Tag: Catholic Church

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02 First Sunday of Advent

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Joseph and Mary at Innkeeper's door: There's no room at the inn

Mass Readings

First Sunday of Advent

Reading 1 – Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm – Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
Reading 2 – 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2
Gospel – Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Happy first Sunday of Advent!

We hear in the first reading today, “The days are coming, says the Lord…”, Jeremiah 33:14. Scholars tell us that Jeremiah preached over 600 years before Jesus was born, and yet this warning from Jeremiah is more relevant for the Christian today than perhaps at any other time in history. You see, those early Christian communities that began to form not long after the Resurrection believed that Jesus would return during their lifetime in all his glory as Jesus Himself described in today’s Gospel, Luke 21:25-28, and 34-36. After a little time passed, they began to realize that things will unfold in God’s time – not their time. So the focus gradually shifts away from the imminent coming of Jesus to living lives of discipleship in an unbelieving world.

I think an unintended consequence of this shift is that Christians might take for granted Jesus’ return. In fact, it almost becomes academic. Yes, Jesus will come at some point way out there in the future – just not today. That thinking makes us too vulnerable to the world around us. Don’t get me wrong, we all need to engage the world around us, but for the disciple, the world around us, especially consumerism, presents unique challenges. The focus of consumerism is on me and my things. Right? We convince ourselves we deserve that new gadget or new device or new car. The great tragedy is that we get so caught up in all that stuff that can never fulfill us that many of us fail to see Jesus trying to come to us right now.

Take the innkeeper in the Nativity story, for example. In that story, the whole Roman world is on the move to be counted in the census ordered by Caesar Augustus. To be counted, you had to go to your hometown. The problem was that Mary wasn’t just pregnant – she was very pregnant! Nonetheless, they made the journey, as Scripture says, from Nazareth to Bethlehem. By the time they arrived, they couldn’t find a place to stay. They knock on an innkeeper’s door who tells them there is no room at the inn, but he offers them a place in the stables.

Now let’s stop for a minute and look at this story from the eyes of the innkeeper. Here’s a guy just going about his business. By the time Joseph knocks on his door, I’m sure the innkeeper was exhausted. Remember, the whole Roman world is on the move. His place was packed. Maybe he was annoyed at the way some of his customers had behaved earlier. Maybe he lost business because he hadn’t ordered enough food and wine. Maybe he was frustrated because his son hadn’t taken out the trash. So here at the end of the day he’s looking forward to his warm, comfy bed when someone else knocks on his door. That knock on the door probably grated on him like fingernails scratching a chalkboard. You can almost hear him bark out as he answers the door, “No, of course we don’t have a room!”

Can you imagine just for a second what would have happened if that innkeeper had recognized the Messiah knocking on his door through other people – through Mary and Joseph? Why, I bet he would have pulled the Holy Family inside and perhaps even offered his own room so that Mary could bring Jesus into the world in a comfortable bed. That inn would have been the most celebrated in all history! Today there would probably be a huge church marking the spot and we would have known the name of our anonymous innkeeper. If only he’d recognized the opportunity.

I wonder how many times in my own life I might have missed the opportunity to see Jesus in the people around me, like in the eyes of that homeless guy that I tried not make eye contact with on my way to work. Or maybe, maybe he tries to come to us through the immigrants we might catch a glimpse of on a cable news program or through that person we know who leads an alternative lifestyle. Too often, I think, we’re quick to judge other people – to blame them for their own problems or the problems of our society – that we fail to recognize the possibility that Jesus might be trying to reach out to us through one of them.

Why does Jesus do that? Why does he come to us through other people? I believe that Jesus loves us so much that He constantly pursues us – He’s constantly knocking on our doors.
But here’s the trick. We have to open the door. Like that innkeeper, we have the power to decide whether or not to open or close the door. That’s what free will is all about. You see, God pursues us, but He will not force Himself on anybody. We have the freedom to act. And when we open the door, we invite God’s saving grace into our lives.

I think this season of Advent, this time of preparation that the Church sets aside for us, is an excellent opportunity to pause and to ask ourselves if we are open to the possibility of seeing Jesus coming to us this Christmas, perhaps through the people around us.

Homework! There are two things I think we can work on this week. Nourished by Christ in the Eucharist and in the Word proclaimed, let’s reflect on these two questions:

  • First, how do I treat other people? Can I see Jesus in the people I encounter?
  • Second, what is one thing I can do this Advent to prepare myself for Christ’s coming at Christmas? For example, could I go to mass every weekend? Could I receive the Eucharist? Could I go to confession?

I think by doing our homework we’ll be more aware of Jesus trying to reach us through other people, that we recognize the knock on our doors so that we might recognize the opportunity to have an encounter with Jesus Christ, an encounter that leads to transformation, transformation that leads to salvation.

Does that make sense? Are you going to do your homework? Good! May each of us this Advent season come to know the grace and peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. +Amen!

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01 Christ the King

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Catholic parish church of St. Matthäus in Alfter, relief at the high altar: Jesus washes his disciples' feet.
St. Matthäus in Alfter, relief at the high altar: Jesus washes his disciples’ feet.

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe 

Reading 1 – Daniel 7:13-14 
Psalm – Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5 
Reading 2 – Revelation 1:5-8 
Gospel –John 18:33-37 

Today we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King. This marks the end of our liturgical year. Can you believe it? Another year has come and gone and Adventis knocking on our doors! So how did this year go for you? A lot has changed for my family and me this year, but I have to ask myself, have I grown in discipleship? How has my faith grown? Well personally, I think my experience this year has mixed results. How about you?

Now, you might ask yourself, so what? Why should I invest any time or effort or energy in today’s readings?

Well,that’s a fair question. Let’s try jump into the Gospel and try to sort this all out. All the readings today tie together and they tell testify to the Kingship of Jesus Christ. So let’s focus on today’s Gospel.

Pilate asks Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

This is an important question for Pilate. You see, Pilate is concerned about any Jewish messianic claim. Pilate can only understand kingship through the lens of the secular world. For him, any Jewish king represents a threat to Caesar and a threat to the Empire. So Pilate wants to know just who Jesus is.

Now Pilate is not alone in this reasoning. Judas probably betrays Jesus because he was assuming Jesus would usher in some sort of temporal kingdom. Judas was incharge of the ministry’s money, so Judas probably had some interesting delusions about his role in an earthly kingdom. James and John ask Jesus in Mark’s Gospel if one of them can sit and Jesus’ right hand when he ushers in his kingdom.Again, they are thinking in temporal terms about a brick-and-mortar kingdom.

But Jesus answered Pilate, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.” He goes on to tell Pilate, “For this I was bornand for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”

What is the truth?

Well, the truth is all of it – all salvation history! And the climax of salvation history is that God saved humanity through the blood of his son, Jesus. That’s the extent of God’s generosity. He will give everything to save you and to save me. The crucifixion is what kingship for Jesus means. Rather than sitting on a throne and lording it over us, he takes his place on the cross, stretches his arms out wide as if to embrace us all, and gives his life for you and for me.

We are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. That is Good News!

But what does it mean to follow Jesus? We are called to be disciples of the Kingdom. That’s why we need to spend some time with these readings – to grow in discipleship. What’s a disciple? Three things: a disciple is someone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and savior; someone who tries to deepen their relationship with Jesus by learning more about Him; and someone who shares the Good News with others – to be what Pope Francis calls a “missionary disciple”.

To whom should we go? We go to the unbelievers – those who serve the prince of this world, (John 12:31, Ephesians 2:2). We are supposed to go to those who are caught “in the snare of the devil” (2 Timothy 2:26).

How do we share the Good News? First, by sharing our lives and our love with them – by letting them see that we are different because of Jesus in our lives. That starts with the people immediately around us – our family and friends, of course, as well as all the people we encounter in our everyday lives, from the knucklehead who cuts us off in traffic, or the (insert colorful metaphor here) who pushes out of the way as we try to board public transportation, or the cashier who frustrates the everliving tar out of us! If we can’t love these people, then somethings wrong in our faith life.

Is this easy? Is it easy to live in the Kingdom? No, it’s not. When sin touches us, (and it will, perhaps every single day!), we will falter. If that’s the case, how can we carry on?

My brothers and sisters, I have good news! Jesus exercises his kingship not by lording it over us, but by giving us what we need! Scripture tells us that Jesus gave us the church to help form us and to guide us in His name. Scripture tells us that Jesus equipped the church with the Sacraments to strengthen us. The Sacraments, especially Reconciliation and Eucharist, can, through the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus Christ, heal us and nourish us. That’s how we carry on – by regular participation in the mass and by regularly availing ourselves of the sacraments.

We grow with the tools Jesus gave us so that we can better serve Him – so that we can be better subjects of Christ’s kingdom. We grow in Christ so that like Him we can give ourselves by going out into a dark world that desperately needs to hear a message of hope –the message of the Good News.

Homework!

My brothers and sisters, nourished by Christ in the Word proclaimed and the Eucharist we share, I ask you to reflect on these two questions:

  1. How did I spend this last year? Did I grow in discipleship?
  2. What concrete things am I going to do this next year to grow my faith? Can I attend mass every weekend? Can I go to confession one more time than I did last year? Is there a Bible study or adult formation class offered at my parish or through acredible program online I can join?

I think by doing our homework, (reflecting on our life this past year and coming up with concrete ways we can develop discipleship in ourlives), we will better equipped to begin this season of Advent – this season ofpreparation as we look forward to the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ the King.

Do you got it? Do you get it? Are you going to do it? Good! May each of us come to know the peace and the love of Jesus Christ. +Amen!

Additional Reading:

  1. Quas Primas, On the Feast of Christ the King 
  2. On Church, CCC 751-780: 
  3. Price of this world, CCC 2846-2854: But Deliver Us from Evil 

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Feast of All Saints

All-Saints

Today, we celebrate All Saints Day.

Why do we celebrate this day? Why is it important? Do Catholics worship saints? And why is it a holy day of obligation? Good questions! Let’s try to sort things out.

First, and this is important, the saints don’t need us.

Preaching in the 12th century, St. Bernard said, “The saints have no need of honor from us; neither does our devotion add the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them.1

Second, it’s not about the saints, not really.

It’s about Jesus Christ – period. I don’t mean to oversimplify things, but the stories of the lives of the saints offer us insight into ways in which we can live out our call to holiness in the circumstances and states of life we find ourselves – clergy, consecrated religious, man, woman, child, whatever your state in life, there is a saint out there who’s life might help you see through the darkness and find Jesus Christ. This is why it’s important to remember and to honor the saints – especially on All Saints Day. It’s not for the saints’ benefit. It’s to help us grow in holiness and love for Jesus Christ.

Ok, so what is a saint?

The Catholic Church believes that saints are ordinary and typical human beings who made it into heaven. How does the Church come to believe they are in heaven? Well, the Church teaches that we cannot know for sure who is in hell, but the Church insists that we can come to know who is in heaven. We call these people saints.

So how does the Church come to believe someone in particular is in heaven? Well, the Church employs a process called canonization which analyzes various kinds of evidence; reliable testimony to the person’s extraordinary holiness in this life; indications that the person’s life has drawn others closer to God; and carefully documented miracles occurring after the person’s intercession has been sought. Miracles provide evidence that the person can offer assistance because he or she is now with God in heaven.

How is that even possible?

By His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ conquered death. Death no longer has the power to separate those who are in Christ from one another. For this reason, we the living can help those in purgatory through our prayers and sacrifices. Also, those in heaven can help us on earth through their prayers. St. Paul tells us that, “we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ,” (Eph 4:13). We are one body, the body of Christ. So the intercession of the saints is just one way in which Christ’s body reaches out in love: from the living to the living; from the living to the dead; and from the dead, specifically the saints, to the living.

Do Catholics worship saints? Absolutely not! Catholics venerate the saints.

Adoration, from a Christian perspective, is the act of giving ourselves to God as the One to whom we owe the source of our existence. It is an act of absolute submission to Him. He alone, then, is to be adored, to be worshiped.

Veneration is paying honor to a creature of God who deserves such honor. We remember the saints. We honor the saints. But we do not worship saints. Period.

Showing honor is a normal part of human life. We honor the founders of our countries. We name cities after them, we write books about them, we make statues of them and place them in public spaces. We paint and print pictures of them. We speak reverently and gratefully of them on patriotic holidays.

We also honor great scientists, leaders of social movements, artists and musicians. Why? Because it’s a matter of justice to recognize their gifts and contributions to our society, to our culture. These are examples of ways we venerate people in our various communities. Is it really shocking that the Catholic Church venerates the great heroes of our Faith?

Do other cultures honor saints? The short answer is yes. The journalist, Kenneth L. Woodward, points out in his book, Making Saints, that other cultures honor people not unlike Catholics. “The Buddhists venerate their arahants and their bodhisattvas, and, (among Tibetans) their lamas. Hindus revere a bewildering range of divinely human an humanly divine figures, including their personal gurus or spiritual teachers. Muslims have their awliyā’ Allāh (close friends of God) and their revered Sufi masters. Even in Judaism, whos rabbinic leaders have never encouraged veneration of human beings, alive or dead, one finds popular devotion to figures such as Abraham and Moses, assorted martyrs, beloved rabbis, and other tsaddikim, (“just men”), (15-16), (italics and spelling his).2

Why is today a holy day of obligation?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that a holy day of obligation is a day set apart by the Church to worship God. Sundays are holy days of obligation, but there are other days as well, like today (CCC 2185).

So on holy days, we are called to refrain from work and distractions so that we can focus on worship. You know, that idea of slowing down a bit is wildly important more now than ever, I think. On a holy day, the Church is asking us to get off the hamster wheel for a little while: to think about the things we have done wrong and ask forgiveness; to worship God to whom we owe everything; to celebrate the gifts we have, beginning with His Word and His Eucharistic presence; and to share the gifts we have received with other people.

Does that sound familiar? In business, how often do we stop and ask ourselves: what was our goal; how did we do; what do we need to do to execute our goal; and then we go do it. A similar model is at the heart of Christian life. We use words like “examination of conscience” and “discernment” to describe this process, but it is essentially the same. That’s why it’s important to honor all holy days of obligation beginning with participating in the mass every weekend.

I hope this provides a basic idea about All Saints Day, sainthood and holy days of obligation.

Let us pray. Loving and generous Father, the lives of your saints have given testimony to your Son, Jesus Christ. Through their example may we draw closer to him. We ask this with loving hearts and in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. +Amen!

Notes

  1. Saint Bernard, abbot, sermon (Sermo 2: Opera omnia, Edit. Cisterc. 5 [1968], 364-368).
  2. Woodward, Kenneth L. Making Saints: How the Catholic Church Determines Who Becomes a Saint, Who Doesnt, and Why. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.

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