Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
A collection of homilies and liturgies from St Patrick Catholic Community in Scottsdale, Arizona. We are Christian disciples in mission.
Welcome to Saint Patrick Catholic Community podcast. We're glad you're with us.
Speaker 2:When we live contemporary lives, sometimes we lose the meaning of significant events or memories or things that we've established to observe, and we forget the history of what went into making things beautiful or powerful. And I think that's what's happening with these three feast days, Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls Day. I'd like to break that open with you. First of all, Halloween is a word used called hallowed. In English, that means holy, and an eve means the eve the day before.
Speaker 2:And so Halloween is preparing for the feast day of All Saints Day. Now, there are different traditions we can draw from, and there's many stories about it. But a couple of them that I find great comfort and gives me guidance is one, in the middle ages in England, people would go door to door and do what was called souling. And in souling, they would be greeted with hospitality and given a cake to eat. And in return, the people promised to pray for that family's deceased loved ones.
Speaker 2:In the Celtic culture, there was a belief in stories that they were not afraid of evil. In fact, during this particular celebration for them, they would mock and make fun of evil things and evil things that were going on. And they were mocking it because they said, God is more powerful. God is more powerful than any evil, any sin that's going on. And so if they would dress up that way, they would kind of mock it and go, that has no power over us because God is more powerful.
Speaker 2:Might be a good thing to remember when we get nervous about some people kind of going overboard on Halloween. But also, Halloween with trick or treating or trunk or treat is the greatest sign of hospitality. Opening one's door and offering treats, candy, or whatever one offers. Can you imagine even in Scottsdale that that happens now? When I was growing up, it was the greatest hospitality that people would open your doors and we hit every house.
Speaker 2:And some of the people we never met before, or we only saw them once a year. But even in Scottsdale, there are neighborhoods where people who have children get to know one another. They even do a little meal, and they open up their houses or open the doors and say, yes, there's something for you. So there are religious overtones in Halloween. And I don't think we want to miss out on that in thinking, well, we're taught that it's evil, it's bad, we shouldn't do it.
Speaker 2:And you're free not to do that, but don't forget that it has a tie in into our religious Catholic event. K? One that it prepares us for the great feast day of All Saints Day. Now, All Saints Day November 1 is honored by other Christian brothers and sisters we have too. So we're not the only one that celebrate that.
Speaker 2:Now, when Pope John Paul the second became Pope in 1978, his pontificate lasted for twenty seven years. And here's what we know what he did about saints. He named more saints than any of the previous popes combined. He named 438 saints. And he beatified, meaning calling their lives holy, over 1,300 people.
Speaker 2:That's a lot. And many of people were asking, John Pope John Paul the second, why are you naming so many saints? And here's his response, because saintly living comes from every culture, every country, every way of life, not just in Europe, and not just in Rome, but in everywhere. And so he was copying what the second Vatican Council talked about in the document Lumen Gentium that we can look up as well, and saying every Christian has the call to live a saintly life, to do saintly ways, and I think John Paul really understood that. As your pastor for thirty one years, I'm looking out there, and some of you, I've known every day from I first got here, and I know your stories.
Speaker 2:Some of you, I've known a little too long, but that's okay. We'll get along. For others, I'm getting to know, and others I might have heard things about you. But I want you to know in this sacred building, I know a lot of stories of saintly people here. As I look out there, some of you are amazing caregivers.
Speaker 2:You helped people, a family or friends, whoever you chose to care for, and you helped them to get better or you helped them die with dignity. And it's not easy to be a caregiver. There are days when you lose patience, you're overwhelmed, you don't always do it perfectly, but you keep showing up. That's a saintly thing. In here, I see some of you in broken relationships and those who are widows and widowers.
Speaker 2:There's a number of them in our parish, and you know what? You live a holy life because you think of other people and their griefs. You are more sensitive over time and as you heal in your process as best you can. But many of our funeral hosts, men and women from our parish who go to funerals and welcome those who are grieving the loss of loved one, many widows and widowers sign up for that ministry. What a holy and saintly thing to do.
Speaker 2:Probably one of the greatest saints are parents. Parents do amazing things. Some of you are old and you're grateful you don't have to raise kids anymore, but you never stop being a parent. And you did amazing things even though your lives were hell. But you do that.
Speaker 2:Some of you are raising children and young ones now, and that's a challenge. Some of you have children with some really serious needs that really put a strain on relationships, on other family members, and you keep showing up. And God is not testing you with suffering, but rather you ask God for help, and you inspire me. Some of you are great at generosity. Some of you are fantastic listeners to classmates, to people that are hurting, to neighbors, or people in the workforce that you're with.
Speaker 2:You listen because you can't solve everyone's problem, but you give people dignity. And probably the greatest gift you give young people is you notice them. When I coach football at Sunny Slope, all the kids want one thing: to be noticed. They love when I give them a nickname. They love when I see them and I say them by name every day.
Speaker 2:They just eat that up. And maybe that simple ministry to our young people to know, you are seen. You are important. You are not invisible. And I think many of you do that in many ways.
Speaker 2:So Saint Paul, John Paul the second is now a saint, but he's seen in you what I see in you. In this room are saintly people. Don't think because here's what John Paul was afraid of, that we Catholics would just honor saints on statues and say they lived centuries ago and they have nothing to do with our lives. And John Paul said, no, that's not right. It's right here, right now.
Speaker 2:And so it's our feast day, as well as remembering all the great men and women who've gone before us and laid a faith foundation. Tomorrow, on November 2, is All Souls' Day, the opportunity to pray for and remember all those who have died. Each of us here has experienced a death in a different way, of a family member, of a friend, of a relative, whatever. We've all experienced some point that we know people who've died. And I think it's important to know that funerals, that masses of resurrection are vital.
Speaker 2:More and more people in our country are choosing to have nothing because they think it's all about them, or they don't want people to say things about them, or or make people cry. And yet, grief is the most communal thing we have to do. The shortest verses in the Bible is two words. Jesus wept. Jesus wept.
Speaker 2:That's the shortest verse in the bible. And what was he crying about? The death of a loved one. Fully human as well as fully divine, but in his fullness of humanity, Jesus grieved as well. He experienced death of a loved one.
Speaker 2:And that makes our time holy. What's the purpose of a funeral massive resurrection? That we tug at the cloak of God saying this person who died was loved. That's all we do. That's what we do at funerals.
Speaker 2:We tug at the cloak of God and say, remember God, they were loved. Always have to do a lot of ministry with certain people who think their loved ones didn't make it to heaven. They kind of worry about that. Well, they weren't perfect, they didn't always go to church and all, and, you know, that's not the point. I said, usually what I say is, if you love them so much, would you send them to hell if you were God?
Speaker 2:And they all go, no. I said, good, because you love them. If you and I love people in our, what scripture says, our wickedness, our sinfulness, how much more does perfect God, perfect love who is God, will not condemn? Remember Catholic church teaching. It is doctrine to believe there's a hell, but it's not doctrine to believe anyone's there.
Speaker 2:It's doctrine to believe there's a hell, but it's not doctrine to believe that anyone's there. Who's there? We don't know. One of our prayers is, Lord, we offer this person to you whose faith is known to you alone. And thank God, you and I are not responsible to send people to hell.
Speaker 2:Sometimes church people go overboard and think they can send people to hell. That's not our job, that's God's job. But I know this about God, merciful, and you see the fullness of God's mercy at death, and we share in that. To be close to those who have died, it happens here. This is where heaven and earth meet.
Speaker 2:That if we've lost someone and we are grieving right now or we're missing them right now, this is where we eat with them. Scripture and our theology and our faith says, we are eating heavenly bread. And what that says, that those who have died are eating the same bread that we are here. Lot of times at funerals we always hear eulogies that say, well, he's golfing now all day with God. Or she's all shopping now with God and she's happy up there.
Speaker 2:Who knows? That could be and that's good. But scripture says the eternal banquet. You know why I'm a Christian and believe in resurrection? Because the bible always talks about the kingdom of God as a banquet.
Speaker 2:It's always eating. A few weeks ago, Isaiah 25, you can eat of the best food and the best drinks. Wow. And even this is feast that we will all be gathered together. These three angels here remind us that heavenly food happens at the same time.
Speaker 2:And we remember those who have died. And yet, you and I don't understand what we're about to eat. I see so many of us get lost, and it can happen in daily chores, daily life, and it becomes so routine to come to communion that you know, like, oh, the row in front of me is going, it's time to go. And sometimes you and I just chew on the host like, and then we sit down. Some of us can't make it till the end of mass, so we leave early.
Speaker 2:And we're not aware that we're eating heavenly food. That you are close to your deceased loved one. I'm looking at you right now. All of you have lost someone. All of you, including me, people that I love and I'm close to, just like you.
Speaker 2:And this is where we encounter nowhere else in the world will you see heaven and earth come together at this table. Your loved ones are not playing golf all day. Sorry to hear that. Because you know why? They are eating at the banquet table, and they are praying with us and for us.
Speaker 2:Tomorrow, November 2, we will pray for all deceased loved ones. And during the month of November, this book of remembrance here and in the narthex, you may sign at any time. And during the Eucharistic prayer, I'm going to pause during the time when we pray for everyone who's died. My greatest joy of being a priest is I get to pray for everyone who dies. And you know what?
Speaker 2:I don't pray just for Roman Catholics, and I don't pray just for Christians. I pray for everyone in the world because that's what the church is asking us to do, not because Fr. Eric is a good guy. And so, even if people don't like the church, they don't like Catholics, they never show their face in here, because I got a lot of close friends that don't come to Mass. I know they'll be there on the last day because of the life they live.
Speaker 2:But they're missing out on this great gift. And I get to pray for every person, whether they love us back or not, whether they love me or not, doesn't matter and I couldn't care. Because my role is to pray on behalf of the entire church, meaning you, for all who've died. Our theme, make me an instrument of your peace, is a reminder that we are following the spirituality of Saint Francis of Assisi this year, and we'll pray that prayer after communion, after you receive the heavenly bread. And the line I ask you to think about this week is, it is in dying that we're born into eternal life.
Speaker 2:What's that mean? Some of us might be a little less afraid of death. Some of us who are missing loved ones and we're really not sure, maybe we can find some comfort to know that God is so merciful that God brings them into the heavenly home. Maybe the dying has to be because of our stubbornness, the need to be right, the need to be lording control over others. Maybe our need then to blame other people.
Speaker 2:Those things happen, and maybe that's the dying process we're called. And so this week, I invite you after communion, and this week, we are die... And it's in dying that we're born into eternal life. What does that mean? Halloween, eve of all saints, hospitality, saints everywhere, including tonight, and remembering all who have died that we eat with them tonight the same food they're about to receive.
Speaker 2:What beautiful holy days in our Catholic faith.
Speaker 1:This has been a Saint Patrick Catholic Community podcast. For more of our shows, go to our website and click Saint Patrick's Studio.