Homilies – Page 7 – Diocese of Scranton

HOMILY

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – June 22, 2017

Not too long ago, a dear friend of mine from one of the parishes in which I served in the Diocese of Scranton passed away after a long battle with cancer. She was a very faithful and committed Catholic who was generous to a fault with the gifts that she’d been given by God and who was a proud and active member of her parish. … She was also blessed with a keen and lively Irish wit.

One day when she and I were involved in something or another at the parish, she began to muse a bit on her life and her family. For as profound as her reflections proved to be in that conversation, she began them with a quip that I will never forget and that brought me to tears from laughter. She began by saying, “Father, when I die I’m probably going to go to hell. God has been so good to me in this life; I can’t imagine that he could continue in the next.”

We all understand what my friend meant. In her own way, she was acknowledging God’s gracious care for her and her family. … But isn’t it interesting how we often perceive God? … Isn’t it interesting that the best of us at times put limits on God’s capacity to love and care for us? … We judge ourselves – or worse yet, others – by our own understanding of life and justice and not God’s. … And while we all know of the truth of the Gospel message, so very often, we miss what permeates all that has been revealed about God in the scriptures – both the Old and New Testaments. … Saint John says it best and most succinctly in our second reading this afternoon: “God is love.”

If we’re not convinced by these words, go back in the Old Testament, to a passage written thousands of years before Saint John wrote his letters and listen again to the Word of God that we just heard from the Book of Deuteronomy: “Moses said to the people: “You are a people sacred to the Lord, your God. … The Lord set his heart on you and chose you … because the Lord loved you.”” From Old Testament times, the core of salvation history is God’s unfailing love and election, and our human answer to that love.

These words remind us that our faith is not simply the result of our searching for God. In Jesus Christ, it is GOD who comes to find us, to speak to us and to show us the way to himself. Pope Francis, in words that he shared several years ago on this feast day, echoed the message of Deuteronomy.

“God’s steadfast love for his people is manifest and wholly fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who, in order to honor God’s bond with his people, made himself our slave, stripped himself of his glory and assumed the form of a servant. Out of love, he did not surrender to our ingratitude, not even in the face of rejection. … Jesus remains faithful, he never betrays us: even when we are wrong, He always waits for us to forgive us: He is the face of the merciful Father. … This love, this steadfastness of the Lord manifests the humility of His heart: Jesus did not come to conquer men like the kings and the powerful of this world, but He came to offer love with gentleness and humility. This is how He defined himself: “learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Mt 11:29). And the significance of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which we are celebrating today, is to discover ever more and to let ourselves be enfolded by the humble faithfulness and the gentleness of Christ’s love: the very revelation of the Father’s mercy.”

Isn’t this notion of God’s love amazing? Yet, make no mistake; the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus poured into our lives is not a cheap love. It was born on the cross and cost Jesus his life. It is the very source of our life and salvation. And when authentically embraced, it demands a response – the challenge of discipleship. Recall the words from our second reading today, “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God. … In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.”

Once captured by God’s love, we have no choice but to respond in the same spirit that gives us hope. While God’s love doesn’t cause us, at once, to be perfect nor does it wipe away in an instant the brokenness of our human frailty, it does enable us to assume, more and more, the pattern of Jesus’ life and mission in our own lives and hearts.

But lest we romanticize this notion, remember what happened to the heart of Jesus. … Jesus’ heart was moved to pity when he saw broken, hopeless people before him, yet when he brought them healing and hope, his heart was wounded by criticism and broken by a lack of gratitude. … Jesus’ heart moved him to tears over the lack of love in the streets of Jerusalem, yet when he tried to call the city to repent and to be gathered into the loving arms of God, he was marched out of the city as a criminal and hung upon a cross.

You and I have known both the consolation that comes from opening our hearts to the heart of Christ – and the pain that so often accompanies our conviction to live the Gospel of Jesus in the midst of a world that so often disregards its values. That pain, my brothers and sisters, is the cost of discipleship. And therein we discover the mystery of faith that emerges from the loving heart of Jesus. “God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Jesus’ total gift of himself – seen most powerfully in his love poured forth from the cross – is the gift that gives us hope. … It is the gift that enables us to love and serve our brothers and sisters. … It is the gift that allows us to see through the pain and loss of this world to the promise of life and peace. … In other words, as Saint Francis of Assisi proclaimed through the example of his life: It is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Jesus lived that mystery. Authentic discipleship demands that we seek to weave that same mystery into every aspect of our lives.

As we embrace the gift and responsibility that come from opening our hearts to the love that flows from the humble heart of Jesus, may each day find us accepting with renewed confidence the words spoken by God spoken to Abraham at the beginning of the patriarch’s long and incredible journey of faith: “Fear not.” … May we trust the goodness of God and allow life to unfold, even in unexpected ways. … May we come to know the depth of God’s love for us in Jesus. … And through the gift of our lives, may we, in turn, be living images of the God who is love, and faithful witnesses to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

HOMILY

Mass Commissioning Lay Ministry Candidates

June 19, 2017

Today’s gospel passage is taken from Jesus’ treasured “Sermon on the Mount.” We’re quite familiar with its opening verses and the soaring words that we’ve come to describe as the Beatitudes. You know those verses well. “Blest are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn. … Blessed are the merciful. … Blessed, too, are the peacemakers.” … They’re words of affirmation, words of hope and words that every one of us appreciates hearing and seeks to make our own.

Today’s portion of that sermon is a little less appealing on its surface. Its tone and intensity are vastly different than most every other lesson that Jesus offers in the words that he shared on that hilltop overlooking the Sea of Galilee. When coupled with the few verses that follow today’s installment and that challenge us to go so far as to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us and to in essence “be perfect just as our heavenly Father is perfect,” it’s hardly surprising that some scripture scholars see today’s gospel as the central message of the entire Sermon on the Mount – and as an essential element of authentic discipleship.

Yet, we can focus so much on the teachings of Jesus that exhort us to do extraordinary things – to turn the other cheek – to pray for those who persecute us – and to love our enemies – that we can easily overlook what lies at the heart of this passage and the lesson it contains for every Christian.

Yes, without a doubt, forgiveness and reconciliation are the foremost building blocks of the great law of love that Jesus demands we embrace in our relationships one with another. But Jesus calls us to be much more than merely law abiding citizens of his kingdom. The type of love that Jesus describes in this portion of his sermon gives us insight into the path to be followed by his disciples.

The word that Jesus uses for “love” is the Greek word agape. … Agape indicates not a romantic or emotional kind of love that we have for special people in our lives, but, rather, a state of benevolence and good will that begins with recognizing the humanity we share with all people who call God their “Father.” … It calls us to love the unlovable, to reach out to the alienated, to embrace those who are different, to dismantle whatever walls divide and isolate people and to build bridges that bring people together. … Agape is a love that seeks the well being of all, recognizing that despite our differences, we are all bound together as brothers and sisters – children of one God.

We celebrate this evening the very special achievements of those of you who have engaged our lay ministry formation program for service to this local Church of Scranton. We’re so very proud of each of you. You’ve learned a great deal. You’ve grown in your understanding of our faith and in your desire to give that faith a voice – and hands – and a heart – as you seek to forward to ministering to the people whom God has and will continue to entrust to your care.

Yet, for all that you have experienced and have come to know and understand in a deeper way, today’s gospel – not chosen especially for this day but providentially taken from the readings for this very day in the Church year, Monday of the 11^th Week in Ordinary time – is a powerful reminder to all of us, and particularly you, our newest Lay Ministers in the Church of all that should lie at the heart of the ministry that you are called to share.

The words of Jesus in the gospel speak to us in many ways. They challenge us to forgive – to break the cycle of evil that so quickly can escalate in our lives – to be selfless in our service to one another – and to love without counting the cost. Above all, Jesus’ words call us to live the gospel message with integrity.

And we do live our faith with integrity to a certain extent, don’t we? … While we may have enemies in our lives, most of the time we understand the consequences when we fail to forgive or at least attempt to move forward in peace. … As a people – and even as a Church – we’ve made strides in reaching out to certain groups and individuals who have for far too long been forced to live on the peripheries of life. We do a reasonable job in offering them support and we do our best to treat them with dignity.

But as we reach out to the people that we are called to serve – to feed them – to cloth them – to teach them – to care for them – to work with them – how to we really see them? … Do we see them as mere objects of our ministry through whom we find fulfillment? … Or do we allow ourselves to see in them – no matter their background, situation or circumstance – the face of Jesus? … Do we welcome them in our lives, allow them to minister to us, and journey together with them? … And do we love them as brothers and sisters?

We’ve all been given a treasure – to participate in the mission of Jesus and so build God’s Kingdom in our midst. Pope Francis shared these powerful words some time ago to a gathering of lay ministers like you. “The first and fundamental consecration that a person receives sinks its roots in our baptism. No one is baptized a priest or a bishop. They baptized us as laypeople and that baptism is the indelible sign that no one can ever wipe away.”

So, my sisters and brothers, go forth and live your baptism! Use well, wisely and generously the gifts that God has given to you. And ever and always recognize that in the sacred trust that is yours, your ministry – and mine – is always to recognize and proclaim Jesus and the power of his mercy and love.

HOMILY

Corpus Christi Sunday – June 18, 2017

Today as a Church and a parish, we celebrate the Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus – Corpus Christi Sunday – a day that calls us to reflect upon the gift of God given to us in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist – a day that in so many ways captures the heart of this community of faith here in Pleasant Mount and, for that matter, in every parish that gathers around the table of the Lord as we do this morning.

All of our lives and the very essence of our beings as Christians are directed towards the worship and praise of God – present to us in the Eucharist. And every good that emerges from us and that gives life to the promise of Jesus to remain with us always has its origin in the same Eucharist. In and through the sacrament of his body and blood, the sacrificial, selfless love of Jesus is present through the power and mercy of God.

And so, our hearts should indeed well up in praise of God for the sublime gift of his presence, found in the simple gifts of bread and wine. And likewise, our spirits should claim the promise of Jesus to be with us always and to give us food for the journey of faith that we are called to live with and for a broken world – our struggling sisters and brothers.

Early on in his pontificate, Saint John Paul II wrote to the bishops of the world about the gift of the Eucharist. He spoke of the gift of God found in the sacramental presence of Jesus that we honor and receive this day. He also said this: “The authentic sense of the Eucharist is that it becomes the school of active love for my neighbor. If authentically received, Eucharist must make us grow in awareness of one another.”

In the gift of the Eucharist, then, which we celebrate today and every day that we gather at the Lord’s altar, we are given nothing less than the very presence and life of Jesus. Today’s feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord reminds us never to take this gift for granted; never to see it as a routine element of our worship – but to maintain a sense of wonder and awe at the gift of God’s presence – here – in the midst of our broken world; here – in the midst of our fragile lives; here – in this parish community.

Yet, in the gift of the Eucharist, we also discover something else. We discover the essence of who we are and what we are called to be as Christians. Recall again the words of Blessed Pope John Paul II. Yes, he spoke of the awesome presence of God in the Eucharist. But he also called Eucharist “the school of active love” for our neighbor.

So when God’s people assemble in faith as we do today, we are called to recreate the ritual meal of the Last Supper. But we are also called to do something else. The great Saint Augustine put it best: “Become the mystery you celebrate.” … Become the broken Christ whose life was poured forth for those that he loved. … Become the loving, compassionate Christ who multiplied loaves and fish and fed the hungry multitudes, satisfying not only their physical needs, but their desire to be nourished by the God.

Receive Christ, the living bread that sustains us on our journey of faith. Receive Christ and so become Christ in loving service to one another. … Become Christ for your husband/your wife. Become Christ for your mother/your father; your son/your daughter. Become Christ for you neighbor. Become Christ for the stranger. Become Christ for the unborn child. Become Christ for the hungry. Become Christ for the poor. Become Christ for those who seek forgiveness. Become Christ for the immigrant. Become Christ for the forgotten. … Become the Christ whom you adore and whom you worship.

In short, the great sacrament of the Eucharist that we celebrate this day is both a gift to be cherished and a responsibility to be embraced by all who seek to follow the Lord Jesus with sincerity of heart.

I’d like to end this reflection on the Word of God and the Eucharist by sharing with you words these words of Pope Francis. “In the Eucharist, Jesus gives Himself totally; He keeps nothing for Himself, not even His life. At the Last Supper, with His friends, He shares the bread and distributes the chalice for us. The Son of God is offered to us. He consigns His Body and his Blood into our hands to be with us always, to dwell among us. … Each of us can say, ‘He loved me and gave Himself for me.’ … So what does this mean for us? It means that Jesus’ way is my, your, our way.… It means that we must reach out to others, go to the outskirts of existence, be the first to move towards our brothers and sisters, especially those who are most distant, those who are forgotten, those who are most in need of understanding, consolation and help. There is so much need to bring to our world the living presence of Jesus, merciful and full of love!”

And so, my brothers and sisters, may our prayer on this great day in the Church embody these simple words: As we receive Christ in the Eucharist, may we, in turn, become Christ for others. Amen.

Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
HOMILY
Wedding Anniversary Mass – June 11, 2017
Trinity Sunday

Somebody once said that “all marriages are happy. It’s the living together afterwards that causes all the trouble.” Perhaps a better way of expressing such sentiments would be to say that in the living together as husband and wife, we find a fertile environment for living out the Gospel in an authentic manner.

There’s a wonderful scene from Fiddler on the Roof, when Teyve and his wife Golda are talking daughters’ marriages and Teyve asks: “Golda, do you love me?” And she responds: “Do I love you? Twenty-five years I’ve washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cows. … Do I love him? For twenty-five years I’ve lived with him, fought with him, starved with him. If that’s not love, what is?” Then you DO love me,” Teyve asks? And Golda responds: “I suppose I do, I suppose I do.”

To put it simply, regardless of how life unfolds, to be whole and fulfilled in life, people need relationships. While we all long for a perfect world and environment in which to live and work – for whatever that may mean or imply – we all know very well that life is not so simple. It’s filled with joys as well as struggles, disappointments, set-backs and pain. Human nature being what it is, however, we also know that we can endure just about anything provided that we have someone in our lives who journeys with us and with whom we are able to share our deepest fears as well as our hopes and dreams.

Think of the most satisfying moments in your life. Such moments, I guarantee, were when you were embraced by your mother or father, when you were affirmed, or when you were simply in the presence of someone who loved you. … By the same token, think of the worst moments of your life. They were likely moments when you were rejected by another, when you were cut off from family and friends, when you sat alone.

Do you see the bottom line here? No matter how much we pride ourselves in our independence and personal abilities – we human beings are most fulfilled when we are in relationship. … And why? … The answer is found in today’s feast, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. We are created in the image and likeness of God. And today’s feast tells us that God is a communion. In other words, God is relationship!

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity proclaims that in one God, there are three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – intimately bound together in love. … It’s no wonder, then, that we who are made in the image and likeness of God so desire to be the same way as God – in relationship with one another. That’s why the scriptures remind us that God is love and that we are most reflect God in our lives when we are in love, give love, and receive love. This reality makes ever more real the words of Saint Augustine, “You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

How providential that on a day in which the Church celebrates the loving, relational nature of God in this Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we also celebrate one of the most powerful manifestations of that love as evidenced in your lives through the Sacrament of Marriage. Indeed, in the marriage ritual, the relationship of a husband and wife is described as a reflection of the love that God, in Jesus, has for his people. Christian marriage is described as “so holy a mystery that it symbolizes the marriage of Christ and his Church,” an image of the covenant between God and his people.

Indeed, the love that is so reflected in your lives and that has brought you to this moment is mirrored in our second scripture reading today from Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. “Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Consider for just a moment those challenging words of Saint Paul. If you are honest, every one of them can help call to mind profound moments in your marriage. … Moments of struggle, when you weren’t sure what your husband or wife wanted of you, much less what God wanted, but you were humble enough to look inside of yourself to change your plans, your dreams and aspirations for the sake of someone else. … Moments of challenge, when you didn’t quite understand what was happening or why things were unfolding in your life in the manner in which they were – perhaps because of the loss of employment, sickness or even the death of a parent or child – but you patiently and mercifully clung to your spouse and to God to carry you through to better days. … Moments of disappointment when you knew that the only way in which you could possibly maintain your relationship was to forgive – to set aside your own desires and to think of the other. … Moments of joy and gladness in which love simply and purely abounded and for which you give thanks this day.

As you reflect on your years of marriage, the stories and events that are likely racing through your minds and hearts hardly reflect a naïve, story book ideal or fairy tale notion of your relationship. Quite the contrary. Your stories and lives reflect hard work, struggle and pain, suffering and joy, and a selflessness that seeks the well being of another. Marriage – your marriage – has endured because you have come to see it as part of something much bigger than yourselves. You have come to see your marriage as something of a mystery – the mystery of God’s love woven into creation – embraced in your lives – and lived through God’s grace – in your relationship with each other.

Sadly, our world doesn’t always view marriage in the same way as you and I understand it. So often, it wants marriage not to be about husband and wife and family, but about an individual, satisfaction and pleasure, convenience and autonomy. But your daily lives for all these years, lived in the power of the Sacrament of Marriage instituted by Christ, are testimony that marriage is not magical, but far more real, demanding, sacrificial, selfless … and ultimately filled with meaning, love and peace.

Pope Francis explained this reality of your lives together with these words.

“Two Christians who marry have recognized in their history of love the call of the Lord, the vocation of two, male and female, to become only one flesh, only one life. And the Sacrament of Matrimony envelops this love with the grace of God. It roots it in God Himself. With this gift, with the certainty of this call, one can begin to see with certainty that there is no fear of anything. Everything can be faced together!”

Everything can be faced together with the grace of God. … That’s a pretty powerful assertion, isn’t it? It brings to mind words that we reflected upon at this beginning of this homily. “Do I love you?” For all that we’ve been through together, “I suppose I do.”

Now do me a favor. … Take a look at the person sitting next to you. Look into his eyes – her eyes. For all that is a part of this exchange and this moment, realize just how sacred your relationship is. … For all that you have been through, realize how blessed you are to have each other. … For as familiar as those eyes are, see through them to discover the face of God abiding within the heart of the one you love. … And give thanks. … Amen.

Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton
HOMILY
Pentecost Sunday – June 4, 2017

Some of you may recall this story that I shared on the occasion of my episcopal ordination and installation as the 10^th Bishop of Scranton seven years ago. A few days prior to the public announcement of my appointment to lead the Diocese of Scranton as its bishop, I visited my mother to share this news. Needless to say, her reaction was filled with words of pride, gratitude to God, concern for my well being and challenge to me to do the job well. When she finally settled into the reality of what I had shared, she typically became rather practical in her questions and observations. “When will the news of your appointment be made public?” she asked. “This coming Tuesday morning. There’ll be a televised press conference with Cardinal Rigali and with me,” I said. “And what time is that going to take place?” she inquired. “10:00 a.m.” was my response. “Good!” she said. “I’ll be able to watch it and still keep my hair appointment at 11:30!”

Her response so typically kept me grounded in reality. I must confess, however, that it was also a bit of a surprise! … And we all experience surprises at various points in our lives, don’t we? Sometimes they make us smile. Often, they catch us off guard. And occasionally, they challenge us to look at life differently.

And that’s exactly what the disciples experienced in today’s gospel. … For all that we have come to know and understand about the Pentecost event that we celebrate today, in its initial experience, the sending forth of the Holy Spirit into the lives of Jesus’ closest followers was a surprise. It was hardly an expected event despite all that Jesus may have said in the days leading up to his suffering and death.

Are you uncertain about such an assertion on my part? Then let’s return to the gospel for a moment. St. John’s description of the moment of Pentecost puts this assertion into clear perspective. Here’s what we encounter. The disciples of Jesus were hiding in fear behind closed and locked doors, shutting out the rest of the hostile world that surrounded them – a world that took away the life of their leader and friend – a world for them that was now filled with suspicion and accusation. They felt better and safer, huddled together in isolation.

Then comes the surprise! Jesus bursts into their isolation, despite the closed and locked doors. Surprised and fearful, the disciples are stunned. Despite the fact that, from our vantage point at least, we often believe that they likely understood that this moment would come and were waiting for it to occur, there’s nothing in the scriptures that leads us to conclude that they did. With Jesus’ death and burial, they thought it was all over between Jesus and themselves. After all, their conduct leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion had been anything but sterling with denials, betrayals and flight, leaving Jesus to face his crucifixion alone.

And yet, there he was in their midst. He sought them out in their weakness. He was there to speak of forgiveness and, above all, to give them the gift of the Holy Spirit: the Spirit of the second chance – the Spirit of a love greater than their shame – a Spirit that would break down doors and send them out, now as a community of wounded, forgiven healers, to preach the Good News of God’s love and mercy.

Simply put, through the indwelling of the Spirit of God, a frightened community of followers of a rabbi from Nazareth becomes the Church – an emboldened group of disciples who are sent to be the living, breathing presence of Jesus in the world for all ages. … An inarticulate band of fishermen and a tax collector become a source of goodness, justice, truth, and mercy. … Wounded and grieving souls go up against the powerful forces of a broken world and make certain that the hungry are fed, the homeless are given shelter, the sick and the dying are healed, and the sinful are forgiven and loved.

Pentecost proclaims that the same Spirit continues to breathe upon us through our experience of the Church – the faithful People of God – giving life and direction to our mission and ministry to preach the Gospel to all people.

It is not at all by accident that when the Church welcomes new members into its ranks and brings many of you into full initiation in the Church with the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation today, we do so in a public manner. While we all have our own individual stories of faith and relate to God very intimately in the quiet of our hearts, we are baptized into Jesus’ body, the Church. As Christians, we become part of a communion – a unique relationship with God and his people. We are inextricably bound to one another in and through the same Christ. … Saint Paul reminds us in his first letter to the Church of Corinth, “As a body is one though it has many parts, all the parts of the body, though many, are one body. And so also Christ.”

So when we speak of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit given to us in the Pentecost event, we speak of the love of God poured into our hearts – we speak of a love that calls us to look beyond ourselves – and we speak of a love that has the power to open our hearts to mission and the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ in and through our service of our brothers and sisters. … The key for the unfolding of this love, however, is our openness to the Spirit.

Pope Francis has spoken often about the power of the Holy Spirit, inviting people to learn to listen to God speaking to us in the depths of our hearts. In his Pentecost homily two years ago, the Holy Father shared these challenging words, “The world needs men and women who are not closed in on themselves, but filled with the Holy Spirit. … The world needs the courage, hope, faith and perseverance of Christ’s followers. The world needs the fruits of the Holy Spirit: ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control’ (Gal 5:22). The gift of the Holy Spirit has been bestowed upon the Church and upon each one of us, so that we may live lives of genuine faith and active charity, that we may sow the seeds of reconciliation and peace. Strengthened by the Spirit and his many gifts, may we be able uncompromisingly to battle against sin and corruption, devoting ourselves with patient perseverance to the works of justice and peace.”

My brothers and sisters in this portion of God’s Church that we know as the Diocese of Scranton, may we give the Spirit room in our hearts and so breathe God’s life and love into the world entrusted to our care.

Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod Assembly
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Remarks for Rite for Repentance, Reconciliation and Common Witness
2 June 2017

I am truly grateful for the invitation of Bishop Zeiser to join with you today. Our growing friendship has been a blessing for both of us. It’s also important for you to understand that our mutual desire to witness to this moment in our shared history emerged hardly by chance but rather through what I know we both recognize as the hand of divine Providence.

While we’ve known each other for several years, our meetings were most often in the context of large ecumenical gatherings that hardly lent themselves to intimate conversations about our shared ministry and mission as bishops. That changed earlier this year when I found myself in Chicago for a meeting of the Catholic Bishops Committee on Ecumenism and Interreligious Affairs which, through the kindness of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is held bi-annually at your headquarters not far from O’Hare Airport. Our meeting in March, by intention, coincided with a plenary meeting of Lutheran bishops for the purpose of participating together in a service of prayer marking the 500 years of the Reformation.

Prior to the service as we sat quietly in the chapel, I looked straight ahead at the bishops seated directly across from me and noticed a familiar face that seemed to have recognized me. It was, of course, Bishop Zeiser. We quickly greeted each other in the moments just before the service was to begin. We shared dinner together that evening. And we determined that very day that we needed to do something to express our shared commitment of the journey of faith that is ours as brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus. Today is one more very important step in that journey. Thank you for the privilege of joining with you for your Synod Assembly.

In his homily at the common Ecumenical Prayer at the Lutheran Cathedral of Lund held in October of last year, Pope Francis stated: “As Catholics and Lutherans, we have undertaken a common journey of reconciliation. Now, in the context of the commemoration of the Reformation of 1517, we have a new opportunity to accept a common path, one that has taken shape over the past fifty years in the ecumenical dialogue between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church. Nor can we be resigned to the division and distance that our separation has created between us. We have the opportunity to mend a critical moment of our history by moving beyond the controversies and disagreements that have often prevented us from understanding one another.”

Jesus tells us in the 15th chapter of Saint John’s Gospel that his Father is the “vinedresser” who tends and prunes the vine in order to make it bear more fruit. He reminds us that the Father is constantly concerned for our relationship with him – Jesus – to see if our commitment to that relationship and the unity that it should inspire is authentic. Jesus then goes on to assure us that he watches over us, and his gaze of love has the power to inspire us to purify our past and to work in the present to bring about the future of unity that he so greatly desires.

As disciples of Jesus, it is our responsibility today to look with love and honesty at our past, recognizing error and seeking forgiveness, for God alone is our judge. It’s our place to recognize with the same honesty and love that our division has distanced us from the primordial intuition of God’s people, who naturally yearn to be one. This division, sadly, was perpetuated historically by the powerful of this world rather than faithful souls, who always and everywhere recognize their need to be guided surely and lovingly by the Good Shepherd.

Certainly, there was a sincere will on the part of both sides to profess and uphold the true faith. At the same time, however, we realize today that we closed in on ourselves out of fear and bias with regard to the faith which others profess with a different accent, language, and cultural background.

In response to this sad reality, Saint John Paul II challenged all of us who are party to division and separation to look to the future in a new way. “We must not allow ourselves to be guided by the intention of setting ourselves up as judges of history but solely by the motive of understanding better what happened and of becoming messengers of truth.”

While grateful for the progress that we have made, may we never forget that we are called by Christ to journey more deeply together through shared prayer, ongoing dialogue, cooperation and collaboration and so to provide an effective witness to the world of our unity in faith.

My brothers and sisters, we still have much to learn from each other and we still have miles to go before our journey to unity reaches its final destination. Nonetheless, may we recognize in our ecumenical relations the blessing of knowing each other better, and especially, as Pope Francis has noted on many occasions, “all that the Spirit has sown in the other as a gift for us.”

Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
HOMILY
Ordination to the Diaconate – 27 May 2017
Acts 6:1-7b; Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 10:35-45

As we join in prayer and continue to revel in the great gift of Easter, our celebration this day truly bears the fruit of the risen Jesus in our midst. It is in Jesus’ name and through the power of his suffering, death and resurrection that we call forth Ryan Glenn, our brother, to the Order of the Diaconate for service to the People of God in this local Church of Scranton.

What a blessing this day is for Ryan, for all of us, and particularly for those of you who have been entrusted with the care and formation of our brother throughout the many years of his journey of life that brings him to this faith-filled moment.

To Ryan’s entire family and especially his parents, Jim and Maria, thank you for your commitment, your example, your support and the gift of your son to the Church.

To the parishes and schools that Ryan attended over the years, Saint Jude’s Parish in Mountaintop and particularly Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore represented today by Father Scott Detisch, to our diocesan vocation team led by Father Don Williams, Monsignor David Bohr and to all of the priests, deacons, religious, and faithful who, through your example and concern for Ryan, have helped to prepare him for ministry in the Church, please know how grateful we all are for your care and dedication.

And finally, to Father Shantillo, Father Mosley and the entire parish community of Saint Matthew in East Stroudsburg, thank you for creating an environment of mutual love and support in and through which Ryan’s gifts for ministry have been able to grow and flourish. He presents himself to us today as a candidate for Holy Orders due in no small part to your faith and the life of this great parish. Indeed, your relationship with Ryan during this past year gives a depth of meaning to these words that I will speak to him in just a few moments, “Dear Son, before you enter the Order of the Diaconate, you must declare before the people of God your intention to undertake this office.” So many of you who are gathered here today, and especially the faithful of Saint Matthew’s Parish, will enable Ryan to make that declaration with great resolve and determination, for it will be rooted in his experience of the risen Jesus poured forth in your lives. … Thank you so very much!

Ryan, it’s quite obvious that a great deal of time and effort has been expended by you and so many others who have helped you to discern the will of God and his call in your life. Today you respond to God’s call to be a co-worker with your fellow deacons, with the priests of this local Church and with me, your bishop. Consider carefully that to which you’ve responded.

Jesus articulates the nature of your calling very clearly in the gospel that you chose for today’s ordination Mass. Listen again to what he says: “Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus’ admonition to his disciples – to each of us – and especially to you, Ryan – is almost a pleading. If you really understand me and what I am about, if you want to be my disciple, if you truly seek to be worthy of my name, then you must see the world and respond to its challenges in a particular way. The world may try to justify vengeance rather than forgiveness, to glorify self-preservation over selflessness, to preserve the system rather than to work for compassion and justice – but it cannot be that way with you!

This admonition is perhaps the greatest challenge of the Gospel, calling us not to accept “business as usual,” not to accept injustice and estrangement as “the way things are,” not to justify flexible morals and ethics with the mantra “everybody does it.” In short, to be an authentic disciple of Jesus means to put ourselves in the humble, demanding role of servant to others and to intentionally seek the happiness and fulfillment of those we love regardless of the cost to ourselves.

We are all so very grateful today for your willingness to embrace Jesus’ call to service, Ryan. Yet, in this call, the Lord clearly acknowledges the constant struggle that you will face in ministry: the constant struggle between living the life of God – and following your own way.

It’s interesting to note that in Saint Matthew’s version of today’s gospel, the mother of the disciples James and John approached Jesus and asked for a favor for her sons. Mark’s version of the same gospel that was just proclaimed a few moments ago is a bit more unsettling. Mark doesn’t affix blame for the outrageous request on the mother of the two disciples. He reveals that the disciples themselves ask Jesus for the favor.

Ryan, the context for your response to the Lord’s call is ever so human. As committed as they were to Jesus’ mission, the disciples didn’t always understand and often allowed themselves to get in the way of the Lord working in and through them. All of us in this church today are no different than James and John – and neither are you. We are called to serve the People of God but sometimes we get in the way.

So if you want your ministry as a deacon to be fruitful, Ryan, you must root yourself in Jesus’ life and love. The great Philippians hymn which you chose for our second scripture reading describes the humiliation and the exaltation of Christ. Very significantly, however, in words that we did not hear this morning, Saint Paul prefaces the ancient hymn with this challenge that centers upon love: “Complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.” Christ’s self-emptying is the foundation for that love. … His self-emptying must be the pattern for your life as well.

The disciplines of prayer, obedience and celibacy that you are called to embrace this day are meant to enable you to grow in the same spirit of service and mercy that so characterized Jesus’ ministry. These disciplines are not obstacles, hurdles or distractions that are somehow detached from what it means to be an ordained minister of the Church. They are not meant to set you up as being better or greater than others. Here, there is little room for pride, selfishness and arrogance. Rather, they are the vehicles that will carry you to a deeper union with Jesus.

Ultimately, as Pope Francis has often reminded the bishops, priests and deacons of our Church, you must cultivate in your heart “the virtues of courage, humility and generosity” and surrender yourself to Jesus Christ and His Body, the Church, in order to serve as an authentic and effective minister for the sake of those entrusted to your pastoral care.

Ryan, your service to the People of God as a deacon is a threefold ministry: service to the Word of God – service at the altar of the Lord – and service to the poor. Let me share a few words about each of these ways in which you are called to serve.

As a deacon … you will proclaim the Gospel, preach homilies, convey the needs of the people of God in the General Intercessions and offer many other forms of instruction. You are to be an agent of the New Evangelization and proclaim Christ to the world. … Yet in receiving the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you become, remember that it is his Gospel that you preach, not yours. It is the truth of the message of Jesus Christ that you proclaim, not yourself.

As a deacon … you will also serve at the altar of the Lord, preparing it for the banquet of Christ’s sacrifice, distributing Holy Communion to the faithful, as well as to the sick and homebound. You will baptize, preside at weddings and funerals and other prayer services. … Be a good servant of the Church’s sacramental life and always point to Jesus – not yourself – as our life and our hope.

Finally, as a deacon … you are called to be the living and working expression of the charity of the Church. To you, then, is entrusted in a special way the ministry of charity that is at the very origin of the institution of the deacon. As Pope Francis has reminded us often, you are to go to the margins of our world and our lives where you will find the poor and the broken. Ryan, I know you’ve done this so very well here at St. Matthew’s Parish. Continue to serve generously, imitating the Lord who washed the feet of the apostles at the Last Supper.

And so, with great joy, Ryan, the Diocese of Scranton calls you forth for the sacrament of Holy Orders. Although you indeed possess tremendous gifts and talents, we pray that you will always rely upon the grace of God to fill up whatever may be lacking in you to carry out fully the ministry of the Diaconate that will be entrusted to you this day.

I now ask that you proclaim your intentions before the People of God and trust that God who has begun the good work in you will bring it to fulfillment.

Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
HOMILY
5^th Sunday of Easter – May 14, 2017
Mother’s Day Adoption Mass

When I was in my second year of seminary formation, some 38 years ago, my family moved to another home. It was in the same town and neighborhood, but the move required that my family – or at least I – would have to leave the only home that I had ever known, from the day I was brought home from the hospital following my birth and for the next 23 years of my life.

The move was to take place in early December. So at the conclusion of my time with my family during the Thanksgiving break, I said my “good-by” to the house that was my home, knowing that when I returned in a few weeks to be with my family for Christmas, I would join them in a different place. I can recall taking a solitary walk through the entire house, thinking about events of my life that unfolded in every space – from Christmas mornings in our living room – to birthday celebrations in our dining room – to the mischief that my friends and I would get into in our third floor attic on rainy days. And I clearly can recall wondering what it would be like moving to a different place. Would I feel at home? Or, because I was preparing for my life’s work and would never live in my family’s new home as much as I did in the one we were leaving, I wondered if I would feel like a visitor, just passing through.

Of course, all of my questions and concerns were for naught. I can picture as if it were yesterday arriving at my family’s new home for Christmas break. It was just about dinner time and it was already dark and cold outside. I rang the doorbell because my folks hadn’t yet presented me with a key to the front door – they eventually did – and both of my parents came to the door to greet me. I quickly scanned what I could see of the new house to get a sense of what was going one. My dad had a fire burning in the living room fireplace that made the space feel warm and welcoming. I could smell my mother’s cooking in the kitchen. And then both of my parents gave me a hug – and immediately their new house was my home.

More recently, about ten years ago following my father’s death, my mother moved to a smaller, and more manageable house. When she moved – this time by herself – my sister and I presented her with a ceramic plaque that hangs proudly on the wall in her kitchen. I reads, “Home is where your mom is” – a pretty profound assertion for all of us to consider as we honor our mothers this day.

While many years have passed from that first Christmas in my family’s new house and I’ve moved far more times than I care to admit, I learned a very important lesson about life in the experience that I just shared with you. A good home has nothing to do with bricks and mortar and furniture and drapes. Instead, it has everything to do with relationships – the people who accept us and love us. The great American poet, Robert Frost, once said, “Home is the place … where they have to take you in.”

Home is much more about relationships with one another than anything else, isn’t it? … And faith, which we celebrate during this sacred hour of worship, roots us in our relationship with God. That relationship – more than any other and through the passage of time and space and grief and loss – has the power to provide us with the most profound sense of acceptance and love that we will ever find in our lives. … To be without faith is to truly be alone and without a home.

In today’s gospel, on the final night of his life before he faced the agony of Calvary and the cross that led to his death, Jesus shared words that capture so much of what lies at the heart of his mission among us and the essence of the gospel for which he gave his life. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.”

Note that in sharing these words with those who were closest to him, Jesus never said to them – or to us – that faith in him would preserve us from distress or pain or disappointment or setbacks or fear. To the contrary, Jesus himself faced all of these experiences and more as he journeyed through life and embraced his cross.

Jesus does, however, challenge us in today’s gospel and in the midst of all that life unfolds to trust in him and so to find peace in our hearts – at our center – through the mystery of his life, death and resurrection. For ultimately, Jesus’ gift of salvation and life is not solely a reality that we hope to embrace someday as we pass from this world to the next. Rather, it is a gift that begins in this world – now – when we give God room in our lives – when we make our relationship with God the focus for all that we do and are – and when we are humble enough to allow his love, his mercy and forgiveness to take root in our hearts.

Saint John XXIII shared these touching and hope-filled words in his final days on earth as he prepared for his death. “My bags are packed. I feel like a school boy going home for the holidays.”

May we pray for the wisdom to ask God for the one thing that he promises in today’s gospel: that our hearts not be troubled but that we find within them, at our center, true and lasting peace –the peace that reminds us that we belong to God and are loved – the peace that enables us to face life as it comes with hope – and the peace that assures us that in God alone do we find our home.

Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
HOMILY
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
4^th Sunday of Easter – May 7, 2017

Every year on the 4^th Sunday of Easter, the gospel is taken from chapter 10 of Saint John’s gospel: Jesus’ “Good Shepherd” discourse. It’s fair to say that given life in 2017, few of us have any first-hand experience with the relationship that Jesus describes between the “Good Shepherd” spoken of in today’s gospel and the sheep – the flock – entrusted to his care. The image does, however, provide a distinctively contemporary challenge.

In today’s passage, Jesus talks about a sheepfold, of all things – the enclosure where sheep were kept at night. Sheepfolds were generally formed by a wall of loosely piled stones. In the wall was a single, narrow opening and the “gate” at that opening was none other than the shepherd himself. At night, he would sleep in the middle of that opening. Any sheep wanting to wander out or any thief trying to get in would have to go through the shepherd first. In short, the shepherd was on the ground – literally – as the first and final guardian of the particular flock of sheep given to his oversight and care.

In a rather graphic way, what becomes clear from today’s gospel is that the work of shepherding is hardly some idyllic, romanticized effort. Palestinian shepherds were held absolutely liable for every single sheep entrusted to their care. “Good” shepherds, who were motivated by a sense of responsibility rather than money, considered it a matter of honor to lay down their lives for the sheep in their charge, taking on very kind of wild beast and marauder in defense of the flock.

When we reflect upon such qualities of a “good” shepherd, the significance of this metaphor for Jesus and ultimately for all of us becomes pretty obvious. Jesus vowed to lay down his life for his “sheep” – the people of God. We, in turn, as his followers, are called to do the same for the people who are given to our care.

The impact of the metaphor becomes all the more significant, however, when we recognize the context in which Jesus shares this imagery. In the verses that immediately precede the “Good Shepherd” discourse, Jesus confronts the Pharisees – the religious leaders of his day and age who, in so many respects throughout the gospels, have lost their way. … They typically placed heavy burdens upon the shoulders of struggling souls who were looking for a way forward in life through faith. … They threw stones at public sinners while refusing to acknowledge their own inabilities to follow the laws of God. … And they self-righteously challenged the very mission and message of Jesus, claiming to possess all knowledge of God while unwilling to allow room for the revelation of God that was being poured forth into their world through Jesus.

In short, Jesus holds up the actions and attitudes of the Pharisees as a challenge to both religious leaders and all individuals who, in their – and our – self-consumed and self-centered ways, fail to recognize Jesus and to embrace the gospel he proclaimed. … Sadly, the Pharisees set themselves apart, over and above those in their care. … Jesus, on the other hand, using the selfless image of the “good” shepherd, comes close to his people, taking on human flesh. He offers hope by giving himself to us and to God, his Father, on the cross. … In familiar terminology, Jesus takes the high road: not returning insult, not threatening, but submitting to those who judged him unjustly. He loves unconditionally. He serves to the end. And he forgives in his last breathes on the cross.

Herein, my brothers and sisters, we discover the mystery of God’s plan to win salvation for us all. Jesus leaves us – his followers – a model of selfless, sacrificial, forgiving love – a “new” standard of love that transcends legalisms and measurements, that renews and re-creates all human relationships, that enables us to see through our often complicated world view into the heart of God and his plan for our lives.

The challenges of life that face all of us – and especially so many of you who have joined with me for this special Mass today on the World Day of Prayer for Vocations – could not be greater. Yet, we can’t simply point a finger at the world around us as the source of our challenges and problems and feel as though we’ve done something noble in responding to life’s struggles. The bigger issue that confronts us today has less to do with our world and its skewed value systems and far more with ourselves and how we understand what it means for us to be authentic followers of Jesus. When we come to terms with our relationship with Jesus, everything else will fall into place!

You see, once we acknowledge that relationship and open our hearts to the power and presence of God within, we give Jesus room to grow. But as Jesus takes hold of our lives, he prompts us all to reflect upon our place within his mission to bring life and salvation to our world. He challenges us by his word and example, to embrace the promises made at our Baptism to live as his disciples. He calls us, as we heard in today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, “to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” that will sustain us in all things. And then Jesus reminds us – time and time again – that our relationship with him can never solely be a private dimension of our lives that give us a warm and comforting feeling amid the struggles of life. Authentic discipleship always leads to mission – to service of the people of God.

In a message for World Youth Day 2017, which was held on April 13^th during Holy Week, Pope Francis called upon young people like yourselves to follow the example of Mary who, after saying “yes” to becoming the mother of God, did not remain closed in on herself but went out of her way to help her cousin Elizabeth.

“Mary does not shut herself up at home or let herself be paralyzed by fear or pride,” the Pope wrote. “Mary is not the type that – to be comfortable – needs a good sofa where she can feel safe and sound. She is no couch potato!” Upon meeting her cousin, the Holy Father explained, “Mary proclaims the Magnificat, a revolutionary prayer in that while she is aware of her own limitations, she completely trusts in divine mercy.”

Like Mary, young men and woman today can also experience “great things” if they allow their hearts to be touched by God in the “journey of life, which is not a meaningless meandering but a pilgrimage that, for all its uncertainties and sufferings, can find its fulfillment in God,” the Pope said.

Finally, the Holy Father remarked, “I would like to remind you that there is no saint without a past or a sinner without a future. The pearl is born of a wound in the oyster! Jesus, by his love, can heal our hearts and turn our lives into genuine pearls.”

So, what about you? How does Pope Francis’ challenge – and that of the gospel itself – speak to you? … What are you going to do with your Baptism? Are you going to acknowledge it, but only as an isolated moment in your journey of life and faith? Or, are you going to tap the gifts of God that have been give to you to build up the Body of Christ in our midst? … How are you going to shepherd the lives entrusted to your care? Will you lay down your life – your comfort, your well-being, your pride, your status – for the sake of others as Jesus did? Or will you be like the Pharisees, who have all sorts of opinions about others but never go out of their way to encourage or support or forgive another. … When are you going to be the disciple whom Jesus calls you to be? When you’re perfect – which will never happen – or when you’ve dismissed all other options for your life – which also will never happen? Or are you able to trust enough in God’s mercy so that you can bring who you are as a follower of Jesus into every aspect of your life, regardless of what you do for your life’s work?

My friends, Jesus is calling all of us to be his disciples and to build his Church. And for some of you, right now Jesus is revealing his plan for you to serve the Church – your brothers and sisters – as a priest, a deacon, a religious sister or brother.

Open your hearts to the Spirit of God. … Trust in God’s mercy and love. … Seek to live fully the Baptism that you’ve received. … Shepherd generously the lives that God gives to you. … And become the person that God has created you to be!

Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton
HOMILY
3^rd Annual Men’s Conference – 4^th Sunday of Easter
May 6, 2017

What an incredible gathering! What a great day to celebrate our faith in Jesus Christ, risen from the dead! What a powerful sign your presence is to our world as we resolve to live that faith as followers of Jesus!

The gospel just proclaimed for the fourth Sunday of Easter is taken each year from chapter 10 of Saint John’s gospel: Jesus’ “Good Shepherd” discourse. In today’s passage, Jesus talks about a sheepfold, of all things – the enclosure where sheep were kept at night. Sheepfolds were generally formed by a wall of loosely piled stones. In the wall was a single, narrow opening and the “gate” at that opening was none other than the shepherd himself. At night, he would sleep in the middle of that opening. Any sheep wanting to wander out or any thief trying to get in would have to go through the shepherd first. In short, the shepherd was on the ground – literally – as the first and final guardian of the particular flock of sheep given to his oversight and care.

The impact of the metaphor is all the more significant, however, when we recognize the context in which Jesus shares this imagery. In the verses that immediately precede the “Good Shepherd” discourse, Jesus confronts the Pharisees – the religious leaders of his day and age who, in so many respects throughout the gospels, had lost their way. … They typically placed heavy burdens upon the shoulders of struggling souls who were looking for a way forward in life through faith. … They did battle with sin by literally casting stones at public sinners while refusing to acknowledge their own inabilities to follow the laws of God. … And they self-righteously challenged the very mission and message of Jesus, claiming to possess all knowledge of God while being unwilling to allow room for the revelation of God that was being poured forth into their world through Jesus.

In short, Jesus holds up the actions and attitudes of the Pharisees as a challenge to both religious leaders and all individuals who, in their – and our – self-consumed and self-centered ways, fail to recognize Jesus and to embrace the gospel he proclaimed. … Sadly, the Pharisees set themselves apart, over and above those who were given to their care. … Jesus, on the other hand, using the selfless image of the “good” shepherd, comes close to his people, taking on human flesh. He offers hope by giving himself to us and to God, his Father, on the cross. … In familiar terminology, Jesus took the high road: not returning insult, not threatening, but submitting to those who judged him unjustly. He loved unconditionally. He served to the end. And he forgave in his last breathes on the cross.

Herein, my brothers, we discover the mystery of God’s plan to battle the forces of evil and to win salvation for us all. Jesus leaves us – his followers – a model of selfless, sacrificial, forgiving love – a “new” standard of love that transcends legalisms and measurements, that renews and re-creates all human relationships, that enables us to see through the most Godless and secular world view into the heart of God and his plan for our lives.

The challenges facing us as Christian men could not be greater. Yet, we can’t simply gather here today and smugly point a finger at the world around us as the focus of our concern and disdain. The real battle that we’re called to wage is less with our world and its skewed value system and far more with ourselves and how we understand what it means for us to be authentic followers of Jesus.

As a starting point for that understanding, we need to acknowledge that all of life comes together in Jesus’ cross. God could have chosen to relate to his creation in any way he wanted. Yet he chose to relate to it – to us who are made in his very image and likeness – through his son Jesus, who took on human flesh and substance. And he chose to have Jesus carry a cross so that we, in our suffering – pain – and grief might discover a God who understands, because he too carried a cross – a God who reminds us that we do not suffer alone – a God who assures us, that, like Jesus, our crosses, carried in faith, give way to life and resurrection.

And what underlies this motivation on the part of God to relate so intimately to his creation – to me and to you? Love – an utterly pure and generous love. He doesn’t love us because we have somehow merited his love. God loves us simply because that is his nature. He loves us to the point of suffering and dying. The cross – the central image and the focus of our lives as Christians – becomes the supreme proof of God’s love for us and the measure of our love for one another. … You understand this reality as you fiercely love and care for your families.

The focus of this year’s conference coincides with the 100^th anniversary of the apparitions of our Blessed Mother to three young peasant children in Fatima, Portugal. We entitled our conference, “Mary’s call to battle!” And we surely do face a battle in our world and in our lives.

Yet, our battle against the evils of this world and the sin that still abounds in our lives will never be won by waging wars of hatred and discrimination or by self-righteously casting stones upon lives that are already broken and wounded. Our greatest weapons will be found when we have the courage to peer deeply within our lives – to face our own sinfulness – to admit our powerlessness – and to acknowledge our need for God. Then and only then will we be able to effectively confront the forces of evil in our world – because we’ve first come to know them ourselves and have overcome them with the armor of righteousness born of God.

When I think of the example of Mary, there are two phrases that she offers in the scriptures that set her apart in all of salvation history as both a model of faith and discipleship. … The first phrase comes in Saint Luke’s gospel, following the news proclaimed by an angel that she is to become the mother of the Savior. In the midst of confusion and concern, she courageously asserts, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” In other words, she hands herself over to the will of God. God’s will and God’s way become the determining factors of her life.

The second phrase that Mary utters comes at the wedding feast of Cana when Jesus performs his first miracle in Saint John’s gospel by changing water into wine. Following her exchange with Jesus, Mary instructs the servants to “do whatever he tells you.”

And what is it that Jesus tells us to do as his followers? What are the words and actions of Jesus that both characterize his mission and ministry and serve as the foundation for our lives as Christian men? … Let me share a few with you as we all reflect upon the challenges that confront us on a daily basis: “Let the one among you without sin be the first to cast a stone.” Do you remember those words from Saint John’s gospel, when the righteous Pharisees sought to stone to death a sinful woman? … How about these? “Put your sword into its sheath. For all who live by the sword will perish by the sword.” Even as he walked to the cross, Jesus would not respond to injustice with violence. … What about these? “When I was hungry, you gave me food. When I was thirsty, you gave me drink. When I was ill, you visited me. Whenever you did this to the least of my brothers, you did it for me.” We will be judged – not by the multiplication of our words of prayer and praise, but by our willingness to touch the wounded and broken. … “As I have done, so you must do” – words of challenge spoken by Jesus the night before he died as he served his disciples and washed their feet. … “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do” – words of mercy and love that are spoken by Jesus as he hung upon the cross.

Brothers, the weapons that we have been given to confront the evils of this world are far more powerful than any of weapons of war and destruction. They are born from the cross of Jesus – and they are the weapons that he has used to bring salvation to our world: forgiveness, mercy and selfless love. Make them your own as you care for your families and seek to build a peaceful world.

In reflecting upon the 100^th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions, Pope Francis shared these profound and challenging words. “O Mary, lead us to your Son, as we are not Christians ‘for show’, but who are called to ‘get our hands dirty’ in order to build with your Son, Jesus, his Kingdom of love, joy and peace.”

My brothers, therein is the true battle that we are called to engage with Christ our Shepherd, whose voice alone we must heed and follow.