I rejoice heartily in the LORD,in my God is the joy of my soul;for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,like a bride bedecked with her jewels.(Is. 61:10) The coming of the Messiah was something eagerly anticipated by the Jewish people. His coming was to be a time of great rejoicing (Gaudete!) It represented the intervention of God into the affairs of men. No longer would they be hungry or thirsty or oppressed or crippled. They would be delivered from the difficulties of this life and live in a new reality without fear. God would be with them, according to the promises of His Covenant. However, the appearance of the Messiah was disputed. Would he be a great king, like David? Would he be a great … [Read more...]

Jesus said to his disciples:“Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” (Mt. 13:33) One might hope that Jesus would announce His Second Coming simultaneously through a text message, Twitter, Facebook, a Google News Alert, PSA’s on all of the broadcast and cable television and radio stations simultaneously!  Because if that were the case, He’d be bound to reach 90% of the world population who are immersed in technology through tv, radio, the internet and cell phones. But I don’t think that’s the “watching” that Jesus is calling us to engage in.  In fact, I don’t really think He’stalking about our using our “eyes” at all.  Jesus does say “watch!” as the last word in this Sunday’s Gospel.  And that word comes from the Greek word ?????????? (gregoreite) really has … [Read more...]

Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. […] For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Cor. 15:20-21,25-26) How many times have we gazed at a crucifix and seen that inscription:  “I.N.R.I.”  We know it means something about Jesus being “King of the Jews,” even if we don’t remember that it comes from the first letters of the Latin inscription meaning “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews:  >Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum. The key is understanding what’s behind that inscription.  Is it just a “mocking” inscription provided by Pontius Pilate?  Was it placed there to enrage the Jewish … [Read more...]

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...]