On August 6, 1978, Pope St. Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini, former Cardinal Archbishop of Milan), who had been pope for 15 years, died suddenly at the age of 80. He was ordained a priest at the age of 22 and worked in various roles within the Vatican for many years. He was elected pope on June 21, 1963. As pope, he presided over the remaining sessions of the Second Vatican Council, and he implemented new liturgical rites for the sacraments and a new liturgical calendar. He was the first traveling pope, making apostolic journeys to seventeen different countries, including the United States. During his papacy, he promulgated the encyclical Humanae Vitae, which upheld the Church’s teaching on contraception. Throughout his papacy, he sought to maintain the ancient faith of the Church while assuring its role in the modern world.

Blessed Pope John Paul I (Albino Luciani, Cardinal Patriarch of Venice) was elected pope at the age of 65 on August 26, 1978, twenty days after the death of Pope St. Paul VI. He was the first pope in over 60 years to have a pastoral rather than a diplomatic or scholarly background. From peasant stock, he spent many years of his priesthood ministering to the poor and the uneducated, focusing on teaching them Church doctrine in a simple manner which they would find easy to comprehend. Upon his election to the papacy, he immediately endeared himself to Catholics and non-Catholics around the world by his simplicity of style and speech, his genuine kindness and concern for others, and for his beautiful smile, a smile that earned him the nickname of “The Smiling Pope.”

Shortly after his election, he remarked: “It is God’s law that one cannot do good to anyone if one does not first of all wish him well. […] I can assure you that I love you, that I desire only to enter into your service and to place the poor powers that I have, however little they are, at the disposal of all.”

On September 28, 1978, just 33 days after his election, the world was shocked when it awoke to the news that John Paul I had died suddenly during the night.

Pope St. John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla, Cardinal Archbishop of Krakow, Poland) was elected the 263rd pope on October 16, 1978, at the young age of 58. The first non-Italian pope in 455 years, John Paul II had studied for the priesthood at a clandestine seminary during World War II, avoiding detection by the occupying Nazi forces. He spent his life opposing Communism, supporting and upholding the human dignity of all people, and inspiring the young to seek God through the Church and the sacraments. As pope, he traveled to 129 different countries, bringing with him a vigorous missionary spirit. His love for young people led him to establish World Youth Day, which attracted millions of young people from all over the world. He expressed concern for marriage and the family throughout his papacy. His influence resulted in the peaceful removal of Communism from Eastern Europe and the restoration of peace and cooperation among the major world religions. He served as pope for 27 years, dying on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 2, 2005.

Our Lord blessed His Church with these three men to occupy the throne of St. Peter over a three month period in 1978, each with his own charism and talents, and whose impact upon the Church and the world continues to this day.

On Thursday, June 29, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. These two magnificent men were the founders of the See of Rome and are remembered for their preaching, ministry, and martyrdom in that city. We are all familiar with the stories of their lives and of how they appeared to be unlikely candidates for the task of spreading Christianity and establishing the foundations of the Church; however, our Lord, in His infinite wisdom, selected them for this mission.

I recently read an intriguing book entitled “The Fisherman’s Tomb” by author John O’Neill. This book documents the behind-the-scenes story of the Vatican’s secret search for the tomb of St. Peter.

After being crucified upside down on Vatican Hill by the Roman Emperor Nero around 64 or 66 A.D., Saint Peter (the first Bishop of Rome and, therefore, our first Pope) was buried in a secret Christian gravesite close to the place of his execution. Tradition further informed us that the first Basilica, constructed on Vatican Hill in the fourth century and named after our first Pope, was built over the site of his grave.

The current Basilica of Saint Peter was constructed in the 16th century to replace the aging fourth-century structure. It was said that the high altar in the original Basilica was constructed directly over the bones of Peter, and the current structure attempted to do likewise; however, after centuries had passed, the actual location of the bones was no longer certain.

The story of the excavations and the finding of the tomb is fascinating, with a great deal of personal drama and behind-the-scenes competition among the brilliant archeologists who worked on the project. In 1939, at the direction of Pope Pius XII, archaeological research and excavations began in the subterranean crypt below the Basilica in a search for Peter’s tomb. O’Neill writes, “In the 16th century, the Vatican had tried to find Peter and been unsuccessful […] the fact that the Church could find a needle in an archaeological haystack is itself amazing and miraculous. Finding Peter’s bones tends to strongly validate the authority of the pope from earliest times.” The author makes this statement in order to refute the claim which arose out of the Protestant Reformation that St. Peter had never actually been to Rome, a claim intended to challenge the primacy of the papacy.

Almost two thousand years after Peter’s death, on December 23, 1950, Pius XII announced to the world that the tomb of the great Apostle had been found and “identified in a way we believe convincing.” The tomb was, in fact, directly below the high altar of St. Peter’s as ancient tradition had claimed. Pope St. Paul VI reconfirmed the discovery again in 1968 when he stated that “we are right in believing that the few sacred mortal remains have been traced of the Prince of Apostles, of Simon son of Jonah, of the fisherman named Peter by Christ.” Scientific analysis had indeed concluded that the bones were those of a man of approximately 67 years of age from the first century, and the tomb wherein they were interred, and the surrounding area, contained inscriptions in early Christian graffiti which announced, “Peter is here”.

If you ever find yourself on pilgrimage to Rome, it is highly recommended that you try to get tickets in advance for the Scavi Tour in order to see, firsthand, the remarkable location of the tomb of our first Pope, the “rock” upon whom Jesus built His Church, both spiritually and physically.

So often, we may be discouraged to see many of our beloved young people living lives absent an intimate relationship with God while rejecting religious beliefs and practices. We look around at Mass and ask, “Where are the young people?” There are many reasons for this, not the least of which may be a failure on our part, both as a family and a community, to fulfill our obligation to evangelize. The world teaches our youth to reject religious values and often creates animosity towards religion, most particularly towards Christianity. Robert Cardinal Sarah writes, “Western civilization is in a profound state of decadence and ruin. It has lost its reason for being: to show forth and lead others to God.”

This weekend, 81 children received their First Holy Communion in our Parish. These beautiful children have been led to Christ in the mystical and powerful Sacrament of the Eucharist by loving parents, grandparents, catechists, and teachers who have heeded the call of our Lord.

To lead others to Christ is of paramount importance in today’s world. In fact, it is Jesus Himself who calls each one of us to evangelize, and He could not be clearer in that call. Our Lord tells us: “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few, so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers […]” (Lk 10:2). He commands us, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature” (Mk 16:15); and “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, […] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28: 19-20). He encourages us when He says, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, for I am with you” (Acts 18: 9-10).

So, are we listening? How do we evangelize? Evangelization begins in the home. God must be the center of family life, and our homes must be domestic churches of daily family prayer - but that is only the start. We need to take our children to Sunday Mass each week. We must pass down our beautiful faith. As grandparents, godparents and neighbors, we too have an important role in the lives of our young ones. We should urge their parents to bring them to Mass every Sunday or volunteer to take on the joyful task of doing so ourselves. We need to show them how to pray, how to worship, and how to love our dear Lord. They will learn by our example. The world will not teach our youth about God; therefore, the task is ours to fulfill. We owe it to them, and we need to start now!

Outside the home, there is a tremendous need for catechists. We do not have to be professional teachers in order to volunteer to teach our young ones; all we need is a basic knowledge and great love of our Catholic faith and the willingness to pass it along. This is not merely a form of community service. This is a direct response to Christ’s call!

In his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis refers to evangelization as the “task of the Church.” Taking on the role of the educator is therefore a vital component in the continuation of the evangelization called for by Jesus. Pope Francis urges us to obey this call and to emerge from our comfort zones in order to reach all those “in need of the light of the Gospel.”

The Holy Spirit supplies us with the graces necessary to hand down the faith, and, in so doing, we follow in the paths of the Apostles and the countless disciples that have preceded us for 2,000 years. If not us, then who? If not now, then when?

Just as doubting St. Thomas struggled (temporarily) to believe in the Resurrection, many people have struggled with the idea that Jesus truly rose from the dead, yet the cornerstone of our Catholic faith is the belief that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead on that first Easter morning. This was the pivotal point in all of salvation history. Christ’s Resurrection reveals to us our own destiny. Jesus has risen to eternal life. His victory over death guarantees that we too shall rise from the dead to eternal life on the last day.

The earliest Christian texts, both scriptural and non-scriptural, make reference to Jesus having risen from the dead. Christians in the first century proclaimed Jesus’ Death and Resurrection in hymns of praise. The evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection is overwhelming, and, to this very day, no historical or archeological evidence exists to suggest otherwise.

Jesus was executed by Pontius Pilate outside of the walls of Jerusalem around 33 A.D. It is the most attested to event of ancient history. The evidence is so overwhelming that one cannot deny that Jesus died on the cross. The idea, as suggested by some modern-day disbelievers, that perhaps He somehow survived the crucifixion, is laughable. Crucifixion was the cruelest form of execution. It was a terrifying and effective widespread form of crowd control that was meant as a warning to others.

Some of the Roman authorities and skeptics suggested that the body of Jesus must have been stolen. The possible theft of Jesus’ body was contradicted by every written account, and, of all the possible parties that could have stolen the body, none had sufficient motivation or opportunity to do so. This included His disciples, all of whom were hiding in fear of the authorities. It is also beyond explanation as to why, if Jesus’ body had been stolen, the thieves would have taken the time to undress the body and leave the burial cloths behind, all this while the guards placed at the tomb would have prevented any theft from happening or face certain severe punishment.

Scripture relates the testimony of the women disciples who first encountered the empty tomb, the angel, and Jesus Himself. In Jewish society, such testimony of women would have held little weight, so, if the empty tomb narrative had been contrived, it would have been invented that a male disciple found the empty tomb in order to make the event more credible.

After the Crucifixion, the Apostles went into hiding. After the Resurrection, they suddenly became courageous and went out to proclaim the risen Lord, risking their lives in the process. If Jesus had not risen, if it were all a hoax, under no circumstances would they have risked certain persecution and death. For indeed, liars make bad martyrs. The disciples of Jesus would have disappeared into the
annals of history, never to be heard from again, and Christianity would have died quickly. This radical change in behavior of Jesus’ followers can only be attributed to the truth of the Resurrection.

The rapid growth of Christianity was extraordinary. From the second century B.C. to the second century A.D., there were about ten different Messianic movements. In each case, the Roman or Jewish authorities killed the leader, and the movement died out. So, why didn’t Christianity follow the same pattern and disappear after Jesus’ execution rather than grow exponentially? There is only one answer: the Resurrection.

The Resurrection of Jesus is the only logical explanation for the tremendous number of conversions to Christianity. The historical data points to the truth of the Resurrection, but let us put history aside and remember, more importantly, the words spoken by our dear Lord to St. Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29). A Blessed Easter to all!

During the liturgical season of Lent, as we contemplate the Passion and Death of our dear Lord, we traditionally make sacrifices and intensify our prayer lives. We desire that, by the time Easter arrives, we may find ourselves closer to our Creator in holiness. Perhaps, we can grow closer to God during this season by identifying and possibly overcoming at least one impediment to such holiness.

I was recently introduced to a beautiful prayer entitled “The Litany of Humility.” I felt as if it were written specifically with me in mind, as I pray daily for the grace of increased humility, among many other necessary graces. Humility, it is said, is the greatest virtue to cultivate because it fights against the worst vice: pride. Humility does not mean thinking less of ourselves, but, rather, it means thinking of ourselves less.

The authorship of this “Litany of Humility” is generally attributed to Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val y Zulueta, Servant of God, who spent many years as a Vatican diplomat within the Roman Curia. Most notably, he served as the Cardinal Secretary of State under Pope St. Pius X (1903-1914) and, in the papacies of Pope Benedict XV and Pope Pius XI, as the secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office (1914-1930), in which role Merry del Val served until his death.

Merry del Val is little remembered among the laity today, almost 100 years after his death, but at least, I thought, he would be remembered for his beautiful “Litany of Humility.” I then discovered that, in reality, this Litany had been written many years earlier by an unknown author and had only been modified by Merry del Val, yet, to this day, it is nevertheless primarily attributed to his authorship.

I wish to share this wonderful prayer with you today, as we begin our Lenten journey. If you, like me, seek the graces which flow from humility, pray it often throughout this Lenten season, and pray it well!

Today, the Church celebrates the Epiphany of the Lord, marking the occasion upon which Jesus is first revealed as the long-awaited King and Messiah. We celebrate the mystery of this initial manifestation of Christ's kingship and divinity.

In today’s Gospel, St. Matthew describes the appearance of the Magi, their encounter with the scheming King Herod, and their following of the star to the place of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. We hear of Herod’s deceptive plan to rid the world of this rival king and the Magi’s presentation of the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts represent responses to God’s greatest gift of all: the Gift of Himself upon all mankind, to the exclusion of none. Our Lord desires that this gift be spread universally throughout the Earth. This is a task meant for each one of us. Pope Benedict XVI wrote that, “By becoming man in Mary’s womb, the Son of God did not only come for the People of Israel but also for the whole of humanity.”

We, like the Wise Men, seek the light that Jesus brings into the world. The Magi make their long journey to see this light and to worship. As Pope Francis explains, these wise men were guided by an inner restlessness and were open to something new.

Pope Francis further teaches that the Magi personify all who believe, all who long for God, and all who yearn for their heavenly homeland. “A holy longing for God wells up in the heart of believers because they know that the Gospel is not an event of the past but of the present. A holy longing for God helps us keep alert in the face of every attempt to reduce and impoverish our life. Herod is unable to worship because he would not change his own way of looking at things. He did not want to stop worshiping himself, believing that everything revolved around him. He was unable to worship, because his aim was to make others worship him.”

Like Herod, is there anything in our lives that hinder us in our worship of God? Might we, like Herod, sometimes see God as a sort of rival? Might we, too, be blind to His signs and deaf to His words because we think He is setting limits on our life and does not allow us to dispose of our existence as we please?

Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that we must “rid our minds and hearts of the idea of rivalry, of the idea that making room for God is a constraint on us. We must open ourselves to the certainty that God is almighty love that takes nothing away, that does not threaten; on the contrary, He is the Only One who can give us the possibility of living to the full, of experiencing true joy.”

Pope Benedict XVI urged us, like the Magi, to be guided by the star that is the Word of God and the Light of Christ, so that we too shall become stars for others, a reflection of that light which Christ shines upon us.