Homily: 4th Sunday of Advent - Year A

Readings: Is 7:10-14 | Ps 24 | Rom 1:1-7 | Mt 1:18-24

_________________________

With Christmas just around the corner, I find myself thinking of my children and grandchildren, and how they view Christmas as a time of surprises. As a child, I was the same, and it doesn’t take much to carry me back to my own childhood. These days I can hardly remember what I did last week, but recall everything from 70 years ago. 

In my family the surprises began after Mass on the first Sunday of Advent. Mom would hang up advent calendars, and for the next four weeks, each morning we’d get to open one of the little windows and be surprised by what was behind it. I suppose it was a far simpler time; perhaps we were simpler children back then.

We lived in New York, so we prayed for surprise snowfalls. How great it was to wake up to a world transformed by a thick white blanket.

Every year Dad surprised us with a huge Christmas tree, anywhere from 12 to 18 feet high. We had a circular stairway, so we had a place that could handle a large tree. But a tree like that was expensive, so Dad would wait until about a week before Christmas when the dealers would sell it at half price. Every year, just when we thought we’d never get a tree, Dad would arrive with an enormous tree tied to the roof of the Oldsmobile.

Mom decorated the house with all sorts of wonderful things. Many had been in the family for generations. It was always the same, but a surprise, nonetheless.

And I can still remember my surprise when my parents decided I was old enough to attend Midnight Mass. I was probably seven or eight years old, but that first year I fell asleep in the pew during Monsignor Deagan’s Christmas homily.

Of course, there was Christmas morning, and the opening of the presents…and not just our own. We loved watching our parents’ surprise as they opened the remarkably useless gifts we had given them.

Yes, Christmas has always been a time of surprises, and rightly so, because the Incarnation itself was God’s surprise gift to humanity. We see this manifested in the Old Testament in some of the earliest hints, the prophecies, of a Messiah. 

Today's first reading is a perfect example. There we encounter King Ahaz, not one of Judah’s better kings, for he always chose political expediency over faith in God. The prophet Isaiah, more than a little upset with Ahaz, tossed this gem of a prophecy at him and us:

“…the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

Talk about surprises! A virgin bearing a son! What did the people think of that? We don’t know, but we can guess. And that name: Emmanuel! God is with us! What could that mean?

We find out when we turn to our Gospel passage and encounter Matthew’s wonderful narrative, as St. Joseph ponders how to handle this rather inconvenient situation regarding Mary’s pregnancy.

In those days a Jewish marriage consisted of three elements: engagement, betrothal, and marriage. Marital relations were not permitted until marriage. Joseph and Mary were still betrothed, a period that often lasted a year, so Mary’s pregnancy was a problem. If exposed, the punishment for her would be severe. So, Joseph, this “righteous” man, decided to divorce her quietly. 

And that’s when God steps in and sends an angel to explain it all to Joseph and command him:

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Three brief sentences that tell Joseph all he needs to know. And what a surprise that must have been. But it’s a surprise of fulfillment. To ensure we understand that this child, this Son of Mary and the Holy Spirit, is the promised Messiah, Matthew repeats God’s prophecy to Isaiah:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.”

And Joseph?

“He did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.”

Joseph, this Son of David, is called to be like a father to this child of God. As usual, Paul says it best; like all of us, Joseph is:

“...called to be holy…called to belong to Jesus Christ.”

As a righteous man of faith, Joseph obeys. And in doing so epitomizes the words of St. Paul to the Romans: Joseph defines “the obedience of faith.” I think sometimes we forget that our faith calls us to obedience. If you and I claim to believe, but don’t obey God’s Word, then, at best, our faith is shallow and weak and joyless, overshadowed by shame and regret.

Indeed, the joy of Christmas begins with Emmanuel, God’s great surprise to the world: “God is with us.” He becomes one of us. He takes on our humanity. It’s God’s terrible desire to "be with us," to be part of the human condition: God with us in our entirety. With this, He gives our bodies a divine dignity…and that, sisters and brothers, should give us great joy.

Sadly, in today’s world far too many people live joyless lives. As I've discovered in my years of ministry, the most joyless of these are not the poor, but those who are among the most affluent. Having so much, they can’t understand why they aren’t happy.

Back in the seventies the wife of a friend just upped and left him and their children, saying that she had to “find herself.” There was a lot of that going on back then – and it’s still going on today – men and women leaving their families in search of something else, presumably something better.

I’ve always found that a bit odd – people going off in search of themselves, when what they really seek is right there in front of them and within them. They search for meaning but look in all the wrong places.

St. Teresa of Avila, whose works are certainly worth reading, made a point of teaching that it is only in the search for God that we can uncover and discover our own true selves. As Christians, we believe no one can encounter himself until and unless he encounters Jesus Christ.

But who is this Jesus? Is He God? Is He man? Is He both? Do we accept or reject Him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life? Do we acknowledge Jesus as Emmanuel, the Incarnate Word of God? Our answers determine both our entire worldview and how we view ourselves; for once we accept Jesus for who He is, those identity crises disappear.

When we find ourselves through Jesus, and in Jesus, He becomes the very center of our being. It’s then we begin to experience the distance between who we are and who we’re called to be. And who exactly are we called to be? 

Paul tells us, just as he told the Romans: We “are called to belong to Jesus Christ…called to be holy.” Why? Because “we have received the grace of apostleship.” 

Yes, indeed, like the apostles, we have been called and sent. But sent to do what? Listen to the liturgy. In a few moments Father will pray these words in today’s Preface to the Eucharistic Payer:

“It is by His gift that already we rejoice…so that He may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in His praise.”

Are we doing that? As individuals, as a Catholic community here at St. Vincent de Paul, are we “watchful in prayer and exultant in His praise?”

So many around us have yet to know the deep joy of becoming whole in Christ. A few years ago, Pope Francis wrote,

“The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.”

We can encounter Jesus because the Messiah has already come. And yet we still wait, don’t we? Jesus is present and working through His Body, the Church, and He will come again in glory, but He must still come more fully into each of our lives. 

Jesus heals. Jesus cleanses. Jesus forgives. Jesus brings back to life that which was dead. Jesus brings good news to those who despair.

Do we share our joy, and live our Christian vocation as St. Joseph did, living the “obedience of faith?” We’re called to prepare the way for Jesus to come into our hearts and the hearts of others, so they, too, may "experience the joy of salvation", the healing, wholeness and holiness we all long for and which alone give real meaning to our lives. 

What will be the message others receive about your life and mine? Do our lives bring hope to others? Will our lives, our voices, open their ears to the Word of God? Do we offer them the light of Christ, the light of hope that helps the spiritually blind see, the light that reveals the presence of God’s salvation in our lives? Will you and I carry Jesus to the ostracized, the cast-offs, the forgotten?

Go to the nursing homes, the soup kitchens and food pantries, the shelters. Go to your neighbors, the ones who are alone, who are ill and forgotten. Bring hope where there is despair. Bring the good news to those who hear so much bad news. Put all that is hurting, stained, and impoverished, and lay it at Our Lord’s feet. He’ll pick it up, so nothing will come between us and Jesus Christ.

Only the love of Christ brings true healing. This is our vocation: to be healers and prophets, to pave the way for Jesus Christ in the world…like a continual Advent. Advent and Christmas are a time of surprising gifts. Include Emmanuel, Jesus Christ, among the gifts you take to others.

Blessed are those who are not disappointed in us.

Homily: Friday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time (Year 2)

 Readings: I Kgs 19:9a,11-16; Ps 27; Mt 5:27-32

________________________

A few days ago, as I read today’s readings, I found myself recalling many of the conversations I’ve had with atheists and agnostics over the years. In almost every one of those conversations I could detect a subtle, but very real, hope that God does exist. As one young self-declared agnostic said to me, "It would certainly make life more understandable, knowing there’s a God behind all this. As it is now, for me, life is pretty meaningless.”

Yes, without God, life becomes meaningless, just a physical, chemical accident. And yet that hint of hope has always been there. It’s really the same desire expressed in today’s psalm, a Psalm of David, sung 3,000 years ago:

I long to see your face, O Lord.

We all seek God, to see Him, to as know Him, and it’s true even for those who don’t believe in Him. As my mom use to say, “Hope can lead us to faith; otherwise, we’re just consumed by fear.”

Perhaps St. Augustine, who took a rather odd, winding path to the Catholic Church, put it best: “…our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

Yes, we’re all on a pilgrimage, brothers and sisters, even those who aren’t fully aware of it. We can wander aimlessly, achieving little, or we can open our hearts to the Spirit and let Him lead us.

A few weeks ago, in one of our Bible Study sessions, a participant, concerned about a tragic event described in Genesis, asked me: “Why would God do that? Why would He let that happen?” Well, we discussed the event hoping to achieve some understanding of God’s purpose. But in truth, what I wanted to answer him with: “How do I know? I’m not God!”

That’s really not a bad answer. So often, we simply underestimate our all-powerful, all-knowing God, whose ways are so far above us. As the Archangel Gabriel said to our Blessed Mother: “nothing will be impossible for God” [Lk 1:37]. I suppose the question for us is do we believe that? Or are we like Peter when Jesus rebuked him:

“You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” [Mt 16:23].

Just consider Elijah in today’s reading. Hunted by enemies who sought his death, in particular a rather evil queen Jezebel, Elijah seemed to have had enough, enough of everything, enough even of life. He actually hoped to die. But fed by angels, he obeyed God and made his way to Horeb, God’s holy mountain. There, God asked him:

“What are you doing here, Elijah?”

The prophet, zealous and faithful, told the Lord what He already knew “I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” He was afraid and alone. So, God put on a remarkable display of His power. Then, when the noise and violence had ceased, Elijah encountered the God of Creation – as one translation put it – in a “sound of sheer silence.”

God passes by like a soft breeze and the man covers his face because God has not yet become man. Only then will we see Him in the flesh, face to face. And only then will we adore Him as well in the gift of His Eucharistic Presence. And that’s what the world needs today. With senses inundated by the noise of this world, how can people recognize Him as He passes by? How can they see His face or hear the sheer silence of His holy Word?

Elijah Hides His Face

Elijah, whose faith was beyond question, was often left in the dark by God. Yet the Spirit was always there, leading and aiding the prophet as he tried to accomplish all these missions he’s been given. God expects obedience, and in a sense says: “Just do what I say, and I’ll handle everything else.” For Elijah, God’s immediate purpose becomes clear over time. But His ultimate purpose looks ahead 1,000 years, pointing to something new and wonderful: humanity’s redemption by Jesus Christ.

How about us? Are you and I prophets? Are we courageous enough to evangelize, to be God’s messengers, to speak His Word to the world? Yes, we’re called to do just that. But like Elijah and Jesus we face a culture, a culture of death, that screams its lies at us.

In our Gospel passage Jesus gets the attention of the crowd with His vivid images of plucking out eyes and cutting off hands. He’s not encouraging bodily mutilation, but He is he’s telling them: this is serious stuff; pay attention.

Then stressing the sixth commandment, Jesus really addresses the dignity of every person, the respect people should have for each other. We cannot simply use others for personal pleasure or to satisfy appetites. For Jesus is really addressing the nature of love, which is not just an emotional feeling, or a physical attraction. As anyone who’s been married a while realizes, true love demands a continual decision.

In contrast to today’s cult of self-absorbed pleasure seeking, the Gospel sets high standards. Not only does love demand faithfulness but it also calls us to be chaste in both thoughts and actions. Interesting too is that Jesus puts men and women on a morally equal level, which later causes some dismay among His disciples.

Today we often encounter the painful breakdown of marital relationships. While each case must be treated with pastoral sensitivity, we cannot neglect the fundamental values Jesus stresses here.

I suppose it’s all encompassed in Jesus’ first words of His public ministry:

"Repent, and believe in the Gospel" [Mk 1:15].

Yes, indeed, we must change our hearts and minds, and accept the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ in our lives.

God Chooses Whomever He Wants

I suppose, because of a few of my earlier posts and comments I’ve made to others, some people assume they know for whom I intend to vote in the upcoming presidential election. (Hey, it’s still a secret ballot, so I can keep it to myself, can’t I?) Anyhow, this became apparent the other morning when a parishioner approached me in the parking lot after Mass and said, “I can’t believe you support Trump. Don’t you realize that God can’t possibly want this man to be our president?” His words surprised me, although I suppose for many folks their political party outweighs their faith.  

Trying to keep things light, I chuckled a bit and said, “Boy, it must be wonderful to know the mind of God,” and then I referred him to the prophet Isaiah:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" [Is 55:8-9].

I should have added that if he participated in our parish Bible Study, I wouldn't have to remind him of this, but that would have been rude.

I really didn’t want to get into the politics, but couldn’t help myself: “So you count God among the never-Thumpers and believe He wants Joe Biden to be president?”

He looked at me oddly -- because a mask covered half his face, I really couldn’t read his expression very well. He shook his head, snorted, and said something like, “Trump is an idiot. He’s certainly no Christian. So there’s no way God wants him to lead this country.”

I suppose I could have stayed there and argued for a while, but I really didn’t think I could say anything that would change his mind.  So I just smiled and said, “Next time God reveals His will to you, let me know.” 

Okay, that was a little snarky, but I’ve already overdosed on politics and really didn’t want to begin another argument that might turn into a quarrel. But you see what worldly politics does to us; it reveals all the nastiness we’d rather keep hidden. I probably should apologize the next time I see him...well, maybe.

But he got me thinking, thinking about God and how He calls on the most unlikely people to carry out His divine will. If we turn to the Old Testament, we can choose almost anyone. Just pick a Patriarch, any Patriarch from Abraham to Joseph, and you encounter weak men with a wide variety of faults and foibles who, through the gift of faith and the grace of God, managed to help God get this whole salvation project going. 

And, of course, Moses and his brother, Aaron, were really not the best of men. But they listened to God -- well, most of the time -- and did God's work of turning His Chosen People from an enslaved rabble into the fledgling nation, Israel. 

The prophets, too, were not the most impressive of men. Called by God, often enough they had to be dragged to their vocation kicking and screaming along the way. And there were many others.  How about David and Bathsheba, their little adulterous affair and subsequent marriage that led to Solomon?  As Matthew reminds us in his genealogy, all three were among the human ancestors of Jesus: “And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah...” [Mt 1:6] 

But there were others, pagans and other Gentiles, who managed to fulfill God’s plan by doing His will. Some, like the Pharaoh of Exodus, strongly resisted God’s Word, but by doing so, unintentionally did what was necessary to fulfill God’s plan. Yes, indeed, God’s ways are higher than our ways. 

Another man of worldly power chosen by God was Cyrus, the Persian King. Having conquered Babylon, Cyrus brought about the return of God’s People to Jerusalem after decades of exile. Listen to his words:

“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up’” [2 Chron 36:23].

These are the remarkable words of a pagan king who listened to “the Lord, the God of heaven” and did His will. Because of Cyrus, the exiled Jews returned to the Promised Land and, led by Ezra and Nehemiah, began to reform as God’s People in readiness to receive the promised Messiah. 

The New Testament, too, offers many similar examples. Much like Pharaoh, the Herods and Pilate each unwittingly fulfilled his role in God’s plan for the salvation of humanity. God moves the powerful to do His will before they crumble into dust. And yet He gathers twelve of the least of men to form His Church, a Church that will remain until the end of days. Our Blessed Mother, Mary, described it beautifully in her Magnificat:

“He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly” [Lk 1:51-52].

If we step out of Sacred Scripture and turn to later human history we find many other examples of God working through some of the most unlikely folks. Among my favorites, though, is another king, a man named Canute. If you're not a student of European history, you probably haven't heard of this interesting fellow, so let me tell his story as briefly as possible.

The restored Christian kingdom in England had reached its peak under King Edgar (959-975). Sadly, for the English, the good times didn’t last long. Repeated invasions by the barbarous and pagan Vikings drove the country into ruin. For the next quarter-century England was pillaged from one end to the other by Vikings who slaughtered many and left very little of value behind. 

But in 1016, something odd happened. Canute, the Viking son of the chief pagan leader, became King of England and formed, in effect, an Anglo-Scandinavian empire. At the time, because of his military victories and their material rewards, Canute was probably one of the wealthiest men of his time. One would expect Canute’s victory to result also in a pagan victory, but inexplicably that didn’t happen. Instead, Canute sent the Viking army home and decided to rule England by following the traditions King Edgar’s earlier Christian kingdom. He supported the Church and built tombs for the saints, even building one for St. Alphange who was killed by Canute’s father. He sent English bishops, priests, and monks to Scandinavia and then made a pilgrimage to Rome where he participated in the coronation of the Emperor in 1027. We can, therefore, say that Scandinavia was brought into Western Christendom through the conquest of England by a pagan barbarian. Go figure! Canute, then, offers us one of those wonderful paradoxes that so often display God’s power working in ways so much higher than our ways. 

Today we’re confronted by President Donald Trump, a man who certainly doesn’t project the usual presidential image. His language is the kind heard around the kitchen tables of many, perhaps most, Americans. Although a man of great wealth, he quickly connected with Middle America and focused on what they consider their greatest needs. Unlike Wall Street and Silicon Valley, unlike the movers and shakers among the Fortune 500, unlike the academics in our top business schools, and unlike the “deep state” indwellers of both parties, most Americans are not globalists. They really aren’t concerned with the EU or China or Mexico. They’re concerned with family safety, with jobs, with a good education and a promising future for their children, with their own retirement. They are patriotic Americans who love their country. They believe in a loving God and attend church services regularly. They want political leaders who truly represent them, who share their beliefs, and understand their needs. They want leaders whose actions follow their words, who fulfill their promises. And this is why so many of them like and support Donald Trump.

Personally, Donald Trump has surprised me. Yes, I voted for him in 2016 because the alternative was beyond horrific. Four months before the election I predicted his victory simply because of the obvious strength of his support and the tremendous enthusiasm of his supporters. Clinton lacked both. But I never expected him to become the kind of president he is today. I think he surprised a lot of people, especially his enemies. In 2016 they portrayed him as a buffoon, and they’ve continued to do so even though the facts demonstrate how wrong they are. This cannot help them in November.

What does God think of Donald Trump? The only thing I can say with any certainty is that God loves him, but then God loves all whom He has created. Does God want him to be president? I haven’t a clue. But over the past three plus years, Donald Trump has demonstrated strong support for the pro-life movement. He has done much to strengthen our nation’s longstanding support for religious freedom, both at home and abroad. He has achieved remarkable success in easing tensions in the Middle East and helped establish peaceful relations between Israel and several of its former enemies. He has rebuilt a military that was largely ignored by the previous administration, while at the same time limiting our military involvement overseas. His federal judicial appointments are strong Constitutionalists who will likely support the freedoms spelled out in our Bill of Rights. Economically his efforts have led to remarkably low unemployment levels among all Americans, and significant increases in the wages of lower and middle income earners. All of these things are good. 

The U.S. Bishops are unhappy with his policy regarding illegal immigration, but in truth he simply follows the law. If we disagree with federal law, we should lobby Congress to change it. Believe me, though, Congress (even liberal Democrats) won't change it because they fear the reaction of the people. Instead, they use other means -- state and local laws to create sanctuary cities and states, or fund healthcare and education for illegals, etc. -- to achieve their ends. It's all very strange.

Here is an open letter to the U.S. Bishops by a coalition of pro-life leaders asking the Bishops to declare abortion to be the "preeminent priority" when voters decide for whom to vote. The link to the letter: Citizens for a Pro-Life Society

Is President Trump another Canute, or another Cyrus? Again, I haven’t a clue. But to rule it out would be a mistake. Donald Trump might well be another of those most unlikely men chosen by God to show not the power of man but the ineffable power of our God. You and I just have to wait and see. Fortunately, we have front-row seats.

Course Presentation: Biblical Typology Session 3

We had our third session of the course yesterday evening and, as usual, I went 15-20 minutes longer then advertised...but once again everyone stayed until the end.

Between 60 and 70 people attended, and I assume they found it interesting and enjoyable since, again, I escaped without wounds that say otherwise. 

A rewarding moment (at least for me) came just before the start of the evening's session when one of the participants excitedly said that she had recognized the typology in the previous Sunday's readings and homily. It was something she had never before recognized and she believed it had truly enhanced her understanding of the passages chosen by the Church for the Sunday liturgy. How wonderful for her, and how good that our little course has not been without value. 

This week we discussed the typology of Moses and Isaac, and also glanced at some of the prophets. The final piece was a brief study of typology in the Book of Job, all thanks to St. Gregory the Great who wrote extensively on the subject.

You can go directly to my Bible Study page and view the course presentations and other handout material: Bible Study Website. 

Or, if you prefer, here's a direct link to the PowerPoint presentation on authorstream.com:

Biblical Typology: Session 3