This weekend we end our year-long, Sunday-by-Sunday hearing of Luke’s Gospel.  Most solemnities in our liturgical calendar are focused on biblical events.  In contrast, “Christ the King” is focused on an idea.  The celebration was founded as a reaction to global political upheaval in the 20th century, as a reminder that Christ calls us beyond all earthly rule to a higher allegiance that transcends national boundaries and makes war a sacrilege against Christ’s body.  Today, as at its inception, war and terrorism torment many areas of the world; the Middle East, parts of Africa and Latin America.  Let us not forget to pray for nations taken up by war, as well as for the victims of acts of terror and violence.

Luke , evangelist and artist, chooses the Cross as the setting for Jesus’ “royal portrait.”  Enthroned, the dying Jesus welcomes by “executive pardon” his kingdom’s first citizen, fittingly, a fellow criminal.  Remember that Luke’s Gospel throughout this liturgical year has celebrated outsiders welcomed in, the lost found, the strayed carried home, the estranged reconciled.

Today, we end the Year of Faith, called by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in October of last year (2012), with the celebration of Christ as the Universal King.  Luke has called us to examine our lives to determine whether we are living as true disciples and inviting others to become disciples or more committed ones.  We’ve heard about the brevity of life, about the need for discipline and humility, and also for hospitality and enterprise.  Almost all of our values have been called into question.  Wealth and power can ruin our chances for entering the kingdom.  So can indecisiveness.  Also at the forefront of Luke’s Gospel are the need for prayer and the power of the Spirit.  This is a Gospel that begins with shepherds receiving the good news directly from heaven.  It ends with a thief being welcomed into paradise – a word that even for non-believers evokes peace and plenty, reconciliation and rejuvenation, consolation and contentment, creation in harmony with itself, its fellow creatures, its creator.  Such will be our world if all of humanity makes Jesus the king of their lives; if all cultures and civilizations enthrone Jesus as their king.  Let us make Christ our Universal King!

Fr. Gabriel Wankar
Priest in Residence

For six centuries, the Jews had suffered under one kingdom after another: the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans.  They kept hoping in the liberation that God would bring them.  John the Baptist announced the imminence of this liberation.  Jesus, like John, proclaimed the kingdom was very near, and that sinners must change their ways.  And as Jesus proclaimed the kingdom, a question that came up frequently was “when is it going to happen?”

Jesus made it very clear that no one could predict the coming of the kingdom.  Yet in every age, Christians have come up with predictions that pinpoint the exact time.  Some of you may remember a recent book by Hal Lindsay: The Late Great Planet Earth.  Every one of these predictions have one thing in common: they’ve all been mistaken.  We hear in today’s second reading that many of the Thessalonians expected Jesus to return almost immediately.  So they gave up their jobs and sort of waited around for him.  St. Paul told them to go back to work. Jesus also said no one will know when it will be, but it will come suddenly.  And so we should always be ready.

Speaking as a prophet, Jesus foretells the pains that would precede the birth of the kingdom.  The temple would be destroyed and catastrophic events such as wars and natural disasters will come and go, but the end is not yet.  First the disciples would suffer for being Jesus’ disciples, just as Jesus would have to suffer.  The powers of evil will not give up without a fight; but the powers of evil will not frustrate God’s plan of salvation.  For those faithful to God, not a hair on their head would be destroyed.

Until Jesus comes again, we prepare for that day by gathering together in faith, by listening to his words, and by being nourished by his own Body and Blood.  Sometimes life is a joy; sometimes it is a great struggle.  In the process, God is making something new.  So, instead of making calculations about when the world will end, Jesus invites us to live the kingdom of God here and now – to live and let live!  For the kingdom is already in our midst: in our offices, in our shopping malls, on our roads, in our neighborhoods, in government policies, in those around us, in the choices we make and style of life, in our hearts.  It is here and now!

Fr. Gabriel Wankar
Priest in Residence

Fellow believers in Christ, we are entering into the final weeks of Ordinary Time, and the focus of our readings now shifts to the end times.  Remember the month of November is dedicated to special prayers for our dear ones who have passed away.  By way of novenas, recitation of the rosary as well as Mass intentions, we are encouraged to pray for the remission of sins and their admittance into heaven.  Our readings today particularly echo belief in the life of the world to come, as we hear stories about people at the very end of their earthly lives.

Refusing to violate Israel’s covenant, the heroic mother and sons in Maccabees embrace death with hope in a future resurrection to life.  For Jesus, too, “those deemed worthy to attain to the coming age” will experience “the resurrection of the dead,” and live as “children of God who no longer can die.”  Our future is a life completely new, in which we and all those gone before us will be forever alive to God, who “is not God of the dead, but of the living.”

This future bids us to evaluate our own corner of the planet – hearts, homes, communities – for signs that we truly believe “in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.”  Respect for ourselves and others, souls and bodies, practical care for neighbors and strangers – this kind of witness affirms that we view our present in the light of our future, and believe that even now, in our midst, stands the Lord of life, the living Jesus!

At this time of the year, as nature begins to shut down for a few months, the Church is reminding us of the temporary nature of all things and of our own mortality.  Our Gospel reminds us of the hope we have, that God is not only the God of the living, but also the God who continues to create.  Through His Son, He is creating a new world; He is calling us to a new life.  And our admittance to that new life depends on the choices that we make, like the Maccabee brothers did.  Whether we choose to accumulate; whether we choose a culture of death against the culture of life; whether we choose to live as though reality begins and ends with us – all has implications for our inheritance of life in the world to come.

Fr. Gabriel Wankar
Priest in Residence

Today’s first reading is a prayer to the Lord who will “spare all things, because they are yours, O Lord and lover of souls.”  In the Gospel story of Zacchaeus, Jesus proclaims that “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”  The invitation for us is to reflect on the ways in which, as individuals and families, we have been spared and saved by the Lord.

Zacchaeus’ small stature matched the low social and spiritual esteem in which he was held.  Employed as chief tax collector by the Gentile occupiers, wealthy by reason of collaboration and corruption, Zacchaeus was beneath Israel’s contempt and beyond the covenant’s redemption.  Thus Jesus’ personal encounter with him features all of Luke’s favorite themes: radical sin meeting unmerited grace; God pro-actively seeking the lost and graciously inviting sinners to a feast of forgiveness; sinners “outside the law” ironically proving to be more open to God than the self-styled righteous; the “righteous” grumbling rather than rejoicing at the mystery of God’s forgiving mercy.

Thus, as the liturgical year ends, Luke brings us full circle: the child for whom there was no room in Bethlehem’s inn finds welcome in the home of a man for whom there was no room in Israel’s covenant.  Jesus’ coming bears fruit. Zacchaeus “converts,” making good (“four times over”) on past failures.  Jesus reciprocates Zacchaeus’ hospitality.  “Today,” the angels told the shepherds, “a Savior has been born for you.”  “Today,” Jesus proclaimed at Nazareth, “this scripture is fulfilled.”  “Today,” Jesus declares to Zacchaeus, “salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.”  “Today,” Jesus later promises the Good Thief, “you will be with me in Paradise.”

Our society today thrives on the values of an economy where the wealth of a few is made at the expense, death and sufferings of others like Zacchaeus.  But this man repents, and Jesus proclaims salvation for him.  As we draw close to the end of our liturgical year, it is pertinent for us to ask ourselves as individuals and groups, what wrongs must we right, what repayments do we make to others, before we can welcome Jesus worthily and well to the home of our hearts?

For us sinners, small of spirit and unable to see Jesus – yet sought by him and called by name – what comfort to welcome him, only to find that it is he who welcomes us!

Fr. Gabriel Wankar
Priest in Residence

On Nov. 1, the Feast of All Saints raises up before our eyes not just the canonized saints recognized in the Church, but all those other holy ones whose lives were dedicated to God and the people.

On Nov. 2, All Souls Day, we can look at this day with the perspective that everything is passing away and with the perspective of eternal life.  There is pain and nostalgia for those who have passed away.  We commemorate our parents, sisters and brothers, friends and those who are known and unknown to us.  Every year the list of the people becomes longer.  The second perspective is eternal.  The author of The Book of Wisdom gives us hope:

 “The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.  They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction.  But they are in peace.”

Remember to pray for those who have passed away.  We can obtain an indulgence, which is “the remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned.” (Enchiridion of Indulgences).  Christians should do the work of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the “old man” and to put on the “new man.” (Catechism 1472, 1473)

Three conditions must accompany the prescribed act to attain a plenary indulgence:

1. The sacrament of confession (either eight days before or after the pious act is performed)
2. Holy Communion (on that day)
3. Prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father (one Our Father and one Hail Mary is the minimum, but any other additional prayers may be added).

Every attachment to sin, even venial sin, must be absent. If one’s disposition is less than perfect or if some of the above conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence becomes partial.

One must also remember that one can acquire one plenary indulgence a day.

Indulgenced Acts for the Poor Souls

Visiting a cemetery each day between Nov. 1 and Nov. 8.  One can gain a plenary indulgence. These indulgences are applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory.

A partial indulgence can be obtained by devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed, even if the prayer is only mental.

Visit a church or a public oratory on Nov. 2.   A plenary indulgence is applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory. In visiting the church or oratory, it is required, that one Our Father and the Creed be recited.

Fr. Rafal Duda

Parochial Vicar

When a child asks his or her mother for something, if it is good, for the benefit of her child, he or she receives it.  The situation is different when the child wants something immediately.  What happens when the child, with stamping feet, says: “I want it now!  I want it now, it is owed to me, everyone has one so I deserve one too.”  What about us?  Sometimes we have a “We want it now” attitude.  Why do we want something now, and why do we ask for it?  When we pray, we should be patient and ask for what is good for us in order have everlasting life.

First, have perseverance.  We are willing to invest the time for prayer.  We can be impatient like a child, for example, watching TV, surfing channels like a tsunami wave, and if there isn’t anything interesting, we move on quickly.  The same is true with prayer.  Perseverance is the key here.  Of course, sometimes it can be difficult for the people with some kind of temperament.  Sometimes people pray “thousands” of prayers so fast in order to finish them all, like speeding on highway, even not understanding what they are saying.  Saying one or two prayers less and meditating on it would be more beneficial.

Second, when we pray we receive what is good for us.  How often do I pray for things that help me in my salvation?  God gives us what is beneficial to us.  He takes care of us like a loving parent.   God preserves his children unharmed.  Yes, we are God’s children, and our Father loves us and longs to give what is good for us.  God isn’t an instrument to be used during our prayer.  We ask God, and He knows what we need before we ask him, but he respects our freedom.  The Father loves us so much that he has given us his only Son that we may have eternal life.  We praise God and remember his love for us as we sing the psalm, “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

My dear friends, it is important to ask the Holy Spirit to help us in prayer.  Let us pray to our loving Father that we won’t be discouraged when we pray.
Amen.

Fr. Rafal Duda
Parochial Vicar

The Church’s teaching distinguishes between “public Revelation” and “private revelations.”  In Jesus Christ, God has revealed himself completely.  God made himself known to people step by step.  He became man himself, through his Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ.  Public Revelation was finished in the New Testament.  Although public Revelation is already complete, it has not been made fully explicit.  The Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church into all truth.

All the visions and revelations that have taken place since the completion of the New Testament are called “private revelations.”  Those that have been recognized by the authority of the Church are very important, because they can help us understand the Gospel and live it better in our times.  They help us understand the signs of the times and respond to them rightly in faith.  There are private revelations like Our Lady of Guadalupe, Fatima, Lourdes, La Salette and others.

On the 13th of this month, we remember Fatima – the place from which Mary chose to speak to us.  The Virgin Mary appeared to three simple shepherd children with an urgent message calling for conversion and repentance.  The message of Fatima invites us to trust in God’s promise and in his love.

During the apparition of Oct. 13, 1917, Mary, the Lady of the Rosary, asked that a chapel be built in her honor and that the Rosary be recited every day.  She said the war would end soon, and the soldiers would return to their homes.  The children brought many petitions, and Mary said, “Some I shall grant, and others I must deny.  People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins.  They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too much offended!”

Today’s first reading is about the healing of Naaman, the commander of the army who suffered from leprosy.  Because of his greatness, he was a very proud man.  Before Naaman was healed, he had to humble himself.  So we are to humble ourselves in our relationship with God.

Fr. Rafal Duda
ParochialVicar

What strikes me when I listen to some news on TV (and I still can’t believe what I hear; simple nonsense and discredit) is that some lobbyists and groups falsely and impertinently accuse people of various types of discrimination.  If you say the truth, they call it discrimination!  Saying the truth becomes controversial.  The worst is that they not only say it, but want to force all the people of the world to act immorally and in error.  Immoral acts, in their eyes, become moral; errors, in their eyes, become the truth.  The truth does not become false only because some people think and believe it to be so.  Many people become silent and do nothing, which makes the others, like the lobbyists and other groups, think and believe that they are right.  Who is discriminating against whom?  Pope Emeritus Benedict VI reminds us that finding authentic love requires a compass of objective Truth.

We the people of this country trust in God.  This is our motto.  We live faith, and we are a witness for our age.

“How long, O Lord?  I cry for help but you do not listen!  I cry out to you,  ‘Violence!’ but you do not intervene.” (Hb 1:2-3)

I encourage you to read, if you haven’t already done so, Credo for Today: What Christians Believe.  In the book, Benedict XVI says that God gives Himself abundantly out of love, even to the point of suffering with us in order to redeem us and make us realize that the mystery of relationships can never be defeated, even in the midst of suffering.  In the reality of the cross, what is evil is taken by God and given back as love redoubled.

God is not a spectator at the tragedy.  In the mystery of suffering, we are not to see the absence of God, for God Himself is present in the very depths of suffering.

Christians are called to embrace the cross, to embrace suffering.  Given the horrors of our times, people are asking, “Where is God in all of this?”  The cross is a reminder that our God is a God who suffers with us.  Hell means total absence of relationship with God.  What does it mean that Jesus descended into hell?  It means that even in that place where God is not supposed to be, God reaches us.  There’s no place where God is forsaken or absent.  If someone experiences the most radical atheism, she/he still experiences the presence of God

Fr. Rafal Duda
Parochial Vicar

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I would like to invite you to meditate on today’s Gospel about the rich man and poor Lazarus. What spiritual lessons can we learn from this parable?

Look at each main character in the parable: On the one hand, the rich man had everything that a man could desire on this earth and he set his heart on this wealth, to such a degree that he excluded all thought of God or of what followed after death.  It was not that he was ignorant of God or of a future – he admits that he had Moses and the prophets – but he paid no heed to them.  He was too busy trying to squeeze the last ounce of pleasure out of his few years on earth.  On the other hand, we have a beggar, a man not only in dire destitution, but suffering bodily pains as well.  He bore his lot patiently.  He was quite content to get the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.  He must have been disappointed that this rich man never thought of giving him a helping hand, but there is no mention of his ever criticizing or blaming him.  He left these things to God.

Both men eventually die.  The beggar goes straight to heaven to a state of endless happiness.  His bodily sufferings have ended forever, and he will never be in want again.  The rich man fares very differently.  His enjoyments are over forever.  He is now in torment and is told that he can expect no relief.  They will have no end.  Abraham tells him why he is in his present state: he abused his time on earth.  He sees the truth of this.  He knows that he has no one to blame but himself, which must add greatly to his torments.  It is also a cause of additional grief to him that his bad example might lead his brothers to a similar fate.

Thus, the ultimate lesson that we should learn is the lesson of doing charity.  We must acknowledge what we have in this life and give God thanks and praise for it.  Then we should learn how to share whatever we have with the needy and the poor.  The biggest sins are not the sins that we have committed but rather the good that we fail to do for others.  It seems that the rich man did not commit any sins except the sin of ignoring poor Lazarus at his own gate.

We should commit ourselves to listen to Jesus and His word.  Our responsibility is to share and to give because whatever we give away now, we will gain later – not only a hundred fold but most importantly in eternal life.  May God teach us how to put our faith into action.

With love,

Fr. Thuong Hoai Nguyen