Corpus Christi Blog

Whoever I may be, Lord, I lie exposed to your scrutiny.

Lord, you know me. Let me know you. Let me come to know you even as I am known. You are the strength of my soul; enter it and make it a place suitable for your dwelling, a possession without spot or blemish. This is my hope and the reason I speak. In this hope I rejoice, when I rejoice rightly. As for the other things of this life, the less they deserve tears, the more likely will they be lamented; and the more they deserve tears, the less likely will men sorrow for them. For behold, you have loved the truth, because the one who does what is true enters into the light. I wish to do this truth before you alone by praising you, and before a multitude of witnesses by writing of you.

The readings which the Church gives us this weekend is about salvation- who is it for and how can one attain it.  Unfortunately, salvation is not a topic many people think about.  Some people don’t really care what happens to them after death, some don’t believe heaven exists, and even more scary is many others don’t think hell exists.  Some reason that if God is a loving and merciful God they he won’t let anyone be damned in hell.  Have you thought about salvation?  Have you thought about the criteria needed to be saved and spend eternity with God?  When some people think about the criteria to go to heaven, they think about being nice or good enough.  They assume they will be saved if they are good enough, or as long as they love more people than they hate, then they will squeeze through the pearly gates.  Instead of assuming we know the answers to these most important questions, let us look at what Jesus says.  And to answer those questions about who salvation is for and the criteria, I have some good news, and some bad news.

All priests are expected to pray the Liturgy of the Hours every day. The Church also encourages the faithful to participate in this form of prayer (the free app ibreviary makes it very convenient). On August 8 , the feast of St. Dominic, I was inspired by the second reading in the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours. St. Dominic, you may recall, was the founder of the Order of Preachers and has been called the great evangelizer (with St. Francis). He essentially went door to door evangelizing and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. He is the one to whom Mary gave the Rosary in order to help him pray along his travels and to teach others to pray and meditate on the life of Christ. The following is an excerpt about St. Dominic from the reading:

Have you been thinking that you want to do more to serve God and His Church, but you don't know what you are supposed to do? Have you wondered how you are called to build the Kingdom of God on earth? Did you want to go to the live Called and Gifted workshop last year but weren't able to make it that weekend?

If you answered, "Yes" to any of these questions, then you are invited to get to know the specific gifts (also known as charisms) that God has given to you specifically at your baptism. Knowing your charisms can help give insight to how God is calling you to serve Him and build His Church. Learning about the charisms has broadened my understanding of myself as a Catholic Christian as well as my appreciation for others and their charisms. This understanding has helped me better appreciate and love God's great design for His Church—how each and every baptized person has a role to play and we (the Church) are missing out if we don't know and use our charisms. The way I see it, as your Pastor, I am to "equip the holy ones (you) for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." Therefore, one of the ways I know how to "equip" you is through Called and Gifted.

From a catechetical instruction by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop (Cat 18:23-25: PG 33, 1043-1047)

The Church is called Catholic, or universal, because it has spread throughout the entire world, from one end of the earth to the other. Again, it is called Catholic because it teaches fully and unfailingly all the doctrines which ought to be brought to men's knowledge, whether concerned with visible or invisible things, with the realities of heaven or the things of earth. Another reason for the name Catholic is that the Church brings under religious obedience all classes of men, rulers and subjects, learned and unlettered. Finally, it deserves the title Catholic because it heals and cures unrestrictedly every type of sin that can be committed in soul or in body, and because it possesses within itself every kind of virtue that can be named, whether exercised in actions or in words or in some kind of spiritual charism.

Today I want to focus on our 2nd reading from Hebrews 11, the great chapter which describes what faith is. The questions I want you to think about are: What exactly is faith? And am I really living my life by faith?

What does it mean to have faith? What would you say faith is?  Probably most would say, to have faith means to believe in God. Good, that’s true. However, the new atheists would call faith a blind superstition, or an ignorant age-old idea or belief which isn’t true today. They would say it is right and good to only believe in something that can be known scientifically, that can be proven.  And so in response those who do have faith, who do believe in a God would say it is just something they believe in, just something they think is true. But faith is much more than just something one thinks is true or believes in.

Our readings today give us a very challenging message, I ask you to take a moment now and ask that the Holy Spirit will open and convict your heart as He desires.

Our Gospel begins, “Someone from the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me’”. So we have 2 people, the person asking from the crowd and the brother. If we reflect though, chances are most of us are like one of these 2 people.

Matthew Camp — Administrative Assistant

For the earlier part of my life I lived in the Northwest, spending a fair bit of time helping out the family farm in Montana. Once I finished homeschooling my way through everything prior to college, I went to Christendom College in Front Royal, VA, which I graduated from in 2013 with a BA in History. After living on the east coast for nearly two-and-a-half years, I returned home to my family in Montana. Shortly after moving home, I got engaged to my wonderful fiancée, Therese, who moved down to Phoenix for her work. Through a process of prayer, discernment, and job hunting, God provided the opportunity for me to join the wonderful staff here at Corpus Christi. I moved down to Phoenix mid-July, following my fiancée, and feel very blessed to be a part of this devout parish. I really enjoy music and have studied piano and singing extensively, and have also learned to play the organ. I look forward to seeing you at Mass and around the parish!

From a letter to Diognetus written in the 2nd century. It was true then. Is it true for you today?

Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.

Today Jesus teaches us how to pray, let us open our hearts to learn how to relate to Our Heavenly Father.  Before I begin my homily, I ask each of you to think how you would describe your earthly father, if you know who he is, and what your relationship with him was or is like.

For some of you your fathers are a generous and loving man who is always there for you and so you probably have a strong relationship with him, maybe even he’s one of your best friends.  Others might say your father was busy at work providing for his family but emotionally not as present, and your relationship with your father is just OK.  Maybe you would say that you know your dad loves you, but he loves you in his own way.  Some dads can be authoritative and intimidating in relation to their children.  Still for others, their father might have been physically or emotionally abusive, he did not show love like he should have because he did not how to love; and so their relationship with their father is distant.

For non-Catholics, one of the strangest aspects of Catholic faith is its doctrine of suffering. It is not strange that Catholics should concern themselves with suffering. Suffering is a universal human problem. Some religious traditions (like Buddhism) are almost wholly concerned with the problem of suffering: how to eliminate it, endure it, or even deny it. But Catholics seem strange because, at times, they embrace it. "I rejoice in my sufferings," says St. Paul. (Colossians 1:24)

My brothers and sisters in Christ, both our 1st reading and our Gospel teaches us how to welcome Christ, how to show hospitality to our Lord.  You are probably familiar with the Gospel story of Martha and Mary.  Martha the server and Mary the prayer.  Jesus says Mary, the prayer, has chosen the better part.  Although this Gospel of Martha and Mary has confused many people, and some, especially women, have defended the actions of Martha, I want to give 3 angles, 3 points from this Gospel, so as to help each one of us learn how to truly welcome our Lord into our hearts and lives and become his disciple.

As we think about the gospel reading today some questions to reflect on are, Who is my neighbor? And 2) What is my reaction to their needs, whether they be physical or spiritual?  Do I respond as the Samaritan did with love and compassion, putting my concerns second to the needs of another? Or do I too often make the choice like the priest and Levite to pass by on the other side and not get involved, saying I am too busy to help or I do not want to be criticized by a friend or colleague?  For example, in my daily life do I stand up for the teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church on social issues such as marriage, homosexuality, abortion or am I content in following the ways of our secular society.

An excerpt from a letter to the Romans by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr

My earthly desires have been crucified.

The delights of this world and all its kingdoms will not profit me. I would prefer to die in Jesus Christ than to rule over all the earth. I seek him who died for us, I desire him who rose for us. I am in the throes of being born again. Bear with me, my brothers; do not keep me from living, do not wish me to die. I desire to belong to God; do not give me over to the world, and do not seduce me with perishable things. Let me see the pure light; when I am there, I shall be truly a man at last. Let me imitate the sufferings of my God. If anyone has God in him, let him understand what I want and have sympathy for me, knowing what drives me on.

An excerpt from Our First, Most Cherished Liberty, a statement on Religious Liberty from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops

In 1634, a mix of Catholic and Protestant settlers arrived at St. Clement's Island in Southern Maryland from England aboard the Ark and the Dove. They had come at the invitation of the Catholic Lord Baltimore, who had been granted Maryland by the Protestant King Charles I of England. While Catholics and Protestants were killing each other in Europe, Lord Baltimore imagined Maryland as a society where people of different faiths could live together peacefully. This vision was soon codified in Maryland's 1649 Act Concerning Religion (also called the "Toleration Act"), which was the first law in our nation's history to protect an individual's right to freedom of conscience.