Homily...Janus

There is a Roman god named Janus. We get our month named "January" from this roman figure because he is depicted as someone who has two faces, one looking backward & one looking forward. It's a good image of Advent for during this time we look back to the first coming of Christ when he was born in Bethlehem & we look ahead to the 2nd coming of Christ at the end of time.

Most would prefer to look back at the first coming of Christ. We see him as a gentle, peaceful, even harmless baby in a manger. But then Jesus describes his second coming in the Gospel with a vision that sounds frightening: "There will be signs in the sun, moon & stars. Nations will be in turmoil. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming." Why would we want to look for all of that? Jesus was speaking in "apocolyptic" or symbolic language understood in the time of Jesus. It was a powerful way of saying that in the future, God will conquer evil. God will win the battle. God will reign. His Kingdom will come. 

Jesus even said that when we see these things happening, we should stand erect with our heads held high for our redemption is near. That's a posture of courage, confidence, hope, expectation and joy. That is what Advent is about, and we should feel just as comfortable looking forward to Christ's coming as we are looking backward to his birth. 

Pastor's Column

     Our condolences are offered to the family of Maryruth Jackson whose Mass of Christian Burial was last Saturday. It so happened that we celebrated her birth into God's kingdom on what would have been her 99th Birthday here on earth. She was a woman of faith and though she had not been able to be a part of St. Leo's for many years since she lived at Marymount, she expressed a desire to have her funeral Mass here because this parish had meant so much to her. We are always happy to oblige such requests so may she rest in peace.
    This past Monday I celebrated a funeral service for a parishioner who frequently brought a smile to my face. His name was Ken Keipert, and he would send Father Vesely & I a card from time to time to wish us a happy holiday. After I had been here for about 6 months, I received a silver piece of styrofoam shaped into the letter "B". Ken said that was my grade for my first 6 months here! (He said I would have received an "A" if I had put one of our statues in a different place). I wrote him a note & told him I was quite satisfied with the "B" though it was easier for me to get an "A" in the Doctorate program than it was for me to get one from him! Ken frequently bought flowers for us to display in front of the Blessed Virgin Mary statue, and the flowers that are currently by the statue of St. Leo were purchased by Ken when we recently celebrated St. Leo's feast day. Ken was a faithful participant at the 4pm Mass on Saturday & always a man of gentleness & kindness. I'm praying that the Lord will give him an "A" for his life of faith. 
    We were able to purchase an addition to our riding mower which picks up & mulches the leaves on our property & then collects them into trash containers. Our maintenance crew had just finished going over the entire property the day before the first snow fell so that was good timing. If you're a fan of the Game of Thrones, all I need to say is, "Winter is coming." 
    As they say in social media these days, I want to give a "shout out" to two parishioners who have been very involved with the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity organization. Bruce Esson was recognized as an outstanding volunteer in 2014 & Ron Kollar in 2015. They have donated countless hours of work & have aided other volunteers with their construction knowledge to provide affordable housing for families in Cleveland. Congratulations to them for a great example of living faith.

Pastor's Column

     As we baptize Berlynn Grace Geither this weekend after the Noon Mass, we pledge our prayerful support to her parents & godparents. We welcome all of God's children to be members of his Church that they may find real life through true faith. 
    It’s been enjoyable for me to make some short visits to some of the ARISE groups. What wonderful things God is doing for them and through them! If only everyone would want to benefit from such a great help to their faith. Please continue to pray for the fruitfulness of the ARISE program at St. Leo’s. Is the Lord calling you to enrich your faith in this way?
    Every week we include the name & picture of a seminarian or religious brother or sister that we pray for. I received a wonderful note from a Sister Anna Rose Carrone whose parents came across our Sunday bulletin (they are from St. Charles) which had her picture & name in it. She was thrilled that we were praying for her. Our prayers make a difference. 
    It's always hard to believe, but this is Thanksgiving week. Mass will be at 9am as always. Turkey to follow (at your home, not ours). My routine on Thanksgiving? Mass, of course. Then turkey. Then a nap. Then some more turkey. Then another nap. Then...you get the idea. Pretty routine, but it works for me every year. 
    Today is the feast of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday in Ordinary Time. Next weekend you will see us bring out the purple vestments & the advent wreath as we begin to prepare for the celebration of Christmas. That's a good introduction to two opportunities I want to remind you of as you begin your Christmas shopping. First, our Sweepstakes tickets make great Christmas gifts, especially for the person that is hard to buy for. They're $30 & we are just now beginning the new year of drawings so this is the time to get in! Secondly, we are very grateful to everyone who supports our gift card program too, a major fund raiser for our parish. You buy a gift card at face value & we make a small profit on each one that is sold which adds up to a BIG profit when EVERYONE participates (we're down in sales so far this year). These too make great gifts! But they're also convenient for your day to day shopping needs for gas, groceries, restaurants, etc. To make it easier for you, we're going to have people available in the vestibule of the church after each Mass so that you can place your order without having to go to the Rectory Office. More details next weekend when we hope to begin this convenience. 

Homily...The Alpha & the Omega (A to Z)

Christ says in the book of Revelation, "I am the Alpha & the Omega." These 2 Greek letters are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In saying that he is the "first and the last," Jesus identifies himself as the totality of all that is. As King, he has dominion, which means that he dominates everything that exists. 

Is Jesus really the first and the last in our life today? Does he rule our life, or is he only a part of it, maybe even a very small part of it? Does the thought of Jesus dominate our life? When we plan our weekend or our Sunday, is our attendance at Mass at the top of the list or at the bottom, if it even makes the list at all? Is God the first person we speak to when we awake & the last one we speak to before we sleep? 

What does it mean to put Christ first, to allow our relationship with God to sum up the totality of our life? Why should these questions be important? Not only because Christ IS King & does in fact have dominion over all that is, but because WE seem to be at the center of God's life. Would Christ have died for us, given his very life for us, if we were not everything to him

Homily...Wait for the End

A piano teacher had her students practice the ending of a song over & over in preparation for a recital. When the students complained about practicing the ending so much, she explained that if they make a mistake in the beginning or the end of the song, it will be forgotten as long as they can finish with a great ending. 

Endings are important because they are the final word. The great word of hope spoken by Jesus today is that he promises a great ending...on the last day the evil powers of the world will be shaken & the angels will gather us into God's kingdom. God may seem to be idle but the truth is he is always active & working to direct our lives & our world to a blessed conclusion.

That may be hard to believe when we hear of terrorism in Paris or in other parts of the world. It may seem that evil is winning. When we're sick or struggling, it's easy to doubt that God is active or even concerned. But that's why we come to Mass every week...to remember what God has said & promised. Remember that it's the ending that counts. 

Pastor's Column

     Congratulations to Timothy & Rebecca Lamont on the baptism of their daughter Caroline during the Noon Mass last weekend and to Rudy & Cora Dejelo who are celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary this Saturday during the 4pm Mass. We welcome Father Michael Gurnick, a former Parochial Vicar at St. Leo’s, who was willing to celebrate this Mass on their special occasion. God’s blessings on them all. 
    In recent weeks, the music at the 8am Mass has been played using the piano only. While the piano adds a wonderful sound to liturgical singing, the organ has taken a special place among all musical instruments in our Catholic tradition and we don’t want to deprive those who attend the 8am Mass from hearing the organ during our liturgies. However the current temporary musician only plays the piano, not the organ, and is only available for the 8am Mass on Sunday. We are in the process of interviewing musicians for the role of Associate Musician (which is the position Mickey Still had before becoming the Music Director). This person would play at a couple of our weekend Masses as well as direct the choir while Mickey while Mickey plays the organ or piano. Thanks for your patience as we get it all sorted out but liturgical music is something that takes time as we look for the right fit for our parish. Our goal is to have the best possible music that will help raise our hearts to God in prayerful song. 
    You’ll see a letter from myself along with the Finance Report for this past fiscal year in this bulletin. We are holding steady despite the many repairs and updates that keep our parish presentable and in good repair. I’m grateful to those members of the Parish Staff who help to make all this possible, especially Ryan Drop, Brenda Basalla & Sister Erin. And thanks to all of you for your weekly contributions which allow us to provide so much to your fellow parishioners. 
    Priests are expected to make a retreat every year. I welcome that opportunity not only for my own sake but for yours as well. So I will be away from Sunday evening until Thursday afternoon this week for a priests retreat at the Jesuit Retreat House in Parma, about 5 minutes from us. A Capuchin Franciscan will be leading the retreat & the topic is Living Out the Joy of Priesthood. I think I already have much joy in serving you but I look forward to more time for prayer & for the wisdom that will be shared. Please pray for me as I ask the Lord’s blessing for myself & for the parish

Pastor's Column

     Our sympathies are extended to Ken & Carol Herron on the sudden illness and death of their son, Dale. Ken is one of our adult Altar Servers for funerals & is currently undergoing chemo treatments. He and his wife are faith-filled and loving people who need our prayerful support at this time. So we remember Dale along with all of the deceased members of the parish especially during this month of November. 

    Pray too for Debbie Bunosky, wife of Mark & daughter-in-law of Rich & Eva Bunosky. Debbie is recovering from a stroke & so needs the Lord’s healing. Jack Habrat continues to make steady progress and we are so happy for his wife Marge who has been at his side since his heart attack. Keep these and all our ill parishioners in prayer, especially Linda, Carol, Donna, Rich, Bob, Walter, Doris, Leonard, and Dale. 

    Our parishioner Angelo Calvillo was recently named interim Fire Chief for the city of Cleveland. As a parish, we are proud of our history of having so many parishioners who are firefighters or on the police force. Angelo & his wife Marie are faithful parishioners who are often seen at daily Mass. May God bless Angelo & all our parishioners who risk their lives for the public’s safety. St. Michael the Archangel, pray for them. 

    I meant to mention last weekend when a seminarian shared his faith & vocation story with us that Cleveland has the most native born seminarians in the United States...the largest number of ordained men who have been raised in their own diocese. That is something to be proud of and our Presbyterate (the priests of our Diocese) is known for its sense of fraternity. Ask the Lord to keep us supportive of each other that we may be strengthened in our service to you.

    Congratulations to Michael Lahiff (of St. Leo the Great) & Hannah Gaffney who are being wedded this weekend at St. James in Lakewood. As I celebrate their wedding, I look forward to Michael’s brother’s wedding here at St. Leo’s in 6 months. May God make them all witnesses to his divine love in the world. 

    November is a time for special celebrations: the feast of All Saints & All Souls, Thanksgiving, and most especially, the birthday of Father Vesely which is this Sunday, November 8th. He is not only the official pet-scratcher here in the rectory but Michaela’s favorite table guest as she makes sure that nothing is left on his plate! (She recently weighed in at 16 pounds…how long until the lenten fast?). But back to Father Vesely, we wish him a happy 87th Birthday & promise to feed him well with cake & ice-cream…and he doesn’t even have to beg.

Homily...Word of God on our Hearts

Jewish rabbis believe that because the bible is God’s Word, there is nothing in the bible by chance. Every word and punctuation mark has some significance. Two students studying to become rabbis were discussion a passage from Deuteronomy which says that God commands us to put the Word of God on our hearts. Why not in our hearts? They asked a rabbi & who said that our hearts are closed & the word of God cannot get in. But the word sits & waits for when our hearts are broken so that the word will fall gently inside. 

When things are going well for us, when we’re strong & confident & successful, God’s word sits on our hearts. It can’t get inside because we are too full of ourselves. But when we fail or hurt or struggle, God’s word falls gently into our hearts

The central characters of the scripture today are widows. In the biblical world, they were the most vulnerable members of society. They had no pension or welfare or social security to provide for them. With their husbands, they had nothing so needed to depend upon God alone. It’s when we’re desperate, broken & lost that we finally allow the word of God inside our hearts.

Pastor's Column

     Our sympathies to the family of Ann (“Amy”) Mayher whose funeral was October 23rd. Amy had many obstacles to overcome in her life but she allowed these to make her strong. She loved to dance and did so at the Aargon Dance Hall on 25th Street every week with her friend Roman. May she now dance with joy in the presence of the Lord.

    At our Parish Council meeting this past week, we once again thanked all those who worked at making our Fall Festival such an enjoyable event and we look forward to this being an annual event again. Sister Erin gave an update on the school and was commended for her good work in marketing our school which in turn also highlights our parish in the community. I mentioned that we made a lot of progress in making repairs and in updating the rectory and school buildings this past year so now we simply need to maintain them as we look to do some updating of our Parish Community Center next summer. Our Sunday sessions for those seeking to become Catholic or be Confirmed or to reconnect with the practice of their faith is going very well. All are welcomed to attend these informal, one-hour, informative sessions from 9-10am in the Parish Community Center every Sunday. 

    Finally, I initiated a discussion of our music ministry. We have attempted to try some new songs in the hope that we can “freshen up” our weekend music but the feeling is that people are more comfortable with songs they are already familiar with so we will focus on encouraging better participation with songs that people already know. But please realize that a new Pastor & Music Director are not aware of the musical history of the congregation so be patient as we try to learn what songs are most familiar to you. I have encouraged Mickey to play more loudly in the hopes that people may try to sing more loudly but the feedback has been that people feel drowned out by the music. So if you sing more loudly, we’ll tone down the volume of the organ. Deal? Finally, some asked why we keep using the word “chant” instead of “song” when announcing the hymns. This change was brought about in the revised Roman Missal just a few years ago which changed some of our liturgical language. It eliminated the use of the word “song” in favor of the word “chant” which is a translation of (the Latin) 'cantus,' which means “that which is sung.” So when the church uses "chant" it is really talking about what texts are sung, not the musical form. I’m sure that cleared it up for you, but if not, please don’t fret. Just sing (or chant) a new (or old) song to the Lord!

Homily...the Bones of St. Peter

Though many are unaware of its existence, the Vatican has a “scavi” tour which takes you through the excavations beneath the basement of St. Peter’s Basilica. It’s fascinating to hear about and see how in the 1940’s, they discovered an ancient pagan “necropolis” or cemetery that was covered over in order to built the basilica precisely on top of it. Directly beneath the altar are the remains of St. Peter himself who was martyred nearby & was buried in this 1st century cemetery. 

On the tombs nearby where Peter was buried were “graffiti” or words & symbols etched into the marble & stone. There were Christian symbols there as well as prayers asking Peter & other saints to pray for loved ones buried nearby. 

I find this archeology so wonderful because it gives evidence of how, the first years of the Church, the disciples honored the saints, revered their bodies & asked for their intercession. 2000 years later, we do the same on this feast of All Saints. Because they were human and frail as we are, they give us encouragement as the grace of God entered their lives. They pray for us as we pray for one another. They remind us of our ultimate goal: an eternal, joyful life with God & all the saints in the kingdom.