WEBVTT 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:02.660 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 00:00:02.660 --> 00:00:05.559 of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Glory to Jesus Christ. 00:00:05.820 --> 00:00:20.199 Glory to Christ. There's times that we need a 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:26.359 refresher. But as Christians, it's not just more 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:32.829 knowledge, more application. It's encouragement 00:00:32.829 --> 00:00:36.609 from the gospel. It's encouragement from the 00:00:36.609 --> 00:00:40.450 life of the church. And so today, for that refresher 00:00:40.450 --> 00:00:42.990 course, we kind of start over with our readings 00:00:42.990 --> 00:00:47.729 with Matthew. Matthew is the first gospel in 00:00:47.729 --> 00:00:52.170 the New Testament. And the church gives us this 00:00:52.170 --> 00:00:57.369 selection from chapter 4 to kind of restart us, 00:00:57.630 --> 00:01:03.429 to refresh us, to reorient. reorientate us. The 00:01:03.429 --> 00:01:06.030 word orient means east. Notice, it's the way 00:01:06.030 --> 00:01:10.609 our church faces. When we are reorientated, we're 00:01:10.609 --> 00:01:15.950 facing Christ. And so we have this gospel of 00:01:15.950 --> 00:01:21.310 the story of the calling of the disciples. Notice 00:01:21.310 --> 00:01:26.010 their response. Both times, St. Matthew says, 00:01:26.329 --> 00:01:30.890 they immediately left their nets. And the church 00:01:30.890 --> 00:01:34.849 on top of that says, well, it's the feast day 00:01:34.849 --> 00:01:38.790 of all saints of America and Russia. Innumerable 00:01:38.790 --> 00:01:43.069 saints. So we need to know, what is it that they 00:01:43.069 --> 00:01:46.290 look like? Because that's what we're called to 00:01:46.290 --> 00:01:53.329 be also. That's no joke. Our calling is to be 00:01:53.329 --> 00:01:58.230 servants of God. The gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:01:59.569 --> 00:02:03.390 Temples of God. That's what a saint is like to 00:02:03.390 --> 00:02:07.530 begin with. So the church gives us the Beatitudes. 00:02:07.590 --> 00:02:12.030 Did you notice? Beatitudes are the New Testament, 00:02:12.169 --> 00:02:16.770 the Christian Ten Commandments. There are nine 00:02:16.770 --> 00:02:20.330 blessings. Blessed are the pure in heart, blessed 00:02:20.330 --> 00:02:23.189 are the merciful. And there's one imperative. 00:02:23.930 --> 00:02:27.210 After you hear all those blessings, that imperative 00:02:27.210 --> 00:02:32.310 is rejoice. Rejoice, says Christ. Kingdom of 00:02:32.310 --> 00:02:38.509 heaven is yours. We hear these things, these 00:02:38.509 --> 00:02:42.449 readings, not as church history. That's important 00:02:42.449 --> 00:02:46.990 for us to remember. They're applicable to us. 00:02:48.150 --> 00:02:51.169 We just have to figure out how. Each person's 00:02:51.169 --> 00:02:53.770 different. It's going to apply to each one of 00:02:53.770 --> 00:02:58.650 us differently. But it's applicable to us. It's 00:02:58.650 --> 00:03:02.210 not only those first disciples that Christ made 00:03:02.210 --> 00:03:09.449 evangelists. Everyone who hears and responds 00:03:09.449 --> 00:03:12.909 to Jesus Christ also bears some responsibility. 00:03:14.009 --> 00:03:19.110 A little bit. For the light that is within you 00:03:19.110 --> 00:03:23.389 to not be hidden. We know that verse, let your 00:03:23.389 --> 00:03:26.259 light so shine. before others that they may see 00:03:26.259 --> 00:03:30.319 your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:37.300 This is how we become junior evangelists. We 00:03:37.300 --> 00:03:40.479 let that light shine. Not through angry, rage 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:43.900 -filled posts on Facebook or Twitter. That's 00:03:43.900 --> 00:03:49.560 just ridiculous and won't get you anywhere. But 00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:52.340 through the peacemakers. For they shall be called 00:03:52.340 --> 00:03:55.099 the children of God. That's what we want. So 00:03:55.099 --> 00:03:57.439 having heard the verse about being fishers and 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:01.599 men, those disciples heard that. We heard it 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:06.039 too. We're also called to do a little fishing. 00:04:07.460 --> 00:04:11.039 Notice, Christian fishing doesn't involve a line 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:17.839 and a hook. It involves a net. Line and a hook, 00:04:17.980 --> 00:04:23.949 we just kill people. A very humble missionary 00:04:23.949 --> 00:04:27.329 task, brothers and sisters. But it begins with 00:04:27.329 --> 00:04:31.110 prayer. It begins with the apostles' fast. This 00:04:31.110 --> 00:04:33.490 also is no joke. This is for us from the church. 00:04:34.250 --> 00:04:37.610 And it begins with repentance. So we can shed 00:04:37.610 --> 00:04:41.810 the light of God's grace upon that which is around 00:04:41.810 --> 00:04:47.569 us in a very humble way. In a quiet way. There 00:04:47.569 --> 00:04:50.050 was a news item. Probably some of you have seen 00:04:50.050 --> 00:04:52.449 it. Mother Melania brought it to my attention 00:04:52.449 --> 00:04:58.389 last week. Recently, three contestants, all three 00:04:58.389 --> 00:05:02.230 contestants, in a current episode of Jeopardy, 00:05:02.310 --> 00:05:05.389 which Father James says he loves to watch, alas, 00:05:05.389 --> 00:05:08.509 he's not with us today, three contestants were 00:05:08.509 --> 00:05:11.889 unable to complete the sentence from Matthew 00:05:11.889 --> 00:05:16.470 6, verse 9. Now, you should know off the top 00:05:16.470 --> 00:05:19.560 of your head what that verse is. without me telling 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:24.740 you, but I'll tell you. Our Father, who art in 00:05:24.740 --> 00:05:31.980 heaven, blank, be thy name. These three contestants 00:05:31.980 --> 00:05:33.920 could not answer that question. The internet 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:36.480 erupted with, well, comments. Let's just say 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:38.779 they could have been kinder. Of course, the answer 00:05:38.779 --> 00:05:43.500 is hallowed, sanctified, holy, set apart, like 00:05:43.500 --> 00:05:47.850 us. Hallowed be thy name. That's what we're supposed 00:05:47.850 --> 00:05:52.149 to be. How else can God's will be done in heaven 00:05:52.149 --> 00:05:57.970 and on earth? It's shocking that well -read and 00:05:57.970 --> 00:06:00.110 educated people, those people in jeopardy are 00:06:00.110 --> 00:06:04.889 no dummies, that they would not know. On the 00:06:04.889 --> 00:06:07.269 other hand, as Mother Melania pointed out, we 00:06:07.269 --> 00:06:10.410 haven't been hallowing God's name for a long 00:06:10.410 --> 00:06:16.250 time now in society. And this tells me, this 00:06:16.250 --> 00:06:18.949 is another revelation, just another reminder 00:06:18.949 --> 00:06:23.050 that the people around us, in our town, in our 00:06:23.050 --> 00:06:27.089 county, are hurting. They're hurting physically, 00:06:27.389 --> 00:06:30.529 they're starving physically, many of them, and 00:06:30.529 --> 00:06:34.050 spiritually. There's violence, there's brokenness, 00:06:34.050 --> 00:06:39.730 there's abuse. The suffering is profound. To 00:06:39.730 --> 00:06:44.680 not know that God loves us, weeps for us like 00:06:44.680 --> 00:06:50.100 he did for Lazarus, and has a destiny, eternal 00:06:50.100 --> 00:06:54.560 destiny, for each one of us. This leads so many 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:56.899 people into despair because what their life is 00:06:56.899 --> 00:07:01.120 about. What's it all for? And so it's easy to 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:04.560 blame people on the other side of this country, 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:08.899 in Washington, D .C., for all the problems. They 00:07:08.899 --> 00:07:12.290 don't know. what it is to hallow the name of 00:07:12.290 --> 00:07:15.129 the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. How can 00:07:15.129 --> 00:07:20.310 they, unless it be revealed to them by those 00:07:20.310 --> 00:07:23.550 who are hallowed and set apart and sanctified 00:07:23.550 --> 00:07:27.970 and striving to be like the saints, striving 00:07:27.970 --> 00:07:31.829 to acquire those 10 New Testament commandments 00:07:31.829 --> 00:07:37.050 of the blessings. Who can reveal? That's the 00:07:37.050 --> 00:07:40.350 right word, the truth to them. As I said, sharing 00:07:40.350 --> 00:07:43.170 your rage on the internet, on social media, about 00:07:43.170 --> 00:07:46.050 your favorite cause or why others are not sharing 00:07:46.050 --> 00:07:48.649 your rage is just harmful and not spiritually 00:07:48.649 --> 00:07:52.569 helpful. I sorrow greatly when I see that from 00:07:52.569 --> 00:07:57.389 some of you because I love you. That's all about 00:07:57.389 --> 00:08:00.310 the passions and opinions and that's all from 00:08:00.310 --> 00:08:05.470 the evil one. Let's turn that around. Don't you 00:08:05.470 --> 00:08:11.009 feel sometimes brothers and sisters, that you'd 00:08:11.009 --> 00:08:14.589 like to share with some of your friends and acquaintances 00:08:14.589 --> 00:08:18.470 what you know about the glory, the holiness, 00:08:18.709 --> 00:08:21.610 the love of God, and the healing that you have 00:08:21.610 --> 00:08:25.350 received from Jesus Christ. Don't you want to 00:08:25.350 --> 00:08:29.050 show that this place is a spiritual hospital, 00:08:29.250 --> 00:08:33.190 the place where souls are resurrected and forgiven? 00:08:33.750 --> 00:08:36.610 Isn't there a desire sometimes in your heart? 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:39.600 When you know someone else is bearing a burden 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:44.919 of sin and despair and darkness. And the fear 00:08:44.919 --> 00:08:50.159 of death. When they just might find the joy of 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:53.419 the resurrection. The grace of our Lord Jesus 00:08:53.419 --> 00:08:56.179 Christ. The love of God the Father. And the communion 00:08:56.179 --> 00:08:59.919 of the Holy Spirit. That we enjoy here in this 00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:04.340 liturgy. How? How will it come? Through you. 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:10.179 That's how. We sing, we have seen the true light. 00:09:11.379 --> 00:09:14.919 We have received the heavenly spirit. We sing, 00:09:14.940 --> 00:09:17.519 we have found the true faith, worshiping the 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:20.980 undivided trinity who has saved us. It's not 00:09:20.980 --> 00:09:24.320 pride that tells us that. It's not triumphalism. 00:09:24.460 --> 00:09:28.159 This is the faith that was handed over to us, 00:09:28.220 --> 00:09:31.519 that we are responsible. These are words we confess 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:35.539 as literally true. We have found the true faith. 00:09:35.950 --> 00:09:39.690 We have received the heavenly kingdom. Now, it 00:09:39.690 --> 00:09:42.389 may seem presumptuous to put ourselves anywhere 00:09:42.389 --> 00:09:44.929 near the place of the holy apostles who first 00:09:44.929 --> 00:09:48.029 heard that call, follow me, I will make you fishers 00:09:48.029 --> 00:09:50.710 of men. It's a little presumptuous. We are not 00:09:50.710 --> 00:09:54.450 the apostles. The point is not that we are somehow 00:09:54.450 --> 00:10:00.149 to repeat their unique roles. But we must learn 00:10:00.149 --> 00:10:05.940 from them, as we learn from all the saints. the 00:10:05.940 --> 00:10:09.779 reset, the beginning of the renewal of our refresher 00:10:09.779 --> 00:10:16.679 course, we have all these saints before us. All 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:19.340 saints remind us that holiness is not a calling 00:10:19.340 --> 00:10:25.279 for a select few, but the vocation of all. St. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:29.580 Paul says, glory, honor, and peace to everyone 00:10:29.580 --> 00:10:34.769 who works what is good. To the Jew first. And 00:10:34.769 --> 00:10:39.049 also to the Gentiles. For there is no partiality 00:10:39.049 --> 00:10:42.590 with God. Might I suggest three things then that 00:10:42.590 --> 00:10:45.450 we do. Practical things that you and I can do. 00:10:46.350 --> 00:10:49.730 The first is, I've asked you this some years 00:10:49.730 --> 00:10:53.049 ago. I hope that some of you actually did it. 00:10:54.269 --> 00:10:59.750 We have 22 glorified saints in this land. I ask 00:10:59.750 --> 00:11:02.690 you, each week, read the life of one of those 00:11:02.690 --> 00:11:05.200 saints. You can find them on the OC website. 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:08.559 You all have internet. If you don't, call me. 00:11:08.899 --> 00:11:11.740 I'll give you the life. You and I will read it 00:11:11.740 --> 00:11:19.019 together. That's 22. Easy. Next year at this 00:11:19.019 --> 00:11:21.559 time, I hope to be able to pick out of the crowd 00:11:21.559 --> 00:11:25.379 this blessed congregation of brothers and sisters, 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:28.740 just one of you, and say, Brian, tell me about 00:11:28.740 --> 00:11:32.679 St. Sebastian of Jackson. You speak today on 00:11:32.679 --> 00:11:35.820 all saints. And you will be able to do it. Because 00:11:35.820 --> 00:11:39.419 the life of that saint will become something 00:11:39.419 --> 00:11:43.600 you want to emulate. Not exactly. We can't copy 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:47.480 them. But we let them inspire us. And we want 00:11:47.480 --> 00:11:50.299 to become like them. That's the first thing. 00:11:50.980 --> 00:11:53.779 Read the lives of the saints, especially the 00:11:53.779 --> 00:11:58.879 ones of our land. In California, we have so many 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:02.580 that were just here. It's an amazing thing. Secondly, 00:12:02.620 --> 00:12:09.279 having learned the life of a saint, then develop 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:11.779 a relationship. Get one of the Akathists or the 00:12:11.779 --> 00:12:17.700 Canons and pray for your neighbors. Pray for 00:12:17.700 --> 00:12:21.899 those who are hurting. Pray for those that you 00:12:21.899 --> 00:12:25.100 would like to yell at on the other side of the 00:12:25.100 --> 00:12:27.960 country. Don't be like the old man shaking his 00:12:27.960 --> 00:12:32.899 fist and yelling at the clouds. Come to God in 00:12:32.899 --> 00:12:37.899 prayer. Let the saint stand with you, and you 00:12:37.899 --> 00:12:44.860 will be changed. And thirdly, let me suggest 00:12:44.860 --> 00:12:49.419 that each one of us take the opportunity to humbly, 00:12:49.419 --> 00:12:54.779 humbly, let me stress that, prayerfully, kindly 00:12:54.779 --> 00:13:00.309 introduce and bring someone to church. Just one 00:13:00.309 --> 00:13:03.870 person a year. Let's say there's a hundred people 00:13:03.870 --> 00:13:08.549 here that could do that. If each of us, 100, 00:13:09.070 --> 00:13:15.309 invite one person a year, and youth, you're invited 00:13:15.309 --> 00:13:21.950 to do this too. Imagine, next year, there'll 00:13:21.950 --> 00:13:27.370 be 200. After that, there'll be 400. After that, 00:13:28.029 --> 00:13:31.330 There'll be 800. After that, you can do the math. 00:13:32.570 --> 00:13:36.570 It's going to take a year, believe me, for you 00:13:36.570 --> 00:13:39.169 to get one person to come to get, to invite. 00:13:40.250 --> 00:13:42.690 Believe me, I ask people all the time, every 00:13:42.690 --> 00:13:45.110 week, please visit our church. It's wonderful, 00:13:45.389 --> 00:13:48.250 wonderful choir, beautiful atmosphere. The congregation 00:13:48.250 --> 00:13:51.769 is so loving and welcoming. It takes a lot of 00:13:51.769 --> 00:13:55.809 asking for one person to come. This is not about 00:13:55.809 --> 00:13:58.389 numbers, brothers and sisters. It's about sharing. 00:13:58.710 --> 00:14:01.549 It's about courage. It's about witnessing and 00:14:01.549 --> 00:14:05.509 living the faith. Inviting others is a sign of 00:14:05.509 --> 00:14:09.490 your love for that person. To witness for your 00:14:09.490 --> 00:14:14.149 love of God. To invite them to the mystery of 00:14:14.149 --> 00:14:19.090 repentance and healing in the hospital. To invite 00:14:19.090 --> 00:14:22.629 them to answer the Lord's call. Come, follow 00:14:22.629 --> 00:14:27.610 me. And do what? The apostles didn't stop to 00:14:27.610 --> 00:14:29.730 say, but what do you want us to do? And we'll 00:14:29.730 --> 00:14:34.129 think about it. It seems that life itself, our 00:14:34.129 --> 00:14:38.590 life in this world, is designed by God to take 00:14:38.590 --> 00:14:41.070 the measure, if I could put it that way, of each 00:14:41.070 --> 00:14:44.870 soul's desire for truth, for beauty, perhaps 00:14:44.870 --> 00:14:49.250 for love of God. And the soul becomes dissatisfied 00:14:49.250 --> 00:14:53.120 with itself. And it's ego, it's loneliness, it's 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:56.580 sin, and yearns for something better. And when 00:14:56.580 --> 00:15:02.200 Christ calls us, he doesn't say where to. He 00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:07.080 calls us to himself. He is the pearl. He is the 00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:11.240 treasure. Wherever he goes, we want to be with 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:13.799 him. Glory to Jesus Christ.