he Third Mass of Christmas Day

 

“And Yes, Mom and Dad, I’ll be in Newtown for Christmas. Newtown is home.”

December 25, 2012 – the third Mass of Christmas Day

Isaiah 9:1-6    Hebrews 1:1-6    John 1:1-5, 9-14
 
1^st reading: “a light has shined”

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shined. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames. For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!

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 light shines in the darkness

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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Introduction

The darkness has not overcome the light.

Christmas is the only day in the liturgical calendar which has three different Masses assigned it: Mass at Midnight, Mass at Dawn and Mass during the Day. The gospel for the 3^rd Mass of Christmas says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn. 1:5)  On Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, the people of Newtown, Connecticut (a neat well-to-do town with a population of 28,000) experienced the massacre of 20 precious little children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The people of Newtown are indeed “a people who walked in darkness.” But in many wonderful ways, they are also “a people who have seen a great light.” (Is. 9:1) In Newtown “the darkness has not overcome the light.” (Jn. 1:5)  Or to put it positively, in Newtown “the light has overcome the darkness.”

Jeff Belanger’s long piece

Jeff Belanger (a member of the Board of Directors at the Newtown Memorial) is determined not to be overcome by that horrific event which happened in Newtown. In a lengthy piece posted on Sunday, Dec 16, he profoundly reflects on the massacre at Sandy Hook School. The bottom-line which suffuses his posted piece is that in Newtown “the light has overcome the darkness.” His lengthy piece, powerfully written, in part reads:
 

The ancient Mayans are right: The world ends this week. That doesn’t mean I’m not making plans for any event beyond December 21st. In fact, my family just decided that we will be spending Christmas in Newtown this year. But the world as we knew it must end. And I’d like to thank 26 heroes for showing us why.

 

In 1985, my family moved to Newtown, Connecticut. I attended fifth grade at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I recall the giant green footprints that were painted on the street from Riverside Road up to the school’s entrance. I remember Mrs. Paige, my fifth grade teacher. And I recall my friends—carefree, learning, trying to be cool—exactly the way elementary school kids are supposed to be.

I am forever a part of that school and town, and it is forever a part of me. I share a kinship with every person who was a student there, who taught there, who walked those halls, and who had a connection with the building.

 

It’s been surreal watching 24×7 television news plastering images of my childhood everywhere. The police press conferences are being held at Treadwell Park, a place where I’ve played in hundreds of soccer games. St. Rose of Lima Church is the church where I was confirmed. Sandy Hook center is an intersection I’ve driven through thousands of times. That firehouse and school—less than one mile from the house I grew up in, and the house where my parents still live—are landmarks that we passed almost every time we went anywhere. I can’t help but feel naked and vulnerable as the world peers into my hometown.

But since the world is watching, that amazing community has an opportunity to make a stand and say something both comforting and profound here at the end of the world. It took 26 angels—most of them young children—to accomplish what no single person could have done alone. They made the world stop turning. They made all of humanity pause. They forced us to ask ourselves, “What’s really happening to us?” The ancient Mayans may have predicted the end of the world this week, but these 26 heroes fulfilled it.

These fine human beings caused billions of extra hugs in recent days. They started dialogues that need to happen. They woke up a town, a state, a nation, and a world to what really matters. They did not die in vain. It’s our duty as humans to carry on their legacy.

There was only one monster Friday morning [Adam Lanza], but hundreds of helpers who ran in—and those are just the first responders. As word spread, you had thousands then millions more who pledged prayers, support, and money to help in any way they could. Even in the darkest corners of this tragedy, we find light. [“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Jn. 1:5]

The word “hero” is thrown around too much today, but already we have heard stories of true heroism from Sandy Hook. Victoria Soto, a first grade teacher, thought quickly when she heard shots fired in her school. She hid all of her students in closets and cabinets. When the gunman entered her classroom, she told him her kids were in the gym. The coward then shot the defenseless teacher. She was quick-thinking, brave, and selflessly traded her life for those of her

students. That is a hero. We should name towns and streets after her. No amount of honor will ever be enough. Each of her students will be greater people because of her. They will guide us into this brave new world.

On Sunday, President Obama visited my quiet hometown to help console the victims’ families and a grieving nation. While it was right for him to do so, it saddens me that any United States president would have ever even heard of my little town. As one of my high school friends pointed out in his Facebook post, “The last time shots were fired like this in Newtown was during the Revolutionary War when Rochambeau’s army took practice shots at weather vanes.”

Of all of the human emotions, “helpless” is the worst. For now, all I can do is pray for those who need our support the most. I can hug and appreciate my five-year-old daughter a little more each day. That is a gift 26 angels gave to me on Friday.

I moved away from Newtown after college. But I’ve never lost touch. My parents live there, as do my sister, my uncle, and so many friends. Today as I write this from my office in Massachusetts, I’ve never felt so close to, yet so far away from my hometown. I’ll be there for Christmas because there’s no place on Earth where hope could shine any brighter. There’s no town or village that understands the word “community” better than Newtown. This is a place that comes together to help each other in times of need. They’re strong in their faith, conviction, and spirit. And that’s what this holiday is supposed to be about.

I can’t help that the name Newtown will become synonymous with this tragedy. But as the world watches, may they see the light that shines out of every person who shares the unimaginable pain of our neighbors who lost a child, a parent, a spouse, or a friend. Long after the cameras are off and the news vans pull out of town, that light will continue to shine, thanks to 26 angels and to so many heroes who reminded the world of our humanity. [“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Jn. 1:5]

Conclusion

I’ll be home for Christmas

Yes, the world as we know it has ended, which makes this a time for new beginnings. I’ll work each day to make this new world a better place than the old. And yes, Mom and Dad, I’ll be in Newtown for Christmas. Newtown is home.

 

Serving Despite the Rough Terrain

Brave 17-year-old Abdullah

 

Abdullah slinking on his belly toward a woman wounded on a street in Aleppo, Syria, manages to tie a rope around the woman to pull her away from the rapid gunfire. 

Serving Despite the Rough Terrain

 December 23, 2012: 4^th Sunday of Advent

Micah 5:1-4    Hebrews 10:5-10    Luke 1:39-45

First reading from the prophet Micah 

But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest town in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times. Therefore the Lord will abandon his people to their enemies until the one who is to give birth has her son. Then his fellow countrymen who are in exile will be reunited with their own people. When he comes, he will rule his people with the strength that comes from the Lord and with the majesty of the Lord God Himself.  

The word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Glory to you, Lord.

 

After the angel Gabriel told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was already six months pregnant with John the Baptist, Mary went with great haste over rough terrain to a town in Judah, to be of service to her pregnant cousin. There Mary entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. I can hardly believe that the mother of my Lord should come to visit me. When you came in and greeted me, the instant I heard your voice my baby within me leaped for joy. You believed that God would do what He said, and that is why He has given you this wonderful blessing.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Introduction

All four candles lighted to dispel the darkness

On Friday, Dec. 14^th 2012 Adam Lanza (20 years) opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The school teaches children aged 5 to 10. Lanza killed 28 people, 20 of them children, before turning the gun on himself. Newtown, an affluent town about 80 miles northeast of New York City, mourned its dead in community vigils. President Barack Obama wiped away tears as he told the nation in a television address on Friday: "Our hearts are broken.” And on Sunday, Dec. 16^th Obama flew to Newtown to personally console those very deeply and  personally impacted by the massacre, and to promise the nation that in coming weeks he would use “whatever power this office holds” to prevent mass shootings like the horrific one in Newtown.

 Exactly one week after the horrific massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, winter began on Friday Dec.  21^st. The Old Farmers' Almanac shows the period between Dec. 17^th and 25^th as the darkest of the entire year; it has 15 long hours of darkness and only 9 short hours of light. On this 4^th  Sunday of Advent, Dec.23^rd  all four candles on the Advent wreath are lighted to dispel the physical and psychological darkness of this fast departing year of 2012. On Dec. 14^th.that darkness was horrifically climaxed by the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Early Advent: a wearisome litany of promises

Advent is divided into Early and Late Advent.  Early Advent begins with the 1^st Sunday of Advent and continues till the 17^th of December. In Early Advent the readings at Mass are from the prophet Isaiah, and they offer a wearisome litany of promises:
 

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

 

By the end of Early Advent, we are wearied by its litany of promises made but as yet not fulfilled.

 

Late Advent: a delightful litany of stories

With the arrival of Late Advent on Dec. 17^th (called also the Novena of Christmas) everything changes dramatically and pleasantly. The wearisome litany of promises gives way to a wonderful litany of stories:

After Jesus’ genealogy is traced through 42 generations in the gospel reading at Mass on the Dec. 17^{th (}Mt. 1:1-17), there follows a litany of stories: On the Dec.18^th the story is told of Joseph who’s puzzled about his espoused wife being with child. (Mt. 1:18-24) On the Dec.19^th the story is told of aged Zachariah who is told by an angel that his barren and aged wife Elizabeth will conceive a child. (Lk. 1: 5-25) On the Dec.20^th the story is told of the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she would conceive and bear a Son whom she will name Jesus. (Lk.1: 26- 38)

Then on the Dec.21^st the story is told of Mary who in her compassion hastens over rough terrain to serve her aged cousin Elizabeth who is already six-months pregnant with John the Baptist. (Lk .1: 39-45) Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth is told not only on Dec. 21^st (the 5^th day of the Novena of Christmas) but also on this 4^th Sunday of Advent (Cycle C). Mary, who has just been told by the angel that she is to become the mother of the Messiah, is not immobilized by the incredible news. Instead, as soon as the angel leaves she grabs her basket and bonnet, and hastens across rough terrain to serve her aged and pregnant cousin who is in great need of help.

Message of the Visitation

There is a shining message here in Mary (mother of the Messiah) hastening across rough terrain to visit Elizabeth and serve her in her confinement: In the Messianic age, people shall hasten to serve those in need, even though the terrain is rough.

Abdullah slinking over rough terrain

It’s the season to tell stories, especially in Late Advent. There is the recent story of brave 17-year-old Abdullah, and the rough terrain over which he had to slink on his belly, in order to serve someone in utterly dire need. That story went viral; on Dec. 13, 2012, CNN released a video footage of Abdullah’s daring attempt to rescue a wounded woman whom he didn’t even know. In the video he’s seen slinking over rough pavement on his belly toward the wounded woman, while gunfire erupts all around him. He successfully manages to tie a rope around the woman to pull her away from the area of rapid gunfire. The woman’s son waits nearby, hoping his mother will make it out alive. Despite Abdullah’s efforts, the woman dies. The grieving son is led away from his dead mother who is covered up and carried away. Abdullah later told CNN: “I had a feeling she was still alive. I wanted to save her, and get her to a hospital. I said to myself that if I die, it’s God’s will that I die next to this woman.”
 

Conclusion

All four candles burning brightly

The physical and psychological darkness of this fast departing year of 2012 was horrifically intensified on Friday, Dec. 14^th by the massacre at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Conn. There is, indeed, great evil in the world. But the story of Abdullah, who slinks on his belly in a daring attempt to rescue a wounded woman, sends a consoling message: there is, indeed, great good in the world. On this 4^th Sunday of Advent 2012, the four candles on the Advent wreath burning brightly do twofold service: they lightened up a world darkened by great evil, and they reflect the light with which people like Abdullah glow.

 

 

Gaudete Sunday

Gaudete Sunday

December 16, 2012, 3^rd Sunday of Advent

Zephaniah 3:14-18   Philippians 4:4-7  Luke 3:10-18

1st reading from Zephaniah

Sing and shout for joy, people of Israel! Rejoice with all your heart, Jerusalem! The Lord has removed the judgment against you. He has turned away your enemies. The Lord, the King of Israel, is in your midst; there is no reason now to be afraid. The time is coming when they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not be afraid, city of Zion! Do not be discouraged! The Lord, your God, is with you; his power gives you victory. The Lord will take delight in you, and in his love He will give you new life. H e will sing and be joyful over you, as joyful as people at a festival.”

2^nd reading from Philippians

Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice! Show a gentle attitude toward all. The Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything, but in your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking Him with a thankful heart. Then the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

 Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Glory to you, Lord.

 The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What do you want us to do?” ”If you have two coats,” he replied, “give one to the poor. If you have extra food, give it to those who are hungry.” Even tax collectors—notorious for their corruption—came to be baptized and asked, “How shall we prove to you that we have mended our lives?”  “By your honesty,” he replied. “Make sure you collect no more taxes than the Roman government requires you to do.” “And what about us?” some soldiers asked. John replied, “Don’t extort money by threats and violence! Don’t accuse anyone of what you know he didn’t do! Be content with your pay!”

 Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but One mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” Exhorting them in many other ways, John preached good news to the people.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Introduction

The beginning of winter

This coming Friday, Dec. 21^st 2012, 7:11 AM EST is the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. A chart in Old Farmers' Almanac shows that in our Northern Hemisphere the period between Dec. 17^th (tomorrow) and 25^th as the darkest of the entire year. Those days have 15 long hours of darkness and only 9 short hours of light. Then on Dec. 25^th, the birthday of the Lord, the sun begins its journey back to us in the Northern Hemisphere. The darkness starts to diminish. The light begins to grow, until it attains its full radiance and splendor on June 21^st (the beginning of summer). The great O Antiphon for Dec. 21^st (this coming Friday) begins with the words: O Oriens! – Oh Bright-breaking Dawn:

Oh Bright-breaking Dawn from heaven, Oh Radiance of Light Eternal and warm Sun of Justice, come and shine upon those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.

 

For us sitting in 15 long hours of darkness these days, this Antiphon is right on mark.

Gaudete Sunday

In the first reading the prophet Zephaniah speaking to a group of refugees in a slum district of Jerusalem, commands the people to rejoice: “Sing and shout for joy, people of Israel! Rejoice with all your heart, Jerusalem! The Lord, the King of Israel, is in your midst!” (Zeph. 3:14‑15)  And in the second reading St. Paul, sitting in prison and bound with chains, commands the Philippians to rejoice: “Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say rejoice! The Lord is near!” (Phil. 4:4-5)

The Introit (the opening words) of the old Latin Mass for the 3^rd Sunday of Advent was “Gaudete semper in Domino! Iterum dico gaudete!”(“Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say rejoice!”) In the course of time, the 3^rd Sunday of Advent came to be called Gaudete Sunday, and the color of the priest’s vestments for that Sunday was not `penitential purple’ but `joyful rose.’ Even the color of the 3^rd candle on the Advent wreath was `joyful rose’ on Gaudete Sunday.

Before Vatican II, Advent like Lent was a strictly penitential season; it forbad all feasting, partying and decorating before Dec. 24. So in those days it was natural for us to rejoice on the 3^rd Sunday of Advent, not so much because of St. Paul’s announcement that “The Lord is near!,” but because we were more than halfway through the penitential season of Advent. And soon we’d be able to intoxicate ourselves with the sounds, scenes and scents of Christmas.

A command to rejoice!

Is it possible to command joy or any other emotion? The prophet Zephaniah thinks it’s possible. Speaking to a group of poor refugees in a slum district of Jerusalem, he does not merely recommend joy, he commands it: “Sing and shout for joy, people of Israel! Rejoice with all your heart, Jerusalem! The Lord, the King of Israel, is in your midst.” (Zeph. 3:14, 17) Zephaniah commands the people to rejoice, despite their circumstance.  And Paul, too, sitting in prison and bound with chains, does not merely recommend joy; he commands it. In Philippians he writes: “Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near." (Phil. 4:5)  Paul commands the people to rejoice, despite his dire circumstance.

Fr. Delp’s diary entry for Gaudete Sunday

Despite his dire circumstance German Jesuit Fr. Alfred Delp rejoiced. Delp was an outspoken opponent of the Nazis, and helped Jews to escape from Germany. He was arrested after being falsely accused of being party to a plot to assassinate Hitler. His involvement in a movement to make Germany a truly Christian nation was enough to have him convicted and sentenced to death. Father Delp was executed by Hitler on February 2, 1945. Like St. Paul sitting in prison and bound with chains, he wrote in his diary for Gaudete Sunday, 1944:
 

How is it possible to rejoice in a prison cell (a space of three paces in each direction)? How 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[1] hold good. That, of course, could be an unconscious defense mechanism against my depression. But not always. Sometimes it’s due to a wonderful premonition of wonderful things to come. (Prison Meditations of Fr. Alfred Delp)

 

You millions impacted by Hurricane Sandy, rejoice!

On Gaudete Sunday Fr. Delp asks: “How is it possible to rejoice in a prison cell - a space of three paces in each direction?” On this Gaudete Sunday millions of people impacted by Hurricane Sandy are asking the very same question: “How is it possible to rejoice this Gaudete Sunday 2012?”On Oct. 29 and 30 Hurricane Sandy brutally battered the mid-Atlantic region of the United States for over two days. It caused the deaths of more than 80 people in the States, including 41 people in New York City alone. The monetary loss from Hurricane Sandy is estimated to be $50 billion. The estimated dollar value of lost business activity as a result of Sandy is estimated to be $25 billon. On this Gaudete Sunday 2012, how can we (how dare we) command: “You millions impacted by Hurricane Sandy, rejoice!” Zephaniah dared to command refugees in a slum district of Jerusalem to rejoice. St. Paul, sitting prison and bound by chains, dared to command the Philippians and himself as well to rejoice. And on this Gaudete Sunday 2012 we dare to command the millions impacted by Sandy to rejoice.

And on a different level, on this Gaudete Sunday 2012 how can we (how dare we) command someone to rejoice, when he or she has just received a chilling report from the doctor? Or on this Gaudete Sunday how can we (how dare we) command someone to rejoice, when he or she has lost a partner of 30, 40, 50 years? Or on this Gaudete Sunday how can we (how dare we) command someone to rejoice, when he or she has suffered some tragedy or irreversible loss? And yes even this: on this Gaudete Sunday how can we (how dare we) command someone to rejoice, when he or she has had to put to sleep a very beloved dog, which showed what unconditional love looks like.

Addressed not to the glad but to the sad

Advent’s Gaudete command to rejoice is addressed not to the glad but to the sad. The glad need no command to rejoice; it’s the sad who need it. People who have money to buy all things they want or need for Christmas, or who enjoy good health, or who have won the  lottery, etc., need no command to rejoice; rejoicing comes automatically. The Gaudete command of the 3^rd Sunday of Advent is addressed first and foremost to the sad. Zephaniah’s Gaudete is addressed to sad refugees in a slum district of Jerusalem. St. Paul’s Gaudete is addressed, first and foremost, to his sad self sitting in prison and bound with chains.

Joy: an inside, outside and mystic job

Joy is partly an inside job; that is to say, it’s a personal decision not to get stuck in our losses, mistakes, diminutions or tragedies. To evoke the climate of December, joy is a decision not to be snowbound by self-pity or useless regret or unavailing grief or relentless anger. Joy is a decision not to be snowbound either by unlucky birth or unlucky circumstances.

 

Joy is also partly an outside job; that is to say, it also depends on circumstances beyond personal decision. It depends on `being born right’ – being born into the right circumstances: good health, good education, good parenting, etc. Joy even at times seems to depend on pure genetics; some people seem simply born joyful, no matter what.

 Sometimes joy is a mystic job. Fr. Delp sitting in prison and bound in chains writes, “My heart can scarcely contain the delirious joy that's in it.” His joy was truly a mystic job.

Conclusion

Oh Rosy candle burning brightly

 

Oh rosy candle burning brightly before us today,

 we hear you: “Joy is an inside job!”

That is to say, it is a personal decision not to be snowbound

 by self-pity or useless regret or unavailing grief or relentless anger.

Oh rosy candle burning brightly before us today,

we hear you: “Joy is also an outside job!”

That is to say, it is also outside the reach of personal decision,

as it depends on `being born right.’

 Oh rosy candle burning brightly before us today,

we hear you: “Joy every now and then is a mystic job!”

That was the joy of Fr. Delp who could scarcely contain

the joy he felt on Gaudete Sunday.

His joy was pure gift, and it’s given to whom it’s given.

 

 

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[1] One of those promises is ”Blessed are they who suffer persecution, they shall be comforted.”

A Policeman who leveled off the Mountains and filled up the Valleys

A policeman who leveled off the mountains
and filled up the valleys

December 9, 2012, 2^nd   Sunday of Advent

Baruch 5:5, 7   Philemon 1:4-6, 8-11  Luke 3:1-6

First reading from Baruch

Arise, Jerusalem, stand on the heights and turn your eyes to the east. For God has commanded that every lofty mountain be leveled and every valley be filled, so that Israel may walk in safety under the glory of God.

The word of the Lord

Thanks be to God 

Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Glory to you, Lord.

It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Emperor Tiberius; Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea, Herod tetrarch[1] of Galilee, Philip his brother tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, and Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. It was at this time that the word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. So John went throughout the whole territory of the Jordan River, telling the people to, “Turn away from your sins and be baptized, and God will forgive your sins.” It was John whom the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he wrote,

Someone is shouting in the desert: “Get ready a road for the Lord to travel on! Widen the pathway before Him! Level off the mountains and fill up the valleys! Straighten out the winding roads before Him and make the rough paths smooth for Him! And then all mankind shall see salvation from God!” [2]

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Introduction

2^nd Sunday of Advent & 1^st day of Hanukkah

Today, Dec. 9, the 2^nd Sunday of Advent, the Catholic community lights two candles on the Advent wreath. Today the Jewish community lights the first candle on their eight-branch candelabra (called menorah) to begin its celebration of the Feast of Hanukkah– the Feast of Dedication. Hanukkah commemorates the eight-day purification and re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, after the Greek tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated it in 161 B.C. Through the eight-days of celebration the candles are lit one by one, and that gives Hanukkah its other name: The Feast of Lights.

Advent figure par excellence

John the Baptist is the Advent figure par excellence. He is always featured in the gospel reading for the 2^nd Sunday of Advent, whether the reading is from Matthew (Cycle A), Mark (Cycle B) or Luke (Cycle C). In today’s gospel Luke writes that the prophet Isaiah was referring to John the Baptist when he wrote,

Someone is shouting in the desert: “Get ready a road for the Lord to travel on! Widen the pathway before Him! Level off the mountains and fill up the valleys! Straighten out the winding roads and make the rough paths smooth for Him! And then all mankind shall see salvation from God!”

Bad roads in ancient times

Isaiah’s words about “leveling off the mountains and filling up the valleys” allude to the bad roads in ancient times and the need to repair them, especially in preparation for a visit from royalty. In the days leading to an official visit from the Pharaoh of Egypt, teams of workers were sent out to repair the roads and get them in good shape. They straightened out sharp curves and leveled off hills. They filled in potholes and cleared away litter, so that the litter carrying the Pharaoh might move on with dispatch.

When the Council of Nicea (which gave us the Nicene Creed) was held in 360 A.D. near what is today Istanbul, Turkey, bishops from Ireland attended. It took them almost a year to get there because there weren’t any cars, trains or planes in those days; they walked (!) from Ireland to Turkey. What’s more, the roads were always in terrible condition, and there weren’t 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 enjoy the luxury of driving everywhere on perfectly paved super-highways appreciate the imagery of today’s gospel.

God spoke his word through a locust-eating desert man.

The litany of names which Luke mentioned in today’s gospel gives us the historical setting. What’s more important, it makes a powerful point: Luke’s litany of names is all about power. It starts out identifying the secular superpowers of the day: Emperor Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate (governor of Judea and agent of the Emperor), and three tetrarchs (or co-emperors of the Roman Empire): Herod, Philip and   Lysanias. Having named the big-wigs of secular power, Luke then turns to the big-wigs of Jewish religious authority: Annas and Caiaphas who hold the two highest positions in Judaism. The power structure is complete.

 But then Luke makes his powerful point: God spoke His word not through emperors, co-emperors, and high priests; He spoke His word through John, son of Zechariah. (Lk. 3:2) He spoke His word through a simple, God-fearing, locust-eating desert man, who dressed in clothes made of camel’s hair. (Mt. 3:4)

God spoke his word through a NYC cop.

He who spoke His word to us in the person of a simple, God-fearing, locust-eating desert man spoke His word to us very recently on Nov. 14, in the person of NYC Officer Larry De Primo, 25 years of age.

 Jennifer Foster, a tourist to NYC from Florence, Arizona, took a remarkable cell-phone picture of policeman De Primo, as he was giving a homeless barefoot man a pair of insulated winter boots and thermal socks, on Wed., Nov. 14. (That was a very cold day in New York.) Officer De Primo had gone to a Skechers Store on 42^nd Street, had shelled out $75 for the boots and socks, then returned to the poor man, knelt down, and put the socks and boots on his frozen feet.

It went viral.

Deeply moved by what she saw Jennifer Foster captured the incredible picture on her cell-phone. The picture of the homeless barefoot man on a frigid night in Times Square, and De Primo giving him a pair of insulated winter boots and thermal socks went viral; it generated more than 417,000 `likes’! It was shared more than 138,000 times! It received over 30,000 comments! And the statistics keep growing.

 Detailing what she saw on that cold day in mid-November Foster said, “The police officer said to the homeless man, ‘I have these size 12 boots for you; they’re all-leather.’ Then he squatted down on the ground and proceeded to put the socks and new boots on the man’s frozen feet, on a frigid night in Times Square.”  

 Recalling that night of Nov. 14, when he encountered the shoeless man on the sidewalk on 7^th Ave near 44^th Street, De Primo said, "I had on two pairs of wool winter socks and combat boots, and my feet were still cold.” He said that when he gave the homeless barefoot man the boots ”He smiled from ear to ear. It was like you gave him a million dollars."

Referring to the Nov. 14 event, the Skechers Store manager Jose Cano told the New York Times: "We were just kind of shocked. Most of us are New Yorkers, and we just pass by that kind of thing, especially in this neighborhood.”  Store manager Cano said that he gave Officer De Primo his own employee-discount, to bring the price of the boots down to $75. De Primo told the New York Times that he keeps the receipt for the boots in his bulletproof vest to remind him "that sometimes people have it worse.”

The apple does fall far from the tree

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. De Primo credits his parents for bringing him up right. He said, "They raised me extremely well. A lot of what I am today is because of my upbringing." Then he added that his mother cried when she learned of his act of generosity. His neighbors in Holbrook have offered their own congratulations, and the Town of Islip is drafting plans to issue its own commendation. As news of his good deed spread, De Primo said he was expecting jokes from fellow policemen at the Sixth Precinct station house. Instead they congratulated him. "It is a humbling experience to have real heroes who have been on this job a lot longer than I have shaking my hand," he said.

“May God bless all of them!”

There is, however, an important footnote to this story which went viral, as it generated more than 417,000 `likes,’ shared more than 138,000 times, and received over 30,000 comments. One man exclaims, “So what!” Then he added this very perceptive insight: “There are thousands and thousands of people out there all across America in every big city who rise to the very same level of compassion and generosity as that of Officer De Primo, but for various reasons their various stories go unnoticed and unsung.” Then he added: “May God bless all of them!”

                                    

Conclusion

An appetizing story

The 2^nd Sunday of Advent commands us to “level off the mountains and fill in the valleys” in order to facilitate the Lord God’s coming. By his unselfishness, his generosity, his sympathy with the sufferings of a barefoot man on a very cold day in NYC, De Primo leveled off mountains and filled in valleys, and facilitated the Lord God’s coming, not only for the poor barefoot man who smiled from ear to ear, as though he had been given a million dollars, but also for thousands of others for whom the story went viral. And now it’s being featured every hour on the hour on TV these Advent days, because the world hungers for such an appetizing story, especially at Christmas.

 

The second candle lit

   on the Advent wreath

 

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[1] Co-emperors of the Roman Empire:

[2] Isaiah 40:3-5