A Lesson From the Events of Holy Week: Never Base Your Beliefs on Public Polling Data

 

(Palm Sunday 2026 (A): This homily was given on March 29, 2026 at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I., by Fr. Raymond Suriani.)

[For the audio version of this homily, click here: Palm Sunday 2026]

The events of Holy Week prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we should never base our beliefs on public polling data.  Never!  If Mr. Gallup, for example, had been around in the year 33, and had taken a poll on the very first Palm Sunday, asking the people in Jerusalem the question, “Is Jesus of Nazareth the Messiah?” I’m almost certain the results would been overwhelmingly positive—probably about 95% yes, 2% no, and 3% undecided.  (Unfortunately there are always a few in every crowd who can’t make up their minds.)  But by Good Friday, those yes and no numbers would have been completely reversed!  And I dare say even a lot of the “undecideds” would have crossed over to the “no” side.

But the important, decisive fact to remember in all of this is that Jesus was still the Messiah on Good Friday!  He was just as much the Messiah then as he was on Palm Sunday!  The change in the polling numbers would not have changed the reality of who Jesus was.  The 2% who remained faithful to our Lord knew that, and so they were just as much for him on Good Friday as they were on Palm Sunday. 

I don’t know about you, but I want my faith to be like the faith of that 2%.  And incidentally, this faithful 2% was composed mainly of women (sorry, guys)—like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene.  Their faith was not undermined by the changing tide of public opinion.  To put it another way, their faith was not undermined by peer pressure.  Their faith also was not destroyed in the midst of the suffering they personally endured with Jesus.  Our Blessed Mother, for example, had to stand at the foot of the cross as her only Son died right in front of her eyes.  For her, that must have been a living hell.  But she never turned away from God.  Not even then; not even for a second.  A person’s faith doesn’t get any stronger than that.

All of us have a special opportunity this week to become more like Mary and that faithful 2%.  The liturgies of Holy Week, the special times for prayer that the Church provides on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, the extra prayer time the Church encourages us to engage in—all of these are designed to make our faith rock-solid, so that we won’t waver in our love for Christ and his Gospel—even if everyone around us is losing faith—even if we’re in the midst of many difficult, personal trials. 

It’s my simple prayer this morning that all of us will take advantage of this opportunity that our Lord will give us in the next seven days to grow stronger and become more alive in our Catholic faith. May it truly be a holy Holy Week for us all.

 

The Importance of Knowing the WHOLE Truth About Sin and Suffering

(Fourth Sunday of Lent (A): This homily was given on March 15, 2026 at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I., by Fr. Raymond Suriani. Read John 9:1-41.)

[For the audio version of this homily, click here: Fourth Sunday of Lent 2026]

One day not long ago five blind men went to the zoo, in order to find out what an elephant was.  They had heard quite a bit about this magnificent animal, but, of course, they had never been able to verify these things with their own eyes.  When they arrived at the zoo, they spoke to the zookeeper and told him why they were there.  The zookeeper said, “Gentlemen you’re in luck.  Here in our zoo we have one of the kindest, most gentle elephants in the entire world.  People can go right up to this elephant, touch and pet him, and he doesn’t mind in the least.  He loves it.  So what I’ll do is take you to his cage and let you all inside.  Then you’ll be able to use your sense of touch to discover exactly what an elephant is like.” 

So they all went off, happily, to where the elephant was.  Well, it was quite a scene, these five men, set loose in this cage, all groping around for this huge animal.  Finally the first one walked into one of the elephant’s massive legs.  He grabbed hold of it, and he exclaimed, “Ah yes, now I know what an elephant is like.  An elephant is like the trunk of a tree.” 

At that point the second blind man came to the animal’s trunk.  He felt it for a moment, and then said to his friend, “No, you’re wrong, an elephant isn’t like the trunk of a tree, an elephant is like a large snake.” 

The third one then grabbed hold of the tail.  He said, “You’re both wrong.  An elephant is like a rope.” 

The fourth took hold of one of the elephant’s big, floppy ears, and he said, “My dear friends how can you say these things?  It’s clear to me, an elephant is like a large sting ray—the kind that swims the seven seas.” 

Last but not least, the fifth blind man touched one of the animal’s curved, ivory tusks and he said to the others, “Your sense of touch betrays you all.  An elephant isn’t like a tree trunk or a snake or a rope or a sting ray, an elephant is like a huge boomerang that no human being could possibly throw.”

At that point, the zookeeper came back to the cage, to take the five blind men out.  But that didn’t end the discussion.  They left the cage and left the zoo arguing with one another, each maintaining that he was right and that the others were wrong; each claiming that he, and only he, really knew what an elephant was.

My brothers and sisters, the interesting thing about that story is this: each of these men was right, in the sense that each of these men did perceive one aspect of the truth about elephants.  But one aspect of the truth is not the whole truth!  And that’s what they didn’t understand.  Each perceived one aspect of the truth.  But each was claiming that this one aspect was the whole truth about elephants.  And, of course, from that standpoint, each of them was wrong.

The lesson is: We must never make the mistake of thinking that one aspect of the truth is the whole truth, especially when it comes to matters of faith.  And this just happens to be one of the important lessons of today’s gospel story from John 9, the story of the healing of the man born blind.  I say that because so many of the characters in this story are also guilty of seeing only one aspect of the truth, and thinking it’s the whole truth.  For example, take the disciples. At the very beginning, they ask Jesus this question . . . They see the blind man and they say, “Rabbi, was it his sin or his parent’s sin that caused him to be born blind?” Clearly the disciples recognized one aspect of the truth: that there is a certain connection between sin and suffering.  Well, that’s true—the Scriptures teach very clearly that sickness, suffering and death came into the world as the result of the sin of Adam and Eve.  The disciples were right in believing that.  However, that’s only one aspect of the truth; it’s not the whole truth.  The disciples thought it was the whole truth, which is why they implied that there had to be a direct connection between this blind man’s suffering and his personal sin.  Jesus corrects them when he says that in this particular case, “It was no sin, either of this man or his parents, which caused him to be born blind.”  So the whole truth is: Yes, sickness came into the world because of sin, and sometimes there is a direct connection between an individual’s sin and his suffering.  For example, a teenager lies to his parents about where he’s been spending his free time.  His parents find out about it and take away some of his privileges for a month—which causes him to suffer. That suffering is a direct result of his sin: his lying and his disobedience.  A person engages in promiscuous sexual behavior and contracts an STD, which causes suffering. That suffering is a direct result of sinful activity.  But the other aspect of the truth (which the disciples didn’t understand) is that many times there is no direct connection whatsoever between a person’s pain and their sin.  I think of my mother, for example, who suffered terribly with cancer before she died.  My mom was a good, loving, holy woman.  In her case, as in the case of the blind man, the direct connection between suffering and sin was not present.

Then we come to the Pharisees.  They also make the mistake of only seeing part of the truth, and thinking it’s the entire truth.  First of all, they get upset with Jesus for curing the man on a sabbath.  They believed the sabbath was to be a day of rest.  And they were right in believing that!  Because it’s true.  But that’s just one aspect of the truth, it’s not the whole truth.  The whole truth is, “Yes, the sabbath is to be a day of rest, as God commanded.  But he gave that commandment to us so that we would honor him and then reach out to those in need, not neglect them.”

Later on the Pharisees say that they believe God spoke to Moses and hence through Moses.  That’s true.  But once again, it’s only one aspect of the truth, not the whole truth.  The whole truth is that he was also speaking to them in and through Jesus.

Even the parents of the blind man only recognize one dimension of the truth.  Yes, they admit that their son was blind and that now he sees.  But they’re not willing to recognize the fact that it’s because of his faith in Jesus that their son can now see.

I focus on this issue with you this morning because many Christians today are making the mistake of basing their religious lives on one aspect of God’s revealed truth and not on the whole truth.  For example, some Christians today will focus only on God’s love, and totally neglect his justice.  Well, it’s true, God is a loving, merciful Father.  But he is also a just judge!  It’s not either-or, it’s both-and.  Some others say, “Oh, God will forgive.”  True.  But that’s only one aspect of the truth, not the whole truth.  The whole truth is that if we want God’s forgiveness we must repent of our sins.  Some Christians today only talk about Heaven, as if Heaven is a given for everybody.  Well, it’s true, there is a Heaven, and God wants everybody without exception to go there.  And he will provide every grace we need to get there.  But that’s only one aspect of the truth, not the whole truth.  The whole truth includes the fact that there is also a hell, and it’s possible to go there, if we freely and willingly commit a mortal sin and never repent of it.

This means that today we should ask the Lord to help us to be like the blind man—not like the five foolish blind men we heard about at the beginning of this homily, but like the blind man that Jesus cured in this gospel story.  I say that because this was an individual who accepted the truth, not in part, but in full.  He makes that clear at the very end, when he explicitly accepts Jesus and bows down to worship him.   By that action of bowing and worshipping, he was saying to our Lord, “I believe in you totally and completely.  I accept everything you teach, everything you stand for, without exception.” 

May that be our attitude today and every day of our lives.

 

Remembering the Lessons of the Past in the Present Moment of Suffering Brings Hope for the Future

 

(Second Sunday of Lent (A): This homily was given on March 1, 2026 at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I., by Fr. Raymond Suriani.  Read Matthew 17:1-9.)

[For the audio version if this homily, click here: Second Sunday of Lent 2026]

As I was reflecting on today’s gospel reading in preparation for this homily, what came to mind was an experience I had in the dentist’s office about 20 years ago.

While he was in the process of “probing” the inside of my mouth that day and checking the condition of my teeth, my dentist happened to discover a filling that needed to be replaced.

He said, “Father Ray, I’d rather not see you make another appointment to get this taken care of; why don’t I do it right now?  And let’s try it without any Novocain.  But don’t worry, if the pain gets unbearable, I’ll stop and give you a shot.”

I said, “Uh . . . okay.”

So he began to remove the old filling with his little drilling instrument—you know, the one that makes that awful screeching sound—and almost immediately I felt a slight jolt of pain.  Then I felt another—and another.  In my mind I prayed, “Dear Lord, please don’t let it get any worse.  I can deal with what I’ve felt so far—but not much more.”

Well shortly thereafter, happily, the pain stopped.  He continued his drilling operation for a couple of minutes, and every 30 seconds or so he would ask, “Does that hurt at all?  Do you need some Novocain?”  Each time I answered, “No.”  (Thank God you can still say “Yes” and “No” with somebody’s hands in your mouth!)

After the tooth was re-filled he said to me, “When I questioned you during the drilling, you weren’t feeling any pain?”

I replied, “No.”

He said, “That’s amazing, because you should have been feeling something.  That filling was a lot deeper than I thought it was.”

I said, “Well, obviously the good Lord took care of me.”

He said, “That’s for sure.”

There’s a well-known meditation written by St. Francis de Sales in which the great saint says, “God will either shield you from suffering, or give you the unfailing strength to bear it.”

I’m very grateful that in the dentist’s office that day 20 years ago, the Lord did the former.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t always act in that fashion—he doesn’t always shield me from suffering—but in that particular case he did.

I take some consolation in the fact that God didn’t always shield the apostles from suffering either.  Today’s Gospel story provides us with a case in point.  The experience Peter, James and John had on Mount Tabor—the experience of seeing Jesus Christ transfigured—was given to them in view of a suffering they would experience within a few short weeks: our Lord’s crucifixion and death.  Jesus was well aware of the sadness, confusion and grief that would threaten to overwhelm these men at that time.  After all, they had left everything to follow him; they believed he was the Messiah; they had lived with him and worked with him for 3 years.  And even though he had already spoken to them about his death, he knew they would not initially understand it and what it meant for the salvation of the human race.  (That understanding would only come after Pentecost.)  So Jesus gave them a little glimpse of his divinity on that mountain—a brief revelation of his eternal glory: something they could hold onto as they struggled to cope with the terrible events of Good Friday.  Jesus didn’t shield them from that suffering, but he offered them—in the words of St. Francis de Sales—the unfailing strength to bear it.  As they watched our Lord die, they were supposed to remember the glorious Jesus whom they saw on the mountain that day, and trust that he would somehow win the final victory.  They were also to remember the 3 witnesses who testified on Jesus’ behalf during the event: Moses, Elijah, and—first and foremost—God the Father! 

This brings us to what I would call one of the practical messages of the Transfiguration: Remembering the lessons of the past in the present moment brings hope for the future.  That’s what the apostles were supposed to do, and that’s what we need to do with respect to our own trials and difficulties. 

So I ask you this morning: What has God taught you in the past through your sufferings?  Spend some time this week in prayer pondering that question. . . . What has God taught you in the past through your sufferings?  Has he taught you that he’s faithful?  Has he taught you that he always gives you the grace you need when you need it?  Has he taught you that worrying about the future when you’re in pain is a waste of time?  (He’s taught me that one on many occasions!)  Has he taught you the importance of prayer and the sacraments in dealing with suffering?  Has he taught you to offer it up?  Has he taught you that other people are very often his gifts of consolation and support in difficult times?  Has he taught you that repenting of your sins can sometimes make suffering easier to bear and even eliminate a portion of it?

What has God taught you in the past through your sufferings?  Pray about that during the next several days.  And when you do come to recognize the things the Lord has taught you through your past sufferings, I highly recommend that you write them down.  Do that as a service to yourself: so that you will be able to recall those lessons quickly the next time you experience a terrible trial in your life.  That will give you a measure of hope for the future in the midst of your present pain.

Let me conclude my homily now by quoting St. Francis de Sales’ entire meditation.  Appropriately enough, I’ll give this great saint the last word:

Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life;

Rather look to them with full hope that as they arise,
God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely
through all things;

And when you cannot stand it, God will carry you
in His arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;

The same everlasting Father who cares for you today
will take care of you tomorrow and every day.

He will either shield you from suffering or give you the
unfailing strength to bear it.

Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts and
imaginations.

 

Lent and Perseverance

 

(Ash Wednesday 2026: This homily was given on February 18, 2026 at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I., by Fr. Raymond Suriani.  Read Matthew 6:1-18.)

[For the audio version of this homily, click here: Ash Wednesday 2026]

It happens in every Olympics, including the Olympics taking place right now in Milan, Italy.  There are certain athletes who win gold medals for the very first time.  However it’s not the first time they’ve competed for a gold medal.  These athletes have been in the Olympics before—sometimes in 2 or 3 prior Olympics—but they’ve never won.  What’s admirable about these first-time winners is that they never gave up in the midst of all their previous failures.  They kept trying; they kept coming back.  In a word, they PERSEVERED!  And that perseverance eventually brought them the prize they were seeking.

I mention this today because of all the virtues you need during the season of Lent, one of the most important is that one: PERSEVERANCE.

Lent is a time for us to draw closer to the Lord via those 3 disciplines Jesus mentions in today’s gospel: prayer (including the sacrament of confession), fasting (which includes any and all acts of self-denial), and almsgiving (which signifies special acts of charity, even something as simple as visiting the sick and elderly).

Now most people start off Lent with great ideas and great intentions in these 3 areas, and for a while (at least a few days) they do exactly what they say they’re going to do.

But then, something happens.  Perhaps they get distracted; perhaps their schedules change; perhaps they just forget—but in any event they don’t do on a given day what they had intended to do in terms of prayer, fasting and giving alms.

They break their Lenten discipline, and they’re tempted—severely tempted—to give it up for the rest of Lent.

And many do, although they shouldn’t!  What they should do (as the old song says) is “pick themselves up, dust themselves off and start all over again.”

In other words, they should put into practice the virtue of perseverance!

Perseverance doesn’t mean that you never fall in life—those Olympic athletes I mentioned at the beginning of my homily know that quite well.  Perseverance in the spiritual dimension means that you get up immediately when you do fall and begin walking again with Jesus.

This is the key, my brothers and sisters, to a successful and fruitful Lent, and it’s also the key to a successful and fruitful Christian life.  In fact, persevering during Lent is a great way to train yourself to persevere in the Faith throughout your life.

As we all know, it’s very easy to fall into sinful habits throughout the year that hurt or destroy our relationship with the Lord.

Well common sense should tell us that the person who perseveres during Lent, by getting up immediately when he falls, is more likely to persevere when he falls at some other time of the year.

He’s more likely not to delay his repentance; he’s more likely to get to confession quickly when he needs to.

And he’s more likely to die in the state of “final perseverance”—which means “in the state of grace, and ready to begin the trip to heaven.”

Lord, help me to persevere.  Let that be out common prayer this Lent.  Try to remember to say it everyday.  In fact, let’s say it together right now: Lord, help me to persevere.

May the Lord hear that prayer and grant us this grace during the next 40 days—and beyond.