At the end of our Gospel reading for the feast of the Holy Family, we hear, the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom… What was it about the family of Mary and Joseph that helped the child to be “filled with wisdom”? Perhaps Paul gives us the answer in our reading from his letter to the Colossians, in which we are told to “put on” kindness, humility, gentleness, bearing with one another and forgiving one another.
If we look at those 5 qualities, we can see one common thread: it is the ability to think of other people and their needs, not just our own. It is to let go of rugged individualism and the need to have our own way all the time, while considering the needs and opinion of the other. The “wisdom” in all of this is that, when we act this way, we are happier ourselves, because we are letting go of tension and hostile feelings, building an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Then everyone is happier and at peace. This reality has become clear to me through my many years of living in community with other Salvatorians. When one person is upset and arguing, the whole community is uncomfortable. When we can resolve difference with respectful dialog, the community is calm and everyone is happier. The ability to remain calm and resolve difficulties through dialog is crucial in a family, because children learn by watching their parents. If we want our children to grow in wisdom, as did Jesus in the Holy Family, we must model that wisdom for them. The result of all of this is that “the peace of Christ will control our hearts.” What a wonderful way to live. What wisdom! My prayer is that all of us can grow in our ability to “put on love, the bond of perfection,” as we move through 2024. May you have a blessed and spiritually fruitful year of grace. Church sign of the week: The deeds you do may be the only sermon someone will hear today.
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Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent, but it is also Christmas Eve. This year Advent is the shortest it can be. Because of this, we hear a lot of the Christmas story in one day. Our Gospel for the 4th Sunday of Advent presents the annunciation to Mary of God’s wish for her to be the mother of His Son and her saying, “be it done unto me according to your will.” The Gospel for the vigil Mass presents Joseph being able to discern God’s will and accept Mary as his wife, even though her child was not his. And, finally, the Mass in the evening presents the birth of Christ, in addition to the shepherds listening to the angels, which ultimately led them to go and adore the Christ child.
What strikes me in all of these stories is that the protagonists (Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds) were able to hear what God wanted of them and do it, despite the incredibility of what was being shared. Have a baby with no physical contact with a man? Believe that your betrothed was faithful to you, despite the fact that she was pregnant? Simple shepherds being told about the birth of the Messiah?? I wonder if I would be able to discern God’s will if something that extraordinary were being asked of me? Maybe it depends on how good I am at hearing God calling me in the little things of daily life. I suspect that Mary and Joseph spent quiet time each day in the Lord’s presence. They were used to hearing God’s voice. And the shepherds had a lot of quiet time, away from the hustle and bustle of life, out in the fields watching over the sheep. I imagine Mary and Joseph heard and responded to God’s voice in the needs of those around them, perhaps spending time being with and listening to those who were isolated and lonely. Didn’t Mary drop everything and run to help an older cousin who was pregnant? These thoughts call me to make sure I am listening for God’s voice coming to me, each day, as I move though life. Then I will be prepared to hear, if an extraordinary call comes to me. Living in this way makes the coming of Christ active and real in our lives. May you have a blessed celebration of our Savior’s birth. Church sign of the week: The person who is faithful in very small matters is also faithful in great ones. This third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete” Sunday. The word “gaudete” means “rejoice” and rejoicing is a theme in our readings for this Sunday. In the reading from Isaiah, we hear, “I rejoice heartily in the Lord.” The reading from 1st Thessalonians begins, “Rejoice always.” And the responsorial verse is from Mary: “My soul rejoices in my God.” We are rejoicing because of the coming of our Savior, which brings salvation to the whole world. We rejoice at His coming as a child over 2,000 years ago and we rejoice that he will come to us at the end of our lives.
There is another common theme in our readings: Isaiah in the first reading, Mary in the responsorial psalm, and John the Baptist in the Gospel all bore witness to the coming of Christ. While we are rejoicing in the past and future coming of Christ, we must also remember that He wants to come in the present time and we are an essential part of that. By the way we live, with both words and actions, we can bear witness to Christ and bring Him into this world to those around us. Just as Isaiah, Mary, and John the Baptist all bore witness to what God has done and would do for His people, we need to do the same by the way we live our lives. How we speak and interact with people does make a big difference. I invite us to reflect during this last week of preparation before we celebrate the first coming of Christ on how we are doing at reflecting Christ to those around us. The more we are bringing Christ into the world each day, the more meaningful our celebration of Christmas will be! May you and your family have a blessed Christmas, made holy by Christ’s presence among you! Church sign of the week: Church is who we are, not where we go. For the last weeks, our Gospels have been encouraging us to prepare for our encounter with Christ the King at the end of our lives. The focus this week is on John the Baptist, who was also “preparing” for the Lord, but for the beginning of Jesus’ active ministry. In Advent, we are preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, which happened 30 years earlier. So why would the Gospel present John the Baptist to us?
Maybe because John models for us three steps in true discipleship. Being a true disciple is the best way to celebrate Christ’s entrance into our world, for we are then helping Him enter the lives of other people. The three steps are these: First, he tells us to repent, both by his example (sackcloth and ashes) and by his preaching: repent for the forgiveness of sins. Being aware of our failures and making efforts to improve are the first step in “preparing the way of the Lord” (in other words, “evangelizing”), because actions speak louder than words. Second, he proclaimed the Good News: One mightier than I is coming after me. We need to be willing to share with others what our faith in Christ means to us and how it brings meaning and joy to our lives. Finally, he lived a good life. He did what he knew was right, even though it angered others and even lead to his death. When we can do these three things, we make the highways straight, we fill in the valleys, and we make the mountains low: a rugged land becomes a smooth plain. In other words, we make it easier for others to hear the call of Christ’s love. As we continue our preparations to celebrate the birth of Christ, I invite us to reflect on how well we are doing at making it easier for others to encounter Christ, as they see us act and listen to our words. We DO make a difference. God bless. Church sign of the week: I’m just a nobody trying to tell everybody that there’s a somebody who can save anybody. Today we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new Church year. We know Advent is a time of preparation to celebrate Christmas, so it would seem logical that our readings would somehow begin to prepare us for that feast. But that is not what happens. Our Gospel continues the theme of the last few weeks, warning us to be prepared for the coming of the master, because we do not know when that will be. The Gospel begins with, Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come and ends with, What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’ In between is Mark’s version of the servants left to take care of things while the master goes away.
“Be watchful!” “Be alert!” “Watch.” It can sound scary. But I don’t think it is helpful to be scared or fearful. For me, the operative word is “alert.” For example, it is certainly more challenging to drive these days. But being afraid doesn’t help me; being more alert and watchful about the drivers around me is helpful. The same with walking in a dark parking lot late at night: being scared could paralyze me, but I certainly am alert and watchful. Similarly, being fearful could actually make it harder for us to do what Jesus wants, which is to be watchful for His coming in the beggar on the street, in the homebound person who is isolated, in the people coming into the food pantry for essentials, in the difficult coworker or family member that everyone avoids, and so on. If I am afraid and cautious, I might be less willing to take the risk of reaching out and interacting. As we begin this season of being watchful and waiting to celebrate the birth of Christ, let us resolve to grow in our ability to be watchful and alert, so that we are better able to recognize Christ as he comes to us in the people and situations of our daily lives. God bless. Church sign of the week: The right thing and the hard thing are usually the same thing. Judging from the number of television series about courtroom drama over the years, from Perry Mason to Law and Order, we have a fascination with law and order. Well, the ultimate “law and order” moment is presented to us in today’s Gospel about the Last Judgment.
The key sentence at the Last Judgment is whatever you did for one of the least, you did for me. This is the ultimate criterion on which we will be judged. Not how many times we went to Mass, not how many rosaries we said, etc. These are important aids to help us live as we should, but they are not the be all and end all. The most important word in that sentence is least. Jesus is concerned about those who have no power or position, those who are shunned by others. It could be the relative that everyone ignores at a family gathering – or who isn’t even invited! It could be the difficult coworker whom everyone avoids. It is the beggar on the street, the immigrant with no place to stay, the person with very different cultural norms, etc. etc. In other words, it is the people no one wants to be around. The last four words in the sentence underscore the gravity of our decisions: you did for me. In whatever way we treated these unwanted, unpopular people, we treated our judge. If we helped them, we helped our judge, And vice versa. Jesus is a compassionate judge, not a harsh one. He wants the best for everyone. He wants all those who need help or support to receive it and He wants us to do our part. As we are compassionate, He will be able to be compassionate to us. How have I done over this past Church year? Have I grown in my ability to be compassionate and supportive to those in need? Am I in a better position to meet Christ the King than I was a year ago? Perhaps reflecting on this will help me enter the season of Advent, a time of preparation to celebrate the first coming of Christ, more focused on growth in my preparation for meeting him when He comes to me at the end of my life. Christ wants desperately to be compassionate to me. Am I living in such a way as to allow Him? Church sign of the week: Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. Our readings these last couple weeks are preparing us for next Sunday’s feast of Christ the King, which ends the Church year. Last week our readings warned us, with the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, to be prepared to meet Christ at the end of our lives. Our Gospel this weekend, the last Gospel before we hear the parable of the Last Judgment on the feast of Christ the King, gives us a hint on how we can be prepared.
The Gospel presents 3 servants, each being given talents to take care of (one received 5, one received 3, and the last received 1). Each one received something and was expected to use it. The master was not comparing the servants: he did not expect the one who received only 1 talent to produce what the others did. He just wanted each one to use what was given him to him to produce a reasonable profit. What has God given you? Each of us has time. After I take care of the things I have to do, how do I use my time? Is it all for me? Or do I spend some time on others, such as visiting the homebound or volunteering at a food pantry? The same with money. After I take care of my responsibilities and basic needs, do I spend all the money left over on me? Or am I generous where there is a need? Finally, the talents and skills we have been given – and all of us have skills. Do we use them where they are needed and can help others? For example, I am not very sensate so I am not good at decorating (they don’t even want me in the church, when they are decorating). But I am a good writer and teacher. I can use those skills to build up the community and help others. I invite us all to look at the gifts that God has given us, even the smallest. When we all cooperate together and share the talents we have, our worship space gets cleaned, our flowers and grounds look wonderful, warm personalities answer the rectory door and phone, fellowship Sunday happens, music makes our worship special, the Word of God is proclaimed, people are welcomed to our services, the food pantries are stocked, wells are built in Tanzania, etc., etc. All of us have God-given gifts and even the smallest are needed. Let us resolve to use our gifts of time, talent, and treasure to the best of our ability to fulfil our responsibilities and to serve others. Then we will hear the words that the servants heard in today’s Gospel: Well done, my good and faithful servant…Come, share your master's joy. Church sign of the week: There’s only one way to get through some things: together. As we near the end of the Church year and the feast of Christ the King (in 2 weeks), our readings are reminding us that our lives will end and we will stand before our King: we need to be prudent and prepare ourselves.
Our Gospel this weekend is the parable of the 5 wise virgins and the 5 foolish virgins. Today we would use the word “bridesmaids.” The groom went to the bride’s house to get her and bring her back to his own house, where the celebration would begin. They did not have Ubers then, the distances could be long, and so it was unclear when the couple would return. The bridesmaids were to be waiting with torches to welcome them and lead them safely into the house. It may seem harsh and un-Gospel-like that the 5 wise virgins refused to share with the others. But, if the oil was divided, the reality was that all of them might not have had enough oil and the arriving couple would be left to fumble in darkness. They were not being mean: they were being practical. The point of all of this is to remind us that we need to live in such a way that we are ready to meet Christ our King, whenever that may be. It might be today; it might not be for 30 years! But it will happen and we need to be prepared. I find it hard to wrap my mind around the reality that I WILL die someday. It could be a sudden heart attack. It could be a violent automobile crash. It could be…. But the point is this: if I am doing my best to live a life of Gospel values, sharing God’s love, compassion and goodness with others, I have nothing to be worried about. Jesus will say to me: Come, you who are blessed by my Father…for I was hungry and you gave me food… Am I ready? What can I do to be more prepared? Church sign of the week: Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. Our readings this weekend are a reminder to us that we need to LIVE the faith we profess: we need to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. In both the first reading and the Gospel, religious leaders are chastised because they are more concerned about themselves and their status than the people they were supposed to be serving.
This is obviously a challenge to priests and other religious leaders to remember that it is all about being of service to others, not honor and glory for oneself. I believe Pope Francis says it well when he reminds us clerics that we have to “smell like the sheep.” The honor, for me, of being a priest is the opportunity to serve others. But every person, no matter their status in life, can take a lesson from these readings. As I go through life, what criteria do I use for making decisions? What is important to me? To look good? To make money? To have more power? Being concerned for ourselves is a natural, human need and these things will be a part of our decision making. But, is the welfare of others also a part? Helping others? Sharing with those in need? Do I always have to be first or can I let others go ahead? Living a life of Gospel values means gradually allowing the “me” in my decision making become less dominant, as I reach out to others in need. It is not either/or, but rather both/and. The challenge before us is to make sure we are growing in our ability to live a life that includes the needs of others in our decision making. Let us pray that each one of us, no matter where we are in life, will continue to grow in our ability to show our love of God through love of neighbor. Church sign of the week: Kindness is the only investment that never fails. Throughout my many years as a priest, I have often stressed the two greatest commandments in my homilies and writings: first, love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; second, love your neighbor as yourself. Recently, a thought crossed my mind: maybe there are three greatest
commandments??? The first commandment has been very clear all through the Old and the New Testament. We have to love the God who made us and sustains us. Jesus attached the second to the first and emphasized that ALL are our neighbors through the parable of the Good Samaritan, his answer to the question, “And who is my neighbor?” But hidden in there is “myself.” I need to love “myself.” Maybe that’s the third of the greatest commandments? Because, if I don’t love myself, will I be capable of loving others? And if I can’t love others, will I love God? By loving myself, I don’t mean being self-centered, but rather realizing my value because I am a child of God, made in His image. God chose to create ME, as I am, with all my strengths and weaknesses. God doesn’t expect me to be perfect in order to love me: He loves me as I am and invites me to grow in my ability to be loving. I AM SPECIAL because God made me and loves me. That doesn’t make me proud or obnoxious, because I realize I didn’t do anything to deserve it: it was God who did it all. But, hopefully, experiencing that love and letting it sink in will help me to be loving and forgiving to others, who also are loved by God, even though they are flawed like I am. I invite us to reflect this week on how special we are because God made us and loves us, allowing that to help us be more accepting and loving to others, who were also created by God and are loved by God. Church sign of the week: If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. |
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