How to be Happy (6th Sunday, Year C)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

If we were to summarize the theme of our readings today, we could accomplish this with just one phrase: “If you want to be happy, do…” Each scripture has a different component of what it takes to live in deep, unshakeable joy that cannot be taken away by anything but sin. That sounds pretty good, don’t you think? Who doesn’t want some of that? And yet how many people, even many Christians, wander through life discontent, feeling empty, unfulfilled, and deeply depressed. Haven’t we all felt this way at some time to one degree or another? 

True happiness is one of those elusive things that cannot be found if you seek it for its own sake. It is like those heat mirages you see while driving on a warm day which appear just down the road but disappear every time you get close. 

This reminds me of a little fable concerning two dogs; perhaps those of you who are pet-people have heard it! A young puppy said to his old grand-dog, “From my short experience in life I have learned that the best thing for a dog is happiness and that happiness is in my tail. That is why I am chasing my tail, and when I catch it, I shall have perfect happiness.” The old dog replied, “From my research and long experience, I too, have judged that happiness is a fine thing for a dog and that happiness is in his tail. But I’ve noticed that whenever I chase it, it keeps running away from me, but when I go about my business, it always follows after me.”

This might be a rough analogy but we can pause to take it in. If we want to be truly happy, we must seek the things of God, not happiness itself. It is a byproduct rather than the end-goal of a life well-lived! So what are the scriptural steps that generate happiness for us?

Jeremiah tells us real happiness consists in placing our trust in God and His promises. The Responsorial Psalm reveals joy in keeping God’s Law. In the second reading St. Paul reminds us that complete happiness is only realized in Heaven, and Christ’s Resurrection gives us our confidence of reaching Heaven for everlasting fulfillment. So far, this is pretty standard stuff for any person who believes in God. Beautiful and numerous are the beatitudes in Old Testament. They say that if you do this or that good thing, you will receive blessings. Thus, people were not surprised when Jesus used them in his teaching.

The trouble was, he seemed to invert them! Blessed are you, happy you will be, if you do the deed of suffering. Who saw that coming? Are we supposed to seek to be penniless, persecuted, sorrowful and in pain? Why would Jesus encourage us to embrace such terrible things? Throughout history there have been many interpretations about what Jesus meant by this teaching. Was it hyperbole? Did he really mean it? Was this little more than a pious preaching that we can personally disregard? I don’t think the beatitudes of Jesus were any of these things. He meant them as he said them and I believe it was for this reason. A person has to be open and empty in order to let God and others come in. In order to love and be loved we need to have space at the heart of who we are.

Consider the rich person who “has everything.” Aren’t they tempted to let their possessions define who they are? “Threaten my things and you attack me,” they might say. Possessions become an “instead of.” Instead of love, instead of faith, instead of reliance on God, I choose something seemingly more stable: cars or homes or connections or just plain power. Instead of eating only as much as we need, most North Americans who go to a restaurant order enough for multiple people! Would you like dessert, the waiter asks after we’ve already finished a 2-pound steak, a salad, and three sides. The principle running through all the beatitudes is this: you are blessed if you don’t cram yourself full. Full of food, drink, pride, drugs, fame, pleasure, busyness, exotic vacations, every kind of wealth, and the desire to be approved and accepted at any cost.

Jesus seems to be saying —— instead, blessed are you if you try to stay empty, if you leave some room for what only the Lord can provide, if you become a spacious home for God, for other human beings, providing a place where the suffering, sad, lonely, and poor can find refuge.

There is only one God who can save, only one Being who can give the bread of life, who can satisfy our deep capacity for love, and quench our endless thirst for happiness. Don’t you want to welcome that being into your soul instead of flying around at breakneck speed, seeking to fill yourself with all the other things that simply cannot satisfy? 

Take some time this week to reflect on what you are chasing in the effort to be happy. Are you living a life of beatitude, trusting in God and keeping his law? Are you mindful that this life cannot fully satisfy, remembering to set your sights on the life to come? Most important of all, are you leaving some empty space for the Lord to fill? He wants us to be happy so let us make sure to leave room for his grace!

Unremarkable Does Not Mean Unimportant (Presentation, 2025)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

If you don’t remember celebrating the feast of the Presentation, there is a good reason for that! In the past 20 years, this is only the 4th time it has fallen on a Sunday. This holy day is rich in symbolism and theology but in order to keep this homily reasonably brief, let’s just focus on two of the characters in our gospel, Simeon and Anna. We encounter Simeon and Anna on the best day of their lives; the day God’s promise was fulfilled for them. It might be easy for us to simply stay on this happy day but there is value in looking at the lessons we learn from the unremarkable, ordinary days and years leading up to the Presentation, the days that scripture does not record, the days which seem to blur into one big blob.

St. Luke tells us that Simeon was a righteous and devout man who received a promise from God that he would not die before he had the chance to meet the messiah. As far as we know, that’s all he knew. How many years had passed since that Divine Promise? How difficult some days must have been for Simeon to pray, to trust, to show up at the temple, not quite sure what the fulfillment would look like, wondering if he somehow missed it. And yet he remained faithful, hopeful, watchful, and ready. Trusting that God would keep his promise! Don’t you wonder what he thought when he first saw Jesus, just over a month old and realized that this is who he had been waiting for all these years?! He was so thrilled that he sung a canticle of praise that priests and religious say each night before we go to bed. It is a hymn of  contentment, fulfillment, and peace that he must have been composing in the years of faithful waiting. Would we would have the same reaction? Would we look at the baby Jesus, the surprising answer of God to the question of sin and death, and say, “yeah, that seems right.” Or might we be skeptical, dismayed, or disappointed? Because of his great faith and trust in God, Simeon was able to look at the baby Jesus and know, this is what salvation looks like when it is 40 days old! 

Alongside Simeon we have the amazing Anna. Her life started out so wonderfully. She was married at the appropriate time and for 7 years enjoyed marital bliss. After those 7 years, she became a widow and lived a life of hardship, uncertainty, and obscurity. From what Luke tells us, she had been a widow for 63 years until the moment of the Presentation. How easy it could have been for her to harden her heart, to grow bitter with her lot in life, to blame God for her sufferings. What an extraordinary woman she must have been to not be consumed by loneliness, sadness, or despair. The example of Anna is a lesson for us; the emptiness created by loss, she filled with the things of God. Luke tells us at this point of her life, she never left the temple and praised the Lord day and night. As this life claimed more and more of her, she steadily grew in her faith and worship. One more amazing detail that St. Luke shares with us: Anna was the daughter of Phanuel. Do you know what her dad’s name means? It is Hebrew for the “The face of God”. As she grew up, Anna would have learned about love and faith by watching her dad, who reflected the face of God. Isn’t it beautiful that this faith-filled, joyful woman who never left the temple, knew as soon as she saw the infant Jesus, that this was the perfect face of God that had been foreshadowed by her father?! How many days, how many years she prayed in the temple, seeking the face of God and did not find it? How easy it would have been, after more than 6 decades, to stop seeking, to become complacent, to lose the fire that clearly made her into a spiritual powerhouse. In the person of Anna, we have an inspiration for prayer, praise, perseverance, and hope!

If there was one thing we could take away from the Presentation, it would be this: there are many parts of our life, countless meals, appointments, routines, and moments, there are so many days, months, and even years that seem unremarkable. But that does not mean that they are unimportant! The glory and grace of the Presentation for Anna and Simeon was made possible by their faith-filled choices each day in the ordinary events of daily life. Most of our life plays out in the same way. We will each have relatively few mountain-top moments. But we prepare for them and are sustained in between them by how we approach the daily grind. 

To close, I would offer the three things that Simeon and Anna did that made them ready to greet Jesus at the moment of the Presentation:

1. They showed up. Day after day they went were they needed to be. Even if they didn’t get much out it, even if today felt pretty much the same as yesterday. It didn’t matter, they put themselves in the place God wanted them to be and we would be wise to start with that simple but crucial first step.
2. They were present. We all know what it is like to be physically somewhere but mentally, spiritually, or emotionally checked out. This is so easy to do these days with our screens and other technologies that keep us perpetually distracted. It can even happen here at Mass where we attend the Eucharist but our hearts and minds fly away to other concerns. Anna and Simeon weren’t just checking the boxes in their daily routines.
3. They did what they knew rather than dwelling on all they did not. Sometimes we can be consumed by the unknowns in life. There is far more we don’t know or understand and we can spend so much time and energy fretting over those things. Simeon didn’t know when the time of fulfillment would come for him. Anna didn’t know what the face of God would look like. But they did know that they should be in the temple praying, praising, worshipping, and trusting God. They did what they knew and that is what revealed what was unknown. Every parent here knows this too. You did not take your baby home with all the knowledge of every parenting requirement. You knew the basics of feeding your baby, keeping them safe, warm, and healthy and each day you did this, you understood a little more. The same is true with our relationship with God!

May we rejoice like Simeon and Anna, as we celebrate the Presentation. Let us imitate them in living well the unremarkable moments of everyday life so we are ready to recognize Jesus in the extraordinary occasions where we meet him face to face!

What Do You Get Out of Church? (3rd Sunday of OT, Year C)

 There's a story about a couple leaving church one Sunday. As they walked to the car, the wife asked her husband, "Did you see the strange hat Mrs. Jones was wearing?" “No, I didn't," replied the husband. “What about Bill Smith?” she asked, “he really needs a hair cut, don’t you think?" "I didn't notice," her husband said. “Well, you must have noticed the awful outfit that Ms. Brown tried to pull off,” his wife commented. “I missed that” her husband said. Fed up, his wife said, "You know, John, sometimes I wonder if you get anything at all out of going to church."

Now this of course is a ridiculous story, but one that illustrates an important truth. People get different things out of going to church, depending on what they focus on when they get there. Today's Gospel reading begins by telling us that when Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, he went up to Nazareth, which was his hometown, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.

These last words form an interesting statement that should make us pause and reflect. Jesus went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. In other words, it was his habit, his practice, and his custom to worship there on the Sabbath day. Now let’s remember when all of this is taking place. Jesus returns to Galilee, to this synagogue, after his baptism and anointing with the Holy Spirit, here he is, after already having demonstrated his power and his righteousness; here he is, after miraculous healings and authoritative teachings. What does he do? He attends weekly worship in the synagogue in his hometown, according to his custom.

But why?

This question needs to be asked because there are many people who claim to be connected to God, many people who say they are aware of the movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives and in the world but who do not attend Holy Mass on a regular basis. People who profess to be spiritual but not religious. There are many who claim that they can be acceptable Catholics without a custom or habit of going to Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. That somehow they are exempt from this need for regular public worship because they are connected to God in their hearts. Others claim they don’t go very often because they don’t get that much out of it, that it’s too boring or dull and the priest always gives terrible homilies. Today in the gospel, we see that the most holy person this world has ever seen, the person who men and women recognize as being the most righteous and beautiful that history has produced, a person who had the deepest kind of prayer life and a profound intimacy with the Father, here we see that he attended public worship that he entered the synagogue, on a regular basis.

We might wonder, “what did the Son of God expect to learn during that time in the synagogue? What did he get out of it? Why did he go?” Surely he knew it all already? Surely the prayers of the temple, the psalms that were sung, the scriptures that were read, and the message of the rabbi were nothing new to him. We would all have understood if he had spent the time alone on a mountain or praying in the desert. Certainly it would have made sense if he used this time to rest and relax after a busy week of being about his Father's business. And yet he attended the public prayer of the synagogue, week in and week out, year in and year out.

I think that there are several lessons to be learned from Jesus’ custom of faithfully going to the synagogue on the Sabbath.

The first lesson is that he is giving us, his followers, a good example. As we know from the gospels, he came, not to abolish the law but to fulfill it And keeping holy the Sabbath was and still is a central element of keeping God’s laws. Jesus teaches us the importance of dedicating time, every week to worship God. He shows us that keeping holy the Sabbath is done by setting aside sacred time for God alone. Yes, often, there are many other “practical” concerns and demands that would seem to be better use of our time, but the example of Jesus shows us that weekly worship of God on Sundays should be a sacred time and a sacred duty that must not neglect. Instead, we should make this a top priority.

The second lesson involves the communal aspect of worship. Our presence at Sunday Mass is not simply about us as individuals. We come together as a body of believers, that very Body of Christ which St. Paul talks about in our second reading. And if one member disregards their spiritual life and neglects their Sunday obligation, it is not only they who suffer, but the whole Body of Christ. Jesus’ presence in the synagogue was likely more beneficial to those around him than to himself but through Him, God was able to lift the hearts and minds of others in prayer. The same can happen through us by our humble, faithful, and pious participation at Sunday Mass.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is an inexhaustible richness to the liturgy we celebrate each and every Sunday. Every week we sit and listen to the same Scriptures Jesus did. Jesus went back to the synagogue, week after week to hear the Word of God, to be encouraged by its promise, renewed by its power, and reminded of the Father’s love for the world. No student is greater than his teacher; how much more each of us needs that encouraging, renewing, and reminding that Scripture gives! And now, because of the gift of the Eucharist, we are fed not just with the Word of God but the very Body and Blood of Christ!! In this way, Sunday Mass fulfills God’s command to keep holy the Sabbath, it unites us the whole Body of Christ, and it opens our heart, mind, and soul to receive the infinite riches gained by Christ during his life on earth.

As I mentioned in the beginning of the homily, we get different things out of Mass, depending on what our expectations and efforts are. If we come to Sunday Mass expecting to be bored, unimpressed, distracted, unprepared, or stuck for an hour, that is likely what we will get. Even more so if we only come a couple times each month or a few times a year. But if we come to Mass faithfully, week after week, expecting to be inspired, renewed, guided, strengthened, forgiven, and taught, Christ will gladly give us these good things and many more. As we continue with this Mass, to worship God and thank Him for His many gifts, let us expect great things and abundant graces. We can be assured that God, in his infinite goodness will always give us more than we can ask or imagine.

Did Jesus Need to be Baptized (Baptism of the Lord, Year C)

To listen to this homily, click here.

One of the most common questions we are asked as priests happens with Saturday weddings and holy days of obligation that fall on a Monday. Can you guess what the question is? I’ll bet you can because all of us have asked it at one time or another! Does the wedding count for Sunday? If I go Mass on Sunday night, do I need to go again on Monday for the Holy day? Of course, this question is much bigger than mass attendance; we humans like to learn what is needed and required so we know where we stand with God and each other. This same question comes up when we celebrate this feast, the Baptism of Jesus. Did Jesus NEED to be baptized? The short answer is, NO. Like everything dealing with our salvation and the Incarnation, Jesus was not required to do any of it; he chose to do all of it out of love and each action had real purpose and effect. 

The Fathers of the Church reflected deeply on the Lord’s baptism; their explanation is both true and beautiful. They concluded that Jesus was baptized in order to make the waters holy. He was not changed as John the Baptist submerged him but the water was! Jesus was baptized so the water could change us! And because Jesus is God, he has that power. The sacrament of baptism actually changes us, takes away our sins and spiritually cleans us. It’s not just a symbolic procedure that represents something abstract and unseen. When the water touches someone’s head and those words are said, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”, their sins are taken away and they are adopted as God’s son or daughter! It’s really an incredible thing, don’t you think? That Jesus has given such spiritual power to water to wash away our spiritual slop! Sam Houston was the first president of the Republic of Texas. It’s said he was a rather nasty fellow with a checkered past. Later in life Houston made a commitment to Christ and was baptized in a river. The preacher said to him, “Sam, your sins are washed away.” Houston replied, “God help the fish.”

Our celebration of Jesus’ baptism today acknowledges what he has done for us. It is also a chance to reflect on that crucial moment when we were claimed for Christ, many of us as little babies. The Church encourages us to observe our baptismal birthday each year in the same way we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. If you don’t know when that date was, you can contact the parish you were baptized and ask them to look it up. If your parish of baptism is closed, you can request the date from the Archdiocesan archives and I can give the the link to do that. My baptismal birthday is coming up! January 17, 1982 was the day I became a son of God and it is probably the most important date in my life because that was the moment that I was given the opportunity for eternal life! In honor of Jesus’ baptism, take some time in the next week or two to discover your baptismal birthday and thank God for cleansing the waters so they, in turn, could transform you!

I’d like to end the homily with a story. It’s one some of you may have heard before but it does a great job of reminding us what a privilege we have in becoming children of God through baptism. This sacrament unlocks access to God that was previously unthinkable and impossible.

During the American Civil War, a young soldier in the Union Army lost both
his older brother and his father in the Battle of Gettysburg. The soldier decided to go to Washington, to see President Lincoln. He wanted to ask for an exemption from military service so he could return to the family farm and help his sister and mother with the spring planting. Without his help, the planting would not be completed and his family would lose their farm. When he arrived in Washington, he went to the White House. Approaching the front gate, he asked to see the president. The guard on duty told him, “YOU can’t see the president, soldier! The president is a very busy man! Get back to the front lines, where you belong!”

Understandably crushed, the soldier wept outside the White House. In his despair he didn’t first notice a little boy staring at him. The child asked what was wrong. The soldier began to share his sad story. The little boy listened and said “I can help you.” He took the soldier by the hand and led him back through the front gate, entered a side door of the White House, where  they walked right past generals and high ranking officials, and yet no one said a word. The soldier couldn’t understand what was happening. Why didn’t anyone stop them? Finally they reached the Oval Office—where the president was working—and the little boy didn’t even knock on the door. He just walked right in and led the soldier in with him. There behind the desk was Abraham Lincoln, hard at work. The president glanced at the soldier and then looked at the boy with a smile. “Good afternoon, Tad. Can you introduce me to your friend?” And Tad Lincoln, the son of the president of the United States, said, “Dad, this soldier needs to talk to you.” The soldier pleaded his case before Mr. Lincoln and he received the exemption through the intercession of the president’s son.

Friends, God loves each of you, right here and right now. As his children, his door is always open to you for anything. We do not and cannot earn that love. It is being showered on us constantly, if we stop and receive it. But it’s not just about receiving for ourselves. We also must share the love God has for us by helping to lead others to our father where he can help and heal them. We are called to do this before being asked, before others have done good or bad, whether or not they deserve our favor and encouragement.

And after loving others, after creating an atmosphere of encouragement, kindness, and charity; pray and thank God, and do it all over again, knowing that this is how God cares for us every day as his beloved sons and daughters! 

A Lifeline Thrown (Christmas 2024)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

On behalf of the priests, deacons, and staff of Incarnate Word, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! We are so happy to gather together in prayer and praise on this holy night/day and believe that God has a special message for each of you! With that being said, it is no secret that this time of year can be stressful for many people. I am reminded of the story of an older gentlemen from a nearby city in the midwest who called his son in New York with some bad news, “I hate to ruin your day son, but your mother and I are getting a divorce; 50 years of marriage… and I just can’t take it anymore!” “Dad, what are you talking about?” the son yelled. The old man replied. “We’re sick of each other, and I’m sick of talking about it, so call your sister in California and tell her!”. Frantic, the son called his sister, who lost it when she heard the news. “There is no way they’re separating,” she shouted, “I’ll take care of this.” She called her father immediately and sternly told him, “You and mom are staying together. Don’t do anything until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. The old man hung up the phone and said to his wife. “Okay”, it’s all set. They’re both coming home for Christmas and paying their own air-fare.”

I had to get the annual cheesy priest-joke in there for this to be a real Christmas homily! What’s no joke is the number of dinners, parties, and gatherings we all attend this festive and busy time of year. One of my favorite small-talk questions to ask or answer is, “are you reading a good book you would recommend?” I recently finished the incredible story of Donald Stratton called All the Gallant Men. Stratton was stationed on the battleship USS Arizona when it was sunk during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. Of the more than 1500 men assigned to this ship, only 335 survived the catastrophic explosion that destroyed the Arizona after a direct hit set off the ammunition magazine. 

Stratton tells how he and 5 of his companions survived the initial blast but were soon in danger from the fires raging in the wreckage and on the surface of the water. There was no escape for them as the deck of the ship grew hotter and the attack continued. They were saved that fateful day by a sailor named Joe George on a smaller ship tied to the Arizona from the previous night. Because of the ongoing attack and the massive fire raging on the battleship, the smaller vessel needed to separate itself to find safer waters. Joe George was ordered to cut all of the mooring lines that connected her to the Arizona. As he was doing so, he saw the 6 sailors stranded on the wreckage, all of them badly burned and crying out for help. Disobeying his commanding officer and unable to ignore their pleas, he stopped cutting the lines and was able to throw a lifeline to Stratton and his mates. One by one, they shimmied across to safety, miraculously avoiding the strafing aircraft, the burning fires beneath them, and the real possibility of a 4-story fall off the rope. 

Stratton was forever grateful to Joe George for coming to their rescue. And he marveled at the many brave sailors who ran to their battle stations, put out fires, and rushed around the harbor in smaller boats to rescue as many sailors as possible, ignoring the risks to their own safety. 

During that dark day which lives in infamy, there were numerous stories of heroes who ran into the danger, into the carnage everyone else was trying to flee. They did so, not for themselves but in the hopes of saving at least some. Throughout the history of humanity, this same sort of story has been repeated over and over again, especially by soldiers, first responders, and heroes of every type. They run into situations that are dangerous, repulsive, and terrifying; not thinking of themselves but of others.

As we gather for Christmas, we recognize that this is what Jesus did for us. Despite the destruction, horror, and betrayal of our offenses, God rushed into it all to save us. Immediately after our first parents Adam and Eve sinned against God, the Lord started working on a plan to rescue humanity. He was not willing to give up on the human race nor was he repulsed by our sinfulness. Instead, he kept throwing us lifelines, through the law and the prophets. Even as we kept running away from him, he wouldn’t stop trying to save us. In the fulness of time, he sent his Son, Jesus, as savior to defeat sin and death and establish a safe harbor in his Church, where all can find relief and healing from the attacks of evil and the fires of hell. Nothing could turn Jesus from his saving mission; not the attacks of the unrighteous and unbelieving. Not even the terrible suffering and death on the cross could stop his tremendous love. He came that we might have life and have it to the fullest!

As we gather tonight to celebrate Jesus’ arrival as a small baby, we should thank him from the bottom of our hearts. Before Jesus came, we were in worse shape than Stratton and his friends, trapped on the doomed Arizona. We had no way out and we could not save ourselves. But Jesus could and did and he wishes more than anything else, that all would follow him to salvation. He is is not afraid of the messes we make, he can handle the sins we have committed, he can fix what we have broken, he can save what we have lost, he can make all things new! As we enter the Christmas season, cry out to Jesus in joy; this is the reason we sing these happy songs, year after year! If there is something you are tempted to hide from him, if you are ashamed of a sin, a personal weakness, or a terrible mistake from your past, he wants to dive in and save you! He wants only to draw you out of the flames of self-hatred and despair and draw you close to his tender, compassionate heart. Let him love you and save you and bring you home. 

Christmas is so much more than a sentimental celebration. It is the moment when everything changed, when God made it clear that no thing and no one could stop him from rescuing his people. May you know the overwhelming, never-ending, relentless love of God, embodied in the gentle glance of the Christ-child! And if you feel trapped by any sin, suffering, or personal darkness, believe that Jesus will never give up on you; he is looking for you now and all you have to do is call out his name. May this be your best Christmas yet, full of love, joy, healing, and peace!

Mary's Love (4th Sunday of Advent, Year C)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Every year I say it and every year I mean it; I cannot believe we are already at the end of Advent and just a few days from Christmas. As I was looking through past homilies, it was easy to see where I ran out of steam…the 4th Sunday of Advent. In the past, it appears I had already mentally moved on to Christmas and put more energy into what I would say for the big holy day. But its not really fair that this final Sunday of preparation and waiting should get short shrift because much grace can still be given to us in these final moments of advent.

For our reflection this weekend, I would like to focus on the first sentence of the gospel we just heard. It is a phrase we probably glide right over but it has much to teach us about how Mary loved God and others, with a complete gift of her self.

St. Luke tells us that “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” From this simple account we learn three qualities about Mary’s love. 

First of all, it was decisive. As soon as the angel Gabriel announced that she would be the mother of God and her cousin Elizabeth was with Child, Mary resolved to help her family member with what would have been a difficult pregnancy. Elizabeth was in her late 80’s when she had John the Baptist. The compassionate heart of Mary knew that her cousin needed help right away in order to welcome her miraculous child into the world. Never mind that she herself was pregnant and needing to have a very challenging and important conversation with Joseph. Mary saw the need of someone who needed her help and without waiting to be asked, away she went. This is the meaning of the phrase “in haste”. It doesn’t mean that she went off in a frantic rush, without thinking, and forgetting half of what she meant to take with her. No, it means there was no gap between May knowing this was the right thing to do and her actually doing it; her good intention and her loving action were connected by an unbroken string of grace and resolve. 

The second quality of Mary’s love shown to us in this sentence is that it was steadfast. We are told she travelled to the hill country, which is synonymous with rough terrain, frequent elevation changes, and difficult roads. The distance between Mary’s home and Elizabeth’s village was roughly 100 miles and this would have been covered mostly, if not completely on foot. For reference, this would be like walking to Rolla, Cape Girardeau, Jefferson City, or Hannibal, Missouri as an expectant, teenage girl. Besides the physical toll it must have taken on the newly pregnant Virgin Mary, the path she took had many hidden dangers. The dirt path that wound through the mountainous region is believed to have been a popular place for bandits, who would victimize unsuspecting travelers. There must have been many times when Mary thought about turning around. If she had, no one would have blamed or thought less of her. But her care for Elizabeth, her capacity for sacrificial love, propelled her through the hill country and conquered every fear, obstacle, and difficulty.

The third quality of Mary’s love is that it was intentional and focussed. So often, our resolutions to love God and others remain vague, nearly impossible to quantify or hold ourselves accountable. Additionally, how often do we love others while distracted by many other things and preoccupied with less important concerns? We will say, “I want to be a better person or love others more, or think of myself less.” Good intentions for sure but how can we be sure that we are making progress or acting on the grace God is sending us? Mary was very specific and concrete and completely focused on her dear cousin. To go, without delay, to help until John the Baptist was born. To make sure Elizabeth had a safe delivery and all the help she needed as she experienced motherhood for the first time. Mary was completely present and available to serve Elizabeth for three months in her time of need. We can only imagine how grateful and humbled Elizabeth must have been as she received the love and care of Mary, even as Jesus was being formed in the Virgin’s womb. Mary’s love for Elizabeth was practical, selfless, and centered on her cousin. She wasn’t simply multi-tasking, helping her because it was convenient, or serving some ulterior motive.

As we sneak up on another Christmas, we have the chance to examine our own ways of loving. Do we have the heart of Mary with its decisive, steadfast, and focused qualities? Perhaps we are strong in one area but another aspect needs to be stretched to grow in grace? Far too often, our love is timid, fickle, indecisive and surrenders to selfishness when sacrifice is required. Mary provides an example that is both challenging and comforting, inspiring and convicting. She is here to help us learn to love like her. Just as she gave an example to Elizabeth on how to love God and love others, she will guide us too. Let us go in haste to her now so that our Christmas may be more like hers!

Ducks in a Row (2nd Sunday of Advent, Year C)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Our recent cold snap with snow, wind, and ever darker days reminded me of the one time I went duck hunting with a parishioner. Even though we didn’t score any kills, I learned quite a bit about duck calls, decoys, the importance of warm, waterproof clothing, and a good dog. I was also educated about the role weather plays in your odds of success, keeping your eyes on the sky, and not being too quick on the trigger. All in all, a very enriching experience, although I am glad my meal wasn’t tied to the end result.  

Strangely enough, lying in wait for migratory birds also reminds me of a story about a group of software designers. They were using mysterious technical jargon to discuss a data exchange interface with a vendor. One engineer said the programming that had been ordered wasn’t ready yet because the vendor was suffering from a “severe nonlinear waterfowl issue.” Curious, the team leader raised his eyebrows and asked, “What exactly is a ‘severe nonlinear waterfowl issue’?” The engineer replied, “They don’t have all their ducks in a row.” Whether you are looking at the sky from a watery blind or trying to implement a new software program, it is always good to have your ducks in a row!

On this second Sunday of Advent, John the Baptist comes to ask us if we have any “severe nonlinear waterfowl issues” in our lives? Do we have all our ducks in a row for the coming of the Messiah or are there things still left undone and relegated to the “I will get to that tomorrow” pile? Luke tells us that the coming of John the Baptist is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth.’” There are countless ways we can get our ducks in a row this advent season but allow me to suggest three:

#1, We need to prepare the way for the Messiah in our hearts: We do this by filling in the “valleys” of our souls which have been hollowed out by a hurried, shallow prayer life and a minimalist approach to living our Faith. We do this by straightening any crooked paths we’ve been walking, especially by examining habitual sins or unholy relationships.  If we have been involved in some dishonest practices at work or hurtful habits at home, we are called to straighten them out and make restitution. If we have been harboring grudges, nursing hatred, or failing to be reconciled with others, now is the time to clear away all the debris that blocks the grace of God. If we have been pushing God off to the side of the road, if we have been saying we don’t have time for Him, now is the time to get our priorities straight. And we all have to level the “mountains” of pride and selfishness. Whatever blocks or slows down the grace of God, now is the time to clear it out!

#2: We need to repent and seek forgiveness from God and our fellow-human beings: John’s message calls us to confront and confess our sins. We have to turn away from them in sincere repentance in order to receive God’s healing grace.  There are two main reasons why people who have recognized their sins fail to receive forgiveness for them. The first is that they refuse to repent in the sacrament of confession, but the second is that they fail to forgive. Jesus is very explicit about this Mt 6. He says, “if you forgive others their transgressions, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive you.”  Is there someone I need to forgive today? Someone, whose pardon I need to ask and pray for?  We must not let what others have done destroy our lives. We can’t be forgiven unless we forgive as well. We must release our bitterness if we want God to do His healing work in our lives. Holding grudges has best been described as drinking poison and hoping our enemies will die.

# 3: We need to accommodate John the Baptizer in our lives: This means we must take an active role in our ongoing conversion. We cannot just pray for grace and hope to wake up radically changed and “fixed” by God. The Lord will indeed give us grace to grow closer to him and others this advent season but then he will also send us opportunities to put his grace to work. In other words, we will have to practice and struggle. This is often messy and uncomfortable, much like mastering a new skill or learning something we are not naturally good at! It takes work! Some practical suggestions could be: Make peace with someone you’re at odds with. Pick up the phone and talk to somebody you haven’t contacted in months or years. Offer a compliment to the person you are inclined to criticize. Speak up when you hear our Catholic Faith being attacked or misrepresented. Give, not out of your leftovers, but out of your substance. Add another 5-10 minutes to your prayer and just sit in silence with the Lord. We can all find new ways to show God that we really wish to change and make it easier for Him to come into our hearts. But it must be more than good intentions and vague resolutions.  

God is so good to each of us and he is constantly pouring grace and opportunities into our lives. He does this because he loves us without measure and the challenge of John the Baptist is one more manifestation of that divine affection. Take the time to quietly examine your relationship with God this advent to see what valleys need to be filled in, which hills need to be knocked down, and what crooked ways can be made straight. God’s peace, joy, mercy, healing, forgiveness, and salvation are waiting for those who are willing to get their ducks in a row!