THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

25 DECEMBER 2024

 

          I heard an interesting story on the radio not too long ago about a woman returning to her car after shopping.  In the parking lot, she noticed a car with a magnet announcing that the owner needed a kidney transplant.  The owner specified that her blood type was O negative and gave her phone number.  The woman went home and talked about it with her husband.  Her blood type was O negative, and she was in good health.  She contacted the person who needed the kidney and announced that she was willing to give her kidney to a complete stranger.  She went through the surgery, and both she and the recipient are living healthy lives.  The reporter called this action an example of “extraordinary altruism.”  She interviewed other people who had exhibited “extraordinary altruism” by giving their kidneys to total strangers.  This story brought a bit of light into so many dark and tragic news stories these days.

            We are gathered here today, because we celebrate the ultimate act of “extraordinary altruism.”  Jesus emptied himself of the privileges of divinity and gave himself to us as a tiny, vulnerable child.  Dependent on two peasants who believed in the impossible promises of God, he was born in poverty in a stable.  Wrapped in swaddling clothes, he was laid in a manger, the feeding trough for animals.  Taught by the humility, poverty of spirit, and self-emptying trust of his parents, he grew up and gave much more than a kidney to total strangers.  He gave his entire life in “extraordinary altruism” as a total and completely undeserved gift by dying on the cross.  

            Today, the angels announce to the shepherds three implications of what this act of “extraordinary altruism” means to the human race.  First, we have been given a Savior.  This poor baby, born of poor parents, born in poor circumstances would turn out to be ultimate source of redemption and hope for humanity.  He will offer forgiveness and the promise of eternal life to those who accept him as Savior.  Even in our darkest moments, we are never alone, because we have been given a Savior, the light shining in our darkened world.

            Second, we have been given the Messiah.  This Hebrew word is translated as Christ in the New Testament.  It means “the anointed one.”  King David and his descendants were anointed with oil to set them apart to take care of the people entrusted to them.  Throughout Advent, the prophet Isaiah has promised that God would send an anointed one who would truly care for his people, as a shepherd would care for his flock.   As Christians, we understand Jesus Christ to be the fulfillment of those promises, not only to Israel, but also to all nations.

            Finally, we have been given the Lord.  If you are a fan of British drama or have watched any of the episodes of Downton Abbey, you know that servants and ordinary town people refer to the head guy of the Abbey as “lord.”  We understand the term “Lord” to be a title of reverence and authority.  In confessing Jesus as Lord, we acknowledge his divine nature and supreme authority over all of creation.  We accept that Jesus Christ has a claim upon all of our lives.

            We celebrate today the birth of our Savior, Messiah, and Lord.  In the Mystery of the Incarnation, the perfect “extraordinary altruism,” he is alive and well in our world.  He is born in Bethlehem, the “House of Bread”.  In this Mass, we express our gratitude for this incredible gift.  Nourished by his Body and Blood, he sends us out to perform acts of “extraordinary altruism.”  We don’t have to donate our kidneys to total strangers.  But, we are charged with renewing our faith in the Incarnation of Jesus dwelling in our midst.  That means recognizing the divine presence in every single person we encounter, especially those with whom we disagree and who drive us crazy.  Like Jesus, risen from the dead, we can remain healthy and share our acts of “extraordinary altruism” in a way that makes our world just a little bit brighter.

 

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

21 DECEMBER 2024

 

          At a basic level, Saint Luke’s account of the Visitation is an account of great kindness.  Mary arises in haste to travel the ninety miles from Nazareth the hill country of Judah to be with her elderly cousin, Elizabeth, who has conceived a child in her old age.  In fact, there is a parish program called “The Elizabeth Ministry” that invites parishioners to deliver food and other acts of kindness to families who have experienced a pregnancy and who need help.  In return, Elizabeth gives Mary the gift of hospitality.  More than likely that includes a welcome break from the gossip circle of Nazareth, where tongues undoubtedly are wagging about this young woman who got pregnant before marriage.

            But this account is about much more than human kindness.  In telling the story of the Visitation, Saint Luke is certainly aware of its human dimensions.  However, he intends to convey a message that is much more profound.  He knows the account of King David arising in haste to go to the hill country of Judah.  The Ark of the Covenant had been stored there for three months.  Born in Bethlehem, the insignificant village described by Micah in today’s first reading, David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  He danced for joy in the presence of the Ark and loudly sang God’s praises.

            That passage from the Book of Samuel helps us to understand the profound implications of what is happening in the Gospel.  Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant.  Her body does not contain the tablets of the Covenant, but the Eternal Word of God.  Once she reaches the hills country of Judah and enters her cousin’s house, the infant in her cousin’s womb leaps for joy.  Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and sings the praises of the Lord for what he has done for her young cousin.  She addresses Mary as the mother of my Lord, pointing to the role of the child in Mary’s womb as the new David.

            In time, John the Baptist, Elizabeth’s son, will point away from himself and direct people to see Mary’s son, Jesus of Nazareth, as the long-awaited Messiah.  John will call his cousin the “Lamb of God,” indicating the truth we heard from the Letter to the Hebrews.  As the son of a priest, John would have known the sacrifice of lambs in the temple.  People brought them to sacrifice, hoping that their offering would bring union with God.  Jesus will become the Lamb of God when he will offer himself as sacrifice on the cross.  What had been desired for centuries in the physical temple in Jerusalem will be accomplished with his sacrificial death.  In three days, the temple of his body will be raised from the dead.  His death and resurrection will bring union with the Father.  This section of the Letter to the Hebrews helps us to understand the reason for the Incarnation.  Jesus had come to destroy the power of sin and death and form us, his disciples, into a living temple being built by the Holy Spirit.

            This last Sunday of Advent prepares us to celebrate the incredible Mystery of the Lord’s First Coming at Christmas.  By becoming the Ark of the New Covenant, Mary has set the stage for the beginning of our redemption and reconciliation.  Born in Bethlehem, “the house of bread,” Jesus will be laid in a manger, a trough for feeding cattle.  On Christmas, we will be fed by the Bread of Life and nourished by his Precious Blood.  We will become arks of the covenant, arising in haste to bring the Good News of our salvation to those who need the Lord’s presence in world desperate for peace and reconciliation.

 

 

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

15 DECEMBER 2024

 

          Today is called “Gaudete Sunday,” because “Gaudete” (in English “rejoice”) is the first word in the Latin text from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians.  Saint Paul evidently has much cause for rejoicing, because he tells them twice to rejoice.  The Liturgy today reflects his call to rejoice.  We depart from the color purple to wear rose vestments.  And anticipation is growing, especially for children.  We are over two thirds away from the wonderful Solemnity of Christmas.  We have much cause for rejoicing.

            However, the situation of Saint Paul does not seem to support his enthusiasm for rejoicing.  He addresses a difficult problem in the Philippian community, which he loves so dearly.  He is aware that two women have been engaged in some unknown quarrel or dispute.  He wants them to end this dispute, because it threatens the unity of that community.  In addition, he is writing to his beloved community from prison, knowing that he will eventually lose his life to the execution sword of the Roman authorities.  Prisons in the ancient world were ghastly places where “rejoicing” would be the farthest emotion from those suffering their confinement.

            And yet, Saint Paul continues to rejoice, not because everything is going well in his personal life or in the life of his favorite Christian community.  He rejoices because the Lord is near.  The prophet Zephaniah had shouted for joy because of the Lord’s presence in midst of his people, even though they were suffering in captivity in Babylon.  Saint Paul rejoices for the same reason.  In the midst of his imprisonment, when everything else had been taken away from him, he has done what he recommends to his brothers and sisters in Philippi.  In the darkness of his prison cell, he has prayed, trusting the Lord’s presence in his darkness.  He has offers prayers of petition for those communities which he has founded.  He gives thanks for his many blessings.  He promises the Philippians (and us who listen to this Word) that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

            If life is going very well for you on this Gaudete Sunday, then be sure to give thanks to God for all those blessings.  If things are not going well, then take the advice of Saint Paul.  In prayer, be mindful of the Lord’s presence, even if we do not feel that presence.  At the end of every funeral liturgy at the cemetery, the priest prays: “May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.”

            No matter what is happening in our world and in our lives, we have a week and a half to prepare to celebrate the Lord’s First Coming at Christmas.  We can accept the instructions of Saint John the Baptist to the crowds when he baptizes them in the River Jordan.  He calls them and us to repentance.  We can be more mindful of our need to share our belongings and our food.  We can examine our consciences like the tax collectors to admit the ways we have not been far or honest.  We can be like the soldiers and admit those times we have falsely accused someone or complained about what we think we should be paid.  In other words, the best way to prepare to celebrate the Lord’s First Coming is to take our sins to the Confessional and give them over to the Lamb of God, who takes away our sins and grants us mercy and forgiveness.

            John the Baptist points us toward the Lord Jesus, who has come to demonstrate what the Love of God looks like.  Baptized into the Lord’s dying, we willingly die to ourselves, trusting that the Lord will share with us his rising.  We open ourselves to the fire of the Holy Spirit, given to us at Pentecost, that burns away whatever separates us from love for God and for one another.  We can rejoice, because the Lord is already in our midst, no matter what else is happening.

 

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

8 DECEMBER 2024

 

          When Saint Paul writes to the Philippians, he is in prison.  He has been stripped of everything.  However, he continues to enjoy his relationship with Jesus Christ.  Strengthened by this relationship, he writes to them with great joy.  He commends them for their steadfast faith and prays that their “love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception”.  Then he gives them advice.  He encourages them to discern what is of value, so that they may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

            The members of the Church of Philippi understand what he is talking about when he tells them to discern what is of value.  It is something they do on a daily basis when they shop at the market.  In order to purchase what they want, they must put their coins on a scale.  Counterfeit coins do not weigh as much as authentic coins.  If the seller discerns if the coin is of value, the purchase is complete.  Saint Paul encourages them to recognize their growing faith in Jesus Christ as something of value.  In discerning that value, they need to do what he has done.  They need to strip themselves of anything that would diminish their deep faith in Jesus Christ.

            John the Baptist has also stripped away all that would distract him from his mission.  As a son of the priest, Zechariah, he could have surrounded himself with power and influence in the temple.  Instead, he stripped himself of a privileged and comfortable life and went to the desert.  There, he assumes his mission of pointing away from himself and toward the coming of the Messiah.  He insists on preparing the way of the Lord.  The verb “pare” is imbedded in our word “prepare.”  Anyone who cooks is familiar with that word.  We use a paring knife to cut away whatever is not needed for cooking.  We use a paring knife to peel off the apple’s skin, and to cut away the core with its seeds.  Once the cook has done the job of paring, the apple can be put into a recipe and cooked in the oven.  John calls invites his listeners to pare away their sins and be baptized in the Jordan River as an external sign of their inner repentance.  Having pared away whatever keeps them from recognizing the Messiah, they can put their faith in him.

            We are now in the midst of what our culture calls the “holiday season”.  These weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas have become a time of excess.  They are weeks of high-calorie snacking, office parties, and invitations to “shop until you drop.”  During this time, retailers are counting on us to spend more money on things that people probably do not need.  For so many of us, it is an exhausting and distracting time.

            Both Paul and John invite us to take the Season of Advent seriously.  They invite us to back off and spend more time in quiet prayer.  They invite us to read the books which Father Andrew has listed in the bulletin.  They invite us to discern what is really of value:  our relationship with Jesus Christ and our need to establish priorities.  What is it that we need to strip ourselves of, as Paul suggests, or cut away, as John the Baptist insists.  What is keeping us from recognizing Jesus Christ as the center of our lives?  Is it our busy schedules that keep us from “wasting” time in quiet prayer?  Is it a possession that we think we cannot live without?  Is it our attachment to stuff that we really do not need?  Is it our career that keeps us away from our family and those who are dear to us?

            Both Paul and John challenge us to ask these key questions.  Whatever we need to strip or cut away is probably keeping us from a deeper faith and a reluctance to embrace a true spirit of repentance.  But if we have the courage to respond to their call, then we can smooth the mountains that keep Christ from being the center of our lives and fill in the valleys that constantly distract us from a deeper faith.  The Lord is coming and he wants our preparation. 

 

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

1 DECEMBER 2024

 

          The prophet Jeremiah speaks to a people dwelling in the darkness of their captivity in Babylon.  Both Jerusalem and the temple have been destroyed, and they cannot see much hope for the future.  However, Jeremiah gives them hope.  Even though he admits that their lack of fidelity to the Covenant was a primary cause for their present condition, he assures them that God has not abandoned them.  God will keep his promise to King David and raise up for them a just shoot.  He promises that Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure.

            We too are dwelling in our share of darkness.  The darkness is not only this time of the year in the northern hemisphere, with shorter days and the onslaught of winter.  We dwell in the darkness of dangerous wars, a lack of respect for the dignity of human life at all levels, and a terrible plague of division and distrust in our country and in our world.  We begin the Season of Advent in the darkness of this world.  And our scripture readings encourage us to dwell in this darkness with a real sense of hope.  In these four weeks of Advent, we prepare to celebrate the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s promise.  We prepare to celebrate the first coming of that just shoot, Jesus Christ, at Christmas.

            But Advent also prepares us for his second coming at the end of time.  The Lord’s description of that coming in the Gospel may be frightening.  But it is also hopeful, because it reveals the honest truth that our lives and our world as we know them will come to an end.  For that reason, Jesus tells us who believe in his Incarnate presence to be vigilant at all times.  The Greek word for being vigilant means “to be sleepless, to keep awake,” the way a soldier on guard keeps alert for the coming of an enemy.  Being vigilant or watchful does not mean that we need to cower in fear or dread, any more than a soldier or a guard would cower in fear.

            A modern equivalent of being vigilant and not becoming drowsy might be a paramedic.  Paramedics are trained to respond immediately when they are called to an emergency.  They receive training and continuously practice life-saving techniques and knowledge.  They do not live in a state of vigilance.  But when they are called to an emergency, they are prepared to deal with their own fear and distress and the distress of those who have called them to stabilize a patient and get that person to the hospital.

            In being alert and watchful for the second coming of Jesus Christ, either at the end of our lives or at the end of the world, we who are disciples of Jesus Christ are not passive.  We prepare by living out the Christian life.  We foster a relationship with God and with this Christian community.  We worship Jesus Christ and serve the needs of others.  We encounter Christ in the face of the poor and witness to the faith in the lives we live.  We recognize the presence of the Lord in every human being, even in those with whom we disagree and who drive us crazy.  We acknowledge our sins and receive the Lord’s mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and receive the grace to extend the Lord’s mercy to those who offend us.  If we practice recognizing the Lord’s presence in those we encounter, we will recognize him at the end.

            In actively living the Christian life, we receive training, practice life-saving techniques, and knowledge.  Like paramedics, we can become a calming presence when the earth falls into disarray, panic, and fear.  Or like sentries on duty, we continue to receive direction from our Commander in the Word of God spoken to us each Sunday.  We are aware of the activity of the enemy.  We are ready to fulfill our responsibilities.  As we now prepare ourselves to receive the real presence of the Lord in this Eucharist, may we prepare ourselves for his Second Coming in such a way that we can embrace, encounter, and enjoy that moment when it does come.

 

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE

24 NOVEMBER 2024

 

            On this last Sunday of the liturgical year, we look back on how we have been invited to deepen our relationship with God.  We began the year with the Advent message to prepare for the coming of Christ.  We celebrated his first coming at Christmas.  During Lent, we admitted that we have not always put Christ at the center of our lives.  We embraced fasting, prayer, and almsgiving to renew our baptismal promises at Easter.  In the Sacred Paschal Triduum, we entered into the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Impelled by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the end of the Easter Season, we have listened to the Gospel of Mark challenging us to recognize the Kingdom of God in our midst.  Today, our second reading from the Book of Revelation reflects on Christ, seated on his throne as King of Kings and Lord of lords.  It tells us the truth about Jesus Christ, the truth that Pilate did not grasp. 

            The Book of Revelation reminds us that Jesus Christ is the faithful witness.  He is not a witness in the sense of being an eyewitness to an important event.  Rather, the root word for “witness” is “martyr.”  Over the centuries, the martyrs of the Church have given witness to the faith by surrendering their lives for Christ.  Jesus is the first and faithful witness in the sense that he has given his life totally and completely out of love for us.  He voluntarily laid down his life, not just for good and holy people.  He laid down his life for all of us sinners, even the most notorious ones.

            Second, the Book of Revelation says that he is the first born of the dead.  When Jesus took on our human nature in the Mystery of the Nativity, he embraced the reality of death.  He destroyed death by entering into it.  In defeating death, he shares with us the mystery of his resurrection.  Just as death was not the end for him, death is not the end for us. 

            Third, the Book of Revelation tells us that he is coming on the clouds.  Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him.  When Pilate asks Jesus about his kingship, Jesus responds that his kingdom does not belong to this world.  The kingdom of Pilate involves domination, privilege, power, and prestige.  The kingdom of Jesus Christ consists of love, justice, and service.  As we know from our own experience of this world’s kingdom, so much of our culture in caught up in Pilate’s kingdom of domination, privilege, power, and prestige.  It is easy to become discouraged and give up in frustration.  But as members of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, we must continue to do all we can to make the kingdom of Jesus Christ more visible.  And even when we fail, we know that Pilate’s kingdom will not prevail.  The Lord will come again.

            Finally, the Book of Revelation reveals Jesus Christ as the alpha and the omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and the beginning and the end of everything.  As the beginning and the end, he is the unchanging foundation upon which all creation rests.  No matter what happens in our world, Jesus Christ remains the source of our hope and our faith.  That is the truth that sustains us. 

            Jesus offers Pilate a chance to see the truth in his kingship.  Out of fear, Pilate refuses to embrace the truth and continues to exercise the violence of his kingdom.  Jesus offers us the same choice today.  He invites us to fix our eyes on him, the Martyr of the faith, the death-defying conqueror, the Coming King, and the Alpha and the Omega.  In him, we find the source of our hope, the anchor of our souls, and the assurance of our salvation.  In him we find the truth.  And the root Hebrew word for truth is that it is reliable, factual, constant, certain, secure, permanent, and honest.

 

 

THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

17 NOVEMBER 2024

 

          As we come to the end of this liturgical year, our Scripture readings speak of the end of the world and the Second Coming.  They use apocalyptic images.  They are usually extravagant visons of things we have never experienced on this earth and often come with destruction and fear.  The Prophet Daniel uses apocalyptic images to speak of how “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.”  Mark also uses apocalyptic images to speak of the end.  The sun will darken, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky.  Most spectacularly, the Son of Man will come in the clouds.  Then, as often happens with these apocalyptic visions, we are told to be on the lookout for the end.  But, we are also told that we know not the time or the hour.  Only God can know the time or the hour.

            Too many times, those instructions are ignored.  People continue to look for the signs that the end is near.  For centuries, predictions of the end have failed to materialize.  So, instead of trying to determine when the end will occur, we can examine what the word “apocalypse” really means.  While apocalypse does involve the destruction and end of the world as we know it, the word actually means the uncovering or revealing of heavenly mysteries.  Instead of trying to determine the time when the Lord will come again, we can find our role in this uncovering or revealing in the fig tree that Jesus mentions.  Throughout the Old Testament, the fig tree is used to symbolize the Israelites, God’s chosen people.  In just a few chapters prior to today’s Gospel, Jesus curses the fig tree for not bearing fruit.  As baptized members of the Body of Christ, the image applies to us, because we are God’s chosen people.  Fig trees are supposed to be tellers of time.  Because they signal when the seasons are changing, we are called to be signalers for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  We are the fig tree that others can look at to see the coming of Christ.  We are able to do this when we produce leaves and bear good fruit.

            The Mysteries of the Kingdom of God have been revealed to us in many ways, especially in the readings from Sacred Scripture and in the teachings of the Church.  We are called to be heralds of those Mysteries by the way we live our lives, especially in this time of deep division and conflict, both in our society and in our Church.  We reveal these Mysteries when we cultivate good leaves by taking time to visit the sick or respond to the needs of the poor and the vulnerable, or when we show compassion to friends or family who are having a rough time.  We bear good fruit when we learn to respect the image of Jesus Christ in those who drive us crazy or in those who disagree strongly with us.  We bear good fruit when we offer ourselves in humble service, especially in the wonderful way that this parish feeds the hungry and homeless on Thanksgiving Day.

            In these last two weeks of this Liturgical Year, the Lord is not trying to frighten us into being good.  Nor does he want us to speculate when the end will come, either the end of our own lives or the end of the world.  Instead, he gives us a foretaste of the heavenly mysteries at this Mass.  He nourishes us to make sure that that we sprout good leaves on our fig tree and produce good fruit.  The Lord will come again at a time we cannot predict.  We can be a sign of that to others in ways we cannot imagine.  Even when this current Liturgical Year will end with the Solemnity of Christ the King next Sunday, a new year will begin on the First Sunday of Advent.  As fig trees, we have no reason to worry or be discouraged.