Fr. Rick Spicer

Christmas Eve

What do you think of when you think of Christmas Eve? Well, I think of trees with lights, stockings above the fireplace (and when I was a kid, I hoped that there would no coal therein the morning!), nativity sets, and sitting around the tree opening presents. Of course, what is Christmas without candy canes?

Some candy stores sell candy sticks in all kinds of flavors like root beer, lemon, grape, and apple. But there is something special about candy canes. They are different from other candy sticks. When we think of candy canes, we don’t think of them as being brown, yellow, purple or green, do we? No, candy canes come in red and white.

But candy canes haven’t always been that way. Years and years ago, before pacifiers were invented, moms used to give unflavored white candy sticks to their babies to suck on. One Christmas hundreds of years ago, a choir director gave out candy sticks bent to look like shepherd staffs to children attending the Midnight Mass. I don’t think Cleveland has any plain candy sticks to hand out to us, do you, Cleveland?

About a hundred years ago, I read that a candy maker created the candy cane. This candy maker decided to use the candy cane to tell the story of Christmas; so for starters, he took a plain white stick to remind us that Jesus never did anything wrong. Unlike you and me, Jesus never sinned. And when he forgives us for our sins, Jesus makes us pure as white snow.

The candy maker thought a white stick would be too plain. It needed color. Of all the many colors he could have used, he decided to use red stripes. Now, why do you suppose he added red stripes and not blue stripes or purple stripes or brown stripes? Maybe red was his favorite color.

The candy maker decided to use red to because he wanted us to remember that Jesus died on the cross for us. The small red stripes are there to remind us of the soldiers’ stripes when they whipped Jesus. Instead of just a white stick, he now had a stick with red stripes. Something wasn’t right because a red and white stick looks like the pole you find in front of any barber shop.

Ah! I know what to do! He bent the stick to look like the letter J, for Jesus. If you turn the J upside down, then it looked like a staff, which shepherds used for watching their sheep. Jesus often called himself the good shepherd, so imagine him watching you every time you eat a candy cane! Also, if you were listening to Deacon Bob, did you notice that shepherds were the first people to visit the baby Jesus?

So, now the candy maker had a candy stick with red stripes, bent to look like the letter J, but the stick had no flavor. What flavor should he give it? Some red candies taste like cherry; others taste like chili peppers. Would you eat a candy cane that tasted like that? I wouldn’t nor would the candy maker.

He decided to make the candy stick taste like peppermint to remind us of the gift of spices that the wise men gave to Jesus so long ago, so the next time you eat a candy cane, think about the special gift of Jesus that God is giving to you tonight.

Now, speaking of presents, I imagine you will get many presents tonight or tomorrow. Do you remember what you got for Christmas last year? Do you still have it? I still have the present that I got for Christmas when I was in third grade, my train set!

Sometimes we lose certain gifts or we outgrow them or we break them, but the gift of Jesus is a gift we can have forever if we want it. Jesus isn’t a present to be put away when Christmas is over. He is a gift for us to share with others everyday. We do that when we pray, when we thank God for all the other gifts we have received, when we love other people, or when we share the things we have with others. Any time we do that, we love others just as Jesus loves us. Unlike any other gift we can find under the Christmas tree, Jesus is the gift that reminds us to never be afraid, for even on the darkest night of the year, God is with us.

Some people say that the story isn’t true. Maybe it isn’t, but the lesson itself is quite true. The candy cane is a good reminder of all that Jesus did for you and me. He grew up to show us how much we are loved. He invites us to do the same, be people of love. May every candy cane you enjoy remind you to love your family and friends as much as Jesus loves you!

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4th Sunday of Advent

Walking home on a clear night can be so breath taking, especially during the winter beneath a full moon. Astronomers tell us that the three thousand stars visible to the naked eye are only a tiny fraction of those known to exist. When you consider that each star, the closest being 25 trillion miles away, is a sun in itself, I have to wonder how God could even notice this little planet in the midst of such a vast universe, much less you or me but he does.

If we can be so awed by the immensity of the universe, how much more should be that this same God would give us life in the midst of such a vast, barren setting?

This gospel passage is set, not in the star studded heavens, but in a patch of earth tucked away in a remote and distant arid land. The God of the universe, the God who created those countless stars, showered favor on a modest maiden in the tiny village of Nazareth.

Mary had an encounter that changed the course of history. She was singled out by the creator of all things for the greatest honor ever given to any woman, to be the mother of God. The angel, Gabriel, in presenting the news, began by saying, “Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you!”

Telling her that she would bear a son, Gabriel then explains that her son would have no human father. Instead, he would be the son of God. Imagine that, the creator of the universe, of its countless stars and planets, would enter this young maiden to bring about the conception of his son. He would be destined to occupy the throne of David; thus her son would be the long awaited Messiah, the liberator God promised Israel long ago.

With her consent, this virgin gave flesh to the eternal Word, the second person of the Trinity to whom every atom in the universe owes its origin and present existence. One could say that Mary out-shined the stars of the sky that night!

Her consent may appear to have been impulsively given, but I would venture to say Mary gave much thought to what was being asked of her. Because she was immaculately conceived, that is, born free of sin, Mary never wavered in her faith. Since the time she reached the age of reason, Mary likely fought temptations just as we do, but unlike us, she always succeeded in resisting them. Through self-control, discipline, and her reliance on God, she always rejected temptation and avoided sin. How did she manage that? Most likely, she made the conscious effort to include God in her decision making at every step of her life.

Mary understood well the answer to her question, “How could this be?” Telling her that nothing would be impossible for God, Gabriel portrays the father of her child as one who would always be there to empower and protect her.

Her consent, “May it be done according to your word,” was a typical way of saying in biblical times, “As you wish.” Have we ever said that to God? Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say, “They will be done,” but is that our personal response to God? We pray to God, asking for help and guidance, from time to time, but too often we still want to be in control of our lives. Even if we had all the resources of the world at our disposal, that is not always possible. Consider the weather. It is beyond our control as are accidents and illnesses that can crop up when we least expect them.

Do you remember John Chancellor? He served for years as an anchor for NBC News. He was looking forward to a comfortable retirement when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Before he died, he said, “Cancer is a reminder of how short a leash you’re on. As I read somewhere, ‘You want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans.’”

Why would the creator of the universe step into our space and time? Because he cares. God cares about you and me, along with the homeless seeking shelter on this cold night, the patient coping with a life threatening illness, the battered spouse, the lonely teenager who feels unloved, and the alcoholic struggling to regain a sense of dignity. From the cosmic to the intimate, God is very much in touch with all creation and with our lives, rather we care to believe that or not. Are we in touch with God? Dare we follow the example of Mary and turn ourselves over to God?

Mary’s example reminds me of prayer written by a French mystic, Blessed Charles de Foucauld, that is often said by priests who belong to the fraternity of Jesus Caritas; “Father, I abandon myself into your hands. Do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you. I am ready for all. I accept all. Let only your will be done in me and all your creatures. I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands, I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart; for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself; to surrender myself into your hands without reserve and with boundless confidence.”

We have nothing to fear by allowing God to be involved in our lives; what Gabriel said of Mary is meant for us as well. Just think, amidst the many stars of the universe, you are noticed. “The Lord is with you.” Now, isn’t that an awesome present to look forward to on Christmas Day?
 

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2nd Sunday of Advent

When they first came out, commercials featured a driver, lost in the middle of the night, pressing a button on the leather padded dashboard. A very pleasant voice broke the silence, “Welcome to on-star. How can we help you?” The voice then proceeded to give the lost driver directions to his destination. A decade ago, that scene was pure fantasy; today global positioning systems, known as GPS, have made that scene quite real, providing accurate directions to anyone who is lost.

In life we can get lost, not just literally when trying to find some place for the first time, but also on our spiritual journey. When we find ourselves at any crossroad, uncertain which way to turn, we may wish that we had a moral or spiritual GPS to help us find the right way to go. These readings remind us that we have one in the person of Jesus Christ.

Whatever our age, life is a journey on which we are always making choices that can send us in any direction, sometimes bringing us closer to God, sometimes not. Advent is a time for us to check on our whereabouts and to see how we can back on track if we are spiritually lost.

While we have tons of gadgets, like GPS, which did not exist in biblical times, the human situation hasn’t changed all that much since then. Like our ancestors, we are on an odyssey from birth to death, but what are we really looking for as we traverse through life? That is the question raised in a story entitled, The Magic Castle.

Once upon a time, a weary traveler was wandering down a dark and scary road. Suddenly there appeared before him a bright castle with a welcome sign over the entrance. Knowing that he had reached a safe place, the traveler was relieved.

Approaching the open gate, he noticed that other travelers were walking past the castle as if it wasn’t there. He asked a resident of the castle about this strange behavior and was told, “This is a magic castle. Only those who admit they have lost their way can see it. The castle can’t appear to persons who pretend to know where they are going or demand their own way. Your own self-honesty made the castle appear to you. Enter, for all its riches are yours.” The traveler found what many were missing by first admitting to himself that he was lost.

Isaiah shares his vision with a people who are lost that God can be found. He speaks of valleys, mountains, hills and deserts being transformed so that all could see the glory of God. If the rugged land shall be made a plain and the rough country, a broad valley, then the glory of God would be revealed in their midst. Likewise, if we want to see God, I hear Isaiah telling us to level our mountains of pride, hatred, prejudice, jealousy, conceit and self-sufficiency that block our view of God. In our deserts free of distractions, we will find God.

Like their ancestors, many of the Jews of Jesus’ time yearned to also witness the glory of God. They heard the call of John the Baptist, bringing alive the message of Isaiah, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” And so they did, by acknowledging their sins, repenting and being baptized.

The early Christian community whom Peter addressed also yearned to witness the glory of God. They anticipated the imminent return of Jesus Christ. However, Peter cautions that God’s sense of time isn’t the same as ours, but until God arrives, Peter tells them to conduct themselves in holiness and devotion, eager to be caught in the act of doing what is right in the sight of God. Two thousand years later, Peter’s advice remains timely for us as well.

Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, with all that needs to be done before Christmas, we can easily discount the message and purpose of Advent so that when Christmas comes, we won’t recognize the Jesus whose birth we await. To echo John, we too must prepare the way of the Lord and that begins with repentance, which literally means “change one’s mind.”

If we want to recognize the presence of Jesus Christ in our midst, then we may need to change how we relate to him in our lives, especially if we feel that he is not as present to us as we want him to be.

In the latest issue of The Word Among Us, one article touches on a very common experience at Christmas: families reuniting at airports, welcoming others home. Well, in this Advent season, God is inviting us home. God wants us to know a joy that never fails, even in times of trial, even when human relationships distress or disappoint. God is ready to remove any barrier, big or small, to our relationship with him and he does so by inviting us to the sacrament of reconciliation. Like the airport, the reconciliation room can be a scene of a joyful meeting. (In addition to our advent service on Wednesday, the 17th, the sacrament is celebrated on Saturdays at 4 and other times by appointment.) By the way, this article also provides a good examination of conscience to prepare ourselves beforehand.

Like a GPS system, God provides a good start for new beginnings, but its destination cannot be reached without our response. Heed the message of John the Baptist, do what you can to prepare the way of the Lord, allowing Jesus to be the GPS spiritual star that guides the way for you. Undoubtedly, others who are looking for the good news that will bring them peace and security, justice and compassion, trust and hope. Help them to discover that Jesus is indeed the way, the truth and the life, the very reason for this season.
 

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1st Sunday of Advent

Happy New Year! You heard me right. Today we begin a new liturgical year with a new season, Advent. The fall colors of our sanctuary have given way to shades of winter as we count down the days to Christmas. There will be much to keep us busy until then, shopping, sending cards, putting up a tree and decorations, hanging lights, wrapping presents, hosting parties, watching a TV special or two, mailing packages. Soon, Christmas day will be here. With so much to get done beforehand, will we be too busy to heed the gospel message? That is, be watchful! Be alert!

This season of preparation for the coming of Jesus is too often swallowed up by the commercial trappings and manufactured cheer of Christmas. The Lord is coming, not as the baby Jesus, but as the risen Christ in a way we have yet to experience. That is the message of this Advent season. Jesus tells us, “You do not know when the time will come.” Many generations of Christians, especially in the days of the early Church, anticipated his coming with great fanfare, the rapture as come call it, but none of them ever witnessed it in their lifetimes. We are waiting for that which we have not yet seen.

Our face to face encounter with Jesus Christ most likely will come not in some rapture but at the end of this life and the beginning of the next. We have no clue when this will be despite what some Christians think. Death could come with the onset of a terminal illness but for many, death comes without warning, as it often does for some who suffer heart attacks or strokes.

“May he,” Jesus adds, “not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: watch!” Jesus is admonishing us to be attentive to what really matters in this lifetime: preparing ourselves for his coming. Are we being watchful? Taking advantage of the time God has given us to get ready for his son when he comes? Or are we putting off what matters, figuring there will always be another day?

Those of us who procrastinate are often prompted by deadlines. The post office posts deadlines for mailing cards and packages if they are to reach their destinations by Christmas, the IRS posts deadlines for filing income tax forms, and teachers post deadlines for turning in homework assignments.

The great jazz musician, Louie Armstrong, supposedly said, “Never mind creativity, man, just give me a deadline!” As he and many students well knew, there are times when a deadline doesn’t diminish inspiration, it is the inspiration.

Life seems for some of us to be one deadline after another. We thrive under pressure; a few of us are overwhelmed by the stress of getting everything done in a timely manner. But those of us who work with deadlines know what a blessing they can be because they give us a sense of urgency. Deadlines force us to make choices and choose a course of action. I have lost count of the number of times families have called with an urgency in their voice on behalf of someone who is dying, seeking the last rites to make things right with God.

The course of action we are urged to take right now can be found in the closing lines from Isaiah when he notes that we are the clay and God is the potter who desires to shape our lives. If you have worked with pottery, you know what I mean. A potter prepares the clay beforehand by pounding it with a mallet or by hand. As this is done, the clay begins to quiver and swell. Buried bubbles of air emerge, forming bumps on the surface. Until these bubbles surface, the clay cannot be properly formed.

Like clay, we have lots of bubbles within us that need to be hammered out. These bubbles represent our conceited opinions of ourselves and of how good we are. As Isaiah notes, we are sinful, but fortunately for us, God desires to free us from our guilt and shape us anew, giving us the wonderful sacrament of reconciliation as a means to experience divine forgiveness.

Advent is the time for a fresh start in deepening our relationship with God, especially if we have be negligent in our daily prayer life, broken any of the commandments, or refused to see Christ in others. If you cannot join us for daily Mass during this season, I invite you to take a copy of The Word Among Us, which contains the daily readings and meditations, but please, take only one per household.

Yes, there is urgency in the air as we prepare for Christmas, but let us not overlook what really matters. The dawn of Advent reminds us of the ultimate deadline: our impending encounter with Christ. Now is the season for us to embrace the love and compassion, the forgiveness and healing given to and received from family and friends. Advent invites us to realize that now is the time to make our lives what we want them to be, for tomorrow we may not have that chance.

Confronting us with the preciousness and fragility of our lives, advent forces us to make choices as to what values we hold dear. At the same time, we are assured of the mercy of God who is with us, regardless of the deadlines we miss, the challenges we fail, or the opportunities we squander. If you doubt that, then go back and reread the story of the prodigal son.

So, be watchful! Be alert! The appointed moment God has in mind for your divine encounter may when you least expect.
 

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Christ the King

Forty five years ago, as the world mourned the passing of President John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis, a renowned Christian writer, also died. He comes to mind as I pondered this gospel’s message of judgment. He surmised that when we get to heaven, there will be three surprises. “First, we will be surprised by the people that we find there, many of whom we surely had not expected to see. The second surprise is that we will be surprised by the people who are absent… the ones we expect to see but who are not there. The third surprise, of course, will be that we’re there.”

The gospel speaks of the saved and the unsaved, the sheep and the goats, raising the question for us to ponder, “Where am I?” Jesus cautions his disciples that ultimately we will be separated, not on the faith we profess or the manner in which we worship, but on the service we render to him by the service we give to others. That may come as a surprise to those who presume that one must be Catholic, or at least Christian, to be numbered amongst those who will inherit the kingdom.

This gospel passage stands apart from what we have heard lately for now Jesus speaks of all the nations being assembled before him when he sits on his glorious throne. “Nations” refers to the gentiles, that is, those who have yet to hear the good news, to be baptized, or celebrate the others sacraments. Jesus will come to judge all humanity, according to the moral law, the law written in our hearts. The most obvious and universally acknowledged part of that law is caring for the less fortunate.

Does this mean that we earn our way into heaven? No, since heaven is God’s gift to us. Rather, Jesus is telling us that if we want to encounter him, in this lifetime and the next, we will find him when we engage in what is known as the corporal works of mercy. If you need to remind yourself of these basic principles of living the Christian life, just look at the windows opposite the altar. We share in the kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world when we look upon others as Christ, loving that person as Christ, and doing for that person as Christ: visiting the imprisoned or the sick, feeding the hungry, quenching the thirsty, clothing the naked, and welcoming the stranger. If we are to be numbered amongst the sheep, we must reach out to those in need.

In a down to earth manner, Jesus says that we acknowledge him as King through our use of material things and our use of time. That is the purpose of stewardship in our lives. We take a portion of the many gifts God has given us, our treasure, our talents, and our time, and share them with our parish and in other charitable ways, such as through Outreach, Good Cheer, WISH, CCS, and Helping Hands.

Stewardship is something we must ponder seriously constantly. Our God became flesh. That is, through his son, Jesus, God offered his body and his blood. He lived a poor and human life. He spoke to us; he told his followers how to use their time and gifts for the sake of others. He then taught that lesson by example on the cross. In return, he asks for our response in more than just thoughts and words, but also in action. As members of his body, he seeks to use us as his hands and feet to continue his mission on earth. When we give him priority over our possessions and time, we will truly encounter him.

Jesuit theologian and author, Fr. Walter Burghardt, insists that salvation is designed to take part within the human community. In one of his last books, he wrote, “My salvation depends on fidelity to three relationships: Do I love God above all else? Do I love each sister and brother as Jesus has loved and loves me? Do I touch each thing with the reverence, the respect, the restraint God asked of humankind at its birthing?”

We often pray for the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the imprisoned, the naked, the homeless and the lost, but unless our prayer is translated into positive and practical action on their behalf, then we have obscured the reason for which Jesus lived and died. He came to give so that we might give also. His words and works compel those who profess to believe in him to follow his example and respond likewise. Doing this honors Jesus as king in a most effective and reverent manner. The intent of this gospel is not to judge us harshly but to encourage us to follow the example of our king.

This message is delivered to us at the end of the church year to summarize what being a follower of Christ is all about. If we truly want to encounter Christ, this is the lesson above all other lessons that must be taken to heart. We are being challenged to be stewards, regardless of the situation we find ourselves in.

A few years ago, The New York Times reported that a shabbily dressed homeless woman, dragging a cart filled with garbage bags, placed two crumpled dollar bills in the hat of homeless man who was pan-handling in front of a church. It was a random act of kindness that almost went unnoticed yet a snapshot of compassion that both inspires the spirit and breaks the heart.

In our opening prayer, we noted that God breaks the power of evil. God does this, not with violence but with compassion and love. Everyone has the potential to break the power of evil in our midst by following the example of that homeless woman.

The corporal works of mercy remind us of Jesus’ criterion for salvation. He clearly spells out what separates the sheep from the goats. As C.S. Lewis notes, there will likely be some surprises come judgment day, but no Christian should ever be surprised if the lesson of this gospel is heeded.
 

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