Jerusalem was the center of Jewish faith, life, and existence. It was the place of pilgrimage, the only place where God was present among His people. So, it was turning everything upside down when Micah declared in today’s reading that the Messiah would come from a little, rural town: Bethlehem.
 
From the beginning to the end, Jesus turned everything on its head. The Jews were expecting a great, political ruler who would make them #1 again. Jesus was born of “nobody” parents in a stable. It was announced to shepherds, not the ruling class. The only people of importance who were in the loop were three Gentile visitors from afar. The end was even more shocking: instead of conquering all other kingdoms and making the Jews the rulers of the world, Jesus was tortured and killed by the religious leaders of his own people.
 
This week we will celebrate that unthinkable way (for the Jews) that the Messiah came into our world. Jesus still comes into our world each day in many, varied ways. A strong message for us is to remember that our way of understanding and seeing things is not God’s way. We constantly have to be open to the almost unthinkable, because God can and will surprise us. Perhaps Jesus will come to us in an unexpected sickness. An encounter with a homeless person. A surprise event that changes everything for us, be it something we perceive as good (a promotion) or bad (an illness). And only time will tell if these events are “good” or “bad.”
 
As we celebrate the birth of our Christ this week, let us thank God for the gift of His Son and our Savior. Let us ask God to open our eyes so that we can see Him coming into our lives in the people and events of each day. We are truly blessed! We also ask Him to help us live in such a way that we are bringing Christ to others, as we pray: Come, Lord Jesus, into my heart and help me to bring your goodness and kindness to all I meet.
 
I wish you and your family a blessed Christmas. Thank you for being part of our Pius family.
 
Church sign: The best gift ever was wrapped in swaddling clothes.

I expect the Christmas consumerism push to start the day after Halloween, which has been happening for years.  But this year I noticed it even before Halloween!  While gift-giving is a wonderful way to share love, it can get out of control and the bustle of preparing to celebrate Christmas can overshadow its true meaning: we are celebrating the birth of our Savior.
 
It would be strange to go to a birthday party and bring a gift for everyone there, except for the person celebrating their birthday!  Do we bring a gift for the child Jesus to our celebration of Christmas?  What would be a meaningful gift? What would Jesus want?
 
Obviously, Jesus doesn’t need any “thing.”  While He might like “peace on earth” or the end of poverty and suffering, those are obviously above our pay grade: there is no way we can bring about those monumental changes by ourselves.  But we can make a small contribution!
 
I invite us in these last 10 days before we celebrate the birth of our Savior to spend some quiet time with Jesus, asking Him what He wants for Christmas and then be quiet and listen.  Perhaps He will say being less impatient in traffic or with an annoying family member.  Or maybe spend more quality time with family members instead of scrolling on the internet. Or use some spare time to volunteer at a food pantry. Or visit some homebound relatives or neighbors. Or spend less money on myself and support causes that help others instead. Or…or…or. We have the custom of making New Year resolutions.  I wonder how many of them we keep?  Perhaps if we spend some time before Christmas in quiet with the Lord, asking Him what He wants from us for His birthday, and then resolving to give Him that special present, we will be more likely to follow through with it than we do with New Year resolutions. That will make our
celebration of the birthday of our Savior truly meaningful.  God bless.
 
Church sign: Jesus will help us through our holidaze.

On December 8th, we normally celebrate the feast of the
Immaculate Conception of Mary, the patronal feast of the United States.  This year we celebrate the 2nd Sunday of Advent and
the feast of Mary is moved to the following day.
 
I would like to look at the meaning of the feast of the Immaculate Conception, because it fits into the Advent theme of preparation, both preparation to celebrate the first coming of Christ and
preparation for His second coming by living in such a way as to help bring about the Kingdom of Peace and Love.
 
This feast celebrates that Mary was kept free of original sin from the moment of her conception AS A PREPARATION for being the Mother of God.  But I think the greatest thing about Mary was her willingness to say fiat voluntas tua, may your will be done. She didn’t know what would happen.  I’m sure it was scary and unnerving.  Yet, she trusted God enough to accept His will; as a result, Christ our Savior was born for our salvation.
 
By our baptism, we have been commissioned, as was Mary, to bring Christ into the world.  We do it by the way we live and interact with others.  The more we can bring love, peace, forgiveness, and gentleness into the world around us, the more we are preparing the way for the Kingdom of Peace and Love to take over our world.
 
As we celebrate the patronal feast of our country, let us pray to Mary that all citizens of our country can leave behind hatred and divisive language, growing in our ability to work together for the common good, especially for the most vulnerable.  That is preparing the way of the Lord, our task for Advent.  Immaculate Mary, help us prepare the way of your Son in our country and world.  May we bring unity and peace by all we say and do. Amen.
 
Church sign: We rise by lifting others.

In this first Sunday of Advent, our readings continue the theme of being ready for the end times.  Next week they will turn to preparing us to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  I was struck this year by the following phrase from our Gospel: Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life.
 
Those of us who are trying to live a life according to Gospel values have probably done well at controlling carousing and drunkenness.  We have learned how to use our faith life and our religious observance in community to help us grow in our ability to obey the commandments and be kind to those in need.
 
But, what about “the anxieties of daily life”?  As we have gotten older, have we gotten better at trusting that God is in control and all will be OK?  Yes, there are the major crises that happen: two weeks ago, I shared about being diagnosed with tuberculosis as a teenager and being smashed between two cars, wondering if I would ever walk again.
 
I am thinking more about the pressures and anxieties of everyday life: running from one task to another, putting up with annoying people, coping with unexpected interruptions and delays, etc., etc.  How do I cope with these “anxieties of daily life”?  Am I able to stay calm?  Am I able to say a short prayer, asking the Lord to help me?  Can I keep my focus on what is really important, despite the distractions?  Perhaps how we grow in our ability to handle small inconveniences and anxieties prepares up to cope with the big ones, when they come along. How am I doing at coping with the stress and anxiety of daily life?  God is there to help: am I letting Him?
 
Church sign: If God is your copilot, change seats!

Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King.  Very often an icon or statue of Christ the King presents Christ as we hear at the Last Judgment in Matthew: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne…
 
While the Last Judgment presents our ultimate goal, to be on the side that enters the Kingdom, we are not there yet: we are in the process of building up the Kingdom by the way we live our lives.  From that perspective, I like an icon or statue of Jesus the King as He is presented in our Gospel today: defenseless, alone, beaten with whips, crowned with thorns, and plopped in front of Pilate, the secular power whom Jesus allows to have complete control over Him.
 
This is a King who humbles Himself in a most degrading way and allows Himself to be tortured, all to bring about the Kingdom of justice, love, and peace.
 
My friends, this feast calls us to imitate Jesus, not just to win glory for ourselves, but by doing our best to bring about His Kingdom of justice, love, and peace.  There is so much unhappiness and pain in our world, so much conflict and division.  There are many who do not have the basic necessities of life.  We can’t solve it all, but we need to model our lives after our King, doing our best to bring about His Kingdom in the lives of those we are able to touch.
 
We can’t do it all. It isn’t all our work.  But we can do our part. Let us resolve to do so, as we pray: Christ, the humble King, give us the strength to follow your example in building up your Kingdom of justice, love, and peace.
 
Church sign: Make the rest of your life the best of your life!

As we approach the end of the Church year and the feast of Christ the King, our readings can be scary, talking about the end times in what is called apocalyptic language.  The purpose is not to scare us, but to invite us to live as we should and trust in God’s love and protection.  Over the course of my life, I have become a little better at doing that, but it has been a struggle.  A couple major events helped me.
 
When I was 17 and a senior in high school, I was diagnosed with tuberculosis, a death sentence in those days.  As my parents were taking me to the sanatorium in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where I would be locked up, my mother said to me, “God loves you and will take care of you.”  I kept saying that to myself and He did: my parents gave permission for me to be experimented on with new drugs and they worked right away (they are the go-to drugs today): in less than a year, I was released.
 
When I was 35, I was smashed between two cars when I stopped to help someone who had slid off the road on black ice.  It looked like I wouldn’t walk again.  Once again, my mother reminded me of God’s love and protection.  It took nine months, but I was able to walk again.
 
These were two dramatic incidents in my life, but there were many smaller ones.  I suspect if you reflect on your life, remembering times you were in a bad place or felt threatened, you will find that God was there and helping you get through it.  What a wonderful gift our faith is! 
 
As we approach the celebration of Christ the King, let us thank Him for being a King who always walks with us and supports us.  We are truly blessed.
 
Church sign: No God - no peace.  Know God - know peace.

When the Gospels were written, widows were one of the most vulnerable and impoverished groups: they had no rights, they had no man to protect them, and they were often fleeced by those with more power.  In both our first reading and the Gospel, a widow who had practically nothing gave it all in the name of God: in the first reading the widow fed the prophet Elijah with her last food and in the Gospel the widow put her two small coins in the temple collection box.  Jesus praises the widow: she gave more than the rich people donating lots of money, because she was giving all that she had, not from a
surplus.
 
A message to us is that we have been blessed by God with time, talent, and treasure and it is expected that we will share, and not just from what is left over.
 
Time: we have 24 hours in a day.  Some of that goes to necessary tasks (sleeping, eating, work, family and home maintenance, etc.).  The question is what do I do with my spare time?  How much do I spend on me productively, e.g., exercising or unwinding?  How much do I spend helping others? How much do I waste, for example, in front of the television?
 
Talent: do I use my gifts to help others?  For example, joining the choir if I have a good voice.  Being a hospitality minister if I enjoy welcoming people.  Being a lector.  If I am a good host or can cook, joining the Community Life Committee.  And so on.
 
Treasure: how much of my resources do I spend on me and my family?  How much do I give to worthwhile causes?
 
The bottom line is we have been blessed with gifts and God expects us to share, as did the widows in our readings this weekend.  I invite us to reflect on how we are doing.  God bless.
 
Church sign: If you don’t know what to do with yourself, do something for someone else.

Suppose a friend, interested in becoming Catholic, asked you, “What do you have to do to be a really good Catholic?” What would you answer?  Go to Mass on Sundays?  Pray every day?  Or what?
 
The way I was brought up, I would have given those answers, along with “don’t eat meat on Friday.”  Those are good answers for an “Old Testament” mentality, because they emphasize my relationship with God, as Moses presents in our first reading: “…you should love the Lord your God…”
 
In our Gospel reading, Jesus quotes Moses and reinforces that love of God is essential.  But He adds another commandment and puts it on the same level as the first: “…love your neighbor as yourself.”  These two become the one Great Commandment.
 
So, what is the answer to our question?  To be a really good Catholic you must show your love of God by your love of others.  There is no way around it.  Often Jesus called out those who followed all the rules but were not helping others or, even worse, were taking advantage of others, especially those who were most vulnerable.  For example, the two religious leaders in the Good Samaritan parable were following the rules, but they ignored the man in need. Another example: Jesus accused the religious leaders of laying burdens on people and not lifting a finger to help them. 
 
It can be easier to “follow the rules” by going to Mass and obeying the 10 commandments than to go out of our way to show love of others.  But when you look at some of the people angrily spouting hate in the name of Christianity, do you really think that is how Jesus would act?
 
I invite us to reflect this week on how we are allowing our religious observances to help us grow in selfless love and service to others.  We will never be perfect, but we have to be growing.  God bless.
 
Church sign: Show your love of God by what you say and do to others.

My bulletin reflections have always been on the Sunday readings.  Given the importance of the upcoming election, I am making an exception this time, using a reflection that is also in the November Pius Press, which you should receive this week. 
 
Pope Francis has urged us not to be a one-issue voter, but to use Catholic social principles to evaluate candidates, since no one candidate or agenda is perfectly aligned with our principles. As we decide whom to vote for, I invite us to reflect on the qualities of the Church we name in the Creed, qualities which capture the gist of Catholic social principles: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
 
one
Bringing about peace and unity is central to living our faith.  We need leaders who will lead us to unity, not divide us.
 
holy
Holy is used in the sense of living Gospel values, that is, showing love of God through love of neighbor, especially the most vulnerable.  Some of the most vulnerable in our society are those in danger or great need, for example the unborn, refugees, immigrants, homeless, unemployed, etc.  We need compassionate leaders who will help us protect all those who need protection.
 
catholic
It is important to notice that “catholic” is NOT capitalized in the creed.  It does not mean “Catholic” in the sense of a denomination, but rather “inclusive” or “open to all,” the literal meaning of “catholic.”  We need leaders who realize that they are responsible for and to all people, no matter their race, ethnicity, religion, or any other factor.
 
apostolic
in our faith context, this means we go out of ourselves to bring Christ to others.  For our leaders, it means they are not just concerned about themselves, their image, or their welfare, but that they promote policies that actively seek to reach those in the margins and provide the help that is needed. 
 
It is a serious responsibility to vote: please do so.  And as you evaluate candidates, please remember that we are looking for candidates who align with our Catholic principles and do their best to achieve them, candidates who promote unity, concern for all the vulnerable, and inclusivity.
 
In addition to voting, let us pray for our country in these final days before the election, that we may have a peaceful election and transfer of power.  God bless.
 
Church sign: God gave us free will to use for the common good.

Am I happy?  What makes me happy?  These are good questions to ask ourselves once in a while, because we get into patterns of living and doing things that can carry us mindlessly through life.  Our Gospel today is one that always helps me come back and ground myself in what really makes me happy.
 
The Gospel presents James and John asking Jesus for a favor.  When Jesus asks them what they want, they ask to sit at his right and left in his kingdom: in other words, they wanted to be above everyone else.  They thought that is what would make them happy.  Of course, we know that they were thinking of a different kind of kingdom than what Jesus was going to establish.  They thought that glory and power would make them happy, but that was not to be: Jesus explains that serving others is what really brings meaning, and thus happiness, to life.
 
So I reflect on people around me, asking myself who seems to be the happiest.  Inevitably, it is someone who is willing to help others, who goes out of their way to give people rides, serve on committees, etc. Someone who is not focused on things or power or recognition.  On the other hand, the least happy are those who are easily offended, who think of themselves, who want to be first.
 
Those reflections remind me of this central Gospel message: when I don’t have to be first, when I don’t need people to praise me, when I can relax and help others, I am the happiest. It reminds me to make sure I am doing all that I do for the right reason: love of God shown through love of neighbor.
 
I invite you this week to reflect: am I happy? What really makes me happy?  And let us support each other in prayer.
 
Church sign: Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstances.