"Jesus, Marriage, Divorce, and the Church" by Fr. Chris House

This is a challenging Gospel to succinctly comment on in a bulletin article or a homily. Along with being pastor of CTK, I also serve as vicar judicial of the diocese which means that I sit as head of the diocesan tribunal in the name of the bishop so this Gospel has special pertinence for my ministry. Mark’s Gospel this Sunday gives us Jesus’s teaching on divorce; Mark’s account is the oldest of the four Gospel writers concerning marriage. What does Mark’s text teach us as the Pharisees attempt to trap Jesus using the Mosaic Law? The Pharisees ask Jesus if divorce is lawful; we must be attentive to the phrases that follow. Jesus asks the Pharisees what Moses commanded while the Pharisees reply with what Moses permitted . Jesus preaches against divorce, and since it was only allowed by Moses, Jesus cannot be condemned as speaking against the law. Jesus easily thwarts the attempt to entrap him but he goes further in his discourse on the question of divorce, not just giving a simple “no” to the question. Jesus, invoking Genesis, speaks of man and woman becoming one flesh in marriage. We see in the Old Testament that marriage is symbolic of the covenant relationship between God and his people. In the New Testament, St. Paul speaks of marriage as a sacramental sign of Christ’s relationship with the Church. The marriage bond is sacred because it is a living sign of God’s love that is both irrevocable and self-giving. Jesus then goes further in Mark’s Gospel stating that whoever divorces their spouse, and marries another, commits adultery. The Church understands and teaches that marriage between two persons who are baptized, Catholic or not, takes on the quality of indissolubility (unless non-consummated), meaning that no power under heaven can undo what God has joined; no external power can undo the union and neither party in the marriage can withdraw their consent. Marriages that are between a baptized person and a non-baptized, or between two unbaptized, are still seen as valid by the Church, but, in certain very limited circumstances, can be set aside if one party leaves the marriage. Concerning the question of divorce, the Church sees it as a civil matter. The Church recognizes that a civil divorce can have civil effects but the act of divorce itself does not affect a person’s status in the Church; however, divorce and remarriage outside of the auspices of the Church does affect a person’s status in the Church. In reading this you might be saying to yourself “well, annulments in the Church are just Catholic divorce;” actually, no. First, we often use the wrong term. An annulment is a declaration that dissolves something. An ecclesiastical tribunal (church court) in examining marriage cases does not grant annulments but may issue what is called a declaration of nullity by which a marriage is declared to have been null and void from the beginning due to either an impediment to the marriage itself or due to invalid consent on the part of one or both parties in the marriage. The nullity process in a tribunal does not look to assign blame or guilt to anyone regarding a failed marriage, but looks for what the truth of the matter is and whether or not a valid marriage bond was created at the time of consent between the couple. I cannot stress enough that those who have suffered a divorce are not “second class citizens” in the Church and they should not be treated as such. A person who is divorced is not barred from any aspect of the Church’s life, sacramental or otherwise; this is a wide-spread misunderstanding among Catholics that has caused great pain and alienation for some. Yes, if a Catholic is divorced and remarried outside of the Church without a declaration of nullity then they are to refrain from Holy Communion, but the Church can work with them in the hope of regularizing their situation. If you have any further questions on divorce, marriage nullity, or remarriage in the Church, please do not hesitate to contact me, Fr. Alex, or Deacon Scott. Praying for the Victims of Hurricane Helene Many of us have been shocked with the news and images that have come not just out of Florida but in other states as well especially North Carolina concerning the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene and the subsequent flooding. One commentator said earlier this week that you do not expect the situation to be getting worse several days after the storm but that is what has happened in many parts of the southeast coastal region. While nothing has been announced yet at the time I am writing this, generally the bishops of the United States will call for a special collection. Let us continue to pray for the recovery of those who have been affected by Helene. Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead! Father Chris House

Sin, Despair, & Hope As October approaches, this is the usual time of the year that I make time to watch the movie The Exorcist ; some may find that odd but as its director, the late William Friedkin, said of the movie, it’s more of a theological thriller than a horror movie. This year I’ve decided to go for the book instead of the movie. I first read the book when I was in seminary at Mundelein in 1998, at the time of the 25 th anniversary of the movie’s release; as with many stories, the book is more detailed (and frightening) than the movie. The story, written by William Peter Blatty, focuses on a twelve-year-old girl who is possessed by a demon and the investigation that ultimately leads to two Jesuit priests performing a major exorcism for her deliverance. The book itself was inspired by actual events concerning a Lutheran boy in Silver Spring, Maryland whose family turned to the Catholic Church for help. The quest for help eventually took them to the Jesuits in St. Louis, Missouri where the boy (a girl in the book and movie) was delivered from the power of demonic forces after a major exorcism in 1949; the process of exorcism took weeks to perform. One of the most striking scenes in the movie is when the two Jesuit priests take a break in the midst of performing the needed exorcism. During this break, the younger priest, who has been having his own crisis of faith, asks the older priest why a twelve-year-old girl; the older priest responds “to make us despair.” At the beginning of the Scriptures in the Book of Genesis we see that it is the devil who tempts us to turn inward on ourselves and away from God; that is the definition of sin. Daily we are tempted to serve ourselves, our wants, our desires, to be the ultimate end in ourselves. Let’s be clear: the devil does not make any of us sin; we make the choice ourselves even though the devil may give the invitation. Sin directly separates us from God when a sin is ours, when it is the result of our own action or inaction. Sin can also attempt to separate us from God when it is the sin of someone else and we are moved to despair. This phenomenon can be especially profound with the reality of sin in the Church. We see evil committed by others and some run the danger of losing hope and falling into despair, which then can ultimately lead us to despairing of the goodness and love of God. The Lord gives us strong words in this Sunday’s Gospel reading from Mark: if your hand, foot, or eye are going to keep you from entering into heaven then get rid of them. The Lord Jesus is telling us that there is nothing in this life, be it material things, relationships, pleasures, behaviors, whatever, that are worth risking the gift and the promise of eternal life with God in heaven. We are also warned sternly to be on guard that we do not lead anyone else into sin because the punishment for that will be severe. Our sins separate us from God and they can also be a catalyst to separate others from him too. We must be on guard to seek the good, to seek the things of heaven, to seek God in all that we do. Personal sin can lead us to despair by falling into the trap of believing that we are unforgivable. The reality of evil itself can lead us to despair by questioning why God would let such things happen. As disciples, we are called to never lose hope: hope in the power of God’s mercy and forgiveness in our own lives and in the lives of others; hope that the grace of God can effect true change in our lives through conversion; hope in the fact that God is alive and at work in the world and that his sacred act of our redemption is on-going. When faced with the power of sin, when tempted to lose hope because of evil in the world, let us always remember the words emblazoned under our Lord in the image of Divine Mercy: Jesus, I trust in You ! A Prayer for First-Responders This Sunday, September 29 th , is the feast of the Archangels Ss. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. It is customary on this day to remember those who serve in our community as first-responders, be they police, fire, or other emergency personnel. For them, I invite us all to offer the following prayer: Merciful Father, I ask you through the Archangels, Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, to watch over and protect all of the men and women who so generously devote themselves to helping others. Grant them courage when afraid, wisdom when they must make quick decisions, strength when weary, and compassion in all their work. When the alarm sounds and they are called to aid both friend and stranger, let them faithfully serve you in their neighbors. Through Christ our Lord, Amen. Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead! Father Chris House

The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint. The quote is from Leon Bloy, a Catholic writer from France who died in the early 20 th century. It’s a great quote; simple yet profound. For the past few Sundays, we have been hearing from the Letter of James in the second reading at Mass. A lot of times the second reading doesn’t get too much attention from preachers because it stands alone while the first reading, the Psalm, and the Gospel generally share a unifying theme. We do not know who “James” was. Scholars are not sure if he was one of the Apostles who shared that name or another James named by St. Paul in the New Testament who is also referred to as the “brother of the Lord.” The Letter of James really is not a letter either, at least not in the style of the other letters in the New Testament. James is written more in the style of the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament and has three main sections: the value of trials and temptations, warnings and exhortations, and on the power of prayer. This Sunday’s reading from James comes from the section on warnings and exhortations. James warns us of the danger of seeking the wrong things out of life. He uses the term “passions” for the search for wrong pleasures. Pleasure is not a bad thing; in fact, pleasure can be derived from doing what is right, good, and holy. Pleasure can be found in prayer and in acting/living in a way that is ordered to the glory of God and the good of neighbor. The pleasures that James warns about, the passions, are those things that are only ends in themselves, those that are purely self-serving. These are destructive because they can lead people to unhealthy and unholy behaviors, driving people deeper into the need to serve themselves, their own wants, and agendas, which in turn lead to disorder in our lives and in the greater world. The question that James is asking us in this Sunday’s second reading is this: in my life, am I seeking the good things of God and his kingdom or am I seeking myself and the things of this world…power, honor, pleasure, wealth? Most of the time we probably do not think of this in our daily living but as disciples we must reflect on where our choices are leading us: deeper into ourselves or into deeper relationship with the Lord? James would tell us that there is nothing wrong in seeking pleasures, accomplishments, and enjoyment in life, as long as those things are ordered towards God. We must never evaluate our lives by the world’s standards; we must evaluate our lives with heaven as the ultimate goal. By baptism we have been made heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven; all that we seek should be ordered to that calling. In the end, whether or not we become saints, whether or not our eternal citizenship is in heaven, is the only success or failure that will matter. Pilgrimage 2025 I have been asked if there will be another pilgrimage next summer. The answer is yes but I do not have all the details yet. The pilgrimage will have a Marian focus with visits to Fatima, Lourdes, and Montserrat as well as other locations. The dates for the pilgrimage are tentatively set for May 26 to June 6. A flyer will be available in the office once I get more information from the tour company. Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead! Father Chris House

When I was in major seminary, my next door neighbor once told me a story of his former bishop who was in the hospital dying of cancer. His bishop was visited by the local archbishop who was the head of their province. He recounted that the archbishop came into the room and sat down next to the dying bishop. The archbishop began his visit by asking a question: “do you trust?” “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asks the Apostles in this Sunday’s Gospel as recorded by St. Mark. Jesus poses the question to each of us, also. He is not looking for an answer from the Catechism or an answer that you can search for on Google. Jesus demands a personal response from every one of us, one rooted in trust. An honest read of the Gospels lets us know that there is no “fine print” with Jesus’s invitation to us to be his disciples. The Gospels are perfect examples of full disclosure; this is demonstrated this Sunday when Jesus not only asks such a pointed question but then states what those who want to be true disciples must be willing to embrace: the cross. However, that full disclosure is not just about hardship and sacrifice. The Gospels also tell us about the love, the life, the grace, and the mercy that Jesus wants us to know and possess in and through him. Making that personal statement that Jesus is Lord and Messiah means going “all in” for Christ. To offer all to and for Christ can be rather intimidating, but, as the Lord repeatedly says, do not be afraid! Saint Francis Xavier Seelos once said “no one was ever lost because his sin was too great, but because his trust was too small.” Do we trust in the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Do we trust in his power to change us and make us new? Do we trust in his power to save? Jesus’s question of “who do you say that I am?” presupposes trust if we are to answer the same as Saint Peter. Our total trust and reliance must be in and on the Lord Jesus. That trust is proven in our willingness to hold nothing back from him. We want to see the world renewed, the Church renewed, and ourselves renewed. This can and will happen, but if not in and through Jesus Christ then in and through whom? Annual Priests’ Convocation This coming week, Monday afternoon thru Thursday afternoon, Fr. Alex and I will be in Collinsville for our annual priests’ convocation. Masses will be offered next week on Monday and Friday with Communion services on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Adoration and benediction will be the same on Wednesday. The parish office will be open as normal to assist anyone’s needs. Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead! Father Chris House

Be open! This Sunday’s Gospel tells us of Jesus traveling through the region of the Decapolis, a largely Gentile area, where people bring to him a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment. They beg Jesus to lay his hand on him. Jesus takes the man aside from the crowd, places his fingers in the man's ears, and touches his tongue with his own saliva. He then looks up to heaven, sighs deeply, and says, “ Ephphatha ,” meaning "Be opened." Immediately, the man’s ears are opened, and he begins to speak clearly. Though Jesus asks the people to keep this miracle quiet, they cannot help but spread the news of his deeds. The word ephphatha is powerful not only in the immediate context of the man's physical healing but also symbolically. This command from Jesus is a call for spiritual openness. We, too, are called to open our ears to God's word and our hearts to his love. Often, we are deafened by the noise of the world, our prejudices, and our fears. Jesus invites us to be open to his grace, which can heal our spiritual deafness and loosen our tongues to proclaim his goodness. The man’s healing is followed by an immediate reaction from the people; despite Jesus’ instructions to keep quiet, they proclaim what they have seen. This mirrors the Christian life: once we have encountered the transformative power of Christ, we cannot keep it to ourselves. Our lives should become a testimony to his healing power, drawing others to him through our witness. The setting of this miracle in the Decapolis, a Gentile region, underscores that Jesus’ mission is not limited to the Jewish people but extends to all nations. The healing of the deaf and mute man symbolizes the opening of the Gospel to the Gentiles, showing that the Good News of salvation is for everyone. This challenges us to reflect on our own openness to those who are different from us, encouraging us to embrace and share the Gospel with all people. In our lives, we are called to respond to Jesus' invitation to "be opened." This means listening more attentively to God's voice in our daily lives, whether through prayer, Scripture, or the sacraments. It also means being open to the needs of others, responding with compassion and action as Jesus did. Lastly, it challenges us to be bold witnesses to the Gospel, not keeping our faith private, but letting it shine forth in our words and deeds. Let us ask for the grace to be truly open to God's will, to the needs of our neighbors, and to the mission of spreading the Good News. May our ears be opened to hear God's word, and may our tongues be loosened to proclaim his love to the world. Buon Viaggio Father Troy! Father Troy’s two month stay with us here at CTK is at its end. He departs on Monday for some personal and family time before heading back to Rome to finish his advanced studies in dogmatic theology. I am grateful for his presence at the altar as well as the camaraderie that he brought to me and Father Alex. We wish him safe travels, the best in his studies, and God’s grace and blessing in all things. Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead! Father Chris House

This Sunday’s readings invite us to reflect on the true meaning of religion and righteousness. Often, like the Pharisees in the Gospel, we may find ourselves focused on external practices, traditions, and rules, which, while important, can sometimes overshadow the deeper call to genuine holiness. In the first reading, Moses speaks to the Israelites about the Law given by God. The Law was meant to be a guide, a way of living that reflected God’s will and wisdom. It was a gift to the people, showing them how to live in a way that would lead to life and communion with God. However, the Law was not an end in itself; it was a means to bring the people closer to God and to form a community that lived according to divine wisdom. In the Gospel, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for their focus on external rituals at the expense of true righteousness. They had become so preoccupied with the letter of the law—washing hands, cleaning vessels, and observing various traditions—that they missed the spirit of the law. Jesus calls them out, quoting Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” This is a powerful reminder that our religious practices, if not grounded in love and true devotion, can become empty and even hypocritical. We are called to observe God’s law because we are called to love and holiness; God’s law is a pathway to becoming who God wants us to be. Jesus shifts the focus from external purity to the purity of the heart. He teaches that what truly defiles a person is not what they consume or touch, but what comes from within—evil thoughts, intentions, and actions. It is a reminder that our actions and words are a reflection of our inner selves. Therefore, we are called to examine our hearts continually, to root out anything that is contrary to God's love and truth. This is reinforced by the message of St. James in the second reading urging us to be doers of the word and not just hearers. True religion, he says, is about caring for those in need—the orphans and widows—and keeping oneself unstained by the world. This is a call to active faith, one that is lived out in love, justice, and mercy. As we reflect on these readings, we are called to go beyond mere external observance of the law and rituals. We are invited to cultivate a heart that is pure, a faith that is active, and a love that is genuine. Let us ask God for the grace to align our hearts with his will, to be true doers of his word, and to live a faith that is authentic and transformative. May our lives reflect the wisdom and love of God, drawing others to him through our words and actions. Labor Day Mass School is in full swing and Labor Day is here marking the traditional end of summer with the welcoming of the “ber” months; time truly seems to fly. Mass on Labor Day, this Monday, will be at 8AM, asking our Lord to bless our labors that all may be for his glory and for our salvation. Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead! Father Chris House

In the past I have stated that, among the Apostles and the Saints in general, there is no one who can put his own foot in his mouth quite like St. Peter. We saw that fact multiple times last year when the liturgical year moved us through Matthew’s Gospel. At the same time on the opposite side of the coin, when Peter gets it right, he truly hits the proverbial nail on the head and this Sunday’s Gospel, the culmination of the Bread of Life Discourse in John 6, demonstrates that. The crowd has heard enough. John records them as stating “this saying is hard, who can accept it (6:60)?” Throughout John 6, Jesus has told the crowd exactly who he is: the Bread of Life come down from heaven. He is God and Son of God. He is the invitation of the Father to share in the divine life by feeding on him, literally. And this Sunday we hear the truth from our Lord’s mouth that the flesh, that is the world, is of no avail, and the only true life is that which comes from the Spirit. “This saying is hard,” the crowd says; maybe hard to understand but also hard to accept because if it is true then they the crowd...and us…must by virtue of who Jesus Christ is conform our lives to him. The crowd has heard enough, and they begin to leave him; not just those who have had their interest recently piqued because of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes but others who have been disciples of the Lord up to this moment. In the midst of the crowd’s abandonment of Jesus, the Lord turns to Peter and the rest of the twelve and asks “do you also want to leave?” Peter responds “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (6: 67-68).” To whom shall we go? Peter’s question is rhetorical, born of a growing faith; for many in our community, our parish, our families, perhaps even ourselves, the question is real and must be asked. In all things, in joy and sorrow, we must turn to Jesus Christ. Jesus is not a guru or self-help guide, nor is he a stand-in for Santa Claus. He is not a slick preacher promising earthly prosperity, and he is certainly not the author of the gospel of nice. Jesus Christ is Lord and savior of the world. He is both God and Son of God who is inviting each of us, you and me, into a real relationship with him. He wants to be our hope and our peace and, most importantly, Jesus offers us the gift of eternal life, none of which the world can give us. Like any relationship, we have to bring something of ourselves if the relationship is going to be fruitful. This means that we have to have lives open to him and that necessitates the need for daily conversion. Yes, the call of Christ can be hard to answer because it runs counter to the world’s ways, but is the world going to offer us anything better? And when the world turns on us, as it is bound to do, where will we turn? To whom shall we go? Cougar Kickoff – Thank you Many thanks to our CTK Men’s Club and for all who helped to make this year’s Cougar Kickoff a wonderful evening. Saturday night preceded a great opening of the new school year this past Monday. May the Holy Spirit continue to bless, guide, and protect all students, teachers, and school staff throughout this academic year. Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead! Father Chris House

This Sunday brings us to week three of the Bread of Life Discourse found in the sixth chapter of St. John’s Gospel. Two Sundays ago, we were presented with John’s account of Jesus feeding the five thousand by multiplying the loaves and the fish; last Sunday the crowd pursued Jesus, and this is where the actual discourse that we speak of in John 6 actually began and that discourse continues this Sunday. Last Sunday’s Gospel recalled for us how the crowd that had eaten the loaves and the fish pursued Jesus back to Capernaum. They were excited, amazed, and they wanted to see more. Remember, Jesus challenged the crowd’s perception of what had just happened; many were looking at the multiplication through earthly eyes, seeing this wonder as an end in itself, failing to see it as a sign that was pointing to the goodness of God and his desire to do greater things for them still. That challenge to them from Jesus continues this Sunday; the challenge is for us too. This Sunday’s Gospel picks-up with the crowd murmuring because Jesus had stated “I am the bread come down from heaven.” Again, just as with the multiplication, many in the crowd see this statement only through earthly eyes. “Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph,” they ask, unable to grasp the possibility of divinity hidden within Jesus’s human nature (note: of the four Gospels, John is most keen on presenting Jesus’s divinity). Many in the crowd were trapped in what we might term one-dimensional thinking. The danger of the one-dimensional trap expands as Jesus continues his self-revelation in the Bread of Life Discourse. Jesus goes on to say: “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” For the first 1500 years of the Church, it was the common and accepted understanding that these words were a clear reference to the gift of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist; that the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus are continually given to the faithful in the Eucharist, not symbolically but really and truly. Then came the Reformation and all of a sudden, some people began to believe and teach that these words only have a spiritual, non-literal significance. The fact is that the Church’s approach to the Lord’s words here is “both/and.” Yes, Jesus is inviting us to draw life and strength for our souls from his own divine life spiritually, and the ultimate way that this is done is by our participation in and reception of the Eucharist. In a world that no longer takes anything on faith, these teachings can be hard to accept since the reality of the Eucharist is not discernible to the physical senses and only perceptible through faith. Let us continually ask the Lord to increase our faith, that we may come to deeper love and relationship with him in the Eucharist, the true gift of Jesus himself given to us to lead us to everlasting life with him in heaven. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary This coming Thursday, August 15 th , the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, remembering that Mary was taken into heaven body and soul at the end of her earthly life. The Solemnity of the Assumption is a holy day of obligation. Masses on Thursday the 15 th will be celebrated at 7:00AM and 5:30PM. Summer Camp and Back to School Thank you to Mrs. Carstens and all of the CTK Summer Camp crew for their hard work in making this year’s summer camp a great success. Camp is over so that signals that school is just around the corner. We will have the annual “blessing of backpacks” at the 4:30PM and 10:00AM Masses next weekend (August 17th and 18th); all students, wherever they attend school, are welcome to receive the special blessing at the end of those Masses. The Men’s Club Cougar Kickoff will also follow the 4:30PM Mass. All are welcome! Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead! Father Chris House

For the past three Sunday’s we have heard accounts of faith in Mark’s Gospel: shaky faith from disciples, an abundant but desperate faith from Jairus and the woman with the hemorrhage, and limited/restricted faith from the crowd in the synagogue at Nazareth. This Sunday our Lord sends his disciples out on mission; it is time for them to put their faith into action. Mark does not let us know what the disciples were thinking when they received their commission from the Lord Jesus and truly became the Apostles (the word apostle means “one who is sent”). There may have been feelings of uneasiness among them or a hesitancy to be sent out for a time away from the Lord, perhaps something similar to what we hear in the first reading of the Prophet Amos who tells us that he was not looking to be called on by the Lord and that he was simply living his life as a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. What is clear from the Lord’s instructions to them was that their faith needed to be ready for the challenge because they were being sent out with little in their possession for the task ahead. The Apostles were being asked to go out and proclaim the reign of God and to trust that he would provide for what they needed in the process. Like the Apostles, we have been called by Christ and we are invited to carry his Gospel into the world. This reality is echoed in the second reading from St. Paul in his Letter to the Ephesians. Paul speaks to the fact that, as Christians, we have received an election, a call by Christ to be his witnesses and the grace needed to answer that election comes with the call. We may feel that our faith is not where it needs to be or we may have the reluctance of Amos as did many of the other prophets and saints, but God always provides what is needed to answer his call to be his witnesses in the world. Next Sunday we will hear of the Apostles’ surprise, as well as joy, at what they were able to do on mission by God’s grace. If we put ourselves at God’s service and open our hearts to the power and possibilities of his grace, we may find ourselves surprised too at the awesome things that God will do for, in, and through us. Blessings to you and yours doe the week ahead, Father Chris House