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Homily

Second Sunday of Lent – “Listen to him”

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Gen. 12:1-4a; Ps. 33:4-5, 18-20, 22; 2 Tim. 1:8b-10; Mt.17:1-9

The voice of God is a command “listen to him” to his beloved Son, Jesus.  The transfiguration of Jesus with Moses and Elijah appearing at his side in conversation is also a sign that “death” is no more than a transition into the eternal.  It is the death of the flesh and with it the death to sin for those who responded to the call to “listen to him” with believing, following, and trusting in the divine will of the Father.  The ashes from Ash Wednesday are a reminder that there is a death to the body “from dust you are and to dust you shall return” but the soul is eternal. 

When the Lord sends Abram away from his homeland with a blessing and a promise, Abram listened to him and was obedient.  It was a renewal from the disobedience and fall that fell upon Adam and Eve.  It was to regain the promise land and make a great nation for God and his people.  Without knowing where he was going, Abram trusted in God to guide him.  How well do we trust in God to lead us according to his ways?  Our life is a journey we can choose to make alone or with God as our guide.  God is our guide when we walk in his ways that have already been revealed to us by Jesus if we listen to him. 

Lent is our time to take a step back and wait upon the Lord to speak to our soul.  We wait through prayer, contemplation, and reflection upon the Word.  We wait through the act of fasting and abstinence as a form of discipline of the flesh as we deny ourselves the simple pleasures in order to experience the taste of our mortality.  Fulton Sheen soon to be beatified is quoted as saying to be a saint we must be in the “now”.  God reveals himself in the moment, in our awareness of his presence in our life in each and every moment that our minds and hearts turn to him, call to him, give thanks to him, praise his name. 

God calls us to a holy life through “his own design” for our life. It is not God who must bend “to our works” but we must listen to him if we seek holiness.  This is the warning when we read in scripture how many came to Jesus claiming to have done many “works” for God yet God does not recognize them.  Why?  Could it be that we created a god in our own image who would agree with us in our vision of truth, goodness and justice yet we never stopped to listen to him. 

We are to seek the will of God in the moment that can transfigure our own life yet it is in the moment when we forget about God and respond with our own strong will.  Human behavior is often a “read and react” to the situation and not give God a moment in which we also listen to him coming to us with how we are to respond to the moment.  God comes to us in the moment as an inspiration through the Holy Spirit that we may give witness to him in imitation of Christ.  This is what it means to put on “the mind of Christ” and be an instrument in his hand. 

Lent is the call for inner transformation, spiritual growth, and union with God that we may be a light to the world.  Jesus comes to us in the moment in which we live the gospel.  He will manifest his revelation as we receive the grace to go forth and trust in God.  The soul is filled with hope that is not blind or naïve but grounded in the path that is revealed to us because we trusted in him.  The psalm reminds us “our soul waits for the LORD” and he will not delay.  He comes at the appointed moment with his love and mercy when we place our trust in him. 

Just like Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them to a high mountain by themselves, God is leading us to a high place this Lent where we can hear his voice and “rise” above our own humanity, where we can taste and see the goodness of the Lord, where our soul can discover our true identity as a child of God and be set free from sin, from doubt, and from fear.  Speak Lord, your servant is listening. 

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Homily

First Sunday of Lent – “Get away, Satan!”

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Gen. 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Ps. 51:3-6, 12-13, 17, 4-5, 17; Rom. 5:12-19; Mt.4:1-11

“Get away, Satan!”  Jesus was tempted by the devil but for each temptation he had the power of the Word to rebuke Satan.  Adam and Eve were tempted by the devil but they lacked the power of the Word called only to obedience and they failed.  The journey of faith is one that begins with a call to obedience, but we are given also the power of the Word to have not only an informed conscience but the truth from God himself.  It is not my truth but God’s truth.  The Word is wisdom and life, bread for the journey and power to rebuke Satan.

We live by the Word and the Word will set us free.  Satan comes to test us, as he did Adam and Eve, as he did Job and every other figure in salvation history.  He is the fallen angel who prowls about the world seeking the ruin of souls.  He has no power except to deceive and play the role of spoiler and betrayer.  His mode of action is to influence others to act as instruments of his cunning strategy.  We see it when Jesus tells Peter “Get away from me, Satan!”  Peter thought he was acting for the good of Jesus.  We see it in Judas betrayal as Judas is tempted not only by money but by his own pride.  Satan is the classic puppeteer, pulling on the strings of our hearts and minds to direct our actions to sin.  “Get away, Satan” you chose your hell, I choose God. 

We often hear of the decline in the priesthood but we never hear of the decline in priests who are willing to serve as exorcists.  We also don’t hear of the increase in calls seeking help in fear of being under the possession of the evil one.  The whole subject is treated as a historical topic we read about in the Bible with some even treating it as a mythology, a misunderstood way of explaining what was a natural human condition of disease in a person who Jesus healed.  If we read carefully however, Jesus often called out Satan before he performed his healing. 

The good news is that through our baptism we have the power to rebuke Satan.  It happens through the name of Jesus, when we receive our sacraments, when we bless ourselves with Holy Water, when we call upon the saints and the angels in the battle, when we say our prayers, and when we confess our sins and receive forgiveness it is a rebuke of Satan.  When was the last time we prayed, “Get away from me, Satan?”  It is the prayer that calls him out from behind the vail of the evil in this world. 

Satan wants to be glorified as a god.  We see him tempting Jesus to worship him and Jesus responds with the living word “The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”  If in doubt of the presence of Satan there is also the acclamation that the Satan cannot stand.  It is, “Jesus is Lord!”  The next time you sense someone is doing the “devil’s work”, it would probably not be well received to say “Get away, Satan” but what can be said is, “Jesus, is Lord”.  The power of the Spirit will come to our defense and send the devil on his way.  We may then be able to have an honest dialogue calling on the Word of God. 

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Homily The Deacon Joe

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time – If you choose

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Sir. 15:15-20; Ps. 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34; 1 Cor. 2:6-10; Mt.5:17-37

“If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you”.  It is not complicated for God but humanity finds a way to make it complicated.  God keeps it simple either life or death, good or evil, the wisdom of truth versus the illusion of relativity.  Humanity lives in a messy world where right and wrong are determined by the individual conscience that chooses their own truth, defines its own good and evil.  God says “whichever he chooses shall be given to him”.  The message from God is clear If we choose to follow our conscience apart from God’s word and commandments then we will receive the consequences of that choice.  If we obey his word and commandments then we will be saved. 

God is clear “to none does he give license to sin”.  Sin is an act of the will, we own it and God is the just judge of our sin.  God is also our redeemer who offers us a way back to the kingdom by way of his mercy in confession.  He provides the means of reconciliation through the sacramental life of the Church.  It is not only a means of forgiveness but a channel of grace from where we gain wisdom and strength to overcome sin and darkness. 

“Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.”  What is this law and how are we to receive it?  It comes to us in the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the Eucharist, that is the Mass.  The liturgy of the Word is the wisdom of God revealed through the Spirit in the form of commandments if you choose to follow or not.  The liturgy of the Eucharist is the act of love that binds us in the one truth, goodness, beauty and unity of the Trinity as an act of worship.   The head and the heart must be one.

The Mass is the “summit” of God’s revelation in which we are called to give public witness to our faith.  To this we are called “if you choose” God’s plan of salvation and if not, it is considered “sin” when we knowingly reject his way.  To those who say, “that is not my God” the Church says, “you lack the fullness of truth.” This is a simple truth to all who claim to hold their own beliefs follow their own conscience, or simply ignore the revealed truth from God, “believe it or not!” 

“Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!”  God’s command is always clear and concise.  Humanity always raises a question “well what about?”  It sort of reminds me of the often quoted saying appearing in various form, “rule #1 God is always right, rule #2 if you believe God is wrong go back to rule #1”.  The history of salvation has many examples where humanity makes the choice of doing an evil and God uses it to deliver his people for a greater good and it can even transform the hearts of the evil doers by the testimony of his chosen ones.  The evil one has been defeated but he still is fighting for the souls of those he can fool.

The psalm is clear we need we need to be obedient to the “decrees, precepts, and statutes” but it also recognizes that we need instruction and discernment in observing the law in order to have an informed conscience.  Here lies the issue with our current society.  It is no longer open to public discourse.  Any speech that does not agree with current trends is identified a “hate speech”, lacking in compassion, and divisive.  This resistance comes with a force of its own hate, anger and division demanding to silence the voices of debate.  Instead of seeking a bond of love through discourse it rejects its neighbor having already convicted them from the heart.  From the hand that you choose to deal you also receive. 

In the time of Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees had taken God’s commandments and through the centuries come up with additional laws and rules in how those commandments were to be practiced.  Jesus comes to set the record straight, that is “not to abolish but to fulfill” in a greater way the intent, purpose and truth behind the law.  Jesus is seeking more than a people who follow the law based on behavior, he desires a law that is incarnated into the heart and spirit of the people. 

The “righteousness” of the scribes and Pharisees had taken the law and created all the technicalities required to be in obedience to the law to the point that the true meaning of the law was undermined.  As Catholics we often hear reference to Canon Law of the Church.  It is the ‘big book” that set the standards of practice for the Church and it stands side by side with the “Big Book” of the Bible but Canon Law is at the service of the Word of God and pastoral judgment is required to act prudently in the Spirit of the Word of God which Canon Law serves to support and defend.  Otherwise, we risk becoming like the scribes and Pharisees arguing the law and failing the Spirit.  Canon law gets revised, but Scripture stands forever. The scribes and Pharisees hid behind following the rules they had themselves created but had fallen away from the truth of God’s love and mercy. 

The gospel warns us of the “wisdom of this age” and those who rule over us.  Rulers make laws and decrees, but the scripture teaches us they “pass away” and so do many of their laws but God’s law stands forever.  We cannot come to God with the defense of following the accepted teachings and norms of the world when we have already received his Word.  God’s wisdom has a hidden mystery reminding us that we can choose to save our life our way or we can follow and trust in his plan of salvation.  God has already given us his revelation, choose wisely. 

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Homily

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Light of life

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 58:7-10; Ps. 112:4-9; 1 Cor. 2:1-5; Mt.5:13-16

We are called from darkness to light, from evil to good, from sin to holiness. Having visited Assisi in France you discover from the top of the monastery as you drive up you see the surrounding villages below. The monastery is cold and dark with solid walls of stone. Once when standing above looking below at the village Saint Francis commented that he wanted to be down in the light where the people lived. We can all create our dark walls seeking comfort and safety, but it takes courage to shine the light of our soul with a heart of love for others.

The light of life shines through the action of love.  Peter was asked three times by Jesus “Do you love me?” Each time he commanded him to demonstrate his love by the act of tending to his sheep.  The light of life rests on the act of love for the other.  Confirmation of a Catholic is the command to shine the light of life we have received on the face of Jesus as he comes to us in the other before us. 

Isaiah also reveals to us the law of reciprocity where it is in giving that we receive not by our standards but by God’s great love for his servant.  When we become a light of life to the world by our love of other “then” we receive the gift of healing, vindication, he hears our cry for help and “the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard”.  What a consoling prayer to know how much more the Lord does for his own than we can ever give of ourselves.  We cannot outgive the source of all life who we call our God. 

St. Paul teaches us that if we want to be good evangelizers it does not begin with “persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of Spirit and power”.  As baptized Christians we have received the gift of the Spirit and through this gift comes the power to act for the good of the other in a spirit of love and generosity.  There is no small act of love and generosity that does not receive its just reward from God who is witness to what is in our hearts and in our actions.  This is how we are to give the light of life that we have received from God.  Persuasive words can “close the deal” in confirming our faith but it is the acts of love and generosity that open up the heart and bind us in the trinity of God, self and other. 

The gospel raises what some may say is a contradiction.  It says “your light must shine before others that they may see your good deeds” while scripture also says in Mathew 6:3 “when you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” indicating the importance of not drawing attention to yourself.  The argument is then that if no one knows except God how can others “see your good deeds and give glory to God”.  The key here is that the good that we do in secrecy we will not know how far it reaches in the lives of others just as the light of a lamp spreads its light to distant corners beyond its surrounding space.  The ones who lay in the darkness of those corners can see the light even when we do not see them in the darkness.   

There is a question that is often posed as individuals approach the age of retirement.  When is the right time to retire?  Some finds themselves retiring early only to discover they cannot adjust, become melancholic, experience a darkness and must return to the workforce.  Those that do retire and “thrive” have not lost their sense of purpose not by what they do but by who they are.  They are a servant of the Lord for God is not done calling on them.  The light of life continues to shine by the giving of themselves that in return through the law of reciprocity gives them life and purpose. 

Can we “retire” from the “work” of God’s calling?  To retire by origin of the word is “to withdraw” and who wants to withdraw from the light of life coming from God.  Even in death our work is not done as Padre Pio would say he hoped to do much more after his death in serving God than he could in this life.  God’s work is never done.  To choose to retire from the light is to find ourselves in the darkness of the evil one.  This is not a promotion for “workaholics” who neglect other goods in a life out of balance.  God’s temperance is our guiding force to know our limits as we trust in God. 

The light of life is a life driven by purpose in which we discover God is at the helm and we are blessed to shine the light of his love from the bow of the ship.  We go forth trusting in God with the guidance of the Holy Spirit ready to respond when Jesus comes calling.  This is the life of discipleship which we are all called by our baptism.  When do we retire that is to withdraw from the light of life? Never, for all eternity.

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.    

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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. 

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