Christmas Midnight Mass Homily

Merry Christmas to all of you.

This night we rejoice for our Savior has been born. We rejoice for this is the birth of God who comes to us out of love in order to take on our human flesh and thus a great light now shines forth upon a world that has been cast into the darkness of sin and death.

Our Gospel instructs us that there was no room for them inside of the inn. As we rejoice at the Good News of our Savior's birth we cannot allow ourself to cast Christ off from our midst. Rather, we must be like the shepherds who came to humble themselves before the savior of the world who has been laid in the lowliness of a manger. We must allow Christ to be the one who sustains us and thus we must come to invite Him under our roof to come and dwell with us.

Our Gospel instructs that it was in the lowliness of a manger that our Lord was placed. This word "manger" comes from the Latin word "munducare" which means "to eat." Therefore, the manger is the place where animals come to eat. Thus manger is referring to a feeding trough made out of wood or stone which is filled with food for animals to come and to receive their sustenance.

With no room for them inside of the inn the birth of Jesus takes place and Mary laid Him in a manger. Tradition holds that the birth of Christ took place inside of a cave which in Bethlehem is a common place for animals to find their shelter. A manger would be placed inside of the cave in order that these animals could find their nourishment. Mary thus places her son inside of the manger in order that He may find comfort atop of the hay.

The manger serves as a spiritual symbol for us. It is a reminder of our need to come to Christ in order that we may receive our nourishment. We thus eat of the Eucharist. We thus allow ourself to be sustained by the Word of God. We must allow Jesus to be the one who feeds us.

The Shepherds and Wise Men came and they received their sustenance from their encounter with Christ. We too must allow Christ to be the one who sustains us.

We have been touched by the reality of sin and it is easy for us to desire to turn back to our old way of life. We cannot do this because Christ desires to be our food for this journey of faith which we now undergo.

The Shepherds and Wise Men left the manger changed for they came into an encounter with Christ. We too must be changed by our encounter with Jesus Christ. We are blessed for we encounter Him inside of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. He calls to us out that we may love Him more and more. Yet how does our world thank Him for His love?

We cannot reject the Eucharist by the way in which we order our life. We must instead order our life after the Eucharist for the Eucharist is the same Jesus Christ whose birth we come to celebrate this day. May we thus entrust ourself to the great mercy of God which brings light to the darkness of sin and flock towards the manger of our Blessed Lord in order that we may be sustained by His Sustenance.

Christmas Vigil Homily II

Merry Christmas to all of you.

This evening we gather here to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Have we ever given time to pause on the meaning of this name which we so often utter with our lips? The name Jesus means "the Lord is salvation" while the word "Christ" comes from the Hebrew word for "Messiah" which thus means "anointed one."

Therefore what we celebrate today is the birth of Jesus Christ who is our "salvation" and is the "anointed one" who has not only been sent to us by God, but is God Himself in the second person of the Most Holy Trinity. Our celebration of Christmas would be quite meaningless if these two claims were not true.

Our Gospel was taken from Saint Matthew and in it we were given the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Saint Matthew gives us a lengthy genealogy; many of these names we probably don't even know who they were. Nevertheless, this genealogy is very important because it is revealing to us who Jesus Christ truly is. Jesus Christ is our "salvation" and is also the "anointed one." Saint Matthew wrote his Gospel for the audience of the Jews and therefore is trying to accomplish a few things in his inclusion of this genealogy.

He desires to show that Jesus is the "Messiah" and thus He is of the royal line of King David. He also desires to show that Jesus is the One to whom Moses and all the prophets were sent forth to bare witness to. This genealogy therefore connects Jesus to King David for Christ is of the Royal line of David. This genealogy begins with the Prophet Abraham for all the prophets have pointed their way towards the coming of the "Messiah."

This evening we have the opportunity to rejoice at the Good News of our Lord's birth. We are like many of the names who are found within this genealogy which has been given to us by Saint Matthew. Among these names are people who were good and yet they still fell into sin. King David was anointed king and yet he committed great sins which were contrary to his position as ruler. Despite the shortcomings of these names and us God takes on our human flesh and comes to dwell among us out of love in order that we may be redeemed.

"The Lord is our salvation" for what we celebrate today leads us towards the cross and thus towards our redemption from sin. Jesus is the "anointed one" for He is of royal lineage and thus His Kingdom is a Kingdom which will never pass away. We often attempt to build up for ourselves kingdoms which pass away, but this Christmas may we come to remember Christ and thus always foster our relationship with Him.

Christmas is an important day in the life of the Church for we celebrate not just another birthday. Rather, we come to celebrate a great light which shines forth in a world that has been touched by the reality of sin. Sin and hardship cannot win for what we celebrate today is the birth of Jesus Christ and thus we celebrate God made Flesh who comes to redeem us from sin and thus comes to truly set us free from it's grasp.

Christmas Vigil Homily

Merry Christmas to all of you.

This evening we gather here to celebrate the birth of our Savior. He who is God made Flesh who came to this earth in order that we may be redeemed. During the Christmas season which stretches until the 9th day of January we dwell with this great reality that is now presented to us. On Friday we will celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This feast reminds us of the importance of the family's role in society for it was the family which was placed central in God's plan of coming to take on our human flesh.

Saint Matthew's Gospel reminds us of the importance of Saint Jospeh in the Nativity of our Lord. He was the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and was instructed by the angel of the Lord to protect her and this Child who was to be born. Thus too we are presented with Saint Mary who was chosen by God to bring forth the Savior of the World through her womb. Both Mary and Joseph are now gathered around the crib of our Blessed Lord and they continue to draw other souls here to dwell with their Son. We can thus say that the Nativity serves as a reminder of the importance of the family.

Pope Benedict XVI exclaimed concerning the family: "The family is fundamental because it is the place where there germinates in the human soul the first perception of the meaning of life. This perception grows in the relationship with the mother and with the father, who are not the owners of the life of the children but the first collaborators with God in the transmission of life and the faith."

Christmas is a time when families come together and place Christ first in their life. That is precisely why so many gather here this evening to celebrate the fact that God's love is so great that He was willing to come and dwell among us. Nevertheless, Christian families must look towards the Holy Family to receive their inspiration. Mary and Jospeh led their Son in the life of faith and thus we must allow the Holy Family to inspire our life to be centered upon Christ not just for one day, but always.

It is the role of parents to assist their children in their upbringing of faith. This is a promise which is made to God by the parents at the baptism of their child. The family must thus lead each other to come into an encounter with Jesus Christ.

When we come to the Mass we come into an encounter with this same Jesus Christ. We encounter the same Jesus through the Eucharist whose birth we celebrate with great joy on this evening. The Mass leads us to center our life upon Christ and sends us forth from its midst to faithfully live out the Christian virtues. If we truly believe that Christmas is a great Christian feast we must direct our life and that of our family here always. We cannot deprive ourself of the graces which are poured forth from the Mass.

Let us therefore rejoice always and may we allow Saints Joseph and Mary to intercede on our behalf that we may come to welcome Christ into our home during this Christmas season and thus that we may always allow Him to remain here. May the family truly be inspired by the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

4th Sunday of Advent Year A Homily

We are currently one week away from our celebration of Christmas. The great mystery that we will come to celebrate on that day is outlined for us in our readings.

The Prophet Isaiah instructed: "The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel." Our Gospel echoed this prophecy for it stated this reality in reference to Mary and the birth of her Son, Jesus. It was pointed out that Emmanuel means: "God is with us."

This is precisely why our celebration of Christmas is so important. It is important for on this day we celebrate the fact that God is with us. He who come to dwell within the crib is not only a human child, but it is also God who comes to dwell with us out of love. Our faith instructs us concerning Jesus that He is both fully human and fully divine.

Saint Matthew's Gospel points out that Mary "was found with child through the Holy Spirit." It also instructs us concerning Saint Joseph who was moved into action through the assistance of the angel of the Lord. As we come to approach Christmas may we allow the Holy Spirit to be at work within us. May we allow ourself to be moved into action by the Spirit and thus come to more perfectly celebrate "God who is with us."

We are called to follow the path which leads towards salvation. Both Mary and Joseph received a profound call from God and both were willing to follow this path with the confidence of faith. If we are to follow after this path we must silence our heart in order to hear the voice of God. In this manner we will come to follow the path which leads us to encounter "God who is with us."

3rd Sunday of Advent Year A Homily

It is hard to be patient when we really want something. Yet, Saint James instructs us: "Be patient, brothers and sisters." In this day and age you can track packages and, yes, it is hard to be patient when that package you are waiting for seems to sit in one place for days especially the city that it is being sent to.

In our life there are many things which test our patience and thus too our trust in the Lord. When health starts to falter it is easy to grow impatient as you await its improvement. When one loses a job it is easy to grow impatient as you await a new one. When one is suffering from loneliness it is easy to grow impatient as you await the connection of another.

Our Gospel brings us to the disciples of Saint John the Baptist. They were sent by John to discover the Messiah. The one who he had sent them to was the one for whose path he had prepared. The disciples of Saint John the Baptist had to be filled with fear for John was placed in prison, but there was no reason for them to be filled with fear for the Messiah was present in their midst.

Despite all that tests our patience and makes us begin to doubt our faith may we to come to realize that the Messiah is here with us. May we come to trust in this reality for ourself. If we can trust in this reality it will matter not what befalls us in this life for we will have Christ as our rock. Life may not be easy, but it will have true meaning through its relationship to Christ.

Therefore, may we have a true longing in our heart to discover this Messiah. The season of Advent is about the discovery of this Messiah. It is about casting off all that keeps us from drawing close to the Messiah and thus coming to place our trust in Him. We cannot allow ourself to arrive at Christmas with no room for the Messiah to enter into the inn of our heart. This would be a great mistake and would be a total waste of the gift of the Advent season.

On this third Sunday of Advent we are instructed to "Rejoice because the Lord is near." Indeed we are to rejoice for the Lord has come to set us free from our pain, fear, and sin. He has come to give life to all those difficult moments where we have grown impatient under the burden of time. Rejoice for the Lord loves us dearly and He unites Himself upon the cross with us in order that we may be set free and thus be given a glimpse into the rewards of Eternal Life.

Yes, we are quickly drawing close to the manger of our Blessed Lord. We are to rejoice here with Him for we will soon dwell with Him in eternal life. He who we discover here ushers peace into the world and thus too brings meaning to our life which is in search of meaning. May wen truly allow ourself to be patient through our relationship with the Lord in order that we may rejoice for the Lord is near.

Immaculate Conception Homily

On the 25th of December we will celebrate Christmas and thus the birth of Christ. Mary gives birth to Christ who is God made man. In the words of Saint John's Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. We call to mind how Mary was prepared by the Father to be a dwelling place which was fitting for God to come and dwell among us.

God coming to dwell with us out of love should be a moving reality for us to mediate upon. Thanks to the sin of Adam and Eve which we call Original Sin the doors to Heaven were closed. Yet, God chose to come and dwell with us and thus also die upon the cross in order that we may be redeemed.

Some deny that Mary was without sin, but how could we fathom that God would come to dwell inside a vessel which has been tainted by the reality of sin?

During this season we put so much thought into gifts and thus too how we will wrap them. We want our gift to be found acceptable to the one whom we give it too. We make sure that it is well wrapped in order that it will be found appealing to the senses of another. Through the Blessed Virgin Mary comes forth the great gift of God's love, the gift of God Himself. Do we really find it logical that such a wondrous gift as God Himself would come to dwell in the womb of one who has not been properly prepared for such a gift?

I do not know much about cooking, but who among us would take a dirty pan to cook a cake? This wouldn't make much sense because we would defile the cake that we want to make. In the same manner God is not defiled by a dwelling place that has been touched by sin. Rather, He chose the Blessed Virgin Mary to be this pure and spotless vessel in which God's love would be made manifest to all of us.

In the Old Testament God came to dwell in what was known as the Ark of the Covenant. Scripture lays out what this Ark is to look like and thus it takes on an ornate appearance for what it contains is the presence of God Himself. In like manner Mary becomes the new Ark of the Covenant for she was chosen to be the God bearer.

Therefore, in our Gospel we hear from the lips of an angel: "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." We must remember that this word "grace" refers to a gift which is given by God and thus is unmerited. This statement is making a reference to today's celebration of the Immaculate Conception. For today we celebrate the fact that Mary is found to be "full of grace" which is to say that she has been perfected by the Father and thus is found without the stain of sin upon her soul and thus she is the fitting dwelling place for God to take on our human flesh.

May we turn our sight to the Blessed Virgin Mary that we may continue to prepare our heart and soul to receive this most wondrous gift of God's love which is the gift of God made Flesh.

2nd Sunday of Advent Year A Homily

Saint Paul instructs us in his Letter to the Romans: "Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you." Whenever tragedy takes place we can see how this precept is put into motion. Tragedy effects so many people yet chances are that we will not know those who have been effected. There were those effected by the attacks on our nation on September 11th, those effected by earthquakes that have left their homes in shambles, and most recently for us those who have lost their home or job due to the wildfires that took place on Monday.

In all of these scenarios people jump at the opportunity to give assistance. We desire to assist others who we do not know because we see their need and desire to respond to it. Christ therefore welcomes all of us here. None of us are perfect and yet He calls us to encounter His mercy. What we receive here must be extended to all people. Yet again Saint Paul instructed: "Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you."

Throughout the history of Sacred Scripture we see the coming of the prophets who are to foretell the need for repentance and conversion. Prophets are rejected and put to death. In our Gospel we encounter John the Baptist who sets out preaching a message of repentance which will ultimately lead to his death. Christ preaches a message of repentance and salvation and yet He too is put to death upon the cross.

As we embark upon this second Sunday of Advent we must ask ourself if we are welcoming of Christ's message of repentance and conversion or if we have grown content in rejection of Christ and His teachings. Christ welcomes us, but do we welcome Christ?

The more that we allow ourself to welcome Christ into our life the more we will become welcoming of our brother and sister in Christ. If we can come to trust in Christ and His mercy we will find that which has been left broken and desolate will be restored to life.

The Book of Isaiah instructs: "From his roots a bud shall blossom." Therefore despite the tragedy that befalls our life or this world. Despite that which has been lost to flame. May we know and trust that through Christ springs forth the hope of new life. That which been lost will be found and thus be restored to life.

During this Advent season may we come to trust in this message of repentance. May we be willing to prepare the way of the Lord and to make straight His paths. In doing so we welcome Christ into our life and thus too extend what we receive to others.