Marriage of Qhianna Sanchez to Ariel Herrera

Pray For Priestly Vocations During Dark Time in the Church (Homily #144)

"Nine Baptized into the Royal Tribe of Christ" (Homily #143)

(photo by Eliza Grace Perez)

 

We lift up the following newly baptized:

87 Zachary

88 Jacob

89 Emani Daniel

90 Marolina Rose

91 Jordan Elijah

92 Xaris Rafaelle

93 Khalen Rhys

94 Aaliyah

95 Arianna

w/family of Baby Xaris

(courtesy of Carlo Perez)

"3 Ways Christ Heals Scandalized Ears & Tongues: Ephphatha! (Be Opened!)" [Homily #142]

(artwork source: studylight.org)

10am (audio)

Sat., 5pm (audio)

Homily #142: “3 Ways Christ Heals Scandalized Ears & Tongues: Ephphatha!”
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
by Deacon Dennis Purificacion
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
Vallejo, CA, USA
Sept. 8-9, 2018

In today’s Gospel, Jesus healed a deaf man who could not speak.  He placed his finger in the deaf man’s ears.  And, spitting, touched the man’s tongue.  Jesus then said, “Ephphatha!” which means “Be opened!” 

Jesus touches our ears and tongues today.  Today, Jesus’s Catholic Church is experiencing an ongoing scandal, not just by some members of the body, but also by some members of the head of the body or the leadership.  During these trying times for the Church, many Catholics can easily be disillusioned into leaving the Church.  Or we can also be discouraged by news that stains the Church of which we are a member.  I mean, that fact that you are here at Mass supporting a Catholic institution makes you suspect in the eyes of the world.  Jesus heals in many ways, but I am going to focus on how Jesus heals through 3 [spiritual] ways during time of scandal:

I.

First, Christ himself heals though his word.  [He says,] “Ephphatha.”  For us Catholics who dearly love the Church and whose ears cannot bear what we hear in the media or whose tongues are made silent and left speechless, when we do not know what to say in the face of such evil, Jesus' healing words such as “ephphatha” are all the more true today.  [It is easy to fear what is happening today, but] as it is written in today’s First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, “Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong; fear not!  Here is your God!”  Daily reading of the Word of God keeps our mind focused on Christ the Healer. 

So, even in the darkness Christ shines brightly.  He himself prepared us for failure of [some in] church leadership.  Failure is nothing new in Church history, beginning with the 12 Apostles like Judas Iscariot.  Of course, this is not to make excuses for the victims of abuse, but rather with all the scandals and hurts that you and I may have experienced or seen or heard, whether true or unfounded, a simple message of hope emerges for all of us today: Do not abandon Jesus because of Judas!  Do not abandon the Church because of the successors of Judas!  Do not abandon God and the Sacraments because minsters of God in highest levels of responsibility have failed.  Remember, among the chosen 12 Apostles closest to Jesus, one who shared in the very ranks of Apostolic authority, one who had the power to perform miracles and heal in His name, betrayed Jesus and scandalized others.  And every age experiences failure.  Such is a time that we live in at the moment.

But we are Catholic because of Jesus, not because of the fallen members of the Church.  We are Catholic not because of church leadership, but we are Catholic because of Jesus.  We are Catholic not because of cardinals, priests and bishops, but we are Catholic because of Jesus.  We are Catholic not because of lay parish leaders who have hurt us (or given a bad name to the Catholic faith), but we are Catholic because of Jesus.  We are Catholic because of Him who is Love Incarnate!

II.

And speaking of priests, this leads to my second point: Jesus heals us through his faithful priests— his faithful priests.  Remember, out of 12 Apostles, 11 of them were faithful (and became saints).  Jesus says “ephphatha” over our scandalized ears and silent tongues through his faithful priests and ministers.  Today, 99% of our priests have been faithful.  [Update: For the USA, the percent of fidelity is in the upper 90-percentile range.  Note: CARA studies here and here.]  Thank you, Fathers, for your fidelities and sacrifices for us.  You know, it's said that priests are like airplanes.  When they fly no one hears anything, but when they crash and burn it’s all over the news.  We thank God for our faithful shepherds and pray God increases their holiness and service to the truth, so that the truth may be revealed through honesty and transparency as a response (cf. Bishop Jaime Soto statement), the truth that heals and sets us free, truth in charity, truth in love for the flock.  

III.

This leads to the third main point: Christ says “ephphatha” today through Mary and the saints.  Mary is both Mother and the first model disciple.  Entrust and consecrate ourselves to her and her Immaculate Heart, a Heart which the Bible says was pierced with a sword.  And pray the rosary.  She said, “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” During the darkest times in the Church history (whenever scandal arose), God always sent saints to heal and reform His Church.  St. John Paul II, for example, who experienced both Nazi and Communist occupation in Poland said, “Do not be afraid!”  [This was his way to say “Ephphatha!”]  The 14-year-old Bl. Jose Sanchez de Rio’s last words before he gave up his life for Christ in Mexico were “Viva Cristo Rey!” (Long Live Christ the King!).  Mother Teresa said if we want to change the world, well go home and love your family.  And Ven. Abp. Fulton Sheen said, “Who is going to rescue the Church?  It’s not the bishops and the priests; it’s the laity who will help the Church.”  [Be a saint!]  Help the Church by being holy, by being in state of grace, by living in the state of divine friendship with Jesus your Love. 

Deacon Bobby Peregrino (one of my brother deacons) said, “Most…are aware of the ongoing scandal the Church is dealing with.  That is why more than ever, we are all called to greater holiness so that the Church will be judged not with its sinners but with its Saints.”  [*holiness that surpasses even the holiness of the saints of the past!]  I remember a conversation between a cradle Catholic & and new Catholic convert from RCIA.  The life-long cradle Catholic said, “I feel sorry for the new Catholics coming into the Church right now.”  But the newly baptized Catholic convert replied, “This makes we want to help the Church even more!  I want to be part of the solution.”  This new Catholic convert says “ephphatha” and not to abandon our Mother the Church in her hour of crucifixion.

So in summary, how are we to respond to scandal?  The three points [based] from today’s Gospel:  (1) First, Jesus himself heals through his word in Sacred Scripture: “Ephaphatha!” (so do not abandon Jesus and His Bride, the Church); (2) second, Jesus heals through his faithful priests; and (3) third, Jesus heals though Our Lady and his saints, including the laity.  We, too, are called to be instruments of Christ’s healing [as laity].  May Jesus open our ears and heal our tongues today, and may Jesus Christ always be the light during all forms of darkness out in the world and even within the ranks of the Church.  “Here is your God, coming with his vindication.  Look and behold the saving power of God.”  [Amen.]