Mary, The Mother of God - Theotokos

Today we celebrate the beautiful solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.  In reality, this solemnity allows us to reflect upon the essential reality of our Catholic Faith: Jesus, the Christ, is one person with two distinct natures: divine and human.  This union of the two natures in the one person of Jesus is called the hypostatic union. 

Thus, the Church, at the Council of Ephesus (431 AD) defined Mary as the Theotokos, the Mother of God. 

“Called in the Gospels ‘mother of Jesus,’ Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as ‘the mother of my Lord.’  In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father’s eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity.  Hence, the Church confesses that Mary is truly ‘Mother of God’ (Theotokos)” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 495). 

A long period of tumultuous theological controversies surrounded the question of Jesus’ divine and human natures, and how the role of Mary was to be understood.  People like Arius and Nestorius were infamous proponents of heterodox Christological teachings. 

By studying the history of the first four Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church (Nicea, Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon) we can better understand the significance of today’s celebration. 

Aside from the theological and historical significances, I would like us to enter the mystery of the Theotokos by looking at this mystery through the eyes of Saint Joseph. 

What did he see as he pondered all that was happening to Mary? 

During this past Advent, a priest friend of mine brought my attention to a fascinating reflection on the Gospel of Matthew in the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. 

Why did Joseph want to divorce Mary?   The answer to this question, in my view, gives us a glimpse as to how Joseph considered Mary, the Theotokos.

But, before we can consider the question of the divorce, we need to understand what it means in the Sacred Scriptures that Joseph and Mary were betrothed.  

A betrothal in the ancient Jewish world was not the same as our contemporary understanding of an engagement. 

Betrothal was a period of time, usually up to one year, before the actual covenant of marriage took place.  Although a couple would not live together, they were considered to be married.  Thus, a betrothal could only be ended by divorce or death. 

“This is how Jesus Christ came to be born.  His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Her husband Joseph, being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally” (Matthew 1: 18-19).

So, let us go back to the question as to why Joseph decided to end his marriage with Mary. 

There are two theories proposed by the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. 

First, there is the suspicion theory.  “This view holds that Joseph suspected Mary of adultery when he discovered she was pregnant.  The troubling news led him to seek a divorce in accordance with Deuteronomy 24: 1-4, although he wished to do this secretly to avoid subjecting Mary to the rigorous law of Deuteronomy 22: 23-24, which mandates capital punishment for adulterers” (page 18).

Second, there is the reverence theory.  “This view holds that Joseph, already informed of the divine miracle within Mary, considered himself unworthy to be part of God’s work in this unusual situation.  His resolve to separate from Mary is thus viewed as a reverent and discretionary measure to keep secret the mystery within her” (page 18).

My dear friends, when I discussed this with my priest friend over lunch, “the reverence theory” certainly had what we might call the “wow effect.”  We had never thought of “the reverence theory” and it makes perfect sense.  How beautiful!

“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1: 20-21).

Reverence and awe: like Saint Joseph, this is how we are to treat the Christmas mystery and all of the mysteries of our Catholic Faith. 

Do we treat Mary with reverence and awe? Let us ask Saint Joseph to show us how to do this.  How do we pray the Rosary?  How do we cherish and celebrate her feast days?  Do we please her and honor her by the way we live our lives?

Do we treat Jesus with reverence and awe?  Let us ask Saint Joseph to show us how to do this.  How do we receive Holy Communion?

“Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum: sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea.  Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed” (Roman Missal, Third Edition).

In an age where the banal and the crass are the order of the day, let us turn to Saint Joseph and ask him to teach us how to treat the things of God with a renewed sense of mystery, reverence and awe.  

Christmas and the Language of God

In Africa, a tale is told of a boy called Amazu, who was always very inquisitive. One day he asked, “What language does God speak?” But no one could answer him.  He traveled all over his country questioning everyone but could not get a satisfactory answer. Eventually he set out for distant lands on his quest. For a long time he had no success.

At length, he came one night to a village called Bethlehem, and as there was no room in the local inn, he went outside the village in search of shelter for the night. At last he came to a cave and found that a couple and a child also occupied it. He was about to turn away when the young mother spoke, “Welcome Amazu, we’ve been waiting for you.”

The boy, amazed that the woman knew his name, was even more amazed when she went on to say, “For a long time you have been searching the world over to find out what language God speaks. Well, now your journey is over. Tonight you can see with your own eyes the language God speaks. He speaks the language of love.”

And so each Christmas we contemplate the mystery of our God who became man. He is born in silence, poverty, simplicity and purity in Bethlehem, the house of bread.  Our God made man later taking bread and wine transforms it into his body and blood; thus is the mystery of his Incarnation continued for us in the mystery of the Eucharist, God made real for us.  God becomes man. Bread and wine becomes God-man. Each time we come to the Eucharist, we come to a new Bethlehem.  He, who rested once in a manger, now rests in our entire being, as we receive him in the mystery of the Mass.

Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king who loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived, and he wanted particularly to know about their hardships. Often dressed in the clothes of a worker or a beggar, he visited the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited even thought he might be their ruler.

Once he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate, and he spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later when he visited the poor man again, he disclosed his identity saying, "I am your king!" Then the king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he did not. Instead, he said, "You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!"

This is the true meaning of Christmas.  The second person of the Blessed Trinity becomes incarnate.  Jesus is true God and true man.  He is one person with two natures, a divine nature and a human nature. 

Had our greatest need been knowledge, God would have sent us an educator.  Had that greatest need been technology, God would have sent us a scientist.  So too had our greatest need been for money, God would have sent us an economist.  Had our greatest need been for pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. Because our greatest need was for forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.

All of us are familiar with the character of Ebenezer Scrooge depicted in Charles Dickens famous novel, A Christmas Carol, or we have come to know of him through movies and television specials aired during the Christmas season.

Ebenezer Scrooge is completely self-absorbed.  He is resentful of the demands made upon him by those who are poor and less fortunate.

Scrooge, a tragic figure indeed, is visited by three spirits: the spirit of Christmas past, the spirit of Christmas present and the spirit of Christmas future. 

The dramatic journey elicits his repentance. He becomes aware of his past indifference and cruelty and is moved to be more generous and benevolent toward those he had been mistreating in the past. 

Through a profound catharsis, Ebenezer Scrooge learned how to live for others and not only for himself. By breaking the circle of his ego, he had enabled the light of Christianity to invade his soul and change him into a new man filled with joy and hope.

We all have wonderful memories of how we have celebrated Christmas in the past.  On this Christmas, we will relive those memories, create new ones, and cherish our fondest memories in the recesses of our hearts.

The joy and excitement of opening Christmas presents; sampling the delicious foods and deserts that our mothers and grandmothers had prepared; the decorating of the tree; the setting up of the manger scene; the singing of Christmas carols; and of course, the gathering together of family members and friends, all make up the wonderful memories of Christmas.  

I have many beautiful memories of Christmases past.  From early childhood, I remember how our entire family always attended Christmas morning Mass at our parish.  Inevitably, somewhere along in the liturgy, the choir would sing Silent Night. 

As the beautiful hymn filled the church with harmony, my grandmother would begin to weep uncontrollably.  Once, as a child, I asked my grandmother why she wept so much. "God loves us so much," was her immediate answer. 

This Christmas memory of my grandmother fills me with sadness at times, but then I remember how she died a few years ago.  As she lay in bed taking her last breath, she said, "Dear God, I love you.”   I am sure that now in heaven she contemplates the eternal face of the God made man born in Bethlehem. 

There is another Christmas memory that fills me with profound joy, the memory of the first time that I celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as a newly ordained priest.

Yes, I was given the amazing privilege of celebrating my first Mass on Christmas morning after having received the inestimable gift of the Catholic priesthood on December 24, 1987.   

My family and friends gathered together with me in Rome at a beautiful basilica dedicated to our Blessed Mother, as I celebrated my first Mass at an altar containing relics from the manger of Bethlehem.

Most of our memories of Christmas are beautiful indeed; however, many of us may indeed have memories of a Christmas past permeated with sadness, times of difficulty and distress. However, Jesus, the God of love will surely come to us in our grief and fill us with his consolation and peace. 

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.  You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils” (Isaiah 9: 1-2).

The tribulations of the here and now can be met with a profound sense of joy because we are convinced of the One whom we have come to know through the gift of faith.

True disciples of Christ live in the present with joy because they have experienced the forgiveness of past sins.  Like oil and water, joylessness and Christianity do not mix.  Despite the many challenges of the present, true disciples can look forward to the Christmases of the future with intense hope. 

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our redeemer.  Within the beauty of our Christmas festivities, we must remember that Christmas is about the terrible reality of sin.  The wood of the manger made way for the wood of the cross.  Jesus came into this world to save us from sin.

“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” (Matthew 1: 20-21). 

If we live as autonomous beings as though God does not exist, if we immerse ourselves in the murky mist of blinding secularism, we will be unable to recognize our need for a Savior simply because we will be incapable of recognizing ourselves as sinful creatures needy of redemption.

         

Christmas is all about the Savior who came to save us from sin.  We need to open our minds and our hearts, and allow this Savior to possess our entire being.

“I proclaim to you good news of great joy; today a Savior is born for us, Christ the Lord” (Alleluia, Mass at Midnight).

English speaking peoples say Merry Christmas.  The Spanish speakers say Feliz Navidad.  Filipinos say Maligayamg Pasko.  In Korea, people say Sung Tan Chuk Ha.  The French say Joyeux Noel and the Portuguese say Boas Festas and the Italians say Buon Natale.  

Whatever language we may speak as we contemplate the Christ child lying in the manger of Bethlehem, God speaks only one language and that language is the language of love.

The Fourth Sunday of Advent - Mary and the Mystery of the Incarnation

Christmas is almost here. As the fourth candle of the advent wreath is lit, we are reminded that we need to intensify our spiritual preparation for the anniversary of the birth of our Savior.

 

The external aspects of our Christmas celebration only make sense if we keep our attention fixed on who it is that we are celebrating. Christmas is the birthday of Jesus.

 

This Sunday's gospel passage focuses our attention on the one central reality of Christianity: that the Word, the second person of the Blessed Trinity, became man and dwelt among us. On the last Sunday of Advent, the Church allows us to contemplate this reality through Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

Often when we attempt to get to know someone, it is always very helpful to know the person's mother. Fr. Romano Guardini once wrote: "Anyone who would understand the nature of a tree, should examine the earth that encloses its roots, the soil from which its sap climbs into branch, blossom and fruit. Similarly, to understand the person of Jesus Christ, one would do well to look to the soil that brought him forth: Mary, his mother (The Lord, p. 10).

 

Mary is a young, beautiful, pure and humble woman chosen before the beginning of time to be the Mother of the Incarnate Word. This calling is announced to her by the Angel Gabriel who appears to her. Mary, although she has been chosen, could have said no to God's will; however, it is her profound love of God that allows her to say yes unconditionally. "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1: 38).

It is clear that the mysteries of the Annunciation and the Incarnation indicate man's relationship with God. God is our creator and our relationship with him is through obedience to his will. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the most perfect embodiment of this relationship between God and man. Through faith, she listens to the voice of God and freely submits her entire being to the plan of God over her life. The word obey comes from the Latin ob-audire which means to hear or listen to. It is Mary's faith, humility and simplicity that allow her to listen to God and to put his plan into practice.

Faith is our response to God. By the act of faith, we completely submit our intellect and our will, in fact, our entire being to God. This act of submission is rooted in love and freedom. The gift of faith allows us to experience already here on earth the promise of the beatific vision, although in an imperfect way. Mary is the perfect model of someone who correctly lived out to its ultimate consequence the obedience of faith. This is why Saint Augustine once wrote, "Mary is more blessed because she embraces faith in Christ than because she conceives the flesh of Christ."

Nevertheless, sometimes people seem to have difficulty identifying with the example of the faith and fidelity of Mary. They have the impression that everything was very easy for Mary because she was conceived without original sin.

Not everything was clear for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Just as in any manifestation of the divine, there is always a profound moment of light followed by long and trying times of darkness. Mary was enveloped in the light of God's presence during the Annunciation. However this brilliance of clarity was followed by the night of faith. She fulfilled her unconditional yes within the many trials and difficulties of her journey towards eternity.

Mary's fidelity was heroic because her faith was heroic. In fact, as Romano Guardini writes, "Her faith was greater, more heroic than that of any other human being" (The Lord, p. 13).

After the Annunciation and the conception of Jesus in her womb, a series of terrible trials began. First of all Joseph did not understand what was happening to Mary, and she had to cling to the promise that had already been made to her by the angel Gabriel: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God". The trial did not come to an end until Joseph received his instructions in a dream: "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1: 20).

As the first Christmas quickly approached, another trial came about because there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn. Where would the child be born? Eight days after his birth, Simeon foretold the suffering that would always accompany Mary: "…and a sword will pierce your own soul too…"(Luke 2: 35). Soon after these words were spoken, the Holy Family was forced to leave their home in order to escape the evil intentions of Herod. But, when they returned to Nazareth, Mary continued believing during the long years of Jesus' hidden life, without ever seeing any miracles at all.

However, her greatest trial of all was Our Lord's passion. She did not run away like the others had done. She stood at the foot of the cross and continued to be heroically obedient because of her heroic faith.

Fidelity is an austere virtue. Fidelity demands self-knowledge, generosity, sacrifice and a lot of courage. Mary is our model of fidelity. The daily struggle and the failures can be overwhelming at times. But, fidelity is an adventure, and the "good fight" is exhilarating. As time goes on, we can become weary of the battle. Personally, I believe it is far better to drag an exhausted body and spirit through the difficulties of life, rather than to give in to the promptings of the flesh which make us yearn for an easier life. Rather than to give in to the sirens of comfort, I prefer to hear these words from my Lord at the moment of death: "I know too that you have perseverance, and have suffered for my name without growing tired" (Revelation 2: 3).

I have much for which to thank the Blessed Mother. Throughout my life she has always been close to me, even though at times I have not always been the attentive son I should have been. As December 24^th, the 24th anniversary of my priestly ordination quickly approaches, I give thanks to my Blessed Mother who has been intimately present in my vocation to the priesthood.

Back in 1975, I discovered my calling after the recitation of the evening Rosary at Magdalen College. On December 24, 1987, the Marian Year proclaimed by Blessed Pope John Paul II, my ordination took place in Rome, under the maternal gaze of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On the morning of December 25, surrounded by a small gathering of family and friends, I celebrated my first Mass in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. It is through Mary, that each day I am able to hold her Son in my trembling hands. I am a happy priest. I love what I do and I thank Mary for the awesome gift of the priesthood.

Twenty-four years ago, the night before my ordination, in a quiet and secluded corner of the seminary where a beautiful image of Our Lady watched over us, I knelt down before her. In the silence of my heart I prayed: Mary, you know who I am and you are with Jesus. You know that he has called me to be his priest. If I am going to be a bad priest, tell your Son to call me tonight to his side, because I do not want to lose him. The next morning as I awoke, I was filled with a profound sense of confidence that Jesus would give me all of the graces that I needed to fulfill my mission as his priest.

Mary, my Mother, has always been there for me. Twenty-four years have been filled with tremendous blessings and great victories for the Kingdom, but they have been accompanied by much suffering and persecutions. Through it all, Mary has always been there to comfort me and urge me on to fulfill my mission until the end. I long to see her one day in heaven. When we embrace and kiss, the suffering of the cross will give way to the bliss of the resurrection.

As we intensify our preparation for the celebration of Christmas, perhaps certain sadness might cloud the joy that is proper to this time of the year. Many are the challenges of our times. The constant attacks of secularism, materialism and hedonism makes it challenging to live authentic Christianity. Many families suffer from many serious difficulties and problems. All of these things attempt to suffocate the gift of faith that has been given to us.
 

It is precisely in difficult and challenging times that we must look to the witnesses of faith. Mary is the greatest of them all. Through her pilgrimage of faith, she walked into the night of faith. Not everything was clear for Mary, but she continued to trust and she continued to obey. She abandoned herself entirely into God's loving and providential care. Full understanding only came to her at Pentecost. It was there that she understood all the things that she had cherished in her heart.
 

As we quickly approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus, let us prayerfully consider these words, again, from Fr. Guardini: "What is demanded of us, as of her, is a constant wrestling in fide with the mystery of God and with the evil resistance of the world. Our obligation is not delightful poetry but granite faith – more than ever in this age of absolutes in which the mitigating spell is falling from all things and naked opposites clash everywhere" (The Lord p. 14). 
 

The Third Sunday of Advent - Rejoice Always!

A number of years ago, a young college student was working as an intern at his college’s Museum of Natural History. One day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, he saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair.

As he looked closer at this girl, he saw that she was kind of perched on her chair. The student realized that she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and torso. She was wearing a little white dress with red polka dots.

As the couple wheeled her up to the checkout counter, he turned his head toward the girl and gave her a wink. Meanwhile, he took the money from her grandparents and looked back at the girl, who was giving him the cutest, largest smile he had ever seen. All of a sudden her handicap was gone and all that the college student saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted him and almost instantly gave him a completely new sense of what life is all about. She took him from an unhappy college student and brought him into her world; a world of smiles, love and warmth.

The lighting of the pink candle of the Advent Wreath reminds us that Christmas is almost here.  The theme of this Sunday’s liturgy is joy and Saint Paul tells us to rejoice.  “Rejoice always” (Thessalonians 5: 16). 

What is joy?  The dictionary defines joy as an emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying.  It is also defined as a state of happiness or felicity.  In Catholicism, joy is a state of soul equated with happiness and it is also defined as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. 

Joy is not to be understood as something superficial or immature.  The person who is filled with Christian joy possesses an immense treasure because the true Christian can smile and laugh even in the middle of the most terrible adversities and sufferings.  Saint Lawrence, when he was being cooked alive by his torturers, joked and told them to turn him over. 

Sadness is certainly the epidemic of our times. A lot of people are walking around without a smile on their face.  Christianity is completely opposite to selfishness, self-absorption and narcissism.  Christianity demands a radical reorientation of our personal lives.  We must be empty of all self-seeking. 

There are many things in our modern society that are causing many to live very selfish lives.  On the top of the list are four things that need to be looked at very carefully.  These four things are: the lack of personal prayer, the infrequent use of the Sacrament of Confession, excessive television viewing and contraception.  All four things have caused many people to become deeply self-absorbed and isolated. 

More and more people are appearing like zombies who are disconnected from their family and their friends.

Saint Thomas Aquinas listed eight Capital or Deadly Sins rather than our list of seven.  He maintained that sadness was the worse one of them all.  The famous Italian poet Dante, in his Divine Comedy, placed sadness at the lowest level of hell. 

We need to laugh and I agree that we should speak of five marks of the Church, rather than four:  One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Joyful. 

In my parish we promote a strong parish community life that allows parishioners and their guests to experience friendship and community.  If you want to experience the true joy of Christianity, be like Jesus.  Live for others and not for yourself.  Be a gift for others.  Family life is essential.  Parish family life is essential.  No man is an island.  Community is essential in order to be human and Christian. 

Pope Benedict says that “the Church is Eucharistic fellowship” (God is Near Us, p. 115).  As living members of the parish family, we are called not only to worship, but to participate in the community life of the parish.  The parish is our church family. 

“Faith is a personal act – the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself.  But faith is not an isolated act.  No one can believe alone, just as no one can live alone.  You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life.  The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others.  Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith.  Each believer is thus a link in a great chain of believers.  I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 166).

I firmly believe that after every Eucharistic Celebration, whenever possible, there should always be some kind of community activity with food.  Moreover, sprinkled throughout the liturgical year, there should be well organized parish family life activities that provide an opportunity for the entire community to come together.

Life is difficult and it is not getting any easier.  Our secular world makes every attempt to eradicate every visible reminder of the transcendent.  Moreover, most of us live very busy lives, exercising multiple tasks throughout a very intense day.  Formal moments of total silence and deep contemplative prayer are necessary for anyone who wants to be a true Christian in the modern world.   

Fr. Karl Rahner once wrote, “The Christian of tomorrow will be a mystic, one who has experienced something, or he will be nothing.”

If we do not develop a serious life of contemplative prayer and Eucharistic life, the ever-increasing difficulties around us will crush us.  Rather than experiencing the joy which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, we will be overwhelmed by profound anxiety and sadness.     

Life has different seasons.  Sometimes our existence moves forward like a sunny summer day.  We feel the closeness of God and our days unfold effortlessly.  But then the harshness of winter comes along.  We become overwhelmed by the apparent absence of God's presence.  Prayer becomes tedious.  People seem to bother us.  Perhaps the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, sickness, or the disloyalty of a friend brings us into the harshness and darkness of a winter day.  Nevertheless, even in these moments we can experience Christian joy. 

Fr. Jean Vanier, the French founder of L'Arche, has had continual experience with suffering through his work with the mentally disabled.  In his writings, he maintains that darkness is important.  "We must learn to be strong and peaceful in darkness, not fighting it, but waiting.  We must learn to accept this winter as a gift from God, and we will discover that the snow will melt and the flowers come up.”

Blessed Pope John Paul II constantly spoke about the great spring time of the Church.  Spring time means that there is still frost, mud and snow on the ground.  Trees begin to blossom, but they are not in full bloom.  Both the Church and the world are going through upheaval and transformation.  Within all of the trials and tribulations that surround us, let us be patient and be filled with hope.  The dark night of purification will bring about something beautiful and pure.

“As the earth brings forth its plants, and a garden makes its growth spring up, so will the Lord God make justice and praise spring up before all the nations” (Isaiah 61: 11).

My dear friends, let us make this Christmas the best Christmas ever by making a firm decision today to rid ourselves from every behavior that causes us to be self-centered. “Rejoice always” (Thessalonians 5: 16). 

A few years ago, a young, attractive, successful woman noticed a small lump behind her ear as she was brushing her hair.  As the days went on, she noticed that the lump was getting larger, so she decided to see her doctor.  Her worst fears were confirmed.  The doctor told her that the lump was a large tumor that would require immediate surgery.

When she awoke following the surgery, she found her entire head wrapped like a mummy.  She could see herself in a mirror only through two tiny holes cut into the wrapping.  Desiring to see what she looked like, she unwound the large bandage from her head and was shocked to see that her once attractive features had become disfigured by a paralysis caused perhaps by damage to facial nerves during the removal of the tumor.

Standing before the mirror, she told herself that she had one choice to make: to laugh or to cry.  She decided to laugh.  Sadly, the various therapies tried were unsuccessful in alleviating the facial paralysis. However, that decision made to laugh in the face of adversity has allowed this woman to carry on with her life with joy.

“I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul…” (Isaiah 61: 10).

The Second Sunday of Advent - John the Baptist, the Witness

 

Why is an obscure figure of the Bible relevant for us today?  Why does the Catholic Church, on the Second Sunday of Advent, present John the Baptist for our reflection?

Saint John the Baptist commands our interest because he is a witness.  By his witness, he reminds us that we are called to be witnesses.  And in any age, to be a witness is challenging.

When John baptized the multitudes on the banks of the Jordan, we must realize that John was not the only one baptizing and preaching.  Baptism rituals even took place at the monastery of Qumran.  However, there was something different about John the Baptist.  There was something unique about his preaching and his baptism. 

The witness of John the Baptist begins with his birth.  The miraculous circumstances of his conception and birth direct our attention to the mysterious and transcendent.  An angel announces his birth to a woman well beyond childbearing years.  His father is struck dumb for his disbelief.  As an infant, John, leaps in his mother's womb when he is in the presence of the Messiah's mother.  Upon his birth, he is given not his father's name, but rather the name, John, which translates "Yahweh is gracious.”  With the giving of this name spoken by the angel, John's father, Zechariah, recovers his power of speech. Thus the miraculous circumstances surrounding his beginnings give witness to a sacred world, a world reaching beyond time and space.

Modern man needs to experience the transcendent.  He needs to understand with his heart that there is much more to our earthly existence than the here, the  now, the material and the secular. Our experience of the beauty of the Catholic Mass should bring about this necessary encounter.  If life is restricted to only what we can see, touch, make and do, then we run the risk of leaving God out of our lives altogether.  Sunday worship could become simply a shallow social gathering of the community rather than a profound, life changing transcendent experience of mystery and redemption. 

As an adult, John’s chosen surroundings bear witness to a different reality.  He is a man of the desert.  He totally separates himself from the world in order to give testimony of another world.  Within his solitude he is able to hear the voice of God.  Between the center of Judea and the Dead Sea exists one of the most austere deserts of the world.  John the Baptist made this place his home.  His home is a testimony of what our souls must be in order to listen to God and to possess him.  Our journey during this Advent should bring about a deeper detachment from earthly creatures so that we may come closer to God.  Detachment from material things is so important if we wish to truly experience the presence of God in our lives. 

Moreover, John's manner of dressing bears witness as well.  He does not clothe himself in the garments of the leaders of his day.  And just as his location is counter-culture, going against the prevailing wisdom of his day, so also is his dress.   Through his garment of camel's hair, John shows how important it is to be simple and detached from the things of this world.  Riches make a soul soft and incapable of the rigorous walk of faith.  Obsession with the latest fad clouds our minds and prevents us from focusing on the things that are really important.

John's food also bears witness.  The gospels tell us that he eats locusts and wild honey.  Like his living conditions and his dress, his food is also simple.  People cannot resist a witness like John.  Many people provide messages that they themselves do not live up to.  But John not only preaches a message, he is the message.  Because his beliefs and his actions are one and the same, people listen to what he says.   He is an authentic witness because he himself is authentic.

John's preaching is a witness of the truth.  His message is effective because he is completely empty of himself.  He does not preach himself.  He points to someone beyond himself.  “I am baptizing you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.  I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (Matthew 3: 11).  Like Paul who comes after him, John is completely lost in the One whom he proclaims. For this very reason Jesus cries out to the crowds: "I tell you, of all the children born to women, there is no one greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he"  (Luke 7: 28).

John, the great witness, preaches the truth of Christ to the massive crowds of people that listen to him.  These are people who are hungry for the truth.  They are tired of the burdens imposed upon them by their own leaders, the Pharisees, and the foreign leaders represented by King Herod.  The human soul cannot be kept locked up in the body by repressive systems that continue to lie.  Despite the many difficulties that confront the modern world, more and more people are breaking away from the bonds created by sin, materialism and secularism, and are actually living out truly spiritual lives. 

To those seeking the baptism that John offers the people in the waters of the Jordan, God gives the multitudes an opportunity to repent of their sins.  John's baptism is a testimony of the baptism that will eventually come through Jesus Christ. "A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths'“(Matthew 3: 3).

John's ultimate witness comes in his death.  John is a man who is one with his mission and his message.  His is incapable of denying either one.  In any age the truth will always meet opposition.  Jesus makes this very clear to those wishing to be his disciples.  In any age, there are those who hear only what they want to hear.  In any age, there are those who will do any thing in order to continue living a lie – even kill.  King Herod personifies those human beings who from the beginning of time until the end of time, choose to live a lie, rather than the truth.  From the depths of the dungeon, John's martyrdom is a testimony that every disciple of Jesus must persevere.

Saint John the Baptist, a difficult personage of the Bible to understand and perhaps even to relate to, is very relevant for us today.  He is a great witness precisely because he is the link between the Old and New Testaments.  He is the last of the prophets who announces the coming of the Messiah.  He is the first of the disciples who proclaims his coming: "Behold, there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world" (John 1: 29).

John the Baptist is still relevant for us because as in any age, our age has an urgent need for disciples like John the Baptist.  Our world has an urgent need for witnesses.

We must witness that our identity is centered on true spirituality, and that our morality derives from that spirituality.  We must witness that our faith challenges many of the values of the dominant secular culture.  We must witness that our traditions have great meaning for us.  We must witness that challenging commitments offer firm principles by which we may live our lives.  We must witness that adherence to traditional morality often comes at a considerable personal cost: perhaps of losing family, friends, even jobs.  We must witness that what we have found in Christ Jesus is true, real and worth living out to the ultimate consequence.  We must witness that our seeking solely for lasting happiness as the meaning of life is an indictment of the falsehoods of past generations.  We must witness by striving for personal holiness, authenticity and integration. 

         

The First Sunday of Advent

The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year.  It is interesting to note how the liturgical year ends with the theme of the Second Coming, while at the same time, the new liturgical year also focuses on the same theme. Since we are about to celebrate Christmas, we would suppose that the new liturgical year would begin chronologically with a reflection on the Incarnation.  However, that is not the case. The reason why the liturgical year ends and begins with the same theme is clear: if we have already embraced Jesus in his first coming, we will have no fear of his glorious return. 

It is also interesting to note that the new liturgical year begins with a penitential season; i.e. the season of Advent.  The priest and deacon now use purple colored vestments.  As the world around us prepares for Christmas with an ever increasing emphasis on material things, the Church directs our gaze toward the spiritual. 

The liturgical calendar begins differently from the secular calendar precisely because the Church, while in the world, is not of the world.  Advent is a penitential season because Christmas is about our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not about external celebrations.

“God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1: 9).

Advent, as a penitential season, prepares us to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's first coming as the incarnate God of love.  As a penitential time, Advent helps us to examine the condition of our soul which is an abode of the Lord's presence through sanctifying grace.  Advent helps us prepare for the Lord's second coming as judge which takes place first at death and then again at the end of the world.  If we are already living out our discipleship with Jesus, we will be ready for his second coming.

“Be watchful!  Be alert!  You do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13: 33). 

As disciples of the Lord we have so many ways to become distracted and lose our focus. The commercialization of Christmas can become a terrible distraction for those who really desire to celebrate Christmas correctly.  We can give in to the temptations of materialism.  We can lose the intensity of our spiritual life. We can become spiritually lazy by being satisfied with being "good people" rather than striving for sanctity.

Advent is a time to wake up. “May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping” (Mark 13: 36). 

Most of the world did not notice Jesus' first coming.  We need to stay awake and notice how he comes to us each day.  The daily circumstances of our lives provide so many opportunities for us to serve one another. 

Once upon a time, there was a man who looked upon Christmas as a lot of humbug. He wasn't a scrooge. He was a kind and decent person, generous to his family, upright in all his dealings with other men. But he did not believe in the mystery of the Incarnation.

"I am truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, who was a faithful churchgoer. "But I simply cannot understand this claim that God became man. It doesn't make any sense to me." On Christmas Eve, his wife and children went to church. He declined to accompany them. "I'd feel like a hypocrite," he explained. "I'd rather stay at home. But I will wait up for you."

Shortly after his family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window and watched the flurries getting heavier and heavier. "If we must have Christmas," he thought, "It's nice to have a white one." He went back to his chair by the fireside and began to read his newspaper. A few minutes later, he was startled by a thudding sound. It was quickly followed by another, then another. He thought that someone must be throwing snowballs at his living room window.

When he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They had been caught in the storm, and in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his window.

"I cannot let these poor creatures lie there and freeze," he thought. "But how can I help them?" Then he remembered the barn where the children's pony was stabled.  It would provide a warm shelter. He put on his coat and boots, and tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light. But the birds did not come in. "Food will bring them in," he thought. So he hurried back to the house for bread crumbs, which he sprinkled on the snow to make a trail into the barn.

To his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs and continued to flop around helplessly in the snow. He tried shoeing them in the barn by walking around and waving his arms. They scattered in every direction--except into the warm, lighted barn. "They find me a strange and terrifying creature," he said to himself. "And I cannot seem to think of any way to let them know they can trust me. If only I could be a bird myself for a few minutes, perhaps I could lead them to safety..."

Just at that moment, the church bells began to ring. He stood silently for a while, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. Then he sank to his knees in the snow. "Now I do understand," he whispered. "Now I know why you had to do it."

The Advent season gives us a fresh opportunity to look at our lives and deepen our relationship with the Lord Jesus who has come already in humility and will come again in glory.  “No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64: 4).

The Solemnity of Christ the King

God wants you to be happy and overflowing with joy. He wants you to fulfill your destiny and purpose in life by reaching eternal life in heaven. He is so interested in you that he sent his only begotten Son to save you from sin. Remember, God's love for you is unconditional.

Think about this for a moment: God's love for you is unconditional.

In reality, Christianity is a love story: God loves you unconditionally and he calls you to love him unconditionally.

Up until the time of the first Christmas when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the road to salvation was rather confusing. But now, with the coming of Jesus, the way that leads to eternal life is clear.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

In this Sunday's gospel passage Jesus tells us exactly what we need to do to enter into the glory of heaven: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit those who are in prison.

Christianity is very practical and it is to be lived within the ordinary circumstances of every day life.

Too many times we might fall into the trap that Christianity is lived out only in the special moments, like when you see someone in need on the side of the street, or when there are natural disasters. But, we can only respond to those special moments if we are living the gospel each and every day, and in a very practical and concrete manner.

We are called to love. This is the meaning of our lives. Every act of service, every act of kindness, every act of self giving must be seen as an act of love.

And who do we love? "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Matthew 25: 40).

Before his conversion, Francis of Assisi was riding his horse through the countryside. Suddenly he came upon a leper. Despite the ugliness of the terrible disease, Francis was so moved with pity, that he jumped off of his horse and flung his arms around the unfortunate man. As Francis looked at the leper, the man's face changed and it appeared as the face of Jesus.

Is Christianity really possible? Yes, of course it is. We need to show the world that love is possible and that we believe in love.

I think one of the greatest acts of charity that you can do when you get up in the morning, or when you go to work, or to school, or to church, or even when you do your shopping, is to do something so simple: just smile and say hello to people. Show everyone that you are a living member of the kingdom. Yes, you are a member of a beautiful kingdom, a kingdom that God has prepared for you "from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25: 34).

The kingdom that we belong to is "a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace" (Preface).
 

Show everyone that you are happy to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Let everyone know that you are excited about the Kingdom of Christ.

Selfishness can be our biggest obstacle from truly experiencing the exuberant joy of Christianity. We need to forget ourselves completely. The Second Vatican Council said, "It follows, then, that if human beings are the only creatures on earth that God has wanted for their own sake, they can fully discover their true selves only in sincere self-giving (Gaudium et Spes, 24).

Blessed Pope John Paul II echoed these words when he said, "Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it" (Redemptor Hominis, 10.1)

This Sunday's gospel narrative also teaches us that sins are not only the bad things that we do, but that sin also consists of those things that we should have done. This type of sin is called sin of omission.

Then he will say to those at his left hand, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me" (Matthew 25: 41-43).

Selfishness, when it is deeply rooted in our souls, prevents us from loving the way we should. It keeps us from being aware of the needs of others.

Blessed Mother Teresa certainly showed the modern world how to love. She once said, "What I can do, you cannot. What you can do, I cannot. But together we can do something beautiful for God. Yes, you must live life beautifully and not allow the spirit of the world that makes gods out of power, riches and pleasure make you to forget that you have been created for greater things – to love and to be loved."

Always Ready

As we considered last week, on November 20, another liturgical year will come to an end with the solemn celebration of the Feast of Christ the King. 

As the liturgical year ends, the flow of the Catholic liturgy focuses on the theme of the Second Coming.

The eschatological teachings of Jesus are very clear throughout the Gospels.  We pronounce our certainty of eternal life each time we pray together the Profession of Faith. "We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come".  The particular judgment, heaven, purgatory, hell, the last judgment, and the hope of a new heaven and a new earth are the components of this fundamental teaching of Christianity. 

Many times our culture avoids consideration of death.  Many attempt to avoid the fullness of the eschatological teachings of the Gospels.  There is a Heaven. However, it is also equally true that there is a Purgatory and that there is a Hell.

Someday, as yet unknown to us, this life will come to an end and God will judge us according to our deeds.  "For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.  Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober" (1 Thessalonians 5: 2, 7).

We need to be ready.  This is the theme of the Catholic liturgy as we approach the celebration of the Feast of Christ the King.

It is interesting to note how the liturgical year ends with the theme of the Second Coming, while at the same time, the new liturgical year also focuses on the same theme.

One would think that the new liturgical year would begin with a reflection on the Incarnation.  Nevertheless, the reason why the liturgical year ends and begins with the same theme is clear: if we have already embraced Jesus in his first coming, we will have no fear of his second coming.

What does it mean to be a true disciple of Jesus? 

Since a disciple is a student and a follower, each disciple must be a good listener.  Listeners are open and attentive. The true disciple will be eager to listen, to discover, and to understand.  The message will never be subject to critical analysis.  Instead, true disciples approach the wellspring of truth seeking to satiate a profound desire for happiness, transcendence and peace.

For true disciples know that only then will they find freedom in the truth. 

True discipleship requires perseverance.  The journey is long and obstacles abound.  True disciples will overcome discouragement and continue along the narrow road that leads to eternal life. Perseverance demands that as true disciples, we embark upon new beginnings. 

Courage is a third quality of authentic discipleship.  Disciples will not be able to simply contain the message.  The acquisition of truth will compel them to spread it to others. Moreover, they will always encounter challenges when they preach the truth to others.  Some will welcome it; many will reject it. 

Another characteristic of true discipleship is selflessness.  True disciples are consumed with love for someone much greater than they are.  When witnessing, these disciples do not draw attention to themselves nor do they preach their own message.  Empty of self, they are filled with the presence of the God who has called them by name.

Authentic disciples, while they struggle with their own sins and weaknesses, are nevertheless faithful stewards and messengers because their hope has been placed in the one who has called them.

Finally, another characteristic of the authentic disciple of Christ is passionate love.  Passionate love for Jesus allows the first disciples to leave everything behind immediately.  Because of their personal encounter with the Lord, they will never be the same.  Their lives have changed forever.  Discipleship is having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

This Sunday's gospel passage illustrates that we need to use and develop the gifts that God gives to us.  We will be judged on how well we accomplish this task.  God is the giver of all of the gifts that we posses. 

Although everyone has a different amount of gifts, everyone is called to implement the use of the gifts no matter how many or few they may be. 

When we use and develop the gifts that God gives to us, he gives us more gifts and calls us to higher tasks. 

Sloth, a capital sin, is totally incompatible with Christianity.

The reality of the Second Coming of Jesus does not permit us to be less concerned about our temporal duties.  Moreover, the trials of our times do not excuse the Christian to simply give up and retreat as if the Second Coming were imminent. 

Quoting Gaudium et Spes, one of the pinnacle documents of the Second Vatican Council, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth, the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows, foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come. That is why, although we must be careful to distinguish earthly progress clearly from the increase of the kingdom of Christ, such progress is of vital concern to the kingdom of God, insofar as it can contribute to the better ordering of human society."

As I explained clearly in my book Get Serious! – A Survival Guide for Serious Catholics, the laity are called to sanctify the temporal order. 

The primary involvement of the laity is not liturgical.

The temporal order is everything that exists outside of the parish church.  By their good works and their apostolic activity, the laity are called, through the Sacrament of Baptism, to bring Christ to the world.

As living members of the Church we must always be on fire for the Lord.  

The remedy for laziness or pessimism is to sit down with a sheet of paper and a pen.  Make a list of all of the wonderful gifts that God has given to you, thank him for these gifts and get to work. 

There is much to be done for the Kingdom!