ARCHIVES, MONSIGNOR BENJAMIN FRANZINELLI'S HOMILIES

August - October, 2006

HOMILY, 27TH SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME,

October 17th, 2006

“Whoever Wishes to Come after Me must Deny Himself, Take up His Cross and Follow Me”. Rebuked by Peter when Jesus predicted that He must suffer, Our Lord's reply to Peter was, “You are thinking not as God does, but as humans do”.

We humans have a problem with self sacrifice, self denial and taking on anything that encourages and endures the crosses of human adversity and suffering whether it be physical or emotional or spiritual. Yet we just heard the challenge given to His Followers, “Whoever Wishes to Come after Me must Deny Himself, Take up His Cross and Follow Me”. That means you and I, only after we claim that we really believe in Him, does Jesus invite us to follow Him.

“Who am I?” With Peter we say “You are the Christ”. Yet like Peter we are weak human beings, even though Peter had seen and witnessed the Works that Christ did that only God could do, even the forgiveness of sin. Even though we in the modern world are the witnesses of His Gifts, His Word and Sacraments, we have a hard time dealing with the fact that we need to carry our crosses of adversity and suffering. We too would certainly join with Peter to rebuke Christ and anyone whom you know and love who would announce to you that they were going to suffer and die, “God forbid that anything happen to you or endanger your well being.

Jesus in His Love and compassion tells us He Understands that we are humans who shrink from suffering, the littlest ache and pain. Which reminds me of what St. James said in his letter today, namely, “What good is it to have faith if you do not have works”. Demonstrate your faith by how you act and live your lives.

Nevertheless Our Lord teaches us very clearly that it is necessary for each and every one of us Believers to accept our crosses and follow Him as His suffering servants. This is not saying or implying that we desire or want or look forward to crosses of suffering. Nevertheless, we Catholic Christians know and believe that our compassionate and loving God will never allow us crosses we could not handle, but it is how we accept and carry them is what counts. The secular world around you rejects this idea; the worldly humans would want to put you out of your misery ASAP and applaud the idea of dying tragically. Suffering before you die is a Grace from God because it helps the person to reflect on their lives, and happily prepare themselves for the promises of Our Jesus Christ, life everlasting, a new life and Resurrection. Is that not our faith and goal?

HOMILY, 26TH SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME,

October 1, 2006

This morning's Gospel causes me to speak to you about good example, bad example and envy.

Jesus’ words were, “Whoever causes 0ne of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone would be put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea”. “If your hand causes you to sin cut it off”. Seemingly harsh words coming from Our Lord’s mouth. Our Lord speaks harshly about scandal, not merely concerning children but also about adults young and old. God speaks to us how terribly bad it is when you give someone to believe that a mortal sin is not a sin.

Let me give you a few concrete examples - when you're permissive about the kind of clothing and dress young ladies and men wear, especially children; another example is when you make light of our young people living together outside of marriage. God is not hard on the sinner, but He will be very stern and strong when it comes to those who make it easier for another to sin, and whose conduct, either thoughtless or deliberate, puts a stumbling block in the path of another person. "Misguided Tolerance" is the lazy, timid acceptance that anything goes. Take heed of the words God repeats - that it would be better for you to be physically crippled, blind and drowned, than be sinfully a scandal to the weak and gullible. We have been warned about our behavior when it is permissive - leading yourself or others into thinking that "it is not so bad", perhaps destroying their faith and life as well as your own.

Our Lord also refers to our envy of others and our need for charity, to reach out to others. St. James’ letter tries to teach us how money and earthly comforts may also be a stumbling block, leading to scandalous thinking that wealth and money are the most important goal in one's life fulfillment and happiness. Understand, His words are not condemning wealth, but insists that those who have wealth, money and material comforts have greater the responsibility - not merely for their families but also for their fellow-men. What did the Gospel say? Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ(Catholic Christian)- "Amen I say to you, you will certainly not lose your reward. This means we should contribute freely to help the poor and also to further the needs of the Church and Her Mission to bring God's Word to others.

HOMILY, 25TH SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME,

September 24, 2006

In the Gospel of St. Mark this morning, Jesus predicts to that He is to be handed over to men, and they will kill Him. Three days after His Death, He will rise from the dead. He told in advance about His Death and Resurrection to His Disciples. They did not understand His Words. On that occasion all they could think about was who was going to be the head after He was gone. Much of what He said went over their heads. Are we amazed that they did not grasp what was so plainly spoken?

I am amazed this morning that so many of us are so slow to grasp the words of His Messages from the Book of Wisdom and from the Letter of St. James and His Gospel, about jealousy and ambition, warning us where conflicts come from, even war. Selfishness, ambition, jealousy, envy - these remain the roots of discord, inconsistency, insincerity, and the so called "freedoms of today" that only give license to passions and every foul practice. The human mind has the cunning faculty to reject what it does not want to hear and see, picking and choosing what it wishes.

The Lord was very patient with his Disciples despite the many times He had taught them. Try to understand the happenings in the world today in light of the Words you hear on Sunday. Like in the Book of Wisdom, which says, Let us beset, get rid of the wise and just one; he is obnoxious to us, reproaches us for our transgressions and charges us with violations. Do you not see the connection to the misunderstanding of zealot Muslims to Our Holy Father's well intentioned comments in Germany.

Our Lord’s Patience and Love is always recognized and many times misunderstood. The Lord was and continues never to be angry, disappointed - Yes, but never angry. The example is given to us in the Gospel when Our Lord placed a child in the midst of His Disciples - a humble and dependant child teaching us that we have to be humble and dependant as little children, in order to overcome the evil of our own day. You have to give up your arrogance and pride, your false mask, your license to give in to yourselves, to your passions and ambition to be somebody, to do what you want, whether anyone likes it or not. And we ought to pray with trust in God’s Promises, like a child trusts and is dependent on its parents.

"And he sat down and called the Twelve; and he said to them, "If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." Does Jesus condemn, with these words, the desire to excel, to do great things in life, to give the best of oneself, and favors instead laziness, a defeatist spirit and the negligent? NO!

HOMILY FOR 24TH SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME

September 17th, 2006

“Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his Cross and follow Me”. Rebuked by Peter when Jesus predicted that He must suffer, Our Lord's reply to Peter was, “You are thinking not as God does, but as humans do”.

We humans have a problem with self sacrifice, self denial and taking on anything that encourages and endures the crosses of human adversity and suffering, whether it be physical or emotional or spiritual. Yet we just heard the challenge given to His Followers, “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his Cross and follow Me”. That means you and I, only after we claim that we really believe in Him, does Jesus invite us to follow Him. “Who am I?" With Peter we say, “You are the Christ”. Yet like Peter we are weak human beings, even though Peter had seen and witnessed the works that Christ did, that only God could do - even the forgiveness of sin.

Even though we, in the modern world, are the witnesses of His Gifts, His Word and Sacraments, we have a hard time dealing with the fact that we need to carry our crosses of adversity and suffering. We, too, would certainly join with Peter to rebuke Christ and anyone whom you know and love who would announce to you that they were going to suffer and die, “God forbid that anything happen to you or endanger your well being."

Jesus in His Love and compassion tells us He understands that we are humans who shrink from suffering, the littlest ache, and pain, which reminds me of what St. James said in his letter today, namely, “What good is it to have faith if you do not have works”.

Demonstrate your faith by how you act and live your lives. Nevertheless Our Lord teaches us very clearly that it is necessary for each and every one of us Believers to accept our crosses and follow Him as His suffering servants. This is not saying or implying that we desire or want or look forward to crosses of suffering. Nevertheless, we Catholic Christians know and believe that our compassionate and loving God will never allow us crosses we could not handle, but it is how we accept and carry them is what counts.

The secular world around you rejects this idea. The worldly humans would want to put you out of your misery as soon as possible and applaud the idea of dying tragically. Suffering before you die is a Grace from God because it helps the person to reflect on their lives, and happily prepare themselves for the promises of Our Jesus Christ, life everlasting, a new life and Resurrection. Is that not our faith and goal?

HOMILY 21st SUNDAY, 0.T.

AUGUST 27TH 2006

The Gospel words of last Sunday should echo in our minds as we refleCt on today’s Gospel. What did Our Lord Jesus Christ say that seemed so preposterous, so that some of His followers left Him. Let me remind you of what Jesus said:

I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?"

Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."

These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?"

Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you?

It is the spirit that gives life, ....THE words HAVE spoken to you are spirit and life...

YES, there may be some of you here that don’t believe.

To believe and to have the faith to believe in the reality of Jesus Christ life’s Body and Blood, the Eucharist of Mass, comes from God. Our Baptism offers us the gift of the Spirit and Life. This is a Divine Mystery; it is sufficient to say I do believe because Jesus said so. We don’t have to understand the how. Like Peter said, “Lord, you have the Words of Eternal Life“. I am convinced; my choice is to follow you and serve.

A very brief reflection on the reading from St. Paul about the relationship of Husband and Wife. The chaotic world that we live in today challenges the very principles of Christian marriage. Our secular thinking about marriage has infected Christian Marriage and the role of husband and wife, so much so that you cringe when you hear the words of St. Paul saying, “... wives be subordinate to your husbands, ... husbands love your wife as your own body, ... he who loves his wife loves himself. Do you find St. Paul’s word objectionable? What liberal view do you have.