Why We Observe Advent (1st Sunday of Advent)

Why do we have Advent? Does it really make anything different for us? Unless you are a liturgical nerd or a priest, you might wonder. Some explanations could be, “I don’t know, it always just comes along.” Or, “to prepare for Christmas.” But Christmas came long ago, and if Christ has already been born, what is this Advent- waiting about? Are we really going to forget about his birth?

In fact, one great reason for us to observe Advent each year, is our forgetfulness. we may not forget the historical event of Christ’s birth but our hearts get drowsy and lazy, tired out by the anxieties of daily life. Maybe we distract ourselves from troubles by over-working, or becoming depressed, or becoming fascinated with drink, or pleasure, or out-of-control emotions, or gambling, or email, or sports, or surfing the web, or how people view us. Whatever it is, the clear message of Advent is, “Settle down for a while.” Open the door a little bit and let God in.

There is a method to help us do this. Each week’s First Reading is the carrot: something positive, a promise of good. Then the Gospel hits us with a big stick to wake us up. Take the encouraging First Reading this Sunday. It reminds us of the promise God made to his people: righteousness and justice will come to the earth. There will be security. The day of the Lord will arrive, though long delayed. Peace in our day.

How rewarding it is to desire such a time. Is it too good to be true or just a pious thought? Read the First Reading and ask yourself those questions. Spend time with them. Pray to God for help. The Responsorial Psalm will aid you. It asks God to make known his ways to us, to guide and teach us. The Second Reading urges us to put God’s promise of peace into action, even if we are not sure what it means. Love others and be loved. 

Then there is the Gospel. It tries to wake us up, especially if the above has not helped. Signs in the sun, moon and stars, nations in dismay, the roaring of the sea and the waves, people dying of fright, and the Son of Man appearing in the clouds with power and great glory!

Terrifying.

Will such a shakeup happen literally like the gospel describes? We do not know. Maybe much worse is still to come, judging from the state of the world today. Do we live with fear of terrorists or ISIS, of proliferating nuclear weapons, of lone-wolf gunmen, spewing their rage against innocent people, of the world economy crashing, or the greed that fills so many hearts to overflowing—in our city, in our state, our world?

If we can say “You are right, I am afraid of these,” then we have a start on the reason we need Advent every year.

But maybe our hearts aren’t forgetful at all. Perhaps our issue is not being distracted so much as procrastination. How many people assume they can always turn things around tomorrow; their relationship with God can wait one more day? Haven’t we been hearing these gospel warnings for 2000 years now?! When he was a young priest, Pope Benedict warned people not become complacent. He told this story: 

A traveling circus in Denmark caught fire. To fetch help the manager sent his quickest runner, who happened to be the clown. The clown was already dressed in his uniform so when he told the townspeople about the fire, they began to laugh. No, he said, the fire is blazing and it could spread across the dry grass and threaten the village. "Please, bring buckets of water," he pleaded. The people applauded his performance and as he became frantic, they laughed till they cried. The fire did spread and it engulfed the village. It was too late. Both the circus and the village burned to the ground. 

At the beginning of Advent I feel a bit like that clown. But to tell you the truth, I feel even more like one of the townspeople. Like you I've heard the warnings before - they were false alarms. I'm eager to be amused, but not to take action. I often assume I can wait another day, at least until things settle down a bit. 

Advent reminds us that now is that time. Now is the time to open our hearts to conversion. Now is the time for reflection and change. Do it now so God can bless our world with better things. Christ has to be born anew. Yes, it worked the last time, but we forget so easily and become complacent. His birth must happen again, in our liturgy, in our lives, in our world, so that his sacrifice will not be in vain. This is why we have Advent each year. This is why we need Advent each year.

Viva Christo Rey! (Christ the King, Cycle B)

           On Monday, we will celebrate the life of a remarkable young man named Miguel Pro. Blessed Miguel was born in 1891 in the area of Guadalupe to a prosperous family. By all accounts he was the life of the party, often disposed to practical jokes, mischief, and dangerous stunts. He was a handsome young man, very intelligent and witty, and he enjoyed socializing with the senoritas as much as they liked spending time with him. As the eldest son in the family, he was in line to take over the profitable family business and live a comfortable life.

            But when he turned twenty, Blessed Miguel discovered that God was calling him to the priesthood. He gave up everything that he had, and he had many good things, and joined the Jesuit order. He had to study outside of his native Mexico because the country had become violently anti-catholic. He was finally ordained a priest in 1925, at the age of 34 and he returned to Mexico the following year. From this time on, Blessed Miguel Pro became something of a legend to both friends and enemies, because of his courage and cleverness.

            The persecution was in full-swing now, churches were closed, and the only priests that were alive were those who were in hiding. Blessed Miguel used all of his cleverness to disguise his identity in order to carry out his priestly ministry. He dressed up as a beggar at night to do baptisms, he would disguise himself as a police officer to visit Catholics in jail, and he would wear a perfect suit to visit wealthy neighborhoods, appearing as a salesman while begging for the poor.

            Eventually he was captured by the government and sentenced to death by firing squad. Unafraid, he knelt down, a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other and prayed for the men who were about to shoot him. He refused a blindfold and faced his executioners bravely. In his final moments on this earth, he stretched out his hands, imitating Christ on the cross and exclaimed "Viva Christo Rey" - which means "Long live Christ the King." His death energized the Cristeros movement, which eventually forced the Mexican government to stop persecuting the Catholic Church and her clergy and recognize the rights of the poor. This struggle was made into a movie recently, called For Greater Glory.

             The life and witness of Blessed Miguel Pro leads us directly to the feast we celebrate today, the feast of Christ the King. His last words of "long live Christ the King" were the climax of a life that loudly proclaimed that truth. Here was a man who was able to give up all that he had, including his very life, because his allegiance was first and foremost to Christ; not to himself or to anything here in this world. This feast day invites us to do the same in our own lives. It should make us ask questions about what is most important to us, what are our top priorities?

Do we allow Christ to be Lord of our lives and king of our hearts? Or do we allow a desire for earthly power, personal autonomy, and worldly comfort to take hold of us? Do we choose Christ’s version of power, with its mandate to serve others and sacrifice ourselves? Or do we seek the power of this world, which so often crushes and dominates?

At this time, we still enjoy religious liberty in our country. But anyone who reads the news and is aware of the social climate knows that even now in our country some of the core values of our faith are under attack. In many corners of our culture, it is not Christ who is king but rather cash, power, prestige, comfort, convenience, and unlimited personal freedom. Sadly, we see people who call themselves Catholic who embrace these things rather than Christ. The same can happen to you and me, if we are not careful, if we do not give Jesus pride of place in all that we think, do, and say.

            So how, practically speaking, do we make Christ the king of our lives? How can we be sure that we are not just paying lip-service to the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Asking a few simple questions can put us on the right track. Do I give Christ some quality time each and every day in silent prayer? Do I allow him to speak to me and do I listen to what he says? Or, do I simply assault him with requests, demands, and complaints? Do I worship him at Mass, at least once a week on Sundays or am I counting the minutes until I am out of church? Do I know who Jesus is, both through reflective prayer and through the Scriptures, in which he reveals himself? Is my life about pleasing me and taking care of myself or is it centered on pleasing God and taking care of others? Am I investing the best of who I am, the best of what I have into the things of this world or do I give the best of everything to the greater honor and glory of God?

            If we are honest with ourselves, each of us can do better in most, if not all, of these areas. Celebrating Christ as King means giving him pride of place in our daily lives and not just in the times we find ourselves here in church. Jesus has promised wonderful things to those who love him and follow him during their time on earth. But he does require us to listen to him and to be ruled by his word. This is demonstrated not by what we say but by how we live. Most, if not all of us, will never have to lose our lives in witness to Christ. All of us, however, must let our lives give witness to Jesus and his spiritual kingdom. Through the grace of God and the example of Blessed Miguel Pro, may our lives daily proclaim, "Long Live Christ the King!"

The End Times (33rd Sunday, Cycle B)

Throughout the ages, in every culture, people have been preoccupied with the end of the world. Just think about how many movies have been produced around that one theme of doom and gloom and the struggle of the human race to overcome the threat, whether that be from natural disaster or some alien invasion. Hollywood knows there is a lot of money to be made in offering movies about the endtimes as demonstrated by success of movies like: War of Worlds, Armageddon, The Day After, Battle Los Angeles, and Independence Day, to name a few. Certain cataclysmic events raise the fear and promote discussion about when the end is coming and what it will look like. People have found their fame making predictions about just how and when the apocalypse will happen. A few years ago, there was discussion about the Mayan prophecies for the year 2012. According to this pagan culture, December 21, 2012 would mark the end of the world as we know it and usher in a new era. The ancient Mayans are not the only ones to make such a claim. The French seer Nostradamus enjoys fame and intrigue, even today, some 500 years after he lived because of his predictions about disasters and the end of the world. When the Hale-Bopp comet appeared in 1997, members of the Heaven’s gate cult took it as a sure sign of the end times and followed it to disaster. How many of us remember when the year 2000 approached and many were feeling panicked about the supposed computer glitches that would usher in an apocalypse of mayhem and anarchy.  Despite all these predictions, even with the panic and anxiety that some of them have brought, well, the world still stands. But people will continue spend too much time thinking and worrying about when and how the apocalypse will come.

The readings we just heard have nothing to do with the Mayan Prophecies, monster astroids, or alien invaders. They speak about the end of time but with a particular emphasis: those who trust in the Lord, and who live His life to the best of their ability have nothing to fear. Daniel says that the archangel Michael is the guardian of God’s people. We usually address this archangel as St. Michael. Daniel calls him “God’s Prince” and says when the final days come, Michael will gather God’s people together including those who have died. The wise will shine brightly. In the Gospel reading Jesus says that on the last day, the angels will gather the elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky. By the way, Jesus also says, that no one knows when the last day will come, not the angels, not even the Son, only the Creator, the Father.

The basic message, despite this uncertainty, is, “Do not be afraid. Trust in God. He will care for you.” We need to do our best to get out of the fearful mindset and live as people of faith. God is infinitely stronger than the forces of the world. He loves us as his people. He loves us as individuals. He loves us more than we can fathom. If we try to be open to His Presence, He will take care of us even if we were to be alive on the last day. St. Augustine put it this way, “If we do not resist the first coming of the Lord, then we will have no reason to dread His second coming.” In other words, if we live the way He told us to live when He was here on earth, then we have no reason to fear when He comes again at the end of the world.

The church wants us to reflect on death and on the end of the world, not because of some morbid fascination but, ironically enough, to help us live our lives better. Reflecting on death helps us to live our lives to the fullest. If you have ever talked to someone who survived a serious accident or illness or who has had a near-death experience, you know how much they value life. The Catholic Church recognizes this truth and wants us to benefit from it as well. It is easy to go through life, day after day, month after month, year after year, and forget how precious life is and how valuable time can be. Stopping to think about the fact that it will end at some point helps us to see what a blessing our existence is and make sure we don’t take it for granted. 

Secondly, our annual reflection on death, dying, and the end of the world reminds us that this life doesn’t last forever. We can get pretty comfortable in this world and spiritually complacent as time marches on. These readings keep us on our toes and force us to consider some uncomfortable truths about our state of preparation for the life to come. For example, if I told you today your life would be over by the end of the weekend, would you be happy with how you lived your life? Would you feel satisfied with the state of your relationships with family and friends? Would you be content with how you had spent the time given to you? Would you be grateful and at peace? Or would you have serious regrets? About relationships, decisions and priorities? What is it that you would change or no longer consider important?

These reflections are not meant to paralyze us with fear or regret. It is not some scare tactic the Church uses to put us in our place. Rather, they are intended to bring us to a deeper faith and conversion in our relationship with the the Lord, who wants to remind us that he has prepared wonderful things for us in the life to come. In the final analysis, these readings about death, dying, and the end of the world should bring us peace because they remind us that God is in control. It is not necessary for us to fix everything happening in the world or even make sense of it all. We do our best to give ourselves completely to Him, knowing that he has already given Himself completely to us. As people united to the One who brings life through death, we trust our Savior will care for us in every struggle and circumstance, without exception. May we never forget the words of Daniel in our first reading: “the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever."  

Wisdom of Widows (32nd Sunday, cycle B)

I am, by nature, a cautious person. Maybe that is due to my place in the birth order; the oldest child is normally not a risk-taker. I like to have every scenario covered. I keep flashlights in my car and in the rectory. I have water filters in multiple locations in case of a natural disaster or zombie apocalypse. My car is a moving triage vehicle with a first-aid kit, jumper cables, air compressor, and tool set. This cautious approach can be helpful, except sometimes, I fall into it when I deal with God. There are moments when I am cautious with God and his invitations. I rely on my own wisdom and preparation, I consider the earthly odds rather than going “all in” with what God offers.

Today we meet two widows who do not treat the Lord with caution. Both are everyday, hard working women. Both are poor. Both put their trust in God. Both are rewarded for their faith. 

The first widow is from Zarephath, a coastal city on the Mediterranean, northwest of the Kingdom of Israel. Elijah traveled through this land during a famine. This woman was poor. When Elijah met up with her, she was putting her last scraps together for a final meal before she and her son would die. Imagine her as one of the 925 million starving people in the world today. Imagine her son as one of the 1.5 million children who die of starvation each year. Now a stranger goes up to this woman and asks for food in the name of the Lord. Hospitality to strangers was a law of God. Should the widow turn from God’s law or should she share the little she had? The woman put her total trust in God, and she received enough for her and her son to eat for a full year, when the famine ended. 

The second widow from the Gospel put two small coins into the Temple treasury. Jesus was people-watching, observing the people’s giving. There were big shows as some of the wealthy came forward letting everyone know about their great generosity. After all, the money from the wealthy had paid for most of the rebuilding of the Temple. What value did the widow’s small coins have next to their thousands? But Jesus knew how much she was really giving. It was far more than two small coins. Her donation, although it seemed insignificant, was tremendous because she gave all she had. Her donation was an act of putting her faith in God to care for her. 

What these two widows did is extremely difficult for us. I know there are many of you with great faith, but I also know that no matter how great our faith, it is extremely difficult to put our total trust in God. There is something within us all that looks for solutions to our problems outside of the realm of faith. Perhaps as rugged individualists, we think we can solve our own problems, conquer obstacles ourselves. Certainly, we are all tempted to believe that enough money applied in the right places can heal all ills. 

The great lie of our time is that money and things can solve our problems and provide safety. It is the job of advertisers to convince us that we can buy happiness, and they have done their job well. The truth is, among those who have been blessed with material success, the happiest are those who trust in God, not in their wealth. All you have to do is look at the many sad examples of rich and famous people who spend their lives and fortunes looking for happiness everywhere but in God.

The radical message of today's readings is that we must place our confidence in God rather than in our material possessions. This is difficult for us because it demands our practicing the forgotten virtue of humility. Humble people recognize where they stand before God. Humble people recognize their profound need for God. Humble people are certain that the presence of God in their life is fundamental to happiness. 

The two widows gave from their substance. They put their trust in God, shouting with their actions that his presence in their lives was infinitely more important than any single thing they owned, even more important than everything they owned. They give us the example of ideal Christians, humbly trusting in God and generously returning the blessings they received from him.. 

There are times that we are deeply disappointed in our world, our American society, and even our fellow Catholics. Gospel values are ignored, or, at least, not given their proper priority. Many ignore life issues, from conception to natural death, and only worry about other, lesser issues. From grade school through college, our children are immersed in the glorification of secular values along with the subtle and not so subtle mocking of all who believe in the spiritual. We turn to the Church, but sometimes we find priests and bishops who are more concerned about careers or comfort than caring for the flock. 

When we feel disappointed we need to put our trust in God. No where in scripture did He say that His followers would be in the majority. He never said that following him would make you wealthy, comfortable, or popular with everyone. But He did say that He would be with us every step of the way. Like the two widows, we need to give Him our all. We need to put our faith and our trust in Him, and we need to be assured that He sees us; He knows us, and He cares for us. This Divine Assistance stays with us always, no matter how rich or poor we are. 

I hope we can learn from the two widows in our readings, never being cautious with God. I pray we can support each other in generosity and faith so, like these holy women, we will always know what is truly important and share freely with God and others.

When the Saints go Marching in (All Saints)

            When I was in high school, it was a requirement to take an art class each semester. For me and my classmates, these classes were a welcome part of the week, mainly because of the kind priest who taught them. But, truth be told, art class was not one of my strong subjects. No matter what we were working on at the time, whether that be painting, sketching, sculpting or drawing, I struggled to transfer what was in my mind to an intelligible image on paper, clay or canvas. For example, when I showed my self-portrait to the family, they asked, “who is that?” When my parents asked the priest teaching the art class how I was doing, he said with a smile: “Kevin is nice but he is not very good.” In the end, my art was used by the family to cheer them up when things got rough at home. When any of them were in a bad mood they would pull out my paintings and sketches and howl with laughter. My family still does this from time to time.

            Despite my failure as an artist, I learned a great deal about the many elements that go into making something truly beautiful and artistic. For example, the painter must use a variety of brushes to achieve different effects, shadows, and textures. The sculptor must use various chisels and hammers to carve an image from a block of stone or wood. The draftsman utilizes an assortment of rulers, pencils and crayons to ensure he gets the right contrast, shade, and scale in his drawing. In these, and in most of the art forms, the artist must use many instruments in order to create a masterpiece.

            How does this connect with today's celebration of All Saints’ Day? Throughout the ages, God has often been described as a Divine Artist. Similar to what we see in human artists, God uses many different instruments as he creates the tapestry of salvation history. And because he is supremely creative, our God paints a picture that includes every imaginable color, texture, and style. In the lives of the saints, we see the infinite beauty of God, demonstrated by their faith and good works. In the lives of these holy men and women, the Lord’s transcendent qualities are displayed for the whole world to see and they shine like beautiful masterpieces. Allow me to list a few and notice the rich diversity:

             There have been incredibly smart saints like Thomas Aquinas and simple saints like John Vianney, reclusive saints like Anthony of the Desert and extroverted saints like Vincent de Paul. Some of them were eloquent speakers like St. John Chrystosom while others spoke plainly like St. Gerard Majella. Then there are penitent ones like St. Rose of Lima, exuberant ones like Hildegard of Bingen and quirky saints like St. John Bosco. As if this wasn’t enough, there are also humorous holy ones like St. Lawrence, serious ones like St. Bruno, impulsive saints like the apostle Peter, and great teachers like Albert the Great. Some saints lived very sinful and scandalous lives before their conversion, like Augustine while others maintained their innocence for their entire life, like St. Dominic Savio. There have even been cranky saints like Jerome and sweet ones like Therese of Lisieux.

           I could give more examples, but you get the idea; so many saints, so many different gifts and personalities. No single one of them contains all of the beauty of God, rather, each of them shows us a different perspective and quality of the God who made us and loves us. On All Saints’ Day, we celebrate the countless men and women who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. We celebrate their many different gifts because they each show us a little bit about the Goodness, Truth, and Beauty of our God. The saints are like a prism. All of them receive the same light, which is Christ, but each of them radiates a different hue, each shining brilliantly in his or her own way.

The temptation for us present-day Christians is to look at the lives of the saints and treat them as admirable but irrelevant to us. Nothing could be further from the truth!! Because of the rich diversity of the saints, each of us can find a saint who shares our temperament, our gifts, our circumstances, and even our weaknesses. No matter how unique you are, no matter how strange your circumstances might be, there is a saint who has been there and done that. Which is a great thing!! All Saints Day should encourage us because we are not alone as we walk through the trials of this life. There are people who have suffered some of the same difficulties, and have managed to get to heaven by the grace of God. These saints are waiting to help us as we make our way through this world to return to the Promised Land of Heaven.

 There are many people in our time who have forgotten about the saints. Perhaps they see this devotion as old-fashioned, superstitious, or irrelevant. But the saints teach us about God's plan for us in life. God is calling each and every one of you here in Church today to be a saint. And He is going to call you to sainthood by asking you to be faithful to the call you have received. Most of you will not end up in monasteries or seminaries studying to be priests or religious brothers and sisters. No, Moms and Dads, you will be sanctified by caring for your children, feeding them, teaching them their abc's and the Catholic faith. You will be made holy by loving your spouse and providing for your family in the best way possible. Children, you will be training to be saints by helping your parents, being obedient to them, even when you don't feel like it, and by being a good example to your siblings and friends. Students, you will find holiness by applying yourselves whole-heartedly to your studies, whether it be in high-school, college, or graduate work. Professionals, young and old; you will glorify God and become holy by offering your work to the Lord and doing it in a way that is fair, honest, and kind. To do this, we need the help of the saints, who found holiness and happiness by doing the exact same thing.

 Because God never changes, he is still the artist who is looking to create a masterpiece with the lives of his faithful. He is a restless artist who knows his work is not complete. God wants more saints! He wants our lives to shine forth in that Divine Tapestry that he continues to weave.  God will use our strengths and our weakness, our extraordinary talents and the ordinary circumstances of our daily life. Let us call upon the saints to help us be faithful instruments in God's hands and run to them for encouragement when times are tough. On this feast day, let us ask ourselves, "do I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in?"