Pastor's Reflection

Jesus tells us a secret in the Gospel reading for today. It is not just any secret. It is a divine secret.

It is a divine secret because Jesus is true God and true man. He whispers to us His secrets. And His secrets are not like the secrets of our world – about power and connections, or gossip and hearsay, or what is going on with this person or that person.

Divine secrets are far more enthralling than the talk show rumors or blather of cable “news.”

Divine secrets are eternal secrets into which God the Son admits those who hear His call.

And the secret that Jesus shares with us today is a secret about His own heart: “… for I am meek and humble of heart …” (Mt. 11:29). The true and only God is not like the gods of the world or of mythology: He is not an all-conquering power magnate who demands attention and overtakes empires by force of arms and politics.

The true God shows His power in powerlessness. This is His divine secret: His heart is meek and humble. And His secret continues: He wants to transform our hearts to be like His own. He does this in the Sacraments.

We hear the secret of Jesus as we receive the Sacraments. And as we hear His secret, it becomes ours too.

God bless,

Msgr. Bransfield

The central part of the Sacrament of Baptism is the pouring of water on the head of the one to be baptized while saying, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

At that moment something happens in the soul of the one being baptized.

The central part of the Sacrament of Baptism is the pouring of water on the head of the one to be baptized while saying, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

At that moment something happens in the soul of the one being baptized.

This is why Saint Paul says in the second reading: “Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Rom. 6:3). When that water is poured and the above phrase is spoken, the person being baptized truly meets Jesus in His death and resurrection.

This is why Original Sin is washed away: because where there is Christ there can be no sin. And this is why the one being baptized is made a member of the Church: because where Christ is, there the Church is.

When we were baptized, our soul was sealed and marked indelibly that we belong to Christ. This is why sin is so terrible. Because when we sin, we mar the mark of our Baptism. Sin offends God. It rejects Him. But sin does not have to have the last word, even habitual sin.

The Sacrament of Confession is so profound: because when we confess our sins with sorrow, something happens in the soul of the one confessing: God the Father does something in the soul. Through the words of absolution by the priest, God the Father, by the action of the Holy Spirit, sends God the Son such that Jesus Christ is made present in the soul of the one confessing. And Christ conquers all. We cannot conquer our sin. But Christ has and does.

Let the Holy Spirit guide us to the Sacrament of Confession so that we can welcome Christ as He drives away sin and rescues us.

God bless,

Msgr. Bransfield

Jesus talks about fear in the Gospel. He tells us to “Fear no one,” because “Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known” (Mt. 10:28).

When we first hear Jesus speaking about something “concealed” or “secret,” we can think He is speaking of something concealed that is negative or a secret that is bad. But what if Jesus is speaking about something concealed that is beautiful and something secret that is fascinating?

As we go through day-to-day life, we can easily feel like we are negotiating the same things day in and day out, week in and week out. Life is busy, but we seem to keep moving into the same obligations, tasks for which it takes more and more. And then the conflicts arise, the turf wars and tug-of-wars with relatives, neighbors, or co-workers.

And we can easily feel drained. And we can sense that fear has more of a hold on our hearts than we ever expected. Jesus wants to reveal what He has concealed. He wants to make known His great secret. He wants to reveal to our hearts the expansiveness of His love.

The love of Christ is not magic. It does not suddenly make our neighbors see things our way, our family all agree, or co-workers all be on the same wavelength. His love is far more absorbing and alluring than what we can measure.

This summer, step closer to His love. Come to Mass, celebrate the Sacrament of Confession, read the Bible, take time in adoration here in the chapel. Step into the momentum of the Lord so that He can begin to whisper to your heart the secret of His love and His mercy. As He does, fear loses its grip, and the heart goes free.

God bless,

Msgr. Bransfield