Father Bill Dinga's Blog

Homily – December 18, 2009 – Third Week of Advent - Friday

2009-12-18T06:16:00.001-05:00

+ Today we continue the very special Masses of Advent which are centered on the theme of the eight "O Antiphons" of the Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin Mary found in Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. Each day a special title of the coming Messiah is presented with its meaning in this "antiphon." (Actually the hymn: O Come O Come Emmanuel is based directly on these titles). The same new daily antiphon is used as the "alleluia verse" of the Masses from December 17 to December 24.

Today's "O-title" is "Leader – O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power." When the "saving power" of the Law of Sinai showed itself to be useless in obtaining what really mattered: forgiveness of sin and the possibility of eternal life: the all-powerful God sent the fulfillment of the Law: LOVE in person to be the new and lasting saving power, action and law: the action of the self-sacrificial offering of Calvary. The one foretold to be the shoot of David, being of the kingly house of Judah and David, would reign forever because he would also be the one foretold to be born of the Virgin Mary whose name would be Emmanuel – for God would be with his people in a very special way from then on!

May we this day choose Emmanuel the Lord to be our true Leader, our power, our law so that we can always do what is fitting, right and proper all the days of our life – with his help – thus feeling the effect of being rescued by him, from what we need to be rescued from.

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever!

Homily – December 17, 2009 – Third Week of Advent - Thursday

2009-12-17T07:23:00.001-05:00

+ It is certainly clear from the gospel passage where Jesus came from. He has quite the distinguished family tree! May we not forget that our family-tree-of-faith is just as distinguished if not moreso – because in the spiritual regeneration of our baptism we have Jesus (and all of his spiritual relatives) as part of our tree, but also his Father and their Holy Spirit. We have an amazing spiritual gene-pool to draw from in our ordinary day by day lives of discipleship! It is actually quite exciting! The question though is posed: do we remember our spiritual heritage, do we call upon it, do we use it?

Today we begin the very special Masses of Advent which are centered on the theme of the eight "O Antiphons" of the Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin Mary found in Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. Each day a special title of the coming Messiah is presented with its meaning in this "antiphon." (Actually the hymn: O Come O Come Emmanuel is based directly on these titles). The same new daily antiphon is used as the "alleluia verse" of the Masses from December 17 to December 24.

Today's "O-title" is "Wisdom – O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge." This Wisdom of God would no doubt begin its teaching by reminding us of our spiritual heritage grounded in he whose life was prepared for by 42 generations of faithful people: men and women who yearned for the power and protection and peace that only God could give! Forty-two generations pointing to one person cannot be wrong!

Let us be willing to be taught, let us follow the shining star of Wisdom!

Homily – December 16, 2009 – Third Week of Advent - Wednesday

2009-12-16T06:10:00.001-05:00

+ The proof in anything is always in action. Thoughts and words are one thing, but deeds are something else. It takes the conviction of belief to translate thoughts and words into action, or else no one would bother to do anything! Jesus told John's disciples to report to him what they had seen him do (which would be proof of who he was): which was curing the blind, making the lame walk, cleansing lepers, giving the power to hear to the deaf, and the power of life to the dead and bringing the good news of relief to the poor. Behold, the Lord God comes with power!

In the first reading today from the Prophet Isaiah we see more clearly who this God is who is doing these things: he is the almighty Lord and Creator, he is the all powerful one and gentle Father: never forget that I am the Lord, there is no other: I form the light, and create the darkness, I make well-being and create woe; I, the Lord do all these things. And now I choose to let justice descend from heaven like dew from above, like gentle rain the skies will drop it down. The earth shall open and salvation shall bud forth: I, the Lord, have created this. I AM THE ALL POWERFUL GOD! NEVER FORGET THIS! Turn to me and be safe all you ends of the earth. In me is the vindication and the glory of all the descendants of Israel.

May we this day contemplate who God is, and who we are not; and what He graciously offers, and who we ought to so appreciatively receive into our hands, our hearts and our lives: Christ the Lord, the Savior who bud forth!

Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.

Homily – December 15, 2009 – Third Week of Advent - Tuesday

2009-12-15T07:05:00.001-05:00

+ On these days in later Advent, as we continue to ready ourselves for this year's celebration of the birthday of Jesus, we once again turn to the ministries of both Jesus and John the Baptist for a clue as to how to approach such a birthday. Our gospel passage today tells us that Jesus came to do his Father's will, and that all of us need to be likeminded: we must be intent on actually doing the Father's will in our own lives. We must not just say that we are going to do it, then not really do it; we must do it, even if we don't entirely understand it or even agree entirely with what we are doing. If we do it because we know that God tells us to do it, then that is enough.

In this way, Jesus said that a great many good people will enter the Kingdom, before those who say that are entirely religious and don't really show it by their actions: as he put it: the tax collectors and prostitutes believed in John the Baptist's exhortation to repent and do good and they tried to change their lives to reflect that belief.

May we today continue to prepare for Christmas by not only believing in God and his call to conversion to a really good lifestyle, but let us actually live that lifestyle with his help. Our first reading today tells us how eager God is to save himself a remnant: a small group of people who really "get" what "life in him" and with his help, is all about. May we be a people of the remnant in our modern world which is becoming at-large more self-centered, self-absorbed and pagan every day.

Come, O Lord, do not delay; forgive the sins of your people!

Homily – December 14, 2009 – St. John of the Cross

2009-12-14T06:53:00.001-05:00

+ Today we celebrate the feast of St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church. He was born in Spain in 1542 and learned the importance of self-sacrificing love from his parents. His father gave up wealth, status, and comfort when he married a weaver's daughter and was disowned by his noble family. After his father died, his mother kept the destitute family together as they wandered homeless in search of work. These were the examples of sacrifice that John followed with his own great love—God.

At fourteen, John took a job caring for hospital patients who suffered from incurable diseases and madness. It was out of this poverty and suffering that John learned to search for beauty and happiness not in the world, but in God.

After John joined the Carmelite order, Saint Teresa of Avila asked him to help her reform movement. John supported her belief that the order should return to its life of prayer. But many Carmelites felt threatened by this reform and some members of John's own order kidnapped him. He was locked in a 6x10 cell and beaten three times a week by the monks. There was only one tiny window high up near the ceiling. Yet in that unbearable dark, cold, and desolation, his love and faith were like fire and light. He had nothing left but God – and God brought John his greatest joys in that tiny cell.

After nine months, John escaped by unscrewing the lock on his door and creeping past the guard. Taking only the mystical poetry he had written in his cell, he climbed out a window using a rope made of strips of blankets. With no idea where he was, he followed a dog to civilization. He hid from pursuers in a convent infirmary where he read his poetry to the nuns. From then on his life was devoted to sharing and explaining his experience of God's love.

His life of poverty and persecution could have produced a bitter cynic. Instead it gave birth to a compassionate mystic, who lived by the beliefs that "Who has ever seen people persuaded to love God by harshness?" and "Where there is no love, put love—and you will find love."

John left us many books of practical advice on spiritual growth and prayer that are just as relevant today as they were then. These include: Ascent of Mount Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul, and A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom of Christ.

Since joy comes only from God, John believed that someone who seeks happiness in the world is like "a famished person who opens his mouth to satisfy himself with air." He taught that only by breaking the rope of our desires could we fly up to God. Above all, he was concerned for those who suffered dryness or depression in their spiritual life and offered encouragement that God loved them and was leading them deeper into faith. St. John of the Cross died in 1675, was canonized in 1726 and was named Doctor of the Church in 1926.

It is truly the poor in spirit who have access to the Kingdom of God! In this Advent season when we remind ourselves of our perpetual poverty in the sight of God, he reminds us of his never ending offering of consolation, presence and strength in the face of all of life's difficulties, challenges and routines by giving us this feast in honor of St. John of the Cross.

O come Emmanuel and ransom your captive people!

Homily – December 13, 2009 – Third Sunday of Advent

2009-12-13T07:13:00.002-05:00

+ The Third Sunday of Advent, which we celebrate today, is GAUDETE SUNDAY, taken from the first word of the Entrance Hymn of the old Latin Mass:"Gaudete!" REJOICE!

There is an obvious cause for rejoicing as we make our way, week by week, through the Advent Season, that now it is half over – and the nearness of the Lord can be felt intensified (even if we know that he has already come so many years ago in the stable at Bethlehem, and is always available to us).

But did you ever stop to look at Advent from the opposite point of view, God's point of view; the God whose plan it was to reconcile his people by sending them a redeemer and Savior; who carefully and over o so many generations prepared a people and family to receive him; whose astounding love was the cause of it all and the impetus behind each and every meticulous detail. His perspective on this midway day of Advent is superabundant rejoicing that he is getting nearer and nearer to becoming one of his own creations while still remaining fully God. He is very excited about Jesus' whole mission to us. The first reading from the Prophet Zephaniah shouts of such excitement: Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully; O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed the judgment against you, the King of Israel, the Lord, (will soon be) in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear.

When he comes into your midst, your Lord will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, and he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. [Isn't that incredible – sometimes we think it a burden to sing our praise to God, yet he sings exuberantly of his love of being our Father, and our being his beloved, redeemed, children all of the time! That is amazing!]

And so today: let us rejoice doubly: as we think both of our joy and God's as we enter into the last two weeks before the celebration of the birthday of the central figure in all of human history: Jesus the Lord, the King, the Prince of Peace: God who became one of us; and let us reflect upon how God rejoices over us always– and then, let us act like deserving recipients of such a tremendous gift! Yes, let us love as we have been loved!

The best way to continue our preparation and to show that we really "get" what is going on in this holy season is to do what John the Baptist suggested in the gospel passage when he told the people coming to him at the Jordan River to repent and prepare for the Lord's coming: he told them, bottom line, to LOVE, to look out for one another, to share their belongings, to share their food – to think of others first. This is the best way to prepare for the coming of Jesus because we will recognize him as the one from whom these practices originate, for he is LOVE INCARNATE: LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP AND COMPASSION IN THE FLESH! And then we can see his glory and his light and his truth!

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, for he truly does rejoice in you!

Homily – December 11, 2009 – Second Week of Advent - Friday

2009-12-11T06:15:00.001-05:00

+ Our readings today direct us to a very sad and pitiable segment of the population who seem to exist in every generation. They are the ones who refuse God's love, God's care, God's help, and God's offer of salvation. There are such persons and they exist even today.

Our gospel reading today tells us how such persons fail to recognize the presence of Jesus as Son of God in their own midst: Jesus says that the crowds did not recognize John the Baptist who announced him because he looked kind of strange, lived in the desert, and ate and drank nothing substantial; and they did not recognize him who came both eating and drinking – but apparently with the wrong crowd – he was friendly with tax collectors and sinners.
Those who judge by their own myopic and limited standards never do see reality correctly!

The first reading today tells how God is so very eager to teach his people what is good for their eternal salvation and to lead them in the way that will reach there; but the condition is that they listen to his commandments – follow his rules and live like they truly want to be counted as members of his family!

This Advent time of year is a good time to pray that all people everywhere allow the Holy Spirit to melt within them their stubborn insistence on seeing and judging things their own way - for in refusing to recognize Jesus who came to this earth laden with every spiritual gift necessary for redemption, they will be condemning themselves to an eternal existence in the cold, dark bleakness of eternal winter!

Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light, and warmth and knowledge of life forever!

Homily – December 10, 2009 – Second Week of Advent - Thursday

2009-12-10T06:38:00.001-05:00

+ The excitement of this Advent Season seems to quicken with today's Alleluia Verse: Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior. These are words from the incredibly beautiful prophecy of Isaiah. The use of poetic imagery is enormously profound. He paints his prophetic imagery with words like an artist does with a brush and easel.

Let the very clouds of the skies rain down the Sun of Justice: Christ the Lord; let the very earth beneath your feet welcome and bring forth a Savior: Jesus, Emmanuel. What a description of "the breaking forth of God into human history as one of us!"

The first reading today is also Isaiah's description of the event, which for him had not yet come to pass: the Lord will grasp his worm and maggot people, Jacob and Israel and tell them to fear not because help is on the way! They truly were worm and maggot because of the sin of Adam in which they shared and wallowed, but also, at that point, because they were part of a people who systematically and continually rejected any overture by God to help and save them from their sins. But this time it seemed different; this time the people were so afflicted and needy that they were ready to listen and respond, and the desert and the marshlands of their lives were open for replenishing at the hand of God: and they are now grateful!

May we today, who still sometimes act like worms and maggots in God's presence – especially in things regarding him and his due – read the sign of the times like Jesus told the disciples of John the Baptist to do, and hail the redeemer who truly is in our midst: the very Lord, King and Prince that we will receive in Holy Communion at this and every Mass.

Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.

Homily – December 9, 2009 – Second Week of Advent - Wednesday

2009-12-09T06:18:00.001-05:00

+ Behold, the Lord comes to save his people; blessed are those prepared to meet him. This is the Alleluia Verse today. It summarizes the thought of the day: the Lord's people needed saving, he was more than willing to save them, but part of the process is for them to cooperate in their salvation by always being prepared to meet him when he comes with his saving help!

In the gospel passage, Jesus tells us in that beautiful sentence: Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest…Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light…for it originates and is carried out in pure love! Yes, God wants to make the real burden of life as a Son of Adam, also quite doable as an adopted Son / Daughter of God!

The first reading from the Prophet Isaiah today tells of the great strength that God is, and shares with those who lift up their eyes to him, to count of him, who trust in him! There is a measure of cooperation here, as well. God will never disrespect our freedom to either listen to him or do what he recommends or to reject such sage advice. We are free to love him and be helped by him, or not!

May we this day of Advent rejoice in the power that is ours for the humble task of asking and actual use. May the humble heart of Jesus be our model of right attitude this day! Amen!

Homily – December 8, 2009 – The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

2009-12-08T07:26:00.001-05:00

+ You would think that the readings today have to do with everything but the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The first reading is about Adam and Eve's disobedience; the second reading is about election in Christ for future glory; the gospel passage is about the Annunciation and the beginning of Jesus life in the womb of Mary. What does all of this have to do with Mary? Absolutely everything! It was Mary's obedience to the will of God for her to be the Mother of his Son that made redemption possible; but Mary's obedience had to be a very special one: one that was completely free from any hindrance, or sinfulness or selfishness on her part. Mary had to be born totally empty, totally open, totally humble, totally nothing in the eyes of God so that he could fill her and exalt her with the role and honor of motherhood of the only one who could undo what Adam did; who could say "yes" where Eve said "No" who could be the facilitator of our election forever as children of God.

And so today we celebrate Mary's first moments of existence in the womb of her mother Ann – as the sinless one, the pure one, the holy one – the one chosen to be the first dwelling-place on earth of Jesus Christ: we celebrate her Immaculate and Highly Favored Conception!

May we look to Mary as a pattern for our own way of receiving Jesus – by being as sinless as we can be, as pure and chaste as we can be, as holy as we can be – and by providing a dwelling-place for him in our hearts each day that we receive him in the Real Presence of Holy Communion! He is truly there, then, as much as he was in Mary's womb many years ago. Hail Jesus! Hail Mary! Hail all those who bear the Savior reverently, humbly and lovingly!

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds!

Homily – December 6, 2009 – Second Sunday of Advent

2009-12-06T06:49:00.001-05:00

+ As we celebrate the Second of Advent today we are amazed at the great love and excitement that was found bubbling forth from the heart of God the Father as he conceived the plan to send forth a redeemer to reconcile his wayward children. The Prophet Baruch tells us in the first reading that God was more than enthusiastic about gathering his errant people from east to west so that he could name them his "justice" and the" glory of his worship" forever!

This is quite a vocation that the people of Israel had. And symbolically God ordered that every lofty mountain be made low, and that age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground so that Israel could advance straight and secure in the glory of God and at last see their salvation: the fulfillment of their vocation!

The gospel passage today takes up the same theme: as the time of the arrival of the fulfillment of the prophecies, the Messiah is near, and John the Baptist is chosen by God to fulfill the prophecy of Baruch and literally cry out: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. He is very near! You have waited for him, and now he comes! Fill in the valleys of your stubbornness causing you to hang on to your own sorrows and afflictions, make low the mountains of your pride and selfishness, make straight the winding roads of your restlessness and willful wanderings, make smooth the roughness of your manner and demeanor! Smile! Relax! Rejoice! Your God cares for you! – and he cares for you too, for you are born, by your baptism, from the faith-stock of the Israelites!

One way for you to determine how tuned-in you are to the real Spirit of the Holidays is, as St. Paul told the Philippians, (having first decided to take care of any detrimental matters mentioned above) to measure your readiness by how truly loving you are: how willing you are to share the riches God gives you to share: how willing you are to go over and above what you might feel comfortable saying and doing to upbuild and help others: how willing you are to be prophets(spokesmen for God), in order to bring others to Jesus!

If each good thought, word and deed were a piece of straw: would you (in the course of the next three weeks) be able to acquire and save enough of them, and place them in the manger of your heart to be ready to receive the little Lord Jesus, away in that manger, on Christmas Eve?

Prepare the way of the Lord: make him a manger full of your good words spoken, and good deeds done, because you love him, you understand what his birthday means, and you understand that the love that flows at this time of the year begins with God but is now dependent upon you in order for the world to understand what Christmas is all about!

Homily – December 4, 2009 – St. John of Damascus

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+ St. John of Damascus was one of the most influential Greek theologians of the Church. His thought impacted the work of Thomas Aquinas, Peter Lombard and others. Born in 657 in Damascus, Syria, of a wealthy Christian family, he was well educated by a Sicilian monk in science and theology. He resigned a well-to-do public office and divided his wealth among his relatives, the Church and the poor and became a monk and later a priest. John invested his time, energy and considerable intellectual gifts in the composition of hymns and theological works, the most important of which was his Fount of Wisdom, which was divided into three parts: philosophy, heresies, and the Orthodox faith. The last was a summary of the teaching of the Greek Fathers on the main elements of the Christian faith, the Trinity, creation, the Incarnation, the Church, the sacraments, Mary, and the Second Coming of Christ. John died in 749 and for all of this invaluable work he was declared Doctor of the Church in 1890.

John had a quintessentially Catholic sacramental vision: "The one who seeks God continually will find him, for God is in everything." Our gospel reading today for this Friday in Advent demonstrates this very idea: Jesus gives sight, both physical and spiritual to the blind man, so that he can see God and his works everywhere! It is by faith that this can really be that the man is healed and can see. We too, today, can be healed and see better than ever the manifold works of God and his presence in all aspects of our lives – if we take the time to seek him, ask his intervention and be willing to see things as they really are rather than the way we might want them to be.

As the Prophet Isaiah so beautifully puts it today, and as John of Damascus preached it: on the day of the Lord, the deaf shall hear, the eyes of the blind shall see, the lowly will ever find joy in the Lord and the poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Behold the Lord shall come with power; he will enlighten the eyes of his servants!

Homily – December 3, 2009 – St. Francis Xavier

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+ St. Francis Xavier was born in the family castle of Xavier, in the Basque area of Spanish Navarre on April 7, 1506. He was sent to the University of Paris in 1525, secured his licentiate in 1528, met Ignatius Loyola and became one of the seven who in 1534, at Montmartre founded the Society of Jesus. In 1536 he left Paris to join Ignatius in Venice. They all intended to go as missionaries to Palestine, but the trip never materialized. He was ordained in Venice in 1537, went to Rome in 1538 and in 1540, when the pope formally recognized the Society, was ordered, with Fr. Simon Rodriguez, to the Far East as the first Jesuit missionaries. They visited many countries and populated them with many communities of new Christians from India to Japan. Tens of thousands were converted. He set his sights on China but died in 1552 at the age of forty-six before he could reach it. He always worked against great difficulties, language problems, inadequate funds, and lack of cooperation, often actual resistance from European officials, but Francis Xavier left the mark of his missionary zeal and energy on areas which clung to Christianity for centuries. He was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X. Today, December 3 is his feast day!

The sentiment of St. Paul in the first reading today: the preaching of the gospel being an obligation imposed on him and woe to him if he did not preach it, no doubt was shared by St. Francis Xavier. When one receives a clear mandate by Christ Jesus to be his instrument in the conversion of many: the stewardship of such a duty can either be a burden or a difficulty buoyed up by joy! Such was the case for Paul and for Francis Xavier. In delivering the word of God, the joy comes from the preacher allowing himself to be used by God any way he wants: being made weak to win over the weak, becoming all things to all men, to save at least some.

After the ascension the apostles and their helpers went forth into the whole world – they are still going today – and their message lives on!

Homily – December 2, 2009 – First Week in Advent - Wednesday

2009-12-02T06:27:00.001-05:00

+ Today's gospel passage relates how Jesus came to multiply blessings in our lives, to ensure that our daily needs are met, and to free us from as many of our handicaps that he feels is necessary for our specific journey through life.

The great underlying principle here is that God is God and he can do whatever he wants to encourage and sustain friendship with his people! And so he chose to break into human history and send his Son to redeem the world from its tragic decision to go it alone without him. Many people would appreciate this help and accept it; but, amazingly enough, many would not care in the slightest that the help was offered – believing themselves to be exempt from the need of such redemption. These unfortunately – as Jesus forewarned – would be lost eternally in the end.

For us today, we need to decide where we want to be: with those accepting God's gift of salvation (the ones cured and fed by God's grace), or those who ignore it and think it a nice crutch for the morally weak and crippled – but certainly not for them! Do we want to sit on the mountain with Jesus and sit down to the great feast prepared; or do we want to eat at McDonald's - forever?

Behold, the Lord comes to save his people; blessed are those prepared to meet him.

Homily – December 1, 2009 – First Week of Advent - Tuesday

2009-12-01T07:02:00.001-05:00

+ We are now in the very special season of Advent, which has been o so carefully constructed throughout the centuries by the Church, as a fitting and proper way to prepare ourselves for the three comings of the Lord! Yes, there are three comings of Jesus: the first, as a tiny babe in Bethlehem; the second, at the end of time, when he comes as judge; and the third is whenever we invite him to come to us in Holy Reading, Holy Sacrament (such as Eucharist) and Holy Prayer any time of the day and night! Jesus is never very far away for those who seek him!

But this was not always so: at one time in the history of people the presence of God on earth was very distant due to the fact that the people rejected God from their lives: they turned away from him and ended up like a dead tree stump. But it was from such a dead tree stump of Jesse, that a shoot sprouted, and from his roots a blossom appeared: that shoot and blossom was JESUS: Messiah, Redeemer and Friend!

Amazing things would happen when that blossom appeared: the Spirit of God would rest upon him, a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord. He shall judge the poor with justice and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless and slay the wicked. His presence will bring so much peace that the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play in the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on baby snakes! There shall be no harm or ruin on God's holy mountain! Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever!

Yes, these are magnificent things that will happen and will be seen and understood only by those who have childlike wonder and awe in their hearts. God is God and he can do whatever he wants, is the underlying principle! Those who are high, mighty and intellectually superior will more than likely miss the whole point of God's coming to earth: it is so simple, that it can be missed, and understood only by children: God chose to visit us, beginning in a tiny stable in Bethlehem, because he wanted it that way! That's all there is to it! Be childlike today: and understand what that means!

Homily – November 30, 2009 – St. Andrew

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+ Today we celebrate the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. He is brother to Simon Peter. Both were fishermen from Capernaum. Andrew first became a disciple of the great St. John the Baptist, but when John pointed to Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Andrew understood that Jesus was greater. At once he left John to follow the Divine Master. Jesus knew that Andrew as walking behind him, and turning back, he asked, "what do you seek?" When Andrew answered that he would like to know where Jesus lived, he replied, "Come and see." Andrew had been only a little time with Jesus when he realized that this was truly the Messiah.

From then on, Andrew chose to follow Jesus. He was thus the first disciple of Christ. Next, Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus and Jesus received him, too, as his disciple. It is believed that after Jesus ascended into heaven, St. Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel. He is said to have been put to death on an X-shaped cross, to which he was tied, not nailed. He lived two days in that state of suffering, still preaching to the people who gathered around their beloved Apostle. Andrew is the Patron Saint of both Russia and Scotland.

Our first reading today tells of the great importance of having the message of salvation and the word of God literally spoken, preached: how else could people come to believe if they do not literally hear the message, and how can they hear the message if preachers are not sent: and how can preachers be sent if they do not listen to the Holy Spirit and discern a vocation to do so. Andrew, Simon (Peter), the rest of the Twelve and all bishops, priests and deacons since the time of the ascension have done just that: discerned their vocation and then accepted the commission by the Church to be sent far and wide to proclaim the Good News of Salvation.

The reception was not always welcome – as in the case of Andrew and all of the Twelve and many other martyrs throughout the history of the Church – but the effort is always well spent when priority is given to the proclamation of what can save souls!

May we respond, each in our own way today, to be "fishers of men" in the way marked out for us by the Lord himself. There is so much work still to be done and so little time to do it! We do not have a minute to spare!

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Homily – November 29, 2009 – First Sunday of Advent

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Today, as we mark the First Sunday of Advent 2010, we begin another church calendar "Year of Grace" in which the truly astounding mystery of "the breaking into human history of the Son of God himself" will once again – during the next 12 months - be presented for our intellectual consideration, our prayerful reflection, our worshipful response and our motivation for doing more good works out of love for God, who made it all possible.

The first reading today speaks of the fulfillment of a promise that God made with the house of Israel and Judah, to raise up for David a just shoot: one who would do only what is right and good in the land. In fact, there would be so much security in the land, that with the coming of this shoot, grown to full stature, Jerusalem itself will be called: "The Lord our justice!"

The injustice that existed there beforehand was as old as our first parents, who broke faith with God, mistrusted him, disobeyed him and set up their own system of justice that never did measure up to God's. But God's is the one that will count in the end.

In this original injustice, since God was offended, only one who was God could make up for the offense, but he would also have to be one like us to make the reparation effective for all of us. That perfect combination of a God – Man was Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man. We prepare now for four weeks for the celebration of his birthday: when the awesome majesty and splendor and power and love of God was found contained in a tiny little baby boy in a manger in Bethlehem. Only one who was so large in heart and power, could become so humble and small, for us and our salvation!

But not only do the Advent readings speak of Christ's "first coming" as a babe in Bethlehem, they begin by speaking of his "Second Coming" – as an exclamation point for the great feast of Christ as King of the Universe that we celebrated last Sunday, to culminate the past Liturgical Year. Jesus is indeed King – and one day he will come to be our judge just as he promised he would. And he promises that it will be a truly frightening day
for those who are caught off guard, for those who were not vigilant, for those who thought it might apply to everyone else except them. Not so! It applies to everyone! He is coming! And he will judge everyone! And he suggests that the best posture to have as we wait is to stand up straight, with head held high – with voices raised in praise and glory and thanks to his Father - as well as showing real proof of our love for God and our belief in him by being of loving service to others until the last trumpet!

For those who refuse to give him what is his due, he will turn them away from him – forever! But it need not be that way: all it takes is a willingness to ask the Lord for his merciful help and love, and for the gift of salvation!

And it shall be done for you!

The Lord is our HOPE and our SALVATION! He was born to be our HOPE, he would love to accompany us through our lives as our hope, and on the last day he would like very much to convert our hope into the BLESSED ASSURANCE OF A NEVERENDING EXPERIENCE OF HAPPINESS IN THE HEART OF GOD! O come Emmanuel and ransom your needy people!

Homily – November 27, 2009 – Thirty-fourth (Last) Week in Ordinary Time – Friday/Saturday

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+ Today we celebrate the last day in the 2009 Church calendar year – tomorrow night we begin a new year of grace with the First Sunday of Advent 2010. We have been reflecting all week on the kingship of Christ Jesus the Lord. His kingdom was prophesied by the Prophet Daniel when he said "his kingship and dominion would be given to the holy people of the Most High" – beginning with God's own family of Israel. Jesus Christ would be the one with the everlasting kingdom – and all shall serve and obey him!

In the gospel passage for this final Mass of the Year we are warned TO BE VIGILANT AT ALL TIMES: and not let our hearts become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life. Don't let the coming of the King surprise you like a trap. That will be great and terrible day: pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand blameless and innocent before the Son of Man.

For those who are trying the best they can to live lives of faith and service to the Lord Most High – that day will be less fearsome than for those who have disregarded all attempts to convince them that their own selfish ways would convict them in the end. They will be convicted, but the saints whose lives reflect humble children will reign with Christ their King forever!

Glory and eternal praise belong by right to our God!

Amen! Amen!

Homily – November 26, 2009 – Thanksgiving Day

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+ All Life comes from God: we give thanks! All Growth comes from God: we give thanks! All Pain comes from God: we give thanks! All Joy comes from God: we give thanks! All Hope comes from God: we give thanks! All Peace comes from God: we give thanks! All Love comes from God: we give thanks!

We come back to you, Lord, realizing that we have been given life, supplied with growth, healed from pain, blessed with joy, comforted with hope and immersed in peace and give thanks to Almighty God: on this Thanksgiving Day!

Lord, we beg your blessings on us, our loved ones, our enemies and our families and our friends!

Amen! Amen!

Homily – November 25, 2009 – Thirty-fourth (Last) Week in Ordinary Time

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+ At this Thanksgiving time of the year we have a different perspective on giving thanks from our readings for this last week in Ordinary Time. We have celebrated the Feast of Jesus Christ as King of the Universe last Sunday; and that is what he is: he is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lord whose Kingdom will come and will last forever: it will be indestructible, and we are all invited to be a part of it.

The readings today continue the theme from yesterday about the fear that all earthly kings, rulers, presidents have about losing their kingdoms, territories, countries to other kings, rulers and presidents. Theirs is only a temporary reign at best anyway. And all authority they wield comes from God in the first place, and to him they will give an accounting one day – whether they know it or believe it or not!

But the reading from the prophet Daniel tells of a King who is to come whose Kingship will be above all the other kingships, and whose kingdom will supersede, end and replace all others: the Kingdom of Jesus Christ the King of the Universe: who shall sit on the throne of King David, his Father and rule with justice, peace and love forever!

The gospel passage tells that proclamation of this new and Universal Kingdom will make the proclaimer quite unpopular, especially in the public forum – for this new kingdom is a completely interior one, standing in opposition, apparently, to the external kingdoms of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood and stone! There will be persecution, even death for them. But in the end, for those who persevere in delivering the message and those who persevere in receiving the message, all will be well, all will be new, all will be wonderful and JESUS CHRIST WILL BE KING OF IT ALL!

How all this ties in with giving thanks is this: we ought to thank God many times a day for arranging things to be this way: the way of his King and Kingdom. It ought to give us a great sense of security and comfort knowing that God himself truly is in charge and that everything that happens in our lives – day by day – will all work out for the very best one day – if we live like we believe that Jesus is our King and that his Kingdom will come with all its glory and that we want to be a part of it! The details of how and when that Kingdom arrives, as we heard yesterday in the gospel passage, we ought to leave completely up to God and not worry about it at all. It will be a truly awesome and fearsome day for those who have wavered and denied him. But for us who want and choose him and his kingdom it will be a grand and glorious day!

The day of the arrival of God's Kingdom could be any day! That is why we are each invited to live each and every day in thanksgiving like it were right around the corner – because it just might be!

Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life!

Homily – November 24, 2009 – Thirty-fourth (Last) Week in Ordinary Time

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The readings today are about the fear that all earthly kings, rulers, presidents have about losing their kingdoms, territories, countries to other kings, rulers and presidents. Theirs is only a temporary reign at best anyway. And all authority they wield comes from God in the first place, and to him they will give an accounting one day – whether they know it or believe it or not!

But the reading from the prophet Daniel tells of a King who is to come whose Kingship will be above all the other kingships, and whose kingdom will be unshakable, unshatterable, unbreakable: the Kingdom of Jesus Christ the King of the Universe: who shall sit on the throne of King David, his Father!

The gospel passage tells that when the One Universal Kingdom breaks forth One Day: everything will be turned upside down, not a stone of the way things are now will be left standing the way they were. All will be new, all will be wonderful and JESUS CHRIST WILL BE KING OF IT ALL!

How all this ties in with giving thanks is this: we ought to thank God many times a day for arranging things to be this way: the way of his King and Kingdom. It ought to give us a great sense of security and comfort knowing that God himself truly is in charge and that everything that happens in our lives – day by day – will all work out for the very best one day – if we live like we believe that Jesus is our King and that his Kingdom will come with all its glory and that we want to be a part of it! The details of how and when that Kingdom arrives we ought to leave completely up to God and not worry about it at all. It will be a truly awesome and fearsome day for those who have wavered and denied him. But for us who want and choose him and his kingdom it will be a grand and glorious day!

The day of the arrival of God's Kingdom could be any day! That is why we are each invited to live each and every day like it were right around the corner – because it just might be!

Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life!

Homily – November 23, 2009 – Thirty-fourth (Last) Week in Ordinary Time

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+ We hear again, this morning of the poor widow who put into the temple treasury absolutely everything she had to live on: trusting in God's merciful love and providential care completely. Her trust was not in vain. She was provided for all the days of her life. If our trust in God could even in some small measure – or even a great one – approach that of this poor widow then we can absolutely count on God taking care of us all the days of our lives here – and into a never ending life of peace and happiness with him forever – when Jesus comes again as King, to hand us over to God his Father!

We must stay awake – for we do not know when that day might be! It could be any day at all!

Homily – November 22, 2009 – The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

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+ I would like to begin my homily by having you think about "creation" – all of it:
the sun, the moon, the stars, the oceans, the mountains; the plants, the flowers, the trees; the fish, the animals, the birds; and people: all people, everywhere.

Now I would have you continue that thinking process: someone "created" all these things: someone very intelligent, very powerful and very loving – because it all fits together and works together so very well – when operated by instructions given by the creator and maker.

The "someone" who "created" all these things was "God" – He is "Creator," Provider, Sustainer, Father, and Friend. He gives creation – all of it – what it needs to keep going, as created, as intended – if certain conditions are met: which are found in the "Owner's Manual" called: Sacred Scripture, among other important documents.

Now in God's plan for creation he had the idea of making his Son: who was later named Jesus – King of all of it! He could do that because he was the Creator / Father and he had the power to do it, and so he did it. Jesus was made King of the entire Creation / Universe – even before he was born into our world. He has always been King of it, and he always will be King of it. Now when he was finally born here, he started making claim to that kingdom, right away, because it was his, but it was always the opposite way of what people thought he would be doing if he were really king of it all, starting with the fact that he was born in a stable, and not a royal palace; and he died on a Cross, and not in a luxurious hospital setting. His main job, while he was here among us, would be to get everyone on earth ready to meet God one day when a new kind of experience of life would begin – in a new kind of kingdom.

In the "getting ready" process, he would share his authority and power to rule with many men and women – so that people could feel safe and happy and provided for concerning the basics of this life, while making their way to the next one. They could enact laws based on his laws, and act as judges in cases of figuring out the real meaning of things according to the way he made them. But these rulers would be wise never to forget that they are temporary rulers, that their power comes from God, and that he will expect a full accounting of how they used the power given them.

But Jesus' kingdom (or nation or country) was not to be like other kingdoms that we think about in earthy terms (which are geographical territories that have limited power and constantly changing rules); his Kingdom would not be an external kingdom (made up of palaces and servants, and subjects) but an internal one: a kingdom of the heart and mind and spirit: it would be a very special sharing by everyone of what is really true about every subject and topic, of a living of life that could not even possibly be imagined beforehand, of holiness (which is simply a wonderful sensing and feeling that, through and through, we know who we are, and we are very happy because we are God's children, of the power of doing good constantly flowing through us and helping us in all situation, of being completely fair and just with everyone all the time, loving and willing to help everyone and at peace with ourselves and with each other and God and his saints and the angels FOREVER!

WOW! What a wonderful kingdom! And this is what we celebrate today on this Feast of Jesus Christ King of the Universe, King of our Families, King of our hearts, minds, bodies, spirits and King of all people everywhere – whether they even know about or have heard about Jesus.

He is everyone's King!

We thank God our Father for sending Jesus to be our Savior and our King, and our Friend. And we thank them for sending the Holy Spirit to us so that we could have the power to be loving subjects of this amazing and different, never ending and reaching everyone, everywhere - kind of Kingdom.

Perhaps we can promise Christ the King today to put our thanks into practice by listening to his voice, hearing the truth and giving evidence of it in our actions which promote holiness of life, doing good for others, establishing true fairness and justice, and deep abiding peace which this world cannot give!

Dominion, glory and kingship belong to Jesus, forever! His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away; his kingship shall not be destroyed! And, if we live like we want it, we shall be a very integral part of it!

God bless you!

Homily – November 20, 2009 – Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time - Friday

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+ Perhaps we can take this gospel passage as a reminder to keep our own souls pure and clean of what is worldly and contradictory to the purpose for which it is made. When we ruminate over earthly treasures and trinkets and powerful positions in the inner recesses of our souls we are contaminating the sacred space that, like them temple in Jerusalem, is the dwelling place of God within us, that is meant to be used for giving God glory, praise, thanks and honor at every moment of the day!

After physically making his statement of objection by throwing the money changers out of the temple, Jesus states clearly that the dwelling place of God – wherever it might be – is a sacred, holy, house of prayer and communion with God and is not to be desecrated by business practices no matter how well intentioned!

Our first reading today, of course, speaks of the joy and excitement of the celebration led by Judas Maccabaeus and his brothers in purifying and rededicating the sanctuary of the temple in Jerusalem after it had been profaned by the enemies of God. May today be a day when, by this Eucharistic celebration, we purify and rededicate the sacred temple of our souls for right and proper worship and communion with God – who deserves our entire attention always and at every moment. May we protect and defend this sacred space and keep the business of the world out of it; and may we invite the Spirit of God and the Holy Angels and Saints and God himself into it – and we will be filled with a joy the knows no bounds – and we will proclaim that joy in all we think, say and do!

Yours, O Lord, is the sovereignty; you are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor are from you – and for you!

Homily – November 19, 2009 – Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time - Thursday

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+ In the gospel passage we see Jesus lamenting over the city of Jerusalem, weeping over it and prophesying its soon to be accomplished destruction – because it failed to recognize what made for peace, it failed to recognize him as the one, supreme peacemaker! It would not be a pleasant site by any means. The barbarians would come and completely destroy the city and its temple and kill many people! But it will not have been because they had not been warned – by the very Lord of the Universe, the Prince of Peace, himself!

The first reading today also speaks of a rather barbaric way of doing things, this time in favor of God. Mattathias and his sons refused to follow the King's order and sacrifice to his gods in his pagan shrines; and to show their opposition to the king's desires, their hearts were moved, their just fury was aroused and they killed the one offering sacrifice right on the altar, as well as the king's messenger and they tore down the altar; then they fled that region and went into the desert to live lives of righteousness and religious freedom.

Our own day is not the time for religious zeal to cause us to kill people who offer sacrifices to pagan gods of this world, and to tear down their vile temples; rather it is time to demonstrate that we are related by adoption now (by our baptism) to the Prince of Peace himself, and that while called upon to transform the world, we can do so in a peaceable way, influenced by grace, and empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit himself. Thus we will show ourselves as true citizens of the one kingdom that counts: the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom which is to come in its fullness – any day at all!

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts!