Living Bread Radio
First Sunday of Lent
10 February 2008
At some time or another, temptation afflicts us all. During Lent we might be tempted to fail in our Lenten observances: to sneak a piece of pie or a beer even through we have given those things up. The various media in our modern, technologically advanced world offer temptations amid the benefits they provide. Images on television, advertising gimmicks, and computer pop-up ads all try to lure us toward a particular agenda or product. Sometimes, the images we are flooded with or the music we hear on the radio are more than just deceitful advertising. They are a subtle – or not so subtle – temptation to sin.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus goes out into the desert to pray for forty days, where He is tempted by the Devil. He is tempted toward three sins: gluttony, vanity, and greed. These are ly root sins which most of us, in our weak humanity, struggle to over come. We can find great comfort in the realization that Jesus Himself, in His sinless humanity, knew these temptations, and did overcome them. What is more, He took upon Himself the sins of us all and washed them clean in His own . His love, which is more powerful than any human sin, was manifest in the agony of the Cross for the salvation of the whole world.
When we are tempted – taunted by what we know is wrong but what feels good to us at the moment – we ought to turn to Jesus in prayer and find comfort and strength in His love and mercy. Strengthened by God’s grace, and fortified by His Word, we can answer the temptations of the Devil as Jesus did: “I shall worship the Lord, my God, and Him alone shall I serve!”
Living Bread Radio
Our Lady of Lourdes
Monday 11 February 2008
Today marks the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes. On this day in 1858, Mary first appeared to a named Bernadette, who has since been canonized a saint of the Church, in the countryside outside of Lourdes, France. To this day, thousands of pilgrims travel each year to Lourdes, to pray to Jesus through Mary at the place where she appeared. Many sick and suffering people are brought to Lourdes to bathe in the waters that flow from a miraculous spring in the hillside, which Mary showed to Bernadette. Countless men and women have been healed after washing in the spring at Lourdes.
Pope John Paul II dedicated the 11th of February as World Day of the Sick: a special day of prayer, of offering one’s suffering for the good of the Church, and of seeing in our sick and suffering brothers and sisters the face of Christ, whose own suffering achieved salvation for all mankind.
Today’s Gospel reminds us of our Christian obligation to care for and visit the sick, and to see in them the face of Christ. What we do in love for one another, or what we fail to do out of the hardness four hearts, we do or fail to do for Jesus. In this Lenten season, may we strengthen our resolve to pray and sacrifice for those in need in our midst, and so draw ever closer to the Heart of Christ. Now is the acceptable time to deepen our love. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Living Bread Radio
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
12 February 2008
If we pause for a moment to reflect on the first meetings we had with the people we now love dearly, perhaps a first date or a first day at school or at work where we met someone who is now a life-long friend, we can gain a valuable insight. Surely, we all will recognize that the relationships we treasure began with long conversations of getting to know the other person, and visible displays of our affection. Building a relationship is exciting.
After a time, though, relationships often change from intense contact into quiet devotion. Once we know the person fairly well, there is less exploration into who they are. We love the other person no less but we might begin to show our devotion less often. However, it is crucial for our human relationships that we continue to listen to others, and strive to discover more and more the nuances of their character.
Our relationship with God begins very intensely with Baptism, deepens later on at First Communion, and eventually Confirmation. In the early years of our formation in the faith, we begin to know God well and we show Him our love through the celebration of the Sacraments.
As we grow older it becomes possible to take our relationship with God for granted. We may love Him no less but we can easily show our affection less often. We may go to Mass less often and let our prayer life slip away. Just as with our human relationships, our relationship with God must be constantly deepened and intensified through prayer and celebration of the Sacraments.
Today in the Gospel, Jesus teaches His Disciples – and us – the perfect prayer, His prayer. When we take time every day to pray in the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer – calling on God as our Father, promising to fulfill our obligations, and trusting the God will meet our needs – we deepen our intimacy with the Lord. In this holy season of Lent, may we increase our devotion and be surprised at the wonderful things we discover about our loving God.
Living Bread Radio
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent
13 February 2008
Often when we are in need, and especially when we are enduring a difficult situation, we turn to the Lord in prayer. Our prayer may go on for weeks with no apparent answer and so we cry out: “Give me a sign, Lord, so I know you hear me.” We look for a visible, tangible sign to show us that the Lord in fact hears us. We want to know that our prayer is worthwhile. We long to experience God’s presence in a real way.
In today’s Gospel we see that the people of Jesus’ time also sought a sign. Jesus says to them: “No sign will be given to this generation except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.”
In the first reading today, we hear how Jonah was inspired by God to journey through the city of Nineveh for three days proclaiming that God’s wrath was soon to come upon the people because of their wickedness. Upon hearing Jonah’s preaching, the people believed in God and repented of their sins. They fasted and turned their hearts away from evil and back to God.
Jesus is so much greater than Jonah, as Jesus Himself says. When He was lifted high on the Cross and pierced for our sins, He became a living sign of the Father’s love for all men and women. The image of His passion remains a sign for us of the infinite love and mercy of God, a sign which speaks boldly to us, calling us to true and lasting repentance and conversion of our hearts.
Through the sacramental life of the Church, born in the saving tide of and water that flowed from the pierced side of Jesus on the Cross, we continue to have visible signs of God’s grace. In the Eucharist, where Christ is truly present, and in all the sacraments instituted by Christ, we find the fountain of grace to strengthen us in our own journey of repentance and conversion. May we continually make recourse to the Sacraments, that the abundant life of God may forever flow within us.
Living Bread Radio
Thursday of the First Week of Lent
14 February 2008
From the first moments of His public ministry, when He was baptized by John in the Jordan River, and His teaching the Disciples how to pray, through His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and the final moments of His Passion, Jesus always reveals God to us as our Heavenly Father. God is the Father of infinite mercy and justice, who welcomes back even His prodigal children if they but repent and run to Him. He is Our Father, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. God is the Father who sees our secret prayer, knows every hair on our heads, and gives good gifts to those who ask Him. Because God is revealed to us in Scripture in His Fatherhood, any human attempts to make inclusive or sterilize the language we use for Him fall flat and fail to express the reality of God.
God’s fatherhood is not the same as the human biological sense of the word, for there is no gender in God. Yet, He is the source of divine life, the one who begets the Son, and creator of all human life. The fatherhood of God is a comforting divine reality to which we can turn in our need and find solace. Even if one has never known a father in this world, everyone has a father in God, just as everyone has a mother in Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
This marvelous God cares for us as His very own children. If you who are parents, Jesus says, know how to give the best to your children – and certainly every parent wants the best for their children – how much more does God desire to give the very best – in this life and in eternal life to us, His sons and daughters. All we need to do is ask Him, seek Him, and knock at His door, and we will be blessed beyond measure with every good gift.
Living Bread Radio
Friday of the First Week of Lent
15 February 2008
In the Gospel today, Jesus tells His Disciples, and us: “if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother.”
We turn to the wisdom of Saint John Chrysostom to more deeply understand this teaching of Jesus. Notice that Jesus does not say to be reconciled with your brother “before making your offering” or “after your offering,” Chrysostom points out. Rather, “precisely while the very gift is lying there, when the sacrifice is already beginning, he sends you at that precise time to be reconciled with your brother.” God “desires to show how highly he values love and considers it to be the greatest sacrifice. So he does not even receive the sacrifice of worship without the sacrifice of love.”
Our religious observance, our offering gifts of prayer and tithes, is not acceptable to God if we at the same time harbor hatred in our hearts for our brothers and sisters. We cannot buy God’s love while remaining mired in sin and separated from others. Our religious devotion must be lived together with a commitment to be reconciled with, and loving toward, our brothers and sisters.
What is more, it is unacceptable to offer God our worship if we are at the same time separated from our brethren in the Church. Full communion in the Church means sharing in the sacraments and also sharing a common faith and discipline. If we have not lived up to the Church’s teachings, which are ultimately the teachings of Christ, our worship is not offered in spirit and in truth, and our reception of Holy Communion is not authentic.
God our Heavenly Father offers us a unique moment of grace in the Sacrament of Penance: an opportunity to repent of our sins and be completely reconciled with Him, with the Church, and with one another. May we seize this opportunity. In this Season of Lent, may we all be people of truth, who at the same time offer fitting worship and are reconciled to one another.
Living Bread Radio
Saturday of the First Week of Lent
16 February 2008
Instead of black and white answers, modern political and moral questions often leave plenty of gray area to sort through. Issues of economics, the environment, homeland security, and education are not easily solved. Even where the inviolable right to life is concerned, there are nuances to be considered: between different kinds of stem-cell research; or between actions which are always and in every case evil, and those which are subject to other considerations.
Today’s readings do not speak to any particular issue. Rather, they are about the attitude we ought to have as Catholic Christian people toward every issue. The attitude of the faithful disciple of Jesus is very clear. Moses offered to the Israelites a clear choice: to obey the covenant with God or to break it. There was no room to be holy some of the time or to follow only part of the Law. Jesus calls His disciples to nothing less than perfection: “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” There is no place for picking and choosing what to believe or when to believe it. Jesus leaves no room for loving some people or loving some of the time.
The attitude to which we all are called is complete fidelity to the Gospel and the teachings of the Church, which includes allowing our faith to form our consciences and guide our decisions. If we are to be authentic disciples, we cannot choose to be faithful on some issues and not on others; to love when it is convenient and not when it is difficult. Whatever the issue we face, the answer lies in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the perfect of love and life for us all. For the disciple of Jesus, there is no room for anything less than striving every day for perfection: perfect holiness, and perfect living out of the Gospel in every situation.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Homily First Sunday of Lent Year A 10 February 2008
At some time or another, temptation afflicts us all.
During Lent we might be tempted to fail in our Lenten observances:
to sneak a piece of pie or a beer even through we have given those things up.
The media offer plenty of temptations amid the benefits they provide.
Images on television, advertising gimmicks, and computer pop-up ads
all try to lure us toward a particular agenda or product.
Sometimes, the images we are flooded with or the music we hear on the radio
are more than just deceitful advertising.
They can be a subtle – or not so subtle – temptation to sin.
Sometimes co-workers, friends from school, and the people we socialize with
can offer tempting situations.
Other people can be a negative influence on us…
to have “just one more drink”
to cheat just a little…just this one time…
to do what we know is wrong “because everyone else is doing it.”
Temptation comes to us as people of faith and as a Church.
When the faith is unpopular and when ancient traditions loose their flavor
we are tempted to change of water down the faith
in order to give it greater appeal.
Instead, God calls us to put zest and zeal back into the life of the Church
by enriching one another with the beautiful masterpieces of Catholic life.
In the end, the truth, while perhaps less popular, is more effective for our salvation.
In a myriad of ways…some great and some seemingly small…
we are enticed to slip a little in our Christian commitments
and sneak a little taste of sinful pleasure.
Resisting the temptations the world around us presents
in order to remain committed to the Gospel message in its entirety
requires a constant effort to discipline ourselves
and continual deepening of our prayer life.
Deepening our prayer life and our spiritual discipline
is precisely what we are about in this Lenten season.
In this journey, it is most comforting to know
that Jesus Himself shared our struggle against sin.
Today’s Gospel portrays Jesus afflicted with temptations…
in particular temptations to three root sins with which we all struggle:
gluttony, vanity, and greed.
The temptations of Jesus are much like our own…
they arise because of some human need or emptiness in us
which we perceive we must fill on our own with some earthly pleasure.
First, the Devil recognizes that Jesus is hungry
and entices Him to use His divine power
to make bread out of stones in order to feed Himself.
Jesus replies that one does not live on earthly nourishment alone…
but on the nourishment that comes from the Word of God.
Second, playing on the natural human tendency to think highly of our selves…
the Devil takes Jesus up to the top of the temple
and entices Him to throw Himself to the ground…
knowing that He will be taken care of by none less than angels.
So often we come to believe we are invincible…that nothing will hurt us…
especially when we are a young person behind the wheel of our first car!
Jesus replies that the person of faith does not put God to the test
by presuming that He will take care of us even in our sin and recklessness.
Finally, the Devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in their splendor…
and knowing that weak humans will never be satisfied and always want more
he tempts Jesus to worship him in exchange for all the world’s power.
Jesus replies,
“The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”
It is of great comfort to all of us to know
that Jesus endured the temptations that we…in our weak humanity…endure
and that Jesus…in His sinless humanity…resisted and overcame them.
We know what is right and what is wrong…
we know the good we should be doing…
and yet the voices of temptation attack our will and erode our resolve.
He knows well what we go through in our daily lives…
striving to die to self and resist sin…in order to live for Christ.
trying to be good kids…good parents who raise your children well…
struggling to make good out of the imperfections of human life.
[PAUSE]
Even more than offering a source of comfort…
today’s Gospel also teaches us very important lessons.
Jesus reminds us that there is in fact a tempter
who tries to lure us away from our loyalty to Christ.
It is dangerous to de-personalize sin and speak only of general concepts of “evil.”
“The Devil’s greatest trick”…one famous person wrote…
“is to make us believe he doesn’t exist.”
Our own parish patron, Saint Michael, is our defender against Satan and evil.
Praying the Prayer to Saint Michael is a good and holy way
to beg God for help in the fight against sin.
Jesus also teaches us a lesson about our human needs and emptiness.
Our self-concern is an easy target for temptations.
We are tempted to sin because we think we have to fill up our emptiness ourselves.
The voices of temptation tell us that worldly pleasure will bring us lasting happiness.
The truth is that we cannot possibly find fulfillment except in God.
In our spiritual lives, we must know ourselves well,
and know what circumstances offer temptation…
or what we call “near occasions of sin.”
Then we must strive to find good and holy ways
of responding to those moments of weakness.
In times of temptation, we must turn to the Lord in prayer
and ask Him to fill our hearts with love only for Him.
Temptation is real.
Sin is real.
But the love of God…
which is more powerful than any human sin
and which alone can fulfill every human need
will conquer darkness and bring us to the joy of eternal light.
Praise to you, O Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ!
During Lent we might be tempted to fail in our Lenten observances:
to sneak a piece of pie or a beer even through we have given those things up.
The media offer plenty of temptations amid the benefits they provide.
Images on television, advertising gimmicks, and computer pop-up ads
all try to lure us toward a particular agenda or product.
Sometimes, the images we are flooded with or the music we hear on the radio
are more than just deceitful advertising.
They can be a subtle – or not so subtle – temptation to sin.
Sometimes co-workers, friends from school, and the people we socialize with
can offer tempting situations.
Other people can be a negative influence on us…
to have “just one more drink”
to cheat just a little…just this one time…
to do what we know is wrong “because everyone else is doing it.”
Temptation comes to us as people of faith and as a Church.
When the faith is unpopular and when ancient traditions loose their flavor
we are tempted to change of water down the faith
in order to give it greater appeal.
Instead, God calls us to put zest and zeal back into the life of the Church
by enriching one another with the beautiful masterpieces of Catholic life.
In the end, the truth, while perhaps less popular, is more effective for our salvation.
In a myriad of ways…some great and some seemingly small…
we are enticed to slip a little in our Christian commitments
and sneak a little taste of sinful pleasure.
Resisting the temptations the world around us presents
in order to remain committed to the Gospel message in its entirety
requires a constant effort to discipline ourselves
and continual deepening of our prayer life.
Deepening our prayer life and our spiritual discipline
is precisely what we are about in this Lenten season.
In this journey, it is most comforting to know
that Jesus Himself shared our struggle against sin.
Today’s Gospel portrays Jesus afflicted with temptations…
in particular temptations to three root sins with which we all struggle:
gluttony, vanity, and greed.
The temptations of Jesus are much like our own…
they arise because of some human need or emptiness in us
which we perceive we must fill on our own with some earthly pleasure.
First, the Devil recognizes that Jesus is hungry
and entices Him to use His divine power
to make bread out of stones in order to feed Himself.
Jesus replies that one does not live on earthly nourishment alone…
but on the nourishment that comes from the Word of God.
Second, playing on the natural human tendency to think highly of our selves…
the Devil takes Jesus up to the top of the temple
and entices Him to throw Himself to the ground…
knowing that He will be taken care of by none less than angels.
So often we come to believe we are invincible…that nothing will hurt us…
especially when we are a young person behind the wheel of our first car!
Jesus replies that the person of faith does not put God to the test
by presuming that He will take care of us even in our sin and recklessness.
Finally, the Devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in their splendor…
and knowing that weak humans will never be satisfied and always want more
he tempts Jesus to worship him in exchange for all the world’s power.
Jesus replies,
“The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”
It is of great comfort to all of us to know
that Jesus endured the temptations that we…in our weak humanity…endure
and that Jesus…in His sinless humanity…resisted and overcame them.
We know what is right and what is wrong…
we know the good we should be doing…
and yet the voices of temptation attack our will and erode our resolve.
He knows well what we go through in our daily lives…
striving to die to self and resist sin…in order to live for Christ.
trying to be good kids…good parents who raise your children well…
struggling to make good out of the imperfections of human life.
[PAUSE]
Even more than offering a source of comfort…
today’s Gospel also teaches us very important lessons.
Jesus reminds us that there is in fact a tempter
who tries to lure us away from our loyalty to Christ.
It is dangerous to de-personalize sin and speak only of general concepts of “evil.”
“The Devil’s greatest trick”…one famous person wrote…
“is to make us believe he doesn’t exist.”
Our own parish patron, Saint Michael, is our defender against Satan and evil.
Praying the Prayer to Saint Michael is a good and holy way
to beg God for help in the fight against sin.
Jesus also teaches us a lesson about our human needs and emptiness.
Our self-concern is an easy target for temptations.
We are tempted to sin because we think we have to fill up our emptiness ourselves.
The voices of temptation tell us that worldly pleasure will bring us lasting happiness.
The truth is that we cannot possibly find fulfillment except in God.
In our spiritual lives, we must know ourselves well,
and know what circumstances offer temptation…
or what we call “near occasions of sin.”
Then we must strive to find good and holy ways
of responding to those moments of weakness.
In times of temptation, we must turn to the Lord in prayer
and ask Him to fill our hearts with love only for Him.
Temptation is real.
Sin is real.
But the love of God…
which is more powerful than any human sin
and which alone can fulfill every human need
will conquer darkness and bring us to the joy of eternal light.
Praise to you, O Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Homily Ash Wednesday 6 February 2008
Those who do not understand the authentic Tradition and teachings of the Church
often set up false dichotomies between apparently disparate realities.
In Church news right now, our Holy Father has been harshly criticized
by some poorly informed commentators
who view his approach to the Liturgy as a rejection of Vatican II.
Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.
What we are seeing in the papacy of Benedict XVI
is the recovery of beautiful aspects of our Catholic heritage – your heritage –
which have been lost
and the re-orientation of worship in the direction it belongs:
toward God, and not toward ourselves.
This recovery and re-orientation is in no way in opposition to Vatican II…
but is in every way in continuity with the whole Catholic Tradition.
Today’s readings give us an opportunity to reflect on this theme…
and the beautiful Catholic world view…
which sees things not as “either/or” but as “both/and”
so long as both are reflective of the ultimate truth of Christ.
In the Gospel, Jesus gives His famous admonitions
about the danger of making a spectacle of our religious observances.
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them.”
Do not blow a trumpet to announce your almsgiving.
Do not pray publicly on street corners.
Do not soil your face so as to make your fasting obvious.
Instead, pray, fast, and give alms in secret…
and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.
However, just moments before we heard these words from Jesus,
we heard the prophet Joel declare:
“Blow the trumpet in Zion!
Proclaim a fast, call an assembly!
Gather the people…assemble the elders!”
Not only that…but here we are…
praying in a very public way in this huge church building
and smearing ashes on our foreheads
to make our Lenten observance very obvious!
One might find in all this an inherent contradiction.
Instead, we who have faith in Jesus find in this celebration and in these readings
the core reality of our Lenten observance:
the outward symbols of our faith are absolutely necessary
but they are without value
if they do not flow from a deep, inner conversion of our hearts and reorientation of our lives toward the Lord.
Outward symbols and rituals are of great significance to us…
as is public celebration of the Church’s liturgical prayer
and public witness to the Faith and to what God has wrought in our lives.
Sometimes, too, when words are not enough,
we have to show to others what is important.
In the seminary, we heard many talks about our role as public leaders and witnesses.
Our rector would say:
“Do not pray to be seen; but it’s good to be seen praying.”
Outward signs…on our bodies, in our worship, and in our church buildings…
do matter a great deal.
They help us better understand and teach to others
the mysteries of the faith and the themes of our liturgical seasons.
But outward signs are at least pointless, if not destructive,
if they do not flow from hearts united to the Lord
and if they do not express the authentic faith of the Church.
Outward signs are significant.
But inner conversion of our hearts is of eternal significance
and must lie at the foundation of all we do and say.
Lent affords us the opportunity to recognize that we are sinners in need of mercy,
and to embrace the inner conversion which the Lord desires.
We undertake this process of conversion anew each Lent …
this process of turning of hearts and lives back to God…
by uniting our hearts to God in prayer
by disciplining our bodies and spirits through fasting
and by giving alms…sacrificing our own treasures for those in need.
Now is the acceptable time of which Saint Paul speaks…
now is the day of salvation!
Now is the time for conversion and deeper holiness…
and so may we all make this Lent our best Lent ever…
for we know not if we shall see another one.
May we turn our hearts ever more toward the Lord…
in all we do…this Lent and every day…
and so draw ever closer to the heart of Christ,
which was bruised for our offenses, and pierced for our sins.
Praise to you, O Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless glory!
often set up false dichotomies between apparently disparate realities.
In Church news right now, our Holy Father has been harshly criticized
by some poorly informed commentators
who view his approach to the Liturgy as a rejection of Vatican II.
Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.
What we are seeing in the papacy of Benedict XVI
is the recovery of beautiful aspects of our Catholic heritage – your heritage –
which have been lost
and the re-orientation of worship in the direction it belongs:
toward God, and not toward ourselves.
This recovery and re-orientation is in no way in opposition to Vatican II…
but is in every way in continuity with the whole Catholic Tradition.
Today’s readings give us an opportunity to reflect on this theme…
and the beautiful Catholic world view…
which sees things not as “either/or” but as “both/and”
so long as both are reflective of the ultimate truth of Christ.
In the Gospel, Jesus gives His famous admonitions
about the danger of making a spectacle of our religious observances.
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them.”
Do not blow a trumpet to announce your almsgiving.
Do not pray publicly on street corners.
Do not soil your face so as to make your fasting obvious.
Instead, pray, fast, and give alms in secret…
and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.
However, just moments before we heard these words from Jesus,
we heard the prophet Joel declare:
“Blow the trumpet in Zion!
Proclaim a fast, call an assembly!
Gather the people…assemble the elders!”
Not only that…but here we are…
praying in a very public way in this huge church building
and smearing ashes on our foreheads
to make our Lenten observance very obvious!
One might find in all this an inherent contradiction.
Instead, we who have faith in Jesus find in this celebration and in these readings
the core reality of our Lenten observance:
the outward symbols of our faith are absolutely necessary
but they are without value
if they do not flow from a deep, inner conversion of our hearts and reorientation of our lives toward the Lord.
Outward symbols and rituals are of great significance to us…
as is public celebration of the Church’s liturgical prayer
and public witness to the Faith and to what God has wrought in our lives.
Sometimes, too, when words are not enough,
we have to show to others what is important.
In the seminary, we heard many talks about our role as public leaders and witnesses.
Our rector would say:
“Do not pray to be seen; but it’s good to be seen praying.”
Outward signs…on our bodies, in our worship, and in our church buildings…
do matter a great deal.
They help us better understand and teach to others
the mysteries of the faith and the themes of our liturgical seasons.
But outward signs are at least pointless, if not destructive,
if they do not flow from hearts united to the Lord
and if they do not express the authentic faith of the Church.
Outward signs are significant.
But inner conversion of our hearts is of eternal significance
and must lie at the foundation of all we do and say.
Lent affords us the opportunity to recognize that we are sinners in need of mercy,
and to embrace the inner conversion which the Lord desires.
We undertake this process of conversion anew each Lent …
this process of turning of hearts and lives back to God…
by uniting our hearts to God in prayer
by disciplining our bodies and spirits through fasting
and by giving alms…sacrificing our own treasures for those in need.
Now is the acceptable time of which Saint Paul speaks…
now is the day of salvation!
Now is the time for conversion and deeper holiness…
and so may we all make this Lent our best Lent ever…
for we know not if we shall see another one.
May we turn our hearts ever more toward the Lord…
in all we do…this Lent and every day…
and so draw ever closer to the heart of Christ,
which was bruised for our offenses, and pierced for our sins.
Praise to you, O Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless glory!
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Homily Fourth Sunday of the Year 3 February 2008
In the late 1800s, Cardinal Rafael Merry del Valle…
Secretary of State under Saint Pope Pius X…
wrote this prayer…which he often said before the celebration of Mass:
O Jesus meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver, me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver, me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase, and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should,Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
This exquisite prayer…called the “Litany of Humility”…
perhaps sounds strange to our ears…perhaps “old-fashioned”
in a world that has “progressed” beyond humility.
However, surely the problem lies not in the prayer…
but in those who forget its lesson.
The lesson of this prayer…
as well as today’s readings from Sacred Scripture…
is, quite simply: “the world does not revolve around us!”
God calls His faithful people to practice humility.
God chooses the humble to carry out His mission…
the foolish in the eyes of the world to shame the wise…
the weak of this world to shame those who are strong
according to their own designs.
In God’s eyes, the poor in spirit, the humble,
are blessed and shall receive eternal life in the kingdom of heaven.
Humility is that virtue which causes us
to recognize our natural weakness and sins…
to understand ourselves and our relationship with God…
and thus restrain within us any temptation
to exalt ourselves above God, the Church, or one another.
For if we know our weakness and sins…
we surely know that none of us is in a position
to make ourselves the center of the world.
Of course, humility does not mean that we reject our talents and abilities.
We simply recognize that they are not of our own creation.
They are from God…and we use them in His service.
Only when we have become humble in spirit before God…
then He can use us to teach the wise and shame the strong.
It is interesting that Cardinal del Valle prayed the litany he wrote before Mass.
For truly, humility is most necessary whenever priests or the faithful
approach the sacred mysteries of the Altar.
We ought not ever consecrate or receive the Eucharist
without a profound sense of humility
before the living and abiding presence of Jesus Christ in our midst.
Celebrating the Sacred Liturgy is not about being intelligent or artistic enough
to create a beautiful celebration…
but about being humble enough to accept what the Church gives us
which is infinitely more beautiful and holy than our own designs.
For the Church’s Liturgy is the work of God in our midst.
He who humbled Himself to become man
and to suffer the agony of the Cross for our sins…
now humbles Himself to come into our midst
under the forms of bread and wine.
May we receive Him with profound humility…
and live His humility in our lives…
that the joy of His kingdom…now and in eternity…may be ours!
Secretary of State under Saint Pope Pius X…
wrote this prayer…which he often said before the celebration of Mass:
O Jesus meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver, me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver, me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase, and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should,Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
This exquisite prayer…called the “Litany of Humility”…
perhaps sounds strange to our ears…perhaps “old-fashioned”
in a world that has “progressed” beyond humility.
However, surely the problem lies not in the prayer…
but in those who forget its lesson.
The lesson of this prayer…
as well as today’s readings from Sacred Scripture…
is, quite simply: “the world does not revolve around us!”
God calls His faithful people to practice humility.
God chooses the humble to carry out His mission…
the foolish in the eyes of the world to shame the wise…
the weak of this world to shame those who are strong
according to their own designs.
In God’s eyes, the poor in spirit, the humble,
are blessed and shall receive eternal life in the kingdom of heaven.
Humility is that virtue which causes us
to recognize our natural weakness and sins…
to understand ourselves and our relationship with God…
and thus restrain within us any temptation
to exalt ourselves above God, the Church, or one another.
For if we know our weakness and sins…
we surely know that none of us is in a position
to make ourselves the center of the world.
Of course, humility does not mean that we reject our talents and abilities.
We simply recognize that they are not of our own creation.
They are from God…and we use them in His service.
Only when we have become humble in spirit before God…
then He can use us to teach the wise and shame the strong.
It is interesting that Cardinal del Valle prayed the litany he wrote before Mass.
For truly, humility is most necessary whenever priests or the faithful
approach the sacred mysteries of the Altar.
We ought not ever consecrate or receive the Eucharist
without a profound sense of humility
before the living and abiding presence of Jesus Christ in our midst.
Celebrating the Sacred Liturgy is not about being intelligent or artistic enough
to create a beautiful celebration…
but about being humble enough to accept what the Church gives us
which is infinitely more beautiful and holy than our own designs.
For the Church’s Liturgy is the work of God in our midst.
He who humbled Himself to become man
and to suffer the agony of the Cross for our sins…
now humbles Himself to come into our midst
under the forms of bread and wine.
May we receive Him with profound humility…
and live His humility in our lives…
that the joy of His kingdom…now and in eternity…may be ours!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Homily Second Sunday of the Year 20 January 2008
Father Isaac Hecker…the founder of the Paulist Fathers…once said:
“The whole future of the human race
depends on bringing the individual soul
more completely and perfectly under the sway of the Holy Spirit.”
Father Hecker lived in the early 1800s.
Yet, his words are not bound to the moment in which they were spoken.
They mean a great deal to us today…
as we watch the world around us grown further from God
and more distant from the dominion of the Holy Spirit.
In a world of license and endless creativity for its own sake…
precious few souls are under the sway of the Holy Spirit.
In a world of selfishness…
the virtue of docility to the will of God has been forgotten.
[PAUSE]
As men and women who have been baptized into Christ's Body…
our lives have been given a radically new meaning from the rest of humanity.
We do not live for ourselves but for God and one another.
An essential element of our Christian life is surrendering ourselves to God’s will.
This means praying each morning and offering the day to God…
thanking Him in prayer each night for the blessings and lessons of the day…
making God a part every decision of our lives.
Instead of falling into frustration and despair…
because we can’t figure something out…
or because we can’t find the answer…
we ought to turn instead to the Lord…and away from ourselves… and pray for guidance from above.
If we do this…then life will become less about our disappointing selves…
and will become focused on the Lord,
whose perfect wisdom will never let us down.
Docility to the Holy Spirit also means surrendering our ideas and opinions
to the mind of the Church.
Even when we are convinced the Church needs to change her teaching…
to conform to what we think…
the true Catholic is docile to the Spirit, who guides the Church,
and says: “The Church knows better, and I shall cling to her.”
In everything, our lives should proclaim the refrain of our Responsorial Psalm…
“Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will!”
[PAUSE]
As the Prophet Isaiah teaches in today’s First Reading:
It is too little for us to be the Lord’s servants…
The Lord desires to make us lights to the nations.
It is not enough for us
to have this deep relationship of docility in the Lord’s presence the Lord…
and keep it to ourselves.
In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist testifies
that he has seen the Holy Spirit…right before him…descending upon Jesus.
Like John…we, too, are called to testify to the presence of the Holy Spirit…
wherever and whenever we recognize Him.
The presence of the Holy Spirit is alive in this parish!
He is alive…
in the hearts of every person who worthily receives Holy Communion… in every soul forgiven in Confession…
in every sick and suffering soul who receives love and peace from our hands.
The Spirit is alive in the hearts of the men and women
who are serving on our newly-formed Vocations Committee…
which met for the first time this past week.
The Spirit is alive in the devout parishioners
who pray before the Blessed Sacrament
in the chapel every Thursday evening.
It is because of their prayers…
that grace that the rest of us need to continue our mission in the Church…
flows in abundance.
He can be alive in your heart, too, if you give of your time and join them in prayer.
The Spirit is alive in the busload of your fellow parishioners
who will be travelling to Washington, D.C. tomorrow for the March for Life.
The so-called “pro-choice” movement…is one stark example
of how our society has drifted far from the sway of the Spirit.
Praying for an end to abortion…as well as euthanasia and the death penalty…
and witnessing publicly to the sanctity of human life
is one critical way we can witness to the Spirit
and bring souls once again closer to God.
The culture of death must end now…and no one but you can make that happen.
If we still have to go next year, we’re taking two busses to Washington.
I’ll be counting on you to fill them.
We testify to the Spirit whenever we teach others about the Faith.
We testify to the Spirit whenever we live lives of holiness and virtue.
We testify to the Spirit whenever we reach out to others in need.
The world needs you…now…
to be a voice for the innocent ones who suffer
to testify to the Spirit’s presence, and His truth
and to bring every soul under the sway of the Spirit.
“The whole future of the human race
depends on bringing the individual soul
more completely and perfectly under the sway of the Holy Spirit.”
Father Hecker lived in the early 1800s.
Yet, his words are not bound to the moment in which they were spoken.
They mean a great deal to us today…
as we watch the world around us grown further from God
and more distant from the dominion of the Holy Spirit.
In a world of license and endless creativity for its own sake…
precious few souls are under the sway of the Holy Spirit.
In a world of selfishness…
the virtue of docility to the will of God has been forgotten.
[PAUSE]
As men and women who have been baptized into Christ's Body…
our lives have been given a radically new meaning from the rest of humanity.
We do not live for ourselves but for God and one another.
An essential element of our Christian life is surrendering ourselves to God’s will.
This means praying each morning and offering the day to God…
thanking Him in prayer each night for the blessings and lessons of the day…
making God a part every decision of our lives.
Instead of falling into frustration and despair…
because we can’t figure something out…
or because we can’t find the answer…
we ought to turn instead to the Lord…and away from ourselves… and pray for guidance from above.
If we do this…then life will become less about our disappointing selves…
and will become focused on the Lord,
whose perfect wisdom will never let us down.
Docility to the Holy Spirit also means surrendering our ideas and opinions
to the mind of the Church.
Even when we are convinced the Church needs to change her teaching…
to conform to what we think…
the true Catholic is docile to the Spirit, who guides the Church,
and says: “The Church knows better, and I shall cling to her.”
In everything, our lives should proclaim the refrain of our Responsorial Psalm…
“Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will!”
[PAUSE]
As the Prophet Isaiah teaches in today’s First Reading:
It is too little for us to be the Lord’s servants…
The Lord desires to make us lights to the nations.
It is not enough for us
to have this deep relationship of docility in the Lord’s presence the Lord…
and keep it to ourselves.
In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist testifies
that he has seen the Holy Spirit…right before him…descending upon Jesus.
Like John…we, too, are called to testify to the presence of the Holy Spirit…
wherever and whenever we recognize Him.
The presence of the Holy Spirit is alive in this parish!
He is alive…
in the hearts of every person who worthily receives Holy Communion… in every soul forgiven in Confession…
in every sick and suffering soul who receives love and peace from our hands.
The Spirit is alive in the hearts of the men and women
who are serving on our newly-formed Vocations Committee…
which met for the first time this past week.
The Spirit is alive in the devout parishioners
who pray before the Blessed Sacrament
in the chapel every Thursday evening.
It is because of their prayers…
that grace that the rest of us need to continue our mission in the Church…
flows in abundance.
He can be alive in your heart, too, if you give of your time and join them in prayer.
The Spirit is alive in the busload of your fellow parishioners
who will be travelling to Washington, D.C. tomorrow for the March for Life.
The so-called “pro-choice” movement…is one stark example
of how our society has drifted far from the sway of the Spirit.
Praying for an end to abortion…as well as euthanasia and the death penalty…
and witnessing publicly to the sanctity of human life
is one critical way we can witness to the Spirit
and bring souls once again closer to God.
The culture of death must end now…and no one but you can make that happen.
If we still have to go next year, we’re taking two busses to Washington.
I’ll be counting on you to fill them.
We testify to the Spirit whenever we teach others about the Faith.
We testify to the Spirit whenever we live lives of holiness and virtue.
We testify to the Spirit whenever we reach out to others in need.
The world needs you…now…
to be a voice for the innocent ones who suffer
to testify to the Spirit’s presence, and His truth
and to bring every soul under the sway of the Spirit.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Homily Baptism of the Lord Year A 13 January 2008
The Baptism of Jesus is a moment of supreme humility
on the part of Jesus, the Word made flesh.
Jesus, the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the whole world,
has no sins which could be washed away in the waters of Baptism.
Yet He insists on being baptized.
John the Baptizer protests.
Even John, the one who came to prepare the way for the King, does not understand.
It doesn’t seem right to him.
Yet, John…in humility and in obedience…surrenders his will to the will of Christ.
Jesus was not baptized for His own sake but for ours.
Jesus comes to present Himself for Baptism…
not that He may be sanctified…
but so that He might Himself sanctify the very waters of Baptism.
As He enters the waters, He is not cleansed of sins…
as we have been in our own Baptism.
Instead, as He rises from the waters, our sins cling to Him.
As He did in becoming man in the womb of the Virgin,
Jesus again humbles Himself to be baptized by John.
By his own plunging into the waters of the Jordan River…
He makes the sacramental sign of water holy
and institutes the Sacrament of Baptism for the good of His Church.
The voice of the Father is heard delighting in what His Son has done.
The Spirit hovers over to river to bestow grace on this holy moment.
The Triune God is present in His fullness
as the path to holiness and eternal life is opened for all humanity.
Baptism bestows on our souls an indelible character… a mark…a seal…
which brands our soul…as belonging to Christ.
The baptismal character consecrates the baptized for the Christian life…
sets them apart from the rest of humanity…
because of the intimate relationship with Jesus Christ
into which we are drawn through this sacrament.
The Baptismal seal enables the baptized…and compels us…to live in Christ…
by authentic participation in the Sacred Liturgy
by the witness of a holy and devout life
by the practice of charity
and by carrying the truth and love of Jesus Christ to the world!
The baptismal call of all the baptized is a solemn responsibility…
and it is one that must be understood in its authentic fullness.
The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council
offered very beautiful and precise teachings
about the mission of the baptized faithful.
In Lumen Gentium,
the Council’s document on the nature of the Church, it is written:
The baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated as a spiritual house…
They live in the ordinary circumstances of family and social life, from which the very web of their existence is woven. They are called there by God that by exercising their proper function and led by the spirit of the Gospel they may work for the sanctification of the world from within as a leaven. In this way they may make Christ known to others, especially by the testimony of a life resplendent in faith, hope and charity.
This teaching of the Church is of incredible significance to all of us…
for it not only offers a framework of what disciples are called to do…
but it defines who you are as members of Christ’s Mystical Body.
You who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ…
are strengthened and enlivened by his grace to live the faith you profess.
What defines the unique call of the baptized faithful
as distinct from the clerical state…
is that you are called to evangelize the world.
My own unique vocation is intimately connected with the celebration of the Mass.
I am most a priest when I offer the sacrifice of the Mass and preach the Gospel.
While the faithful are expected to take part in the Mass…
in a real and deeply spiritual way…
your own vocation is not fulfilled there.
You have access to people and places where I as a priest cannot go…
your workplaces, your schools, your homes…
and so you can bring Christ…and His truth and love…
into the lives of others in ways I could never dream of.
While it is good that so many of you offer yourselves to the Church
in various ministries in the Liturgy…
your proper vocation is not fulfilled by your service in the sanctuary.
God desires to work in you in so many other ways.
You are husbands and wives…mothers and fathers…students and teachers…
co-workers and colleagues.
Open your hearts to God’s grace at work in your lives in the world.
The Church does not teach about the distinct call of laity and clergy and religious
because of a need for power or a sense of superiority…
as the accusations go.
Rather, we recognize that essential distinctions must be made
and the truth of who we are must be lived out.
Holiness is in the details!
Every baptized person has been renewed in Christ by the grace of our Baptism…
and so are called to live in Christ and to proclaim His Gospel.
From within the faithful, men chosen by God for the priesthood
are further set apart as consecrated ministers of Word and Sacrament.
Also from within the faithful, God calls men and women
to live the consecrated religious life.
As we celebrate the beginning of Vocations Awareness Week today…
we are reminded of these critical distinctions
among the members of Christ's Body.
Holiness is in the details!
Muddying the distinctions only serves to suck the life out of each unique calling.
God calls each person for a unique purpose.
Holiness is found only by living as God calls you…
and none of us can live another’s vocation!
Ponder today where God has called…or is calling…you.
Humble yourselves before His will…and embrace the fullness of your vocation.
Embrace the truth…
and strive always for holiness in the details of each and every day!
on the part of Jesus, the Word made flesh.
Jesus, the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the whole world,
has no sins which could be washed away in the waters of Baptism.
Yet He insists on being baptized.
John the Baptizer protests.
Even John, the one who came to prepare the way for the King, does not understand.
It doesn’t seem right to him.
Yet, John…in humility and in obedience…surrenders his will to the will of Christ.
Jesus was not baptized for His own sake but for ours.
Jesus comes to present Himself for Baptism…
not that He may be sanctified…
but so that He might Himself sanctify the very waters of Baptism.
As He enters the waters, He is not cleansed of sins…
as we have been in our own Baptism.
Instead, as He rises from the waters, our sins cling to Him.
As He did in becoming man in the womb of the Virgin,
Jesus again humbles Himself to be baptized by John.
By his own plunging into the waters of the Jordan River…
He makes the sacramental sign of water holy
and institutes the Sacrament of Baptism for the good of His Church.
The voice of the Father is heard delighting in what His Son has done.
The Spirit hovers over to river to bestow grace on this holy moment.
The Triune God is present in His fullness
as the path to holiness and eternal life is opened for all humanity.
Baptism bestows on our souls an indelible character… a mark…a seal…
which brands our soul…as belonging to Christ.
The baptismal character consecrates the baptized for the Christian life…
sets them apart from the rest of humanity…
because of the intimate relationship with Jesus Christ
into which we are drawn through this sacrament.
The Baptismal seal enables the baptized…and compels us…to live in Christ…
by authentic participation in the Sacred Liturgy
by the witness of a holy and devout life
by the practice of charity
and by carrying the truth and love of Jesus Christ to the world!
The baptismal call of all the baptized is a solemn responsibility…
and it is one that must be understood in its authentic fullness.
The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council
offered very beautiful and precise teachings
about the mission of the baptized faithful.
In Lumen Gentium,
the Council’s document on the nature of the Church, it is written:
The baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated as a spiritual house…
They live in the ordinary circumstances of family and social life, from which the very web of their existence is woven. They are called there by God that by exercising their proper function and led by the spirit of the Gospel they may work for the sanctification of the world from within as a leaven. In this way they may make Christ known to others, especially by the testimony of a life resplendent in faith, hope and charity.
This teaching of the Church is of incredible significance to all of us…
for it not only offers a framework of what disciples are called to do…
but it defines who you are as members of Christ’s Mystical Body.
You who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ…
are strengthened and enlivened by his grace to live the faith you profess.
What defines the unique call of the baptized faithful
as distinct from the clerical state…
is that you are called to evangelize the world.
My own unique vocation is intimately connected with the celebration of the Mass.
I am most a priest when I offer the sacrifice of the Mass and preach the Gospel.
While the faithful are expected to take part in the Mass…
in a real and deeply spiritual way…
your own vocation is not fulfilled there.
You have access to people and places where I as a priest cannot go…
your workplaces, your schools, your homes…
and so you can bring Christ…and His truth and love…
into the lives of others in ways I could never dream of.
While it is good that so many of you offer yourselves to the Church
in various ministries in the Liturgy…
your proper vocation is not fulfilled by your service in the sanctuary.
God desires to work in you in so many other ways.
You are husbands and wives…mothers and fathers…students and teachers…
co-workers and colleagues.
Open your hearts to God’s grace at work in your lives in the world.
The Church does not teach about the distinct call of laity and clergy and religious
because of a need for power or a sense of superiority…
as the accusations go.
Rather, we recognize that essential distinctions must be made
and the truth of who we are must be lived out.
Holiness is in the details!
Every baptized person has been renewed in Christ by the grace of our Baptism…
and so are called to live in Christ and to proclaim His Gospel.
From within the faithful, men chosen by God for the priesthood
are further set apart as consecrated ministers of Word and Sacrament.
Also from within the faithful, God calls men and women
to live the consecrated religious life.
As we celebrate the beginning of Vocations Awareness Week today…
we are reminded of these critical distinctions
among the members of Christ's Body.
Holiness is in the details!
Muddying the distinctions only serves to suck the life out of each unique calling.
God calls each person for a unique purpose.
Holiness is found only by living as God calls you…
and none of us can live another’s vocation!
Ponder today where God has called…or is calling…you.
Humble yourselves before His will…and embrace the fullness of your vocation.
Embrace the truth…
and strive always for holiness in the details of each and every day!
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Homily Solemnity of the Epiphany 6 January 2008
Today we reflect upon and ponder
the journey of faith of three men of the ancient world
whose lives are caught up in a search for Christ.
Legend and history combine to help us imagine these men and their journey.
First, there is Gaspar…
His name is from the Persian word for “treasurer.”
Gaspar is a man of wealth and power…
dressed in fine robes of purple silk…
his head crowned with an elegant turban.
He makes his way down from the region around the Black Sea…
to bring his treasure box to the newborn king:
a beautiful vessel of frankincense…
fragrant African aromatic resin…
symbolic of prayer…and laced with gold.
He brings incense…an ancient symbol of the presence of God.
All the treasure in the world cannot compare to the joy and splendor
of being able to adore the Christ Child.
Second, there is Balthazar…
His name is of Phoenician origin, meaning “Lord protect the king.”
Legend says he was a Nubian, the king of Saba in Africa.
He brings to Jesus a vessel of myrrh, an aromatic oil
that comes from the bark of thorny African trees.
The gift of myrrh keeps the inevitable passion of Christ in our minds.
For myrrh is a symbol of suffering…
and was used in the ancient world to anoint the bodies of the dead.
Hidden in that precious gift to the baby Jesus…in a time of joy and love…
was the gentle warning that suffering was to come…
that the passion would come.
Finally, there is Melchior…
His name is Semitic, from the Middle East, meaning “king city.”
He is a wise and dignified man, allegedly the eldest of the Magi.
He is a king in the ancient Arab world.
He brought to Jesus the precious gift of gold…
a fitting honor for this child who is also a king.
[PAUSE]
These men of wealth, power, and prestige…
men who had all they needed to be comfortable in this world…
set out on a journey
which was the goal and summit of their whole lives.
They set out separately…each from their own homeland…
following the same star through deserts and mountains…for perhaps years…
until at last the star…a sign of God’s providence…
showed them the way to Bethlehem.
They meet one another near the city and together approach Herod
to discover the precise place where they will find Jesus.
Imagine the excitement in these men’s hearts as they encounter one another…
realizing how God has drawn them together from separate and distant places
and has woven their lives together for a very special purpose.
They represent all the nations of the world coming to adore their king and God.
Imagine the stories they share with one another about their unique journeys.
Imagine their amazement at realizing they are not alone in this journey…
that God was leading them to Christ…and to one another…as well.
With Herod’s directions, they make the last steps of their sacred journey.
One might imagine that they are dead silent…
overcome with anticipation and awe as they approach the Holy Family.
They lay down their treasures…fall to their knees…prostrate…and adore Jesus.
Humbly, they place their costliest treasures before Him.
Humbly, they lay down themselves before Him!
Rising, they are filled with grace and peace.
They are changed forever, renewed and enlivened by their encounter with Christ.
They depart…as the Lord tells them…by another route.
[PAUSE]
The Lord has touched our hearts and called each of us from different places
to meet him face-to-face…and to be members of His holy Church.
His providential hand has led us through deserts of suffering
and the seemingly insurmountable mountains of life’s troubles.
Each of you has a uniquely amazing and beautiful story
of how you came to truly know Jesus Christ.
We could share with one another our stories…
and be amazed at how God has drawn us to Himself…and to one another.
We are Christians…and we have been drawn into a relationship with Christ.
Christ awaits us.
He waits for us to lay down before Him all that we treasure…
the material things that we hold on to…
to return to Him…for His glory…the gifts He has bestowed upon us.
But it does not end there.
He waits for us to lay down ourselves before Him…as the wise men did…
to lay down our egos, our pride, the ideas we hold contrary to the Church,
our vanity, our need for approval…everything.
Having come to Jesus silently…in awe…in trembling…
Having spiritually prostrated ourselves before Him…
Having done Him homage in our prayer and works of charity…
Having laid down our whole lives at His feet…in His service and for His glory…
We shall rise!
We shall rise filled with grace and peace…
changed forever…and renewed in Christ.
Once we have truly known and loved Jesus Christ…
we cannot possibly take leave of him by the same route.
The old way of sin by which we have lived needs to be closed to us.
We cannot return to past sins.
We have all come to know Christ in our lives.
We need to go forward having encountered Him…
and journey toward our true heavenly homeland
by a new and different route…the road of holiness and love.
The hand of God has led us from distant places to His own beloved Son.
We…like the magi…have made the journey of a lifetime.
From this moment and forever…may we travel by a different road!
the journey of faith of three men of the ancient world
whose lives are caught up in a search for Christ.
Legend and history combine to help us imagine these men and their journey.
First, there is Gaspar…
His name is from the Persian word for “treasurer.”
Gaspar is a man of wealth and power…
dressed in fine robes of purple silk…
his head crowned with an elegant turban.
He makes his way down from the region around the Black Sea…
to bring his treasure box to the newborn king:
a beautiful vessel of frankincense…
fragrant African aromatic resin…
symbolic of prayer…and laced with gold.
He brings incense…an ancient symbol of the presence of God.
All the treasure in the world cannot compare to the joy and splendor
of being able to adore the Christ Child.
Second, there is Balthazar…
His name is of Phoenician origin, meaning “Lord protect the king.”
Legend says he was a Nubian, the king of Saba in Africa.
He brings to Jesus a vessel of myrrh, an aromatic oil
that comes from the bark of thorny African trees.
The gift of myrrh keeps the inevitable passion of Christ in our minds.
For myrrh is a symbol of suffering…
and was used in the ancient world to anoint the bodies of the dead.
Hidden in that precious gift to the baby Jesus…in a time of joy and love…
was the gentle warning that suffering was to come…
that the passion would come.
Finally, there is Melchior…
His name is Semitic, from the Middle East, meaning “king city.”
He is a wise and dignified man, allegedly the eldest of the Magi.
He is a king in the ancient Arab world.
He brought to Jesus the precious gift of gold…
a fitting honor for this child who is also a king.
[PAUSE]
These men of wealth, power, and prestige…
men who had all they needed to be comfortable in this world…
set out on a journey
which was the goal and summit of their whole lives.
They set out separately…each from their own homeland…
following the same star through deserts and mountains…for perhaps years…
until at last the star…a sign of God’s providence…
showed them the way to Bethlehem.
They meet one another near the city and together approach Herod
to discover the precise place where they will find Jesus.
Imagine the excitement in these men’s hearts as they encounter one another…
realizing how God has drawn them together from separate and distant places
and has woven their lives together for a very special purpose.
They represent all the nations of the world coming to adore their king and God.
Imagine the stories they share with one another about their unique journeys.
Imagine their amazement at realizing they are not alone in this journey…
that God was leading them to Christ…and to one another…as well.
With Herod’s directions, they make the last steps of their sacred journey.
One might imagine that they are dead silent…
overcome with anticipation and awe as they approach the Holy Family.
They lay down their treasures…fall to their knees…prostrate…and adore Jesus.
Humbly, they place their costliest treasures before Him.
Humbly, they lay down themselves before Him!
Rising, they are filled with grace and peace.
They are changed forever, renewed and enlivened by their encounter with Christ.
They depart…as the Lord tells them…by another route.
[PAUSE]
The Lord has touched our hearts and called each of us from different places
to meet him face-to-face…and to be members of His holy Church.
His providential hand has led us through deserts of suffering
and the seemingly insurmountable mountains of life’s troubles.
Each of you has a uniquely amazing and beautiful story
of how you came to truly know Jesus Christ.
We could share with one another our stories…
and be amazed at how God has drawn us to Himself…and to one another.
We are Christians…and we have been drawn into a relationship with Christ.
Christ awaits us.
He waits for us to lay down before Him all that we treasure…
the material things that we hold on to…
to return to Him…for His glory…the gifts He has bestowed upon us.
But it does not end there.
He waits for us to lay down ourselves before Him…as the wise men did…
to lay down our egos, our pride, the ideas we hold contrary to the Church,
our vanity, our need for approval…everything.
Having come to Jesus silently…in awe…in trembling…
Having spiritually prostrated ourselves before Him…
Having done Him homage in our prayer and works of charity…
Having laid down our whole lives at His feet…in His service and for His glory…
We shall rise!
We shall rise filled with grace and peace…
changed forever…and renewed in Christ.
Once we have truly known and loved Jesus Christ…
we cannot possibly take leave of him by the same route.
The old way of sin by which we have lived needs to be closed to us.
We cannot return to past sins.
We have all come to know Christ in our lives.
We need to go forward having encountered Him…
and journey toward our true heavenly homeland
by a new and different route…the road of holiness and love.
The hand of God has led us from distant places to His own beloved Son.
We…like the magi…have made the journey of a lifetime.
From this moment and forever…may we travel by a different road!
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