Thursday, December 31, 2009

Homily – December 31, 2009 – The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

+ Today, on this last day before the octave day celebration of Christmas, we have the magnificent Prologue of St. John the Evangelist's Gospel. Only one who was deeply inspired by the Holy Spirit could fashion such a profound and magnificent summary of the action of the Incarnation in so few words: The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, becoming Flesh! There is an entire theological discourse on Incarnation present in these seven paragraphs.

The WORD OF GOD, who was in the beginning with God, his Father, who was present at creation, was born into a world that refused to know or recognize him, but for those with faith, they saw his glory, they saw who he was, they saw the dawning of redemption. The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us! From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace. In him we have seen the very glory of God himself!

May we remember this day, and all days of the coming New Year that to those who accept him he gives power to become children of God! This is an astounding and totally unmerited gift: one that needs to be contemplated, pondered, prayed about, thanked for and lived each day!

This is the truth! Everything else is a lie! May we live this day in truth, and teach others to do so – so that they too can experience the splendor and peaceful joy of being a child of God!

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Homily – December 30, 2009 – The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

+ Our readings today are beautiful indeed. In the first reading St. John writes very specifically to children, fathers, young men, twice, urging and exhorting them not to love the world or the things of the world. This is futility – and the love of God the Father will not be in such a person.
The world and its enticements are passing away. Any who are bent on the world and its ways will be hell-bent of their own choosing. But whoever does the will of the God – living in love, will have God living in them now and remaining in them forever! And who would not want that!

Our New Year's Resolution ought to be to detach ourselves from the world and its ways, even moreso this year, than any other year – for the coming of the Lord may be nearer than we think! This does not mean that we cannot live in the world: we just not ought to be of it!

The gospel passage today continues the scene of yesterday's beautiful passage about two holy people who were focused on God and his promises their whole lives long – a promise among which was to be able to embrace and see the long-awaited Messiah and Lord when at last he came. Simeon, yesterday and Anna today were blessed because they expected God to fulfill his promise of mercy and redemption – sending light and glory to transform the darkened world: a world darkened by sin and selfishness – and THEY SAW HIM!

May we like Simeon and Anna keep our focus on the Lord, who has already come into our baptized souls – and who is to come again to be our judge! If our focus overflows into a life of peaceful loving care for any brother or sister in need – then we will be ready when the little Lord Jesus of Bethlehem, fully grown and in his element, comes to take us home!

A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, and adore the Lord. Today a great light has come upon earth!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Homily – December 29, 2009 – The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

+ Today in this Christmas Season Mass we have the very beautiful story of a wish-come-true, a promise fulfilled, a longing and a yearning satisfied. It is the story of actually two people (although only one is mentioned in this particular gospel passage): Simeon and Anna: two elderly, faithful members of God's people and worshipers in the Temple in Jerusalem. It has been promised Simeon that he would not see death until he held the sacred and holy object of his longing and dreaming and hope in his very arms: the Christ Child and Lord of All Nations Himself: Jesus, Emmanuel! He recognized the child and his parents immediately and was filled to overflowing with praise of God and thanksgiving for God's faithfulness to him. He then uttered those now acclaimed words of simplicity which summarize and proclaim the Christmas Message: Lord, now you can let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel. It was an amazing scene to behold.

There was also there at the time, Anna a prophetess, who worshiped faithfully and daily in the Temple. She too was waiting for the fulfillment of all the prophecies: she too was promised the privilege of being the first to see Jesus at his presentation in the Temple. She rejoiced and gave thanks to God for his faithfulness and his love.

For us, God-with-us, Emmanuel, Jesus the Christ is already with us; he dwells in our baptized souls, we commune with him at each Mass we attend. We have only to recognize him more and more deeply and intensely at each Mass, and when we encounter him in each other, and in all people, when Mass is done – than we can experience the Christ-centered peace and calm and satisfaction that Simeon and Anna were the first to experience.

You Lord, O Little Child are a light to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel and the new Israel the Church!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Homily – December 28, 209 – The Holy Innocents

+ Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Infant Martyrs who gave their lives instead of Christ, rather than because of Christ. In doing so they are held in highest esteem in heaven above and earth below. It was out of unconscionable cowardice and fear and jealousy that King Herod set out to destroy the One who would be King of the Jews: Jesus who star was seen rising in the Eeast. If Herod had only opened his mind to the understanding that the Kingship of Christ would be a spiritual one that would be uncontested in the end by any and every king, lord, president and ruler, maybe he would have chosen other methods of dealing with such a meek and mild King.

As it stood though, he was out to destroy the newborn Messiah and King. In dreams the parents of Jesus were instructed by God on how to protect their treasured trust. They would flee to Egypt and remain there until it was safe to return to their home in Nazareth. But the sound of weeping a wailing in Judea was unparallel when in house after house Herod's soldiers sacrificed innocent baby boys. These precious children immediately took their place around the throne of God and play there even to this day – as God's highly favored and beloved children.

We remember today all children who are caught in the crossfire of earthly pride and jealousy and cowardice – we remember especially the millions who will never even see the light of day due to the often times misguided medical notions of others. These are the true Holy Innocents of our day! We honor them today as well!

We praise you, O God, we acclaim you as Lord; the white robed army of martyrs praise you.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Homily – December 27, 2009 – The Holy Family

+ Today as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we consider "family life in God." Family life in God is based on a dynamic that is for the most part distasteful to most Americans in this day and age: and that dynamic concept is OBEDIENCE. More than ever the American "dream" is about the "fantasy" of "absolute detachment" and independence from any real lasting accountability for anything or anyone (that does not serve temporary and fleeting flights of self-seeking, self-satisfaction and self-glorification!)

In contrast to this, family life in Nazareth was experienced as a real and true flight into the heart of God the Father: whose purpose and plan it was and is to gather unto himself an amazing family, from the four corners of the earth, united in peace, harmony and virtuous living. He even went so far as to send us in the flesh One who would teach us all about life in this family – that One is Jesus – Savior – Messiah – Prince of Peace!

However, to understand anything at all about Jesus the very first lesson to be learned (taught by he, himself) is OBEDIENCE! It was out of OBEDIENCE that Jesus came to us: sent by the Father who was so very concerned about the fact that all of humanity stood in a self-imposed condition of being condemned by him because of the Original and other personal sins; and because there was an irrevocable chasm between us and him, with no possibility of crossing into eternal life of blessedness. Jesus OBEYED and came to us! He OBEYED and was subject to everything about human life that we are, except sin! He OBEYED his Father's Will at every moment of his earthly existence. And for us and for our salvation
he became OBEDIENT even unto death, death on a Cross; this he did joyfully because both he and his Father were so eager to build a new family of believing people who would benefit from his great act of redemption! But the key for them would have to be the same key as it was for him: OBEDIENCE! Obedience to God and his promise of salvation! Why would we not want to love and trust and OBEY anything that our God tells us to do for our present and eternal welfare?

Family life then, mirrored in the life of the Church, has everything to do with OBEDIENCE: the obedience exercised by the Holy Family of Jesus, Joseph and Mary. If Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church (us) is his Bride – and the way for salvation is for the Church/Bride to "do whatever he tells us" (the way Mary explained "obedience" at the Wedding Feast of Cana where Jesus raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament), then in the same way wives should love and "obey" their husbands in the Lord; and husbands must love their wives in exactly the same way that Christ loves, cares for and protects his Bride the Church: and the children, the fruit of the union of husband and wife to complete the cycle of family life need to obey their parents, as we see Jesus doing in the gospel passage when he went down to Nazareth and was "obedient" to them.

There is a great benefit in the God-centered and initiated dynamic of OBEDIENCE that can never be experienced unless family members take the risk of trying it out unconditionally. If we remember that God is the source, the power behind and the reward for all OBEDIENCE and that it is really him that we are obeying in the process, then it might be easier to "take the plunge" and try it out! Perhaps this might be a good "Family New Year's Resolution!" Take to heart the words of these scripture passage that are found in your Bibles at home – OBEY GOD and experience the "joy of OBEDIENCE" in your relationships and then the peace of Christ will dwell in your richly and it will control your hearts and your family life will take on a dimension that maybe it has never had: and you will also better understand what it means to be Church, and members of God's Great and Loved heavenly family!

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, and who walks in his ways – you shall be blessed and favored forever!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Homily – December 25, 2009 – The Nativity of the Lord

+ The Great Moment has finally arrived: the one we have been eagerly waiting for four weeks! And at this point -- here, now -- it all comes down to the notion of "gift-giving and receiving." This is the night / and day tomorrow that is really about "gift giving and receiving," all done out of love: for what we exchange is really LOVE. At this point, the most treasured gifts given will be the ones given as an expression of heart-felt LOVE, and they must all be received with an equal measure of gratitude and LOVE: the Christmas Gifting Gesture: is actually then an exercise in the "communion of LOVE."

What this means is that the gifts given that were paid for by self-sacrifice and hard-earned work, gifts made by hand, gifts of promised service for a later time (a Holiday IOU for providing aid and assistance to those in need) are the most treasured and most valuable gifts!

Later in this Mass you will receive into your hand, into your mouth, into your heart the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace who made his appearance on this earth in that tiny stable in Bethlehem amidst an adoring crowd of his parents, shepherds and animals bowing and lowing. That was an amazing scene and an amazing moment, and it took place in utter silence that was only broken by a chorus of angels giving glory to God and announcing peace on earth to men of good will! That peace was Jesus himself: he was and is God's-peace-made-flesh.

After receiving the "little Lord Jesus" in Holy Communion tonight there will a moment of Great Silence – (which is normally observed anyway) but tonight it will be even more special. At that time, when we sit in silence, there will be the opportunity for a very special exchange of gifts: Jesus has something uniquely special for you this year, unlike any other year. You can use this silent moment to spiritually "tune in" to what that is: ask him to reveal it and he will; and then, you can use this wondrous moment to offer him something likewise different from any other Christmas: something especially significant for both you and him, this year, that perhaps only you and he would know about: something that you have made with your life this year. IT CAN BE A TRULY AWESOME MOMENT! We will take the time: to observe it, cherish it and use it! It will be fantastic!

Oh, and it will be OK during the Mass up to that point to think about what possible gift Jesus will have for you, and the one you will have for him at the Great Silent Moment!

I proclaim to you good news of great joy: today a Savior is born for us, Christ the Lord.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Homily – December 23, 2009 – Fourth Week of Advent - Wednesday

+ Today we come to the last Mass of the Advent Season and in it we conclude the very special Masses of Advent which are centered on the theme of the eight "O Antiphons" of the Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin Mary found in Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours.

Today's "O-title"(which is also the Alleluia Verse at this Mass) is "King and Keystone– O King of all nations, and Keystone of the Church: come to save man, whom you formed from the dust" It is good to know that the One from whom the Church originates and the One keeping it all together with his power and his love is wholly of God, wholly reliable, wholly dependable and wholly adorable. We have reached the time now of the completion of the prophecies that needed to surround the birth of the Messiah. The birth of John the Baptist, paralleling the sending of Elijah the Prophet broke the silence of God's immediate execution of the plan of our salvation. He is so very near now, and John would be the one to literally point to him and say: Look, there he is; there is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! The time of Jesus to become resident King of all nations and Keystone of the family of Church that he would found which would prepare all these nations for eternal blessedness is only hours away now! What is it that we have to offer Jesus tomorrow on this particular Night of Christmas? What is it that he has to offer us that is different from any other year? What a marvelous exchange of gifts can occur if we cooperate and plan for it today!

Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Homily – December 22, 2009 – Fourth Week of Advent - Tuesday

+ Today we continue the very special Masses of Advent which are centered on the theme of the eight "O Antiphons" of the Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin Mary found in Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours.

Today's "O-title" is "King and Keystone – O King of all nations, and Keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust." It is good to know that the One from whom the Church originates and the One keeping it all together with his power and his love is wholly of God, wholly reliable, wholly dependable and wholly adorable! May we rejoice with Hannah and Mary at the way God shows favor to his beloved people. May we rejoice at the way God rejoices over us! He not only rejoices over us but he comes to save us who are so much need of salvation. And he simply asks our permission to use us for his purposes and plans – and when we agree, like Hannah and Mary, unexpected and magnificent things can happen for us and for others through us – we become a real and vital part of the salvation process. As we are just days away from this year's celebration of Christmas let us place all of our hope and trust and confidence in the Keystone that is holding us all together and the King of all nations who is inviting us all into One Kingdom above.

Our hearts exult in the Lord – for he is our Savior!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Homily – December 21, 2009 – Fourth Week of Advent - Monday

+ Today we continue the very special Masses of Advent which are centered on the theme of the eight "O Antiphons" of the Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin Mary found in Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours.

Today's "O-title" is "Emmanuel – O Emmanuel, our King and giver of Law: come to save us, Lord our God." Just days before the celebration of Christ's Birth we see plainly in our antiphon the "name" he will be given: Emmanuel / Savior. Jesus came to save us from sin and from an eternal life separated from God in cold, bleak emptiness. In being our Savior and an ever present reminder of God's love for us, he is also our joy! May we, with the baby John the Baptist, allow our hearts to leap for joy in his presence!

And we have every reason to rejoice, for God himself shouts for joy over us: he is very excited about becoming one of us, so to save us: he sings of his love for us, eternally. We are so very fortunate to have a God who cares so deeply and personally for us!

Exult you just in the Lord! Sing to him a new song – for he sings a love song to us!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Homily – December 20, 2009 – Fourth Sunday of Advent

+ On this final Sunday of Advent we focus on one rather obscure phrase in the first reading today which actually summarizes everything about the Season that we are in and the one that will begin this coming Thursday evening: the phrase is: "he shall be peace!" He shall be peace refers to the shepherd who will stand firm by the strength of the Lord, in the majestic name of the Lord, his God; the shepherd King of the House of David, from the town of Bethlehem-Ephrathah (too small to be among the clans of Judah).

He shall be peace! The one who is to come to first dwell in that stable in Bethlehem will be peace-in-the-flesh. To think that peace is simply the absence of chaos, is to miss the whole concept of Christ completely. Peace is actually a human being and his name is Jesus. All else that we relate to peace derives from his person.
He is the heavenly peace that he not only sleeps in, but also radiates at every moment of his existence. His is the peace that the world cannot possibly know about, understand or desire in the slightest. His is the peace, nevertheless, that all people thirst and yearn for to the depths of their beings. Yes,
what we need in our lives is not just the absence of turmoil, but a personal relationship with the Prince of Peace himself; and the only way we can have that is in quiet, silent, reflection!

The gospel passage today tells us what Mary did immediately after this Prince came to live within her who consented to be his Mother, she felt the need to radiate that peace to others, she was moved to holy action, and she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was also now with child (whose name would be John, and he would be the Baptizer). John leapt for joy in his mother's womb when Mary entered the house. He was the first to recognize the unique presence that his cousin, the Prince of Peace was. A new day was dawning and the One whose obedience would take away all of the bad of the old dispensation is now months away from making his earthly appearance. As our second reading today tells us, it would be in his "will" to do his Father's will – that would be the cause of our salvation!

May we in these last days before Christmas take time each day to reflect in silence the great mystery of the coming into the world, coming into our lives of the Prince of Peace himself. And remember on Christmas Eve or Day (whenever you will attend Mass to celebrate his birth) that you will consume and eat in Holy Communion this "peace of God" who became a man, who became that piece of bread for you, so that you can be that bread and the peace and that Prince to others, all others, but especially the poor and needy not only on Christmas Day, but on every other day of the year as well!

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Homily – December 18, 2009 – Third Week of Advent - Friday

+ Today we continue the very special Masses of Advent which are centered on the theme of the eight "O Antiphons" of the Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin Mary found in Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. Each day a special title of the coming Messiah is presented with its meaning in this "antiphon." (Actually the hymn: O Come O Come Emmanuel is based directly on these titles). The same new daily antiphon is used as the "alleluia verse" of the Masses from December 17 to December 24.

Today's "O-title" is "Leader – O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power." When the "saving power" of the Law of Sinai showed itself to be useless in obtaining what really mattered: forgiveness of sin and the possibility of eternal life: the all-powerful God sent the fulfillment of the Law: LOVE in person to be the new and lasting saving power, action and law: the action of the self-sacrificial offering of Calvary. The one foretold to be the shoot of David, being of the kingly house of Judah and David, would reign forever because he would also be the one foretold to be born of the Virgin Mary whose name would be Emmanuel – for God would be with his people in a very special way from then on!

May we this day choose Emmanuel the Lord to be our true Leader, our power, our law so that we can always do what is fitting, right and proper all the days of our life – with his help – thus feeling the effect of being rescued by him, from what we need to be rescued from.

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Homily – December 17, 2009 – Third Week of Advent - Thursday

+ It is certainly clear from the gospel passage where Jesus came from. He has quite the distinguished family tree! May we not forget that our family-tree-of-faith is just as distinguished if not moreso – because in the spiritual regeneration of our baptism we have Jesus (and all of his spiritual relatives) as part of our tree, but also his Father and their Holy Spirit. We have an amazing spiritual gene-pool to draw from in our ordinary day by day lives of discipleship! It is actually quite exciting! The question though is posed: do we remember our spiritual heritage, do we call upon it, do we use it?

Today we begin the very special Masses of Advent which are centered on the theme of the eight "O Antiphons" of the Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin Mary found in Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. Each day a special title of the coming Messiah is presented with its meaning in this "antiphon." (Actually the hymn: O Come O Come Emmanuel is based directly on these titles). The same new daily antiphon is used as the "alleluia verse" of the Masses from December 17 to December 24.

Today's "O-title" is "Wisdom – O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge." This Wisdom of God would no doubt begin its teaching by reminding us of our spiritual heritage grounded in he whose life was prepared for by 42 generations of faithful people: men and women who yearned for the power and protection and peace that only God could give! Forty-two generations pointing to one person cannot be wrong!

Let us be willing to be taught, let us follow the shining star of Wisdom!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Homily – December 16, 2009 – Third Week of Advent - Wednesday

+ The proof in anything is always in action. Thoughts and words are one thing, but deeds are something else. It takes the conviction of belief to translate thoughts and words into action, or else no one would bother to do anything! Jesus told John's disciples to report to him what they had seen him do (which would be proof of who he was): which was curing the blind, making the lame walk, cleansing lepers, giving the power to hear to the deaf, and the power of life to the dead and bringing the good news of relief to the poor. Behold, the Lord God comes with power!

In the first reading today from the Prophet Isaiah we see more clearly who this God is who is doing these things: he is the almighty Lord and Creator, he is the all powerful one and gentle Father: never forget that I am the Lord, there is no other: I form the light, and create the darkness, I make well-being and create woe; I, the Lord do all these things. And now I choose to let justice descend from heaven like dew from above, like gentle rain the skies will drop it down. The earth shall open and salvation shall bud forth: I, the Lord, have created this. I AM THE ALL POWERFUL GOD! NEVER FORGET THIS! Turn to me and be safe all you ends of the earth. In me is the vindication and the glory of all the descendants of Israel.

May we this day contemplate who God is, and who we are not; and what He graciously offers, and who we ought to so appreciatively receive into our hands, our hearts and our lives: Christ the Lord, the Savior who bud forth!

Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Homily – December 15, 2009 – Third Week of Advent - Tuesday

+ On these days in later Advent, as we continue to ready ourselves for this year's celebration of the birthday of Jesus, we once again turn to the ministries of both Jesus and John the Baptist for a clue as to how to approach such a birthday. Our gospel passage today tells us that Jesus came to do his Father's will, and that all of us need to be likeminded: we must be intent on actually doing the Father's will in our own lives. We must not just say that we are going to do it, then not really do it; we must do it, even if we don't entirely understand it or even agree entirely with what we are doing. If we do it because we know that God tells us to do it, then that is enough.

In this way, Jesus said that a great many good people will enter the Kingdom, before those who say that are entirely religious and don't really show it by their actions: as he put it: the tax collectors and prostitutes believed in John the Baptist's exhortation to repent and do good and they tried to change their lives to reflect that belief.

May we today continue to prepare for Christmas by not only believing in God and his call to conversion to a really good lifestyle, but let us actually live that lifestyle with his help. Our first reading today tells us how eager God is to save himself a remnant: a small group of people who really "get" what "life in him" and with his help, is all about. May we be a people of the remnant in our modern world which is becoming at-large more self-centered, self-absorbed and pagan every day.

Come, O Lord, do not delay; forgive the sins of your people!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Homily – December 14, 2009 – St. John of the Cross

+ Today we celebrate the feast of St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church. He was born in Spain in 1542 and learned the importance of self-sacrificing love from his parents. His father gave up wealth, status, and comfort when he married a weaver's daughter and was disowned by his noble family. After his father died, his mother kept the destitute family together as they wandered homeless in search of work. These were the examples of sacrifice that John followed with his own great love—God.

At fourteen, John took a job caring for hospital patients who suffered from incurable diseases and madness. It was out of this poverty and suffering that John learned to search for beauty and happiness not in the world, but in God.

After John joined the Carmelite order, Saint Teresa of Avila asked him to help her reform movement. John supported her belief that the order should return to its life of prayer. But many Carmelites felt threatened by this reform and some members of John's own order kidnapped him. He was locked in a 6x10 cell and beaten three times a week by the monks. There was only one tiny window high up near the ceiling. Yet in that unbearable dark, cold, and desolation, his love and faith were like fire and light. He had nothing left but God – and God brought John his greatest joys in that tiny cell.

After nine months, John escaped by unscrewing the lock on his door and creeping past the guard. Taking only the mystical poetry he had written in his cell, he climbed out a window using a rope made of strips of blankets. With no idea where he was, he followed a dog to civilization. He hid from pursuers in a convent infirmary where he read his poetry to the nuns. From then on his life was devoted to sharing and explaining his experience of God's love.

His life of poverty and persecution could have produced a bitter cynic. Instead it gave birth to a compassionate mystic, who lived by the beliefs that "Who has ever seen people persuaded to love God by harshness?" and "Where there is no love, put love—and you will find love."

John left us many books of practical advice on spiritual growth and prayer that are just as relevant today as they were then. These include: Ascent of Mount Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul, and A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom of Christ.

Since joy comes only from God, John believed that someone who seeks happiness in the world is like "a famished person who opens his mouth to satisfy himself with air." He taught that only by breaking the rope of our desires could we fly up to God. Above all, he was concerned for those who suffered dryness or depression in their spiritual life and offered encouragement that God loved them and was leading them deeper into faith. St. John of the Cross died in 1675, was canonized in 1726 and was named Doctor of the Church in 1926.

It is truly the poor in spirit who have access to the Kingdom of God! In this Advent season when we remind ourselves of our perpetual poverty in the sight of God, he reminds us of his never ending offering of consolation, presence and strength in the face of all of life's difficulties, challenges and routines by giving us this feast in honor of St. John of the Cross.

O come Emmanuel and ransom your captive people!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Homily – December 13, 2009 – Third Sunday of Advent

+ The Third Sunday of Advent, which we celebrate today, is GAUDETE SUNDAY, taken from the first word of the Entrance Hymn of the old Latin Mass:"Gaudete!" REJOICE!

There is an obvious cause for rejoicing as we make our way, week by week, through the Advent Season, that now it is half over – and the nearness of the Lord can be felt intensified (even if we know that he has already come so many years ago in the stable at Bethlehem, and is always available to us).

But did you ever stop to look at Advent from the opposite point of view, God's point of view; the God whose plan it was to reconcile his people by sending them a redeemer and Savior; who carefully and over o so many generations prepared a people and family to receive him; whose astounding love was the cause of it all and the impetus behind each and every meticulous detail. His perspective on this midway day of Advent is superabundant rejoicing that he is getting nearer and nearer to becoming one of his own creations while still remaining fully God. He is very excited about Jesus' whole mission to us. The first reading from the Prophet Zephaniah shouts of such excitement: Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully; O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed the judgment against you, the King of Israel, the Lord, (will soon be) in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear.

When he comes into your midst, your Lord will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, and he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. [Isn't that incredible – sometimes we think it a burden to sing our praise to God, yet he sings exuberantly of his love of being our Father, and our being his beloved, redeemed, children all of the time! That is amazing!]

And so today: let us rejoice doubly: as we think both of our joy and God's as we enter into the last two weeks before the celebration of the birthday of the central figure in all of human history: Jesus the Lord, the King, the Prince of Peace: God who became one of us; and let us reflect upon how God rejoices over us always– and then, let us act like deserving recipients of such a tremendous gift! Yes, let us love as we have been loved!

The best way to continue our preparation and to show that we really "get" what is going on in this holy season is to do what John the Baptist suggested in the gospel passage when he told the people coming to him at the Jordan River to repent and prepare for the Lord's coming: he told them, bottom line, to LOVE, to look out for one another, to share their belongings, to share their foodto think of others first. This is the best way to prepare for the coming of Jesus because we will recognize him as the one from whom these practices originate, for he is LOVE INCARNATE: LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP AND COMPASSION IN THE FLESH! And then we can see his glory and his light and his truth!

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, for he truly does rejoice in you!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Homily – December 11, 2009 – Second Week of Advent - Friday

+ Our readings today direct us to a very sad and pitiable segment of the population who seem to exist in every generation. They are the ones who refuse God's love, God's care, God's help, and God's offer of salvation. There are such persons and they exist even today.

Our gospel reading today tells us how such persons fail to recognize the presence of Jesus as Son of God in their own midst: Jesus says that the crowds did not recognize John the Baptist who announced him because he looked kind of strange, lived in the desert, and ate and drank nothing substantial; and they did not recognize him who came both eating and drinking – but apparently with the wrong crowd – he was friendly with tax collectors and sinners.
Those who judge by their own myopic and limited standards never do see reality correctly!

The first reading today tells how God is so very eager to teach his people what is good for their eternal salvation and to lead them in the way that will reach there; but the condition is that they listen to his commandments – follow his rules and live like they truly want to be counted as members of his family!

This Advent time of year is a good time to pray that all people everywhere allow the Holy Spirit to melt within them their stubborn insistence on seeing and judging things their own way - for in refusing to recognize Jesus who came to this earth laden with every spiritual gift necessary for redemption, they will be condemning themselves to an eternal existence in the cold, dark bleakness of eternal winter!

Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light, and warmth and knowledge of life forever!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Homily – December 10, 2009 – Second Week of Advent - Thursday

+ The excitement of this Advent Season seems to quicken with today's Alleluia Verse: Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior. These are words from the incredibly beautiful prophecy of Isaiah. The use of poetic imagery is enormously profound. He paints his prophetic imagery with words like an artist does with a brush and easel.

Let the very clouds of the skies rain down the Sun of Justice: Christ the Lord; let the very earth beneath your feet welcome and bring forth a Savior: Jesus, Emmanuel. What a description of "the breaking forth of God into human history as one of us!"

The first reading today is also Isaiah's description of the event, which for him had not yet come to pass: the Lord will grasp his worm and maggot people, Jacob and Israel and tell them to fear not because help is on the way! They truly were worm and maggot because of the sin of Adam in which they shared and wallowed, but also, at that point, because they were part of a people who systematically and continually rejected any overture by God to help and save them from their sins. But this time it seemed different; this time the people were so afflicted and needy that they were ready to listen and respond, and the desert and the marshlands of their lives were open for replenishing at the hand of God: and they are now grateful!

May we today, who still sometimes act like worms and maggots in God's presence – especially in things regarding him and his due – read the sign of the times like Jesus told the disciples of John the Baptist to do, and hail the redeemer who truly is in our midst: the very Lord, King and Prince that we will receive in Holy Communion at this and every Mass.

Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Homily – December 9, 2009 – Second Week of Advent - Wednesday

+ Behold, the Lord comes to save his people; blessed are those prepared to meet him. This is the Alleluia Verse today. It summarizes the thought of the day: the Lord's people needed saving, he was more than willing to save them, but part of the process is for them to cooperate in their salvation by always being prepared to meet him when he comes with his saving help!

In the gospel passage, Jesus tells us in that beautiful sentence: Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest…Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light…for it originates and is carried out in pure love! Yes, God wants to make the real burden of life as a Son of Adam, also quite doable as an adopted Son / Daughter of God!

The first reading from the Prophet Isaiah today tells of the great strength that God is, and shares with those who lift up their eyes to him, to count of him, who trust in him! There is a measure of cooperation here, as well. God will never disrespect our freedom to either listen to him or do what he recommends or to reject such sage advice. We are free to love him and be helped by him, or not!

May we this day of Advent rejoice in the power that is ours for the humble task of asking and actual use. May the humble heart of Jesus be our model of right attitude this day! Amen!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Homily – December 8, 2009 – The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

+ You would think that the readings today have to do with everything but the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The first reading is about Adam and Eve's disobedience; the second reading is about election in Christ for future glory; the gospel passage is about the Annunciation and the beginning of Jesus life in the womb of Mary. What does all of this have to do with Mary? Absolutely everything! It was Mary's obedience to the will of God for her to be the Mother of his Son that made redemption possible; but Mary's obedience had to be a very special one: one that was completely free from any hindrance, or sinfulness or selfishness on her part. Mary had to be born totally empty, totally open, totally humble, totally nothing in the eyes of God so that he could fill her and exalt her with the role and honor of motherhood of the only one who could undo what Adam did; who could say "yes" where Eve said "No" who could be the facilitator of our election forever as children of God.

And so today we celebrate Mary's first moments of existence in the womb of her mother Ann – as the sinless one, the pure one, the holy one – the one chosen to be the first dwelling-place on earth of Jesus Christ: we celebrate her Immaculate and Highly Favored Conception!

May we look to Mary as a pattern for our own way of receiving Jesusby being as sinless as we can be, as pure and chaste as we can be, as holy as we can be – and by providing a dwelling-place for him in our hearts each day that we receive him in the Real Presence of Holy Communion! He is truly there, then, as much as he was in Mary's womb many years ago. Hail Jesus! Hail Mary! Hail all those who bear the Savior reverently, humbly and lovingly!

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Homily – December 6, 2009 – Second Sunday of Advent

+ As we celebrate the Second of Advent today we are amazed at the great love and excitement that was found bubbling forth from the heart of God the Father as he conceived the plan to send forth a redeemer to reconcile his wayward children. The Prophet Baruch tells us in the first reading that God was more than enthusiastic about gathering his errant people from east to west so that he could name them his "justice" and the" glory of his worship" forever!

This is quite a vocation that the people of Israel had. And symbolically God ordered that every lofty mountain be made low, and that age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground so that Israel could advance straight and secure in the glory of God and at last see their salvation: the fulfillment of their vocation!

The gospel passage today takes up the same theme: as the time of the arrival of the fulfillment of the prophecies, the Messiah is near, and John the Baptist is chosen by God to fulfill the prophecy of Baruch and literally cry out: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. He is very near! You have waited for him, and now he comes! Fill in the valleys of your stubbornness causing you to hang on to your own sorrows and afflictions, make low the mountains of your pride and selfishness, make straight the winding roads of your restlessness and willful wanderings, make smooth the roughness of your manner and demeanor! Smile! Relax! Rejoice! Your God cares for you! – and he cares for you too, for you are born, by your baptism, from the faith-stock of the Israelites!

One way for you to determine how tuned-in you are to the real Spirit of the Holidays is, as St. Paul told the Philippians, (having first decided to take care of any detrimental matters mentioned above) to measure your readiness by how truly loving you are: how willing you are to share the riches God gives you to share: how willing you are to go over and above what you might feel comfortable saying and doing to upbuild and help others: how willing you are to be prophets(spokesmen for God), in order to bring others to Jesus!

If each good thought, word and deed were a piece of straw: would you (in the course of the next three weeks) be able to acquire and save enough of them, and place them in the manger of your heart to be ready to receive the little Lord Jesus, away in that manger, on Christmas Eve?

Prepare the way of the Lord: make him a manger full of your good words spoken, and good deeds done, because you love him, you understand what his birthday means, and you understand that the love that flows at this time of the year begins with God but is now dependent upon you in order for the world to understand what Christmas is all about!

Friday, December 4, 2009

Homily – December 4, 2009 – St. John of Damascus

+ St. John of Damascus was one of the most influential Greek theologians of the Church. His thought impacted the work of Thomas Aquinas, Peter Lombard and others. Born in 657 in Damascus, Syria, of a wealthy Christian family, he was well educated by a Sicilian monk in science and theology. He resigned a well-to-do public office and divided his wealth among his relatives, the Church and the poor and became a monk and later a priest. John invested his time, energy and considerable intellectual gifts in the composition of hymns and theological works, the most important of which was his Fount of Wisdom, which was divided into three parts: philosophy, heresies, and the Orthodox faith. The last was a summary of the teaching of the Greek Fathers on the main elements of the Christian faith, the Trinity, creation, the Incarnation, the Church, the sacraments, Mary, and the Second Coming of Christ. John died in 749 and for all of this invaluable work he was declared Doctor of the Church in 1890.

John had a quintessentially Catholic sacramental vision: "The one who seeks God continually will find him, for God is in everything." Our gospel reading today for this Friday in Advent demonstrates this very idea: Jesus gives sight, both physical and spiritual to the blind man, so that he can see God and his works everywhere! It is by faith that this can really be that the man is healed and can see. We too, today, can be healed and see better than ever the manifold works of God and his presence in all aspects of our lives – if we take the time to seek him, ask his intervention and be willing to see things as they really are rather than the way we might want them to be.

As the Prophet Isaiah so beautifully puts it today, and as John of Damascus preached it: on the day of the Lord, the deaf shall hear, the eyes of the blind shall see, the lowly will ever find joy in the Lord and the poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Behold the Lord shall come with power; he will enlighten the eyes of his servants!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Homily – December 3, 2009 – St. Francis Xavier

+ St. Francis Xavier was born in the family castle of Xavier, in the Basque area of Spanish Navarre on April 7, 1506. He was sent to the University of Paris in 1525, secured his licentiate in 1528, met Ignatius Loyola and became one of the seven who in 1534, at Montmartre founded the Society of Jesus. In 1536 he left Paris to join Ignatius in Venice. They all intended to go as missionaries to Palestine, but the trip never materialized. He was ordained in Venice in 1537, went to Rome in 1538 and in 1540, when the pope formally recognized the Society, was ordered, with Fr. Simon Rodriguez, to the Far East as the first Jesuit missionaries. They visited many countries and populated them with many communities of new Christians from India to Japan. Tens of thousands were converted. He set his sights on China but died in 1552 at the age of forty-six before he could reach it. He always worked against great difficulties, language problems, inadequate funds, and lack of cooperation, often actual resistance from European officials, but Francis Xavier left the mark of his missionary zeal and energy on areas which clung to Christianity for centuries. He was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X. Today, December 3 is his feast day!

The sentiment of St. Paul in the first reading today: the preaching of the gospel being an obligation imposed on him and woe to him if he did not preach it, no doubt was shared by St. Francis Xavier. When one receives a clear mandate by Christ Jesus to be his instrument in the conversion of many: the stewardship of such a duty can either be a burden or a difficulty buoyed up by joy! Such was the case for Paul and for Francis Xavier. In delivering the word of God, the joy comes from the preacher allowing himself to be used by God any way he wants: being made weak to win over the weak, becoming all things to all men, to save at least some.

After the ascension the apostles and their helpers went forth into the whole world – they are still going today – and their message lives on!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Homily – December 2, 2009 – First Week in Advent - Wednesday

+ Today's gospel passage relates how Jesus came to multiply blessings in our lives, to ensure that our daily needs are met, and to free us from as many of our handicaps that he feels is necessary for our specific journey through life.

The great underlying principle here is that God is God and he can do whatever he wants to encourage and sustain friendship with his people! And so he chose to break into human history and send his Son to redeem the world from its tragic decision to go it alone without him. Many people would appreciate this help and accept it; but, amazingly enough, many would not care in the slightest that the help was offered – believing themselves to be exempt from the need of such redemption. These unfortunately – as Jesus forewarned – would be lost eternally in the end.

For us today, we need to decide where we want to be: with those accepting God's gift of salvation (the ones cured and fed by God's grace), or those who ignore it and think it a nice crutch for the morally weak and crippled – but certainly not for them! Do we want to sit on the mountain with Jesus and sit down to the great feast prepared; or do we want to eat at McDonald's - forever?

Behold, the Lord comes to save his people; blessed are those prepared to meet him.


 


 

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Homily – December 1, 2009 – First Week of Advent - Tuesday

+ We are now in the very special season of Advent, which has been o so carefully constructed throughout the centuries by the Church, as a fitting and proper way to prepare ourselves for the three comings of the Lord! Yes, there are three comings of Jesus: the first, as a tiny babe in Bethlehem; the second, at the end of time, when he comes as judge; and the third is whenever we invite him to come to us in Holy Reading, Holy Sacrament (such as Eucharist) and Holy Prayer any time of the day and night! Jesus is never very far away for those who seek him!

But this was not always so: at one time in the history of people the presence of God on earth was very distant due to the fact that the people rejected God from their lives: they turned away from him and ended up like a dead tree stump. But it was from such a dead tree stump of Jesse, that a shoot sprouted, and from his roots a blossom appeared: that shoot and blossom was JESUS: Messiah, Redeemer and Friend!

Amazing things would happen when that blossom appeared: the Spirit of God would rest upon him, a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord. He shall judge the poor with justice and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless and slay the wicked. His presence will bring so much peace that the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play in the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on baby snakes! There shall be no harm or ruin on God's holy mountain! Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever!

Yes, these are magnificent things that will happen and will be seen and understood only by those who have childlike wonder and awe in their hearts. God is God and he can do whatever he wants, is the underlying principle! Those who are high, mighty and intellectually superior will more than likely miss the whole point of God's coming to earth: it is so simple, that it can be missed, and understood only by children: God chose to visit us, beginning in a tiny stable in Bethlehem, because he wanted it that way! That's all there is to it! Be childlike today: and understand what that means!

Happy New Year 202

  A Happy New Year to you all! I hope and pray I am able to keep this blog up to date now that we are entering into the New Year! I would li...