2011

The opening hymn brings to mind the story of an inquisitive four year old who happened to be strongly rooted in the “why” and “tell me” stage of life. The boy was helping his father set up the Christmas decorations. Imagine the scene with boxes scattered about the living room, now listen to their conversation:

“Daddy, why are there so many lights? What do all these colors mean? Why did you cut branches off the Christmas tree and hang them on the door? Did you help your daddy when you were big like me? Why do we bring a tree in the house? Mommy’s gonna be mad if you make a mess.”

Does that sound familiar? Well, the conversation continues. The little boy was helping his father sort out ornaments for the tree when he asked, “Daddy, what does ignore mean?”

The father explained patiently, “Ignore means not paying attention to people when they call you.” Immediately the little boy looked up at his father and said, “I don’t think we should ignore Jesus.”

Puzzled, the father knelt closer to his animated son and replied, “I don’t think we should ignore Jesus, either, son. I think we should give him our full attention. Why do you say that we ignore him?” His son answered, “But, Daddy, that’s what the Christmas carol says, ‘Oh, come let us ignore him.'”

The real word, as you and I both know, is adore. “Oh, come and let us adore him, Christ, the Lord.” And this is what countless Christians are doing this night/day around the world. We gather to adore Christ, that is, to worship him and rightly so, for as the son of God, he has saved us from our sins and given us the precious gift of eternal life.

Adoring Jesus however isn’t reserved only for Christmas. Ever since the first Easter, as prescribed by the third commandment, Christians have gathered every Sunday to worship and adore Christ. We Catholics call our time together the Mass, which as you can see now has a new translation. While the words have changed somewhat, the meaning and the purpose of the Mass remain the same. This is our time to worship God. Our gifts of bread and wine become for us the body and blood of Jesus.

Another name for Mass is Eucharist, which in Greek means “thanksgiving.” The Mass is our time to adore Jesus as a faith community and our time to thank God for what we have been given. Of course, sometimes we are not always grateful for what we have been given. Despite the thoughtfulness of the giver, have you ever not appreciated or been disappointed by what you have received?

The week before Christmas, a young woman, named Julie, was complaining to her closest friend, “I spend time, energy and money to find my mother-in-law a Christmas present, and no matter what I give her, she won’t like it.” Her friend replied, “You haven’t even bought it yet. How can you be so sure?”

“Easy. She never likes anything I give her. She never likes anything anybody gives her. Every time it’s the same response. She mumbles a weak thank-you if you’re lucky. Then, a day or two later, she’ll ask for the receipt so that she can get something more practical. And if you give her something practical, she’ll find another reason to return them…wrong color, wrong size, wrong something or other. She never gladly accepts a gift!”

When it came to gifts or compliments, Grandma Kellen simply could not and would not accept one graciously. Julie finally brought a beautiful snow dome with a nativity scene, thinking it would be something her mother-in-law would enjoy for years to come. Much to Julie’s delight, her mother-in-law really did appreciate the gift.

Months later, Julie’s 4 year old daughter had a temper tantrum at her birthday party because the gift of a raincoat was not her favorite color so Grandma Kellen took her to another room for a little “time out.” Julie peeked in to see what was going on. There she found the two of them cuddled together in a rocking chair.

“Now, Jenny, you mustn’t cry because people don’t give you what you wanted. I used to do that, always wanting something different, until I got that snow dome from your mother. As I kept turning it over and watching the snow fall on the nativity scene, I realized that if Jesus and Mary and Joseph could accept the gifts of the shepherds and the wise men, even though those gifts may not have seem too practical, well, so could I.”

Grandma Kellen imparts a timely message for us this Christmas. There might be a present or two that you may not appreciate, but when given out of love, there is much to appreciate, even if the gift may not seem so practical or be just what you wanted.

We have before us the most precious gift that we could ever want: the gift of God with us, Emmanuel, Jesus, the Son of God, yet how readily do we appreciate what we have been given? Our attention is focused on him here and now, but will our attention be there next weekend or the weekend after or say on the fifth Sunday of Lent or Easter? Or might we be doing just what that little four year observed? Might we be ignoring Jesus because we have too much else to do or don’t fully appreciate this gift for whatever reason or excuse we come up for not coming again and again to give thanks to our Savior at Mass?

Oh, come let us adore him, Christ the Lord, not just this day, but every week wherever we may be.

The setting is a small town in the Deep South. Atticus Finch, a lawyer by profession and a widower, lives with his two young children: a son, Jem, who is in the fifth grade and a daughter, Scout, who is in first grade. Though he is strict, he is good to them and they love him. An upright man and an excellent lawyer, Atticus has become unpopular by agreeing to defend a black man who has been charged with a serious crime. Although the man is innocent, he stands little chance of getting a fair trial for many in the town are very prejudiced.

At the end of the street there lives a cranky elderly woman who is always giving Jem and Scout a bad time whenever they pass her house. What hurts the kids most of all are the names she calls their father because he is defending the black man.

One evening, Jem decides he has had enough from her. He hops over her fence and destroys some of her flowers, including her prized camellias. He then runs home. When Atticus comes home, he shows his son some camellia buds and asked, “Jem, are you responsible for this?” After admitting to the act, his father said, “Son, you shouldn’t have done that.”

Jem protests that the old lady never has anything nice to say. “You should hear the things she says about you. I really did it because of you.” Atticus then tells Jem, “To do something like this to a sick old lady is inexcusable. Now go and apologize to her for what you did.”

Reluctantly he does. The woman asks Jem if he would agree to come and read to her for two hours each day for a month. Jem is horrified, but his father insists that he must do what she is asking of him. So each evening after dinner, Jem and Scout visit the old lady and read to her. They both hate it for she remains as cranky as ever and continues to insult their father.

Each evening after they had read for an hour, the old woman would start to tremble violently. The housekeeper would then tell them to leave so that the old lady could take her medicine. As the weeks go by, the fits become less frequent and less severe. When the month is up, Jem wants to quit but his father said, “Just one more week, son.” That week, he notices she had no more fits but she was just as cantankerous as ever.

One evening, Atticus comes home and tells Jem and Scout that the old lady had just died. He then tells them something which changed their whole attitude toward her. He told them that she was addicted to pain killers and was determined to kick the habit before she died. Those fits which Jem and Scout had seen were withdrawal symptoms of her drug addiction. “Did she succeed?” they asked. “She did,” Atticus replied. “And just before she died, she told me that she would never have succeeded if you hadn’t come and read to her. She wanted me to thank you with this gift.”

Jem and Scout were flabbergasted to discover a beautiful, white, waxy, perfect camellia in the box. “Why can’t she leave me alone?” Jem screamed. Hugging him, Atticus said, “I think that is her way of telling you that everything’s all right now.” Those two children didn’t realize the full significance of the task their father had asked them to do, yet they obeyed him in a spirit of love. That scene, by the way, comes from a modern classic published 50 years ago, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

In the gospel, we see how Mary also consented to what was being asked of her: to become the mother of our redeemer. She was willing to the will of God despite the risk involved. When she said, “Yes,” I imagine Mary had little idea of what she was in for. Despite the pains she later experienced, she never waivered from doing God’s will. In good times and bad, she relied on God, who in turn enabled her to remain faithful. Without that initial consent, given at the annunciation, we wouldn’t likely be here today.

Each of us said yes many times over when we have undertaken commitments and responsibilities at our baptisms, our weddings, the day we were hired, along with countless other promises we have made. And when we did, we did not always know what was in store for us. Like Mary, we have to affirm our “yeses” many times over and as we do, we sometimes need to ask God to help us remain faithful to the commitments we have made.

Sometimes we cannot see the full meaning of what we are asked to do by God or someone else. As it was for Jem and Scout, fulfilling the commitment at hand may be challenging, especially if the task is unpleasant or if we are left feeling that no one appreciates what is being done. Like Mary, we have to go on confirming our consent in a spirit of loving obedience to God’s will.

This last week of Advent can be wonder days for families. There will be work and stress ahead but look for the possibilities for love and joy: decorating the home, shopping for a special present for someone you love, baking cookies, caroling, sending cards, taking time to reflect on the mystery we will soon celebrate or to ask God for the grace to handle all that needs to be done without feeling helpless. When we feel helpless, we feel the need to have control over what is going on in our lives and when we can’t, we might turn to abusive power. Not only does that hurt our relationships but it also contradicts the meaning of Christmas.

Like Mary, we are the living temple of God’s presence. What we say and do when done out of love goes far in making God’s presence felt by those around us. There is a reason to hold a loved one closer, to hug our children, to dress the season with hope, warmth, and holy splendor. When you go forth, make this last week of Advent a good and loving week so that you can make this a Christmas your family can long remember with joy.

Recently I was reading a book by Arthur Simon titled; “How Much is Enough?” “Hungering for God in an affluent culture”. In chapter four subtitled “Rushing to nowhere”, the message fit so well especially in this time of year, with all the commercialism around us leading up to Christmas day and what lay under the tree. This time of year we move so fast that we miss what this Advent Season is all about!

Chapter four of the book starts off with a story that goes like this: “They were running hand in hand, and the queen went so fast that is was all Alice could do to keep up with her. And still the queen kept saying, Faster, Faster!”….The most curious part about the thing, is that….however fast they went, they never seemed to pass anything.

“In our country”, said Alice… “You’d generally get to somewhere else— if you ran very fast for a longtime as we’ve been doing.”

“A slow sort of country!” said the queen. “Now here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”

Ours is a restless culture. Life has become excessively busy for a large portion of the population. We start moving so fast that we do forget to stop and smell the roses, we fail to stop and reflect on what Advent is all about. We create stress in our lives that becomes part of our body’s clock.

What happens when we drive up to another vehicle on the highway that is going 50 MPH in the 55MPH speed zone? Anxiety sets in,

We look for a spot to pass even though the destination is only 2 miles away. Let me give you another scenario: It is already half way through Advent but I haven’t got half the presents I need to get. I haven’t sent half the cards I need to send. Panic starts to set in. I start to run faster and faster going nowhere, I start to go down in flames, CHRISTMAS BURN OUT!

But despite how I feel, I speed up only to miss all that is passing me by, and still the big day, Christmas, is only a few days away. I frantically go from place to place, to fill my list of presents. Will I even make it? Will I have enough time even to enjoy the season? Dose this sound familiar to some of you?

What is so special, even in the midst of all this panic and stress, the Church sends us the third Sunday of Advent which is called Gaudete Sunday, a name meaning Rejoice, a name derived from the ancient entrance antiphon; “Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say Rejoice!”

One might say, why should I rejoice? The day was long and hard, and I’m tired. A crazy person tried to run me off the road. Another was following so close to my rear bumper I thought that person was a passenger in my rear seat. I battled the crowds to fill my list of presents. I don’t need someone with a smiling face telling me that I should be happy!!

But we also know that there is a reason why centuries of tradition have focused this 3rd Sunday of Advent on the need to rejoice!!!

As we in the Church wait for the coming of the Lord in his full glory, we can get just a little bit tired. After all, we have been waiting for over 2000 years.

We can forget that even though the Lord is not with us yet in his Glory, He is still with us. John the Baptist had to tell the people that: “There stands among you – unknown to you – the one who is coming”.

And you know, it is the same for us today, even though we can so easily forget it. However, Gaudete Sunday is a reminder of why we should be rejoicing.

As we dig through the crowds at K-Mart and Wal-mart, as we shop till we drop, as we stand in the long lines at the Post Office the to mail those last minute cards, as we go to work, as we go to bed at night, the Lord is with us.

We may have forgotten who it is that gives us the strength to face another day, we may have forgotten who it is that gives us the grace to experience every little joy and happiness that comes our way.

Most of you can remember the days when the pews were over half full during the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Now days we are very lucky to see 2 or 3 in the pew at any given time. We even forget that Jesus is among us over there in the Tabernacle. Do you feel he deserves at least a bow as we walk by?

The Lord is always here with us, every moment of our lives, no matter where we are, where we go. He himself, is the one who sustains us. Doesn’t this give us a reason to Rejoice? You bet it does. And here in the Mass we are given the clearest expression of our Lord’s presence – because he comes to us in Holy Communion. This is so evident in the revised translation especially when we say; “Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof–yes, Jesus is coming to us. He has not and never will wait for us. He is always coming to us.

Very soon the bread and wine will be changed so that they are no longer bread and wine but are the Lord’s body and blood, soul and divinity. And even now, at this very moment he is present in our tabernacle, present in his physical reality.

Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist is not an isolated event in our lives. His perfect unsurpassed presence here is also a reminder that He is continually present to us in many other ways in our lives.

In the homily I gave just a couple of weeks ago, I talked about how we could see Jesus in others, in the sick, the imprisoned, in the homeless, and in the one sitting next to you this very moment. And He lives in us if we allow him to do so. He comes to live under our roof, to live in us and through us. If we would only remember- Rejoice, I say again Rejoice. John the Baptist does not want us to forget and neither does Jesus.

As we go forward to complete our shopping lists, as we go forward to get those Christmas cards mailed in time, as we continue to prepare ourselves for that special day on the 25th of December, as we contemplate what those presents are under the tree, let us not forget that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus and also preparing ourselves for when He will come in His full glory.

But let also remember that Jesus is with us now. Let us give Him thanks and praise and let us “Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say Rejoice!!!!

I celebrated my birthday last Thursday in a rather unusual way, sitting before the Blessed Sacrament hearing confessions. How profound the evening became as I extended absolution to those who came to seeking forgiveness by acknowledging their sins in the sacrament of reconciliation. I felt they were receiving a new lease on life when I said, “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven.”

Forgiveness is what people of the whole Judean countryside sought as they acknowledged their sins and were baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

Forgiveness hits a tender spot. We have all done some stupid and immoral things from sniveling lies to large betrayals and maybe even worse. None of us wants the burden of shame and guilt as we live. Instead, we want forgiveness. None of us wants justice when we die. We want mercy.

Forgiveness from God, however, depends on our willingness to forgive others. Buried deep in the Lord’s Prayer is that line which goes, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The penance I gave most often that night was for the penitent to say that prayer thoughtfully before going to bed, then pray for those whom they needed to forgive and for those whose forgiveness they desired.

Knowing that God’s forgiveness depends on practicing the art of forgiveness ourselves, I thought that I would share with you the ten commandments of forgiveness. I do not expect you to remember all of them, but hopefully you will remember those that strike a chord with you.

The first commandment: forgiveness is not easy. We can’t just mumble, “I forgive you,” and presume that all is well. There is no quick fix, especially when the hurt is deep. Since forgiveness takes time, begin by asking God to start the process for you.

The second commandment: Forgiveness is not forgetting. The two words do not mean the same thing. Forgiveness is about a change of heart, not the erasing of a memory.

The third commandment: Forgiveness does not overlook evil nor does it mean denial. It doesn’t mean, “Let’s pretend it didn’t happen.” Someone who was hurt needs healing.

The fourth commandment: forgiveness isn’t indifference. We cannot go back to business as usual and let the hurt and damage go on. Instead, we should do what we can to make sure the evil won’t happen again.

The fifth commandment: forgiveness isn’t the same thing as approval. We can forgive yet still express our disapproval of the harmful behavior. Forgiveness doesn’t mean giving you permission to harm me again by your action.

The sixth commandment: forgiveness is recognizing that people are always bigger than their faults, their mistakes, and their wrong doing. In other words, we shouldn’t define who somebody is by something they said or did to us.

The seventh commandment: forgiveness is being willing to let go of the anger that prevents the rebuilding of a broken relationship by allowing the person who has offended us to start over again.

The eighth commandment: forgiveness recognizes the humanity of the person who has wronged us along with our shortcomings and our contribution to what went wrong.

The ninth commandment: forgiveness surrenders the right to get even. Forgiveness does not allow for revenge.

The tenth commandment: forgiveness means we wish the person or group who hurt us well. In fact, we wish them the best. That is tough, but basically we are letting God be the final judge and commend them to God’s mercy.

John the Baptist dared to be different and he dares us to also be different. He calls us to a change of heart, providing down to earth advice on how to change our lives for the better by filling in the valleys of prejudice, leveling our mountains of pride, and straightening our crooked paths of injustice. He is calling on us to prepare the way of the Lord and that means walking a new path. Celebrating the art of forgiveness when the need arises is one opportunity we must not pass up if we are to do our part in announcing the coming of Christ to others.

Life is a waiting game. We find ourselves waiting for the birth of a child, for the traffic light to change, to get on the ferry, for friends to arrive, or for dinner to be served. Hardly a day goes by when we don’t find ourselves waiting for something or someone and when the moment arrives, we are filled with joy and delight. Friday night, for example, I had dinner with some long time friends. The date had been set months ago, knowing that they would be in town for the Apple Cup. Today, the long wait of many years is over now that we find ourselves actually praying from the new Roman Missal. And of course, as soon as we finish one wait, we begin another. On this first weekend of Advent, we begin our wait of four weeks to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

When it comes to waiting, how do we pass the time? I can picture the father pacing the floor while the mother-to-be is in labor, impatient drivers drumming their fingers on the steering wheel staring at the traffic light, reading a book or chatting on a cell phone as they slowly inch toward the ferry loading area, or a host making certain everything is in place before the guests arrive. The ultimate question raised by these readings is this: what are we doing as we wait for the Lord to come? Jesus gives us pithy advice: “Be watchful! Be alert!”

Does he mean for us to sit still and stare at the heavens? Hardly. He is inviting us to share the present moment with him, to surrender to him, to hear his voice, to do his will, while we wait.

As I said, life is a waiting game. Ultimately, we are waiting for the moment we cross the threshold of death, hopefully to eternal life. This will be the moment when we will encounter the Christ in a way we have yet to fully imagine. Scripture is filled with many descriptions of our pending personal judgment. Jesus will judge our willingness to accept his offer of eternal life by the manner in which we lived this lifetime waiting for him to call us home.

The real challenge of Advent is to prepare ourselves in body and soul for that great moment, by letting God’s presence and power get to work in our lives. Life is incomplete without God and we are inadequate without his presence. God alone can fill us with true inner peace. This season makes us aware of our need to turn to God in hope and humble prayer, begging him to save us from our sin so that when we stand in judgment before his son, we will hear words of welcome, not rejection.

If in the past year, we have abandoned God, neglected prayer, or broken the commandments, now is the time to make a fresh start at building a closer relationship with the Lord. Liturgically speaking, we begin a New Year, so this would be a fitting time to adopt resolutions that would enable us to keep “watch” as Jesus urges us to.

Christian tradition has long interpreted his message to be watchful for the moment of our death, our final moment in this life. We are advised, “Be ready to die, be ready for the moment, don’t be caught off guard when God taps you on the shoulder and asks for an accounting of your stewardship.” While that is a valid understanding of these readings, it isn’t the only one. We should be on the watch for the many opportunities in the course of any given day when we can respond to God’s presence.

God values our response to his love and when you stop to think about it, there are countless ways we can respond; visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, being neighborly, seeking reconciliation if necessary, spending quiet time in prayer, reading scripture, attending daily Mass to name but a few. We pass through this world only once and any good we can do should be done now. While Advent is a time of waiting for God to come into our lives, keep in mind that God has been waiting for us longer than we have been waiting for him.