Zeph. 3:14-18a,: Phil. 4:4-7,Gosple: Lk 3:10-18
A few years ago The Reader’s Digest reported the story of an attractive and successful business woman who noticed a small lump behind her ear as she was brushing her hair one morning. As the days went on, she noticed that the lump was getting larger, so she decided to see her doctor. Her worst fears were confirmed. The doctor told her that the lump was a large tumor that would require immediate surgery. When she awoke following the surgery, she found her entire head wrapped like that of a mummy. She could see herself in a mirror only through two tiny holes cut into the wrapping. When the bandages were removed after a week she was shocked to see that her once attractive features had become disfigured by a facial paralysis caused perhaps by damage to facial nerves during the removal of the tumor. Standing before the mirror, she told herself that she had to make a choice whether to laugh or to cry. She decided to laugh. Although the various therapies tried were unsuccessful in alleviating the facial paralysis, the decision to laugh in the face of adversity allowed this woman to carry on with her life with joy, giving encouragement to those with similar paralysis.
Today is “Gaudete” Sunday. Today we light the rose candle of the Advent wreath, and the celebrants wear rose vestments to express our communal joy in the coming of Jesus, as our Savior. The rose color signifies "rejoicing." Advent is a time for joy, not because we are anticipating the anniversary of the birth of Jesus, but because God is already in our midst. Christian joy does not come from the absence of sorrow, pain or trouble, but from an awareness of the presence of Christ within our souls.
St. Paul tells us to "rejoice in the Lord always." He doesn't say, "rejoice when things go your way." Or "rejoice when you are feeling good." No, he simply says, "rejoice always." Why it is necessary for a Christian to always rejoice.
St. Paul himself gives the reason in the second sentence: "Your kindness should be known to all." Inner joy leads to kindness.* The person who goes around sullen, angry and bitter has a hard time treating others with kindness. On the contrary, the angry person often treats others harshly. St. Paul presents joy, constant joy, as not just a good thing, but as a duty.
The people in today's Gospel think John the Baptist must be the Christ, when all he is doing is telling them things they already know. The tax collectors know they shouldn't cheat their own people. The soldiers know they shouldn't practice extortion. But hearing it out of someone else's mouth is challenging. John isn't calling them to a radically different life. He doesn't tell the tax collectors to stop collecting taxes. He doesn't tell the soldiers to give up soldiering. He simply calls them to do what they already know to be right.
There's nothing foolish in these people's wanting to go to someone who sees their moral situation more clearly and can say the things they know to be true, but have conveniently forgotten. And they respond to being recalled to themselves, reminded of what they already know, with a certain kind of awe.
John, however, knows that that will not be enough on its own, that what he offers is not the transformation that they really need. Repentance, which is John's message, is a very important part of what we all need, but it will only be part of what will save us.
We are waiting with eager anticipation for the coming of Jesus Christ at Christmas because God in Christ is offering us far more than that. Jesus is not just setting us back on our feet, recalling us to the faithful following of God's law. He is doing that, but he offers so much more. Christ baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire. That baptism is much more than a sign of repentance, much more even that a simple forgiveness of sins, if by that we just mean a wiping of the slate clean. We're not just set back on our feet: the love of God is poured into our hearts.
Repentance is not just changing our minds, or feeling sorry for something that we have done, or even making bold resolves that we will never participate in certain conduct again. Instead, repentance means to turn around and go in another direction. The prodigal son realized of his wrong when he was living with the pigs, but he did not stay there realizing that, he walked towards the home, to meet the Father. What John the Baptist wanted his audience to hear was: Not just repent of your sins but Turn your life toward this one called Messiah as well. This is not negative or down-faced. Rather, it breaks the chains of oppression and death that hold us back. So repentance is for rejoicing. Repent Your Way to a Merry Christmas.
We are all to a greater or lesser degree tax collectors and sinners. They had the honesty to admit it and asked John what they should do in order to be ready to welcome the Messiah. Let us ask today what we should do if we mean to welcome Christ sincerely at Christmas. The secret of happiness consists in being faithful to one’s commitments and responsibilities while at the same time enjoying life. It is easy to be happy when we are doing what we want. But to find happiness in what we have to do is a blessing from God. As Mother Teresa says, “Do small things but with great love.” Let us rejoice and enable others to rejoice following the words of John the Baptist during this advent season.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
December, 12, Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Today is the feast of our lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of Americas. The devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe dates back to the 16th century. According to tradition, the Blessed Mother appeared to a poor Indian named Juan Diego whose feast we celebrated three days ago. Juan Diego, who was converted to Christianity only in his adulthood. He was 57-year-old widower when he witnessed the apparition of Mary. He lived in a small town near Mexico City.
It all happened on a Saturday morning, December 9, 1531, while he was on his way to a nearby village. He was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and asked him to see the bishop of Mexico.
The Blessed Virgin wanted a church to be built in her honor. Juan Diego, in obedience to the beautiful woman, went to the bishop’s residence and told him what the Blessed Mother wanted him to say. The bishop asked Juan Diego to return with a “sign” that it was indeed the Blessed Mother whom he had talked to. When the lady again appeared to Juan Diego, the lady asked him to gather Castilian roses --- flowers that are uncommon in Tepeyac and particularly in December. Diego wrapped the flowers in his tilma (peasant cloak). Then, he proceeded to the bishop. When Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of Mary exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. The miraculous event happened on December 12, 1531. Tilma is a poor quality cactus-cloth, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay 477 years later and still defies all scientific explanations of its origin.
Why is she called Our Lady of Guadalupe. In all apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary she identified herself as the Virgin Mary and phrases like Mother of God or another of Her Titles, and was later usually known by the name of the place or region where she appeared (Lourdes, Fatima). And so it should have been our lady of Tepeyac. So why should Mary, when appearing to a Native American in recently invaded Mesoamerica and speaking in the local language, want to be named with the Spanish name of Guadalupe?
Was she referring to the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, that was given by Pope Gregory the Great to the Bishop of Seville, Spain, was lost for 600 years and was found in 1326 by a cowherd named Gil Cordero guided by an apparition of Our Lady? This statue was named Guadalupe for the village located near the place of discovery.
Most believe that the word comes from the Aztec Nahuatl word which was spoken by Juan Diego , which would mean “who crushes the serpent. That is the most probable explanation of the name Guadalupe. Because in that part of the country the priests sacrificed thousands of human beings to the snake god. Snake is the symbol of Satan and so it could mean Mary who crushes the head of Satan.
An incredible list of miracles, cures and interventions are attributed to Her. Yearly, between 18 - 20 million pilgrims visit the Basilica making it Christianity's most visited sanctuary. Altogether 25 popes have officially honored Our Lady of Guadalupe. His Holiness John Paul II visited her Sanctuary four times.
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th. In 1999, Pope John Paul II in his homily from the Solemn Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, declared the date of December the 12th as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent.
During the same visit Pope John Paul II entrusted the cause of life to her loving protection, and placed under her motherly care the innocent lives of children, especially those who are in danger of being born.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is also regarded as the “Mother of Life.” We pray to her in a special way to beg her intercession for our pro-life advocacies. May Our Lady of Guadalupe bless our undertakings for the sanctification of our families and protection of unborn.
It all happened on a Saturday morning, December 9, 1531, while he was on his way to a nearby village. He was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and asked him to see the bishop of Mexico.
The Blessed Virgin wanted a church to be built in her honor. Juan Diego, in obedience to the beautiful woman, went to the bishop’s residence and told him what the Blessed Mother wanted him to say. The bishop asked Juan Diego to return with a “sign” that it was indeed the Blessed Mother whom he had talked to. When the lady again appeared to Juan Diego, the lady asked him to gather Castilian roses --- flowers that are uncommon in Tepeyac and particularly in December. Diego wrapped the flowers in his tilma (peasant cloak). Then, he proceeded to the bishop. When Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of Mary exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. The miraculous event happened on December 12, 1531. Tilma is a poor quality cactus-cloth, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay 477 years later and still defies all scientific explanations of its origin.
Why is she called Our Lady of Guadalupe. In all apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary she identified herself as the Virgin Mary and phrases like Mother of God or another of Her Titles, and was later usually known by the name of the place or region where she appeared (Lourdes, Fatima). And so it should have been our lady of Tepeyac. So why should Mary, when appearing to a Native American in recently invaded Mesoamerica and speaking in the local language, want to be named with the Spanish name of Guadalupe?
Was she referring to the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, that was given by Pope Gregory the Great to the Bishop of Seville, Spain, was lost for 600 years and was found in 1326 by a cowherd named Gil Cordero guided by an apparition of Our Lady? This statue was named Guadalupe for the village located near the place of discovery.
Most believe that the word comes from the Aztec Nahuatl word which was spoken by Juan Diego , which would mean “who crushes the serpent. That is the most probable explanation of the name Guadalupe. Because in that part of the country the priests sacrificed thousands of human beings to the snake god. Snake is the symbol of Satan and so it could mean Mary who crushes the head of Satan.
An incredible list of miracles, cures and interventions are attributed to Her. Yearly, between 18 - 20 million pilgrims visit the Basilica making it Christianity's most visited sanctuary. Altogether 25 popes have officially honored Our Lady of Guadalupe. His Holiness John Paul II visited her Sanctuary four times.
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th. In 1999, Pope John Paul II in his homily from the Solemn Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, declared the date of December the 12th as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent.
During the same visit Pope John Paul II entrusted the cause of life to her loving protection, and placed under her motherly care the innocent lives of children, especially those who are in danger of being born.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is also regarded as the “Mother of Life.” We pray to her in a special way to beg her intercession for our pro-life advocacies. May Our Lady of Guadalupe bless our undertakings for the sanctification of our families and protection of unborn.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Wednesday, MATTHEW 11:28-30
‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.’ St.Augustine said we are not learning from Jesus how to refashion the fabric of the world, nor to create all things visible and invisible, nor to work miracles and raise the dead. Rather, we are simply learning from Jesus: 'that he is gentle and humble in heart.’ If we wish to reach high, then begin at the lowest level. If we are trying to construct some mighty edifice in height, we will begin with the deepest foundation. This is humility. The taller the building is to be, the deeper we will dig the foundation. The building in the course of its erection rises up high, but the one who digs its foundation must first go down very deep. The heaviest thing in the world is the ego, even though it is a bubble, made of nothing. Ego is what causes heaviness in our life. But when we attach ourselves with Jesus our ego breaks and disappears like a bubble.
We're strengthened by yoking ourselves to Jesus. To be yoked to Jesus means teaming up with him to love as he loves, to plow what he plows, and to go where he goes. Our burdens grow lighter as Jesus helps us pull the load. Our labors become causes for joy as he takes us in a different direction than where we were headed under the weight of anger and resistance and the illusion that life must be easy to be good.
To be meek means to be strong in the truth without forcing it upon anyone. Jesus is so strongly meek that he gladly pulls the weight of our heavy loads after we yoke ourselves to him. In this life of being united to Jesus, he challenges us to work harder. He exercises us while patiently waiting for us to build up our strength so that we can go farther in the work of his kingdom.
An anonymous ancient writer writes: “The burden of Christ helps the one who bears it, because we do not bear grace; grace bears us. It is not for us to help grace, but rather grace has been given to help us.”
Let’s pray to Jesus” Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart unto yours.
We're strengthened by yoking ourselves to Jesus. To be yoked to Jesus means teaming up with him to love as he loves, to plow what he plows, and to go where he goes. Our burdens grow lighter as Jesus helps us pull the load. Our labors become causes for joy as he takes us in a different direction than where we were headed under the weight of anger and resistance and the illusion that life must be easy to be good.
To be meek means to be strong in the truth without forcing it upon anyone. Jesus is so strongly meek that he gladly pulls the weight of our heavy loads after we yoke ourselves to him. In this life of being united to Jesus, he challenges us to work harder. He exercises us while patiently waiting for us to build up our strength so that we can go farther in the work of his kingdom.
An anonymous ancient writer writes: “The burden of Christ helps the one who bears it, because we do not bear grace; grace bears us. It is not for us to help grace, but rather grace has been given to help us.”
Let’s pray to Jesus” Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart unto yours.
Monday, December 7, 2009
DECEMBER 8. Feast Of Immaculate Conception
Genesis 3:9-15, 20: Ephesians 1: 3-6, 11-12,Gosple: Luke 1: 26-38
A humor going around like this: The Pharisees brought the woman, caught red-handed in adultery, to Jesus for judgment. He said, "Let the person who is without sin cast the first stone." They fell silent, and then, all of a sudden, a stone came flying from the crowd. Jesus looked up, surprised and amused, caught the stone and then said, "Hold it, mother? I was trying to make a point, here." This gives a humorous slant to the Catholic belief that Mary was born immaculate to lead an immaculate life.
Mary’s prophecy given in her Magnificat, “Behold all generations will call me blessed,” was fulfilled when the Catholic Church declared four dogmas of faith about her: 1-Immaculate Conception, 2-Perpetual Virginity, 3-Divine Maternity, and 4-Assumption. The Immaculate Conception is a dogma based mainly on Christian tradition and theological reasoning. It was defined in 1854 by Pope Pius IX . It reads thus :“From the first moment of her conception, Mary was preserved immune from original sin by the singular grace of God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race.” (CCC). This declaration means that original sanctity, innocence and justice were conferred upon her, and that she was exempted from the evil effects of original sin, except for sorrow, pain, disease and death, the temporal penalties given to Adam. The Fathers of the Church from the fourth century believed and taught that the Blessed Virgin Mary had been kept free of all traces of sin by the grace of God because she was to become the Mother of the Lord Jesus. Church history makes known to us that as early as the seventh century, there was a liturgical observance that proclaimed the Blessed Virgin Mary to be free from sin. Mary herself approved it by declaring to Bernadette at Lourdes: “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
Proofs from Holy Scripture:
1) God purified prophet Jeremiah in the womb of his mother and anointed John the Baptist with His Holy Spirit before John’s birth. (Jer. 1/5: “Before I formed you in the womb of your mother I knew you and before you were born, I consecrated you”). Hence it is reasonable that God kept the mother of His Son, free from all sin from the first moment of her origin.
2) The angel saluted Mary as “full of grace”. This greeting means that she was never, even for a moment a slave of sin and the devil. Scripture says “ one who commits sins is a slave of devil.
3) Gen. 3/15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman and her seed shall crush your head.” The woman stands for Mary and the promise would not be true if Mary had original sin.
Argument from reason:
1) If we were allowed to select our mother; we would select the most beautiful, healthy and saintly lady. That’s what God did.
2) The All-holy God cannot be born from a woman who has been a slave of the devil, even for a moment in her life.
The celebration of this feast calls us to place an honorable position to Mary in our life. Saints used to say :to Jesus through Mary. Mary first gave Jesus to the world, she keeps giving Jesus to the church and the world.
An outdoor statue of Mary at a church in St. Mary’s, Kansas was especially popular with native Americans. Over the years, it lost most of its paint so that Mary's eyes looked as if she were blind. When a new pastor wanted to repaint the statue, the tribal chief opposed it vigorously saying, “We could never make her look as beautiful as she is in heaven. On the other hand, if we keep the statue the way it is now, it reminds us of how Mary looks down on us from heaven. Her eyes are blind to our faults, but her ears are open to our prayers. Mary is also called the refuge of sinners and the prayer memorare says “ that it is never heard that anyone who went to her protection left unaided.
Let us ask her to obtain for us the grace to respond as generously to God's call as she did and to be as faithful in discipleship to her Son as she was. On this feast day, let us ask her to be with us, to guide us, to protect us through her prayers of intercession with her Son, and to share her privilege with us, making our bodies worthy resting places for her son. And let us learn to respond to God always as Mary said : "May it be done in my life according to your will." .
A humor going around like this: The Pharisees brought the woman, caught red-handed in adultery, to Jesus for judgment. He said, "Let the person who is without sin cast the first stone." They fell silent, and then, all of a sudden, a stone came flying from the crowd. Jesus looked up, surprised and amused, caught the stone and then said, "Hold it, mother? I was trying to make a point, here." This gives a humorous slant to the Catholic belief that Mary was born immaculate to lead an immaculate life.
Mary’s prophecy given in her Magnificat, “Behold all generations will call me blessed,” was fulfilled when the Catholic Church declared four dogmas of faith about her: 1-Immaculate Conception, 2-Perpetual Virginity, 3-Divine Maternity, and 4-Assumption. The Immaculate Conception is a dogma based mainly on Christian tradition and theological reasoning. It was defined in 1854 by Pope Pius IX . It reads thus :“From the first moment of her conception, Mary was preserved immune from original sin by the singular grace of God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race.” (CCC). This declaration means that original sanctity, innocence and justice were conferred upon her, and that she was exempted from the evil effects of original sin, except for sorrow, pain, disease and death, the temporal penalties given to Adam. The Fathers of the Church from the fourth century believed and taught that the Blessed Virgin Mary had been kept free of all traces of sin by the grace of God because she was to become the Mother of the Lord Jesus. Church history makes known to us that as early as the seventh century, there was a liturgical observance that proclaimed the Blessed Virgin Mary to be free from sin. Mary herself approved it by declaring to Bernadette at Lourdes: “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
Proofs from Holy Scripture:
1) God purified prophet Jeremiah in the womb of his mother and anointed John the Baptist with His Holy Spirit before John’s birth. (Jer. 1/5: “Before I formed you in the womb of your mother I knew you and before you were born, I consecrated you”). Hence it is reasonable that God kept the mother of His Son, free from all sin from the first moment of her origin.
2) The angel saluted Mary as “full of grace”. This greeting means that she was never, even for a moment a slave of sin and the devil. Scripture says “ one who commits sins is a slave of devil.
3) Gen. 3/15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman and her seed shall crush your head.” The woman stands for Mary and the promise would not be true if Mary had original sin.
Argument from reason:
1) If we were allowed to select our mother; we would select the most beautiful, healthy and saintly lady. That’s what God did.
2) The All-holy God cannot be born from a woman who has been a slave of the devil, even for a moment in her life.
The celebration of this feast calls us to place an honorable position to Mary in our life. Saints used to say :to Jesus through Mary. Mary first gave Jesus to the world, she keeps giving Jesus to the church and the world.
An outdoor statue of Mary at a church in St. Mary’s, Kansas was especially popular with native Americans. Over the years, it lost most of its paint so that Mary's eyes looked as if she were blind. When a new pastor wanted to repaint the statue, the tribal chief opposed it vigorously saying, “We could never make her look as beautiful as she is in heaven. On the other hand, if we keep the statue the way it is now, it reminds us of how Mary looks down on us from heaven. Her eyes are blind to our faults, but her ears are open to our prayers. Mary is also called the refuge of sinners and the prayer memorare says “ that it is never heard that anyone who went to her protection left unaided.
Let us ask her to obtain for us the grace to respond as generously to God's call as she did and to be as faithful in discipleship to her Son as she was. On this feast day, let us ask her to be with us, to guide us, to protect us through her prayers of intercession with her Son, and to share her privilege with us, making our bodies worthy resting places for her son. And let us learn to respond to God always as Mary said : "May it be done in my life according to your will." .
Monday,LUKE 5:17-26
Today’s Gospel carries on the theme of faith and rescue. The paralytic was blessed with friends who were faithful and persistent. Surely Jesus was also moved by such a demonstration of friendship. We don’t know much about the faith of the paralytic, but his friends demonstrated their faith so vividly and boldly. When the paralyzed man’s unwavering friends could not get him in front of Jesus because the stretcher was too unwieldy to bring through the crowd, they carried him up to the roof and lowered him through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “your sins are forgiven.” The power of faith teaches that the bigger the faith the better a friend we make.
All of us have come to God because someone else shared God’s love with us. Through an unbroken chain going back to the Apostles, the faithful among God’s people have carried forth the truth of the Gospel, carrying an invitation of hope and a relationship of love and friendship with the God who created us, and who reigns as King forever. We need to be grateful for those people, going back to our parents, sibling, and friends who have carried us from time to time along the journey of faith.
A man was on his way to a bridge to leap to his death. He stopped for a traffic light. Standing on the curb was elderly woman who gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. As he drove off, the smile began to haunt him. He had no idea who she was, but he does know he owes his life to her. She was a blessing to him at the most critical moment of his life.
God can use us to bless another. Do I really become instrument of God’s healing for others ? If I have not brought at least a few people come to faith and healing I have not really expressed gratitude for my faith and wellness. Let’s express our gratitude to God by leading others to the mercy and forgiveness of God.
All of us have come to God because someone else shared God’s love with us. Through an unbroken chain going back to the Apostles, the faithful among God’s people have carried forth the truth of the Gospel, carrying an invitation of hope and a relationship of love and friendship with the God who created us, and who reigns as King forever. We need to be grateful for those people, going back to our parents, sibling, and friends who have carried us from time to time along the journey of faith.
A man was on his way to a bridge to leap to his death. He stopped for a traffic light. Standing on the curb was elderly woman who gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. As he drove off, the smile began to haunt him. He had no idea who she was, but he does know he owes his life to her. She was a blessing to him at the most critical moment of his life.
God can use us to bless another. Do I really become instrument of God’s healing for others ? If I have not brought at least a few people come to faith and healing I have not really expressed gratitude for my faith and wellness. Let’s express our gratitude to God by leading others to the mercy and forgiveness of God.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
ADVENT II: BARUCH 5:1-9; PHILILPPIANS 1:4-6, 8-11; LUKE 3:1-6
Carl Michalson, a brilliant young theologian who died in a plane crash some
years ago, once told about playing with his young son one afternoon. They tussled playfully on their front lawn when Michalson accidentally hit the young boy in the face with his elbow. It was a sharp blow full to his son's face. The little boy was stunned by the impact of the elbow. It hurt, and he was just about to burst into tears. But then he looked into his father's eyes. Instead of anger and hostility, he saw there his father's
sympathy and concern; he saw there his father's love and compassion. Instead
of exploding into tears, the little boy suddenly burst into laughter. What he saw in his father's eyes made all the difference!
The sharp blow of God's message to us is: Repentance. But, look into your father's eyes. What he offers you is forgiveness and that makes all the difference. Repent and you will be forgiven.
On the second Sunday of Advent, we hear the words of the ancient prophet, Malachi.
Malachi tells of a figure who is coming "to prepare the way for the Lord."
He speaks of a messenger who will purify people's hearts. "God is sending an
emissary," writes Malachi, "who comes intending to cleanse your souls."
In this world we find a lot of warning signs: At an intersection, the green light changes to yellow. At the theater the house lights flash. At the airport terminal the boarding call comes over the intercom. At school zone and railroad crossings the lights begin to flash. Tornado siren screams before the tornado hits. On the football field the two-minute warning sounds. They are signs or warnings that we need to prepare ourselves for what is about to happen. Advent and lent are the times the church rings the warning bells. And those who heed the call are found prepared to receive the Lord.
Each year, the second and the third Sundays in Advent center on John the Baptist, reminding us that if we want to prepare properly for the coming of Jesus we need to listen to the Baptizer’s message. The evangelists realized the importance of John’s message. Hence all the four of them wrote about John’s preaching, while only two of them described the nativity of Christ. The Baptizer proclaimed the coming of God’s Kingdom and preached a ceremony of immersion as a response that was to symbolize the interior repentance that leads to forgiveness.
John's baptism was not a proselyte baptism converting Gentiles into Jews. Instead, it was a baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and it required repentance (metenoia, a change of being}, which implied a turning around to proceed in a new direction. Baptism itself is a purification ritual and John was inviting people to be purified of the unholy elements in their lives. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist declared, “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth” (Lk 3:5). If a king were planning to travel, work crews would be dispatched to repair the roads. Ideally, the roads for the king's journey would be straight, level, and smooth. John considered himself as the courier of the king. But the preparation on which he insisted was a preparation of heart and of life. "The king is coming," he said in effect. “Mend, not your roads, but your lives. A smooth road means nothing to God, but a repentant heart means a great deal. Hence, the truly important goal for us is to prepare our hearts to receive the Lord. True repentance hates the sin, and not merely the penalty; and it hates the sin most of all because it has discovered and felt God's love.
Billy Graham, had these comments about the disease running rampant in our
world: "We're suffering from only one disease in the world. Our basic problem is not a race problem. Our basic problem is not a poverty problem. Our basic problem is not a war problem. Our basic problem is a heart problem. We need to get the heart changed, the heart transformed." This is the call of John the baptizer today.
As we walk farther into the Advent we need to prepare the way for the Messiah in our hearts: We have to fill in the “valleys” of our souls which have resulted from our shallow prayer life and a minimalist way of living our faith. We have to straighten out whatever crooked paths we’ve been walking, like involvement in some secret or habitual sins or in a sinful relationship. If we have been involved in some dishonest practices at work or at home, we are called to straighten them out and make restitution. If we have been harboring grudges or hatred, or failing to be reconciled with others, now is the time to clear away all the debris. If we have been pushing God off to the side of our road, if we have been saying to Him that we don’t really have the time for Him, now is the time for us to get our priorities straight. And we all have to level the “mountains” of our pride and egocentrism.
John's message calls us to confront and confess our sins. We have to turn away from them in sincere repentance and receive God's forgiveness. There are basically two reasons why people who have recognized their sins fail to receive forgiveness for them. The first is that they fail to repent. But the second is that they fail to forgive. Jesus was very explicit about this in Matthew 6:14 and 15. He says, "For if you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." Is there someone I need to forgive today? We must not let what others have done destroy our lives. We can't be forgiven unless we forgive. We must release our bitterness if we are to be able to allow God to do His healing work in our lives. Let’s heed to the call of John the Baptist to prepare our hearts for real Christmas in our lives.
years ago, once told about playing with his young son one afternoon. They tussled playfully on their front lawn when Michalson accidentally hit the young boy in the face with his elbow. It was a sharp blow full to his son's face. The little boy was stunned by the impact of the elbow. It hurt, and he was just about to burst into tears. But then he looked into his father's eyes. Instead of anger and hostility, he saw there his father's
sympathy and concern; he saw there his father's love and compassion. Instead
of exploding into tears, the little boy suddenly burst into laughter. What he saw in his father's eyes made all the difference!
The sharp blow of God's message to us is: Repentance. But, look into your father's eyes. What he offers you is forgiveness and that makes all the difference. Repent and you will be forgiven.
On the second Sunday of Advent, we hear the words of the ancient prophet, Malachi.
Malachi tells of a figure who is coming "to prepare the way for the Lord."
He speaks of a messenger who will purify people's hearts. "God is sending an
emissary," writes Malachi, "who comes intending to cleanse your souls."
In this world we find a lot of warning signs: At an intersection, the green light changes to yellow. At the theater the house lights flash. At the airport terminal the boarding call comes over the intercom. At school zone and railroad crossings the lights begin to flash. Tornado siren screams before the tornado hits. On the football field the two-minute warning sounds. They are signs or warnings that we need to prepare ourselves for what is about to happen. Advent and lent are the times the church rings the warning bells. And those who heed the call are found prepared to receive the Lord.
Each year, the second and the third Sundays in Advent center on John the Baptist, reminding us that if we want to prepare properly for the coming of Jesus we need to listen to the Baptizer’s message. The evangelists realized the importance of John’s message. Hence all the four of them wrote about John’s preaching, while only two of them described the nativity of Christ. The Baptizer proclaimed the coming of God’s Kingdom and preached a ceremony of immersion as a response that was to symbolize the interior repentance that leads to forgiveness.
John's baptism was not a proselyte baptism converting Gentiles into Jews. Instead, it was a baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and it required repentance (metenoia, a change of being}, which implied a turning around to proceed in a new direction. Baptism itself is a purification ritual and John was inviting people to be purified of the unholy elements in their lives. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist declared, “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth” (Lk 3:5). If a king were planning to travel, work crews would be dispatched to repair the roads. Ideally, the roads for the king's journey would be straight, level, and smooth. John considered himself as the courier of the king. But the preparation on which he insisted was a preparation of heart and of life. "The king is coming," he said in effect. “Mend, not your roads, but your lives. A smooth road means nothing to God, but a repentant heart means a great deal. Hence, the truly important goal for us is to prepare our hearts to receive the Lord. True repentance hates the sin, and not merely the penalty; and it hates the sin most of all because it has discovered and felt God's love.
Billy Graham, had these comments about the disease running rampant in our
world: "We're suffering from only one disease in the world. Our basic problem is not a race problem. Our basic problem is not a poverty problem. Our basic problem is not a war problem. Our basic problem is a heart problem. We need to get the heart changed, the heart transformed." This is the call of John the baptizer today.
As we walk farther into the Advent we need to prepare the way for the Messiah in our hearts: We have to fill in the “valleys” of our souls which have resulted from our shallow prayer life and a minimalist way of living our faith. We have to straighten out whatever crooked paths we’ve been walking, like involvement in some secret or habitual sins or in a sinful relationship. If we have been involved in some dishonest practices at work or at home, we are called to straighten them out and make restitution. If we have been harboring grudges or hatred, or failing to be reconciled with others, now is the time to clear away all the debris. If we have been pushing God off to the side of our road, if we have been saying to Him that we don’t really have the time for Him, now is the time for us to get our priorities straight. And we all have to level the “mountains” of our pride and egocentrism.
John's message calls us to confront and confess our sins. We have to turn away from them in sincere repentance and receive God's forgiveness. There are basically two reasons why people who have recognized their sins fail to receive forgiveness for them. The first is that they fail to repent. But the second is that they fail to forgive. Jesus was very explicit about this in Matthew 6:14 and 15. He says, "For if you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." Is there someone I need to forgive today? We must not let what others have done destroy our lives. We can't be forgiven unless we forgive. We must release our bitterness if we are to be able to allow God to do His healing work in our lives. Let’s heed to the call of John the Baptist to prepare our hearts for real Christmas in our lives.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Wednesday,MATTHEW 15:29-37
Freedom from want is a theme of these three readings. The Lord in Isaiah will provide us a rich feast; for the psalmist the Lord is a shepherd that shields us from want; Jesus both heals the hurting and feeds the hungry. And although the theme is expressed in terms of easing hunger, it also resonates with satisfying our spiritual needs – Isaiah says the Lord will destroy death forever, and the psalmist indicates we will live in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives.
Jesus has just finished giving a three-day seminar. His message was so captivating that most people forgot to go home and eat. Jesus understood their needs. He cared about them so much that he worked a miracle, taking what was insufficient and converting it into a generous heaping of more than what was necessary. Clearly, there was no limit to Jesus' generosity that day.
Jesus understands our needs! He cares about us! He can and wants to give us more than we need! But he also wants us to perform what he performed on the desert. Develop compassion for the hungry and lonely, and become the hands in feeding the hungry. It is our obligation as Christian servants to feed the poor, give water to the thirsty and clothe the naked.
During this period of renewal and waiting, we need to consider the circumstances of those desperately in need and do what we need to do to come to their aid. At every Mass, Jesus comes to us whole and entire filled with the same desire and power to heal that moved him two thousand years ago. Let us come to the banquet of the Lord eager for him to wipe the tears from our eyes and to heal us body and soul.
Jesus has just finished giving a three-day seminar. His message was so captivating that most people forgot to go home and eat. Jesus understood their needs. He cared about them so much that he worked a miracle, taking what was insufficient and converting it into a generous heaping of more than what was necessary. Clearly, there was no limit to Jesus' generosity that day.
Jesus understands our needs! He cares about us! He can and wants to give us more than we need! But he also wants us to perform what he performed on the desert. Develop compassion for the hungry and lonely, and become the hands in feeding the hungry. It is our obligation as Christian servants to feed the poor, give water to the thirsty and clothe the naked.
During this period of renewal and waiting, we need to consider the circumstances of those desperately in need and do what we need to do to come to their aid. At every Mass, Jesus comes to us whole and entire filled with the same desire and power to heal that moved him two thousand years ago. Let us come to the banquet of the Lord eager for him to wipe the tears from our eyes and to heal us body and soul.
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