>> A READING FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. IN THE YEAR KING UZZIAH DIED, I SAW THE LORD SEATED ON A HIGH AND LOFTY THRONE, WITH THE TRAIN OF HIS GARMENT FILLING THE TEMPLE. SERAPHIM WERE STATIONED ABOVE. THEY CRIED ONE TO THE OTHER, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD OF HOSTS. ALL THE EARTH IS FILLED WITH HIS GLORY." AT THE SOUND OF THAT CRY, THE FRAME OF THE DOOR SHOOK AND THE HOUSE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. THEN I SAID, "WOE IS ME, I AM DOOMED. FOR I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS, LIVING AMONG A PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS, YET MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS." THEN ONE OF THE SERAPHIM FLEW TO ME, HOLDING AN EMBER THAT HE HAD TAKEN WITH TONGS FROM THE ALTAR. HE TOUCHED MY MOUTH WITH IT, AND SAID, "SEE, NOW THAT THIS HAS TOUCHED YOUR LIPS, YOUR WICKEDNESS IS REMOVED, YOUR SIN PURGED." THEN I HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LORD SAYING, "WHOM SHALL I SEND? WHO WILL GO FOR US?" "HERE I AM," I SAID. "SEND ME." THE WORD OF THE LORD. >> THANKS BE TO GOD. [ORGAN] >> ♪ IN THE SIGHT OF THE ANGELS I WILL SING YOUR PRAISES, LORD ♪ >> ♪ IN THE SIGHT OF THE ANGELS I WILL SING YOUR PRAISES, LORD ♪ >> ♪ I THANK YOU, LORD, WITH ALL MY HEART, YOU HAVE HEARD THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH, IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ANGELS I PRAISE YOU, I WILL WORSHIP AT YOUR HOLY TEMPLE ♪ >> ♪ IN THE SIGHT OF THE ANGELS I WILL SING YOUR PRAISES, LORD ♪ >> ♪ I GIVE THANKS TO YOUR NAME, FOR YOUR MERCIFUL LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS, YOU HAVE EXULTED OVER ALL, ON THE DAY I CALLED YOU AND SAID "ME," YOU INCREASED THE STRENGTH OF MY SOUL ♪ >> ♪ IN THE SIGHT OF THE ANGELS I WILL SING YOUR PRAISES, LORD ♪ >> ♪ ALL THE EARTH'S KINGS SHALL THANK YOU, O LORD, WHEN THEY HEAR THE WORDS OF YOUR MOUTH, AND THEY SHALL SING OF THE WAYS OF THE LORD, HOW GREAT IS THE GLORY OF THE LORD ♪ >> ♪ IN THE SIGHT OF THE ANGELS I WILL SING YOUR PRAISES, LORD ♪ >> ♪ WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND YOU SAVE ME, THE LORD WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS FOR ME, YOUR KINDNESS, O LORD, IS ETERNAL, FORSAKE NOT THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS ♪ >> ♪ IN THE SIGHT OF THE ANGELS I WILL SING YOUR PRAISES, LORD ♪ >> A READING FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS. I AM REMINDING YOU, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, OF THE GOSPEL I PREACHED TO YOU, WHICH YOU INDEED RECEIVED AND IN WHICH YOU ALSO STAND. THROUGH IT YOU ARE ALSO BEING SAVED, IF YOU HOLD FAST TO THE WORD I PREACHED TO YOU, UNLESS YOU BELIEVED IN VAIN. FOR I HANDED ON TO YOU AS OF FIRST IMPORTANCE WHAT I ALSO RECEIVED: THAT CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCRIPTURES, THAT HE WAS BURIED, THAT HE WAS RAISED ON THE THIRD DAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCRIPTURES, THAT HE APPEARED TO CEPHAS, THEN TO THE 12. AFTER THAT, HE APPEARED TO MORE THAN 500 BROTHERS AT ONCE, MOST OF WHOM ARE STILL LIVING, THOUGH SOME HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP. AFTER THAT, HE APPEARED TO JAMES, THEN TO ALL THE APOSTLES. LAST OF ALL, AS TO ONE BORN ABNORMALLY, HE APPEARED TO ME. FOR I AM THE LEAST OF THE APOSTLES, NOT FIT TO BE CALLED AN APOSTLE, BECAUSE I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD. BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I AM WHAT I AM, AND HIS GRACE TO ME HAS NOT BEEN INEFFECTIVE. INDEED, I HAVE TOILED HARDER THAN ALL OF THEM, NOT I, HOWEVER, BUT THE GRACE OF GOD THAT IS WITH ME. THEREFORE, WHETHER IT BE I OR THEY, SO WE PREACH, AND SO YOU BELIEVED. THE WORD OF THE LORD. >> THANKS BE TO GOD. [ORGAN] >> ♪ ALLELUIA ♪ ♪ ALLELUIA ♪ ♪ ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA ♪ ♪ ALLELUIA ♪ ♪ ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ COME AFTER ME AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA ♪ ♪ ALLELUIA ♪ ♪ ALLELUIA ♪ >> Father: ♪ DOMINUS VOBISCUM ♪ >> ♪ ET CUM SPIRITU TUO ♪ >> Father: ♪ LECTIO SANCTI EVANGELII SECUNDUM LUCAM ♪ >> ♪ GLORIA TIBI, DOMINE ♪ >> Father: ♪ WHILE THE CROWD WAS PRESSING IN ON JESUS AND LISTENING TO THE WORD OF GOD, HE WAS STANDING BY THE LAKE OF GENNESARET. HE SAW TWO BOATS THERE ALONGSIDE THE LAKE, THE FISHERMEN HAD DISEMBARKED AND WERE WASHING THEIR NETS. GETTING INTO ONE OF THE BOATS, THE ONE BELONGING TO SIMON, HE ASKED HIM TO PUT OUT A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE SHORE. THEN HE SAT DOWN AND TAUGHT THE CROWDS FROM THE BOAT. 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. THEY SIGNALED TO THEIR PARTNERS IN THE OTHER BOAT TO COME TO HELP THEM. THEY CAME AND FILLED BOTH BOATS SO THAT THE BOATS WERE IN DANGER OF SINKING. WHEN SIMON PETER SAW THIS, HE FELL AT THE KNEES OF JESUS AND SAID, "DEPART FROM ME, LORD, FOR I AM A SINFUL MAN." FOR ASTONISHMENT AT THE CATCH OF FISH THEY HAD MADE SEIZED HIM AND ALL THOSE WITH HIM, AND LIKEWISE JAMES AND JOHN, THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE, WHO WERE PARTNERS OF SIMON. JESUS SAID TO SIMON, "DO NOT BE AFRAID, FROM NOW ON, YOU WILL BE CATCHING MEN." WHEN THEY BROUGHT THEIR BOATS TO THE SHORE, THEY LEFT EVERYTHING AND FOLLOWED HIM ♪ ♪ VERBUM DOMINI ♪ >> ♪ LAUS TIBI, CHRISTE ♪ >> Father: THIS PAST WEEK, KATHY SCHIFFER WHO WRITES A BLOG FOR "THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER," EWTN'S NEWSPAPER, SHE WROTE AN ARTICLE ABOUT A FILM THAT WILL BE RELEASED ON GOOD FRIDAY OF THIS YEAR. IT IS CALLED "FATHER STU," THE LEAD ROLE WILL BE PLAYED BY MARK WAHLBERG. HIS FATHER, MEL GIBSON. MARK SAID WHEN HE READ THE SCRIPT FOR THIS FILM, THE JOURNEY OF FATHER STU FROM TROUBLEMAKER TO CLERGYMAN WAS INSPIRING TO MANY, INCLUDING ME. SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS STORY ABOUT FATHER STUART LONG. HE WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL AS A WRESTLER IN HIGH SCHOOL. HE WON THE HEAVYWEIGHT GOLDEN GLOVES TITLE IN MONTANA. LOT OF HIS LIFE BEING A BOUNCER IN NIGHTCLUBS AND SO ON. A STRONG MAN, OBVIOUSLY. HE DESCRIBED HIMSELF AT THAT TIME AS THE QUINTESSENTIAL ANTI-CHRISTIAN. THE VERY TYPICAL ANTI-CHRISTIAN PERSON. HE ANTAGONIZED PRIESTS AND ALSO HIS FELLOW STUDENTS. BUT THEN IT WAS IN 1998 THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT TOTALLY CHANGED DIRECTION IN HIS LIFE. HE WAS IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT, HIT BY A CAR WHEN HE WAS RIDING HIS MOTORCYCLE AND RUN OVER BY ANOTHER CAR. SO VERY CLOSE TO DEATH. TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY WARD. HIS FAMILY WAS CALLED IN. THE DOCTORS DID NOT EXPECT HIM TO LIVE. WHILE HE WAS IN THAT COMA, HE SAID THAT GOD SPOKE TO HIM. HE KNEW THAT GOD EXISTED. AND SO WHEN HE RECOVERED UNEXPECTEDLY, HE BEGAN TO LOOK INTO RELIGION. HE BEGAN RCIA CLASSES. HE ENTERED THE CHURCH AT THE EASTER VIGIL IN 1994 IN LA. A FEELING PROMPTING TO BECOME A PRIEST, HE SAID WELL, I'LL TEACH AT A CATHOLIC SCHOOL. HE DID THAT, A WRESTLING COACH FOR THAT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. HE EVENTUALLY BEGAN STUDIES FOR THE PRIESTHOOD AND ORDAINED IN 2007. IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER THIS THAT HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A RARE AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, SOMETHING LIKE LOU GEHRIG'S THAT WAS DEBILITATING HIM, HE ENDED UP IN A NURSING HOME IN 2010. HE MINISTERED TO THE PATIENTS THERE. HE WAS A CONFESSOR AND FRIEND TO MANY, AFFECTING MANY PEOPLE THROUGH HIS OWN PRIESTHOOD AND UNDERSTANDING. HE DIED IN THE YEAR 2014. I BEGIN WITH THAT STORY BECAUSE IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READINGS, WE HAVE THREE MEN WHO ARE "UNDESERVING." UNDESERVING OF GOD'S CALL. SO PETER IS OVERWHELMED. HE SEES THE DIVINE AT WORK, THIS IS UNEXPLAINABLE. YOU COULD NEVER CATCH SO MANY FISH, THEIR NETS ARE BREAKING, ALMOST SINKS TWO BOATS, THAT'S A LOT OF FISH. "WE FISHED ALL NIGHT AND CAUGHT NOTHING." LIKE TO BRING THAT POINT OUT. YOU NEVER FIND IN THE SCRIPTURES WHERE THE APOSTLES CAUGHT ANYTHING WITHOUT THE LORD. THE LORD SAYS "APART FROM ME," YOU CAN DO NOTHING. THERE IS AN ABUNDANT CATCH OF FISH. IT'S SYMBOLIZING THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO ENTER THE FAITH, THOSE ARE BROUGHT TO HIM. ONE HE WOULD SEND IN A VERY PARTICULAR WAY IS PETER. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS SIN WAS BUT HE CONFESSED, "DEPART FROM ME," I AM A SINFUL MAN. HE WAS OVERWHELMED BY THE PRESENCE OF THE DIVINE. AND WHAT DOES THE LORD SAY TO HIM? DO NOT BE AFRAID. YOU WILL BE A FISHER OF MEN. WE LOOK TODAY, AT TODAY'S SECOND READING, 1 CORINTHIANS. ST. PAUL NEVER FORGOT HE HAD PERSECUTED THE CHURCH. HE BRINGS IT UP A LOT OF TIMES. "I WAS A PERSECUTOR." BUT THE LORD SHOWED HIS MERCY IN AN EXTREME WAY, "TOWARD ME." AT THE END OF TODAY'S FIRST READING, "I AM THE LEAST OF THE APOSTLES. NOT FIT TO BE CALLED AN APOSTLE. BECAUSE I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD." BUT THEN WHAT DOES HE SAY? BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I AM WHAT I AM. FOR HIS GRACE TOWARD ME HAS NOT BEEN INEFFECTIVE. IT IS BY GOD'S GRACE -- I TOILED HARDER THAN THE REST. HE WAS AWARE, YES, HE HAD PUT UP MUCH, SUFFERED MUCH, HE HAD TOILED HARD BUT THE GRACE OF GOD WAS COMPELLING HIM, AS HE WOULD SAY. THE LOVE OF CHRIST IMPELS US. HE WAS IMPELLED BY THE LORD. AGAIN, UNDESERVING, HAULING OFF CHRISTIANS TO PRISON, HE CONFERRED IN THE STONING OF STEPHEN. "I WAS A PERSECUTOR. BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I AM WHAT I AM." AND IN TODAY'S READING, THE GREAT PROPHET SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS "THE PROPHET," ISAIAH, WE HAVE HIM SPEAKING OF HIS CALL, BEAUTIFULLY, THE CHOIR SANG "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY." WE WILL SING THAT AGAIN BEFORE THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER. "SANCTUS, SANCTUS, SANCTUS." THE WORDS OF THE ANGELS, BEFORE GOD IN GLORY. HOLY HOLY HOLY IS THE LORD. "IN THE SIGHT OF THE ANGELS I WILL SING YOUR PRAISES, LORD." HE IS THE LORD OF HOSTS. BUT WHAT DOES HE SAY? WOE IS ME, I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS, LIVING AMONG A PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS. HE SAW THE LORD AND THOUGHT THAT HE WOULD DIE. BUT WHAT HAPPENS? A SERAPHIM, THE HIGHEST OF THE ANGELS BRINGS AN EMBER FROM THE ALTAR. WE REALIZE HE SEES HEAVEN. IT'S NOT A PHYSICAL COAL BUT A SPIRITUAL FIRE, A SPIRITUAL FIRE THAT IS GOING TO PURIFY ISAIAH. SO THAT HE WILL BECOME THIS GREAT PROPHET. AGAIN, UNWORTHY OF THE CALL, I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS LIVING AMONG A PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS. BUT MADE WORTHY WITH THE FIRE OF GOD, BROUGHT TO HIM BY THAT ANGEL. AND SO IT IS WITH ALL OF US, MY DEAR PEOPLE. WE ARE ALL UNWORTHY. WE ARE ALL SINNERS. WE BEGIN EVERY MASS CONFESSING THAT. BUT WE WANT TO COME INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. AND SO AFTER CONFESSING OUR SINS, WE ARE GOING TO BE BROUGHT INTO THE HEAVENLY REALM, WE ARE GOING TO BE SAVED. "SANCTUS, SANCTUS, SANCTUS." LORD GOD OF HOSTS, HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE FULL OF YOUR GLORY. HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST. WHEN THE LORD CAME INTO JERUSALEM. WE ARE ALL THOSE UNWORTHY ONES, YET CHOSEN NONETHELESS. BUT WHERE ARE YOU AT TODAY? ARE YOU LIKE WHERE STU LONG WAS, ANTI-CHRISTIAN, OR MAYBE JUST AGNOSTIC AND INDIFFERENT? I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THERE IS MUCH MORE, MUCH MORE THAN WHAT THIS WORLD HAS. GOD IS HOLY. HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE FILLED WITH HIS GLORY. AND HE HAS SENT HIS ONLY SON, JESUS CHRIST. ALTHOUGH WE MAY HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT OR DARK PAST, THE LORD ENTERS INTO OUR HISTORY IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF OUR LIFE. SO THAT LIKE ST. PAUL, LIKE ISAIAH, LIKE ST. PETER, LIKE STU LONG, WE CAN RESPOND TO HIM. NOT ONLY RESPOND TO HIS LOVE, BUT THEN BE SENT BY HIM, UNWORTHY AS WE ARE. IT DOES NOT DEPEND ON US. AS ST PAUL SAID, "I AM THE LEAST OF THE APOSTLES. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I AM WHAT I AM." IT IS GOD'S GRACE THAT CHANGES US, TRANSFORMS US. WHEREVER WE ARE WITH OUR JOURNEY IN THE LORD, THAT GRACE IS STILL ACTIVE. IT'S NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT. I'M SURE THAT STUART LONG GREW. IN FACT, HE SAID OF HIS OWN PAIN AND WEAKNESS THAT WAS INCREASING AS THE DISEASE PROGRESSED IN HIM, HE SAID THE PAIN AND WEAKNESS IS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME. BECAUSE IT ALLOWED ME TO SHED THE PRIDE THAT I'VE HAD MOST OF MY LIFE. IT BROUGHT HIM INTO A DEEPER HUMILITY. A DEEPER AWARENESS OF HIS FINITUDE, LIMITATIONS, OF GOD'S AWESOMENESS, GOD'S GRACE. AND SO IT IS WITH EACH OF US. WE CAN THINK OF THIS TOO AS WE GROW OLDER IN THE YEARS, AND WE GROW WEAKER WITH THE BURDEN OF THE YEARS. PLEASE, GOD, WE WILL BE EVEN MORE AWARE. GOD IS HOLY. HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE FILLED WITH HIS GLORY. HE HAS LOOKED UPON ME AND MY UNWORTHINESS, IN ORDER TO CHANGE ME, DRAW ME TO HIMSELF, SET ME AFIRE WITH THE SPIRITUAL FIRE. SO I CAN ALSO BE AN INSTRUMENT TO INFLAME OTHERS. SEE, THAT IS THE KEY, ISN'T IT? TO DRAW CLOSER TO THE LORD, BE INFLAMED BY HIS FIRE. AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS JUST NATURALLY IS THE FIRE INFLAMES OTHERS AROUND US, OUR FAMILIES, OUR WORKPLACE, EVEN WITHOUT SAYING OR DOING ANYTHING. THAT FIRE AFFECTS OTHERS. THE LIGHT THAT IS WITHIN US. THAT POWER, THAT DIVINE POWER THAT IS WORKED IN US. AND NOW IT IS WORKING THROUGH US, TO OTHERS. SO I CONCLUDE THOSE WORDS OF JESUS TO SIMON, BUT ALSO BETTER WORDS TO EACH OF US. DO NOT BE AFRAID. WHATEVER YOUR PAST IS, LORD, I AM A SINFUL MAN, I CAN'T DO IT. YOU CAN'T CALL ME. I AM A SINFUL MAN. DEPART FROM ME. "DO NOT BE AFRAID. FROM NOW ON, YOU'LL BE CATCHING MEN." EACH OF US HAVE OUR OWN PARTICULAR MISSION, THE WAY THE LORD WANTS TO BUILD UP THE KINGDOM THROUGH US AS HIS INSTRUMENTS. SET A FIRE WITH HIS FIRE. THAT'S WHAT THE MASS DOES. WE LITERALLY RECEIVE THIS DIVINE FIRE WITHIN US. THE LOVE OF GOD. GIVEN TO US IN THE BODY, BLOOD, SOUL, DIVINITY OF JESUS. THE SOUL AND DIVINITY, THAT DIVINE FIRE INFLAMING OUR HEARTS. AT THE END OF MASS, GO FORTH, THE MASS HAS ENDED. GO AND PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD. THAT WE TOO ARE SENT OUT, UNWORTHY AS WE MAY BE, INFLAMED BY THE FIRE, PURIFIED BY THIS FIRE, HIS INSTRUMENTS TO BUILD UP THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
