Living Our Lives for Others

Living Our Lives for Others
The Sunday Homily by Father James Farfaglia

A long time ago, there was a man who played piano in a bar. He was a good piano player. People came from all over just to hear him play. But one night, a patron told him he didn't want to hear him just play anymore. He wanted him to sing a song. The popular piano player said, "I don't sing."

But the customer was persistent. He told the bartender, "I'm tired of listening to the piano. I want that guy to sing!"

The bartender shouted across the room, "Hey buddy! If you want to get paid, sing a song. The patrons are asking you to sing!"

So he did. He sang a song.

A piano player who had never sung in public did so for the very first time. And nobody had ever heard the song Mona, Mona Lisa sung the way it was sung that night. The piano player was Nat King Cole.[i]

"Amen, amen I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life" (John 12: 24-25)

The happiest and most remarkable people that I have known throughout my life are those who are totally selfless. Great things: ideas, beliefs, cultures have lived because men and women have decided to die for causes greater then themselves.

The countless martyrs of the Catholic Church give witness to the multitude of selfless people, young and old, who have given themselves to the cause of Christ and his Church. Where would the Church be today without the blood of the martyrs? Martyrs are selfless people who believe in a cause greater than themselves.

However, there lies a deeper reality in these heroes of the Church. They are able to believe in something bigger than themselves precisely because they have first died to themselves. They have died to their comfort, to their laziness and to their personal ambitions.

Only the selfless, only those who have truly died to themselves, become useful instruments of God.

When a person is truly empty of self, God can take full possession of that person and do marvelous and powerful things. Only the authentic disciple of Jesus who has truly died to self can truly possess the fullness of divine grace. The more we die to self, the more Jesus can take over.

"Amen, amen I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life".

To die to self is not an easy endeavor.

Death is always painful. Sometimes we will want to hold on to an idea, a place, a particular sin, or a bad relationship. Inherent in all transformation, change, conversion, is destruction. The grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die.

As a priest, I have seen many people make radical changes in their lives. In order to bring about the desired change, something had to end. Some young people have had to terminate a relationship in order to live a life of chastity. Others have taken all of their CD's and thrown them in the garbage in order to stay away from satanic rock music. Once I told a penitent who had a terrible problem with pornography that as a penance he must go home and throw into the garbage all of his magazines. Would it have been as helpful just to say, "For your penance recite three Hail Mary's?"

To bring about new life, the grain of wheat has to fall to the ground and die.

When disciples of Jesus Christ truly die to self, they become the most happy, most hard working, most dynamic and most productive people of any enterprise. They are the moms and dads rearing happy families, the priests nurturing spiritually alive parishes, and the religious and lay leaders engaging in fruitful apostolates.

Just imagine what this world would have lost had there not been men and women determined to die to self and forget their personal safety, security and ambition. Where would we be without the great doctors, nurses, policemen, firefighters, school teachers, wise political leaders, and the heroic men and women of the military?

This Sunday’s liturgy reminds me about a story that took place many years ago regarding a woman, who was carrying her baby on her back as both were trapped by a prairie fire.

As the mother looked around, she realized there was no way to escape the fire. Quickly and without thinking about her own safety, she took the baby off her back and began digging a hole in the earth with her bare hands. She then placed her child into it and covered the child with her body. Later the woman was found dead, but the child was saved. [ii]

The world owes everything to such great people who spend themselves daily for God and for others.

If we were to take things easy and do nothing in life, we might exist longer, but we would never know how to live. A famous Christian evangelist once said, "It is better to burn out than to rust out".

Moreover, it is true that those people who give themselves to God and to others unconditionally remain young and vibrant. They go on through life filled with enthusiasm because they are in love with life. They are imbued with a cause that is greater than themselves.I am amazed at times when I see people who look much older, but in fact are much younger than I am. They seem to live purposeless lives, to vegetate, to do nothing with the talents that God has given to them. I cannot live my life in such a way. I prefer to drag my tired body through life and be of service to God and to others, rather than live an aimless and dreary existence.

"Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life".

I am reminded of a story about an elderly carpenter who was ready to retire. He told his boss of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could survive.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built so poorly.[iii]

Always strive to be more and do more. With service comes greatness.

If you are married, set your children on this path. If you are a priest or a religious, save more souls. Never think of yourself. "I" and "me" must always be replaced with "we" and "us". This is what makes us truly happy: to die to self unconditionally so that Jesus may live in us.

The grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die.

How can this essential dimension of Christianity either begin or continue to flourish in your life?

The answer is this: to center your life on the Eucharist.

Bread comes from the crushed wheat that is ground to become flour. Wine comes from the grapes that are crushed together and the seeds are removed.

The bread and the wine that becomes Jesus for us have gone through death and destruction. But, it is through death and destruction that we have the presence of eternal life in the tabernacle of every Catholic Church throughout the world.

"Amen, amen I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life"

Written by Fr. James (thank you Father!)
Posted by Kathy ~ TOG

Cleaning Out the Temple

Cleaning Out the Temple

The Sunday Homily by Father James Farfaglia

“Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, ‘Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace’” (John 2: 13-16).

The sacrament of baptism has made us temples of the Holy Spirit. Baptism washes away original sin, but we are left with the effects of original sin. Our intellect is darkened and our will is weakened. St. Paul famously describes the inner struggle in chapter 7 of his letter to the Romans. He describes this struggle in dramatic terms. He states that he cannot understand his own behavior, and that he finds himself doing the very things that he hates (see Romans 7:14:25).

Due to the effects of original sin and our own personal sins that are committed after baptism, our temples are filled with many things that are not of God. Lent provides us an excellent opportunity to take up a whip and chase out of our souls anything and everything that does not belong there.

The practice of mortification is the way to rid our souls of sins and attachments that keep God from fully possessing our lives.

St.Paul’s letters are so practical. Regarding mortification he tells us, again from Romans: “So then there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live” (Romans 8: 12-13).

In his letter to the Colossians the theme is repeated with these words: “That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god…” (Colossians 3: 5).

Finally, in his letter to the Galatians he writes emphatically: “You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).

The practice of continual mortification is an essential part of our walk with the Lord.

Without the use of daily mortification, we will not be able to resist the onslaught of our sinful human nature, the temptations caused by Satan, and the allurements of the world. Not only are we to fight against sin, be it mortal sin or venial sin, but we must also get to the root of our sins and remove the inordinate affections that cause us to sin in a certain way. However, to avoid sin is not enough.

We must grow in holiness.

The practice of mortification must be daily and life long. The battle never ends until we are dead. The practice of mortification demands a conscious and willful renewal every day of our lives. The struggle may be more or less intense during the different stages of our life journey. Although we may have to deal with different issues, the struggle will always be present.

If we want to save our souls, an intense, dramatic struggle is necessary. We need to take up the whip and continually force out of our temple anything that keeps us from getting to heaven. Let us consider briefly some of our most common struggles and the mortification that needs to take place in order that Jesus may take full possession of our temple.

Pride is at the top of the list of the seven deadly sins. Pride is an ugly sin and it must be dealt with seriously and energetically. This sin will be uprooted by replacing it with the virtue of humility. Repeated concrete acts of humility will continue to hammer away at this sin. The Litany of Humility provides an excellent program for anyone who struggles with this vice (see http://www.rc.net/wcc/humility.htm).

Greed is another sin that causes many problems. Two weeks ago I addressed this issue in the Sunday homily. Excellent acts of mortification include establishing a budget, practice the Biblical teaching of tithing, eliminate your debt, limit the use of credit cards, live within your means, and be content with what you already have.

Gluttony is a very addictive sin. If we can control our eating habits and our spending habits, we will then have a greater ability to live the virtue of chastity. Gluttony needs to be mortified by a strict spirit of self-control. It is said that Blessed Pope John XXIII struggled with this sin. He had a life long battle with his weight. One day he was seen crying as he was eating a huge bowl of ice-cream. Acts of mortification include not snacking between meals, eating smaller portions, eating healthy foods, saving deserts for Sundays and special feast days, and exercising moderation in the use of alcoholic beverages.

Laziness is also a very controlling sin. The lazy person is not so much concerned about the bad that he does, but the good that is left undone. The lazy person has to form and strengthen the will. Getting up on time in the morning, making your bed, cleaning your room, doing your duty with perfection, using your time well, regular physical exercise, and personal discipline are very important acts of mortification that will successfully uproot the sin of laziness and replace it with the virtue of diligence.

Lust is another big struggle, if not the biggest for most people. Of all of the sins that have been mentioned thus far, this one is the most addictive. Lust must be dealt with severely. This is something that we cannot fool around with. The best weapon against lust is to run away from the occasions of sin. When we accept our weakness, we will not put ourselves into dangerous situations. If the cable is a problem, then get rid of it. There are a number of pornography free Internet servers that can be used. Living a moral life, modesty in dress, control of our eyes, avoiding sensual movies and television programs and staying away from dangerous friends are some of the things that we can do to replace lust with the virtue of chastity.

Finally, anger is another sin that most people struggle with. Anger must be replaced with the virtue of charity. Never deal with situations such as disciplining children when you are angry. Exercise mortification by walking away from a difficult situation and deal with it latter when you are serene. Walking around the neighborhood for a few minutes can be very beneficial when you are ready to explode. Physical exercise is also a good remedy for anger. After work, it is a good habit to work out at the local gym or go for a run. You can blow off a lot of steam and stress, and then enter your house calm and refreshed.

Of course, all of these acts of mortification that I have mentioned presupposes a mature spiritual life. Self-knowledge, a serious battle plan, and the regular use of the sacrament of confession are also indispensable tools for spiritual growth and development.

Remember, the goal of our spiritual life is to become a new person in Christ. It is not enough just to be a “good person” or to be “nice”.

We are called to be saints.

The continual struggle with ourselves can be exhausting at times. We can even become discouraged when we struggle over long periods of time with the same sin.

Discouragement must be met with Christian hope. There maybe something that we will struggle with for the rest of our lives. We may chase the thing out of our temple, but it keeps on trying to get back in. It may continually pound on the door, look for an open window, or even a crack in the foundation. If a dominant fault does not go away, it must be surrounded with heroic virtue.

St. Paul was given an answer that he was not looking for when he complained to the Lord about his “thorn in the flesh”. “My grace is enough for you: my power is at is best in weakness” (II Corinthians 12: 9).

Let us then take up a whip and chase out of our soul whatever maybe an obstacle to our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Mortification is an act of the will. Mortification cannot be based on wishful thinking. We have to really die to ourselves in order for Jesus to live in our temple.

Dying to sin, attachments, addictions, obsessions, and selfish tendencies will be a painful and even dramatic experience. But, too many people today are looking for an easy Christianity.

We need to look upon the crucifix and understand once again that the only Jesus that there is, is the Crucified Jesus. “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified…” (1 Corinthians 1: 22).

Written by Fr. James (Thank you Father!)

Posted by Kathy ~ TOG

Wash Yourselves Clean!

Wash yourselves clean!

Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.

Make justice your aim; redress the wronged,
hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.


Come now, let us set things right,
says the Lord:

Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool. Isaiah 1:16-18

Thank you Jesus for forgiving us our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation...

Posted by Kathy ~TOG

The Power of the Cross

The Transforming Power of the Cross
The Sunday Homily Written by Father James Farfaglia

"A man and a woman had a little daughter that they adored. Audrey was their only child. They lived their whole lives for their little child. When she became chronically ill and her illness resisted the efforts of the best doctors, the parents became totally discouraged and inconsolable."

"Soon Audrey did not survive the illness and the parents were completely distressed. They became bitter recluses, shutting themselves off from their family and friends."

"But, one night the woman had a dream. She dreamt that she was in heaven. During her dream, she saw a long procession of little children processing like little angels before the throne of God. Every child was dressed in a dazzling white robe and they each held a lit candle. However, when the woman saw her Audrey, she noticed that her candle was not lit. The mother ran up to Audrey, embraced her in her arms, caressed her tenderly, and then asked her how it was that her candle was the only one that was not lit. Audrey said, “Mother, they often relight it, but your tears always put it out”. Just at that moment the woman woke from her dream."

"The lesson was clear, and its effects were immediate."

"She immediately told the dream to her husband. They decided to embrace their loss with Christian hope, and that they would no longer extinguish Audrey’s little candle with their useless tears."

"This Sunday's liturgy provides motivation and inspiration for us to continue our Lenten program. It is not easy to die to self."

"However, the gospel account of the transfiguration of Jesus tells us that our cross will always lead to the transformation of our lives. "

"There are three transfigurations or transformations that take place in our journey towards eternity.

• The first change begins at Baptism. The immersion into the baptismal waters symbolizes death and rebirth. The sacrament of Baptism washes away original sin and we are re-created. We are transformed into new creatures. The old self dies, and the new person in Christ Jesus is born.Our new life, which begins at Baptism, is carried out through our daily living of the Gospel. This of course, demands a continual dying to self. Through self-denial, the image of Christ is made visible in our lives. The more we die to self, the more sanctifying grace can transform our lives. "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it". (Matthew 10: 39)
• The second transformation takes place by our victory over the trials and tribulations of life. Every challenge, every difficulty, every moment of suffering, is an opportunity to grow. Transformation only takes place through suffering.A young friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer when he was nineteen years old. He died two years latter. Nevertheless, his acceptance of this challenge and the manner in which he embraced his daily suffering not only transformed his life, but it transformed the lives of those who were closest to him.One day after he returned from a long week of treatments at the hospital, his dad suggested that before returning home, they stop by their parish and pray the Stations of the Cross together. The father told his son that contemplating how much Jesus had suffered for them would be important, particularly in their present trial. Both father and son had understood the transforming power of the Cross of Jesus.The third transformation takes place at death. The suffering that the final moment brings upon us makes way for an amazing transformation. Eternal life in heaven, perhaps after a period of further transformation in purgatory, is granted to those who have been found worthy.
• The last transformation or transfiguration is completed at the Second Coming when our body is reunited with our soul. What awaits us is beyond anything that we can imagine. "Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, 'new heavens and a new earth'. It will be the definitive realization of God's plan to bring under a single head all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth. The visible universe, then, is itself destined to be transformed, so that the world itself, restored to its original state, facing no further obstacles, should be at the service of the just, sharing their glorification in the risen Jesus Christ". (Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1043, 1047)"

"When we consider the eschatological teachings of the Catholic Church, we can understand why the Easter liturgy cries out "O felix culpa". "O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer" (Exsúlet – The Easter Proclamation from the Easter Vigil Liturgy) The transfiguration of the Lord reminds us of the outcome of the cross."

"Suffering brings about transformation when we carry the cross like true disciples of Jesus.Each of us has a cross to carry."

"We must all identify our crosses and carry them with patience, joy and love. Why complain about something which is our means to gain eternal life?"

"As Thomas a' Kempis reminds us, "The cross, therefore, is always ready; it awaits you everywhere. No matter where you may go, you cannot escape it, for wherever you go you take yourself with you and shall always find yourself. Turn where you will --above, below, without, or within -- you will find a cross in everything, and everywhere you must have patience if you would have peace within and merit an eternal crown. If you carry the cross willingly, it will carry and lead you to the desired goal where indeed there shall be no more suffering, but here there shall be. If you carry it unwillingly, you create a burden for yourself and increase the load, though still you have to bear it. If you cast away one cross, you will find another and perhaps a heavier one" (The Imitation of Christ, Book II, chapter 12)."

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them” (Mark 9: 2-3).

"The transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor tells us that the glory of the resurrection will only take place through the sufferings of Good Friday."

"The transfiguration of Jesus teaches us that the experience of the cross is necessary in order for Easter to take place."

"However, too many of our contemporaries are like those who stood at the foot of the Cross and cried out to Jesus that he should come down from the Cross. Many would like to have a Christianity without self-denial, discipline, and renunciation. However, Christianity without the Cross is not Christianity at all."

"What is your cross?"

"Maybe you have many crosses to carry. How do you carry your cross? Do you complain? Are you discouraged? Do you run away from the cross?"

"There is only one way to carry your cross. Carry your cross with generosity. Carry your cross with patience, love, and joy. See in your cross your sanctification, your eternal salvation."

"Understand that with your cross, united to the cross of Jesus, you have a continual opportunity to save souls and make reparation for so many sins."

Written by Fr. James Farfaglia

Posted by Kathy ~TOG (Thank you Fr. James!)

Destroying Sin

Destroying Sin
(Taken from Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.)

"Jesus, our Head, invites us, His members, to unite with Him in His work of destroying sin: to destroy it in ourselves down to the very roots, that is, in our evil inclinations, and to destroy it likewise in His other members by allowing Him to work in us."

"This is the law of solidarity, for the misfortune of one is the misfortune of the others; each sin is a burden on the whole world and disturbs the equilibrium of God's plan."

"Therefore, every Christian, and more especially, every soul consecrated to God, must throw himself ardently into the battle against sin and fight it with the proper weapons: penance, expiatory prayer, and most of all...love."

"When the love of charity is perfect, it destroys sin more efficaciously than the fire of purgatory."

"In this we see why the saints were able to convert so many souls. God used the fire of their charity to do away with sin in sinners."

Divine Intimacy pg. 295

Posted by Kathy ~ TOG