Homily: 17th Sunday in Ordinary TIme

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A Tribute to Archbishop Burke

Bishop Robert Hermann, the Archdiocesan Administrator elected after Archbishop Burke was named Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, has written a very honest and truthful article in the St. Louis Review regarding Archbishop Burke:

Bishop Hermann: 'I thought you should know' On Archbishop Burke’s love for Christ’s Church

by Bishop Robert J. Hermann, Archdiocesan Administrator

I am hoping that this column will be short-lived and that we will have a new archbishop in a timely fashion. In this weekly column, I wish to reflect briefly on issues significant to you and to our archdiocese.

Looking back, I am so grateful for the leadership of Archbishop Raymond L. Burke. While I could focus on the phenomenal influence he has had on our priests and seminarians, in this column I wish to focus briefly on his great love for the Church and his commitment to teach the timeless truths of the Catholic faith, whether or not it was popular.

On the night before He died, Christ prayed to the Father: "Consecrate them in the truth. Your Word is truth." (John 17:17). Archbishop Burke has committed his life to witnessing to the truth of God’s Word as it has been proclaimed by the Catholic Church from the very beginning. He knew very well that this would cause him much suffering, but Archbishop Burke’s love for Christ and His Church made it very clear to him that he had no choice.

In the 21st chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel, when Jesus talked about the coming persecution, he said: "It will lead to your giving testimony." Whether it was witnessing to life issues or to Catholic identity, Archbishop Burke never flinched from standing up for the truth. He knew very well that many times he would be perceived as not being politically correct. Yet, he did it, and he did it out of love for Christ and His Church.

A few well-meaning Catholics are simply embarrassed by some of the teachings of the Catholic Church because when these teachings are played out in the court of public opinion, these Catholics feel uncomfortable. It reminds me of a teenager who is embarrassed by his mother or father as being out of touch with what is politically correct in the eyes of his teen peers. Pope John Paul II would repeat over and over again Christ’s words to His disciples: "Do not be afraid." Witnessing to the Gospel was never intended to fill us with warm fuzzies but to help define us as courageous disciples.

Again and again, as I go around the archdiocese, I hear high praise for Archbishop Burke’s firm commitment to witness to the truths of the Catholic Church.

Another point that some people do not see is that Archbishop Burke sees canon law as a pastoral tool intended to help the faithful live the teachings of the Catholic Church. He understands that canon law was developed as a pastoral response to pastoral problems. I and others who have worked closely with Archbishop Burke see him as a very warm, compassionate and caring shepherd who wants to help his people in the very best way he can.

We owe it to Archbishop Burke to pray for him daily. He has given us such a clear vision of what the Church expects of us. He has courageously witnessed his love for us and for the Church. He has spent himself tirelessly on our behalf. Pope Benedict XVI sees all of this and more, and now needs Archbishop Burke in the Apostolic Signatura at the Vatican. As an archdiocese, we are incredibly honored to have had him serve us so well, and now we see that the Vatican needs those services for the universal Church. Our hearts are overflowing with great wonder and gratitude!

Humane Vitae: 40 Years Later

"What was true yesterday is true also today. The truth expressed in Humanae Vitae does not change . . . . The transmission of life is inscribed in nature and its laws stand as an unwritten norm to which all must refer. Any attempt to turn one's gaze away from this principle is in itself barren and does not produce a future."

-Pope Benedict XVI

Today is the 40th Anniversary of the publication of Humane Vitae, the still controversial Encyclical Letter of Pope Paul VI, in which the Church's belief that Contraception is a grave moral evil was once again reaffirmed.

This morning I read an excellent article by Russel Shaw (one of my favorite authors) on the topic over at InsideCatholic.com. Read the whole thing, but here are the first few paragraphs to wet your whistle:

I know a woman – and, in fairness, I must say that she's a truly good Catholic woman -- who's slightly bonkers on the subject of birth control. I suppose there are people like that on both sides of this argument, but this woman happens to be bonkers on the pro-contraception side. You can't help noticing it. Whenever the subject comes up in conversation -- and, not infrequently, even when it doesn't -- she lets everybody within earshot know that the Church is flatly wrong about birth control and absolutely, unquestionably, and incontrovertibly must change its position without further delay.

Poor lady. She may be in for a hard time of it in the next several weeks. Today is the 40th anniversary of the publication of Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI's encyclical reaffirming the Church's teaching against artificial contraception; and although, among those taking note of the occasion, some will undoubtedly join this good Catholic woman in rapping the document and calling for change, many others just as certainly will praise the encyclical as not just true but even prophetically so. Pope Benedict XVI got in the first licks a little while back when he spoke to a group meeting in Rome to celebrate the anniversary.

You can click here to read the whole article.

More on Comments

Well folks, the moderated comments seem to be working much better, but I wanted to say a few things about what constructive criticism is. I appreciate criticism that is constructive because it helps me to hone my homilitic skills. But there seems to be some misunderstanding about what constructive criticism really is. It is not saying something like "that homily was horrible." Rather,it would be something like "I didn't like the homily because Father used a bad analogy. He might try using this one..." Constructive criticism will help me improve my homilies, so if you want your comment posted please make sure the criticism is constructive not just destructive.

Homily: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

This is the first homily I recorded using my new recorder and the quality is much better, so thanks to the anonymous donor!

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Moderated Comments

Because of the continued foul language and rudeness I will now be moderating the comments to make sure that foul, rude, and sometimes downright blasphemous comments will not be posted.



I am always grateful for constructive criticism, but will not tolerate rudeness.



Thank you and God Bless.

Homily: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

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