bg-image

Homily

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time – The poor in spirit!

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Zeph. 2:3; 3:12-13; Ps. 146:6-10; 1 Cor. 1:26-31; Mt.5:1-12a

“Blessed are the poor in spirit!”  Who are the poor in spirit?  It begins with a clear vision of God and that we are not a god.  We are created in the image of God by his love.  God is the creator and the breath of life from which we get our identity by the graces we receive from him.  God provides the riches of heaven while we suffer the poverty of soul as we recognize our need and dependence on God.  It is in this state in which the soul clings to the Lord and surrenders to his will that we gain our riches as we come to him as poor sinners. 

The poor in spirit are the humble of the earth.  The humble take refuge in God in who they trust.  Humility is seen as a weakness by human standards but humility is the courage to stand for the truth not with the armor of the sword but with the armor of love.  God so loved the word he humbled himself in order to reveal himself in his Son that the truth may set us free.  Jesus humbled himself accepting death on the cross with great pain to set the captive of sin free.  Humility is the courage to sacrifice oneself for the other. 

The proud look to themselves as the source of power, control, and achievement.  The attitude of the proud who believe in God is that God placed them on earth to subdue to world and is looking down upon them detached from their actions and it all depends on them.  Keeping God at a distance provides a license to justify one’s own actions based a self-defined “truth”, self-guided conscience and a false sense of freedom.  That is until the walls come crumbing down and we are humbled and recognize our poverty of spirit without God. 

We have heard it said to act as if it all depends on us but trust as if it all depends on God.  The problem is that there is a tendency to fall into one or the other side of this statement.  We either believe it is all us and we keep God at a distance or we feel helpless waiting for God fearful to take the next step.  God works with us, through us, and in us, that is in relationship by our union to him.  The unity with God is not static but dynamic as we are reminded in the song, “just a closer walk with thee”.  The is our spiritual communion to be of one with the Lord as we go forth in the world. 

Thus, to be humble requires great love.  The signs of love are patience, kindness, forgiveness, gentleness and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  The humble of the earth recognize that there is a greater truth that comes from God and it is this truth that has resulted in a history of great martyrdom.  The courage to live and die for the truth is the surrender of our own life in the same image of Christ crucified. 

We are reminded by the words of St. Paul “Consider your own calling brothers and sisters” to ask ourselves what is my calling from God?   The call is a call to sacrifice for the love of another.  It is a reminder that the last shall be first because they placed the concern for the other before their own self.  It is in giving and offering ourselves to the Lord that we receive the promise of eternal glory.  The Beatitudes remind us of this sacrifice we are to live in which we empty ourselves for the greater good not by our own power but by the grace from God who is leading us by his righteousness. Blessed are you who respond to this calling for your reward will be great in heaven.  The blessings we receive today cannot compare to what is waiting in eternity. 

Tags
Shared this
Views

292 views


The Deacon

Accompanied by ..
Copyright by TagleStar 2016
Powered by TagleStar Website Development

bg-image

Homily

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Come after me!

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 8:23 – 9:3; Ps. 27:1, 4, 13-14; 1 Cor. 1:10-13, 17; Mt.4:12-17

Come after me!  This is the call to Peter and to the disciples and it is our call by our anointing.  The Epiphany of Jesus is the revelation of who Jesus is, Son of God, Son of Man, human and divine.  The arrest of John is the sign and beginning of Jesus ministry as he must increase taking up the call to repentance and the revelation of his kingdom.  It has begun as prophesied by Isaiah “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light”.  Jesus is the light and we should celebrate with “abundant joy and great rejoicing”. 

Come after me.  Was it a command or an invitation?  The call to discipleship is God’s purpose for our lives but how we fulfill that purpose require not only our will but our desire.  The disciples are being called to a total surrender of themselves in what was to become the future priesthood of the church.  Why were they so readily predisposed to give up everything and follow Jesus?  These were fishermen, some married with a family to care for, living their own lives.  They also were faithful Jews, they followed their religious beliefs, they were awaiting a messiah and believed what they were seeing in Jesus. 

If Jesus came calling today, would we be prepared to recognize his voice, ready to follow or so absorbed in ourselves we would quickly dismiss the thought.  Today we see a decrease in servants of the Lord responding to the priesthood or religious life.  Why?   In short, family life is not centered on God.  God is treated as an adjunct to our personal priorities.  There is a disconnect between what we do in our life and who God is in our life. 

We baptize children so that from birth they can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and grow in the gifts of the Spirit so that when God comes calling “come after me” we recognize that call and are already predisposed by the foundation of our faith to say “yes, Lord”.  The choice was clear to the disciples because the foundation was already at work in their lives.   

In the gospel reading is the beginning of Jesus ministry as he opens the gates of heaven to Jews and Gentiles bringing unity to a divided people making all things new under one church.  In the second reading Jesus has already ascended to heaven and we are left under the care and guidance of the apostles.  How quickly we see the church becoming divided even in these early stages with Paul reminding the people to stay united.  In those days saying “I belong to Paul or I belong to Cephas” is like today a Christian saying “I belong to the Church of Christ, I belong to the Evangelical movement, or I belong to the New Wine church”. 

Many years ago, while working in a hospital, I visited a patient who the record listed him as a Baptist.  During conversation, I mentioned his religious affiliation as “Baptist” to which he quickly retorted “I am not Baptist, I am a Primitive Baptist”.  To my ignorance, I did not know there were various branches of the Baptist church.  I apologized but I could see he was offended by my ignorance.  The gospel is one and it calls us to one otherwise we are warned that the cross of Christ can become emptied of it meaning. 

The meaning of the crucifix is to repent, pick up the cross and live the sacrifice of the cross.  Non-Catholics ask why we keep Jesus crucified on the cross when he has risen.  Jesus continues to suffer for our sins and the sins of the world.  Jesus thirsts for righteousness in his people, he thirsts for a right relationship, he thirsts that we be one in the Father, through the Son and with the Holy Spirit.  If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts. 

Finally, welcome back Monsignor from your priestly retreat.  Soon Monsignor will be celebrating his 50th anniversary as a priest.  He will also be retiring from duty to the Diocese but a priest is a priest forever.  This means a major transition in his life but as we have gotten to know him as “Mr. Yesterday” he is filling up his schedule quickly.  So, our prayers and best wishes are with him.  This also means that there will be a new sheriff in town, I mean a new Pastor to welcome.  As we are reminded by Paul today, we are followers of Christ and every Pastor is a servant of Christ and yes there will be change in the air but Christ is at the center of who we follow and trust. 

Amen. 

Tags
Shared this
Views

321 views


The Deacon

Accompanied by ..
Copyright by TagleStar 2016
Powered by TagleStar Website Development

bg-image

Homily

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Called to be Holy

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 49:3, 5-6; Ps. 40:2, 4, 7-10; 1 Cor. 1:1-3; Jn.1:29-34

St. Paul reminds us today that we are all called to be holy.  It is his will that we all be sanctified and lead holy lives but it requires our will to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and invite him into our lives.  Many have responded and seek his will as a way of life, others have responded but choose to seek their will first and leave God on the side, while still many remain outside of a sanctified life trusting themselves apart from God.  The Lord has come and so our time has come to encounter him through the sacramental life he left us.  This is how we are called children of God and receive power to reject evil, to heal and to save. 

On one occasion during a baptismal class I stated that baptism makes us children of God.  One of the participants stated she thought all people are children of God.  Prior to baptism we belong to God as his creation from where we get the word creature as a creature of God but baptism makes us his adopted children with sanctified grace and the difference cannot be understated. 

A creature of God has his humanity but wanders in the spiritual desert of their own ego seeking connection to something greater than themselves often turning to other created things of nature as in the past to a “sun god” or other human ideologies.   Such an ideology in our times is claiming that “identity” is a state of mind so the mind can declare itself to be of any sex, orientation, or pronoun leading to greater identity confusion not clarity.  In the end it leads to more dysphoria and the god of self and not the true God of happiness.  True identity remains in God as he created us to be.  Without Christ life spirals as lost sheep without the true Shepherd apart from God. 

There is a group that reflects perhaps the majority of God believers who choose their own way.  They may or may not associate with any religion but hold to the belief that after God created us, he left us to live by our will, do the best we can and that is enough to get to heaven.  For example, in the U.S. there is roughly 60 million people who identify as Catholic but only 30% attend church (Pew Research Center and Gallup New).  This leaves 70% who live by their own dogma and not what the church teaches.  Among this group you will hear the cry out to God “Why God?  Where are you when I need you?”  The real question should be “where have I been when God has been calling on me?”  God on the sidelines is not the way to heaven. 

Finally, those who seek the will of God recognize that God has left us his Word, his Church and this is his way for us to abide in him.  If we abide in him, we are filled with grace and that is power.  The gospel is a reminder that Jesus is the chosen one, the Son of God and baptism is the path to beginning a life of holiness with the gift of the Holy Spirit as it descended on Jesus it also comes to us through the same water of baptism.  As St. Paul says “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”.  This grace is lived out daily, fed by the Eucharist and the Spirit so that our experience is of the real presence of Christ in us.  Death is eminent and often carries with it much suffering but even suffering can be redemptive united to the cross of Jesus.  Jesus has conquered death in his resurrection that we may believe and pass through the final door to freedom. 

Where are we in our journey of faith?  It is a question that does not get answered by saying “I am attached or unattached to the Lord” It is not enough to say “I believe” but to reflect on how do we live our commitment to our faith.  It also is not a straight path but one where we rise and fall sometimes daily, God sees our struggles and our true desire to serve and be his child.  God is ready to provide what is lacking in us when we seek and search his will.  It is also comforting for all than even when we believe we may often act as unattached believers but God remains faithful, that is ready to respond to our desire to return to his grace.  We should always pray, “I believe and I trust in you Lord, help my unbelief and lack of trust to do your will and give me your blessing”. 

“Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.”  Readiness to do the Lord’s will takes preparation of mind, heart and will.  If we desire it then let us dedicate our time accordingly, begin each day in prayer making it an offering to the Lord.  Go forth with love in search of goodness, beauty, truth, and unity and you will find God.  End each day in thanksgiving and gratitude for the seen and unseen where his hand led you with an examination of conscience and a humble act of contrition.  Then we will wake in readiness to love and to serve the will of God. 

Tags
Shared this
Views

303 views


The Deacon

Accompanied by ..
Copyright by TagleStar 2016
Powered by TagleStar Website Development

bg-image

Homily

The Epiphany of the Lord

Posted on by Deacon Joe

The Epiphany of the Lord is the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi.  This is the mystery that St. Paul says was made known to him by revelation that the Gentiles are “coheirs, members of the same body” in the promise of Christ Jesus revealed in the gospel.  The Magi are not Israelites but Gentiles, the Greek work “magos” represent a priestly caste of possibly astrologers from the “East” perhaps Persia or Babylonia.  This fulfills a prophesy about a star and a scepter that is to rise from Israel spoken in the book of Numbers 24:17 by Balaam.  

The scepter is the sign of the Messiah for all nations, not just for Israel and “every nation on earth will adore you”.  The scepter is ornamented staff carried by rulers as a symbol of sovereignty.  The Lord is sovereign over the world.  This is the revelation that Jesus came to bring salvation for all that we may all be one and his reign will last forever. 

Still today we are a divided people.  There is racism, antisemitism, division among nations as to who is the greatest.  The greatest shall be the least, the poor, the hungry, the suffering.  There is a tradition to treat the Magi as “kings” but the bible does not call them kings.  The Magi more appropriately are learned or wise men.  In the same way we are called to be wise not simply in the ways of the world but in the ways of God that we may all be saved. 

Who then will be saved?  Salvation is through baptism and yet many have not received the gospel or been baptized.  Where does that leave perhaps the majority of people.  Baptism is through water but there are also a baptism of martyrdom and a baptism of desire.  Consider all the babies who have been aborted having never had the opportunity to be born and are martyrs for heaven.  There is also the baptism of desire meaning there are many to who the gospel was not revealed but they would have openly embraced it had someone evangelized them. 

We often think of people in third world countries who have never heard the gospel but even here among us there are so many who have grown with no religious teaching, agnostic at heart and yet with a heart of gold.  We are bound by God’s law but God is not bound and his judgements are righteous.   God is the one judge of the mind, heart and will of each of us. 

We make New Year’s resolutions as to how to improve ourselves but what are we doing to improve our relationship with God.  The Magi studied the stars but we are given the one guiding star of heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ and he gave us his Word to reflect on, his Church to sanctify us in the sacraments, and his spirit of truth that we may know the truth and set us free. 

The Magi brought the of gold symbolizing the kingship of Jesus our one true king.  Frankincense symbolized our high priest and his divinity as the incense is a sign of our prayers rising to heaven.   Myrrh was used in healing as a sign of purification and at death symbolizing the passion and sacrifice of Jesus.  Together they prophesy Jesus’s identity as king in the gold, God in the frankincense, and as Savior in the myrrh. 

By the time the Magi had arrived in Bethlehem Jesus, Mary and Joseph were now in a house no longer at the place of his birth.  Some time had passed but the guiding star led them to this place.  Some question if the “star” is more of a myth than a reality.  There is a documentary that tells how it is possible for a star to move in such as way that it creates a circular reflection appearing even brighter than it is as if it had come to a standstill position.  This miracle of the star for the Gentile magi was not faith in action but the work of the spirit and science coming together as an epiphany, a revelation to them and us of a greater truth, a savior is born and not only a savior, but God himself is with us. 

Tags
Shared this
Views

271 views


The Deacon

Accompanied by ..
Copyright by TagleStar 2016
Powered by TagleStar Website Development

bg-image

Homily

Solemnity of Mary – Holy Mother of God

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Num. 6:22-27; Ps. 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Gal. 4:4-7; Lk.2:16-21

Mary, mother of Jesus, mother of God!  Many from other Christian denominations question how the Catholic church can call Mary the mother of God.  Mary is the creature and God the creator, Mary is born in time and God is eternal and yet this is what we say of Mary, mother of God.  Jesus tells us in John 14:9 “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” and in John 10:30 makes clear “I and the Father are One” that is in essence and in nature.  This makes Mary the Mother of God through the Son.  This does not mean Mary created the universe and yet she is honored as Queen of the Universe.  God has given Mary a special place of honor in the kingdom of God. 

Today is a day in which we honor Mary for having said “yes” to the Lord, accepting the will of the Father to carry out her divine purpose in bringing the Son of God into the world.  She is called “full of grace” for she carries the divine light without sin. In doing so she becomes also the mother of the Church and our mother as children of God. Mary’s role is intercessor for her people since the beginning when we see at the wedding of Cana telling the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn. 2:5).    

You may have heard the church is trying to avoid confusion by not referring to Mary as co-redemptrix because Jesus is the one redeemer of our sins.  If you hear this title being used the intent is not to elevate Mary to be equal to Jesus but to see her in support and still being a part not only of redemption history but in her intercessory role for us, not equal in a co-equal role, not greater as the Mother of God, but as the handmaid of the Lord.  Correct language is vital to good theology but also clear interpretation of language.

Mary is the blessed one who the Lord keeps from sin from the day of her birth through her earthly life.  His face shines upon Mary that she may reflect his light and his peace.  Mary’s apparitions always come with a bright light from heaven.  She also reflects her humility and peace bring us her message of hope.  She is and was a servant of God in both her earthly state and in her divine state.  The Church honors her today fulfilling the cry of Elizabeth when Mary came to visit her “Most blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb”.  As a mother she too brings us Jesus her son to change the heart of his people. 

The blessing of God is what we seek not only as followers but as children of God.  When we make the sign of the cross, when we take holy water upon our forehead, when we are being blessed by the priest, we seek the blessing to keep us from sin, to keep us on the Lord’s path, to grow in the ways of the Lord.  The blessing of God is what gives us the hunger for God to call out to him as our Father, “Abba, Father”.  The Lord shines his face upon us when we come to give thanks at the altar and to receive him in the Eucharist. 

As Mary gives birth to Jesus in the incarnation, we as children of God are called to spiritually give birth to Jesus in our hearts.  We are to be the temple of the Lord that we may say “as I live the Lord lives in me”.  If the Lord lives in me, what am I doing with my life to nurture the spirit of God within that we too may give life to others?  Mary gives birth to the incarnation of Jesus and we are to give life to the incarnation of Jesus in our own being.  She is the model of surrender to Jesus we are to follow.  In this way we may live in his image responding to the Father’s will. 

This is a new year many will make a new year’s resolution.  The type of resolution we make is generally how to improve something about ourselves, the better ways to take care of our mind or body. What we also discover is any resolution requires active intent to work at it.  It is the “how to” plan to get there.  If it was an easy process, it would not need special attention.  We desire it but we don’t desire to work at it, to overcome how trying an effort it involves.   The best results require our best effort. 

What is Jesus’ resolution and prayer for us each and every day?  Jesus’ prayer is that we may all be one.  Jesus is calling us to improve our relationship with him, within our family, and with our neighbor.  For Jesus it is all about relationship, the Trinity, his coming as human and divine, his calling his people to be united as a church, as a family and with our neighbors.  Jesus is in relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is calling us to improve our relationships that we may all be one.    

Tags
Shared this
Views

279 views


The Deacon

Accompanied by ..
Copyright by TagleStar 2016
Powered by TagleStar Website Development

bg-image

Homily

Feast of the Holy Family – Jesus, Mary Joseph

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Sir. 3:2-6, 12-14; Ps. 128:1-5; Col. 3:12-21; Mt.2:13-15, 19-23

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph” is in itself a prayer to the Holy Family for our family.  The Holy Family is an image of the unity of the Trinity in heaven.  Just as we pray in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as one to hear our prayer we can also call upon the Holy Family to come to our families in that same spirit of love, obedience, and healing.  Do our families need healing?  The holidays often reveal how separated, broken, or in need of healing is the family.  The holidays call us to put aside the issues we have avoided, to reach out in an act of love, and to bring the spirit of peace and good will in reconciliation.  Jesus, Mary and Joseph teach us to walk in his ways. 

Let us begin with Joseph who is spoken about but never speaks himself in the scriptures.  Do we have holy dreams or are our dreams a battle that is carried over from our day into the night dream.  The angel comes to Joseph because he is the chosen one who is a righteous man, a man with fear of the Lord who lives his faith through his hard work and prayer.  Prayer opens Joseph up to receive the message of the angel and respond with obedience.  Men are taught to work hard, provide for the family, but do we know how to pray, how to lead our family in prayer?  Prayer should direct our workday to walk in the way of the Lord. 

Mary is the handmaid of the Lord called to be the Mother of God the Son.  She too is God’s chosen one, a gentle woman at heart but filled with the strength to a bear the Son of God and allow Joseph to lead her by trusting that God will lead Joseph in the right path.  Women do you trust God with leading your husbands or have you taken over that role because mother knows best.  The bond of perfect is not who is in control but whose love rises above the conflict to give witness that his chosen ones allow God to be in control. 

Jesus, the incarnation born of a woman, human and divine is the great witness to true humility in obedience to the Father.  Jesus always found time to be alone in prayer to the Father and to accept the will of the Father.  The true God was obedient to his human parents even as he was their God, what humility.  We give a lot of attention to teach our children to be proud, to believe in themselves with words like “anyone can grow up to be President”.  How much attention to we give to teach them true humility and the obedience to truth.  The source of freedom does not come from pride but from humility to place everything in right order.  There is a God and we are not “it”. 

The authority given to parents is not for control of their children but as their first teachers.  Teach them in the way they are to grow, and they will not depart from it.  If we only command their obedience, then as soon as they are free to leave, we will see them depart and send us a season’s greeting card with maybe a picture if they have time.  Jesus, Mary and Joseph were attentive to each other’s needs.  Jesus listened to his mother when they ran out of wine at the wedding feast and did a miracle for her.  When we pray to Mary and Joseph, they can also intercede for us with Jesus to answer that prayer we need in our lives. 

God calls us to be a holy family and gave us the witness of Jesus, Joseph and Mary to follow.  The family is the domestic church at home.  This means that prayer should also be a key element of our family tradition.  As Father Patrick Payten, the Irish born priest in America who lived until 1992 said, “The family that prays together stays together.”  He was also known as the “rosary priest” for his promotion of the rosary prayer.  Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us. 

Tags
Shared this
Views

474 views


The Deacon

Accompanied by ..
Copyright by TagleStar 2016
Powered by TagleStar Website Development

bg-image

Homily

Fourth Sunday of Advent – Let Him enter!

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 7:10-14; Ps. 24:1-6; Rom. 1:1-7; Mt.1:18-24

Let Him enter!  He is the Lord, the king of glory.  Advent is his coming, his desire to enter into our hearts and to remain within us.  This prophesy by Isaiah foretold of the incarnation of the Lord “the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son”, the son of God and the son of humanity.     Emmanuel, the name that means “God with us” is his coming, let him enter. 

Jesus brings us his kingship and stands at the door knocking.  The Posadas reenact that night when Joseph and Mary are seeking a place to stay but they are turned away from the Inn.  It is a reminder of how often Jesus may be knocking at the door of our hearts and is turned away because we lack faith, we are set in our ways, or we fail to see Him in others.  Let him enter this day to deliver a blessing. 

The gospel of Mathew lays down the sequence of events to confirm first the virginity of Mary “before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit”.  In the same way we bring a child to the waters of baptism to be reborn by the gift of the Holy Spirit to let Him enter into our soul and remain with us.  This Jesus, this incarnation is transformative to be bone of our bones and flesh of our flesh.  There is one thing however that prevents him from acting in our lives and that is our free will.  We have to call upon him, invite him to act within our soul and be our light. 

Then there is the issue of Joseph who has been “out of the loop” so to speak.  Joseph is a man of God, a “righteous man” and he does not want to create a scandal that could have Mary stoned to death so he will “divorce her quietly”.  A godly man desires what is good and right and God sends his angel to reveal to him a truth and what he is to do.  How is Joseph to believe this dream that is beyond human reality?  She is pregnant through the Holy Spirit Joseph, “Oh, ok got it!”  Incarnation, right!  Not so easy to believe even to this day for many.  The power of the angel who spoke to Joseph must have shaken him up in his boots or sandals.  It was the fear of the Lord that brings about the “obedience of faith”. 

Today the fear of the Lord seems to be lost.  We become our own gods and make God to be in our own image instead of allowing him to make of us into his image.    Is it any wonder why prayers seem unanswered if in the sanctuary of our soul he remains up on the “shelf” and we want to dust him off just to remind us that he is still there.  Joseph responded with fear of the Lord, “Joseph, son of David”; “yes lord, I believe”.  Do we believe?

We believe in Jesus, God with us in the incarnation, the Son of God.  We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit.  What is the sign that we believe?  It is the “obedience of faith”.  The one who is obedient to the faith is a believer.  The deceiver is the evil one who wants to convince us to just say “I believe” and live your own life.  To say “yes, Lord” is to know God comes calling us to obedience, to act in faith, to let him enter into our soul to do his work in us. 

Having visited the Holy Land and knelt at the site where Jesus was born you feel like you have entered into a cave, small, cold and dark.  It is like being in the womb of the world waiting for darkness to pass and the light to arrive.  Jesus comes to bring light into the darkness of our soul, free us from our sin, and give us a new birth in himself. 

The Lord tells Ahaz to ask for a sign?  There are those moments in life when we need a sign from God and we pray that he will reveal to us an answer.  The answer is delivered in a manger this Christmas.  Look to the infant Jesus who comes with all the answers and the one answer we need to hear.  This is the gift of himself to us and in him is our answer.   

Tags
Shared this
Views

270 views


The Deacon

Accompanied by ..
Copyright by TagleStar 2016
Powered by TagleStar Website Development

bg-image

Homily

Third Sunday of Advent – The Lord’s messenger

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 35:1-6a, 10; Ps. 146:6-10; Jam. 5:7-10; Mt.11:2-11

The Lord’s messenger sent to prepare the way of the Lord was John the Baptist.  Jesus confirms that what Isaiah proclaimed was fulfilled in John and someone greater now is before them, “the one who is to come”.  The “coming of the Lord is at hand” meaning the answer we seek, the “good news” we need, the end to our suffering it is all before us that at the appropriate time we will receive him who is our answer.  Thus, St. James tells us to “be patient…do not complain” in God’s time the greater good will always return as a blessing to us. 

Jesus has come and yet sadly the world continues to look for another who they can follow.  They seek the “other” in the world of politics, a political hero, or in science in a miracle worker, or in technology with Artificial Intelligence.  They may even seek the “other” within themselves trying to reinvent someone different that what God created of them.  God however always sends us someone to prepare the way for his coming to prepare our hearts to receive him, the Lord’s messenger is among us. 

The Lord’s messenger comes in many ways from the stranger who walks up to us asking for help, to the child who questions “why”, to the person we made vows to in marriage “till death do us part”.  The Lord’s messengers serve the Lord’s purpose to test us, to have us examine our own conscience, to direct our way to the Lord whether they or we are aware of it or not.  Yes, we may be acting on our own volition but God can be using us for his greater purpose when we are open to do his will.  We may be that messenger God wants to fulfill a greater purpose that just living our lives. 

I wonder how often we fail to recognize the Lord’s messenger and delay receiving the answer we seek to our prayer.  Instead of following along the “way of the Lord” we create our own path in the desert of our pain and suffering and delay the promise land to come into our life.  St. James says “be patient” but patience is a virtue we don’t enjoy.  It requires trust in God, trust in others, and faith. 

We must have faith in what purpose God has in our lives, in our circumstances, in our blessings and in our struggles.  Patience to wait and see how the process works out in God’s hands.  Does this mean we do nothing but wait?  Not at all!  The Holy Spirit will come to guide us giving us the spirit of truth, wisdom, understanding and right judgment.  The Spirit comes to confirm in our minds and hearts God’s direction in our lives and this gives us peace because we see God has now come and is in our life.  Praise be to God!

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” and we rejoice in the Lord.  The Lord desires us to be the messenger of glad tidings to others, an instrument in God’s hands to be part of the solution to a world that continues to look in the wrong direction for the answer.  The world seeks another to crown as their savior but the true savior comes in a cradle this Christmas to remind us his coming started over 2000 years ago and now his coming is waiting on us to receive him, the one true God. 

Tags
Shared this
Views

340 views


The Deacon

Accompanied by ..
Copyright by TagleStar 2016
Powered by TagleStar Website Development

bg-image

Homily

Second Sunday of Advent – Prepare the way

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 11:1-10; Ps. 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Rom. 15:4-9; Mt.3:1-12

Prepare the way of the Lord!  Jesus is the way!  Jesus is the shoot foreseen by Isaiah coming with a spirit filled with wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord.  He is the just judge who sees not only the action but the heart of intent what lies within a person.  He guards the faithful even as we dwell among the lions and the serpents of the world, no harm will come upon us.  The Lord is faithful to the faithful who remain in him but too often we wander off in our own direction and risk the consequence of the darkness of this world. 

Why do bad things happen to good people is often asked.  Good people also forget who they are called to love and to serve.  Good people live their free will picking and choosing what commandments they abide by, what virtues they care more for and which they don’t believe in.  Good people will love some and reject others.  God people will accept part of the authority of the church and its teaching yet easily reject what is inconvenient or considered burdensome.  Each time we turn away from God’s commands we step into the deep pit of destruction. 

St. Paul in his letter to the Romans is reminding us that we are to be in harmony with one voice.  One voice stands united in the same faith, living by the same teaching, “welcoming one another” in Christ, one church, one truth, one God.  Anything else is from the evil one.  This is how we prepare the way of the Lord.  This is the greatest testimony we can give.  How are we preparing the way of the Lord in our lives this Advent.  John the Baptist gives us a simple formula to follow.  It begins with an act that produces “good fruit” with the intent that it serves the will of God.  Very simple and direct, whatever we do, do it as an act of love for God and it will give life to the soul and also purify it.  The Lord who sees all will always respond with his love and grace. 

John the Baptist reminded the Pharisees that they were not justified by the law when they claim “We have Abraham as our father”.  Jesus is coming in search of hearts filled with love of God, love of neighbor, love for his church, love for the kingdom within that he desires to build and prepare for heaven.  Advent is a time to prepare the way for his greater coming into our lives, by one act of love at a time. 

Tags
Shared this
Views

205 views


The Deacon

Accompanied by ..
Copyright by TagleStar 2016
Powered by TagleStar Website Development

bg-image

Homily

First Sunday of Advent – Armor of light

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 2:1-5; Ps. 122:1-9; Rom. 13:11-14; Mt.24:37-44

Christ the king is the armor of light as we end one liturgical year and begin a new season of Advent. In Jesus Christ we wear a shield of justice and love.  This is how to begin our day, our season of Advent, the new liturgical year with Jesus as the armor to shield us from every evil, every temptation and lead us from darkness to light.  Jesus separates the light from the darkness that lies in the heart and mind of a soul who waits for his coming.  Advent is the season of anticipation even as we end one liturgical year with the celebration of Christ the King we begin a new year with anticipation of his continued coming into our lives, more of Jesus. 

Advent is in anticipation of the Incarnation of Jesus, his body, blood, soul, and divinity not just in the world but to welcome him as “bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh”.  The birth of Jesus in us began with our baptism that there be more of Jesus and less of us, more of the light of truth and less of the lies of the world. 

The kingdom we anticipate is already growing from within our soul and Advent is a realization that if Christ is with us and in us who can be against us.  The highest mountain of the Lord for us to climb is from within to govern our mind with the truth of God, to align our emotions with the love of God, and to turn our will to the will of God. Let the birth of Jesus in us become the man and woman God created us to be in him. 

The darkness of the world comes with the temptation of immediate gratification, the pleasure principle.  The pleasure of the moment without concern for the consequence to come.  St. John Vianney is quoted to say, “It is definite that only a few chosen ones do not go to Purgatory and the sufferings there that one must endure exceed our imagination.”  Let that sink in for a while.  Why would he believe this?  The soul, that is the mind, emotions and will are weak and we focus our energy not on spiritual growth but on material growth.  When we focus on self we take God for granted. 

Many years ago, while I was in college a young Catholic girl said to me that she knew she was sinning by having intimacy with her boyfriend but as long as she went to confession before she died, she would go to heaven.  This is taking the mercy of God for granted.  She forgot that nothing imperfect can enter heaven and Purgatory is where we go to be purified of our imperfections.  The lie we live by is to say to ourselves “I’m good” meaning I’m good in my eyes but have we even considered how we look in the eyes of God. 

To “stay awake” is to make an examination of conscience preferably before we act that afterwards.  What is my motive?  What is the greater good?  What would Jesus do?  When were growing up we are taught to ask ourselves “what is mom or dad going to say?”  We also have a heavenly mother and father and they have eyes everywhere.  Our salvation has come so are we going to let it pass us by?  Every day someone dies, taken from this world and we remain to fight another day against the force of evil.  Our hour is also coming and we are reminded to be prepared by being at peace with others, with ourselves by living in the peace of God. 

After I retired from my professional career, I had more time to offer the church.  I started to get so many calls to do funerals that I called myself the deacon of the dead.  One of the stories I share in funerals is of a picture of a child pointing her finger out towards the viewer with the caption on top that reads “don’t worry about dying your going to live forever”.  On the bottom of the picture it reads “worry about location, location, location”.  Where are we going to live forever?  We are created for eternity and Advent is our reminder to live with the end in mind. 

Why do we begin the season of Advent with a reminder of the end time?  Advent is considered a time to prepare for the coming of the birth of Jesus, Christmas time, party time, gift giving, carols and new beginnings.  The coming of Jesus is to bring an end to the world as we know it, a sinful world and a new beginning of salvation history.  We are to put on the armor of light and have nothing to fear.   Just remember, “Ain’t no party like a Catholic party cause a Catholic party don’t end” (chorus), it reaches to heaven and all eternity. 

Tags
Shared this
Views

298 views


The Deacon

Accompanied by ..
Copyright by TagleStar 2016
Powered by TagleStar Website Development