And the Word Became Flesh

And the Word Became Flesh

Christmas Day - Mass during the Day

Isaiah 52:7-10 Hebrews 1:1-6John 1:1-5, 9-14

Second reading from Hebrews

Brothers and sisters: In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets. In these last days He has spoken to us through his Son whom He has made heir of all things and through whom He first created the universe. This Son is the reflection of God’s glory. He is the exact likeness of the Father’s being. He sustains all things by his powerful word. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. The Son was made greater than all the angels, just as the name which God gave Him is greater than theirs. For God never said to any of his angels, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.[1]” Or again, “I will be his Father, and He shall be my Son.” And again, when He leads his firstborn into the world He says, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.[2]”

The word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Glory to you, Lord.

The Prologue of St. John

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing came to be. What came to be through Him was life, and this life was the light of the human race. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through Him, but the world did not know Him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept Him. But to those who did accept Him He gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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The 3 Masses of Christmas

Christmas is the only day which has three different Masses assigned it: Mass at Midnight, Mass at Dawn, and Mass during the Day. Each has its own scripture readings. The gospel for the Mass at Midnight relates that an angel of the Lord announced to shepherds watching their sheep that a Savior has been born to them in the city of David, and that there they would find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. (Lk 2:1-14) That gospel (which is story-telling at its best) perks up the ears of the child in us. The midnight tradition seems to be an interpretation of a passage from the Book of Wisdom: “While all things were in quiet silence and the night was in the midst of her course, thy Almighty Word, O Lord, came down from thy royal throne in heaven.” (Wis. 18:14-15)

The gospel for the Mass at Dawn continues the story-telling, as it has the shepherds rushing off to Bethlehem, finding the baby lying in a manger, and then returning to their flocks, praising God for all that they had heard and seen. (Lk 2:15-20)

The gospel for the Mass During the Day is the prologue from the gospel of St. John -- that evangelist whose symbol is an eagle, because he soars, as he proclaims that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was in God’s presence, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh.” (Jn 1:1, 14) Because he soars like an eagle, John’s gospel is more attuned to the mind of a theologian than to the ears of a child.

Verbalism—too much stock in words

The soaring Eagle’s profound prologue lays an axe to verbalism. That’s a tendency in us to put too much stock in words. Verbalism is making people live and die by words, as the Inquisitors did when they burned St. Joan d’Arc at the stake for not having the right words for their theological questions.

Less drastic, verbalism is filling the Sunday liturgy with a steady flow of words -- with three scripture readings, a responsorial psalm, a Gloria, a Credo, an Agnus Dei and an Our Father. That might satisfy our need to always be doing something, but it drowns out the silence (so prized by Quakers) in which the voice of God can be heard.

More annoying, verbalism is the doctrinaire approach to the great issues of life -- like abortion, celibacy, ordination, homosexuality, capital punishment, and human sexuality. The solutions to the complex issues of life lay not so much in the words of our mouths as in the deep recesses of the human heart. The doctrinaire approach assumes that preaching the gospel means speaking words; Mother Teresa of Calcutta preached the gospel all her life, and really never spoke a word.
The soaring Eagle’s prologue lays an axe to our verbalism. The Word of God now is no longer a word (or a plethora of words). In the Incarnation the Word became flesh – became an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

The Word became flesh in Father Damien

Fr. Damien de Veuster (1840 -1889), a Belgian priest of Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, ministered to lepers on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. Slandered by a Protestant minister, Rev. Hyde, Damien was defended by Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote an impassioned defense of Damien in 1905. After sixteen years caring for the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of the lepers, he eventually contracted leprosy and died. That gained him the title of “Martyr of Charity.” On October 11, 2009 Pope Benedict XVI canonized Fr. Damien in the presence of Belgian King Albert II.

The Word of God says, “There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15: 13) That Word became flesh in this “Martyr of Charity.”

The Word became flesh in Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910 –1997), Nobel Peace Prize winner, and founder of the Missionaries of Charity, ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying in the streets of Calcutta. That gained her the title “Saint of the Gutter.” Though praised by many individuals, governments and organizations, Mother Teresa had to face all kinds of criticisms -- like proselytizing helpless people, baptizing the dying, extolling the `spiritual goodness’ of poverty, and opaquely spending donated money. Despite those who chose to be negative, Pope John Paul II canonized the “Gutter Saint” on October 19, 2003. In 2010 on the 100th anniversary of her birth on August 26, 1910, she was honored around the world, and her work was praised by the President of India.

The Word of God says, “I was hungry and you fed me. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you took care of me.” (Mt. 25:35-36) That Word became flesh in this “Saint of the Gutter.”

The Word became flesh in Father Mychal Judge

Franciscan Fr. Mychal Judge, (1933-2001) was a compassionate champion of the needy and forgotten of New York City, and a beloved chaplain of the N.Y. City Fire Department. Every Christmas Eve, he’d walk up Ninth Avenue, in his brown habit and sandals, carrying a baby doll wrapped in a towel, to a shelter for abused and homeless women. There he’d place the doll on a table which served as the altar for Mass, and he’d ask the women, “Where do you think baby Jesus would want to be tonight, and then he’d answer his own question: “Right here with you, celebrating his birthday.” The story of his incredible selfless life and heroic death in the line of duty as chaplain of the fire department was one of the first to come out of the horrendous 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.The Word of God says, “There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15: 13) That Word became flesh in Fr. Mychal Judge.

The Word became flesh in Frank Daly

On the feast of jolly old St. Nick, Dec. 6, 1984, in Milwaukee, WI, the bus was full of high-school kids going home. It was only 10 above zero, and a tattered and torn woman entered. She was pregnant, and what’s more, she had no shoes on her feet! 10 above zero and no shoes on her feet! The kids were making fun of her. When the bus pulled up to 124th and Bluemound Road, one of the kids, 14-year-old Frank Daly, stepped up to the front to get off. He had his tennis shoes in his hands, and his feet were bare! And he said to the woman, “Here, M’am, you need them more than I do!!” That remarkable story hit the front page of the Milwaukee Journal for December 8. 1984. The following morning, Sunday, December 9, the story went forth by UPI to bless the entire nation with a wonder-filled Christmas story.

The Word of God says, “I was hungry and you fed me. I was sick and you took care of me. I was naked and you clothed me.” (Mt 25:35-36) That Word became flesh in a young kid named Frank Daly.

Conclusion
Christmas people

Christmas isn’t the time to be preaching `truth.’ That simply tends to put the followers of the Prince of Peace at odds with Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and anyone else who has a religious truth other than ours. Christmas isn’t even the time to be preaching `morality.’ That tends to fill us with Pharisaic self-righteousness which gives “thanks for not being like the rest of men.” Christmas is the time to do what Christmas does best: tell stories -- wonderful stories about Fr. Damien, Mother Teresa, Fr. Judge, Frank Daly, etc. They weren’t preachers of truth or morality. They were great Christmas people whose lives gave flesh to the Word of God. And they inspire us to do the same.

[1] II Samuel: 7: 14; Psalm 2:7.
[2] Revelation 1:5

A Time for Both

The fourth candle of Advent

A Time for Both

December 19, 2010, 4th Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 7:10-14 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-24

First reading

The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, “Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky.” But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask for a sign! I refuse to put the Lord to the test!” Then Isaiah said, “Listen now, O house of David! It’s bad enough for you to wear out men’s patience—do you have to wear out God’s patience too? I tell you the Lord himself will give you this sign: a young woman[1] shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, was unwilling to expose her to shame, and decided to quietly divorce her. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet, “Behold, a virgin[2] shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means God-with-us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Introduction
The fourth candle of Advent

The second part of Advent, which is called `Late Advent’ or the `Novena of Christmas’ in the liturgical books, began last Friday, Dec. 17th. This coming Tuesday, Dec. 21st will be the first day of winter. The Old Farmers' Almanac shows the period between 17th and 25th of December as the darkest of the entire year; it has 15 long hours of darkness and only 9 short hours of light. On this fourth Sunday of Advent, Dec. 19h, we light the fourth candle of the Advent wreath to dispel the physical and psychological darkness of these last days of 2010.

A litany of promises in Early Advent

In Early Advent (which began this year on Nov. 28th), the readings at Mass from the prophet Isaiah are a relentless litany of promises that everything that’s wrong with the world shall be fixed. Early Advent gazes forward into the future. Accordingly, the verbs in the Isaian readings are in the future tense (the `shall tense’), for that’s the tense of promise:

“In those days they shall melt down their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. One nation shall not raise the sword against another, and they shall no longer train for war again.” (Is 2:4-5) "In those days the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid." (Is 11:6) "In those days the blind living in darkness shall open their eyes and see. “ (Is 29:18) Etc.

By the end of Early Advent, we are somewhat wearied by Isaiah stoning us to death with the future tense of promise at daily Mass.

A litany of stories in Late Advent

The arrival of Late Advent (or the Novena of Christmas) on Dec. 17th comes as a welcome relief from Early Advent with its litany of promises. Everything suddenly changes. Late Advent now gazes backward into the past -- to a moment of history when the Word became flesh. Suddenly the verbs of the scripture readings at Mass are in the past tense, because that’s the tense of history, and also the tense of story. The wearisome litany of promises in Early Advent is now replaced by an exciting litany of stories in Late Advent. The gospel readings at Mass these days perks up the ears of the child in us, as they do what Christmas does best: tell stories.

“Once upon a time an angel of the Lord appeared to an old priest named Zachariah offering incense before the altar of the Lord, and announced that his barren wife Elizabeth was going to have a baby.” (Lk 1: 5-25) “Once upon a time an angel of the Lord appeared to a maiden named Mary, and announced she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Lk 1: 26-38) “Once upon a time an angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds in their fields, and announced to them that in the city of Bethlehem they would find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” (Lk 2:1-14) Etc.

A time for everything

“There’s a time for everything under the sun,” says Ecclesiastes. (3:1-8) There is a time to take the many stories of Christmas literally and at their face value, as children do -- stories about angels singing “Glory to God in the highest” and about “Magi from the East bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” But there’s also a time to search for the meaning behind the many stories of Christmas, as adults do. St. Paul writes, “When I was a child, I spoke, felt and thought as a child. But now that I am a grownup, I have put away the things of a child.” (I Cor 13: 11)

Retelling the story: a task long overdue

One of those many stories that make up the one great story of Christmas is told on this fourth and last Sunday of Advent (Cycle A). The angel Gabriel appears to Joseph in his sleep, and assures him that his pregnant wife Mary has virginally conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. The story of Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus does not fly well in today’s culture which feeds upon a steady diet of bursting breasts and twisting torsos. Such a culture does not deem the story of virgin birth as worthy of serious thought. It dismisses it out of hand as quite meaningless and even offensive to human nature.

A positive statement about Jesus

There are some, however, who believe the story need not offend. What’s more, they believe the story can be retold in such a way as to be filled with meaning and message. And they believe that that retelling is a task long overdue.

To begin the retelling, the story of Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus is not a negative statement about sex. It cannot mean that when the Son of God comes into the world, it’s below His dignity to be conceived in the very same way that all other babies are conceived. The virgin birth story cannot mean that God, who in the beginning created the world male and female, now repents of His `indecent’ creation, and decides to do things the `right way’ (virginally ), at least in this one very special case. That’s an insult to every mother and father, and to every child born into the world. The story is not about a fundamentalist obsession with virginity.

The story of Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus is a positive statement about Jesus. It says that the Infant born of Mary is much more than just the gift of Joseph and Mary to the human family: He is, above all and especially, the gift of the heavenly Father to us. Jesus is not just from earth, He is also from heaven.

A positive statement about woman

Retelling the story continues: Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus is also a positive statement about woman. When the Novena of Christmas begins on Dec. 17th the gospel opens with that long male-driven genealogy from Matthew: "Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. And Judah begot Perez and Zerah.” The genealogy runs through 42 monotonous generations of “men begetting sons.”(In that genealogy there isn’t a word about mothers begetting daughters!) That tedious male-driven genealogy finally comes to a screeching halt with these words, "And Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, and it was of her [not of Joseph] that Jesus who is called the Christ was born.”(Mt 1:1-16)

With one powerful stroke the story of Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus puts an ax to that implicit lie of history which lines up only men behind the great moments of history. Behind an event so momentous that it divides time for many into B.C. and A.D., there stands not a man but a woman - Mary. Upon such a momentous page of history a woman, and not a man, puts her signature.

A positive statement about man

Retelling the story continues: The story of Joseph and Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus is also a positive statement about man. In the story of Christmas Joseph steps aside and abdicates his sexual prowess to let the message get through that Jesus is much more than his gift to us: He is especially the gift of the heavenly Father.

Stepping aside is a big order for men who down through the ages have been accustomed to center-stage, and who do not give up power easily. At the end of the day, that perhaps is the real but veiled reason why the Roman Church finds it hard to ordain women. Joseph stepping aside invites a male-driven hierarchy to step aside and make room for women.

Joseph’s stepping aside and abdicating his sexual prowess in the Christmas story is a big order especially for a culture like ours which places a heavy expectation on a young man to be a stud. That expectation is unfair to the young man, for it forces him to invest an inordinate amount of time and energy on sex during his developing years, when there are other areas of development which are equally important. The stud approach to the male is also unfair to a young lady. It makes her feel there’s something wrong with her, if she doesn’t arouse the sexual desires of young men. Or it has her investing an inordinate amount of time and energy to be sexy, to the neglect of other important areas of her human development.

Blatant miracle or teeming with meaning?

At the end of the day, we can do one of three things with the story of Mary’s miraculous and virginal conception of Jesus: 1) We can explicitly, or at least implicitly, reject the story as totally incomprehensible, as our carnal culture does. 2) Or we can go to the other extreme and accept the story with a fundamentalist obsession with virginity, as some staunch believers do. 3) Or we can choose to go in search of the meaning behind the story, as do those who contend that virgin birth must be more than just a blatant miracle; it must also and above all be teeming with meaning.

Conclusion
A time for both under the sun

Hearing the stories of Christmas as little children and hearing them as adults is not a matter of chronology: first we hear them as children, and then we grow up and hear them as adults. We vacillate between the one and the other in the various phases of our human journey. Sometimes we are in an adult mode, searching hard for meaning -- as today we searched hard for the meaning behind the story of Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus. Sometimes we are in a child mode -- in no great need of deep meaning, but utterly delighted by a simple story about a virgin who gave birth to a Son and laid Him in a manger.

Which mode is better? Neither. There’s a time for both under the sun. On our human journey there is a time to be adults searching for meaning. And there is also a time to be unquestioning children listening delightfully and easily to stories about “heavenly hosts singing glory to God in the highest,” and about “Magi from the East bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”

[1] The Hebrew of Isaiah 7:14 does not say “a virgin” but rather “a young woman” shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. In the Hebrew text there is no mention of nor emphasis upon the virginity of the mother who bears the child; the emphasis is upon the name of the child: He is `Immanuel.’ ’He is `God-with-us.’

[2] The use of “virgin” in Mt. 1:23 instead of “young woman” reflects a Greek translation of the Old Testament, made some 500 years after Isaiah.

An Exceptional Candle

The third Sunday of Advent

An Exceptional Candle!

December 12, 2010, Third Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 35:1, 4-5 Philippians 4:4-7 Matthew 11:2-11

First reading

Thus said the Lord, God of Hosts: The desert will rejoice, and flowers will bloom in the wastelands. The desert will sing and shout for joy. Tell everyone who is discouraged, “Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to rescue His people.” Then will the eyes of the blind see and the ears of the deaf be opened. Then will the lame leap like a stag, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy.

Second reading

So then, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say rejoice! Let your goodness be obvious to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking Him with a thankful heart. And God’s peace which is beyond human understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.

Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you, Lord.

When John the Baptist sitting in prison heard of the works of the Christ, he sent a delegation to Jesus with this question, “Are you he who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?” Jesus answered, “Go back and tell John what you are hearing and seeing: the blind are receiving their sight, the lame are walking, the lepers are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised, and the poor are having the good news preached to them. And give him this message, `Blessed are those who don’t doubt me.’”

As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out to the desert to see? Were you expecting to see a reed swayed by the wind? Or someone dressed in fine clothing? Those bedecked in fine clothing dwell in royal palaces. Were you expecting to see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: `Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.[1]’ Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

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Introduction
Gaudete Sunday

The entrance verse of the old Latin Mass for the third Sunday of Advent was the exhortation of Paul (sitting in prison) to the Philippians: “Gaudete semper in Domino! Iterum dico, gaudete!” “Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say rejoice!” (Phil: 4:4). So the third Sunday of Advent came to be called “Gaudete Sunday.” On this Sunday, the color rose may be used for the vestments at Mass, instead of penitential purple. And rose is also the color of the third candle of the Advent wreath. That candle burning brightly today commands us to rejoice, for Christmas Day is drawing near. In fact, the Novena of Christmas begins this coming Friday, Dec. 17.

John in jail

Last Sunday John the Baptist was a clear and unambiguous voice in the desert calling the people to make straight the way of the Lord, and hasten the day of His coming. (Mt 3:3) This Sunday, however, it’s a very different picture: John is sitting in prison, and he’s not so sure of himself anymore. He has gotten himself into deep trouble with the Jewish ruler of Galilee, Herod Antipas, for telling him it was unlawful to marry Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. That angers Herod who throws the Baptist into prison. (Mt 14:1-4) He who baptized Jesus and heard the voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased,” isn’t so sure of himself anymore. He now wonders, “Did I get it right?” So he sends a delegation to ask Jesus point blank, “Are you he who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?” (Mt 11:3)

Upbeat Isaiah & Paul

In the first reading the prophet Isaiah is addressing a group of exiles who are politically powerless. He, however, is not depressed. He is, in fact, upbeat. Amazingly, he proclaims to the people a message of joy: “The desert will rejoice, and flowers will bloom in the wastelands. The desert will sing and shout for joy.”

In the second reading, Paul, who is locked in a dungeon and bound with chains for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, pens a letter to the Philippians. (Phil 1:13-14) Paul who five times suffered thirty-nine lashes by the Jews, who three times was whipped by the Romans and once stoned by them, who was in three shipwrecks, and once spent twenty-fours in the water, and who was imprisoned many more times than his co-workers (2Cor. 23-29) – as he writes to the Philippians from prison amazingly is not depressed. He, in fact, is upbeat, as he issues his classical command: "Gaudete in Domino semper!” “Rejoice in the Lord always!” To say it once wasn’t enough; he repeats himself: "Iterum, dico, gaudete." "Again, I say, rejoice.” (Phil 4:4) "Gaudete" is the strong imperative mood of the Latin: it does not invite one to rejoice; it commands one to rejoice.

Upbeat Beethoven

This coming Thursday, Dec.16, is Ludwig van Beethoven's birthday (b. 1770). It falls appropriately near Gaudete Sunday when we light the rose candle of joy. Though contemporary drawings of this genius show him to be a rather serious man, Beethoven composed an extraordinary piece of music that is suffused with joy. In the final movement of his Ninth Symphony he put to music Schiller's poem "Ode to Joy.” It is one of the most moving choral works ever written. More to the point, however, Beethoven wrote his Ninth Symphony at a time when he was sitting in a prison of deafness! Despite that handicap, so disastrous for a musician, that great genius was not depressed; he was, in fact, quite upbeat, as he heard the beautiful melodies and haunting harmonies of the Ninth playing entirely inside his head!

Upbeat Fr. Delp

German Jesuit, Fr. Alfred Delp, was executed by Hitler on February 2, 1945. Sitting in prison and bound with chains like Paul, he was not depressed. He was, in fact, upbeat, as he wrote in his diary for Gaudete Sunday, 1944,

Is it possible to rejoice in a prison cell (a space of three paces in each direction)? Is it possible to rejoice when your hands are fettered, and your heart is overwhelmed with longings, and your head is filled with problems and worries? Yes, happiness can happen even under these circumstances. I tell you every now and then my heart can scarcely contain the delirious joy that’s in it. Suddenly, not knowing why, my spirits soar and there is no doubt in my mind that all the promises hold good. This might, indeed, be an unconscious defense mechanism against depression. But not always. Sometimes it is due to a wonderful premonition of wonderful things to come. (Prison Meditations of Fr. Delp)

Joy -- an `inside job’ & a mystery

A culture which protests “I want to be me!” frowns on any attempt to command our emotional states. It says, “If I want to go around grouching “Bah humbug!” like old Scrooge because something has gone wrong in my life, then that’s what I’m going to do, and don’t tell me to cheer up.” On Gaudete Sunday Paul, who has every reason to cry out “Bah humbug!”as he sits in prison, instead commands the Philippians to rejoice.

Paul, the prisoner, can command the Philippians to rejoice, because joy is an `inside job.’ It is a decision not to get stuck in one’s losses, privations or tragedies. To use the vernacular of the season, joy is a decision to sing out “Merry Christmas!" instead of grouching out “Bah Humbug!” To evoke the climate of December, joy is a decision to not be snowbound by the negative circumstances of life. The rose candle burning brightly on Gaudete Sunday (and sticking out from the other three) reminds us that joy is not a mood totally at the mercy of outside happenstances. With help from above, joy is also an `inside job.’

As a decision not to get stuck in one’s losses, privations or tragedies, joy is a mystery. Why is it that old Scrooge, who has all the money he needs, makes a decision to grouch out “Bah Humbug, while his nephew, who has almost nothing at all, makes a decision to ring out “Merry Christmas?” Being happy when we get what we want is no mystery. Being happy even when we don’t get what we want is, indeed, a great mystery.

Conclusion
An exceptional candle!

People who are blessed with good health, who enjoy the certainty of a paycheck in these hard times, who have loyal friends to stand by them in thick and thin, and who receive the gifts they want at Christmas, do not need a rose candle burning brightly to command them to rejoice. Joy comes easily and automatically for them.

But there are many others who do, indeed, need the rose candle to command them to rejoice. These are the people who, at this “happiest time of the year,” are suffering personal crises of health, finances or relationships. The holiday music which sings out “T’is the season to be jolly” jars the ears of those who are enduring the “long good-bye” of a loved one afflicted with Alzheimer’s, or are grieving the demise of a spouse of 30, 40, 50 years, etc. Such people (their name is legion during the holiday season) feel excluded, left out in the cold, by a celebration of Christmas which puts a heavy expectation of joy on them. The rose candle burning brightly in mid-Advent is an exceptional candle: it summons first and foremost those who weep to rejoice! The rose candle burns brightly first and foremost for them!

[1] Malachi 3:1

John the Baptist:"Repent! Change Your Minds!"

The second candle of Advent

John the Baptist: “Repent! Change Your Minds!”
December 5, 2010 2nd Sunday of Advent
Is 11:1-2, 5-8, 10 Romans 15:4-9 Matthew 3:1-6

First Reading

Then a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom. [1]

The spirit of the LORD shall give Him wisdom,
and the knowledge and skill to rule His people.
He will judge the poor fairly and defend the rights of the helpless.
He will rule His people with justice and integrity.
Then the wolves and sheep shall live together in peace,
leopards and goats will share the same lairs.
Calves and lion cubs will feed together
and little children shall take care of them.
Cows and bears shall eat together,
and their calves and cubs shall lie down in peace.
Lions shall eat straw as cattle do.
Even a baby will not be harmed, as it plays near a poisonous snake.
A day is coming when the shoot sprung from the stump of Jesse
will be a rallying banner raised on high for Gentiles.

The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord.

At that time John the Baptist came and started preaching in the desert of Judea: “Repent, Change your minds and hearts, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” John was the one about whom the prophet Isaiah was talking, when he said:

Someone is shouting out in the desert,
“Get ready a road for the Lord. Clear the path before Him.
Fill in the valleys, and level off the hills and mountains.
Straighten out the curves, and make the rough ways smooth.
Then all mankind shall see God’s salvation.” [2]

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Introduction
John – the Advent figure par excellence

The Second Sunday of Advent (whether the gospel reading is from Cycle A, B or C) always features the Advent figure par excellence: John the Baptist. He is sent to level off the mountains, fill in the valleys and straighten out the winding trails, in order to facilitate and hasten the Lord’s coming.

Good imagery

There is good imagery in today’s gospel; it suggests the preparation made for a visit from royalty in the ancient world. Preceding a visit from a Pharaoh of Egypt, teams of workers were sent out to put the roads in shape, which at times dwindled down to mere trails cluttered by fallen trees and rolling stones. There were potholes to be mended and bridges to be repaired. There were sharp curves to be straightened and hills to be leveled. There was litter to be cleared away, so that the litter carrying the Pharaoh might move with dispatch.

When the Council of Nicea was held in 360 A.D. near Istanbul Turkey, bishops from Ireland attended. How did they get from Ireland to Turkey? They walked! It took them almost a year to arrive because there weren’t any trains or planes in those days, nor were there any bulldozers to level off the mountains and fill up the valleys. Naturally the bishops stayed for eight or nine months, once they got there, conversing with other bishops and theologians from across the continent. We who today travel in fine automobiles over perfectly paved super-highways appreciate the imagery of this second Sunday of Advent.

A Capuchin missionary also appreciates the imagery. Today’s gospel, he writes, reminds him of his tour of duty in Nicaragua: “The people who awaited us missionaries to arrive at their little chapel would always clean the path a mile before their chapel. Then they would send a mounted delegation to meet us. With firecrackers, they would make my mule or horse run that last block. By then my rear-end was really very sore from the five or six hour trip, and I found it very hard to keep a serious smile on my face as the people reached up to grab my hand. That always comes to mind when I read the gospel for the second Sunday of Advent.”

Delaying the day of His coming

In Early Advent, the first readings at Mass are from the prophet Isaiah, and they abound with a litany of promises: “In those days, they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. “(Is 2: 4) “He shall judge the poor fairly and defend the rights of the helpless. He shall rule His people with justice and integrity. (Is 11:4-5) “He shall take care of His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs together and carry them in His arms.” (Is 40: 11) Etc.

That litany of promises of Early Advent builds up to an impatience which cries out, “Oh you heavens, stop your delaying! Hurry up and rain down the Just One!"[3] (Is 45:8)

And in Late Advent (also called the Novena of Christmas) the O Antiphon at Vespers for Dec.19 is particularly impatient:”Oh Shoot sprouted from the stump of Jesse, hurry up to save us! Stop your delaying!” [4]

A rabbi, with thoughts of the Holocaust burnt into his soul, knows what delays the Messiah. He writes,

I often kid my synagogue that I visualize the Messiah about to be sent down to the world by G-d, but looking at all the violence, hatred, inhumanity, especially in the name of religion, the Messiah begs G-d to delay sending Him down to this world of ours. If more people in the world were filled with love and compassion and tolerance, we would hasten the day of His coming.

Repenting – changing one’s mind

On this second Sunday of Advent the Baptist calls us “to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The Greek word for repent is metanoein -- to change one’s mind. The call to repent is a call to change one’s mind and heart about things.

If anyone is called to repent (to change one’s mind about things) first and foremost it is the Church. Once she has obeyed her Lord’s command to repent then she can effectively summon the faithful to repent – to change their minds about things. When it comes to repentance the Church must lead the way. How strange is the boast that’s sometimes heard about “an infallible Church which never needs to change its mind.”

Fr. Boulad – a voice crying in the desert

Father Henri Boulad S J, 79 years young, has an impressive resume: He is rector of the Jesuit school in Cairo. He was superior of the Jesuits in Alexandria, regional superior of the Jesuits in Egypt, professor of theology in El Cairo, and vice president of Caritas International for the Middle East and North Africa. He has given conferences throughout Europe, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, France, Belgium, etc. He has visited 50 countries on 4 continents and has published some 30 books in 15 languages—mainly in French, Arabic, Hungarian, and German. So greatly pedigreed, he obviously isn’t a fly-by-night, and we can presume that his words are worth heeding.

In a personal lengthy letter to Pope Benedict, circulated worldwide in January of 2010, Fr. Boulad calls his Church to repent – to change her mind about many things. His letter in part reads:

In the matter of morality and ethics, the injunctions of the Magisterium, repeated ad nauseam on marriage, contraception, abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, clerical celibacy, divorce and remarriage, etc. touch nobody and only engender weariness and indifference. All these moral and pastoral problems deserve more than preemptory declarations. They deserve an approach that is pastoral, sociological, psychological and humane.

Bishop Untener – a voice crying in the desert

Bishop Kenneth Edward Untener (1937- 2004) served the

Diocese of Saginaw from 1980 until his death in 2004. He was a very good shepherd for the people of the Saginaw diocese. He was also a great comfort for his priests and a challenge to his fellow bishops. He sold the bishop's mansion and proceeded to live in 69 rectories over the next 24 years. People said his office was the trunk of his car. His first words as bishop to the people of Saginaw were: "My name is Ken, and I will be your waiter for a long, long time.” His funeral Mass, attended by some 1,800 people, evoked tears and laughter, audible "amens" and a standing ovation.

1993 was the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclical letter Humanae Vitae (which reaffirmed the Church's stand against artificial birth control). Bishop Untener used the occasion to keep his promise to be a “waiter” serving his people; he invited his Church to reopen the discussion on birth control, and to do it honestly and openly. At heart, Untener was inviting the Church to repent – to change her mind about birth control, if that’s what an honest and open discussion on the subject called for. His invitation to reopen the discussion, however, quietly displeased the Vatican.

There were many other issues in which Bishop Untener kept his promised to be a “waiter” serving his people. On the issue of divorce, he said, “I am not here to condemn divorced people, nor am I here to condone them. I am here to help them. Jesus did not come to condemn or condone the woman caught in adultery; He came to help her.”

Conclusion
Challenging an` infallible’ Church

Untener’s office was the trunk of his car. His name was “Ken,” and like Jesus at the Last Supper, he girded himself with a towel and proceeded to be a ”waiter” in the Church of Saginaw. He was a good John the Baptist, filling in valleys and leveling off mountains, in order to make it easier for the Lord to come to his people. He was a good prophet speaking truth to power. In a calm and dignified manner he challenged an `infallible’ Church to do what, by definition, an `infallible’ Church cannot do: repent and change its mind.

[1] A freer translation reads, The royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down; just as new shoots sprout from its stump, so a new king will arise from among David’s descendants.
[2] Isaiah 40:3
[3] Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant Justum
[4] O Radix Jesse, veni ad salvandum nos. Iam noli tardare! (O Antiphon for Dec. 19)