ARCHIVES, MONSIGNOR BENJAMIN FRANZINELLI'S HOMILIES
2005October 30, 2005
Homily: 31st Sunday, Ordinary Time
Gospel today reminds us now as in the past that the Catholic Church has been and continues to be both blessed and burdened in its leadership. Some Saints and some sinners, and truthfully most, like ourselves a little of both at the same time.
This Sunday's scripture lessons are critical of his priest. The prophet in the 1st reading denounces those priests who in their pride have turned away from the Spirit of their priesthood, causing others to go astray. Jesus also criticizes those religious leaders who do not practice what they preach and are a contradiction of what they teach. This applies to all Catholics in leadership positions.
Stop for a moment and realize what an honor, unheard of privilege to be a Catholic, a "title of recommendation" it is, before God, to be called Catholic, disciples of Jesus of Nazareth. Proud to be Catholic ...place the sign of the Cross as a title to who you are." That any one who sees or hears us can say of us what the woman said to Peter in the Sanhedrin's courtyard: "You are also one of his disciples. Your conduct betrays you"
All of us who consider ourselves as practicing Catholics are called to greatness through humility and service, particularly Priests are called to serve and not to be served. Included in these words are also those who have been called to serve Jesus in His Church as extraordinary ministers of His Word and Sacraments; those are called to teach our children their Catechism. We are all unworthy servants, grateful to be able to humbly share our lives with others and proud to be Catholic.
The first thing we say to ourselves is that these words don’t apply to me. Don’t kid yourselves. We can all say humbly and honestly forgive me Lord especially for the things I could have done and did not do, and do as well as I should have. Unpopular as it could be and become.
I would be neglectful of my duty as Father and teacher not to say a few words concerning the events of this weekend and the days ahead. This coming Tuesday, November 1st and 2nd, are the Holy Days of All Saints and the All Souls Day remembrance of all of our deceased of family and friends.
All Saints Eve is Monday evening. It is also Hallowe’en, a day coined by anti-Catholics years ago and continues ridiculing our Saints Day. Celebrating Hallowe’en as adults and even children is a contradiction and insult to the Saints, and if you are not trying your best to get to Church on this Holy Day, it is also a contradiction and insult to the Saints. When are you going to stand up for your faith. The world around you has us and especially your children mesmerized with witches and gruesome faces. Shame on us.
October 23, 2005
Homily: 30th Sunday, Ordinary Time
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." By Our Lord adding the words "as yourself," Jesus has put a mirror in front of our eyes; Jesus helps us discover today if we do or do not love our neighbor. We know very well, in every circumstance, what it means to love ourselves, me, myself and I, how and what we would like others to do for us. Who is my neighbor?
If we pay close attention, we notice that Jesus does not say: Do for others what they do for you. That would be "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth."
Jesus considered love of neighbor as "his commandment," the one in which the whole law is summarized. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you". A sacrificial love. Self sacrifice. It is not picking and choosing who, what, and where. We have to dig a little deeper. Love of neighbor is not just as some think immediately of charitable "deed," of the things that must be done for our neighbor. You don’t wait until others are in distress and of imminent danger.
Before doing good, one must want to do good. This may be a result of love; the desire must be "without pretense," that is, sincere, "without hypocrisy," one must love with no strings attached. One can be charitable and give alms for many reasons that have nothing to do with love, namely to make yourself look good, and perhaps through a 3rd party or organization. That way you don’t have to get your hands dirty, and also even appease a bad conscience.
Much of our charity to Third World countries is through a 3rd party. We realize the scandalous difference that exists between the impoverished and destitute, us and them. We should feel a twinge of conscience sensing some responsibility for some of their misery. The fact is in the most part we search for reasons to excuse ourselves for our own personal lack of active and concrete charity. Without some concrete and significant sacrifice, where is the love that signifies a giving of self? Do we see ourselves in the mirror to discover our self love is so many times an obstacle to loving the other person.
In another place St. John’s words teaches "Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth." External works of charity are needful and necessary, but whatever is done out of charitable giving should be based on a genuine feeling of love and benevolence of a neighbor, whether or not I believe they need or deserve my sacrifice of self.
Look with new eyes on the situations and people with whom we live and exist within our own world around us. With the eyes like God looks at us -- eyes of forgiveness, of understanding, of pardon and generous love.
When this occurs, all motives for precaution and hostility that impeded our love of certain people shall vanish as by a miracle. That person begins to seem to us what he really is: a poor creature who suffers because of his weaknesses and limitations, like you, like everyone. That person then seems to us what he really is.
October 9, 2005
Homily: 28th Sunday, Ordinary Time
What does it mean for you to come to Church on Sunday? What does it mean for us to trust in Jesus Christ, to have faith In Christ and His Promises? Too many of us, Catholic, have a faith of convenience rather than a faith of conviction. Hesitation and doubts dominate our minds and hearts, especially when we are faced with difficulties and demands on our faith: like keeping the Commandments of God, as well as the true teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on morality and justice. How does a Catholic develop a faith of conviction? Our Holy Father Pope Benedict in a recent talk recommends that we learn more about Jesus, who is God, by reading the Bible and learning about the history of the life of Jesus, what He did and said. Be convinced that all that the Roman Catholic Church teaches is consistent with and flows from the history of life of Christ and His Promises.
Both Isaiah, the Old Testament Prophet, and the St. Paul in the 1st and 2nd readings refer to food. We all may be able to identify with those words. Like St. Paul says, have you not had the experience of having to live in humble circumstances and perhaps with an abundance as well. To have and to go without. There is great strength in religion-provided you be content with enough, what is sufficient. If we have food and clothing we have all we need. We brought nothing into this world, nor have we the power to take anything out. St. Paul continues to warn those who want to be rich that they can fall into temptations and a trap to be captured by foolish and harmful desires which can drag you down to destruction. Love of Money is the root of all evil. Be strengthened by your faith that God will fully supply whatever you need. Not with what you want but what you need. This is the kind of faith and conviction you want.
Despite troublesome times, be not afraid. Listen well to the promises of the Lord, there can be no fear in our hearts because of our faith. God promises to provide for His people, to lift the veil of our hopelessness, and to lift up from His People the web of hate and distrust that dominates the world’s nations and its people. We are that People, who by Baptism have been Chosen to be united with Him in Communion. In His Sacrificial Banquet Meal at every Mass, His Sacrifice on the Cross is renewed and we are fed at His banquet Table.
Isaiah in the 1st reading invited us to a banquet meal atop a mountain. Come to that mountain. That Mountain of God is His Church . It is here where God has provided us a share in the Sacred Meal that promises to heal, and reconcile, and it is there where we discover hope and the forgiveness of our sins.. We respond to that invitation by coming to the Miraculous Feast of the Holy Mass where we receive Holy Communion and listen to hear His Word. Where we shall feast on luscious foods of every kind.
The Gospel this Sunday reminds me of the weekly invitation - we are blessed to have His Church prepare us by a good confession and prayer, the Wedding Garment demanded of those Chosen to come to His Banquet on Sunday, to be refreshed and strengthened with His Food of Hope. If we don’t use it, we’ll lose it.
October 2, 2005
Homily: WHAT DOES GOD SEE?
TODAY we have the vineyard stories of the Lord presented to us by Isaiah and the Gospel of Matthew. These parables have a very important message for all of us. God puts these words in the mouth of Isaiah for us to hear, "What more was there to be done..." for you in your own days? I, God, have given you more in your own generation than I have for the many generations before you. God expects his due.
Look at the vineyard God has given us. In keeping with the lesson from St. Paul's reading today, don't worry yourselves sick because of what is happening around you. Trust and pray that God's will be done, and seek His Will in all things especially in light of special prayers and Feast days God's Church has given us, celebrated in these recent days. God has assigned Guardian Angels to guide from the womb on. Today is the feast dat of our Guardian Angels. These angels are messengers, so listen to them ...
Yesterday was the feast day of little St. Therese, the Little Flower of Jesus, a Carmelite discalced, cloistered nun who died at 24 years old. Seek her intercession. Also last Thursday we celebrated the feast of the Archangels - Michael, Gabriel and Raphael ...
I have not only forgiven your sins over and over again, restored your lives repeatedly, and when I come to you looking for your faith in ME, calling you to obey ME, respect my gifts both in nature and the Holy Spirit of religion, what do I find but mediocrity and you turn your backs on me as if I do not exist. We let the devil Satan in to mess up our heads and hearts.
What does God see instead of your thanksgiving - disobedience of His Commandments, even bloodshed, ignorance, and anarchy - making yourselves your own god, me, myself, and I?
The Gospel vintage message builds on Isaiah’s words. God has given us stewardship of all His Gifts, both natural and spiritual, as well as personal. When He calls upon us a response to trust, we instead offer just wild, sour grapes, and ignore God's existence.
God expects His due. If we continue to reject God's efforts to save us from ourselves, what do you think is going to happen and is already happening.
September 25, 2005
Homily: Ezekiel 18:25-28, Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32
What is the very nature and reality of our religious lives and practices?
Words are important. Words can break hearts. Words can hurt, and hurt seriously. Words can start riots, start wars, and ruin the lives of others. Yet, Words can heal and soothe broken hearts. They can give life back to the lonely. Words can say I am sorry and bring peace. But as an expression of our faith, our religion, words are secondary, not primary. Action is the primary need, not words. The answer can be found in dealing with the question Jesus puts to you and me in today’s Gospel Message in the response of the two sons to their father: “Which one did the will of the father?”
The Pharisees in today’s Gospel account had the absolutely correct understanding; they gave exactly the right answer and had the right words to Christ’s question. But those Pharisees remained farther away from heaven than prostitutes, thieves, and other public sinners.
What, then, is the most important? It is Honesty. Honesty is at the heart of what we say and mean in our faith and practice, particularly honesty with ourselves. We must realize that Sin originates with the Father of Lies, and when we lie to ourselves we always get into deep trouble.
In the Gospel account we just heard the younger brother tell his father: “Yes, I’ll go and work” while the older brother said: “No, not me.” Both used words contrary to their actions. Talk is cheap. The younger brother simply didn’t live up to his words; the older brother changed his mind. The older brother had integrity, honesty; the younger brother gave cheap, valueless word to his father while having no intention at all of working. How many of us recognize ourselves in that younger brother?
The older brother at first had no intention of working and then had the integrity of saying so to his father. He was wrong, but he was honest. The younger brother was the opposite. He said the expedient thing to his father knowing what his father wanted to hear.
How many of us pray that way? We give God the words we think He wants to hear from us. It’s convenient. We may even be self-deluded when we speak them and end up feeling like we are religious. On the surface we feel righteous, but deep down we know full well that we are not going to follow through with our actions and intentions. So we give God our Father in heaven nice sounding words, but never seem to get around to following through on them. So, to go back now: What is vital to our personal religion?
The first thing is honesty. We must be fearlessly and courageously honest to God and honest with ourselves. Without honesty we are doomed. Without honesty in our business and professional lives we will fail. People will discover we are frauds. Without honesty our love relationships will collapse, our friendships will be lost, and we will end up in a hell on earth as well as in the hereafter.
Satan, we must all remember, is the Father of Lies and he wants us to be just like him. The older son did the essential thing. Christianity is not simply our intellectual assent to a series of doctrines. It is not just our observance of rules and regulations. Being a Catholic and Christian is a way of life. Christianity is a matter of living it in our professional lives, in our personal relationships with others, and honestly living with God, all at the same time of being honest with ourselves.
If we are honest with others, honest with ourselves, and honest with God, then our actions will automatically follow. We will live lives of integrity and act accordingly.
Talk is cheap; intentions are too often little more than wishful thinking; appearances are deceptive. Being honest and then acting in honesty are tough things to do at times. They are one of the hardest and most demanding of things about being a Catholic. They are the “narrow way” Jesus told us about, that narrow way that is the road to our eternal salvation. It is the way of living that Jesus puts in front of the likes of you and me.
July 17, 2005
Homily 16th Sunday Ordinary Time
"There is only one field from which it is right and necessary to pull out the weeds immediately, and it is from one's own heart!"
This Sunday's Gospel speaks to us of Patience and Our Lord offers us a model for our own patience.
Wisdom teaches that God's care is for all His Children, the just and the unjust, lenient to all, giving us good ground for hope, and permits repentance for our sins. Christ, Our Lord, mercifully wills to save. We, Christians, should be kind and Pray the Holy Spirit to come to the aid of our own weaknesses.
In the Gospel parables, Christ gave us models of Christian Patience, Hope and Care. The parable of the mustard seed and the leaven both tell of what the smallest good can measure up to and grow to become a haven for all and provide the most and the best for all.
Our Lord explains the parable of the weeds. He said God is the sower, and the good seeds were the sons of the Kingdom of God, the weeds were the sons of the evil one. The field was the world as it is and the harvesting of the field was the end of the world. The Church herself is a field, within which seeds and weeds, the good sons and daughters and the wicked ones exist and grow together.
In the field of the Church, there is room to grow. There is room to be converted and above all, for the good to imitate God's patience. "The wicked exist in this world either to be converted or that through them the good may exercise patience." This should help us understand the world of good and evil encountered in the world we live in.
Our Lord teaches His people by this parable, that those who hear His Words and claim to follow Him must be kind; above all to have patience and always give good ground for hope because Our Merciful God would permit repentance for the wicked as well as for our own sins. Understand, God's patience, is not a simple patience; it is long-suffering, merciful and wills to save. A model for our own personal patience. In the kingdom of God there is no place for impatient servants - for people who want no more than to seek vengeance, who are always asking God to punish.
St. Luke tells us that one day Jesus reproached two of his disciples who wanted fire to rain down from heaven on those who had rejected Him and His Message. Perhaps the same reproach might be addressed to some people who are too quick to ask God to judge or punish and have vengeance against those who sow and nourish the weeds of the world.
Patience here of the owner of the field is indicated as our model. Wait for the harvest, don't be so quick to judge and condemn, be restrained. Judgement is mine says the Lord; instead, we must wait as men who make their own desire, God's desire that "all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth"
We are called to humility and mercy, that is what is to be understood from the parable of the seeds and the weeds.
There is only one field from which it is right and necessary to pull out the weeds immediately, and it is from one's own heart!
JUNE 5, 2005
TENTH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME
IN THE FIRST READING THE PROPHET HOSEA indicates his exasperation regards the faith of God's people in his own time. What he said of them, "What can I do with you tribes, you people, your faith is like the passing cloud and like the dew in the morning that passes away quickly". What do you think our Holy Father Benedict and our beloved Pope John Paul II could say about the faith of God's people in our own time. Catholic Western Europe has become more and more pagan everyday, and our own Christian America. Fair weather Catholics, Catholics of Convenience.
Many of us don't have the faith that God can make a difference in our lives. Our faith has remained stale and without growth. We need to renew our commitment to Christ, pray for an increase of our personal faith.
Listen to what St Paul says of the Faith of Abraham. It is a Faith that TRUSTS in the promises of God. A Faith that BELIEVES in the Impossible - That All Things Are Possible to God. That Was the Faith of Jacob, of Moses, of David. It Was the Faith of the Virgin Mary, that what the Angel said to her would happen.
We need that kind of faith to move mountains. Don't give up on yourselves, that you can be better - not only that you can change, but that those around you can change.
Don't be afraid to trust, have faith in God's Promises. Keep repeating the words of Our Blessed Mother to the Angel, " Let it be done to me as You Will."
No matter what your past has been, seek the Will of God. His Will and desire is "I have come to call sinners not the righteous". God wants to make you an example of His Love and Mercy. You can make a difference for someone else. That is what we should pray for .
BUT how does this kind of faith come about?
Don't be afraid to trust God, pray and have confidence that God can do the impossible. God will never abandon you if you do not abandon Him.
Don't doubt His Power to heal, to forgive over and over again . His power to turn things around despite the crazy pagan secular, material and selfish world around us.
Coming to church on Sunday , keeping the feast days of our faith is very important, but God wants more than coming to church on Sunday. In following the teachings of our Catholic Church, what we say and what we do must be the same - like the Jews who felt that Matthew, a tax collector and his companions, were unworthy of God's mercy and love
God desires our faith in action - reaching out to others, mercy. These are not things that we believe, these are things that we do.
THE ENVIRONMENT OF YOUR life styles. Religion has to be important in your life. Find God through conversion when God makes a difference.