Tuesday of the 23rd Sunday

Quia in ipso inhabitat omnis

plenitude divinitatis corporaliter

Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordered Time (September 6^th, 2011)

Rev. Mr. Michael Taylor

In our first reading today, Paul writes, see to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to the tradition of men, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of God corporeally.[1] So often today, people will try to speak of God without speaking of the Christ, as if one can be conceived without the other. This however is not possible. Christ Jesus is the logos,[2] the rationale of all creation, the one in whom all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.[3] There is no other saving God besides Christ. We see this woven throughout the gospels, especially in John. There it is written that Jesus is the gate of the sheep [4] and again it is written that I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.[5] In the Acts of the Apostles, it is written that there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven give among men by which we must be saved.[6] In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, it is written that man is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ.[7] In the first letter of the Beloved Apostle, it is written that no one who denies the Son has the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.[8] Thus, we cannot separate the Christ from the Father. If one tries to speak of God without speaking of the Christ, then they speak not of the one God, but of a lie. “For the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.” [9] Where the Father is, there too is the Son, who is made manifest by the Spirit. For the Son came to give glory to the Father, as is our Lord affirmed when he said, I honor my Father [10] and the Father gives honor to the Son, as Jesus said, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies, of whom you say that He is your God.[11] To give affirmation of the Son is the glory of the Holy Spirit, as is written by the Apostle, no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit [12] and again but when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness to me.[13] So then there are three persons but one God. And this unity of divinity dwells among us in the Blessed Sacrament, wherein is contained the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

And this most Blessed Sacrament is entrusted to the successors of the Apostles, the bishops of the Catholic Church. These apostles are the ones spoken of in today’s gospel. There unity in the sacrament is affirmed, for it was the teaching of the Eucharist in the sixth chapter of John that lead many disciples to cease in their following of Christ. When asked if they, the Apostles wanted to leave, Peter, prince of the Apostles, replied, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.[14] So now there is unity, founded in Christ, blessed and made present in the Most Holy Eucharist founded in one Church. Thus, we can say there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of us all, who is above all, and through all, and in all.[15] May God be praised and exalted above all forever. Amen.

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[1] Colossians 2.8-9

[2] Cf. John 1.1-3

[3] Colossians 1.16

[4] John 10.7

[5] John 14.6

[6] Acts 4.12

[7] Galatians 2.16

[8] I John 2.23

[9] Athanasian Creed §§15-16

[10] John 8.49

[11] John 8.54

[12] I Corinthians 12.3

[13] John 15.26

[14] John 6.68-69

[15] Ephesians 4.4-6

Homily for the Twenty-Third Sunday of ordered Time

Si te audierit,

Lucratus eris fratrem tuum[1]

September 4^th, 2011

Corpus Christi Parish

Rev. Mr. Michael Taylor

Amen I say to you, whosoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven: and whatever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.[2]

Today’s readings are difficult readings for us to hear. They are difficult because they remind us that God’s justice exists and his justice demands that unrepentant sinners will be punished. These are difficult matters and require much prayer and contemplation. But as we listen to the prophet Ezekiel today, listen as he says, [if] you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death,[3] one thing seems clear to me. We must be more intentional about our faith. We need to be more intentional about what we’re about. We need to be more intentional about where we’re going. We need to be more intentional about the people we spend time with. We need to be more intentional about who we are. That is ultimately what today’s gospel is about.

We, as Christians need to begin to rethink our associations, and those with whom we keep company. Are those people around us seeking holiness? If it ever could be said of our culture that it fostered virtue, that time has surely passed. Indeed, we are all too careless in our associations, counting as close friends those who seek after other gods, are lost in all sorts of immortality, and care not for the ways of the Lord. It is as God accuses the psalmist when He says, What right have you to recite my statutes, or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are a friend of his; and you keep company with adulterers. You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; and slander your own mother’s son.[4] If we surround ourselves with those who do not care for God, and are content with the pleasures of this world, should we be surprised that we lack fervor of faith or that our own spiritual life has faded? This is not to say that we avoid sinners. No, for as Paul noted I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men; not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But rather I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber– not to even eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the Church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Drive out the wicked person from among you.’.[5]

What does this mean? Who are we to judge our brethren? Does not the Lord say, judge not lest you be judged? [6] Does not the Apostle James say Do not speak evil against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge? [7] Even Paul himself writes in the same letter, But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. [8]

Yet there is a difference to be noted here. Here we can speak of judgment as corrective and judgment as condemnatory. It is why the Church can speak of those sins and evils that will lead a soul to hell but she cannot tell you one person who is there, for it is not for the faithful to condemn anyone. Too often, we do not judge for the sake of offering correction. We judge so that we might feel better about ourselves. Of this our Lord Jesus has warned, You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. [9] Yet for the person who refuses to change his ways, and will not acknowledge his sin, then it is better for him to be removed from the community, rather than by his sin pollute the bond of the faithful. For sin is corrosive, and it destroys the unity of a community. Our Lord has given us the path which offers right correction. Of this He said, If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.[10] Too often, when someone wrongs us, we prefer to talk about our injury, which may indeed be a just complaint, to everyone else except the offending party. This is not just, this is gossip. It does nothing to repair the wrong, for the person who is guilty of the offense is most likely unaware that they have wronged you. However, if they hear about your anger from someone else, instead of being self-reflective, and considering their culpability, they will react in anger, this time that their name has been slandered without them first being given a recourse to address the wrong. If someone wrongs you, go and speak to them first, and do so in charity, so that you might gain grace from God. Remember that it is required of you that if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the alter and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.[11] Remember that as Christians we offer nothing less than ourselves before the altar of God.

Our Lord goes on further: But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.[12] This is so that no judgment may be left to the testimony of two interested parties, but rather, a third party (the two or three witnesses) may gather and give an objective reckoning of the situation. In doing so, a brother in faith who has done wrong may be assured that it is not a personal vendetta that is the motivation of the one addressing the wrong. That being said, it is important that the witnesses be people of faith, for it is written by loyalty and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil.[13] If the witnesses have not the fear of the Lord before their eyes, they will become partial to one side, and will render further injustice and iniquity, for again it is not good to be partial to a wicked man, or to deprive a righteous man of justice.[14]

Finally, our Lord gives what at first seems a harsh sentence, but as shall be seen is actually a sentence of mercy. Jesus concludes by stating, If he [the offending brother] refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.[15] What then shall we say? Why should Jesus wish to cast away someone from the Church? The answer to this is found in Paul. Note that Jesus first says to bring them to the Church. This is because, as Paul affirms, I am writing these instructions to you so that...you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.[16] If a person will not listen to the truth, then as the Beloved Disciple writes, he who says ‘I know Him’ but disobeys His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.[17] Thus only those who admit that they have sinned can begin to be justified, and it for this reason why a person may be excommunicated, so that in the horror they experience at being cut off, they might repent and come back with a humble and contrite heart. Paul affirms this when he writes, by rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith, among them Hymenae’us and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.[18] Yet this action is always done by the bishop, for note what Paul says to the Church in Corinth concerning the man guilty of fornication, let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though I am absent in body I am present in spirit, and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in this day of the Lord Jesus.[19]

My brothers and sisters, our culture is not well, and we say nothing. There is suffering and there is evil, and we remain silent. What are we doing? Where do we want to go? Is there something better? We speak of love, of love being grand, but then we say nothing as our children continue to live together out of wedlock. We indulge ourselves too greatly. How is it that two people living outside of marriage is anything other than sin? Oh sure, we can say that we love each other. But if there is no commitment, then what I’m really saying is that I love you now, as long as it’s convenient. I love you as long as things don’t get difficult. I love you as long things don’t change. I love you as long as it fits within my five year plan. And my brothers and sisters that is not love at all. It is lust. It is selfishness. It is the worst form of narcissism for it is a narcissism which does not even recognize itself. And lust hollows out the human soul. It prevents us from being able to understand what it means when God says I love you for being you. There is sin and it poisons our very soul. It destroys our ability to love and to be loved.

We know the scripture which says that God is love.[20] But if sin destroys our ability to be with loved, what does this say about our relationship with God, who is love? Notice what our Lord says in today’s gospel, where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.[21] Our Lord does not say in them nor does he say that he contains them, but that he stands in the midst of them. Sin destroys that relationship. We know that Jesus comes into our world to remove sin. Now read what the Beloved Apostle says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and his word is not in us [22] and again, everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.[23] Love without rules is not love at all, but rather it’s opposite, apathy. It is the statement that I do not really care what happens to you or what you do to me.

But there is a better way. There is the way that cares for the neighbor as much as one cares for themselves. It is the way in which we journey together towards salvation, rather than just worrying about getting to heaven by ourselves. It is the way which leadeth unto life as a holy people, rather than just believing that it is my personal happiness that is of utmost importance. This way requires us to look after one another, to care enough about our brethren in faith to speak of hard truths when they are necessary. We hear often of the corporal works of mercy and they are indeed good, and even necessary. Yet there are the spiritual works of mercy as well. They are to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish the sinner, comfort the sorrowful, to forgive all injuries, bear all wrongs patiently and to pray for the living and the dead. Let us thus work to help our brethren out, so that they too might share in the joy of our happiness.

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[1] Matthew 18.15b: “If he [your brother] shall hear you, you shall gain your brother.” [Taken from the gospel for the Sunday]

[2] Matthew 18.18

[3] Ezekiel 33.8

[4] Psalm 50(49).16-20

[5] I Cor 5.9-13; SEE also Dt. 13.6; Dt 17.7; Dt 22.24

[6] Mt 7.1

[7] Jam 4.11

[8] I Cor 4.3-4

[9] Mt 7.5

[10] Mt 18.15

[11] Mt 5.23-24

[12] Mt 18.16

[13] Prov 16.6

[14] Prov 18.5

[15] Mt 18.17-18

[16] I Tm 3.14-15

[17] I Jn 2.4

[18] I Tm 1.20

[19] I Cor 5.2-5

[20] I Jn 4.8

[21] Mt 18.20

[22] I Jn 1.10

[23] I Jn 3.4

Homily for the Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time

Quem Me esse dicitis?

Homily for the Twenty First Sunday of Ordered Time

August 21^st, 2011

Corpus Christi Parish

Rev. Mr. Michael Taylor

Simon Peter answered and said: You are Christ, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus answering said to him: Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but My Father who is in heaven.[1]

In today’s gospel, we have Jesus giving His apostles a pop quiz. He is curious as to what they’ve heard regarding what people thought He was all about. He asks, them, who do others say that I am? [2] This is a safe question. It does not require the Apostles to do anything but repeat back what they’ve heard. And this is what they do. They reply, Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.[3] Then Jesus asks them the question which strikes to the very heart. It’s personal. It is a question asked by one man to another, one that necessitates an act of faith. But who do you say that I am? [4] It is then that Peter makes his great act of faith. He does not reply with a the title, Lord, or Rabbi, or Son of Man, or Prophet. Peter, without hesitation says, You are Christ, the Son of the living God.[5] If what he says is false, then Simon Bar-Jonah is guilty of blasphemy and idolatry, deserving to be stoned to death. Yet his proclamation of faith is greeted with joy and blessing by Jesus,[6] who bestows upon Simon Bar-Jonah a new name, Peter, meaning rock.[7] Simon Bar-Jonah’s act of faith transforms him into the rock upon which Christ will build His Church.[8]

But what about us? Who do we say that this carpenter from Nazareth is? Too often Jesus is transformed into various manifestations to fit whatever the prevailing attitude of the time might be. Even the attempt to find the “real” “historical” Jesus resulted in a product where Jesus oddly enough looked like the 19^th century authors themselves. So who is this Jesus of Nazareth? Why should we care? Indeed, many people have tried to find ways of dismissing Him, replacing the Son, and choosing to focus on the Father instead. We all have one Father, and so let us not worry about the Son. The great faiths all have one Father, so let us focus on that, rather than this 2,000 year old oddity.[9]

The problem with this is that we have forgotten about the Christ. We have heard the phrase “Jesus Christ” so often that we begin to think of Christ as a last name. Yet Christ is a title, a label of identity and function. Joseph and Mary were not known as ‘Mr. and Mrs. Christ.’ No, Christ means ‘anointed one’ and here the scriptures bear witness to what this means. The psalmists foretells of Jesus when it writes, The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His anointed…Thus the Lord has said, “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.” [10] The Lord has said to His anointed, You are my son, today I have begotten you.” [11] The Prophet Isaiah had foreseen the messiah born of the Virgin [12] when he wrote, The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me: he hath sent me to preach to the meek, to heal the contrite of heart, and to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to them that are shut up to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.[13] Did not Jesus Himself read these very same words in the synagogue and then tell the assembled, Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing? [14] This is why it is written in Hebrews, but of the Son [it is written], “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, the righteous scepter is the scepter of Thy Kingdom. Thou hast loves righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, thy God, has anointed Thee with the oil of gladness beyond Thy comrades.” [15]

Thus we cannot separate the person of Jesus from the Christ, the messiah He was sent to be. It was for this reason that Peter proclaimed to Jesus that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. “For what faith really states is precisely that with Jesus it is not possible to distinguish office and person; with Him, this differentiation simply becomes inapplicable. The person is the office; the office is the person. The two are no longer separable.” [16] If we want salvation, we want the anointed, we want the Christ who is Jesus. We cannot think of Jesus merely as a great moral teacher, or a person who was somehow unsure as to why He was here. There was writing in The Evangelist two weeks ago, the commentary on the upcoming week’s scripture. The misguided author mistakenly thought that Jesus was somehow confused as to why He was here on earth. This is heresy. For does not Jesus repeatedly reveal His mission to the earth? Did not Jesus say to Zacchaeus, the sinful tax collector, Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost? [17] Did not Jesus say, before Abraham was, I AM?[18] Did not Jesus say, I and the Father are One? [19] Both of these times, the people around Him picked up stones to kill Jesus for blasphemy, for they knew that He was claiming to be God. Indeed, since only God can forgive sins,[20] only God could tell the paralytic man which is easier to say, ‘your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘rise and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ [21] Even the demons whom Jesus cast out knew that God stood before them, for they cried out in Jesus’ presence, What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time? [22]

Then why do some harden their hearts, and do not admit to the divinity of the Christ, the one whom is known as Jesus? Who do you say that Jesus is? Our answer to this question changes everything, for if Jesus is the Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, one in being with the Father, then we cannot ignore His message. If Jesus is the Christ, then what is written in John becomes necessary of salvation, that God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in [the Son] is not condemned; he that does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [23] For as it was spoken by Peter in the Acts of the Apostles, There is salvation in one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.[24] “It must therefore be firmly believed as a truth of Catholic faith that the universal salvific will of the One and Triune God is offered and accomplished once for all in the mystery of the incarnation, death and resurrection of the Son of God.”[25]

Now what are we to do? God has become incarnate, and dwelt among us. Furthermore, this is not a truth that is some distant event. Rather, the Incarnation becomes present for us at every mass. Yet we treat this truth, this grace, and this great witness of God’s love so cavalierly. When I was doing my basic officer course in the Army as a chaplain, another chaplain who is a Muslim imam and I were talking about our various faiths. I asked him about Islam and he asked me about Catholicism. At one point, he looked at me and said, you believe that your Eucharist, is really the body and blood of Jesus, correct? I replied yes. He then said, and you believe that the prophet Jesus is in actuality God Himself? “Yes.” The Imam said, “I do not believe this.” I tried to explain to him why we believe that Jesus is God, and why we believe in the Eucharist, but he interrupted me. He said, “It is not that I do not believe your faith. That is obvious. I do not think you Catholics believe your faith. For if I believed that Allah himself was present in that tabernacle of yours, I would not be able to get off of my knees in praise.” It was a hard statement to swallow. So often we pass by Jesus, present in our parishes, and never think of stopping by. God Himself dwells with us and too often, we leave Him alone.

I know that it might seem to some that to speak of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as being lonely as mere pious sentimentality. I know that it might seem foolish to believe that God somehow misses me. But I don’t know about you, but I want to believe in a God of whom it is written, I will gather my people…and sprinkle clean water on them to cleanse them of their sins…and you shall be my people and I shall be your God.[26] I want to believe in a God who says, you are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God.[27] I want to believe in a Christ who said, I am the good shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep.[28] I want to believe in a Jesus who is the shepherd who went out to find the lost sheep,[29] the one who went to find the lost coin,[30] the one who longs to gather us like his children.[31] I want to believe in the God who is like the Father who waited at his doorway waiting for the prodigal son to come home and then rejoiced at his presence.[32] Yes, I will admit I believe that Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament misses me, and wants my presence.

If we want to know who Jesus is, we need to spend time with Him. We need to sit at the feet of the Master, and learn from His words. Is it not for this reason that Jesus said of Mary to Martha, one thing is needful, Mary has chosen the good, which shall not be taken away from her? [33] That is why we will be beginning Eucharistic Adoration here at Corpus Christi this September. It will be every Thursday night from 6pm to 8:30 with benediction at the end. You don’t have to be here for the entire time. Come for an hour. Come for a half hour. Come just to stop in for 5 minutes of silence in a busy world. Come just for the blessing. Whatever you can give Christ, He will love you all the more so for the gift of your presence. We will have sign up lists so that we can make sure that there is always someone present. I invite you to come and sit in the presence of God, to look at Him and tell Him what you see, but more importantly, to let Him look at you and tell you what He sees.[34]

Part of the reason we are doing this is for the youth. As you may have heard, we are redoing our Youth Ministry here at Corpus Christi. We will be doing a lot of cool things, a lot of fun events. You’ll learn how to bake five awesome things that everyone will love you for. You’ll learn some cool things along the way. We will take trips to the apple orchards, to the haunted hay ride and ski trips. We will do service projects to serve those in most need. But we will also spend some time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, from about 8 to 8:30 every Thursday. It is important that we spend time with Jesus, all of us. But for you who are out there, and might be considering coming to youth ministry, I promise you only one thing. You will find God. You will encounter the One who formed you in your mother’s womb,[35] and knew you before you were born.[36] So often you are bombarded with images and thoughts that tell you, “If you don’t succeed at school, you’re not good enough. If you don’t go to college, you’re a failure. If you aren’t pretty enough, you’re not worth being loved.” I will promise you that at this parish, on Thursday nights, you will find the One who created you out of love. You will learn what it means to be loved and to love. Pope Benedict XVI at his speech at World Youth Day said, “Use these days to know Christ better and to make sure that, rooted in Him, your enthusiasm and happiness, your desire to go further, to reach the heights, even God Himself, always hold a sure future, because the fullness of life has already been placed within you. Let that life grow within divine grace, generously and with half-measures, as you remain steadfast in your aim for holiness.”[37] I hope Thursdays will give you the time to do just that.

I hope the adults here will come and join the youth in praying on Thursday nights. It’s important that we pray together. It is important that those who are participating in youth ministry know that prayer isn’t something they have to do as kids. It is even more important that we as adults do that. I hope to see you here on Thursdays starting in September. I promise that you will come to know the one named Jesus.

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[1] Mt 16.16-17

[2] Mt 16.13

[3] Mt. 16.14

[4] Mt. 16.15

[5] Mt 16.16

[6] St. John Chrysostom. Homily 54 on Matthew: §2: “Yet surely, unless he [Peter] had rightly confessed Him, as begotten of the very Father Himself, this were no work of revelation; had he accounted our Lord to be one of the many, his saying would not be worthy of a blessing.”

[7] Cf. Mt. 16.17

[8] Cf. Mt.

16.18

[9] Ratzinger. Introduction to Christianity. p. 199: Ratzinger offers a systematic response as to why this approach ultimately ends in heresy.

[10] Ps. 2.2,6

[11] Ps. 2.7

[12] Cf. Is 7.14; Mt 1.23

[13] Is 61.1-2

[14] Lk 4.18-21, especially 21

[15] Heb 1.8-9

[16] Ratzinger. Introduction to Christianity, p. 203

[17] Lk 19.9-10

[18] John 8.58

[19] Jn 10.30

[20] St. John Chrysostom, Homily 54 on Matthew, §3: “Do you see how He, His own self, leads Peter on to high thoughts of Him, and reveals Himself, and implies that He is the Son of God by these two promises? For those things which are peculiar to God alone, (both to absolve sins, and to make the church incapable of overthrow in such assailing waves, and to exhibit a man that is a fisher more solid than any rock, while all the world is at war with him), these He promises Himself to give.”

[21] Mt 9.5-6

[22] Mt. 8.29; Cf. Lk 4.41

[23] Jn 3.17-18

[24] Acts 4.12

[25] Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. Dominus Iesus. 2000, §14; II Vatican Council Gaudium et spes §10; II Vatican Council, Lumen gentium, §62; Saint Augustine, De civitate Dei §10: “Of Christ there is the way, which has never been lacking to mankind…and apart from this way no one has been set free, no one is being set free, no one will be set free.”

[26] Ez 36.24,25, 28

[27] Ez 34.31

[28] Jn 10.11

[29] Cf. Mt. 18.12-14; Lk 15.4-5

[30] Cf. Lk 15.8

[31] Cf. Lk 13.34

[32] Cf. Lk 15.11-32

[33] Lk. 10.42

[34] This great pearl of wisdom comes from a very holy priest, Father Laurence Hennessey of the Archdiocese of Chicago, of whom I was blessed to have briefly as my spiritual director.

[35] Ps 139.13-14

[36] Cf. Jer 1.5

[37] Pope Benedict XVI. Opening Address to World Youth Day 2011