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Homily

First Sunday of Advent – Be watchful! Be alert!

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Is. 63:16B-19B; 64: 2-7; Ps. 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; 1 Cor. 1:3-9; Mk. 13:33-37

Be watchful!  Be alert! We begin our first Sunday of Advent with this reminder from the Lord.  We are watchful for his coming not just into the world but in our lives.  Advent is a season of longing for the Lord, for something greater to come into our lives.  It is the power of his love manifested in each and every way in which we turn and give him glory, in an answered prayer, in the beauty of his graces, and in the unity of souls.  Also, be alert to the signs of our times, to the dangers of the deceiver and be ready to recognize the Lord’s coming and to the fulfillment of his promises. 

The first reading asks the question “Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways?”  It is the same sentiment we ask the Lord when we see so much evil in the world and wonder why the Lord permits this to be.  It seems that the culture of death continues to grow, polls say that less people attend church, and people identify more as spiritual in their own thinking than religious in worship of God.  We say things are getting worse than better in this world.  In the spirit of Advent, it is a way of longing for the Lord to come and put an end to evil and sin.  The patience of the Lord is for the conversion of sinners while there is still time. 

The Lord longs for our love but true love is a free gift of oneself from our freedom.  The Lord created us with the freedom of our will to give of ourselves in love.  It is reflected in the sacramental life when we give of ourselves in marriage, when a man gives himself up to be a priest, when a woman chooses to enter religious life and when we bring a child to the waters of baptism to become a child of God.  We not only give of ourselves in love but when we wander away in our own selfish desires it is the love that is missing in our lives that brings us back to God. 

When a child wanders away from the values and upbringing that they were raised by, a parent soon realizes there comes a point where there is nothing they can say or do to change the mind of the child.  They can only pray that they will return home to the values and practices of their faith in God.  A parent waits patiently and prays to God and God waits patiently and sends his messengers calling the child to come back to the faith by their own free will.  True love is a free gift from God that we can only give back to him in our freedom. 

To be watchful and alert is to mindfully be taking care of the Lord’s work that he “might meet us doing right”. We are to mindfully allow God to mold us in his own image as clay in the potter’s hands.  We pray to the Lord to “make us turn to you” because we recognize the weakness of our own flesh resistant in doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.  Yet the Lord relies on the freedom of our own will so we pray for transformation of our will by his Spirit that we may not be “lacking in any spiritual gift”.  The Lord promises to reveal himself to us when we come to him searching, wanting, and in faith. 

“Show us Lord, your love; and grant us your salvation.”  Like a child, clings to his mother, we are to cling to the Lord.  All too often we recognize that as a society we have become “soft”, no longer believing in sacrifice, frustrated without our conveniences, intolerant to others who don’t think like we do, and calling for “safe spaces” and entitlements.  To sacrifice is not a value we desire.  It does not appeal to the flesh and our will is weak even when we recognize the value of sacrifice.  Work involves a sacrifice, raising children comes with sacrifice, and our faith reminds of the Lord’s sacrifice for us as we look to the crucifix.  With sacrifice comes great reward.  There is the expression, “where there is a will there is a way”.  When the way involves sacrifice, we quit before we ever get going and fail to reach the mountain top. 

This attitude has carried into our church whereby if the Mass time is not convenient, we don’t find a way to still go to church and we give ourselves a pass on Sunday.  God does not give passes to miss Sunday Mass.  Some complain the church is archaic and not progressive enough with the times while others that it is too liberal and needs to return to the “good old days”. 

We want the church to adapt to our views and ways when we have to recognize the church is the bride of Christ guided by the hand of God working through the Spirit in all it’s priesthood.  For every priest who is being obedient to his calling there are over 10,000 opinions who would want to change something within the church.  The church stands on faith and the word of God and we must join in and participate in faith trusting in God.  The Lord has left his servant in charge and his servant is the church.  We can see the face of God in his church and through his church we shall be saved. 

Be watchful!  Be alert to the working of the spirit that we may not be lacking in any spiritual gift as the Lord reveals himself to us this day in his church, in the Eucharist, in his Word and through the faithful and the stranger.  The Lord will show us his love when we cling to him as an infant to his mother and as a child holds onto the hand of his father.    

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Homily The Deacon Joe

First Sunday of Advent – “Therefore, stay awake!”

Posted on by Deacon Joe

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

“Therefore, stay awake!  And so it begins, the first Sunday of Advent, the anticipation of the coming of the Lord, and our preparation for his coming.  So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”  Advent is the start of a new year of preparation for the coming of the Lord “For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed”.  Each day of life is one day closer to the end for all of us and if prepared for it then we go rejoicing to enter into the eternal house of the Lord. 

Success in life is no accident but a continuous effort at being prepared for what is next.  We prepare for the next step in a process, the next opportunity to come, and the readiness to respond when it is here.  It only makes sense when we think of being successful in this world why would be different in terms of readiness for the eternal world?  Those who do not remain in their slumber, asleep to the heavenly reality.  The Lords calls us to be ready at any moment, to live each day as if it was the last in our preparation for heaven. 

What does this preparation for heaven involve as a Christian?  The Church is here to prepare us by living the sacramental life.  The Word of God is here to be incarnated into our being calling us to go forth and live the Word.  The Spirit comes with infused virtues to strengthen our resolve and discern the will of God for what is next.  Jesus gives himself up to us in body, blood, soul and divinity to give us his holiness and be holy. 

Therefore, to stay awake is to remain in the Lord even as we prepare for him.  We “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” by living our works of light and no space is given to the darkness of the flesh.  As the militant Church on earth our call is to do the next right thing before the Lord, one righteous act followed by another, one truth to follow another, one act of charity, forgiveness, compassion, and love followed by another.  It is the call to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.  The evil one whispers to us that it cannot be done, reminding us of our past record showing our failure, weakness, and temptations.  We respond with truth, “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us”.  When we put our trust in Jesus Christ and take that first right step towards him, he comes and brings us our salvation. 

Therefore, stay awake and let us allow the peace of Christ to be within us.  Isiah foretold “In the days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain”.  The day has come through and in Jesus and he established the new Jerusalem is his church.  Every day we come to Mass we climb the highest mountain on earth, the pinnacle of salvation at the altar to receive Jesus in the Eucharist and with him his mother, brothers and sisters in the holy of holies.  Today we climb the mountain of the Lord and “throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” as true warriors of Christ.  The battle is against the principalities of darkness that rise up in the temptation of the flesh.  The battle for the kingdom is within and we must fight the good fight.  Win this battle and we have nothing to fear of this world. 

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Homily

2nd Sunday of Advent

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Bar. 5: 1-9; Ps. 126: 1-6; Phil. 1: 4-6, 8-11; Lk. 3: 1-6

Advent is a celebration of the great things the Lord has done for us and joyful anticipation of the “splendor of glory from God” to come.  How are we to prepare the way for the Lord?  The answer lies in the truth, goodness, beauty of love with the courage to take the first step in trusting God. 

Consider the dance of courtship for a couple.  In the first encounter of attraction the eyes look away in fear of giving away the attraction itself hoping the other has the courage to look at us.  Christ is the other whose eyes of love gaze on us first inviting us to look closer at him who loved us firsts.  In courtship we hope the other will give a sign first that they desire to seek us in fear of being rejected if we dare to seek first their attention.  Christ is the other inviting us to seek him in response to his love.  The “one who began a good work in you (at baptism) will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” coming.  When do I seek you O’ Lord if only in my trials and sorrows that even then you are ready to respond to my heart? 

In courtship we ponder if the relationship has a future for a lasting commitment and worry it may end in disappointment.  In Jesus “fear not” his love is never ending, the promise of all promises called a covenant for eternal glory is a gift waiting to be opened.  In courtship we desire the greater love that it “may increase ever more and more…pure and blameless.”  Through Jesus Christ come the perfect love and the fruit of righteousness where we grow “in knowledge and every kind of perception to discern what is of value.”  This fruit of righteousness comes from the courage to love first the other.  The foolish turn away from love towards their own misery. 

There was a young woman who left home for college.  She always felt close to her mother but distant from her father.  She desired a greater love from him growing up but feared they would not have that close relationship she longed for.  He was a good father as a provider for the family but he was not very affectionate and not much of a talker.  Most of her emotional needs were provided by her mother but something was missing in her heart, the love of a father. 

Away from home she had time to reflect and God awakened in her knowledge that her father had grown up in a house of all brothers and no girls except for his mother.  Her perception was that maybe he just did not know how to be around females.  She made it a point to change that.  She was going to dare to love first.  The next time she visited for the holiday her dad was sitting on the couch reading the paper.  She went over and sat right next to him, grabbed his arm and asked “what are you reading?”  For a moment he forgot what he was reading surprised by his daughter’s outward expression of affection.  They began to talk first of what was in the newspaper, and then she questioned him on his thoughts and feelings.  She could tell he was uncomfortable and rather rigid but as she persisted he began to relax. 

That vacation she kept loving on him first without fear often by just sitting down next to him and striking a conversation.  By the end of the week he began to seek her attention, her thoughts and feelings.  After she left back to school she would call home and if her dad answered he would go on and on so much she had to ask to speak to her mom.  The days of her calling and him passing the phone to her mother were gone.  Who dares to love first dares to please God.  God will not disappoint. 

The world is filled with souls walking inside their own silos longing for a loving relationship even within their own home.  Suicide rates keep rising, drug use keeps growing, and families continue to separate and divorce feeling abandoned in their misery.  The helplessness of victimhood is the lie of the evil one who desires us to see no purpose in a suffering world.  We can accept the lie and continue to wander in this world or we can reject the lie and begin to believe in the love of God, in the heavenly glory to come with our Blessed Mother and all the angels, saints and our loved ones who have already entered into his kingdom.  We can claim the power of his love for ourselves and dare to love. 

Love prepares the way of the Lord.  Advent is our time to straighten the paths of our relationships.  Those mountains and hills that appear as barriers to God’s love must come down.  The winding road that seems to go in circles repeating the mistakes of the past we can make straight with the power of God’s love.  The rough ways are made smooth with the courage to do the next right thing so God can see our trust in Him.  The first step in trusting God is doing the next right thing so he may reveal himself and we shall see the salvation of the Lord.  The straight and narrow road is the road less traveled.  Dare we be the one to love first? 

This is our time to take off the “robe of mourning and misery” complaining why life is so difficult and our relationships imperfect.  The cloak of justice is to love first.  Trust God for the rest and we will discover the beauty, goodness and truth of his love not only in others but in ourselves.  “The peace of justice” is our name and we bring peace and justice in the Glory of God’s name.  This is the joy that lights our path. 

“You are as young in love as your faith, as old in your doubts as your fear, as young as your self-confidence to trust in God, as old as your despair to fear change, and as young as your hope for the change God desires in your life.”  It is the childlike trust to love always that we offer as our worship. 

“There is a choice you have to make in everything you do.  So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make makes you.”  (unknown author)  Stay young, embrace love and live in the joy of his presence.  He has his eyes on you. 

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Homily

1st Sunday of Advent Year

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Jer. 33: 14-16; Ps. 25: 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 14; 1 Thes. 3:12 – 4:2; Lk. 21: 25-28; 34-36

Parousia, meaning the second coming of Christ to earth will happen swiftly bringing upon us a general judgment.  Wait aren’t we preparing for Christmas, the “Nativity pre-feast” of the birth of Jesus, why are we reading in Luke about the second coming of Jesus to start our Advent?  In the Latin Rite the Advent season covers the joyful remembrance of the Lord’s first coming in His Incarnation and anticipation of the second coming at the end of time.  Many disciples expected Jesus’ second coming in their lifetime however Luke sees a longer period in history to come and it is important to “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life”.  Simply put lets us not get complacent about our faith so concerned with our daily comforts or anxieties we lose sight of the “big picture” our purpose in salvation history. 

St. Paul in Thessalonians has the same concern in prayer for the faithful “to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.  Amen”.    This Parousia covers the period after the birth of Jesus, the destruction of the temple, the period of time between until the full revelation of the kingdom at the second coming marking the end of time.  It is the fullness of time for the New Jerusalem. 

The New Jerusalem is now the city of God not as a land mass but a mass of people of faith in Jesus Christ.  It is marked by Jesus’ death, resurrection and outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  The city of God lies at all corners of the world in the temple of the people who receive the body of Christ in the Eucharist.  This city is now given a new name, “The LORD is our justice”.  It is the personal justice of God we are called to live daily proclaiming our faith as witnesses of holiness when we “increase and abound in love for one another and for all”.  For “one another” is for all believers and “for all” is for those of little or no faith.  Holiness makes no exceptions in love. 

Luke reminds us of Jesus teaching to his disciples that during this time between the first coming and second coming “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on earth nations will be in dismay”.  Every generation seems to live a period of persecution in their lifetime.  From the early church persecution after the destruction of the temple throughout history including all the world wars, to 9/11 and the uprising of Isis we see persecution of the faithful.  Yet we are not to confuse these signs as the second coming but remain “vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” 

Our call is to conduct ourselves to please God at all times.  I was at a conference on mental health and substance misuse and the question posed was “why do youth after experiencing an overdose have no fear in returning to the drug use that almost cost them their life?”  In part the answer was that youth are very resilient and experience no immediate long term consequence from the overdose experience.  I find that to be true of overall humanity.  How often do we know misuse of anything including overindulgence in food is not healthy even if there is some immediate consequence like an upset stomach or indigestion not to mention the excess weight gain?  For some the attitude is “we have to die of something, why not enjoy it?”  Then the permanent symptoms start to manifest like diabetes, hypertension, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and we begin to modify our behavior once we face the long-term damage. 

What about our basic values, are we living according to what we say we value?   We value honesty, integrity, responsibility, a strong work ethic among others yet how do we respond if honesty means admitting our fault, integrity means doing the right thing even if it is going to cost us more, responsibility means no excuses, and a strong work ethic means consistently doing our best regardless of the circumstances?  All of a sudden our actions and reaction finds justification for being less than the best God created us to be.  We lose sight of our call to conduct ourselves to please God at all times. 

Let us look at our moral values, the standard between good and evil.  We value fidelity in our relationships, justice vs. cheating in our negotiations, and giving respect to others regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic status.  From this comes thou shall not commit adultery, steal, and thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.  Commandments come from the basic human struggle between good and evil and the temptation to serve ourselves before others. 

Let us look at our Christian values, the standard God set with his people.  We value marriage vs. “living together”, we value obedience to God by denial of self, and we value a pattern of conduct after Jesus.  Jesus came into the world that we may have his witness to pattern our lives in his image.  There is a book titled,
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis.  In it is a section of being “Eternally Minded”.  Being eternally minded is being Christ to the world. 

Thomas Kempis addresses the struggle between “human nature and grace” which “move in opposite directions unless you are spiritual in inwardly perceptive.”  He draws the contrast as human nature “deceives…always has selfish motives…But grace walks in simplicity and turns away from every appearance of evil.”  “Nature strives for its own advantage…Grace considers…what will benefit many people”. “Nature eagerly accepts honor and reverence.  Grace directs all honor and glory to God.”  “Nature fears shame and contempt.  Grace rejoices in humiliation for the name of Jesus.”  “Nature loves leisure and bodily rest.  Grace cannot be idle and gladly embraces hard work.”  This is our calling to follow the road less traveled of moral excellence. 

Scripture says in 2 Peter 1: 5-8 “Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.  If these are yours and increase in abundance, they will keep you from being idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  These are the graces in the imitation of Christ he is prepared to offer the soul who seeks to remain eternally minded.  These are the building blocks of a house that withstands the storms of life without fear.  This is the city that claims “The Lord is our justice.” 

In the struggle between good and evil there is a simple standard to follow.  It is “Do the next right thing”.  When in doubt do the next right thing.  When we find ourselves anxious about a major decision affecting the future do the next right thing today.  Trust in God and allow him to work for our greater good by doing the next right thing out of love for Him this moment.  It is easy to be deceived when we act with intent to control the outcome regardless of whether it is a right or wrong action.  That is the voice of the evil one.  Listen to the voice of God who is just and holy to guide our conduct in doing the next right thing that matters to him in our lives.  When we live according to our values we receive the joy we seek in Advent.  It is the joy that God is with us now, in his second coming, and eternally. 

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Homily

First Sunday of Advent

Posted on by Deacon Joe

Happy New Year!  The Church celebrates Advent, the beginning of a new year by recognizing at the end of the year Christ the King has come to bring us his kingdom.  The King is with us, he is Emmanuel, God with us.

Advent is the recognition of a second coming at the end of “time”.  Christ is the change agent of our lives who is outside of time so his coming is ever present in the “now” of life.  Jesus comes to make all things new.  When we turn to Christ and claim him as our Lord and savior we receive victory even over death into everlasting life.  Advent is our time, our gift from God to receive him daily and remain in him in the moment and to pray “thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven”.

In today’s times we are conditioned to an automated living, creating routines and going through the motions of life more than being in the moment the best God created us to be.  Automation allows for vehicles to operate in cruise control and it is expected by 2020 to roll out self-driving vehicles with taxis being the first on the road.  The more automated the more time we have to ourselves.  What do we do with our time?  We find ways to be distracted.  Distracted is without attraction.  Without more attraction to God we fill our time without awareness of God in creation, in others, and in our lives.  The God of the present comes and we ask “when did we see you?’  We are distracted by all the noise around us and all the noise in our heads.

Generally people do not like silence, being alone, or being still.  It is one reason we don’t know how to pray well.  Prayer allows for time alone with God in silence and in the quiet and stillness of life to be moved in the spirit of Truth, God’s will for us.  We are to be engaged in the kingdom of God, not in autopilot.  Each day God gives us signs of his presence but we are distracted from him without a navigation system of life in the kingdom.  It is not a kingdom of “good luck” or “lucky stars” for our eyes to gaze on.  The angel at the ascension of Jesus asks “why are you looking up?”  He comes in prayer, in the Word, in the Eucharist, in spirit and in our neighbor.  In the mystery of the Trinity he comes in the Holy Spirit and remains with us through our baptism to grow in holiness.  Where can we go that he is not there?  We are to see with the eyes of faith, with the heart of love, and with a will to serve in his kingdom.  Jesus does not seek followers who are on autopilot along for the ride.  He seeks follower who will carry the cross and believe in its fruits for a greater good.

The kingdom has come in mystery to be fully revealed in faith, hope, and love.  These we call our theological virtues.  To love is to praise and give glory to God in service.  A doxology by definition means “doxa”-glory and “logia”-oral or written expression thus a doxology is an oral or written expression of glory and praise to God.  At the end of my personal prayers I offer a doxology I created for God in the stillness of my heart.  I say:

God IS good and deserving of all my love thus I am good.

I give praise for all he has given me, much has he given me.

Glory to the Holy One who calls me to perfect holiness

I will persevere to the end and bear my cross.

I believe, I trust, I pray, and I go forth.

God IS good, the I AM, thus I am created in his image in goodness.  As we remind our youth God did not create trash, we created the trash of sin in our lives.  We praise Him for all his blessings and gifts of life our very breath to be creative for a greater good.  We give Him glory and seek holiness, a purity of body, soul, and spirit.  To persevere is to carry our cross and offer it to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives.  How many times has suffering not been the cause to bring about new solutions, new medications, inventions, creativity, and/or unity in times of war and death?  We believe and live by our creed, we trust in Him who is love and mercy, we pray for his coming into our lives to know him, love him and serve him and we are called to go forth into the world with courage till the day of his coming.

As we prepare for this holiday season let us remember we want Christmas, “Christ-mas” more of him in our lives.  Happy Advent and a new year of blessings.

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