>> A READING FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO THE ROMANS. PAUL, A SLAVE OF CHRIST JESUS, CALLED TO BE AN APOSTLE AND SET APART FOR THE GOSPEL OF GOD, WHICH HE PROMISED PREVIOUSLY THROUGH HIS PROPHETS IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, THE GOSPEL ABOUT HIS SON, DESCENDED FROM DAVID ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, BUT ESTABLISHED AS SON OF GOD IN POWER ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS THROUGH RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. THROUGH HIM WE HAVE RECEIVED THE GRACE OF APOSTLESHIP, TO BRING ABOUT THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH, FOR THE SAKE OF HIS NAME, AMONG ALL THE GENTILES, AMONG WHOM ARE YOU ALSO, WHO ARE CALLED TO BELONG TO JESUS CHRIST; TO ALL THE BELOVED OF GOD IN ROME, CALLED TO BE HOLY. GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. ♪ VERBUM DOMINI ♪ >> ♪ DEO GRATIAS ♪ >> THE LORD HAS MADE KNOWN HIS SALVATION. >> THE LORD HAS MADE KNOWN HIS SALVATION. >> SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG, FOR HE HAS DONE WONDROUS DEEDS; HIS RIGHT HAND HAS WON VICTORY FOR HIM, HIS HOLY ARM. >> THE LORD HAS MADE KNOWN HIS SALVATION. >> THE LORD HAS MADE HIS SALVATION KNOWN: IN THE SIGHT OF THE NATIONS HE HAS REVEALED HIS JUSTICE. HE HAS REMEMBERED HIS KINDNESS AND HIS FAITHFULNESS TOWARD THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. >> THE LORD HAS MADE KNOWN HIS SALVATION. >> ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH HAVE SEEN THE SALVATION BY OUR GOD. SING JOYFULLY TO THE LORD, ALL YOU LANDS; BREAK INTO SONG; SING PRAISE. >> THE LORD HAS MADE KNOWN HIS SALVATION. (ORGAN) >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ IF TODAY YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ DOMINUS VOBISCUM ♪ >> ♪ ET CUM SPIRITU TUO ♪ >> ♪ LECTIO SANCTI EVANGELII SECUNDUM LUCAM ♪ >> ♪ GLORIA TIBI, DOMINE ♪ >> WHILE STILL MORE PEOPLE GATHERED IN THE CROWD, JESUS SAID TO THEM, THIS GENERATION IS AN EVIL GENERATION; IT SEEKS A SIGN, BUT NO SIGN WILL BE GIVEN IT, EXCEPT THE SIGN OF JONAH. JUST AS JONAH BECAME A SIGN TO THE NINEVITES, SO WILL THE SON OF MAN BE TO THIS GENERATION. AT THE JUDGMENT THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH WILL RISE WITH THE MEN OF THIS GENERATION AND SHE WILL CONDEMN THEM, BECAUSE SHE CAME FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH TO HEAR THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON, AND THERE IS SOMETHING GREATER THAN SOLOMON HERE. AT THE JUDGMENT THE MEN OF NINEVEH WILL ARISE WITH THIS GENERATION AND CONDEMN IT, BECAUSE AT THE PREACHING OF JONAH THEY REPENTED, AND THERE IS SOMETHING GREATER THAN JONAH HERE. ♪ VERBUM DOMINI ♪ >> ♪ LAUS TIBI, CHRISTE ♪ >> MANY YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS A YOUNG PRIEST I WAS ASKED BY SOMEONE TO GO SEE HER BROTHER AT THE VA HOSPITAL. HE WAS ABOUT HAVE OPEN HEART SURGERY. SO A VERY SERIOUS SURGERY. SHE SAID I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HE BELIEVES OR IF HE BELIEVES ANYTHING BUT COULD YOU AT LEAST OFFER HIM A BLESSING? SO I WENT THERE NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT, GOING THROUGH MY OWN MIND. WELL, IF I OFFER HIM A BLESSING I WOULD JUST SAY WOULD YOU LIKE A BLESSING? AND HE SAYS NO THANKS THEN I WILL JUST GO. BUT IF HE WANTS A BLESSING THAT I WILL GIVE HIM A BLESSING. SO I GO TO THE HOSPITAL DOWNTOWN AND GO TO THE DOOR AND HE WAS DELIGHTED TO SEE ME. I WENT IN AND WE TALKED FOR 2 HOURS. AND IN THE COURSE OF OUR CONVERSATION I SAID DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR PROBLEM IS? HE SAID NO. WHAT IS MY PROBLEM? I SAID YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS GOD. HE SAID YOU ARE RIGHT. HE WAS A GOOD MAN. HE TAUGHT GOOD THINGS. BUT I JUST NOT CANNOT ACCEPT THAT HE IS GOD. SO I WENT ON TO TELL HIM MY ILLUSTRATION THAT I GAVE TO THE CHILDREN AT ST. ROSE ACADEMY WHEN I HAD THE MASS FOR THEM ONE TIME. IT IS NOT A PERFECT ANALOGY BUT I THINK IT IS A GOOD ANALOGY IN SOME WAYS. AND THERE WAS A FATHER WHO WAS SAILING ON HIS SHIP AND HE HAD HIS SON AND DAUGHTER PLAYING NEAR THE EDGE OF THE BOW OF THE BOAT. HE WARNS THEM IT IS DANGEROUS FOR YOU TO BE THERE. GET BACK HERE CLOSER TO THE CENTER. BUT THEY DISOBEYED THEIR FATHER. THEY IGNORE HIM. HIS WARNINGS. THEY JUST CONTINUE. HE SAID LOOK THIS BOAT MIGHT BE SHAKEN. YOU MIGHT GET KNOCKED OVER THE SIDE. YOU MIGHT DROWN. AND THEY JUST CONTINUE TO DISOBEY HIM AND IGNORE HIM. AND SURE ENOUGH THAT LARGE WAVE COMES ALONG AND THEY ARE KNOCKED OFF OF THE SIDE OF THE BOAT. AND I SAID TO THE CHILDREN THAT THEY DISOBEYED THEIR FATHER THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO HIM. SO DO YOU SUPPOSE THAT FATHER WOULD JUST SAY, WELL I WARNED YOU? GOOD LUCK. I HOPE YOU CAN SAVE YOURSELVES. HE SAID NO. I SAID WHAT WOULD THEY DO? WHAT WOULD HE DO? HE WOULD JUMP IN. HE WOULD JUMP IN TO SAVE HIM. I SAID BUT THEY DISOBEYED HIM. THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO HIM. BUT HE SAID NO HE WOULD JUMP IN AND SAVE THEM. AND THAT IS TRUE. THAT IS TRUE THAT A FATHER WHO LOVED HIS CHILDREN EVEN THOUGH THEY BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN FAULT THEY WERE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE AND KEEP THEIR HEADS ABOVE WATER EVEN IF IT COST HIM HIS OWN LIFE HE WOULD JUMP IN AND PUSH THEM UP SO THAT THEY COULD BE SAVED. THAT IS HOW WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD HAS DONE. THAT YES WE HAD DISOBEYED HIM. WE HAD TURNED AGAINST HIM. YET HE LOVED US SO GREATLY THAT EVEN THEN HE COMES TO OUR SALVATION. WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND OUR FAITH WITH THE LOGIC OF CALCULATION, WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO? WHAT ADVANTAGE WAS THIS FOR GOD? WHAT POSSIBLE BENEFIT DID HE RECEIVE? AND THE ANSWER IS NONE. BUT WE CAN ONLY UNDERSTAND WITH THE LOGIC OF LOVE. BUT THAT IS WHAT LOVE DOES. LOVE DOES SUCH THINGS. IT DIVES IN TO SAVE. THAT IS WHAT GOD HAS DONE. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE READING THROUGH THE LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS. FOR THE NEXT 4 WEEKS WE HAVE THIS LETTER. 16 CHAPTERS LONG. HIS MOST THEOLOGICAL LETTER IS WRITING TO THE CHRISTIANS IN ROME THAT HE IS HOPING TO VISIT SOON AND WE HAVE THE BEGINNING OF THAT LETTER TODAY. HOW DOES IT BEGIN? PAUL, A SLAVE OF CHRIST JESUS, CALLED TO BE AN APOSTLE. SO IT WAS NOT SOMETHING HE VOLUNTEERED FOR. BUT IT WAS A CALL. WE SPEAK OF VOCATION. THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN CALLED. CALLED TO BE AN APOSTLE. SET APART FOR THE "EUANGELION". THE "EUANGELION THE GOSPEL. THE GOSPEL OF GOD. AND IN THE ANCIENT WORLD EUANGELION WAS SOME EARTH SHATTERING EVENT. SOME WORLD SHAKING EVENT. SOME HUGE EVENT. MAYBE SOME GREAT MILITARY VICTORY OR RULER WHO HAD COME INTO POWER. THAT WAS THIS EUANGELION. THIS GREAT EVENT THAT HAD HAPPENED. ST. PAUL IS USING THIS WORD SET APART FOR THE EUANGELION OF GOD. ANNOUNCED THROUGH THE PROPHETS IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. THE OLD TESTAMENT. THE EUANGELION ABOUT HIS SON. HIS SON DESCENDED FROM DAVID ACCORDING TO THE FLESH BUT ESTABLISHED AS THE SON OF GOD IN POWER ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS THROUGH RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. SO GOD BECAME MAN AND DWELT AMONG US. THERE IS A WONDERFUL ARTICLE. I ALWAYS ENJOY DR. REGIS MARTIN'S ARTICLES. HE WRITES FOR THE REGISTER OCCASIONALLY. HE WROTE THIS WONDERFUL ARTICLE ABOUT WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HIS GREAT GLORY. IT IS 1 OF THE LINES IN THE GLORIA. WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD. WHY DO WE THANK HIM? WE THANK YOU FOR THE WORLD. WE THANK YOU FOR OUR LIVES. WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US. BUT DR. MARTIN GOES ON TO SAY BUT THERE IS A HIGHER REASON FOR US TO THANK HIM. WE THANK HIM FOR HIS GREAT GLORY. FOR WHO HE IS. AND WE SAY THIS AT THE HOLY MASS. WE PRAISE YOU, WE BLESS YOU, WE ADORE YOU, WE GLORIFY YOU, WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT GLORY, LORD GOD, HEAVENLY KING, GOD, ALMIGHTY FATHER. THIS IS THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE TRIBUTE DR. MARTIN SAYS, NOT BECAUSE OF SOME FAVOR BESTOWED BUT SIMPLY DUE TO GOD'S OWN GLORY. THE SHEER DAZZLING RADIANCE OF HIS BEING, GOD. THE FACT THAT THERE IS A GOD AND THAT HE IS REPLETE WITH GLORY. AND THEN COMMENTING ON THAT WELSH HYMN FOR THE FRUITS OF HIS CREATION, FOR THE WONDERS THAT ASTOUND US FOR THE TRUTHS THAT SO CONFOUND US MOST OF ALL THAT LOVE HAS FOUND US. THANKS BE TO GOD. AND HE COMMENTS ON THIS LAST LINE. MOST OF ALL THAT LOVE HAS FOUND US. THANKS BE TO GOD. THE MOST COMPELLING REASON OF ALL TO GIVE THANKS FOR US IS THAT LOVE HAS FOUND US. THAT GOD WHO HAS NEITHER BEGINNING NOR END, WHO NEEDS NOTHING AND NO ONE TO BE GOD, HAS YET CHOSEN TO GIVE HIMSELF QUITE RECKLESSLY, TO GIVE HIMSELF QUITE RECKLESSLY AWAY IN SHEER UNREMITTING PURSUIT OF SO PALTRY A CREATURE AS MAN. I LOVE THE WORDS THAT DR. MARTIN USES. A CREATURE HE CONTINUES, MOREOVER WHO STANDS NOT ONLY AT AN INFINITE DISTANCE FROM GOD BUT REMAINS STEEPED IN THE HOPELESSNESS OF SIN AND DEATH. AND YET GOD IN THIS SHEER UNREMITTING PURSUIT OF SO PALTRY A CREATURE AS MAN. THEN HE QUOTES A CATHOLIC ENGLISH POET RICHARD CRASHAW, THESE ARE SOME WONDERFUL LINES. HE SAYS, LORD, WHAT IS MAN? WHY SHOULD HE COST THEE SO DEAR? WHAT HAD HIS RUIN LOST THEE? LORD, WHAT IS MAN? THAT THOU HAST OVERBOUGHT SO MUCH A THING OF NAUGHT? HE CONTINUES, WHY SHOULD THOU BOW THY AWFUL BREAST TO SEE WHAT MINE OWN MADNESS HAVE DONE WITH ME? SHOULD NOT THE KING STILL KEEP HIS THRONE BECAUSE SOME DESPERATE FOOLS UNDONE? OR WILL THE WORLD'S ILLUSTRIOUS EYES WEEP FOR EVERY WORM THAT DIES? AND DR. MARTIN CONTINUES AND SAYS THE ANSWER IS YES. THAT UNTIL THE FINAL FINAL TRUMPS WHEN CHRIST'S AGONY UPON THE CROSS SHALL HAVE AT LAST ENDED THAT CHRIST COMES FOR OUR SALVATION. AGAIN FROM RICHARD CRASHAW, DEAR, REMEMBER IN THAT DAY THE JUDGMENT DAY, WHO WAS THE CAUSE THAT CAME THIS WAY. THY SHEEP WAS STRAYED, AND THOU WOULD BE EVEN LOST THYSELF IN SEEKING ME. SO THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION. THIS IS THE EUANGELION. THIS IS THE HUGE EVENT, THE HUGEST OF EVENTS. THAT ST. PAUL BEGINS TO SPEAK ABOUT IN THIS LETTER TO THE ROMANS. AND IN THIS LETTER WE SEE THAT HE IS A PASTOR TEACHING HIS FLOCK. AN EVANGELIST SPEAKING OF THE BASIC GOSPEL MESSAGE. AND THE THEOLOGIAN TEACHING US TO UNDERSTAND MORE DEEPLY THESE MYSTERIES OF OUR FAITH. AND THIS IS WHAT OUR LORD BRINGS OUT THIS POINT IN TODAY'S GOSPEL FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE. HE IS SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT? A PROPHET AND A KING. THE PROPHET JONAH AND THE KING SOLOMON. AND HE IS SAYING THERE IS SOMETHING GREATER HERE. JESUS IS THE PROPHET. HE IS THE KING OF KINGS. HE IS THE ETERNAL PRIEST. HE IS THAT ONE WHO IS GREATER THAN ALL OF THE PROPHETS OF OLD THAN ALL OF THE KINGS. SOLOMON KNOWN FOR HIS WISDOM YET THERE IS SOMETHING GREATER HERE. THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS. THE NEWS OF THE GOSPEL. THE EUANGELION. THIS EARTH SHATTERING EVENT. THE GOSPEL OF THE WORLD THAT HE SENT HIS SON THAT ALL WHO WOULD BELIEVE IN HIM WOULD NOT PERISH. BUT THAT WE WOULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE YES WE NEED TO BE FED. OUR SOULS LONG TO HEAR GOOD NEWS. SOMETHING THAT WILL GIVE US SOME LIGHT IN THE PATH OF THIS LIFE AND LEAD US TO OUR GOAL. BUT LET US NOT FORGET ALSO THAT AS DR. REGIS BRINGS OUT THE MAIN PURPOSE THAT WE ARE HERE IS TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HIS GREAT GLORY. FOR WHO HE IS. HIS AWESOMENESS. HIS MAJESTY. HIS GLORY. AND COME IN HOMAGE BEFORE HIM. ST. PAUL UNDERSTOOD, I'M A SLAVE OF CHRIST JESUS. I AM HIS SERVANT. I AM CALLED BY HIM. I CLOSE WITH THE WORDS THAT OF THE READING WE HAD UP WITH HOW IT ENDS. "YOU ALSO ARE CALLED TO BELONG TO CHRIST JESUS. CALLED TO BE HOLY." YOU ALSO ARE CALLED. PAUL WAS CALLED. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT. IT WAS THIS INVITATION. IT WAS A CALL. IT WAS A COMMISSION THAT GOD HAD GIVEN TO HIM. BUT YOU ALSO ARE CALLED. YOU ARE CALLED TO BE HOLY. TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRUTH THAT GOD EXISTS. OF HIS MAJESTY. OF HIS GLORY. AND HOW THAT WE KNOW HIM NOT BECAUSE OF HIS AWESOMENESS WHICH IS REAL AND TRUE AND WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND WE WORSHIP THAT REALITY, BUT ALSO THAT HE HAS SO LOVED THE WORLD. THIS IS THE EUANGELION. THE GOSPEL OF GOD. THE GOSPEL ABOUT HIS SON. DESCENDED FROM DAVID ACCORDING TO THE FLESH AND ESTABLISHED AS SON OF GOD IN POWER ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS THROUGH THE RESURRECTION.
