Tag: disciple

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14 Our Gifts

Photo of stained glass window of a dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit

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2nd Sunday ordinary time

Mass Readings
Reading 1 – Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm – Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10
Reading 2 – 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Gospel – John 2:1-11

Today we’re going to talk about the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. In today’s Gospel, we hear the familiar story about the Wedding Feast at Cana. In the Gospel, they’re running out of wine. Mary, noticing the situation, goes to Jesus. Now this is really important because it underscores our understanding of who Mary is. What does she do? Mary, the first disciple, intercedes-she asks Jesus for help. Then she turns to the servants and tells them to do whatever he asks. This is important because of some of the questions and comments I receive. We Catholics do not worship Mary. We do not believe Mary has power on her own. Mary cannot save us. Only Jesus can save us. But Mary can help us. Why? But we believe we’re a community. We believe in the communion of saints – a community of disciples. So just like we can ask each other for prayers, we can ask our deceased family and friends for their intercessory prayers and we can ask Mary and the saints for their intercessory prayers.

Is this effective? Yes! But Jesus doesn’t simply provide some wine. No! the Gospel says that Jesus provided the best wine! God loves us so much that he will lavish us with his grace – with His blessings – with His gifts. That’s what we find the first reading today. In Isaiah 62, we hear that the Lord delights in you.

St. Paul tells us today in Corinthians that we as disciples of Jesus have gifts. Some receive very particular gifts. But these gifts are not for own sake. Our gifts are meant to be shared with the community. Now, another way of looking at this Gospel is that Jesus shares His gift with the community. So we too are called to follow Jesus’ example and share our gifts.

Ok, so how do I know what gifts and talents I have and how do I know God’s will for my life? Understanding ourselves, our gifts and our call is a process we call discernment. There are many ways to do this, and we usually hear about discernment at moments of change in our lives, but Pope Francis in his book, Rejoice and Be Glad, tells us we need to know if something comes from the Holy Spirit. Discernment itself is a gift that we should nurture over the course of our lives. Here is just very quick summary of what that process looks like: prayer, reflection, reading and good counsel.<1>

If we’re trying to understand our gifts, then we need to be attentive and reflective, that is to say, we need to try to understand through prayer and reflection what our gifts and talents are and how God might be asking us to use them. Part of this process includes seeking input from the people around you, like your family and friends, your spiritual director, or other staff or volunteers at your parish who know you. You see, our gifts will bear fruit and sometimes it takes looking at ourselves through the eyes of another person to help us see them.

Discernment is not just for the young and just for moments of big change in our lives. We should nurture discernment throughout our lives. Pope Benedict gives us a great example of discernment. In discerning it was time for him to retire, he taught us that where and how God calls us today might change down the road. Being open to God‘s will for our life means we need to have the courage to make adjustments in our lives from time to time.

By developing a better understanding of our talents and gifts, we are in a better position to share our gifts with the community. That’s what Scripture asks us to do. We need to go out in to the world, to be what Pope Francis calls missionary disciples sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, or as our psalmist says today, to proclaim His marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Homework! Inspired by the Eucharist and the Word of God proclaimed, let’s work on the following this week:

  1. Spend a few minutes in quiet this week and ask yourself what signs of God do you recognize in your life?
  2. How can you improve how you share your gifts with others at your current stage in life?
  3. Bonus homework: read about the fruits of the Holy Spirit in Galatians Chapter 5.<2>

I think by doing our homework this week we might develop a better sense of our call as missionary disciples. May each of us 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!

<1> Francis. Rejoice and Be Glad: Gaudete Et Exsultate; Apostolic Exhortation. Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2018.
<2> Galatians 5:22

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13 The Baptism of the Lord

John the Baptist baptising Jesus Christ in a river

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Hello! Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Today’s Gospel comes from Luke 3:15-16, and 21-22. There is so much going on in today’s readings! We can’t possibly cover them all in the few minutes we have together, but hopefully this podcast will serve as a good supplement to what you hear preached this weekend in church. So let’s jump right in!

So John is baptizing people. Interesting footnote: neither John nor Jesus invented baptism. The ritual purification of sins by bating had been practiced by the Jews for centuries and is the equivalent to our Sacrament of Reconciliation.<1> But John preached that this bath was necessary to prepare for the coming of the Messiah.

Now, the question that people often ask is, if Jesus is just like you and just like me in every way except sin, why does He need to be baptized by John? Why does He need to enter this sin-cleansing ritual?

Well, on one level, if John is telling people they must be baptized to access the Messiah, then Jesus entering the water is a way of his signaling to the rest of us that God is not asking us to do anything that Jesus is not willing to do. Jesus entering the pool and the heavens opening up so that God’s grace poured down affirms that baptism is the way to enter into this community – the way to enter the Church.

On another level, Jesus entering the pool and accepting baptism by John was His acceptance of God’s will for His life and it marked the beginning of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He subjects himself to John in baptism just like He will subject himself to those who would later crucify him.

Also, Jesus enters this water that is ritually filled with the sins of the people. He immerses Himself in the water and He carries these sins with Him all the way to the cross. Out of love, He consented to His baptism of death for the remission of our sins.

As we end this Christmas season and begin Ordinary Time, we do so knowing that, in our own Baptism, we become the adoptive sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of His Church. This means that we, too, are called to humbly submit ourselves to God’s wise and loving plan for our lives.

On the day of our Baptism, as Pope St. John Paul II explains, we were anointed with the Oil of Catechumens, the sign of Christ’s gentle strength, to fight against evil. Blessed water was poured over us, an effective sign of interior purification through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We were then anointed with Chrism to show that we were thus consecrated in the image of Jesus, the Father’s Anointed One. The candle lighted from the Paschal Candle was a symbol of the light of Faith which our parents and godparents must have continually safeguarded and nourished with the life-giving grace of the Spirit.<2>

The Church teaches that, “Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other Sacraments,” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1213). So we are challenged by the Gospel to grow in our baptism every day. Today then is a good day to pause and to review our baptismal promises.

During baptism, we are asked, or for infant baptism our parents and godparents were asked, “Do you believe in God the Father, the maker of heaven and earth?” In other words, do you believe in God – that there is a God and that you are not that God?

The second question, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?” In other words, do you believe that, although you are not God, the one who is equal to God did not think being in the form of God was anything to be clung to, so emptied Himself, taking on the form of a servant and becoming human like all other human beings (Philippians 2:6–7)? Can you believe that what you and I are, a creature, is so powerful, so important, so wonderful that God has chosen to be a creature along with you?

And finally, “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting?” That the Spirit and the Church are linked in this third question is significant. Do you believe that the Spirit of God is present in the world, not first and foremost in you or in me, but in us? In other words, do you believe that the Spirit dwells primarily not in individuals but rather in the community – in the Church? It’s not enough to drink a cup of coffee on your porch, watch the sun rise and say to yourself, “I’ve praised and worshipped God.” If we are physically able to go to Church, then through our baptism we are called to be part of the community and present every weekend. If we are not physically able to go to church, then we should let the church know. There are ways to watch the mass on television or via the internet, but the church would like to send someone to you to bring you the Eucharist so that even at home, you’re connected to the community.<3>

At various times throughout the year, our liturgy begins with a sprinkling rite, where the priests and deacons go out into the community sprinkling us with water. So, too, has it long been a custom for people to bless themselves with holy water when entering a church. These are reminders and reaffirmations of our baptism. It’s a way for us to recommit ourselves to baptism again and again. At every stage of our lives, we are called to discover anew what baptism really demands of us.

Homework! After having been nourished by the Word of God proclaimed and by the Eucharist, please reflect on these questions:

  1. First, what does it mean to believe in a God a that is not you?
  2. Second, what does it mean to believe in your own holiness and goodness?
  3. Finally, what are some ways this year that you can deepen in your baptismal promises? Some examples might be going to mass on a regular basis and perhaps an occasional daily mass; going to confession once a month; joining a faith formation or Bible study program at your parish or through a trustworthy online source.

You’ll find the homework in the notes for this podcast or on the website, deaconrudysnotes.org. I think by doing our homework, we can be mindful of our baptism and we can challenge ourselves to grow in our faith so that we can be better disciples of Jesus Christ. Do you get it? Well, good! May each of us grow in our baptism through the grace of Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. +Amen!

Notes
<1> Until the fall of the Temple in 70 AD, it was common for Jewish people to use a special pool called a Mikveh – literally a “collection of water” – as a means of spiritual cleansing, to remove spiritual impurity and sin. Men took this bath weekly on the eve of the Sabbath. Women, took this ritual bath monthly. Converts were also expected to take this bath before entering Judaism. To this day, the Orthodox Jews still retain the rite. See also: The Gospel of Luke, by Pablo T. Gadenz, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, a Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2018, 81-83.
<2> John Paul II, “Feast of the Baptism of the Lord,” Vatican Website, January 7, 2001, para. 2, accessed January 12, 2018, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/2001/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20010107_baptism.html
<3> “Rite of Baptism for Children.” In The Rites of the Catholic Church, the Roman Ritual Revised by Decree of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and Published by the Authority of Pope Paul VI. Study ed. Vol. 1. 2 vols., 360-466. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1990.

Further reading
Himes, Michael J. The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism. Cincinnati, OH: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004.

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03 Immaculate Conception of Mary

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Mass Readings
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 – Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Psalm – Psalm 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4
Reading 2 – Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12  
Gospel – Luke 1:26-38

Mary remains one of the most controversial figures in the Christian world today. Sadly, she is a source of division within the greater Christian community. So before we get rolling, let’s clear up a few of things. First, today we celebrate Mary’s conception, not Jesus’. This confuses people often as we celebrate the Immaculate Conception so close to Christmas. Second, we venerate, we honor, but we never worship Mary. Honoring Mary is part of the Christian tradition. Mary was honored from the earliest accounts. Perhaps as early as within 200 years of Jesus dying do we find writings referring to Mary as Theotokos or Mother of God. Now if people are writing about Mary this way in the first two years, that means people were probably referring to her as “Mother of God” well before that. The Orthodox tradition in its liturgy honors Mary. Even Martin Luther acknowledged Mary as a Mother of God, and so too then does the Lutheran World Federation. Without using too broad a brush, this practice of honoring Mary is not specifically Catholic.

Alright, now that we cleared that up, let’s jump in to today’s Gospel, Luke 1:26-38. The angel Gabriel was sent to Mary and he says to her, “Hail, full of grace!” What does that mean?

One way to look at grace according the theologian Fr. Michael Himes of Boston College is that it’s God’s love outside the Trinity. Now this is a very helpful definition in reflecting on today’s Gospel. You see, Original Sin disrupts our relationship with God in a fundamental way. So, the tradition holds, that God needed to prepare Mary for her mission if she was willing to accept God’s plan for her life. So at the point of her conception, God freed her from the stain of Original Sin. This meant that rather than be disoriented away from God, she was able to fully receive God’s grace or God’s love. Being filled with God’s love meant that she was able to receive Jesus and bring him into the world. Jesus then is the love of God that fills Mary.
Now this did not make Mary supernatural or superhuman. Rather, Mary is able to love in the most human way possible – without any perceived ideas and without any conditions. Her love without the stain of Original Sin is fully human.

Gabriel goes on to tell her, “Do not be afraid, Mary…” Ok, let’s stop here for a minute.
So, who is Mary? Well, given the culture at the time, she was probably a teenager, perhaps an older teen, and she was betrothed to an older man named Joseph. So this angel appears to her. Scripture doesn’t give us a lot of detail here. Perhaps the angel came in all the splendor and glory of the kingdom of God, glowing and shining and radiant. Or maybe the angel came in the form of a human dressed in ordinary clothes. We just don’t know, but either way I have to wonder what my reaction would have been as a teenager if an angel had appeared to me and said God needs you for a mission. To be honest, I think I would have freaked out!

But Mary didn’t freak out. Instead she says in today’s Gospel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

Ok, timeout. If Mary had been caught pregnant out of wedlock, if Joseph had handed her over, she probably would have been stoned to death, not to mention the shame and scandal that she would have brought on her family. Her life was on the line, but she says very bravely, “ok”, “according to His will, not mine”. Wow!

We honor Mary today because of her yes. She was the first disciple – the first person to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Did she keep quiet about it? No! She had to tell Joseph. She goes on to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. She can’t keep the Good News to herself. So the model, the image of Mary is not someone shrouded and bowed and quiet, but someone who courageously says, “YES”, and who goes out and faces a hostile world even under threat of death. Now that’s discipleship!

Homework: Nourished by the Eucharist and by the Word of God proclaimed, ask yourself:

  1. Am I willing to say yes to God, your will and not mine?
  2. Is my faith my best kept secret, or am I willing to share my faith with others?

I think by doing our homework this Advent season, we might be better able to re-energize our discipleship and go out into a world that desperately needs to hear a message of hope.

Ok, does everyone understand the homework? So, are you going to do your homework? Well, good! For a copy of today’s reflection, head over to the website, www.deaconrudysnotes.org. 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