Rejoice! The End is Near!

We've seen the cartoon: an wild-eyed man, bedraggled, carrying a sign that says, "Repent! The end is near!" He probably looks like John the Baptist did to those around him!

This 3^rd Sunday of Advent finds John the Baptist still preparing the way. From his preaching and baptizing many thought he might be the Messiah. But to every question they ask him about his identity, he answers “I am not.” He tells the Pharisees, who demand an answer to give to those who sent then, “I am a voice of one crying out in the desert…but there is someone coming after me.” Often we lack the humility to answer “I am not, but Jesus is.”

 But how would the Messiah answer the question of his identity? “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me…” His answer would be his actions. When we are asked about who we think we are as Christians, we should be able to point to the things we have done after listening to the Holy Spirit. And we should rejoice in the Lord that he has done these things in us and for our salvation.

Rejoice! and sing along:

God is His Own Genesis

 

Advent Reflection

Second Sunday of Advent Year B

December 6, 2020

 

It has been said that the New Testament is hidden in the Old and that the Old Testament is revealed in the New. Isaiah speaks of a voice crying out in the wilderness. Creation will be transformed in preparation for the coming of Lord. Valleys shall be filled in, perhaps with the rocks and earth from the mountains and hills being made low!

St. Mark tells us that John the Baptist is that voice. John tells the people coming out to him in the desert to be baptized that he is the beginning of the transformation. His voice tells them that another is coming that will baptize not with water, but with the Holy Spirit!

The Lord, the God of the covenant, is coming in transforming power. Peter proclaims that the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, but there will be a new heavens and a new earth. The image I see is that of the Genesis device in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. In a presentation, we see the device impact a lifeless moon. The energy released encircles the planetoid. Ahead of the wave is barren rock; behind is water and plant life—the transforming power of the Genesis wave.

 Genesis Device Demo

God is his own Genesis! Christ comes to lead us to transforming life. But even in his power, he will be as firm and gentle as a shepherd, gathering, leading, and carrying us next to his heart.

 

I Hope You're Ready

 

Advent Reflection

First Sunday of Advent 2020 Year B

 

If you have ever had to wait for someone at the airport when weather has caused numerous delays and gate changes, then you know that you have keep an eye on the arrival board and listen to the announcements. If you don’t you won’t know when or where to meet the person you are waiting for.

 

Advent is a time to watch and wait. Just as we didn’t know when Jesus would come that first Christmas, even though there were signs and prophecies, we don’t know when he will return. In the verses before today’s Gospel reading, Jesus gives his disciples some signs of what will happen before his second coming. He has given us work to do in the meantime, but He sums up his dire warnings with the reminder to “Be watchful! Be alert!”

 

The people of Isaiah’s time were also waiting. But instead of being watchful, they were wandering. Instead of taking heed of what God was doing, they became hard-hearted. This is what happens when we lose focus, we fall into sin. Isaiah says that our good deeds have become like dirty rags. But they didn’t start that way; they were clean and whole. But a spot here, a smudge there and they become filthy. We launder them, and they fade and become threadbare. How do we become clean and whole again?

 

Grace restores us. By returning to God our Father we can receive the grace we need to be made whole again. Isaiah likens us to being clay that the Lord can reshape with his hands. He forms and reforms us into the image of Jesus. St. Paul says that in Christ we are enriched in every way. We will not lack any spiritual gift we need as we wait for Christ’s return. It is though our Father’s loving care that we can be ready.

 

Waking Up to Christ--A Reflection on the 4th Sunday of Advent

In today's readings, St. Matthew begins his gospel with a deceptively simple statement, "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about." What follows deals with an unexpected pregnancy, angels, dreams, a prophecy, and a virgin birth.

Central to Matthew's account is St. Joseph. Mary is found to be with child. Even though they are betrothed, they are not yet living together. For Mary to be pregnant in that case is bad enough, but Joseph apparently knows of her story of the visitation of the angel Gabriel and the claim that she is with child by the power of the Holy Spirit. "That can't be true, can it?" Joseph must wonder. He has decide. Can he believe her story or should he end the marriage?

Going to sleep on it, he dreams of an angel--was it Gabriel?--telling him, as angels usually do at first, "Do not be afraid!" The angel confirms that his wife, Mary, is with child by the Holy Spirit. He directs Joseph to take Mary into his home and to name the the child Jesus.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't make any of my dreams the basis of a big decision! But I think that this was the kind of dream that is more real than life itself. Another Joseph was a dreamer and his dreams ultimately saved Egypt from famine and, in doing so, saved the Jewish people, setting the stage for their Exodus. Now this Joseph, husband of Mary, dreams of the salvation of his people. He takes Mary into his home and names their son Jesus.

St. Matthew places the story of Mary and Joseph into the larger picture. He quotes from our first reading from Isaiah, "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel." As the Church reflected on they stories of Christ's birth that ultimately were written down in St. Matthew's and St. Luke's gospels, they saw this as the fulfillment of Isaiah's words. He had gone to King Ahaz to tell the king to ask for a sign that the attack against Jerusalem by the kings of Israel and Damascus would fail. King Ahaz feigns humility and refuses to tempt the Lord. So Isaiah tells him that the Lord himself has decided what the sign will be, "the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel."

There is some dispute over whether the Hebrew word here translated virgin means "virgin" or "young woman". The Greek word used in the New Testament does mean virgin. It shows us what the early Church thought this story of Mary and Joseph meant. It helps us understand why Joseph was so concerned. Mary was as virgin when she was found to be with child. She and Joseph had not had relations. That's why Joseph thought he should divorce her quietly and spare her any additional shame. That's also why it took an angelic dream to sort things out!

The Church talks much about Mary's fiat, her "yes" to the angel's message to her--and rightly so. But let's take a moment to think of Joseph's "yes" to the angel's message to him, for it is just as important. In the midst of a difficult, embarrassing and confusing situation, Joseph listened to what God was saying to him. St. Matthew tells us that when he awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded. We need to wake-up!

As a result of this obedience, Jesus was born into a family with a father and a mother. Think of it! God entrusted his only-begotten Son to a human father and mother in Joseph and Mary. Joseph took the child and raised him as his own. He was the example to God of what it meant to be a man!

St. Joseph is the patron saint of the universal Church, all of us! Let us learn from him as Christ did what it means to be human. Even when it is confusing or difficult or embarrassing, let us say yes to God as Joseph did. That simple "yes" of faith is why we call him Saint Joseph. When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist today, let us, as Joseph did, wake-up and say "yes" to Jesus.

Are You the One?--Reflection on the 3rd Sunday of Advent

Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" John the Baptist's question cuts to the heart of the Christian faith. Is Jesus the Christ who was to come? Are his teachings the truth? Is the Church the steward of his plan of salvation? Or is there another we should be following?

John had spent this life until that point preparing the way of the Lord. He had put his life on the line, proclaiming Jesus as "the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." Now John is in prison. Before he gives his life, he sends his disciples to ask Jesus if he is indeed the Christ. Why John's apparent doubt?

Being in prison gave John much time to think. As he considered his life he naturally wanted to be sure he was on the right path. I think he doubt arose from the simple fact that Jesus was his cousin. With family, you want to be sure!

Could Jesus, this man John had know since childhood, be the Messiah? Their first encounter came when Mary, now with child, travelled to see her cousin and John's mother Elizabeth, who was herself expecting after years of sterility. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, St. Luke tells us that John lept for joy while he was still in the womb.

Years later, when Joseph and Mary were returning from Jerusalem after celebrating Passover, they realized that Jesus was not with them. People travelled with extended family then. Luke tells us that "they were looking for him among their relatives and friends." It is certainly possible that John was in that group.

In any case, John was wondering about his cousin. Jesus' answer to John was to tell them "Go tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have the Gospel preached to them." It is what Jesus does that proves who he is.

What about us. If someone were to ask if were could prove we were who we claimed to be, could we prove it? On a good day, maybe. What works could we point to and say this is what I have done; it shows who I am. It is good to be here for Mass to worship and grow in faith. Now, what about the rest of the week? It would be a shame if we were to receive Christ in faith in the Eucharist yet fail to become what we receive. We receive the Body of Christ. Let us become the body of Christ in the world.

Repent and Receive--A Reflection on the 2nd Sunday of Advent

John the Baptist is an astonishing man. He stands astride the Old and New Testaments; the last prophet of the Old and the first of the New. He lives out in the desert wilderness by the Jordan River. He eats locusts and wild honey and wears camel skins with a leather belt. His first words in Matthew's Gospel are “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” And let's not forget that his cousin is Jesus!

His preaching and presence brought many to be baptized, and the Pharisees and Sadducees didn't want to be overshadowed by this wild man. When they went to find out about his preaching for themselves, they must have been shocked. John is fearless. He calls them, the religious leaders of his day, a “brood of vipers!" and boldly asks them "Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?" He challenges them to "produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance." (Imagine if some people from the archdiocese and the seminary came to visit a parish and the priest said that to them!)

When St. Matthew heard John the Baptist preach, he was reminded of Isaiah's words "A voice of one crying out in the desert,/Prepare the way of the Lord,/make straight his paths. " John is preaching repentance to the people to prepare them for the coming of Christ. Today's first reading begins with a obscure reference to the Messiah. He shall come from the stump of Jesse. Perhaps you have heard of a "Jesse Tree"? Jesse was King David's father. The Messiah would come from David's royal line; he would be the son of David. In Isaiah's prophecy, the Kingdom has be reduced to a stump of a tree. Yet God promises that this stump shall produce a "branch" and that "from his roots a bud shall blossom." In other words, even though all looks hopeless, Christ will come!

What kind of Messiah will he be? John the Baptist says that "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Isaiah says that "The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD." The Church calls these the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are shared with us at Confirmation.

How do we put these two pictures together? By remembering that first we must repent as St. John the Baptist tells us. We must turn, change our minds about they way we have been living. We are sinners. We must become repentant sinners! We have been a brood of vipers doing evil. We must bring forth good fruit instead. When we have turned around to walk with Christ, then we can share in the gifts of the Holy Spirit that come from Jesus--not only at Confirmation, but throughout our lives as we continue to repent and become more deeply converted. Then we will see the reordering of creation that Isaiah speaks of "Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,/and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;/the calf and the young lion shall browse together...". These natural enemies will one day be reconciled and live in peace.

This healing of nature will be so complete that as Isaiah says, "On that day, the root of Jesse,/set up as a signal for the nations,/the Gentiles shall seek out." Or as St. Paul says "that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." Yes, even Jews and Gentiles, once implacable enemies, will be reconciled in the Kingdom of God. It begins now with Confession, the sacrament of reconciliation. We confess our sins to a priest not just because he represents Christ forgiving us, but also because we recognize that our sins hurt other people. The sacrament of Confession reconciles us not only to God, but to other people as well.

So, Repent! Turn your minds and hearts to Christ. Then he will share his Spirit will you. You will be the wheat that he harvests and gathers into his barn. You will share the Eucharistic wheat in the Church. This is the ultimate reconciliation. The greatest gift is Christ himself.

Keep Christ in Advent!--A Reflection on the First Sunday in Advent

This Sunday, November 28, 2010 is the First Sunday of Advent. It is the beginning of the Church's liturgical year. The Mass readings are all about getting ready for the coming of Jesus, the Son of Man as he refers to himself in the Gospel.

In the first reading, Isaiah foretells it, "In days to come,/the mountain of the Lord’s house/shall be established as the highest mountain/and raised above the hills." God himself will instruct all nations. After this instruction and judgment, there will be peace--the universal peace of Christ. In those oft quoted words, Isaiah says, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares/and their spears into pruning hooks;/one nation shall not raise the sword against another,/nor shall they train for war again." Instruction, judgment, peace.

The problem is that instead of listening to the Lord's teaching, we have been sleepwalking through life. St. Paul calls for us to wake-up! "You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed..." In our sleepwalking we have wandered off the path. Instead we have stumbled into orgies and drunkenness, promiscuity and lust, rivalry and jealousy. That may sound like a pretty good Saturday night to some, but it makes for a terrible Sunday morning!

In the Gospel, Jesus compares us to the people of Noah's day. There's old Noah, building a boat in the middle of the desert. He was preparing for a judgment that seemed to never come. So the people did what we would do, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. They probably even had a pool going on when the first raindrop would fall or when Noah would quit. So life went on as usual; until it began to rain!

Since we don't know when that first drop will fall in our time, Jesus calls for us to stay awake. The Church gives us this season of Advent at the beginning of it's liturgical year to remind us to prepare for Christ's coming. It is a time to consider our resolutions for this new year. What will you do to prepare for Christ's coming? It's not just his second coming we need to consider. Jesus comes to us every day, especially in two ways. First, he comes to us in the poor. They may be poor in spirit or poor in health or poor in morality. They may be financially impoverished or emotionally impoverished. They may be in the womb or at the end of life. They will probably be people we don't like very much. Learn to see Christ in them.

Second, he comes to us in the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist. Every Mass is not only a memorial of his passion and resurrection, but is also an anticipation of his coming to us. Jesus is meek and humble of heart, so he comes to us in bread and wine. Because if he came in his glory, to such sinners as we are, we could not see his face and live. But by his grace in the Eucharist, he does come to us; body, blood soul and divinity. As St. Peter says, his divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion so that we may come to share in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). He feeds us with his life so we will be able to live with him in Heaven.

Let us use this season of Advent to wake-up from our spiritual sleep, to leave behind the sin that so easily trips us up and to prepare the way of the Lord, in our hearts and in our world. Keep Christ in Advent! He is coming. He is almost here.

Tis the season--of Advent!

Advent is a largely forgotten season of the year. We jump straight from Thanksgiving to Christmas, forgetting the importance of taking a breath--Advent.

Advent is a time to prepare for the feast of Christmas. Advent means "coming." As we say in the Mass right after praying the Our Father, "Deliver us Lord from every evil and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ."

This "waiting in joyful hope" lies at the heart of Advent. The readings of the first two weeks focus on the second coming of Christ and his judgment so we can prepare our hearts for his return. At the beginning of the third week, that Sunday is also called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means Rejoice! We move from a time of preparation and penance to a more joyful time of rejoicing and readiness. Christmas is coming!

Christmas is coming, but it is not quite here. The readings shift to focus of prophesies of the birth of a Savior, a Messiah, a Christ.

The best recommendation I've heard regarding Advent is to think of it as the Church does! It is the beginning of the Liturgical year, the Church's New Year! And just as we make resolutions to lose weight or stop smoking or turn off Oprah, we should make Advent resolutions. We might decide to learn to pray with the Church using the Liturgy of the Hours in some form. Or maybe go to daily Mass more often. We could make a commitment to contribute to the food pantry every month, or to volunteer at on of the parish's social ministries. Advent is the perfect time to examine our lives and ask "Lord, what do you want me to do, to be?"

Try waiting until at least to the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, to string lights or put up the Christmas Tree or play Christmas music. The commercial, retail world will overwhelm you at times; but the more you enter in to the time of waiting in joyful hope that is Advent, the more joyful your Christmas season will be. For the Church celebrates Christmas for more than just one day! It lasts from December 25th all the way to the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. Now that's a time of rejoicing in joyful hope!