Fourth Sunday of Lent

Dominica IV in Quadragesima A

22 March 2020

There is something going around the world today. It can’t be seen with the naked eye. I’ve never seen it as an object in and of itself. But you can see its effects in people, in how it impacts them, sickens them, and deforms their life. Reports around the globe tell us it is everywhere. It damages life and separates families. Nothing seems to stop it. You know I had to mention it this weekend! I’m speaking, of course, of sin!

In the midst of the moral threat of sin, the Good News is clear. There is a remedy to sin and our separated life from God. The Good News is Jesus Christ! Maybe we need a moment like now to realize what is truly important and what lasts. Maybe we need a moment like now to admit what we give so much time to that ultimately passes and falls through our fingers. The Lord came as God the Father’s remedy. He came to place godliness within our very flesh. To place the salutary vaccine of grace directly into our bodies and souls. And the Lord released the power of that remedy by willingly laying down his life to save us. The remedy has been given on the Cross. That same remedy is made present again on the sacred altar at the Holy Mass. The sacrifice of the Mass is not a new remedy or a re-sacrifice of the Lord. Rather, the power and reality of the one and same gift of the Lord is made present here.

Since the remedy has been given, our task is to live in such a way that the remedy can actually work in us. The remedy of Jesus and his saving grace lacks nothing, but it does require our cooperation if it is to be effective for us in the face of the disease of sin and its threat to our eternal life. This isn’t difficult to understand. We understand it in a physical health way quite readily. Imagine if I need medicine for a physical illness. The medicine is one important piece, even an essential piece. But if I don’t keep myself hydrated, if I don’t allow myself to rest, if I eat poorly, if I keep exposing myself to the same source of disease then I shouldn’t expect a good outcome from the remedy. It’s the same with sin. The remedy of Jesus’ sacrifice and his ongoing grace to us is not a static gift. He gives it constantly and it needs our constant cooperation. We are saved by Jesus and by him alone. But our ongoing work to cooperate with that gift, to turn from sin, and to break patterns where we squander the remedy is the daily work of each disciple.

And thus, we come here to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We are renewed in the saving remedy of the Good News by the two-edged sword of God’s Word in the Scripture readings. We are encouraged by the faith of a community that pushes us to strive toward Heaven and holds us accountable. We come face-to-face with the very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. If we are in the state of grace and worthily prepared, we receive the Lord’s gift of himself, his remedy, under sacramental form in Holy Communion. But today gives us an opportunity, as unique and unwanted as it may be, to call to mind the truth and the value in our Catholic tradition of the Spiritual Communion, something which saints described and practiced throughout Christian history. When we receive Holy Communion under more normal circumstances we might refer to that as physically receiving Holy Communion. Christ’s faithful have long recognized that physically receiving Communion is not always possible. What might be some limitations? Perhaps a person is disabled, sick, or imprisoned and cannot make it to Mass. Perhaps you plan to go to Mass but a broken-down vehicle prevents that from happening. Maybe you are in a place where there is no priest, on a military post, or traveling in some remote location. All of these and more are physical barriers to receiving Holy Communion. But the faithful have also long recognized moral barriers to receiving Holy Communion. When I examine the state of my soul, perhaps I notice there some grave sin that needs to be confessed first and thus I need to refrain from physically receiving Holy Communion until I first go to confession. Maybe a person has not committed some objective sin but notices some part of Catholic doctrine that needs to be accepted and received more fully to be living a deeper life as a Catholic. Maybe a Catholic has not married in the Church and needs to have that addressed first before approaching for Holy Communion. We might even say that very small children who have not yet reached the age of reason, by which they become morally responsible, are in a type of barrier that normally does not permit them to receive Holy Communion until around the age of eight.

Given the possible reasons why physical reception of Holy Communion may not be possible, the question should be asked: is there no benefit of grace for such persons? Does that mean there is no communion at all? The Church’s spiritual writers and saints have long encouraged the value of a spiritual communion. When we are not able to make a physical communion, we recognize that by his power as God, the Lord is not limited in his ability to give us his grace. In a spiritual communion we identify what, if anything, we are responsible for that prevents our physical communion. We express to the Lord the desire to confess any sin as soon as possible in order to be more deeply united to him and, with obstacles removed, to be able to make a good Holy Communion as soon as possible. In a spiritual communion we prayerfully express our desire to receive the Lord and to embrace him spiritually. We do this confident that he blesses such self-examination and desire. We do this such that the grace the Lord gives in a spiritual communion may strengthens us to see our resolve to its conclusion, to remove all barriers to Holy Communion and to make a physical communion as soon as possible. My brothers and sisters, this grace is yours today and I encourage you to adopt this worthy practice in these difficult days. Wherever you are, as frequently as you want, you can turn your mind and heart to the Lord to make a spiritual communion. By this you will continue to be strong as members of Christ’s Body the Church, as we pray for a speedy end to what prevents the normal course of our life in this moment. As this Mass continues lift your hearts, your minds, and your lives to the Lord in sacrifice. Know that this is pleasing to God. And be confident that God, who is generosity beyond measure, will give you a rich store of the grace needed to remain near to Him today and every day.

Second Sunday of Lent

Dominica II in Quadragesima A

Safe Haven Sunday

8 March 2020

We are all aware of the large-scale response to the flu and in particular to the coronavirus this year.  To limit spread of disease by human contact we are seeing responses around the world and changes to church practices too.  Many bishops, including our own, have announced changes to liturgical practices.  First, I think it is reasonable to emphasize that we should all remain calm and avoid hysteria.  Secondly, we should observe good hygiene and vigilance at all times.  This moment is an opportunity to give some instruction for some adjustments at Masses and to communicate some suggestions from the Archbishop.

• The obligation to attend all Sunday and holy day Masses is most serious.  However, the Church always recognizes that certain events, however rare, may remove that obligation.  A serious, infectious illness is one such example where such an ill person is not bound to the obligation.  This recognizes both the sick person’s need to rest and get healthy, and it recognizes a certain charity to not expose others in the community to serious health risk.  Please be self-aware when you are sick.

• Good and regular handwashing is advised, as is the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.  I’m asking all extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to have their own private bottle of sanitizer to use before distribution of Holy Communion.  Regarding our use of hands at Holy Mass: The Church’s directions for Mass do not instruct us to hold hands at the Our Father.  That is a popular practice in some locations but a posture the Church does not envision for that prayer.  You might have noticed that our altar boys always keep their hands folded during the prayer.  That is because I have trained them not to hold hands since it is not asked for in Mass instructions.  At the suggestion of the Archbishop, beginning today we are not encouraging hand holding during the Our Father.  I ask you not to make anyone feel forced into holding hands.  Use of hands also impacts something that is actually optional at Mass, the shaking of hands at the sign of peace.  Again, following the Archbishop’s suggestion, beginning today we are discontinuing the shaking of hands.  The priest will give the ritual sign of peace and your response, as normal, is “And with your spirit.”  But after that we will omit the shaking of hands and immediately begin chanting the “Lamb of God.”

• It is already our regular practice here that we do not distribute from chalices.  We have one chalice that we reserve in the sanctuary for parishioners who cannot receive the Sacred Host due to serious gluten allergy.  That chalice will remain available to them.  Today gives an opportunity to remind us all that the chalice that remains here in the sanctuary is only for those who do not and cannot receive the Host.  Some parishioners report such a high level of allergy to wheat gluten that they cannot receive the Host and they also cannot drink from a chalice if someone consuming the Host drinks from it.  So, today I want to remind us all that if you are able to receive the Host then you should do so and then return to your pew.  Those who cannot receive the Host will find their way up to the chalice we keep here.  Under no circumstance should someone consuming the Host also come up to this reserved chalice.  Be assured, nothing of the grace and fullness of Christ is lacking by receiving under the form of the Host alone or the Precious Blood alone.

• Since receiving Holy Communion on the tongue is the far more traditional practice, and since it contains its own built-in reverence by receiving, but not touching the Host, I am NOT going to instruct anyone to receive only on the hand.  However, take note of some tips for receiving on the tongue.  Our altar boys try to place the communion paten under your chin when you receive on the tongue.  It would help if you keep your folded hands lower and not up high near your chin.  When you arrive for Holy Communion, whether standing or kneeling, respond “Amen,” try to keep your head still, and then open your mouth sufficiently wide and also extend the tongue so the Sacred Host may be placed on it.  Let the minister draw back the hand before closing your mouth and then return to your pew.  Hand-to-hand contact is also a concern for those who opt to receive Holy Communion in the hand.  If you do so it is necessary to have clean hands, to present your hands completely open and flat, with palms up, and one hand on top of the other.  Please do not begin to close your hand on the minster’s fingers until the minister withdraws the hand.  Finally, I know many of you like to kneel to receive Holy Communion and so we have kneelers in place at the main aisle Communion stations.  That might help remove the amount of stretching of the arm and movement involved in putting the Host on the tongue.

Okay, we got through all of that!  So, we do all that to give reasonable attention to our bodily health and to avoid illness and threats to our bodily life.  Would you agree with me that giving attention to our spiritual health, avoiding spiritual illness and even eternal death needs attention?  Would you agree with me that if we have a proper hierarchy of values, a moral pandemic impacting our life as God’s children and risking spiritual death and Hell needs even more careful attention?  That is what I really want to address today.  Together with Archbishop Coakley we are observing a coordinated effort across the archdiocese this weekend for our second annual Safe Haven Sunday to address the sensitive but necessary topic of the moral pandemic of pornography.  Because of the prevalence of the Internet and smartphones this issue impacts adults and teens, men and women, boys and girls, and even impacts our children at increasingly younger ages.  First, our focus is to name and face this issue that negatively impacts so many of us and to call to conversion so that we may live more fully as God’s children.  And, secondly, this effort is to equip parents to protect and confidently parent your children in a hyper-sexualized culture.  As you leave Mass today we have a booklet resource for you.  This resource is specific to treating this topic for parents of children, especially when you have discovered a child has been exposed or has a habit of use.   If you have children and teens in the home I want you to make sure to pick up a booklet.  There is no shame in taking that resource as an aid to your parenting.  You will note on the booklet’s front cover and in its first pages an invitation for parents to sign up for a 7-day challenge that will provide a crash course via email of lessons and practices parents should observe to address this topic in the home.  Given the statistics on this topic, parents, you should likely just assume your child has been exposed and that your middle school and high school child may already have a habit of use.  We want to discourage passive parenting.  I know these conversations are awkward and we’d just like to assume our children are immune.  But by our silence do we really want to communicate to our kids that guarding their souls from sin is somehow less important than the instructions we readily give them about safe driving and getting good grades?  Ironically, many would suggest they give their child a smartphone for a sense of security, for ease of contact, and to track or locate a child.  But if parenting is passive, that very device becomes the pitfall.  It can form habits whereby we engage in less real contact, preferring the screen to real human interaction, and it can become the portal for serious poison to come directly to your child.  One of the simplest and smartest things I have heard a parent do is to have a house rule where at bedtime, or a certain time of evening, all smartphones have to be placed in a basket that is kept overnight in the parents’ bedroom.  Since the majority of exposure and use happens while kids are bored and in their bedroom, this practice can greatly reduce access to this material.  In addition, parental controls and filtering/blocking software should be placed on devices so that the very thing you give your child for a sense of security does not become the device that leads them astray.

With reference to the Scriptures I want to draw upon the idea of our vision and how it needs to be transformed.  Last weekend in the first reading from Genesis we heard of the Fall, of Original Sin, and how the eyes of Adam and Eve were opened to what the serpent, the Evil One, wanted them to see.  This week in the Collect we prayed that we may have “spiritual sight made pure” so that, as the Lord promised to Abram in today’s first reading, we may see the land that He will show us and thus know our destination and our inheritance.  The Transfiguration of Jesus is the sneak peek of his future and ours, the sneak peek of our inheritance – the glorification of our bodies in Heaven forever!  We need to be transformed by the Lord’s grace so that we grow in purity and strength against the serpent’s poison in our time, which is a stumbling block to our heavenly goal.  Like the disciples in the Gospel may we train ourselves and purify our vision so that we too see “no one else but Jesus alone.”  The truth is our vision is obscured by our fallen nature and our tendency toward sin; even more, our vision is blinded by serious sin.  Use of explicit material makes us unable to see and accept the good of human sexuality and its nature and essence designed by God.  We each need to strive to use the spiritual weapons available to us to root out sin and to grow in conformity to Christ.  Part of this work is also attending to our children and young people so that they are not abandoned and without guidance in the face of lethal threats to their purity.  Explicit material is not the only threat on our way to Heaven, but it has become a most serious and widespread threat.  This threat, and others, needs even more attention than our efforts to avoid the flu or the coronavirus.

Thus, in addition to the booklet you should take as you leave Mass, I want to suggest some important practices.

• Pray and beg the Lord to deliver you and your family from this sin.  Ask him to strengthen your serious resolve to act against this sin.  Pray the Rosary and the St. Michael Prayer.

• Make use of regular and honest confession, especially to be able to receive Holy Communion worthily.  See that your children regularly confess.  Go as a family.

• Willingly take on penances to atone for your own sins and those of your loved ones.

• Have frank conversations with your spouse and age-appropriate conversations with your children.  Speak not only about the sin of explicit material but talk about fostering real relationships, holiness, the goodness of the human person, the goodness of human sexuality and its proper place within marriage alone.

• Consider how an accountability partner and filtering/blocking software like Covenant Eyes can help you have a source of strength in the battle.

• Finally, we would be remiss here to avoid the blessing of Eucharistic Adoration and committing to a regular weekly time to make a Holy Hour in our chapel.  There is no reason why any parishioner, men and women, whole families together, even our youth cannot take on this practice to grow in relationship with Jesus who is truly present among us.  In particular, I want to appeal to our men: If you are not yet committed to a regular time of adoration, get involved by calling the Parish Office soon.  We have some late night and early morning hours that can use a second person for adoration.  That can be a way that you men can serve the role of guardians and protectors.  You might also consider taking an hour at those times when one of our female parishioners is alone.  We need you to step up.  You won’t regret the blessings.

On this Safe Haven Sunday we want to promote conversion and purity of life.  And we pray that parents be confident that your words and your example as a parent/guardian can inspire your child to appreciate, choose, and grow in chastity in order to live the beauty and truth of sexuality according to the liberating Good News of Jesus.