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.