The Greatest Love Story Ever

Rembrandt's Dream of Joseph

Today at sunset begins the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, the festival of lights.   If you have Jewish friends, you might want to wish them a happy Hanukkah.

This fourth Sunday of Advent is also a particularly festive time of year for children excited for the arrival of Santa Claus and Christmas Day. The symbols of this season can invite us to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas: Emmanuel, God-with-us.

A TREE: the green color symbolizes hope. AN ANGEL: angels sang the glorious news of the Savior’s birth. Look for the good in yourself, in other people in every situation in life. A STAR symbolizes the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Messiah, a Savior. Let’s keep our promises. A CANDLE: the candle symbolizes Jesus Christ, the light of the world, who scatters the darkness all around us. SANTA symbolizes good will. Be generous with what we have.

In Sunday's word of God, Isaiah describes the Hebrew King Ahaz in a quandary: mighty Assyria threatens his kingdom. Should he join an alliance? Or trust in God’s providence?

Isaiah begs him to “ask for a sign from God.” The king refuses. So, Isaiah prophesizes that God will give a sign. A woman will bear a child, Emmanuel or “God-with-us.” Isaiah's point: God never reneges on His promises. Eight centuries later, early Christianity saw the prophecy fulfilled in the birth of Jesus, whose name means “he will save.”

Paul in his letter to the Roman Christian community, introduces himself as an apostle called to deliver a message from God: the Gospel, the Good News that Jesus Christ is gloriously alive, and because He lives, we live, forever. The community, Paul emphasizes, is beloved by God and called to be holy, consecrated to continue the ministry of Jesus until He comes again with glory at the end-time.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Mary is pregnant with a child by the power of the Spirit. Joseph faces a dilemma: it's logical to conclude Mary must have committed adultery, punishable by death according to custom.  But Joseph is not about to let that happen. Then, he has a dream, an overpowering experience of the Divine, that convinces him to take Mary as his wife.

Joseph and Mary especially are two people of extraordinary trust in God’s love. Somehow, the power of God broke into Mary’s life, asking her to believe that she would bear within herself a special child. And because Mary was so attuned to God's presence in her daily life, she replied with great faith: may it be it done to me as you say.

These words are easy when things go our way; but not so easy when what is happening is the opposite of what we want. Such turns in life can test our trust in God's unconditional love.
But Mary’s “Yes” gave us the Christmas story: the greatest love story in the history of civilizations.

This Wednesday, remember: Christmas means not simply God in Bethlehem centuries ago, but God within us today. That is the reason for this holy season: to celebrate God's presence in the Christ child and through this God-man, God's presence within us.

'Tis the Season to Rejoice

John the Baptist Proclaiming Repentance

This third Sunday of Advent is known as “Gaudete” Sunday: a Latin verb meaning “rejoice” because Jesus, the joy of our salvation, will be born.

As we anticipate celebrating his birth, we thank Jesus for the gift of life, God's eternal life. We have so much to be thankful for. Yet many people lack what we take for granted. Yes, this season especially is a time to rejoice and share our blessings.

When you hear the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, remember there’s a story behind it. I share this each year because Christians still are persecuted in some places for their faith.

Catholics in Protestant England could not practice their faith openly for more than two centuries. So someone wrote The Twelve Days of Christmas which has two levels of meaning: one secular; the other, religious. Guess what the numbers symbolize; here’s a hint:
A partridge in a pear tree is…Jesus Christ.
The two turtle doves are the New and Old Testaments.
Three French hens stand for faith, hope, love.
Four calling birds are the four Gospels.
Look up the rest and play a game with children/grandchildren to see how well they can remember.

The word of God from Isaiah takes us back probably to the sixth century before Jesus (the 500s). Jerusalem had experienced immense destruction. Yet the author speaks about new beginnings: the desert will bloom; the wilderness will burst with life. The messiah will come. The author may be asking us: what message do we proclaim through our attitudes and behaviors?

James in his letter urges us to practice patience like the farmer who plants and works with nature to bring forth a harvest of produce. Patience! Even better, perseverance!

In the Gospel, John the Baptizer announces that he is the voice in the wilderness who prepares the way for the messiah. He cried out to the people who came to the waters of the Jordan River, “repent,” live an other-centered, God-centered life. And when Jesus walked along the Jordan, John pointed to Jesus as being the sacrificial Lamb of God, through whose bloody death/glorious resurrection we have a right relationship with God.

John prepared the way for Jesus, the bridge between two covenants that created a special relationship between God and us.

John challenges us to be heralds of Jesus, evangelizers, missionary disciples, in our families, our workplaces our communities by the manner in which we live. We are called to prepare the way of the Lord so that Jesus Christ, gloriously alive, can enter into our “hearts” and those of our fellow human beings.

This season, there’s no better place to begin again than in our own families, by creating an even better sense of togetherness, by cherishing people more deeply for who they are, and by reaching out to one another with a helping hand and praying together – especially at Sunday liturgies.

Joseph's Dream

Murillo's Nativity

Advent is a season of hope. We can spread that contagious hope.

In the word of God, Isaiah speaks about an ideal leader. Isaiah might be asking us how we exemplify these baptismal gifts in our everyday lives: wisdom (to recognize what truly matters), intelligence (to see what's true), courage (to stand up for what's right), empathy (for the needy), good judgment (to do the right thing for the common good), and wonder and awe (to worship the great God of this universe).

St. Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Rome calls for reconciliation and harmony. Paul asks us to practice virtue: the key organizing principle of a good society!

In the Gospel according to Matthew, John the Baptizer appears with a message of immediacy. He proclaims a turning away from a self-centered to an other-centered, God-centered life, because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He says, to the many people coming to him, “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Our mission – the theme of Advent -- is all about preparing for the messiah by living a God-centered, other-centered life.

During Advent the Word of God focuses on Isaiah, John the Baptist, and the Virgin Mary. All three, in their experience of God, delivered a special message.
Isaiah spoke about a liberator, a savior for us.
John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God. The lamb, of course, references the Passover meal. Jesus is the Lamb who through his death and resurrection creates a future for us, transforming us.
The Virgin Mary is the living temple of God, the ark of the covenant, because she carried within herself the Word made flesh, Emmanuel, God with us.

Joseph also appears briefly in Advent in the infancy narrative. Joseph had a dream in which the angel said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.”

Think about what couples dream when they learn they will be parents. Their first dreams are usually for a safe birth, a healthy child. Then, that their son or daughter will excel. Along the way, dreams may change. Mom and Dad may pray for their child to pass tough courses, recover from an illness, overcome an addiction. Sometimes disappointments or tragedy may change our dreams. But as Joseph learned, the most important things we can dream for children are that they will know we love them dearly, we accept them unconditionally, and we are always praying for God’s grace.

As we prepare for the birth of the Eternal Word of God at Christmas, let us pray for the grace to see God’s presence in all things; to do things as best we can; and to accept people as a gift from God (even if they're not quite the gift we hoped for).

Beginning the Advent-ure

Advent: a season to prepare for the birth of the Messiah

Today we begin Advent. Advent in Latin means “coming.”

Advent is all about hope in a glorious future. It invites us to reflect on the threefold coming of Jesus. Yes, Jesus came to us centuries ago; He comes to us now sacramentally; and He will come again with great power and glory at the end-time to transform this universe into a “new heaven and a new earth.”

The prophet Isaiah spoke about hope. He proclaimed that people everywhere “shall go up” to the Temple in Jerusalem not only to hear but to do the word.  Everywhere there will be peace. Do we trust in God’s unconditional love for us? And yes, do we try to do the right thing?

Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Rome wrote about his earthly life drawing closer to the end every day. So too is ours. Stay awake, be ready, live in the light, writes St. Paul. Practice virtue. Care for one another, pray earnestly, and please God.

In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus speaks to us about watchfulness or readiness.  Jesus may come to us suddenly, when we least expect Him. And so, live each day with purpose.

The Advent season can be captured in one word: “waiting,” anticipating the Messiah.
Folks in ancient Israel often waited for the Messiah to rescue them from their hardships, from the follies of their kings, from their exile, from their many occupations by a cruel foreign power.

We, too, often pray to God to rescue us from a crisis of one kind or another. Some would say that this is the story of everyone. Where was God when a loved one was in harm’s way? Why didn’t God protect them? There are no answers that satisfy us. Yes, we pray for God to rescue us. And yet God can seem silent, hidden. But is God silent? Is God hidden?

We profess that God is indeed in our midst. Not in a manger -- that was centuries ago in Bethlehem. Where is God today? All around us! In nature, in people, yes, even in our beloved pets. God is with us, as we ache with all sorts of growing pains. God is especially with us in the mass, where we sacramentally encounter the living Christ, body and blood, soul and divinity.

Saint Paul wrote that God’s favor, God’s grace has been revealed in Jesus. And so, we wait and sing in Advent, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

Let us pray this Advent season that the Spirit of God who through the Virgin Mary brought forth the Word made flesh, will reenergize us. Yes, fire us up so that we, through God’s grace, can go forth to help those who doubt to find faith; those who despair to find hope; those who are weak to find courage; those who are sick to find healing; those who are sad or depressed or angry to find joy; those who wander to find the way; and those who are about to die to find eternal life. Amen.

Tidings of Courage and Joy

Rembrandt's John the  Baptist

The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday. “Gaudete” is a Latin verb which translates as “rejoice”: because Jesus is about to be born. Joyful songs will be heard.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Catholics in England could not practice their faith openly. So someone, the legend goes, wrote “The Twelve Days of Christmas” with two levels of meaning:
The Partridge in a pear tree symbolizes Jesus Christ.
The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.
The three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
Four calling birds are the four Gospels.
Five golden rings are the Torah: the first books of the Hebrew Bible. Etc.

When you hear “The Twelve Days of Christmas” practice your religious education!

The word of God today takes us back to the seventh century before Jesus. The author of Zephaniah proclaims "shout for joy, sing, be glad," because “God is in your midst.”

Paul, in his letter, urges an early Christian community to be joyful and generous, to pray confidently, and not to be anxious.

In the Gospel according to Luke, what caught my attention was the courage of John the Baptizer to preach the good news of the coming of Jesus. John empowered people to help each other. King Herod then imprisoned him.  John the Baptist had the courage to speak truth to power, and he paid with his life. He wasn’t afraid to do the right thing.

A common phrase in the Bible is “Do not be afraid.” Or “Be not afraid.” Between the Old and New Testaments, the phrases appear more than a thousand times. It appears God is trying to get a message across to us.

Psychologists often argue that fear is a dominant emotion. Think about it. We're afraid of failure, of certain parts of town, of criticism. Fear stops more people from doing something extraordinary than lack of ability.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the acquired ability to move beyond fear. Look through history and identify people you admire. Much can be accomplished in one moment of courage. Much can be lost in one moment of fear. 

Courage is an acquired virtue. You learn to ride a bicycle by riding one. You acquire courage by practicing it. Virtues are like muscles—when you exercise them, they become stronger.

Starting a new venture, making a sacramental commitment like confirmation or marriage, coming humbly before God in prayer: they all require courage. It animates us and makes so many things possible. 

We are not alone. God has given us the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the end, a life lived in accordance with an informed conscience and grounded in courage leaves us at peace within oneself: in harmony with God and with our own inner best self.

So, always seek what is right as John the Baptizer did: not what is fashionable, not what is expected by others, not what is merely acceptable, but what is right and good. And having found what is right and good: “just do it.”

Letting Faith in God Illuminate our Lives

Murillo's Holy Family

The Advent season is about waiting. We do plenty of waiting, don’t we? So did the ancient Hebrews.They often waited for the Messiah to rescue them. Yet the Messiah often seemed hidden.

We often pray for God to rescue us from a crisis of one kind or another, to appear and make things right. Some would say that is everyone’s story.

God seems silent sometimes. But our faith proclaims loudly that God is indeed among us. He is closer than we are to ourselves. Do not be afraid, Jesus proclaims; I am with you always.

The word of God gives us Baruch, in the sixth century before Jesus. Times were catastrophic for the Jews; everything they thought would endure suddenly disappeared. Yet, Baruch spoke of hope: a faithful people who will reflect the glory of God.

Paul, in his letter to the Christian community prayed that we will possess true wisdom, to distinguish what matters in life from what doesn’t, so that we will always do the right thing.

In the Gospel according to Luke, John the Baptizer proclaims repentance: prepare our hearts for the Lord. Yes, ask God to help us to hear the word of God in our hearts and turn toward a God-centered, other-centered life.

During Advent the word of God focuses on three biblical personalities: Isaiah, John the Baptist, and the Virgin Mary. Each delivered a special message.
Isaiah spoke about a future Messiah, a liberator, a redeemer, a savior for us.
John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, who through his own death and resurrection creates a future for us.
The Virgin Mary is the living temple of God, the ark of the covenant. She carried within herself the Word made flesh, a child, Emmanuel, God with us.

The word of God in Advent also briefly references Joseph, who had a dream in which the angel said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.”

I ponder couples’ dreams when they learn that they will be parents. Their first dreams are usually for a safe birth, a healthy child. Then they may dream that their son or daughter will excel. Along the way, things may change very quickly. Parents may pray for their child to pass courses, or recover from an illness or a serious accident, or overcome an addiction.

As Joseph learned, the most important things we can dream for those we love are these: that they always will know that we love them dearly, we accept them unconditionally for who they are, we are ready to forgive them their so-called peccadilloes, and that we are always praying that God will grace them.

All these are manifestations of faith. As I view the beautiful windows in our church, and value the light illuminating them, I think of a quote President Bush read at the National Cathedral:
...without faith, we are but stained-glass windows in the dark.

But with the light of our faith, we illuminate the same splendid multi-colored stain-glass window into a "work of art" for all to see. May the light of our faith make our lives a "work of art" for all to see Jesus as our way, our truth and our life.

Hope and Goodness

A particular gospel phrase stood out for me this weekend: “Stand upright and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”

Advent Wreath: Awaiting the Messiah.

How might we celebrate Advent? Some families create a wreath with four candles, and light one candle at the dinner table during the first week, two the second week, and so on. They pray in their own words for the coming anew of the Messiah into their own lives. Other families make a Jesse or genealogy tree to recapture the story of our salvation in the Hebrew bible. Still others have a Nativity scene and invite family members to tell in their own words the meaning of Christmas, God-with-us, Emmanuel. These are but a few customs.

The word of God carries us back in our imaginations to a prophet named Jeremiah who cited the infidelity of the Hebrews to their promises to God. But God is always faithful. And so Jeremiah spoke about hope: God one day will raise up a new king who will do what is right and good for his people.

Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Thessaloniki in Greece urged them not to so much anticipate the future that they forget how to live here and now. Yes, Paul wrote, care for one another, pray fervently, please God and be ready when the Day of the Lord comes.

The Gospel according to Luke speaks dramatically about signs that will signal the coming of Jesus Christ with great power and glory to transfigure us into the likeness of God.

We gather together in his name before the word of God and around the table of the Lord to hear God’s voice in scripture and to re-experience the sacrificial, life-giving death and glorious resurrection of Jesus. And through this mystery, we re-experience the living Christ who has already made us by grace what Jesus Christ is by nature: sons and daughters of God.

That great news of our faith challenges us this Advent season to look for the good in ourselves, in other people and in everyday situations of life. God is the ultimate good-finder. God so loved us that he became one of us.