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.

 

 

THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

10 NOVEMBER 2024

 

          We meet two widows in today’s Scripture readings.  The first is a pagan widow living several centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ.  She is suffering from the severe drought that has ravaged her region, the home of Queen Jezebel’s father.  As she gathers some sticks to build a fire to cook a final meal for herself and her son, a strange man approaches and asks her to make a little cake for him.  This is no ordinary stranger.  He is Elijah, the enemy of Queen Jezebel, who had called on God to bring about this drought in punishment for the sins of her and King Ahab.  The widow acknowledges that Elijah’s God is not her god in telling him that the Lord, YOUR God knows that she has no more food.  Elijah promises that if she uses the last of her flour and oil to make him a little cake, she will have plenty to feed herself and her son until it rains again.  He tells her not to be afraid.  She risks everything to trust this word of the stranger on behalf of his God.  Her incredible faith is rewarded, just as Elijah has promised. 

            In the Gospel, we meet another remarkable widow.  Jesus is been in the temple and criticizes the scribes.  They take advantage of the respect due to their office by parading in long robes, accepting greetings in the marketplaces, taking seats of honor in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets.  They recite lengthy prayers as they devour the houses of widows, entrusted to their care.  Sitting down opposite the treasury, he watches rich people deposit large sums of money into the thirteen trumpet-shaped containers.  Those large copper coins would make a lot of noise and attract a lot of intention.  But he sees a poor widow who deposited two small coins worth a few cents.  No one would have noticed her contribution.  But Jesus does.  Like the widow of Zarephath, she risks everything.  She gives all that she has trusting that God will provide for what she needs, even when the greedy scribes who should have taken care of her did not.  Jesus contrasts her authentic piety and trust in God with the false piety of the scribes.

            The disciples must have remembered this incident in the temple.  Just a few days later, Jesus did exactly what that poor widow has done.  As the Letter to the Hebrews says, Jesus became both priest and victim.  Unlike the priests who offer sacrifices every day in the temple, Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross only once.  Jesus trusted the Father that death will not be the end.  By his sacrifice, Jesus took away our sins and reconciled us with the Father.

            Jesus invites us to imitate the faith of these two widows.  We need to trust that we can risk everything and receive more back than we can imagine.  We can trust his word, just as the widow of Zarephath trusted the word of God given by Elijah.  Fed by the Sacrifice of Jesus made present here as we remember it, we too can give of ourselves over and over again, risking everything in complete trust that we will receive back more than we could ever have given.

            At the time of Jesus, King Herod was renovating and enlarging the temple.  He must have depended on the wealthy to finance the construction.  Sadly, over the years, I have had to raise significant sums of money to build stuff.  In every fundraising effort, we had to hire professional consultants.  They wisely told us to do what Herod probably did:  approach those who were more financially endowed to begin the process.  We heeded their advice and raised the funds necessary to build lots of buildings, including a new church.  But we never forgot those who gave what they could.  We listed all givers on a public wall, not by advertising what they gave, but by listing them in alphabetic order, no matter what they were able to give.  The Lord knows the sacrifices of all of us, especially the more important sacrifices that do not involve money.  He accepts our risks and offers great returns on those investments.

 

THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

3 NOVEMBER 2024

 

In the Gospel of Saint Mark, scribes and religious leaders usually ask Jesus.  They want to trip him up and expose this self-taught rabbi from Galilee as a fraud.  However, this scribe is not hostile.  He understands that keeping the commandments shows reverence for God and involves the correct act of a believer seeking to respond to God’s covenant of love.

Knowing that the Pharisees have developed 613 different laws from the Torah, he seems genuine in asking Jesus his opinion.  Of all those laws, he wants to know which commandment is the greatest.  Jesus does not hesitate.  He quotes Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (our first reading today) and recites the Shema, Israel, the prayer prayed by all faithful Jews every morning and evening: “Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

Without skipping a beat, he then quotes Leviticus 91:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Neither of these commandments are original.  Both are widely known by the faithful.  However, Jesus is the first to join them in such a radical way.  They cannot be separated from one another.  It is impossible to love God (and keep the first three commandments) without loving neighbor (the last seven commandments).

The scribe confirms the correctness of Jesus’ answer.  He also adds a statement that is remarkable for a scribe: “loving God and neighbor is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”  Scribes are closely connected with the temple and temple worship.  They work with the priests who would offer the animals in sacrifice on the altar in the temple.  Animal sacrifices and the burnt offerings are part of worship in the temple.  People would bring them on a daily basis.  But the scribe understands that these offerings are merely external manifestations of an internal desire to be in union with God.  Jesus affirms his correct understanding and tells the scribe that he is not far from the kingdom of God.

We who are disciples of Jesus Christ know that his perfect sacrifice of self out of love for us has replaced the sacrifices and burnt offerings of the ancient temple in Jerusalem.  As the Letter to the Hebrews tell us, he is both priest and victim.  His once and perfect sacrifice on the altar of the cross accomplished what all the former sacrifices had hoped for.  His sacrifice has reconciled us with the Father and has opened for us the kingdom of God.

To imitate that sacrifice, we must love God and neighbor with our heart.  We must love with all our heart.  For ancient people, the heart signified the depths of the person. We must love with our soul, which signifies our whole self.  We must love with our mind, submitting our thoughts and all our intellectual efforts to the love of God.  We must love with out strength.  When we love with all our strength, we realize that love is not just a strong emotion.  It is a decision to commit all our external achievements in the service of God and neighbor. Loving neighbor is never easy, as Jesus explains in the Parable of the Good Samaritan.  Neighbors are anyone we meet, including enemies and those who drive us crazy.

It is important that the Lord reminds us of these two central commandments of love on this weekend prior to the election.  No matter what happens in Tuesday’s election, and no matter which candidates will win, it is the love of God that remains at the center of our lives.  When we open ourselves to this incredible love, then we can trust more deeply in our great high priest, Jesus Christ.  He knows our fears and failings, because he shares our human nature with us.  But he is interceding for us.  Unlike us, he is holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and higher than the heavens.           

 

TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

20 OCTOBER 2024

 

            Along with Simon Peter, James and John form the inner circle of the disciples of Jesus. They had gone into the house with him when he raised a dead girl to life.  They were at the Transfiguration, where they caught a glimpse of the Lord’s true glory.  After the Last Supper, Jesus would take them into the Garden of Gethsemane with him.  These two members of the inner circle dare to ask an outrageous question: “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” They want him to sit at his right and his left when he comes into his glory.

            They have delusions of power, honor, and prestige.  What makes their request even worse is that Jesus had just clarified his mission.  As Messiah, he would not win a glorious victory over their enemies.  Instead, the Father had sent him to be the suffering servant of the Prophet Isaiah.  He would be crushed in infirmity, crucified on a cross.  The cup he will drink will be the cup of betrayal, false accusations, and a humiliating death.  In his baptism, he will drown in the floodwaters of pain, torture, and death.  Only after drinking this cup and undergoing this baptism will he be raised from the dead.  He asks them if they can drink this cup and undergo this baptism.  Without knowing what they are saying, they agree.

            Jesus makes it clear to his inner circle that leadership is not about power, honor, or prestige.  Leadership is about humble service, which includes dying to self and carrying the cross of being a humble servant, a slave.  Jesus speaks these words today to all who form the inner circle of leadership, especially in the Church.  Pope Francis has the Cardinals in his inner circle to serve the universal Church.  Father Andrew has his inner circle of advisors to serve this parish.  Those in the inner circle of leadership cannot lord their positions over those they serve.  They must drink the cup of dying to self and be immersed in the baptism of carrying heavy crosses for the sake of those whom they serve.

            When the other ten hear this request, they become indignant.  They are not upset with the sons of thunder because they made this outrageous request.  They are upset because James and John had beaten them to ask what they wanted.  So, Jesus addresses all of them.  He addresses all of us.  Whether we are in an inner circle or not, disciples must drink the cup of self-denial and be immersed in the baptism of putting ourselves last.  As James and John will eventually learn, authentic disciples cannot share in the rising of Jesus Christ unless we share in his dying.

            As we hear this Gospel, we have an advantage which the original apostles did not have.  We know the end of the story.  We know that drinking the painful cup and being drowned in the baptism of death was not the end for Jesus.  But, we must listen carefully to his words.  We may want to have really good seats in the Kingdom of Heaven.  But, we too have to drink of the cup of suffering and be drowned in the waters of death on a daily basis.  Each of us must share in the cross of Christ in our own way.  At this time of heightened division in both our country and in our Church, perhaps there is a common call for all of us.  The Lord challenges us to drink the cup of humility and recognize his presence in everyone, especially in those with whom we disagree the most or those who rub us the wrong way.  We don’t have to agree or give up our convictions.  But we can treat them with respect and courtesy.  We can die to our dependence on social media, which tends to further divide and encourage hate and anger.  As much as we may disagree with one another, we must remember our original baptism.  We were drowned in the waters of baptism and raised to new life in Christ and in communion with his Church.  At this Eucharist, we share much more than what may divide us.  We share the cross, and the hope of resurrection.

 

TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

6 OCTOBER 2024

 

            The Pharisees ask Jesus a loaded question, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”  They know the answer to that question.  Moses allowed a husband to divorce his wife.  However, they want to draw Jesus into the current argument:  What constitutes the reasons for a husband’s decision to divorce his wife.  The stricter rabbis insist that a husband could file for a divorce only on the strictest grounds, such as infidelity.  However, the more lenient ones argue that any reason would suffice.  A man can divorce his wife if he does not like her cooking, or if he cannot get along with her family.

            Jesus avoids that trap.  He knows that a wife has absolutely no recourse in a divorce proceeding.  She can do nothing to defend herself and no option other than to accept the husband’s decision and moving on to a very uncertain future.  Divorced women are driven into poverty and the shame of being an outcast without a family.  As always, Jesus has compassion for the poor and the vulnerable.  So, he argues that Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of people’s hearts.  He refuses to be drawn into the arguments of the day and responds by going to the heart of what God intends for marriage.  He quotes the second chapter of Genesis and insists that God created marriage as a permanent institution.  He argues that when a man and a woman become one flesh, that union cannot be separated.  What God has joined together, no human being can separate.  According to Genesis, which the Pharisees would understand as Moses speaking, God instituted marriage as a mutual love and harmony that cannot be broken.

            His disciples have difficulty with this radical teaching.  Even though they accept Jesus as the Messiah, they have not yet realized what he means by the kingdom of God.  That kingdom, won by his death and resurrection, will restore humanity to the original intimacy and love of Genesis.  That is why Jesus wants children to come to him.  Children have a remarkable ability to embrace the present moment without question.  The disciples musty learn that same lesson.  They will need to embrace his message of love and permanence with simplicity and trust.

            Jesus invites us to embrace this very difficult teaching about marriage with simplicity and trust.  As Catholics, we accept his teaching that marriage is a permanent institution that can be ended only in death.  We are part of the kingdom of God begun with his death and resurrection.  As all of you who married couples know, marriage is not an easy vocation.  It is very demanding.  I argue that married couples face greater challenges than we who live the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  The Church has clearly defined what constitutes a valid bond of marriage that can only end in death.  We embrace the teaching of Jesus and know that civil divorce does not end a valid bond of marriage.  That is why we have a Marriage Tribunal in our Diocese.  Those whose marriages have ended in divorce can approach the Tribunal to decide about the truth of that bond.  Most Catholics do not understand what an annulment means.  If you find yourself in this difficult situation, do not hesitate to approach Father Andrew.

Married couples need to do everything possible to cooperate with the grace given by the Sacrament to be faithful to their commitment.  When you experience difficulties, do not hesitate to seek professional help.  There are other movements today which support married couples.  The Bible begins with a wedding in Genesis.  It ends with a marriage feast in the Book of Revelation.  We are painfully aware that we do not live in a world of perfect love and intimacy.  But in a world of sin and division, we are invited to embrace the Kingdom of God like little children.  That means that married couples in a valid bond of marriage need the faith to enter into the dying of Jesus Christ, trusting that together, they can share in his rising.   

 

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

15 SEPTEMBER 2024

 

            Ever since leaving the Easter Season and returning to Ordinary Time, we have been listening to the Gospel according to Saint Mark.  He has been telling us about the early ministry of Jesus in Galilee.  In his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus had read from the Prophet Isaiah and announced that he was the promised and long-awaited Messiah.  Even though the locals could not believe in him, he called others who left everything and became his disciples.  They heard his teaching and witnessed his miracles to verify his identity.  He then chose twelve of them and sent them in pairs on a mission.  They accomplished miracles in his name and returned in triumph.  As their faith in him deepened, the opposition to him increased.  The religious leaders were beginning to plot against him and exploring ways to eliminate him.

            Today, Jesus leads his disciples to Caesarea Philippi, an area named for a local governor and his patron, Caesar.  They gather near the shrine dedicated to Pan, the pagan god of agricultural growth and fertility.  He asks his disciples to tell him the gossip about his identity.  They respond that some claim that he is John the Baptist.  Others claim that he is Elijah or one of the prophets.  Then he asks the key question: “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter responds with the correct answer: “You are the Christ.” 

            Then he tells them not to tell anyone, because he needs to clarify his role as the Messiah. He will not be a messiah who defeats the Romans.   He confirms that the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes will win the battle and have him executed.  He will be the suffering servant who will defeat the power of sin and death by entering into death itself.  Peter takes him aside and rebukes him, because Peter cannot imagine that his trusted friend and mentor would have to undergo such a horrible fate.  Jesus strongly rebukes him and calls him “Satan,” the one who tempted him in the desert to depart from the will of his Father.  Jesus then tells them that if they want to be his authentic followers, they must accept the same fate.  They have accepted the gift of faith that he has offered.  Now, they must live that faith by surrendering themselves to the incredible love that Jesus will embrace.  As authentic followers, they too must deny themselves and take up the cross of putting others and needs of others first.  They had not earned the gift of faith.  They had received it feely and without pay.  Now, they must embrace the implications of living that faith and spreading it to others.

            That is exactly what Saint James is saying in the second reading.  He acknowledges that faith is a free and unearned gift.  Like the other disciples of Jesus Christ, he is grateful for that gift and has openly accepted it.  But then he spells out the implications of living that faith.  An authentic faith in Jesus Christ involves embracing the cross and putting the needs of others first.  He gives a specific example.  If a disciple sees a brother or sister who has no clothing and no food and simply wishes them well, then that disciple is not carrying a cross or entering into self-denial.  Saint James points out that this faith is dead without the good works that would allow them to provide clothing and food to the poor person.

            This is the message for every one of us, who are disciples of Jesus Christ. Like Peter, we know that we are not following the teachings of a great human leader or prophet.  We are disciples of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who has defeated the power of sin and death by embracing his cross and giving his life completely to us.  When we are dismissed from this Mass, we are challenged to display our faith in very definite works of mercy and compassion.  Peter may have balked at first.  But he will eventually understand and embrace the dying of Jesus Christ and to share in his rising.  He challenges us to do the same.

 

TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

18 AUGUST 2024

 

          In our modern age, we are blessed with technologies to help us get around.  Last year, I bought a car that included “driver assistance technology.”  There are blind spot warnings in the side mirrors.  When I back out of the rectory parking place, a backup camera warns me if there are any cars coming on Dubail Street.  It has adaptive cruise control that automatically adjusts the speed when approaching a car in front of me on the highway.  They make driving safer.

            Saint Paul lived at a time before technology.  But when he writes to the Ephesians, he provides “living assistance training,” which can be helpful for all who have chosen to become disciples of Jesus Christ.  First, he tells us to watch carefully how we live.  The Greek word he uses for “live” is better translated “to walk.”  As disciples, we need to walk together in a way that we have as our goal a deepening relationship with Jesus Christ.  We need to be aware of what lies before us, but we also need to be open to the advice of those who are wiser.  If we keep our eyes firmly on the goal of the new and eternal Jerusalem, then we will be less likely to make impulsive and foolish decisions about what is important in our walking pilgrimage.

            Second, he tells us to make the most of the time God has given us.  Like the Ephesians, we live at a time where there is plenty of turmoil and lots of disagreements.  There are so many things that are totally out of our control.  Instead of wasting time worrying about what cannot be changed, we disciples need to get involved in some kind of humble service.  Even small acts of kindness can make a difference in an angry world.

            Third, he tells us that we must avoid being foolish.  The Book of Proverbs speaks about avoiding what is foolish and embracing what is wise.  In his letter last Sunday, Saint Paul urged disciples to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit helps us to avoid all bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, reviling, along with all malice.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can replace these foolish attitudes with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.

            Finally, he tells us to avoid being drunk.  There is nothing wrong with disciples drinking in moderation.  However, wise disciples do not drink and drive.  wise disciples do not spend inordinate amounts of time being fed by social media and those things that distract us.  Instead, disciples need to be drunk on the Holy Spirit.  Then we can sign psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another giving thanks to the Lord in our hearts.

That is why it is so important to continue to reflect with Jesus on the importance of the Eucharist as we continue our journey of faith together.  Jesus reminds us that God had fed his ancestors in the desert with manna during their journey in the desert as they walked together to the Promised Land.  Even though they had been fed by God, they still died.  Jesus invites his disciples to believe that he is the Eternal Word of God who has come from heaven and dwells in our midst.  We feed on God himself, eating his Body and drinking his Blood.  He gives himself as food and drink.  Those who eat his flesh and drink his blood will never die.

            We who share in this Eucharist trust his promise.  We know that eating his flesh and drinking his blood strengthens us to give of ourselves totally as he has given himself to us.  As we heard from Saint Paul last Thursday on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ is the first fruits of all who have died with him.  Fed by the Eucharist, we too can die to ourselves and trust his promise to follow where he has gone.

             

 

 

 

NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

11 AUGUST 2024

 

            The prophet Elijah had challenged the prophets of Baal to a duel on Mount Carmel in the northern kingdom of Israel.  Most of his fellow Israelites had abandoned the Covenant with God.  Instead, they had chosen to put their faith in the Baals, the gods of fertility.  After the prophets of Baal had failed to demonstrate that their gods existed, Elijah called on God to demonstrate his power and presence.  Lightning came from the sky and consumed the sacrifice on the altar. Elijah had slain the prophets of Baal and restored the faith of the people.

            Today, we find Elijah running for his life.  Queen Jezebel has sent her troops to kill him.  Completely discouraged, he has entered the desert and wants to die.  But God sends him food in the form of a hearth cake and jar of water and commands him to continue his journey in the desert to Mount Horeb, the northern kingdom’s name for Mount Sinai.  There, he would encounter God and receive the strength to continue his mission.

            Many years earlier, his ancestors had entered the same desert.  They had won a victory against their Egyptian captors when Moses led them through the waters of the Red Sea.  But, like Elijah, they were discouraged and wanted to die.  In this deserted place, they had no food.  So, through the intercession of Moses, God gave them food in the form of manna from heaven.  Nourished by this food, they continued their journey to Mount Sinai.  There, they would encounter God and receive his covenant and eventually enter the Promised Land.

            Many centuries later, Jesus had fed a crowd of thousands with five loaves of barley and two fish in a deserted place.  They were so taken by this miracle that they wanted to make him king.  He withdrew from the crowd, because he had not worked this miracle to give them free meals.  He did it to be a sign of something much greater.

            Today, he continues to explain the significance of this sign.  He wants the crowd to know what we know:  that he is the eternal Word come down from heaven to remain with us.  We heard this the Gospel of Saint John proclaimed on Christmas day.  That is what Jesus is trying to tell the crowds.  He had been present at the creation of the world, and now he intends that this sign might deepen their faith in him.  He is the living bread come down from heaven.  He gives himself to those who believe that they might have eternal life in him.

            However, the crowds cannot believe in him.  He is too ordinary for them.  They know his humble origins in Nazareth. They are not interested in his invitation to imitate his example of giving of himself.  They do not want to give.  They want to get.  They want free meals for the rest of their lives. 

            These readings speak to us today.  Like the Israelites and Elijah, we too have experienced the presence and power of God in our lives.  But like them, we have known times of failure and rejection.  In those times when God seems far from our lives, we find ourselves in deserts and are tempted to give up.  But the Lord feeds us with his Body and Blood to increase our faith and strengthen us to continue our own journeys through life.  He gives himself to us as food, so that we can give of ourselves to others.

            In this Bread of Life discourse, he wants to deepen our faith in this central Mystery of our faith.  He invites us to enter into communion with him and his Father.  In this Eucharist, he shares a life that is already eternal.  We recognize his real presence.  Sent from this Mass, we open our eyes to the ways he is present in those we encounter – especially those on the margins and those we do not like.  We imitate him by giving, and thus receiving life that cannot end.

 

 

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

28 JULY 2024

 

          Ever since we returned to the Scripture readings assigned on Sundays in Ordinary Time, we have been hearing from Mark’s Gospel about the early ministry of Jesus in Galilee.  He has announced that he is the promised Messiah and has taught that the kingdom of God is at hand.  He has worked miracles to show people the beginnings of that kingdom.  He has been rejected by his hometown folks in Nazareth and worried his blood family about his behavior.  However, he has broadened the definition of family and has invited anyone who is willing to do the will of the Father to become part of a new family.  Many have accepted his invitation and joined that new family.  He has chosen twelve of those disciples and sent them out on mission.

            Last Sunday, he tried to take his apostles to a deserted place to allow them to rest.  However, the vast crowd had gathered there, and his heart was filled with pity for them.  He knew that they are hungering for the truth.  Instead of sending them away, he took time to nourish their hunger for the truth by teaching them.

            Today, we depart from the Gospel of Mark and listen to the Gospel of John.  John picks up where Mark left off.  John is very careful to connect what Jesus is about to do with what Moses had done many centuries before.  Moses had led the large crowd of people through the waters of the Red Sea.  Jesus has just crossed the waters of the Sea of Galilee.  Moses led his people to a deserted place and had gone up the mountain to commune with God.  Jesus finds a large crowd in a deserted place, and goes up a mountain to sit down and teach his disciples.  The large crowd who had followed Moses were hungry and needed food.  There was no food in the desert. Jesus realizes that his crowd is hungry and needs to eat.  He asks Philip, who is from nearby Bethsaida, if he knows a place where they can buy food.  Moses then announces that the Lord will feed them with manna, so they will not starve.

            Jesus chooses to work this most remarkable of all his miracles at Passover, when his contemporaries would celebrate the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt.  Philip replies that they do not have enough money to buy food for such a huge crowd in Bethsaida.  Andrew points out that there is a boy here who have five barley loaves and two fish, not enough to feed so many.  Just as Elisha defies the obstacles in the first reading by feeding 100 people from 20 loaves of bread, Jesus takes the loaves, gives thanks, and distributes the loaves and fish to everyone.  There are twelve baskets left over.  Jesus withdraws when they want to make him king.  He does not work this miracle to get their attention.  He works it to help them understand that he is the bread come down from heaven to feed everyone.  We will hear his Eucharistic theology at Mass during the next few Sundays.

            The Lord feeds us today with the miracle of his real presence in the Eucharist.  But, as we are nourished and sent from this church to do the Lord’s work in our day, we tend to have the same obstacles.  Like Philip, we wonder if we are in the right place.  Like Andrew, we worry that we don’t have enough money to meet so many needs.  We cannot imagine how we can meet the needs of so many with what we have.  But Jesus can change our hearts.  He will take care of the feeding.  We just have to do the preparation.  The word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving”.  As we express our gratitude for the Lord’s real presence, we can take another look at what we have been given and express a deeper gratitude by sharing our many gifts with others.

            Saint Paul says it all when he writes to the Ephesians.  In celebrating this Eucharist, we can be more intent on practicing the virtues of humility, gentleness, and patience.  We become what we consume:  The Body of Christ committed to gratitude and humble service.