Deacon Ralph's Blogsite

04/06/2025

Theodore McCarrick passed away. May God have mercy on his soul. I just re-read a homily I delivered on the Sunday after the news broke about his involvement in sexual abuse in 2018. I have decided to post it here now, as I think the message is worth re-visiting.
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I often hear in the business world: “If you want to have an ownership interest in the company, you have to have some skin in the game.” The idea is that if you have made a tangible investment in the company, you will work harder for the company's success.

You are the Catholic Church. You, the people in the pews, have skin in this game. You have skin and bones, a heart and a brain in this game. You have your soul, your very self, invested in this enterprise we call the Catholic Church. You have served by your presence; you have served by your ministry. You have made financial contributions on a regular basis. You are not a spectator or an employee. You are doing service to the Church right now. Your ministry of presence is a loud, bold proclamation that this is your Church. I am proud to be a part of the same organization that you are part of. I am proud to be Catholic.

There have been terrible crimes committed against our Church by people within our Church – in fact, by some of our leaders. The impact of this has been devastating to the direct victims and demoralizing to all of us. Just about all of us are very hurt and angry. Although our anger is justified, we should not allow our anger to create any further division among ourselves. The divisions that have already resulted from these crimes are battles won by the primary enemy of the Church - Satan. Division is one of his primary tactics. Our counterattack must be determined unity. We need to remember in all of this, that Jesus is Our Lord and we must always act with His will in mind. Our goals should be justice and peace and healing and unity. With that in mind, I would like to share with you something I read online this week. It is taken from something written recently by a Catholic Priest and I quote:

“These past days as I moved from the rectory to the church, from the halls of the nursing homes and hospitals, as I’ve passed out school supplies to numerous neighborhood youth, I’ve had this one thought, “Take the collar off.”
This morning, I didn’t want to put my collar on. I was ashamed. I was tired. I was angry. I didn’t want to be painted with a stained brush. But I did (put the collar on). Then later, as I visited sick parishioners in the hospital, I walked by a woman standing outside a room. As I continued to the elevator, she came up from behind, asking if I was a Catholic priest. I was ready to take the hit… but as I turned and said “Yes,” she asked, with tears in her eyes, if I would anoint her brother who was dying with cancer.
No matter what I have thought about the collar these past few days, she saw it as a sign of hope and of the presence of Christ. If I decided not to wear it, her brother would not have received the sacrament he needed and her entire family might not have experienced comfort.
The collar is not about me. It is about Jesus Christ. It is about us remembering that we are not journeying alone in this world… I am certainly unworthy to wear it, but I realize I’m called to wear it, not for myself, but for the sake of others. As I put it on, I now must remember to ask God’s help to grow into a holy priest of God, a bridge and not an obstacle.” (End quote)

This priest is suffering to his very core, but he bravely took ownership of his vocation and mission. As a person who has spent close to 60 years of his life as a baptized Catholic layperson, I am now in the position of being an ordained Catholic clergyman. I am making an appeal to you - not as a Catholic clergyman or as a former layperson but simply as your brother in Christ. I am not asking you to look the other way. Quite the contrary - I am asking you to recognize your rights and responsibilities as an owner of this Church. Your rights and responsibilities in this Church are codified in the Code of Canon Law – specifically, Canon 204 through Canon 231. You can find this on the internet. If you search for “Code of Canon Law” and add the keywords “People of God”, you should find a link to the Vatican website. I implore you to do so.
Here is a partial selection, which addresses your rights and responsibilities. I quote from canon 212:

Ҥ2. The Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires.
§3. … they have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful.”

In addition to the Code of Canon Law, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has a lot to say on the topic of the mission, rights and responsibilities of the laity. You can also find the Catechism online. Again, I ask you to educate yourself on this.

If you have needs that you want to make known to your pastors, if you have an opinion on any matter which pertains to the good of the Church, you have a right and even at times a duty to express these needs and opinions. Your voice can and, at times, must be heard. If you would like to express your opinion to me, contact me and I will take it very seriously. I don’t have all of the answers right now. I don’t know that anyone else has all of the answers right now. But I do believe that all of us, together, can and will do what is necessary to heal our Church. A greater level of open communication involving the entire body of Christ is an important first step, in my opinion. So let’s at least start with that and go from there. Jesus can calm the waters of any storm. Let’s keep our focus on Him and ask Him for guidance.

Despite the sins and mistakes of some of our leadership, we should forgive them. It’s a part of being Christian – maybe the most difficult part. That may take us a long time. But we need to honestly try. Remember, when we forgive others, we also heal ourselves.

Saint Paul said “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” Right now, we are suffering. Again, the direct victims of these crimes have suffered terribly. Our laity are suffering and our clergy are suffering. Let’s pray for healing for the victims. Let’s pray for each other. Also, the good priests of this parish could use your prayers and expressions of kindness.

Today’s Gospel tells us of a time of controversy among the disciples of Jesus. A different type of controversy, certainly, but there is a similarity. Many people found what they were hearing to be shocking and many left Jesus. Again, I am not equating the circumstances but rather the fact that there was a test of faith involved. Jesus challenged His chosen ones - He asked them, "Do you also want to leave?"

Today, we face a challenge. Our faith is being tested. This is a wake-up call. This may even get worse before it gets better. But I am not going anywhere. This is our house, our home. We all need to be willing to roll up our sleeves and get to work, in unity, with love and forgiveness, as our master, Jesus, would have us do. It’s time for every Catholic who loves this Church as you do and as I do, lay persons and clergy, to claim ownership. We all have the right and the responsibility for protecting our home, from both internal and external threats - for the safety and the material and spiritual welfare of our children and our children’s children and our children’s children’s children. We owe that to them. That is a sacred duty we have. After Hurricane Sandy’s destruction, a slogan was born: “Jersey Strong.” We are in a storm of a different kind right now. It’s time for us to be “Catholic Strong.” If I were the last Catholic on earth, they’d have to carry me out of here in a body bag because I am not leaving HIM. And I’m not leaving you, either. Jesus has the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that He is the Holy One of God. To whom shall we go?
God bless you.

10/19/2024

09/03/2024

From a homily on Ezekiel by Saint Gregory the Great, pope
For Christ’s love I do not spare myself in speaking of him

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Note that a man whom the Lord sends forth as a preacher is called a watchman. A watchman always stands on a height so that he can see from afar what is coming. Anyone appointed to be a watchman for the people must stand on a height for all his life to help them by his foresight.

How hard it is for me to say this, for by these very words I denounce myself. I cannot preach with any competence, and yet insofar as I do succeed, still I myself do not live my life according to my own preaching.

I do not deny my responsibility; I recognize that I am slothful and negligent, but perhaps the acknowledgment of my fault will win me pardon from my just judge. Indeed when I was in the monastery I could curb my idle talk and usually be absorbed in my prayers. Since I assumed the burden of pastoral care, my mind can no longer be collected; it is concerned with so many matters.

I am forced to consider the affairs of the Church and of the monasteries. I must weigh the lives and acts of individuals. I am responsible for the concerns of our citizens. I must worry about the invasions of roving bands of barbarians, and beware of the wolves who lie in wait for my flock. I must become an administrator lest the religious go in want. I must put up with certain robbers without losing patience and at times I must deal with them in all charity.

With my mind divided and torn to pieces by so many problems, how can I meditate or preach wholeheartedly without neglecting the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel? Moreover, in my position I must often communicate with worldly men. At times I let my tongue run, for if I am always severe in my judgments, the worldly will avoid me, and I can never attack them as I would. As a result I often listen patiently to chatter. And because I too am weak, I find myself drawn little by little into idle conversation, and I begin to talk freely about matters which once I would have avoided. What once I found tedious I now enjoy.

So who am I to be a watchman, for I do not stand on the mountain of action but lie down in the valley of weakness? Truly the all-powerful Creator and Redeemer of mankind can give me in spite of my weaknesses a higher life and effective speech; because I love him, I do not spare myself in speaking of him.

07/25/2024

I was already "blown away" by the crowds lining the streets of Indianapolis for the Eucharistic Procession. When we turned a corner and saw before us the crowd packed on the steps of Monument Circle... I have no words for that.

07/23/2024

I found myself in this video. Waving to everyone. LOL. Deacons are after the Seminarians.

07/23/2024

07/22/2024

07/18/2024

I just met the brilliant Father Spitzer. As gracious as can be .

07/14/2024

Homily for July 14 2024 Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 104

As you probably know, yesterday, there was an assassination attempt against our former President. It is no secret that our country is divided politically. I have my own political opinions, you likely have yours. I think everyone would agree that an assassination attempt is totally unacceptable. I had a homily prepared for today before this incident occurred. I was going to tell you a couple of stories about my experience as a teacher this past year but I will hold onto those and tell you a different story.

In June of 1979, Pope John Paul II visited his homeland in Poland. His visit has come to be known as “9 days that changed the world.” I’ve heard Cardinal Dolan of New York tell the story in person.

Cardinal Dolan said in a homily:
“John Paul II not once spoke about politics, he didn’t once use the word ‘Communism’ even though it was the Communists who were oppressing his beloved Poland. No - he spoke about God.”
On the last day of JP II’s visit, he said Mass for 2 million people in Warsaw. As he started to preach… something happened. A small group of people began chanting 3 words and it began to spread. What were they chanting? 'Russia go home'? 'Down with Communism'? No – they began to chant… 'We want God!' At first hundreds of people. Then thousands …Soon… 2 million people. 'We want God! We want GOD!' For 17 minutes, 2 million people who had gathered together to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of Mass chanted 'WE WANT GOD!'

Cardinal Dolan went on to say that years later the archives of the KGB became public. In these archives, there was a telegram from the KGB Commandant who was present in Warsaw that day. His telegram ended with another set of three words. “It’s all over.” He was right.

The Kingdom of God had risen up and no human political force could resist it - walls crumbled, power structures collapsed. Ultimately, the USSR broke apart.

If we are taking sides in the struggles of the world and not first seeking the Kingdom of God, regardless of which side we are on, it is the wrong side because we are on that side for the wrong reasons.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus sent the apostles to preach that the Kingdom of God is at hand. He knew that they would be welcomed by some and met with hostility by others. In Matthew’s version of the same story, Jesus said “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves… You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end* will be saved.”

The problems in our country are just a refection of the spiritual battle which is always raging. The problem is that we are silent in the face of the systematic destruction of the religious backbone of our nation. People of faith are increasingly marginalized and demonized. This can happen only when people of faith stand on the sidelines. It is not enough to shake our heads and say " isn't it terrible?" Yes it is terrible. The question is, “What do you intend to do about it?” The solution is not a secular solution or a political solution. Our response as Christians must be to boldly proclaim the Kingdom of God. Our response has to be “We want God.” And we have to say it loudly and publicly.

In our Old Testament reading, The Prophet Amos said
“I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; The LORD took me …and said to me, Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”
He was a common man, minding his business, just like most of us. God needed him to do more. So he did it.

What our country needs is not more legislation. What our country needs is more sanctification. Each one of us needs to do our part; the common person must be an Apostle and a Prophet. If every Christian in America were to publicly stand up and state loudly and publicly “We want God!” there would be instantaneous change.

This week I will be attending the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. It will be the first National Eucharistic Congress in the United States in 83 years. I will be one soul in a football Stadium with a seating capacity of 70,000 people. We are coming from around the country to adore Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. I can think of nothing I would rather do right now than to be with 70,000 people who truly want God. There are ways for you to participate. The website address is eucharisticcongress.org. The Catholic television channel EWTN will be covering the Congress on its YouTube Channel. I’m hoping that this event will come to be known as the Five Days That Changed The World. To think that the world will be changed by politicians alone is a pathetic fantasy. It’s up to ALL of us, to say publicly and loudly, “We want God.”

God bless you and God bless America.

06/19/2024

Homily for Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 92 June 16, 2024 (Father’s Day)
Ez 17:22-24; Ps 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16; 2 Cor 5:6-10; Mk 4:26-34

A theme that runs through today's readings is God's creative power and our relationship to it. In the Old Testament reading, Ezekiel speaks for the Lord in his prophetic voice, saying: "I, the Lord will plant a tender shoot...and it shall become a majestic cedar."

Elsewhere in the writings of the Prophet Ezekiel, Ezekiel was given a vision of a broad valley filled with dry bones. God asked Ezekiel: “Son of man, can these bones come back to life? Ezekiel answered “Lord GOD, you alone know that.” Then God instructed Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones and say: “Listen! I will make breath enter you so you may come to life.” God, if he so chooses, can delegate His own power to us to bring forth life in His Spirit.
When we are baptized, we become participants in Jesus’ offices of priest, prophet and king. We should never assume that God is NOT asking us to wield His power.

In the 92nd Psalm, we heard that we humans can be the recipients and vessels of God’s power. It says the just will flourish like a cedar of Lebanon.

In the Gospel, Jesus uses the metaphor of seeds to teach us about the Kingdom of God. First, He teaches that we can perform a small task of initiation – the task of scattering seeds – and then God will do the rest of the work in ways we can’t begin to understand. We participate in God’s work, but God does the heavy lifting. Next Jesus gives us the famous metaphor of the mustard seed. The smallest seed can grow into the mightiest of plants in the Kingdom of God. Most people interpret the mustard seed to be referring to our faith and I don’t disagree but I think we can also apply it to our works as well. As Saint James wrote, faith without works is dead. A small seed of action, a small initiation of effort on our part, can be our activation of the great power of God.

Jesus told the Apostles at the Last Supper “whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. Do we ever think about that? Jesus said if we believe in Him we will do greater works than He did. It’s hard to conceive of that. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus said “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE. Do we really believe that? Do we act as if we believe that?

Also at the Last Supper, Jesus commanded them to eat His body and drink His blood. It was not a suggestion. The act which He commanded us to do is a simple one, but it is necessary to be able to perform the great things He desires that we do.

When I read this Gospel passage, I think about the Eucharist. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel differently just after I receive Holy Communion. But I do believe that I am receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus. And I believe that it changes me. I believe that if I receive the Eucharist on a regular basis, that I will sleep and rise, night and day, and the seed of God’s body and blood, soul and divinity will sprout and grow within me, even if I know not how. And that will give me the power to do great things.

Today is Father’s Day. Today is a day to celebrate fatherhood but in our society, fatherhood is under siege. There are many people who claim that masculinity itself is toxic. Many people see masculinity as a disease that requires treatment.

The book of Genesis says: “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.”

God created masculinity and femininity in His own image and likeness. God is masculine and God is feminine. Both masculinity and femininity are equal to each other in dignity. God gives us humans the gift of being instruments of His creative power as cooperative teams of men and women with the Holy Spirit.

The truth of the Bible is under attack in our culture. Whether we realize it or not, whether we like it or not, we are spiritual beings and we exist in a condition of spiritual battle at all times. I think that idea frightens some people. Actually, it doesn’t need to be frightening. God’s victory is a certainty. If we have faith like a mustard seed and act within the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can move mountains.

To all of my fellow fathers, we need to step up our efforts to align ourselves with God’s power. It’s our job to plant seeds. It’s our job to wear our faith on our sleeves. It’s our job to set an example of Christian masculinity to our sons and to our daughters and to our entire culture. That’s our job. God will do the rest. By obedience to our Father in heaven, we obtain the power to build His Kingdom. To that end, I plan to attend the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis next month. I plan to take a fairly long journey to immerse myself in a forest of majestic cedars of God. Some of those majestic cedars will be men, some will be women, some will be young and some will be old. I would like to suggest that you consider attending the conference. You will be joining not just two or three gathered in His name but tens of thousands gathered in His presence. I expect to experience God’s power in a way I never have before. I hope to strengthen my identity as priest, prophet, king and father.

Happy Father’s Day and God bless you.