The Seventh Day of Christmas

The Seventh Day of Christmas

1 John 2:18-21; Psalm 96:1-2, 11-13; John 1:1-18

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

Merry Seventh Day of Christmas!

“It is the last hour,” John says.  For many that equates to “the holiday is almost over”.  We will go back to normal living as if nothing sensational had occurred.  Imagine if the shepherds had felt this way.  Only one week after an angelic visitation and finding a baby in a manger, they now return to normal living as if nothing special had happened.  That is how the world treats Christmas.  It should not be so among us.  Each Christmas should have the effect of bringing us closer to the Christ Child and the mystery of the Incarnation.  It should transform our souls little by little so that we become more like the One we adore.

If it was the last hour, according to John, when Christ came into the world, what must our time be but the last minutes?  Then let us not waste a single one of them.  It is still Christmas for the Christian.  Let us ponder its deep mysteries and enter more fully into them.

I can think of no better place to do that than the opening chapter of St. John’s Gospel.  There, we find this great mystery on display as a wonderful masterpiece of art.  We enter with St. John into his own prayer regarding the Word.

St. Jerome says that when St. John was asked to write his Gospel he agreed on the condition that those who made the request would fast and pray with him.  After such a time he began to write, “In the beginning was the Word…”

Now let us join with St. John as he reaches the apex of his meditation. “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth.”

The Word was in the beginning with God and was, in fact, Himself God.  He was eternally the Word, the only begotten Son.  In time He became flesh- the Man, Jesus.  When God wanted to provide a means of salvation He Himself became that means.  No other was capable.  Abraham was not.  Moses was not.  David was not.  Elijah was not.  John the Baptist was not.  Only the Word-Become-Flesh was.

Jesus is God With Us- Emmanuel!  He is not only God above us, or God before us, or God around us.  He is now with us.  He has made a way to live within us.  He made His dwelling among us.  When we want to know what God is like we look at Jesus.  If we ever doubt the mercy or the love of God, we look to Jesus.  Who came to Him and was refused?  Who left without receiving what they asked?  Our Lord is more ready to give than we are to receive.  Only our unbelief bars the way.  Thus the reason for a healthy meditation on the Incarnation.  Its intended effect is to decimate our doubts and bring us in faith into the heart of God.

“We saw his glory,” John says.  What glory?  Was there glory surrounding the babe in the manger?  We often depict it that way but there probably wasn’t anything of the kind.  Was there glory when the humble carpenter began to teach, or even to heal?  No.  He was often mocked.  Was there glory on a cross?  Yes, but not visible to the world.  Then where?  First, at the Transfiguration.  Second, in the Resurrection.  Third, at the Ascension.  But John speaks of more than that.  He refers to what they saw.  They beheld Him in faith and that opened their eyes to the glory that was before them.  The same is true for us.  We behold Him in glory when we enter into prayer in the deepest faith.  God waits to show us His glory.

This is no mere “ordinary” glory.  It is the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son.  Think of it- here was the Son of God clothed in flesh.  The ordinary person could not see the difference.  So John relates, “He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him.  He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.”  But those who did recognize Him- “he gave power to become children of God.”

Our Lord comes to us in all His glory “full of grace and truth”.  With fullness of grace He is ever ready to dispense all the grace we need.  Full of truth, every word He teaches is trustworthy.  He has promised eternal life to those who believe in Him.  He told us He is preparing a place for those who are His.  He will come again to take us to Himself and then we will be with Him in the deepest, most intimate love forever.  No romance was ever greater than the divine romance. 

This is Christmas.  And nothing else really is.  One can have the trappings- the tree, the decorations, the music, the gifts, the food, and even family.  But only the one who has entered into the deep mystery of the Incarnation truly experiences Christmas.

So I invite you to join me as we continue our journey.  We are only seven days into a twelve day excursion.  Let us not stop short.  Our Lord has so much more awaiting us.  For each day of Christmas comes with its own unique gifts, as the famous song says.  What does He have for you today?  Let’s find out!

Merry Christmas!

The Sixth Day of Christmas

The Sixth Day of Christmas

1 John 2:12-17; Psalm 96:7-10; Luke 2:36-40

There was a prophetess, Anna…
Luke 2:36

Merry Sixth Day of Christmas!  Let’s talk about Anna.  She’s an excellent example of Christmas joy.

As St. Luke relates to us, Anna had been married for about 7 years and then remained a widow afterward, never marrying again.  She was at this point quite old and she devoted her life to prayer and fasting at the Temple.  She comes in as Mary and Joseph are having Jesus offered to the Lord according to the Law of Moses.  When she sees the Child, she begins to rejoice for, being a prophetess, she is obviously given divine insight into who is before her.  There are a number of things to consider about Anna and this season of Christmas.

First of all, Anna shows that people of all ages have a part to play in the worship of our Lord and the proclamation of His coming.  St. John writes of three distinct ages in his letter.  “I write to you children… I write to you fathers… I write to you young men…”  He is likely using the terms in relation to spiritual growth or maturity.  Nevertheless, it reflects this same truth; that people of all ages are welcome and, in fact, ought, to be part of God’s plan to tell of the glorious coming of His Son into the world.

Second, Anna demonstrates that a certain piety brings one closer to God and enables prophetic insight into the divine plan.  Anna spent her life in prayer and fasting to come to this one moment.  Theoretically, without the prayer and fasting she would miss this moment.  This is how God works.  He prepares for a great length of time for a particular moment.  The Israelites were prepared by centuries of prophecies for the moment of Christ’s birth.  Our Lord Himself prepared for 30 years for the moment of His crucifixion.  Simeon, who was mentioned in yesterday’s reading waited a lifetime to see the Messiah.  And Anna has this moment as we said.

I don’t doubt that there’s a connection between the discipline of prayer and fasting and Anna’s prophetic gift.  It is not true that all prophets are characterized by prayer and fasting, though I think we can point to a number who are.  It is certainly not the case that all who practice a fervent discipline of prayer and fasting will be prophets.  Nevertheless, I think it’s reasonable to see a connection.

People tend to think of such piety as being dreary and even depressing.  It is probably the case that there are many who practice it that way, but it need not be so.  In fact, it ought not to be so.  Rather, the one who draws near to God in this way experiences a great and lasting joy.

With fasting one releases the legitimate things of the world.  “Do not love the world or the things of the world,” St. John writes.  We don’t often realize how entangled we are in it all.  Fasting recalibrates the soul for prayer.

With prayer one lifts the heart and the soul into heaven.  Our citizenship is in heaven, says St. Paul [Philippians 3:20].  Prayer brings us into our natural habitat as Christians.  The one who forms a vibrant life of prayer becomes a confidant of God.  God divulges secrets to that person.  So it was with Anna.

Finally, Anna demonstrates the fruit of overflowing joy.  Her joy at seeing the Savior results in her telling others about Him.  This is the most natural form of evangelization.  “Say among the nations, ‘The Lord is King.’”  We don’t need to preach to bear witness to Christ.  If He’s really impacting our lives we won’t be able to keep quiet about it.  The overflow of our praise is to bear witness to the goodness of God.  Others are drawn to Him as a result. 

I want to be like Anna.  I have praised the Lord in my youth.  I am praising Him now in middle age.  And I want to praise Him into my golden years.  I want to develop a life of fervent prayer and fasting.  I want to be free from the enslavements of this world so I can enter into the joy of our Lord.  I want to speak of His greatness to anyone who will listen.  This is Christmas joy and I think the world is in great need of a lot more of it.  Please join me, and Anna, and many others as we proclaim the great news- Christ is born for us today!

Merry Christmas!

The Fifth Day of Christmas

The Fifth Day of Christmas

1 John 2:3-11; Psalm 96:1-3, 5-6; Luke 2:22-35

The darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
1 John 2:8

Merry Fifth Day of Christmas!

Quickly, pause here for a moment and think of words you associate with Christmas.  Were some of those words “peace”, “joy”, or “love”?  We see those themes in today’s readings.

Peace: “Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled.”

Joy: “Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!”

Love: “Whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.”

Each season in the liturgical year emphasizes a particular part of Christian faith.  However, it is not the intention that those features are only lived during that season, but rather they are given prominence so they may be lived all year long.  These themes from today’s readings are intended to be vital parts of our everyday living so that Christ may be truly seen in us and God will be glorified.

St. John Paul II has referred to us as an Easter People and “Hallelujah” is our song.  We may equally think of ourselves as a Christmas People singing “Joy to the World” and inviting all to “Come, let us adore Him”.  The very best of Christmas is a reflection of Christ.  We know these themes because He has come and we reflect them when He is alive in us and living His life through us.  What else is it to be a Christmas People but to simply be Christian people?

St. John provides the reason for all this.  “The darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.”  Stop and think about the image for a moment.  What if you were born blind?  All the world would be darkness to you.  There would be no form or color or beauty.  Then you were able to see for the first time.  Darkness yielded to light and you could see it all.  Imagine the joy that would be yours!

This is the sense of the Christian when he recognizes that sin has brought darkness into his life, but the light of Christ is driving out the darkness.  Now he can see form and color and beauty.  He had been blind to it before.  But now it is all alive in him.  He is filled with the warmth of the love of God.  Peace reigns in his heart where strife had once dominated.  Joy is his reaction and propels him into the world to proclaim and demonstrate that love of God which he has received. 

Imagine if we functioned as a Christmas People!  The poor would be served as we sacrificed excess goods we did not need and devoted time to the service.  Random acts of kindness would be the order of the day.  There would literally be singing in the streets.  No one would need to live… or die… alone.  Even in the midst of the pandemic, people would find solace from others.  In fact, it would be in something like the pandemic where this particular love would shine even brighter.

Overly idealized you say?  Perhaps.  But that all depends.  Will you dare to be the first to demonstrate Christmas love all year through?  It only takes one.  That’s how the Church began and it’s how it can continue.  It started out small, but grew to become very large.  It can be revived the same way.  The world can be changed in our day.

The Light shines in the darkness.  Love has come, bringing peace.  Therefore rejoice!  These are the themes of a Christmas People.  It’s not just for Christmas.  It’s for all of life.  By the grace of God, step out and dare to be a Christmas People. 

Merry Christmas!

The Fourth Day of Christmas

The Fourth Day of Christmas

Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs

1 John 1:5-2:2; Psalm 124:2-5, 7-8; Matthew 2:13-18

Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124:8 Psalter

Merry Fourth Day of Christmas!  Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Innocents; those children killed when Herod was searching to kill Jesus.  The Church regards them as martyrs.  We reflected on martyrdom the other day with the feast of St. Stephen.  Again, it seems odd to have such a tragic event in the Octave of Christmas.  How should we consider today’s feast?

Herod, jealous and enraged- truly a madman- demanded the death of every infant son two years old and under.  Joseph, divinely warned by God, rescues the Holy Family, taking them to Egypt to hide until the death of Herod.  God’s faithful protection and provision are seen here.  But what of all those who died?  Where was God for them?  This naturally leads to the age-old question of why does God allow evil?  We cannot know the mind or the purpose of the Almighty.  But we can be confident of His wisdom and goodness even in the midst of such evil. 

We celebrate this day as a feast.  Why?  Because we view the Holy Innocents as martyrs and, as such, we believe they are in heaven rejoicing in the presence of Him for whom their lives were sacrificed.  The tragedy of that day pales in comparison with the eternal glories prepared for them.

It is with this in mind that we recall the words of the Psalter: “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”  As Christians we are not shielded from the trials and tragedies that befall others.  We can be the victims of evil.  Our Lord’s protection does not mean we will not experience these things.  Rather, it means our eternal safekeeping.  Our souls are kept safe even while our bodies are subject to suffering.  The perspective of heaven changes everything.

Jesus came into this world at Christmas to right such wrongs.  However, He did not do so by force of arms.  Rather, He has chosen to take captive our hearts by love.  In the end, He will be the judge of the living and the dead and justice will be done for eternity.  Until then, we wait patiently in faith, entrusting ourselves into His loving arms.

Christmas is intended to rearrange our perspective.  Our Lord comes as the conquering King.  But He does so in the innocence and weakness of a baby.  These are the ways of God.  They are not like our ways.  They are not filled with power and grandeur… yet.  We are called to walk by faith, not by sight.

In this year, and in this season, many of us have faced our own trials and tragedies.  Perhaps we have been tempted to ask, “Where is God in this?”  Today’s feast hopefully puts it into a proper perspective.  It isn’t that the pain of our times is not real, or that God is unheeding of our plight.  But it shows that there is more than we can see or know.  So we must simply trust Him.

The Holy Innocents beckon to us today: do not faint.  Do not give up.  The glories that await you are truly worth it.

Dear friends, take all your tears and offer them in sacrifice to God.  He treasures them up.  He will provide grace for help in time of need.  He will turn our mourning into dancing.  He will turn trial and tragedy into triumph.  There will be a feast… and it will never end.

Merry Christmas!

The Third Day of Christmas- The Holy Family

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14; Psalm 128; Colossians 3:12-21; Luke 2:22-40

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
Luke 2:39

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall in the holy household in Nazareth.  Was it really peace and tranquility all the time?  We can’t really know but the odds are against it.  I always feel sorry for St. Joseph in the equation.  He alone of the three was neither divine nor immaculate.  If there was ever a disagreement he was obviously the one in the wrong.  The brief cameos we are given do not provide enough information about the daily life of the Holy Family.  Yet, the Church holds them up as the model upon which any family may aspire and for which any family may seek intercession.

That phrase near the end of the Gospel reading is so pregnant with possibilities.  “When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.”  The profound events of the Nativity are past and they return to Nazareth where the holy home is established.  They will remain here the rest of their days.  The momentous and miraculous events are past.  Now there is simply the mundane of ordinary life. Remember, saints are made, not in the miraculous, but in the mundane.

If you’re like me there’s so much more that we wish we knew.  But the quietness of the scriptural record bears out that there was nothing noteworthy to mention.  So we may safely imagine that the Holy Family lived a quiet life of daily sanctity.

What might this life have looked like?  A portion from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians may provide insight: “Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them.  Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.  Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.”  This would be the normal family life of a first century Jewish family.  The elements that are unique to Christian teaching is the exhortation to the men to be loving husbands and fathers.  While those same exhortations can be found in the Jewish Scriptures, to be sure, they were not often the point of emphasis.  The man was the head of his home and so he ruled.  However, we are told that St. Joseph was a just man and we see his tender, loving care to the Holy Family in the flight to Egypt and in safely guiding them back to Nazareth.  We should keep these characteristics foremost in our minds, especially during this year of St. Joseph.

Sirach outlines for us the rewards that come with maintaining this godly order in a spirit of true humility and love.  We may be confident such blessings abounded in the midst of the Holy Family.

So what of our own families?  Can we truly be expected to live as the Holy Family?  Yes!  And that is why the Church presents them to us as examples.

Men, we are called to be pastors of the Domestic Church.  We took this responsibility upon ourselves when we said our vows of marriage at the altar.  We are not tyrants.  We are not overlords.  We are servants.  The greatest, according to the teaching of our Lord, is to be the servant of all.  We are called to lay our lives down for our wives and our children.  Most of us believe we would do so in a moment if the need arose.  However, the proof is in the daily living.  We are called to lay aside our own wants, dreams, ambitions, and preferences for the good of those who have been entrusted to us.   This is not easy and requires daily- even moment by moment- grace.  Men, fortify yourself with grace.  If at all possible, attend daily Mass where you can receive the graces necessary for your calling.  If it isn’t possible, at least ensure that you are spending time in daily prayer for the same reason.

Ladies, entrust yourselves to your husbands.  The world will tell you that you owe it to yourself to refuse submission.  Rather, you are to demand your own way.  That, my dear sisters, was the way of Eve.  I beg you do not be deceived.  Rather, listen to the heart of God revealed in these words of St. Paul.  To surrender to a godly man is no sacrifice.  If his heart is attuned to God you will not be abused.  True it is that man and woman become one in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony and so should always work to listen attentively to one another and to prayerfully consider together the way forward.  But if a disagreement persists, God has charged the man with making the decision the same way a pastor has that same responsibility in a parish.  Pray for your husband, and love him by supporting his decisions.

Children, obey your parents.  We have our Lord before us as an example.  Though He was God, He submitted to their authority.  You will find yourselves blessed if you are doing the same.

Parents, guide your children tenderly.  This does not preclude appropriate discipline.  The sage advice found in Proverbs still applies: “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him,” [Prov. 13:24].  But also work to teach diligently and be patient.  Let love and tenderness characterize your relationship with your children.  Then the moments of discipline will have their desired effect.

Will it be peaceful sailing if we do these things?  Perhaps for the most part.  But there will likely be moments when it is not so.  We are, after all, still fallen creatures.  Yet, nothing is impossible to God and His grace is more than sufficient for every situation.

As we continue our celebration of Christmas God has given us the Holy Family for our pattern and our reflection.  May Christmas joy indeed permeate our hearts and our homes as it did for the Holy Family! 

 

The Second Day of Christmas

The Second Day of Christmas

St. Stephen

Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Psalm 31:3, 4, 6, 8, 16-17; Matthew 10:17-22

Merry Second Day of Christmas!  Today the Church remembers the proto-martyr, St. Stephen.  His story is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.  He was chosen to assist the apostles with the serving of the poor in the early development of the Church.  We believe this was the origination of the Order of Deacon.

St. Stephen was known as a great man of God even though he was probably quite young.  Many miracles were done by him and his preaching gained notoriety.  Eventually, he was brought before the Jewish leaders who stoned him to death because of his witness for Christ.  As he was dying he claimed to see a vision of Jesus in heaven standing to greet him. 

While that’s a cool and inspirational story, one wonders why the Church has placed it on the Second Day of Christmas.  It seems like such a let-down.  We have the glorious festivities of Christmas Day and then the next day we get this depressing story of the martyrdom of a saint.  Why not keep the party going?

But I suggest there is wisdom in it all.  To get to that, let me relate a story that I found as I was pondering this question.

In the early 400’s a priest by the name of Lucian had a vision in which he was given the location of the bones of St. Stephen.  He was told to go to the Patriarch of Jerusalem and have the place excavated so the relics could be recovered.  When he did so, the Patriarch did as Lucian bid and had the place excavated.  When the bones were brought forth several that were present were healed of various illnesses.  The date was December 26, 415.  From then on this date was designated for the feast day of the saint.

No less a personage than the great St. Augustine of Hippo bears witness to the great miracles that accompanied the relics of St. Stephen.  He writes about some of them in his famous book, The City of God, and then states, “For were I to be silent of all others, and to record exclusively the miracles of healing which were wrought in the district of Calama and of Hippo by means of this martyr— I mean the most glorious Stephen — they would fill many volumes; and yet all even of these could not be collected, but only those of which narratives have been written for public recital,” [City of God Book 22, Chapter 8].

I think there’s a message for us here and it’s this: you need to see the cross in the crib.  Christmas only has meaning as we take in the rest of the story.  During this time we are remembering the birth of our Lord Jesus.  But He was born, not to live, but to die.  His mission was to redeem the sons and daughters of fallen humanity.  This He could only do through death.  St. Stephen brings that starkly into view.

Jesus warned us, “Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.”  And again He said, “You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.” 

Stephen demonstrates that.  He was hated for his testimony of Jesus.  While the religious leaders should have been the ones to commend him for all his miraculous words, they condemned him instead.  But Stephen did not faint in the face of martyrdom.  He sealed his testimony with his own blood and was rewarded for remaining faithful until death.  It is said that Jesus stood for Stephen because Stephen stood for Him. 

We are often in danger of over sentimentalizing Christmas.  While it is a season of great and exuberant joy, the reality of our fallen world is that they will not often be celebrating with us.  Rather, they will hate us if we take all of this too seriously.  It’s what happened to Jesus, it’s what happened to the martyrs, and we can count on it happening to us as well if we are faithful to follow in their footsteps.

So where’s the joy of Christmas in all this?  Exactly here- that since Christ has come, death is no longer the end of the story but rather the beginning.  Stephen enters into the joy of the Lord.  And he’s still there!  He will be there for eternity and no one or nothing can ever change that.  That’s an occasion for great joy.

I don’t know if you or I will ever be instruments of God to bring miraculous healing to others either in our lifetime or afterward.  But I do know that we can be the means by which others encounter the joy of Jesus.  And I also know that if we are faithful to the end we also will inherit eternal glory just like Stephen.

In a mere week’s time the world will return to “normal” and put away Christmas until next year.  If we insist on continuing its celebration we will be looked at as odd.  Worse, if we insist on living in its joy throughout the year we will become an offense.  In those moments, think of St. Stephen and whisper a quick prayer for his intercession.  Then boldly go forward and bear witness of Christ, come what may.  If we are faithful, there really will be Christmas all year long.  The great joy of the feast will co-exist amidst the tragedies of this world.  In the end, when our Lord comes to be the judge of the living and the dead He will sort it out and everyone will see that we stood for the winning side after all. 

So again I wish you, Merry Second Day of Christmas! 

St. Stephen, pray for us!

 

Merry Christmas!

The Nativity of the Lord- Christmas

Mass During the Night

Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalm 96:1-3, 11-13; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14

Mass At Dawn

Isaiah 62:11-12; Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20

Mass During the Day

Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98:1-6; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18

There are traditionally 3 Masses on Christmas.  The first is the Mass during the night, traditionally known as Midnight Mass and celebrated at that time.  The second is the Mass at dawn and the third is the Mass during the day.  Each Mass uses different readings.  All of the readings carry the joyful message of our Lord’s birth and the dawning of the day of salvation.  Joy and hope are the themes of this day as the love of God is made manifest in the birth of His Son.  Today, I will use the Gospels from each Mass as the focus for my reflection.

We will begin with John.  This has been know traditionally as the Last Gospel because this portion is read by the priest at the close of the traditional Mass. 

While the other Gospels begin by seeing Jesus in time, John begins by seeing Him in eternity.  Before He came to us and was given the name Jesus He was the Word from eternity past.  He was with God and was, indeed, God Himself.  This Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  John paints a flowery, perhaps even idealized, picture of the coming of the Lord.  He is approaching it theologically and not merely historically.  We are the privileged recipients of his divinely inspired reflection.

Two things stand out to me in this Gospel for our purposes here.  First, John says, “What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  Prior to this there was the grievous death of sin and the darkness of life apart from God.  It was the result of our first parent’s fall and the descent of humanity into this sad state.  For centuries we ached for our deliverance from this slavery.  God gave respite as well as the promise of the coming Savior.  We did not know that He Himself would be our Savior.  Cast out from God through sin, we were to be reconciled through His Son.  Light and Life entered the world on that first Christmas morning. 

Second, John says, “To those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.”  We enter into this glorious light and life when we place our faith in Jesus and receive Him into our lives.

This brings us to the two passages from Luke which are a continuation of one another.  The first part relates the story that has become familiar to us.  The Blessed Virgin Mary with her espoused, St. Joseph, went to Bethlehem for the census.  There, she gave birth to our Lord. 

At that time angels appeared to shepherds out in the field with their flocks.  Heaven and earth come together to rejoice in the birth of our Lord.  The angels cannot contain themselves. “I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.”  “Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The shepherds go from stark fear to shear exuberance.  They rush to Bethlehem to greet the newborn King.  We’re not sure what happened with the sheep.  While we often picture them with some of the lambs present it is highly unlikely they brought the entire flock with them.  Nevertheless, they came and they worshiped.  They told of the vision of the angels they had seen.  Then they left and they couldn’t stop talking about all that had happened.

Only Mary is silent.  She ponders it all.  But then this is not news to her.  She has been pondering this for 9 months.

I wonder… if we spent the next several months in reflection and contemplation would it produce the joyful celebration of the angels and shepherds in us and those around us?  If we allowed ourselves time to ponder the great truths revealed by St. John and wondered as we reflected on his reflection would we find ourselves bringing the joyful news to others? 

It is grievous to think that darkness still reigns in the hearts of so many when light has come into the world.  It is even more so to think that many still choose death in sin rather than life in Christ.  However, there are many captives awaiting the joyful news of their release.  To them, we are sent to bring the glad tidings.  Like the angels, we have the privilege of announcing that the King is come and redemption awaits those who will believe.

Stop for a moment and ponder- it really can be Christmas all year long.  For Christ has been born and He is born in us when we believe in Him.  His light eclipses our darkness, His joy prevails over our grief, and His life triumphs over death.  His love and mercy know no bounds.  To the soul who is sin sick there is salvation.  None are exempt.  If we will believe we will receive the blessings He has promised.

This is just Day One of our celebration.  But what we celebrate need never end.  In fact, it is intended to never end.  Once we are birthed in the kingdom through faith and baptism, our life of grace is made to live forever.  Heaven begins on earth. 

Come with me, dear friends, into the joyful celebration of Christmas.  Let us ponder together the deep mysteries made known to us today.  Then let us share the joyful message.  If angels could not be silent, how can we?  With the shepherds let us ceaselessly announce all we have seen and heard!

 

Welcome To The Twelve Days of Christmas!

The Nativity of the Lord Vigil Mass

Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Matthew 1:1-25

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet.
Isaiah 62:1

Welcome to the Twelve Days of Christmas!  The Church recognizes that the great feast of the Nativity of the Lord is too good to celebrate for just a day.  That is why Christmas is celebrated for 12 days. 

Culturally, as Americans, we have adopted the notion that the Christmas season begins at Thanksgiving and runs until Christmas Day.  This coincides with the heavy marketing that takes place during that time to capitalize on the tradition of buying gifts for loved ones.  Decorations go up, the music shifts over, Santa appears in malls, and we begin to send out our Christmas cards.  This really is a lot of fun and I certainly don’t want to find fault with it.  However, I offer a couple of caveats.

First, the time most Americans are referring to as the Christmas season is really the season of Advent in the Church.  Advent is not “pre-Christmas”.  It is a season to itself in which we are reminded of the coming of the Lord, both in time and at the end of time.  Consequently, we prepare ourselves for His coming.  Advent lasts from the Sunday closest to St. Andrew’s Day [November 30] until Vespers [Evening Prayer] or the Vigil Mass for Christmas on December 24, whichever is celebrated first.

Second, the Christmas season, according to the Church, begins as noted on the evening of December 24 in anticipation of Christmas Day on December 25.  Its celebration runs for twelve days until January 5, also known as Twelfth Night.  Then follows the Epiphany on January 6.  Finally, it concludes approximately one week later with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord.

This year, especially in light of the year it’s been, I want to offer reflections on each day of the Twelve Days of Christmas.  I hope this will serve to bring hope, joy, and encouragement as well as to aid us in a return to the Church’s intention that we keep this feast for the full 12 days.

This will require a short explanation in the Church’s current calendar.  Most of the Church now celebrates Epiphany on the Sunday nearest January 6.  This year it will be January 3.  However, there is an option for celebrating the Second Sunday after Christmas and Epiphany on its traditional day of January 6.  To keep with the theme of Twelve Days of Christmas I will be following the traditional calendar.

We have been hearing from Isaiah throughout Advent.  His prophecies announce the coming of the King.  He provides a great theme for us as we enter into the Christmas celebration; one of such joy that we cannot remain silent.  At last, after all the waiting, our Lord is here.

Keep in mind that Isaiah wrote roughly 800 years before the birth of Christ.  He was not the first to prophecy the coming Messiah.  The people of Israel had been waiting centuries and it would be centuries more before its fulfillment.  Now at last the day has arrived.

This same sense of overwhelming joy is intended to characterize our own celebrations. 

We catch a glimpse of this in St. Paul’s sermon recorded for us in the Acts of the Apostles.  He relates the events leading up to the blessed occasion and then plunges in, knowing that he is the first to announce this good news to his hearers.

I love the reading from the first chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel as he begins by relating the many names in the genealogy of Christ.  It probably seems tedious to some, but each time I read it or hear it read I am thinking of the stories that go along with it.  Prophets and Kings are in this lineage, but so are foreigners and grave sinners. 

Recall the scandals: Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar who was his daughter-in-law.  Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab who had been a prostitute.  David became the father of Solomon by Bathsheba- she who was the wife of Uriah.  He slept with her while Uriah was loyally serving in battle and to cover up his affair he had Uriah killed.  Yet, Paul recounts that God said of David, “I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.”  God sees who we are intended to be, not just who we have become.  What hope lies in that fact!

With all of this I find myself stirred in my soul.  This is just too good to keep to myself.  This is what it means when we heartily wish others, “Merry Christmas!” 

I encourage you to take this to your prayer.  Allow the Lord to illumine it in your own heart and wait for the joy to well up.  Maybe you won’t feel it.  That’s fine.  It’s true just the same. 

Throughout this season, boldly and joyfully wish others a Merry Christmas.  Don’t worry if they don’t share our faith or someone might be offended.  The good news is for everyone and that’s the news we bring.  Ask God to show you ways you can even go further and tell someone more about this good news.  Perhaps you will find the opportunity to encourage someone who has been so down because of the year’s events, because they lost a loved one, or because they can’t imagine how they could be loved by God after some of the things they’ve done.  You can point to the stories of Jesus’ ancestors to find examples of why there is always hope for God’s forgiveness as long as we look for it.

At last, the time has come.  Christ is born!  I will not be silent!

Fiat!

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Year B

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16; Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”
Luke 1:38

With this Fourth Sunday of Advent the Church clearly turns her gaze to the soon coming celebration of the birth of our Lord.  The emphasis has shifted from a current preparation for the second coming of our Lord to a reflection of what preparation was in view as people were awaiting the first coming of the Messiah.  We hear an echo of this from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans that we heard in our second reading as he speaks of the prophetic message that had finally been confirmed in Christ.

Naturally, we are all also thinking of our preparations for Christmas.  Last minute shopping, sending Christmas cards, baking, and planning for Christmas festivities are all on our minds.  But I want to take a lead from the Church and direct our attention to the spiritual preparations for Christmas.  And to do so, I can think of no better example than the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Today the Church gives us the reading of the Annunciation.  It is a fitting segue way into the mysteries of the incarnation.  The angel, Gabriel, is dispatched to a humble virgin living in the Middle East around the 1^st century.  He tells her that she has been chosen by God to become the mother of His Son.  This will not take place in the usual way, but rather through the Holy Spirit coming upon her to conceive within her womb the Son of God.  We take the phrase “full of grace” in the angelic message to be an indicator of what the Church now calls Mary’s Immaculate Conception, and which we celebrated only a couple of weeks ago.  Mary has been divinely prepared for this moment.

I think we have a tendency to view the Immaculate Conception as somehow giving Mary an advantage that the rest of humanity never had.  Keep in mind the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception teaches that by a singular grace of God Mary was kept from the stain of original sin at her conception.  Endowed with such grace, we also believe that she kept this deposit free from any actual sin throughout her life.  Thus, she was a pure vessel made ready to receive the Word of God within her womb.  But does that mean that she could not have sinned?

I offer you the fact that our first parents were also conceived immaculate.  That is, Adam and Eve were created without sin.  But they chose it anyway.  The fact that they were not born with sin did not keep them from actual sin.  So it would seem that our Blessed Mother could have done the same.  But she didn’t.  As the Fathers teach, her obedience undid the disobedience of Eve and so she becomes the New Eve; the mother of all those living in grace.

I would also propose that in our baptism we are washed from original sin and all actual sin.  The difference, of course, is that original sin still leaves us “damaged”, if you will.  But as St. Paul says, “Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more,” [Ro. 5:20].

I say all of this to show our identification with the Blessed Mother so that it will not seem an insurmountable leap to believe that we could behave in a way like she did.  We will just need to draw on the same grace that she did.

Now I want us to consider what was being asked of Mary.  She was being asked to lay aside all of her own dreams, ambitions, comfort, and safety in order to become the means by which the Son of God would be born into the world.  A first century Jewish woman was expected to marry, bear children, and look after the household.  It was typically uneventful.  There are some elements of tradition that lead us to believe that Mary had already vowed herself to virginity at the time of the Annunciation.  If that is true, then she was anticipating a quiet life of prayer and service.  This message completely upended either dream.

Mary’s pregnancy before an actual marriage would be viewed as an act of infidelity punishable, possibly by death.  Her espoused, St. Joseph, literally held her life in his hands.  If he had demanded her death that would have been the end of the matter.  But as we read from St. Matthew’s Gospel, Joseph was “a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly,” [Mt. 1:19].

Still, the rumors would linger.  Mary would not bear other children.  She would not know many things that would be typical to married life.  She would live in disgrace with the stigma of immorality.  And then… she would give her only Son up to death.  Mary did not likely know everything her assent would imply but she likely understood all of this in some fashion.  It is with these thoughts in mind that we come to her fiat; her “yes” to God.  “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”

To illustrate this, let us consider for a moment our first reading today.  King David has the noble ambition to build a house for God- a temple; a place for public worship.  Initially, David’s loyal friend and prophet, Nathan, agreed with the idea.  But then God’s word came to Nathan and he returned to give the message to David.  David would not build a house for the Lord.  Rather, his heir would do so.  Naturally, in time this was thought to be Solomon who did build the temple.  But the prophecy actually refers to our Lord.  His is the house that will be established and whose kingdom will never end.  David’s plans for a physical temple needed to yield to death so that in time God could build a spiritual house by His Son.

So it is with Mary’s plans.  Whatever she had in mind needed to die in that moment when she gave her assent to become the Mother of God.  We think of the Blessed Virgin Mary as having a place of the highest honor.  That is true… now.  But it was not so in her own lifetime.  One must have faith for such decisions.

As we are now only days away from Christmas I would like to re-introduce the spiritual emphasis that should characterize this time for all Christians.  Let us put ourselves in the place of the Blessed Mother.  God comes to us and asks if we will become the means by which His Son can be “birthed” in our generation.  To say yes to God will mean the death of our own ambitions. 

Perhaps we will need to forego marriage and family to answer a call to priesthood or religious life.  Perhaps we will need to forsake plans for financial security in order to embrace a mission of poverty.  Maybe we will find that if we are to labor for bringing Christ into the world we will be mocked and ridiculed for not choosing to pursue the “the American Dream” instead.  There are many possibilities, but mark this well: there will be no having it all.  We will either have all the world has to offer or all that God has to offer.  To be intentional about the pursuit of one means to turn our back on the other.

With that in mind, I ask you this question: what is keeping you from your fiat?  Fiat.  It’s Latin for the phrase “let it be done”.  It’s our “yes” to God’s desired intention for us when He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world [Eph. 1:4].  What keeps you from that? 

Are there friends you’re afraid of losing?  Are you jealous over your reputation?  Do you think it may cost you money?  Are there personal dreams that mean more to you than God? 

Certainly Mary knew her “yes” came with a great price.  But she was willing to pay it because she knew that God knows better.  So now let us consider what her “yes” accomplished.

Through Mary Christ came into the world.  Through His sinless life, death, resurrection, and ascension, sin was forgiven, death was destroyed, and eternal life came to all who believe.  We have hope now in Christ because Mary said “yes”. 

What will your “yes” mean?  God alone knows.  But we can be confident that because He knows, and because He knows best, we can trust Him with whatever sacrifices are necessary so even greater things can be born.  It may well be that we will need to choose a hard path now in this life, but, like Mary, we could be known by future generations for what our “yes” accomplished.

What keeps you from your fiat?  Hopefully nothing!  But the choice remains yours.  What will you do?  God, this generation, and perhaps countless generations to follow, await your reply.

 

 

Rejoice!

Third Sunday of Advent

Year B

Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11; Luke 1:46-50, 53-54; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28

Rejoice always.
1 Thessalonians 5:16

“Rejoice!”  It’s the theme of the day and this particular part of Advent.  We’re more than half-way through Advent and Christmas is coming into view.  There’s cause for rejoicing.  But the Church has more in mind than the celebration of Christmas.  Our Advent journey is still focused on the triumphal and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Why do we rejoice?  The Church gives us a hint here.  First, a little bit of background.  Today is known as Gaudete Sunday [pronounced Gow-date-ay].  It’s the first word in Latin for the opening antiphon of the Mass.  It means “rejoice”.  The opening antiphon is the chant done at the beginning of Mass that signals us as to the theme of the day and the focus of the celebration.  Unfortunately, a number of parishes do not use the opening antiphon and so this cue is lost.  The opening antiphon for today’s Mass is taken verbatim from Philippians 4:4-5: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.  Indeed, the Lord is near.”  It’s the last part that forms the incentive for the first part.  Let’s explore.

St. Paul’s reason for telling us to rejoice always is because the Lord is near.  He has in mind the return of Christ, which the first generation of Christians were expecting in their lifetime.  Since the Lord will return soon it reshapes current circumstances.  What difference does it make that they are ruled by a despotic emperor, or that they are persecuted, imprisoned, or killed?  Or what if they are sick, or crippled, poor, or blind?  What if they are losing their business, or they have been wronged by a friend or brother?  While these things certainly affected them as they would affect us, they could reshape their priority by thinking that the Lord will return soon and when He does there will be peace, justice, healing, and everlasting joy.  With the joy of heaven so close the things of earth begin to dim in comparison.

However, we should not think that the first Christians were all super saints.  They could easily be discouraged, angered, or embittered just like us.  Thus the reason that Paul had to remind them to rejoice.  This was a theme for Paul, not just with the Philippians, but also with the Thessalonians.  We find it as part of our second reading today.

We think that the letters to the Thessalonians were among the earliest written.  There was some obvious confusion surrounding the teaching of the Lord’s return.  Paul wrote to encourage them, but also to bring clarity to this teaching.  As he concludes his first letter to them we find him giving them a series of “bullet” encouragements: “Rejoice always!”  “Pray without ceasing!”  “Always give thanks!”  “Do not quench the Spirit!”  There’s a progression to it.  Begin by rejoicing, even if you don’t feel like it or it runs contrary to your circumstances.  This will lead to prayer and thanksgiving.  If we live this way we will not quench the Spirit.  But if we give in to our natural feelings and passions then the implication is that we run the risk of quenching the Spirit.  The phrase conjures the image of water.  The Spirit flows to quench our spiritual thirst. But if we grieve Him away then we are without spiritual sustenance.  Paul writes to warn us against that.

Why is rejoicing so important?  Because it keeps us connected to God!  How do we rejoice always?  Maybe we can rejoice sometimes, but always?  How does that work?

Perhaps it will be helpful to consider another passage of scripture from Hebrews 12:2 where we read, “… who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…”  Did you see it?  There was joy in view for Jesus when He went to the cross.  The occasion was not joyful, but God’s purpose in it was.  We learn to rejoice always when we can gain Jesus’ perspective in our trials.  We may not understand them like He did.  But we can trust that He is working in them nonetheless and that brings joy!

Think about movies you’ve seen or books you’ve read where there is a character that is blissfully joyful no matter what happens.  Maybe you even know someone like that.  We have a tendency to laugh at their naiveté.  We may even scoff that they are too “Pollyannaish” after the famous character.  But deep down we all envy them.  Wouldn’t it be great to be so happy all the time!  The truth is this is the birthright of the Christian.  If we lived with heaven in view then joy would be our default mode of living. 

I say all of this fully realizing we are in the midst of a global pandemic.  Between the illness itself, its effects, and the many restrictions we are living under as a result there has been a skyrocketing rise in mental illness, especially depression.  How can I speak of joy in a time like this?  Perhaps it will be helpful to consider something else the Lord has taught us.

When our Lord commands us to love Him, or our neighbor, or even our enemies, He uses a particular word for love that has come to us in the New Testament as agapao.  This word indicates a love that is rooted in the reason and the will.  It has nothing to do with feelings or sentiment.  On the other hand, a word used in the New Testament that indicates tender affection is phileo.  We cannot be commanded to feel something, but we can be commanded to do something.  The same principle applies to joy.  We are not called or commanded to feel happy.  That’s impossible.  We are, however, called to choose to rejoice, whether we feel like it or not.  The reason we rejoice is because the Lord is near.  He is near in time, He is near in our circumstance, He is near in our hearts, and His second coming is nearer every day.

So, dear Christian, rejoice!  Like Paul to the Philippians I will say it again: rejoice!  Whether you feel like it or not; whether circumstances are favorable or not; rejoice!  In fact, rejoice always!  For the Lord is near.  Then let us live in the reality that He is near rather than the delusion that He is not.

What Kind of People Are We?

Second Sunday of Advent

Year B

Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Psalm 85; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8

… what sort of persons ought you to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion…
2 Peter 3:11

I don’t often do this.  But I want to share with you a portion of my meditation in prayer recently.  My hunger is always to know God more.  As I was expressing this desire I began to ponder the notion that I will never have an experience of God on this earth like it will in be heaven.  Not exactly profound, I realize.  However, I think I often live as if this world is so much more important than it is.  I was being challenged to let it all go and only desire God.  It was then that I began to ponder that all that I truly yearn for can only be found in heaven.  The most spiritual saint has never lived on earth as they will in heaven.

Think about it, you or I may be blessed with heavenly visions or locutions- to audibly hear the voice of the Lord.  Perhaps we may be so lost in contemplation that we are immersed in the warmth of His love.  But all of these experiences would be temporary and momentary.  We can only truly live in such when we are in heaven.  That’s when I began to truly long for heaven. 

Take a moment and allow yourself a similar meditation.  Are you filled with an ache that borders on homesickness?  Hopefully!  And if so, then you will begin to be able to enter into the true spirit of Advent.  For Advent is the waiting for the coming of our Lord.  There should be an ache to it.  If heaven is our true home, then there is a certain level of agony we feel in our gut until we are there.  I believe this is what many of the saints experienced and it was the vision that propelled many of them to a joyful martyrdom.

Isaiah’s message to us in today’s first reading begins to lay out what such an experience might look like.  Further, it invites us to make the needed preparations in our lives now so we can experience the eternal beatitude that awaits us.

In our Gospel we hear the voice of John the Baptist echoing Isaiah’s call.  We are to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

But it’s in Peter’s second letter that we get a picture of our situation as it currently is.  First, don’t be discouraged as if God has reneged on His promise.  Our Lord will come.  His delay is not a delinquency on His part but a manifestation of His patience as He awaits our repentance. 

But then he asks the question that’s key: “What sort of persons ought you to be?”  And then he answers his own question as he notes that we are to be “conducting yourselves in holiness and godliness.”

First of all, consider Peter’s perspective.  “Since everything is to be dissolved…” he says.  The things of this world are temporary.  They are passing.  In fact, we are temporary and passing as far as this life goes.  Then why make our investments here?  Why do we insist on acting as if it’s all about this life?

Have you ever gone to a high school class reunion and there’s always at least one person that you wonder if they are still living as if they are still in high school?  When we were in high school that seemed like it was so important.  Who was cool?  Who was popular?  Who made the football team, the band, or the lead in the school play?  It was our world.  But then we graduated.  Some of us perpetuated this same attitude into college.  But then we moved on and began to realize that there was so much more.  Not many of us would vote for a return to high school after experiencing things like love, marriage, and family.

The same principle applies to our current life in this world.  We are living like this is all that matters.  But that’s not true.  We are here for a mere 70-100 years at best.  That’s nothing compared to eternity.  Shouldn’t we be investing in that which has the most long term payoff? 

So then, what kind of people are we to be?  Peter tells us we are to be holy and godly.  Those are not synonyms.  But they are similar.

To be holy is to be set apart for God’s purposes.  To be godly is to be like God.  Holiness has a twofold perspective.  We are separated from the elementary things of this world so that we can be separated for the things God has for us.  Think of it like the fine china.  It’s not kept with the rest of the dishes.  It’s set apart some place so that it can be brought out on special occasions to enhance the setting.  God does the same thing with us.  He separates us from so many common things in this world so that we can be the means by which people are drawn to Him.

Godliness is to be like God; both inside and out.  It is to have our spirit and disposition shaped by Him to such an extent that we are entirely conformed to Him.  Outwardly, people can recognize this godliness as they find that encounters with you have the effect of bringing them closer to God.

These are the characteristics that Peter says ought to be present in our lives.  Then look what he says: “waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God.”  How do we hasten the day of God?  Is it really true that God is waiting on us to determine when our Lord will return?  Perhaps!  It’s not clear.  Peter could mean that we are hastening “towards” the day of God as if it is something to which we are eagerly anticipating.  But it could have the former meaning.  Maybe the Lord is waiting for us to come to a place where we want to be with Him more than anything else.  Then He will return for us as a bridegroom comes to receive his bride.

This is the kind of people we ought to be.  But the question now for us is “What kind of people are we?”  Are we people characterized by holiness and godliness, or at least striving to be so?  Or are we people who really don’t care about such things?  Are we still living like we’re in high school and this is all there is?

Advent is a gift from the Church to reacquaint our perspective.  Holy Church calls us to remember the things Peter is telling us.  Don’t wait and miss this opportunity.  Take a few moments to meditate again on the things of heaven.  Let God put a holy ache in your belly.  Then arise with the acclamation of the true lover of God on your lips: “Lord, come quickly!”