FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

20 DECEMBER 2015

          Saint Luke tells us that Mary traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah.  We might wonder why Mary is in such a hurry to undertake this long journey from Galilee in the north to Judah in the south.  Is she eager to get out of a small town to avoid the gossip about her becoming pregnant before marriage?  Is she anxious to provide support for a cousin who had never been able to conceive a child?  Or does she need to receive much needed support from her more mature and much older cousin?  Once they spend time together, what do they talk about?  Does Mary discuss how she always looked up to Elizabeth?  Does Elizabeth point out that she had always seen something special in her younger cousin?

            We will never know the answers to these questions.  However, we do know the theological message.  Mary has heard the message of the Angel, as did her cousin’s husband in the temple.  Unlike Zechariah who could not bring himself to respond in faith, Mary responded to the Angel’s message and obeys with fervor and zeal.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Incarnate Word of God has taken flesh in her womb.  Now she acts on that Word.  Becoming the first disciple, she goes in haste to spread the Good News of Salvation.  That is what disciples do:  unable to contain their joy at hearing the Good News, they go in haste to spread it.

            Elizabeth is the recipient of the Good News which Mary brings her.  Centuries before, King David had danced before the Ark of the Covenant carried through this same hill country into his new capital of Jerusalem.  Now, the infant in her wombs dances for joy, because Mary, the living Ark of the Covenant, brings the Son of God in her womb.  Centuries before David, Esau and Jacob had wrestled with each other in Rebecca’s womb, foreshadowing their eventual fighting as twin brothers.  Now, John the Baptist foreshadows his role as the one who points to the Messiah.  Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth says the words of the Hail Mary:  “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”  She praises, not because of anything Mary has done, but because of her relationship with Christ.  She praises Mary, because she had the courage to believe that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.

            On this last Sunday before Christmas, we too gather as disciples.  At this Mass, we can learn a great deal from Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother.  Like Mary, we have listened to the Word of God and will respond by praising and thanking God in the Eucharistic Prayer.  Fed by the Bread come down from Heaven, we too are strengthened to act on that Word.  Carrying the Lord in our bodies as Mary had done, we will be sent forth from this Mass to go in haste to prepare for Christmas. 

            If anyone can teach us how to go in haste joyfully toward Christmas, the children in our midst provide powerful examples.  They cannot wait for Christmas!  They cannot hide their joy!  Once we reflect on the ways in which Mary and Elizabeth became instruments of God’s will, we too hurry toward Christmas to deliver the long awaited news that the darkness which envelopes this world will not last.  As the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us, once Christ had accepted the body prepared for him, he followed the will of the Father and brought peace and reconciliation to the world.  His one time and perfect sacrifice of himself accomplished what countless sacrifices in the temple could never accomplish.  Like Mary and Elizabeth, we too can learn to know God’s will and make present the miracle of Christmas peace.  Imitating Christ’s example of doing the Father’s will, we can be instruments of God’s peace and joy.  Then God can use us, little though we are, like the little town of Bethlehem.  This is our Christmas gift to the Babe.  Do not wait.  Do it now.  Using the words of “What Child is this,” we sing “Haste, haste, to bring him laud.”

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

13 DECEMBER 2015

          Both the Prophet Zephaniah and the Apostle Paul seem to be full of “Holiday Cheer.”  Zephaniah tells Jerusalem to shout for joy, to be glad, and to exalt.  Saint Paul is not content with telling people to rejoice once.  He says it again:  rejoice!  But, both the prophet and the apostle are in very difficult situations.  Zephaniah does not write from a corner office in Jerusalem.  There is no Jerusalem, because the Babylonians had destroyed it and dragged the remaining citizens into exile.  Saint Paul is not sipping cocktails at a nice resort.  He is in prison, waiting to be executed.  And he is writing to a community which has been torn apart by gossip and backbiting between two factions.

            Their difficult situations do not keep them from their message of joy.  Zephaniah tells his people in Babylon to rejoice, because the Lord is about to free them from captivity.  He has released them from their infidelities which had caused their downfall in the first place.  Saint Paul encourages the Philippians to rejoice, because the Lord is near.  They need to put their petty concerns aside and open themselves to that peace of God which surpasses all understanding.

            The nearness of the Lord is the basis for the words of Saint John the Baptist.  He knows that the expectations of people are high, looking for the joy that will come with the Christ, the Messiah.  So, he tells that his coming is near.  For that reason, they need to repent, to change, and to prepare for his coming.  He is not vague about the need to change.  The crowds should be more conscious of the needs of the poor and the needy and share a portion of God’s gifts with them.  Even the hated tax collectors can change.  They need to be fair in collecting the taxes they hand over to the Romans and not extort their own people.  He tells the soldiers not to bully people and to use their power to serve others and not their own interests.

            The Prophet, the Apostle, and the Baptist speak directly to us today.  They tell us to rejoice and be joyful.  Speaking from an exile in Babylon, from a stinking prison, and from a barren desert, they tell us that joy does not depend on being cheerful.  There is no need to deny that we live in a dark and dangerous world.  To make matters worse, we increase the darkness of our world by making bad choices.  In order to experience true joy, they encourage us to take an honest look at those choices.  An honest look reveals that we do not always share our blessings.  We ignore the advice of Saint Basil the Great who tells us that “the bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it.”  We can easily focus all our energies on our own needs and forget the needs of others. For those of us in positions of authority and power, it is always easier to serve ourselves, rather than others. 

            The words of these three Biblical figures point us in the right direction.  They invite us to rejoice in the nearness of the living Word Made Flesh, who has the power to transform our lives.  The Lord is near to us when things are going well and when Christmas preparations might bring cheer and happiness.  The Lord is also near to us, when things are not going well, when we are in the darkness of grief or loss or illness or disaster.  He is present in our darkness. 

            If you got up early enough on Thursday morning, you saw the color of rose in the east.  The sun would not bring the bright light of day for another half hour.  But that rose color, which became more brilliant in the passing of time, provided hope. The light of the sun was coming. We wear rose today, because the Lord is near in the darkness of our world and in the darkness of our lives.  In the midst of preparations for Christmas, come to the Advent Penance Service at 7:00 on Tuesday evening.  18 priests will be here to be sacramental instruments of the light of God’s mercy, giving God’s peace which surpasses all understanding.

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

6 DECEMBER 2015

          Saint Luke was a student of history.  In reading the Hebrew Scriptures, he understands the ways in which God worked through Israel for 1,500 years.  In writing his Gospel, he unveils the story God taking human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.  In writing the Acts of the Apostles, he records the earliest period of the Church and how the Holy Spirit worked so powerfully.  As a historian, he has a keen sense of facts.  He approaches history from a different perspective than I did in college.  In studying for a history test, I crammed into my head all the important dates, persons, and places.  Then I took the test and promptly forgot them all. 

            Not so with Saint Luke!  He tells us exactly when the Word of God was announced to human beings.  It happened during the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee.  He even mentions that Herod’s brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and that Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene.  As if this were not enough historical context, he also throws in the fact that Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests at the time.

            Luke gives all these facts, not to impress us with his historical test scores, but to make a very definite point:  Christianity did not have its origins in some mythological imagination that portrays life going around in circles.  Its origins are rooted in history, just as God had freed Israel from their exile in Babylon, as Baruch tells us in the first reading.  Luke may use important people to give us a proper context.  But the word of salvation is not delivered to Caesar.  Nor is it delivered to Pilate in Jerusalem, nor to Herod and his brothers in their three regions.  It is not delivered to the important religious leaders of the people.  The Word of salvation is delivered to John, an insignificant son of a priest serving in Jerusalem.  Neither is it delivered to Caesar’s Imperial Palace in Rome, nor in the Praetorium where Pilate delivers his judgments, nor in the plush residences of Herod and his brothers, nor in the Temple, the most sacred place of ancient Judaism.  It is delivered in the remote desert area populated by wild animals. More importantly, this insignificant son of a Jerusalem priest takes himself completely out of the picture and points to the One who is coming, the One who will fulfill the promises of Isaiah and all the prophets.  He insists that God is entering into human history in a unique and unexpected way. 

            Luke helps us to understand that we are not walking around in circles.  Our pilgrimage of faith began with the first coming of God in the person of Jesus Christ.  It will eventually end with the second coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time.  In reminding us of these two comings and telling us to be watchful and alert, the Season of Advent invites us to be more attentive to the ways in which God comes to us now.  The Lord comes in a real way through the Sacraments.  He speaks to us in his Word.  He feeds us with his Body and Blood.  He forgives our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and heals us in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.  He strengthens us who are living permanent Sacraments with the grace of those Sacraments.

            Nourished by his presence in the Sacramental life of the Church, we become more watchful for the ways he comes to us in our daily lives.  We do not need to look for him in the important people and places of our world.  We look for him in the ordinary deserts of our lives – in our homes, in our families, in our schools, in the places where we work, and in the activities of this parish community.  God is not a distant being that looks down on us as we walk in circles.  He is the God of love, who took flesh in time, and who is deeply involved in our pilgrimage of faith.  With Saint Paul, we are confident that the one who began the good work in us will bring it to completion.            

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

29 NOVEMBER 2015

          During the last few weeks, the horrifying presence of terrorism has again reared its ugly head.  We have seen images of the destruction wrought by the Islamic State in the killings in Lebanon, the downing of the Russian plane in the Sinai, and murderous and random attacks in Paris.  We went into the Thanksgiving Holiday with warnings about possible attacks by terrorists in our country.  We were warned to be vigilant and watchful, lest we fall victim to the murderous acts of terrorists ourselves.

Given what we have seen in these last weeks, the last thing we need to hear is more terror and destruction when we come to Mass on the First Sunday of Advent and the first day of this new Liturgical Year.  But, that seems to be the case.  Jeremiah speaks from the perspective of Jerusalem completely destroyed by Babylonian invaders five centuries before the birth of Christ.  The Babylonians came from the area we now know as Iraq and have already murdered the king, who had been a descendant of David.  In the midst of terror and destruction, Jeremiah encourages his people to remain hopeful.  The days are coming, he says, when the Lord will raise up from the downed tree of Jesse a just shoot to bring safety and security.

            Jesus also speaks about destruction and terrors.  Saint Luke clearly identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy.  He is the just shoot, the Son of David.  He is the Son of Man who will come in a cloud with power and great glory.  Jerusalem may have been safe and secure at the time when Jesus speaks these words.  The Temple is being rebuilt.  People are carrying on their business as usual.  But by the time Saint Luke wrote this Gospel, both the city of Jerusalem and the beautifully restored Temple have been destroyed by the Romans.  Using the horrors of that destruction, he records the words of Jesus to warn us to remain alert and watchful for the day when the Lord will come again at the end of the world.

            The media reports about the scourge of modern terrorism cause fear and dread.  That is what the terrorists want.  They want us to lock ourselves behind doors and cower in fear.  But, that is not the intention of today’s Scripture readings.  While both Jeremiah and Jesus speak of frightening realities, both of them promise that God will save us.  We gather to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ at this Mass.  Jesus has already freed us from the power of sin and death.  But we live that Mystery in an imperfect and sinful world.  Jesus uses traditional apocalyptic images and language to speak of the way in which our world will end.  Taking the advice of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians, we can face the end of our world, not by cowering in fear behind locked doors, but by giving of ourselves in active service of God and neighbor.

            This is not the message we receive from our culture.  Our culture tells us that the “Holiday Season” can bring us relief and comfort.  As long as we prepare everything carefully and buy the best gifts, we can create a safe and happy “holiday,” surrounded by comforting music and bright lights.  There is nothing wrong with making preparations and buying gifts for those we love.  There is nothing wrong with the music and lights of the Season.  But, these passing realities cannot bring lasting peace.  Only God can bring a peace that will never end.

            That is why Advent is so important.  Advent invites us to sit in the darkness for a while and face the painful realities of our lives and of our world.  Advent invites us to examine how well we actively love God and neighbor.  Advent gives us time to accept the Lord’s mercy and make important changes in our lives.  Advent reminds us that God came in the person of a tiny baby born into poverty.  Just as no one had expected God to come in that way, Advent helps us to face the end with hope.  Stand erect and raise our heads, because our redemption is at hand.            

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE

22 NOVEMBER 2015

          When Pilate asks Jesus if he is a king, he speaks from the perspective of his kingdom.  In Pilate’s kingdom, privilege, comfort, and prestige are very important.  Pilate enjoys all of these perks, because he has been appointed by Caesar to exercise power and domination over the people under his thumb.  If Jesus answers “yes,” Pilate can have him executed, as a threat to Caesar.  If Jesus answers “no,” Pilate can let him go.

            But the kingdom of Jesus is very different from that of Pilate.  Jesus does not answer Pilate’s question.  Instead, he asks a question:  “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?”  When Pilate responds that he is not a Jew and that Jesus’ own people have handed him over, he wants to know what Jesus has done.  Jesus then explains to Pilate what Saint John had told us at the very beginning of the Gospel.  Jesus has come into the world to testify to God’s truth.  God’s truth establishes a kingdom marked by love, justice, and humble service; not dominion, privilege, power, or prestige. 

            Because Pilate is so immersed in the values of his kingdom, he cannot see the truth standing right before him.  Instead, he sees a bloodied, beaten peasant.  Even though Pilate knows the truth that this man is innocent, he will condemn him to a humiliating and painful death.  From the comfort of his governor’s palace, Pilate will move on to other matters of state in his kingdom.  Pilate does not know that God will transform this dark death into the bright light of the resurrection, revealing the truth of God’s incredible love.

            Throughout this Liturgical Year, the Scripture readings have invited us to reflect on the truth of Jesus Christ.  They have revealed him as the Way, the Truth, and the Light.  On this final Sunday, the Book of Revelation reminds us that Jesus Christ loves us now.  Saint John had originally written these words to Christians facing death and persecution by a kingdom which Pontius Pilate would recognize immediately.  He has atoned for our sins by his death on the cross.  He has redeemed us through the mystery of the resurrection.        

That kingdom is still alive and well in our world.  The recent scourge of terrorist attacks reminds us that there are still ruthless individuals who will use any means for power and domination.  The fear generated by these violent acts can cloud our vision of the truth of the victory already won for us by Jesus Christ, our King.  That same fear can also cause us to abandon our care and concern for vulnerable people who need our help.  As we enter the “holiday season,” the materialism of our culture can prevent us from seeing the truth about Jesus.  Instead of focusing on the Lord’s presence in our families gathered for Thanksgiving, we might be drawn instead to the good deals of Black Friday.  Instead of recognizing the truth of seeing the Lord in the people we might serve, we can think only of our own comfort and security.

            Next Sunday, we begin a new Liturgical Year and enter into the Season of Advent, to begin again our annual preparation to look for the ways in which our Lord comes to us in truth.  Just as these years come and go, so will the kingdom of Pontius Pilate.  His particular kingdom ended a long time ago, and the values of that kingdom will end for us also.  Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all existence.  When we were baptized, we were incorporated into his Body as priests, prophets, and kings.  Sharing the kingship of Jesus Christ, we can renew our efforts to see the truth standing right before our eyes.  It is that truth which enables us to separate those things that pass away from those things that last.  It is that truth which enables us to live in a dangerous and violent world without fear.

            

THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

8 NOVEMBER 2015

          The Scripture readings today offer two unlikely teachers in the ways of faith.  We have no idea of their names.  Both are widows.  Both lived in poverty at the bottom of society.  In a male dominated society, life was difficult for a woman not attached to a man providing for his family.  There was no safety net in ancient Israel.  Psalm 146 (the appointed psalm today) mentions widows as those who are in special need of God’s help.

The widow of Zarephath is not even Jewish.  In fact, she would regard Elijah as her enemy.  Elijah was blamed for the extreme famine that hit the northern kingdom.  He had spoken strongly against King Ahab and his pagan wife Jezebel, because they had turned against the God of the Covenant and built shrines to gods whom they claimed could bring fertility.  Instead, the God of the Covenant brought drought.  In a desert like atmosphere, Elijah asks the widow for a cup of water.  Even though he may have been her enemy, she offers the water, as she would to any stranger entering her village.  Then he asks for some food.  Even though she is about to use up her last bit of food supplies, she responds to the request of this man who speaks for his God.  She makes him a cake first and trusts his word that God would provide food for her and her son.  Her trust is rewarded, and she has enough for all three to eat for an entire year.

The widow in the Temple is Jewish.  Like the scribes who have important positions in the magnificent Temple being rebuilt by Herod, she understands the importance of the Temple as the dwelling place of God and the center of prayer.  Like the wealthy scribes who deposit coins into the thirteen trumpet shaped containers for the restoration and upkeep of the Temple, she also deposits coins.  Unlike the wealthy scribes whose large coins attract lots of attention, she deposits two tiny coins that most people would not even notice.

But Jesus does.  He has just entered into Jerusalem to the shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David,” the title used by blind Bartimaeus in Jericho.  He uses the example of this poor widow to teach his disciples how the Son of David should behave.  The Son of David will not draw attention to himself with long robes, seats of honor, and the fancy titles of the scribes.  Instead, the Son of David will be stripped of his robes, nailed to a horrible instrument of death, and mocked by those who pass by.  Using the language of the Letter to the Hebrews, he will give himself as a sacrifice once for all.  He will give us life by losing his.

This is the paradox that both widows teach us about faith, and especially about being good stewards.  Like the widows, we believe that all that we have is a gift from God.  Like the widows, we can continue to keep giving of ourselves and not be afraid that we will run dry.  God cannot be outdone in generosity.  God does not measure the amount of time, talent, or treasure that we give away.  God measures our willingness.  That is why we have decided not to list specific names in our current capital campaign.  Of course, we cannot build this new church without large gifts, and we are grateful for them.  We are not asking for equal gifts, but for equal sacrifice.  As we sign the beam that will be part of a physical structure of a church built of stone, we know that God is forming us as living stones into a remarkable temple to reflect his glory.

Because of their poverty, the widows also teach us how to trust when things go badly for us.  They are both at the bottom of their worlds.  When we hit bottom, we too can look for an Elijah to tell us not to be afraid and to trust that God will provide what we need.  We can trust that Jesus notices our dilemma and gives us strength to see that in our lowliness, we are worthy in the sight of God.  It is this trust that enables us to live the Paschal Mystery that we celebrate at every Mass.  In losing ourselves, we gain the fullness of life beyond our imagining.

ALL SAINTS

1 NOVEMBER 2015

          When Jesus chooses eight different groups of people to be called “blessed,” or “happy,” or “holy,” we might scratch our heads.  What are you telling us, Lord?  In order to be truly holy, do we have to be dirt poor, or go around with sorrowful faces all the time, or allow bullies to kick us around, or make ourselves so obnoxious that other people will automatically hate us?  Is that what constitutes true holiness?

            The answer, of course, is NO!  The world already has too many grumpy, obnoxious people!  Instead, we need to look at the beatitudes from the perspective of the second reading.  Saint John says that God is love.  Four of the eight beatitudes reflect God’s love.  If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we imitate the right judgment of God and behave according to God’s will.  If we are merciful, we mirror the great mercy of God that will be the theme of the coming Year of Mercy.  If we are clean of heart, we have a single-minded focus on Jesus and his teachings that reveal God’s face to us.  If we act as peacemakers, we radiate the peace that comes from God’s abiding presence in our lives.  Because the essence of love is to seek the good of the other, living these four beatitudes will free us to love others as God has loved us.  We are truly blessed.  We know authentic happiness and holiness.

            The other four beatitudes warn of dangers that distract us from the love of God.  If we are addicted to material goods, we will give all our attention to those things that ultimately cannot last.  If we are addicted to pleasure, we will do whatever we can to protect ourselves from the pain and sorrow that are part of life.  If we are addicted to power, we will never learn how to depend on God’s providence.  If we are addicted to honor, we will not have the courage to speak the truth, especially when it makes us unpopular.  If we find ourselves making ends of any of these means, then we will be less likely to love others as God has loved us.

            Saint John tells us that we have become children of God through the waters of Baptism, allowing the grace of the Sacrament to guide us in living the Gospel beatitudes.  The Book of Revelation gives us an image of what we shall be.  Because the essence of heaven is beyond our human experience, Saint John uses symbolic language to convey what heaven is like.  To give a sense of how many people are saved, he comes up with the symbolic number 144,000, using 12 squared to speak of the 12 tribes of Israel and the Church built on the foundation of the 12 Apostles.  The number 1,000 symbolizes perfection.  Clothed in the robes of salvation made white through the Blood of the Lamb, this immense throng comes from every nation, race, people, and tongue.  And the best thing of all is that they are interceding for us.  They know from their own experience that they have failed in living the beatitudes.  They know from their own experience that they needed God’s mercy.  Most importantly, they know from their own experience how difficult it is to share in Christ’s dying in order to share in his rising. 

            Becoming a saint is not reserved for those who are spiritual giants or for those whom the Church officially recognizes as saints by canonizing them.  We celebrate their feast days throughout the Liturgical Year.  Today, we remember all those people who have learned to embrace the middle four of the beatitudes, and who have learned to see the dangers of being addicted to material goods, or pleasure, or power, or honor.  We know them, because they have been members of our families and loved ones.  Having fully died in the Lord, they want us to join them and to trust that our sharing in the fullness of the Lord’s dying will not destroy us.  We are God’s children now.  Even if the world does not always know us, God knows what we can be.  We can be saints!  There is a great crowd cheering us on!