A Christmas Eve Homily: Manger and Ciborium

Homily Outline for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve

Today is born our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord! Our hearts and minds swell with joy and wonder. God has taken on flesh and dwells among us! We were lost in sin and darkness, and the Light of the World leapt out of heaven down to earth to seek and find us!

Who are we to have been chosen by the Lord? Christ came for us, for each one of us particularly, personally. Our gospel tells us of the census of Caesar Augustus, when the people of the whole Roman Empire were counted. It was a worldly gathering for worldly reasons: power, money, fame. That is NOT why we gather tonight. If we are here in this church, it is because in some way, shape or form these joyful tidings have reached us: Jesus Christ is born in Bethlehem! Why us?

If God has called us to celebrate this feast, it is because of His immense and faithful love for us. We have been created in love, and in Jesus Christ we are to be redeemed in love. No one of us is an accident, a random occurrence. We were born and chosen because of God’s love for us.

The gospel for this later Mass speaks very explicitly of the shepherds who heard those tidings, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.” It is no small thing that these shepherds were among the first to hear this Good News. To be a shepherd was no great or honorable thing… it meant being out by yourself most of the year, wandering about in pasture lands, attacked by thieves and wolves, stinking as the sheep stank, cold in the winter, sweltering in the summer, wet when it rained, and no great pay at the end of all that trouble. People could smell you coming, and even if you were honest, you had the reputation of being a wanderer, a drifter, and a thief.

No shepherd thought of himself as being some great somebody. Yet it was upon the shepherds that the glory of the Lord shone and the angels spoke. Jesus did not come for those who needed no help, but precisely for us here tonight, who know, or should know, that we need God’s help very badly. We do not rejoice tonight because we are so great, but because God has loved us despite our brokenness. Listen to Paul again, “The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age…” This is the call of Christmas to each one of us: turn away from godless ways and towards Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Those shepherds heard these tidings and came to the Manger. Will we follow their example?

Christmas is not just a time of generic cheer and family warmth. Nor is this the commemoration of something that is simply past history. Jesus was born of Mary to save us, and His birth set off a series of events that brought about our salvation and continues to offer each one of us a different path, the path of love and virtue. In what town was Jesus born? It was the town of David, Bethlehem. Do you know what Bethlehem means in Hebrew? House of Bread. No one could have predicted that the Messiah would be God Himself, but even less could they have predicted that Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, would sustain and extend and continue His presence with us under the appearance of Bread and Wine.

What is our feast’s common name? It is Christmas, the Mass of Christ! Many in our time want to forget that Christ is the reason for the season, but we can also forget that the only fitting response to God being born as a baby child is to offer and receive the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Eucharist. Jesus was born in a town called “The House of Bread”, and that was no accident, no mere coincidence.

So, tonight, we have been called together by faith, by family, perhaps even by force of habit or nostalgia. Perhaps you are here tonight mostly because it seems like a nice thing to do on Christmas. Perhaps you are here because it pleases your spouse or your parents or your grandparents. Whatever human reasons have brought us here, there is a deeper truer reason, God’s reason for bringing us here. The prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled 2000 years ago in a little cave-stable in Bethlehem, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone…. For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” That prophecy continues to be fulfilled, and at each Eucharist the Lord’s presence is just as real and surprising as it was in that little baby in the manger. How will we respond? Will we receive this unearned gift as the shepherds did? Will we continue about the eating and drinking and gift-giving without any deeper thought? A Child came down from heaven, and we still remember. Bread comes down from heaven, and it is that Child’s Body Blood Soul and Divinity. May we receive this gift with authentic joy. May it penetrate and change our hearts and lives.

How do we stand before the Lord? a passage from St. John of the Cross

“The soul…has grown aware of her obligations and observed that life is short (Job 14:5), the path leading to eternal life constricted (Mt. 7:14), the just one scarcely saved (1 Pet. 4:18), the things of the world vain and deceitful (Eccles. 1:2), that all comes to an end and fails like falling water (2 Sam. 4:14), and that the time is uncertain, the accounting strict, perdition very easy, and salvation very difficult.  She knows on the other hand of her immense indebtedness to God for having Created her solely for himself, and that for this she owes him the service of her whole life; and because he redeemed her solely for himself she owes him every response of love.  She knows, too, of the thousand other benefits by which she has been obligated to God from before the time of her birth, and that a good part of her life has vanished, that she must render an account of everything—of the beginning of her life as well as the later part—unto the last penny (Mt. 5:26), when God will search Jerusalem with lighted candles (Zeph. 1:12), and that it is already late—the day far spent (Lk. 24:29)—to remedy so much evil and harm.  She feels on the other hand that God is angry and hidden because she desired to forget him so in the midst of creatures.  Touched with dread and interior sorrow of heart over so much loss and danger, renouncing all things, leaving aside all business, and not delaying a day or an hour, with desires and sighs pouring from her heart, wounded now with love for God, she begins to call her Beloved and say:

 

Where have you hidden,

Beloved and left me moaning?

You fled like the stag

After wounding me;

I went out calling you, but you were gone.”

(John of the Cross, The Spiritual Canticle, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, stanza 1, no. 1, pp.477-78, cited in Ralph Martin, The Fulfillment of All Desire, p. 65-66)

Ralph Martin comments immediately after quoting this passage:

“What John says here is so direct and so intense that it is easy to be startled.  Or we might be tempted to pretend that we haven’t just read it, and move on.  Maybe our emotional reaction will incline us to say, ‘I can’t deal with that!’  Hopefully we’ll resist the temptation and attempt to understand!”

Rejoice, the Lord is near! Do not be discouraged.

Homily Outline for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year A.

Gaudéte in Dómino semper: íterum dico, gaudéte.  On the Third Sunday of Advent, our penultimate week of preparation begins.  From the Latin of today’s entrance antiphon we take this Sunday’s nickname, Gaudéte Sunday, that is, Rejoice Sunday.  And it’s in the command form – you, over there, rejoice!  The antiphon is drawn from Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice!  The Lord is near.”  Every Mass has two proper antiphons that are just as particular to that Mass as the readings and other prayers are.  You’ll see them in the missalettes, but they are often replaced by hymns.  The beauty and value of these antiphons is that they help to summarize and set the tone and theme of each Mass.  And, today, we are told to rejoice! The Lord is near!

The celebration of Christ’s birth in time is near… we’re over halfway there.  Just as a runner in a race struggles to maintain the pace partway through, we are to stick to our preparations.  Now is not the time to flag, to falter, to let up! Keep getting ready!  Now is not the time to let prayer and confession, almsgiving and weekly Eucharist get snowed under! Now is not the time to let chances to reconcile with family and friends slip away!  My high school cross-country coach Mr. Murv always yelled at us from the sidelines, “You’ve gotta go NOW!”  I didn’t always appreciate it, but it was true!  If you wait too long to make your move, the opportunity passes!

In our gospel, John the Baptist is already imprisoned, and he sends word to Jesus, wanting to confirm whether He is in fact the Messiah. Jesus sends this message – the promises are fulfilled!  Isaiah’s prophecies have come to pass… truly, the Lord is near.  Jesus affirms John’s ministry of preparing the way for his coming.  He uses the strongest possible words, “Among those born of women, there has been none greater than John the Baptist!”  But listen to what He says next, “Yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”  

To accept Christ, to follow Him, to be part of His body, the Church – these things can make us greater even than John the Baptist!  The Lord wants to beautiful wonderful things in our lives!  Will we receive Him?  Do we call out His name?  Will we persist against our own brokenness and inconsistency?  God is perfectly faithful to us – will we be faithful to Him?

We are told to rejoice, but often we encounter situations that do not fill us with joy.  One of the great spiritual dangers or traps once we’ve begun to walk with Christ is discouragement.  Perhaps many of you here have experienced at one time or another some flush of spiritual enthusiasm.  Perhaps it was a sunrise, the love in another eyes… perhaps it was a moment of prayer in the midst of terror, perhaps it was a retreat…perhaps it was even a homily!  In that moment you knew God’s love and truth and beauty more deeply.  It was immediate, and real.  You were filled with the possibility in God… the possibility of renewal, of love, of faithfulness.

After a close encounter with the Lord, we are enthusiastic for a time… but then some of the immediacy and joy fades.  We see our own flaws, or the flaws of those we love once again come into focus.  Our confidence in ourselves, or even in God, wavers.  We rejoiced, but then we are tempted toward discouragement, or even despair.

Listen in this light to James today, “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and late rains.  You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm.”  God HAS planted the seed of life and love and conversion in our hearts… it WILL grow if we wait upon Him!  When the whisper of discouragement sounds in our ear: “You’re no good, you’re too broken, you can never change,” may we recognize it for what it is… the lie of our accuser, the evil one.  God does not speak to us with discouragement… Isaiah says today, “Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication…”

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  One aspect of this feast is the Lord’s tender mercy in sending His mother to the despairing people of Mexico right in the middle of their world being turned upside down by the arrival of the Spanish.  She appeared to a humble and simple man, St. Juan Diego, and assured him of her maternal presence and protection.  One account gives her words thusly, “For am I not here, I, Your Mother? Are you not in the cool of My Shadow? in the Breeziness of My Shade? Is it not I that am your Source of Contentment? Are you not cradled in My Mantle?  cuddled in the Crossing of My Arms?  Is there anything else for you to need?”  So is the Lord close to us, in His own presence, through His angels and saints, through our Mother Mary.  

We are told today to rejoice, that the Lord is near.  May we surrender our discouragement, our doubts, and embrace this promise, and continue our preparations… Let me close then, with today’s second or communion antiphon: “Say to the anxious: be strong and fear not, our God will come to save us!”

Some recent parish events in pictures!

On top of Hogsback in the blizzard

We've had some great events here at St. Michael's lately. I mostly post pictures on Facebook, so here are some samples and the Facebook links.  You don't have to have a Facebook account to use these links!  Obviously some of these pictures are just stuff I've been up to myself.

Pictures on Hogsback: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=589239&id=789055155&l=af445e0fd4

After the evening Mass for the Immaculate Conception, we had an Ice Cream Social hosted by our Middle School Youth Group.

Pictures of the Ice Cream Social: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=587369&id=789055155&l=783e54a024

These ladies are scooping with real dedication!

 I was also able to help out with the confirmation retreat at American Martyrs Parish in Kingsford, my home parish, as I have for several years. It's a great retreat, I put together a team of high-schoolers and college kids to run the retreat for the candidates and their parents and sponsors.  We had a great group this year, pretty big too!

The pictures from the retreat are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=585508&id=789055155&l=c534d55818

Finally, we also prepared some gift shoeboxes for the Great Lakes Recovery Center with the Middle School Youth Group... a lot of FUN!

Are we having fun?

 The rest of those shots are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=583575&id=789055155&l=3992fab3f8

 Thank you, Lord, for these good times, Amen!

God Bless,
Fr. Ben

What welcome will WE give?

Blessed John XXIII

Homily Outline for the 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A

In our Gospel today, John the Baptist say, to sum it up, “God is coming, get ready, repent!”  This is the Advent message!  Blessed Pope John XXIII was known for his happiness and charm, but also for his wit… One time a reporter asked him, “How many people work in the Vatican?”  He thought for a moment and said, “About half of them!”

We know when a boss is coming, it’s time to look busy!  But with Christ’s coming, we have more than a boss, He is our Lord and Savior, and He can see the depths of our hearts.  We have to do more than look busy and be busy during Advent… we need to really be ready.  Christ will come at the end of time in glory and judgment, we will commemorate at Christmas His coming as a baby child…  will we actually be ready to welcome Him?

John the Baptist cries out, “Repent” and he speaks of a king and the Kingdom of Heaven.  This is the King and Kingdom Isaiah describes in the first reading… a kingdom of justice, peace, and unity, of healing and joy, but also a kingdom of judgment and recompense.  These promises fill us with hope, they challenge us.  They speak words of beauty and truth.  Yet, we know they were not well-received when they were spoken.  How did John the Baptist end?  Herod killed him.  How were they prophets received?  They were ignored, mocked, and many were killed.  Even the Messiah Himself came to death on the cross!  God’s messengers, and even God Himself were not given a warm welcome, at least by most of those who heard them.

As we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth in time, we see this same dynamic of coldness and rejection.  Mary and Joseph couldn’t find room at any Inn in Bethlehem, and then they ended up in a stable.  When Jesus was born, almost no one came… some dirty ragged shepherds and three foreigners.  Where were God’s chosen people, the ones you would expect to be ready?  It’s easy for me to be pretty judgmental here – what were those people in Bethlehem thinking, turning away Joseph and his pregnant wife?

And later, when Jesus preached and taught and healed, when He performed miracles, again, some followed, but many rejected Him, mocked Him, ignored Him. How could they reject their Lord and Savior?  How could their doors and hearts be closed?  How could they be too busy to listen!

If I take a deep breath, if I calm down for a moment, though, if I look at my own heart, my own life, it’s not so easy to stand in judgment on those people in that time.  Do I really welcome the Lord when He knocks at my door?  Do I have time to listen, to learn from Him?  Sometimes I’m flying around on what I think is a mission from God, but I haven’t even had time to talk to God, who I’m supposedly serving!

So, as Christmas comes closer, and as we think about coming before the Lord in judgment at the end of time… What welcome will we give Him?  We cook, shop, hang lights, send cards, fill our deer tag if it's still empty like mine is… these are good.  But do we pray, fast, help others, listen?  When we come to Christmas Eve, will we be reconciled with God and man?  This is the invitation of Advent.

Let’s shift our focus from this season, and just think about this day… every Sunday the Lord who died on the Cross comes down upon this altar, a miracle of grace and humility, giving Himself to us Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity under the appearance of Bread and Wine.  He seeks room in the Inn of our hearts… are we even here to receive Him?  And if our body is here, what about our hearts and minds?  If Christ comes and we’re too busy elsewhere, we are left empty.  Do we pray, examine our hearts?   Do we invite Christ into a dirty rough stable, or into a heart and life prepared to receive Him?  We are never worthy to receive our Lord, we say as much moments before Communion. But we are called to dispose, to prepare ourselves.  If we are aware of mortal sin, we have to go to confession first.  

Listen to Paul, “Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.”  We are to welcome not just each other, but even Christ Himself!  That’s what this time of Advent is for, to get ready, to repent and prepare a fitting welcome for Jesus… whenever He comes. At the end of time, at the moment of our death, on Christmas, and at this very Eucharist.  

So, here are 5 ways to get ready in the coming weeks so we can welcome Christ with joy:

1)  Pray every day, speak and listen.

2)  Mass every Sunday and Holy Day (this Wednesday, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception)

3) Confession, especially if it’s been a long time

4) Reconcile with friends and family

5) Give of what you have to those in need

20 days until Christmas!  May we use them well, so that on Christmas, at every Mass, we may welcome Christ with Joy!

Sleeping in your blind? What about your life?

Homily Outline for the First Sunday of Advent, Year A

What will God do in your heart this Advent? What will God do in your life? Will you notice His invitation? Advent is a time of joyful expectation, hopeful preparation, and a time for heightened alertness. It’s as if our Advent wreath is the Readiness Indicator in a military planning room. The Alarm is beginning! Only, in this case, it’s not a threat level, but a heightened level of salvation, conversion, expectation. Who is coming? It’s the Lord, Jesus Christ!

Our Mother the Church puts before us two comings of Christ: His coming in time as a baby child, the Incarnation, and His coming at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. He came in silence, hiddenness – He will come again in joy and glory. In this earlier part of Advent our readings focus primarily on His 2nd coming at the end of time. The Prophet Isaiah says, “In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it.”

 So, if Christ is coming, what do we do? The Gospel puts it very pointedly, “Therefore, stay awake!” (If you just woke up, I’m sorry! The preacher isn’t helping the situation if his call to be awake is putting people to sleep!) Christ is coming unexpectedly, not just at the end of time, but every day. Now is the hour to wake from sleep, today is the day of salvation!


How many of you have ever sat in a deer stand? How are you supposed to sit? You have to be still, quiet, and ALERT! Deer move quietly, they can suddenly appear with little warning, and if it’s a buck chasing a doe, you might just have one glimpse, one shot. On Friday I went out with my dad and my brother-in-law to hunt. My mom graciously made us some nice turkey sandwiches. We got out to our blinds pretty early. The turkey was a big mistake! Even with a cup of coffee, three times I found myself slumped forward and I woke myself up snoring! I can’t imagine that helped bring in the deer! Finally, I drank another cup of coffee and prayed the rosary, that helped me to stay alert.

On the other hand, if you’ve sat in a deer blind, you know what happens when you do hear the leaves rustle, when you see the head bob behind a tree, when you hear a twig snap! Suddenly your heart races, your hands shake, every sense is focused and twitching! What is coming?

So, to stay in the analogy, Advent is meant to be a BIG twig snapping! Far more significant than any buck, Jesus is coming! Listen to Paul in Romans, “For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand.” Are we awake, alert, ready? Christ will come suddenly; He comes daily in hidden ways. Are your eyes open for Him? Do you listen with your ears, with your heart for His voice? Are you focused on the touch of His grace in your heart, in your conscience? Spiritually, don’t be like me in my blind slumped forward snoring, when Christ calls!

What preparations, then, will YOU make during this time of preparation? The decorating, shopping, cooking, are good, but do they distract you from the real hunt, the hunt for holiness? The main event is spiritual – what preparations will you make? How will you get ready?

If Christ were to arrive tomorrow morning, and you knew He was coming at 6 am, what would you put in order? Who would you forgive? From whom would you request forgiveness? Who would you call, who would you visit? What would you say to your spouse, to your children, to your parents? If we were 24 hours from judgment, what would you do to put the house of your heart in order? This is what Paul speaks of, “Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy.”

So, concretely, here are some ways to get ready this Advent: Make a good confession, especially if it’s been years. Why would you fight your sins alone, when God wants to do the heavy lifting? Go to confession. And don’t wait for the penance services! If anybody listens, there won’t be space! Pray every day during this Advent season. Use the Advent Wreath before dinner with your children, read the daily Gospel every day, it’s in the bulletin. Pray part of the Rosary every day, or just one decade. Use our blue Advent prayer books that are out in the Gathering Space. Finally, try to go to an extra Mass every week. We have 7 daily Masses here; there are others at the Cathedral and St. Christopher’s. Christ comes to us at each Mass, so prepare for His Final Coming by receiving Him with joy at each Eucharist.

Let me finish with the words of the Gospel, “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Our king enthroned on the Cross and crowned with thorns?

God so loved the world.

Homily Outline for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

Today we celebrate the last Sunday of the liturgical year.  At this key moment, Holy Mother Church places before us Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of Heaven and Earth.  We offer praise, glory, and honor be unto Him, our Lord and Savior.

When we hear of a king, who comes to mind?  Do we think of Michael Jackson, the tarnished King of Pop Music?  Or King George who unfairly taxed the 13 colonies?  Do we imagine a cruel tyrant who commands all things according to his capricious will?  Or, is it the romantic king of fairy tales, dispenser of justice, commander of knights, rescuer of damsels in distress?  None of these images are all that helpful in understanding our solemnity today.

If our hearts and lives are to be converted once again by this liturgy, by this sacrament, we have to allow our image of “king” to be remolded and renewed. The Holy Word of God presents us with a more significant image of kingship.  In our first reading, we hear of David anointed by the Northern Tribes, Israel.  David is the anointed one, the “messhiac”, the cristos, the messiah.  Now King of Judah and King of Israel, he has consolidated his rule over all the 12 tribes.  God makes a promise to him later that his heir will reign forever on the throne.  The People of God hope for stability, peace, and comfort.  But this all falls apart quickly.  With David’s son Solomon’s death, merely one generation later, the kingdoms split.  In the coming centuries there will be war after war, faithless tyrant after faithless tyrant on the throne.   The people had asked for an earthly king, and that’s what they got.  For a thousand years they continued to hope in God’s promise that David’s son would reign forever.  They sustained that hope through exile, apostasy, and tragedy.  When, in the fullness of time, God did fulfill His promise, He sent a king, the son of David, but not the king they had imagined.

The Word took on Flesh and dwelt among us. God Himself came to be our king, our messiah, our savior.  The expected and yet unexpected king was born in a little hick town, fostered by a simple carpenter.  He gathered up some ex-fisherman and a reformed tax collector and began to preach the good news!  Certainly he performed some impressive miracles, but what about the Romans?  Where was his army?  Where was the strong fist holding a sword that would restore power and glory to Jerusalem?  How could He be the king?  This sense of confusion and betrayal comes to a particularly sharp point in our gospel.  The King is crucified.  Isn’t it a strange image for celebrating Christ’s Kingship?  He’s on the cross, suffering injustice, punished, bleeding, gasping, and mocked by the criminal beside him.  Ignominy, betrayal, and defeat surround him.  Our king is enthroned on a Cross crowned with thorns.  And, yet, the good thief rebukes the other, and makes a startling request, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” What kingdom could this dying man offer?  “Jesus replied to him, ‘Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’”

Who can bring us to Paradise?  It is God who took upon his own shoulders the sins of all the world. It is God who calls us to hope and trust even in the face of weakness and defeat.  God sent no delegate, no special messenger, He raised up no merely human prophet. He sent His Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, His Very Word, the one who said, “I and the Father are One.”  Listen again to our 2^nd reading:

"For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together….For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven."

Paul leaves us in no doubt – Jesus is God, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.

Today, then, we honor Christ the King, but a very different kind of king!  Each one of us by baptism is another Christ.  The Lord wants to shape and conform us in His image and likeness.  We are priest, prophet and king in the world.  

How do we live in light of Christ’s Kingship?  First of all, is Jesus the Lord of our lives?  Do we live by His commandments, by His example?  Or, have we set ourselves up as kings?  Do we march to our own drums?  No matter what your TV tells you, we didn’t create ourselves, we don’t make the rules, we don’t get to shape right and wrong to our own tastes and comfort. Rather, we are called to follow the King, to be conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus, and Him Crucified.

If we follow the king, what are we to expect?  Will everything be easy and sweet?  That is NOT the Gospel.  We face ignominy and defeat in big and small ways, but we know that our King conquered sin and death, and that He will conquer sin and death in us if we but open the door.  In Christ we are victorious, but it is a victory that comes as we struggle through suffering, pain, and confusion.

For the Church, the year ends this week, and next week we will make a new beginning, begin a new waiting, a new preparation. For now, though, let us honor and glorify Jesus, Lord of Heaven and Earth, Lord of our Lives.  May we honor Him by truly living as His disciples.  May we receive today the King’s Body and Blood with open hearts.

A great retreat, in pictures, and How to Be Humble!

We had an AMAZING Catholic Campus Ministry Retreat this weekend at BayCliff.  Our first retreat at that beautiful place, 66 college students from NMU, MTU, LSSU, and for the first time, Bay College.  Our retreat director was Fr. Eric Weber, a priest of the Diocese of Lansing who teaches at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in  Detroit.  He gave us 5 amazing talks, and a great closing homily. We had confessions, Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and plenty of social time.  The Lord was VERY generous this weekend!

Bishop Sample came to celebrate Mass and meet with the students on Saturday afternoon. We took a great group picture:

The whole kit and kaboodle: Bishop Sample, 4 priests, 3 campus ministers, 66 college students! AWESOME!

All the pictures I took are up here on Facebook: Pictures of Retreat.  You don't need an account to view them.

I poached some good material from Fr. Eric from his talk on humility for my homily this evening.  I hope you might find it helpful as I did:

How to be Humble

Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Why is the Pharisee left unjustified? Is God so mad at him because he’s a hypocrite? We hear over and over again in the Scriptures that judgment is real. There are eternal consequences to our decisions hear on earth. It is possible to be damned. What about God’s love and mercy? If God loves us so much, how could He judge us or punish us?

We had a wonderful campus ministry retreat this weekend up at BayCliff in Big Bay, 66 students from NMU, MTU, LSSU, and Bay College. The biggest fall retreat every! Our retreat was led by Fr. Eric Weber, a young priest who teaches at the seminary in Detroit. One of his 5 talks was dedicated to humility, and I’m going to rely this evening on his talk, which really struck me to the heart.

The Pharisee is left in his sin, despite his visit to the temple. This is not because God is vengeful or capricious. It is the consequence of the Pharisee’s attitude. If we approach life as he does, the result of our decision will be deep pain and suffering on our part. We will not be healed. If we look around at the weakness of others, and count ourselves content as long as we can see somebody who’s messing up their life more than us, we will not experience happiness or joy or peace. We will be left out of right relationship not only with God, but also with all those around us. Essentially, as the Lord of Heaven and Earth sustains us in being out of love, as He offers us grace and joy and peace, as He offers us even His own Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity…. as we are offered everything, our hands will be clenched tight, our hearts and lives will be hunched in on themselves, our eyes will be too busy looking around to catch someone making a mistake to see the Lord RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!


So, how do we open ourselves up to the gift that God wants to give us? Humility. We must approach the Lord as the tax collector did, or the publican. Let’s be clear – the publican took out tax-contracts from the Romans, and any extra he could squeeze out of the poor was his to keep. Think Sheriff of Nottingham or a gang collecting “protection money” rather than IRS. The Pharisee is not inaccurate in judging the tax-collector. This man, who has very likely done a great deal of wrong, approaches the Lord in humility, deeply aware of his need for repentance and healing, and Jesus tells us his prayer is heard.

So, how do we attain humility? It is NOT a matter of running ourselves down or thinking poorly of ourselves. Here’s a definition of humility: the virtue (or habit) by which one attributes to God all the good one possesses. And this attribution is not a fiction – it’s true. What do we have that we have not been given by God? Even the fruit of our hard work and labor is also the fruit of the life and gifts that God has given us. Each moment, each breath is a gift. We are sustained in existence by the unwavering and faithful love of the Father. If we come to grips with reality, we will begin to enter into humility. To be humble is not to be a doormat, not to have low self-esteem. To be humble is to see what is, to recognize all as gift. The humble man, the humble woman, can then boldly and courageously give all.

Fr. Eric gave us 5 ways to cultivate humility – I hope you find them helpful as I have. First: We’re all airheads! We constantly blunder around making mistakes. I got up early Monday, said my prayers, and since I had 45 minutes until Mass, I decided to give myself a haircut. I haven't paid for one since 1997!  But, after cutting a patch of longer hair off the front of my head, the trimmer stopped working! After disassembling and reassembling it 3 times with my pocket knife, I finally got it going, with 12 minutes to go before morning Mass.  Yikes!  Why would God entrust us with anything? And, yet, He has!  

Second, Ask God for help in prayer. As we ask for help, we’re reminded that we need God. One simple lesson: There is a God, you’re not Him! As we step into the light of God’s love, He will show us our weakness little by little so that we can seek healing. He doesn’t crush us by showing it to us all at once! Windshield example.  

Third: The Sacrament of Reconciliation This is an opportunity of great beauty and grace, and it is humbling. Mysteriously, Jesus entrusted the power to forgive sins to the Church, to the priests. When I think about my own weakness, this is pretty astounding! And yet, I have seen over and over again, even in just 14 months of priesthood, how the Lord can work powerfully even through me. We bring the Lord garbage, and He gives us healing and beauty in return! If you haven’t been to confession in a while, get into the box! Mercy and healing await, and humility.  

Fourth: Thankfulness. We can approach life in two ways: I’m constantly getting ripped off, it’s not fair. Or – Everything I’ve got is undeserved, it is all gift. This second option has the great benefit of being true! And, so, we give thanks. If you find yourself slipping into bitterness, into judgment, into envy or jealousy: STOP, start giving thanks for what the Lord has given you. Build, then, thankfulness into your daily schedule.  

Finally, fifth, Christian Service. We serve others for a different reason than the world. It’s not essentially to do something good, or to make a better world, although those are good reasons. It’s to serve Jesus Christ. In Matthew chapter 25 we’re told that we will be judged on how we treat the least among us. Whether this is someone homeless, or someone awkward, or someone lonely, whoever this is, our service to them is our service to Christ. Fr. Eric tells of a poster he saw at a house of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa’s order: JOY – Jesus, others, you. If we order our concerns in this way, we will experience the true joy of self-gift in Christ.

So: Remember that we’re airheads, ask God for help in prayer, seek forgiveness through Confession, be Thankful, and serve Christ in others. This will build in your heart the virtue of humility, and open your life to the Lord’s grace, guidance, and beauty.

Paul speaks the words from our 2nd reading, “Beloved: I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on 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.” He speaks not out of pride, but out of wonder at what God has done in His life. May we bring that same gratitude and wonder, that same confidence in the Lord’s mercy to the altar this evening and receive from this altar infinite light and strength.

The Leaf Homily...

Homily for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

            It has been gray outside, a day seemingly threatening to rain at each moment –  a day of wind and even storms.  This is where our prophet Habakkuk in the first reading is speaking from – a time of storms.  In his case, it was much more dire than a bit of wind and rain.  “I cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not intervene.  Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery?”  Attack upon Israel seems imminent, and help from God is not evident.  Habakkuk is crying out to God – have you ever felt this way?  “God, where are you in the midst of this struggle?”

            Today we celebrate Respect Life Sunday, and as we look around our world, we see many attacks on human life and dignity.  The unborn are not safe in the womb; the elderly are sometimes abandoned and threatened.  Human life is produced, manipulated, and often destroyed in laboratories, all in the name of science.  The life of the family seems more and more up for grabs.  War and violence rage in many places.  In a difficult economy, some individuals and families see real hardship knocking at their door.  The dignity and sacredness of the human person is cheapened and degraded from many directions.  Often, the very pace of life seems to be threatening even individuals and families that are prospering materially.

            Where is God in the midst of this?  Do your hearts at times cry out?  Does God respond?  What answer does He give to us as we seek His face in the midst of many threats?  Immediately before today’s gospel passage, the apostles were challenged to forgive, even 7 times a day.  In the face of such a challenge, the apostles cry out to Jesus, “Increase our faith.”  How often must we cry out to God as they did – God, in the face of such challenges, increase our faith!

            Where does God respond?  There are many answers to this, but I would like to highlight one.  The Lord responds with beauty.  The moral law, God’s very creation, speaks to us in beauty.  Last night I was up at St. Albert the Great University Parish at Michigan Tech to speak to their college students there.  As I drove home this morning, along Keweenaw Bay, the trees were on fire. Some rain had just blown through, and the sun was shining through the many-layered clouds.   The stretch along the shore there is always dangerous driving for me because the view is so beautiful!  The heights of the Huron Mountains and Mount Arvon constantly draw my eyes away from the road!  It was certainly so this morning.  In places, the sun shone down and set the leaves on fire.  In other places the low clouds caught the reflected light off the leaves and were red and orange.  My heart sang with praise and thanksgiving.

            God’s response to brokenness and storms is often to be found in beauty.  Goodness, beauty, and truth are mutually implicative.  They go together, they suggest and lead to each other.  The beauty of a kind act, the beauty of creation, the joy of discovering the truth about God’s love for us, the love He has placed in us – these things call to us, draw us, and guide us through the storms of life.  The beauty in the natural world can be a spark, an invitation, for our lives also to be beautiful.

            In the midst of many attacks on the sanctity of life and the dignity of the human person, one fruitful response is to seek to lead lives of beauty.  Each act of kindness, each authentic gift of our self is a spark of beauty, a small flame of love.  The beauty of which I speak has very little to do with outward appearance, and everything to do with the movements of the heart, the mind, and the will towards God. God whispers to us in silence, draws us gently into the fire of His love.  He doesn’t want us to be self-righteous, waiting for our reward when we obey His voice, but rather to recognize that we are created to serve and give and love.  The Lord’s work is often hidden, and often seems to be lagging behind.  But listen to His words to Habakkuk: “For the vision still has its time, presses on to its fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.

            To commit small acts of beauty is to build a culture of life, where each human person is respected and cherished.  This is necessarily a culture also of truth, where the moral law, as discovered by our reason and as revealed by God, the whole challenging and beautiful moral law taught by God’s Church, is respected and followed.    

            Listen now to Paul’s words to Timothy, “Beloved, I remind you, to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.  For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.”  Timothy had been ordained a bishop – most of us here have been baptized and confirmed.  We are invited not to a spirit of cowardice, not to be accomplices of the culture of death, but rather to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, to exercise self-control, and so to love. 

Each one of us is given this spark of fire and grace.  At each Eucharist, we receive again Christ Himself, who longs to set fire to the world, to fan into flame love and beauty in our hearts and lives, in our families and community.  May we allow Christ’s beauty set our hearts and lives on fire. 

The view NE from Hogsback this Saturday afternoon.  Deo gratias!

The Fish Homily...

As implausible as it may seem, someone wondered if they could get the text of my fish homily. So, since I normally post them on my Facebook page anyways, I figured I'd put up some homilies here as well.  I don't think they're going to get any better the second time!

Homily for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

            I think if we’re willing to hear the Word today, this Gospel will strike us close to home.  The rich man in the parable isn’t named, but traditionally he’s called “Dives,” which is Latin for “rich.”  What is Dives’ problem?  He has so many good things, and he ends up in torment, in flames.

The pike in question...

            These past days that I’ve been away, I had the privilege to go on a canoe trip with my dad, my Uncle Tim, and 3 other guys on a canoe trip in the Quetico, the park in Canada just north of the Boundary Waters.  We traveled about 150 miles in 11 days, paddling, portaging, cooking over an open fire. It was a beautiful trip, especially to be able to share it with my dad and my uncle.  One of the guys, Scott, was a pretty accomplished fisherman, and along with my dad and one other guy, kept us supplied with fresh northern pike.  One of the first pike Scott caught was about 25”.  To our surprise, when he gutted it, he noticed the stomach was very full.  He opened the stomach, and found inside an entire, intact, red squirrel!  The pike had swallowed whole a squirrel about a third as long as he was!  Not only that, but while full of this squirrel, he had still struck at the lure afterwards!  I suspect you see the connection.  Having bitten off more than he could chew, he kept grabbing for more, which ended him up in our frying pan!

            In our first reading, the Prophet Amos speaks of the rich and complacent, stretched comfortably on their couches.  “Improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniment.”  Do we see the spiritual danger that wealth and comfort so easily present?  We become content with ourselves, with our comfort, with our possessions. We devise our own accompaniment; we make our own plans.  Our hearts draw back from God’s mysterious plans, and we chart our own course.  Paradoxically, at the same time, we desire more.  We want more comfort, a bigger house, more and bigger cars.  Closer to my own heart, we begin to imagine a fleet of fine canoes, a nice over/under 20 gauge shotgun, or a pack of purebred beagles.  Each of these things is good in and of itself.  God created the material world and called it good.  Then He created us, and called it VERY GOOD.   In particular, it is a good and noble thing for parents to provide for their families, for their children. BUT, so easily, wants become non-negotiable needs, and soon our possessions own us.

            I presume that you have been warned before of the dangers of wealth, comfort.  I imagine that this is not the first time you have wondered if perhaps you have allowed what you have to have you.  There is a broader message here – we are called to freedom.  The Gospel calls us to have pure, undivided hearts, and it calls us to true and authentic freedom, which is always found in the complete and pure and entire gift of self, the laying down of our lives in love.  This is why wealth and comfort can be dangerous – they draw us from freedom into slavery.

            Freedom is a tricky category in the United States of America, it is bound up in our national history – the Land of the Free, Liberty, and Justice for all!  Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.  Unfortunately, in recent generations, Freedom has often been stripped of its full meaning and become simply the absence of restraint.  When someone says, “hey, it’s a free country,” they’re not normally defending virtue!  Liberty has often become libertinism.  Freedom is not merely the absence of constraint, the absence of coercion.  In fact, oftentimes those who have lived the most freely have been prisoners, martyrs, beggars.  Freedom always has a direction, towards God, towards the good, the true, and the beautiful.  Whenever we chose away from God, we do not exercise our freedom, we abuse and degrade our freedom.

            This is where having good things becomes dangerous.  The more we have, sometimes, the more we want, and the harder it is to give what we have and what we are.  Dives could EASILY have spared Lazarus food and clothing, even friendship.  But, he grasped what he had, he took it for himself.  He was a man of means, but he was a slave to them.  The means he had became an end in themselves, rather than a means for doing good, for loving, for being free.

            Listen to Paul’s worlds in our 2^nd reading, words originally written to Timothy, a young bishop: “But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.  Compete well for the faith.  Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.”  May each of us hear these words addressed to us personally: People of St. Michael’s Parish, People of Marquette, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith.  Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called in the noble confession of baptism and confirmation.

            This is the path to true freedom! This is the path to eternal life, this is the path where we will be filled by grace and light, buoyed up by the Lord’s presence and guidance.  This is the path where we will won’t imitate that pike, this is the path whereby we avoid ending up in someone’s frying pan!

Little Dresses for Libby, pictures are now up, and the Canoe Trip

This is sort of a grab-bag post.  It's been too long, I'll try to post more frequently!

For now, some pictures.  My little sister Libby has been sending me pictures of all the students who have received dresses, pants, and school assistance through the generosity of St. Michael Parish.  The Christian Service & Evangelization Committee has coordinated this good work, especially the work of lots of volunteer seamstresses!  Here is one of the little girls who received some support:

Paola Mendez, age 6, preschool

So, more pictures are up with captions here and here.

Clink on those links and check out the pictures!  You can see the faces of a bunch of folks whose burden has been made a little bit lighter.  Along with the clothing, each child received some help for school, mostly notebooks.  The high schoolers in the second group of pictures received cash support to help pay for their school costs. 

I've also posted some pictures from my recent canoe trip here.  It was a beautiful with my dad, my Uncle Tim, and 3 of their buddies.  Here's the picture of the pike Scott caught with the red squirrel in his belly.  I wasn't joking, as some people thought:

A northern pike which swallowed a red squirrel whole!

 I know it's kind of a gross picture, but a lot of people were curious!

So, it is a busy time here at St. Michael's, with parish activities, the Catholic School, Kids Being Catholic, and Campus Ministry all in full swing!  If you were able to come to the Ministry Fair last weekend, you get some sense of all that good things that are happening here!

Finally, today is our patronal feast, the Feast of the Holy Archangels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael.  May St. Michael continue to intercede for us and protect us as we seek each day to follow the Lord more closely.

 Here are some varying images of St. Michael. He is cited in the Book of Revelation as being the one who did direct combat with Satan, casting him out of heaven:


Rv 12:7-12ab
War broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night. They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death. Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them."

This is one of the two options for the first reading for today's Mass.

I'll close with the Prayer of St. Michael the Archangel:

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.


God Bless, Fr. Ben

Baraga March 2010

The Baraga March 2010 riders on day one!

 Praise God, Baraga March 2010 was AWESOME!  We had beautiful weather, and despite a few mechanical problems, it went very smoothly!  Oh, and I got us lost between Little Lake and KI Sawyer for about an hour this morning... we'll call that a learning experience! 19 riders on Wednesday, then 11 on  Thursday, and 10 this morning!  It was great to see so many people get involved!  Hans and Matt brought a great crew from Escanaba on Wednesday,and Christy brought a the Scouts of Troop 473 in Flat Rock, along with Casey from Troop 302.  A big thanks to EVERYONE who made this years Baraga March possible!

I'll tell you more soon, but here's a link to the PICTURES!

God Bless,
Fr. Ben

More pictures from El Salvador, and some pictures from our New Parishoner Welcome Picnic!

I don't have time to write much, but here's some links to pictures from  El Salvador, the second half of my Central American journey, as well as from our New Parishioner Welcome Picnic.  I was VERY happy with the great turn-out on a busy summer evening.

Libby and I cross machetes at the weekly cattle fair.

El Salvador 2010

Merry-go-round Ministry

Pictures of New Parishioner Welcome Picnic


I hope you enjoy the pictures!

God Bless,

Fr. Ben

Greetings from Central America!

It has been a good first week here in Nicaragua, very early tomorrow I head to El Salvador with my sister Libby, and her friend and fellow Peace Corps Volunteer, Adam.

Some pictures are up at Facebook... you don´t need an account to view them with this link!

Here also are pictures of the students in Libby´s village who received scholarships via St. Michael´s Christian Service Committee.  The days are just packed, so Libby will distribute the dresses when she gets back in early August.

We had Mass three successive days in Libby´s village at three chapels: San Francisco, Cristo Rey, and Nuestra Señora de Perpetua Socorro.  Each day I heard 2-3 hours of confessions  before Mass! Many graces, but exhausting.  We went to visit the sick, too.

We went to a wedding for her fellow volunteer, Molly, and we went to see a big canyon today!

See you back at St. Michael´s in a week!

God Bless,
Fr. Ben Hasse

Central America, here I come!

This coming Monday, I'll be headed south for a visit to Central America.  I'll go to Nicaragua, where my youngest sister Libby is serving in the Peace Corps, with an abundant supply of little dresses and britches made by folks here at St. Michael Parish, with the coordination and leadership of the Christian  Service Committee!

After a week in Nicaragua, Libby and I will travel through Honduras to El Salvador, where I served in the Peace Corps from 2001 - 2004.  We'll spend most of our time in Canton San Luis, Nueva Guadalupe, in the deparment of San Miguel.  It will be VERY good to see my friends there.

To give you a little taste of what I'll be doing and seeing, here are links to pictures from my trip down there last  year immediately after my ordination:

Pictures on Facebook (no need to have an account there)

Pictures on Picasaweb: El Salvador

Pictures on Picasaweb: Nicaragua 

I hope to share pictures of this years trip when I return!

God Bless,
Fr. Ben

One year a priest...

J.M.J.

June 5th, 2010

Memorial of St. Boniface

In just an hour or so, I will have been a priest for one full year!  Deo gratias!

It's hard to believe a year has gone by, it's hard to imagine not being a priest, not celebrating the Eucharist, not hearing confessions, not being for all the people I serve.  My life has been full and blessed in many ways leading to this past year, but I have a sense of it all flowing into and for this purpose, to be a priest of Jesus Christ and to serve His Bride, the Church.

I spent the last three days with 27 eighth-graders and their teachers and some of their parents on the Class Trip!  Great America, Chicago: Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, Boat Tour, Pizza, musical, tour of Mundelein Seminary with Mass there, then shopping at Fox Valley Mall (the last being my least favorite!  Not a single bookstore in that whole mall anymore!  At least there's a sporting-goods store!).  It was a wonderful exhausting trip and a deep draught of spiritual fatherhood...

It has been a year truly full of blessings, not least among them being here at St. Michael Parish and Catholic Campus Ministry and having Fr. Larry as my pastor and mentor and friend.  Truly, it is good that we are here!  It is a further blessing to be back in the UP, to be close to my parents and friends.

So, at this moment, my heart is full of gratitude and joy!  There are MANY challenges ahead, I am VERY conscious of just beginning to learn what it means to be a priest, but I am also filled with confidence in the Lord Jesus who calls us into union with the Trinity, who empowers us with His Holy Spirit, who draws deeper into the fire of love.  In God, ALL things are possible!

St. Boniface, bishop and martyr, pray for us!

Blessed Mother, draw us into your Immaculate Heart and closer to the Sacred Heart of your Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.