Fr. Alexis Luzi, OFM, Cap.

No Homily

2012-02-09T09:53:00.000-06:00

A Pope and a Priest with a Mother-in-law

2012-02-01T08:57:00.000-06:00

Fr. Tom McMichael,husband, father and priest

A Popeand a Priest with a Mother-in-law

February 5, 2012, 5^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Job 7:1-4, 6-7 I Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23 Mk1:29-39

Alleluia,alleluia.

A readingfrom the holy Gospel according to Luke

Gloryto you, Lord.

Onleaving the synagogue Jesus went to Peter’s home, and there he saw Peter’smother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. When He heard she was sick, He went toher bedside, grasped her hand and helped her up. The fever immediately left her and she beganto serve lunch.

By sunset the courtyard was packed withpeople who were sick and possessed by demons, who were brought to Him forhealing. A huge crowd from Capernaum gathered around to watch. He healed many of the sick and drove out manydemons. (But He refused to allow the demons to speak, for they knew perfectlywell who He was.)

Jesus rose very early the next morning andwent off by Himself into the wilderness to pray. Later on Simon and the others went looking for Him. Finding Him they said, “Everybody is askingfor you.” He said to them, “We must go to other towns as well and preach thegood news there also, for that is why I came.” So He traveled throughout the province of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues anddriving out demons.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praiseto you, Lord Jesus Christ.
----------------

Introduction

A super event: a nesting robin

Hereit is February 5 --the first Sunday of the second month of the new year. Robinshave already arrived here in southern Texas. They will pause here a few days beforecontinuing their journey north. By early March they will arrive in Wisconsin.After building their nests according to an eternal blue-print, marvelously imprintedwithin them, they lay their nifty blue eggs in very fluffy nests made fromnature’s scraps. And when a late spring snowstorm strikes, mother robin protectsher eggs or newly hatched chicks with her extended wings. For some the yearlyreturn of robins with their nesting routine is a super event to behold. Forsome it even beats Super Bowl XLVI which takes placetoday.

A full day in the lifeof Jesus

St.Mark’s gospel (written before the others – sometime between 66 and70 AD.) is the shortest of thefour gospels. It is fast-moving and begins not with Jesus’ birth as a babe in Bethlehem (as Matthew and Luke’s gospel begin) butwith Jesus’ baptism as an adult. The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law isrelated in this first chapter of Mark, while it is found much later in chapterfour of Luke and chapter eight of Matthew.

Early one Sabbath Jesus and hisdisciples went to the synagogue in Capernaum, where He taught with the ring ofauthority and not as the scribes. There He drove out a demon from a possessedman. Then He and his disciples left the synagogue around noon and went to Peter’shome nearby for lunch. Peter’s mother-in-law, however, was sick in bed with ahigh fever, and was in no condition to serve a meal. After Jesus commanded thefever to leave Peter’s mother-in-law, the happily healed woman got up and immediatelyserved them lunch.

At sundown, however, the day wasnot yet over. Since healing on the Sabbath was forbidden by theLaw, the townspeople had to wait till sundown (when the Sabbath ended) beforebringing their sick and possessed to Jesus for healing. By nightfall, Jesus had put in a really full day,and He was exhausted. He who had no pillow of his own upon which to rest hishead (Lk 9:58) found one that night in Peter’s house, where at long last Hefell into a deep but short sleep. He rose early the next morning to find aplace where He could be alone and pray, and make some sense out of his very busylife.

A full day in many people’slives

For the sake of their families, peoplerise at early dawn to go to work. After a busy day at work, they wearily rushhome on crowded city streets or express-ways, to replenish themselves withfamily, food and sleep. At home they might find a sick family member who needsattention, or a nagging problem waiting to be solved, or an unexpectedeventuality to be dealt with. Early the next day they rise to start the roundall over again. Some, exhausted like Jesus, seek a place where theycan be alone and pray, in order to make some sense out of the race which dailythey’re forced to run. The race becomes even more stressful in economicallydepressed times. The gospel account of a full day in the life of Jesusresonates well with a full day in many peoples’ lives.

A popewith a mother-in-law

Thegospel relates that Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. Peter (the man who in Catholic tradition isconsidered to be the first pope) had a mother-in-law. In order to have amother-in-law Peter had to have a wife. The first pope not only had amother-in-law, he also had a wife! That, indeed, sounds strange to someCatholic ears. For some it even sounds irreverent or blasphemous. It shouldn’tsound irreverent or blasphemous. Peterand the other apostles were real people with wives, mother-in-laws, kids, andfamily dogs and cats. The fact that Peter, the first pope, was a married manwith a family immediately dismisses any claim that celibacy is a stricttheological requirement for ministry in the Church.[1]

A priestwith a mother-in-law

InNovember of 2005, Pastor McMichael, a married man with two sons (19 and 21),who served in Lutheran churches in Washington and Oregon for two decades,informed his Lutheran congregation that he was resigning to become a Catholic.He took that bold step without any assurance he would be able to continue hisclerical calling which he greatly cherished. He later remarked, "Perhapsthe most difficult part of this was giving that up, and not being sure if Iwould be able to continue [to minister]. There was no guarantee that this doorwould open." That door, indeed, did open. McMichael finallygot word that the Vatican approved his ordination to the priesthood, after athree-year process of tests and interviews.

Withhis wife of 23 years and his two sons at his side, TomMcMichael was ordained a priest on January 10, 2009, in St. James Cathedral,making him the first married priest in the Seattle Archdiocese. FatherMcMichael, who doesn't want to be a poster child for the married priesthood, iscareful to tell us, “This is not the first step into married clergy." Hemakes it a point to emphasize that he's simply “an exception to the celibacyrule.”

On Jan. 11, Father McMichael celebrated hisfirst Mass at Assumption Church in Bellingham, WA -- a parish which is a rainbow of ethnic groups, income levels andtheological viewpoints. After Mass he stoodin front of the altar, and the diverse congregation was united as it clappedits hands in heartfelt acceptance and blessing.

‘Tea-pot-tempests’

SomeCatholics might find it hard to interiorize the idea of a married pope or amarried priest. Many of us remember the not-very-long-distant past when wefound it very difficult to interiorize married deacons who could baptize ourchildren, or lay people (male or female!) who could be ministers of theEucharist. More importantly, we recall now how easily and how quickly most ofus have weathered those storms – those ‘tea-pot-tempests.’

It is notpossible.

Theordination of McMichael, husband and father, took place in 2009. Sixteen yearsbefore, in 1993, Archbishop Rembert Weakland OSB of the Archdiocese ofMilwaukee went to Rome for his ad limina[2] visit to the Pope. Two years before in1991, Archbp. Weakland, wishing to address the problem of priest-shortageafflicting his archdiocese and the Church at large, wrote a pastoral letter tohis archdiocese. In it he courageously wrote:

Ifit became evident that no resident priest would be available for a parish, andthat there was no prospect of getting one in the near future, I would bewilling to help the community surface a qualified candidate for ordination tothe priesthood – even if a married man- and without raising false expectations or unfounded hope for him or thecommunity, present such a candidate to the Pastor of the Universal Church [thePope] for light and guidance. (Catholic Herald, January 10, 1991)

On theoccasion of Weakland’s 1993 ad liminavisit, a letter was hand-delivered to him from the prefect of the Congregationfor Bishops. The letter scolded Rembert for suggesting that the Church should ordainmarried men to solve its critical shortage of priests. The letter made it clearto Weakland that “Among the requirements of Catholic unity there is the need[for you Rembert Weakland] to accept the tradition of the Church. According toecclesial practice, reinforced by a Synod of Bishops, it is not possible to present married men for ordination to thepriesthood.”

It ispossible.

Thatwas in 1993. Sixteen years later, strange to say, it suddenly is possible to present married men forordination to the priesthood! On January 10, 2009, Tom McMichael, husband andfather of two, was ordained a priest!

The voice of the people

An old dictum says Vox populi – vox Dei – “The voice of thepeople – the voice of God.” Both truth and untruth lurk in every proverb, andthis one is no exception. We remember, because we cannot forget, that the voiceof the people in Germany shouted “HeilHitler.” That could hardly have been the voice of God, as the Naziproceeded to put to death six million Jews. At most and at best, Vox populi – vox Dei means thatsometimes in the voice of the people there is, indeed, an echo of the voice ofGod, and we must discern and heed it.

Thevoice of one of God’s people reacting to the ordination of Tom McMichael (husbandand father) said,

This is a good thing.It’s a start and a good argument for ending the celibacy rule. Suppressingone’s natural sexual tendencies is not healthy, and it leads to evil actscommitted against children. Only the Roman Church has a celibate priesthood,and it’s time to stop.

Anothervoice said,

I don’t see the Churchsurviving without changing her ways. There are places where one priest has todrive 50 miles to serve 4 or more churches on a typical weekend where thereused to be at least 3 full-time priests. It is not possible to get thespiritual support you need in these conditions.

Stillanother voice said,

The first marriedpriest in the Archdiocese of Seattle and one of only about 100 in the wholeUS – I never thought I’d see the day! LikeObama’s inauguration which gave me hope for our nation, I have great hope againfor the Church. Change comes slowly, painfully slow for many, including myself,but change is happening, has happened and I couldn’t be prouder.

Conclusion

No such thing as married or unmarried

After his first Mass Father McMichael stoodin front of the altar and before a congregation which was a rainbow of ethnicgroups, income level and theological viewpoints. Despite that great diversity, thewhole congregation broke out into a resounding applause, clapping its hands inheartfelt acceptance and blessing. That congregation had Paul’s word to theGalatians ringing in its ears: “Thereis no such thing as Jew or Greek, slave and freeman, male and female, [marriedand unmarried], but all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:28)

[1] The merit ofcelibacy as a disciplinary requirement is another question.

[2] Ad limina is Latin for “To thethreshold” Every five years a bishop must make a visit to the Pope’s threshold to give a report about his diocese .

The Ring of Authority

2012-01-24T19:22:00.000-06:00

“The people were amazed at the wayHe taught. He wasn’t like the scribes; instead He taught withthe ring of authority.” (Mk. 1:22)

The Ring of Authority

January29, 2012, 4^th Sunday Ordinary Time

Deuteronomy18:18 ICorinthians 7:32-35 Mark 1:21-28

First reading from Deuteronomy

Moses spoke to all the people,saying, “The Lord your God said to me, `I will send them a prophet like youfrom among their own people, and I will put my words into his mouth; he shalltell them all that I command him.’”

The word of the Lord

Thanksbe to God

Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Gloryto you, Lord.

Then they came to Capernaum, and onthe Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and began to teach. The people wereamazed at the way He taught. He wasn’t like the scribes; instead He taughtwith the ring of authority.

In their synagogue was a manpossessed by a demon who was loudly crying out, "Why are you bothering us,Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us demons? I know who you are—the holy Son of God.”Jesus rebuked the howling demon and commanded him, saying: "Shut up! Comeout of him!" The demon convulsed the man, gave a loud cry, and came out ofhim. All were amazed and asked one another what it all meant. “This man teachesin a brand new way,” they exclaimed. “He teaches with the ring of authority; Hegives orders to evil spirits and they obey Him.” His fame spread everywherethroughout the whole region of Galilee.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praiseto you, Lord Jesus Christ.
----------------

Introduction

Purification,Candlemas and St. Blaise

This coming Thursday,Feb. 2, 2012 is not only Groundhog Day, it’s also the Feast of the Purificationof Mary. Accordingto Jewish tradition the mother of a male child was considered unclean for fortydays. After that period, she went to the Temple with her newborn son, and broughttwo turtledoves or young pigeons as a sin offering. The priest prayed over her, and she was purified. When Marywent with the infant Jesus to the Temple for purification, there was an old mannamed Simeon. Scripture says “He had been assured by the Holy Spirit that hewould not die before he had seen the Lord’s promised Messiah.” (Lk 2:26) When Simeonsaw them in the Temple, he took the infant into his arms and proclaimed him “alight of revelation to the Gentiles.” So on Feb. 2 the Church at Mass blesses candlesneeded for liturgical and home uses in the year ahead. That’s why Feb. 2 isalso called Candlemas. Then theday after Candlemas, Feb. 3, two of the blessed candles are used to blessthroats on the feast of St. Blaise.

Authoritybut not the ring of authority

In the firstreading from Deuteronomy the Lord God promises to send a prophet in whose mouthHe will place His words. The gospel isabout that one who came with God’s words in His mouth and who taught with the `ringof authority’ and not as the scribes. The scribes were copyists who madehand-written copies of the Torah[1]and other books of the Bible. They were very meticulous people. They concocteda long list of rules to be scrupulously observed in copying the biblical books.E.g. (1) One must use only the skins of `clean animals’ to write on. (2) Eachcolumn of writing must have no less than forty-eight lines and no more thansixty. Etc, etc.

The scribes werealso teachers and interpreters of the Law of Moses. In fact, some translationssimply read `teachers of the Law’ instead of `scribes.’ Scribes gave lectures on the Law of Moses insynagogues, taught it in schools and debated it in public. As interpreters ofthe Law of Moses, they were also very meticulous people. With their cohorts,the Pharisees,[2]they concocted a mountainous heap of minute rules, regulations andprescriptions which they placed on the backs of the people. Of the scribes andPharisees Jesus says: “They are the authorized interpreters of Moses’ Law. Soyou must obey and follow everything they tell you to do. Do not, however,imitate their actions, because they do not practice what they preach.” (Mt.23:2-3) Then Jesus launches a litany of eight tirades against them - eight “Woeto you scribes and Pharisees.” (Mt. 23:13-29) The scribes did, indeed, haveauthority but not the ring of authority.

Jesus’ ringof authority over an evil spirit

Unlike the scribes,Jesus had the ring of authority. On a Sabbath in Capernaum Jesuscommanded an evil spirit howling in a possessed man to “Shut up!” and come outof the poor man. The demon obeyed: heconvulsed the man, gave a loud cry, and came out of him. (Mk. 1: 25)

We too must command the evil spirits howling in our lives to“Shut up!”

“Shut up!” to the evil spirit of worry plaguing us.

“Shut up!” to the evil spirit of depression weighting us down.
“Shutup!” to theevil spirit of low self-esteem belittling us.
“Shutup!” to the evilspirit of anger raging in us.
“Shutup!” to anevil spirit of fear nagging us.
“Shutup!” to anevil spirit of the restlessness tossing and turning us.
“Shutup!” to anevil spirit of addiction destroying us.

“Shut up!” to an evil spirit of lust squandering us.

Jesus’ ring ofauthority over a roaring storm

That same ring ofauthority in Mark 1: 25 is manifested in Mark 4: 39. There Jesus commands not aroaring demon but a roaring storm. He is in a boat with His disciples, asleepin the stern with His head on a cushion. A fierce storm blows up, and theterrified apostles wake Jesus. He commands the roaring storm to “Shut up,” andthe wind dies down and a great calm ensues. The old Latin translation of thesetwo passages from Mark uses the identically same word for the command to “Shutup!” -- “Obmutesce!”

Some of the storms inour lives (maybe many of them) are not much more than"tempests-in-a-teapot." Manygreat storms rose shortly after Vatican II. There were storms overCommunion-in-the-hand, Communion from lay-people, meat on Friday, nuns incivilian clothes, English instead of Latin in the liturgy, women ministering atthe altar. As we look back now, we see they were not much more thantempests-in-tea-pots, which really deserved a sound “Shut up!” “Obmutesce!” They eventually did quietdown, for the most part. If we can’t,or do not try, to `shut up’ at least the teapot tempests in our lives, whatwill we do when a real storm blows upon us?

A churchman lacking the ring of authority.

When Archbishop Rembert Weakland OSB of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee went to Rome in 1993 for his ad lumina visit to the Pope, a letter was hand delivered to him from the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. The letter made it clear to Weakland that "Among the requirements of Catholic unity there is the need [for you Rembert Weakland] to accept the tradition of the Church. According to ecclesial practice, reinforced by a Synod of Bishops, it is not [italics ours] possible to present married men for ordination to the priesthood." The letter also made it clear to Weakland that "On the question of the ordination of women, your position is perceived to be in opposition to the teaching of the church. Moreover, the charge of 'intransigency' (a word used by your Excellency) on the part of the Church in this matter can seriously damage Church authority and Church government." The prefect, lacking the ring of authority has to call upon authority.

A pope suffusedwith the ring of authority

On the other hand, the UniversalChurch experienced the wonderful example of a pope suffused with the ring of authority! On the day of his`coronation’ as pope, November 4, 1958, GoodPope John XXIII declared in his homilythat like Jesus the Good Shepherd, hecame not to be served but to serve. Thenthe very next day John sped off ina papal limousine through elaborate Vatican gates to serve. He visited agingbrother priests in nursing homes. He visited inmates in the nearby Regina Coeli Prison along the Tiber. “Icome to you,” he told them, “because you couldn’t come to me.” When hecelebrated his first Holy Thursday as pope, he revived an ancient custom of thechurch: he girded himself with a towel and bent down to wash the feet of 13young priests.

John’s ring of authority resoundednot only throughout the whole Church but whole world as well. When the Pope laydying on June 3, 1963, after four short years of a pontificate resounding withthe ring of authority, the whole world was at his bedside, weeping and praying.

John’s ring of authority resounded especiallywith Morris West. He was an Australian writer (1916-1999) famous especially forhis books The Devil’s Advocate and The Shoes of the Fisherman. In A View from the Ridge he wrote,

I believe I can saywith certainty that I remained in communion with the Church even when theChurch itself excluded me[3],and I remain there still, principally because of the presence of John XXIII,the Good Pastor. Goodness [and the ring of authority] went out from this man tome. I acknowledged it then. I acknowledge it again.

Conclusion

Authorityor the ring of authority

Deuteronomy 30:19says, “I place before you a choice between life and death. Choose life.” The gospel todayplaces before us a choice between authority and the ring of authority. And itbids us to choose the ring of authority. If we choose authority in our dealings with others, we become like that prefectof the Congregation for Bishops who dealt abruptly and dismissively with theArchbishop of Milwaukee. On the other hand, if we choose rather the ring of authority in our dealingswith others, we are like Good Pope John whose authority resounded mightily inthe Church, the world and in Morris West.

[1] The Torah is thefirst five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. It’s sometimesreferred to as simply “The Law of Moses.”

[2] Pharisees: aJewish religious party, very strict in obeying the Law of Moses to which theyadded a great accretion of their own concoction.

[3] Though West was and always remaineda Catholic, his various writings contain a good deal of criticism about the church, and thechurch was not always pleased with him.

The Mission: not Conquest but Compassion

2012-01-17T10:22:00.000-06:00

The bright andshining face of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

TheMission: not Conquest but Compassion

January 22, 2012, 3^rd Sunday OrdinaryTime

Jonah 3:1-5 I Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1: 14-20

Alleluia,alleluia.

A readingfrom the holy Gospel according to Mark

Gloryto you, Lord.

AfterJohn had been arrested, Jesus came to Galileeproclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe inthe gospel." As He passed by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and hisbrother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus calledout to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."Then they abandoned their nets and followed Him. He walked along a littlefarther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too werein a boat mending their nets. Then He called them. So they left their fatherZebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed Him.

TheGospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, LordJesus Christ.
----------------

Introduction

SuperBowl XLVI

The Christmasseason is over. We’re in liturgical `Ordinary Time’ now until AshWednesday, February 22, one month from today. Then we will enter into the `Extraordinary Time’ of Lent, and plod along throughthe forty days of Lenten penance until Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012. In themeanwhile, for a great majority of Americans there’s one great event on thehorizons to brighten up the doldrums of these winter days: Super Bowl XLVI, February 5, 2012.

Christianity: a missionary religion

Jesuscalled twelve apostles, and then sent them on mission. (Lk. 9:1) He also calledseventy-two disciples and sent them on mission as well. (Lk. 10:1) Then afterJesus’ death and resurrection, the eleven apostles went to Galilee to themountain where the risen Lord had told them to go. There they met the Lord, whoagain sent them on mission. He commanded them, saying,”Go forth into the wholeworld and make disciples of all men, baptizing them in the name of the Fatherand of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt. 28: 19) Christianity is amissionary religion, and its mission seemsto be to make the whole world Christian.

Islam: also amissionary religion

Islam, like Christianity, is also amissionary religion, and its mission also seems to be to make the whole worldIslamic. One of the five great Pillarsof Islam is Shahada: a proclamation of personalfaith that there is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet. At the endof the day, Shahada is loaded with a missionaryurgency to make the whole world Islamic. Sometimeslisted as a sixth Pillar of Islam is Jihad:holy war. That word can innocently mean a holy war of self discipline waged uponone’s self in the struggle to surrender to Allah. (In fact, `Islam’ isan Arabic word meaning `to surrender’ - to surrender to God’s will.) Or Jihad can meansomething downright ominous. The horrific event of 9/11, when Islamicextremists drove two 747’s into the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan, bringingdown not only mountainous heaps of mortar and bricks but also 3000 innocentpeople was indeed a Jihad - a holywar against `infidels.’ The horrendous event of 9/11 which required anoperation working day and night for 10 months to haul away 2,000,000 tons ofdebris (in which were rescued 20,000 body-parts for appropriate burial) wasindeed a Jihad - a holy war against `infidels.’

Judaism: not a missionary religion

Unlike Christianity and Islam, Judaism is nota missionary religion. In the early Churchwhen a problem arose about Jews mixingwith Gentiles, Peter Simon, a Jew, got up and said, “I now realize that God hasno favorites but gives welcome to the man of any nation who fears Him and actsuprightly." (Acts 10:28-35) Thesame theme that God has no favorites is found in Deuteronomy 10:17, IIChronicles 19:7, Job 34:19, Wisdom 6:7,Romans 2:11, Galatians 2:6 and Ephesians 6:9. If God has no favorites but “gives welcometo any one from any nation who fears him and acts uprightly,” then there is nofrantic need for Judaism to go forth and make the whole world Jewish. Judaismrests in peace. It lives and lets live, and it wishes itself to be left inpeace. It launches no crusades. It plots no attacks on metropolitan areas tobring down not only towering skyscrapers but also and especially `infidels.’

Not a mission of conquest

Christianityis, indeed, a missionary religion. But what is the nature of the mission onwhich Jesus sends us? Is it a mission of `universal conquest’ – a mission tomake the whole world Christian? The New Testament does, indeed, present Jesusas commanding the apostles to “Go forth into the whole world and make disciplesof all men, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of theHoly Spirit.” (Mt. 28: 19) But scholars agree that that command with its veryexplicit Trinitarian formula (which reads like an excerpt from a baptismalritual manual) is more the command of the early church community bent on growthand expansion, than the command of the historical Jesus.

Thatmissionary command (which the early church community put into the mouth ofJesus) “to go forth into the whole world and make disciples of all men,” at theend of the day, is an ambitious mission of `universal conquest.’ Such a missionto make the whole world Christian is not only a very ambitious task; it’s alsofraught with all sorts of mischief, as the dark history of Christian missionaryactivity proves.

But a mission of compassion

IfJesus does not send the Apostles forth on an ambitious mission of universal conquest,then what is the mission on which He sends them?

Matthewsays Jesus called the twelve Apostles and sent them forth to “Cure the sick,raise the dead, heal the leprous, and expel demons.” (Mt 10: 8) That’s themission! It’s not a mission of `universal conquest.’ It’s a mission ofuniversal compassion! Jesus sends them forth not to do something to people (convert and baptize them) butrather to do something for them:“Cure the sick, raise the dead, heal the leprous, and expel demons.”

A legendary missionary who baptized everyone

Mission as a frantic effort to do somethingto people (to convert and baptizethem lest they be eternally lost) was singularly embodied in the legendarymissionary, St. Francis Xavier. Born in Spain in 1506, he joined the Jesuit Order,and became the greatest of all Christian missionaries, with the possibleexception of St. Paul. He is called theApostle of the Indies and Japan, because he isknown to have baptized 40,000 converts. In fact, he is said to havebaptized 10,000 people in a single month! When he died in 1552,his body was buried in Goa, India, but his right arm and hand which baptizedthousands is preserved in aglass reliquary in the church of the Gesù in Rome for all to see!

A little missionary who baptized no one

Forthe legendary Francis Xavier mission was doing something to people: converting and baptizing them.For Mother Teresa of Calcutta,[1] foundressof the Missionaries of Charity, mission was doing something for people. At the time of her death, September 5, 1997,she had 610 missions in 123 countries.Those missions had hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosyand tuberculosis. They ran soup kitchens, family counseling centers, orphanages and schools. This “Saint of the Gutter”(as she came to be called) together with herfellow-sisters, gathered up the dying inthe gutters of Calcutta (whom the caste system of India walked right by). Thesisters carried them off to their hospice, where they bathed and fed them. Then withoutpouring one drop of baptismal water over their heads, Mother Theresa and hersisters kissed these poor souls and sentthem off to heaven, but not before healing them of the worst malady imaginable:the thought of not being worthy of beingpicked up from a gutter!

Two models of mission

Hereare two outstanding models of mission: St. Francis Xavier who baptized everyone,and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta who didn’t baptize anyone. The two models are lightyears apart from each other. For St. Francis Xavier, mission was doingsomething to people (converting andbaptizing them). For Blessed Teresa of Calcutta mission is doing something for people – the very same mission whichJesus sent the twelve Apostles on, when He told them to go forth and “Cure thesick, raise the dead, heal the leprous and expel demons.” (Mt 10: 8) Behold twomodels of mission: one of conquest and the other of compassion.

A new approach tomission

St.Cyrian, bishop of Carthage (d. 258)is famous for his dictum“Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus” –“Outside the Church there is no salvation.” What an urgent mission that placesupon our backs – the mission to have to go forth and “make disciples of all men,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”lest they die without salvation.

Dr.Joseph Hough, President of Union Theological Seminary in New York, invitesChristians to take a new approach to other religions, and therefore a newapproach to mission.

Borninto the Calvinist Tradition, which stresses the absolute freedom andsovereignty of God, Hough uses that freedom and sovereignty of God in apositive and constructive way. God, he says, is free even to come to humanbeings as a fellow human being. That’s what makes Christmas possible. God is free to come to human beings in anyform that God chooses – free to come to us in the person of Jesus Christ, or inthe person of Mohammed. Dr. Hough’s approach enables us to see other believers“not as foreigners or strangers” but as brothers and sisters “in thehousehold of God.” (Eph 2:19) It enablesus to see other believers as “fellow-passengers to the grave, and not anotherrace of creatures bound on other journeys," as Scrooge’s nephew says in Dicken’s Christmas Carol.

Conclusion

A pleasant relief

What a pleasant relief to know that we canbe passionately Christian, and still believe that there can be salvation outsidethe Church (though that does, indeed, deal a blow to old St. Cyprian’s famous dictum).What a pleasant relief to know that the mission is not to make the whole worldChristian or, worse yet, to make the whole world Catholic. What a pleasantrelief to know that the mission is not to go forth and do something to people (convert and baptize them); themission is to do something for people(cure the sick, raise the dead, heal the leprous and expel demons).What apleasant relief to know the mission is compassion, not conversion. Conversioncan be dark and ambiguous. Compassion, on the other hand, can only be brightand shining – like the face of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

[1] She was beatified by PopeJohn Paul II andgiven the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

The Following of Jesus: Compassion

2012-01-10T20:09:00.000-06:00

The Samaritan hoisted the poor man onto his beast ofburden

and hurried him off to the nearest inn. (Lk.10:34)

The Following of Jesus: Compassion

January 15, 2012, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Samuel. 3:3, 5-10, 19 1 Corinthians.6:13-15, 17-20

John 1:35-42

1^st reading from I Samuel

Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD wherethe ark of God was. The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here Iam." Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me." "Idid not call you,” Eli said. "Go back to sleep." So he went back tosleep. Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli."Here I am, “hesaid.”You called me." But Eli answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep." At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, becausethe LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet. The LORD called Samuel again,for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. Youcalled me." Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So hesaid to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, Speak, LORD,for your servant is listening." When Samuelwent to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, callingout as before, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak, foryour servant is listening." Samuelgrew up, and the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to bewithout effect.

The wordof the Lord

Thanks be to God

Alleluia,alleluia.

A readingfrom the holy Gospel according to John

Gloryto you, Lord.

The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples.When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, there is the Lamb of God!” Thetwo disciples heard John say this and went to follow Jesus. Jesus turned, sawthem following Him, and asked, “What do you want?” They answered, “Where do youlive, Rabbi?” (This word, translated, means “Teacher.”) Jesus replied “Come andsee.”So they went and saw where He lived, and spent the rest of the day withHim. (It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.) One of the two who heardJohn, and followed Jesus, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. At once Andrewfound his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah.” (This wordmeans “Christ.”)Then he took Simon to Jesus, Jesus looked at him and said, "Youare Simon, the son of John. Your name will be Cephas. (This is the same asPeter, and it means “Rock.”)

TheGospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, LordJesus Christ.
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Introduction

Discipleship – the opening theme

With last Sunday’sfeast of Epiphany the curtain came down on the Extraordinary Time of theAdvent/Christmas season, and we now return now to Ordinary Time. Then on AshWednesday, February 22, 2012 we will enter into the Extraordinary Time of Lent inpreparation for Easter, April 8, 2012. As the curtain falls on the Christmasdrama, we are dismissed not to `business as usual’ but to the unusual business of following Him who cameto us on Christmas Day. Discipleship-the following of Jesus-isalways the opening theme of Ordinary Timein all three liturgical cycles of A, B and C.

Thefollowing of Jesus: not legalism but compassion

Atthe end of the day, Jesus’ great parable about the Good Samaritan is all aboutdiscipleship. Once upon a time a man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho andwas waylaid by robbers who left him half-dead. Along came a Jewish priest whocrossed the street and passed by the half-dead man. Along came a Levite, thepriest’s helper. He, too, crossed the street and passed by the half-dead man.The two men couldn’t tell whether the man was dead or not. If he were dead andif the two got too close to his corpse they would incur severe legal impurity.(Num 5:2) That perhaps was why both men crossed to the other side of thestreet.

Thenalong came a Samaritan (considered a half breed and a heretic by Jews). Thisheretic, not worried about incurring legal impurity if the man were dead, stoppedto size up the situation. He happily found the man not dead but only`half-dead.’ So he stopped and poured the oil of compassion into his wounds.Then he hoisted the poor man onto his beast of burden and hurried him off tothe nearest inn. There he dug deep into his pocket to pay the cost of the poorman’s care and cure. (Lk. 10:25-37) The following of Jesus is not aboutlegalism but about compassion, and compassion at times can be very costly.

Cheap Legalism & costly compassion

Itwas legalism which made the priest and Levite cross the street to avoid legalimpurity incurred by getting too close to a corpse. Their legalism didn’t costthem one red cent. Compassion, on the other hand, is costly. It is costly intime: the Good Samaritan who was hurrying to Jericho on important business hadto slam on the brakes and stop to minister to one in great need. It is costlyin money: the Samaritan had to dig deep into his pocket and pay the innkeeperfor the poor man’s care and cure.

Compassion, not animalsacrifices

One day Jesus was dining at the home of tax collector Matthew.Many tax collectors and “those known as sinners” came to join Jesus and hisdisciples at table. When the self-righteous Pharisees saw this, they complainedto Jesus’ disciples, “How come your teacher eats with tax collectors andsinners?” Hearing them complaining Jesus said, “People who are well do not needa doctor, but sick people do. Go and learn the meaning of the Scripture, `It is compassion that I want from you people,not your animal sacrifices.’” Jesus was quoting the prophet Hosea. (Mt 9: 9-13; Hosea 6:6)

Thatquote from Hosea was a favorite one of Jesus. We find Him quoting it again in chapter12. One Sabbath He and His disciples were walking through some cornfields, andHis disciples, feeling hungry, began to pluck off ears of corn and eat them.The Pharisees noticed this and said to Jesus, “Look! Your disciples are doingsomething that is forbidden on the Sabbath.” Plucking corn was a form of work,and working on the Sabbath was forbidden by the Law. (Ex 34:21) Exasperated bysuch legalism Jesus again quotes Hosea to the Pharisees: “Oh, if youpeople only knew the meaning of the Scripture, `It is compassion I want fromyou people, not your animal sacrifices,’ you would not be so quick to condemninnocent people.” (Mt 12:1-7; Hosea 6:6)

A Compassionate Pastor

Legalism is aneternal temptation for religion. Sometime ago a compassionate (and also innovative)pastor took it upon himself to substitute rice for wheat in the Communion waferto accommodate a little girl making her first Holy Communion. She was afflictedwith celiac disease – a condition which can’t tolerate wheat and other grains. Whenthe bishop of the diocese heard about the rice substitution, he simply declaredthe Communion to be”invalid” (!) because, he said, “We must follow Christ; wemust do what He did. At the Last Supper He did not consecrate rice wafers but bread.”

Yes, indeed, thebishop was right; we must follow Christ. But we must follow the Christ, who wasvery short on legalism but very long on compassion. We must follow the Christwho liked to quote Hosea: “It’scompassion I want from you people, not your animal sacrifices.” If thatbishop had known the meaning of that Scripture he would not have been so quickto condemn that compassionate pastor. Instead he would have commended him forhis compassion which sought to feed a young girl who was afflicted with celiac diseaseand who was at the same time hungering for the Bread of Life. He would havecommended that pastor for his faithful following of Christ who fed fivethousand hungry people, with no questions asked. (Mk 6:30-44)

Bonhoeffer: “Discipleship - a command to all Christians”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), a German Lutheran minister and theologianwas put to death by Hitler in 1945. His most noted work is The Costof Discipleship. It was written in the context ofthe Evangelical Church of Germany in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. During thatChurch’s watch, the inconceivable horrors of the Holocaust were spawned,thrived and went unchallenged. In TheCost of Discipleship Bonhoeffer’s bottom line is that `cheap discipleship’ (the stuff thatdoesn’t make any great demands on the church institution or its members) is the deadly enemy of the Church. We arefighting, he writes, for `costly discipleship’ (the stuff that makesdemands on the institution and ourselves).

In his book Bonhoeffer makes an interesting observation which gives usCatholics pause. The RomanChurch, he writes, felt uneasy about dismissing the call to discipleship asunrealistic, or about simply watering it down. So Rome came up with a creativesolution: it `farmed out’ the call to discipleship to a few chosen specialists in the Church -- monks and nuns!To them the Roman Church could point and say, “Look at these heroes of mine! Inthem I have obeyed Jesus’ call to discipleship.”But that creative solution,Bonhoeffer contended, created a double standard in the Roman Church: a maximumone for a few chosen monks and nuns, and a minimum one for the rest of God’speople. Discipleship, he maintained, “isnot the achievement or merit of achosen few people but is a divine command to all Christians withoutdistinction.”

Vatican II catching up to Bonhoeffer

In1964 Vatican II caught up to Lutheran Bonhoeffer’s contention that discipleshipis a divine command to all Christians. In its stellar document Lumen Gentium, the Council carved out aspecial chapter (Chapter V) entitled TheCall of the Whole Church to Holiness (to discipleship). And the Councilpurposely placed that chapter immediately beforethe one entitled Religious (monksand nuns). Chapter V reads,”The Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of allperfection, preached holiness of life [discipleship] to each and every one ofHis disciples, regardless of their situation. “(Lumen Gentium, art. 40) That put anend, at least on paper, to the Church’s `farming out’ discipleship and holinessto a chosen few.

Legalismand compassion at sunset

The sun finallyset on that busy day when the priest, the Levite and the Samaritan were on theroad from Jerusalem to Jericho. All finally made it back home in Jerusalem thatnight. Their legalism that day had causedthem to fear coming close to a possibly dead man, and so they crossed thestreet and passed right by the poor man. But as the sun set on that day, that legalismunsettled the priest and Levite, as it clashed with a superior Law written downdeep in the depths of their hearts.

The GoodSamaritan, too, finally made it home at sunset. Yes, he had been late for hisbusiness appointment in Jericho, because he had stopped to pour the oil ofcompassion on one in great need. Yes, he was exhausted by the energy expended onhoisting the poor man’s heavy weight onto his beast of burden and hurrying himoff to the nearest inn. And yes, he was minus a good amount money as he paidthe inn-keeper for the poor man’s care and cure. But as the sun was setting onthat day, there was a song singing in his heart; it was the song that sings inthe heart of all compassionate people.

Conclusion

Compassion’s twofold blessing

Compassion bears a twofold blessing. TheSamaritan’s compassion was indeed a great blessing for the man waylaid byrobbers on the road to Jericho; it bound up the poor man’s wounds and carriedhim off to the nearest inn. But it was an even greater blessing for theSamaritan himself: the priest and Levite are dead andforgotten, but the Good Samaritan lives eternally on down through thecenturies.

Epiphany: the Good News of Inclusion

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“We have seen His star in the east, and have come to doHim homage.”

(Mt 2:2)

Epiphany: the Good News ofInclusion

January 8, 2012, Feast of Epiphany

Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:1-3 Matthew 2:1-12

First reading from Isaiah

Arise Jerusalem, and shine like thesun; the glory of the Lord is shining on you! The Gentiles will be covered bydarkness, but on you the light of the Lord will shine; the brightness of Hispresence will be with you. The Gentiles will be drawn to your light, and kings willmarvel at your shining radiance. The wealth of the Gentiles will be brought toyou. Great caravans of camels will come from Midian, Ephah and Sheba, bringing gifts ofgold and incense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

The word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Secondreading from Ephesians

I,Paul, the servant of Christ, am here in jail because of you – for preachingthat you Gentiles are also a part of God’s household. No doubt you already knowthat God has given me this special task of showing God’s favor to you Gentiles,as I briefly mentioned before in one of my letters. God Himself revealed to methis secret plan of His, hidden from former generations, that the Gentiles alsoare included in the kindness of God. (Eph 3:1-3)

The word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Alleluia,alleluia.

A readingfrom the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Gloryto you, Lord.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem ofJudea, in the days of King Herod, behold, astrologersfrom the east arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of theJews? Wehave seen His star in the east, andhave come to do Him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatlytroubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priestsand the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. Theysaid to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written throughthe prophet: Andyou, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel[1].”

Then Herod called the astrologerssecretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for thechild. When you have found him, bring me word, that I, too, may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the kingthey set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising precededthem, until it came andstopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing thestar, and on entering the house they saw the childwith Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then theyopened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Andhaving been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they returned home byanother route.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, LordJesus Christ.
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Introduction

The glitz of Epiphany

Epiphanyis a Greek word meaning `a manifestation’ or `a pointing to.’ In the EasternChurch Epiphany focuses on the Lord’s baptism when a heavenly voice pointed toJesus and declared that this is “my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.”(Mt 3: 17) In the Western Church, Epiphany focuses onthe adoration of three astrologers (gazers of heavenly bodies). A starpointed out to thema manger where lay an infant wrapped in swaddlingclothes. (Mt 2:1-12)

In the course of time, tradition dressed upEpiphany with a lot of glitz. With chapter 60 of Isaiah in mind, traditionturned the astrologers into kings, placing crowns on their heads and gifts ofgold and frankincense in their arms for the infant. (Is 60: 1-6) Because Matthew adds athird gift of myrrh to Isaiah’s gold and frankincense, tradition had to add athird king to carry the third gift of myrrh.[2] (Mt2:11) By the middle of the 3^rd century,tradition even gave the kings names: Melchior of Nubia (a Babylonian scholar),Caspar of Tarshish (a Persian scholar), and Baltazar ofChaldea (an Arab scholar).By the9^th century, tradition claimed that the three kings represented thewhole human family: Baltazar was Asian, Caspar a white European, and Melchiorwas African and therefore black. Tradition even claims that the remains ofthe three kings were discovered in Persia, brought to Constantinople by St. Helena, transferredto Milan in the fifthcentury and finally to Cologne, Germany in 1163, where they are now the prized treasures of that city’s cathedral.

A `cute’ littlestory?

BeforeVatican II, Epiphany was an `immovable feast.’ That is to say, it was always celebratedon January 6. Now it may be moved to the Sunday after January 1. In those daysthe feast also enjoyed a `privileged octave’ in the liturgical calendar. Thatis to say, for eight straight days the Mass of Epiphany would be repeatedverbatim -- using the very same epistle, gospel, and prayers. With Vatican II,however, the feast lost its privileged octave; now it’s simply celebrated once- either on January 6 or on the Sunday after January 1.

Was itbecause the liturgical revisionists after Vatican II were not as wise as thewise men that the feast lost its privileged octave? Did those revisionists atthe end of the day view Epiphany as not much more than a `cute’ little story totell our kids?

In search of the religious meaningof Epiphany

TheBook of Ecclesiastes contains that oft-quoted litany:

There is a time for everything under God’ssun:

a time to be born and a time to die,

atime to plant and a time to harvest,

atime to weep and a time to laugh,

atime to embrace and a time to abstain,
a time for war and a time for peace.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

ToEcclesiastes we add a litany of our own:

Thereis a time for everything under God’s sun. There is: a time to be simple anduncomplicated about the story of Three Kings, as children are. There is a timeto take the Magi story at its face value, as children do. But then there isalso a time to be grownups, and to go in search of the religious meaning of Epiphany.

The glitzy medieval story which depicts threekings bedecked in fine robes and riding on camels might delight the child inus, but at the end of the day it isn’t very profound. Nor is it very profoundto simply debunk the story. The task at hand is to go in search of the religiousmeaning behind Epiphany. At the end of the day, we remind ourselves that thegospels are not historical documents;their aim is not to be historically accurate. The gospels are religiousdocuments; their aim is to communicate religious meaning. And the religiousmeaning of Epiphany is the Good Newsthat “the Gentiles also are included in the kindness of God.” (Eph 3:3)

The Good Newsof inclusion

Up untilnow, allthe main characters in the Christmas drama are Jewish. Joseph and Mary,Zachary and Elizabeth, old Anna and Simeon in the temple are Jews. Theshepherds, though unwashed and unkempt, are also Jews. Even the angels singing“Glory to God in the highest” seems to be singing in Hebrew. The lead actor inthe Christmas drama, the Messiah Himself, is for sure a Jew -- "a descendantof David according to the flesh." (Rom 1:3)

Up until Epiphany, the Gentiles are missingfrom the Christmas drama. The drama of universal salvation waits for the lastact, and it comes with the arrival of Gentile astrologers. The story of abright-shining star leading them into the Christmas drama is suffused withreligious meaning. It bears tidings of good news that “Gentiles also areincluded in the kindness of God.” (Eph 3:3)

That, indeed, was shocking news for Jews ofold who thought that they alone belonged to the household of God. Epiphanysummons the Jews to move over and make room for Gentiles in God’s house. The drama which began on Christmas Eve withno room in the inn for the holy family (Lk 2:7), now ends with much room foreverybody. The arrival of Gentile astrologers announces the same good news thatPeter announced in Cornelius’ house “that God has no favorites but giveswelcome to anyone of any nation who fears Him and does what is right.” (Acts10:34-35)

The bad news of exclusion

Inthe second reading Paul writes to the Ephesians:“God Himself revealed to me this secret plan of His, hidden from formergenerations, that the Gentiles also are included in the kindness of God.”(Eph3:1-3) Wechuckle at this "secret plan of God, hidden from former generations.” Wewonder who hid this Good News about Gentiles being included in the kindness ofGod. Did God hide that Good News from the Jews of old, or did they hide it fromthemselves? Why in the world would God want to hide the Good News about theinclusion of Gentiles in His kindness?

The Jews of old scrupulously excludedGentiles. They built exclusion right into their very Temple.A stone wall five feet tall (called the Separation Wall) divided the Temple’souter court of the Gentiles from the inner court of the Jews. On the wall wereattached xenophobic signs prohibiting any Gentile under the pain of death fromgoing beyond the prescribed line.

By an ironic twist of fate, Gentiles downthrough the centuries have excluded Jews. With the fires of Holocaust stillburning in our minds, we ask who, indeed, hid the Good News from the Nazis thatnot only German Gentiles but also German Jews were included in the kindness ofGod? Did God hide that Good News from the Nazis, or did they hide it from themselves?

Excluding women, gays, infidels

Todaywe ask who hides the Good News that women in society and the Church are alsoincluded in the kindness of God? Does God hide that Good News from society and the Church, or do these male-driven institutions hide thatGood News from themselves?

We alsoask who hides the good news that gays are included in the kindness of God? DoesGod hide that good news from the religious right and homophobes, or do theyhide that Good News from themselves?

Whohides the Good News that we Western infidels are included in the kindness ofAllah? Does Allah hide that Good Newsfrom Islamic extremists, or do they hide it from themselves?

Ifthere’s mystery here, it is this: why would God or Allah or anyone else everwant to hide the Good News of Inclusion?

Conclusion

Dismissal of the Christmas seasons

WithEpiphany Sunday the curtain comes down on the Christmas season, and nextSunday, January 15, 2012, we return tothe Second Sunday of Ordinary Time. All the great religious stories (whetherJewish, Islamic or Christian) need a last act, and all need the same lastact! All need a Star of Epiphany topurify them not of their diversity, uniqueness and quaintness but of theirhostility, hatred and exclusive spirit. All need a feast of Epiphany to summontheir adherents to move over and make room for others. And ample room there is,indeed. When Jesus came into the worldthe inn-keepers said to Joseph and Mary: “There is no room for you in the inn.”(Lk 2:7) As He was leaving the world, Jesus said to His disciples, "In myFather's house there is much room for everyone." (Jn 14:2)

A Christmas card of many years past bore a very meaningful dismissal of theChristmas season. It reads:

When the song ofthe angels is stilled,

when the star inthe sky is gone,

when the kings havereturned to their villas,

when the shepherdsare back in their fields,

the real businessof Christmas begins:

to find the lost,to heal the broken,

to feed the hungry,to seek the path to peace,

and to startworshiping a God

whoincludes everyone in His kindness,

and who asks us to do the same.

The Adoration of the Magi

[1] Prophet Micah 5:1

[2] An aromatic gum resin obtained from several trees and shrubsin India, Arabia, and eastern Africa, and used in perfume and incense

New Years 2012

2011-12-27T18:58:00.001-06:00

The Waterford Crystal ball atop Times Square on New Year’s Day

New Years 2012

January 1,2012, The Octave Day of Christmas
Numbers 6: 22-27 Galatians 4: 4-7
Luke 2: 16-21

First reading from Numbers

The Lord commanded Mosesto tell Aaron and his sons to use the following words in blessing the people ofIsrael:

May the Lord bless youand take care of you!

May the Lord be kind andgracious to you!

May the Lord look on youwith favor, and give you peace!

When they speakthese words over the people of Israel, I will bless them.

The word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

Alleluia, alleluia

A reading from the holy Gospel accord toLuke

Glory to you, Lord.

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary andJoseph, and the infant lying in the manger. The shepherds told everyone whathad happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All whoheard the shepherds’ story were amazed. And Mary quietly treasured these thingsin her heart and often pondered about them. Then the shepherds returned, glorifyingand praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been toldto them.

On the eighth day, whenit was time to circumcise Him He was named Jesus. That was the name given Himby the angel, before He was conceived.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, LordJesus Christ.
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Introduction

A holyday in search of afeast

In the church calendar the 1^st of January is called the Octave Day ofChristmas - the eighth day since the Lord was born on December 25. Onthe eighth day after a Jewish male was born, he was circumcised. Today’s very shortgospel concludes, “When eight days were completed for his circumcision, the childwas named Jesus.” (Lk 2:21)

In the old Latinmissal, the 1^st of January was entitled In Circumcisione Domini -Feast of the Circumcision of theLord. After Vatican II, the feast is simply called the Octave Day ofChristmas, and is subtitled The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother ofGod. Then added to the mix, there is now a directive which says the 1^stof January may also be celebrated as a World Peace Day.

Octave Day of Christmas - Feastof the Circumcision of the Lord - Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Motherof God - World Peace Day! My gosh! You get the impression that liturgically we’renot quite sure what we’re celebrating on 1^st of January. It seems tobe a holyday in search of a feast to celebrate. The world over, however, isvery uncomplicated about the 1^st of January. It simply calls it New Year’s Day – a day to celebrate animportant new beginning.

An emotional moment

Every year as the clock nears midnight on December31^st the eyes of the whole world turn to the dazzling lights andbustling energy of Times Square in New York City. There anticipation runs high.The whole world holds its breath, and then a roar of cheers breaks out, as theclock strikes twelve, and the famous New Year’s Eve super ball (made of Waterford crystal)descends from the flagpole atop Times Square. The descending ball is watched by one million people inTimes Square below, by millions nationwide, and by over a billion throughoutthe world. All are united in bidding a collective farewell (and perhaps a goodriddance) to the departing old year, and all are united in expressing their joyand hope for the new year.

NewYear’s Eve is an emotional moment for many. At midnightsome people cry in their beer because of some misfortune, setback, tragedy ordeath that has befallen them in 2011. Others at midnight blow horns and sing Auld Lang Syne, as they bid goodbye tothe old year and welcome the new one with a sense of renewed strength and hope.

An interview with God on NewYear’s Day

A piece (that hasbeen flying around in the wide-open spaces of the internet) is titled An Interview with God. With a few changesand additions the piece can be turned into AnInterview with God on New Year’s Day. Revised a bit, it goes like this:

I dreamed I asked God for an interview, andGod granted it. “Oh, so you would like to interview me?”He asked. Though I knewbetter, I replied, “If you have the time.” God smiled and said, “My time iseternity.” Then God asked me, “What do you have in mind?” I asked God, “Tellme, what surprises you the most about us, your children?” And God paused amoment and then answered:

“This is whatsurprises me: you kids get so bored with childhood: you can’t wait to grow up,and then you wish you were kids again.

This is whatsurprises me: you lose your healthworking hard all year long to make a lot of money so you can buy a lot ofthings, and then you lose your money trying to repair your health.

This is whatsurprises me: you are so preoccupied with painful regrets about the past, or areso consumed with gnawing anxieties about the future that you never really livein the present moment, which is all there really is.

This is whatsurprises me (especially at this time of the rolling year): you are busyrunning here, there and everywhere, except to the stable where you will find motivationand strength for facing the new year.

This is whatsurprises me: you live as though you’re never going to die, and then die asthough you never lived.”

Lessons tolearn for 2012

Silently God tookmy hands into his, and we were both silent for a moment. Then I asked God,“What are some of the lessons you want your children to learn in order toweather the storms of 2012?” And God answered:

“To learn that youcan’t make anyone love you; all you can do is let yourselves be loved.

To learn that ittakes a few seconds to open profound wounds in people you love, and it can takemany years to heal them.

To learnforgiveness by practicing it.

To learn also thatit is not enough that you forgive others; you must also forgive yourselves.

To learn that youare, indeed, rich people, not when you have the most or the latest or the best,but when you have the wonderful freedom to need the least. ”

The New Year’s Interview with God concludes:

I was deeplygrateful for the interview, and I thanked God for his time. Then I asked, “Isthere anything else you would like me to tell your children, especially as westand on the threshold of a brand new year?” God smiled and said: “Just tellthem I am here always. Just tell themnot to be afraid, and that I go before them into 2012.”

Conclusion

Francis’ specialblessing on Brother Leo

There is a treasured parchment and preciousrelic which is preserved in the Basilicaof St. Francis in Assisi. Brother Leo was passing through a crisis, and Francishelped him in that difficult moment by writing for Leo the Laudes Dei Altissimi (The Praises of the Most High God), and bygiving Leo a special blessing modeled upon the blessing of Aaron in Numbers6:24-26. Brother Leo himself wrote a rubric on that treasured parchment whichsays, "Blessed Francis wrote this blessing with his own hands, and gave itto me, Brother Leo." This is what Francis wrote (or quoted from Numbers)for troubled Brother Leo, and which the Church quotes for us on this first dayof the new year:

May the Lord bless you [BrotherLeo] and take care of you!

May the Lord be kind andgracious to you!

May the Lord look on youwith favor and give you peace [in 2012]!

Christmas People Giving Flesh to the Word of God

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“And theWord became flesh” Jn 1:14

ChristmasPeople Giving Flesh to the Word of God

December 25, 2011 – the third Mass of Christmas Day

Isaiah 52:7-10 Hebrews 1:1-6 John1:1-5, 9-14

2^ndreading from Hebrews

Brothersand sisters: In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many waysthrough the prophets. In these last daysHe has spoken to us through his Son whom He has made heir of all things andthrough whom He first created the universe. This Son is the reflection of God’sglory. He is the exact likeness of the Father’s being. He sustains all thingsby his powerful word. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He took his seatat the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. The Son was made greater than allthe angels, just as the name which God gave Him is greater than theirs. For Godnever said to any of his angels, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” (Ps2:7) Or again, “I will be his Father, and He shall be my Son.” (2 Sam 7:14) And again, when He leads hisfirstborn into the world He says, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”(Heb.1-6)

The wordof the Lord

Thanks be to God

Alleluia,alleluia.

A readingfrom the holy Gospel according to John

Gloryto you, Lord.

ThePrologue of St. John

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and theWord 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, andthis 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 enlightenseveryone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came tobe 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 gavepower to become children ofGod, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generationnor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God. And the Word becameflesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of theFather’s only Son, full of grace and truth.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, LordJesus Christ.
----------------

Introduction

The 3Masses of Christmas

Christmasis the only day of the year which has three different Masses assigned it: Massat midnight, at dawn and during the day. Thegospel for the Mass during the day is the prologue from the gospel of St. John.The traditional symbol for John the evangelist is that of an Eagle, because hesoars as an eagle, as he proclaims that “In the beginning was the Word, and theWord was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh.” (Jn 1:1,14)

Verbalism….

Because the Word of God has become flesh, the Word is now nolonger a word (or a flow of words). In the Incarnation the Word has now becomeflesh and blood. The Word of God has now been fleshed out as an “infant wrappedin swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” (Lk 2: 12) The soaring Eagle’sprofound prologue lays an axe to verbalism.Verbalism is many things. For one thing, it’s the tendency especially of preachersto speak with a flow of fleshless words which carry no tasty meaning for God’s hungrypeople sitting in the Sunday pews. Verbalismis also a tendency, especially again on the part of preachers, to put too muchstock in words. It’s making people live and die by words, as the Inquisitorsdid when they burned St. Joan d’Arc at the stake for not having the right wordsto their tricky theological questions.

Verbalism is also the doctrinaireapproach to the complex issues of human life, such as human sexuality,celibacy, ordination, homosexuality, capital punishment, etc. Verbalism assumesthat the solutions to these complex issues of human life lay solely in thewords of our mouths, instead of also in something down deep in our hearts.Verbalism as a doctrinaire approach also assumes that preaching the gospelmeans speaking words; Mother Teresa of Calcutta preached the gospel all herlife, and really never spoke a word!

Lessremarkable but still annoying to many, verbalism is filling Sunday liturgy witha steady flow of words -- with three scripture readings, a responsorial psalm, a Gloria, a Credo, anAgnus Dei, an Our Father, and then announcements at the end of Mass. The flowof words might satisfy our need to always be doing something, but it drowns outour inner need for Quaker silence in which the voice of God can be heard.

The Word became flesh in Fr. Mychal Judge

Franciscan Fr.Mychal Judge,(b. 1933-d. 9:11, 2001) was a compassionate champion of the needy and forgottenof New York City, and a beloved chaplain of the N.Y. City Fire Department. The story of his 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 apocalyptic attack on the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan on 9:11, 2001.

OnChristmas Eve, Fr. Judge wouldwalk up Ninth Avenue, in his brown habit and sandaled feet, carrying a babydoll wrapped in a towel, to a shelter for abused and homeless women. There hewould place the doll on a table which served as the altar for Mass, and wouldask the women: “Where do you thinkbaby Jesus would want to be tonight?” Then he’d answer his own question:“Right here with you, celebrating hisbirthday.”

The Word of God says, "I was a stranger, and you took me into your home." (Mt. 25:35) It also says that "Tax collectors and prostitutes are preceding the chief priests and Jewish elders into the Kingdom of God." (Mt. 21:31) Again, the Word of God says, "There is no greater love then this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." (JN 15:13) That Word became flesh in Fr. Mychal Judge.

The Word becameflesh in CEO Aaron Feuerstein

Aaron Feuerstein was CEO and owner ofMalden Mills,a fabric factory in Methuen, Massachusetts. He was also a devout Jew who readShakespeare and the Talmud (a rich treasury of rabbinical tradition ). On the night of Dec. 11, 1995 (six daysbefore the beginning of Hanukah that year) a surprise party was held forAaron’s seventieth birthday. During the party aboiler exploded and a devastating fire broke out which demolished a good partof his factory.

Feuerstein didn’tgrab the insurance money and run, as a sharp man of business would do. Instead,the morning after the fire he assured all his 2400 employees that with God'shelp they would all get through that tragedy together. Then he gave them theirpay-checks plus a $275 Christmas bonus and a $20 food coupon. Three days lateron the night of Dec. 14, in the gym of the Catholic High School where 1000 ofhis employees gathered to learn their fate, he made a startling announcement:

Forthe next 30 days, and it might be more, all our employees will be paid theirfull salaries. I think you already have been advised that your health insurancehas been paid for the next 90 days. But over and above the money, the mostimportant thing Malden Mills can do for our workers is to get you all back to work. By January 2, 1996, we will restart operations, and within 90days, God willing, we will be 100 percent operational.

There was amoment of stunned disbelief, and then the workers rose to their feet cheeringand hugging each other and also weeping. CEO Feuerstein is the bright shining star inthe darkness of corporate greed! Time magazinefor January 8, 1996, reported that he was true to his word; he continued to payhis employees in full, at a cost of one and a half million dollars a week andat an average wage of twelve and a half dollars an hour. Later that same year,corporate America, stunned by such fiscalinsanity and half-hearted capitalism, named him CEO of the Year!

The Word of God (which Feuerstein quated to explain his 'fiscan insanity' tells us, "Oh man, this is what the Lord God wants from you: that you should act justly, with loving-kindness, and walk humbly with thy God." (Micah:6-8) That Word of God became flesh in Aaron Feuertein.

The Wordbecame flesh in Fr. Zawada

Fr. Jerry Zawada, like Fr. MychalJudge, is a Franciscan friar. He is a member of the Assumption of BVM Province,Franklin, Wisconsin. He is now facing expulsion from his Order andexcommunication from the Church, because on November 19, 2011, he joined withRev. Janice Sevre-Duszynska (an ordained woman-priest) in celebrating Mass inColumbus, Georgia. Many were gathered there for the annual meeting sponsored bySchool of Americas Watch (SOAW)—anorganization founded by Maryknoll Fr. Roy Bourgeois anda small group of supporters. Its purpose is to watch over a military academy called the School of Americas (SOA). Theacademy is a creation of the United States Department of Defense and is located at Fort Benning nearColumbus, Georgia. The SOA has a reputation for training Latin Americandictators and their militaries in various techniques to squash dissidence intheir countries. Every November the SOAW holds a vigil at Fort Benning to protest the murder, rape and torture committed bysome graduates of the academy or under their leadership. (Fr. Zawada has served time in a federal prison for previousactions with the SOAW.)

Zawada told friends that he openlyjoined Rev. Janice Sevre-Duszynska in celebrating Mass as a matter ofconscience for him. Within days Church authorities inRome heard about the liturgy, and Fr. Zawada was told by his American superiorsthat he now faces excommunication and expulsion from the Order, for joining in aliturgy with a woman priest. Father Jerry has been a member of the FranciscanOrder for 56 years and a priest for 47 years! When asked what he thinks hisfriends should do about his situation, he says he does not feel comfortabletelling people what to do. Instead, he encourages everyone to follow his ownconscience, and to keep him in their thoughts and prayers, as he faces thefuture.

The Word of God says, "When they bring you to trial, do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say. For the words you speak will not be yours; they will come from the Spirit of your Father speaking in you." (Mt. 10:19-20) That Word has become flesh in Fr. Zawada.

Conclusion

Great Christmas people

Christmasisn’t the time for Christians to be preaching truth. That simply tends to putthe followers of the Prince of Peace at odds with Jews, Muslims, Buddhists andanyone else who has a religious truth other than the Christian truth. Christmasisn’t even the time to be preaching morality. That tends to fill us withPharisaic self-righteousness which gives thanks to God for not being sinners likethe rest of men.
Christmasis the time to do what Christmas does best: tell stories -- wonderful storiesabout people like Fr.Mychal Judge, Jewish CEO Aaron Feuerstein and Fr. Jerry Zawada. Theywere not great preachersof truth or morality. They were first and foremost great Christmas people, asin their persons they gave flesh to the Word of God. And they inspire us to dothe same.

"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you"

2011-12-13T01:21:00.000-06:00

The Annunciation by MichelangeloCaravaggio, 1608

“Hail,full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

Lk 1:28

“Conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,

and born of the Virgin Mary”

Creedat Mass

December 18, 2011, 4^thSunday of Advent

II Samuel 7:1-5 Romans16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38

Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Glory to you, Lord.

In the sixth month ofElizabeth’s pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee namedNazareth, with a message for a girl promised in marriage to a man named Joseph,who was a descendant of King David. The girl’s name was Mary. The angelapproached her and said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But shewas greatly troubled by the angel’s, message, and she wondered what his wordsmeant. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favorwith God. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will namehim Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and theLord God will give Him the throne of David His father, and He will rule overthe house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end!”

But Mary said to theangel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”The angel answered, “The HolySpirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.Therefore the Child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. Furthermore,six months ago your Aunt Elizabeth (called `the barren one’) became pregnant inher old age. For nothing is impossible with God.” Mary answered, “Behold, I amthe handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” And thenthe angel disappeared.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praiseto you, Lord Jesus Christ.
----------------

Introduction

Theseason to light candles

TodayDecember 18, 2011, is the fourth and last Sunday of Advent. Today, the Christian community lightsthe fourth candle on the Advent wreath. Wednesday December 21 is the first day of Hanukkah, when the Jewishcommunity lights the first of the eight candles of the menorah candelabra. ThenThursday December 22 willbe the first day of winter. The OldFarmers' Almanac shows the period between December 17 and 25 as the darkestof the year. Those days have fifteen long hours of darkness and only nine shorthours of light. No wonder this is the season to light candles

Late Advent’s specialty: telling stories

Thesecond part of Advent (called Late Advent or the Novena of Christmas) began yesterday,December 17. The scripture readings for Late Advent specialize in whatChristmas does best: they tell stories. They tellthe story of the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she would conceive ofthe Holy Spirit. (Lk 1:26-38) They tell the story of Mary hurrying over hillcountry to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who needs help in her pregnancy. (Lk1:39-45) They tell the story of Mary and Joseph not finding any room in an inn,and their seeking refuge in a stable where Mary gives birth to Jesus. (Lk2:1-7) They tell the story of an angel announcing tidings of great joy toshepherds keeping watch over their flock by night, and their finding an infantwrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. (Lk 2:8-20)

`Virginal conception’ doesn’tfly well

At Mass on this fourth and last Sunday ofAdvent (Cycle B), Dec. 18, 2011, we tell the story of the angel Gabrielannouncing to Mary her virginal conception of Jesus. The angel tells Mary thatthe Holy Spirit will come upon her, and the power of the Most High willovershadow her, and the child born of her will be called the Son of God. (Lk1:35) Then at Mass on Dec. 24 (the Vigil of Christmas), we tell the story of anangel announcing Mary’s pregnancy to Joseph, and that takes him totally bysurprise. (M 1:18-20)

The story of Mary’s virginal conception ofJesus doesn’t fly well in our culture, where breasts are bared and bursting,and where torsos are twisting and turning, on TV all day long. Such a culturedismisses the virginal conception of Jesus as not very serious, or as quiteincomprehensible, or even as offensive to human nature.

That being so, how in the world can wetell our young ones (without tongue-in-cheek) the Christmas story of Maryvirginally conceiving Jesus? How is it possible to tell them the story in sucha way as not to sound incomprehensible or offensive? Not only that, but alsoand especially, how is it possible to tell the story of Mary’s virginalconception of Jesus to this generation (and also to ourselves) in such a way asto suffuse it with religious meaning? That’s a task that is long overdue.

A positive statement about Jesus

As Catholics for centuries recited theCreed at Mass, which proclaims that Jesus was “conceived by the power of theHoly Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary,” down deep in their heart of hearts,they always felt that that was a kind of negative statement about sex. It isnot, and it cannot be, a negative statement about sex. It does not say, and itcannot say, that when the Sonof God came into the world, it was below His dignity to be conceived in thevery same way that all other babies are conceived. That would be an affront toevery mother and father who bring a child into the world! Sex is not dirty! When He comes into the world Jesusdoesn’t need to be protected from being `naturally conceived’. The story of thevirginal conception of Jesus is not a negative statement about sex. Rather itis a positive statement about Jesus; the story wants to say that Jesus is muchmore than the gift of Joseph and Mary to us. He is, especially and above all, thegift of the heavenly Father to us.

A positive statement about woman

The story of the virginal conception isalso a positive statement about woman. When the Novena of Christmas began yesterdayDecember 17, the gospel opened with that long male-ridden genealogy fromMatthew:

Thisis the family record of Jesus Chr4ist who was a descendent of David, who was adescendant of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. And Jacobbegot Judah and his brothers. And Judah begotPerez and Zerah.

Thegenealogy then continues through an endless litany of 42 generations of men begetting sons! (It’s so endless andboring that the celebrant at Mass is permitted to cut it short.)Who in theworld ever heard of `men begetting babies!’ That male-ridden genealogy finally comesto a screeching halt with these words:

AndJacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, and it was of her [not ofJoseph] that Jesus who is called the Christ was born. (Mt 1:1-16)

With one powerful stroke the story of Mary’svirginal conception of Jesus puts an ax to the quiet lie that lines up only menbehind the great moments of history. Behind an event which divides time intoB.C. and A.D., there stands no man at all--only a woman. Upon the mostmomentous page of history a woman (and not a man) puts her signature. That’snot a feminist statement; it’s a Christmas statement.

A positive statement about man

The story of Mary’s virginal conception ofJesus is also a positive statement about Joseph; he steps aside and resigns hissexual prowess. He does so in order to let the message shine through that Jesusis not just his gift to us; He is above all the gift of the Father in heaven.Stepping aside is a big order for men who do not resign power and position easily,and who like to be on center-stage. Mary, not Joseph is center-staged in theChristmas drama. At the end of the day, men’s yen for center stage is the realbut unspoken reason why women never get ordained in the Catholic Church (exceptby an act of disobedience). Joseph is a model for a male-ridden society and Church.

Conclusion

Born of the virgin Mary

We can defend with all our might the storyof Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus, as a miracle, but if we haven’t also discoveredits religious meaning, we haven’tdefended much at all. At the end of the day, the story saysthat Jesus is more than Joseph and Mary’s gift to us; He is especially and aboveall the heavenly Father’s gift. The story of Mary’s virginal conception ofJesus also puts an end to all male-ridden genealogies, and calls attention towomen’s place in human history. Finally, the story paints Joseph as an exceptionalman, doing what men don’t like to do – stepping aside and giving up centerstage. When we have found the positive meaning of the story of Mary’s virginalconception of Jesus, it will no longer be incomprehensible or offensive, butwill, in fact, be full of light, as we recite in the creed “Conceivedby the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the virginMary.”

The Rose Color Candle Burns Brightly for Those Who Weep

2011-12-07T19:34:00.000-06:00

The Rose Color Candle Burns Brightly forThose Who Weep

Dec. 11, 2011 3rd Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 61: 1-2, 10-11 I Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8,19-23

Rejoice always

Brothersand sisters:Rejoice always. Pray at all times. Be thankful in all circumstances . This iswhat God wants of you, in your life in Christ Jesus. Do not restrain the Holy Spirit; do not despise inspiredmessages. Put all things to the test: keep what isgood, and avoid evil of every kind.

Maythe God who gives us peace make you holy in every way, and keep your wholebeing (spirit, soul, and body) free from all fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you willdo it, because He is faithful

The wordof the Lord

Thanks be to God

Alleluia,alleluia.

A readingfrom the holy Gospel according to John

Gloryto you, Lord.

A man named John was sentfrom God. He came to testify to the light, so that all might believe throughhim. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. And this is the testimony of John. When theJewish authorities from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask John whether he claimed to be the Messiah,he denied it flatly. “I am not the Christ,” he said.“Well, then, who are you,” theyasked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” he replied. “Are you the Prophet?” “No.” “Thenwho are you? Tell us, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What doyou have to say for yourself?" John answered: "I am the voice of one inthe desert, shouting as Isaiah prophesied, `Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

TheGospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, LordJesus Christ.
----------------

Introduction

Gaudete Sunday

Today, Sunday December 11, is the 3^rd Sunday of Advent and is called Gaudete Sunday, because the openingwords of the old Latin Mass for this Sunday was ”Gaudete!” “Rejoice!” Then this coming Friday, December 17, LateAdvent or the Novena of Christmas begins. Before we know it, it’ll be ChristmasDay.

3^rdSunday of Advent – the note of joy

Thereadings at Mass on the 3^rd Sunday of Advent in all three liturgical cycles of A, B and C strike the note of joy. In last year’s cycleA, the prophet Isaiah promises that, “The desert will rejoice and flowers willbloom in the wastelands.” (Is 35:1) In next year’s cycle C, the prophetZephaniah exhorts the people to,"Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!”(Zeph.3:14) In this year’s cycleB, St. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians inthe second reading to, “Rejoicealways. Pray at all times. Be thankful in all circumstances.” (I Thess 5:16-18)

The opening verse (called the Introit) of the old Latin Mass for the 3^rd Sunday of Advent was Paul’scommand to the Philippians: “Gaudete inDomino semper! Iterum dico gaudete! Dominus enim prope est! “Rejoice in theLord always! Again I say rejoice! For the Lord isnear.” (Phil. 4:4-5) Because ofthat opening verse, the 3^rd Sunday of Advent was called GaudeteSunday. And, the 3^rd candleon the Advent wreathe was rose color (instead of penitential purple), becauserose is the color of joy.

In the old days, however, when Advent was heavily penitentiallike Lent, we were rejoicing on the 3^rd Sunday of Advent not so muchbecause “the Lord was near,” but because ChristmasEve had finally arrived. The penance of Advent was finally over, andwe at last were enjoying the glories and goodies of the Christmas season.

A command to rejoice?

Gaudete is the command form of the Latin verb torejoice. The 3^rd Sunday of Advent, with its rose color candle burningbrightly commands us to rejoice. What in the world does a command torejoice mean? When things are goingalong really well, no one needs to be commanded to rejoice; that comesautomatically and easily.

On the other hand, whenthings are going along really badly, how in the world can one be commanded torejoice? How can one be commanded to rejoice when he has just received a very chilling verdict of cancer from hisdoctor?How can my dear friend Mary be commanded to rejoice, when she has just lost hervery beloved partner Bill of 55 years? Howcan one be commanded to rejoice, when hehas just made a terribly irretrievable mistake or has just been plunged into deep grief by some senseless tragedy? How can one be commanded to rejoice at this Christmas season, when he is one of the 8.6 percent unemployed? Yes eventhis: how can one be commanded to rejoice, when he has had to put down his beloveddog – that creature which showed an unconditional love -- of whichvery few humans are capable.

Rejoice!- a command to the unfortunate

Strange to say, the Gaudetecommand (the rejoice command) of the 3^rd Sunday of Advent is addressedprecisely to those for whom things are going very poorly. It’s not addressed tothose who are blessed with good luck, good health, faithful friends, andsufficient means for comfortable living. Such fortunate people need no commandto rejoice. It’s the unfortunate who need the Gaudete command. It was to refugees crammed into a slum district of Jerusalem that the prophet Zephaniah gave the command to,

Sing and shout forjoy, people of Israel!

Rejoice with allyour heart, Jerusalem!
(Zeph 3:14)

Similarly, it wasPaul sitting in prison and bound with chains, who commanded the Philippians to”Rejoice in the Lord always.” (Phil 4:4) Paul was especially commanding himself torejoice. Considering his prison situation, that command, indeed was a mystical utterance.

Fr. Delp’s mystical experience on GaudeteSunday

Fr. Alfred Delp S. J., also sitting in prison and bound in chains (andeventually executed by Hitler on February 2, 1945), was also in a mystical experience when wrotein his prison diary for GaudeteSunday, 1944:

Is it possible to rejoice in a prison cell (a space ofthree 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 withproblems and worries? Yes, happinesscan happen even under these circumstances. I tell you every now and then myheart can scarcely contain the delirious joy that's in it. Suddenly, notknowing why, my spirits soar and there is no doubt in my mind that all thepromises hold good. But not always. Sometimes it isdue to a wonderful premonition of wonderful things to come. (Prison Meditations)

Conclusion

Rosecolor candle burning brightly for them

Christmasis sometimes characterized as “ the happiest time of the year.” We should sensitizeourselves, however, to the fact that for many it is the saddest time of theyear. The Gaudete command and the rose color candleburning brightly on the 3^rd Sunday of Advent is not primarily for those who are in a great celebratorymood and are riding high. They need no command to rejoice. The rose color candledoes not burn primarily for them.

For those who havereceived a chilling report from their doctor, or who have lost a beloved and lifelongpartner, or who have had to put down man’s best friend, or who have no paycheckto buy the simple joys of Christmas –for them this is the saddest time of theyear. And, strange to say, the Gaudetecommand of this 3^rd Sunday of Advent is first and foremost for them.And the rose color candle of the Advent wreath is burning brightly for them.

$70 Sneakers - Gift of Old St. Nick

2011-12-01T08:20:00.000-06:00

$70 Sneakers- Gift of Old St. Nick

December 4, 2011, 2^ndSunday of Advent

Isaiah 40:1-5,9 IIPeter 3:8-14 Mark 1:1-8

First reading from Isaiah - a straight path for the Lord

“Comfort mypeople,” says our God. “Comfort them! Encourage the people of Jerusalem. Tellthem they have suffered long enough and their sins are now forgiven. I have punished them in full for all theirsins.”

Avoice cries out, “Prepare in the wilderness a straight path for the Lord totravel on! Clear the way in the desert for Him! Fill in every valley and leveloff every mountain. Turn the hills into a flat plain, and make the rough roads smooth.Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind will see it. TheLord himself has promised this.”

Jerusalem,go up on a high mountain and proclaim the good news! Callout with a loud voice, Zion; announce the good news! Speak out and do not beafraid. Tell the towns of Judah that their God is coming!

The wordof the Lord

Thanks be to God

Alleluia,alleluia.

A readingfrom the holy Gospel according to Mark

Gloryto you, Lord.

John - a voice crying in the desert

Here begins theGood News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in Isaiah theprophet:

Behold, I am going to sendmy messenger ahead of you to prepare the way for you. He will be a voice crying in the desert, “Prepare the wayfor the Lord, make a straight path for him to travel on.[1]”

So John appearedin the desert, baptizing people and preaching his message. “Turn away from yoursins and be baptized,[2]” hetold the people, “and God will forgive your sins.” Everybody from the region ofJudea and the city of Jerusalem went out to hear John. They confessed theirsins, and he baptized them in the Jordan River.

John woreclothes made of camel's hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist; heate locusts and wild honey. He announced to the people, “After me comes One whois mightier than I. I am not good enough even to bend down and untie hissandals. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the HolySpirit.”

TheGospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, LordJesus Christ.
----------------

Introduction

St. Nicholas & PearlHarbor

This Tuesday December6 is the feast of jolly old St. Nicholas. The story of Santa Claus begins with him.There are so many legends and caricatures of St. Nicholas that it’s hard tobelieve he was a real person born in AD 270 in the southern coast of Turkey.His parents were wealthy and devout Christians. Obeying the Lord’s injunctionto "sell what you own and give the money to the poor" (Mt. 19:21), Nicholasused his inheritance to help the needy and sick. He was made Bishop of Myra, Turkey, while still ayoung man, and attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He diedon December 6, AD 343 in Myra. A story is told of a poor man with threedaughters who had no dowries, and so weren’tmarriageable. The legend goes that the needed money mysteriously appeared intheir home. Good old St. Nick had stuffed the money into the daughters’ stockingshanging before the fire to dry. That led to the custom of children hangingstockings in front of the fireplace for good old St. Nicholas to fill.

Thenon the day after St. Nicholas, December 7, we commemorate Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii, in 1941. The next day after the attack, December8, US President Franklin D.Roosevelt in an address to Joint Session of Congress at 12:30.p.m. declared war on Japan. In the very first line of his speechthe President spoke those few famous words by which he characterized the horrificattack: “a date which will live ininfamy.”

The Advent figure par excellence

Johnthe Baptist is the Advent figure par excellence. He’s always featured in the gospel reading for the Second Sundayof Advent, whether the liturgical cycle is A, B, or C. John is an eccentric figure with his camel shirt and his diet oflocusts and honey. Yet people come from near and far to hear him preach, eventhough he sugar-coats nothing as he preaches repentance. He’s direct and blunt,as when, for example, he tells Herod outright: “It isn’t right for you to marryyour brother’s wife!” (Mk 6: 18) That ultimately cost the Baptist his head. (Mk6:21-29) It’s no surprise then that the Baptist is never featured on Christmascards. Picture him on the front of a card, clothed with a camel shirt andeating locusts and honey, and then imagine the message inside reading, “Repent,you brood of vipers! Merry Christmas!”

Good imagery

In the first reading from Isaiaha voice cries out, “Prepare the way of the Lord. Fill in the valleys and leveloff the mountains.” That’s good imagery; it suggests the preparationmade for a visit from royalty in the ancient world. In the days leading up to theofficial visit from the Pharaoh of Egypt, teams of workers were sent out to getthe roads in shape. They straightened out sharp curves and leveled off hills.They filled in potholes and cleared away litter, so that the litter carryingthe Pharaoh might move on with dispatch.

When the Council of Nicea was held in 360A.D. near what today is Istanbul, Turkey, bishops from Ireland attended. It took them almost a year to get there, becausethey had to do it on foot. What’s more, there were no bulldozers to level offthe mountains and fill in the valleys. Once the bishops got to Nicea, theystayed for eight or nine months, conversing with other bishops and theologiansfrom across the continent. We who have trains and planes, and perfectly pavedsuper-highways, can appreciate the imagery.

Hastening the day of His coming

On December 17, the Novena of Christmasbegins with the first of the great OAntiphons recited at Vespers. The antiphon for the 19^thexclaims, “O Sprout from the stump of Jesse, stop your delaying and come!” Allthe O Antiphons are filled withAdvent impatience, but this one is steeped in it. It seems to cry out, “OSprout from the stump of Jesse, for God’s sake hasten the day of your coming!What in the world is keeping you?”

A rabbi, hauntedby indelible and personal thoughts (and perhaps experiences as well) of theHolocaust, tells us what, indeed, is keeping the Messiah. He writes,

If more people inthe world were filled with love, compassion and tolerance, we would hasten theday of the Messiah’s coming. I often kid my synagogue that I visualize the Messiahabout 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 beseeches G-dto delay sending Him down to earth! We either hasten the day of His coming, or wedelay it.

A remarkable story

Every year at Christmas, we never tire of tellingCharles Dickens’ masterpiece - A ChristmasCarol. For weeks now in the Houston, TX, area, a Walt Disney version of A Christmas Carol has been featured onTV a couple times a week. It’s a social commentary about how a nation feels andspeaks about its less fortunate people and its Tiny Tims. Every year atChristmas, I never tire of telling a story which like A Christmas Carol is also a masterpiece. It’s a remarkable story abouta young man who, despite his very young age and pressure from peers,” leveled offthe mountains, filled in the valleys, and hastened the day of the Lord.” Thatstory, too, in its own way is a social commentary.

It happened27 years ago this coming Tuesday, December 6, 1984 - feast of jolly old St. Nicholas,- famous for his gift-giving. The temperature that day was only l0 degreesabove zero in Milwaukee. It was 3:30 in the afternoon.The bus (filled with high school kids) was going west on Wisconsin Ave. Itstopped to pick up a woman who was tattered and torn. What’s more, she waspregnant and had no shoes on her feet! Mind you, it was only 10 degrees abovezero, and the pregnant woman was barefoot! Some of the kids were laughing ather, while others were simply at a loss about how to respond to such a strangeand unexpected situation.

One lad, who was only 14 yearsold (that age when kids supposedly have no brains in their heads and areutterly selfish), intuitively knew how to respond. When the bus arrived at 124^thand Bluemound Road and the lad was about to get off, a mostremarkable and indeed courageous thing happened: thelad’s feet were bare(except for his stockings), and he had his brand new sneakers in his hands, andhe approached the barefoot woman, and in front ofall his peers (some of whom were snickering) the kid said,“Here, M’am, you need them more than I do!” Then he stepped off into theicy cold winter with only stockings on his feet!

Oneman writes,

I know the parents of that barefoot boy. Hewas a student at Marquette High School, and his dad was (is) a hotshot triallawyer at Q&B. I called him up after reading the story in the newspaper.When I found out it was truly his kid, I told the dad that if his son ever ranfor office of any kind, I’d vote for him. I also heard that his mother wasreally ticked off when he showed up shoeless. The sneakers had been a bigpurchase of about $70, and the kid had pestered his parents to buy them. Themother’s immediate reaction was anger when he came home shoeless. But her angerdidn’t last long; it soon melted, and both his mom and dad were so proud of himthey nearly burst. What a story! Great stuff!

Great stories live on and on

In early December, TV and newspapersare always looking for a really good Christmas story to relieve the bad news of the fast-departing old year—bad news like the Penn.State sex scandal, the persistent 9 percent unemployment plaguing the nation, Democratsand Republicans doing the work of their party instead of the people who put themin office, Black Friday turning red as some Christmas shoppers are bloodied byothers rushing to get their hands on a good bargain.

In December of 1984, the Milwaukee Journal waslooking for a really good Christmas story to relieve all the bad news of thefast-departing old year. The Journalhappily found the story it was looking for, in the barefoot boy who gave away his brand new sneakers to a pregnantand barefooted woman on the feast ofjolly old St. Nick,. The Journalsplashed its prized story, even with apicture of the lad himself, all over itsfront page for Saturday, December 8. Then the following morning, Sunday,December 9, the story went forth by UPI to the entire nation. Even President Reagan read it and sent the boy a letter of thanks. Thenon the 8^th anniversary of the story, the Milwaukee Journal in its Sunday edition of December 20, 1992,called attention to the fact the story had been included in a recentlypublished book entitled Courageous Kids.

That kid had filled in the valleys, leveled offthe mountains, and revealed the glory of the Lord. All mankind saw the glory ofthe Lord revealed in this remarkable story as it was told in the Milwaukee Journal, the UPI and CourageousKids. And we continue to see the glory of the Lord revealed in it everytime we tell the story at this time of ”therolling year.” Great stories never die but live on and on. Great storiespossess an internal power which compels us to tell them and retell them.

Conclusion

A practitioner of innocence

The name of the courageous kid in this remarkablestory is Frank, and his patron saint is the remarkable St. Francis of Assisi. Someonehas said of the saint: “He was not a preacher of truth but a practitioner of innocence.” Hechatted with the birds of the air. He calmed down the ferocious wolf of Gubbiowho was terrifying the local folk. He bent down and kissed lepers, and he didmany other `flaky’ things.

The barefoot boy from Milwaukee,like his patron saint, was also a “practitioner of innocence.” He resisted his peers andthe prevailing culture which urged him to put away his `flaky’ nonsense, andkeep his expensive $70sneakers snugly tied to his feet, for the long icypath of life that lay before him. If he hadkept his sneakers snugly tied to his feet, we would never have heard about Frank;he would have slipped away into anonymity, as did all the other kids on the busthat day. What’s more, if he had kepthis sneakers snugly tied to his feet, we would not have a good Christmas storyto lighten up the gloom of the fast-departing year of 2011.

[1] Isaiah 40:3

[2] John’s baptismsymbolized a desire to be forgiven and be brought back into fellowship withGod. .Jesus' baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire brings that about.

"Hanukking" Christmas

2011-11-23T12:06:00.001-06:00

The first candle of Advent

`Hanukking’Christmas'

(RededicatingChristmas)

November 27, 2011, 1^st Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 64:1-4, 8 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13: 33-37

First reading from Isaiah

Oh, that you LORD would tear openthe heavens and come down! The mountainswould see you and shake with fear. They would tremble like water boiling over ahot fire. Come and reveal your power to your enemies, and make the nationstremble at your presence! There was a time when you came and did terrifyingthings that we did not expect; the mountains saw you and shook with fear. Noone has ever seen or heard of a God like you, who does such deeds for those whoput their hope in him. You LORD are our father. We are like clay, and you arelike the potter.

The word ofthe Lord

Thanks be to God

Alleluia,alleluia.

A readingfrom the holy Gospel according to Mark

Glory to you, Lord.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do notknow when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves homeand places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders thegatekeeper to be on the watch.Watch therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whetherin the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he notcome suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say toyou, I say to all: Watch!”

The Gospelof the Lord.

Praise to you, LordJesus Christ.

----------------

Introduction

New Year’s Day in the Church

Today we liturgicallyexit Ordinary Time and enter into the Extraordinary Time of Advent inpreparation for Christmas 2011. Today is New Year’s Day in the Church. Today wego from liturgical cycle A to cycle B whichtakes the gospel readings from Evangelist Mark. Today we also change the colorof the liturgical vestments from the green of Ordinary Time to purple – theliturgical color for penance.

Skippingthe penitential aspect of Advent

Before Vatican II,Advent like Lent was strictly a penitential season which frowned upon allpartying, gift-giving and decorating before December 24. After Vatican II, PopePaul VI in 1969 approved a revised Roman liturgical calendar which characterizedAdvent as a “season of joyful expectation,” though not denying its penitentialdimension. The revised Roman calendar seemed, however, to give us permission toskip the penitential aspect of Advent, and go straightaway to the joy and funof Christmas. Accordingly, on the Friday after Thanksgiving (November 25 this year), the nation always kicks off theChristmas season with a vengeance: shopping malls are jammed with people in“joyful expectation” of a good bargain, and retailers on “Black Friday” are in“joyful expectation” of a good profit and of being well into “the black." Thisyear some retails, eager to be the first to drawcustomers on Black Friday, opened their stores on Thanksgiving Day itself!

Hanukkah derailed

Today November 27 we light the first candle of Advent. This year onDecember 21 the Jewish community will light the first candle on their menorahs(an eight-branch candelabra) to begin the celebration of the feast of Hanukkah.Hanukkah (which means `dedication’) lasts for eight days, and it commemoratesthe eight-day purification and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, afterthe Greek tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated it in 161 B.C. The prophetDaniel calls the desecration “the Awful Horror.” (Dan 9:27) Mark also refers toit. (Mk 13:14) During Hanukkah Jewish households commemorate the eight-day rededicationby lighting one candle on the menorah each day for eight days. That givesHanukkah its other name: “The Feast of Lights.”

Theancient Jewish scholar Johannes Buxtorf II (1599-1664) scolds the Jewish communityfor having derailed Hanukkah from its original story and inspiration. Heberates his fellow-Jews for being mired down in superstition and petty minutiaein their observance of The Feast of Lights. In Synagoga Judaica, chapter23, Buxtorf writes,

They celebrate Hanukkahtoday more by eating, drinking and having fun than by giving thanks to God fortheir victory over the enemy. They prepare a seven branch candlestick and thenlight one light each day until the eighth night. The candles are not allowed toburn all night long. While they are burning no one is allowed to do any work inthe house. The menorah itself must standon the right side of the door, not less than ten paces from the ground, and nothigher than twenty. And they often hold subtle and futile discussions about howlong the lights should burn, who should light them, whether or not it ispermitted to light one light with the other, and similar things. In theirobservance of their Feast of Lights they are so fussy about the outerlight, but they are not concerned about the great darkness which abides intheir hearts!

Christmas derailed

Like Hanukkah,Christmas too has been derailed from its original story and inspiration, and Buxtorfwould also scold Christians as he scolded his Jewish brethren:

They turn the seasoninto an orgy of busyness. Theyare busy decorating everything with a million lights for their Feast of Lights. They are busywith parties they have to host or attend, with Christmas cards they have towrite or answer, and with shopping sprees for gifts they very much want to givethemselves, or feel they have to give others. They are busy with trips they wantto make, and with visitors to whom they have to show hospitality. They are busyhurrying and scurrying here and there and everywhere, except to the stablewhere they would find “the reason for the season.” And at the end of the day,they’re glad when their busy Christmas season is over, and they can get back to`normal,’ and breathe a breath of relief.

Christmas derailed at Walmart & Target

On one “Black Friday”Christmas was, indeed, derailed at a Walmart Store. On November 21, 2005, acrowd of 300 shoppers outside a Walmart Supercenter in Ekton, Md., was waitingin “joyful expectation” of getting their hands on a new video Game-player whichretailed at “only” 399 dollars. Some had kept a long vigil of 12 hours outside theSupercenter. When a night manager improvised rules and said the Game-playerwould be sold on a first-come, first-served basis (instead of using a number-systemagreed on by the public) all hell broke loose, and a stampede ensued. It tookmore than 10 policemen to restore order. Later a store official was happy to announcethat “No one had been crushed to death.” Someone epitomized thewhole scene as “Black Friday and Oink, Oink, Oink!”

On another Black Friday 2008 Christmaswas again derailed at a Walmart Store, and someone had, indeed, “been crushedto death!” A frenzied mob of shoppers broke down the doors of a Walmart on LongIsland, knocking several employees to the ground, and sending others runningfor their lives to avoid the horde. When the madness ended, a temporary employee(34-year-old Jdimytai Damour) was dead and four shoppers, including a womaneight-months-pregnant, were injured.

In 2004 Christmas was derailed at Target Stores,when the chain announced its intention to banthe Salvation Army’s kettles and bell-ringing at its stores. A spokeswoman for Targetnotified the Army of its decision, saying, “We have decided to adopt thispolicy in order to ensure a distraction-free shopping environment at Christmas.”

What mumbo-jumbo! By “a distraction-freeshopping environment at Christmas” did she mean an environment that wouldn’tdistract us and our kids from the hot pursuit of ourselves and our self-centeredwants? Did she mean an environment that wouldn’t distract us with uncomfortablereminders of other people who (through no fault of their own) are much lessfortunate than ourselves?

Dickens’sChristmas Carol – a social commentary

Target’s“distraction-free shopping environment at Christmas” calls to mind CharlesDickens’s Christmas Carol, which is asocial commentary about how a nation feels and speaks about its less fortunatepeople and its Tiny Tims. One day two solicitors come into old Scrooge’s officetrying to distract him from his savage self-containment and capitalisticspirit. One of them addressed Scrooge:

At this festiveseason of the year, Mr. Scrooge, it is more than usually desirable that weshould make some slight provision for the Poor and the destitute, who suffergreatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries;hundred of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.

WhenScrooge cynically asks “Are there no prisons or workhouses to take care of suchpeople?” the gentleman answers,

Under the impressionthat they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude, afew of us are endeavoring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink,and means of warmth. We choose this time because it is a time of all othertimes when Want is keenly felt and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?

WhenScrooge replies “Nothing!” and the gentleman asks whether by `nothing’ he meanshe “wishes to be anonymous,” Scrooge replies: ”I wish to be left alone!” Scrooge wishes to be left alone like those Targetpatrons who wanted to be left alone – “free of any distraction,” as they go inhot pursuit of themselves.

Thanksgiving & Christmasright on track

A long email received a few days ago reads:

Late last night, I received a frantic call from my elderly mother whose furnace wouldn't turn on. It was in the lower 30's here in Milwaukee. When I offered to pick her up and have her sleep over at my house until the furnace could be fixed, she declined the offer. She said she had plenty of blankets and that she'd be alright. I immediately contacted a friend who works for a heating business. He said he didn't want her to spend the right without heat. So I picked him up with his tools at his house.

At my mom's place it took him two hours to fixher furnace. (A bee’s nest was not allowing the furnace to start.) He alsofixed her fireplace. So she can now use that also to help heat her home. Shehas a fancy thermostat which a Philadelphia lawyer would have had troublefiguring out. So he also patiently walked her through. My mother asked, “Howmuch do I owe you?” and he quickly replied,”Don't worry about it.” (On the sideI had told him that I would take care of the bill.) My mom then gave him aturkey for Thanksgiving. When we got into my car, I asked, “How much do I oweyou?” He said, “Your mom just gave me aTurkey for Thanksgiving dinner, and then he added, “How about 2 gallons ofcider?” 2 measly gallons of cider and nothing more for such a greatlyappreciated deed!

After I dropped him off at his home I thoughtabout when I was a boy and my mom would call the doctor to come to our housewhen I was sick. I remember one time my mom (without any cash at the time) askedthe doctor to bill her (his fee was $2.00 or $3.00 for a house-visit), and shepromised to pay him on payday. And I remember also our family doctor once tellingmy mom, “Why don't you just make me lunch and we will call it even?” Thekindness which my friend, the repairman, showed my mom last night reminded meof times long gone by. After school today, I will get him his cider. It wasnice having someone do something so nice for my mom. After last night, I feelthere’s still hope for mankind. Steve

That email nostalgicallyspeaks to us of times long gone by, when Thanksgiving and Christmas were righton track.

A season ofboth penance and joy

Is Advent a season ofpenance or of joyful expectation? It can be, and should be, a season of both. Liturgicallanguage after Vatican II speaks of `Early Advent’ (the beginning of Advent toDec. 17) and `Late Advent,’ also called `the Novena of Christmas,’ (Dec. 17 toDec. 24). Let `Early Advent’ be the penitential part of Advent. Let it be more prayerful,and do nice things for others -- like fixingan elderly woman’s furnace and charging nothing more than 2 measly gallons ofcider. Then let `Late Advent’ be the joyful part of Advent. Being prayerful anddoing something nice for one in need will add a very special dimension to your Christmasshopping, partying and gifting. It will add a dimension of joy which won’tleave you when the curtain comes down on the Christmas season, and your videogame-player has been broken.

Conclusion

`Hanukking’ Christmas

This isn’t acrusade against the busyness of the Christmas: the hurrying and scurrying, thebuying and selling, the giving and receiving of gifts. Some of us have outgrownthat crusade of our younger days. We’ve come to realize that many people make agood substantial part of their income at this festive time of the rolling year.Nor is this a crusade against the merriment of the season. Let the bells ofChristmas ring. Let the carols of Christmas sing that this is the “happiesttime of the year.” Rather this is a crusade for `hanukking’ Christmas -- for rededicatingChristmas, and bringing it back to its original inspiration: an Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes andlying in a manger.

The Title John XXIII Liked Best of All

2011-11-16T23:51:00.000-06:00

“He will sit upon Hisglorious throne.”

(Mt. 25: 31)

The Title John XXIII Liked Best of All

November20, 2011, Feast of Christ the King

Ezekiel34:11-12, 15-17 I Corinthians 15:20-26,28 Matthew 25:31-46

Alleluia,alleluia.

A readingfrom the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Glory to you, Lord.

The final judgment

Jesus said to his disciples: When the Son of Man comes in hisglory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit upon His glorious throne, and all thenations will be assembled before Him. And He will separate them one fromanother, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place thesheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to thoseon his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdomprepared for you from the foundation of the world.For I was hungry and you gave me food, was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, illand you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”

Then the righteous will answer Him and say, “Lord,when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? Whendid we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? Whendid we see You ill or in prison, and visit You?” And the King will say to themin reply, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothersof mine, you did for Me.” Then He will say to thoseon his left, “Depart from Me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared forthe devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I wasthirsty and you gave Me no drink, a stranger and you gave Me no welcome, nakedand you gave Me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for Me.” Thenthey will answer and say, “Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or astranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to Your needs?” He willanswer them, “Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these leastones, you did not do for Me.” And these will go off to eternal punishment, butthe righteous to eternal life.

TheGospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, LordJesus Christ.

----------------

Introduction

A busy November calendar

The November calendar is busy. This SundayNovember 20 is the 34^th and last Sunday of Ordinary Time. With thisSunday we arrive at the end of the Church’s liturgical year. After celebratingall the feasts of Our Lord and His saints through 52 weeks, the Church todaycrowns her fast-departing old year with a feast in honor of Christ the King.

Then this Thursday November 24 we celebrateThanksgiving – the nation’s favorite feast. It is also our purest feast. Unlike Christmas and Easter which have gone astray, Thanksgivinghas remained faithful to an original inspiration: giving thanks for an abundantharvest, and for family. Thanksgiving still sends us hastening “Over theriver and through the woods to Grandfather's house we go.” At Thanksgiving sons and daughters, brothers and sisters(scattered all over the country) crowd the airways, the byways and highways, asthey hurry home (from which they at one time couldn’t break loose fast enough).They hurry home, bringing no other gift than themselves.

An image that “can easily get in the way”

The feast of Christ the King was institutedas recently as 1925 by Pope Pius XI.[1]He was battling with various kings. He wasfighting anticlericalism in Mexico, and the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. Inhis own backyard, he was quarreling with the Italian State which had wrestedItaly back from the popes. The newly instituted feast seemed to say: “We have aKing who is greater than all your kings. He is Jesus of Nazareth -- the ‘Kingof Kings and the Lord of Lords.’” (Rev 19: 26)

But that great bishop of Saginaw, MI, Kenneth Untener (1937-2004) wondered whether the institution of the feast of Christ the King was perhaps a mistake.”Pope Pius surely meantwell,” Untener said, “but the image of `king’ can easily get in the way.”

Anendless list of despotic kings

He’sright. History is cluttered with kings who “get in the way.” When Jesus wasborn in Bethlehem of Judea, there was King Herod. He was worried that thenew-born King of the Jews would be a threat to his throne, so he slew all babyboys two years and younger. (Mt 2:2-16) Then fast forwarding to the first halfof the twentieth century, there was `führer Hitler,’ king of the Master Race. Out of some insanehatred he gassed or starved to death six million Jews in the concentrationcamps of Dachau, Auschwitz and Buchenwald. On April 29 1945, as the Sovietswere closing in on his Berlin bunker where he was hiding, he married Eva Braun,and the very next day, April 30, both committed suicide.

In the second half of the twentiethcentury, there was king Saddam Hussein of Iraq who lived in eight palaces! He filled the city dumpswith the remains of people who didn’t want him as king. After American soldiersfound him also hiding -- in a hole near a farmhouse, he was brought to justice,found guilty of killing 48 Iraqi Shiites, and was hanged on30 December 2006.

Then in these last days there was kingMuammar Gaddafi of Libya, who always bedecked himself with robes befitting aking. But behind a showy facade there lurked a brutal cynic who ruthlessly ruled Libyafor 42 years. Libyans finally rose up against thistyrant. On20 October 2011 they found him also hiding - inside a concrete drainpipe, and they killed him.

And now there isking Bashar al-Assad of Syria, who ispresently being confronted by his people who do not want him as their king anylonger. Al-Assad blames the uprising on “foreignintervention,” and he threatens “an earthquake that would burn the wholeregion,” if his subjects don’t behave. Finally there is king MahmoudAhmadinejad of Iran, who threatens to wipe Israel off the map. History recordsan endless list of despotic kings.

A superfluous feast?

Itseems this late November feast of Christ the King is superfluous. Already inearly spring, there is a feast honoring Christ as King. On Palm Sunday theChurch cries out, "Hosanna to the Son of David! O King of Israel, hosanna in thehighest!" Holy Week seems to be a better context for the kingship ofChrist. It sets Jesus upon an ass and not upon a throne. It places a palmbranch in his hand and not a scepter. It plants a wreath of thorns upon hishead and not a crown. And the Passion read on Palm Sunday sets the recordsstraight for anyone who wants to build an earthly kingdom for Jesus. "Mykingdom,” He says, “is not of this world." (Jn 18:36)

Scripture is clear.

But however we might feel about kings,Scripture is clear: Jesus is a king.He is a king as He comes into the world and as He leaves it. At His conceptionthe angel Gabriel announces to Mary that the Lord God would give to the Son bornof her the throne of David, His father, and His kingdom would have no end. (Lk1:33) At His trial Pontius Pilate asksJesus, “Are you a king?” He answers, “Yes, for this I was born, and for this Icame into the world.” (Jn 18:37) Accordingly, a gang of Roman soldiers concocted a crown of thorns andpressed it down on His head. (Mt 27:29) Then they nailed Him to a cross, and overhead hung an inscriptionwritten in Hebrew, Greek and Latin: Jesusof Nazareth, King of the Jews.

Who serves is king

But He who told Pontius Pilate that He wasindeed a king (Mt. 27: 11) also told His disciples that He was a brand new kindof king – one who came not to be served (as kings are served) but to serve.”(Mt20:28) Jesus does the unthinkable: He weds kingshipwith selfless service: the one who serves is, indeed, is a king.

Fr. Damien de Veuster (1840 – l889),[2]a Belgium priest, served the spiritual needs oflepers on the island of Molokai in the Hawaiian chain, and he himselfcontracted leprosy and died. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India (1910-1997)[3]served the spiritual and physical needs of the `untouchables’ dying in thestreets of Calcutta. Teams of medical personnel served the needs of thevictims of Hurricane Katrina, bringing theirequipment and expertise to set up hospitals and emergency facilities. Doctors Without Borders serve the needs of the poor and ill of foreign countries, askingnothing for their life-saving services. Bill Gates of Microsoft, the world'srichest man, by donating $10,000,000,000 serves the needs of people sufferingfrom AIDS and other diseases, especially in Africa.

All of them are kings, for whoever serves is aking.

A pope who served

This coming Thursday, November 25, is the birthday of Good PopeJohn XXIII. He was born poor like Jesus in 1881 in a little Italian village called Bergamo Sotto il Monte (Bergamo at the Foot of the Mountain).Though born at the foot of the hill, he made it to the top. On October 28,1958, upon the death of Pope Pius XII on October 9, 1958, at Castel Gandolfo, Cardinal Angelo Roncalli was elected pope andtook the name of John XXIII.

On November 4, theday of his coronation, a three-tiered crown was placed upon his head. In his homily that day the new pope said thathe had in mind for his pontificate the example of the Good Shepherd who camenot to be served as kings are served but to serve. (Mt 20:28) The next day after his coronation, John launched off his pontificate,which he promised would be one of service. In a papal auto he sped off throughelaborate Vatican gates to visit aging brother priests in nursing homes, andyes, inmates in the nearby Regina CoeliPrison along the Tiber. He told them: “I come to you, because you couldn’t cometo me.”

At the end of theday, it was really Good Pope John who put an end tothe crowning of popes. It is true that after John died, Pope Paul VI was,indeed, crowned, but after the powerful example of John, Paul’s coronation fellquite flat. He sold his crown (the gift of the people of Florence) and gave themoney to the poor. That was the end of the crowningof popes: John Paul I and II and Benedict XVI were not `crowned;’ they were `inaugurated.’

Conclusion

The title John XXIII liked best of all

The pope has awhole slew of official and impressive titles: He is Bishop of Rome, Vicar ofJesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of theUniversal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop andMetropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City,(and last but not least) Servant of theServants of God.

As Good Pope John lay dying on June 3, 1963, it is noexaggeration to say that wholeworld was kneeling at his bedside. (Some of us senior citizens vividly remember that day.)The world was at his beside because it remembered how John, Bishop of Rome, visitedinmates in a prison and elderly brother priests in a nursing home the very nextday after his coronation. The world was at his bedside because it rememberedhow John, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, during his first HolyThursday Liturgy as pope in 1959, stunned the universal Church as he girdedhimself with a towel and bent down to wash the feet of 13 young priests. Thatfoot-washing rite called the `Mandatum’ had fallen into disuse for centuries, andthat disuse itself was symptomatic. By reviving the ancient rite offoot-washing Good Pope John wanted totell us that his future pontificate would serve the People of God, and thatof his many papal titles the one heliked best of all was: Servant of theServants of God.

[1] In his encyclical Quas Primas(December 11, 1925) Pope Pius XI promulgated the Feast of Christ the King.

[2] Pope Benedict XVI canonized Fr. Damien on Sunday October 11, 2009.

[3] Pope John Paul II beatified MotherTeresa on Sunday October 19, 2003.

"A Great Cloud of Witnesses"

2011-11-09T07:09:00.000-06:00

“Out of fear I wentout and hid your gold in the ground.”

(Mt. 25:25)

“A Great Cloud of Witnesses”

(Heb 12:1)

November 13, 2011, 33^rd Sunday ofOrdinary Time

Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 Thess. 5:1-6 Matthew 25:14-30

First reading from Proverbs

A goodwife is hard to find, and she’s worth more than a whole string of pearls. Herhusband puts his confidence in her, and knows he’ll never be poor. She does himonly good and never any harm. She buyswool and flax and works with loving hands. She puts her hands to the distaff,and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, andextends her arms to the needy. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; thewoman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Reward her labors, and may her workspraise her at the city gates.

The word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Alleluia,alleluia.

A readingfrom the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Glory to you, Lord.

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

Again the kingdom of Heaven can be likened to a man going ona journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold[1],to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.Then he went on his journey. The man whohad received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work andgained five bags more. So also, the onewith two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bagwent off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master ofthose servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who hadreceived five bags of gold brought the other five. “Master,” he said, “youentrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I’ve gained five more.” His masterreplied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with afew things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share yourmaster’s happiness!” The man with two bags of gold also came. “Master,” hesaid, “you entrusted me with two bags of gold. See, I’ve gained two more.” Hismaster replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithfulwith a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share yourmaster’s happiness!’

Then the man who had received onebag[2] ofgold came.”‘Master,” he said, “I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting whereyou have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So out offear I went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs toyou.” His master replied, “You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvestwhere I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money ondeposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it backwith interest. So take the bag of goldfrom him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For the man who uses wellwhat he is given shall be given more, and he shall have abundance. But from theman who is unfaithful even the little that he has shall be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside,into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

TheGospel of the Lord

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Introduction

Amomentary lull

Here we are in the middle of November. It's a momentaryt lull before a very busy calendar: Thanksgiving on the 24th, the feast of Blessed Pope John XXIII on the 25th, and the beginning of Advent on the 27th in preparation for Christmas 2011. It's that time of "the rolling years."

A mutilated 1^st reading

In the firstreading from Proverbs 31 a man has made `a great catch’ in the wife he married. She’s worth more to him than a whole stringof pearls. She brings him only good and no evil. She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth withskillful hands. She plies her fingers at the spindle and reaches out her handsto the poor and needy. What a lucky man he is to have married such a veritabledomestic diva!

Thefirst reading from Proverbs, however, sells the good woman quite short. Thatreading has been mutilated by an editor who has chosen (purposely?) some versesand left out others. Behold how mutilated the first reading is: Proverbs31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31). Hmmm! We wonderabout the editor’s motives as he picked some verses and omitted others. Didsome fear, at least subliminal, guide his picking and choosing? Here are theverses he left out:

Vs 14: “ Like merchant ships, the wife secures her provisions from afar.” Vs.15: “She gets up while it is still dark, giving her household their food,giving orders to her serving girls.” Vs. 16: ”She picks out a field to purchase; out of her earnings she plants avineyard.” Vs. 18: ”She knows the value of everything she makes and works lateinto the night.” Vs. 22: “She makes herown bedspreads and wears clothes of fine purple linen.” Vs. 24: “She makesgarments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts.” Vs.25: “She is strong and respected, andshe can laugh at the days to come.” And vs. 26: “She opensher mouth wisely, and on her tongue is kindly instruction.”

The passage, whennot mutilated, tells why this wife is, indeed, such `a great catch.’ She is notonly a domestic diva but also a wonderful enterprising spirit with greatmanagerial skills. That full thought fits well with the Parable of the Bags ofGold: the master was pleased with the enterprising spirit of the two servantswho invested his gold and doubled it for him, but he was displeased with the fearfulservant who played it safe and buried his master’s gold.

A parableabout fear

Thefocus of the parable about the bags of gold is not on the two servants whoinvested their master’s gold, but on the one who out of fear did not invest it, but went instead and buriedit in the ground. The key to the parable is “out of fear.” “Out of fear I went out and hid your gold in the ground.” It is a parableabout always playing it safe and never taking a reasonable risk. It’s a parableabout fear, and what happens when we let it take over.

Fear has many faces. Out of fear of the Jewish aauthorities the early disciples were gathered together behind locked doors. (JN 20:19) Out of an irrational fear of Jews, the Nazis went rampaging throughout all of Germany on November 9, 1938 (73 years ago last Wednesday), and in one night destroyed 7000 Jewish businesses, and burned down 191 synagogues. In today's parable, out of fear a servant has buried his master's money instead of investing it. And in today's first reading a male editor of Proverbs, out of some fear (it would be interesting to name it) has chosen to pick and choose, and paint a picture of a 'domestic diva,' instead of a woman with a great enterprising spirit and managerial skills - a woman whom you could easily imagine as being ordained a priest and leading a congregation of the faithful.

Aninvitation to the Church to not fear and play it safe

Theparable invites us as individuals to not play it safe and bury our bag of gold,but to be adventurous, take reasonable risks and invest it. But to what does theparable invite us as Church? Matthew, after all, wasn’t speaking to a group ofindividuals at a workshop on personal growth; he was addressing a young Church.He was inviting a young Church to put away its fear and not play it safe. If sheplays it safe, she will not only not double her Lord’s gift but will also loseit. Matthew was inviting the Church of every age to not fear and play it safe.

Men ofthe Church who did not fear and play it safe

Andthere have always been men of the Church who did not fear and play it safe. FormerArchbishop of Seattle, Raymond Hunthausen (b.1921) was a greatadvocate for the poor and the marginalized. He spoke out courageously aboutcontroversial issues in the Church, like artificial contraception andhomosexuality. Hepermitted a homosexual group called Dignityto hold its own Mass in his cathedral. “They're Catholics too,” he explained."They need a place to pray.” Hunthausen obviously chose not to fear andplay it safe; some parishioners in Seattle managed to have Rome strip him of some of his episcopalauthority, “because his lack of clarity about certain issueshas confused the faithful.”

The year 1993 was the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclicalletter Humanae vitae (1968) reaffirming the Church's stand againstartificial birth control. Bishop Kenneth Untener of Saginaw, Michigan (1937- 2004)courageously took the occasion to invite the Church to a new and open discussion on birth control. Untener obviouslychose not to fear and play it safe; his `audacious’invitation to reopen the issue of birth control was soundly rejected by theVatican, andUntener died a simple Bishop and not an Archbishop or a Cardinal of the Church.

Bishop Thomas John Gumbleton (b. 1930) of theArchdiocese of Detroit openly claimed that many bishops don’t believe that everycontraceptive act is intrinsically evil, but they aren’t willing to say itpublicly.[3] Andthough Pope John Paul II took a definitive stand against the ordination ofwomen, Gumbleton predicted that “Priestesses will inevitably come.” He pointedout that “Already, female parochial administrators are proving their competencyand laying the groundwork for the ordination of women,” Gumbleton obviously chosenot to fear and play it safe; when he petitioned Rome for permission to stay onas bishop beyond his 75^th year, (the canonical age for retirement) thoughstill in good health, his petition was refused with e-mail speed!

A Pope whochose not to fear and play it safe

Out of fear of the Protestant Revolution of the 16^th century, the Church summoned theCouncil of Trent (1545-1563). Out of fear, Trent put the teachings of faithsafely into deep freeze and locked them all up in prisons of certainty. (That’snot so much a criticism as it is a simple statement of the `Law of Action andReaction.’) The fear-founded certainty of Trent lasted for four hundred years, and manyof us were raised on it. But fear, four hundred years old, was bound to loseits edge and die of old age.

Much of fear’s edge had already been lostby the time the Patriarch of Venice, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, was elected popein 1958, following the death of Pope Pius XII. Roncalli’s election to thepapacy surprised the man himself, for he had arrived in the Vatican for thepapal election with a return train ticket to Venice! The new pope was 77 years old whenelected, and it was widely assumed that he would play it safe - that he wouldbe an interim caretaker pope who would maintainthe status quo, listen to the advisers around him, and not rock the Boat ofPeter. It was assumed that the old man would not disturb the `peace’ of theChurch (which was not really the `kiss of peace’). The old man surprisedeveryone when he chose not to fear and play it safe, but chose instead to courageouslysummon his Church to the Second VaticanCouncil.

Conclusion

A great cloud of witnesses

Out of some subliminal fearthe pick-and-choosing editor of the first reading from Proverb chose to hidetheenterprising spirit and great managerial skills of that `good wife’ and `greatcatch.’ Out of a fear of his hard master (who harvests where he has not sownand gathers where he has not scattered seed) the servant chose to hide his onebag of gold. On the other hand, great church men like Hunthausen, Untener,Gumbleton and Good Pope John chose not to fear and play it safe. What Australianwriter Morris West (1916-1999)[4] wrote ofGood Pope John in A View from the Ridge hewould have written of all these great church men who chose not to fear and playit safe.

I believe I can say with certainty that I remained incommunion with the Church even when the Church itself excluded me[5],and I remain there still, principally because of the presence of John XXIII,the Good Pastor, whom I never met, though I did meet his predecessor and hissuccessor. Goodness went out from this man to me. I acknowledged it then. Iacknowledge it again.

Many feel the same as Morris West did.Many joyfully and hopefully remain in the Church because of a great cloud ofwitnesses (Heb 12:1) who did not fear and play it safe – witnesses likeHunthausen, Untener, Gumbleton and Good Pope John.

[1] The New EnglishBible translation speaks of “bags of gold” in the place of “talents” usedby many other translations.

[2] In today’scomputation the 5 bags of gold would be 6.8 million dollars. The 2 bags of goldwould be 2.7 million dollars. And the 1 bag of gold would be 1.35 milliondollars, and that too is by no means a small amount.

[3] America magazine (Nov. 20, 1963)

[4] West is best knownfor his books The Devil’s Advocate and TheShoes of the Fisherman

[5] Though West was and always remaineda Catholic, his various writings contain a good deal of criticism about the church, and thechurch was not always pleased with him.