Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. (Psalm 128:1-2) What does it mean to “fear the Lord”?  Fear seems to be something negative.  We associate it with threats and negative consequences.   So what does the Psalmist mean today when he says that those who “fear the Lord” are blessed? Perhaps surprisingly, “fear of the Lord” is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, along with Wisdom Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge and Piety. Fear of the Lord is more closely related to “awe,” and allows us to be aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect … [Read more...]

Jesus told his disciples this parable:  “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one – to each according to his ability. Then he went away.” (Mt. 25:14-15) When I was a child, I remember having a picture book outlining parable of the talents.  And in the book, the word “talent” was translated “bag of gold.”  And that’s  precisely what Jesus is talking about here.  In the original Greek, the word used is ???????? (talenton), which is a unit of measurement.  It was the amount of a precious metal that would fill an amphora, which was approximately one cubic foot.   The weight (and value) would depend upon the type of metal.  While certainly a “liberal” translation, the term “bag of … [Read more...]

“And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it [on] the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day.” (Jn. 6:39-40) One of the more obvious jobs of a pastor is presiding over liturgical events, whether it’s Sunday Masses, weddings or funerals.  I mentioned a few weeks ago that we were currently in the fall New Orleans wedding season, during which I have at least one  wedding every weekend.  But I’ve also provided over a few funerals recently.  Although most people understand the purpose of a funeral, sometimes some people don’t.  They might call it a “celebration of a person’s life.”  While I am … [Read more...]

I love you, LORD, my strength, LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, my saving horn, my stronghold! Praised be the LORD, I exclaim! I have been delivered from my enemies.” (Ps. 18:2-4) “Love” is a very difficult thing to define. We use the words in a lot of ways. We might use it to describe our favorite restaurant, “I love La Petite Grocery.” We might use it to describe our favorite tech device, “I love my iPhone.” Or we might use it to describe bigger things, like our city: “I love New Orleans.” And in all of these usages, it’s used primarily as a superlative of the word “like.” When it comes to people, the usage of the word “love” can also vary. We might love our grandparents, our parents, our spouses and our children, but the way we … [Read more...]

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers,unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.  For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.” (1 Thes. 1:2-5) A number of years ago, I remember the Archbishop calling all priests to a Holy Hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament at St. Louis Cathedral.  And the way he did it was so succinctly Trinitarian.  He asked us to “come let us pray with Our Lord Jesus to the Father that He will send the Holy Spirit down upon us.”  I remember hearing it and having a new and different … [Read more...]

Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?” (Mt. 21:42) In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus quotes part of Psalm 118 about the stone rejected by the builder becoming the cornerstone. This passage was understood even by the early Church as a prophecy of His Resurrection from the dead. But – as a I learned on a trip to the Holy Land a number of years ago – there’s another interesting, more literal meaning to the passage. The Temple in Jerusalem is built using huge stones that were quarried from an area close to the city.  Some of these stones are as big as school buses, and can still be seen in the “wailing wall.” Once the temple was done, the … [Read more...]

Thus says the LORD: You say, ‘The LORD's way is not fair!’  Hear now, house of Israel:  Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?  (Ez. 18:25) “That’s not fair!”  I can’t even imagine how many times I heard that growing up.  I grew up in a house with three sisters and a brother.  And one thing about us, we grew up with a strong understanding of justice.  Well, justice as we defined it.  When it came time to cut the pecan pie for dessert, we would scrutinize the pieces down to the last crumb.  And if someone got a bigger piece, one of us would exclaim:  “That’s not fair!” And if one of us was invited to spend the night at our grandparents, then a scorecard was kept.  If there was not a perfect rotation so that each of us went in order, it would happen again:  … [Read more...]

“Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?  Take what is yours and go.  What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?  Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?  Are you envious because I am generous?  ‘Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.’” (Mt. 20:13-16a) A number of years ago, one of my closest friends and I were on a retreat at Manresa.  Although it was a silent retreat, several of my buddies and I used to sneak out to the levee late on the last evening of the retreat as kind of “debriefing.” I remember looking up at the starry sky and my friend saying: “Wouldn’t it be great to have a ‘simple faith,’ like a farmer.   You just got up in the morning, did the farm work, went back into the house in the evening and prayed for good … [Read more...]

“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. 3:14-15) One of the most popular verses from all of Sacred Scripture is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”  At one time it was hard to go to a football game without seeing “John 3:16” on a sign in the end zone.  And it’s a wonderful verse that calls to mind God’s love.  But we need to remember the two verses preceding it (above).  We know that God loves us through a variety of ways, but the way that God showed His love for us was by “giving” His Son to be sacrificed for our sins.  That’s the meaning behind this … [Read more...]

“Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Mt. 18:19-20) Most priests tend to pray a lot.  I’m one of them.  At my ordination to the diaconate, I promised to pray the “prayer of the Church” called the Liturgy of the Hours.  It’s made up of Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer, Evening Prayer, the Office of Reading and Night Prayer.  Of course, I also celebrate at least one Mass daily.  I also try daily to make a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament, recite the Rosary, do some spiritual reading and pray other devotional prayers according to the season. But I try not to “isolate” my prayer … [Read more...]