1st Reading: 1 Sm 24:3-21
Responsorial Pslam: Ps 57:2-4,6,11
Gospel: Mk 3:13-19
In today's Gospel Jesus called twelve men who would serve Him as His first priests. We have twelve men who each had their own strengths and weaknesses. Not one of these twelve was perfect, and all of them still needed the sacrifice that would take place upon the cross. We know that Judas was the one who would betray Jesus. We know of situations that Peter put himself in where he later had to be put in his place. The other ten apostles also had their situations where they showed their own humanity and therefore did something that was not in line with the teachings of Christ. Despite these limitations these men were still called to follow Christ as His first priests. We must therefore pray for all of the clergy of the Church that those who have been called to this specific ministry may be strengthened.
We have all been set apart through our baptism. Each of us who have been baptized have been called to go into the world and live out the Gospel. We are similar to the twelve apostles who were called because we each have our own strengths and weaknesses. May we be willing to live out a life where we try our hardest to live out our baptismal promises. At times when we fall may we take the example of Peter and return to Christ for forgiveness and mercy. Do to the fact that we have been called by Christ in this special way we must take it upon ourselves to preach Christ to the world through our words and actions. We must go into the world of darkness and sin and bring forth the light of the Gospel. All of this can only be possible if we place ourselves around Christ.
We have come to this Mass, so that we may draw closer to Christ. Through the reception of Christ in the Holy Eucharist we are being prepared for the ministry that we must bring to the world. "Go forth, the Mass is ended" does not mean that our work on this earth has come to an end, but shows that we must depart from this Church and bring Christ to the world. May the Holy Apostles intercede for us as we work with great fervor to bring the light of Christ into the world.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
2nd Sun of OT Year B Homily
1st Reading: 1 Sm 3:3b-10,19
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 40:2,4,7-10
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 6:13c-15a,17-20
Gospel: Jn 1:35-42
It is truly great to be back at this parish. I will be returning to the seminary on the 21st of January to finish up my final semester of the seminary. Following this upcoming semester I God willing will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Knoxville. I take each day with great excitement as I finally draw closer to something that I have spent the past eight years of my life preparing for. This final semester of studies will continue to help me prepare to minister to the people of God as a priest. Through my preparation I am preparing to "behold the Lamb of God" in a very profound way. Each of us here find ourselves upon different paths towards holiness, but our goal remains the same and that is to do everything possible to draw closer to Christ.
"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." We have taken the time out of our day, so that we could come to this Church and do just that. We have made the sacrifice out of our day, so that we can gather as a community of faith who desires to "behold the Lamb of God." To fathom the things that are going on in the world around us such as television, sports, movies, work, and the need to get some much needed rest, but we have still drawn ourselves to this Church for a reason. We have taken time away from these daily events even if we were pulled here by somebody that we love. For this hour we step outside of the noise of the world and we allow our hearts and souls to enter the realm of the divine. It is here at this Mass that we join with all of the Heavenly Host of Heaven and allow time to stand still. It is only here that we will be able to "behold the Lamb of God" through the Eucharist.
If we indeed dare to "behold the Lamb of God" we have a lot of work that needs to be done. In our second reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians we are told that our "body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you." If we truly believe that the Holy Spirit dwells within us how can we continue to fall into sin even if it is the smallest of sins? With the knowledge that we have been created within the image and likeness of God we should strive our hardest to do away with any impurity which might cause harm to ourselves or to those who surround us. Each of us are joined to Jesus Christ because we share in Holy Communion. It is through this great Sacrament that we are all joined together no matter where we may be. Therefore the reality of sin does more then effect you, but it effects all of us. Sin gets in the way of being able to "behold the lamb of God" because through our own sinful behavior we have decided that we do not want to behold Him inside of the Sacrament of the Altar.
Thankfully we are reminded through today's first reading from the first Book of Samuel that the Lord keeps calling out to each of us. It took the Lord four times to be able to actually get Samuel to hear and to understand. How many times have we heard the Lord calling out to us in our lives and yet decided that we were not ready to respond? In this passage Samuel hears the Lord calling, but needs the assistance of Eli in order to understand how he is to react to this call. It can indeed be difficult to understand where we need to orient our lives when we have so many voices and distractions that get in our way. Despite any distractions that arise in our lives it can be important to seek out help from another person. A close friend or family member could be the perfect place to begin to seek the direction that we need in our lives in order for us to hear this call from God. Taking advantage of different classes and occasions of prayer that this Church offers can also open up hearts and souls to "behold the lamb of God."
John's Gospel presents the apostles to us and tells how they were called to follow Jesus Christ. They saw Christ walking towards them and John pointed out the fact that this was the man that they were now to follow. At this moment the living Gospel of Christ had walked into their lives and all written in the Law would be fulfilled. The fact that John pointed out that He is "the Lamb of God" is very profound. Through this statement he is making reference to the spotless lamb who is sacrificed upon the altar. He is making the statement that Jesus Christ is the one who is free of sin and has arrived in order to be a sacrificial offering for each of us. This is truly the arrival of the Messiah. The apostles had no other option then, but to follow Christ because this is what they were preparing for. They had been called to follow Christ because He was "the Lamb of God" and they did so with great faith. Therefore it was out of the faith of these two apostles that Jesus finally turned his face towards them. They were finally able to come in this close contact with the Divine Savior of the World.
Christ desires to come into contact with each of us. It is His desire to show His face to us, but we must have the faith to actually desire it. Prayer creates this relationship and helps us to grow closer and closer to God each day until we are able to clearly see His face. No matter how wonderful or grim our life may seem to be Christ is still present in those moments and continues to walk into our lives. We must never take for granted "the Lamb of God" who has walked into our lives. It is because of His sacrifice that we have been granted everlasting life. Therefore when we say "Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world" we should not be saying only words, but should be crying out with joy that Christ overcame the sin of the world through His sacrifice on the cross. Following that moment the priest will raise the Body of Christ over the chalice and will proclaim to each of us "Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the Lamb." At this moment the priest is calling to us like John called to the two apostles. The priest is inviting us to this divine union with Jesus Christ. May we truly "behold the Lamb of God" and profess that we are here to do His will upon this earth.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 40:2,4,7-10
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 6:13c-15a,17-20
Gospel: Jn 1:35-42
It is truly great to be back at this parish. I will be returning to the seminary on the 21st of January to finish up my final semester of the seminary. Following this upcoming semester I God willing will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Knoxville. I take each day with great excitement as I finally draw closer to something that I have spent the past eight years of my life preparing for. This final semester of studies will continue to help me prepare to minister to the people of God as a priest. Through my preparation I am preparing to "behold the Lamb of God" in a very profound way. Each of us here find ourselves upon different paths towards holiness, but our goal remains the same and that is to do everything possible to draw closer to Christ.
"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." We have taken the time out of our day, so that we could come to this Church and do just that. We have made the sacrifice out of our day, so that we can gather as a community of faith who desires to "behold the Lamb of God." To fathom the things that are going on in the world around us such as television, sports, movies, work, and the need to get some much needed rest, but we have still drawn ourselves to this Church for a reason. We have taken time away from these daily events even if we were pulled here by somebody that we love. For this hour we step outside of the noise of the world and we allow our hearts and souls to enter the realm of the divine. It is here at this Mass that we join with all of the Heavenly Host of Heaven and allow time to stand still. It is only here that we will be able to "behold the Lamb of God" through the Eucharist.
If we indeed dare to "behold the Lamb of God" we have a lot of work that needs to be done. In our second reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians we are told that our "body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you." If we truly believe that the Holy Spirit dwells within us how can we continue to fall into sin even if it is the smallest of sins? With the knowledge that we have been created within the image and likeness of God we should strive our hardest to do away with any impurity which might cause harm to ourselves or to those who surround us. Each of us are joined to Jesus Christ because we share in Holy Communion. It is through this great Sacrament that we are all joined together no matter where we may be. Therefore the reality of sin does more then effect you, but it effects all of us. Sin gets in the way of being able to "behold the lamb of God" because through our own sinful behavior we have decided that we do not want to behold Him inside of the Sacrament of the Altar.
Thankfully we are reminded through today's first reading from the first Book of Samuel that the Lord keeps calling out to each of us. It took the Lord four times to be able to actually get Samuel to hear and to understand. How many times have we heard the Lord calling out to us in our lives and yet decided that we were not ready to respond? In this passage Samuel hears the Lord calling, but needs the assistance of Eli in order to understand how he is to react to this call. It can indeed be difficult to understand where we need to orient our lives when we have so many voices and distractions that get in our way. Despite any distractions that arise in our lives it can be important to seek out help from another person. A close friend or family member could be the perfect place to begin to seek the direction that we need in our lives in order for us to hear this call from God. Taking advantage of different classes and occasions of prayer that this Church offers can also open up hearts and souls to "behold the lamb of God."
John's Gospel presents the apostles to us and tells how they were called to follow Jesus Christ. They saw Christ walking towards them and John pointed out the fact that this was the man that they were now to follow. At this moment the living Gospel of Christ had walked into their lives and all written in the Law would be fulfilled. The fact that John pointed out that He is "the Lamb of God" is very profound. Through this statement he is making reference to the spotless lamb who is sacrificed upon the altar. He is making the statement that Jesus Christ is the one who is free of sin and has arrived in order to be a sacrificial offering for each of us. This is truly the arrival of the Messiah. The apostles had no other option then, but to follow Christ because this is what they were preparing for. They had been called to follow Christ because He was "the Lamb of God" and they did so with great faith. Therefore it was out of the faith of these two apostles that Jesus finally turned his face towards them. They were finally able to come in this close contact with the Divine Savior of the World.
Christ desires to come into contact with each of us. It is His desire to show His face to us, but we must have the faith to actually desire it. Prayer creates this relationship and helps us to grow closer and closer to God each day until we are able to clearly see His face. No matter how wonderful or grim our life may seem to be Christ is still present in those moments and continues to walk into our lives. We must never take for granted "the Lamb of God" who has walked into our lives. It is because of His sacrifice that we have been granted everlasting life. Therefore when we say "Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world" we should not be saying only words, but should be crying out with joy that Christ overcame the sin of the world through His sacrifice on the cross. Following that moment the priest will raise the Body of Christ over the chalice and will proclaim to each of us "Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the Lamb." At this moment the priest is calling to us like John called to the two apostles. The priest is inviting us to this divine union with Jesus Christ. May we truly "behold the Lamb of God" and profess that we are here to do His will upon this earth.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Rosary for Life
The third annual Rosary for Life was held today across the street from an abortion clinic in the downtown area of Knoxville. Justin Cardinal Rigali led the rosary in Bishop Stika's absence, due to death in his family. This year the weather was good and we had a huge turnout from the Knoxville faithful. I have attached a few pictures from this year's event. May all of us continue to join our hearts in prayer that one day life will be respected and thus abortion will come to an end in this country and around the world.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
St. John Neumann Knoxville, TN
I have attached some photos of the parish I was assigned to this past summer. It is located in Knoxville, Tennessee and is named Saint John Neumann Catholic Church.
Wed of 1st Week of OT Homily
1st Reading: 1 Sm 3:1-10,19-20
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 40:2, 7-10
Gospel: Mk: 1: 29-39
Movies concerning exorcisms have attracted the public eye. To put it simply we have a desire to see the unknown while it has been tagged as being "truth." What could be scarier then sitting through two hours of "truth" which means that I believe that this could happen to me. The film that is currently playing in theaters is "The Devil Inside" which claims to be a film centered around "truth." The claim that this movie makes is that the Catholic Church acts as a bunch of cowards who will not grant exorcisms, but thankfully we have two renegade priests who go against the will of the Church and perform these exorcisms. Exorcisms do exist, but not as portrayed in movies such as "The Devil Inside." Instead we should worry ourselves with the healing sacraments of the Church and how they can bring healing to out troubled souls.
Today's Gospel reading shows the power and authority that Christ works inside of his public ministry. We see that he has the power to heal those who are in need and we see that he has the ability to cast out demons. Our Catholic faith is founded upon Christ and what he passed along to his apostles. Through the laying on of hands the priest has been set apart and is able to act in the "Person of Christ." This means that he does not act upon his own human hood, but draws upon the Spirit of Christ who dwells within his soul. As we now respond during the Mass: "And with your Spirit." Through this Spirit the priest can heal through the Anointing of the Sick and can even drive out the evil of sin through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And yes the power of exorcism exists, but hardly as portrayed or seen in movies such as "The Devil Inside."
May each of us gathered here today trust in the healing nature of the Sacraments of the Church. May we no longer allow ourselves to walk about sick and in a state of sin. The Lord is calling out to each of us as He called to Samuel in today's first reading. The Lord will continue to call to us until we finally respond to His call. Once we fully hand ourselves over to the Lord we will no longer have anything that we will need to fear. In a matter of moments Christ will call out to us again in the form of His Body and Blood. May we accept this call and allow Him to come to dwell within our hearts and souls.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 40:2, 7-10
Gospel: Mk: 1: 29-39
Movies concerning exorcisms have attracted the public eye. To put it simply we have a desire to see the unknown while it has been tagged as being "truth." What could be scarier then sitting through two hours of "truth" which means that I believe that this could happen to me. The film that is currently playing in theaters is "The Devil Inside" which claims to be a film centered around "truth." The claim that this movie makes is that the Catholic Church acts as a bunch of cowards who will not grant exorcisms, but thankfully we have two renegade priests who go against the will of the Church and perform these exorcisms. Exorcisms do exist, but not as portrayed in movies such as "The Devil Inside." Instead we should worry ourselves with the healing sacraments of the Church and how they can bring healing to out troubled souls.
Today's Gospel reading shows the power and authority that Christ works inside of his public ministry. We see that he has the power to heal those who are in need and we see that he has the ability to cast out demons. Our Catholic faith is founded upon Christ and what he passed along to his apostles. Through the laying on of hands the priest has been set apart and is able to act in the "Person of Christ." This means that he does not act upon his own human hood, but draws upon the Spirit of Christ who dwells within his soul. As we now respond during the Mass: "And with your Spirit." Through this Spirit the priest can heal through the Anointing of the Sick and can even drive out the evil of sin through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And yes the power of exorcism exists, but hardly as portrayed or seen in movies such as "The Devil Inside."
May each of us gathered here today trust in the healing nature of the Sacraments of the Church. May we no longer allow ourselves to walk about sick and in a state of sin. The Lord is calling out to each of us as He called to Samuel in today's first reading. The Lord will continue to call to us until we finally respond to His call. Once we fully hand ourselves over to the Lord we will no longer have anything that we will need to fear. In a matter of moments Christ will call out to us again in the form of His Body and Blood. May we accept this call and allow Him to come to dwell within our hearts and souls.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Planned Parenthood to Johnson City
This past Monday, following the solemnity of Mary Mother of God, Planned Parenthood quietly opened it's doors in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Some women rejoice because this facility will help to bring aid during the dark times of our economic decline. In these times it seems that their services will be helpful because they will offer "cancer screenings, birth control, prevention and treatment to sexually transmitted diseases, breast health services, Pap tests and sexual health education and information (JC Press.)"
Nowhere in their list of services do they speak about the injustice that they cause against life. They so kindly have forgotten about mentioning their abortion services.
The founder of Planned Parenthood was Margret Sanger. She was the visionary who opened the first birth control clinic inside of the United States. Sanger believed that racial couples who turn towards sterilization should be rewarded. She saw birth control as the only way to create a race of thoroughbreds. Her vision was to make sure to open abortion facilities in areas where many black Americans are present.
Planned Parenthood continues to share the vision of it's founder. Quietly they go into cities and put on this peaceful front. Yes cancer screenings is a good service along with some of their other services. Their ultimate hope is to spread their attack against life. To put it simply birth control is an attack against life and marriage. These facilities help to spread this attack on life worldwide and ultimately lead to the ultimate attack on life found in abortion.
Let us pray for life. We must not continue to be silent as the sanctity of life is being attacked around us. It is only through our silence that these facilities can quietly move in and begin to quietly degrade the importance of life with it. We can look towards our Blessed Mother who gave her "consent" to the will of God to bring forth the Savior of the World.
On January 14th the Diocese of Knoxville will hold it's third annual "Rosary for Life." On this day Catholics around the diocese will join in prayer with it's spiritual leader, Bishop Stika. Hopefully a day will come when life will finally come to be respected. I invite you to join us at 10am on January 14th for this event. We will gather across from an abortion clinic at 313 Concord St. in Knoxville. Parking will be available at Tyson Park. Even if you are unable to attend you can join in prayer that day at 10am to join our hearts together in this endeavor.
Hopefully events such as this will spread the importance of the Pro Life Movement. Only through our endeavors can this quiet attack on life come to an end. We must remember in our prayers all who have been touched by abortion.
Links
Third Annual Rosary for Life
JC Press
Margret Sanger: In Her Own Words
Some women rejoice because this facility will help to bring aid during the dark times of our economic decline. In these times it seems that their services will be helpful because they will offer "cancer screenings, birth control, prevention and treatment to sexually transmitted diseases, breast health services, Pap tests and sexual health education and information (JC Press.)"
Nowhere in their list of services do they speak about the injustice that they cause against life. They so kindly have forgotten about mentioning their abortion services.
The founder of Planned Parenthood was Margret Sanger. She was the visionary who opened the first birth control clinic inside of the United States. Sanger believed that racial couples who turn towards sterilization should be rewarded. She saw birth control as the only way to create a race of thoroughbreds. Her vision was to make sure to open abortion facilities in areas where many black Americans are present.
Planned Parenthood continues to share the vision of it's founder. Quietly they go into cities and put on this peaceful front. Yes cancer screenings is a good service along with some of their other services. Their ultimate hope is to spread their attack against life. To put it simply birth control is an attack against life and marriage. These facilities help to spread this attack on life worldwide and ultimately lead to the ultimate attack on life found in abortion.
Let us pray for life. We must not continue to be silent as the sanctity of life is being attacked around us. It is only through our silence that these facilities can quietly move in and begin to quietly degrade the importance of life with it. We can look towards our Blessed Mother who gave her "consent" to the will of God to bring forth the Savior of the World.
On January 14th the Diocese of Knoxville will hold it's third annual "Rosary for Life." On this day Catholics around the diocese will join in prayer with it's spiritual leader, Bishop Stika. Hopefully a day will come when life will finally come to be respected. I invite you to join us at 10am on January 14th for this event. We will gather across from an abortion clinic at 313 Concord St. in Knoxville. Parking will be available at Tyson Park. Even if you are unable to attend you can join in prayer that day at 10am to join our hearts together in this endeavor.
Hopefully events such as this will spread the importance of the Pro Life Movement. Only through our endeavors can this quiet attack on life come to an end. We must remember in our prayers all who have been touched by abortion.
Links
Third Annual Rosary for Life
JC Press
Margret Sanger: In Her Own Words
January 6th Homily
1st Reading: 1 Jn 5:5-13
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 147:12-13,14-15,19-20
Gospel: Mk 1:7-11
During the season of Christmas the infancy narratives are important. In Luke we have the story of shepherds coming to visit the Christ child. It is in Matthew that we are told about magi who travel to the manger to bring gifts to the Savior of the World. It is from these stories that we have constructed nativity plays during the Christmas season. The Gospel of Mark is the only one of the synoptic Gospels that lacks an infancy narrative. With Mark we do not get a glimpse into Christ's life and childhood. The first appearance of Christ for this Gospel is when Christ appears at the scene of the baptism.
Thankfully we have the Gospels of Matthew and Luke to surround the Gospel of Mark. If Mark's Gospel was the only account that we have access to we would be forced to question the divinity of Christ. We would have to ask ourselves when did He become divine. In the account of Christ's baptism we are told: "And a voice came from the heavens, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." Is this the moment that Christ took on His divine nature? We would have no other stories to elaborate on Christ's birth and thus we could easily fall into this trap. Despite being placed after Matthew inside of the Bible this book was probably written first. I am sure the authors of Matthew and Luke who came after the writing of this Gospel saw the need of showing us what took place during the nativity of the Lord and to point out that this child was both fully human and fully divine.
May each of us who are gathered here today continue to trust in the Son of God. May we allow Him to come to us through the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar giving us the strength to endure all that we will face inside of this world. Christ was a man who came into this world and felt the weight of sin upon Him. Christ was the divine Son of God who was sent to overcome sin and death. May we allow the Son of God to dwell within our hearts that we may trust in Him at every moment of our lives.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 147:12-13,14-15,19-20
Gospel: Mk 1:7-11
During the season of Christmas the infancy narratives are important. In Luke we have the story of shepherds coming to visit the Christ child. It is in Matthew that we are told about magi who travel to the manger to bring gifts to the Savior of the World. It is from these stories that we have constructed nativity plays during the Christmas season. The Gospel of Mark is the only one of the synoptic Gospels that lacks an infancy narrative. With Mark we do not get a glimpse into Christ's life and childhood. The first appearance of Christ for this Gospel is when Christ appears at the scene of the baptism.
Thankfully we have the Gospels of Matthew and Luke to surround the Gospel of Mark. If Mark's Gospel was the only account that we have access to we would be forced to question the divinity of Christ. We would have to ask ourselves when did He become divine. In the account of Christ's baptism we are told: "And a voice came from the heavens, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." Is this the moment that Christ took on His divine nature? We would have no other stories to elaborate on Christ's birth and thus we could easily fall into this trap. Despite being placed after Matthew inside of the Bible this book was probably written first. I am sure the authors of Matthew and Luke who came after the writing of this Gospel saw the need of showing us what took place during the nativity of the Lord and to point out that this child was both fully human and fully divine.
May each of us who are gathered here today continue to trust in the Son of God. May we allow Him to come to us through the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar giving us the strength to endure all that we will face inside of this world. Christ was a man who came into this world and felt the weight of sin upon Him. Christ was the divine Son of God who was sent to overcome sin and death. May we allow the Son of God to dwell within our hearts that we may trust in Him at every moment of our lives.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Solemnity of Mary Mother of God Homily
It was only a few days ago that I was laying back in my bed flipping through the channels on the television. As I was flipping through I stopped on one of the religious channels where a preacher was giving his Christmas message. He was at the part where he was giving his warning to the Roman Catholics who might be watching. His warning was that Mary was not the mother of God. He agreed that she gave birth to Christ, but said the child was wrapped within her womb and thus protected from the effects of sin that existed within her soul. He believed that Mary was only the mother of his humanity and had nothing to do with His divinity. It is due to thinking in this manner that the day we now celebrate came into existence. Today we celebrate Mary the Mother of God because that is exactly who this woman was.
In Greek Mary is known as being the theotokos which in English means the god-bearer. This term was accepted in 431 at the Council of Ephesus in order to assert the divinity of Christ. Jesus is the Son of God and was chosen to be born to Mary. Jesus is both fully divine and fully human. Mary could not give birth to only Christ's humanity because at that brief moment of birth he would cease to be God. This is an impossibility because Jesus is both human and divine and can never cease to be one of these persons. Therefore it is possible for us to proclaim that Mary is the god-bearer without falling into thoughts and actions which are contrary to the scriptures. It is through each and every time that we speak about the Blessed Virgin Mary that we acknowledge and are drawn towards the Christ child. Through the acceptance of Mary as the Mother of God we welcome her into our lives and ask her to draw us closer to her son.
As we enter into this new year may we do so through peace. In 2011 we have seen many examples that go against the peace that we should be in search of, but may we not lose hope. Instead may we continue to pray that peace may enter into the world. On Christmas morning the perfection of this peace entered the world through the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mother of God brought the Christ child into a world that had been infected with sin and finally there was hope of peace. Within the walls of the manger the Lord was present ever giving his rays of love to each and every person inside of the world. Each visitor that would be drawn into the manger would be welcomed by His Mother who was filled with joy because she was able to welcome the world into the great moment of peace and joy.
In today's second reading Saint Paul wrote to the Galatians reminding them that Christ was born to a woman. Mary is thus honored because it was through her that Christ was born. It was through her that Christ became present in our world as being fully human and fully divine. She was a great vessel which was set aside from the sin of Adam and Eve in order to bring forth the Christ child into the world. Through this great moment in the life of the world we can finally draw closer to God the Father. Before we were separated due to sin, but now through these events the baptism of Christ will take place which will wash away all of our sins. Our Blessed Mother remains by the side of her son and desires to bring each of us to His Side. Turning towards her great love will not lead us astray, but will forever draw us closer and closer into the mystery of faith.
Today's Gospel passage brings us to the manger where Christ came to dwell. It was here that He was born to a woman. It was here that all hope for peace entered into this sinful world. It is here that His mother and father were present. They both remained by the side of their child as He laid inside of the manger. Mary was present inside of this dwelling place as the shepherds and other visitors stopped by to visit the Savior of the World. She was here as the Mother of God as these people came to visit her son and she was filled with much joy. This is the same joy that she shares with each of us as she draws us closer and closer to her Son. May we allow the Blessed Virgin Mary to welcome us into the dwelling place of this manger, so that we may be given the strength to endure a life of peace and joy.
No matter what accusations people may make about Mary the fact remains that she is the one who was chosen to bring Christ into the world. Christ came into the world through this woman and was always both fully human and fully divine. This humble servant of the Lord always points us towards her son. Trusting in her love and care will never led us away from God, but will always draw us closer and closer into His love. No matter how hectic our lives may become in this upcoming year Mary remains in the peace and quiet and desires to bring us to her Son. This new year will be filled with many joys and sorrows, but Mary still desires to enter into all of these moments. In the good and the bad it is her desire to be here for each of us to intercede for us and to always draw us closer to the peace that can be found inside of her Son.
I now close this homily with the same words that Pope Benedict XVI used during his homily for this solemnity and for the upcoming new year. "May the Virgin Mary give us her Son, may she help us to remain in the light of his face that shines upon us, in order to rediscover all the tenderness of God the Father, may it be she who supports us in invoking the Holy Spirit, so that he will renew the face of the earth and transform hearts, dissolving their hardness in the face of the disarming goodness of the Child who was born for us. May the Mother of God accompany us in this New Year; may she obtain for us and for the whole world the desired gift of peace."
In Greek Mary is known as being the theotokos which in English means the god-bearer. This term was accepted in 431 at the Council of Ephesus in order to assert the divinity of Christ. Jesus is the Son of God and was chosen to be born to Mary. Jesus is both fully divine and fully human. Mary could not give birth to only Christ's humanity because at that brief moment of birth he would cease to be God. This is an impossibility because Jesus is both human and divine and can never cease to be one of these persons. Therefore it is possible for us to proclaim that Mary is the god-bearer without falling into thoughts and actions which are contrary to the scriptures. It is through each and every time that we speak about the Blessed Virgin Mary that we acknowledge and are drawn towards the Christ child. Through the acceptance of Mary as the Mother of God we welcome her into our lives and ask her to draw us closer to her son.
As we enter into this new year may we do so through peace. In 2011 we have seen many examples that go against the peace that we should be in search of, but may we not lose hope. Instead may we continue to pray that peace may enter into the world. On Christmas morning the perfection of this peace entered the world through the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mother of God brought the Christ child into a world that had been infected with sin and finally there was hope of peace. Within the walls of the manger the Lord was present ever giving his rays of love to each and every person inside of the world. Each visitor that would be drawn into the manger would be welcomed by His Mother who was filled with joy because she was able to welcome the world into the great moment of peace and joy.
In today's second reading Saint Paul wrote to the Galatians reminding them that Christ was born to a woman. Mary is thus honored because it was through her that Christ was born. It was through her that Christ became present in our world as being fully human and fully divine. She was a great vessel which was set aside from the sin of Adam and Eve in order to bring forth the Christ child into the world. Through this great moment in the life of the world we can finally draw closer to God the Father. Before we were separated due to sin, but now through these events the baptism of Christ will take place which will wash away all of our sins. Our Blessed Mother remains by the side of her son and desires to bring each of us to His Side. Turning towards her great love will not lead us astray, but will forever draw us closer and closer into the mystery of faith.
Today's Gospel passage brings us to the manger where Christ came to dwell. It was here that He was born to a woman. It was here that all hope for peace entered into this sinful world. It is here that His mother and father were present. They both remained by the side of their child as He laid inside of the manger. Mary was present inside of this dwelling place as the shepherds and other visitors stopped by to visit the Savior of the World. She was here as the Mother of God as these people came to visit her son and she was filled with much joy. This is the same joy that she shares with each of us as she draws us closer and closer to her Son. May we allow the Blessed Virgin Mary to welcome us into the dwelling place of this manger, so that we may be given the strength to endure a life of peace and joy.
No matter what accusations people may make about Mary the fact remains that she is the one who was chosen to bring Christ into the world. Christ came into the world through this woman and was always both fully human and fully divine. This humble servant of the Lord always points us towards her son. Trusting in her love and care will never led us away from God, but will always draw us closer and closer into His love. No matter how hectic our lives may become in this upcoming year Mary remains in the peace and quiet and desires to bring us to her Son. This new year will be filled with many joys and sorrows, but Mary still desires to enter into all of these moments. In the good and the bad it is her desire to be here for each of us to intercede for us and to always draw us closer to the peace that can be found inside of her Son.
I now close this homily with the same words that Pope Benedict XVI used during his homily for this solemnity and for the upcoming new year. "May the Virgin Mary give us her Son, may she help us to remain in the light of his face that shines upon us, in order to rediscover all the tenderness of God the Father, may it be she who supports us in invoking the Holy Spirit, so that he will renew the face of the earth and transform hearts, dissolving their hardness in the face of the disarming goodness of the Child who was born for us. May the Mother of God accompany us in this New Year; may she obtain for us and for the whole world the desired gift of peace."
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