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The Blindness of Comfort
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) from last weekend offers one of the New Testament’s most powerful critiques of social complacency. The narrative is not a moral story about wealth and poverty as such: it is a tale of moral blindness. Lazarus is “lying at the door” of the rich man, “covered with sores”. The tragedy, therefore, lies not in ignorance of poverty, but in the decision to ignore it. The comfort of the rich man here functions not as blessing, but as a sedative to suffering. Material prosperity that closes one’s eyes to the plight of the poor generates “the blindness of comfort”.
The teaching of the Church situates the above parable within a coherent social teaching meant to open the faithful’s eyes to the suffering of the poor. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (§§2443-2449) names “love for the poor” as part of the Church’s foundational teaching. Pope Benedict XVI said in Deus Caritas Est (§§25-29), for example, that the Church’s proclamation of God’s love remains persuasive only if it is embodied in concrete acts of organized and personal charity. This teaching has given rise to different forms of Christian life. Mendicant orders such as the Franciscans embrace radical poverty as a public witness that everything is a gift of God. Communities like the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, founded in the nineteenth century by Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, live this vision in lay networks of discreet service. Catholic movements such as the Community of Sant’Egidio continue this emphasis by joining prayer with service to the poor.
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, the parable of Lazarus invites both self and ecclesial examination. A Church that both sees and helps the genuinely poor at her door is engaging in an essential act of Catholicism. The Jubilee thus calls believers to renew the social imagination of the Church as a community capable of opening eyes to “the blindness of comfort”.
Saints Perpetua and FelicityLast week we reflected on Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, who gave their lives for the Church. This week we turn to another pair of heroic saints: Perpetua and Felicity. Their story, preserved in one of the earliest Christian martyrdom accounts, is not just a historical record, but a narrative that conveys the interior faith and hope of the women themselves. I also teach this text in my course at Seton Hall University, where students read the Passion of Perpetua and Felicity as a testimony of Christian discipleship.
Perpetua was a young noblewoman and mother of an infant child. Felicity was a slave and pregnant at the time of her arrest. Both were catechumens preparing for baptism when they were imprisoned in Carthage at the beginning of the third century during the persecution of Emperor Septimius Severus. The narrative is remarkable because parts of it were written by Perpetua herself, offering a rare first-person account of a Christian martyr, and a female one at that. In her diary, she describes a vision of a ladder that reached up to heaven, but it was surrounded by sharp weapons. At its base lay a serpent that sought to frighten climbers away. Perpetua, however, stepped on its head and ascended through the trials to a garden of peace (cf. Passion of Perpetua and Felicity, 4).
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, Saints Perpetua and Felicity teach us that Christian hope is a confidence that is rooted in Christ’s victory over death. Like Cornelius and Cyprian, Perpetua and Felicity point us to the truth that hope shines brightly in weakness. Their lives invite us to embrace the Gospel with courage and to live our faith with conviction.
Saints Cornelius and CyprianToday we reflect on the memory of Pope Cornelius and Bishop Cyprian, whose feast day was this past week, and whose martyrdoms in the mid-third century AD embody the paradox of Christian witness: “earthen vessels”, in the words of Saint Paul (cf. 2 Cor 4:7), who nevertheless carried the treasure of the Gospel. Their era was marked not only by persecution from the outside, but also by wounds within the Church itself, especially the question of how to treat Christians who had lapsed under the threat of torture or death during the Decian persecution. Cornelius, as Bishop of Rome, and Cyprian, as Bishop of Carthage, responded with the belief that the mercy of Christ is stronger than human weakness. Against rigorists who sought permanent exclusion of the lapsed, they insisted that reconciliation could restore those who had caved in to the imperial orders.
Their fidelity to Christ and the Church, however, soon cost them their lives. Pope Cornelius was exiled by the Emperor Gallus and died in 253 AD in the coastal city of Civitavecchia just north of Rome. His death is honored as martyrdom because it arose directly from imperial persecutions. Bishop Cyprian, a theologian of great wisdom, later faced the renewed persecution of Valerian. Refusing to sacrifice to the Roman gods, he was condemned in 258 AD to public execution in Carthage. His writings continue to shape the Church’s theology even today.
The witness of these two martyrs resonates both in this Jubilee Year of Hope and in our cultural milieu. Cornelius and Cyprian teach us that Christian hope may arise in moments of weakness, and the glory of God often radiates in times of cultural resistance. Their mercy toward the lapsed also challenges us to practice mercy in our own time, without wavering in our faithfulness to the truth, even if it costs us. In honoring them, we also recognize that the hope of the Church is not rooted in worldly powers, but in the power of the Crucified Lord Jesus, for whom these two great witnesses gave their lives.
Two New Saints for Our Time: Carlo Acutis & Pier Giorgio FrassatiLast Sunday the Church gathered in St. Peter’s Square to witness the canonization of two remarkable young and modern Catholics: Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) and Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925). Their canonization reminds us that holiness is fully possible in our own time, in the midst of study, work, leisure, and family. Carlo Acutis was a teenager who loved computers, soccer, and video games, yet he used those interests to share the faith, creating a website for Eucharistic miracles. When he was diagnosed with leukemia at just 15, he offered his suffering for the Church and the Pope. Pier Giorgio Frassati was a university student and mountain climber whose faith expressed itself in joy. He spent his time caring for the sick, standing up to injustice, and leading his friends closer to Christ. His motto, “Verso l’alto” (“to the heights”) captured both his passion for the mountains and his desire for holiness.
During the rite of canonization, Pope Leo XIV spoke these words: “After due deliberation and frequent prayer for divine assistance and having sought the counsel of many of our brother bishops, we declare and define Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis to be saints and we enroll them among the saints, decreeing they are to be venerated as such by the whole Church.” This pronouncement did not “make” Carlo and Pier Giorgio holy, but rather recognized the holiness already present in their lives and confirmed for the faithful that they now share the fullness of divine life with God in heaven. In the Church’s teaching, canonization is a pastoral gift, because it offers the faithful concrete models of holiness for imitation and intercession.
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, the canonization of Carlo and Pier Giorgio offers a profound example that holiness is attainable in every generation. These young men were not removed from the ordinary complexities of life; rather, they entered into them with the freedom of Christ. May their intercession strengthen our families and youth as we embark on this new year of Family Faith Formation, and may it renew our commitment to live as disciples of Christ in the here and now.
The City of GodIn this Jubilee Year of Hope, we are reminded of the power of faith, resilience, and hope; especially when we face sadness. The recent tragedy at Annunciation Catholic School in Minnesota, an unspeakable event that has moved many hearts including my own, calls us to reflect deeply. For this we turn to one of the great doctors of the Church, Saint Augustine, whose feast day was recently celebrated on August 28th, to provide some guideposts for us.
In his monumental work De Civitate Dei (The City of God), Augustine speaks to the reality of human suffering in the apparent chaos of the world. For Augustine, the “City of Man” is characterized by the ego and the acquisition of temporal goods. In contrast, the “City of God” is a spiritual city, and it is to this city that the Christian should direct his or her focus. As Augustine wrote, “Two cities, then have been created by two loves: that is, the earthly by love of self, extending even to contempt of God, and the heavenly, by love of God extending even to contempt of self. The one, therefore, glories in itself, the other in the Lord; the one seeks glory from men, the other finds its highest glory in God, the Witness of our conscience. The one lifts up its head in its own glory; the other says to its God, ‘Thou are my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.’ […] The one city loves its own strength as displayed by its mighty men; the other says to its God, ‘I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength.’” (City of God, Book XIV, Ch. 28)
The Jubilee Year of Hope invites us to live within the framework of Augustine’s vision, where we balance the reality of earthly tragedies and sin in the City of Man with faith that our true citizenship is in the City of God, ultimately to be found in the heavenly Jerusalem (cf. Phil 3:20; Heb 13:14 and Rev 21:2-4). This is an invitation to a steadfast, Christ-centered hope, that anchors us in Christian virtues. It compels us to engage in works of mercy and to offer comfort to those who are suffering. By doing so, we participate in the ongoing reality of the City of God, even while dwelling in earthly cities that so often lead us away from Christ.
Prayer for the Jubilee YearDuring this Jubilee Year of Hope, the Church invites us to pray. Below is the official prayer for the Jubilee, entrusted to the whole Church by the Vatican. Please pray it when you can.
Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your Son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos, in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you, our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen.
Pilgrims of HopeThis Jubilee Year takes the motto “Pilgrims of Hope”. Let us consider the first half of the motto: What does it mean to be a pilgrim? In Scripture, pilgrimage is paramount. From the call of Abram in Genesis 12, to the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness, to the exiles returning from Babylon, God’s people are marked by movement toward an unseen promise. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called […] and went out, not knowing where he was to go” (Hebrews 11:8). His journey became a model for all believers: to be on the way, trusting not in settled security but in God’s guidance.
The New Testament deepens this theme. St. Peter calls the baptized “sojourners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11), echoing the language of Psalm 119: “I am a pilgrim on the earth.” The Letter to the Hebrews describes the saints as “seeking a homeland […] a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Heb 11:14, 16). Pilgrimage is not just physical travel but a spiritual journey, an acknowledgment that we are not yet home, and that our ultimate citizenship is in heaven (cf. Phil 3:20).
In this Jubilee Year, the Catholic Church calls us to reclaim this identity, to resist the illusion of self-sufficiency and permanence, and instead to walk in prayer and faith on our way to the heavenly Jerusalem (cf. Rev 21:2). To be a Christian pilgrim is to be formed by the journey as much as the destination.
The Jubilee of HopeAs we celebrate this Jubilee Year of Hope, the Church invites us to recover a vital truth of our faith: that we are “saved in hope” (cf. Rom 8:24). In his encyclical Spes Salvi, which means “saved in hope”, Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that Christian hope is not wishful thinking. It is rooted in a concrete encounter with Jesus Christ, who has conquered death and opened for us the path to eternal life. “The one who has hope,” he writes, “lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life” (Spes Salvi, 2).
Christian hope does not shield us from suffering, however, it transforms it. As Benedict puts it, “Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey” (Ibid., 1).
Benedict XVI points to the saints, especially those who suffered deeply, as witnesses that hope is not found in comfort, but in communion with the crucified and risen Christ. This hope, he teaches, is nourished above all through prayer, through love, and through trust in God’s mercy. May each of us rediscover an eternal perspective of our heavenly goal, and allow the light of hope to shape the way we live. The world needs Catholics who radiate hope that is found in Christ.
The Jubilee of DeaconsAs we mark the Jubilee of Deacons in the Diocese of Paterson on August 9th, let us reflect on the biblical foundations of the diaconate. In the Acts of the Apostles, when the early Church faced tension over the care of widows, the apostles called the community together and said: “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table [...] select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:2-4). These men, including St. Stephen, were set before the apostles, who prayed and laid hands on them. This moment is the scriptural origin of the Catholic diaconate: a ministry of service established in the Bible.
Here at Corpus Christi, we are especially grateful for the faithful witness of Deacon Frank Vezzuto, who lives out this calling among us. Whether proclaiming the Gospel at Mass, celebrating baptisms, teaching in our OCIA program, or preaching the Gospel on Sundays, Deacon Frank reminds us that at the heart of Catholic leadership is service. As the deacons of our diocese gather for their convocation this weekend, let us pray in thanksgiving for Deacon Frank, and for all those who serve the Church as deacons.
The Jubilee in Scripture: Understanding the Scriptural Origins of the Jubilee Year of HopeAs we live this Jubilee Year of Hope, it’s important to recall that this Catholic Jubilee has its roots in Scripture. In Leviticus 25, God commands a sacred “Year of Jubilee” (in Hebrew שְׁ נַ ת הַ יּ וֹ בֵ ל Shenat HaYovel) every fiftieth year; a time when land was to rest, debts were forgiven, and those in bondage were set free. It was a year of renewal and mercy, and a reminder to God’s people that all things belong to God: “You shall treat this fiftieth year as sacred. You shall proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to your own property, each of you to your own family” (Lev 25:10).
Jesus affirms this Old Testament practice when he stands in the synagogue and says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me […] to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). In Christ, we find true freedom as children of God (Rom 8:21), freedom from sin (Col 2:14), and the restoration of right relationship with the Father. To live the Jubilee of Hope this year is to enter more fully into that grace, and to echo with Scripture that “now is the acceptable time […] now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2). May this holy year renew our faith in God, who redeems even time itself.
Jubilee of Young PeopleBeginning Monday, the Church enters into one of the most joyful moments of the Jubilee of Hope: the Jubilee of Young People, taking place in Rome from July 28 to August 3. This international gathering invites young Catholics, especially those aged 18 to 35, to renew their relationship with Christ. Pope Francis repeatedly emphasized that young people are not simply the future of the Church, but its active and essential present. In the concluding paragraph of Christus Vivit, his apostolic exhortation to young people, he wrote, “Dear young people, my joyful hope is to see you keep running the race before you, outstripping all those who are slow or fearful. Keep running, attracted by the face of Christ, whom we love so much, whom we adore in the Holy Eucharist and acknowledge in the flesh of our suffering brothers and sisters. May the Holy Spirit urge you on as you run this race. The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them! And when you arrive where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us.”
As chaplain for the Young Catholic Professionals of North Jersey (YCP NJ), I see this lived out locally. YCP is a national apostolate that forms young adults in their 20s and 30s to integrate their faith with their professional life. Our chapter gathers monthly for speaker events, executive mentorship, and spiritual formation. Here at Corpus Christi, we host their Advent and Lenten retreats, where young professionals spend time in silence, adoration, confession, and fellowship. As the Church prepares to enter this sacred week, let us pray for the young people of our parish and YCP NJ. May this Jubilee awaken in them the courage to follow Christ wholeheartedly, and the conviction that true hope is anchored in God.
Jubilee of Armed Forces, Police and Security Personnel (8-9 Feb)Earlier this year, on February 8-9, the Church celebrated the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Security Personnel. In recognizing those who serve the cause of peace and public order, often at great personal risk, the Catholic Church recognized the moral and spiritual significance of their efforts. The Second Vatican Council taught something that is just as true today as when it was promulgated in 1965: “Even though recent wars have wrought physical and moral havoc on our world, the devastation of battle still goes on day by day in some parts of the world […] Those who devote themselves to the military service of their country should regard themselves as the agents of security and freedom of peoples” (Gaudium et Spes, 79). Such service, whenever is it performed virtuously, is “a genuine contribution to the establishment of peace” (Ibid.). St. Augustine, in The City of God, argued that peace, even when secured with force, must always aim at a deeper good: the tranquility of order (tranquillitas ordinis). The just exercise of force, therefore, is subordinate to its goal of human flourishing. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “peace is not merely the absence of war [...] it is the work of justice and the effect of charity” (CCC 2304).
This Jubilee was a moment of gratitude. It acknowledged the burdens carried by military and law enforcement personnel and offered the spiritual resources of the Church: the grace of the sacraments, the guidance of moral theology, and the intercession of the saints. May all who serve, both past and present, continue to draw strength from Christ, the Prince of Peace, and look to the example of saints such as Martin of Tours, a soldier turned monk and bishop, who reminds us that authentic Christian service is courageous, disciplined, and faithful. As we continue to journey through this Jubilee Year of Hope, may the witness of those who protect and serve remain a sign of hope, justice, and peace for our world.
The Jubilee of ArtistsThe Jubilee of Artists, celebrated in February, was a moment to consider the artists who illuminate the human spirit through beauty and imagination. In every age, the Catholic Church has turned to artists to give shape to the invisible and to lift our hearts in liturgy and prayer.
Pope Benedict XVI frequently spoke of how sacred music, art, and architecture can affect the soul and lift it toward the mystery of God. In his “Address to Artists” in the Sistine Chapel on November 21, 2009, he spoke about beauty’s role in the new evangelization. He called on artists to be “custodians of beauty” and taught how artists participate in divine creativity. That speech was given ten years after St. John Paul II’s “Letter to Artists” (1999), in which he wrote, “Beauty is a key to the mystery and a call to transcendence. It is an invitation to savour life and to dream of the future” (par. 26). Both letters are worth reading in their entirety.
The via pulchritudinis, or “way of beauty,” complements the via veritatis (way of truth) and via bonitatis (way of goodness), forming a trio through which the human heart is drawn to God. For example, a painting by Caravaggio or a sculpture by Michelangelo are like theological texts. They can be read not just with the eyes, but with the soul. Here lies a challenge for the modern visitor to museums and churches: to contemplate, not to consume. In our rushed age of smartphones and selfies, we risk missing what these works are meant to offer: silence, awe, thought, and contemplation. Rather than rushing through a museum just to “hit” all the masterpieces before moving on to the next thing, a museum can become a place of contemplation and divine encounter. This is why the Church has always been a patron of the arts. Sacred beauty evangelizes not through argument, but through splendor. In a disillusioned world, where many are closed off to God’s revealed truth and skeptical even of goodness itself, beauty remains a gentle yet influential evangelist. It does not argue; it attracts. But only if we stop long enough to see it. So next time you’re in a museum, a church, or even surrounded by the beauty of nature, don’t rush. Choose one work of art and sit before it for a while. Ask not just what it depicts, but what it reveals.
The Jubilee of the Eastern Catholic ChurchesThe Jubilee of the Eastern Catholic Churches, celebrated on June 28, provides an opportunity to reflect on the diverse traditions that form part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. These “non-Roman” Catholic Churches preserve ancient liturgies, languages, and theological expressions that stretch back to the earliest centuries of Christianity. The Eastern Catholic Churches are in full communion with the Pope, unlike the Orthodox Churches. Historically, most of these Churches emerged from communities that sought communion with Rome sometime after the Great Schism of 1054 between East and West. As St. John Paul II once said, the Church must learn again to “breathe with both lungs” – East and West – drawing life from the full breadth of the Christian tradition.
Today, Eastern Catholics live all over the world. While many are found in traditional homelands – such as Lebanon, Greece, Ukraine, Egypt, Iraq, and Ethiopia – large communities now exist in the United States. Here in New Jersey, there are several Eastern Catholic churches, including the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in Passaic, which is part of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church. I had the privilege of meeting Bishop Kurt Burnette, the eparch, during my time in Rome. May God bless and protect all the members of the Eastern Catholic Church.
The Jubilee of Priests
The Jubilee of Priests, celebrated June 25-27, was a moment to give thanks for the gift of the priesthood and to pray for those who have been ordained to serve Christ and the Church. As St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, once said: “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”
There are many kinds of priests. Some are pastors, others are missionaries, still others are scholars, teachers and hospital chaplains. Each priest responds to the same call from the Lord and strives to be configured to Christ the High Priest. In my own life, I have been formed by many priests, especially during my years of study at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. The Jesuit priests I encountered there were intellectually rigorous, pastorally attentive, and had a deep spirituality. They modeled for me a priesthood that integrates serious theological study with humility and humanity. I remain especially grateful to Fr. Jean-Pierre Sonnet, SJ, who supervised my doctoral dissertation. His brilliance, patience, and reverence for the Word of God profoundly impacted my own approach to Scripture and service.
Here at Corpus Christi, we are grateful for the many priests who have served our parish over the years. As we celebrate this Jubilee, let us pray in a special way for all priests, and especially for those who have affected our lives for the better!
The Jubilee of Seminarians
The Jubilee of Seminarians, celebrated on June 23-24, is a special moment to pray for and encourage those discerning a call to the priesthood. Pope Francis reminded us that seminarians are not only preparing for ministry; they are signs of hope for the future of the Church. We are blessed that Fr. Joseph DeMarzo III, who grew up in our parish, was ordained a priest on June 7th and celebrated his First Mass on Pentecost morning here at Corpus Christi. Fr. Joseph’s First Mass was a sign of hope for the Diocese of Paterson, and I was honored to be his Master of Ceremonies for it.
In addition to celebrating with Fr. Joseph, we have accompanied seminarian Jairo Jaramillo during his time in College Seminary, who will begin First Theology next year at the Immaculate Conception Seminary of Seton Hall University and join a new parish community for his pastoral assignment. We wish him all the best! Jairo’s response to his vocation and his commitment to formation has encouraged us all to support those who are discerning the priesthood. As we celebrate this Jubilee, let us pray for Jairo and all seminarians of the Diocese of Paterson. May our parish always be a place where vocations are welcomed, nurtured, and sent forth in the joy of the Gospel.