Good News?
The Gospel is “good news,” but does anyone see any good news from today’s Gospel? Jesus describes his Heavenly Father as a King who invited guests to a wedding feast for his son. When they refused to come, he burned their city. Is this the God in whom we trust? Does God really become enraged, killing and burning those who oppose him. In fact, at least one city is in flames just north of us, and many will ask how God can permit this. Our hearts go out to those who have perished or lost homes in Santa Rosa and Napa. They must endure a great trial and neighborhoods? Nearly 6000 buildings have been reduced to ashes, one of which is Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa, at which two of my friends teach. Many of you have told me that your children have lost their homes. Has God done this to us in retribution for our infidelity?
 
God permits losses such as these, and daily run-of-the mill adversities, so that we will know that here below we have no lasting city. In the end, we have only Him. He takes away our property, our health, even our lives, so that we will direct our hopes to nothing less than eternal life with him and His saints. It is a hard lesson to learn, but ultimately we must become supernatural, not content with anything merely natural. Everything natural, sooner or later, will burn. We are pilgrims on this earth, meant for heaven.
 
The Feast Begins Here

The good news is that, though we lose everything in this world, we never lose God’s invitation to the wedding feast. That feast begins here, at the Mass, and is perfected in the life of the world to come. “On this mountain, the Lord will provide a feast of rich foods and choice wines,” the Prophet Isaiah says in chapter 25. “Juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. He will destroy death forever, he will wipe away every tear, he will remove the reproach from every person….” Historically, the Prophet is referring to Mount Zion and the restoration of the Jerusalem temple after the Babylonian Captivity. But for us in San Francisco, God is talking about this mountain—these three steps leading up to the altar. This is the mountain, and here is the place, where God will provide rich food and choice wine, healing and joy for each of us.
 
Why don’t we see it?
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How is it that we don’t we it? How is it that so few come to Mass, this wedding banquet for His Divine Son? As long as he have life in this world, God invites us to the feast. A Christian responds to God’s invitation simply by attending Holy Mass. The King, in the parable, burns the city of those who refuse his invitation. Jesus exaggerates the king’s anger to stress that indeed, “unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.” We will burn if we do not attend the Mass, because without the Body of he Lord we are defenseless against the raging fires of evil in this world. With the Holy Eucharist, nothing can harm us. We are invincible because the almighty God lives within us. Many who lost lives and property in this devastating conflagration crowded into the cathedral in Santa Rosa. In the presence Church of the Eucharist, they have a home that no fire can destroy.
 
Are we doing enough to bring our loved ones back home? Not long ago I mentioned to a nice lady at Mass how much I miss seeing her husband. She spoke to him, gently, and he came back to Mass after many years. Sometimes it just takes a simple invitation, and if the time is right, the person will return to the sacraments. In other cases, as we all know, they ignore the invitation. From today’s Gospel, we should be convinced how serious it is to refuse the King’s invitation. The fact that 75% of Catholics in our country are not doing the one thing necessary to be saved from the fire should convict us. And yet we cannot force anyone to Mass. We do need to pray for them, and more, offer sacrifices for those who are trying to live their lives without God. This is what Our Lady of Fatima asked of the three children: make everything you do a sacrifice for sinners. Let’s do all we can to make the Sunday Mass the most important thing in our lives, and bring everyone we know to that saving banquet.

One hundred years ago today Our Lady appeared for the last time at Fatima, providing a miracle seen by more people than any prodigy in human history. The Miracle of the Sun was meant, however, to point to the message she gave the children over her six apparitions. What is that message? Prayer, Penance, and Adoration. Many today are receiving this message, thanks be to God.
 
Last Saturday the Cathedral in San Francisco was packed as we have never seen, all waiting for the Archbishop to consecrate the Archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The faith of most Catholics has become alarmingly anemic in the last few generations, too weak to save our souls or even affect our daily lives. In centuries past the Catholic faith built a peaceful civil order in Europe, but now is powerless to prevent society from unraveling at the edges. What civil leader or culture-shaper takes the Catholic faith seriously today? Like many priests, I am tempted to give up, but Our Lady gave us hope at Fatima. She said “Pray to Our Lady of the Rosary, for only she can help you.” The only hope for my parish and my archdiocese, and my personal life, is surrender to God’s will through her Immaculate Heart.
 
Archbishop Cordileone preached a powerful message at the Consecration Mass last Saturday. Here are his three main points. “Our Lady at Fatima called the children to prayer, penance, and adoration. I repeat that call to you: I call every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to pray the rosary every day, as she asked, and the family rosary once a week.  I call every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to fast every Friday of the year, as she asked, giving up some food such as meat, or drink, or sweet, or even a whole meal.  I call every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to adore silently before the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus once a week, as she asked--fifteen minutes, a half hour, and hour. I am calling every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to these simple but most effective practices, as Our Lady asked, for the conversion of sinners and for peace in the world. Only she can help us.”
 
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone's complete Consecration Mass homily may be found here.

The UK Catholic Herald (UK Bishops' Conference weekly) asked me to write an article for them, which they published in the current issue.  I welcome you all to read it by clicking here or on the screenshot below.
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I made it back from our parish pilgrimage to Lourdes and Fatima without loss of life or limb, and I must say that Lourdes rather than Fatima stole our hearts this time. We were all descending into Our Lady’s saving waters, for one thing, and here’s what I remember about that day.
 
Six men sat on a bench in their skivvies, waiting for Mama to give them a bath. I was one of them. We were a little uncomfortable to be thus exposed but had for the most part surrendered to the moment. The moment had come to bathe in the sacred waters at Lourdes.
 
Encouraged by our fellow pilgrims, Fr. Mark and I took our seat with the other men. From the looks of it, we were surrounded by tough Italians: thick moustaches, tanned and muscular forearms, and no nonsense looks in their honest faces. They were praying the rosary in Italian, and we joined them. We were all little boys again, waiting for Mother to give us our bath. How delightfully refreshing to find such simplicity again! One by one they called us into the bathing room, where a big man with gentle hands guided me to face the wall. “Take off your drawers,” he said in an Australian accent, “while I wrap this cloth about you.” Then he guided me towards the pool, where four pairs of hands guided me into the waters. They lowered me down, then pulled me up. “Now hold on to the bar in front of you and think of your intentions,” the big man instructed. I stood there and prayed: for my parents and siblings and cousins, for my parish, for my school, for my brother priests and the sisters who have taught me to love God. For the couples that I have married over 26 years and the people I’ve buried. For the babies I’ve baptized and the sinners I’ve absolved. For my own conversion, in memory of the waters of baptism that I was first led into on December 31, 1961, in a little Bronx parish called “Star of the Sea.” The cold water made my feet ache with pain as I prayed for what seemed five minutes. They led me out, I put on my drawers, and the big man asked me: “father, your blessing please.” I gave it in Latin, just to assure him that this naked shivering body in front of him had indeed received Holy Orders. I smiled sheepishly at the tough men in the outer chamber, shook their hands, said ciao and went back into the world.
 
That night I took a seat at the grotto. All kinds of people were sitting in silence, awaiting the 10pm Mass. I glanced nonchalantly around me: a young Spanish sister in flowing habit to my right, and a lean French farmer to my left. Again: that lamblike joyful peace of those who wait for God’s blessings. Lourdes in some way leads hearts and wills to Our Lady, she who perfectly received waited for God’s perfect will. I do believe I was healed that day: healed of my stubborn willfulness and distrust of God. May the healing last!