which Satan loves because it either reduces or dismisses the importance of Jesus and His Church as necessary for salvation. Jesus states clearly that, “… no one comes to the Father but through me” (Jn 14:6). The Word of God through St. Peter emphasizes that Jesus is the only Savior: “There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other Name in the whole world given to men by which we are to be saved” (Acts 4:11-12). The fact is that there’s no other way to Heaven. Jesus is the only Savior of mankind. Neither Islam, nor Buddhism, nor Hinduism, nor Confucianism, nor any other man-made religion can save a man or woman from hell. That’s why in death everyone must opt either for or against Jesus who “judges the living and the dead” (2 Tim 4:1). Since Jesus and His Church cannot be separated, no one can opt for Jesus without also opting for His Church. That’s why St Peter publicly proclaimed this truth on Pentecost Sunday when he preached the following: “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). Those who heard Peter’s confrontational sermon implored in their guilt, “What are we to do?” Peter responded, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:37-38). Repentance and baptism marked the exit from their sinful ways and their entrance into a new way of life, namely Jesus’ way, the Christian way, through membership in His Church. It is active membership in Jesus’ Church that prepares a person for a positive exit from this world and a happy entrance into the next world.
Jesus revealed that, “Eternal life is this: to know You, the one true God, and the one you have sent, Jesus Christ” (Jn 17:3). The intentional member of the Church can declare with assurance in the words of the Psalmist that, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for You are at my side with Your rod and Your staff that give me courage” (Ps 23). Imagine the peace and security that prayer gives us when Jesus is at the centre of our life. Jesus shepherds us through His Church and guides us through the Holy Spirit to meet all our needs by accompanying us and calling us to yoke ourselves to Him (Mt 11:29) as we enter and exit the different stages and experiences of life. He walks with us daily through, with and in His Church’s prayer, worship, Sacraments and service, especially in the Holy Mass where He enables us to be present with Him at Calvary where He sacrificed Himself to atone for our sins in order to save us. This is a visible display of His love for us. Through His Church’s Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick Jesus enables us to die peacefully by preparing us for a good exit from this life through dying with Him in order to rise with Him (Rom 6:8). Jesus empowers us to “suffer injustice and endure hardships through making us aware of God’s presence,” reminding us that He is always with us. “You have seen … how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself” (Ex 19:4). Peter reminds us: “Christ suffered for you … to have you follow in His footsteps. By His wounds you were healed. At one time you were straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls” (1 Pt 2:21-25). What greater security could anyone wish for than that which Jesus offers us? He calls you and me by name and wants to have a personal relationship with us as members of His Church into which He granted entrance through Baptism. Do you recognize His voice as He speaks to you and meets you in each of His Church’s Sacraments especially in His Mass through the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist? He is the only One who can take you to Heaven since He alone knows the way because He is the only Way to Heaven, the only Truth about who God is, who we are and how to get to Heaven, and the only giver of Heavenly Life. If you don’t hear Jesus it’s not because He isn’t speaking to you but because you aren’t listening. “Today, if you should hear His voice, harden not your hearts as at the revolt” (Heb 3:15). What do we need to do? We need to reform our life, repent, and believe in the Gospel. That is the only way to Heaven. He has given us His Church to make that possible. It is all so simple, isn’t it! Like the Nike slogan, “Just do it!” (fr sean)
Gifts to Pray For
Lord, grant me the gift of wisdom, discipline, and understanding, that I may not be hardened by sin, weakened by laziness, or blinded by foolishness. Amen! (Liturgy of the Hours)
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Easter 3 A Sean Sheehy
16 April 2026
From Grief to Joy and Hope
On a natural level Easter is always an uplifting time because it occurs during spring when we see a resurgence of plant growth after winter’s drabness and dormancy. On a supernatural level Easter is the celebration of life after death when grief gives way to joy. That’s the great hope that Jesus’ resurrection brings to mankind. We all want to live; none of us wants to die. None of us wants to live just a little or experience life temporarily. We want to live life to the fullest and forever. Jesus made that possible. From the inevitability of death’s certainty, which we can’t escape, Jesus instils in us the hope of resurrection that makes death and grief bearable. Nowhere is this brought to our attention more visible than in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which assures us of the continuity of Jesus’ Real and life-giving presence in and among us.
Believe God’s Revelation
After Jesus’ crucifixion His disciples were filled with grief and feelings of desolation as exhibited in St. Luke’s account of two men walking home on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35) . From having high hopes generated by Jesus they now sunk to the depths of hopelessness after His crucifixion. As they were commiserating with one another, miraculously the risen Jesus joined them, but they were so caught up in their grief that they didn’t recognize Him, just like Mary Magdalene at the cemetery. Walking along with them, He listened to their lamentation. They told Him about the hopes they had for Jesus whom they saw as a prophet and to make things sadder they’d heard that His tomb was empty, but no one had seen His body. Then Jesus said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! What little faith you have … Did not the Messiah have to undergo all this so as to enter His glory?! (Lk 24:25-26). Then He recalled what God had revealed in the Old Testament about the Messiah. Then He interpreted all prophecies regarding what the Messiah would have to endure and that He had fulfilled them. As it was late in the evening, the two disciples hospitably invited Jesus to spend the night with them. He accepted and they shared their food with Him. At the meal, “He took bread, pronounced the blessing, then broke the bread and began distributing it to them” (Lk 24:30-31). Then Jesus disappeared. The action triggered their memory of what they had seen Jesus miraculously feed the multitudes by blessing and breaking a few loaves providing them with nourishment. Reflecting on Jesus’ opening of the Scriptures to them, they remarked, “Were not our hearts burning inside us as He talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:32). Later, having returned to Jerusalem, they “recounted what had happened on the road and how they had come to know Him in the breaking of bread” (Lk 24:35). This is why the Eucharistic Sacrifice and banquet is central to the success of the mission which Jesus handed on to His Church. It is a visible sign of His Real Presence in His Church through the action of the priest at Holy Mass.
Word and Sacrament
The old adage, “Actions speak louder than words” is evident in this encounter between Jesus and the two disciples. It was Jesus’ action in the “breaking of bread” that provided the clinching moment for the disciples’ recognition of His resurrected presence. Jesus showed that Word and Sacrament constitute one whole re-presentation of Himself in His Church. The spoken Word takes on flesh in the visible Sacrament. It wasn’t the Word by itself that enabled the disciples to recognize Jesus’ real presence; rather it was His action that opened their ears and eyes. Thus we see in the holy Mass the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist forming a unity in which Jesus is fully present to believers. It is in the consecration of the bread and wine that become the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus that His Word becomes sensible, capable of being heard, seen, touched, tasted and burns in the hearts of believers. In the early Church the “breaking of bread” always referred to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The re-presentation of what Jesus did at the Last Supper when He took bread, blessed it and broke it and gave it to His eleven Apostles telling them to, “take this and eat of it for this is my Body,” and He did the same with the chalice of wine. Then, He ordained and authorized them to “Do this in memory of me,” (Lk 22:19). Thus Jesus made it possible for believers through this action to see, hear, taste and touch Him until He comes again. In celebrating the holy Eucharist Jesus’ Church continuously celebrates the Real Presence of the Risen Jesus in His glorified Body. This is why the Church teaches that the Mass through, with, and in which God is worshipped and the Eucharist is celebrated is “the summit toward which the activity of the Church; at the same time it is the font from which all her energy flows” (Document on the Liturgy Vatican II). Jesus’ sacramental presence in the Holy Mass frees us from grief and fills us with joy and hope because we can confidently pray in the words of the Psalmist, “I say to the Lord, ‘My Lord are you’ … I set the Lord ever before me, with Him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed … You will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will You suffer Your faithful one to undergo corruption. You will show me the path to life” (Ps 16:1-11).
Joy and Hope
We all know how important hope and joy are in our life. Without them we lack motivation and are doomed to despair. Sadly society is riddled with grief and hopelessness as is evident in the promotion of a culture of death made visible in suicide, “assisted dying,” euthanasia, abortion, self-harm, etc. A person cannot be a true Catholic and be hopeless or joyless. Christian hope is not wishful thinking. Rather it is based on God’s faith in us and His love for us which He demonstrates through Jesus’ sacramental presence in His Church where Jesus personally meets us and we personally meet Him in each of the Sacraments, especially in the Holy Mass. Nowhere is God’s faith in us and His love for us expressed more concretely than in Jesus’ suffering, death and Resurrection. St. Peter wrote that God saves us through Jesus so our faith and hope are in God (1 Pt 1:17-21).
Meeting Jesus
Jesus was raised from the dead by His Father with a human body that was no longer subject to suffering and death, but rather was now glorified. Therefore He was no longer constricted by space and time. Thus He now is able to be with each of us who are subject to the restrictions of space and time. He continues to correctly interpret the Scriptures through His Church and make Himself present in her Sacraments, especially His Real presence in the Holy Mass through the ordained priesthood. He also describes as fools those who do not believe in the Holy Scriptures. Therefore, each time we participate in the celebration of Holy Mass we have the opportunity to hear and believe in Jesus in the proclamation of the Scriptures and recognize His Real Presence in the “breaking of bread”, the Holy Eucharist. There He raises us from death to life, from hopelessness to hopefulness, from grief to joy. That hope and joy spring eternal because they flow from knowing that Jesus is present in His Church and, in the words of St. Peter, “It is through Jesus you are believers in God, the God who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory. Your faith and hope, then, are centered in God” (1 Peter 1:17-21). Knowing where Jesus is, namely in His Church, we know where to meet Him, where He meets us in a personal relationship and assures us that He is always with us in His Church and evil has no power over her. Surely this gives us a confidence that, if we’re faithful to Jesus, we can look to the future with hope and joy knowing that Jesus is present to us as both God and Man and enables us to receive Him in a manner where He can dwell within us making our relationship with Him a holy communion in which He gives Himself to us as a saving gift calling us to make a gift of our self to Him. Thus we can influence the world to turn to Jesus who alone can give it a genuine hope, and with it a joy that comes from God alone. So we must cease being hopeless and joyless because Jesus walks with us showing us that He has conquered suffering and death sending us His Spirit of consolation especially when we’re travelling “in this valley of tears”! (fr sean)
Whom Do You Follow – The world or Jesus?
World: “Follow your desires!”
Jesus: “Follow me!”
World: “Believe in yourself!”
Jesus: “Believe in me!”
World: “Discover yourself!”
Jesus: “Deny yourself!”
World: “Be true to yourself!”
Jesus: “be true to me!”
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Easter 2026
Sean Sheehy
Easter: The Church Reminds Us that Jesus Won
Back in the 1960’s William Bell sang a song, “Everybody Loves a Winner.” The first verse went as follows: “Once I had fame/ Oh I was full of pride/ Had lots of friends/ Always here right by my side/ Well my fame, oh it died/ Now my friends all try to hide/ Everybody loves a winner/ Everybody loves a winner/ But when you lose, you lose alone.” In the boxing world at the end of the fight the referee raises the hand of one of them and, in a booming voice, shouts, “And the winner is …!” Winners get all the accolades while losers disappear into the crowd. Easter is all about winners and losers. Jesus was the winner and Satan was the loser. In Jesus, life won over death, good conquered evil, hope overcame despair, sin was defeated by grace, and the followers of Jesus were given a bright future in which to hope. On Easter Sunday morning, at the end of the fight between good and evil, Jesus’ Church joyfully announces to the whole world: “And the winner is Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, God’s Word-made-flesh, the Saviour of the world.” The loser is the devil skulking in the background with his power over mankind crushed forever. But, like a beaten dog, Satan still remained ready to bite anyone who let him come near them.
Easter Sunday is the highpoint of the Catholic Church’s Liturgical year. It’s the day we’re reminded that God has rescued us from Satan’s evil claws. It’s the day when we’re able, as Christians, to proclaim from our heart in the words of the Psalmist: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it” (Ps 118:24). Easter is the celebration of a hard-fought victory over sin and death by Jesus who sacrificed Himself on behalf in order to reconcile humanity with divinity that was ruptured by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is the most joyful occasion for those who’re baptized into Jesus’ Church and those who are seeking Him. Paradoxically, it was by taking on suffering and death that Jesus demonstrated life’s victory. The Holy Spirit raises our consciousness through St. Paul that if we die to the world as Jesus died on the Cross for us He will raise us up from the grave as the Father raised Him from the tomb: “Are you not aware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. Through baptism into His death we were buried with Him, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life. If we have been united with Him through likeness to His death, so shall we be through a like resurrection” (Rom 6:3-5). Are you a Christian? Do you see yourself as a winner? If you practise your Christian Faith you are definitely a winner. As Christians we aren’t like groupies hanging around some celebrity. We, through Baptism into His Church, were adopted by Jesus as His brothers and sisters, and given the grace to be like Him, following in His footsteps, doing His will as outlined in the Commandments and the Beatitudes until we meet Him as our Judge the day we die. For His is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory now and forever.
Jesus Is the Victor
St. Peter tells us how Jesus, God’s promised Messiah, conquered sin and death. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all that He did … They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree. This Man God raised on the third day and granted that He be visible to us … who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead” (Acts 34, 37-43). Satan tempted man and woman to “be like gods” but independently of God and so doomed mankind to eternal death. What Satan didn’t tell them was they could not be like gods because they would have no power without God. It signalled the end of the peace and happiness for which God created man and woman that was now marred by suffering and death. Jesus restored the possibility of achieving peace and happiness through His death and Resurrection. Jesus during His public ministry restored peace and happiness to those who believed in Him.
From Grief to Consolation
Mary Magdalene is one example of the hope and the peace that Jesus instilled in those who believed in Him. She found in Jesus the kind of love that restored her dignity and gave her a sense of her God-given beauty that she never knew or felt before. She was at peace in His company. Good Friday for her was not a good day. She watched the only One who gave her hope now bleeding and hanging from the cross, lifeless. She felt helpless and bereft. Unable to sleep she rose early on Easter Sunday morning and came to Jesus’ tomb. Imagine her consternation when she found the tomb empty. Who robbed her of this one last act of reciprocal love for Jesus by perfuming His dead body? Remember she previously washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and anointed them with expensive oil as He sat at a banquet. Now, lost in her grief Mary sat weeping beside the empty tomb. Miraculously, through her tears, she beheld two angels who questioned her, “Woman, why are you weeping” (Jn 20:13)? Startled, she replied, “Because the Lord has been taken away, and I don’t know where they have put Him” (v 14). Then she turned around and saw a man she thought was the gardener who asked her why she was crying and who she was looking for. She pleaded, “Sir, if you are the one who carried Jesus’ body off, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away” (v 15). Then the man called her name. Only one Person had ever spoken her name with such love – “Mary”. Immediately ,she recognized Jesus – crying out, “Rabouni –Teacher” – and joyfully raced to Him, throwing her arms around Him, almost crushing the life out of Him, so much so that He gently responded, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God!” (v 17).
Enjoy Easter with Mary Magdalene
To really appreciate Easter you and I need to put ourselves in Mary Magdalene’s shoes. She went from the depths of loss to the heights of gain, from the pain of grief to the joy of consolation. She went from feeling like an unfortunate loser to being a fortunate winner. The thrill of meeting the resurrected Jesus rang out as she informed the Apostles, “I have seen the Lord!” The Risen Jesus replaced her drooping spirit of grief with a soaring spirit of hope. Hope springs eternal. This is what Jesus does for all His followers. He changes us from being losers to being winners. So St. Paul brings us down to earth by cautioning us: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Co 3:1-4). Yes, everybody loves a winner, and Jesus is the greatest Winner the world has ever or will ever know? With Him we win; without Him we lose. Why don’t more people understand this? Jesus Himself during His public ministry revealed, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who lives in me and I in him, will produce abundantly, for apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). Have a joyful Easter. (fr sean)
St. Augustine: "It is completely useless to pursue a Cristian end except by Christian means."
""One world is impossible without one God (one Saviour) and one Church"
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Sean Sheehy 25 3 2026
Palm Sunday: Divine Loyalty and Human Fickleness
To be fickle implies deceitfulness, treachery, or inconsistent behavior in one’s relationships. It is impossible to have a stable relationship with someone who is fickle. Jesus came face to face with the fickleness of many of His followers on that first Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday are two names for the same day but the Palm and the Passion reflect opposing realities. One symbolizes the beauty and the grace in humanity while the other reflects its ugliness and sinfulness. Thus, we begin Holy Week, which culminates in Easter Sunday when beauty triumphs over ugliness and grace conquers sinfulness. That first Holy Week almost 2,000 years ago changed the world. Jesus Christ gave witness to the best in humanity as God designed it. In the process, He suffered the worst and most stupid in humanity as demonstrated in the acts of sinners who crucified the only one who could save them from eternal hell. The gentleness and faith of Jesus seemed to be no match for the brutality and arrogance of Satan raging in the hearts of men blinded by his lies. Jesus demonstrated Divine loyalty by fulfilling Psalm 22 when he cried out, “My God, my God why have you abandoned me” and in the next breath declared, “Into Your hands, O God, I commend my spirit.”
The Cross of Trust
The pivotal message and witness of Easter is that gentleness conquers violence and faith in God proves stronger than the brute force of arrogant and egotistical men. This message is of utmost importance for us today since we live in a world that dismisses gentleness as weakness and rejects faith in God as naive. Violence, and the culture of death that uses it as its weapon, is rampant in society physically, mentally, emotionally, morally, and economically. The Easter message of Jesus to you and to me is: “Be gentle; trust in God, commend your spirit to Him, and He will raise you up in glory above those who abuse or attempt to destroy you. Trust in me as I trusted in my Father Love and you will conquer suffering and death!” Jesus countered the fickleness of fallen human nature upon which Satan capitalizes by His trust in His Father and we’ll counter our fickleness by our trust in Jesus.
Living with Blinkers On
People waved palms in welcome as Jesus entered Jerusalem, serenading Him with hymns of praise. This shows human nature at its best embracing Jesus as its Lord and Savior. Sadly, the best was to disintegrate into the worst. The dark side of people, reflected in the fallen state of human nature aided and abetted by Satan, manifested itself in their heartless chorus: “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The effects of Original sin erased the image of God in man and woman. We turned away from God as the source of our freedom and accepted Satan’s version of freedom, which is the license to satisfy our disordered desires at the expense of our soul’s salvation. God calls us to be our best selves through repentance and forgiveness. Satan tells us that we’re fine as we are and to cancel anyone that opposes us so that we don’t have to face the truth about ourselves. Thus we live our life with blinkers on. God reminds us that we’re free only if we choose the truth that exposes the lies with which we fool ourselves. Satan hates the truth since it exposes his false promises and so he packages lies to look like truth. God created us to be happy through sharing and caring for others. Satan promises happiness through using others for our own ends. God emphasizes the importance of focusing on “You” and “us,” while Satan encourages the promotion of “me, myself, and I” – the unholy trinity. This cosmic struggle for our souls between God and Satan is dramatized in the Passion Narratives from the Gospels of St. Matthew 26:14-27:66; St. Mark 14:1-1547; St. Luke 22:1-23:56; and St. John 18:1-19:42 proclaimed by the Church this Holy Week. In these narratives we see God’s unconditional love for mankind in action despite mankind’s total unworthiness.
Love is Sacrificial
The purpose of our Catholic Faith in Jesus as members of His Church, His bride, is to show us what it means to love without counting the cost – thereby giving witness to the image and likeness of God within us as the treasured Guest of our souls who fills our hearts with a peace that is divine. Jesus is the Model par excellence of what it means to love from the heart and the power of that love over suffering and death. He is God-become-Man, blessing and redeeming our fallen humanity. Our Faith unites us with Jesus in a relationship wherein His Spirit purifies us from our sinfulness as He teaches us to speak and act like Him. The dark side of us never brings us the peace, freedom and happiness for which we crave. Jesus Himself revealed that “There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13). Jesus laid down His life not only for His friends, who were few in number because most had abandoned Him, but also for His enemies for whom he interceded with His Father, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). In the inspired words of St. Paul (Rom 5:8), “It is precisely in this that God proves His love for us: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” As we commemorate Jesus’ sacrifice to atone for our sins may we express our gratitude by laying down our lives for Him and the mission of His Church so that we give love the opportunity to conquer hate and commitment the opportunity to conquer our fickleness in our relationships with Jesus and with one another. I wish you all a truly Holy Week as you walk with Mary praying with Jesus as He carried the Cross of total obedience to His Father on behalf of each of us. (fr sean)
Maturity
Maturity is learning to walk away from people and situations that threaten your peace of mind, self-respect, values, morals, or self-worth.
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19 March 2026
Lent 5th A Sean Sheehy
Wed 18 Mar, 2026
The Gravity of the Grave
Someone noted that if you don’t know the bad news the good news is no news. The Catholic Church is entering the fifth week of her Lenten journey in preparation for what she traditionally calls “Holy Week” that culminates in Easter Sunday. Thus she gives us the bad news of Jesus' passion and death so that we can appreciate the good news of His Resurrection. The bad news for each of us is death. The good news is the possibility of an eternal life of happiness after death. The Church, in obedience to her Head, Christ Jesus, prepares us through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to celebrate the gift of life after death. Listen to God as He speaks to us through Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 130: 1-8; St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans 8:8-11; and the Gospel of St. John 11:1-45.
Bad News and Good News
How often have you reflected on the bad news that you are going to die? Have you purchased a grave where your body will be buried? The more we reflect on our coming death the more we want to hear Jesus’ good news that death isn’t the end of life. The more we realize we’re headed toward the grave the more we’ll realize the gravity of what the future holds for us if we’re not preparing to die with Jesus in order to rise with Him (Rom 6:8-18).
God’s people were in a grave situation in Babylon and they were conscious of the gravity of being exiles. The Israelites were in a hopeless situation having been exiled from their homeland. Then God spoke to them through Ezekiel with the consoling words: “O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel.” No sweeter words could have sounded in their ears. Those who died in exile would be brought back to their birth place and buried with their ancestors. This promise probably caused them to wonder what He meant since their notion of resurrection was vague. However, it gave them hope that God would free them from their enemies and restore them to their own country. It eased the gravity of their situation.
God revealed through Ezekiel that His nature is to open graves, especially the ones we dig ourselves through our sinfulness. By His life-giving, just and merciful nature God replaces our sadness at the prospect of suffering and dying with a spirit of consolation and joy. He assures us: “I will put my spirit in you that you may live ... thus you will know that I am the Lord.” God, the Life-Giver, brings life out of death and joy out of sadness. That is the Good news.
Don’t Deny the Seriousness of the Grave
There’s a relationship between the grave and gravity. When we talk about the “gravity” of something, we imply that it’s a serious matter. When we describe something as “grave” we tend to prepare ourselves for the worst. Perhaps that’s why we avoid reflecting on the fact that we all face the grave one day. The gravest experience we’re destined to have is death which with each day gets closer and closer to each of us. With death comes judgment that determines our eternal state. Because death is contrary to our nature we tend to ignore it. But actually, through the good news of our Faith we should embrace it with a sense of joy. Because through uniting ourselves with Jesus we will be resurrected.
God didn’t create death. But the atheistic culture that’s dominant in the world either runs from death or uses it to put an end to suffering. It uses all kinds of euphemisms for death in order to avoid facing its ugliness and unnaturalness. The world refers to death euphemistically as “passing on,” “passing away,” “kicking the bucket,” “buying the farm,” “croaking,” or “biting the dust.” Abortion is referred to as “healthcare” or “a termination” to cover up the murder of an innocent child on the altar of egotism and selfishness. The word “euthanasia” comes from the Greek and literally means “good death.” There is no good death because death is evil. “Death is the wages of sin” (Rom 6:23). The only “good death” was that of Jesus only because in taking it on He conquered it. It’s amazing to me that when it comes to death we tend to use language that avoids facing its actual reality and outcome. I wonder why? Is it that we’re afraid and pretend it won’t happen to us? Is it that we don’t want to face the full gravity of what happens at death? Jesus was blunt when He warned us to, “Keep watch for you know not the day nor the hour when the Lord will come” as our Judge (Mt 25:13).
We all know about the Law of Gravity. It is the built-in law of nature that pulls things down or prevents things from going up. Gravity and grave have the same Latin root. As human beings, we have a built-in need to be free. Anything that pulls us down is a threat to that freedom. The notion of the grave runs counter to our need to be free. Perhaps that’s why we don’t like to talk about death since it pulls us down into the grave. What’s grave pulls us down, at least emotionally and mentally, if not spiritually and physically. We prefer to be up rather than down.
You Reap what You Sow
St. Paul warns us that, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Why? When we’re focusing primarily on our body it pulls us down because as we grow older we see it deteriorating. We give our body a lift when we use it to serve our soul. God is never pleased with what pulls people down or diminishes our humanity. God is life and God is eternal. There’s no place in God for death. He didn’t create you and me to die. Rather He created us to live forever in a world without end. To be in the flesh is to focus completely on the body and invest on what will end up in the grave. St. Paul spells it out for us when he was inspired to write: “For he that sows in the flesh will reap corruption; but he that sows in the Spirit shall reap everlasting life” (Gal 6:8). In death, whatever we have lived for becomes eternal. An important question for each of us is, “Do I want the way I am living now to become eternal?” If not, now is the time to change.
Fulfillment of God’s Promise
God’s promise to open the graves of His people was visibly fulfilled by Jesus as demonstrated in the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The death of Lazarus was bad news for his sisters, Martha and Mary. Jesus brought them good news prefiguring what He was going to do for all who believed in Him. Here we see God’s personal involvement in the life of His people. Both Martha and Mary didn’t even dream that their brother would walk away from the tomb. However, Martha did believe that if Jesus was present that He would have somehow prevented Lazarus from dying. She did believe in the resurrection of her brother on the last day. Then Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” He tested her faith by asking her, “Do you believe this?” She answered: “Yes, I do believe …” After this exchange Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb and restored him to life after death. In Jesus’ Mass the priest says in the preface for the funeral Mass, “For the Christian in death life has changed, not ended.”
As Catholics, imbued with Jesus’ Good News, the grave is no longer so grave that we have to fear or avoid reflecting upon it. We shouldn’t be afraid to face the reality of death unless we are living in sin. Then we should be afraid, but that fear should motivate us to repent and seek forgiveness while we still have time.
Reflect on the Bad to Appreciate the Good
To appreciate the Good News of what Jesus accomplished for us we would do well to reflect upon the bad news, namely that we live in an evil world riddled with suffering and eventual death that affects us all and against which we’re powerless on our own. The uplifting aspect of this is that we do the reflection in light of God’s revelation that He will open the graves of all those who believe in Him. Our Faith in God becomes visible when we focus more on the things of Heaven than on the things of earth and on our soul more than our body. Questions for our reflection might be, “Do I look to God as the source of my security or do I focus more on material things? How much of my day do I devote to worshipping and praising God? Do I discipline my body so that it serves my soul? How generous am I giving my time, talent, and money to others in need? Do I use the Commandments and the Beatitudes to measure my love for God? How active am I in my Church parish? Do I reflect on my sins of omission? We’re reminded by our sagging body as we grow older that the law of gravity pulls all material things downwards. Gravity won’t raise us up, only God can do that. Hence, our need to invite His Spirit to reside in our soul through feeding our mind with God’s Word that shapes our heart, which reflects the state of our soul. The Good News is that, “If the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through His Spirit welling in you” (Rom 8:11). Make your body serve your soul through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. (fr sean) amen
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11 March 2026
Lent 4 A
Sean Sheehy
Do You See What the Lord Sees?
When was the last time you had your eyes checked? We shouldn’t take our eyesight for granted. Periodic check-ups are important because they assure us that what we’re seeing is really what’s there. Just as we need to have an ophthalmologist check our physical eyes, so we need Jesus to check our spiritual eyes. God’s Word from 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 23:1-6, Ephesians 5:8-14, and St. John 9:1-41 provide us with a check-up for our spiritual eyes to offset our vulnerability to spiritual blindness to the truth, the way, and the life which Jesus calls us to embrace in order to get to Heaven. The first verse of a Christmas Song asks, “Said the night wind to the little lamb/ Do you see what I see/ Way up in the sky little lamb/ Do you see what I see/ A star, a star/ Dancing in the night.” Jesus asks each of us, “Do you see in yourself and in the world around you what I see?” The goal of every Christian must be to see himself or herself as Jesus sees him or her. The musical, Godspell, reminds us of what’s important, “Three things I pray/ To see Thee more clearly/ Love thee more dearly/ Follow Thee more nearly/ Day by day.” Our daily wish should be that of the blind man, Batimaeus, when Jesus asked him what he wanted and he blurted out, “Lord, that I may see” (Lk 18:41). The reality is that our sight, especially our spiritual sight, is never as sharp as it ought to be.
Convenient Blindness
There’s a saying that “there are none so blind as those who will not see.” Jesus told the Pharisee who saw themselves as the most faithful of all to God’s Law that they were blind to God’s love and compassion. He told them: “You have eyes but you do not see …” (Mk 8:18). Very often the problem is that we see only what we want to see so that our perception becomes reality for us leading to the distorted notion that we're in touch with what’s real when in fact we’ve created our own reality at the expense of the truth. When God sent Samuel to anoint a king from among Jesse’s family the son he saw as king material was not what God saw as king material. What we see and what God sees are not the same. We see the externals but God sees the interior – the heart. God’s ways are not our ways (Is 55:8-10) but we need to follow His ways because in following them we store good things in our heart. Adam and Eve chose their ways over God’s ways and they led to suffering and death.
The Importance of the Mind’s and Heart’s Eyesight
Without physical sight we’re in darkness, although the ability to see isn’t solely dependent on our physical eyes. We see more through the eyes of our mind and heart than with our bodily eyes. This is why eye witnesses aren’t always reliable. The mind and heart influences what we see. It’s what we put in mind and heart that matters. “A good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored in his heart” (Lk 6:45). Jesus reminds us that sighted people can be blind and blind people can see. Jesus is our divine ophthalmologist who heals the eyes of our mind and heart. He confronted the Pharisees with this issue when He cured a beggar’s physical blindness (Jn 9:1-41). After mixing clay with His saliva and rubbing it on the man’s eyes, Jesus told him to, “‘Go wash in the Pool of Siloam.’” The result after he went was that he “came back able to see” (Jn 9:6-7). The Pharisees saw physical blindness as an outward sign of personal sin instead of just being a physical disease or deprivation. Jesus rejected their belief. Instead of seeing Jesus’s miracle and applauding it, they tried to discredit Him and accused Him of breaking the Sabbath rest. They blinded themselves to the power of God exhibited by Jesus and instead labelled Him as sinful by healing on the Sabbath. They refuse to see that Jesus came as God’s Light to dispel darkness of evil by enabling people to be freed from it. He informed His disciples: “We have to do the works of the One who sent me while it is day… While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (Jn 9:4-5). Earlier, Jesus revealed, “I am the light of the world; no follower of mine will ever walk in darkness; no, he shall possess the light of life” (Jn 8:12). The light of life is the light which faith in Jesus provides. Jesus as the Light of Life dispels the darkness of evil by exposing Satan’s temptations for the lies that they are. Thus he fills our mind and heart with His grace so that we can participate in God’s divine life, the Life of the Holy Trinity.
The One and Only Light-Giver
As the “light of the world” Jesus came to help everyone see what is real, true, good, and beautiful. Healed of his physical blindness, the beggar now came to recognize Jesus as Lord. Jesus said to him, “‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered and said, ‘Who is he, that I may believe in Him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen Him, the one speaking with you is he.’ He said, ‘I do believe, Lord,’ and he worshipped Him” (Jn 9:35-37). The words of Johnny Nash’s song sums up his joy, “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone/ I can see all obstacles in my way/ Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind/ It’s gonna be a bright, bright/ Sunshiny day.” Jesus alone can help us to see clearly what is freedom, justice, love and peace. He does this through the preaching, teaching and the Sacraments of His Church.
If the beggar was able to recognize Jesus for who He was, why didn’t the Pharisees? In the Old Testament God warned Samuel: “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). The Pharisees looked through the eyes of what they had put into their mind and heart, namely pride, envy, and jealousy which clouded their perception of Jesus. They didn’t see Jesus the Miracle Worker; rather they saw Him as the Sabbath law-breaker. Flip Wilson, an American comedian, used to say, “What you see is what you get; what you give is what you keep; and what you do is what you is!” They saw Jesus with the closed eyes of their mind and heart, so their thinking was already made up against Jesus. Biased minds and deaf hearts blind us to reality, truth, goodness and beauty wherever they present themselves. The beggar viewed Jesus with an unbiased mind and a hopeful heart.
Spiritual Cataracts
Sin clouds our mind and hardens our thereby distorting the truth making us myopic at best and totally blind at worst. When the Pharisee became upset by Jesus confronting them with their blindness He said to them: “I have come into the world … to make the sightless see and the seeing blind. … If you were blind there would be no sin in that. ‘But we see,’ you say, and your sin remains” (Jn 9:40). They saw themselves as seeing God’s truth while in fact they were rejecting His Truth, namely Jesus Christ. It is one thing to be blind and know it, but it is far worse to be blind and not know it. When I know something I can do something about it, but if I refuse to admit something it continues to infect me. To see God, ourselves, and the world in which we live clearly we must eliminate our spiritual cataracts caused by our biases and our sinfulness. Then, in the words of Martin L. King, we will judge ourselves and one another “not on the colour of our skin but on the content of our character.” Only Jesus, the Divine Physician, can free us from our blurred vision with the scalpel of His word of truth through which He enables us to see as He sees and then act as He acts. Then, when we can see clearly what is real, true, good, and beautiful, we can enjoy every day as a bright, bright sun-shiny day because the Son’s rays flood us with His Light. (fr sean)
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March 3 2026- Lent 3rd Sunday
Sean Sheehy
Lent: How’re You Satisfying Your Deepest Thirst?
In the desert the Israelites complained to Moses, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?” (Ex 17:3). They saw slavery as preferable to dying of thirst. Drought is a terrible calamity. Water is essential for everything that lives. Without it there’s no growth, only aridity and death. To deal with the people's fear of suffering and death, Moses turned to God: “What shall I do with this people? A little more and they will stone me” (Ex 17:4). God responded and told Moses to use his staff and, “Strike the rock, and water will flow from it for the people to drink” (Ex 17:6). Moses does whet he’s told and water begins to flow for all to drink.
What It Means to Thirst
To thirst is to long for something that’s considered essential for one’s well-being. There are two kinds of human thirst, namely physical and spiritual. Often they’re in conflict. Physical desires seek earthly satisfaction, namely food, water, health, wealth, sex, power, status, and honor. The secular world would have us believe that satisfying the hunger and thirst for these will bring contentment. So we say, if only I had lots to eat and drink, money, power, popularity, etc., then I’d be happy. If that were true, why do physically healthy, wealthy, powerful and popular people become depressed and miserable? The simple answer is that these do not satisfy our deepest thirst. It’s because what they rely upon for their happiness can’t fulfill the needs of their soul, their inner self. As Puck, the mischievous elf in Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream said, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” We have a foolish tendency to invest on what is temporary rather than long-lasting. Robert Burns’ poem “To a Mouse” said, “The best laid plans of mice and men go astray/ And leave us naught but grief and pain/ For promised joy.” Why don’t the goods of this world satisfy us? Because this world is not our home. Because the creature has a deeper thirst that only the Creator can slake. We yearn for an ultimate meaning, contentment and purpose that finite things can’t give us. So as reasonable creatures we need to stop investing in what satisfies our superficial wants rather than our deepest needs.
Our Deepest Thirst
In the 5th century St. Augustine wrote in his Confessions, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.” As men and women, our deeper thirst and hunger is our soul’s yearning for a relationship with God. Just as a little child only feels at peace in the arms of the mother or father, so you and I can’t be at peace until we’re in the arms of our Heavenly Father. That is why the Lord’s Prayer is so assuring because we begin it by calling God “Our Father.” The Psalmist prayed, “O God, You are my God whom I seek; for You my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory” (Ps 63:2-3). God refreshes the soul by watering it with His grace through prayer, Sacraments, especially the Holy Mass, and sharing with our neighbor. A healthy body and a malnourished soul make a person jaded, joyless, easy pickings for Satan, abusive, and hopeless. The whole Epstein affair is a case in point. If I had to make a choice I would much prefer to have a well-nourished soul than a well-nourished body.
Who Can Nourish our Soul
Since God created our spiritual soul only He can nourish it. Our soul is the form of our body. Our soul symbolizes our deepest and truest self directly created by God as the moment of our conception. We express our true self through reason and free will, which are faculties of the soul. Therefore, it follows that if the soul isn’t healthy our self isn’t healthy. Why? Because our intellect, our ability to think, and our free will, our ability to make choices, are distorted and dysfunctional, resulting in bad decisions and broken relationships. The Samaritan woman whom Jesus encountered at the well is a case in point. She came to get water to refresh her body when she met Jesus who offered her another kind of water that her arid soul needed. Her lifestyle reflected a starved soul that resulted in failed relationships as she looked for love in all the wrong places. Jesus, by His questioning, led her to look at her inner self and admit all her failed attempts to satisfy her deeper thirst for a free, just, peaceful and loving relationship. Only such a relationship nurtures the soul and it can only be found in a relationship with God. He watered her thirsty soul and refreshed it by leading her to Himself as her loving Savior.
Raising Consciousness of an Arid Soul
Jesus gives us a valuable lesson on how to evangelize people with starved souls. Their conversation began on the topic of water to satisfy physical thirst but evolved into a deepening of the woman’s consciousness of a thirst she wasn’t conscious of, namely her thirsty soul. The came to the well as a person who sought love in all the wrong places and failed, but after meeting Jesus she left there refreshed with a new hope for herself. Filled with enthusiasm at her new-found awareness through Jesus’ teaching she ran to her village and exclaimed, “Come see a man who has told me everything I have done. Could He possibly be the Christ?” (Jn 4:29). Jesus moved her from satisfying her physical desires to satisfying her soul’s yearning for God by leading her to see Him as the promised Messiah. The experience of slaking her thirsty soul was so delightful that she called her whole village to conversion.
Christians Are Privileged
Christians are those who have been refreshed by the Baptismal water and graced by God making them His adopted children through Christ in the Holy Spirit. In this Sacrament of Jesus’ Church God restores the individual soul to His likeness – a likeness that was lost through Original Sin. With this restoration the individual receives the capacity to receive the divine virtues of supernatural Faith, Hope, and Charity. Jesus promises the baptized person: “But whoever drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty again” (Jn 4:15). St. Paul explains how Jesus gives us not only daily bread to satisfy our physical and spiritual hunger but also our daily water to slake our physical and spiritual thirst. “Through Him we have gained access by faith to the grace in which we now stand, and we boast of our hope for the glory of God” (Rom 5:2).
The Soul Is to Be Served by the Body
Lent is the time to discipline our body and put it in its proper place vis-à-vis our soul. The body’s purpose is to serve the soul, not vice versa, hence the need to fast, pray, and practice generosity in sharing our time, talent, and treasure. It is time to ask Jesus to send us the Holy Spirit of truth so we can examine your conscience and see whether we’re focusing our physical needs while overlooking our spiritual yearnings. Like the Samaritan woman, our deepest thirst is that of our soul and our soul’s thirst, tour true self’s thirst, is for God. As I have often said, the creature is only truly at home when in the presence of the Creator. Physical thirst is a reminder of a deeper and more crucial spiritual thirst. Jesus came to refresh us. Without Him we become dry and stale. “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Ps 95:7; Heb 3:15). A hard heart closes the door to the soul and causes it to become starved. The Church’s Sacrament of Confession opens the door of the heart to expose the state of the soul in order to satisfy its needs. Thus, in the inspired words of St. Paul, we will be given a “hope that does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom 51ff). Open your heart and listen to God speaking to you in the Church’s proclamation of God’s Word in Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 95:1-9; Romans 5:1-8; and the Gospel of St. John 4:5-42. (fr sean)
Conformity vs. Morality
Conformity is doing what everybody else is doing, regardless of what is right, good, and just. Morality is doing what is right, good, and just, regardless of what everybody else is doing.
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25 February 2026
Lent 2nd Sunday
Sean Sheehy
Are You a Bearer of God’s Blessing?
Do you see yourself as a person who feels blessed? What does it mean to be blessed? It means to be consecrated, to be made holy. If you are baptized into Jesus’ Church you are consecrated because God cleansed you from Original and restored you to His likeness that human nature lost through Original sin. In Baptism God made you like Him and in doing so made you holy. Making something holy is to declare it sacred, which means setting it apart for the worship and glorification of God. To experience God’s blessing is to realize that He has set you apart to know, love, and serve Him in this world and at death to be with Him forever in Heaven. God continues to bless and make you holy through bestowing His grace upon you in worshipping Him, especially in the Holy Mass. The essence of holiness is love, which is about helping people meet their material and spiritual needs. It’s in carrying out this mission that we experience God’s blessing ourselves and are a blessing to others. God’s blessing began when He instituted our soul at the moment of conception and became visible in Baptism when He cleansed us from the stain of original sin and adopted us as His children through membership in Jesus’ Church.
God began forming His people with the call of Abraham whom He blessed to be a bearer of His blessing to others. God said to Abraham, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; … I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you” (Gen 13:2-3). By “curse” God means suffering the consequence of rejecting the bearer of His blessing. Sadly, because of sinfulness through infidelity to the covenant, God’s people abandoned their privileged role as bearers of His blessing to all mankind. But God didn’t give up on blessing His people so He sent His only begotten Son Christ Jesus to reform His people by calling them to repentance and renew His covenant with them so that they would once again be bearers of His blessing to others. Jesus founded His Church on Peter to be the new blessed People of God tasked with the mission of bringing God’s blessing to all mankind. That implies that every Church member consecrated by God in Baptism is to be an instrument of God’s blessing calling everyone to enjoy the blessing of consecration thereby being made holy and perfected. But to be a bearer of God’s blessing we must first realize and act on it ourselves by demonstrating the joy that it brings. Remember, if you are not a blessing to others, you are a curse.
How and where do we experience God’s blessing? Ironically we experience God’s blessing as we await His graces and see His kindness in the Sacraments of His Church that ignite our hope for happiness. The Psalmist tells us, “Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield. May Your kindness, O Lord, come upon us who have put our hope in you” (Ps 33:22). God blesses us by letting us know that He alone can satisfy the longings of our soul. He blessed us when, “He saved us and called us to a holy way of life not according to our works but according to His own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before the world began but now made manifest through the appearance of our Saviour” (2 Tim 1:9-10a). God blesses us because “He has robbed death of its power and has brought life and immortality into clear light through the Gospel” (1 Tim 1:10b). God blesses us in our membership in Jesus’ Church through which He continues to be present to us calling us to enjoy His healing love. He blesses us in our friends, communities, in our prayer, our faith, our hope, in our charity, in our uniqueness, and in our gifts. He blesses us to be a blessing to others
When Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain they experienced God’s blessing when they saw Jesus in all His purity, beauty, and divinity. Peter’s response reflects what it’s like to experience God’s blessing: “Lord, how good it is to be here” (Mt 17:4). God’s blessing is in recognizing His presence within us through the Sacraments of His Church. Each Sacrament is a sign of God actively blessing us. In Baptism He blesses us by making us heirs to His Kingdom. In Confirmation He blesses us with His Spirit equipping us with the necessary gifts to bring His blessing to others. In the Holy Mass Jesus blesses us with His Real presence that nourishes our soul and assures us of His presence within us. In Reconciliation God blesses us with the gift of repentance for our sins, forgiveness, and reconciliation with Him and His family. God blesses the suffering and those in danger of death with Anointing of the Sick where Jesus unites our suffering with His for the sake of the salvation of the world. There He also helps us to shoulder our suffering with hope and joy that we’ll emerge from it as better persons. In Matrimony God blesses the man and woman with the grace of His love so that they can assure each other of their mutual love “until death do us part”. In Holy Orders God blesses His people by providing them with ordained leadership as Jesus’ representatives bringing His blessing and prayer “feeding and tending” the spiritual needs of His people.
All too often we don’t experience God’s blessing because we don’t take the time to reflect on the good things we have and realize that every good thing comes from God. We look for blessings in all the wrong ways and places rather than recognizing that God blesses us according to His will, not ours. We fail to reflect on the fact that God alone makes us holy and happy and that he will if we cooperate with Him. God is with us all the time, but we spend our time seeking the blessing of others instead of His blessing. We’re more concerned with doing what others want us to do rather than what God wants us to do. We’re more concerned with what others think about us rather than what God thinks about us. Daily prayer is essential to make sure we take the time to reflect on God’s presence, and listen to Him, and be receptive to His grace. Prayer is more about listening than speaking. God knows more about us, life, and the world than we do. He’s the Creator, the Teacher, the father, the Redeemer, the Sanctifier; we’re the learners, the children, and the followers. Listen to Him, in the Bible and His Church’s teaching, tell us how He blesses us to bring His blessing to others. God blesses us every time we’re being a blessing to others. Being a bearer of blessing to others makes you aware of how blessed you are, which in turn makes you more aware of the God who blesses you as His beloved child. Then you’ll echo Peter as he witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration: “Lord it is good to be here!” Read and reflect on Genesis 12:1-4; Psalm 33:4-22; 2nd Timothy 1:8-10; and St. Matthew 17:1-9. Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you as you read the Word of God and ask Him to help you hear and heed what He is saying to YOU as you journey through life at this moment. (fr sean)
Love
Love is the act of genuinely willing the greatest good for the other. But what is the greatest good for the other? It is to be united with God forever since He is the highest good.
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18 Feb 2026
Lent 1st Sunday
Sean Sheehy
Lent: It’s Time to Renew Our Loyalty to God
Jesus’ Church begins her liturgical season of Lent this week bringing us God’s Word from Genesis 2:7-9 and 3:1-7; Psalm 51:3-17; Romans 5:12-19; and St. Matthew 4:1-31. She reminds all her members, and the world, that God is their Creator and that He calls everyone to go into the desert with Jesus in order to purify their relationship with Him through prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Purification
This periodic desert experience, retreat, is a necessary preparation in order to resist Satan’s temptation to worship him instead of God. It’s a time to clarify our priorities and be purified from sin and egotism in order to enjoy God’s promises of security and joy that result from renewing our loyalty to Him. If we don’t give God first place in our life then everything else in our life is in the wrong place, which brings us confusion and failure. With the Psalmist we pray: “Have mercy on me, O God, in Your greatness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offence. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offence, and my sin is before me always: ‘Against You only have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight.’ A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me” (Ps 51:3-13).
Winter’s drabness is replaced by Spring’s new life. Lent is the time set aside by Jesus’ Church calling us to spring-clean our soul by replacing the drabness and rottenness of sin with the life and beauty of God’s grace as we renew our loyalty to Him. Jesus commanded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Mk 12:30-31).
Lent is the special time of penance when to examine our fidelity, or lack thereof, to our Baptismal Vows. This is why Jesus warned us to, “Say ‘Yes’ when you mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ when you mean ‘No.’ Anything beyond that is from the evil one” (Mt 5:37). In our relationship with Jesus there’s no if, but, or maybe. It’s either “I’m loyal to You” or “I am disloyal to You” in my thoughts, words, and deeds.
The Creature Needs the Creator
As we begin this liturgical season, Jesus’ Church takes us back to the creation of man and woman (Gen 2:7-9), revealing that He is the only Creator of humanity, the Author of human life, and the Provider and Sustainer of man and women whom He created in His image and likeness and made them stewards of the earth. The Church reminds us what happened to man and woman (Gen 3:1-7) and how it caused them to abandon their loyalty to God by trusting Satan’s promise that they would be like gods if they ate the forbidden fruit. So now, instead of one God, there are two gods, namely Adam and Eve. What followed their sin of disloyalty was immediate division, suffering and death.
Loyalty
Loyalty means being steadfast in our allegiance to a person or a cause. The word ‘loyal’ means fidelity to our promises which include obligations. The primary obligation of Christians is to love God and neighbour. To that end God provided the Ten Commandments (Ex 20) and the Beatitudes (Mt 5). God’s purpose in giving us these, like the commandment He gave to Adam and Eve, was not to control man and woman but rather to show them how they could share in His power and His love – how they could be like Him. In obeying the Commandments and living the Beatitudes we dispose ourselves to receive the grace God gives us to resist Satan’s temptations which makes us slaves of sin and our disordered desires. Jesus reminds us, “You will live in my love if you keep the commandments, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and live in His love” (Jn 15:10). Jesus wants us to be joyful. “All this I tell you that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete” (Jn 15:11). Adam and Eve wanted to be like God but also wanted to be independent of Him relying on themselves to determine what was good or bad for them.
God created man and woman to enjoy His love and share it with one another. He put them in an environment rich in everything they needed for fulfilment. He knew their limitations, especially the fact that they could not cope with evil on their own. To protect them in Paradise He gave them one commandment that they “not eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Gn 2:16-17). He warned them, “The moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die” (Gn 2:17).
Temptation to Be Like Gods
Adam and Ever heard this but they didn’t heed it. Satan, who himself was disloyal to God and always the liar promoting disloyalty, baiting people with half-truths, said to Eve: “Did God tell you not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil?” Eve replied that God did and said that eating it would bring death. Satan assured Eve that she wouldn’t die, but that she and Adam would become “like gods” themselves and so wouldn’t have to rely on God. They would become their own truth-makers. He captivated her attention by appealing to her desire for immediate self-gratification focusing on the pleasure of eating the fruit, but like all self-gratification, ignoring the long-term consequences. Satan lied by telling them that disobeying God wouldn’t affect their life. Thus, Satan “brought death to man from the beginning, and has never based himself on truth; the truth is not in him” (Jn 8:44). With sin came death and suffering as its forerunner. All he wanted was for man and woman to be like himself, namely disloyal, to God. Being disloyal to God they were disloyal to one another.
Meaning of Loyalty to God
Loyalty to God means steadfastly obeying His commandments and living the Beatitudes. That allegiance disposes us to receive God’s love and joy in our lives, which empowers us to love Him, ourselves and our neighbour. God revealed in Proverbs 3:2-20: “Let not loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favour and good repute in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.” Satan smiles when he sees us relying on our own insight and ignoring God’s wisdom. When we rely on our own knowledge and view ourselves as self-made, as someone noted, we “reap the fruits of unskilled labour.”
Enslaved By Our Desires
Temptation is always the call to be disloyal to God by fostering satisfying our desire to do wrong because it appeals good and pleasurable to the senses. But what very often seems pleasurable to the senses is the enemy of the soul. Satan convinces people to abandon God by getting them to focus on what promises instant self-gratification through power, pleasure, popularity, and wealth. Satan works on us by getting us to think these things will bring us happiness. But we forget that only God can make us happy. A good decision is always about gaining in the long term rather than in the short term. Satan tempts us to think that we deserve to satisfy our every desire “because we deserve it.” But that makes us slaves to our desires causing us to fail as human beings. Satan himself is a failure and he constantly tempts us to fail. For the creature failure follows from separation from the Creator.
Satan, whose kingdom is this world, waylaid Jesus after His forty days in the desert. Satan used his favourite weapons of pretending to be Jesus’ friend offering Him power, possessions, and popularity if Jesus did what he asked. Jesus, on the other hand, relied on His Heavenly Father and reminded Satan that only God deserved to be worshipped and that only He sustained life. Defeated, Satan slunk away from Jesus like a whipped dog, but only to look for another chance. We can’t resist the snares of the devil by ourselves. He’s too cunning for us. Only closeness to God by being in Jesus’ company in His Church empowers us to resist temptation. Adam and Eve fell for Satan’s lies because they took their eyes off God.
This Is Your Most Important Lent
Whether this our first Lenten season or our last, it is a time of self-reflection and receptivity to God’s grace to make sure God has the first place in our list of priorities. It is a time to examine our loyalty to Jesus as members of His Church. We need to ask ourselves, “Do I embrace each of God’s Commandments and beatitudes with all my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength?” To renew our loyalty to God each of us must pray with the Psalmist, I “acknowledge my offenses and ask God to clean my heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps 51:12-13).
A clean heart and a steadfast spirit are essential to have love and joy in our life. Hence the need to devote time to prayer, practise fasting, self-restraint, and generosity. Your prayer through Lent might well be: “Lord, grant me the gifts of wisdom, discipline, and understanding that I may not be hardened by sin, weakened by laziness, and blinded by foolishness. Amen!” (frsos)
Lenten Theme: Prepare for Your Resurrection: Pray, Fast, and give Alms by sharing your Time, Talent & Treasure with Those in Need. These actions are the antidotes to lust of the ego, lust of the flesh, and lust of the eyes.
This is a special time of Grace from God is a great opportunity to cleanse the soul from the grip of our lusts.
If you are a faithful Catholic, Lent is a time to go deeper into your soul to find God there and experience the peace that He alone wants to give you.
If you are lapsed or fallen away from practicing the Catholic Faith, a person who doesn’t attend Holy Mass every Sunday, go to Confession regularly, and participate in your parish church, NOW is the time for you open the door of your heart because Jesus is knocking waiting for you to invite Him in and experience His love and the hope He brings with Him. He is calling you to conversion. Don’t ignore His knock on your door now for you might not be home the next time He knocks! None of us knows neither the day nor the hour of our death! Hence the need to be prepared to meet our Judge.
If you are a teenager or young adult, this is a special time to experience the richness of the Catholic Faith Jesus offers you that gives you meaning, identity, purpose, power, and a happy future in which to hope. Follow Jesus with His Church as He suffered and died so that you might be able to overcome suffering and have a life of happiness after death.
Remember, where there's a will there's a way. Also remember that what you give to God He returns to you many times over. God is never outdone in His generosity to those that love Him. However, it is up to you to say "Yes" to Him every day, and especially during Lent when He calls us to make sacrifices out of love for Him. No one can do it for you!
Fast & Abstinence: Every baptized Catholic between the ages of 14 and 60 is obliged to fast and abstain on the days appointed during Lent in honour of the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of both Fast (eat only light meals) and Abstinence (no meat).
The Fridays of Lent are days of Abstinence (no meat).
The purpose of fasting and abstaining is to discipline our body and practice generosity toward others. Lent is NOT a time to simply “give up” things. It’s a time to "do without" things so that we might be able to "give more" to others. So we "do without" some extra sleep so we can "give more" time to God by attending morning Mass. We "do without" candy, heavy meals, etc., so we can "give more" to the poor through donating what we save to the less fortunate.
During Lent and Holy Week, as you listen to the Church proclaiming God’s Word, you come to see what Christ was willing to "do without" so that you could have something more than you could ever give yourself - His very life - so that God could "give more" joy, confidence and hope to you as you experience life’s ups and downs.
You can "do without" in various ways for Christ so He can "give more" light through you to a dark and confused world. Whatever you decide to "do without" so you can "give more" will purify your soul and sweeten your attitude and make you a blessing to others. The Resurrection made all of Jesus’ suffering and death worthwhile, so also your resurrection will make your sacrifices worthwhile. Have a spiritually productive Lent.
Prayer for Guidance
Heavenly Father, grant me Wisdom to discern Your will for me, Knowledge to understand Your Word to me, and Understanding to Walk in Your ways – the Way of the Commandments , the Way of the Cross, and the Way of the Beatitudes. I ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen!
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11 February 2026
6th Sunday Mt 5 17 to 37
Sean Sheehy
Obedience to God Frees Us to Be Fully Human
Stating that obedience frees us seems like a contradiction. How could freedom come from submission? It would seem that obeying someone deprives a person of his or her freedom. For us human beings freedom is precious. Why? Because without it we wouldn’t be human. God has created us to be like Him and that means being free, which is why He has given us the faculty of free will. Exercising free will is an essential characteristic of being human. Being free and being human are synonymous. To be free is to be human and to be human is to be free. People have sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom. This indicates that people view freedom as a higher value than life itself. Without freedom we cannot fully live or love. What is freedom? It is the ability “to act, and have the right to speak, or think” as a person wants. My own take is that freedom is about having the ability to achieve the fullness of our potential. What is that potential? It is to be what God made us to be, namely His image and likeness. The more we achieve the fullness of our potential, the more like Jesus we become, the freer we are. Freedom, then, is being able to pursue our true destiny, exercise our rights and carry out their corresponding duties. It’s not a license to do what we want. That’s anarchy or psychopathy. Freedom implies accountability and responsibility which are essential characteristics of maturity and adulthood. Freedom is more of a spiritual reality than a physical one. Our bodies may be constrained but that doesn’t prevent our soul from being free. Free will separates us from the animal world by enabling us to freely choose our thoughts and actions. Animals don’t have free will and don’t have rights, and so are not held accountable for their actions. They are controlled by instinct. Freedom enables us to control ourselves by the choices we make. While every human has free will, that doesn’t mean they are free. Freedom or slavery comes from the choices we make. The opposite of freedom is captivity, suppression, restriction, limitation, or imprisonment. Sin, namely refusing to be like Jesus, restricts our freedom and enslaves us to our passions and disordered desires.
Our Basic Choices
When God created man, “He made him subject to his own free choice” (Sir 15:14). All choices have consequences. Whatever we choose has consequences that either enhance our freedom or suppress it. God identified the basic choices we face in every decision, when He revealed that, “Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him” (Sir 15:17). God connected freedom with obedience when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments to tell us that choosing to obey them brings life and goodness while rejecting them brings evil and eternal death. Life and goodness frees us to achieve our potential, which is to be God’s image and likeness. Death and evil deprive us from achieving our potential and therefore robs us of our freedom.
God’s Commandments Bring Us Freedom
Sadly, many view the Commandments and the laws of Jesus Church as imposing restrictions on them. But paradoxically it is these “restrictions” that keep people on the path to eternal freedom. Paradoxically, God gives us the Ten Commandments not to suppress or take away our freedom but rather to free us from Satan’s grip on us. God revealed that, “If you choose you can keep the Commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live” (Sir 15:15). How does obeying the Commandments bring us freedom? They tell us what saves us from sin, which brings evil and death, and makes us beneficiaries of goodness and life. God teaches us how to be free but He doesn’t interfere in our choices. However, His justice holds us accountable for our choices’ consequences. He fully respects the free will He has given us. You and I make the choices. In every choice we make, no matter how insignificant, we are consciously or unconsciously choosing either life or death, good or evil. God gives the Commandments because He loves us and wants us to be free like Himself. Our obedience to His Law brings us His blessing. “Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who observe His decrees, who seek Him with all their heart” (Ps 119:1-2). The Commandments are God’s blessing and obeying them frees us from sin and evil so that we can give Him glory by being fully human and fully alive.
Obeying the Commandments Reflect Love of God
In a class on Sacraments, a student was asked, “What is Holy Orders?” and she replied, “The Ten Commandments.” The Commandments are God’s orders to us if we want to enjoy life to the fullest. Jesus called for the Commandments to be internalized and not just external observances (Mt 5: 17-37). Obedience to them must come from the heart. They are the standards that let us know whether or not we love God. They’re not simply suggestions. They’re not optional if we want to put order in our world and be prepared for Heaven. When we ignore God’s commands misery follows because we are no longer led by the Holy Spirit but rather by the spirit of evil. The Holy Spirit reveals that, “The love of God consists in this: that we keep His Commandments – and His Commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jn 5:3). The Commandments are not burdensome because obeying them makes us free to be what God created us to be.
Obeying the Commandments Is the Antidote to Disorder
Obedience to God’s Commandments guarantees an order in the world for the good and life of every man, woman, and child that no one else can offer. Allegiance to the true God as Creator of all promotes the building of a just community where freedom is enjoyed, life is preserved, and goodness is practiced. For example, forbidding the taking of God’s Name in vain demands respect for His Person and for every human being created in His image and likeness. Keeping the Sabbath holy keeps us aware of God as our Creator, the One from whom all blessings flow. In justice and love, this Commandment reminds us of our need to publicly thank and worship Him. It also reminds us that we are not god and should not worship ourselves. By recognizing that there is only one God in whom we have total trust we are reminded of the importance of unifying with one another as creations of the One and only God. Honoring our father and mother recognizes the family as the basic cell of a healthy society, how God created us, and the need to take care of the elderly.
The Commandments Ensure Love of Neighbor
When children honor their parents they honor themselves. Ordering us not to kill demands respect for life as a precious gift from God, which no one has the right to destroy in any way, shape or form from conception to natural death. The command not to commit adultery demands respect for marriage and its preservation as the only proper context for a sexual relationship to be procreative and expressive as a bond of committed love between husband and wife. Divorce is a tragedy and undermines the family, weakens society, betrays vows and deprives children of the security they deserve. It subjects them to bad example from the most important adults in their lives. “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and the woman who divorces her husband and marries another commits adultery” (Mk 10:11). Forbidding stealing demands respect for another’s property, thereby upholding the right of ownership. Forbidding false witness demands respect for truth and honesty, assuring that people are trustworthy, true to their word, reliable, and practice integrity. The commandments not to covet another’s spouse or goods demand respect for the sacredness of another’s marriage and property. It calls for the rejection of jealousy, envy and greed and the promotion of gratitude for what one has and being happy for what others have. Ignoring the Commandments creates disorder and disrespect, which taints the image and likeness of God in us and deprives us of the freedom that comes from obeying God’s Commandments.
Paradoxically, Freedom Comes from Submission to God
Obeying the Commandments frees us to receive God’s and to love Him and one another in return. “He who obeys the commandments he has from me is the man who loves me, and he who loves me will be loved by my Father” (Jn14:21). When we refuse to worship God on the Sabbath we break the 1st and 3rd commandments thereby acting unjustly toward Him and depriving ourselves of His love that alone frees us to love ourselves and one another. When we reject the 2nd and 4th Commandments we dishonor ourselves through having a superiority complex and lacking humility. When we reject the 5th commandment we dishonor God as the Life-Giver and destroy His gift of life. What we do to others we do also to ourselves. Thus those who in the interests of being “Pro-choice” support the legalization or help promote abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, etc., ignore the awful consequences of their choice in which they are complicit in promoting death. They ignore the fact that their choice undermines freedom which is about the support and promotion of life and goodness. The 7th, 8th and 10th protect truth, trustworthiness, and justice, which are essential for the sense of freedom that flows from feeling secure in one’s relationships and community. The 6th and 9th commandments protect the beauty of sexuality and its true purpose, namely to procreate children and the institution of marriage between a man and woman freely practicing the virtue of fidelity to one another. If we disobey these commandments, we are choosing evil and death, not the freedom we receive from obeying God’s will which frees us from our disordered desires that lead to addiction. That’s why Jesus says, “Let your ‘Yes’ be a ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ be a ‘No’ (Mt 5:37). We can’t say “Yes” and “No” to God at the same time. Therefore we have to make sure that our “Yes” is to life and goodness through our obedience to God who empowers us to say “No” to evil and death by saying “Yes” to His Commandments. Obedience to God frees us. Disobedience, like what happened to Adam and Eve, and Satan, makes us less human, less alive, and therefore, less free. There is no freedom in Hell. Perfect freedom is found in Heaven. It is in submission to God that we become totally free. (fr sean)
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4 Feb 2026
5th Sunday A Mission
Sean Sheehy
Your Mission as a Member of Jesus’ Church Is …
In the American television series, “Mission Impossible,” each episode opened with the commander’s line to the spy, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, involves …” Then he explained the mission’s purpose. Jesus came from Heaven with a mission to save men and women from the slavery of sin and death. He said, “I came that they might have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10) by reforming their lives and believing in the Gospel (Mk :15). He redeemed human nature from Satan’s deadly grip and reunited humanity with divinity in His Person. Through the grace of repentance and the gift of forgiveness He conquered sin. He conquered death, the result of sin, by His resurrection. Jesus entrusted this mission of salvation to His Church which He founded on Peter and continues through Peter’s duly elected successors, in union with the duly ordained successors of the other Apostles until the end of time. The mission would be characterized by a spirit of service to God and neighbour. Jesus visibly impressed the importance of this spirit of service upon His apostles as His Church’s leaders when, at the Last Supper, He washed His Apostles’ feet. Then He reminded them, “if I washed your feet – I who am Teacher and Lord – then you must wash each other’s feet. … as I have done, so you must do” (Jn 13:14-15). Washing His Apostles’ feet symbolized His humble service to them as their example in carrying out His mission to others. Jesus calls every follower to be a humble servant in the interests of His mission. A humble servant always acts according to the master’s wishes. It’s Jesus’ wish that through His mission “all may be one as You, Father, are in me, and I in you; I pray that they may be one in Us, that the whole world may believe that You sent me” (Jn 17:21).
Christians Are by Nature Missioners
Christians are those who have freely accepted Jesus as their Teacher, Lord, and Saviour and that His Church is His Bride with Himself as the Bridegroom. But unlike Mission Impossible, the person who wants to be Christian has no choice regarding the mission. To be Christian is to actively participate in Jesus’ mission. Jesus’ Church isn’t composed of passive followers but rather active missionaries using their gifts to enhance the lives of their fellow men and women and lead them to God who alone can fulfil their deepest yearnings. No one can embrace Jesus without also embracing His mission to bring all men and women into His Father’s loving embrace in this world which is completed in Heaven. How is that done? By being salt and light in a sinful world that’s tasteless, decaying, and dark!
Salt and Light
Jesus gave a new identity to the leaders of His Church and her members by designating them to be “salt” and “light” in the world. He told His Apostles: “You are the salt of the earth….You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:13-14). Salt both preserves and flavours what would otherwise rot or be tasteless. Light dispels darkness. It is essential for growth. Neither exists for itself but for the benefit of something else. To act like salt means to preserve people from the rottenness of sin and give flavour to a life that is bland. To act as a light is to lead others out of the darkness of their ignorance and sin and to replace them with truth, repentance, and forgiveness. To act as salt and light means we aren’t there for ourselves but for the benefit of others. We make the world tasteful and enlightened by introducing people to Jesus as the Preserver of Goodness, the Light of the World and the only One who can save them from rotting in the dark of pride, lust, greed, wrath, envy, gluttony, and sloth. These deadly sins make a person’s behaviour tasteless and causes spiritual and emotional decay.
Salty and Enlightening Attitudes
Jesus confirmed the apostles as salt and light immediately after teaching them the Beatitudes. When we choose the beatitudes as our lifestyle we become salt and light in the world of dis-ease and spiritual darkness. These holy attitudes begin with humbly recognizing that Jesus is our Salt and our Light who enables us to preserve our dignity and that of others, leading them to Him so that they might embrace Him as their Light and preserve their sanity. In calling people to be His people God called them to make the Beatitudes their attitudes when He told them to, “Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked, and do not turn your back on your own” (Is 57:7). As His followers you and I must do the same. This requires us to invite God’s Spirit to motivate us. Thus the Holy Spirit tells us to “put your faith not on human wisdom but on the power of God” (1 Cor 2:5). It is then, He tells us, that, “your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall be quickly healed” (Is 58:8).
Preservation and Purification
True Christianity preserves and enlightens us, purifying us from Satan’s temptation to embrace tastelessness and sin, disguised as delicious and feeling good. God tells us that this purification comes about when you, “remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech” (Is 58:9). These are what makes life tasteless and cause relationships to decay. When you and I strive to be salt and light for others we are personally healed from the rotting wounds of our sins and are able to dispel the darkness of evil. Thus the Holy Spirit enables us to replace pride with humility, lust with chastity, greed with generosity, wrath with patience, envy with gratitude, sloth with diligence, and gluttony with moderation. God tells us that when we’re salt and light He hears our prayer: “… you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and He will say: Here I am!” (Is 58:9).
Continuing Christ’s Mission
Our mission as Christians is possible because it’s Jesus’ mission and He provides us with the wherewithal through His Church to accomplish what He asks of us. He can’t be defeated because as He revealed, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades” (Rev 1:18). The Christian mission provides the only hope for a life that can be lived as humanly and fully as possible. As Christians we must be careful that as salt we don’t lose our tastefulness by reneging on the mission. As light we mustn’t hide ourselves but rather be a lamp for others to dispel their darkness. Thus Jesus urges, “Your light must shine before men so that they may see the goodness in your acts and give praise to your heavenly Father” (Mt 5:16).
The Mission Has No Room for Passivity
Being a member of Jesus’ Church automatically implies an active participation in His mission. This is why the priest at the end of every Holy Mass bids the worshippers to, “Go forth, the Mass is ended,” or “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” Whichever words of dismissal the priest chooses they reflect the call of Jesus to each follower to continue His mission in the world. Refusal to carry our Jesus’ mission is a refusal to be a true member of His Church. Then we become obstacles to the effectiveness of Jesus’ mission and the opportunity He offers every man, woman, and child to be free from the slavery of sin and to be able to practice the supernatural virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. These are the virtues that enable us to live prudently, justly, courageously, and temperately as we embrace God who is the source of what is real, true, good and beautiful. Our mission as members of Jesus’ Church is to inspire people to praise God for His justice and mercy towards us. (fr sean)
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28 January 2026
4th Sunday Humility and Beatitude
Sean Sheehy
The Beatitudes: The Humble Person’s Moral Compass
St. Augustine, when asked to name the three most important virtues, replied: “humility, humility, humility.” Humility is central to Christianity. Christians are those who introduce Jesus to the world as its only Savior by letting His Spirit speak and work through them as members of His Church. This requires giving Jesus, and the sharing of our Faith in Him, the first priority in our life. This requires humility, which isn’t easy since our fallen nature seeks to glorify the ego. The challenge of Christianity, and why it has such a purifying effect on the individual and community, is that it brings us down to earth and gives us the Beatitudes as our moral code.
It’s Hard to Be Humble when You Think You’re Perfect
It is hard to be humble because pride - Satan’s stock in trade - is so deeply rooted in us that we are easily tempted to let it rule us through our desire to do wrong because it feels good. Three priests, a Dominican, Jesuit and a Carthusian, were discussing what made them unique. The Dominican said his order was the best at preaching, the Jesuit lauded his order’s teaching ability. The Carthusian, scratched his head and lamented that his order wasn’t noted for either teaching or preaching. However, he said that when it came to humility his order surpassed them all.
The humble person feels like a stranger in the present culture of self-absorption and god-complexes. What is humility? It’s the ability to be realistic about who and what we are, namely sinners whom God calls to be saints. We are creatures full of contradictions, possessing strengths and weaknesses, beauty and ugliness, generosity and selfishness, helpful and hurtful, loving and hateful, forgiving and vengeful, independent and needy. Humility means recognizing and accepting ourselves as such a mixed bag that we need Jesus and His Church to help us make sure that the positives in us overcome the negatives. Humility is the acceptance of the paradox that it is “in giving we receive” (Lk 6:38; Acts 20:35; 2 Cor 9:6). The humble person is above all a realist, not a defeatist, a globalist, or a megalomaniac. Pride, the opposite of humility, creates an unrealistic and false vision of ourselves by denying what is flawed in us and having delusions of grandeur. Pride keeps us on the emotional level of a 2-year old thinking the world revolves around us and is there to serve us, whereas humility spurs us on to adulthood and the willingness to give without counting the cost.
The Beatitudes Constitute the Moral Code of the Humble
Jesus’ Church proclaims God’s word from the prophet Zephaniah (2:3; 3:12-13), Psalm 146, First Corinthians(1:26-31) and St. Matthew (5:1-12). All stress the need for humility as essential for anyone wanting to experience heavenly joy in this world and completely in Heaven. Jesus is the epitome of the humble person. He always put His Father and His Father’s mission to save mankind before Himself and His own comfort. He is the Man who died so that others might repent, be forgiven and live. To be Christian is to be like Christ, therefore His followers must be men and women willing to give their lives proclaiming Jesus’ mission of salvation to everyone calling them to repent and seek forgiveness in order to live fully and be fully human. Humility is about virtue living, not virtue signaling. To practice humility Jesus taught His Apostles the Beatitudes as their moral code. Only the humble can live the Beatitudes. In the Beatitudes we find the heart of Christianity, what makes Jesus Church and her members different from all other religions. Jesus gave His followers Be-attitudes - attitudes that are reflected in living the Christian life. These attitudes are demonstrated in gratitude, comforting the grieving, in meekness, being just, being merciful, having a pure heart, being a peacemaker, willing to embrace martyrdom, and persevere as faithful members of God’s Family here on earth, the Church.
Collaborators with Christ Jesus
The Christian is a member of Jesus’ Church whom He has made His collaborator in His mission to save mankind. The Holy Spirit tells us that as Christians we must, “… seek justice, seek humility …do no wrong and speak no lies .. a deceitful tongue shall not be found in their mouths” ( Zeph 2:3; 3:12-13). What the Lord did, His collaborators must do likewise. “The Lord keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets captives free ... gives sight to the blind .. raises up those who are bowed down …loves the just … protects strangers … sustains the fatherless and the widow ... thwarts the wicked …” (Ps 146). This is the ministry of every Christian. People often expect God to miraculously fix all the problems caused by human beings. But they forget that God works through His people. He provides us with all the gifts we need to rise above the ills of our fallen nature. How? By embracing and living the Beatitudes we become the recipients of God’s blessings that bring us happiness. But sadly, we deprive ourselves of the blessings God wants to bestow on us because we lack the necessary humility to believe that what He asks of us he also provides us with the wherewithal to accomplish. Faith in God always makes us humble because we realize that every good thing comes from Him if we are receptive.
God Blesses the Person Who Lives the Beatitudes
The person who lacks humility doesn’t really believe in Jesus Christ and so is won’t to say when asked to live the Beatitudes: “Oh, I could never do that. I’m not qualified.” But we learn from Paul that, “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise … the weak to shame the strong … the lowly and despised to reduce to nothing those who are something ….” (1 Cor 1:26-31). The humble person recognizes his or her foolishness, weakness, and lowliness. But he or she also hears God’s call to make His presence felt by striving for justice, freedom, and lifting up those who are bowed down. As someone noted, “Where there is a will there's a way, but where there’s no will there ain’t no way!” Humility is the will to place our trust in God’s Spirit that enables us do what would otherwise be impossible and benefit from Jesus’ promise to is that when we live the Beatitudes we will be able to rejoice and be glad for our “…reward in Heaven will be great” (Mt 5:12). Jesus warns us that, “whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:12). (fr sean)
Prayer
O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others,
Open my ears that I may hear their cries,
Open my heart so that they need not be without success.
Let me neither be afraid to defend the weak,
Because of the anger of the strong,
Nor afraid to defend the poor
Because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed
And use me to bring them to those places.
Open my eyes and ears that I may, this coming day,
Be able to do some work of peace for thee. (Alan Paton)
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22 Jan 2026
21 Jan 2026
3rd Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle A
Sean Sheehy
Jesus is the Light of Truth that Exposes the Darkness of Lies
Around 98 A.D., St. Ignatius of Antioch urged Christians to, “Form all together one choir, so that, with the symphony of your feelings and having all taken the tone of God, you may sing with one voice to the Father through Jesus Christ, that He may listen to you and know you from your chant as the canticle of His only Son” (Letter to the Ephesians 4:2). Ignatius wasn’t addressing choir directors but he was warning all Christians to sing from the same hymn sheet if they wanted to be heard and known by God. The unity of the Holy Trinity is the model for all who credibly call themselves Christian. It is in community that we are the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity. Jesus emphasized this need for unity, “If you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift at the altar, go first to be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Mt 5:23-24). This is why He called men and women to “reform your life … repent and believe in the Gospel”(Mk 1:15). For men and women to unite they must be willing to repent, seek forgiveness and be willing to forgive others, otherwise unity is impossible. God won’t accept the prayer or worship of those who refuse to repent, forgive, and unite because they’re not united with Him and with one another.
No Unity without Forgiveness
Jesus was emphatic when He said, “If you do not forgive your brother from your heart your Heavenly Father will not forgive you” (Mt 18:35). St. Augustine wrote, “There are three unions in this world: Christ and the Church, husband and wife, spirit and flesh.” Everything must be done to preserve and strengthen these unions as visible signs of love for God. It is Christ’s unity with His Church, as Bridegroom and Bride that enables Him to continue His presence in the world. Apart from union with Christ the Church has no meaning and apart from our union as members of His Church we can’t have a personal relationship with Jesus or a Christian relationship with one another. The nature of the Church is to be in union with Jesus as her Head, her Way, her Truth, and her Life. To be Christian, membership in Jesus’ Church, which He founded on Peter as His first Vicar on earth, is essential. Using St. Paul’s inspired metaphor of the human body, every member of the Church must work as one for the health of the whole (1 Cor 12:12ff).
A Light that Dispels Darkness
Jesus came to reunite mankind with His Father. He prayed to His Father, “that all may be one as You, Father, are in me, and I in You; I pray that they may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent me” (Jn 17:20-21). Jesus is the Light who has come to dispel the darkness of sin, with its symptoms of selfishness, division, alienation, abuse of life, loneliness, suffering, and death, that has infected the world. He is the Good Shepherd who “Guides me in right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for You are at my side with Your rod and Your staff that give me courage” (Ps 23:3-4). Unity among Christians is an essential witness to convince the world that Jesus is the Light sent by God the Father to unite everyone through the forgiveness of sin and the establishment of justice and mercy in the world. Jesus is the light of truth that exposes Satan’s lies that promise what he can’t deliver, namely happiness through worldly power, possessions, popularity, and pleasure. Sin darkens the mind and causes us to do mindless deeds. Jesus came to lead us out of this darkness by shedding light on the beauty, happiness and fulfilment for which God created man and woman. As the Son of God, He was able to truthfully say: “I am the light of the world. No follower of mine shall ever walk in darkness; no, he shall possess the light of life” (Jn 8:12). Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament messianic prophecy that brought assurance to God’s people, namely that, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone” (Is 9:1). Jesus enlightens us with the truth about ourselves and our potential. Jesus is the Truth who tells us how we know we have received Him as our Light: “The man who continues in the light is the one who loves his brother …. But the man who hates his brother is in darkness. He walks in shadows not knowing where he is going, since the dark has blinded his eyes” (1 Jn 2:10-11).
The Blindness of Sin
Sin, born of selfishness and pride, blinds us to what is real, true, good and beautiful. It causes us to focus only on self-gratification. It separates us from Christ Jesus, husbands from wives, and flesh from spirit, leaving misery in its wake. Just as love unifies, sin divides. No person is immune to sin. “If we say, ‘We have never sinned,’ we make Jesus a liar. And His word finds no place in us” (1 Jn 1:10). Our struggle against sin is constant both individually and communally because the Tempter never ceases to tempt us with his lies framed as making us feel good, therefore we constantly need Jesus to block the Tempter and “deliver us from evil” (Mt 6:13).
Emphasizing the necessity of unity as essential for God to accept our prayer and worship, The Holy Spirit pleads with us, “I urge, brothers and sisters, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among toy, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose” (1 Cor 1:10). He asks, “Has Christ been divided into parts?” (1 Cor 1:13). The divisions among those who call themselves Christian is a scandal and weakens Christ’s mission to save mankind. Similarly the division among Catholics weakens the Church’s credibility and her ability to call the world to embrace Christ Jesus as its only hope for unity and salvation. There’s only one Christ and one Church. The Holy Spirit revealed that, “There is but one body and one spirit ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all, and works through all, and is in all” (Eph 4:4-6).
The Need for a United Front
Jesus calls everyone to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17). As the visible sign of God’s Kingdom in this world, all the members of Jesus’ Church must put forward a united front to convince the world that Jesus’ is its true and only Saviour. All Christians together must confidently proclaim, in the words of the Psalmist, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; The Lord is my life’s refuge; whom should I fear?” (Ps27:1). Jesus identified His mission, which He handed on to His Apostles and continues to be faithfully handed on through His Church when He revealed, “I have come to the world as its light, to keep anyone who believes in me from remaining in the dark” (Jn 112:46). The “dark” is sinfulness that reflects distorted thinking and bad choices. If the Lord is our light and our salvation from sin, surely we should be filled with Faith in Him and, as a result, have no fear of anything or anyone. With the Lord as our light and our salvation we know the Way to Heaven, which requires us to be united as we follow Him; we know the Truth about who God is and who we are, what He wants from us and what we need from Him as Jesus outlined in the Prayer He taught His Apostles; and we know who can gives the life that lasts and brings happiness.
We Must Be a Holy Community
For us as Christians to have credibility as Jesus Church on earth and the visible sign of His continued presence among us and with each of us, and for Jesus to carry out His work, we must unite in Jesus as a Holy Community in communion with Him and fully recognizing Him as the light that enlightens everyone regarding what truly fulfils and frees him or her. Each of us must as individual organs of Christ Jesus’ body, the Church, work together for the good of the whole body. Thus Satan, the Prince of Darkness, “whose smoke has entered the Church” (Pope St. Paul VI) and the “ruler of this world” (Jn 12:31), will be dazzled and stopped in his tracks by the Light of Christ shining through members of His Church as they evangelize and catechize all whose paths they cross. So, as fishers of men and women, we must throw our net out there and bring people to Jesus as the only Light who can dispel the darkness of their sinfulness and ignorance so that they can experience the joy of knowing Jesus' presence in His Church. (fr sean)
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15 January 2026
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sean Sheehy
The Call to Holiness: Be Christ-like
It is God’s will that we become holy. “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, to do Your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!” (Ps 40:8-9). Jesus’ Church calls not only her members to holiness, namely to be Christ-like, but also, through them, the whole world. The Holy Spirit calls everyone to, “Be holy in all you do, since it is the Holy One who has called you, and scripture says: Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Jesus makes this possible through His Church when she celebrates Jesus’ birth, Baptism, death, Resurrection, Ascension and the fulfilment of the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit. During Advent she calls us to wait for the return of Jesus, the Saviour of the world, by being spiritually productive. During Christmas she reminds us to be joyful that Jesus has come and remains with us in and through His Church through her preaching of His Gospel and her sacramental worship. During Lent she focuses us on our sinfulness and our need to repent of our sins, seek God’s and our neighbour’s forgiveness, and amend our lives in accord with God’s Commandments and His Beatitudes. During Easter she gives us Hope as she celebrates Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead. Pentecost reminds us that God has sent His Spirit to His Church as her Advocate and Sanctifier enabling us to embrace the only way to Heaven, the truth about God and ourselves, and the life that never ends as taught and lived by Jesus.
Ordinary Time
During her season of Ordinary time she calls us to practice holiness by following in Jesus’ footsteps. How? By daily reforming our lives, repenting and living Jesus Gospel through acting in a manner that reflects our growth in His image and likeness as faithful members of His Church through daily prayer, attendance at Sunday Holy Mass and each day if possible, and being charitable to those in need. The Liturgical colour is green, a symbol of freshness and hope. Ordinary time is when we live our ordinary life in an extraordinary manner as we faithfully follow Jesus through, with, and in His Church. We live with the certain knowledge that Christ has come; Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ is with us now in His Church; Christ will come again to judge mankind, which for you and me will probably be at our death unless the world ends before then.
Life’s Polarities
The psychologist, Erik Erikson, in his work on psychosocial development, identified eight stages where people face choices between positive and negative polarities that life presents to each individual. The first polarity is at birth between trust vs. mistrust. We either choose to trust or distrust the new world into which we are born. Our choice affects the rest of our life. The last polarity we face towards the end of our life is integrity vs. despair. The choice of integrity or despair is prompted in old age by the question, “Have I lived a meaningful and productive life or am I full of regrets because my life was useless?” Our growth in holiness is either aided or inhibited by the psychosocial choices we make when addressing life’s polarities. Grace builds on nature. What God calls us to He also provides us with the wherewithal to make the best choice (Phil 4:19). A productive life is one where the person answers God’s call to holiness in the words of Psalm 40 and Hebrews 10:9, “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.” But to do God’s will we must say to Him in the inspired words of Samuel: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening” (1 Sam 3:10). We need to spend more time listening to God than we do to gossip just like we need to spend more time in adoration than we do watching TV or looking at our phones.
The Call to Holiness
The Holy Spirit addresses us as we begin Ordinary time, “… to you who have been sanctified (made holy) in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” (1 Cor 1:2). Jesus is the only One who can sanctify us and make us holy through the power of the Holy Spirit. He alone is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29) The “sin of the world” is the original sin of Adam and Eve. To follow Jesus is to say “Yes” to His call to holiness, to be “perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). The Holy Spirit urges, “As obedient children …become holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, after the likeness of the Holy One who called you” (1 Pet 1:15).
The Need for Religion
The Christian vocation is to be holy. Since God alone is holy, holiness is about being connected to God. That’s why we need the Catholic Religion to keep us connected to God and grow spiritually. This is also why the Sacraments are essential in the process of becoming holy because it is in and through them that we unite with Jesus. No one can be spiritual without being religious. The word “holy” comes from a root word meaning wholeness. Holiness is wholeness. To be whole means to be integrated, where all of our component parts, body, soul, mind and will are working together in unison for the good of others. To be whole is to be without sin. Only Jesus and Mary experienced this level of integrity because they were without sin. The rest of us struggle with integrity, wholeness because of our proneness to sin. Yet God calls us to be whole, integrated, holy persons. After teaching His apostles the Beatitudes, Jesus told them, “In a word, you must be made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48), meaning that we must be holy as our Heavenly Father is holy. Jesus intends for us to be made perfect, holy.
Integrity
John the Baptizer preached a baptism of repentance in calling his people to holiness, to be a people of integrity in fidelity to the covenant between themselves and God. Sin is the enemy of integrity. Through sin we separate ourselves from God, making ourselves unholy, hypocritical, unfaithful. We deprive ourselves of wholeness and demean our humanity. How do you feel when you meet an unwholesome person? John emphasized repentance as the first step toward attaining integrity, holiness. John called people to repentance but he couldn’t bring them forgiveness. Forgiveness comes only from God. That’s why John was so thrilled at Jesus’ presence. Joyfully he shouted, “Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29). John was happy because he knew Jesus was divine and had the Spirit of forgiveness when he saw the Dove alight on Jesus’ shoulder and the Voice from heaven proclaiming, “This is my Son, my Beloved, in Whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). Now it was possible not only to seek unity with God by repenting of sin but to actually attain it through His forgiveness. John baptized with water but Jesus made the water a visible sign of the Holy Spirit with the power to cleanse from sin. “It is He who is to baptize with the Holy Spirit.” (Jn 1:33). The Holy Spirit reminds us that, “God it is who has given you life in Christ Jesus. He has made Him our wisdom and also our justice, our sanctification, and our redemption” (1 Cor 1:30).
The Need for Church
Just as we develop psychosocially in stages, so do we develop in faith stages. In order to work and walk with us daily, Jesus founded His Church on Peter as the visible sign of His redeeming presence among us and gave her 7 Sacraments as signs of His grace enabling us to be holy, like Him. A holy person isn’t someone who is better than anyone else. Neither is he or she sinless. Rather a holy person is one who is conscious of his or her sinfulness and continual need for God’s forgiveness. That is why we begin every Holy Mass with the Penitential Rite where we admit that we are sinners in need of forgiveness. This Rite in the Holy Mass is not a sacrament but an admission of who we are in God’s presence. The saints weren’t perfect but used their imperfections as reminders to turn more and more to God so that He alone could perfect them. To be a Christian is to be holy with God’s holy help. It means letting the Holy Spirit perfect our human spirits as Jesus’ followers adopted by His Father through Mother Church, in order to be a holy people, living a trusting, generative and integrated life here on earth and after death to be perfected by Him in Heaven. (fr sean)
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7 Jan 2026
Baptism of the Lord
Sean Sheehy
Baptism: Foundation for Human Dignity and Holiness
As creatures our value and self-worth are determined by our Creator. By creating us in His image and likeness God gave us a value, a dignity, self-respect and a capacity for holiness that we could neither give ourselves nor receive from anyone else. These are key elements in order to be fully human and fully alive. They are essential for maturity and for being responsible and productive individuals. How does God provide us with a sense of dignity, self-respect, and a spirit of holiness? He does it through what I call them the “Triple A” of mental and spiritual health, namely acknowledging our existence, affirming His love for us and giving us gifts, and showing His affection for us by treating us justly and mercifully. Acknowledgement, affirmation and affection on a human level are usually embodied in handshakes, smiles, nods, being listened to, encouragement, and friendly gestures. To be acknowledged, affirmed, and receive affection for who we are, not just for what we accomplish, is essential for valuing and ourselves and others. When we have this experience, instead of feeling that our life is worthless, we see the worth in our life.
The Antidote to Worthlessness
There’s nothing worse than feeling worthless and feeling that nobody cares about us. These negative feelings or images of ourselves are due to a lack of feeling acknowledged, affirmed, and affection. But sometimes these feelings come about through our own fault when we shut out those who believe in us and encourage us to develop and deploy the gifts they see in us. When we shut others out we also shut God out because our relationship with Him is no better or worse than the one we have with others. A slogan back in the 60s noted that “God doesn’t make junk.” If we think we’re junk we become deaf to the acknowledgment, affirmation, and affection bestowed on us by God and others. Thus we deprive ourselves of the God-given authority for our dignity, self-respect and basic human rights.
The Need for Others
Acknowledging, affirming and showing affection reflects faith in the person’s capability of being what God created him or her to be – namely His image and likeness in thought, word and action. We don’t come into the world acknowledging, affirming and being affectionate toward ourselves. The psychologist, Erick Erickson, noted in his theory of psychosocial stages of human development that maturity is achieved through resolving positive polarities in favour of negative ones as one grows through life. The first polarity faced by us at birth is that of trust vs. mistrust as we enter this new world. To resolve this polarity in favour of trust we need the first people in our life to show us we can trust them by loving us. If we don’t experience that love we will become distrustful of the new world we’ve entered. Acknowledgment of our existence, affirmation that we are loved and affection shown towards us initially become realities for us through the attitude of first persons in our lives.
God is the Initiator
In the Old Testament God acknowledged, affirmed, and was affectionate towards His people in many ways, especially through His covenants calling them to be His people. He bestowed these gifts on His people especially when He promised to send them a Messiah who would acknowledge their existence, affirm His love for them, and display His affection towards them. He promised, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my Chosen One with whom I am pleased … He shall bring forth justice to the nations … open the eyes of the blind, bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness” (Is 42:1-7). His servant – Jesus Christ - would fulfil these promises in a calm, peaceful and gentle manner, in His birth, passion, crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension when He promised His apostles, “I will not leave you orphaned. I will come back to you” (Jn 14:18).
Saved from Being Orphans
What did Jesus do to save us from being orphaned? He made it possible for us to be adopted by His heavenly Father. Adoption is a visible sign that the adoptee’s existence is freely acknowledged, affirmed that he or she is loved, and feels the affection from the adoptive parents. Jesus began the adoption process when He humbly came to John at the River Jordan and asked to be baptized, even though His soul was sinless. John protested because he recognized Jesus as the “Lamb of God” and wanted to be baptized by Him instead. Jesus responded, “Give in for now. We must do this if we would fulfil all of God’s demands” (Mt 4:15). God’s demands were to save mankind through adopting them as His children giving them a new dignity and a new holiness. Baptism became the event wherein God acknowledges, affirms and displays His affection towards Jesus acknowledging and affirming Him as His Son “in whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). “After Jesus was baptized, He came directly out of the water … the sky opened … the Spirit of God descended like a dove and hovered over Him … a voice from the heavens said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on Him’” (Mt 3:16-17). Jesus perfected John’s baptism of repentance by making the water a visible sign of the Holy Spirit cleansing the person of sin and bestowing a new identity on the baptized person as God’s adopted child.
What Baptism Signifies
God the Father used John’s baptism as the visible sign of His specific acknowledgment of Jesus as His Son whom He favoured with all His power and blessings. In turn, Jesus made Baptism with water and the Holy Spirit the visible sign of God’s personal acknowledgment, affirmation and affection for every person who chooses to embrace Him as Lord and Redeemer. He gave this sign to His Church to be the Sacrament of Initiation into His family thereby freeing us from being orphaned and doomed to loneliness in this world. In Baptism Jesus, through His Church, brings us to His Father for adoption as His children through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Sign that God Acknowledges, Affirms, and Shows us His Affection
Baptism into Christ’s Church is the first public sign of God’s personal acknowledgment, affirmation, and affection towards those who receive it. In this Sacrament God adopts the child or adult the child or adult as His son or daughter and an adopted brother or sister of Jesus. It’s a public sign in which the person is given a new dignity and the wherewithal to be holy, which provides the necessary awareness and strength to resist evil . In Baptism God restores the person to His likeness that was lost through Original Sin thus making the person a new creation cleansed from all sin. God bestows His favour on every baptized person by giving him or her a new identity, a new power, a new destiny, and a new family, the Church. In Baptism God empowers people to call themselves His children. As God’s children through Baptism He gives us the capacity for supernatural Faith, Hope, and Love. That means we have the capacity to be Godly people, holy people who follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Jesus has provided His Church with other signs assuring us, after Baptism, of His continued presence to us in our struggle to be God’s lovingly obedient children through whom He calls the world to salvation. Each Sacrament is an instance of God acknowledging our existence as His children, His affirmation of His love for us, and His affection towards us. He provides us with the Holy Eucharist to nourish our souls; Confirmation to strengthen our resolve to be His public witnesses; Reconciliation to forgive our infidelities and give us another chance to be just in our relationships; Matrimony to raise Christian families; Holy Orders to provide spiritual leadership in Jesus’ Name; and Anointing of the Sick to assure us of His help in our suffering. Through these signs, celebrated in His Church, Jesus guarantees the continuity and visibility of His presence among and in us as His adopted brothers and sisters called to holiness and to treat each other with dignity and respect.
What the Church’s Sacraments Signify
God clearly demonstrates His love for us in these holy signs wherein He accomplishes what they signify. “Even while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). We demonstrate our reciprocal acknowledgment, affirmation and affection towards Jesus in how we live our life. We show that we acknowledge Jesus’ existence, affirm our love for Him and express our affection towards Him through our prayer, worship, and service to those in need. In Jesus’ Name we promote and uphold justice, seek the good calmly, and gently do our best to open the eyes of the mentally, emotionally and spiritually blind, showing people how to be free from what imprisons them and keeps them in darkness, namely sin. Thus we proclaim Baptism as the foundation for our God-given dignity and holiness that makes us lights in a dark world. (fr sean)
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1 Jan 2026
2nd Sunday of Christmas
Sean Sheehy
Wed, 31 Dec 2025, 14:58 (1 day ago)
A New Year to Be Wise or Foolish
My grandfather once said to me, “Boy, learn from the owl how to be wise!” Then he taught me the following ditty: “A wise old owl sat in an oak./ The more he heard the less he spoke;/ The less he spoke the more he heard./ Now that old owl was a wise old bird!” I still remember what he taught me; not that I have always put it into practice. Taking time to listen is an essential characteristic of wisdom. As a species, we refer to ourselves as “homo sapiens” – wise men. Judging by the mess the world is in that label is debatable!
What is wisdom? It’s the quality of having good judgment. Good judgment means that in our decisions we gain more than we lose, especially in the long term. Reason says that gaining is all about deepening our relationship with God. In the Bible wisdom is the divine gift which God gives His people (Is 11:2). It isn’t the same as knowledge. Wise people are necessarily knowledgeable, but knowledge in itself doesn’t guarantee wisdom. A wise person discerns right from wrong, what lasts from what’s temporary, what’s holy from what’s evil. Wisdom is always reasonable and defends the dignity and sanctity of the human person, from conception to natural death. The wise person always keeps the big picture in mind without disregarding the importance of detail. From a religious perspective a wise person is one who deepens his or her knowledge of God and bases decisions on that knowledge. The wise person has faith in God. The Holy Spirit revealed that, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov 9:10). Wisdom isn’t simply about collecting information but rather about accepting God’s authority over us and becoming holy like Him.
Wisdom in the Old Testament
Wisdom literature forms a whole segment of the Old Testament. Wisdom was considered more precious than gold and was referred to in the feminine gender. Wisdom “sings her own praises, before her own people she proclaims her glory; in the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth, in the presence of His hosts she declares her worth. From the mouth of the Most High I came forth, and mist-like covered the earth” (Sir 24:1-3). Is wisdom considered feminine because women are wiser than me? Perhaps it is because the heart is an active player in wisdom. Listening must involve the heart in wise decision-making. But wisdom calls for the head and the heart to complement one another. Perhaps wisdom is referred to as feminine because the Hebrew word for wisdom is “chokmah,” which is feminine gender? The Holy Spirit reveals that wisdom is the fear of the Lord, “and avoiding evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). This “fear of the Lord” is the fear of losing faith in God who is all-wise and our only hope of salvation and happiness.
Knowledge Isn’t Wisdom
In today’s world, knowledge has expanded but wisdom has shrunk, judging by the prevalence of atheism, the displacement of God by technology and science, the disrespect for and the destruction of human life, and the persecution of the Catholic Church by enemies from both outside and inside of her structure. True discernment of right from wrong, the holy from the unholy, the lasting from the temporary can only be done through the power of God’s Spirit of wisdom, which is a divine gift. The Holy Spirit reveals that in becoming God’s children, “The spirit we have received is not the world’s spirit but God’s Spirit, helping us to recognize the gifts He has given us” (1 Cor 2:12-13). The Holy Spirit teaches us through Jesus’ Church that out of love, “… God destined us for adoption to Himself through Jesus Christ. …that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of Him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to His call, what are the riches of glory in His heritage among the holy ones” (Eph 1:3-18). It is this “spirit of wisdom and revelation” that enlightens the eyes of our hearts to see the consequences of our choices and how they affect others as well as ourselves, especially in the long term. The world’s spirit, dragged down by egotism, Satan’s lies and false promises, lacks the wisdom necessary for enlightened discernment. That is why Jesus, Lord of history and the universe, couldn’t find a welcoming place in which to be born. “He was in the world, and the world came to be through Him, but the world did not know Him. He came to what was His own, but His own people did not accept Him” (Jn 1:1-18). The world, in the darkness of its fallen state, killed its only hope of salvation by crucifying Jesus on a cross. But, while it ignored His Wisdom, it couldn’t kill Him because Jesus founded His Church through which His Wisdom would faithfully enlighten people to embrace Him as their Way, Truth, and Life until the end of time.
The Opposite of Wisdom Is Foolishness
It’s bad enough to be a fool but it’s worse to be one and not know it. Foolishness is the opposite of wisdom. The world views God’s wisdom to be foolishness and considers its own foolishness to be wisdom. Look at how many scoff at the Church’s teaching thinking that they know better what is worthwhile! Is it any wonder then that evil thrives, as witnessed in the stupidity, insanity, anti-God, anti-human and irrational mentality that is evidenced in those who advocate that women can be men and men can be women, that two men or two women can marry each other, that people have a right to have themselves euthanized, that the baby in the womb is not a person? They prefer Satan’s lies to Jesus’ Wisdom which He hands on to each generation through His Church.
Don’t Be a Fool
As we begin a New Year, may we re-examine whose wisdom we’re following in our daily decisions: that of the world or that of Jesus? Because Jesus is God He is all-wise and all-knowing and present in His Church. Sadly, there are many who identify as Christian but are led by worldly beliefs rather than by Divine Revelation. They exhibit their foolishness, their lack of divine wisdom, by refusing to honour God and give Him His due through infidelity to their Baptismal vows, not raising their children in accord with the teaching of Jesus and His Church which they promised to do at their children’s Baptism, and non-attendance at Sunday Mass. They act like there is no God. The Holy Spirit tells us that, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God” (Ps 14:1). The man or woman who rejects God also rejects His wisdom, therefore having to rely on his or her own human wisdom, which in the eyes of God is foolishness. Godless people are fools. Satan loves fools because they are easily duped by him whom Jesus described as “The father of lies” (Jn 8:44; 2 Tim 2:26; 1 Peter 5:8). With this in mind let us resolve this year to be wise by making the wisdom of Jesus Christ the foundation of our lives so that in all our decisions we will gain more than we lose. He gives us freedom, justice, love and peace both individually and communally. The other alternative is the world’s wisdom which is foolishness, making false promises, and only offers us eternal death and the eternal pain of having deprived ourselves of God’s eternal love. The choice is ours. It should be obvious to all as to what is the best choice, but it obviously isn’t! One choice is wise; the other is foolish. Which will it be? Will you and I be wise, unwise, or otherwise? (fr sean)
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23 12 2025
Christmas
Sean Sheehy
The Birth of a Child: The Hope of Mankind
In France women who are pregnant are often greeted with, “I congratulate you on your hope?” This is very profound since it reminds us that every child is a sign of God’s hope for humanity. Beginning in the mother’s womb, God creates each child in His image and likeness bearing gifts for the enrichment of humanity and the formation of community. Therefore every baby boy and girl brings with him or her a new expression of God’s image and His giftedness for the benefit of everyone. The presence of God’s image is always a sign of His faith in His creation. When we see God having faith in His creation it is possible for us as His creatures to have faith in ourselves, feel secure, and reach our fullest potential.
We Need Supernatural Faith
When we have faith then we can love and have hope. It’s important to realize that we cannot sustain faith in ourselves by ourselves since we didn’t create ourselves. Faith is a supernatural gift which God alone can give us. Supernatural faith is followed by supernatural love and hope. Sadly, the rejection of supernatural Faith, Hope, and Love today is all too evident in the destruction of the unborn in abortion mills. Every child is a sign of God’s hope for the world. The killing of every child is a rejection of the gifts God wants to share with us and so impoverishes society. This Christmas pray especially for an end to abortion and the rejection of God that fuels it.
God Is With Us
Never before did God’s image appear so perfectly than it did in the birth of the Christ Child. Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us. Mary carried in her womb not only the hope of a Messiah for Israel but also the hope of mankind to be freed from sin. Jesus’ entry into human experience offered God’s gift of salvation to every man and woman who was willing to believe in Him. Salvation isn’t as much about getting rid of sin as it is about knowing how much God loves us. The more we know and realize the depth of God’s love for us the more we will take the steps to eliminate sin from our lives and practice the spiritual gift of the “Fear of the Lord”. It’s like turning on the light in the bathroom, looking in the mirror and seeing a smudge on your face. You immediately wash it off because it tarnishes your beauty. That’s what we do with sin when we see ourselves in the light of God’s love.
Do We See as Jesus Sees?
The Word of God Who became man as the Son of Mary was born in a stable, a shelter for the farm animals, because humans had no room for Him. That was where He encountered His creation. Joseph, Mary’s husband, was her midwife and the animals’ breath provided warmth. Jesus’ presence in His creation as a vulnerable little newborn baby shows us how much faith God has in us despite knowing what we would do to Him later on. He entrusted Himself to us, despite our fallen nature and the violence inherent in it. God came into our world to help us see ourselves through His eyes and understand what His Father created us to be. In this manner Jesus is indeed our Savior. We need to be saved from the way we see and understand ourselves and others. We can’t do that without Jesus for He is the Model of what it means to be fully human and fully alive thereby giving glory to God the Creator.
Perception and Reality
Our biggest problem always comes from the way we see things. Perception is reality for us unless we have the truth against which we can analyze it. Looking at life through our own eyes gives us a partial picture at best and a distorted picture at worst of what is real, true, good and beautiful. Our vision is limited and flawed. We are more blind than sighted due to our selfishness, sinfulness and pettiness. Experience attests to this. Have you ever made a judgment about someone only to change your opinion later on because of new information? Your initial judgment was wrong because what you saw through your eyes was flawed. On the other hand when we see things through Jesus’ eyes they look completely different. Jesus sees things through His eyes of freedom, justice, love, and peace. When we see ourselves through Jesus’ eyes we see ourselves and the world differently. Seeing through the eyes of freedom, justice, love and peace translates into a spirit of forgiveness, compassion, mercy, love, peace, faith, hope, friendship. Think of what would happen if we stopped and said, “Today I will look at myself and others through Jesus’ eyes.” Our world would change drastically. We would transform our world because we would be transformed ourselves. Why? Because, as the American comedian, Flip Wilson, used to say, “What you see is what you get. What you give is what you keep; and what you do is what you is” We are constantly working to bring about what we see, we receive what we give, and what we do is how we affect others consciously or unconsciously.
God Places Himself in Our Hands
This Christmas as you view the Bethlehem scene depicted in the crib try to get a sense of what it would be like to be there on the day of Jesus’ birth. On that night, in the words of Isaiah, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone” (Is 9:1). Note the simplicity and calmness of the scene where that “Light” shone. Look at the supernatural faith in the eyes of everyone present, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels and the Magi. The world received in that newborn baby a new supernatural hope in that manger. Men and women could now know how much God loved them. Here is God placing Himself completely in the hands of human beings. Coming into the world as a helpless baby, Jesus set the tone and gave us the example of total trust in God. Later on this Christ Child began His adult ministry inviting people to place themselves completely in His hands so that He could cleanse them from their sins through God’s grace of repentance and His gift of forgiveness. His invitation extended to everyone when He said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:28-30)
Sing with the Angels
Christmas is marvelous and I hope you marvel at the enormity of the love evident in so humble a scene. The smile of the baby Jesus as the Light of the world glowed in that lowly stable in the little town of Bethlehem. May your heart become a manger where the Christ Child is born and smiles as He hears you sing with the angels: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will” (Lk 2:14). (fr sean)
Prayer at the Crib
Lord Jesus, You left Your throne and glory in Heaven and came to earth to become a little baby, born in a stable and lay in a manger with no pillow for Your Sacred Head. The only heating on that cold winter’s night to help Mary keep You warm was the breath of the animals. The people in the Inn had no room for You. You came to bring us joy, to lead us through the darkness of pain, failure, and even death itself. You are our light leading us through life. You give us life that never ends. I want to welcome You into my heart as Mary and Joseph welcomed You on that first Christmas night. I love you, Lord Jesus and I know that You love me. I make this prayer to our Heavenly Father through You by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Infant Jesus, bless my family and the families of all whom I meet. Amen.
Holy Mary, Virgin and Mother of Jesus, Pray for my mother. Amen
St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for my father. Amen.
The True Meaning of "The Twelve Days of Christmas": Unlocking the Secret Code
Caroline Perkins December 22, 2024
It’s a common claim among Catholics that the English Christmas carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a secret code for Catholic teachings used when Catholicism was illegal in England.
Since Catholicism was illegal in England from the 16th to the 19th centuries, tradition holds that the song was a mini-Catechism to help teach the Catholic Faith secretly to Catholic children.
Here’s what the different gifts traditionally symbolize:
Partridge in a Pear Tree = Jesus Christ
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope, and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = The Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The Pentateuch, the first Five Books of the Old Testament
6 Geese A-laying = The six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming = The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
8 Maids A-milking = The eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = The nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = The ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = The eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed
Note that some versions of the theory have slightly different interpretations of the code.
“The 'True Love' one hears in the song is not a smitten boy or girlfriend but Jesus Christ, because truly Love was born on Christmas Day. The partridge in the pear tree also represents Him because that bird is willing to sacrifice its life if necessary to protect its young by feigning injury to draw away predators.”
Furthermore, different traditions were–and still are in some cases–associated with each of the 12 days of Christmas as shared by English Heritage.
This includes the celebration of popular feast days like Saint Stephen, Saint John, and of course, Childermas.
This catchy tune can remind Catholics today to slow down and embrace the fullness of the Christmas season.
Yes, as Catholics, the Nativity of Our Lord marks the beginning of the liturgical season. So, while secular society takes down the decor and moves on, we are called to continue the celebration!
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10 Dec 2025.
Advent 3 - Pink Candle - Joy - Gaudete Sunday
Sean Sheehy
Stop Being a Dull Christian
The dictionary defines ‘dull’ as foolish, tedious, uninteresting, or lacking in brightness. Sadly dullness all too often describes Christians. I have witnessed this in many parish churches at Sunday Mass where congregations are riddles with dull faces. C.S. Lewis in his book “The Joyful Christian” wrote that “joy is the serious business of Heaven,” and attaining it is the business of the Christian. So Jesus’ Church begins the 3rd week of Advent calling us to be joyful because His constant love puts joy in our hearts. Despite the misery and hardship we might be facing He promises to change it into joy. “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers and rejoice with joyful song” Is 35:1-2). God’s word shocks us out of our dullness and dispels our darkness. God makes life come out of death, beauty out of barrenness, and a joyful song out of sorrow. God promises to “Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, and tell those whose hearts are frightened: be strong, fear not! Here is your God … He comes to save you” Is 35:4-5). How could anyone who believes in God’s promises be dull?
Dullness Has no Place in Christianity
A dull Christian is not Christian. Christians should be the most excited and joyful people in the world. Knowing that God has come to save us gives us plenty of reasons to be joyful. Perhaps we aren’t as joyful as we should be because we don’t realize the awesome and wondrous gift of God’s love in sending His Son to save us and the sacrifice He made on our behalf. All too often we think we’re in control and are taking care of ourselves. It’s only when failure, disappointment, betrayal, disease, or death forces us to admit our fragility and helplessness. Like the recovering addict, we’re in constant need of God’s help since we’re never fully recovered from our proneness to sin.
The Illusion of Self-Salvation
All too often we underestimate our sinfulness. We suffer from a fallen nature inherited from Adam and Eve. It’s defective and prone to egotism due to our darkened intellect and weak will. In ignorance and arrogance we think we can save ourselves without God. A self-made man demonstrates the woes of unskilled labour. The illusion of being our own saviour ends in disillusionment and we cry for someone to save us. That “someone” is Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus we aren’t doomed by our sin-stained inheritance. Jesus frees us from a flawed past and gives us a present to enjoy, leading to a bright future in which to hope. How could a believer in Jesus be dull? Every Christian should joyfully and confidently proclaim loudly with Mary, “My soul magnifies the Lord; My spirit finds joy in God my Saviour” (Lk 1:47).
God’s Faithfulness to His Promises
John the Baptizer, Jesus’ cousin, imprisoned for publicly condemning Herod’s adulterous relationship with Herodias, was wondering if Jesus was the Messiah. He sent disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah, God-with-us. Jesus didn’t say He was or He wasn’t. Instead He told them to, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.. And blessed is the one who takes no offence at me” (Mt 11:4-6). Jesus wanted John to see that He was fulfilling what God had promised, namely to, “Strengthen the hands of the feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, He comes with vindication … He comes to save you … He will open the eyes of the blind, clear the ears of the deaf, enable the lame to leap and the tongue of the mute to sing” (Is 35:1-10).
Restoration to Wholeness and Holiness
The transforming effect on all who believed in Jesus was proof of His divine touch restoring physically and spiritually feeble, weak, fearful, lame, blind, and deaf human beings to wholeness. Have you ever been blind - blind to your own faults, your own and others’ innate value, worth, grace and beauty? Jesus came into the world to be the light that dispels the darkness of our ignorance and pride. Have you ever been lame - slow in showing your love and carrying out your responsibilities? Jesus came to found His Church in which He offers you strength especially in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. Have you ever been deaf – deaf to God’s Word, to the truth of your own worth and that of others, to the truth about your behaviour, your reason for being here, the importance of sharing your gifts, the love God and others have for you? Jesus came to help you hear the truth of His unconditional love which sets you free to be the self He created you to be. Have you ever been dead – dead to your own abilities, to the needs of others, to God’s call, to participation in Jesus’ Church where He sustains and nourishes you and gives you hope? Jesus raised you to life in Baptism and enables you to give life to others through sharing your gifts with them. Have you ever had a poor attitude – mean, miserly, jealous and envious, feeling others have more than you? Jesus came to help you see how rich you are and how much you have to give others. Have you ever felt like a leper – rejected, unclean from sin, ashamed of your background, unwanted? Jesus came to cleanse you and unite you with His people through reconciliation with Him and His Church. Jesus came to provide you with everything you lack so that His image and likeness might shine in you. Surely this is a reason to be joyful!
Patience Is Required
A woman once described herself to me as “a Christian under construction.” God the Father is the Architect, Jesus is the Builder, and the Holy Spirit supplies the materials. But we must let the Holy Trinity work on us, mould us, fill us and use us. St. James calls us to, “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord” (Jas 5:7). He encourages us to be like the farmer “who waits for the precious fruit of the earth until it receives the rains… You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.” Much of the joy Christian faith generates is aborted by our impatience and trying to do things our way. God tells us that there is a proper time and place for everything (Eccles 3:2ff). But we expect God to act according to our timetable. If He doesn’t, we become irritated or feel rejected by Him. This impatience deprives us of the joy generated by Jesus’ promises. Someone said, “If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.” God’s plan for you and me is to be like Jesus. So when we follow Jesus’s way we will be excited and joyful because He makes us more than adequate to every situation, if we let Him.
The Power of Joy
Light a pink candle this week and celebrate the joy the Lord brings you, a joy that suffering and death can’t diminish or extinguish. Let that joy dispel your dullness. Jesus is the promised Messiah. He is here now in His Church, and rest assured that He will come again. He always does what He says, therefore you can totally depend on Him and that in itself is the reason to be joyful. (fr sean)
The Power to Change
If nature can turn coal into diamonds, sand into pearls, and a worm into a butterfly, surely God can turn your life around too! If you let Him.
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2 Dec 2025
Sean Sheehy
Advent: Preparing for Your Meeting with the Lord
A meeting is fruitful when we’re clear about whom we’re meeting, the purpose, the issues to be addressed and the actions that must follow. This applies especially when we prepare for a meeting with Jesus, which is inevitable, whether sacramentally in His Church or daily in our prayer or at the moment of death or when He returns again, if that comes before we die.
Know Who You’re Meeting
The first step in preparing for a meeting with Jesus is to answer the question: Who is Jesus and why must we meet with Him? The answer lies in recognizing Him as the Messiah whom God promised to send in order to save the world from sin and be its Judge of what is right and wrong. God promised He would accomplish this because, “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord … not by appearance shall He judge, nor by hearsay shall He decide … Justice shall be a band around His waist, and faithfulness a belt upon His hips” (Is 11:2-5). He had the power to conquer the warring spirit of the sinful world and replace it with a Spirit of justice, peace and harmony. “He shall govern God’s people with justice …He shall rescue the poor man when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lonely and the poor … from fraud and violence He shall redeem them … as long as the sun His Name shall remain…in Him all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim His happiness” (Ps 72: 2, 12-14, 17). He alone was empowered to restore man and woman to the just relationship, peace and harmony with creation that God originally created them to enjoy. Jesus is the visible image and likeness of God; He is the incarnation of God’s Word and the model for all men and women to imitate in order to be fully human and fully alive. Without Jesus we would neither know nor have the wherewithal as to what it takes to live fruitfully, faithfully, hopefully, and charitably.
Why the Meeting Is Necessary
The second step in our preparation to meet Jesus is to answer the question: Why must I meet with Him? Our history began with Jesus and culminates in Him. He, as God-become-man and the Word through which God created mankind, is both the beginning and the end of history. “All things came into being through Him” (Jn 1:3). Jesus specifies this when He revealed: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, ‘the One who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:8). As the Omega, Jesus Christ is the final Judge of the living and the dead, determining who enters Heaven and who has doomed himself or herself to hell for all eternity (Mt 25:31-46). Jesus is my Judge and yours and we can’t escape His just judgment (2 Cor 5:10). He came to restore harmony between mankind and creation that was lost through the sin of Adam and Eve. He did this by establishing justice and holiness on the earth. Isaiah (11:1-10) paints a beautiful prophetic picture of creation restored to harmony by the Messiah. Jesus is the only one who can harmonize you and me with God, with one another and with creation. We can’t avoid meeting Him if we want to enjoy peace and harmony among ourselves and within ourselves since only He can make us right with God, our neighbour, and our self.
What the Preparation Involves
The third step asks the question, “What do I need to do in preparation for the meeting? John the Baptizer, the last Old Testament prophet, tells us that we need to undergo “a baptism of repentance” before meeting Jesus. He warns us to “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand! … Prepare a way for the Lord, make His paths straight” (Mt 3:2-3). He proclaimed: “I baptize you in water for repentance, but the One who follows me is more powerful than I am … He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire … He will gather His wheat into the barn; but the chaff He will burn in unquenchable fire” (Mt 3:11-12). Because we must meet Jesus when we die we need to be fully reconciled with Him beforehand, if we want Him to judge us worthy of Heaven. For this reason He founded His Church equipping her with the authority and power to forgive sin in His Holy Name and make reconciliation possible. Thus Jesus continually offers us the grace of reconciliation with God and with one another in order to live justly here on earth in peace and harmony as we await eternity. Since only Jesus can lead us to justice and holiness, peace and harmony cannot be achieved either individually or communally without Him. As sinful human beings we cannot achieve these on our own. This is why secular political systems fail to establish consistent justice, peace and harmony on the earth.
Examination of Conscience
The opposite of peace and harmony is conflict and alienation which are the result of sin. Sin is injustice, namely denying God, our neighbour, and our self of what is due. We can’t conquer sin on our own since repentance and forgiveness are graces from God. Since only God can make us right with Him, with one another and with our self, we need Him to forgive us and empower us to forgive ourselves and one another so that that harmony may be restored. This is why John the Baptizer calls us to look into our mind and heart and search our soul so that we can expose the sinful areas of our life so that God can restore His image in us. The Church identifies the deadly sins to which we are all prone, namely pride, wrath, lust, sloth, gluttony, avarice, covetousness (envy and jealousy), and an obtuse spirit (blind to the truth).We need to examine our conscience, our language, our morality, “what we have done and what we have failed to do” (Penitential Rite of the Holy Mass), to see which one or more of these is killing our soul, distorting our thinking and framing evil as good . Just as denial of a physical disease contributes to the death of our body, so denying our sinfulness assures the death of harmony in our life and our relationships.
We Must Kill the Sin
The fourth step asks: What actions must I be willing to take in order for the meeting to be fruitful? We must freely commit ourselves to repent, confess our sins, seek God’s forgiveness, and make restitution for the damage our sins have caused. This requires our willingness to avail ourselves of the Church’s Sacrament of Reconciliation where Jesus authorizes the bishops and priests of His Church to forgive sin in His Name. Thus we receive sanctifying and actual grace that makes us holy and resistant to the recurrence of vices, bad habits that foster injustice and destroy inner and outer harmony. All vices, all self-destructive habits, must be identified in order for us to know which virtue God is necessary to eliminate the vice. God doesn’t want us just to get rid of our vices; rather He wants us to replace them with virtues so that we can live virtuously rather than viciously. Virtues are good habits that enhance our relationship with God, with ourselves, and with our neighbour.
There’s a story about a man who lived most of his life in the desert. One day he visited an old friend who lived in a far distant town. The day after his arrival he decided to explore the town and was intrigued by the railroad tracks. Standing in the middle of the tracks He heard a whistle, not knowing it was a train he just stood there. He was knocked down. After a few weeks in hospital he returned to his friend’s home where a party was in progress. On entering the kitchen he heard a whistle and immediately grabbed a piece of wood and began bashing the source of the whistle. Hearing all the noise, his friend ran into the kitchen. When he saw what was happening, he shouted, “Why are you destroying my kettle?” The desert man shot back, “Man, you got to kill these things when they’re small because when they get big they can kill you.” Sin will kill you if you don’t kill it when it is small. Hence, our need to be prepared to do what Jesus, the Killer of sin and the Conqueror of Satan, requires us to do.
We must pray for the grace to kill pride with humility, kill wrath with patience, kill lust with chastity, kill gluttony with moderation, kill greed with generosity, kill sloth with diligence, kill envy with kindness, and kill an obtuse spirit with a spirit of receptivity to the truth, i.e., Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If we don’t eliminate our vices when they’re small and kill them early, they’ll kill us spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, socially, morally, and even physically. When we repent of our sins by making a grace-filled effort to replace our vices with virtues we’ll be well prepared for a productive meeting with Jesus as members of His Church whom He calls to live in harmony practicing justice and holiness on earth as it is in Heaven. (fr sean)
Warning
"Only the Catholic vision - which reconciles and perfects freedom and truth, nature and grace, law and love - can prevent the West from fa;;ing into transhumanist utopianism or sterile Islamic submission." (Gaetano Masciullo)
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26 Nov2025
Advent Lectionary Cycle A
Sean Sheehy
Advent: Time to Wake Up!
The Catholic Church begins a new liturgical year with the holy season of Advent. The Church refers to the year as liturgical because she devotes the time to publicly worshiping God and thanking Him for the blessings He has bestowed on the worshippers. Liturgy is all about the solemn worship of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Advent is the first season of the liturgical year during which the Church prepares her members and the world to celebrate Jesus’ birth and reminds them to be prepared for when they meet Him face-to-face by uniting themselves now with His Sacramental presence in His Church. The other holy seasons are: Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. Throughout this New Year, God will bestow graces through His Church on His children and through them on the world calling it to repentance and conversion. The impact of the blessings from those graces will depend on the degree of receptivity of those upon whom they’re bestowed. As the Holy Spirit reminds us through St. Paul: Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Eph 3:20). As we begin this new year of grace, the Holy Spirit expresses urgency regarding the correction of our sinful behaviour: “You must wake up now: your salvation is nearer than it was when you first converted ... Let us live decently ... no drunken orgies, not promiscuity or licentiousness (sexual behaviour characterized by lewdness and lack of chastity), no wrangling or jealousy. Let your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 13:11-14). He reminds us that we are subject to the Lord. “While we live we are responsible to the Lord, and when we die we die as His servants. Both in life and in death we are the Lord’s…Every one of us will have to give an account of himself before God …” (Rom 14:8-12).
Preparing us to begin this new year of grace, the Holy Spirit, guiding Jesus’ Church, rouses us up from our spiritual torpor and calls us to make Jesus the centre of our life empowering us to counter the wiles and ways of Satan and our own proneness to sin. He urges us in the words of St. Peter: “Be of sober spirit, be alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Pt 5:8). Satan is cunning. He hates us and will do anything to destroy us by promoting lies as truth and making false gods attractive. He uses false teachers, even within the Church, who try to promote his lies about creating a “new way to be Church” instead of Jesus’ way, which is the Way of the Cross. Therefore, Jesus warns us to, “Be on your guard against false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but underneath are wolves on the prowl” (Mt 7:15). False prophets come both from without and from within Jesus’ Church aiming to make her more amenable to worldly thinking. It’s so easy to be lulled to sleep by the humanistic/atheistic/nihilistic culture that focuses only on gratifying the body while totally ignoring the soul. This culture of death offers impotent remedies and poisoned food when the starved soul makes itself manifest in feelings of emptiness, loneliness, self-rejection, depression, inner turmoil, joylessness, listlessness, wrath, addiction, abuse, violence, etc. Only the “armour of the Lord” (Eph 6:11) will guard us from these spiritual maladies spawned by the malignant enemy that underlie much of our loneliness and our vain search for love in all the wrong places. Satan uses our loneliness to tempt us to try and fulfil ourselves with what fails to satisfy us or to get us to doubt that God cares for us and wants to make us whole through calling us into an intimate relationship with Him as His children.
A New Opportunity
A new year is always an opportunity for a new beginning. It is a time to reorder our priorities so that we can make the most of this new period of time with which God has gifted us and during which He is present to us in His Church and in our hearts as members of His Church. How does this new beginning and reordering of our priorities take place? It takes place through the grace of God which He bestows on His Church as our Mother, who, following the example of the Virgin Mary, tells us to “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5). Where does Jesus speak to us? He speaks to us through His Church’s proclamation of the Gospel and in her Sacraments, prayer, and worship, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and in carrying out the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. He revealed the importance of His Church through Isaiah that, “In the days to come...people will say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob that He may teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths ...He will wield authority over the nations and adjudicate between many peoples ...they will beat their swords into ploughshares ... there will be no one training for war” (2:1-5). A new positive beginning and an essential change in priorities leading to good living come about only when we embrace God’s ways. Someone noted that “if we don’t give God the first place in our daily life, everything else in our life is in the wrong place!”
Our First Priority
We give God the first place in our life by embracing His ways through faithfully adhering to the traditional and biblically based teaching handed down by Jesus’ Church. The Temple and Jerusalem prefigured the Church which Jesus founded on Peter and assured her continuity until the end of time through the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Her teaching will always reflect her unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity so that all generations will come to know Jesus her Head, her Bridegroom. In her preaching, teaching and celebrations, Jesus Church keeps before us the ways of God enshrined in the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and in her Moral Law and the works of mercy.
Don’t Be Caught Napping
As we begin this new liturgical year, Jesus urges us to, “Stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming ... You must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Mt 24:37-44). He told His listeners the story of Noah and warned that it will be like that when He returns at the end of time. The people “suspected nothing until the flood came and swept all away.” They laughed at Noah building an ark in the desert and ignored what God told him only to be hit with a tsunami in the desert. Having taken God’s advice and done what He told him, Noah and his family were saved while the others perished in the flood. This is a stark reminder of Judgment day. Yes, Jesus is talking about the end of the world here, but the end of the world for each of us is the day we die. Jesus’ Church has always taught her members that there are two judgments, a particular judgment of each person at the moment of death and a general judgment of all humanity at the end of time when all creation will see that God and His followers have won and Satan and his followers have lost and are cast into hell. The judgment you and I will receive from Jesus the day we die will determine our eternal happiness or eternal suffering.
Make God’s House Your House
God is asking you and me to begin this New Year of Grace publicly worshipping Him in the spirit of the Psalmist: “‘Let us go to God’s House.’ And now our feet are standing within Your gates, O Jerusalem ... There to praise the Lord’s Name,” (Ps 12:1-9). Thus we receive the good God wants us to have and the peace He wants to give us in our homes and in our hearts. Jesus’ Church is “God’s House,” where we find His teaching, His truth that sets us free, and where He nourishes our soul that fills our heart with joy, peace, love, the grace to repent and be forgiven, mercy, hope, chastity, friendship, and a bright future in which to hope (Gal 5:22-23). God’s ways are far above the world’s ways. This is why Jesus’ Church is counter-cultural and why His ways seek to convert the world’s ways that are otherwise doomed to failure. So the Catholic Church must never be led by the culture or embrace the culture’s priorities. Rather she continually challenges the secular culture in her teaching, proclamation, and celebration of God’s ways, always embracing the priorities He sets for all those who wish to be saved from sin and enjoy eternal happiness. It’s time to wake up and clarify whether we’re following God’s ways or the world’s ways. Will we commit to giving God the first place in our life so that everything else in our life may be in the right place? Will this new year of grace alert us to the fact that our time in this world is getting shorter every day? Will it increase our urgency to make the most of the time allotted to us by embracing Jesus’ ways or will we be duped into a false sense of security by the world’s ways, only to wake up when the flood of death hits and realize it’s too late? A New Year of grace begins with Jesus’ call to “Wake up! I am knocking on the door of your heart.” (fr sean)
Anticipating Christ’s Coming
Jesus has come and He will come again. In the meantime, we must practice patience. This first week of Advent can be a time when we focus on the virtue of patience. There’s an old saying that, “Patience is a virtue. Possess it if you can. It is sometimes in a woman but never in a man.” Regardless of whether we are male or female, we all run out of patience from time to time. Nobody has a monopoly on patience. Most of us are “patience challenged.” Someone told me once that we should not pray for patience because God will provide us with lots of opportunities for practicing that virtue.
The word ‘patience’ comes from Latin and literally means ‘suffering’. A patient person is one who knows how to suffer well. My definition of patience is “waiting productively.” Impatience is the act of waiting non-productively. A patient person has learned to put the time spent waiting to good use. The impatient person hasn’t learned that lesson. Imagine an impatient driver in traffic. The fact is that we have to wait anyway, so why become irate. What makes the difference is how we wait. It’s never a matter of waiting or not waiting for something. It is simply a matter of how we cope.
Impatience can be expressed actively or passively. When we act out our impatience overtly, we let everyone know that we aren’t happy. When we act it out passively, we simply disengage. The second is worse than the first. When impatience devolves into disengagement we lose sight of what it is we are waiting for that isn’t coming or happening quickly enough for us. Therein lies the danger in waiting for Christ’s second coming. It seems like a long time in coming. Don’t worry. Christ will come, sooner than we expected. This second coming of Christ will take place for each of us at death.
Positive waiting for Christ, by using our time productively, means that we are focused on being prepared for that meeting. Until that happens, we do what we can to keep us alert and ready for the great event. While we are waiting for Christ to come, we actively involve ourselves in His community, the Church. This active involvement in the Church ensures that we are ever conscious of Christ’s sacramental presence to us now, especially in the Mass, and in the other community celebrations of the Sacraments. The favourite prayer of the patient follower of Christ is, “Come, Lord Jesus. I am ready!”
On the other hand, the impatient person gives up on asking Christ to come since he or she has to wait too long. He or she becomes aggravated and disappointed, deciding to focus on something that is more tangible and more immediately gratifying. Victory comes to those who wait. Those who refuse to wait miss out on what they were waiting for, settling for something less because it was more quickly attainable. We must avoid the trap of settling for mediocrity because we didn’t want to wait for excellence.
The message from God this week is: Don’t be afraid, the Lord is faithful. Therefore, you can be faithful and surrender to Him. He will come on time – His time, not your time, since all time belongs to Him. Practice patience – use the time you spend waiting for what is important to you, doing something that is important to someone else. Be patient, be productive, be cool, and be there when the Lord comes knocking on your door. Be able to say, “Lord I was waiting for You. Please come in. Mi casa es su casa.” (fr sean)
Advent Wreath
Light a candle on your wreath at home each week of Advent, remembering that Jesus is your Light, and pray for your family, the Church, the Pope, bishops, and clergy in preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ first coming as a baby, in thanksgiving for His Sacramental Presence in His Church, and His second coming as our Judge.
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19 Nov 2025
Sean Sheehy
The Only King whose Kingdom Is without End
The Catholic Church brings her liturgical year to a close by celebrating Jesus as the King to whom everyone is accountable and by Whom everyone will be judged according to his or her deeds here on earth. Why does the Church celebrate the Kingship of Jesus? Because the Church’s task is to inform everyone about Jesus’ Kingdom, whose visible sign on earth she is, so that they can benefit from the supernatural freedom, justice, love and peace that He offers. It is only within Jesus’ Kingdom that we can find ultimate meaning, value, power, purpose, and a joyful future in which to hope, without fear of being deceived (Rom 5:5). This is where our yearning for what’s real, true, good, and beautiful will be fulfilled. Jesus’ Kingdom isn’t of this world (Jn 18:36). This world has another “King,” namely Satan. This fallen world is his “kingdom” and will be so until Jesus returns again. Satan, “the father of lies” (Jn 8:44, promises to satisfy all our needs by tempting us to focus only on satisfying the three blind desires emanating from our brain stem, namely eat, drink, and gratify our sexual urges. He wants us to ignore the desires of our soul, which is the seat of our intellect that’s satisfied only by the truth (Christ Jesus) and our will that chooses the good (God Himself is the ultimate Good). Satan falsely promises that popularity, possessions, power, and pleasure will satisfy our in-bred need to belong, be free, be powerful, and be joyful. Since these are spiritual qualities they can be met only by the God who created them in us at the moment of conception. We want these qualities permanently, not just temporarily. The only one who can empower us to change for the better, free us from sin, give us a joyful spirit, and offer us a happy future is Christ Jesus. This is why Christians call Jesus their King. He is the One who makes them heirs to His Kingdom. The world - Satan’s kingdom - is passing away and makes his followers heirs to eternal death.
Know the Real Jesus
Who is Jesus? In the inspired words of Peter, He is “… the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16). It wasn’t Peter’s own powers of observation that enabled him to recognize Jesus as Son of God and Messiah. That required supernatural Faith. Natural faith based on the senses wouldn’t be sufficient. Jesus explained to Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in Heaven” (Mt 16:17). Jesus told His Apostles, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” (Jn 6:44). Supernatural Faith is a gift from God, the first of the three Divine Virtues the practice of which God gave us in Baptism. St. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, helps us to deepen our understanding of Jesus as our King who demonstrates supernatural Faith through His obedience to His Father’s will: He “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation … For in Him were created all things in Heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible … all things were created through Him and for Him … He is the Head of the body, the Church” (Col 1:15ff). He is the King on whom all creation relies for its existence and perfection. When Pilate questioned Jesus if He was a king, He replied, “My Kingdom does not belong to this world … Yes, I am a King. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice” (Jn 18:36-37). Ironically, in mocking Jesus by writing “King of the Jews” on the cross, His persecutors were unwittingly speaking the truth. The enemies of the truth unwittingly give voice to the truth whenever they condemn it because truth can’t be conquered.
The Visible Sign of Jesus’ Kingdom
Jesus came to establish God’s Kingdom on earth so that every human being would have the opportunity to enter that Kingdom. He taught His disciples to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” (Mt 6:10). God’s Kingdom is wherever He is enabling people to do will. Satan’s kingdom is wherever God’s will is rejected, ignored, or dismissed. Jesus gave His Kingdom visibility on earth by founding His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church on Peter. Baptism into His Church is the door to Jesus’ Kingdom of Heaven and His Church’s Sacraments are His royal and personal meetings with His people individually and communally. The characteristics of Jesus’ Kingdom on earth, as it is in Heaven, are the values He established for everyone to embrace, namely freedom from the slavery of sin, justice in relationships, charity towards all, and peace to people of good will.
The Baptized Are Heirs to the Kingdom
The Psalmist proclaimed his joy at entering the visible sign of God’s Kingdom: “I rejoiced because they said to me, ‘We will go up to the house of the Lord.’ And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem” (Ps 122: 1-2). Jerusalem symbolized God’s covenantal presence where He prepared His people for the establishing of His Kingdom on earth. Jesus established God’s Kingdom on earth with the founding of His Church where His people could meet and worship Him as their King. By belonging to His Church Jesus makes us heirs to His Kingdom. The Holy Spirit reveals that, “If we are God’s children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, sharing His sufferings so as to share His glory” (Rom 8:16ff). Because Jesus is present in His Church, through which we belong to His Kingdom and we adore Him as our King, we can be joyful because in the inspired words of Peter, “you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls” (1Pt 1:8-9).
Kingdom Benefits and Duties
Jesus’ Church invites everyone to embrace Him as their King by uniting with Him through, with, and in her Sacraments. Jesus is the Head of His Church, the visible sign of His Kingdom, and holds her close to His Sacred Heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, leading her to perfection by calling her members to do God’s will “on earth as it is in Heaven” (Mt 6:10). Through Jesus, sacramentally present in His Church, God the Father has, “delivered us from darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of His Beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:12ff). Jesus transferred the repentant thief from darkness of sin into the light of grace when he humbly prayed, “Jesus remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.” He responds similarly to you and me when we repent, seek forgiveness, and make restitution for the damage caused by our sins. Then He speaks these words to us: “Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:42-43). Every time we pray “Thy Kingdom come” in the Lord’s prayer we are anticipating the Kingdom of God, namely Heaven, and promising to “do His will on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10). We are acknowledging our membership in God’s Kingdom through belonging to Jesus’ Church that, through supernatural Faith, recognizes Him as the only King of Heaven and earth. Jesus is our King and in praying for His kingdom to come we are committing ourselves to hoping for and to promoting His Kingdom on earth by being faithful members of His Church upholding the Apostolic Tradition which He gave His Apostles and which He commissioned them to hand on through His Church to all generations until the end of time. Jesus is the only King within whose Kingdom our deepest hopes and dreams are fulfilled. If you haven’t already freely chosen Jesus as your King , now is the time to choose Him and invest yourself fully in His Kingdom of freedom, justice, love, and peace. (fr sean)
Full Disclosure in the Presence of the King
“Each of us must come to the evening of life. Each of us must enter on eternity. Each of us must come to that quiet, awful time, when we will appear before the Lord of the vineyard, and answer for the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or bad. That, my dear brethren, you will have to undergo. … It will be the dread moment of expectation, when your fate for eternity is in the balance, and when you are about to be sent forth as the companion of either saints or devils, without possibility of change. There can be no change; there can be no reversal. As that judgment decides it, so it will be for ever and ever. Such is the particular judgment. … when we find ourselves by ourselves, one by one, in His presence, and have brought before us most vividly all the thoughts, words, and deeds of this past life. Who will be able to bear the sight of himself? And yet we shall be obliged steadily to confront ourselves and to see ourselves. In this life we shrink from knowing our real selves. We do not like to know how sinful we are. We love those who prophesy smooth things to us, and we are angry with those who tell us of our faults. But on that day, not one fault only, but all the secret, as well as evident, defects of our character will be clearly brought out. We shall see what we feared to see here, and much more. And then, when the full sight of ourselves comes to us, who will not wish that he had known more of himself here, rather than leaving it for the inevitable day to reveal it all to him!” (St. John Henry Newman, p101 “A Year with the Saints”)
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12 Nov 2025;
33rd Sunday Justice
I
Sean Sheehy
There’s No Escape from Divine Justice:
During this month of November when the Church focuses on praying for the dead God speaks to us about justice. St. Thomas Aquinas noted that if we didn’t believe in divine justice we’d have to invent it. Why? The good of society requires that every person receive his or her due and be held responsible and accountable. Everyone needs to know that good actions are rewarded and evil actions are punished, whether in this life or in the life to come. Since human justice is often flawed due to prejudice, ignorance, greed, revenge, and lies, divine justice is needed to assure just treatment for everyone. What is justice? Dictionaries define it as “the exercise of authority in vindication of right by assigning reward or punishment.” It’s the quality of being fair and impartial by awarding everyone what is due him or her. God is the final arbiter of justice and He is the ultimate Determiner of reward and punishment for the good or evil we do. Jesus is the final Judge. The Holy Spirit teaches us that, “The lives of all of us are to be revealed before the tribunal of Christ so that each one may receive his recompense, good or bad, according to his life in the body” (2 Cor 5:10). No one escapes God’s justice. He holds each of us accountable for all our thoughts, words and actions.
God’s Justice Forces Us to Judge Ourselves
Jesus’ Church proclaims God’s promise through the Prophet, Malachi: “The day is coming … when all evildoers will be stubble … but for you who fear my Name, there will arise the sun of justice with all its healing rays” (Mal 3:19-20). We hear a lot about God’s mercy but not very much about His justice. God, of course, is both just and merciful. But God’s mercy is the love and patience giving us the chance to reform our lives through repentance for our sins, our acts of injustice, and act justly toward Him, ourselves and our neighbour. Jesus provided us with this opportunity in His Church’s Sacrament of Reconciliation. He promises those who repent their injustices that He will, “…have compassion on them, as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. Then you will see the distinction between the just and the wicked; between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him” (Mal 3:17-18). The Holy Spirit revealed through the Psalmist that the Son of God would come as the Just Ruler, to “… rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity” (Ps 98:9). At the moment of our death you and I will have to pronounce judgment on ourselves when God’s justice exposes whether we’ve lived life justly or unjustly, gracefully or sinfully. The standard He’ll use to determine our reward or punishment is whether we lovingly obeyed the Commandments and did our best to live the Beatitudes as members of His Church. We will see whether we have used God’s mercy as chances that God gave us to put order in our disordered lives by making our relationship with Him our first priority. At the end of time God’s judgment will show that His justice tempered by His mercy has rewarded or punished everyone according to his or her deeds. It’s God who rewards us for the good we do, but it’s we who will condemn ourselves for the evil we did and died unrepentant. We condemn ourselves because in the presence of Jesus we’ll have to take full responsibility for our behaviour when faced with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
The 4 Kinds of Justice
Because Jesus is the just Judge, He alone, through His Church, teaches us how to be just in our dealings with God and with one another. There are four kinds of human justice: Distributive or economic justice that assures fairness in the distribution of goods and resources; Procedural justice that assures fairness in how goods are distributed; Restorative justice that assures restitution for harm or deprivation; and Retributive justice that assures the punishment is proportionate to the crime. Looking at the world today it is evident that these forms of justice are not being practiced. We see injustice enshrined in legislation such as abortion, euthanasia, same-sex “marriage,” transgenderism, etc. Sadly, the law, whose purpose is to maintain order and protect the rights of the people so that justice reigns in order that people may be at peace, often denies human rights to others such as the unborn and even those that survive abortion. This guarantees the continuity of injustice which undermines any hope of peace, since peace flows only from justice. What’s legal isn’t always what is just, what is moral.
Relationship of Justice and Mercy
Human justice should mirror God’s justice since the creature’s behaviour should reflect the Creator’s intention for its existence. Our behaviour should reflect our relationship with God who created each of us to be at peace with Him, ourselves and our neighbour. That’s why we must follow Jesus’ teaching in order to love goodness, act justly, and walk humbly in God’s sight (Micah 6). God revealed to Isaiah (61:8): “For I, the Lord, love what is right, I hate robbery and injustice …” Jesus tells us what is just in every Holy Mass when the priest prays at the Preface, “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give You thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Christ our Lord.” He warns us: “See that you are not deceived, for many will come in my Name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and ‘The time has come!’ Do not follow them!” (Lk 21:8). Today there are many false “prophets” both outside and within the Church who are promoting false teaching and deceive people into thinking their lifestyle is fine when in fact it is mortally sinful. There are people within the Church who promote false ecumenism and instead of calling all people to unite with Christ in His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, they want the Church to embrace them without requiring conversion. They want a Church that promotes mercy but not justice. St. Thomas Aquinas noted that “mercy without justice is the mother of dissolution; justice without mercy is cruelty.” Mercy makes sure that justice isn’t cruel but restores the moral order for the good of everyone. Mercy is the chance God gives us and we give one another to get things right, to act justly, morally, in our relationships. The promoters of mercy try to portray Jesus as being only merciful while ignoring His just demands, such as “If you love me, keep my Commandments” (Jn 14:15-31). Jesus is always both merciful and just towards us. His justice reflects His mercy and His mercy reflects His justice. Because Jesus isn’t merciful without being just or just without being merciful, His Church must preach, teach and practice both. The goal of mercy demands the practice of justice. Amendment of one’s life is an essential characteristic of the Sacrament of Reconciliation where God displays and justice together. Satan loves mercy without justice because it leads to a lack of accountability and assures the continuity of immoral behaviour.
Justice Brings Suffering
As the Judge of the living and the dead, Jesus is the only true arbiter of justice and the only Teacher with the authority to tell us what’s right or wrong, good or bad, just or unjust. To be just in this world evokes the ire of those who don’t want to be reminded of their injustices. Jesus wasn’t crucified because He was merciful, but rather because He was just. Jesus knew what lay ahead for His Apostles and disciples as the messengers of His mercy and justice so He prepared them to put all their trust in Him and be faithful to His teaching. He assured them, “I myself will give you a wisdom in speaking (the truth about what is right and just, our duty and our salvation) that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute” (Lk 21:15). Jesus spelled out the reality they would face and He told them: “You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair of your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives” (Lk 21:16-19). Is it any wonder, then, that people want the Church of Nice, the church that preaches mercy without justice, rather than Jesus’ Church that preaches and teaches that mercy without justice leads to moral decay.
How We Know We’re Acting Justly
Our adherence to Jesus’ teaching through His Church regarding justice telling us what is morally right or wrong, prepares us for His judgment in the face of which we must judge ourselves on the day we die. God’s Law reflects God’s justice. God’s justice reflects God’s love. We reflect our love for God by being obedient to His law and giving Him His due by worshipping Him and giving Him the first place in our life. Obedience to His Law means that we’ll strive for justice and fairness in all our endeavours. Then we’ll have the peace that only Jesus can give; a peace that flows from justice – peace of mind, heart, soul, all of which relaxes our body and saves us from distress. When we act justly we’ll “keep busy and not act unruly like busybodies” (2 Thes 3:11). Following Jesus as our Teacher and Judge, led by the Holy Spirit present in His Church, we know that we “will never grow weary of doing what is right” (2 Thes 3:13) despite the fury it may invoke from God’s enemies. Injustices won’t discourage us or make us seek revenge because we know that no one escapes God’s divine justice. (fr sean)
Life
A mother can give you life.
A doctor can save your life.
A lawyer can defend your life.
A soldier can protect your life.
But only God, through Jesus Christ,
can give you everlasting life.
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5 Nov 2025
Dedication of St John Lateran
Sean Sheehy
The Church: A Different Kind of Building
The Roman Catholic Church throughout the world annually commemorates the dedication of St. John Lateran Church in Rome. It is the diocesan cathedral of the Bishop of Rome who is the Pope of the universal Church which Jesus founded on Peter in communion with the other Apostles. It was dedicated by Pope Sylvester in 324 A.D. Its official title is “The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour and Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist at the Lateran.” It is known as “The Mother of all churches,” the oldest Church building in the history of Christianity. Its dedication marked the legitimization of Christianity by the Roman Emperor, Constantine, in the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. Why commemorate a building? The dictionary defines the word ‘building’ as the act of constructing or erecting something. A building, then, is a structure. In commemorating a building the Church is reflecting on herself as a particular visible structure whose purpose is the continuation of the Good News of Jesus Christ that He came to save mankind from sin. The form of a building or a structure is determined by its purpose. In commemorating the dedication of the Church of St. John Lateran, Catholics are reflecting on Jesus and His Church in which He is sacramentally present to all who freely choose to believe in Him as the only Way to Heaven, the only Truth about who God is and what human beings need, the only Life that enjoys and happy eternity.
Jesus and His Church are One
Jesus made faith in Him and in His Church synonymous. We can’t truly believe in Jesus without believing in His Church and neither can we believe in His Church without believing in Him. Jesus founded His Church on Peter (Mt 16:18) to whom He gave the keys to God’s Kingdom with the authority to make laws or to dispense from laws (Mt 16:19) along with the power to forgive or deny forgiveness of sin (Jn 20:23). To highlight the unity between Himself and His Church Jesus revealed to Peter, “He who hears you hears me. He who rejects you rejects me. And he who rejects me rejects Him who sent me” (Lk 10:16). Jesus warned that, “Whoever acknowledges me before men I will acknowledge before my Father in Heaven. Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown before my Father in Heaven” (Mt 10:33). The Church is the structure wherein all people are given the opportunity to both privately and publicly acknowledge Jesus before the world. It is within the structure of the Church that Jesus provides believers with the necessary graces to resist the temptation to deny Him before others especially when disordered desires enter our mind.
The Physical and Spiritual Building
The Church founded by Jesus isn’t a material building, although the material building visibly symbolizes the presence of His Church. The Holy Spirit inspired St. Paul to reveal that the Church is the People of God. “Brothers and sisters, you are God’s building… Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.” He also tells us that the Church’s only foundation is Jesus Christ. “No one can lay a foundation other that the one that there is, namely Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 3:9-17). Jesus emphasized the intimate relationship with His Church when He described the relationship as that between a bridegroom and his bride. God revealed through Isaiah, “As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you” (Is 62:5). Through St. Paul, the Holy Spirit declared Jesus’ intimate relationship with His Church as the standard for husbands in loving their wives. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her” (Eph 5:25).
Graces Flow Through the Church
The necessity of the Church as the means through which Jesus bestows His graces to save mankind was prefigured in the Old Testament in the vision of Ezekiel (47:1-2, 8-9, 12). God showed Ezekiel the Temple from which water flowed out of the sanctuary into the sea and made the saltwater fresh, enabling all living creatures to multiply and all plants and trees to be fruitful providing food and medicine. This is an image of the Church from which God’s graces flow to refresh mankind with the grace of repentance and the gift of forgiveness. This image was reinforced by the Psalmist (46:2-9): “There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. God in the midst; it shall not be disturbed …” Jesus assured His Church that she would continue until the end of the world and would be unconquerable. Before He ascended into Heaven Jesus commissioned His Apostles to “Teach them (all men and women) to carry out everything I have commanded you” (Mt 28:20a). Then He promised Peter and the other Apostles, and through them, His Church: “And know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!” (My 28:20b). As the Bridegroom, Jesus promises to never abandon His Bride, His Church. Because the members of the Church constitute the Bride of Christ He will never abandon them
When Jesus saw the Temple in Jerusalem being used as a market selling birds and animals, even though they were used for offering sacrifices to God, He became angry and shouted, “Take these out of here and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace” (Jn 2:13-22). Why? Because the Temple, which was designated as a holy place for worshipping God had now become a place for making money. He quoted Ps 69:10: “Because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme You fall upon me.” The Temple prefigured the Church founded by Jesus. Jesus is zealous for His Church because He made her a necessary means through which He offered salvation to mankind. Zeal for Jesus is impossible without being zealous for His Church. Why?
Essential for Salvation
The Church is essential for salvation simply because Jesus founded her as the visible body on earth through which He would continue His saving mission received from His Father. The Church is the visible sign of the Kingdom Jesus established on earth. In the Name of Jesus, her bead, the Church, as His body, announces to all generations that, “This is the time of fulfilment. The Kingdom of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). Jesus has come; He suffered, died, and was raised from the dead by His Father, and is here now in His Church. It is in His Church that Jesus can be heard in the preaching and teaching of His Word of Truth. It is in His Church that Jesus can be seen through the eyes of supernatural Faith, tasted, and touched in her Sacraments, particularly in the Holy Mass, and in carrying out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Nowhere else, other than in Jesus’ Church which He founded on Peter and continues down to today through their successors, the duly ordained Popes and bishops, faithfully handing on the Apostolic Tradition and moral teaching given to the Apostles directly by Jesus and the prompting of the Holy Spirit, can we hear and meet Him in the most intimate of settings and experiences. Jesus founded only one Church that gives witness to the fact that, in the inspired words of St. Paul (Eph 4:5), “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and works through all, and is in all.” The Catholic Church provides the only hope for unity among those who want to follow Jesus and be saved. As Jesus Himself declared, “There is only one flock and one shepherd” (Jn 10:16) characterized by four marks: Unity, Holiness, Catholicity, and Apostolicity. She is Jesus’ personal instrument through which He saves His followers, preserves His Truth, and enters into a personal and communal relationship with His community through her Sacraments.
Only One Way to Be Jesus’ Church
Over the past number of years there has been an attempt to provide a “new way to be church.” The fact is that there is no “new way.” There is only one way, namely Jesus’ way – the Way of the Cross. That Way is the divine way for all ages spelled out in the Holy Scriptures and the teaching of His Church. The Church is not a building, a structure like other buildings or structures in the world. It’s not just another organization that’s non-governmental. The Church is a building of humans joined together by Jesus as the Centre around Whom and in Whom they are graced to witness His sacramentally Real Presence in the world calling it to salvation. The Church is old and yet every new because she belongs to Jesus and not to any particular age or generation or political regime. She is counter-cultural through calling all to let Jesus love them by learning and keeping His commandments (Jn 14:15). By default we must recognize that if we don’t know and obey Jesus’ commandments we don’t love Him and so deprive ourselves of following His Way to Heaven – the only way; His Truth – the only truth about God, ourselves, our world, our destiny, and our true purpose; His Life – the life that only He can give us and the only life that brings eternal joy and happiness. Yes, the Church is a Divine building, symbolized in human buildings where Jesus builds sinful human beings into saints by structuring their lives through lovingly obeying the Ten Commandments and practicing the Beatitudes. It is an indestructible building created and maintained by Jesus who assures her faithful members of God’s unconditional love, entry into which is attained only by accepting Jesus who revealed, “I have come to call sinners (to repentance) (Lk 5:32)… that you might have life and have it to the fullest” (Jn 10:10). (fr sean)
Builders of Eternity
Isn’t it strange that princes and kings
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And ordinary folks like you and me,
Are builders of eternity.
To each is given a bag of tools,
An hour-glass and a book of rules,
And each must build, ere time is flown,
A stumbling block or a stepping stone.
(R. L. Sharpe)
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29 Oct 2025
All Souls Day
Sean Sheehy
Dying Well: Facing Death, Judgment, Heaven or Hell
We’re headed into winter. The leaves on most of the trees have donned their autumnal colours only to slowly lose their grip on the branches, fall to the earth, and die. Winter is nature’s reminder of the reality of death. In the poem, Robin Redbreast, the Irish poet, William Allingham, noted, “The leathery pears and apples/Hang russet on the bough, /It’s Autumn, Autumn, Autumn late/ Twill soon be winter now.” Winter brings the year’s seasons to an end. Each of us has our spring, summer, autumn, and winter. I am in the winter of my life now and face the four last things every human being faces, namely Death, Judgment, Heaven or Hell. Everything has a beginning, middle and an end. We’re born. We mature. We grow weak. We die. What’s the meaning of it all? The Catholic dedicates the month of November to focusing on the reality of death and what happens afterward. She honours the saints, the men and women who lived holy lives and are now in their Heavenly Father’s arms. She prays especially for the dead during this month. Prompted by God’s revelation in 2nd Maccabees she reminds us that while death is the end of life on earth, it isn’t the end of life. “For if he had not expected the fallen to rise again it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead” (2 Macc 12:44). The pilgrim Church here on earth intercedes for the suffering Church in Purgatory and the Church in Heaven intercedes for all of us. Thus all God’s children, living and dead, suffering and glorious, help one another as one family, one community united in Christ. And even after death God expresses His mercy and justice in the Church’s doctrine of Purgatory. She teaches that, “All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC #1030-1031).
What is the Church telling us? Guided by the Holy Spirit she tells us that all who die with their souls still stained by unrepented and self-centered habits or haven’t made full restitution for the damage caused by their sins, but still embraced Jesus as their Saviour when they died, must be fully cleansed in order to enter Heaven. Sin cannot exist in Heaven. She is also telling us that the faithful on earth can intercede for the souls undergoing purgation through their prayers and sacrifices on their behalf. While Purgatory isn’t specifically mentioned in the Bible there is biblical support for this teaching. Jesus revealed that the sin against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven “either in this world or in the next” (Mt 12:32). This implies that purification from sin that isn’t mortal can take place after death. Jesus also speaks about sinners being kept in prison “until they have paid the last penny” (Mt 5:26; Lk 12:59). This refers to a period of time between earthly life and Heaven. St. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, speaks about being passively purified after death when he noted that, “The work of each will be made clear. The Day (Judgment) will disclose it. That day will make its appearance with fire, and fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If the building a man has raised on this foundation still stands, he will receive his recompense; if a man’s building burns, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as one fleeing through fire” (1 Cor 3:13-15).
The Church has made no definitive statements about what exactly happens, or where, or exactly how long it takes. The suffering in Purgatory is mainly that of self-recrimination that evokes a sense of shame, regret, and guilt at having rejected God’s love and mercy offered so many times here on earth but refused due to egotism and the desire to do wrong because it felt good. This is made more acute because the individual can now see how God wanted to love him or her but was denied and is even now the beneficiary of God’s loving mercy and justice in Purgatory. She assures us that a purification after death exists, that it involves some kind of suffering, and that the pain can be alleviated by the prayers and offerings the living make to God on behalf of the souls in Purgatory. Each of us must begin our purification while here on earth through prayer, sacrifices, indulgences, participation in the Sacraments, especially the Holy Mass, and carrying out the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, so that we can avoid Purgatory and enter Heaven straight away.
Stephen Covey in “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” pointed out that a key habit of successful people is working “with the end in sight.” The end is the vision that motivates the mission and keeps it on track. The end gives us our purpose by which we decide what’s meaningful or meaningless in our life. Without a purpose life is meaningless. To make life meaningful we need to clarify its purpose. Who determines the purpose of our life? Do we decide what our purpose is or do others decide it for us? Actually, the purpose of a creature is determined by its creator. Therefore, since God is our Creator, He gives us our true purpose. God’s purpose for us is to know, love and serve Him on earth and afterwards be happy with Him forever in Heaven. To live meaningfully, we must know our true purpose. Knowing our true purpose and living a meaningful life means we must live each day knowing, loving and serving God in everything we do and say. That’s what gives our life ultimate meaning. This is the end we must keep in sight if we are to die well. To die well means to face eternity in union with Jesus Christ.
God didn’t create death “…nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living” (Wis 1:13). Where did death come from? It came from Satan. The Holy Spirit tells us that, “By the envy of the devil (envious of Adam and Eve’s happiness), death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience it” (Wis 2:24). Death infected humanity through the sin of Adam and Eve. The Holy Spirit tells us that, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). God revealed, “I take no pleasure in the death of anyone…” (Ez 18:32), “Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live ...” (Ez 33:11). Death was never in God’s plan for mankind. It was the result of man and woman rejecting the Life-giver, that created death with suffering as its companion. God promised to “destroy death forever” (Is 25:7). The Holy Spirit promised that, “The Lord Yahweh will wipe away the tears from every cheek… For we … rejoice that the Lord has saved us” (vs 8-9). Jesus fulfilled that promise through His passion, death and Resurrection.
Jesus is our bridge over the troubled waters of suffering and death. He has made real the hope of the Psalmist, “I am sure that I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Hope in Him, hold firm and take heart” (Ps 26:13-14). From our supernatural faith in Jesus comes a “Hope is not deceptive because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us … He died to make us righteous” (Rom 5:5-11).
We must face the fact that this earth is not the land of the living but the land of the dying. Heaven is the land of the living who live happily forever. Every day brings us closer to our death. Every day we live we die a little. Every day lessens our time on earth. Our focus must be on dying well, which means we’re able to rise to a new life of happiness in the arms of our Heavenly Father in the most intimate of relationships. Only Jesus, who died and rose again, can make this possible for us. Each day we live is a preparation for the day we die. We will die well if we live in a manner that prepares us for Heaven. So we either prepare to die well or else we’re headed for hell. The choice is ours. We make that choice by how we choose to live each day. If we live each day dying to whatever might separate us from God we prepare ourselves to die in His arms. When we die in God’s arms, being the Author of life, He restores us to a full life that’s eternal, joyful, and happy. To aid us in living to die well Jesus bids us, “Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:25-30). When we let Jesus yoke us to Himself in His Church we’ll die well. With the Church we pray: May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen! (fr sean)
To Whom Do You Listen, the World or Jesus?
The World says: “Follow your heart!”
Jesus says: “Follow me!”
The World says: Believe in yourself!”
Jesus says: Believe in me!”
The World says: “Discover yourself!”
Jesus says: “Deny (sacrifice) yourself!”
The World says: “Be true to yourself!”
Jesus says: “Be true to me!”
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22 Oct 2025
30th Sunday C Prayer
Sean Sheehy
The Kind of Prayer God Hears
Does God hear your prayer? It depends on your attitude. In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, King Claudius is on his knees trying to repent of murdering his brother but doesn’t get any comfort from God. He noted, “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to Heaven go” (Act iii, scene 2). Claudius prayed for God’s mercy, but he had no intention of repenting and changing his lifestyle. His words were empty, self-serving, so God didn’t respond, like Jesus who didn’t answer Pilate when he asked Him, “What is truth” (Jn 18:38). Jesus knew that Pilate wasn’t interested in the truth so He wasn't going to waste His breath answering him. God doesn’t waste His merciful grace on the disingenuous who pray with their lips but their hearts are unchanged (Is 29:13; Mt 15:8).
Two Kinds of Pray-ers
Jesus told a story about two men praying in the Temple. One offered a long prayer thanking God that he was more faithful than the man sitting in the back of the Temple feeling very unworthy. Jesus noted in the story that Pharisee prayed “with head unbowed” (Lk 18:11). His prayer reflected self-praise for being such a law-abiding person. The other man, a Publican, prayed with a completely different spirit. He “…kept his distance, not even daring to raise his eyes to Heaven. All he did was beat his breast and say, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner’” (Lk 18:13). Jesus told His listeners that the Publican’s prayer, whom the Pharisee referred to as “a sinner,” made him right with God while the Pharisee’s prayer didn’t. The difference was that one man’s prayer was devoted to telling God that he was such a good person. The other man’s prayer reflected his sense of unworthiness as he begged God’s mercy. The Publican identified himself as a sinner in need of forgiveness while the Pharisee identified himself as a “good person” deserving of God’s praise. The Publican wanted to change his heart and amend his life. He was humble while the Pharisee was prideful believing that he was perfect and had no sin. He was like those Catholics who think they don’t need Confession. God hears the prayer of the sinner asking for the grace of repentance and the gift of forgiveness.
To Whom Does God Listen
God listens only to those who need Him to save them from their sin. While “The Lord is a God of justice who knows no favourites” (Sir 35:12), He is not “unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed” (Sir 35:16), especially those who are oppressed by Satan and his human allies. The self-righteous are those who think they can save themselves and don’t need God’s help. Admitting our need for God’s justice and mercy means we have recognized that we can neither resist temptation nor deliver ourselves from evil. Such recognition requires humility on our part and supernatural faith, hope and charity from God. St. Paul might seem to be prideful when he wrote, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now one the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for His appearance” (2 Tim 4:7-8). But the difference between St. Paul and the Pharisee is that Paul doesn’t see himself as better than anyone else and attributes his accomplishments to Jesus Christ. It’s a good thing to be righteous, which is to “act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly in the sight of God” (Micah 6:8). That means reverencing and worshipping God and respecting our neighbour by honouring his or her dignity. No one can be right with God, with oneself, and with one’s neighbour without God’s grace.
To Whom Did Jesus Come
Jesus revealed, “I have come to call, not the righteous (those who think that have no sin), but sinners” (Mt 9:13). Therefore, only those who recognize their sinfulness, repent, and seek forgiveness need Jesus. That’s why Jesus’ Church at the beginning of every Holy Mass calls the worshippers to individually identify themselves as sinners in need of God’s saving grace of repentance and forgiveness. The members of the congregation begin this act of worship by praying, “I confess to Almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned through my fault …” God can work only with sinners. He can’t save those who think they have no sin. Our prayer must come out of our sense of who God is for us, namely “Our Father who art in Heaven,” who alone can block us from yielding to temptation and who alone can deliver us from evil. God hears this kind of prayer.
The Proper Disposition
If in our prayer to God we don’t admit our need for the saving grace with which He changes us into saints, our words are empty and, like Claudius, our prayer keeps us earthbound and doesn’t move us Heavenward. Moving us Heavenward is the purpose of prayer. That means we focus on the things of Heaven and not on earthly things. When we do focus on earthly things it must be to view them only in a manner that brings us closer to God our Creator. But only God can keep us from being distracted by the earthly world we live in and focused on our Heavenly home. When we’re focused on Heaven we realize that we need purification from our tendency to selfishness through the awareness that God calls everyone to embrace Him as their Heavenly Father. So there’s no room for conceit or feelings of superiority because we’re all equally dependent on God’s justice and mercy to make us holy. We’re also equally dependent on God to free us from every bad thing we either do ourselves or is imposed on us by others. In God’s eyes none of us is better or superior to anyone else. God shows no partiality, but He joyfully responds to the needs of the humble, the poor in spirit. If we pray with humility and act out of a spirit of poverty God will hear us and make us right with Him, with ourselves, and with our neighbour. “A broken humble heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps 51:17). The 23rd Psalm is that of a humble pray- er. God always hears our humble prayer that we pray from a heart that seeks conversion. (fr sean)
Reflections on Prayer
Christian prayer is a lifestyle. It reflects a life lived in Jesus’ company, guided by the loved exchanged between He and His Father personified in the Holy Spirit, seeing what is real, good, true, and beautiful through His eyes.
Prayers we don’t feel are seldom heard by God since they don’t come from the heart.
A Christian without prayer is like life without breathing – impossible.
The Church teaches us that prayer is the constant raising up of our mind, heart, soul and body to God and to pray always, in all dangers, temptations, and afflictions.
Courage is fear that has said its prayers. Prayer is the key of the morning and the lock of the evening. There is a difference between what we need from God and what we want.
Prayer doesn’t change things – it changes people and people change things.
Prayer is being on friendly terms with God as our loving Father who wants us to have an intimate Father-child relationship with Him.
“Thank you” prayers are the most important. The Lord’s Prayer is the complete prayer apart from the Holy Mass which is the perfect prayer.
Prayer only from the mouth is only mouthing words and is not prayer at all.
“The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal” (Sir 35:12-18).
Jesus reveals: “You will receive all that you pray for, provided you have faith” (Mt 21:22).
The Lord’s Prayer, apart from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, is the perfect prayer through which Jesus teaches us how to pray and what to pray for beginning with what God wants from us and then what we need from God.
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30 9 2025
27th Sunday What You Believe
Sean Sheehy
What We Believe in Shapes Us
Whatever we believe in, consciously or unconsciously, shapes our thinking. Our thinking generates our feelings, and our feelings seek expression in action. Our actions speak louder than words about what we believe. What shapes our thinking shapes our words and actions. We’re always living out our beliefs, whether or not we’re conscious of them. Faith is the trust we place in what we believe will give us meaning, a sense of self-worth, power, purpose, happiness, hope, inner peace, and a joyful future. No one wants to be meaningless, worthless, powerless, hopeless, etc. We want to have a sense of self-worth, feel valued and loved for who we are rather than only for what we do. Who wants to feel or be treated as worthless? Everyone wants power since without it we can’t change or improve anything. Who wants to feel impotent? We all want to have a purpose in life, knowing why we’re here and what we’re headed for. Who wants to live an aimless life and feel lost? We want a hope based on faith that we’ll be able to rise above our suffering and trials as more complete persons. We want peace of mind, heart, and soul. We want a joyful future to which we can look forward with enthusiasm. We need to ask ourselves, “Will what I have faith in fulfil all my hopes and dreams and bring me happiness?” Only God can give us that hope because He, unlike the world, is always faithful to His promises to those who rely on Him for every good thing. God alone is reliable.
Two Options
What do we have faith in? There are two possible realities to set our heart on to meet our deepest needs: God and the physical world. We can have faith in our doctor, bank manager, employer, employee, spouse, teacher, children, newspaper editor, government, neighbour, etc. Can any of these assure us of a meaningful life, or give us self-worth, power, purpose, happiness, hope, peace, love and a bright future? No. They might provide us with some of these temporarily, but not permanently. And what happens to our faith in them if they prove untrustworthy? The world can’t give us what we need because it doesn’t have what it needs itself. Putting our faith in worldly things like money, pleasure, popularity, power will leave us with nothing because we will lose them in death. The world lies when it says to us that it can make us happy through becoming powerful, popular, self-pleasure, or possessions. Marxism lies when it tells us it can create a utopia on earth. God speaks the truth when He says that He can make us happy through submitting our will to His and embracing Jesus by carrying our cross and following Him in and through His Church. Nothing is impossible with God (Lk 1:37). The Old Testament Psalmist urges us, “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Ps 95:7-8). Who can deliver on these promises?
Source of Meaning and Purpose
The creature is completely dependent on the Creator for its meaning and purpose. Therefore it is our Creator who tells us the truth about our purpose, what gives us meaning, self-worth, power, and what brings us genuine and ultimate happiness. It is faith in our Creator that gives us a hope that’s not deceptive, a peace that lasts, and a future that’s perfect and filled with joy. We have to choose either God, as revealed in Jesus, or the world. Jesus reminds us that “No servant can serve two masters … you cannot give yourself to God and money” (Lk 16:1-13). Whatever we put our faith in becomes our master. If we put our faith in Jesus He becomes our Master Teacher who shapes our thinking. We’ll look to Him to tell us how to live a meaningful life, how to esteem ourselves, how to become powerful, how to achieve our true purpose, how to pursue happiness, how to have hope and peace, and how to prepare for a joyful future. If we put our trust in worldly things we’ll let it become our master and director of our life leading to corruption and death. The results, of course, will differ drastically. Faith in worldly wisdom promotes self-centredness. Faith in God promotes charity and brings a peace the world can’t provide (Jn 14:27). Faith in God revealed in Jesus, now present in His Church, frees us from the grip of sin, relaxes us, and assures us of our personal fulfilment. It empowers us to accomplish great things in life and to look forward to even better things in the future.
A Supernatural Gift
Faith in God is based on knowing Him personally and believing that He is totally trustworthy. God made this possible through, with and in Jesus now sacramentally present in His Church. It’s a supernatural gift which God gives us to trust in Him who does what He promises. Religious faith is “constant assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see” (Heb 11:1). The Spanish author, Juan Valera (1824-1905) wrote, “Faith in an all-seeing and personal God, elevates the soul, purifies the emotions, sustains human dignity, and lends poetry, nobility and holiness to the commonest state, condition and manner of life.”
Power of Religious Faith
Jesus emphasized the power of religious faith, “If you had faith as little as a mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore, ‘Be uprooted and transplanted into the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Lk 17:6). It is not a matter of having a strong faith but rather in using the faith that you have. Faith in Jesus means knowing and believing, “…that God makes all things work together for the good of those who have been called according to His decree” (Rom 8:28). God calls everyone to trust in Him because, “He wants all men to be saved and come to know the truth” (1 Tim 2:4). The truth, of course, is that only faith in Jesus – the Truth - can save us and enable you to achieve our fullest potential, which is to be God’s image and likeness in the world to the best of our ability and to be perfected in Heaven. This is the faith that assures us that all our yearnings and needs, our fondest hopes and dreams will be met in ways beyond your wildest imagination. The Catholic faith is the only faith that can shape you and me into a spiritually fulfilled person. God is the only one who can “comfort us in all our afflictions, and thus enable us to comfort those who are in trouble, with the same consolation we have received from Him” (2 Cor 1:4). Reason tells us that being shaped by faith in God far surpasses being shaped by the world. Sadly, the majority have chosen the world as their master, which means that the majority of people are unreasonable. Religious faith means, Forsaking All I Trust Him. (fr sean)
The Power of Authoritative Words
If I came up to you and said, “You are arrested,” but you know I’m not a policeman, you would not be arrested and pay no attention to me. But if a policeman said to you, “I’m arresting you,” you would actually be arrested. What’s the difference? My words do not have authority but the policeman’s words have authority to do what he says.
The same is true of the Holy Eucharist. If you as a lay person took bread and said “This is my body,” it wouldn’t become your body because you didn’t have the authority to change it. But if a Catholic priest while offering up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass acting in Jesus’ place said over the bread, “This is my body,” it actually becomes Jesus’ body because the words spoken by the priest have the authority to change the bread into Jesus Body and make it a reality. The same is true of the wine that becomes Jesus’ blood. It is the power of the Word spoken by authority. Jesus grants that authority to suitable men through His Church’s sacrament of Holy Orders.
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24 9 2025
26th Sunday C Complacency
Sean Sheehy
Complacency Is a Sin
Can you be complacent and Christian at the same time? Complacency is defined as being self-satisfied or pleasing oneself. You might reasonably ask what is so bad about being self-satisfied. Let’s look at the term “self-satisfied.” What does it imply? First of all the emphasis is on gratifying one’s own desires to the exclusion of reaching out to others. The word “satisfy” literally means to make enough. It means that a person can be so satisfied with himself that he has no need to try any harder. Complacency is conducive to mediocrity. A person can be complacent about his or family, religion, work, health, etc. In other words, he or she is full of himself or herself. The person is oblivious to the fact that his growth is stunted, he lacks motivation, and is insensitive to the needs of others and his obligation to help. Such a person doesn’t love God or neighbor. The implication here is that a person is oblivious to the needs of everybody else and unaware of his own deficiencies. Christianity of its nature has no room for complacency since it is completely other-centered and makes us aware of our deficiencies and the fact that we need to love God and our neighbor to satisfy our need to be fully human and fully alive. Jesus is our Model who gives us the example we must follow to be perfected. He tells us that to be like Him we must serve the needs of the weak and vulnerable: “The Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve – to give His life in ransom for the many” (Mk 10:45).
Woe to the Complacent
Why is complacency a sin? Sin is a refusal to love, to make a gift of oneself to others. God warned His people against self-satisfaction, self-salvation: “Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches” (Am 6:1ff) dining luxuriously. He was addressing the priests, religious leaders and the people who were more concerned with their own comfort rather than taking care of the widows, the orphans, and the other poor. Their luxurious living demonstrated that they were taking more than they needed and so detached themselves from helping others who were in need. The man who eats too much deprives those who have too little. A man grows rich for himself and doesn’t share his good fortune with the less fortunate is headed for a miserable eternity. God created the universe for all men and women. Every person has a right to live a decent life in accord with his or her dignity as a human being. The wealth of a nation should be distributed in such a manner that every citizen should have the opportunity to benefit from its resources. The poor are God’s challenge to the rich to share and care about them in gratitude for the blessings they received from God since all good things come from Him (Jas 1:17).
Prophets of Social Justice
Amos and Hosea are known as God’s prophet of social justice. We hear a lot about social justice today but very often its promoters are neither social nor just but rather are virtue signalers. They emphasize diversity, equity and inclusivity but do not practice them themselves. They forget that social justice without God translates into pitting the poor against the rich, white against non-white, women against men, etc., as in Marxism. Diversity in itself accomplished nothing without unity. Equality of output is impossible because people’s capacity is different. Equality in itself refers only to our human dignity and respect since people are unequal and different in abilities. Inclusivity only applies to those who accept the rules or standards of a particular group. Not everyone takes advantage of the opportunities offered to him or her. Nevertheless, the Christian recognizes that those who have more than enough have an obligation in charity, if not in justice, to make sure that the poor have enough to maintain their dignity as fellow human beings. The rich person’s humanity is impacted either positively or negatively by how he treats others. Only through caring and sharing with others, especially the most vulnerable, can we as human beings become more fully human and fully alive. The more fully human we become the more we become like Jesus and thus discover our uniqueness, our true destiny and purpose. When I know my true purpose, I know what’s genuinely good for me. If I don’t know my true purpose, or give myself a purpose other than that for which God created me, I am doomed to disappointment, frustration, and emptiness. That is the fate of the rich who do not share. People who live in luxury without God can’t be happy simply because they’ll be deprived of it when they die. God gives us what we have not so much to us for ourselves but through us to bless others. The more we give the more we receive from God. Without sharing, luxury insulates us by deafening or blinding us to our own deficiencies and sins .
The Rich Man and Lazarus
Jesus addresses the sin of complacency and its consequences in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Lk 16:19-31). Lazarus lays at the door of the rich man’s mansion. He is sick and suffers the indignity of dogs licking the sores on his body. He lays there begging for any leftovers from the rich man’s table. The richly dressed man ignores Lazarus whom he passes by every day. These two men are socially unequal. But in the story death brings justice where each man gets his due from God. Death is the level playing field that doesn’t distinguish between rich and poor. It brings every human being to his or her knees. In death everyone is judged by God according to his or her deeds. In death we complete and eternalize what we have lived for. If we’ve lived for ourselves death eternalizes our separation from the true God and the love that can only be received from Him. Hell is a state of total loneliness and emptiness forever with no one to blame but oneself. Imagine a creature who was created for love finding himself or herself in a state of complete lovelessness for eternity. Where love is absent, hate resides. We cannot love ourselves by ourselves. We can love ourselves only because we’re the beneficiaries of God’s love.
A Good Person
The rich man’s sin was complacency. He didn’t even notice Lazarus lying by the door of his mansion. He was so self-satisfied that he was oblivious to Lazarus’ lack of satisfaction. The rich man would probably be considered a “good person” because he didn’t do anything bad to Lazarus. His sin was not what he did to Lazarus but what He didn’t do for him. His sin was not one of commission but of omission. Sins of omission are just as bad as sins of commission.
A Grievous Sin
Complacency is a grievous sin because it’s so subtle. Most people wouldn’t view a complacent person as “bad.” After all, such a person isn’t “doing” anything bad to others. In our culture of self-absorption, complacency is widespread, especially in the Church. Many Catholics think that there is no hell or that no one goes there. They think they are “good persons" because they haven’t murdered anyone. A lay chaplain was heard to say that the only mortal sin is murder! Catholics tell themselves that they’re not committing mortal sin when they don’t have to attend Sunday Mass. People think that if they work hard they are entitled to enjoy the rewards without any sense of obligation to share. It’s tempting to write off poor people as lazy or unambitious. It’s easy to excuse oneself for not giving to the poor. Catholic Christianity teaches that we have a right to benefit from what we earn BUT we also have an obligation to share our wealth with God’s family and those outside it. This is why Jesus said, “It is harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to pass through the needle’s eye” (Mt 19:23ff). God doesn’t condemn the rich. He does condemn complacency which reflects a lack of empathy, fraternity, with those in need. There’s nothing wrong with becoming rich and famous so long as material wealth is turned into spiritual wealth by performing the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Jesus’ parable teaches us that the consequences of complacency are dire – eternally suffering the loss of God’s love.
The Antidote to Complacency
How do we protect ourselves from becoming complacent? We resist the temptation to become self-satisfied by practicing the following: righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness, and empathy (1 Tim 6:11-16). To be righteous is to live according to Jesus’ standards as members of His Church. The practice of these qualities helps us militate against self-righteousness, smugness, self-absorption, insensitivity to the needs of the weak, and remaining in our comfort zone. Lord, lead us not into complacency! (fr sean)
Standard for Judgment
Jesus said:
Be merciful so that you may have mercy shown to you.
Forgive, so that you may be forgiven.
As you treat others, so you will be treated.
As you give, so you will receive.
As you judge, so you will be judged.
As you are kind to others, so you will be treated kindly.
The measure of your giving will be the measure of your receiving.
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25th Sunday Management
Sean Sheehy
17 Sept 2025,
How Are You Securing Your Future?
In the story of “The Wily Manager” (Lk 16:1-13), is Jesus praising dishonesty as a means of securing one’s future? No. So what is His point? He is saying that worldly people use their intelligence far more than religious people when it comes to managing their future. The word ‘manage’ originally meant the handling or training of horses. An intelligent manager handles his resources and responsibilities wisely. To be wise is to make good judgments. A good judgment is one where we gain more than we lose, especially in the long term. We’re faced with managing all sorts of things – ourselves, relationships, time, use of gifts, business, work, family, money, home, property, etc. The way we manage is determined by our personality because each of us is endowed with a personal management style. Our ultimate goal in management is to handle what’s available to us in a manner that benefits us or those for whom we care. The question for each of us is, "Who or what will benefit us most? If we’re not motivated in our management by what God wants us to do we will be guided by what we want to do. Selfishness means that we focus primarily on personal gain by using others to achieve our own ends, which makes our relationships purely utilitarian and loveless. It’s a fact that even when we primarily focus on helping others we know that there’s something in it for us also even though that isn’t our driving motivation. To make sure that we’re not acting for purely selfish reasons we need to daily examine why we say and do what we do and say. Am I saying this to be admired or because it is the truth? Am I doing this to be rewarded or as a gift to another without expecting anything in return?
Competent Management
We’re born with a built-in tendency toward self-preservation and that makes us prone to sin, which is the refusal to give God and others their due. Jesus came to save us from our sinfulness. He gave His Church the Sacrament of Baptism to free us from the grip of sin and restore us to God’s likeness, which means developing a charitable attitude. This is why we constantly need the Holy Spirit to join our spirit to purify it so that we’re motivated by freedom, justice, love, and truth in our dealings with others at home, at work, in Church, or at play. We need to reflect on, “Whom am I serving?” “Am I managing my time, talent, and money to take care of myself or to give glory to God? Jesus is the model and the standard for competent management. Jesus managed everything in a manner that benefited those who received Him into their lives. For Jesus, good management is all about using our gifts to serve others. “Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest, and whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all. Such is the case with the Son of Man who has come, not to be served by others, but to serve, to give his own life as a ransom for the many” (Mt 20:25-28).
Managers of the Earth
God created man and woman to be managers of the earth on His behalf. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish, birds, and all living things that move on the earth” (Gen 1:28). You and I are designated by God to be the stewards of the earth on His behalf, and that means using it to glorify Him and not to feed our greed. It also means that we’re accountable to God for our management of the resources with which He has provided us. Are we managing the earth for our own selfish ends, like those who want to reduce the population through promoting a culture of death, or are we managing it according to God’s will, “to take care of it and work it” (Gen 2:15) for the benefit of all? Will our management bring us happiness or sadness in the end when God asks us to account for how we used what He gave us? Time and again God accused His people of mismanaging what He gave them by using it to satisfy their pride, lust, greed, envy, sloth, and jealousy. He warned them through the prophets, “Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land! …Never will I forget a thing they have done!” (Amos 8:4, 7). God called Amos to preach justice by giving everyone their due, including God, and expose the abuse of the poor by those motivated by greed and the illusion of self-salvation. Nothing escapes Divine Justice. We’ll all have to account for our use of what God has given to each of us.
Managers Are Accountable
Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so a community is only as just as its treatment of its weakest members. Are we treating the weakest members of our communities with compassion and justice? Abortion and euthanasia would indicate that we don’t. Only by recognizing that God has made us the managers of His creation, will we appreciate the importance of knowing and following His rules by which He will judge managers, namely adhering to Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. An executive with a religious organization noted that viewing your life in terms of management is like driving a leased car. “You can do what you like with it, but you must return it to its owner at a certain time. You will be held accountable for the condition in which it’s returned.” Many people think that their life and possessions are their own, that their body is their own, their gifts are their own, the resources available to them are their own, and are unaccountable to anyone for how they use them. But that isn’t the case. The Holy Spirit informs us: “You are not your own. You have been purchased, and at a great price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor 6:19-20) through managing what you have, knowing that you will be held accountable by God who is your Creator and the Giver of all gifts.
Shrewd Management
God “wants all men and women to be saved and come to know the truth” (1 Tim 2:3). The truth is this: “God is one. One also is the mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Tim 2:5-6). Jesus teaches us that, to follow Him, our motivation in all things must be charity. Charity is all about sacrificing oneself for the benefit of those in need. He uses the story of the unjust steward who is fired for mismanagement to show how the dishonest use their shrewdness to look out for their future security. On the other hand religious people take for granted that God will take care of their future without them having to use their intelligence to do their part in God’s plan of salvation. Finding himself jobless the steward uses his wits to endear himself to his master’s debtors by reducing what they owed their master. The master credited him for the use of his intelligence in looking out for himself. Jesus uses the story to teach us that, “‘The worldly take more initiative than the other-worldly when it comes to dealing with their own kind. Make friends for yourselves through your use of this world’s goods, so that when they fail you, a lasting reception will be yours” (Lk 16:8-9). Jesus wasn’t praising dishonesty but He was highlighting the importance of using our intelligence to do our part in God’s plan to save us, namely by not taking our future security for granted. Jesus’ lesson is that just as the unjust steward used his intelligence, though dishonestly, to make friends for himself to secure his future, so we must use our intelligence to make friends with those who will help us to secure our future in Heaven when our body fails us. Intelligent management treats people and the world in a manner that nurtures friendship with Jesus to whom we’re accountable as the stewards of God’s earth. Jesus doesn’t want us to be dimwits! (fr sean)
Differences Between Man and Woman
A woman’s brain shrinks 2.55 per decade. A man’s brain shrinks 5% per decade. 60% of women say their relationships affect their moods. 45% of men say their relationships affect their moods. In male-female relationships women look for a sense of connectedness which is often perceived by men as wanting to control them. Men seek independence which is often interpreted by women as not caring for them. These misinterpretations lead to unintelligent management of their relationships.
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10 Sept 2025
Conversation opened. 1 unread message.
24th Sunday Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Sean Sheehy
Be Uplifted by Exalting The Holy Cross
God’s ways are surely not our ways nor are His thoughts our thoughts (Is 55:8). Given that our ways and our thoughts more often than not bring disaster, we should be eternally grateful to God for revealing His ways to us that give us faith, hope, and charity. What throws us regarding God’s ways is that for the most part they are paradoxical and so we tend to either write them off, convince ourselves that they’re impossible or try to change them to suit our own convenience. This, of course, is where we make a terrible mistake because instead of making God’s ways our ways we revert back to our own ways. We forget or ignore the fact that God never asks anything of us that He doesn’t give us the wherewithal to accomplish if we cooperate with Him. This is nowhere more evident than in the Exaltation of the Holy Cross celebrated by Jesus’ Church on September 14th. How can we honour the Cross, a symbol of the cruellest suffering? To exalt is to uplift, to inspire, or to make happy. We exalt the Holy Cross because it lifts us up, inspires us, and makes us happy. We are in desperate need of the Holy Cross given the disrespect for human life and the hopelessness that is so prevalent in society. The way that God offers to uplift us and give us hope is the Cross. How does exalting the Cross lift us up?
Something to Look Up To
In the Old Testament (Numbers 21:4-9) we see God’s paradoxical way in action when the people were upset by the adverse conditions in which they found themselves in the desert and in their frustration stepped on deadly snakes, were bitten and died. They begged Moses to intercede with God to forgive their lack of faith and save them. What way did God provide? He told Moses, “Make a bronze snake and mount it on a pole, and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.” The very thing that caused death is now used to restore life. God takes the problem and turns it into a solution. Jesus referred to this event when He said to Nicodemus: “…And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life” (Jn 3:13-15). Jesus was referring to the Cross on which He would be crucified in order to save mankind. God turned the cross, which was a sign of death, into something that restored life. Cross reminds that by uniting ourselves with Jesus in the Spirit of Love we can view suffering as a blessing because God uses it to give us graces that we would not receive otherwise. St. Augustine noted that the, “The instrument of torture which, on Good Friday, manifested God’s judgment on the world, has become a source of life, pardon, mercy, a sign of reconciliation and peace. ‘In order to be healed from sin, gaze upon Christ crucified!’”
No Greater Love
St. John of the Cross noted that, “He who seeks not the cross of Christ, seeks not the glory of Christ.” It is in gazing on Christ sacrificing Himself on the cross that He lifts us up from the pit of sin and inspires us to participate in the glory of God. The Cross epitomizes God’s unconditional love for us. Jesus Himself said that, “There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13). The Cross reminds us in the inspired words of St. Paul that, “It is precisely in this that God proves His love for us: that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). The sin of Adam and Eve doomed us to eternal death created by the loss of God’s love. We couldn’t rescue ourselves from that sentence of death resulting from giving in to Satan’s temptation. Because in our sinfulness we could never make the perfect sacrifice that was necessary to make atonement to God for the sin we inherited. God’s Word became man, like us in all things except sin, to take on suffering and death by making the perfect human sacrifice on our behalf thereby making full atonement to God so that the gates of Heaven, closed because of Original sin, could now be opened thereby giving hope to hopeless mankind.
The Cross Requires Submission
The Cross is uplifting because on it Jesus made suffering and death give way to healing and life. The Cross is the visible sign of what Jesus revealed about God’s care for us when He said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so he who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (Jn 3:15-17). The Cross, which was originally a sign of condemnation, is now a sign of salvation. But the drawback for man is that to embrace it as the means through which we’re saved requires us to sacrifice our will to God’s will, as Jesus submitted His will to His Father’s will. This is where our ego and proneness to sin causes us to balk. We want the result of the Cross, which is resurrection, but we desire a cross-less Christianity. Christianity without the Cross is what many promote today, even from within the leadership of the Church, namely the Church of Nice where repentance, sacrifice, adherence to doctrine and morality are eschewed. The only Church in which Jesus saves us is the Church whose way is the Way of the Cross, not some other empty philosophical or politically correct way.
The Cross Is Catholic
As Catholics we have a particular affinity with the Cross. Someone once asked me what my sign was and I responded that it was the Sign of the Cross. Making the Sign of the Cross on our person was probably the first prayer we ever learned. The Catholic Church tells us that when Catholics are baptized “the Sign of the Cross, on the threshold of the celebration, marks with the imprint of Christ the one who is going to belong to him and signifies the grace of the Redemption Christ won for us by His Cross” (CCC 1235). The priest or deacon as well as the parents and Godparents of the child or adult baptismal candidate trace the Sign of the Cross on his or her forehead signifying that he or she is being received by the Holy Trinity empowering the newly adopted member of God’s Church to bend his or her knee and use the gift of speech to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:10-11) throughout his or her life. In Exalting The Cross we are being uplifted and given hope as the words of the Psalmist inform us: “Yet God, being merciful, forgave their sin and destroyed them not; often He turned back His anger and let none of His wrath be roused” (Ps 78:38). The Church is catholic precisely because the Cross points to all four corners of the earth signifying that Jesus died in order to save everyone. But no one will be saved unless they embrace the Cross like Jesus and submit their will to God the Father like Jesus did. How? By making Jesus the centre of our life, the principal Guest of our soul, and the eyes through which we view one another, we can fall on our knees and from the depths of or heart pray: “We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.” Thus the Way of the Cross and its exaltation is what the world needs in order to be lifted up from its spiritual, psychological, moral, social, and economical quagmire. (fr sean)
The Heart Is the Door to the Soul
By seeing what’s in our heart we can understand the state of our soul. The heart is the doorway to the soul. What’s in the heart either keeps the door open to the soul so the soul can breathe or keeps the door closed which stifles the soul. Since the soul contains the faculties of intellect and will, a soul that can breathe or is stifled directly affects our thinking and choosing.
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23rd Sunday C Only One Way
Sean Sheehy 3 Sept 2025
The Only Way to Heaven
A man was climbing a steep mountain when he slipped and began sliding, accompanied by falling stones. He grasped a little shrub as he was falling and hung on to it for dear life. Fearfully, he yelled, “Help! Is there anyone there?” No answer. He yelled for help a second time and no answer. After yelling in desperation a third time a voice answered from the mountain top, “I’m here!” The climber pleaded, “Please help me!” The voice said, “Let go of the shrub!” The man looked down, then looked up and shouted, “Is there anyone else up there?” To reach the top of the mountain, which is Heaven, we need to put our trust in what God asks us to do. St. Paul reminds us that, “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). However, our preference is to walk by sight rather than by faith because we feel more in control and secure. Living by faith means trusting in God whom we can’t see to lead us. That isn’t easy for most of us because we’ve difficulty trusting ourselves, never mind others. As Christians, Jesus asks us to trust in Him to catch and save us when we slip and fall as we climb the mountain of life. He assures us that, “Blessed is the man who does not lose faith in me” (Mt 11:6). Trusting in Jesus means we have to let Jesus save us because we can’t save ourselves.
The Crux of Christianity
Everybody wants to go to Heaven but no one wants to die. Herein lies the crux of Christianity. Jesus taught that the only way to Heaven is His way – He is the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14:6). His way is the Way of the Cross. Because this way to Heaven involves sacrifice, suffering and death many people, like the mountain climber ask, “Is there another way to Heaven?” Indeed, many who claim to follow Jesus often try to seek a more comfortable and easier way to Heaven where they can be more in control and be more comfortable rather than having to rely totally on Jesus present in and through His Church. Many there are who claim to be Catholic but ignore the Church’s teaching and discipline enshrined in the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Holy Mass, the Sacraments, and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. We have a tendency, due to our proneness to sin, to pick the bits of Catholicism that are convenient or suit our selfish agendas. We want salvation without the Cross. But the fact is that Jesus made the way of the Cross, not the so-called “synodal way,” the only way to Heaven.
God’s Wisdom Is Crucial
Satan polishes our ego into thinking that we can make ourselves happy, fulfil our dreams, and save ourselves from suffering. Sts. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas noted that what can be taken away from us can’t make us happy. Only God can’t be taken away from us against our will. No one can stop us from believing in Him. The Holy Spirit informs us that, “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” “Make no mistake about it: if any of you thinks of himself as wise, in the ordinary sense of the word, then he must learn to be a fool before he really can be wise. Why? Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.” “Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the Lord intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans, for the corruptible body burdens the soul … and weighs down the mind that has many concerns… Or whoever knew Your counsel, except You had given wisdom and sent Your Holy Spirit from on high?” (1 Cor 1:25; 1 Cor 3:18; Wis 9:13-18). Jesus is God’s Wisdom and He imparts it to us in Baptism and Confirmation through the power of the Holy Spirit guiding His Church.
Jesus’ Way Is the Only Way to Heaven
Jesus tells us clearly that “no one comes to the Father but through me” (Jn 14:6) and “no one comes to me except the Father draws him” (Jn 6:44). It follows logically that if we’re to be saved from our sinful state and enter Heaven we must make Jesus our only Saviour and let His teaching determine our priorities. He must be the lens through which we judge everything and His Spirit must enlighten and guide our spirit in all our decisions. This involves developing a relationship with Jesus as our first priority. This requires a total commitment to follow in His footsteps. He is the “Light” in our darkness (Jn 1:5) and He warns that, “If anyone comes to me without turning his back on his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters, indeed his very self, he cannot be my follower. Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Lk14:25-33). This is a wake-up call to each of us. With Jesus there are no half measures. It is all or nothing. Therefore, nothing must come between us and Jesus that might prevent complete union. Before successfully gluing two things together we must first remove everything that might prevent a total bonding. The same is true in our relationship with Jesus. Paradoxically, the more we put Jesus first in our life the more we’ll find what is real, true, good, and beautiful. The more we experience these transcendentals the more we’ll be able to give witness to the joy they bring in our relationships.
The Way of the Cross Brings the Joy of the Lord
The Way of the Cross is the way to Heaven because it is the way of total submission to God’s will which is epitomised in Jesus’ passion, suffering, and death. This requires us to do His will rather than seek our own comfort, convenience, and security. Jesus assures us: “I am the Resurrection and the Life: whoever believes in me, though he should die, will come to life; and whoever is alive and believes in me will never die.” Then He asks us: “Do you believe this?” (Jn 11:26). Jesus proved that the Way of the Cross ends with resurrection and eternal life with God the Father in union with Jesus through the love of the Holy Spirit accompanied by the angels and the saints. When we follow the Way of the Cross we can joyfully pray each day: “Fill us at daybreak with Your kindness, that we may shout with joy and gladness all our days. And may the glorious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands” (Ps 90:14-17). He will. The way of the Cross is joyful because it is the way to Heaven. Sadly it is the one way that’s less travelled by men and women, even by many who think that are Christian. What about you? Are you taking up your cross and following Jesus as a faithful member of His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church? (fr sean sheehy)
God Makes Us Whole through the Catholic Church
The psychiatrist, Carl Gustav Jung noted that the traditional dogma and practice of the Roman Catholic Church created one of the best therapeutic systems ever offered to human beings. It provided for every psychic neec need: a theory of meaning, a way of salvation, a practice of confession, absolution, and a sacramental life.(Christo Psychology, p 27)
Church’s Traditional devotion for September: The Sorrows of Our Lady are seven particular sufferings that she endured in her life:
1. The prophecy of Simeon
2. The flight into Egypt
3. The loss of the Child Jesus for three days in the Temple
4. The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the road to Calvary
5. The crucifixion and death of Jesus
6. Jesus is taken down from the Cross and placed in the arms of His Mother
7. The burial of Jesus
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Reflection on the internet;
Thomas’s idea has grown into a clinic where Cardiff’s lawyers give up their time for free to help the city’s homeless people figure out their legal problems, from housing crises to getting their families back together.
Legal aid, the system of free legal advice available to the public, has withered as government funding shrinks in real-terms and firms decide to stop taking part rather than continue suffering losses.
Those behind the clinic say their help stops people’s problems developing further and becoming more costly down the line.
https://www.bigissue.com/news/housing/cardiff-homeless-law-legal-aid-housing/
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Many people assume that once the baby is placed with adoptive parents, the birth mother resumes her life with no emotional impact. What Stapleton and other birth moms want people to know is that the difficulty of that decision stays with them, often permanently. Birthdays, Christmas, graduation, seeing a child in a stroller, even feeling lonely, can all trigger the feelings of loss.
“The enormity of our grief was beyond believing and yet, we shared a strong conviction that we had done the right thing,” explained Stapleton in a heartfelt essay called, “Blossoms of Love.”
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19 Aug 2025
21st Sunday Cycle C Who Will Be Saved
Sean Sheehy
Who Will Be Saved from Hell?
The four most important events in our life are conception, birth, Baptism, and death. Life begins at conception, becomes public at birth, is cleansed from sin in Baptism and is eternalized in death. While we often reflect on our birth and Baptism we don’t put much time reflecting on our conception or on our death. We tend to live as if death were not a reality and actually a daily possibility for each of us. As Jesus reminded us, “You know not the day nor the hour” (Mt 24:36). Ironically, reflecting on our death is important because the more we reflect on our death the more we’ll recognize the importance of our life, how we’re living, and where we’re headed. Death is the final act of our life that began in our mother’s womb. It’s the final “Goodbye” to the world we know and the first experience of the world we don’t know but must now inhabit. It makes sense, then, to ask ourselves: Will the world toward which I am heading bring me eternal happiness or eternal misery? If I want eternal happiness How can I prepare myself to attain it and who do I need to help me attain it? There are only two options after death, namely Heaven or hell, salvation or damnation.
Only One Saviour
Jesus was asked, “Lord, are there few in number who are to be saved?” (Lk 13:23). To be “saved” means to be freed from sin in order to enter Heaven. Jesus didn’t give numbers but He urged His questioner to, “Try to come in through the narrow door. Many, I tell you, will try to enter and be unable” (Lk 13:24). Why would people be unable to enter Heaven? By ignoring or rejecting Jesus who is the only “door” to Heaven. He stated clearly: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me” (Jn 14:6). Jesus is the only way to Heaven; He is the only Truth- Speaker concerning how to enter Heaven, and the only Life-Giver that brings us eternal joy. Neither Mohammad, nor Buddha, nor Confucius, nor Hinduism, nor any other individual or religion can save us from sin and enable us to enter Heaven. Jesus is our only hope for a happy life after death. Reason, then, would clearly motivate us to put time and effort into knowing Jesus and investing our life in His Church where He promised to be always present (Mt 28:20). By not doing so, we doom ourselves to eternal deprivation of eternal life in the warmth of God’s love, which is damnation. “Eternal life is this: To know You (have an intimate relationship with God), the only true God, and Him whom You have sent, Jesus Christ” (Jn 17:3).
To Know Is to Have a Personal Relationship
What does it mean to “know” Jesus? To know God means having an intimate relationship with Him. To know God personally Jesus founded His Church on Peter precisely to be the instrument through which He’d make Himself known “to all nations” so that every human being could personally embrace Him as their Saviour by following His way, living His truth, and receiving Him as the Bread of Life. Knowing Jesus isn’t simply being acquainted with Him intellectually or being a fan. It is about a relationship that requires love and companionship, a mutual participation in one another’s life. Jesus revealed that He shares Himself with those who take the time and put in the effort to know Him personally. Being saved is not the result of a relationship with Jesus that’s just casual or based on convenience or need. He warns us that, “When once the master of the house has risen to lock the door and you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Sir, open for us.’ he will say in reply, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your company. You taught in our streets.’ But he will answer, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Away from me, you evildoers” (Lk 13:25-27). Knowing Jesus superficially isn’t enough to make Him our Saviour. Many people know about Jesus intellectually, even people who call themselves Christian, identifying themselves as Catholic but don’t know Him personally and so continue their sinful ways. Sadly many Catholics are ashamed to give witness to the Faith in which they were Baptized. Even some clergy are ashamed or are afraid to wear their Roman collar in public. Such people are actually refusing to give witness to Jesus before others and He will refuse to recommend them to His Heavenly Father.
Love What God Loves and Hate What He Hates
To be saved we must love Jesus for His sake, not for what He can give us or what we can get from Him. Jesus warns us: “None of those who cry our ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven” (Mt 7:21). Too many run around claiming to have received powers from the Holy Spirit when in fact all they’re doing is drawing attention to themselves in acts of self-glorification. They are acting in accord with their will, not in accord with God’s will. What’s God’s will? It is to freely and lovingly obey His Commandments, live His Beatitudes, obey His Church’s laws, and carry out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. It is God’s will to freely and lovingly do what God loves and reject what God hates. What does God hate? He tells us in Proverbs 6:16-19: “Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood (abortion and murder), a heart that plots wicked schemes (deceit in all its forms), feet that run swiftly to evil (gossip, backbiting, character assassination), the false witness who utters lies (perjury), and he who sows discord among brothers and sisters (troublemaking).” Knowing Jesus through meeting Him personally and communally in His Church’s Sacraments enables us to resist these things because doing them prepares us for hell.
The Just Will Be Saved
Who’ll be saved? Those who heartily receive Jesus and make Him the centre of their life through and letting Him take us to His Father who bestows the Holy Spirit upon us filling our mind, heart, and soul with His love. This is what the Catholic Church is all about – calling and enabling people in Jesus’ Name to have an intimate relationship with Jesus and His Father united in the Holy Spirit of love and truth. Catholics are Jesus’ disciples who discipline themselves to act in accord with His teaching. This is the only path to salvation. We can then say with certainty that, “The souls of the just are in the hand of God. No torment shall touch them…They are in peace” (Wis 3:1, 3). Therefore we must never “disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by Him; for whom the Lord loves He disciplines … all discipline seems a cause for grief and not for joy, but later it brings forth the fruit of peace and justice to those who are trained in its schools” (Heb 12:5, 11). Living the Christian life is hard but the benefits are out of this world. Those on the path to salvation “… live as children of light (enlightened by Jesus) … Be correct in your judgment of what pleases the Lord. Take no part in vain deeds done in darkness; rather condemn them” (Eph 5:8-11). If you take the time and put in the effort to know Jesus personally and live as a faithful member of His Church you can look forward to a happy death. If you don’t, the future doesn’t bode well for you. As possessors of free will we decide our own destiny. The key question for each of us is: “What do I need to do to be saved and what do I need to do to help others to be saved?” It is only in loving others that I know I love myself, and it is in loving myself that I know I’m accepting God’s love for me. God’s love of me became visible the day I was baptized when He adopted me as His gifted child. He continues to show His love for me when I meet Jesus in the Sacraments of His Church. (fr sean)
What Is Faith?
Faith is the eye that sees God, no matter how dark the day.
Faith is the hand that holds Him on the steep and rugged way.
Faith is the heart rejoicing … accepting God’s promise true.
Faith is the ear that listens, to the voice that speaks to you.
Faith refuses to doubt Him, though others are filled with fear.
Faith is believing God’s Word, and knowing that He is here.
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20th Sunday C Decision and Division
Inbox
Sean Sheehy
16:12 (43 minutes ago)
to bcc: me
Choosing Jesus Divides Us From Those Who Don’t
Jesus’ first words to His disciples after His resurrection were, “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:21). In His last discourse He said, “Peace is my farewell to you, my peace is my gift to you; I do not give it to you as the world gives peace. Do not be distressed or fearful” (Jn 14:27). In Isaiah’s messianic prophecy the Messiah is associated with peace. “His dominion is vast and forever peaceful” (Is 9:6). Christians know Jesus as the “Prince of Peace.” Is Jesus contradicting Himself when He warned His listeners: “Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you but rather division” (Lk 12:51). Jesus is fulfilling a prophecy made by Micah about the division that will take place before the end of the world. Jesus, as the Prince of Peace, didn’t come to create division but people were divided in their acceptance or rejection of Him. Jesus didn’t come to bring a peace that was simply about smoothing things over or making everything nice. He came armed with the sword of truth that divides reality from unreality, truth from lies, goodness from evil, and beauty from ugliness.
Decision Means to ‘Cut From’ Other Options
God created us and bestowed on us the gift of free will. Because of free will we have the ability to say Yes or No to any person or anything, including God Himself. Free will gives us the ability to make choices. Choices call for decisions. Decisions create division when people choose opposing values, tasks, methods, viewpoints, philosophies, etc. People who fear division fear making decisions. But God doesn’t want us to be fence-straddlers. Jesus said, “Say, ‘Yes’ when you mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ when you mean ‘No’” (Mt 5:37). The word ‘decision’ comes from Latin and means ‘to cut off.’ The word ‘decide’ comes from Latin and means “to cut from.” A decision is the act of choosing one thing rather than something else thereby dividing what you accept from what you reject. Decisions always imply that there are options from which to choose, otherwise there would be no choice. People often see it as “having no choice.” Every choice has a consequence. When Jesus said He came for division He meant that people either freely decided to unite with Him as their Lord and Saviour or chose to follow someone else thereby dividing themselves from Him. Jesus came to “light a fire on the earth” so that He could purify and unify men and women with Himself and with one another. The decision to follow Jesus as the Saviour involved the rejection of all others claiming to be a saviour.
Choices Have Consequences
God sent Jeremiah to warn the Israelites that Jerusalem would be destroyed if the people continued to disobey their Covenant agreement. He called the people to make a decision: repent and obey God’s Commandments or continue to follow false gods and suffer self-destruction. They decided to reject Jeremiah and so they separated themselves from God’s protection. The princes charged that Jeremiah’s teaching wasn’t politically acceptable. “This man ought to be put to death … he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin” (Jer 38:4). They rejected the truth. Several hundred years later the high priest, Caiaphas, at Jesus’ trial, called for a decision that divided Jewish leaders from Jesus when he urged, “You have no understanding whatever! Can you not see that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed?” (Jn 11:49-50). His “Yes” to the people’s clamouring caused a “No” to Jesus. Similarly those who choose to say “Yes” to Jesus in His Church are divided from those who say “No” to Him and His Church. Decisions lead to division.
Jesus’ Purpose on Earth
Decisions involve choices to accept or reject something. Decisions foster unity and peace only among those who choose the truth. Since Jesus revealed Himself as God’s Truth, unity and peace come about only through choosing Him as their Source and Sustenance. Jesus didn’t come to establish peace on the earth but to instil it in the heart of every man and woman through being right with God, with oneself and with one’s neighbour. He didn’t come to smooth things over but to call man and woman to repentance and belief in the Gospel. Because we inherit a fallen nature that’s prone to sin, disease, and death we need a Saviour because we can’t lift ourselves up. Jesus didn’t come to prevent us from sinning or rid us of disease and death in this world. He didn’t come to change things for us, rather He came to change us so that we could change things for the better. He did come to give us the option of choosing a future free from sin, suffering, and death in Heaven. That future promises the joy of being in His Father’s presence in union with Him and the Holy Spirit surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1).
Baptism Divides the Exonerated from the Condemned
Jesus commissioned His Apostles to, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation. The man who believes in it and accepts Baptism will be saved; the man who refuses to believe in it will be condemned” (Mk 16:15-16). Thus He made it possible for each of us to use our intellect and free will to decide to accept or reject Him. This begins in Baptism in which He cleanses us of Original sin when we’re united with Jesus in the Spirit of Love and God the Father adopts us as His children. It’s a choice we each have to make each day to choose to act as God’s children. Jesus is Prince of Peace because He alone can make us right with God, ourselves and with one another. He gives us a peace the world can’t give us. In choosing Him we choose the means to practice prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance which provide the foundation of our peace of mind, heart, and soul.
Jesus’ Peace Is Different
Jesus offers us a peace that the world can’t give (Jn 14:27). The peace that Jesus offers comes from the knowledge that He is with us and will lift us up from our fallen state if we choose Him as our Saviour. At His birth the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to those on whom His favour rests” (Lk 2:14). God’s favour rests on those who decide to do His will by uniting themselves with Jesus. To solidify that union the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ Church so that He could join the spirits of all her members to help us “throw off everything that hinders us, especially the sin that clings so easily … (and) not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection” (Heb 12:1-2). The sin that “clings so easily” is our ego that wants to be first and divides us from Jesus by following our own spirit instead of Jesus’ Spirit. We mustn’t be afraid to decide for Jesus even though it may divide us from others who reject Him, even within our own families. Deciding for Jesus is deciding for a peace that only He can give because He alone enables us to be right with God, ourselves, and our neighbours which divides the believers from the unbelievers. (fr sean)
Criteria for Emotional Maturity (William C. Menninger, M.D.)
1. The ability to deal constructively with reality.
2. The capacity to adapt to change.
3. A relative freedom from symptoms that are produced by tensions and anxiety.
4. The capacity to find more satisfaction in giving than in receiving.
5. The capacity to relate to other people in a consistent manner with mutual satisfaction and helpfulness.
6. The capacity to sublimate, to direct your instinctive hostile energy into creative and constructive outlets.
7. The capacity to love, to care
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19th Sunday C Where's Your Treasure?
Sean Sheehy 6 August 2025
God’s Heart Is Where His Treasure Is
God’s heart is in what He treasures. Where is His treasure? I was talking to a woman recently who related a sad story about a child suffering from cancer. She queried, “Where is God?” Many ask this question especially when faced with failure, disease, or death. My answer was, “God is here where you and I are offering us faith, hope, and love so that we can rise above whatever pulls us down.” She wasn’t impressed because her pain deadened her ability to hear what I said. I tried to explain that without God who cares and lifts us up from the pit of suffering and death, life in this world would be nonsensical. God assures us, as He did St. Paul in his suffering, that He helps us when told him: “My grace is enough for you, for in weakness my power reaches perfection” (2 Cor 12:9a). It’s up to us to let God’s grace work and strengthen us.
God’s Presence
We know where God is in relation to us because Jesus has told us, but where are we in relation to Him? In our suffering God asks us to look beyond what’s happening in our life. Suffering, failure, and death are the result of Adam and Eve’s sin which has infected the human nature we each inherited from the moment of conception. Suffering and death had no part in God’s original plan. But it’s God who comes to our rescue by establishing His Kingdom in this world that prepares us for the fullness of joy in His Kingdom in Heaven. Jesus established God’s Kingdom here on earth – where we can begin to taste His love, freedom, justice, peace, and mercy. Jesus didn’t come to make this world His kingdom. He pointed out, “My Kingdom does not belong to this world. … My Kingdom is not here” (Jn 18:36). Jesus’ Church, founded on Peter, is the visible sign on earth of God’s Kingdom that’s fulfilled in Heaven. Therefore every man, woman and child can enter God’s Kingdom through Jesus’ Church and know that He will bring them to His Father who will raise them up from suffering and death if they believe in Him. Without Jesus there is no future for you or me or anyone else. Without Jesus there is nothing to which we can look forward with joy.
Jesus Binds Us to Himself in His Church
God glorifies everyone whom He calls into His kingdom (Wis 18:6-9). Jesus came to call everyone to enter His Kingdom through the Sacrament of Baptism in which He binds us to Himself as His adopted brothers and sisters. The believer in God is able to proclaim, “Blessed the people whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen for His own inheritance … Our soul waits for the Lord who is our help and our shield. May Your kindness be upon us who have put our hope in you” (Ps 33:12, 20). By entering God’s Kingdom in Baptism we’re restored to God’s likeness and we become new persons, enjoying a blessed status, and an eternally happy destiny, armed with a divine faith, love and hope. How does this happen? God promised us, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I will put my spirit in you and make you live by my commandments, careful to sincerely respect my observances” (Ezek 36:26-27). He makes us more fully human and fully alive.
What Do You Treasure the Most
Jesus teaches us, “Wherever your treasure lies, there your heart will be” (Lk 12:34). Where’s your heart? Your answer is important because it tells you what you treasure. What you treasure is what you rely on for your happiness. Where’s God’s heart? What does He treasure? He treasures what He loves. What does God love? He loves His creation and He especially loves every person whom He has created to be “stewards of His manifold graces” (1 Peter 4:10). How do we know that God loves us? He sent His Son to sacrifice Himself so that we might have life. Jesus reminds us that,, “There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13). Jesus, God’s Word in the flesh, demonstrated this highest love for mankind in His passion, death, and Resurrection. God treasured Jesus and through Him He treasures us, therefore He puts His heart into loving us. To realize that God has put His heart in you and me as His treasure, just reflect on the Crucifix. This calls for faith. Faith is simply trusting God because He is always faithful to His promises. The great compliment Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, paid Mary, the mother of Jesus when she visited her, was, “Blessed is she who believed that the promises of the Lord would be fulfilled” (Lk 1:45). Knowing that the Lord fulfils His promises gives us “... confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see” (Heb 11:1). Faith calls us to be grateful for God’s trustworthiness that empowers us to be free from worry and anxiety.
Catholics Are Judged by a Higher Standard
Faith is about believing what God has revealed to us about Himself, about us and our purpose on this earth. Jesus says to us, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom” (Lk 12:32). God’s revelation gives us a knowledge that we could never attain through science. It lets us see that God’s heart is in our wellbeing and welfare. He treasures us and calls us to join our heart to His as our greatest treasure. How do we show that our heart is in God as our greatest treasure? By putting our trust in Jesus Christ and living each day as His disciple. Each day we should invite the Holy Spirit to join our spirit and refresh, purify, encourage, and enlighten it so that we may be ready to meet Jesus as our Judge at the moment of death. Jesus cautions us, “Be on guard, therefore. The Son of Man will come when you least expect Him.” (Lk 12:40) Yes, there is a God who always puts His heart in you because He treasures you. But you and I must always remember that God will hold us accountable for how we use what he has given us. Jesus warns us that, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more” (Lk 12:48). As baptised members of the Roman Catholic Church we will be judged by a higher standard than others because we’ve been given so much more. Let’s make sure that what we treasure in this world, what we put our heart into, will gain us happiness in the next world. Remember you are God’s treasure so His heart is in you. However, We must not be lulled asleep by the sin of presumption. (fr sean)
God Is Really There
When the tide come rolling in,
And the mighty oceans roar,
It can go over land only so far,
That is all it goes and no more
When the storm clouds gather round us
And the great big raindrops fall,
Just so much will fall to earth
As it heeds the Master’s call.
When the load becomes too heavy
That the body cries in pain,
Remember that this too will end –
Like the ocean and the rain.
So adorn yourself with gladness.
Remember, God is really there.
He takes time to feed the sparrow,
And He always answers prayer.
(Anon)
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30 July 2025
18th Sunday Insurance for Eternity
Sean Sheehy
Are You Insured against Loss of a Happy Eternity?
Insurance is a fact of life in the western world. You can buy insurance for practically everything - life, health, home, property, pet, vehicle, travel, funeral, etc. Insurance is the assurance of compensation for loss of what’s insured. Insurance implies the possibility of loss and there’s no insurance that guarantees the prevention of loss. So the purpose of insurance is to help us cope with the reality of loss in our lives. Many people have life insurance but it doesn’t assure them of life. Life insurance doesn’t do the insured person much good except knowing that others will benefit from his or her death. The one insurance we can’t buy is the guarantee against loss of eternal happiness. We can’t buy insurance that assures us of a happy life after death. Jesus sets us straight about this with His story about a wealthy man who vainly thought his happiness was assured by his possessions. Having a plentiful harvest and full of confidence, he told himself, “You have blessings in reserve for years to come. Relax! Eat heartily, drink well. Enjoy yourself” (Lk 12:19). Then God intervened and warned him, “You fool! This very night your life shall be required of you. To whom will all this piled-up wealth of yours go?” (Lk 12:20). Pointing out the man’s foolishness, Jesus told His listeners, including you and me: “That’s the way it works for the man who grows rich for himself instead of growing rich in the sight of God” (Lk 12:21). A full barn can’t insure a happy future. Growing rich in the sight of God is about relying on God to assure us of a bright and happy future, which enables us to be joyful and at peace here and now.
Insurance for a Happy Eternity
Would you insure your home, car, or property with a company who couldn’t compensate you in case of loss? But what about your eternity that comes closer each day? What insurance have you taken out that assures you of a happy life after you lose it on earth? Jesus is the only Insurer of a happy life after death. The only Company that can insure you against loss of life at the moment of death is Jesus’ Church because she is the visible sign of His presence here on earth where He takes us by the hand and leads us out of darkness. It’s also the only Insurance Company that can insure your family and friends that their relationship with you hasn’t ended in death. So often we live as if we’re never going to die and focus only on insuring our own happiness by seeking material comforts in this world. Besides this vain mentality fuels a spirit of greed. Jesus, when asked to intervene in a family dispute over property, warned, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be wealthy, but his possessions do not guarantee him life” (Lk 12:14-15). The only one who can guarantee life’s continuity is the Life-Giver Himself, namely the God the Father , through Jesus Christ, by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Don’t Be Vain
Back in the 1970s Carly Simon sang, “You’re So Vain”. The chorus is as follows: “You’re so vain/ You probably think this song is about you/ You’re so vain, / I’ll bet you think this song is about you/ Don’t you? / Don’t you?” The material world advertises vanity mirrors and vanity cases. The word vanity comes from Latin and means ‘empty.’ It is the result of an empty soul bereft of God’s grace. The Psalmist questioned, “Men of rank, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love what is vain and chase after what is falsehood?” (Ps 4:3). In Ecclesiastes, Qoheleth, in speaking of how people live, warned, “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” (Eccl 1:2). Vanity differs from pride. Pride is acting superior to others. It doesn’t necessarily seek praise. Vanity, on the other hand, is acting in a manner that seeks praise and self-admiration that is reflected in egotism and obsessed with a yearning to be liked. The cult of celebrity reflects vanity in all its emptiness and superficiality. A vain person seeks self-adulation, lapping up praise like a hungry cat drinking milk. It epitomises what I call “me-ism”. From this flows the tendency to attribute all accomplishments to oneself so as to gain all the glory. This is the pathology of narcissism which is defined as an “inordinate fascination with oneself, or excessive self-love, self-centeredness, smugness, egocentrism.” From a psychological perspective narcissism is the “erotic gratification derived from one’s own physical or mental attributes, being a normal condition at the infantile level of personality development.” This is the pathological basis for a self-assurance regarding one’s own happiness as if one were his or her own god.
Jesus Is the Only Insurer against the Loss of Eternal Happiness
In many ways western culture promotes vanity, advertising vanity mirrors and vanity cases, etc. It’s a business that emphasizes “body beautiful” but ignores the soul’s need for God and produces stunted personalities. The antidote to vanity, narcissism, and erotic gratification is Jesus Christ who emphasizes generosity and humility through serving others in union with God who alone insures a mature personality and a joyful life that never ends. Thus, St. Paul urges, “Let your thoughts be on Heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth … When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory” (Col 3:1-4). Vanity obsesses about instant gratification, which fuels greed, lust and self-admiration, where the ego is at the centre pushing out God, the Creator and Life-Giver who alone can assure us of eternity in Heaven. St. Paul, in order to insure our future fulfilment, urges us to, “Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, selfishness, evil desires, and the lust that is idolatry. … Put aside all anger and quick temper, malice, insults, and foul language. These are the sins which provoke God’s wrath. Stop lying to one another” (Col 3: 5-10). When you ask God’s Spirit to envelop your spirit you put on the new way of life given you by Jesus, a way of life that never ends, and you reject the old way of sin, the way of eternal death. At every Holy Mass the priest prays to God the Father, just before receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, “May the Body and Blood of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.” Jesus is our only insurance who assures us of a joyful eternity. (fr sean).
Full Exposure
“Each of us must come to the evening of life. Each of us must enter eternity. Each of us must come to that quiet, awful time, when we will appear before the Lord of the vineyard, and answer for the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or bad. That, my dear brothers and sisters, you will have to undergo…. It will be the dread moment of expectation when your fate for eternity is in the balance, and when you are about to be sent forth as the companion of either saints or devils, without possibility of change. There can be no change; there can be no reversal. As that judgment decides is, so it will be for ever and ever.
Such is the particular judgment. …And when we find ourselves by ourselves, one by one, in His presence, and have brought before us most vividly all the thoughts, words and deeds of this past life. Who will be able to bear the sight of himself? And yet we shall be obliged steadily to confront ourselves and see ourselves. In this life we shrink from knowing our real selves.
We do not like to know how sinful we are. We love those who prophesy smooth things to us, and we are angry with those who tell us of our faults (and sins). But on that day, not one fault or sin (or sin) only, but all the secret, as well as evident, defects of our character will be clearly brought out. We shall see what we feared to see here, and much more. And then, when the full sight of ourselves comes to us, who will not wish that he had known more of himself here, rather than leaving it for the inevitable day to reveal it all to him!” (St. John Henry Cardinal Newman, “A Year with the Saints”)
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23 July 2025
17th Sunday C Intimacy
Sean Sheehy
Prayer Is an Act of Intimacy with God
Many years ago I had the sad experience of conducting the burial service for a young father who died from gunshot wounds. As the coffin was being lowered into the grave his ten-year old daughter kept calling out, “Daddy, Daddyyyy….” Her voice slowly trailed off as the coffin went out of sight. She was losing her protector, provider, and the one with whom she was able to have an intimate and safe relationship sharing her deepest thoughts knowing that she was loved. Intimacy means having a close relationship with another person where you can share your innermost thoughts knowing you’ll still be acknowledged, affirmed, and loved for who you are and can be. Each of us needs intimacy, namely a trusting and safe relationship where we’re not afraid to reveal our deepest self with its strengths and weaknesses. It enables us to value and love ourselves because in an intimate relationship we can see more clearly who we are, what we’re about, and what fulfils us. On a mental level this is facilitated by communication and on a spiritual level it is facilitated by prayer. Prayer is the umbilical cord that keeps us attached to God. Prayer is an expression of an intimate relationship between God and us, individually and communally.
Jesus' Intimacy with His Father
Jesus’ Apostles saw Him express His intimate relationship with His Father as He took the time to pray to Him. Seeing this they asked Him to teach them a special prayer that would enshrine their intimate relationship with God and with one another. They asked Jesus: “Lord, teach us to pray …” (Lk 11:1). He responded and said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come’” (Lk 11:2). The Aramaic word for father is ‘Abba’ and has the same implication as ‘Daddy,’ a word that expresses the intimate and trusting relationship of parent and child. Jesus intimately addressed God the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Abba (O Father), You have the power to do all things. Take this cup away from me. But let it be as You would have it, not as I” (Mk 14:36). In teaching His Apostles to call God “Abba,” Jesus called them to view prayer as an intimate conversation between God as their loving Father and themselves as His beloved children. Recently I was visiting a family and the fourteen-year old daughter entered the room and sat beside her Dad who kissed her on the cheek. She lovingly returned the gesture. It reflected that special father-child relationship. Prayer is an intimate experience of trust and sharing between God and His children. This involves the humble realization that God is our perfect Father and we’re the children whom He perfects. The Father’s role is always to be the leader and the teacher, the protector and the provider in the family. The children are the lovingly obedient followers and the learners. Thus the family is strengthened, secure, and joyful.
Abraham's Intimacy with God
We see this kind of intimate trust in the relationship of Abraham and God in the Old Testament. Sodom and Gomorrah were wallowing in immorality and inhospitality. God was about to punish the citizens for their blatant sinfulness and abuse of their sexuality. Abraham interceded with God to save the innocent lest the punishment of the wicked accidently fall on them. God listened to Abraham because of his intimate relationship with Him and He promised to withhold punishment for the sake of the faithful, no matter how small their number might be. Abraham interceded with God, “‘What if there are at least ten there?’ God replied, ‘For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it’” (Gen 18:32). God always listens to the prayer that flows from a spirit of intimacy. The Psalmist expressed this when he prayed: “I will give thanks to You, O Lord, with all my heart, for You have heard the words of my mouth … When I called You answered me; You built up strength within me” (Ps 138:1, 3). The Psalmist’s intimacy with God assured him that his prayer would be fruitful.
A Prayer of Belonging
The prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray that we call “The Lord’s Prayer” focuses us on the intimate relationship that God wants to have with us, namely that of a loving father as that of a father calling us to be obedient and trusting children (Lk 11:2). This prayer not only reflects an intimate relationship with God as our Father but also an intimate relationship with one another as His children, brothers and sisters to one another. We don’t pray as isolated or unrelated individuals, but as His sons and daughters. This intimate prayer flows from an awareness of ourselves as members of God’s family whose true home is with our Father in Heaven. We pray with our eyes fixed on our destination where we’ll have the perfect joy of being in the arms of our heavenly Father. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we express the fact that we never pray alone.
God Fulfils All Our Needs
The Church is God’s family united in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit intimately conversing with our heavenly Father. In this prayer we bless God's Name and yearn for God’s Kingdom of freedom, love, justice and peace which results from our intimacy with Him. We seek to do God’s will on earth because it’s His will that we be in a loving relationship with Him as our Abba, and with one another as brothers and sisters. As St. Paul reminds us, “All you who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. You did not receive a spirit of slavery leading you back into fear, but a spirit of adoption through which we cry out, ‘Abba!’ that is ‘Father’” (Rom 8:14-15). The prayer of intimacy empowers us to live by faith, not by fear. God is a Father who provides for our nourishment, our “daily bread” to nourish both our body and our soul in the fruits of the earth and in the Holy Mass. He gives us the gift of forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that when we disobey Him and hurt one another we can reconcile and overcome sin and temptation by reuniting with Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit in His Church.
A Unique and Perfect Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer has a more complete form in Matthew’s Gospel (6:9-13) which the Church teaches us and which we pray at every Holy Mass. Apart from the Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours the Lord’s prayer is the most perfect prayer. Actually there is no other prayer that is not contained in this prayer. It contains everything we need to express our intimate love for God and our total reliance on Him. There is no prayer that contains anything that isn’t found in the Lord’s Prayer. This is the only prayer we need to pray but we must pray it in a spirit of intimacy. I recommend reading what the Church’s teaching on the Lord’s Prayer in her Catechism, beginning with paragraph 2759 where she says that it “contains the whole Gospel.” It shows us that our proper disposition in prayer must be that of a child toward his or her father. That’s why Jesus insisted that entering Heaven requires that we become like a little child. “He called a little child over and stood him in their midst and said, ‘I assure you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of God. Whoever makes himself lowly, becoming like this child, is of greatest importance in that Heavenly reign” (Mt 18:2-4). If you want your prayer to be an intimate expression of your relationship with God, you must see yourself as a child conversing with God as your loving Father who is your Protector, Provider, Life-giver who loves you unconditionally and wants to take you into His arms forever and ever. (fr sean)
Why go to Mass?
A Church-goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"
When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!
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2025 July 23 Knockanure
KNOCKANURE
CROAGH Patrick – Reek Sunday – Sunday 27th July, anyone interested please contact Kathleen on 087-1515655, no later than Saturday July 19th.
PARISH: Maria, the Parish Secretary is taking Annual leave from July 28th to August 8th. Please ring before/after this time to book Masses etc. The Parish Office will be open from 11am to 12 noon on Tues, Weds, and Thurs, of those 2 weeks.
MASS in Templeathea will take place on Tuesday evening, the 22nd, at 7 p.m., weather permitting.
CEMETERY MASS Duagh will take place in Springmount on Thursday evening 24th July at 8.00 p.m.
DEATH of Daniel Stack, Keylod, Moyvane, on July 12th, 2025, surrounded by his loving parents, family and close friends, in the dedicated and compassionate care of the I.C.U at University Hospital, Kerry. Daniel is pre-deceased by his brothers David and Tommy. Sadly missed by his mother Mary, father Mike, Grandmother Philomena Stack (Keylod), Grandfather Mike Long (Asdee), aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbours and his beloved friends. Funeral arrived at The Church of the Assumption, Moyvane, on Wednesday for the Requiem Mass, followed by a Cremation service at The Island Crematorium.
ANNIVERSARIES: Mary Scanlon, Hannah Ferguson, Bill Enright, Nora Moore, Mary O Donoghue, John Martin Hegarty, Patrick Shanahan, Lil Stack, John McAuliffe, Maureen Airey, Doreen Beazley, Mary Holly, T D Sullivan, Sr. Mary O Carroll, Moss Gaire,
MASS INTENTIONS: Sat. 19th July’25 Moyvane for Timmy Noonan (4th Aniv.) at 7.30pm; Sun. 20th July’25 Knockanure for Nora & Jimmy Moore & their son Willie Moore (Aniv.’s) at 9.30am, mass Moyvane for Ellen & Tom Sheehan (Aniv.’s) & deceased members of Sheehan family, Kilbaha, at 11am; Tues. 22nd July’25 Moyvane for Joe & Mary Lynch & their grandson John (Aniv’s) Woodgrove at 7pm, Eucharistic Adoration at 6pm; Weds. 23rd July’25 Knockanure a Private Intention at 10am; Thurs. 24th July’25 Moyvane for Jeremiah Mulvihill (Aniv.) & deceased of Mulvihill family, & Paddy Connolly (Aniv.) & deceased of Connolly family. 7pm; Fri. 25th July’25 Knockanure Private Intention at 10am; Sat. 26th July’25 Moyvane for Denis Corridan (Aniv.) at 7.30pm; Sun. 27th July’25 Knockanure a Private Intention at 9.30am, and mass Moyvane a Private Intention at 11am.
KNOCK: Annual Pioneer pilgrimage to Knock Shrine Sun. 20 July. Prayers will be offered at Our Lady’s Shrine for all who work in alcohol and drug treatment centres around Ireland. Contact Fr. Robert McCabe [email protected]
Listowel Parish are joining the Kerry diocesan pilgrimage to Knock 23rd August 2025: Due to the high demand we are now looking into a second bus for more information please contact Listowel Parish Office before next Friday 25th July on 068-21188 or email: [email protected]
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REVIVAL FESTIVAL 2025 Listowel – THE SQUARE - Saturday evening- 19th July. The Square will be closed off for parking. Please note, because of traffic & restricted parking with the Concert beginning at 7.00 p.m. the Vigil Mass Listowel on Saturday 19th July, will take place at the earlier time of 6pm.
CIRCUS in Killarney till the 23rd.
NEW MOON on the 24th. Changeable weather and heavy rain at times, but plenty of dry spells for outdoor pursuits.
GAA: All-Ireland U16 A Championship final held in Nenagh, recently; Kerry 4-17 to Mayo 0-5. Kerry team: C O’Mahony; N O’Connor, A Brosnan, S Lyons; A Doyle, E Dillane, S Flynn; L Griffin, E O’Sullivan; J Lynch, J O’Connor, I Wynton; N Murphy, L Riordan, K Cummins. Subs: S O’Halloran for Murphy (48), T O’Sullivan for Wynton (49), M O’Reilly for Flynn, inj (55), D O’Neill for Cummins (58), S Kennedy for Doyle (60+5).
SEISUIN: The Summer Seisiún Show at the Devon Inn Hotel Templeglantine on Thursday nights. Bruach na Carraige Rockchapel Summer Seisúin special guests July 22nd David Keating and friends. Everybody is welcome to come along and join for some ceol agus craic, each Tuesday night in July and August Bruach Na Carraige @8.30pm.
FRIDAY NIGHT DANCING Duagh, 9-11pm.
FILM WEEK IS BACK at St Johns; 2025 Film & Animation Week from Monday July 21st to Friday July 25th. Make films and friends during a week of learning, creating and fun. If you are a teenager interested in making films and animations, book on 068 22566 or online –
RUN: Annual Banna 5km/10km run will be held on 3rd of August. Register for the run at the link here: https://tinyurl.com/3pwn7j7x
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DAN PADDY ANDY FESTIVAL: The upcoming August Bank Holiday Weekend heralds the Dan Paddy Andy Festival in Lyreacrompane, as it has done for 27 years. The Festival Committee has pushed the boat out further this year with some big names such as Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones in concert, Jack Keogh and his new band, the Derek Burke (of Crystal Swing fame) Trio and Declan Nerney and his band, along with five local bands, including Limerick’s Dermot Lyons.
FILM WEEK IS BACK at St John’s; 2025 Film & Animation Week from Monday July 21st to Friday July 25th. Make films and friends during a week of learning, creating and fun. If you are a teenager interested in making films and animations, book on 068 22566 or online.
DUAGH SPORTS COMPLEX FRIDAY NIGHT DANCING: 9-11pm
SEISIUN IN TEMPLEGLANTINE: The Summer Seisiún Show at the Devon Inn Hotel Templeglantine on Thursday nights will continue during July and August.
PUCK FAIR: in Killorglin, dating back over 400 years. Runs from Sunday, August 10th to Tuesday, August 12.
LIAM DILLION MEMORIAL DAY; Sunday, August 3 in Duagh, Co. Kerry. Family fun, face painting, bouncy castle, Magician, Vintage Silage Cutting, Static Vintage Display, Food stalls.
VINTAGE: Knockanure vintage are holding their annual vintage tractor and car run on Sunday, August 17th. This years run will be in memory of Alan Kennelly who was a member, true worker and supporter in our club. We would greatly appreciate your support on the day, all donations going to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.
FLAG FLOOR: The weekly music and set dancing session, at the Flag Floor Glensharrold, Carrigkerry continues on Tuesday’s from 9pm to 11.30pm, for the summer months.
GREYHOUND Racing every Saturday night & the Final Friday of each month
https://www.grireland.ie/go-greyhound-racing/our-stadiums/limerick-greyhound-stadium/
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RAMBLING House; Listowel on last Thursday of the month and Knockanure on the first Thursday of the month. Clounmacon on the second Friday of the month. Ita’s Rambling House at the Desmond Complex is on the 3rd. Friday each month. Knocalucka is on the 3rd. Tuesday of the month.
RACING at Galway, Opening Day Monday 28th July 2025.
EVENT at Cahersiveen; Daniel O’Connell’s legacy, a historic event where his story began 250 years ago. From the 5th – 7th August, the town have many events in his memory.
DIPLOMA: Applications are still open at St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth for programmes in Theology and Pastoral Liturgy (Higher Diploma/Diploma options). Visit their website for more details at www.sppu.ie/courses
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HERITAGE WEEK takes place from Saturday 16 – Sunday, August 24.
ARTS Events and Opportunities in Kerry and Nationwide Kerry County Arts Office<[email protected]>
Kerry County Arts Newsletter 10 July 2025
View this email in your browser (https://mailchi.mp/b4672e9aec4f/arts-events-and-opportunities-in-kerry-and-nationwide-13878087?e=57e387efec)
Kerry County Council Arts Office Website
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To find out about our annual programme of opportunities and events, go to our dedicated website.
Website (https://kerrycoco.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b3755ab5575cb711eac9566f8&id=2e11ceaa9b&e=57e387efec) Kerry Arts Strategy 2024-2034
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MOTOR RALLY: Limerick Motor Club plan to run their Thomond Mini rally on Sunday August 24.
FUNDRAISER for Athea Playground. Date: 16th August 2025
Newcastle West Cycling Club present the Dual County North Kerry & West Limerick 50km & 90km Cycle challenge. All proceeds go to the development of the playground in Athea.
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KERRY GAA – ANNUAL FUNDRAISER 2025 – Win a home refit worth up to €45,000 for just €10.
Breaking the Stigma Key to Battling the Growing Mental Health Challenge – IFA
https://www.ifa.ie/farm-sectors/breaking-the-stigma-key-to-battling-the-growing-mental-health-challenge-ifa/
SAND Batteries; Genius Engineering of Sand Batteries - HANDS ON!
https://youtu.be/7AW60Bd1V64?si=XOVxvR2lz2L03vEP
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FARM Safety: The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food held a discussion on farm safety, with representatives including from AgriKids, Embrace FARM and FBD Insurance. Alma Jordan said that 80,000 children have engaged with the AgriKids programme and said that they are “passionate learners, passionate about farming, and passionate to share their learnings at home and in their community”.
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/farm-safety-children-have-potential-to-change-cultures-and-behaviours/
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DOOCTOR.IE : Based in the Old Bank, Main St. Abbeyfeale, Friday 10am – 1pm – 3pm -7pm. Saturday and Sunday 10am -2pm, 3pm -7pm.
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GAA NEWS: https://www.kerrygaa.ie/category/news/
VIDEO link https://youtu.be/hI_u5iG9Yuk
Filename Clounmacon Rambling House July 2025.
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ORGANS: https://www.ohta.org.au/organs/organs/StBrigids.html
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The Battery That Ends Lithium Forever: Tesla’s Silent Revolution
https://youtu.be/tV_gWbltVfw?si=zGKjIhIRqMR1ft-2
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PAPERS: Irish Post
Nineteenth Century Emigration
From 1815 onwards, Catholic emigration became more prevalent. In fact, from 1815 until the beginning of the famine in 1846, a staggering number of people left the country. Between 800,000 and one million Irish men and women sailed west, with half settling in North America and the other half going to Canada. South America also attracted a significant number of Irish emigrants during these years.
Such large numbers paint a picture of deprivation in Ireland, even before the devastation of the famine. The potato crop failed fourteen times between 1816 and 1845. British industrialisation also took its toll. For instance, Ireland’s textile industry, a significant source of employment, collapsed because it couldn’t compete with Britain’s new production methods.
To make matters worse, changes in land use at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 saw farm labourers squeezed out. As the English army no longer required large amounts of grain, many Irish landowners switched to rearing cattle. That meant fewer jobs for farm hands.
https://www.irishpost.com/history/the-fascinating-history-of-irish-emigration-to-canada-230370
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 1930
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1930-1931 - 0037.pdf
Kerry Committee of Agriculture, on the motion of the Chairman (Miss Breen), passed resolutions congratulating Cardinal MacRory and Most Rev. Dr. Paschal Robinson (Papal Nuncio) on their new dignities.
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Amid scenes of general public sorrow, the remains of the late Rev. Brother J. A. Walsh, Superior of the Christian Brothers, Tralee, were laid to rest in the Monastery Cemetery, Tralee. There was a large number of clergy and laity present and many Christian Brothers, including Very Rev. Dr. Hennessy, Dublin
The Kerry Co. Council passed a vote of sympathy on the death of Rev. Brother Walsh. Monsignor O'Leary, Dean of Kerry, said they had lost one who had been a benefactor to Tralee during the past five or six years. Touching tributes to the
memory of deceased were made at Tralee Court by R. D. F. Johnston, D. J., and the members of the solicitors' bar
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Select List of Records Which Should Be in Every Irish Home
Brian O'Lynn, by Flanagan Bros. Casey as a Judge, by Michael Casey.
My Kerry Colleen, by John Griffin, "The Fifth Ave. Busman.
https://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html
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LYNCH and Connor History: Michael O’Connor was born in Glin, County Limerick, Ireland around 1854. He sailed from Glasgow on March 25 1876 on the ‘City of Dunedin’ and landed at Lyttelton on July 1 1876. Catherine Lynch, born in Athea, Co Limerick, Ireland 1852 arrived in Lyttelton on ‘Dunedin’ November 9 1876 accompanied by her brother George and his wife Johanna. They all lived in the Lincoln area and worked on the land and Michael and Catherine married on February 5 1878. By 1883 Michael and his brother John were granted by ballot 200 acres Section 614 at Longridge. In 1894 Michael bought Section 503 on Dunn & Cody Road from Samuel Mee.
https://www.pkogenealogy.net/?s=athea&searchsubmit=
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HARVEST: This year has seen the earliest start to the UK grain harvest since 2006, according to the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB), with multiple reports of winter barley being cut in June.
There was a slight pause in combining following a band of heavy rainfall during the weekend of July 5-6. but the harvest has since picked up.
However, progress is highly variable, both within and between regions.
Out of farms surveyed across the UK, 10% of winter barely crops are reported to have been harvested.
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/earliest-start-to-uk-grain-harvest-in-almost-20-years-ahdb/?utm_source=Agriland%20Master%20List&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email%20Newsletter%2028-05%20%28clone%29%20%28clone%29%20%28clone%29%20%2801K079QVV8BHSMZYGY0HNAGNS7%29
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RAGWORT; Senator McCarthy said ragwort’s bright yellow flowers may appear benign “but beneath its sunny facade lies a grave risk to Ireland’s agricultural heritage and public health”.
“Ragwort contains toxic alkaloids that can fatally damage the livers of horses and cattle. Landowners face fines of up to €1,000 for failing to control its spread.
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/ragwort-growing-outside-leinster-house-is-a-national-embarrassment-senator/
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15th Sunday C Reflection 9 July 2025
Sean Sheehy
How Much Do You Love God?
We cannot love God without being receptive to His love for us. We make ourselves receptive to God’s love by doing His will because it is in doing His will that we realize He loves us. God has revealed His will for us in and through His Church that began to be formed by Him when He called Abraham to bring His blessing to the nations and was brought to completion by Jesus when He founded His Catholic (Universal) Church on Peter. The Church, under the leadership of Peter and his successors, the bishops of Rome, guided by the Holy Spirit, continues to evangelize all nations and generations calling every person to obey God’s will by following Jesus Christ as members of His Church.
God’s Will
What is God’s will? We don’t live in God’s will; rather we use our will to choose to do His will. Jesus fully revealed God’s will in His example and teaching, which He hands on through His Church. It’s God’s will that we repent and believe in the Gospel (Mk 1:15). We find it revealed in Deuteronomy known as the “Shema Israel” (Deut 6:4-9). It is also known as “The Great Commandment to, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” In Deuteronomy 30:10-14 Moses lamented the people’s infidelity and reminded them of the importance of returning to doing God’s will. “If only you would heed the voice of the Lord your God, and keep His Commandments and statutes that are written in the Book of the Law, when you return to the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul …this command is not too mysterious and remote for you … it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” Once you say a wholehearted “Yes” to obey God He provides you with the wherewithal to be faithful and loyal. All you and I have to do, like the Nike sign says, is just do it! When you do His blessings flow into your mind, soul and heart.
Love the Neighbour
Later on in Leviticus 9:18 God revealed that His will also commanded us to “love your neighbour as yourself.” However it wasn’t until Jesus came, that the two Commandments were combined into one “Law of Love” where love of God is reflected in love of neighbour and vice versa – love of God becomes visible in love of neighbour. If we really love God we’ll show it by loving our neighbour. If we refuse to love our neighbour it follows that we love neither God nor ourselves. This is reinforced in (1 Jn 4:20: “If a man says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” It follows from this that we measure our love for God by how much we love our neighbour. In Matthew, chapter 25, Jesus made the love of neighbour the criterion for judging each of us when He revealed that, “whatever you did for one of the least of brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me” (Mt 25:40).
The Visible Sign of Love of God
Since Jesus, who “is the image of the invisible God … through whom all were created for Him” and who “is the head of the body, the church” (Col 1:15-20), emphasized the centrality of loving our neighbour as the visible sign of our love for Him, we need to understand who is our neighbour. In Luke 1:15-20 Jesus identifies our neighbour in the story of the Good Samaritan. The word ‘neighbour” simply means “the one who lives near.” Jesus expanded the definition of neighbour to mean the one who is in need regardless of whether he or she lives near or far away, whether a friend or a stranger. This is evident in the actions of the Samaritan.
Jesus combined the love of God enshrined in the Shema and love of neighbour in Leviticus when He commanded His followers: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There’s no commandment greater than these” (Mk 12:30-31). Thus Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments – the first three identify how we show our love for God and the next seven identify how we show our love for our neighbour, with our father and mother being our first neighbours. In combining love of God with love of neighbour Jesus made neighbourliness a key trait of what it means to a faithful member of His Church.
Who Is My Neighbour
A lawyer questioned Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responded by asking the lawyer, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He answered by quoting from Deuteronomy and Leviticus. To clarify things even further, He asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus responded with the parable about three men, two Jews and a Samaritan who came across a man lying by the roadside victimized by robbers. The two Jews didn’t help the man fearing that he might be dead and they would be rendered unclean, preventing them from entering the Temple to worship God. The Samaritan on the other hand, not bound by Jewish laws, stopped to help the man. He tended his wounds and took him to an inn where he paid the proprietor for everything that the man might need and promised to stop by on his way back. Jesus asked the lawyer, “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbour to the robbers’ victim?” There was only one answer: “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Then Go and do likewise.”
Love Is Neighbourliness
The message is clear: Worship of God implies a spirit of neighbourliness toward anyone who is in need, whether friend or foe. The sign of peace before receiving the Lord in Holy Communion symbolizes a spirit of neighbourliness toward one another in preparation to receive Jesus’ love in Holy Communion. If we’re not willing to help one another how can we ask Jesus to help us? To do so would be hypocritical.
The Measure of Love
There is another dimension to loving our neighbour, namely that it’s not only a measure of how much we love God but it’s also a measure of how much we love ourselves. The commandment is to “love our neighbour as our self.” That means we must treat our neighbour as if he or she were us. If we don’t love our neighbour it means we don’t love ourselves, and if we don’t love ourselves it means that we don’t love God. To love God means that we let God love us by entering into our life and making us like Him. Since God is love, you and I can’t love unless we let God love us. That is a fact. To love, then, we must let Him love us. Jesus sets His love for us as the standard for love for God, our self and our neighbour. “You must love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). To love others as much as Jesus loves us means that we must lay down our life for our friends, including those in need (Jn 15:13). Heaven is only for good neighbours while hell is filled with bad neighbours.
Be Like The Best Samaritan
Christians are those who are “Christened” or “Christed,” empowered to live and act in Christ’s name implementing His vision for the world. As members of Jesus’ Church we recognize Him as not only the Good Samaritan but the Best Samaritan who tends the wounds of all He comes across at His expense. We recognize that He sacrificed Himself to save us from Satan’s destruction. As Jesus showed His unconditional love by laying down His life not only to save His friends but also His enemies, we are called to witness to others, regardless of the inconvenience, what Jesus does for people on a daily basis. We thank God for neighbours in need, even those who seem to be from hell, because they provide us with the opportunity to show our love for God and for ourselves. If Jesus is the first and foremost Good Samaritan, you and I as true members of His Church through the power of the Holy Spirit, must be the best Samaritans willing to help those who need our services, regardless of the cost, as we travel the road of life with Heaven as our destiny. (fr sean)
Christian Wisdom for Joyful Living
Be Fishers of Men.... You catch 'em, He'll Clean 'em.
A clean conscience makes a soft pillow.
A family altar can alter a family.
A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.
Are you wrinkled with burden? Come on into Church for a faith lift!
Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
Do your best and then sleep in peace. God is Awake.
Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
Exercise daily. Walk with the Lord!
Fear knocked. Faith answered. No one was there.
For all you do, His blood's for you!
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
Give God what's right, not what's left!
Give Satan an inch and he'll be your ruler.
God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.
God doesn't want shares of your life; He wants controlling interest!
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts"!
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
Having truth decay? Brush up on your Bible!
He who angers you, controls you!
He who is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
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14th Sunday C
Sean Sheehy- 3 July 2025
Jesus’ Church: A Structure, A Mission, A Method
Jesus came to establish the God’s Kingdom on earth (Mt 14:17). He calls everyone to, “Reform your lives! The reign of God is at hand” (Mt 3:2). He founded His Church to be the visible sign of God’s reign here on earth. Only membership in God’s Kingdom on earth guarantees eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus wanted His Kingdom to be a visible sign of His continued presence on earth after He had returned to His Father so He gave it a structure when He picked and trained twelve men to be His Apostles. From the Apostles He chose Peter as the “rock” on whom He would build His Church (Mt 16:18). He gave the keys of the Kingdom to Peter with the authority to bind and to loose (Mt 16:19), to forgive sin and to withhold forgiveness when repentance and a firm purpose of amendment were lacking. This Church, with Peter as head, would be the sign of His Kingdom established on earth wherein Jesus would be heard with the ears of faith, seen with the eyes of Faith, touched with the hands of faith, tasted with the tongue of faith, and smelled with the odour of faith in the Sacraments. Thus He promised His Apostles and their successors: “And know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!” (Mt 28:20). Jesus, after His resurrection, chose to broaden the structure of His Church’s leadership by choosing seventy-two disciples, priests, to assist the Apostles in carrying out His Church’s mission. Jesus, as Head of His Church, made Peter His Vicar on earth with the other Apostles in union with him. They, in turn would be assisted by priests and deacons whom Jesus would call to ministry through the Apostles’ laying hands on them ordaining them to carry out the mission Jesus gave Peter, namely to, “Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, and feed my sheep” (Jn 21:15-17). Thus Jesus set up His Church’s hierarchical structure. This counters those who say they don’t believe in organized religion or the sacramental priesthood. I guess they believe in disorganized religion that matches their disorganized lives. The purpose of religion is to put order in one’s life both individually and communally.
Jesus’ vision was for all people to “have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10). The mission entailed the enablement of men and women to unite with the Author of Life, namely God, from whom they were separated through their sinfulness. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, unity with God required repentance and forgiveness of sin. Jesus empowered Peter and the other Apostles to make forgiveness of sin possible by giving them, and through them His Church, the power to reconcile sinners to God in the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick and Holy Mass. Bestowing the Holy Spirit on them, Jesus proclaimed, “‘As the Father sent me, so I send you.’ Then He breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound they are held bound” (Jn 20:21-22). This divine power is possessed only by the Church founded on Peter and nowhere else. Thus Jesus gave the Sacrament of Reconciliation to His Church to be administered through the priesthood to repentant sinners. In this Sacrament the removal of sin eliminates the obstacles between the creature and the Creator, thus enabling God to pour His life into the repentant and forgiven member of His Church. When this happens we experience Jesus’ gift of peace that no one else can give. Just before His Ascension, Jesus said to His Apostles, “Peace is my farewell to you, my peace is my gift to you; I do not give it to you as the world gives peace” (Jn 14:27). Peace flows from justice, which is about being right with God, with oneself and with one’s neighbour. Justice means that we give God His due, namely worship and obedience; we give ourselves our due, namely to be God’s image and likeness; and give our neighbour his or her due which is to treat him or her as we would want to be treated ourselves. Then we receive the peace Jesus wants us to give us. This was the gift Jesus commanded the seventy-two priests to bring to those whom they visited. He bade them that, “On entering any house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If there is a peaceable man there, your peace will rest on him; if not it will come back to you” (Lk 10:5-6). Jesus meant for His disciples to be bringers of peace by calling people to act justly, repent, seek forgiveness and believe in the Gospel. Genuine peace is possible because a merciful God gives us another chance to act in a just manner towards God, ourselves and our neighbour. Jesus told them to “cure the sick and say to them, ‘The reign of God is at hand’” (Lk 10:8). He is talking especially about the spiritually sick. As the sign of God’s Kingdom the Church promotes freedom, love, justice and peace for all people. God wants each person to be free, loving, just and peaceful. Thus we become fully human and fully alive giving glory to God.
Jesus gave His Apostles and disciples a methodology to foster His mission’s success. Outside of God’s Kingdom there’s neither freedom, love, justice, nor peace. Knowing that the materialistic and sinful world would be hostile to His Church as the visible sign of God’s Kingdom on earth, Jesus cautioned the leaders: “Be on your way, and remember: I am sending you as lambs in the midst of wolves” (Lk 10:3). He didn’t want them to be under any illusions that serving His mission in the world would be easy. He warned them to keep moving lest they get bogged down and discouraged. Discouragement is one of Satan’s lethal weapons. Satan loves to see Church leaders discouraged because he wants them to quit. To prepare the bishops, priests for this temptation, Jesus taught them, “If people of any town you enter do not welcome you, go into the streets and say, ‘We shake the dust of this town from our feet as testimony against you. But know that the reign of God is near” (Lk 10:10-11). Despite being unwelcomed they still had the satisfaction of testifying to God’s presence in their lives despite those who rejected them. God also reinforced their vocation as witnesses to Jesus’ living voice in the world: “He who hears you, hears me. He who rejects you, rejects me. And he who rejects me, rejects Him who sent me” (Lk 10:16). Jesus confirmed that He and His Church are one and that His Church speaks on His behalf. Whatever is done to His Church is done to Him. St. Paul was made aware of that when Jesus confronted him for persecuting Jesus’ Church, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). Jesus and His Church are one because she is His Bride.
Jesus has given His Church a visible structure in which He calls people to Him and speaks His truth to them. The mission He has given His Church, under the visible leadership of the successor of Peter and his successors as the Bishops of Rome, is to bring peace to people by calling them to “act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly in God’s sight” (Micah 6:8) . Jesus makes this possible by giving us His Church on whom he has bestowed His vision and to which He has given a visible structure, a clear mission, and a definite methodology. Thus the Risen Jesus continues to be present here on earth offering His glorious body to His Father on behalf of His Church in the celebration of each of the Sacraments and especially in every Holy Mass. (fr sean)
15 Ways To Derail Yourself
1. Begrudge those who succeed.
2. Deny your mistakes and blame others.
3. Make your phone your best friend.
4. Focus on doing well rather than on being well.
5. Focus on short-term rather than on long-term gains.
6. Act as if you are always right.
7. Always try to please others.
8. Reach beyond your abilities.
9. Keep playing when you are losing.
10. Think that you know it all.
11. Treat others as if they were your clones.
12. Think that you can’t be outsmarted.
13. Think that you can control others.
14. Live by fear rather than faith.
15. Treat others as inferior to you.
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Sts Peter and Paul 26 June 2025
Sean Sheehy
If You Know Jesus You’ll Focus on Heaven Rather than Earth
This Sunday Jesus’ Church remembers Peter and Paul and their unique roles as His apostles. Jesus founded His Church on Peter and He called Paul to be the apostle to the Gentiles. Both these men came to know Jesus for who He was, namely the Messiah promised by God and the One who fulfilled all God’s promises in the Old Testament. Both started off life not knowing Jesus but came to know Him personally through their encounters with Him. Peter spent three years as Jesus’ disciple but denied knowing Him on Good Friday. Paul spent his young life trying to get rid of those who followed Him. Yet these two sacrificed their lives in fidelity to Jesus and the mission to which He called them, namely preaching the need for repentance and belief in the Gospel as the only means to attain salvation and eternal happiness in Heaven. Jesus ensured that this mission would continue until the end of time through His Church.
What It Means to “Know” someone
There is a big difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing the person. Knowing about someone is based on hearing what others say about him or her. Knowing someone is based on listening to him or her. That involves spending time in the person’s company. The only real knowledge we can have of anyone is what he or she tells us about himself or herself. Everything else is hearsay and not necessarily true. Many people know about Jesus but very few actually know Him. Why? Most people, even many who identify as Catholic or Christian, don’t know Jesus because they haven’t spent time listening to Him. Or if they say they listen they actually hear only what they want to hear, not what Jesus is actually saying. Jesus Himself said that many people “have ears but they don’t hear and eyes but they don’t see” (Mk 8:18). We’re all guilty of selective hearing where we hear but don’t heed. We hear only what suits us. But to know someone we have to open ourselves completely and fully accept what he or she is telling us. It was this that made the difference in the life of Peter and Paul. They lived life with a focus on Heaven rather than earth.
Importance of True Identity
Knowing the importance of correctly identifying someone, Jesus asked His disciples who people thought He was. “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (My 13:16-19). The answers they gave showed that the majority didn’t know who He was and confused Him with Old Testament prophets. Then Jesus pointed to the disciples themselves and asked, “But who do you say that I am?” It was then that Peter spoke up and declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Jesus pointed out that Peter’s recognition of Him was not based on his own observation but on direct revelation from God. Knowing Jesus as true God and true Man requires Divine Revelation, which is the act of Jesus personally telling us who He is. St. Paul reminds us that “only in the Holy Spirit can we recognize Jesus as Lord” (1 Cor 12:3). The Holy Spirit does this today through His Church in her Sacraments where people come to know Jesus and personally experience His saving presence. Without the Church, founded by Jesus on Peter and continued in his successors under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we could not know Jesus’ true identity. Knowing one’s true identity is essential in order to develop a true relationship.
Living Life in Light of Jesus’ Teaching Involves Suffering
Sts. Peter and Paul came to know Jesus through their personal experiences of Him in their lives especially after Jesus’ Ascension when they were experiencing persecution for their Faith in Him as the leaders of His Church. Their personal knowledge of Jesus empowered them to live their lives in light of Heaven, rather than earth. They took Jesus’ teaching to heart when He said, “Seek first God’s kingship over you, His way of holiness, and all these other things will be given you besides. Let tomorrow take care of itself. Today has troubles enough of its own” (My 6:33-34). They came to see that Jesus would never abandon them if they relied on Him. God always rescues the faithful who may have to suffer in this world but are assured of happiness in Heaven. We see how Peter benefited from God who listened to the prayer of the Church for his freedom from imprisonment recorded in Acts 12:1-10). “(Herod) had him arrested and thrown into prison … He intended to bring him before the people after the Passover … the Church prayed fervently to God on his behalf … while Peter was sleeping guarded by two soldiers, fastened with double chains … suddenly an angel of the Lord … tapped Peter and woke him up… with that the chains dropped from Peter’s wrists … Peter followed the angel out … He declared ‘Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel to rescue me from Herod’s clutches and from all that the Jews hoped for.’” Here we see the power of the whole Church’s prayer whose Head is Jesus and whose soul is the Holy Spirit, more powerful than any human force. We confront injustice with prayer rather than violence.
Living in the Light of Jesus’ Teaching Assures Us of Victory
St. Paul gives witness to the freedom and assurance that comes from viewing life in light of Heaven rather than earth. He wrote to the bishop, Timothy (2 Tim 4:6-8) “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” … The Lord stood by my side to give me strength, so that through me the preaching task might be completed and all the nations might hear the Gospel … The Lord will continue to rescue me from all attempts to do me harm and will bring me safe to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen” Peter and Paul were crucified like Jesus demonstrating their love for Him and His mission to save people from their sins. They both answered Jesus’ question to His disciples, “Do you want to leave me also?” (Jn 6:67). In the words of Peter they responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe; we are convinced that You are God’s Holy One” (Jn 6:68). Only those who believe that Jesus has the words of eternal life are true believers. True believers are those who know that Jesus is present in His Church where He speaks His Word of truth and offers Himself as the food for our souls in the Holy Mass. All who truly know Jesus are active members of His Church. All others who identify as Catholic or Christian but are not active in His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church might know about Him but do not know Him personally. He and His Bride are one and share an intimate relationship. We share intimate knowledge of Jesus through being part of His Bride, namely His Church against which the gates of hell will not prevail (Mt 16:18). Are you living your life focusing on Jesus present in His Church or are you focusing on the earthly things? (fr sean)
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18 June 2025
Corpus Christi
Sean Sheehy
Jesus commanded His Apostles: “Do This in Remembrance of Me!”
Memory is our spiritual faculty of recollection. The ability to recollect enables us to recall a past event and make it part of our present consciousness. We have two kinds of memory, short and long term. Without memory we’re lost; we don’t know who we are, where we are, or where we’re going. Memory loss is something that seriously inhibits us as human beings. Memories can bring us a smile or a tear depending on whether they were happy or sad. Forgetfulness is the opposite of memory and often the cause of many problems. There are some events and issues we would do well to forget while there are others that we need to keep in mind for our own good. At the Last Supper Jesus referenced the importance of memory when, after blessing the unleavened bread, He declared it to be His body and the chalice of wine to be His blood. He commanded His apostles to do what He did with the words: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19). In other words, Jesus told them to change unleavened bread into His body and wine into His blood. Commanding them to “do this in remembrance of me” Jesus didn’t tell them to simply recall what He did. He meant that when they did this action in His Name He was making Himself present through them by the power of the Holy Spirit actually changing the substance of bread into His Body and the substance of wine into His Blood, the same body and blood that hung on the Cross on Golgotha only now in a risen and glorified form. Through them Jesus would continue to make Himself truly present offering Himself as the sacrifice for our sins and as the food for our souls. This is why the Mass is so holy and so deserving of the utmost reverence and solemnity because this power that Jesus gave to His apostles is handed down through their successors in His Church. The Holy Mass isn’t just remembering something from the past but it is a “re-membering,” a re-presentation, a re-putting back together today of what Jesus actually did on Holy Thursday and confirmed on Good Friday – a real sacrifice, though now unbloody, to atone for and save us from our sins. As Catholics we’re so privileged to be the beneficiaries of this miracle and unconditional act of love which Jesus makes available to us. But do we realize what we have????
We Need Body of Christ to Be Fully Human
This Sunday the Catholic Church reminds us once again of the Real Divine and glorified human Presence of Jesus which He makes available to the faithful through her. Traditionally this day is known as Corpus Christi Sunday. It’s often highlighted with a public procession honoring the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, carried aloft in a monstrance held by the priest followed by Altar Servers, children who have received the Lord in their First Holy Communion and the Faithful. It’s a public witness to the Catholic Faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist celebrated in the Holy Mass every day and especially on Sundays and Holy Days. It is a reminded that we cannot function fully without Jesus as our Redeemer and as the food for our souls. The world is in dire need of this witness of Jesus’ presence as its only Savior and its only hope to be saved from self-destruction. Remember Jesus’ own words: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink” (Jn 6:53-55).
Jesus’ Body Blessed Humanity
By taking on humanity in the Virgin Mary’s womb, God’s Word blessed humanity providing man and woman with all they needed to be fully human and fully alive. Jesus demonstrated God’s great love for us by being willing to die so that we might live by making it possible for us to be freed from eternal suffering and death. The Cross and the Holy Eucharist are the visible demonstration of God’s love. “No greater love does anyone have than to lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). Jesus laid down His life in His physical body that caused Him to be cruelly and unjustly nailed to a cross. St. Peter informs us that “The reason why Christ died for our sins once for all, the just man for the sake of the unjust, was that He might lead you to God”(1 Pt 3:18).
He Sacrifices Himself for Us
Death has no more power over Jesus. But He continues to sacrifice Himself in His glorified Body in the Holy Mass on our behalf. The Church Jesus founded on Peter is His Bride. In every Holy Mass Jesus the Bridegroom and the Church as His Bride renew their covenant. There the Church, in her members, remember Jesus’ sacrificial love for her and the New Covenant He entered into with her, and through her with her members. This is why the Church is never more true to her identity and mission than when she is worshipping her Lord in the Holy Mass. St. Paul emphasized the centrality of the Mass when he informed the Corinthians, “Brothers and sisters: I received from the Lord what I handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night He was handed over, took bread, and, after He had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the chalice, after supper, saying, ‘This chalice is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this chalice, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes” (1 Cor 11:23-26). In celebrating Jesus’ Real Presence, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Mass we not only renew our covenant with Him but we also proclaim that He is actually here with us sacramentally and that we eagerly await His return as Judge the living and the dead when our soul will be reunited with our body.
Justice Demands Our Attendance at Holy Mass
Unlike all non-Catholics, we recognize that the validly ordained priest acts in the Name of Jesus, to Whom he was configured in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, in the celebration of each of the Sacraments and especially in the celebration of the Holy Mass. The Church obligates all her members to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass every Sunday and Holy Day. Why? We owe God in justice some of our time in gratitude and worship for loving and blessing us despite our proneness to sin. We also owe it to ourselves to receive God’s grace He gives in the Holy Mass. We attend Holy Mass because there God speaks to us in the Holy Scriptures teaching us, inspiring us, and reminding us of what we need to do. We attend Holy Mass because we need to give public witness to our faith as Catholics and participate in the greatest spiritual activity of the Church to which we belong. We attend Holy Mass because we need to participate in Christian community with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We attend Holy Mass because by placing ourselves in God’s presence we open ourselves to His love and receive His blessings. We attend Holy Mass because we need to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus as the necessary food to properly nourish our souls so that we can think clearly and choose well. In Holy Communion we commune with Jesus and through Him with one another as a holy Community, His Church on earth, His Bride whom He perfects. We attend Holy Mass because only Jesus can perfect our Faith that we need to sustain us amidst “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” and lead us to Heaven. (fr sean)
The 12 Most Common Regrets in Life
1. Too much time spent stressing and worrying.
2. Caring too much about others’ opinions.
3. Not taking any risks that might result in a great reward.
4. Too little time spent with loved ones.
5. Too much time and effort put into trying to be liked by others.
6. Not making the most of the present moment.
7. Not letting go of past anger and resentment.
8. Not enough play, joy, happiness, laughter.
9. Not expressing genuine emotions revealing and possessing who I am.
10. Not being honest enough about what I really think or feel about issues.
11. Not availing of the many graces God has offered to bestow on me.
12. Not fully recognizing, developing, and deploying the natural, psychological, and spiritual gifts I have received.
Litany of Reparation in Honour of the Blessed Sacrament
Lord, have mercy on us; Lord, have mercy on us
Christ, have mercy on us; Christ, have mercy on us
Lord, have mercy on us; Lord, have mercy on us
God the Father of Mercy, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Mediator between God and man, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, the Enlightener of hearts, Have mercy on us.
Holy and undivided Trinity, Have mercy on us.
O Sacred Host! Victim of reparation for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
O Sacred Host! Annihilated on the altar for us and by us, Have mercy on us.
O Sacred Host! Despised and neglected, Have mercy on us.
O Sacred Host! Neglected and abandoned in Your temples, Have mercy on us.
Be merciful unto us: Spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful unto us: Hear us, O Lord.
For so many unworthy Communions, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For the irreverence of Christians, We offer You ….
For the continual blasphemies of the impious, We offer You ...
For infamous discourses made in Your Holy Church, We offer You ...
For the crimes of sinners, We offer You ...
For sacrileges which profane Your sacrament of love, We offer You ...
For the coldness of the greater part of Your children, We offer You ...
For their contempt of Your loving invitations, We offer You ...
For the infidelity of all who say they’re Your friends, We offer You ...
For the abuse of Your grace, We offer You ...
For our unfaithfulness, We offer You ...
For our delay in loving You, We offer You ...
For our tepidity in Your Holy Service, We offer You ...
For Your bitter sadness at the loss of souls, We offer You ...
For Your long waiting at the door of our hearts, We offer You ...
For Your loving sighs, We offer You ...
For Your loving tears, We offer You ...
For Your loving imprisonment, We offer You ...
For Your loving death, We offer You ...
That You spare us, that You hear us, We sinners beseech You, hear us.
That You will make known Your love for us in this most Holy Sacrament, We sinners beseech You, hear us.
That You will vouchsafe to accept our reparation, made in the spirit of humility, We sinners beseech You, hear us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: Have mercy on us, O Lord.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, Who has chosen to expose Yourself to all the outrages of the impious, rather than withdraw Your Sacred Body from our Churches, grant us the grace to bewail, with true bitterness of heart, the injuries and sacrileges committed against you, and to repair as far as lies in our power, and with sincere love, the many ignominies and contempts You have received, and still continue to receive, in this ineffable mystery, Who lives and reigns with God, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
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11 June 2024
Trinity Sunday
Sean Sheehy
The Holy Trinity Calls Us Into Community
The nature or the essence of something is what identifies its true purpose. The nature of something is determined by its creator because it’s the creator who gives it its designated purpose. Purpose flows from nature. Since God has no creator, knowledge of His nature must come from Him. We can all know that God exists through our ability to reason. Since creation has a design, an order, it must have a designer. The universe didn’t always exist so it must have a Creator, since it couldn’t create itself. It couldn’t evolve from nothing. From nothing comes nothing unless someone can create out of nothing and only God can do that. Therefore it’s reasonable to accept that the Creator existed before the creation and must be all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere. The Creator always was, is, and will be. He is Being itself from whom comes all being and on Whom all being is dependent. Belief in God’s existence through reason isn’t the same as knowing God personally. To know Him personally God has to make Himself known and available to us which He does in the Person of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is how He shares His wisdom with us. Wisdom is “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, and lasting.” We act wisely when we base our decisions on what is real, true, good, just, merciful and beautiful, all of which find their fulfilment only in God. This, of course, is a great mystery. But the nature of a mystery is that the more we delve into it the more there is to be delved into. That’s what makes mystery exciting. This is also true of the Blessed Trinity which is one of the five centgral mysteries of the Catholic Faith. The others are the Unity of God, the Incarnation, the Death, and the Resurrection of Jesus.
We’re Destined for Community
God revealed Himself through His interaction with His people whom He began forming into a community with His call of Abraham and which He continues through the Church founded by Jesus, His Word-made-flesh, through the power of the Holy Spirit as its Advocate. God’s Spirit assures Jesus’ Church that she will faithfully uphold and promote His truth and justice, and provide the means to eternity for all who believe in Him. By commissioning His Apostles to, “go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations (and) baptize them in the Name ‘of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit’” (Mt 28:19), Jesus revealed that God is One but also a Trinity of Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three Persons are completely united in One God. This is the mystery of the Holy Trinity proclaimed in the Catholic Church’s Creed. There is an important revelation here for us, namely that God created us to function in community as His image and likeness. We should remember this every time we make the Sign of the Cross on our person “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!” God is a Trinity of Persons completely One and His followers are a Trinitarian People called to be one with one another in the community of the Church. Is this happening in your parish or diocesan Church??? Do you belong to a community where you are able to grow in God’s image and likeness?
The Roles of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
The nature of God is that though One He expresses Himself as a Community of Persons – Father Creator, Son Redeemer and Saviour, and Holy Spirit Advocate, Sanctifier, and Truth-Sayer. God the Father creates and adopts us; God the Son redeems us and saves us from sin and brings us to His Father; and God the Holy unites us with Jesus who gives us the grace of repentance and the gift of forgiveness through His Church’s Sacraments and makes us holy. What difference does this make to us as human beings? This revelation of God isn’t for His benefit but for ours. God reveals Himself to us so we can know Him personally, and in that personal relationship to grow in His image and likeness. That means that since God created us in His image and likeness and He is a community of Persons you and I and everyone else are called to be a community of persons. We cannot function or be saved as isolated creatures. We have a basic need to belong and we can’t belong without community. Only in community are our three essential needs for mental and emotional health met, namely having our existence recognized, our worth affirmed, and be treated with affection. To the degree that we’re not a community or don’t participate in community, to that degree we do not imagine God nor are we acting like Him.
God’s View of Us
God is love (1 Jn 4:8) and wants to share it with us because He has “found delight in the human race” (Prov 8:31). The Psalmist asks, “What is man that You should be mindful of him, or the son of man that You should care for him?” (Ps 8:5). If God is mindful of us, then surely we should care for one another. This gives us the incentive to look out for one another’s good and be just to him or her. What is good is that which is true, right, loving and lasting. What is good is that which comes from God because God alone is good (Ps 14:3). Knowing love, truth and justice and what leads to eternal happiness enlightens us regarding the proper treatment of one another. In revealing Himself to us God gives us our purpose and the basis for our physical and spiritual dignity and self-respect. “You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honour. You have given him rule over the works of Your hands, putting all things under his feet” (Ps 8:6-7). God who is our Father, Saviour, and Sanctifier gives a dignity to our humanity far beyond what we could ever give ourselves. Plato described humans as “featherless bipeds.” Aristotle called us “rational animals.” Anthropologists term us “tool-making animals.” Blaise Pascal described us as “the glory and the scandal of the universe.” Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet that “Most of us are charming, beautiful, and faintly mad.” God has a different view of us and it’s His view of us that we should be reflecting upon and aspiring to.
As a Community of Persons God calls us to be a Community
Someone defined a community as two or more people who have a common goal and at the same time help one another achieve their personal goals. The common goal is union with God and our personal goals are the discernment, development, and deployment of the gifts God has given us. Faith in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit unites to one another by sharing their mutual Love, namely the Holy Spirit who draws us into their perfect relationship. This puts us “at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ who gives us access by faith to the grace in which … we boast of our hope for the glory of God” (Rom 5:1-2). It’s in knowing God’s nature as both One and also a Community of Persons that we can have faith in Him which gives us the “hope that will not leave us disappointed, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). It’s this Spirit who enables us to recognize that “Jesus is Lord” (1 Cor 12:3). As the Gift of the Father and the Son, the Spirit of truth, who is the soul of Jesus’ Church, will “guide you to all truth … and declare to you the things that are coming” (Jn 16:13). (fr sean)
The Church devotes June to the Sacred Heart
Litany
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
God our Father in heaven
have mercy on us
God the Son, Redeemer of the world
have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit
have mercy on us
Holy Trinity, one God
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, one with the eternal Word
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, infinite in majesty
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, aflame with love for us
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, source of justice and love
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, well-spring of all virtue
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, worthy of all praise
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, treasure-house of wisdom and knowledge
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, in whom there dwells the fullness of God
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father is well pleased
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, from whose fullness we have all received
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, desire of the eternal hills
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, patient and full of mercy
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, generous to all who turn to you
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, atonement for our sins
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with insults
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, broken for our sins
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, obedient even to death
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, pierced by a lance
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, victim of our sins
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, salvation of all who trust in you
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, hope of all who die in you
have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints
have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
have mercy on us
Jesus, gentle and humble of heart.
Touch our hearts and make them like your own.
Let us pray.
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that we, who glory in the Heart of your beloved Son
and recall the wonders of his love for us,
may be made worthy to receive
an overflowing measure of grace
from that fount of heavenly gifts.
Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
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4 June 2025
Virtuous Man
Sean Sheehy
Qualities of a Virtuous Man
1. Fear of the Lord: The foundation of all virtue is a profound fear of the Lord. A virtuous man understands that his actions and decisions should align with God’s will. He seeks to live in accordance with Scripture, allowing his faith to guide his choices. This foundational fear fosters a sense of accountability and inspires a genuine desire to please God.
2. Integrity and Honesty: A virtuous man is marked by his integrity and honesty. He is trustworthy, adheres to his principles, and is transparent in his dealings with others. Integrity means doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. This quality is essential for building strong relationships and earning the trust of others.
3. Courage and Strength: Virtue often requires courage and strength. A virtuous man is not afraid to stand up for what is right, even in the face of opposition or adversity. The courage exemplified by figures like Eleazar in the Maccabees serves as a reminder that true strength is found in one’s commitment to faith and righteousness. A virtuous man recognizes that real strength is more about moral fortitude than physical power.
4. Self-Discipline: Self-discipline is another crucial quality of a virtuous man. This involves managing one’s desires and impulses in a way that aligns with godly principles. Self-control helps a man resist temptations that could lead him astray. A remarkable example of self-discipline is found in Joseph, the son of Jacob. Despite facing intense temptation from Potiphar’s wife, Joseph chose to flee rather than give in. His ability to resist these advances highlights the importance of prioritizing integrity and commitment to God over fleeting desires.
5. Faithfulness and Love: A virtuous man exhibits faithfulness and love in all relationships. He honors his commitments, be it to God, family, friends, or his community. Faithfulness goes beyond mere loyalty; it embodies an enduring love that is patient, kind, and sacrificial. Men who love as Christ loved reflect God’s character in their relationships, creating environments of trust and security.
6. Humility and Teachability: Humility is a hallmark of a virtuous man. He recognizes his limitations and remains open to learning from others. A humble man acknowledges that he does not have all the answers and seeks guidance from Scripture and wise counsel. This teachability allows him to grow in character and deepen his understanding of God’s will.
7. Respect for Women: A virtuous man demonstrates respect for all women. He treats women with dignity and honor, recognizing their value as individuals created in the image of God. This respect is reflected in his words, actions, and how he supports and uplifts the women in his life. A man who respects women cultivates healthy relationships based on mutual respect and love.
8. Servant Leadership: A virtuous man practices servant leadership. He leads by example and serves others selflessly. This type of leadership is not about seeking power or control; instead, it is characterized by humility and a willingness to help those in need. A virtuous man follows Christ’s example of servant leadership, putting the needs of others before his own.
9. Hardworking: A virtuous man is hardworking. He understands the value of diligence and puts in the effort required to provide for his family and contribute to his community. He is not afraid of hard work and approaches tasks with a strong work ethic. This commitment to hard work reflects his desire to fulfill his responsibilities and be a good steward of the resources God has entrusted to him.
10. Leadership in the Home: A virtuous man leads his home according to biblical principles, particularly in how he loves and cares for his wife. He is committed to being faithful to her, treating her with kindness and respect, and nurturing a loving environment. His leadership involves guiding his family spiritually, emotionally, and physically, ensuring that his home reflects God’s love and values. This type of leadership fosters a healthy and supportive atmosphere where each family member can thrive.
How to Identify a Virtuous Man
Women seeking a virtuous man can look for specific qualities that indicate a strong character. A virtuous man will demonstrate:
Consistency in Behaviour: He acts in accordance with Christian values, both in public and private settings.
Good Communication Skills: He is open, honest, and respectful in conversations, willing to listen as much as he speaks.
Supportive Nature: He encourages and uplifts others, showing genuine interest in their well-being.
Commitment to Personal Growth: He actively seeks ways to improve himself, whether spiritually, emotionally, or intellectually.
Strong Moral Compass: He stands firm on his principles and makes decisions that align with God’s teachings.
God’s Representative: As a father he represents and is accountable to God the Father for the spiritual wellbeing of his children.
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4 June 2025
Sean Sheehy
Pentecost: The Spirit Made the Difference
In politics it’s the economy that matters. In religion it’s the Spirit of God that matters. True politics is about the art of governing to protect and honour people’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The economy is the system by which a nation, community, or family manages its goods and resources so that all can have a decent living. True religion is the visible structured organization - Church - through which people are adopted by God as His children and in which they publicly express this intimate relationship with Him and with one another in the process of achieving salvation from their sins and becoming holy. It is God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, that unifies the Church members with Him and with one another as one family – a holy family. True political success is judged by the health of the economy. Religion’s success, the success of the Church, is judged by the activity and visibility of God’s Spirit made visible in its members. A strong economy reflects good politics. A strong Church reflects the influence of God’s Spirit on the individual and communal spirit of its members. God’s Spirit is a spirit of charity because God is love. We witness God’s Spirit in us when we love our neighbour as we love ourselves and as God loves us. A loving person has known God and has received His love. But “The man without love has known nothing of love, for God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). What is love? It always begins with God and is basically an attitude of caring for ourselves and for one another that flows from God’s caring for us. The Holy Spirit reminds us in: “Love, then, consists in this: not that we have loved God but that he has loved us and has sent His on as an offering for our sins” (1Jn 4:10). Love is always initiated by God and reflects His Spirit influencing the spirit of the one who loves. Love isn’t love if its goal is influenced by a spirit of selfishness.
The Kind of Spirit Has Consequences
The kind of spirit or attitude we have makes all the difference in how we live and move and have our being each day. A good spirit or attitude - one influenced by God - enables us to face problems, disabilities, and disappointments with positivity. A bad spirit - influenced by Satan - pulls us down along with those around us. Our spirit is the expression of what’s in our mind, heart, and soul. Every relationship begins with a meeting of spirits rather than a meeting of bodies. When we meet one another we first encounter each other’s spirit. Our spirit is either receptive to or dismissive of the other person’s spirit. The kind of spirit we have determines whether a relationship grows or dissolves. Our spirit either embraces the other person’s spirit or rejects it. So it is in our relationship with Jesus. “No one can say that ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except in the Holy Spirit” (I Cor 12:3b). Our spirit either embraces Jesus’ Spirit or rejects it. The difference between our spirit and Jesus’ Spirit doesn’t just reflect Him, it also reflects the Father. As such the Holy Spirit is a Person – the personification of the love which the Father and the Son have for one another. When a person receives our spirit he or she receives us into his or her life. When our spirit receives the Holy Spirit we welcome both the Father and the Son into our life and they in turn enable us to share in their loving relationship with one another. The Holy Spirit makes us sharers in God’s love. When we invite the Holy Spirit to influence our spirit we are asking the Father and the Son to bring us into their relationship so that we can experience their mutual love and truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Love and Truth.
The Pentecost Event
On Pentecost Sunday Jesus’ Church as God’s Family was born through being incorporated into the relationship of the Father and the Son through the power of the Holy Spirit enabling the Church to preach God’s Word to be heard in all languages. After His Ascension Jesus’ Apostles and disciples, including His Blessed Mother, huddled together in that upper room in Jerusalem fearing what might happen to them. Suddenly, while praying, “Tongues like fire appeared which parted and came to rest on each of them... All were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamations as the Spirit prompted them” (Acts 2:3-4). Their prayer disposed their spirits to be receptive to the Holy Spirit who changed their spirit of fear into a spirit of enthusiasm and courage to go out and inform the world that Jesus is Lord and the only Saviour of mankind. That’s what the Holy Spirit does when we let Him join our spirit and turn us into courageous, generous, sacrificial, and self-giving persons in the cause of holiness and truth. “The Spirit Himself gives witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16). It’s God’s Spirit of Love and Truth that makes the difference in our life and world.
Inviting the Holy Spirit to Join Our Spirit
Even though the Holy Spirit hadn’t been fully revealed in the Old Testament the Psalmist was inspired by Him to believe that, “When You (God) send forth Your spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth” (Ps 104:30). When we ask the Holy Spirit to join our spirit we develop a spirituality that’s sustained, directed, nurtured, and deepened as we grow in our relationship with Jesus in His Catholic Religion. Our spirituality is the daily combination of all our thoughts, words, and actions that reflect the Holy Spirit’s influence over our human spirit that unites us with Jesus in His Church. “Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him…. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God … and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him so that we may be glorified with Him” (Rom8:9, 14, 17).
The Holy Spirit is Jesus’s guarantee that His Church will always teach God’s truth. “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (Jn 14:26). This is the biblical basis for the Church’s teaching on the infallibility of the Pope when he speaks ex cathedra on faith and morals. The Church is the Holy Spirit’s Temple wherein He purifies our spirit from all sin in Baptism, bonding us with Jesus in the Holy Mass, forgiving us in Confession, and in Confirmation He empowers us to be Jesus’ public witnesses to God’s love by loving obedience to His commandments. The fruits of the Holy Spirit when we let Him purify our spirit empower us to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, generous, faithful, meek, and chaste (Gal 5:22-23). Without God’s Spirit our spirit would be loveless, joyless, miserable, impatient, unkind, mean, and lustful. Thus God’s Spirit makes all the difference in our life because He always brings us to Jesus who wants to save us from our sins and who brings us to His Father so that we can experience His love as His adopted children.
Prayer Inviting the Holy Spirit to Influence Our Spirit
We should invite the Holy Spirit daily to guide our spirit so that our decisions, based on His love and truth, will deepen our relationship with Jesus in our thoughts, words and actions. The Church teaches us to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us daily: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shall renew the face of the earth. Oh God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of Thy faithful. Grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen! (fr sean)
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28 May 2025
Ascension of Our Lord
Sean Sheehy
The Ascension: An End and a Beginning
The Nepalese poet, Santosh Kalwar, wrote in his book, “Quote Me Every Day,” “Every beginning has an end and every end has a new beginning, don’t worry, broken soul, life will one day come to an end.” Everyone knows that his or her life that began in the womb will end one day but Christians know that while life on earth ends they also know it will have a new beginning in Heaven that is endless. Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven marked the end of His visible presence on earth offering men and women salvation from their sins. It also marked the beginning of His Church as the visible sign on earth through which He continues to offer salvation to men and women until the end of time. The Ascension marked an end of His physical presence on earth and the beginning of His Sacramental presence giving everyone the opportunity to unite with Him in His Church if they so choose.
Jesus’ Ascension
Jesus’ Ascension occurred forty days after His Resurrection to assure His Apostles and disciples that it was really Him. “In the time after His suffering He showed them in many convincing ways that He was alive, appearing to them over the course of 40 days and speaking to them about the reign of God” (Acts 1:3). Jesus was preparing His Apostles to promote His mission after His return to His Father, when in His Name they would continue to call men and women to repent and reform their lives by becoming God’s children through the power of the Holy Spirit. He promised them that, “within a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit … then you will be my witnesses … yes, even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:5, 8). After telling them this, Jesus “was lifted up and a cloud took Him from their sight” (Acts 1:9). The end of Jesus’ human ministry sparked the beginning of His ministry through His Church bringing His faith, hope and love to all nations until He returns. The Church is Jesus’ body and His witness to what He has done, is doing now, and will continue to do, namely offer hope to human beings to be lifted up from the pit of sin, suffering and death to the heights of grace, joy and glory. Through His Catholic Church Jesus remains active in the world as its only Saviour.
Ending Vice and the Beginning of Virtue
Suffering and death are the bane of humanity. They’re the result of Adam and Eve’s sin, as well as our own personal sins. To put an end to these and offer a new beginning Jesus commissioned His Apostles that “In His Name, penance for the remissions of sins is to be preached to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Lk 24:47). It’s in the act of repentance and seeking God’s forgiveness that we are being saved in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. “And you, O child, shall be called prophet of the Most High; for you shall go before the Lord to prepare straight paths for Him, giving His people a knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins” (Lk 1:76-77). Jesus is the Forgiver who reconciled humanity and divinity in Himself as both God and man in one Person. An old saying reminds us that “to err is human but to forgive is divine.” You and I cannot forgive without God’s grace. Forgiveness is always a sign of God’s Spirit at work in the human heart. This is the great gift Jesus brought to the world and He commissioned His Church to continue offering it especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession).
An End and a Beginning in Us
Forgiveness marks an end and the beginning of a new outlook in our life where the darkness of sin gives way to the bright light of God’s mercy. St. Paul’s plea to God was for all of us when he prayed: “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, grant you a spirit of wisdom and insight to know Him clearly. May He enlighten the eyes of your mind that you can see the great hope which His call holds for you” (Eph 1:17-18). The great hope is the opportunity to repent and obtain forgiveness for our sins. God has made that possible because, “He has put all things under Christ’s feet and has made Him, thus exalted, head of the Church, which is His body; the fullness of Him who fill the universe in all its parts” (Eph 1:22). In Jesus’ Church we’re privileged to know “how infinitely great is the power that He has exercised for us believers” (Eph 1:19) through His Church. He has eased the fear of death by promising to prepare a place for each of us and then return to take us there when we die, if we die believing in Him. “I am indeed going to prepare a place for you, and then I shall come back to take you with me, that where I am you may be too” (Jn 14:3).
Ends and Beginnings in Life
We experience lots of ends and beginnings in life but the most important ones are when we experience the power of Jesus in His Church’s Sacraments, especially in the Holy Mass – the end of the old relationship with Jesus and the beginning of a new one with Him. We must not keep this secret from everybody else. Jesus calls and prepares us in Confirmation to be His public witnesses in the world where we live. This witnessing doesn’t make us superior; rather it makes us humble because we know we’re unworthy to represent Jesus Christ. But we do it because Jesus asks us and the world needs it. The glory of God is man and woman fully alive. We can’t be fully alive unless we view the end of something as a call from God to begin anew by making the most of the present opportunities to look forward to a bright future. Death ends life on earth but it makes the beginning of life eternal. (fr sean)
14 Qualities of a Virtuous Woman
Emotionally Mature – She handles conflicts with grace, avoids unnecessary drama, and thinks before she reacts.
A Good Communicator – She listens attentively, speaks with kindness, and expresses herself clearly without placing blame.
Patient and Understanding – She knows that every relationship has its ups and downs and remains patient through tough times.
A Supportive Partner – She encourages her husband’s dreams while pursuing her own, creating a relationship where both can thrive.
Knows When to Speak and When to Stay Silent – She understands that words have power and that sometimes silence speaks louder than anything.
Handles Conflict Peacefully – Instead of making problems worse, she focuses on solutions and values harmony over winning an argument.
Forgiving – She doesn’t hold grudges, choosing to let go of past mistakes and move forward with love and understanding.
Financially Wise – She manages money responsibly, plans for the future, and contributes to her family’s financial stability.
Respects Her Husband – She values his role, appreciates his efforts, and supports his leadership without diminishing her own voice.
Creates a Loving Home – She prioritizes making her home a place of peace, warmth, and love for her family.
Self-Aware – She understands her strengths and weaknesses and is always working on becoming a better version of herself.
Values Intimacy – She nurtures both emotional and physical closeness, recognizing that connection is key to a strong relationship.
Loyal and Trustworthy – She is faithful, honest, and dependable, building a solid foundation of trust in her marriage.
Grounded in Faith – She leans on her Faith for wisdom, strength, and guidance in her marriage and life.
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Sean Sheehy
22 May 2025
Sean Sheehy
Love Requires Faith
Jesus tells us as we begin this week that whoever loves Him will be true to His word and whoever doesn’t love Him won’t be true to His word (Jn 14:23-29). If we aren’t true to His word we don’t love Him. To be true to Jesus’ word means to lovingly obey His Commandments and live the eight Beatitudes. So we need to reflect on the notion of love and what it entails. Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ve fallen out of love with my wife/husband?” What causes a person to “fall out of love?” Love isn’t something we “fall” into or out of. Love is a spirit or an attitude that motivates us to invest our life in another. It is a free action in which a person commits himself or herself to another person without counting the cost. The cost is the sacrificing oneself for the good of the other. It doesn’t just happen. You don’t wake up one morning and suddenly realize, “I’m in love,” or “I’m not in love.” It is founded on faith in oneself and in the one whom the person chooses to love. Without faith, not just natural faith but supernatural faith, love doesn’t last.
Kinds of Love
There are three kinds of love: Erotic, Filial, and Agape. Erotic love is the bonding that takes place or the spirit that is shared between people who are romantically involved with one another. Romantic love has much more to do with the imagination than with reality. This kind of love is given to hyperbole and it doesn’t last. It is the shallowest kind of love. In romantic love the lover forms his or her own image of the beloved which does not always reflect who the beloved really is. I can easily be a false image created out of infatuation. Someone said that on its own, erotic love is like a flower that opens its petals in the morning but withers in the heat of the sun of reality by evening time.
Filial Love
The second king is filial love which is the spirit or attitude that binds people together as friends. This love is based on mutual trust and respect. The development of filial love is essential if romantic love is to have a healthy future. Without filial love, people can’t be friends, and without friendship, erotic love is doomed from the beginning.
Agape Love
The third kind of love is Agape or Sacrificial love. This is the highest kind of love without which forgiveness is impossible. Why? This kind of love comes directly only from God and is unconditional. Jesus demonstrated agape on the Cross. The Crucifix is the visible sign of Agape love which is always sacrificial. Jesus, through His Catholic Church, calls each of us to practice this kind of love. Marriage calls for this kind of love from husbands and wives. Sacrificial love goes beyond friendship. How? This is the love Jesus talked about when He said: “No greater love does anyone have than to lay down one’s life from one’s friends” (Jn 15:13) and “You must love your enemies.” (Mt 5:44). Neither erotic nor filial love motivates a person to die for others. This kind of love desires the best for the person, even if he or she hates you or tries to destroy you. Agape love is necessary for sacrificial love. Sacrificial love is impossible without God. Without Agape love friendship won’t last. Why? Friendship won’t grow without forgiveness and generosity. Why? We’re all flawed and there are always disappointments or obstacles we must overcome if the friendship is to continue and grow. Forgiveness is essential. When someone sins against us, at least in that action or moment, he or she is our enemy. So when we sin against our friend, in that action or in that moment we become his or her enemy.
Choice Rather than Feeling
Agape love does not rely on feeling or the heart. Rather it comes from the will. It’s not something we must “feel” before we do it. It’s something we freely decide to do. In the process of choosing to do it we experience a change of heart. Romantic love comes from the heart – it has to do with feeling and it influences how a person views another. Filial love also comes from the heart and influences a person’s view of another as a friend. Agape comes from the will to do the greatest good known through reason and divine revelation, and in the process influences how we feel and how we act.
Love's Foundation
What is love based on? Love is a bonding emotion that connects us in human relationships. The basis for all relationships is faith empowering us to trust. All love presumes trust and cannot exist without it. There’s no trust without faith and there’s no love without trust, therefore faith is the basis for love. When people say they “fall out of love” with someone, they are talking about step two instead of step one. They don’t “fall out of love.” Rather their love for the other ceases because they stopped having faith in or believing in one another. When faith deteriorates so does trust. The person “falls out of love” because he or she ceases to have faith in the other person. In Hebrews 11 we read that “Faith is constant assurance concerning what we hope for and conviction about things we do not yet see.” Assurance concerning what we hope for is dependent on whether we can trust the one we love to help us attain that hope. If we see that the other person’s word isn't reliable our faith in him or her dies. Our Catholic faith is based on our acceptance of Jesus' word as trustworthy helping us attain the hope of eternal happiness. This is the basis for our love of Jesus. If we accept Christ’s word, it is logical that we would also accept Christ Himself. Faith comes through hearing and hearing comes through listening to the word that is believable.
What's Jesus Saying to Us?
This 6th Sunday Jesus says to us through His Church: “If you love me keep my word, and my Father will love you, and we will come to you and make our dwelling with you.” Here we see Jesus linking love and faith together. We can’t love Jesus without believing His word and having faith in Him. If we have faith in Him, we must love Him. We can’t not love what we have faith in. That would be unreasonable. The person who believes Jesus’ word and has faith in Him will love Him. Faith and love together make a person receptive to Jesus’ gift of peace. Peace is always based on justice. Justice is the foundation for peace. They are partners. Without justice, peace is impossible. Many people are desperately seeking peace within themselves and with one another. However, that sought-after peace very often escapes them. Why? They never ask about justice. They don’t listen to Jesus’ commandments and obey them. Justice calls for doing what is right. What is right is that which is in accord with the will of God. Jesus has revealed God’s will to us. However, if we don’t believe Jesus’ word and trust in Him, we won’t love Him and benefit from His love. We can pursue peace forever but only Jesus can give us the peace the world can’t give. To benefit from Jesus’ peace we must live our life according to His word, not ours. Then we will experience what Jesus is talking about when he says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” This is the peace that comes from loving Jesus based on keeping His word are the lens through which we see and do everything. Love based on faith generates hope which in turn gives us peace of mind, heart and soul. (fr sean)
Something To Ponder
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness - you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation - you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death - you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep - you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace - you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
If you can read this message - you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.
So: Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
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Sean Sheehy
13 May 2025
Jesus Commands us to Love One Another
If Jesus commands us to love one another doesn’t it follow that if we don’t love we can’t claim to be His follower nor can we hope to enter Heaven. Heaven is all about living in a state of unconditional love because God is love and heaven is about fully enjoying God’s presence. God created each of us out of love for love and to love. We are never more fully human than when we are loving nor are we ever more like Jesus than when we love others. We all want to be loved but when it comes to loving others it is a different story. In the Gospel for this 5th Sunday of Easter relates Jesus remarking after Judas had left the Passover Supper to betray Him, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him” (Jn 13:31-35). It is in His self-sacrifice that Jesus gives witness to God’s love for His people and Jesus’ love for His Father. Predicting His imminent crucifixion Jesus said to the eleven Apostles: “I give you a new commandment …As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35). Charity begins at home. Attempting to love others, while withholding love from one’s family, is all show and no substance. Jesus set a new standard for loving, namely His love for all people which He demonstrated by sacrificing His life so that we might live. He said that “there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13). Notice that Jesus’ commandment to love is not just a suggestion but a command.
Why We Need Jesus’ Help to Love
Why is it that while we all seek to be loved we find it difficult to love others? As Catholics we want to follow Jesus and that means we must act like Him. Since He made His love for mankind the standard for all His followers against which to measure their fidelity to Him, we have no alternative but to love like Him, namely to be willing to give without counting the cost. Therein lies the problem. But if Jesus commands us to love it must be possible because otherwise He would not give us this commandment. Therefore, we must believe that He gives us the wherewithal to obey this commandment. Jesus never asks us to do anything that He Himself doesn’t help us to accomplish. He told us: “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light” (Mt 11:28-30). When we submit to God’s will (the yoke) we are able to love even those who don’t love us as Jesus submitted to His Father’s will and loved by sacrificing Himself not only His friends but also His enemies. The reason we are so unloving or only love those who love us is because we do not submit to God’s will. We don’t use our will to choose God’s will. What is God’s will? The Holy Spirit tells us through St. Paul: “For if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Faith in the heart leads to justification, confession on the lips to salvation” (Rom 10:9-10). When we use our will to freely choose God’s will for us by saying “Yes” to His commandments He makes it possible for us to love one another. We cannot love on our own because our natural capacity for loving is insufficient and so we need the capacity for supernatural love which we receive in Baptism. But it's one thing to have the capacity for something and yet another to actually exercise that capacity. This is why we need to pray every day “Lord, I do believe! Help my lack of truth!” (Mk 9:24).
An Inspired Treatise on Love
How do we love like Jesus? How do we sacrifice ourselves for the benefit of others? There is no love without sacrifice. A person who is unwilling to make sacrifices to help others does not love as Jesus loves and therefore is not a Catholic. We find the greatest treatise on love inspired by the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor 13. Here He identifies the necessity of love (v 1-3), the character of love (4-7), and the permanency of love. Here we find a clear understanding of how God viewed love and its role in the conversion of sinners. He concludes by noting that, “There are in the end three things that last: Faith, Hope, and Love, and the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13).
Love Makes the Difference
Love makes everything new. In Acts 14: 21-27 we see Paul and Barnabas loving like Jesus sacrificing their lives by “strengthening the spirits of the disciples and exhorting them to persevere in the Faith, saying, ‘It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” St. John had a vision of the result of Jesus’ sacrificial love: “Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more …Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be His people, and God Himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away” (Rev 21:5). This promise of God has already begun in and through Jesus’ Church through the preaching of His Word and His presence to His people in each of the Holy Sacraments and especially in the Holy Mass. In and through His Church Jesus demonstrates His love and calls us to love like Him through showing our concern for others, acknowledging the existence of each person from conception to natural death, affirming the uniqueness and giftedness of each person, showing each person affection, respecting and reverencing the dignity of each person, fostering the integrity of each person, nurturing each person, and practicing generosity towards others by sharing our time, talent and money with them. This is how Jesus loved and gives us the grace to love in return. Love is Faith and Hope in action. We can’t have Faith in Jesus without loving Him and His people. We can’t have Hope for the future without Faith and Love. Love is impossible without faith in God. Without Faith in God we won’t let Him refresh us and make us new each day as instruments of His love whom He loves unconditionally. (fr sean)
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Easter Sunday
Sean Sheehy 15 April 2025
Easter: Victory of Life over Suffering and Death
Holy Week ends in a manner that stretches the human imagination and adds a dimension to human experience that men and women had thought to be impossible. On Easter Sunday such an idea had been talked about, even ascribed to a couple of people in the past but an actual resurrection had never been witnessed by anyone. Jesus’ Resurrection allays the human fear of suffering and death for all who believe in Him. Death is not the end of life. Rather, Jesus makes it the beginning of something awesome. It is the beginning of something that will never end. The great irony of Easter is that we must undergo what we’re most afraid of in order to experience what they most yearn for, namely eternal life.
Jesus Leads the Way
On Easter Sunday, Jesus showed that death had no more power over Him. His Father, in whom He placed all His trust and hope, raised Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. That was Jesus, but what about you and me? Well, the great message of Easter is that what happened to Jesus can also happen to each of us if we place all our trust and hope in God the Father. Jesus showed us how by example. He showed us that it is possible and that it actually works.
Obeying the Law Must Be Loving
During Holy Week the Church showed us how Jesus faces all the pain and suffering that sinful people impose on the innocent. First, His own fellow Jews perceived Jesus as a problem since so many were following Him. He became a threat to the leaders because He cut to the heart of what constitutes a genuine relationship with God, namely love that evoked repentance and forgiveness. He told them in various ways that if they didn’t love, they didn’t know God. The scribes and Pharisees boasted that they knew and obeyed God. After all, they knew God’s Law. How could anyone say they didn’t know God if they knew God’s Law? To know and do God’s Law is to know God! Jesus challenged this presumption by pointing out that knowing God’s Law is no assurance that one truly knows and loves God. Knowing and obeying God’s Law is worthless without being charitable. Jesus told them that they must love God with everything they have, and then love their neighbor as themselves, otherwise observing God’s law has no benefit in His eyes. The Pharisees observed the Law but they had forgotten Lawgiver. Jesus came to remind them who the Lawgiver was and how He meant the law to be understood and applied. This didn’t sit well with the religious leaders. Jesus was a threat to their power and status in the community. So, in their arrogance, they sought to eliminate the threat by killing Jesus. Jesus, faithful to His Father’s will, faced suffering and death, the wages of sin. What gave Him the courage and humility to face crucifixion? He trusted His Father and placed all His hope in Him. Through Jesus, you and I can have the humility and courage to face suffering and death knowing that He will raise us up.
Goodness Is Often Punished
Someone said that there is no good deed that goes unpunished. Jesus suffered and was crucified by people whose pride blinded them to who He was and to the truth He taught regarding what was necessary for salvation from sin. Have you ever tried to help someone only to be rejected by him or her? Many of those whom Jesus came to save from Hell, especially the religious leaders and His own people, maligned Him. He bore their insults and ignorant allegations out of love for His tormentors. How? He trusted His Heavenly Father and placed all His hope in Him. You and I can do the same.
Jesus faced the pain of being abandoned by His closest friends when He needed their support the most. They slept while He was praying for their strength to be faithful and loyal to His Father’s mission. In His moment of loneliness His apostles weren’t there for Him. They were looking out for their own comfort and security. A huge cross was placed on His shoulders, but not one of them offered to help Him. One of His best friends disowned Him three times. The loneliness and feeling of rejection must have been awful. The greatest human pain is loneliness. How did Jesus cope with this tremendous sadness? He trusted His Father and placed all His hope in Him. The Risen Jesus empowers you and I to do the same.
The Innocent Suffer the Most
Jesus faced His grieving mother, Mary, and saw the terrible pain on her face that only a parent feels at the prospect of a child’s suffering and impending death. He must have wished that He could have avoided causing her this terrible suffering. He faced people who didn’t know Him and probably thought He was a criminal because He was being treated as a criminal and wanted to spare them their feelings of disappointment and disillusionment with His lack of self-defense. However, He couldn’t. Being such a loving Person, Jesus would have wanted to make everything all right for the people He loved, but He wasn’t able at that moment. He had to watch their suffering added to His own. How did He cope? He trusted His Father and placed all His hope in Him. The Risen Jesus empowers you and I can do the same.
Jesus knew He was innocent and justice was one of His overriding virtues, yet He did not treat any of His persecutors unjustly. He accepted everything fallen human nature could throw at Him. He came to help everyone and no one was willing to help Him. He didn’t seek revenge or wish evil on anyone, rather He asked His Father to have mercy on them. How did He do it? He trusted His Father and placed all His hope in Him. Jesus empowers you and I to be merciful toward our enemies.
Faith in God Always Wins
On Easter Sunday Jesus was able to address the world: “See, you can trust my Father and place all your hope in Him and He will raise you up, no matter how far down they put you or how far down you put yourself. Total trust and hope in my Father always pays dividends on your investment of yourself in me as a member of my Church. Trust me! Peace be with you.” Christ has died, Christ has Risen, Christ will come again – He is here in His Church, come, let us adore Him! Happy Easter to You and Yours. (fr Sean)
Ps, I will be in Medjugorje for Easter Sunday and will remember you all during Easter week. Please pray for us!
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Palm Sunday
Sean Sheehy 10 April 2025
The Week that’s Called “Holy”
What does it mean to be “holy”? The word itself implies a connection with divine power. What is holy is considered sacred, healthy, or wholesome. Holiness and healthiness go together. Healthiness implies perfection, liveliness, and strength. Holiness and Godliness go together because God alone is all holy and all holiness comes from Him. A holy man or woman is an individual who thinks and behaves according to the will of God. Every Christian is called to holiness. Why? Because Christ is holy and the goal of every Christian is to be like Him. The nature of Christianity is holiness. Jesus is the perfect model of what it means to be holy. We can’t be Christian and not be holy. Christ came to call us to wholeness by showing us how to become holy. He founded His Church to be the means through which He provides all we need to be holy men and women.
What makes this week of the Church’s Liturgical Year holy? What is so special about it that makes it different from other weeks? This week the Church completes her penitential season of Lent and enters her Easter season where she celebrates Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead. It is a time of transition from suffering to joy, from agony to ecstasy. The Way of the Cross that ends in crucifixion leads to the joy and glory of Resurrection from the dead. Suffering and death give way to new life and happiness.
Significance of \Palm/Passion Sunday
Palm Sunday confronts us with the blatant contradictions and fickleness of our sinful world – an unholy world. It is a world of physical and spiritual disease fuelled by unhealthy attitudes. Jesus experienced the full force of this after He rode into Jerusalem, the supposedly Jewish Holy City. At first His entry was celebrated with Hosannas of welcome. He was greeted with palms and even cloaks spread out as in a carpet recognizing and honoring Him as King on His way to Jerusalem. But later, fallen nature erupts in all its shallowness and violence. This is hell on earth. The palms are no longer signs of welcome but rather waved in their false accusations against Him. Their welcoming has turned into mocking and jeering. The scene is chaotic and irrational, unholy, diseased, unhealthy. As humans we are our own worst enemies because we attempt to destroy the very thing we need to make us healthy, namely Jesus Christ. We choose the unholy over the holy, thereby depriving ourselves of what gives us life.
What is holy about Palm Sunday, which is also called Passion Sunday? As we read and listen to the Passion narrative (Luke 22:14-23:56) at Holy Mass we see holiness in action in the person of Jesus. He personifies holiness, a healthy joyful spirit in the face of evil. His holiness stands out in stark contrast to the evil made visible in sinful human beings who don’t know what is truly good for them. In the face of evil, holiness remains unperturbed and dignified. Godliness and ungodliness come face to face in a final standoff. It doesn’t look like Godliness stands a chance in the face of this destructive force that has been unleashed under the leadership of Satan. The horrible cries of “Crucify him! Crucify him! Crucify him” cause the sky to darken and the earth to quake. Even the Roman governor, Pilate, was shocked at what was happening. The questions stuck in his throat: “Why crucify Jesus? What has he done? I find no fault in him.” Thinking it would appease the crowd and save Jesus from crucifixion he gave the okay to have him flogged. He hoped it might satisfy their bloodlust. It didn’t.
Holiness vs. Evil
Holiness is to evil as the proverbial red flag is to a bull. Evil cannot stand still in the face of holiness. It has to win, otherwise it has to disappear like a dog with its tail between its legs yapping in its impotence. Evil is no match for holiness. Satan incites his followers with the illusion of possessing power to please and fulfil themselves. Palm Sunday evening began Satan’s celebration of what seemed inevitable victory over good. Jesus seemed to have no chance of winning when the crowd turned against Him? It looked like He has failed. It seemed odd that He didn’t defend Himself. Why didn’t He ask His Father to destroy His enemies? He came to save people rather than condemn them for their sins. Holiness never defends itself at the expense of its detractors. Jesus didn’t defend Himself at the expense of His enemies. After all, He is the one who preached, “You must love your enemies.” To be holy means loving one’s enemies. That is the power of holiness. You cannot conquer someone who loves you. Someone you love cannot you. Jesus proves that. Love is stronger than hate. Love never ends. Hate ends with the repentance or death of the hater. Love doesn’t end with the death of the lover. Love ushers the lover through the corridors of suffering and death into the sunlit courtyard of life where the lover continues to love even more. Hate dooms the hater to wander in the dark corridors of death forever so that the hating doesn’t affect anyone else except the hater himself or herself.
The Model of Holiness
Jesus is the epitome of holiness. He is the epitome of love. This week Jesus demonstrates holiness and love showing how the Way of the Cross is the way that demonstrates God’s love and holiness that leads to the fullness of life. Holiness means that God’s Kingdom is present. The Catholic Church is holy because Jesus is present in her guiding her through the Holy Spirit as a visible sign of the presence of His Kingdom. You and I become holy when we invite Jesus to live in us and guide us through His Holy Spirit as co-heirs to His Kingdom. The presence of holiness is the assurance of God’s love. We can’t love unless we’re holy. If we’re holy, we will certainly love.
The conflict between the call to holiness and the temptation to evil continues on Monday, Tuesday, Spy Wednesday, Holy Thursday (The last Supper – read Jn 13:1-15), Good Friday ( read the Passion Jn 18:1-19:42), Holy Saturday, culminating in the marvelous Resurrection event of Easter Sunday. Jesus reminds us that, “No greater love does anyone have that to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus went one better – He laid down His life not just for His friends but also for His enemies’ conversion. This is Holy Week because holiness wins when attacked by unholiness. Health wins when attacked by disease. Walk with Jesus this week as He leads you to holiness through dying and rising that you might die to worldly temptations out of love for Him as He died on the Cross for love of you. May your willingness to be holy make this a holy week for you so that you can be uplifted with the Risen Lord. I wish you a holy Holy Week as the Lord speaks to us saying, “Be holy for I am holy!” (fr sean)
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2 April 2025
Lent 5 C- Sean Sheehy
Let Go of Your Past and Let God into Your Present
Everything we do is motivated by the belief that there is some benefit in it for us. The moment we see that there’s no benefit in it, either directly or indirectly, we stop doing it. A psychiatrist asked his patient what was the problem. Patient: “It’s my wife, she’s historical!” Doctor: “You mean, hysterical?” Patient: “No! I mean historical. She keeps bringing up the past.” Alcoholics Anonymous have a slogan, “Let go and let God.” God is the One who is always present – Yahweh. Holding on to the past prevents us from living in and making the most of the present. The value of the past is that it shows us our mistakes and sinfulness so that we can avoid them in the present. So seeing that what we thought benefited us in the past actually was bad for us, we’re now able to see through its false promise and the good we thought was in it for us was actually evil disguised as good. If we’re to be free we must let go of the past and let God perfect us in the present rather than trying to perfect and make ourselves happy. We must neither become victims or prisoners of our past nor fearful of our future. Refusing to let go of the past or put aside fear of the future robs us of making the necessary changes in the present, which is the only time we have to live life as fully as possible.
Jesus’ Church alerts us to God’s call not to be stuck in the past but to focus on what He is doing in us in the present. “Thus says the Lord,…Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! … I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink…” (Is 43:16-21). What is He doing in and for us that’s new? He slakes our spiritual thirst for Him. The human spirit longs for the divine Spirit for its refreshment, encouragement, hope, perfection, passion, and joy. But this requires us to surrender to God, admitting that we can’t move forward and be happy without the Holy Spirit in us watering our soul. That means we must be present to God who helps us to live fully in the present, having learned what to avoid from the past. We can’t undo the past, but we can learn from it what’s good or bad for us. What we think will make us the happiest determines what we see as good or bad for us. What we think is good for us, we allow to control us. The only one to whom we give control over us without losing our freedom is God.
The Psalmist prayed, “The Lord has done great things for us, we are glad indeed … Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing” (Ps 126:3, 5). What great things has the Lord done for you and me? He sent a Saviour to save us from our sinful past, so we can let it go in order to enter a peaceful present with a joyful future in which to hope. That’s why St. Paul proclaimed, “I believe nothing will happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…. I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ and be given a place in Him. I am no longer trying for perfection by my own efforts … but I want only the perfection that comes from faith in Christ, and is from God and based on faith” (Phil 3:8-9). The great thing Jesus did for Paul was to help him see that what he thought would benefit him as a Jew would actually lead him away from the God he thought he was serving. Jesus helped St. Paul to let go of his past beliefs and embrace God’s new revelation that would bring him to Heaven. Having let go of his past that he thought would benefit him, Paul concentrated on the new way to perfection through faith in Christ Jesus. “My entire attention is on the finish line as I run toward the prize toward which God calls me – life on high in Jesus Christ. All you who are spiritually mature must have this attitude” (Phil 3:14-15). St. Paul let go of his past and let God enter his present showing him what would truly perfect him, namely unity with Jesus, now and forever.
St. John’s Gospel demonstrates why Paul considered everything he relied upon as rubbish compared to being in the presence of Jesus. We see the great things God does in the story of the woman caught committing adultery. She’s both a victim and a prisoner of her past immorality. According to Jewish law her past actions were punishable by stoning to death. The scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus to determine her fate based on her past. They didn’t really care about the woman but were using her to try and trap Jesus into breaking the law. If He didn’t condemn her they could accuse Him of breaking the Mosaic Law and have Him put to death. If He condemned her they could ridicule His teaching on mercy and forgiveness. Jesus saw through them and went to the root of the matter, namely the hypocrisy of sinners calling for punishment of other sinners. He challenged the accusers to reflect on their own sins: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (Jn 8:7). They all walked away beginning with the oldest. No one is without sin and, therefore, no one is in a position to cast a stone at anyone else. Jesus was the only one without sin, and the only one who could cast a stone of condemnation. So He asked the woman, “Has no one condemned you? … Nor do I condemn you. You may go, but from now on don’t do sin anymore” (Jn 8:10-11). Jesus didn’t come to condemn the sinner to death but to call the sinner to repentance and to amend his or her life. He condemns sin in all its forms but not human beings. He loves the sinner to repent and seek His forgiveness. He saved her from her sinful past and told her to let it go, so she could enter a grace-filled present and a hope-filled future free from the slavery to her sinfulness. He came to tell us that our sin which we do because we think it benefits us actually destroys us. He told the woman not to sin anymore because if she did there might not be anyone to save her. Jesus helps us let go of our sinful past, our tendency to judge others as worse than us, and recover the freedom God wants us to have, namely the freedom that comes from growing in His image and likeness witnessing justice, peace, and mercy to others. Let go of your past and let God enter your present with His promise of a bright future as a faithful member of His Holy Church. He does new things in you when you meet Him in the Sacrament of Penance and in the Holy Mass. (fr sean)
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26 March 2025
Sean Sheehy
The Marvelous Ministry of Reconciliation
The Church has now passed the midpoint of her holy season of Lent. In Jesus’ Name she speaks to us about the ministry of reconciliation. Reconciliation etymologically means “calling together again.” Thus the ministry of reconciliation is actually God the Father calling us together again after we’ve separated ourselves from Him and from one another through our sinfulness. He initiates that call through Christ. Thus God wants us to be "re-newed" - freed from the corruption of sin - and restored to His original design for us. St Paul (2 Cor 5:17-21) under the guidance of the Holy Spirit informs us that, “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” Jesus replaces the old things reflecting the way of sin with new things that reflect the way of grace. “And all of this is from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation …”
Grace is God’s presence to us in the Person of Jesus, present in His Church in His glorified body, making us new through rebirth into a new Kingdom giving us a new hope – the hope of Heavenly happiness. He brought the ministry of reconciliation to the fallen human world. Christ is God’s Reconciler. Jesus is the means through which the broken relationship between human beings and God has been mended through the New Covenant that we break when we sin. That renewal of the Covenant relationship between God and us is experienced in reconciliation and celebrated in the Holy Mass. Reconciliation is the visible sign that forgiveness is real and relationships have not just been mended but made new, deepened and enriched because of confession, contrition, satisfaction, and absolution from sin. All this Jesus makes possible in and through His Catholic Church.
If Jesus is the reconciler, His followers must be both beneficiaries and promoters of reconciliation. This is one key way that we show that we are His followers and participants in the salvation of the world. We can truly represent Jesus only if we thoroughly believe in and promote reconciliation in our families, parishes, workplaces, wherever we are. His greatest gift to mankind is the gift of reconciliation which He brought about in uniting divinity and humanity in Himself – one Person with two natures. We, as His followers, must be promoters of this essential gift necessary for salvation from sin. Reconciliation is about the reunification of humanity and divinity.
St. Paul reminds us that we “are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.” Appealing for what? God appeals to everyone to seek the grace of repentance and the gift of forgiveness. The word “ambassador” means servant or minister.
What does it mean to be an ambassador of Christ? In the secular world an ambassador represents a political government or group and serves its interests by promoting its values. An ambassador of Christ serves the interests of Jesus’ Church by explaining and promoting and defending its values. As Christ’s ambassadors, we must be able to give reasonable explanations of the teachings of Christ and policies and disciplines of His Church. Bishops, priests, and deacons have a special role as ambassadors of Christ because Holy Orders leave an indelible mark on their souls designating their unique service and ministry to the laity.
Every member of the Church, whether ordained or lay, is obligated to give witness and hand on the Faith. Therefore each of us must be trustworthy in serving Jesus according to our ministry. Trustworthiness requires us to be obedient to Christ as faithful Catholics, honest, reliable, loyal, and people of integrity unafraid to confront those who would mock or destroy Catholic teaching. An ambassador must have the utmost respect for his or her government or organization. As Christ’s ambassadors, we must have total respect for Him and His Church. Respect requires us to always be civil, courteous, decent, and tolerant, but never at the expense of His truth. It also requires us to be autonomous by taking responsibility for ourselves. We must make sure that our sense of honesty is not diluted by self-interest, self-protection, self-deception, and self-righteousness.
An ambassador has an acute sense of responsibility to be loyal to his or her government or organization. As Christ’s ambassadors, we must be responsible and loyal to Him and His Church. Responsibility calls for accountability and a commitment to excellence. This calls for prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance enhanced by the supernatural virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. The ambassador as a servant of Jesus in His Church must pray daily in the words of the Psalmist (34:2-7), “Glorify the Lord with me, let us together extol His Name.”
Jesus is God’s Ambassador and the Reconciler par excellence. We hear Him in action this Sunday in His Church’s proclamation of the parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:1-2, 11-12). In this story, Jesus demonstrates what it means to be an ambassador of reconciliation in the person of the father who willingly welcomes back his repentant son and pleads with his hard-hearted and unforgiving older son to be happy that the family is intact once again. Jesus reveals that His Father is a God of reconciliation waiting for us to repent and seek His forgiveness for our selfishness. Jesus is His Ambassador calling all people to come together and be united with Him in His Church. We as the Church are Jesus’ ambassadors. Thus we must be believers in reconciliation both for ourselves and others. This is our challenge during this season of Lent. The unity of the world is depending on the example of the Church members practicing repentance and forgiveness through the grace of God. How privileged we are to have the great Sacrament of Reconciliation available to us that engenders hope in our hearts despite our proneness to sin! Let us benefit from it frequently so that, as God reconciles us to Him and to His Church, we in turn may be able to genuinely call others to benefit from this divine grace that reflects God’s justice and mercy in the ministry of reconciliation.
(fr sean)
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Sean Sheehy
19 March 2025
Without Repentance There’s No Forgiveness
In the lives of the Church’s saints the one thing all have in common is that the closer they came to God the more conscious they became of their sinfulness and their need for repentance. Lent is a special time when God gives us the grace through His Church to prepare ourselves to be like Simon and help Jesus carry His cross. The more we focus on empathizing with Jesus on the Way of the Cross the more we experience the great sacrifice He made on our behalf so that we might be saved from our sinfulness. The more we see how much He suffered for us the more we will be motivated to stop nailing Him to the cross by our sins which are our refusals to love Him and do what He tells us. Repentance and a commitment to change our sinful behaviour are necessary for forgiveness. Jesus reminds us that “if you do not repent, you will perish” (Lk 13:5) because forgiveness without repentance means that we aren’t truly sorry and therefore we’re neither receptive to the grace of forgiveness nor willing to change our sinful behaviour. Remember that God gives us only so many chances to get our lives in order so let’s not procrastinate.
Repentance is the freely chosen act of recognizing and deeply regretting our wrongdoing, accompanied by a deep desire to atone for the damage our sins have done to ourselves and to others. Apart from its spiritual value, repentance is essential for the mental and emotional wellbeing of our relationships with God and with one another. The spiritual writer, Thomas a Kempis, noted that “the acknowledgment of our weakness is the first step toward repairing our loss.” In repenting we face who we are and what we need to change if we want to be truly faithful members of Jesus’ Church. Jesus’ Church emphasizes the importance of repentance, which must be heartfelt, by teaching us that His “call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before Him, does not aim first at outward works, ‘sackcloth and ashes,’ fasting and mortification, but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without this, such penances remain sterile and false …” (CCC 1430). Remember that “Nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him impure; that which comes out of him, and only that, constitutes impurity …wicked designs come from the deep recesses of the heart” (Mk 7:15, 21). It is what’s in our heart that drives us either toward good or bad.
To repent is to change one’s heart. How? The Holy Spirit tells us, “Return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God” (Joel 2:12-13). Jesus reminds us that “where your treasure is there is your heart also” (Mt 6:21). Repentance comes from recognizing God as our most precious treasure and to Whom we give our whole heart. God wants our whole heart, not just a piece of it, because He wants to inflame our heart with His to bless, heal, and perfect our flawed humanity. Jesus has no time for half-heartedness. “But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth” (Rev 3:16). Repentance is about coming back to God with ALL our heart. What does this involve?
Jesus’ Church teaches us that repentance involves a radical conversion. To be radical is to get to the root of something, the basics, and the kernel of who we are, namely sinners who can’t save ourselves and are in desperate need of God to raise us up from the corruption. The Church teaches us that, “Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end to sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and the resolution to change one’s life, with hope in God’s mercy and trust in the help of His grace” (CCC 1431). The motivation for this “radical reorientation” comes from God Himself through Jesus present in His Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit promises us that by repenting God “pardons all your iniquities, heals all your ills. He redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with kindness and compassion … secures justice and the rights of the oppressed … so surpassing is His kindness toward those who fear Him” (Ps 103:1-11).
We hear a lot about inclusion today but we don’t hear much about repentance and the fact that if we don’t repent God doesn’t include us in His Church. Why? God’s Word is neither taught or preached by many bishops and priests, nor understood by many Church members. Relativism and self-absorption along with the illusion of saving the planet are our downfall. We’re so stuck today on thinking that we must save the planet that we can’t risk admitting our flaws and our sinfulness demonstrating that we can’t even save ourselves. Without God there is only death on our horizon. Instead of repenting for our sins we avoid them by making everything permissible even though it leaves us stressed, lonely, and isolated in superficial, broken or perverted relationships. We suffer from the illusion that we can heal and forgive ourselves. St. Paul warns us: “Whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall” (1 Cor 10:12). But without God’s Spirit we can’t help but fall since we’re all sinners. Sin is like cancer; even if we don’t admit that we’ve sinned it still eats away at our soul and disposes our heart to Satan’s wiles that cause our humanity to deteriorate. Again, like cancer, the sooner we recognize sin’s existence in us and repent the better are our chances of healing and living joyfully.
Repentance is powerful. In a homily, St. John Chrysostom (c. 388 A.D.) noted that repentance, “alone will turn a wolf into a sheep, make a publican a preacher, turn a thorn into an olive, make a debauchee a religious fellow.” It brings about a radical reorientation of our heart toward the things of God expressed in faith, hope, and charity. To facilitate this need for repentance in preparation for forgiveness Jesus bestowed on His Church, through her bishops and priests, the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is a powerful expression of God’s initiative in saving us from our sinfulness. Here He enables us to enter into a more intimate relationship with Jesus and through Him with one another empowered by the Holy Spirit. The grace of repentance and the gift of forgiveness are two of the most important gifts Jesus brought to this fallen world. Repentance calls for an examination of conscience: Where have I failed to lovingly obey God’s Commandments and live Jesus’ Beatitudes along with fidelity to the laws of the Church? Let’s remember to repent, confess our sins, and experience the forgiveness of God that brings us a refreshed sense of wellbeing. You and I, with a repentant heart seeking forgiveness can experience God actually saving us when the priest pronounces the holy words of Absolution in the Sacrament of Penance. It is in the repentance and forgiveness of sins that we know that God is saving us in that moment (Lk 1:77). (fr sean)
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Lent 2 C What Would You Die For
Sean Sheehy 12 March 2025
Is a True Relationship with Jesus Your Ultimate Concern?
A woman recently sent me a text with the question: What are you willing to die for? It set me to reflecting on what is my greatest concern as I look to the future? Concern is defined as that which affects our happiness, or wellbeing. It can also be an expression of anxiety or caring for someone or something. Jesus calls us this 2nd week of Lent to reflect on how much concern we show for our relationship with Him. We have lots of concerns such as family, work, health, finances, children, spouse, neighbours, growing old, school, career, physique, appetite, food, addictions, or the future. But what’s our ultimate concern? What would we be willing to die for? Why is that important? Because our ultimate concern, our greatest value, is what consciously or unconsciously directs us in dealing with our day-to-day concerns. What do you want most for yourself and those you love and how will you attain it? Your answer will tell you much about your life’s goal. Our ultimate concern identifies what we think we’re here on earth for and what will bring us lasting happiness.
Lent is a time to identify our desires and direct them in such a way that satisfying them deepens our relationship with Jesus. All too frequently we’re driven to satisfy our physical desires rather than our soul’s desires. We’re much more concerned with pleasing our bodily desires, our ego, than we are with addressing our soul’s desire for God. Think about how much time you spend on thinking about food, what, when, where, and with whom you’re going to eat or cook. Eating is a major concern for everyone because it’s necessary for the health of our body. But it can become such a concern that it drowns out the cry of a starving soul. St. Paul told the Philippians: “Don’t make your stomach your God.” We can have a well-fed body but a malnourished soul and it shows in our selfish attitude. No matter how concerned we might be with feeding our body, we should be much more concerned about properly feeding our soul. The seven deadly sins, namely pride, anger, lust, greed, sloth, envy, jealousy, gluttony and an obtuse spirit reflect a soul that is famished. That’s why God, who fully revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, is essential in our life. He is the necessary food for our soul. We can satisfy our physical desires but only Jesus can satisfy our spiritual desires. An ill-nourished soul always causes life to be sluggish, no matter how well-fed the body might be. Our ultimate concern should be how we can have a healthy soul so that we can live fully and joyfully.
Since God created our soul, we must turn to Him to nourish it. Our spiritual soul is what makes us human and is the essence of who we at in the depths of our being, our self. Our parents created our body but God directly infused a spiritual soul into our body at the moment of conception, which makes us God’s creation and not just our parents’ child. To be concerned about our soul is to be concerned about our self – the kind of person we are and want to become. The more we ask God to nourish our soul the more positive and self-possessed we will be. A miserable, angry, mean, greedy, lustful, slothful, prideful, jealous, envious, gluttonous self always signifies a mal-nourished soul. Jesus alone can feed our soul and free us from these vices by replacing them with virtues, making us pure and wholesome. He has made Himself the “Bread of Life” for our soul (Jn 6:35).
To ensure that we possess a well-nourished soul, a healthy self, we need to realize that God created us to be citizens of Heaven and therefore Heaven should be our ultimate concern. “As you well know, we have our citizenship in Heaven; it is from there that we eagerly await the coming of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will give a new form to this lowly body of ours and remake it according to the pattern of His glorified body, by His power to subject everything to Himself” (Phil 3:20-21). God the Father makes us citizens of Heaven through Baptism into Jesus’ Church where He transfigures our fallen nature and makes us adopted brothers and sisters of Jesus through the love of the Holy Spirit. A good citizen is recognized by making a positive impact on the world. That means you and I must strive to make a positive impact on the Church and the world. To be good citizens of Heaven we must freely subject ourselves to Christ as members of His Church by doing what He teaches. Why? Because, in the words of the Psalmist, Jesus is, “…my light and my salvation … the Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?” (Ps 27:1). As our light, Jesus focuses us on what makes us fully human, namely our soul. The more we focus on our soul’s health the more we will also maintain a healthy body and keep its desires in check, thus avoiding self-gratification and binging. We want our body to be the means through which we express who we are in our soul, what makes us who we truly are. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation Jesus shines His light on us to expose our sinfulness, so that we can repent and be cleansed by His grace, thus refreshing our soul. What affects our soul affects our body and vice versa. Sin is a sign that we’re abusing our soul by overindulging our bodily and its blind desires. Jesus asks, “What gain, then, is it for a man to have won the whole world and suffered the loss of his soul?” (Lk 9:25).
Jesus’ light is always for our good, as experienced by Peter, James and John when they saw Him transfigured before them. Peter, totally awed by the vision, exclaimed, “Master, how good it is for us to be here” (Lk 9:33).Then God revealed to them, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to Him” (Lk 9:35). This is why Jesus gently chided Martha when she was upset that Mary sat listening to Jesus while she felt alone preparing dinner: “Martha, Martha you are concerned and upset about many things; one thing only is required. Mary has chosen the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it” (Lk 10:41-42). Martha’s concern was different from |Mary’s. Martha’s concern was preparing dinner. Mary’s concern was spending time listening to Jesus. You and I may be concerned or anxious about many things, but what should concern us most is being with Jesus Christ. This calls for us to sacrifice our time to be with Him in prayer, adoration, and Holy Mass. Only He can nourish our soul and make us happy. This week, examine your many concerns and decide to make your relationship with Jesus your ultimate concern. That will put all your other concerns and anxieties in perspective making sure you won’t become overwhelmed. If you want to be happy, let your ultimate concern be about deepening your relationship with Jesus Christ in His Church. It’s always fulfilling to be with Jesus listening to Him because He has the words of eternal life. But for that to happen, my relationship with Him as a member of His Church must be my ultimate concern! Because Jesus is the only one who died for love of me, He is the only one worth dying for love of Him. (fr sean)
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Sean Sheehy
Wed 5 Mar, 12:31 (23 hours ago)
Lent: Spiritual Spring Cleaning
I have the greatest respect for homemakers. Trying to keep a house clean is a never-ending chore. It’s amazing how dust keeps gathering on furniture, clothes, floors, etc., almost immediately after they’re cleaned. I guess it’s a reminder that our body is dust and into dust it will return (Gen 3:29). There’s another kind of dust or grit that accumulates in our heart, namely sin. Just as we need to wash our body, floors, windows, clothes, cars, etc., we also need to clean our hearts. This is why Jesus’ Church gives us the Liturgical season of Lent. It’s a time to spring-clean our soul, both as individuals, as family and Church community. Our spiritual soul gives us the faculties of intellect and free will. The choices we make through thinking and will determine the kind of person we become. If our heart isn’t clean because our soul has been stained by sin, then our thinking becomes distorted and we will make bad choices. We make bad decisions by choosing what looks good but turns out to be bad. Lent is a time to discover, through the light of God’s grace, the sad state of our soul by examining what is in our heart and asking the Lord to purify it. Our thoughts produce our feelings, which spawn actions that identify us as persons of either good or bad character; people who practice virtues or vices.
Spring-cleaning our sin-stained soul is about exposing and getting rid of the evil in our heart by replacing our vices with virtues, our lies with truth. Sin is a word, action, attitude, desire, or pattern of behaviour that offends truth, reason, and right conscience. God hates sin. “God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Rom 1:18-32). Sin is a failure to genuinely love God, neighbour, and our self. To expose and rid ourselves of sin we need truth. Sin is the lie that we can make ourselves happy. Jesus Christ is the truth about what it means to be truly human, fully alive and fulfilled. He is God-become-man. It’s in embracing Jesus - “the Truth,”- that sin is exposed (Jn 14:6). Sin is always a lie, and truth always exposes lies. That’s why the demons ran from Jesus. Jesus calls Satan the “father of lies.” “He brought death to man from the beginning, and has never based himself on truth; the truth is not in him. Lying speech; he is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44). A lie is the basis of every sin. How? A sin is putting faith in someone or something other than God to satisfy our desires, which is a lie since only the Creator can fully satisfy the needs of the creature. Sin is a lie because it masquerades as something good for us. The temptation of Jesus by Satan brings us face-to-face with the battle between truth and lies, good and evil. Jesus calls us to counter our tendency to self-gratification with fasting; our tendency to be prideful by being prayerful; and our tendency to be greedy by giving alms.
Preparing for His public ministry, Jesus fasted and prayed in the desert for 40 days. Satan figured Jesus was at least physically weak and tried to tempt Him by appealing to His bodily need for food and the human need for power and to prove that God can be trusted. St. Luke (4:1-13) depicts Satan presenting himself as Jesus’ friend offering to fulfil His needs. This is how Satan always presents himself to us. We don’t sin because it looks and feels bad, rather we do it because it looks and feels good in the moment, like the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden looked delicious to Adam and Eve. Satan always appeals to our desire for immediate self-gratification. Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations by shining God’s Word – the Truth – on them and exposing them for the lies they were. To cleanse our heart we must let God’s Word fill our soul thereby exposing the lies we tell ourselves in order to justify our sins. This exposure opens us to the grace of repentance and the gift of forgiveness which Jesus made available in His Church’s Sacrament of Reconciliation. This we recommit ourselves to Jesus as our Truth and the true nourishment of our soul.
We all struggle with an inherited fallen nature that makes us susceptible to the lie that power, prestige, possessions, popularity and pleasure will make us happy. Satan promised these to Jesus if only He would put His faith in him rather than in God. But Jesus, as the Truth, saw through the devil’s deceitfulness and exposed his promises as fraudulent. Power, popularity, possessions, and pleasure actually undermine our happiness, because they make us addicted to them and we lose our freedom. Only God’s word is the bread that satisfies our hunger for eternal happiness. Only by worshipping God and serving Him will we receive true power and glory for they belong to God alone. “The Kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours now and forever.” God is trustworthy and our Protector. We don’t need to test His care for us by pulling stupid stunts.
What lies does Satan use to tempt you and me to commit sin? He recommends that if something feels good we should do it. Something might feel good in the short term but can turn out very bad in the long term. He urges us to live only for the moment. Yes, it’s important to make the most of the present, but ignoring the past and dismissing future consequences is disastrous. Living only for the moment is conducive to selfishness and ignores our responsibility to others in the future. Finally, Satan emphasizes the necessity to look out only for ourselves. That translates into conceitedness and selfishness. Putting yourself first before everyone is the opposite of what Jesus teaches, namely “if you want to be the greatest, be the servant of all” (Mt 20: 26). These are the lies that underlie our sinfulness. These are the lies we buy into in the hope of achieving happiness, but they only bring us disappointment and betrayal. This Lent, let the Holy Spirit enlighten our thinking and examine our choices to expose the lies that motivate us to sin, so that we can spring-clean our heart through making Jesus the honoured Guest of our soul, so that we can think clearly and make good choices. Then, we will understand the words of the Psalmist (91: 1-2): “You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.” (fr sean)
St. Peter’s Teaching for a Spiritually Productive Lent
1. “Love one another intensely from a [pure] heart.” 1 Peter 1:22
Love can involve feelings, but it is an act of the will; it means seeking and desiring what is best for the other person. That includes everyone around us—the sick, the elderly, the preborn, and the people we don’t particularly like. Love is not just reserved for our friends and family. Furthermore, love takes sacrifice. If we are going to love intensely with a pure heart, we must show that love by giving of ourselves, by walking with others through their suffering, by spending time with others, by giving our time to those who need it, and by truly listening when people need a friend.
2. “Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, insincerity, envy, and all slander.” 1 Peter 2:1
This may seem like a tall order to some, as ridding ourselves of these vices can be incredibly difficult. But think of a life riddled with these sins. It’s the very opposite of the love St. Peter highlighted. When we allow ourselves to be overcome with lies and hatred, we give the devil a firm foothold on not just our lives but also our bodies. We allow him to direct our words and deeds. By doing so, we push God further away. So, if we truly want to advance the Kingdom of God on earth, we will , as faithful Catholics, do our best to act as Jesus would and to treat others with the respect and dignity they deserve as God’s children.
3. “Give honour to all, love the brothers and sisters.” 1 Peter 2:17
What does it mean to love the Church? Remember that love requires action, so loving our Church community means taking action to help one another when in need. Charity begins at home. But we can’t simply stay inside our homes and never give of ourselves to others. God asks us to think often about what others need and to perform what the Church calls “The Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy, e.g., visiting the sick, counselling the doubtful, admonishing the sinner, feeding the hungry, visiting the homebound, etc. These acts of love allow Jesus to shine His light on the world while building His Kingdom here on earth.
4. “All of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble.” 1 Peter 3:8
Jesus taught the Golden Rule in His “Sermon on the Mount” – do unto others as we would have them do unto us. This rule seems to be forgotten in today’s world. Compassion and sympathy are in short supply today. The anonymity of social media has allowed people to say vile things to others, not caring about the damage it does. We must use our gift of speech to build others up, judge what is evil but also be merciful, not to tear down a person’s character. We must use our words to speak the truth about our Catholic Faith and God’s love, justice, and mercy experienced in the grace of repentance and the gift of repentance. This is how we truly love others.
5. “Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” 1 Peter 4:9
If, when we do something for others, we do it with a complaint on our lips or in our hearts, we aren’t truly doing this service out of love. This takes effort and practice, but we must lean to joyfully give of ourselves through sharing our time, treasure, and talent. We must thank God for the opportunities he gives us to put others before our own convenience. Think about those who helped you when you were sick or injured and how their caring made a difference in your recovery. Mother Teresa said that she saw the face of God in all the people she cared for. Let’s follow her example and look for God in everyone around us (His bleeding and Divine Face) in everyone around us, especially those who need our help.
Lent is a time to examine what kind of person we are becoming through our behaviour and make positive changes – changes that we will make part of our life from here on out. Jesus calls us to be like Him – He gave the ultimate sacrifice – Himself – and in a truly painful and horrible way nailed to a tree. His agony and His death were pure gifts to us so that we can spend eternity with Him in a glorified manner. (from the Internet)
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Sean Sheehy
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Are You Living According to the Jesus’ Wisdom
Wise living follows from making decisions that ensure we gain more than we lose, especially in the long term. Foolish living is about losing more than we gain. It’s therefore very important that we determine what’s gain and what’s loss for us. Reasonable people would probably say that gain is anything that enhances life and loss is what undermines it. But what enhances life and what undermines it? The purpose of life is to die well, and that means dying in the friendship of Jesus Christ since He is the door to Heaven.
The Dictionary defines wisdom as the ability to make a decision based on the combination of knowledge, experience, and intuitive understanding or the ability to know and apply spiritual truths. Where do we find spiritual truths? Lots of religions, groups, and individuals offer “spiritual truths,” but they don’t specify where they come from. So how do we know they’re true? Spiritual truths come from the Author of truth, namely Jesus Christ who revealed Himself as “the Truth” (Jn 14:6). Reason says that to discern what’s spiritual truth, we must go to the origin of Truth, namely Jesus Christ. Living wisely, then, means living according to what Jesus teaches about what perfects our life, brings us happiness, and assures that our life won’t end and that we will be fulfilled, free from sin and death.
Wise living involves making choices that combine knowledge and experience of Jesus who frees us from our human limitations that are either imposed or self-imposed upon us. Freedom is probably our most important value, maybe even more than life itself. It’s the ability to be what God created us to be, namely His image and likeness. Wisdom and freedom go hand-in-hand. From a secular perspective, Don Miguel Ruiz, in his book, “Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom,” identifies what he calls “four agreements” that help a person live wisely. 1st: “Be impeccable with your word” by speaking with integrity, making sure that what you say is true, helpful, and kind. 2nd: “Don’t take anything personally” by realizing that what other people say and do reflects their choices, not yours, and so avoid needless suffering. 3rd: “Don’t make assumptions” by communicating with others as clearly as possible in order to eliminate misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. 4th: “Always do your best” in every circumstance and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret. Ruiz thinks that, from a psychological and emotional perspective, by making these four agreements with yourself and expecting others to do likewise people live wisely. This seems insightful but there’s more to us that the psyche and emotions. We are body-soul creatures with a spiritual soul that yearns for God. Therefore we need to know how to live wisely as spiritual persons created by God.
Spiritual wisdom is the ability to know and apply spiritual truths. Spiritual truths reflect the nature of the Holy Spirit and His impact on our human spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. Our human spirit reflects our identity, attitude, character, worldview, what we say and do at any given moment in our life. The truth about the Holy Spirit is that He is the third Person of the Holy Trinity and is the personification of the unconditional love shared by God the Father and God the Son. The truth about our spirit is that it is imperfect and prone to selfishness and sin. Our spirit needs the Holy Spirit to purify, strengthen, inspire, and perfect it. Our spirit reflects what’s in our heart, which in turn reflects the state of our soul that is either fulfilled or deprived in its yearning for God. Therefore, knowing and applying spiritual truths means allowing the Holy Spirit to envelop our spirit and bring us to Jesus present in His Church. We know God personally through Jesus Christ. We come to know our self through self-discovery in our relationships and experiences. The more we come to know God the more we come to know and understand our self as His image and likeness. The more we know God the more we know our strengths and weaknesses. Jesus, the model of what it means to be perfectly human, teaches us the truth about what we need to be a fully human and fully alive person, imagining and acting like Jesus.
Knowing and applying spiritual truths make us aware that we need Jesus if we’re to live wisely and freely. Experience, if we’re honest, tells us that to be impeccable in our words, avoid taking things personally, avoid making bad assumptions, and committed to doing our best in every situation requires help that we can’t give our self. That help comes from God. Jesus asks us, “Can the blind lead the blind … can the disciple be superior to the teacher … can good fruit come from a rotten tree …?” (Lk 6:39-45). The answer is a resounding “No!” Jesus points out that “a good man out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but and evil man out of the store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Lk 6:45). What’s in our heart comes from the thoughts we put in our mind. “The fruit of the tree shows the care it has had, so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind” (Sir 27:4-7). Our human thoughts are influenced by the world and the culture in which we live and are changeable as the world and culture changes. Our human thoughts aren’t sufficiently grounded in truth without the help of the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit who leads our spirit to embrace Jesus Christ who is truth personified. By following Jesus, present in His Church, we’re able to use His truth as the filter to distinguish truth from lies. Making Jesus’ truth the lens through which we view everything, we can, in the words of St. Paul, “be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord. Knowing that in the Lord (y)our labour is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:54-58), and we will make wise decisions. Jesus promises us that, “Any man who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12).
By living according to Jesus’ teaching nothing that we say or do is in vain. Then we’ll speak with integrity and courage; we won’t be victims by taking things personally; we won’t assume what we don’t know, and we’ll put our heart into doing our best. Through meditating on God’s Word as interpreted and taught by Jesus’ Church we’ll fill our mind with thoughts that open our heart to divine goodness and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Then with joy we’ll proclaim with the Psalmist, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to His Name, Most High, to proclaim Your kindness at dawn and Your faithfulness throughout the night … they that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God…They shall bear fruit even in old age; vigorous and sturdy shall they be, declaring how just is the Lord, my rock, in whom there is no wrong” (Ps 92:2-3, 14-16). This expression of Faith generates enthusiasm and a zest for eternal life.
The Christian life is a life lived wisely. It’s a productive life because the decisions always lead to gain rather than loss, especially regarding perfection, happiness, and a life that lasts forever. The application of spiritual truths revealed by Jesus defines and refines us so we can withstand the trials and tribulations of life on earth. Christianity makes us wise with the truth that comes from God who never fails us and is ever-faithful to His promises to love us unconditionally. The person living wisely makes the most of the present and looks forward with high hopes to the future – a future that brings a perfection, a happiness, freedom, and a peace, and a love that never ends. (fr sean)
Wisdom begins with your own responsibility, integrity, and basic competency.
Assignment
Begin by upholding the four agreements, and expecting others do the same.
The four agreements are:
Be Impeccable with Your Word—Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using your words to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love… Before speaking, consider if what you are about to say is true, helpful, and kind. Freedom of speech must be tempered with justice and mercy.
Don't Take Anything Personally—Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering…
Don't Make Assumptions—Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life…
Always Do Your Best—Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret…
Ruiz, Don Miguel (November 7, 1997). The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book). Amber-Allen Publishing. p. 160. ISBN 978-1878424310.
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Sean Sheehy 19 Feb 2025
Are You an Earthly or a Heavenly Thinker/Feeler?
Jesus has made Christianity, visible in the Catholic Church’s teaching, worship, and service, the only hope for the salvation of mankind. G.K Chesterton noted that, “The problem with Christianity is not that it has been tried and found wanting; rather it has been found difficult and not tried.” In other words, Christianity is found difficult because it moves people from earthly to heavenly thinking. Even those of us who belong to Jesus’ Church are more earthly in our thinking than heavenly. Why? Because we live in the world and we are constantly exposed to worldly thinking. Christianity is found difficult because it doesn’t fit worldly thinking. Jesus founded His Church and calls us to be members in order to expose us to heavenly thinking. Christianity calls us to focus on the things of Heaven rather than on the things of this world (Mt 6:33). Paradoxically, the more we focus on getting to Heaven the more we’ll use earthly things in a manner that expresses our love for God.
I remember a bumper sticker that read, “Don’t get mad, get even”? We live in a worldly culture that says, “Please yourself.” The golden rule of, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Mt 7:12)” has been turned upside down to say, “Do unto others before they do unto you” “Look out for number one!” This is all earthly thinking. Christianity is foolishness to self-centered people. Why? Because they think they can perfect themselves and don’t need Christ. Christianity’s heavenly thinking preaches and demands charity, which demands generosity which demands love without expecting a reward.
St. Paul explains that the difference between Christian and worldly thinking is the difference between Adam and Christ Jesus (1 Cor 15:45-49). “The first man, Adam, became a living being, the last Adam (Christ) a life-giving spirit. … The first man was from earth, earthly; the second man, from Heaven. As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as the Heavenly one, so also are the heavenly.” The first Adam sinned. The second Adam (Jesus) brought forgiveness. The earthly man thinks selfishly and sinfully. The heavenly Man thinks charitably. You and I bear the image of the earthly Adam, but through Jesus’ gift of Baptism into His Church, we now bear a new image – the image of Christ and a new way of thinking that is heavenly rather than earthly.
We see an example of Heavenly thinking in the story of how David spared the life of Saul who had sworn to kill him (Sam 26:2 -23). He found Saul asleep. His military leader, Abishi, urged David to kill the sleeping Saul. But, David refused saying, “Do not harm him, for who can lay hands on the Lord’s anointed and remain unpunished.” David expresses heavenly thinking. He replaced revenge with mercy and justice by being charitable toward his enemy.
To be a Christian is to be anointed by Christ in Baptism into His Church and, as a result, graced to think like Him. The meaning of the word “Christ” is “The anointed One” – specially chosen by God to be His representative on earth. Christ Jesus wasn’t only God’s special representative, He was His Son – His Word-made flesh. As God’s anointed One, Jesus bore the image of God over His earthly image. He is the perfect image of God in human form. The same is true of Christians. In Baptism God placed the image of Christ over our earthly image making us His adopted children, and heirs to His Kingdom. This makes us different in our thinking and action from all others who don’t bear the image of Jesus Christ over their earthly image.
Jesus points out (Lk 6:27-38) how the bearing of His image over our earthly image transforms our thinking and attitudes. Here we clearly see the difference between the worldly man and the stance of the spiritual man. We can also see why the world considers Christianity as senseless. The world mocks Christianity as “pie in the sky” or as Marx called it, “the opium of the people.”
Jesus taught His disciples to practice heavenly thinking. “To you who hear what I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” The world hears this and says, “Are you crazy? Do you know how long you would last in the world with that mentality? Don’t get mad, get even.” The world views the Christian way as the surest way to be a victim. Enemies must be killed, not loved; curse those who hate you, or hate them back; get revenge on those who mistreat you! This is the only way to win. Heavenly thinking, on the other hand, decries this attitude because it makes things worse.
Heavenly thinking calls us to show our enemy what God calls him to be. Christians, then, displace hate with love, revenge with mercy and justice, violence with peace, hurt with forgiveness, selfishness with generosity, etc. “To the one who strikes you on one cheek, offer him the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.” Earthly thinking views this as weakness and silliness. “Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” The world says, “What will you have left for yourself? Don’t you know that people will take advantage of you? People are basically selfish. What will happen when you have given away everything and are destitute? You must look out for yourself and not for others.” Ironically, the world makes itself a victim of its illusion of self-salvation. As Christians we’re never victims because we believe with St. Paul that, “if God is with us who can be against us” (Rom 8:31). As Christians we’re always victors because our heavenly thinking assures us of who alone can save us and we’re not dependent on the world for our security. The Christian way enables us to be in control because we know that God is in control of everything.
Christian thinking enables us to rise above the worldly fray by outdoing others in doing good and giving good example. “For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even unbelievers love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even unbelievers do the same.”
Jesus tells us, “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” As Christians we must judge character, actions, and relationships to determine whether they’re good, right, and just. However, we never judge the person since we know that’s reserved to the individual and to God. Enlightened by Jesus we condemn bad character, wrong actions, and unjust relationships, but we never condemn the person since that’s God’s domain. The focus of Christian thinking and action is always on the improvement of one’s witness to the success of the Way of Christ in a world that scoffs at it.
Worldly thinking focuses on taking while Christian thinking emphasizes giving. “Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in turn be measured out to you.” Here we find the answer to the question why does Christianity lead to happiness while a worldly outlook doesn’t. Christianity focuses on giving, which requires reliance on God’s providence. The world focuses on taking because it never has enough. It’s in giving that we become aware of our riches and give thanks to God for them. It’s in grabbing that we impoverish others and take what doesn’t belong to us. What we do to others we do to ourselves. If we don’t give, we won't get. The giver is always a winner. To help Jesus save mankind we must practice heavenly rather than earthly thinking (Col 3:2). (fr sean)
What are indulgences?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes an indulgence as “a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints” (No. 1471).
Through indulgences, the infinite merits of Christ, as well as the merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints, are applied to our purification in this life or the life to come (in purgatory).
A plenary indulgence removes all of the temporal punishment due to sins (“plenary” means full or complete). Other indulgences are known simply as partial indulgences.
Those obtaining a plenary or partial indulgence can choose to apply it either to themselves or to the souls of deceased persons.
What conditions must be met to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence?
To obtain any indulgence, one must intend to gain the indulgence via the prescribed work.
One must also be baptized, be in a state of grace, and not be excommunicated.
In order to obtain the Jubilee plenary indulgences, all the following conditions must also be met:
1.) Being truly repentant and receiving sacramental absolution in the Sacrament of Penance
2.) Reception of holy Communion
3.) Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father on the same day as the indulgenced work, either through the recitation of one Our Father and one Hail Mary or through the recitation of another appropriate prayer for the pope’s intentions such as The Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen
4.) The exclusion of all attachment to sin, even venial sin. (If this condition is not met, one can still receive a partial indulgence from the prescribed work.)
The first two actions (confession and Communion) may be fulfilled within 20 days before or after the indulgence opportunity. However, it is most appropriate if they are done on the same day as the prescribed work.
A single sacramental confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but separately receiving Communion is required for each indulgence. Only one plenary indulgence can be obtained each day, however, Pope Francis has made a special exception for the Jubilee Year. The Holy Father has decreed that during the Jubilee Year the faithful who carry out an act of charity on behalf of the souls in purgatory and receive holy Communion during Mass a second time on that day may receive the plenary indulgence a second time, though the second indulgence can be applied only to the deceased.
What opportunities will there be to obtain a plenary indulgence during the Jubilee Year?
A. Pilgrimages and Visits to Churches
During the Jubilee Year, in addition to the aforementioned places of pilgrimage, the following sacred places may also be visited under the same conditions:
In Rome:
The Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican
The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in Lateran
The Basilica of Saint Mary Major
The Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls
The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem
The Basilica of St Lawrence at the Verano
The Basilica of St Sebastian
The Sanctuary of Divine Love (the ‘Divino Amore’)
The Church of the Holy Spirit in Sassia
The Church of St Paul at the Tre Fontane, (the site of the Martyrdom of the Apostle)
The Roman Catacombs
The churches of the Jubilee Pathways dedicated respectively to the Iter Europaeum and to the Female Patrons of Europe and Doctors of the Church (the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, and the churches of St Brigid at Campo de’ Fiori, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Trinità dei Monti, the Basilica of Saint Cecilia in Trastevere, and the Basilica of Sant’Augustine in Campo Marzio).
In the Holy Land:
The Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem
The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth
Other places in the world:
The Basilica of of St Francis in Assisi, Italy
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Assisi, Italy
The Basilica of Our Lady of Loreto in Loreto, Italy
The Basilica of Our Lady of Pompeii in Pompeii, Italy
The Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy
Any minor basilica
Any cathedral church
Any co-cathedral church
Any Marian sanctuary
Any churches or shrines designated by the diocesan bishop or eparch for the benefit of the faithful
Any national or international sanctuaries, “sacred places of welcome and privileged spaces for the rebirth of hope” (Spes non confundit, 24), as indicated by episcopal conferences.
The faithful who undertake a “pious pilgrimage” to any of the above specially designated Jubilee churches can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence by devoutly participating in any of the following:
• Holy Mass
• A celebration of the Word of God
• The Liturgy of the Hours (Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, or Evening Prayer)
• The Way of the Cross
• The Rosary
• The recitation of the Akathist hymn (an Eastern Catholic hymn)
• A penance service, which ends with the individual confessions of the penitents.
The faithful can also obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if, individually or in a group, they devoutly visit any of the Jubilee churches and there spend time in Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with all the following:
• The Our Father
• The Profession of Faith in any approved form (e.g., Nicene or Apostles’ Creed)
And invocations to Mary, the Mother of God (e.g., the Hail Mary).
B. For the Sick, Imprisoned, Homebound, etc.
The faithful who are truly repentant of sin but who cannot participate in the various solemn celebrations, pilgrimages, or pious visits for serious reasons (including the elderly, the sick, prisoners, and those who, through their work in hospitals or other care facilities, provide continuous service to the sick), can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence under the same conditions, united in spirit with the faithful taking part in person, if they offer up their sufferings or the hardships of their lives, and also recite all the following:
• The Our Father
• The Profession of Faith in any approved form (e.g., Nicene or Apostles’ Creed)
• And other prayers in conformity with the objectives of the Holy Year (e.g., Pope Francis’ Jubilee Prayer).
C. Works of Mercy and Penance
In addition, the faithful will be able to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence in any of the following ways:
• If, with a devout spirit, they participate in popular missions, spiritual exercises, or formation activities on the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, held in a church or other suitable place.
• If the faithful carry out corporal or spiritual works of mercy by visiting, for an appropriate amount of time, their brothers and sisters who are in need or in difficulty (the sick, prisoners, lonely elderly people, disabled people, etc.), in a sense making a pilgrimage to Christ present in them (cf. Mt 25:34-36).
• Through initiatives that put into practice, in a concrete and generous way, the spirit of penance:
1. In particular, the penitential nature of Friday can be rediscovered through abstaining for at least one day of the week from:
– Futile distractions (real but also virtual distractions, for example, the use of the media and/or social networks)
– Or superfluous consumption (for example by fasting or practicing abstinence according to the general norms of the Church and the indications of the bishops), as well as by donating a proportionate sum of money to the poor.
2. By supporting works of a religious or social nature, especially in support of the defense and protection of life in all its phases, but also by supporting the quality of life of abandoned children, young people in difficulty, the needy or lonely elderly people, or migrants from various countries “who leave their homelands behind in search of a better life for themselves and for their families” (Spes Non Confundit, No. 13)
3. By dedicating a reasonable portion of one’s free time to voluntary activities that are of service to the community or to other similar forms of personal commitment.
This text, reprinted with permission, has been modified from an original publication by Today’s Catholic newspaper of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
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6th Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle C
Sean Sheehy 12 Feb 2025
Do You Feel Blessed or Cursed?
Do you feel blessed or cursed at this point in your life? How do you know? You’re blessed when you’re grateful. Gratitude signifies that a person feels blessed. What is a blessing? Biblically a blessing is a favor from God. The world sees a blessing as simply good luck. The root meaning of “blessing” is to be made holy. A curse is to impose evil on oneself or on others. It’s safe to say that no reasonable person wants to be cursed. Everyone wants to be blessed. But do they understand that to be blessed means to be made holy? When God favors you it’s not because you’re special but that He wants to make you holy. To be holy is to be like God, who is all-Holy and the only source of holiness. Remember that when you ask for a blessing you’re asking God to make you holy, through what you’re doing or will do. What does it mean to be holy? It means to be Christ-like. That is why God sent His Son to show us how to be holy like Him.
In the Old Testament God entered into a series of covenants with His people telling them, “I will be your God and you will be my people” (Jer 30:22). The covenant carried with it blessings and curses. The blessings followed fidelity to the covenant agreement and curses followed infidelity. Whether people were blessed or cursed depended on their choices to either be faithful to God. All blessings come from God while curses are brought down on the people through their freely chosen rejection of God’s love. So faith and blessings go together. Infidelity and curses go together.
Blessings are usually seen as coming from God. People pray to God to bless them. But many people also think that God curses them. There’s no doubt that blessings come from God because only God can make us holy. But curses do not come from Him. God doesn’t impose or wish evil on anyone. Neither does He deprive anyone of any good thing if they trust in Him. He is a provident God. His love for every human being is unconditional, and He wants to bless everyone to make them holy. The problem is that people don’t realize that because of their unrepentant sinfulness they bring curses on themselves. So to benefit from God’s blessing a person must be willing to change through repentance, seek forgiveness in the Sacrament of reconciliation, and bring his or her lifestyle in line with God’s will. God does not bless anyone who refuses to be holy. He cannot bless sin nor does He bless the sinner who remains in his or her sin. He blesses the sinner who is striving to be reconciled with Him and His Church. Sadly, some Church leaders have given false teaching concerning blessings saying that a priest can bless people in a sexual relationship outside of marriage between a man and a woman or those involved in an adulterous relationship. Such teaching lacks a true understanding of blessing and causes scandal.
Since evil is the opposite of holiness, and cursing is the imposing or wishing of evil or harm on another, a curse is the visitation of the unholy whether it be on oneself or on others. Curses originate in ourselves. We bring curses on ourselves when we sin and continue to curse ourselves when we refuse to repent and seek reconciliation with God and His people. Jesus taught that it’s not what goes into a man’s mouth that makes him impure, but what comes out, since what comes out comes from his mind and heart (Mt 15:11). Blessings come from God, but we curse ourselves by being unfaithful to Him.
The Prophet Jeremiah tried (17:5-8), as God’s messenger, to raise the consciousness of his people regarding blessings and curses. He told them, “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord.” We curse ourselves when we make our ego, a creature or a thing the center of our lives. When we make God insignificant in our lives we become unholy and curse ourselves with inevitable disappointment and failure. The more we rely on God as the only source of our power and meaning the holier we become – the more blessed we are. The more we rely on ourselves or others or things as the source of success the more we turn away from God and the more unholy –cursed – we become. Why? Anyone or anything we look to for power and meaning other than God leads to disaster. No creature can fulfill the needs of another creature. Fulfillment of the creature is the remit of the Creator alone.
Jeremiah goes on to tell them what they need to do to be blessed. “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord.” God blesses us, but to be the beneficiaries of His blessing we must be willing to trust and hope in Him to make us holy. If we’re not properly disposed, we won’t allow ourselves to benefit from His grace. It’s like offering a pearl to a pig.
Jesus’ Church gives us Jesus’ teaching regarding blessings and curses in St. Luke’s Gospel (6:17.20-26). Jesus tells us what is necessary in order to receive God’s blessing and how people bring curses on themselves. Jesus tells us that the blessed are those who are poor, hungry, grieving, and hated because of their faith. Being poor, hungry, sad, and persecuted don’t seem like blessings to reasonable people. They aren’t. Jesus isn’t endorsing poverty, hunger, sorrow, and persecution? What is He saying? God blesses those who have a spirit of poverty, namely an attitude whereby a person shares his or her time, talents, gifts, and money with those who don’t have the bare minimum demanded by human dignity. To be poor is to realize that every good thing comes from God and isn’t so much given to us as it is through us to others. Those who grieve for one’s own sins and the sins of others and hunger for God and the purification of a sinful world are blessed. Those who empathize with the suffering in this world are blessed. Those who stand up for their faith regardless of the obstacles or persecution are blessed by God. Such people rely on God as the center of their lives and source of their hope for the salvation of everyone.
Jesus goes on to identify those who deprive themselves of God’s blessing and curse themselves in the process. Who are they? Those who rely on their wealth to gratify their desires while ignoring those in need. The self-satisfied who are so obsessed with themselves that they ignore the hungry. The good-timers who are so caught up in their own entertainment that they ignore the grieving and those in sorrow. The populists who are so addicted to applause that they compromise their principles and lose their integrity.
We have to be careful that what we think is a blessing in this world doesn’t turn out to be a curse. What the world considers a blessing may very well be a curse. Jesus points out clearly that all these people whom he identified as ignoring the materially or spiritually poor, the hungry, the grief-stricken, and the weak will have the tables turned on them. Let’s make sure that when we ask God to bless us we’re not heaping curses on ourselves. It is the difference between seeking holiness and being selfish – between being God-centered and being self-centered. (fr sean)
Count Your Blessings
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.
When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
(Johnson Oatman, Jr. 1897)
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Reflection
Sean Sheehy -Jan 29 2025
Mary and Joseph Presented the Infant Jesus to God in the Temple
The Catholic Church celebrates the event of Jesus’ presentation to God in the Temple by Mary and Joseph. They did this in accordance with the Law of the Lord as obedient Jews. Mosaic Law required that the first born in every family and in every herd of animals were to be consecrated to God signifying that he possessed them. The Church celebrates this event because it is the first public recognition that Jesus is the Promised Messiah. This event is remembered in the 4th Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary. It is celebrated with the blessing of candles reminding us that Jesus is the “Light of the World” and promised that “Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12). The blessed lit candle in churches and in homes is a sacramental that leads us to realize that Jesus is the light that enlightens everyone.
Four hundred year or so before the birth of Jesus the Old Testament prophet Malachi prophesied the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. “Thus says the Lord God: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; and suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming…He will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the Lord” (Mal 3:1-4). The Temple represented God’s presence for the Israelites and that was where they offered sacrifice in their worship of Him. The Messiah and the Temple are directly connected and this was affirmed by Jesus when He went missing in Jerusalem after the Passover celebration and Mary and Joseph found Him in the Temple. When scolded by Mary, Jesus responded, “Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s House?” (Lk 2:49). When the Temple was replaced by the synagogue and the synagogue was replaced by the Church founded by Jesus He promised to be with His Church until the end of time (Mt 28:20). By presenting the baby Jesus in the Temple Mary and Joseph were presenting Him to God the Father. Similarly in Baptism when parents present their child in the Church they are presenting him or her to Jesus who in turn asks His Father to adopt the child as His child. The Church is the sign of Jesus’ presence amongst us.
In the Presentation not only was Jesus revealed as the Messiah and Saviour of the world for both the Jews and Gentiles but also that He would cause division. In the Temple Mary and Joseph were greeted by two holy people, Simeon and Anna. Both were waiting for the Messiah to come and now, inspired by the Holy Spirit, recognize the infant Jesus as the One promised by God. Simeon took the baby Jesus from Mary and holding Him in his arms “blessed God saying: ‘Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You prepared in the sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory for Your people Israel’” (Lk 2:28-32). Both Mary and Joseph “were amazed at what was said about Jesus” and both Simeon and Anna were overjoyed by this divine revelation that God had once again fulfilled His promise to personally save His people by coming among them Himself. But then, Simeon, after blessing Mary and Joseph, while still holding the infant Jesus in his arms, looked directly at Mary and said, “Behold, this child is destined for the rise and fall of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted – and you yourself a sword shall pierce – so that the thoughts of many may be revealed” (Lk 2:34-35). The Holy Spirit revealed that Jesus would set the standard that would determine salvation or damnation and that He would suffer piercing Mary’s motherly heart.
The presentation of Jesus in the Temple is a central part of our Catholic Faith because it sets the stage for what is to come in terms of Jesus’ mission and that of His Church. Our relationship with Jesus determines whether we rise or fall, whether we live sinfully or gracefully, whether we prepare ourselves for Heaven or hell. He sets the standard that shows us what is good and what is evil. He is our Judge. As religiously faithful parents Mary and Joseph followed the Mosaic Law. As religiously faithful Catholics we must follow Jesus’s Law that includes the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. By living according to them we will continue Jesus’ mission to save mankind. But, like Mary, we must be willing to endure suffering imposed by those who reject Jesus and His Church. The day we were presented to Jesus in His Church to be baptized we received the capacity to be what God wants us to be, namely intentional disciples of Jesus constantly giving both private and public witness to His presence in and among us in and through His Church. This we show the world that Jesus is the Light who enlightens each of us as to what is real, true, good, and beautiful. Thus we, in Jesus’ company, help to save the world. Only Jesus can raise us up from suffering and death, otherwise we sink into the depths of suffering and death – the death of supernatural faith, hope, and love. As you enter the Church building this Sunday, reflect on Mary and Joseph as they brought Jesus to the Temple along with your own presentation in the Church the day you were baptized and publicly declared a Christian and a gifted child of God. (fr sean)
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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.