Sunday, December 31, 2017

Holy Family Year B Homily

Merry Christmas!

Today the Church continues to profess that we celebrate the birth of the Savior and thus we continue our celebration of Christmas. This is entirely different from what our culture is professing unto us. As far as society is concerned Christmas is over and it is long gone. Thus Christmas trees are now thrown to the roadside and lights which ones lit up the night sky have been taken down from homes. Thus that Christmas music which once played from the radio has now been transformed into another genere. People have partied themselves out before Christmas even got here and now life moves on as if nothing ever happened.

Nevertheless, we must profess that we are still in Christmas. In our profession of this reality we get to the heart of what is important within this season. At the heart of what is important is Christ and that joyous occasion of His birth. The word “Christmas” means the Mass of Christ. Our culture places the emphasis upon many things, but forgets the two things which are most important. The Mass and Christ. Concerning these two realities our culture is more then happy to shove them to the side by the pursuit of worldliness.

Thus today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. We come to discover Mary and Joseph gathered around the crib of our Blessed Lord. Their attention is placed entirely upon Him. They do not cast Him to the side in order to pursue the ways of the world, but rather they continue to pour out prayerful adoration to their child. As they raise Him into an adult they do not do so by giving scandal, but rather by giving example of how one comes to pursue virtue.

Only if our homes were modeled after that of the Holy Family. If our homes were modeled after the Holy Family there would indeed be a transformation within society. Instead we so easily cast off Christ from our midst. Instead of of assisting at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass it is easy to give excuse to why we are unable thus placing Christ to the side. Instead of being heroic by pursuing virtue we so easily get caught off guard pursuing a life which is segregated from religion thus casting Christ to the side. Instead of a family which gathers together in adoration of Christ everyone goes their own way to do their own thing thus casting Christ away from their midst.

May families thus make the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph their example. May parents be heroic as Mary and Joseph were heroic. May they guide their children as they came to guide Christ. If the family does not pray together you cannot say that Christ has been placed at the center. If the family does not attend Mass you cannot say that Christ has been placed at the center. We cannot be like the world which has cast decorations to the side and now moves on because we must continue to dwell with the Messiah and to allow our heart and soul to be modeled after Him.

Truly may we allow the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to be our guide.

Monday, December 25, 2017

Christmas Homily

Merry Christmas!

Today we celebrate God’s love as is made manifest within this small crib. Here we come to discover the Messiah whom all of scripture has pointed towards. Here we come to discover not just a child, but rather God who takes on our human flesh and comes to dwell with us in the second person of the Holy Trinity. Here we come to discover Jesus Christ who comes to dwell with us out of love and that love does not end here, but rather we see it displayed to us from the wood of the cross when He died upon it for the sake of our sinfulness.

What a special night that we celebrate today. From this moment angels come and they sing “Glory to God in the highest.” From this moment shepherds come to this child who happens to be the Savior of the world. From this moment a star shines which brings forth kings who come to do Him homage. Truly this is a special night for on we it gather together to celebrate these Sacred Mysteries as we to come to sing “Glory to God the highest.” As we too travel to acknowledge Him as our Savior. As we too come to do Him homage in this small crib in which He had been laid by His parents.

The little town of Bethlehem was truly blessed by this most wondrous birth. To fathom our own disposition if we were present at this time and made fully aware of who this child truly was. We would allow nothing to get in our way of coming to see this child who would bring about our salvation. We would not approach as if this were any child whom we have encountered in the past, but rather this is God who dwells with us out of love. During this Christmas season come to pray before the manager and truly fathom this great love that God shows to us through this little child.

Yes, how wondrous it would be for us to be present with Him on that first Christmas. The interesting thing is that we are made present with Him. How so, but through the Eucharist. It is here that we come to encounter Jesus Christ who is present with us Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity through the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. What would we do and how would we act if we were present with the Messiah at the manager should be the same concerning what we would do and how we would act when we come to encounter the Eucharist.

Christ was placed in the manger and thus was made present for the world to see. Christ is thus placed within all the tabernacles of the world for us to see. Let us rejoice on this Christmas Day for our savior has been born. Let us allow Him to transform us into living disciples who are sent out to live their faith and to draw others to it. Let us rejoice in the gift which is the Eucharist and grow in our devotion of it for here we do not encounter a representation of Christ, but rather we encounter this same Christ whose birth we celebrate on this day.

Sunday, December 24, 2017

4th Sunday of Advent Year B Homily

As we come to celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent we now stand upon the cusp of entering into the Christmas season. Very soon we will be able to rejoice and send up our joyful hymn singing “Glory to God in the highest.” May we allow this longing to build in our heart because we are so close and yet we are not yet there.

Our Gospel documents for us the events of the Annunciation where God took on our human flesh and came to dwell among us within the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Therefore the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the pure and spotless vessel which brought Christ into this world. With her we now stand in our great expectation as we await the birth of our Savior.

We must thus stay close to the Blessed Mother. May we entrust ourself to her watchful care. As our hearts are filled with longing to behold our Savior may we come do so through her intercession. To dwell with her in our expectant longing to behold Christ is to allow ourselves to grow in living out the virtues. The angel Gabriel proclaimed that she is full of grace and thus to dwell with her is to draw close to God.

In Advent we have this longing to draw close to God. We have this longing to prepare ourself to behold the Christmas message of the birth of the Messiah. We also prepare ourself for that unknown hour when Christ will return and we will be called to the final judgement. Therefore it is important that we long for Christmas, but it is important for us to realize that we are not yet there. Even when it finally arrives we must continue to prepare our heart and our soul to encounter Christ for there will come an unknown hour when He will come again and we will be called to judgement.

Therefore our whole life should be found in preparation to encounter Him. We will encounter Him on Christmas laying in a manger and surely we don’t want our sinfulness to keep us away from His side. We will encounter Him at the end of time and surely we don’t want to be judged as being unworthy of entering into Heaven and thus being found worthy of being thrust into Hell. We will encounter Him also in the Eucharist and surely we don’t want to receive Him unworthily.

No matter if we are drawing close to Christmas, the end of time, or the Eucharist we should have a long expectant longing found within our heart. May this longing never pass away, but rather may we continue to nurture it each day as we truly prepare ourself to behold the Lord. Let us remain watchful for very soon we will encounter the Messiah on Christmas morning, for very soon we will encounter Him as He comes again, and very soon we will see Him in the Breaking of Bread. May our heart and soul be found prepared for such an encounter.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

3rd Sunday of Advent Year B

Today we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Advent which is also known as Gaudete Sunday. This word for “rejoice” is taken from today’s introit from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Philippians which states: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.”

As we embark upon this 3rd Sunday of Advent we must realize that we are drawing close to our celebration of Christmas. Next week we will celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent and then will quickly turn around to celebrate Christmas. This means that next weekend will be a very busy weekend because we will have the obligation to attend Mass twice over the period of three days.

Gaudete Sunday serves as this reminder that our celebration is quickly coming. It serves as an encouragement to not lose sight of the days which lie ahead, but rather to continue to trudge forward where we will have the opportunity to rejoice for all eternity with Jesus Christ and all the angels and saints of Heaven.

In our Gospel we again encounter Saint John the Baptist. In it priests and Levites were sent to interrogate him concerning who he is. He answers that he is not the Christ, Elijah, nor a prophet. Rather he is “the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.” His response reflects the fact that the Messiah is the one who is coming and thus we must prepare our life in order to receive Him.

We must allow ourselves to be lifted up to this cry made by Saint John the Baptist. We must heed the fact that “the Lord is near.” Elevating ourself to such a reality will give us every reason to “rejoice.” If we fail to harken to this message made by Saint John the Baptist or listen to this invitation extended to us by Saint Paul we will fail to “rejoice” because we have placed our attention on that which is passing away.

The world in which we live is surrounded by so much horrendous news. It is easy to let these voices prevail and thus we begin to lose sight of our reason to rejoice. It is easy to get caught up in the busyness of the world and thus make excuses to why one cannot fulfill their obligation to attend Mass and thus begin to lose sight of our reason to rejoice. It is easy to get caught up in the blindness of sin and thus over time lose our reason to rejoice.

We must rejoice in the here and now and if we are to do this we must make straight the way of the Lord. If we are to rejoice we must be willing to spend time with Him in prayer. If we are to rejoice we must make use of the Sacrament of Confession. If we are to rejoice we must assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If we are to rejoice we must grow in the virtue of charity by how we treat those whom we encounter.  If we are to rejoice we must draw close to Jesus Christ because this is the only way to banish sin and despair from our life.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.”

Sunday, December 10, 2017

2nd Sunday of Advent Year B Homily

We have all been extended a vocation by God. A vocation is a call from God to a distinctive state of life, in which a person can reach holiness. The catechism states that this can be the priesthood, religious life, married life, or even the single life. Thus through the embracing of this vocation they come to pursue holiness by how they come to order their life. Some have come to embrace this vocation, others have ran away from it, and still others are in search of it.

On this second Sunday of Advent we come to encounter Saint John the Baptist in our Gospel. Saint John the Baptist is the perfect example of embracing a vocation and allowing it to be the means to which he accomplishes holiness. Saint John the Baptist was not married and thus God had called him to embrace the single life. Through this God given vocation he was also called by God to be the precursor to the Messiah.

It was for this reason that we are told concerning him that he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole life of Saint John the Baptist was oriented towards this encounter with the Messiah. As he proclaimed in the Gospel of Saint Mark: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.”

As we continue this Advent season and thus our encounter with the coming of the Messiah not only Christmas, but also the eventual second coming; may we begin to model ourself after the message and example which is extended to us by Saint John the Baptist. May we come to embrace our God given vocation and through it come to pursue holiness in our every day life. May we hear this message of repentance and come to purify ourself from our sinfulness in order may truly invite the Messiah into our life.

We live in the midst of a world which fears commitments, but Saint John the Baptist committed his whole life even to the point of death to the Messiah. We to then can commit ourselves to our God given vocation no matter the fear nor the struggle which may arise. God truly calls men to be priests, he truly calls people to the religious life, and he truly calls a man and a woman to enter into the bonds of Holy Matrimony. Commitment to such vocations may be difficult, but they are indeed possible.

It is not enough to simply accept a vocation, but we must also come to embrace it by how we live out our life. We are told of the way in which Saint John the Baptist came to embrace his vocation. It was not just an 8am-4pm job, but it was his WHOLE life. In the same way a priest, religious, married, or single person must embrace their vocation each and every single day. They must work at it and nurture their vocation through prayer, living out the sacramental life of the Church, studying their faith and scripture, undergo penance and sacrifice, and they must persevere with God’s grace.

May we thus heed the cry of Saint John the Baptist and come to follow after his example which challenges us to let go of ourself and to follow after Christ and to trust in Him. “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”

Friday, December 8, 2017

Immaculate Conception Homily

We now move towards our celebration of Christmas when we will come to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He who is not just some man, but rather He who comes without sin in order to take away the sin which are present within the world. This loving Savior is God made Flesh who comes to dwell among us.

Our celebration of Christmas is dependent upon today’s celebration of the Immaculate Conception. The Immaculate Conception is closely linked to our salvation history. Thus God chose Mary to be the pure and spotless vessel which would bring forth our Savior into this world. God acted upon her behalf and thus she was spared from the effects of original sin. Thus when she was conceived within the womb of her mother, Anne, sin was not present upon her soul.

When Mary was greeted by the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation she was told: “hail, full of grace.” This salutation made by Gabriel is pointing not to who Mary will be, but to who Mary is. This is a statement that from her conception moving forward she was found without the blemish of sin. Luke’s Gospel in instructing us that Mary was full of grace for her whole life not just during this interaction with Gabriel.

One title given to Mary is that of “Ark of the New Covenant.” The Ark of the Old Covenant contained the presence of God and the Ark of the New Covenant, being Mary, contained within her womb God in the second person of the Holy Trinity. Mary thus had to be spared from the stain of sin in order that the one who she carried within her womb would never be touched by its reality.

Thus as we continue to prepare ourself for Christmas during this season of Advent may we come do so through the intercession of Mary. As we celebrate the Immaculate Conception may we come to more closely orient ourself to her in order that we may allow her to bring us into closer relation with her Son. The closer we draw to her Son the more that we move towards detaching ourself from sin and placing our trust in Him.

Devotion to Mary is thus important in the life of the faithful. This devotion should be fostered within the family. Fostering such devotion will lead us towards living out the virtues because within her we find all the virtues perfectly displayed. Our Blessed Mother is truly found to be “full of grace.” Let us take up for ourself her rosary and allow the Angelic Salutation to always be found on our lips: “Hail Mary, full of grace.”

Sunday, December 3, 2017

1st Sunday of Advent Year B Homily

Today we embark upon the season of Advent.

We use this time that has been set before us to rush around buying presents, filling out cards, decorating our homes with trees and lights. The music which plays from the radio is that of Christmas classics. This season has become time for parties and celebrations and yet Christmas has not yet arrived.

Advent is a period of preparation in order that we may be awoken from our slumber. As we rush about toiling with as if Christmas is already here it is no wonder why our Christmas celebration does not transcend the 25th of December because everyone has already tired themselves out. We cannot allow the ways of our culture to cause us to lose sight of this period of preparation.

Thus throughout Advent we are preparing to receive the greatest gift which we can receive into our life. That is the gift of the coming of the Messiah on Christmas morning. Through Advent we also prepare for the eventual second coming of the Messiah when the Lord will come again and will call us to the final judgement.

In the account of the Nativity we are told that Mary and Joseph could not find room within the inn. This means that Christ could not find room within the inn. This inn is the same as our heart which is so often closed to allowing such a relationship to begin to take place. You see it is us who have made no room within the inn of our heart for the Messiah to enter in and to dwell with us.

This is the purpose of the Advent season. We want to make room for the Lord to enter in and to dwell with us. Our Gospel instructs us: “be watchful, be alert.” This is so not because we travel towards the known date of Christmas, but because we travel towards the unknown date of the final judgement. We do not want to be caught off guard during this interaction, but we want to be found prepared.

Therefore, as you go about these three weeks which lie ahead do not allow your Christmas preparations to overshadow the fact that we are in a period of preparation. Find ways to orient yourself and your family towards this reality. Maybe through an Advent wreath lit at each meal ate together as a family, through the reading of a spiritual book which breaks open the reality of Christ’s birth unto us, through participation in the Sacrament of Confession, through time spent in the silence of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, or through some other way in which we prepare for the Lord’s coming.

May we truly be found “watchful” and “alert” during this Advent season in order that we may be found prepared for the Lord’s coming.