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What a great line.  I hope you recognize it.  It has become a famously misquoted quote from the Bogart classic, Treasure of the Sierra Madre.  This was the reply of the “bandito” to Humphry Bogart’s question, ‘If you are police, show us your badges?”  The gold-toothed bandito replies, “Badges? We ain’t got no badges!  We don’t need no badges!  I don’t have to show you any stinking badges!”

It is Palm Sunday.  The palm is such a powerful symbol of our Faith.  Deeper than that, it is a symbol (sacramental) of the One in whom of faith rests.  The palm is a sign of Christ.  It reminds us of both triumph and seeming tragedy…Acclamation and Betrayal…but most especially it reminds us of the Procession of Jesus to Jerusalem for one purpose.  Not for a crown given by a crowd, but to embrace a cross to redeem them…and you and me. But for most, there will be not Palms this Sunday…fear of spreading an invisible virus has halted some distribution.

In Matthew’s Gospel narrative of the Passion of the Lord, there is a line that I believe can give us spiritual perspective, thoughtful reflection and comfort as we enter this holiest of weeks in our Christian calendar. 

“They stripped off his clothes…” Mt. 27:28

These last four week of Lent have been “stolen” from us, in a way, by this global pandemic.  Our churches closed, our Eucharist from afar, our community at a distance.  All of the “things” for which we have become accustomed have been stripped away.  Perhaps this is one of the gifts of the Covid-19.  I truly think it is.  As Christ was stripped, humbled, humiliated, and ultimately abandoned and crucified, so we are stripped bare of the familiar.

Think back to Ash Wednesday.  What was your spiritual intention for this Holy Season?  Still on the same course? If you are anything like me, you have been set in an unexpected direction. But here we are now, on Palm Sunday…and for some of us…we will not even have Palms.  Just as Jesus was stripped, we are stripped.  We are laid bare of all the things we sometimes cling to, that we may be freed to truly cling to Christ…and Him Crucified!  We have been stripped bare so we can embrace our spiritual heritage. 

Our faith rooted in the Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension of our Savior Jesus Christ has been an experience of spiritual “stripping.”  The Jewish Believers of the new way, were not only stripped of their place in local synagogues and the Temple itself, they were persecuted.  Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, while the greatest of evangelists, could not shed his past as a persecutor of the church itself!

This is our spiritual heritage.  It has been stripped and laid bare for twenty centuries now, internally and externally.  How have we been stripped in the past?

• Paul fought Peter over ritual
• Roman emperors used games and genocides
• Politics created a convenient marriage between the Church and Empire
• Church embraced power over faithful practice
• Leo excommunicated Luther and Luther walked away
• At times we chose armies over angels
• Iconoclasts broke windows and burned crosses and statues
• Enlightenment tried to put revelation of a book shelf
• Stripped bare …  it is our spiritual heritage
• Iconoclasts broke windows and statues…
• Totalitarianism has tried to extinguish the Church’s light
• Secularism has tried to push Faith to the margins as fantasy
• And most recently, we as a faith community have experience broken trust by our leaders who hid secrets and sins of some clergy…protecting their place over the safety of its members.

All things stripped bare.

But I dare say, this could be our greatest Lent, Holy Week and Easter ever!! If being stripped, we embrace the cross like Jesus, walk the road toward Golgatha and by grace, allow ourselves to be crucifed with him, we know we shall rise with Him!

This is our spiritual heritage. This is our spiritual journey. Despite our sin and our infidelity…despite forces that rage against us, the Church, when stripped bare has proclaimed from its core, the depth of its FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, Son of the FATHER.  In Him and in the power of the Holy Spirit, God has kept his promise made to Peter.  “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  Mt. 16:18

You may have noticed in the last few years, that fasting has made a come back. Not particularly religious fasting, but dietary fasting or “intermittent” fasting. I guess it works! Go figure.

I’ve never been very good at fasting. I grew up in the generation of Catholic lite. Well my mother’s generation knew what it was like to fast and abstain on every Friday of the year and then really dig in during the 40 days of lent. My generation well, we were Vatican II babies. Whatever…

With this global pandemic has come A daily adjustment to our personal and communal landscape. It is definitely not business as usual is it ? I don’t know about you but I’ve noticed that I get a little more irritated a little more quickly. My language has gotten a little more coarse. My distractions have become more intense and in general I have to be more conscious about things — often really stupid things. That’s not all bad — just different.

Fridays in Lent have always been known as days for fasting, penitence, And prayer. As we’re coming toward the end of Lent, I’d like to suggest that all of us fast in a new way during this novel time.

So Let’s fast in a new way. Let’s fast from selfishness and become more giving. Let’s fast from pessimism and be hopeful. Let’s fast from worries to embrace trust, Let’s fast from too many words, and become silent listeners. Let’s fast from judgment to become more understanding. Let’s fast from anger to become more peaceful. Let’s fast from things and become more focused on persons. Let’s fast from being who we think we are supposed to be to become more like Christ for each other.

We’ve been called to do new things as we’ve adjusted to life with this virus, we are truly truly called each and every day to a brand new relationship with Jesus Christ and one another. Believe it.

Perhaps this kind of fasting just might, by his grace, infect the whole world with his love.

I’ll have to google that!

As a kid, whenever I would fall (and I did often), who did I go to? My mom. She is comfort itself. She always knew what would heal the wound. I was a big baby. (Still am!!). I hated shots, anything painful or that I thought might hurt. I remember my mom bought “Bactine healing spray just for me (and the other four kids in our house!). I think the ad went something like this, “helps the hurt stop hurting.” Or “Bactine spray makes the hurt go away.” Spray, ointment, or salve, it seemed my mom always knew what would heal me.

Healing is on our minds a lot right now. The pandemic virus and the case numbers and deaths are all the news… as it should be. But just last night I had a Paul Harvey moment! (If you’re young and don’t know who Paul Harvey was, google that too!). I got a “rest of the story” moment in the midst of rising numbers of covid-19 cases.

The rest of the story was about HEALING. People do (most do) recover! That is awesome news. Locally, two men have been discharged and are now on the road to recovery. Of course, it is easier to count illness and death…but eventually, we will recover and we will know the number of survivors…I am guessing we will be in the BILLIONS!! Yes, we are in the midst of a global fight and to win we need to stay the course with isolation and distancing. But don’t lose sight of the prize! The goal is victory. Recovery happens. Healing happens! Let’s continue to fight this fight.

As Christians, Lent helps us focus on the same spiritual reality. The reason Jesus Christ, Son of the Eternal Father came into this world was to heal us—to save us—from the virus of sin. Sin and Death. His resurrection celebrates the FACT that death died on the cross and Eternal life began from an EMPTY tomb.

Take some alone time and prayerfully Read Romans 5 and 6. Within this sacred scripture is revealed the love, purpose, and battle for which the savior came as savior and the infected need a healer. This is us! No shame in that. Why? Because in him there is RECOVERY. We call it salvation. God knows what we need…he knows what you need. He knows what will heal you. He has already poured the blood of his son on it. He has already sent the power of his spirit upon us.

Spray that on your wound.

Yesterday evening I was texting with a dear friend. Last year we team-taught the Confirmation class at our parish.  Those juniors are now seniors.  As we were going back and forth, we started conversing about those kids…they were/are a great group of young people.  We looked forward to every session we had last year…so open and enthusiastic, so fun to be with…so honest about their lives and the world around them….so curious and serious about their faith.

Through Kelly, I sent this message to them:

“Mr. Bird here.  You may be feeling disappointed that your Senior year is ending in a way you never imagined.  Basketball season halted. No baseball or track? No Spring Play? No Final concerts? No Prom? No graduation? Maybe no parties?  But I know you.  You are strong.  You can see beyond this temporary situation to a future full of possibilities – there may be changes and challenges and bumpy roads – but that is what life is all about.  You are ready for this ride!  God is with you.  The Holy Spirit has anointed you with his power and his grace.  Believe…and proceed!

So to all of the members of the High School Class of 2020…YOU ARE STRONG.  You have an incredible story to tell.  That story is you. 

After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.  Luke 5:4-6

would still be my godchild! It is with great joy I present to you Rose Therese.

In the midst of all of the new challenges and adjustments God grace is present. In a very small liturgy, Rose was baptized and her sister Grace received her first holy communion. Great gifts…great grace…great joy…even celebrated by proxy! Can’t wait to hold you Rose.

Today, Catholics celebrate and remember another rose. Mary, the mother of Jesus is the mystical Rose. Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation. The angel Gabriel presents to Mary the plan of God. “Do not be afraid, Mary,for you have found favor with God.Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,and you shall name him Jesus.He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

This raised questions in Mary, of course…how can this be? Me? Why me? And it also raised courage grounded upon her faith in her God who made the promise. Her life experienced new challenges and adjustments, with out a doubt. Her she is, an engaged single now pregnant woman in a religiously legalistic society. A young woman, perhaps, telling a crazy story. I’m sure her new situation spread faster than a virus. But she said yes to all of it. Not to just the circumstances— they change—but to the reality. She was the mother of her savior. She was the Tabernacle of her Lord. She was her son’s best vessel: Mary the mystical Rose.

Our circumstances are temporary—whether it is a virus, or unemployment, or financial or relational…our circumstances change. But what does not change is reality. As people of faith we are called to live with courage because we are not alone. Like Mary, we are the Tabernacle of our Lord. We hold him within us—in order to present him to the world — as Good News. Remember what Mary did directly following this divine message? She went to visit her older cousin Elizabeth. She put her faith to action!
And this reflects the Good News… like donating blood, getting groceries for neighbors, making well-check phone calls, extending patience—EXTENDED GRACE…like a rose!
Read and reflect on: Luke 1:26-38

Returns. I never mind making returns. I love my wife and making returns to Macy’s or Kohl’s or countless other stores is never an issue. (The sales person at Macy’s return counter and I became friends. He is no longer there. I “coached” him into a new job! He is now an assistant manager for another industry.) The other upside of the return process is that the $$$ that is coming off the bill!!

Four weeks ago, making one of my traditional return pilgrimages to the Southern Park Mall, I notices BIG BOLD Advertising outside of PIER ONE. “This week, 25% OFF ALL EASTER.” I just shook my head. I said to myself…”25% off Easter? We just started LENT?? Aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves??”

But that is the way of the world isn’t it? We get way ahead of ourselves…always wanting more, or the next best thing or things or desire. I remember as a kid, wanting a bike. I saved up for it, dreamed about it, and counted the days until I had enough. I promised myself I would take such good care of it. It would always shine. The chrome would glisten, and the typhoon blue would flash by all who could catch a glimpse.

I got the bike. I took care of it…for a while. You know how it goes. Then, one night, someone stole it. It was locked, inside our new shed, but was stolen nonetheless. I was crushed. Then I started to wonder. Did I have it chained and locked? Was it in the shed or was it outside? Was it partially my fault? (Forgive me, I’m Irish — this is how we think!)

Yesterday, at least three wonderful things happened to me. One friend shared the YouTube message of his pastor. It was awesome. The message and the connection with Joe. He and I have shared our faith before, but this was a new kind of reality we were sharing on a new plain. Then I had a great conversation with Jason. While most of it was me rambling on about some past experiences, it invited him to ask questions of faith and sincerely go deeper in this walk we have with God.

The third wonderful experience was simply sitting by my wife on our couch as we prayed the Sunday Mass via internet. She is a woman of great faith. Her rich prayer life is so consistent that it puts me to shame. From the first thing in the morning, she prays. She has a list of living and deceased priest for which she prays…and our bishop. She remembers to pray for deceased family and friends…then family…especially her two sons, their families and their needs and desires. She reads the scriptures and then listens to spiritual reflections. (No wonder we get up at 4:30am!!)

I share all this because of where we are right now. Just like the ad at Pier One, lets not get ahead of ourselves. What really is the difference between four weeks ago, three or two weeks ago, and today? Yes, there is an incredibly serious global virus we are facing and it has “changed” our flow of life and maybe taught some people the necessity of good personal hygiene…but what really is different?

The answer lay is our response. What do we desire? What do we hope for? What and who do we treasure? What adjustments will we make to achieve that end? Right now, the majority of us are facing inconveniences more than sacrifices. Let us pray for nurses, hospital workers, doctors, EMT, police and firefighters. Let us pray for first responders and government leaders faced with daily and even moment to moment decisions. Let us pray for patience with new patterns and new expectations…and lets give each other a wide berth. Let’s not criticize or get hypersensitive. Let’s unite in prayer, action and most of all in love, care and understanding for one another.

Take both comfort and direction in these words from the lips of our Savior: Matthew 6:24 -34 (yeah…go look it up you lazy bones jones! LOL)

Tomorrow

(Be warned…this is a long post.)

I love this story.

One Sunday morning, a mother knocked on the door of her son’s bedroom to get him up for church. “Go away! I’m not going.” Patiently she replied, “get up.“ ”No!” He replied. “Give me one good reason I should go!” His mother was not to be out done. “I’ll give you two good reasons. First it’s Sunday and we always go to church. And second —you are the parish priest and the people are waiting for you!”

Tomorrow. It won’t be like that tomorrow. It will be a different story won’t it? All of our priests and bishops and our pope will be in the Church waiting on us, serving us, Literally and most importantly spiritually. Just last week our routines were turned upside down. Who would have thought that churches would be closed come Monday? Businesses incredibly scaled back or closed. Schools and activities seasons abruptly ended. Almost like a winter frost had frozen our lives. Coldly isolating us with “social distancing”. But here we are. US.

Tomorrow we will stay home for mass/church and receive the Eucharist in the tabernacle of our souls. But have we considered how fortunate we are? US.

Within days of this social distancing and precautions brought on by an invisible virus, we have witnessed numerous systems and services that have been literally given to us. Schools set up google classroom for distance learning. Working from home has become a relatively nimble process. (Upside of that is face to face meetings are cancelled! Time wasters). And tomorrow, all the faithful of the Diocese of Youngstown we will celebrate mass with our Bishop in our homes. (Collection optional—kidding, checks in the mail!!). But seriously, what really do we have to complain about!?

But we are as fickle as the Hebrews in the desert and the apostles with a hungry crowd. We are never satisfied. Tell us we have to go to church and we rebel. Tell us we can’t and we feel slighted. But here we are. US.

Tomorrow. My focus is on a non-communion/communion. As Catholics we will celebrate spiritually what our priest celebrates actually, “that on the night before he died, Jesus took bread gave thanks…took the cup, blessed it…and gave it.” (See: 1 Cor 1:23f). To those same apostles who asked the Lord to give them a prayer, Jesus gives his very self—his body and blood.

Tomorrow. Interesting isn’t it? In the prayer Jesus gave his followers as a standard for communion with his father, he said “Give us this day our daily bread.” This reference to the provision of manna in the desert could not have been lost on his apostles. Hungry, starving the Israelites crumpled to Moses and God answered. God provided them with manna by day and Quail by night. (See: Ex16). It’s interesting the instruction given to them to eat it and not to store up it or take extra. Those who tried to horde,failed. It all spoiled. Rely on the daily supply. What was the lesson? Trust. Trust in God‘s promise to provide. Take what you need for today. As the Hebrew were not to horde manna, maybe “we” should refrain from hording Toilet Paper etc??

Truly in the Lord’s Prayer (Our Prayer) about Our Father, we prayer just as the disciples did…and just as they taught us. Lord, give us today TOMORROW’S bread! The trust we pray for is that as God has provided for us TODAY, He will provide for us tomorrow. In the Eucharist Jesus is tomorrow’s bread today! In the Eucharist, Jesus gives us himself, the bread of heaven. “On earth as it is in heaven.” Today!

Think about that. The bread of heaven, the bread of the angels, comes down from heaven upon the Altar by the words spoken by our priest— standing Both as Christ the sacrificial victim and as US, sinners, in need of God’s mercy, forgiveness and grace. I have to admit, when I approached to receive communion last Sunday, I did not do it with the full consciousness of that truth. But I can promise God as I observe this spiritual communion tomorrow, I will.

Tomorrow. This will pass. This global crisis will not last forever. It may only be a momentary interruption to everything we think is so important. Or it may be longer. But, It will pass. My hope is that, unlike our most recent crisis of nearly two decades ago, 9-11, it will not just pass and our consciousnesses and lives will drift back to the bunkers of the unimportant and mundane. We are called to so much more. We are called HIGHER!!

So for tomorrow, and for what is now an undefined period of social distancing and for most of us just inconvenience (pray God that is all is is), as this has come for us Christians in the midst of Lent, might I suggest that it we embrace this as a gift to:

1. Tomorrow. We should fear nothing of today, for we believe that the Lord of life, Christ Jesus has conquered sin and death and the grave itself! We have been healed. Sin has been forgiven. Death dies no more. Heaven is our home. Heaven is our goal. Heaven is our tomorrow. And we can begin to live that Heaven now. Believe it TODAY.

2. Yesterday. Lent bids us to look at the yesterday of our lives only to look forward. And the great thing is we do it in the light of Christ. His light will first show our sin and weakness. But his light then show us his face…His crucified, risen and gloried face. The face of love. We are loved. God loves us. Always has. Always will. No matter how far we have wandered, the father runs toward us. Believe it. TODAY

3 Today. While we have to wait now to physically receive our Eucharistic Lord, may we hunger for Him. May we hunger for Him so much that, this hunger movers us to love…to call on our neighbors in need…to simply our wants and desires…to share (our Toilet Paper!)…to reflect peace. If we are receiving the bread of tomorrow today, then today let us offer the gift of tomorrow to those we meet. May we live TOMORROW so convincingly TODAY, that those who do not know Him and believe Him, will want what we have! Believe it. TODAY.

An Act of Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment I receive You sacramentally, come atleast spiritually into my heart.I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. +AMEN

It was a rainy day, just like today.  I remember that my sister and I were walking in the pouring rain to Our Lady’s Christian School. All of a sudden, a green Gran Torino pulled up, the passenger door swung opened and a voice called out: “jump-in!”.  It was Sr. Karen Talorico, SSJ, our principal.  In the back seat, three other sisters, Sr. Ann Louis, Sr. Rose Irma and Sr. Mary Sarah.  We had just gotten picked up by the NUN CAR!  Awesome.  No stranger danger here. 

Yes, on this Feast of St. Joseph, I remember what the Sisters of St. Joseph have taught me and how they have formed me as a person.  They have tilled the ground of my Catholic faith. They have nurtured my mind to be curious and open. They have educated me in mind, body and soul. They have invited me into their mission of extending myself to the “good of the neighbor”.

They have built schools, hospitals, orphanages, clinics, and communities.  It is our time now to take the mantle of Sisters of St. Joseph and keep that mission and ministry to generations of good neighbors to come. 

Please click on this link to join today in Prayer with Pope Francis at 4pm (EST). 

Pope urges Catholics to ‘unite spiritually’ in praying rosary Thursday

This is Samantha Maria.  She is a superhero.  She has one of the most important jobs in the world.  She is a kindergarten teacher.  (I remember mine…don’t you?!?!) 

With the suspension of in school instruction, Sam is keeping her Kiddos (as she says) focused on learning and life.  They all were expecting her to show up for school dressed like this.  Let me explain.  When there is a special holiday Ms. Sam appears with her special Tootoo, celebrates the day with learning and reading.  This is her great gift.  This is how she is a great gift. 

She was concerned that her kiddos, unlike the older virtual students from her district, might be confused and anxious with this emergency situation.  Ms. Sam Superhero to the rescue.  She showed up virtually in the homes of her kiddos to celebrate, learn and to read to them.  Consistency is so important in young lives (in all lives!).  

Thank you, Sam! you are not just a Superhero…you are a gift.

So are you… be a superhero today!  What is your superpower? Be a gift to others.  Go deep into the well of your soul and draw out your best self for others.

Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Today is the Feast of St. Patrick.  Though bars and even Churches are closed, the feast goes on and what is celebrated:   Faith. Trust. Hope. Love. The virtues of belief.

Like many, I have always loved and prayed the Breastplate of St. Patrick, but often only parts of it.  The entire Breastplate, or Lorica, is a prayerful walk through the tenants of our faith, invoking the providential protection of God from evil.

We need a breastplate right now, and always.  St. Paul tells us to put on the “full armor of God” in his letter to the Ephesians (6:11-17) to fight the good fight against sin, our inclination to evil and selfishness and to keep our eyes on Christ.  With St. Patrick, let us put on our spiritual combat gear and weapon of faith.  Fear not!

I arise today 
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.