The King's Corner

Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke my word; Because they sell the just man for silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals. They trample the heads of the weak into the dust of the earth and force the lowly out of the way. Son and father go to the same prostitute, profaning my holy name. Upon garments taken in pledge they recline beside any altar, and the wine of those who have been fined they drink in the house of their god. Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them, who were as tall as the cedars, and as strong as the oak trees. I destroyed their fruit above, and their roots beneath. It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt, and who led you through the desert for forty years, to occupy the land of the Amorites. Beware, I will crush you into the ground as a wagon crushes when laden with sheaves. Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong man shall not retain his strength. The warrior shall not save his life, no

 

When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village. As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

June 26, 2022, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Catholic Appeal:   The Annual Catholic Appeal will be coming to a close this week on Thursday, June 30th; all pledges and donations should be mailed by that date; materials to do so are still available at the entrances to the Church.   Gratitude is extended to the 350  households of the parish who, understanding the demands placed upon the church to offer charitable, social, pastoral, and educational services and the ever-increasing costs of doing so, have generously pledged or donated $88, 473. 87 to this request for help from our bishop.  Giving to this appeal enables us to be very much a part of the good works being carried out in the name of all the Catholic people of the Diocese of Fall River.  Anything, that out of love, we do for church and charity will certainly return to bless us as God is never outdone in generosity, so may the blessings returning to those willing to contribute to this important annual appeal be abundant.

I’ve always had trouble with the instruction to fear God.  Many preachers insist we must, and their homilies testify to that insistence.  Father Ronald Rolheiser provides an answer.  Here it is from December 2017. (begin) Why don’t we preach hellfire anymore? That’s a question asked frequently today by a lot of sincere religious people who worry that too many churches and too many priests and ministers have gone soft on sin and are over-generous in speaking about God’s mercy. The belief here is that more people would come to church and more people would obey the commandments, particularly the sixth one, if we preached the raw truth about mortal sin, God’s wrath, and the danger of going to hell when we die. The truth will set you free, these folks assert, and the truth is that there is real sin and that there are real and eternal consequences for sin. The gate to heaven is narrow and the road to hell is wide. So why aren’t we preaching more about the dangers of hellfire? What’s valid in

Jesus addressed this parable to the Pharisees and scribes: "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance." (Luke 15:3-7) The 99 are surrounded by wolves.  Shall we leave them to find the one who is lost?  It’s quite a moral dilemma.  The wolves chant: “Find the one…find the one…find the one…”   What if the “one” was lost because of something we did?  We hurt that one.  We did something shameful.  Leaving the 99 may not be a choice. We must.  That is what a guilty conscience does.  It obli

 Bulletin for June 26, 2022, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today is the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.  John the Baptist lost his head.  He angered a woman in power who wielded great influence over her husband.  In “Alice In Wonderland” the Queen of Hearts is a childish, foul-tempered monarch whom author Lewis Carroll himself described as "a blind fury," and who was quick to give death sentences at the slightest offense. One of the Queen’s most famous lines is the oft repeated: "Off with his/her head!" / "Off with their heads!"  Sounds familiar.  Furthermore, when and to whom have we said the same? Deacon David Pierce

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them.  Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20) Jesus warned us about false prophets, but for many of us his warning go unheeded.  These prophets are cleverly disguised as providers of good fruit, but they are no more than greedy, ravenous wolves eye-balling the many sheep willing to eat their poisonous fruit.  Lies are their fruit.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.” “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:6, 12-14) Being open-minded leads to life.  Being narrow-minded leads to destruction.  This runs counter to Jesus’ remarks about the road and gate.  

Jesus said to his disciples: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5) Judging and being hypocritical are two sins Jesus repeatedly reveals to all of us with wooden beams in our eyes.  Being arrogant falls into this category as well.  Most of us are quick to judge and then chime in through social media creating a forest of beams in the eyes of those joining scapegoating and mean-spirited rituals on the internet. If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit our brothers’ eyes are not as swollen as our own. Dea

Once upon a time, a miser hid his gold at the foot of a tree in his garden. Every week he would dig it up and look at it for hours.   One day a thief dug up the gold and stole it. When the miser next came to gaze upon his treasure all he found was an empty hole. The man began to howl with grief so his neighbors came running to find out what the trouble was.  When they found out, one of them asked, “Did you use any of the gold?” “No,” said the miser. “I only looked at it every week.” “Well then,” said the neighbor, “for all the good the gold did you, you might just as well now come every week and gaze upon the hole.

  June 19, 2022, The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ CHURCH CALENDAR: Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ SECULAR CALENDAR: Father’s Day FEDERAL AND STATE: CALENDAR: Juneteenth HAPPY FATHER’S DAY: Today we honor all fathers, grandfathers, step-fathers, godfathers, and second fathers as we express our gratitude to them for their paternal love and care, and better still, as we gather here in the church for Mass we offer our prayers to God for their happiness and wellbeing whether they still be living among us or have gone before us to God’s eternal kingdom! CATHOLIC APPEAL: Gratitude is extended to the 284 households of the parish who have already pledged or donated $71,928.87 to the annual Catholic Appeal. As the opportunity to give to the appeal ends on June 30th, let us all remember to respond before then, giving as generously as we are able at this time to help support the charities, ministries, and services that carry out so many of t

On this weekend of the Body and Blood of Christ I reflect on a bloodless act by Bishop McManus of Worcester.  I include the following commentary published in Thursday's Boston Globe.  In my opinion this sort of decision drains the blood from the body of Christ and hardens the hearts of many, especially children we desperately want to remain with the Church as they get older. (begin) “Nativity School of Worcester now prohibited from calling itself a Catholic school: Citing the school’s refusal to take down Pride and Black Lives Matter flags, Bishop Robert J. McManus brought the hammer down this week” by Yvonne Abraham Globe Columnist June 15, 2022 It’s official. Because it flies the Black Lives Matter and Pride flags, Nativity School of Worcester can no longer call itself Catholic. Bishop Robert J. McManus brought the hammer down on the middle school this week, after school officials rejected his demand that the flags — which had flown outside Nativity for more than a year before th

 

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.” (Matthew 6:19-23) Jesus, according to Matthew, makes this connection between the body and the eye.  What do we look at?  Do we look at beauty and that which is good, or do we look at that which corrupts the mind and soul.  Here is where a Cherokee parable can help.

Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.  “This is how you are to pray: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” (Matthew 6:7-15) Such a beautiful and all-encompassing prayer we all say but very few take seriously.  Perhaps it’s because we begin the prayer with “Our Father who art in heaven.”  The Father, therefore, seems distant and elsewhere – in heaven.  But the Father is God, or at least the first person

  Nothing more needs to be said. Deacon David Pierce

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48) Perfection.   Are we perfect?  Far from it!  Therefore, how do we become perfect just like our heavenly Father?  We must love your enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  Really!?  This seems like a very unrealistic expectation.  It’s a worthwhile goal to be sure, but unattainable except for the saints among us.  I’ll admit; that’s not me. I prefer the simpler approach we a

 

  June 12, 2022, The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity  Eucharistic Revival:   A three year revival of faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist will begin next weekend on Sunday, June 19  the annual Feast of The Most Holy  Body and Blood  of Christ (Corpus Christi). As a parish we will  have a Eucharistic Procession following the 10:30 Mass from the Main Church to the St. Jude Chapel which will be followed by a period of  adoration and prayer concluding with  Benediction  at 5:15.    Those who attend the 10:30 AM Mass are encouraged to participate in the procession and to spend some time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after Mass. Those who attend the 5:30 PM Mass are encouraged to  come a bit earlier than usual to participate in Benediction.  On the eve of the feast of  Corpus Christi, Bishop Da Cunha will celebrate a special Mass to inaugurate the Eucharistic Revival in our diocese at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River at 4PM which will be followed by a Eu

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.” (Matthew 5:33-37) When we swear an oath or make a pledge, we must meet our obligation be it a marriage vow or one taken when assuming a public office.  "I pledge alliance to the flag of the United States of America…” is one important commitment many of us set aside because we are not really united as a nation on so many issues that dominate the headlines. The pledge continues “…one nation under God…” Are we?   Furthermore, do we let our ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and our ‘No’ mean ‘No?’  Or, do we mislea

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.  “It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:27-32) Divorce.  Such a fate for a man and woman when all goes wrong, and their love for each other vanishes, or one breaks his/her wedding oath.  But, this reading from Matthew is not about divorce as we

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.  Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-19) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Jesus said to his disciples: “ You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:13-16) We are to be salt and light.  It’s a huge responsibility most of us cannot meet all the time.  We can be tasteless and dark.  A definition of “tasteless” is "lacking in aesthetic judgment or to offend against what is regarded as appropriate behavior." 

Conservative writer Jeff Jacoby in Sunday’s Boston Globe presented this perspective: “I’m right, and you’re an evil monster: When it comes to our most divisive political controversies, politicians, activists, and opinion leaders act as if they are in a war to the death.” I provide it here because he makes a great deal of sense.  He correctly states: “But ‘calm’ and ‘fair-minded’ don’t describe most of what passes for public discourse in these maniacal, angry times.” I conclude we Catholics contribute to this maniacal and angry times.  When will we stop? (begin) After a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion and two horrific mass shootings committed by teenagers, America’s raging debates over abortion rights and gun control have grown even more scorching. Search industriously and you can probably find examples of calm analysis and fair-minded commentary about why Roe v. Wade should or shouldn’t be overturned and why new limits on gun ownership would or wouldn’t be a good idea. But “calm” an

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On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:19-23) Today is Pentecost Sunday and the first Mass for Father Matthew Laird.  He was ordained yesterday at the Cathedral in Fall River.  He now stands in our midst and proclaims: “Peace be with you!”   He need not show us his hands and his side, at least not yet.  

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.”  So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written. (John 21:20-25) These passages are the last two in the Gospel of John, and they give us a reason to pause.  Who among us will betray Jesus?  We do so when

  "That's life" has an endpoint, at least on earth.  The grave makes an end, but at the same time, a beginning we believe through our faith.  When I pray with mourners at gravesite interments, this is what I emphasize.  Our faith relies on hope and love. Before we rest in our graves, perhaps we should reflect on Sinatra's lyrics:

Minister Robin Meyers wrote “Why the Christian Right is Wrong: A Minister’s Manifesto for Taking Back Your Faith, Your Flag, and Your Future.”  His book was released in the spring of 2006, and in its preface to the paperback edition he lamented that during his national book tour in the summer of 2006 he realized things had gotten worse.   Meyers said: “The extent to which this Executive Branch has seized power, neutered the Justice Department by illegally firing prosecutors, endorsed torture and then lied about it, ignored the rule of law by spying on American citizens without a warrant, and poured a trillion dollars and counting down a black hole of an illegal and immoral war was only partially known to me in 2004 when I delivered a speech at the University of Oklahoma that became the basis of this book…” He was critiquing the Bush Administration having to deal with 9/11 (2001). I recommend his book [and the one by Obery M. Hendricks, Jr.] to review that history and his religious per

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely.  I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.” (John 17:11-19) The “Our Father” has great meaning when it is prayed.