Presentation of the Lord Feast
Homily by Fr. Jim Deiters
I have such admiration for schoolteachers and administrators. They put in endless hours to help our children and teenagers. When I was in front of my house the other day and saw one of our St. Clare School teachers walking to her car at the end of a long day, I asked her, “So, what are going to do to unwind when you get home?” I loved her response, “You know what, I am going to pull up a chair in my backyard and simply let this sunshine fall on my face.” I took her advice and did the same. Today’s feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple gives us these scriptures to help us reflect on the role of God’s LIGHT in our lives, that radiates in many ways, shining through the “prism” of Jesus Christ.
The focus on candles and light comes from the prayer we just heard from our ‘great-great-great grandfather’ named Simeon. The moment he laid eyes on the baby Jesus in the Temple that day, Simeon proclaimed, “this Child shall be a light for the Gentiles, and glory for God’s people Israel.” Like all Jews, Simeon had been waiting for a Messiah whom they believed would bring God’s Light to a world of darkness. I wonder how many times Mary and Joseph retold their memory of this event, quoting Simeon to their child Jesus…reminding him that he is to be God’s Light for others. Eventually it formed Jesus into how he thought of his life and mission, as many years later he describes himself, “I am the Light of the world; and those who follow me will have the light of life.”
In this sense, what happened in the Temple that day is a powerful lesson for parents and grandparents…as to the words and images we imbed inside the minds and hearts of our children about who they really ARE and what their purpose in life is all about. Simeon and Anna planted in Jesus’ ears that his life was not his own…but meant for doing God’s work…in bringing God’s light and life to others. Since Jesus was fully human, the adults in his life made a huge impact on how he thought about himself, others, the poor, and the world. Every child is a sacred “sponge” …and we adults must continually remind our young people…that they have God’s LIGHT inside of them… and called to BE God’s light for others.
In a similar vein, each one of us has God as our parent… as God tries to put into our ears and heart His beautiful vision for our life to reflect Jesus’ Love to those in need. We can begin each day asking God, “to whom do you want me to show your Light, God?” And at the end of the day, a prayer of gratitude and awareness about those who were God’s light to YOU. Imagine how different our world would be if every one of us Christians truly lived as mirrors of God’s Light each day.
Especially in our world with dark voices of revenge and lies, and dark divisions and poverty on a global level, more than ever we need to gaze into the hopeful LIGHT of Jesus to be our guide. St. Clare of Assisi wrote a beautiful prayer that said, “the more we look into the face of Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration, the more we become a mirror of Jesus.” As Simeon and Anna came to the Temple that day and were amazed to discover God’s Presence in the child Jesus, we come to this Temple of worship seeking Jesus to shine His Vision upon our eyes.
I suggest TWO ways that the Holy Eucharist IS God’s Way of shining his ‘sunlight’ Jesus upon us. First, when you receive the Eucharist today, imagine Jesus radiance going into each part of your mind or heart that has some dark places of worry, fear, or addictive behavior. Secondly, as Jesus was a “light to the Gentiles and glory for Israel,” by taking His Body into ours…invite Jesus’ Vision to be your own…seeing better how God wants to use your life to radiate his brightness for others. Through our Baptism, we have been chosen to be agents of the Spirit’s Unity, Illumination, and Love.
From my earliest childhood memories of the Mass, I was fascinated with the candles flickering around the Altar and tabernacle. I remember the Religious Sisters in school telling us children that if we start to get fidgety or bored during Mass, stare into the candlelight and invite Jesus’ light to come inside you. The Sisters were like the prophetess Anna to me…pointing out ways to be more aware of Jesus’ Light in our self and our world.
In every Mass, there are various ‘Presentations’ going on: Mary and Joseph, in the Communion of Saints intercessory prayers for us, are here at our side presenting us to Jesus; also at the Altar, we present our life, as broken as it is, to God. Then, in the prayer, Jesus presents us to God in heaven for his Mercy to wash over us! Are you willing to let your heart, mind, and soul be taken into heaven this morning here in the Eucharist? As we prepare ourselves for this Holy Encounter…let us “present” to Jesus any troublesome or dark areas of our own life and the world…and invite the brilliance of the Spirit’s Light to rest upon our face.
THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
WATCH THIS HOMILYThe first time I visited a Jewish synagogue, I was truly inspired by the reverence they have for the scrolls on which is written their Hebrew Scriptures. The main scroll that contains the Pentateuch, the first five books of the bible, must be hand-written on special parchment paper using special ink. Each scroll has a special covering and is kept in a sacred cabinet called the Ark. When it comes time for the reading, they have a very reverent procession and unrolling of the scroll as part of the ritual. In our first reading and Gospel today, we hear about the sacred scrolls that were used by the prophet Ezra and then Jesus himself in his own synagogue in Nazareth. If you notice our own procession of the Gospel Book, we Catholics kept a good number of rituals and prayers passed on to us from the early Christians and our Jewish roots.
In our first reading today from Nehemiah, there is a charismatic scene taking place as the people are emotionally and physically moved by the scriptures being proclaimed by the prophet Ezra. This Nehemiah book is an historical piece of literature for both Jews and Christians since it is the oldest document we have with details of how the scriptures were proclaimed in the assembly of Jewish worshippers, about 500 years before Christ. Both Ezra and Nehemiah were leaders in the community helping them to reclaim their religious practices after their Babylonian exile. They had been without a temple for many years and now they are reorganizing the structure of their liturgy.
I love the details of Ezra carrying the scroll in a solemn procession, standing on a raised platform in front of all the people, and then as he opened the scroll all the people stood up, raised their hands in the air and shouted out, “Amen, amen!”
These are the beginnings of what we call ‘liturgy,’ when prayer began taking on more of a ‘ritual’ format. The word ‘liturgy’ itself refers to a form of ritual, and the Church started using the word ‘liturgy’ to talk about our structured prayer. The Mass as a whole is a liturgy, but we also have within the Mass both the ‘Liturgy of the Word” and the “Liturgy of the Eucharist” to describe the two main components of the Mass, each part containing ancient rituals and prayers.
When liturgy is done well and prayerfully, the solemn processions, standing, kneeling, genuflecting, and periods of silence…honor those parts of our 2000 year old Catholic traditions…while also including even older rituals of our Jewish ancestors such as Ezra and Nehemiah. With our fast-paced lifestyles, it can be challenging when we come to Mass to turn our minds away from watches, phones, and the schedules in our mind… and adjust to the slower pace of our liturgy…rooted in holy rituals that lead us to praising God. On a side note, I always enjoy participating in our military promotional or retirement ceremonies that also have lots of traditional processions and rituals.
What we learn in this reading from Nehemiah, as well as the Gospel reading in which Jesus himself is doing the Scripture proclamation, is that these Scriptures are the very Word of God being proclaimed. This is GOD speaking to us…and it should evoke a startling response from us! When Ezra did the reading, the people started to weep out loud…because the reading helped them realize how far they had strayed from God during their exile. The Scriptures moved them to tears! When Jesus did his scripture reading in the temple, it says they were so moved that they just kept staring at him intently, in awe, at the very words he was proclaiming.
These examples certainly challenge us to be better listeners when the scriptures are proclaimed. With distractions within and around us, it is difficult to pay attention to God’s Word. Sometimes following along in the worship aid can be helpful to notice a particular word or phrase that God is speaking to you this very day. Sometimes, God’s Word might bring us to tears of sorrow as they point out our sins, and other times tears of joy as we hear God speak about his unconditional love for us. The Word of God ALWAYS gives us something for which to be hopeful, some new beginning. And here is my point: what we HEAR in God’s Word in the first half of Mass…is meant to prepare us to be more intentional in the second half of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, about what to pray for. The Word of God will sometimes surface things which need forgiven by God, while also making us more aware of those things for which to be grateful as gifts from God. May the Holy Spirit transport the words from this ‘scroll’ of Jesus Gospel into our heart and mind…so we are better prepared to receive Jesus himself in the Eucharist.
SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
WATCH THIS HOMILY
As the world waits with new hope for the war in the Gaza area to come to an end, I can’t help but think of our Catholic sisters and brothers living on both sides of the fence there in the area around Jerusalem, and I wonder how they will hear this first reading today from Isaiah about hope and new beginnings.
Imagine how disorienting it will be for the Palestinian Christian family living in Cana right now, whose relatives were killed in Gaza, going to Mass today and hear Isaiah proclaim, “for the Lord ‘delights in you and makes your land his spouse.” Ironically, when Isaiah first preached this message around 500 BC, it was also after years of war in the same area of Jerusalem. God sends Isaiah to convince the people to be hopeful about their future. It was hard for the people to imagine that God wanted to ‘marry’ war-ridden land. But fortunately, some of the people who heard him wrote down his words and kept re-reading them in times of trials as a way to remain hopeful that God always provides a future better than our past.
Of course, Isaiah’s message of HOPE is still relevant for us today, not only for those in war-torn areas, but also for US who have our own difficult days. For those here today who are struggling with health problems, a broken or strained relationship, faith questions, addiction, or grief, we NEED this message from Isaiah to remind us that God takes “delight in us and espouses us” to his side for comfort and support. It is quite powerful that God uses the image of “marriage” to describe the type of relationship that he wants with us. Whether we are married, divorced, widowed, or single, God wants to establish his own ‘marriage covenant’ with each of us… and be ‘married’ to us communally as a Church, his Bride.
I always like to remind engaged and married couples…that God wants to be right in the middle of your marriage, binding your relationship, NOT just to each other, but GOD is also marrying you to himself. And when someone goes through a divorce or is widowed, that person can in a new way be strengthened in knowing that Christ is still their Spouse. When we teach our young people that their life and body belong first to God, it helps them choose healthy relationships…that will be rooted in GOD, whom Isaiah poetically describes as your “Builder.” Have you remembered lately that God is your “builder” and “spouse?” And how does that affect the way you think about your life and your relationships? Whether one is Israeli or Palestinian, American, Mexican, or Ukrainian, God says to us today, “You are my delight” and your ‘land’, your life is espoused to me, your Builder.
Now some might say, ‘that’s just a bunch of flowery language, how can I be ‘married’ to God?” But think again about the recent feasts of Jesus’ Birth and his Baptism, and now his first miracle being at a wedding…demonstrates clearly that God wanted to merge and marry his Divinity with our humanity. For Isaiah and his people, it was a symbolic marriage imagery that gave them a sense of belonging and being loved by God. But, for us Christians, the symbolism becomes reality – IN JESUS, as God truly ‘marries’ himself to our human flesh, giving our lives a whole new level of dignity and purpose.
I know for me as a priest, I have never thought of myself as being ‘not married’ since in the seminary we were formed to know ourselves as having a spouse in God. And certainly, as a pastor, I am blessed with thousands of children to care for. (I just get to live by myself!) But this is truly beautiful for all of us, whether single, married, widowed, or divorced, that in Jesus, and through our Baptism, we are permanently partnered to God.
All of this marriage language is echoed in this gospel story of Jesus at a wedding feast. The deeper meaning behind the abundance of wine Jesus makes, is what he uses…empty jars and simple water…representing our own lives. Jesus pours Himself INTO the emptiness and simplicity of the jars of our lives…marrying and mixing himself into the plain water of our human condition…to ‘espouse’ us to our Builder and Lover – God himself.
All of this happens in REAL time before our eyes in the Mass. This IS the Wedding Feast of the Lamb…where Jesus changes wine into his Blood… and transubstantiates our emptiness… into jars of abundant love to be poured out into the empty cups of so many around us needing our help. The first step we take, as we do at the beginning of every Mass, is to pray “Kyrie Eleison, Lord have mercy,” admitting that our jar is running empty. Then, at the Alar, uniting our life to Jesus’ Sacrifice of himself on the Cross, he pours new wine, the Blood of Salvation into each of us… here at the Wedding Feast.
Let us take a quiet moment to place our jar before God…allow the Holy Spirit to pour into us new wine of peace and love. Let us hear God say to us as he did through Isaiah, “You are my delight…and I rejoice in you.”
EPIPHANY
HOMILY BY FR. JIM DEITERS
I love the story my friend from Ivory Coast, Africa, told me about the first time he experienced snow after moving to the United States. I remember his words, “pure amazement” as he described letting the flakes fall on his face and then sending the picture to his family back in Africa so they could share in the joy. I shared with him my own childhood memories of having ‘snow days’ off from school and playing in it with siblings and neighbors. Children are so good at reminding us to play more often… and find amazement in simple things like snowfall.
It was a child, named Jesus, who beckoned the Magi to take time off from their usual schedule…to find new amazement in a particular starlight. While the star was the guide, the main highlight, the gospel tells us…is that they “were overjoyed at seeing… the child with his Mother Mary.”
The Magi-Astronomists-scientists come from the “east” to represent how expansive is God’s vision of who are included in salvation. The word “epiphany” actually means “revelation,” which highlights that Jesus came to REVEAL that God’s salvation goes beyond the limits of our human thinking. In the First Century, it was truly an “epiphany” that Jesus came to extend God’s saving love further than the Jewish race. St. Paul was extremely excited about this and proclaims in his letter, “Can you believe it? That Gentiles (non-Jews) are now co-heirs in salvation!” Or I love how St. Leo the Great in the 5th Century describes God’s inclusive Epiphany when he wrote, “let us celebrate with spiritual joy the day of our first harvesting, the first calling of the Gentiles” into the circle of God’s saving love. Basically, St. Paul and St. Leo want us to find new amazement at the ‘global view’ that God always takes.
Like starlight that shines on both the good and the bad, and you can’t limit the radiance of light to certain people or races, so too does Jesus’ saving grace fall upon every person, like a blanket of snow upon all of humanity. Jesus’ Epiphany shatters any ideas of nationalism, discrimination, or racism, and reveals God’s global view of humanity included in his family.
This certainly challenges our own sometimes limited, prejudicial thinking about who is ‘holy’ enough or included in God’s ‘manger scene’ of the Universal Church. In a sense, this feast might make us feel a little uncomfortable… as Jesus’ Epiphany expands our way of reasoning. Or from a more positive approach, in your prayer time this week, hear the Child Jesus inviting you to simply be amazed and in wonder of how God thinks and acts with such generous, inclusive love. The way Matthew Gospel describes the Magi’s journey… reminds us that our own spiritual journey is about abandoning and surrendering our lives to Jesus’ love and grace.
Just as the Holy Spirit is about to gently descend upon the bread and wine on the Altar to change them into Jesus’ Body and Blood, personally invite the Spirit to softly fall upon YOU like ‘snowflakes of grace’ upon your face and soul. Similar to Isaiah, we sometimes say, “but look, God, there is darkness all around me.” And God says, “but upon YOU my light shines.”
SOLEMNITY OF MARY
WATCH THIS HOMILYBefore I became a parent, I would listen with amused disbelief as other parents described the “completely different” character traits of their children. When I became a parent, I began to understand what they were talking about. After all, we had a child speaking in complete sentences before he could walk and another who couldn’t quite figure out that crawling included using their arms instead becoming a nose plow across the living room. What I heard from other parents, and what I know myself, is that the differences don’t matter; parents love each of their children to the best of their ability. This statement can be difficult to believe for those whose parents, because of their human brokenness, couldn’t love them the way they wanted or needed sometimes resulting in emotional or psychological trauma. The good news for them, and for all of us, is that Mary theotokos — which is Greek for the Mother of God — is also our Mother. As Mary was chosen by God to enflesh Jesus’ humanity, she also became our pathway to recovering our divinity. Like all parents who love to the best of their ability, Mary loves us as completely and perfectly as she loves Jesus. And it is the shepherds that teach us this.
The shepherds story began last week on Christmas when Caesar Augustus ordered a census to count everyone in the Roman empire. Consider how important Caesar’s order must have been to cause Joseph to make the arduous journey returning to his hometown of Bethlehem with his betrothed wife Mary who could give birth any day. Consider how many people were traveling that Mary and Joseph could not find any room at the inn. Consider that this census (pause) which was to count the whole world (pause) didn’t count the shepherds. As far as the government was concerned, the shepherds counted for nothing. The religious leaders also discounted the shepherds. They forbid trading with or buying from the shepherds because whatever the shepherds had was probably stolen. They grouped the shepherds in with the other sinners of society: the tax collectors and the unclean. This is a complete change in attitude for the Jews. Remember that Moses was a well-respected shepherd (pause) when God called him. David too was a shepherd when Samuel anointed him as the chosen one of God. But at the time of Jesus’ birth, shepherds were considered repulsive and marginalized. These are the shepherds that the angels told, “Today, in the city of David, a savior has been born for you.”
And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. She didn’t have to wait for the crucifixion, she realized at Jesus birth that all “sinners” were God’s children and worthy of her love. St Paul understood as well and tried to explain it to the early Christians at Galatia, an area of central Turkey, who were also subject to Roman rule, “So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God.” An heir worthy of the perfect love of God our Father. We remind ourselves of this fact at every Mass: as the priest or the deacon adds a little water to the wine, he prays “By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” That includes sharing the love, protection and nurturing of Mary theotokos, the Mother of God.
Cardinal Isao Kikuchi, Archbishop of Tokyo, Japan, learned this as a young priest in Ghana. He says, “I was sent to a mission station where there was no electricity, no water supply, but the people were very happy. There, I met so many happy people, even though there are so many difficulties. Sickness, poverty, all kinds of difficulties, but the people are happy. They said their happiness is because they know when there is a difficulty, somebody will come to help. They will never be abandoned. They will never be forgotten.” They knew the love of their mother Mary.
More than a decade ago, Pope Francis spoke at a small island off Sicily called Lampedusa that attracts many refugees because of its proximity to North Africa. He spoke about the globalization of indifference to people in difficulties, when people are just thinking about their own selves and forgetting about others. People feel forgotten and lose hope when we are indifferent to their difficult situations. That is part of the reason for this Jubilee year of pilgrims and hope // to help us form community.
Cardinal Kikuchi shared, “There are so many migrants in the world today, and for many reasons, especially because of climate change or war or economic reasons. People are moving around, but because of this massive influx of migrants in many countries, people in the receiving countries have started to feel threatened.” However, like a new brother or sister in Mary theotokos, he believes migrants are a gift, not a problem. “They are human beings. In Japan, there are many Filipinos, most of them Catholic, coming to Japan. Maybe it is God himself sending these people as missionaries because we don’t have churches in the villages and rural areas; but these Filipinos are staying in the rural areas, in the villages, so they are in fact missionaries. So maybe it’s God’s plan to send these people as migrants to other countries, to support the local church or to evangelize.”
A couple of weeks ago while I was on pilgrimage to Greece, I had the pleasure of meeting a young man named Georgios who works with Catholic Relief Services helping refugees find employment. For more than a decade, thousands of families fleeing the civil war in Syria have come to Greece. For a country of only 10 million people, it has been a tremendous strain. Georgios was explaining some of the challenges that the refugees faced in their job search including finding childcare and then reflected on his own situation. He told us that his parents lived on the first floor of his building; he lived with his family on the next floor, and his brother’s family lived on the floor above. He thanked God because his children always had someone to care for them. He knew Mary’s love for his family and so loved his Syrian brothers and sisters in return.
As we enter this new year, let us ask Mary theotokos to bless us through the gift of Jesus so that He can guide us through the difficult paths of the future. As we celebrate this day, let us join her prayer:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!
THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH
HOMILY BY DEACON DAN KIMUTISYears ago my family and four siblings’ families gathered from across the country to celebrate the holidays. After several days of parties, we asked our mom if she wished to join us again for dinner. In her characteristic unfiltered way, she quipped, “Achh, too much family!” Many might relate to that during the holidays!
Our ordinary families, on the surface, seem completely unlike the Holy Family, with all our messiness, idiosyncrasies, annoying habits and varying levels of brokenness. We can falsely conclude that being a virtuous family is reserved to Jesus, Mary and Joseph, something to admire but impossible to imitate. But we are both called to, and capable of virtue, and the family is the best place to foster holiness, with God’s grace.
The first step to our growing in virtue is to know the virtues. Emphasis on the virtues is a distinct and rich Catholic tradition, and among the ways we can learn about virtue is by reading the Catechism, the writings of the Saints, and by observing the good example of others. Let’s start with a quick overview of the Cardinal Virtues.
The Cardinal Virtues are PRUDENCE, FORTITUDE, TEMPERANCE, and JUSTICE. These virtues are acquired by human effort, with God’s grace. They united us in God’s love and free us to love others, and live in Christ’s joy and peace.
PRUDENCE or WISDOM is “Right Reason in Action” and directs all the other virtues. It helps us choose the true good in all situations and the right way to achieve it. It includes the virtues of open mindedness, counsel, and right judgment.
FORTITUDE is pursuing what is good even when it’s hard. It includes the virtues of courage, patience, and perseverance.
TEMPERANCE is mastery over human desires and impulse. It includes the virtues of self-control, humility, chastity, and gentleness.
JUSTICE is desiring and giving God and our neighbors their due. It describes a lot of the virtues mentioned in our first two readings today, and includes prayerfulness, obedience, kindness, forgiveness, gratitude and stewardship.
The second step is to think about where God wants us to be in virtue and where we are now. In his book titled “The Art of Living – the Cardinal Virtues and the Freedom to Love”, the author Edward Sri uses the analogy of the words “Mind the Gap” that are famously announced on the London Underground at every stop, warning riders of the dangers of the gap between the train car and the platform. During our recent trip to London to visit our daughter’s family, this analogy was reinforced for me and Kris, as we rode the underground and heard “Mind the Gap”, “Mind the Gap”, over and over. We must “Mind the Gaps”, those lacking virtues we hope to acquire, in order to be more nurturing parents, better listening spouses, a more respectful son or daughter, great co-workers or classmates, and to grow closer to God. Family members might choose one virtue each to grow in this next year, and ask family to help by genuinely and kindly reminding them to “Mind the Gap” when they are nearing the edge, so to speak. Pick your spots carefully though! For example, imagine, young parents, if your spouse is a little irritable after staying up all night with a sick child, and you say “Mind the Gap honey, Mind the Gap!” OUCH – Bad timing! Such a dreadful move lacks all virtue, especially Prudence!! We might also identify a family member who exhibits the virtue we wish to grow in, and ask them to teach us by their actions. Likewise we should use virtues we possess to inspire our family to holiness, preaching more by example than by words. St. Paul tells us we are to “teach and admonish each other” BUT, “with wisdom and the Word of God dwelling in us” – teaching by example is in itself virtuous.
The final step to virtue is to practice and pray for grace. We practice through awareness and by choosing to be deliberately virtuous in our thoughts, words, and actions. Jesus tells us to “Pray always and don’t lose heart”, so we must pray God helps us and our families to grow in virtue and holiness.
Becoming a virtuous holy family will not eliminate the problems of our daily lives, but helps us better work through them. Our Gospel today describes just one of many problematic events in the life of the Holy Family. Mary and Joseph display virtue, addressing Jesus in a tempered and gentle way following his disappearance, and Jesus responds with obedience. But despite Mary and Joseph’s holiness and awareness of Jesus’ divinity, they were still anxious and mystified. Like Mary and Joseph, we worry when facing difficulties, unclear of the details of God’s Plan for us. But like them, through holiness, we can remain joyful and faithful to God in all circumstances.
Let us pray as Mother Teresa does in her beautiful prayer for families: “Heavenly Father, you have given us the model of life in the Holy Family of Nazareth. Help us O loving Father, to make our family another Nazareth, where love, peace and joy reign. May it be deeply contemplative, intensely Eucharistic, and revived with joy.”
Prayer for the Family
Composed by St. Mother Teresa
Heavenly Father, You have given us the model of life in the Holy Family of Nazareth. Help us, O Loving Father, to make our family another Nazareth where love, peace and joy reign. May it be deeply contemplative, intensely Eucharistic, revived with joy.
Help us to stay together in joy and sorrow in family prayer. Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our families, especially in their distressing disguise. May the Eucharistic heart of Jesus make our hearts humble like his and help us to carry out our family duties in a holy way.
May we love one another as God loves each one of us, more and more each day, and forgive each other's faults as you forgive our sins. Help us, O Loving Father, to take whatever you give and give whatever you take with a big smile.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, cause of our joy, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, be always with us, guide and protect us. Amen.
CHRISTMAS
HOMILY BY FR. JIM DEITERS
I have enjoyed listening to people talk about the different ways they have tried using AI, experimenting with this “intelligence app” for answers to life’s questions. One parent told me that he asked it, “what is the best way to live with a teenager who knows more about life than you do?” And a 25-year old said she asked it, “are there any decent men out there for dating…and where are they?” As things in this world become increasingly “virtual” or “artificial,” we must hear this Christmas story with attentive listening, and believe in the reality of that first Manger Scene with renewed amazement. While our minds are now trained to question whether something is real, we must treasure these scriptures more than ever as the one REALITY that will outlast us all.
We must retell this story of Jesus’ Birth to our children and grandchildren over and over...less it gets lost on them as some artificially-animated fiction. And we adults must never tire of pondering this incredible Incarnation Miracle…that GOD…became a human. Through Jesus’ Conception and his Birth, God decided to mix Himself into the ingredient of humanity! As St. Hippolytus describes the Christmas miracle, “In Jesus, God sent his own MIND into the world.” This means, that IN Jesus, we now know everything that God thinks.
Jesus teaches us that one thing God thinks about a LOT…is the goodness, beauty, and value of our human lives. Since the Birth of Jesus redeems all human flesh, each and every person has a whole new level of dignity -- from the poorest migrant to the homeless refugee, from the young person seeking holiness in their sexuality to the one searching for a new life through an addiction or mental illness. The same Holy Spirit that formed Jesus in Mary’s womb…makes all persons holy.
For example, one of the most shocking parts of the Manger scene…is who were the first ones God invites to the stable? Shepherds (!) - the lowest persons on the spectrum in the First Century. While the rest of the world saw them as homeless filth living with animals, Jesus’ Birth immediately reverses the ‘pecking order,’ and God gives the lowly ones this most privileged experience. A new “reality” has come earth…that God is partial to the poor and salvation is open to everyone.
Might I propose…that for this Christmas to be something beyond a family gathering, is that we each do an examination of what ‘version of reality’ we are living. In other words, what is real and true in your life and what do you really believe? As Christians, we believe that THE one Event that changed the course of human history is the Person, Jesus Christ. And if we really BELIEVE that Jesus IS the Son of God…then our reality, our daily living, must be based upon his teachings and example. If we really believe in Jesus as our Messiah, who SAVES us, then we have no option but to go “all in” and be an active part of the Church and center our lives in Jesus’ own words about the Eucharist, “This is my Body; This is my Blood.” Either we believe the baby in the Manger IS the Son of God and make a commitment to worship Him every Sunday…or else we relegate Jesus into some ‘virtual character’ who was simply nice to people. As one author says it, “Those who believe don’t leave.”
Just as God sent his angels to invite the lowly shepherds to come and discover Jesus, so too, the heavenly angels that surround us here in worship… invite each of us to ‘see’ Jesus differently, more profoundly, in this new year. How will you let Jesus impact and maybe change your reality beyond Christmas Day?
And I say this especially to any young adult here who is transitioning from belonging to their ‘parent’s religion to your own faith and religious convictions --Jesus Christ is a vastly different version of Truth than anything you will hear coming out of the mouths of world leaders or see in movies or created with AI. I apologize if we adults in the Church have not made it clear to you that Jesus is God; or if we have not taught you how to pray and meditate on God’s incredible love for you or have not helped you make a connection between Jesus on the Cross with the struggles of your life. I pray that this Christmas you will open your heart to discover a new relationship with Jesus, a real adult relationship…with the One who loves you beyond anything you will find in this world.
THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT
HOMILY BY FR. JIM DEITERS
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
HOMILY BY FR JIM DEITERS
The reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral and its magnificent rededication ceremonies receiving international attention this weekend give us pause to celebrate our Catholic Church’s influence on culture, art, and world religions. In our 2000-year history, the Catholic Church has been the global torchbearer of beautiful art, architecture, music, and liturgy. Ever since the first Christian churches were built in the 4th Century, our buildings and art are meant to raise our minds and hearts to God, echoing God’s own creativity and beauty seen in his magnificent Creation all around us. In a sense, God enjoys being in the ‘construction’ business – from the forming of mountains and galaxies…to designing new human babies in the sacred womb of women. While we humans now enjoy creating things with the touch of an AI screen or the button of a 3-D printer, we learn from these Advent Scriptures…that God likes to take the ‘long-haul-slow approach’ to bringing something new into existence. And the intrigue of reading these timeless scriptures is to try and connect the dots between ancient prophets, First Century Christians, and our own lives in the 21st Century.
Let’s take a brief delve into these Advent readings…for what I call the “blueprints” of God’s architectural - engineering plans for our salvation. I want to highlight two pages from the “Master Plan.” The first is from the prophet Baruch who lived about 700 years before the time of Jesus…and describes the future ‘building’ to be like a new Jerusalem city “wrapped in splendor and justice.” Of course, this “new Jerusalem” is US, the Church that was born out of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit started ‘constructing’ FROM its Jewish roots… a religion called Christianity, followers of Christ. The prophet Baruch tells us about these ‘blueprints’ by describing how God dreams of building up a new community where “people from the east and west will come together” and there will be a new kind of “security” for God’s People. And then I love how it says, “God leads them in “joy.” Are you aware that God is trying to lead your life in joy? The prophets used this poetic language to describe what eventually becomes the Christian religion, followers of Jesus from all nations, we are told, who work together for “mercy and justice.” How wonderful to know that the core foundations of God’s construction project…are “mercy and justice.”
700 years later, the second page of God’s plan we get a glimpse into comes from the Gospel of Luke, who announces that John the Baptist as a crucial player in the building plan of salvation. And we learn the detailed names of the political and religious leaders alive at this time – Tiberius Ceasar, Herod, Philip, Annas and Caiaphas. My telling us their names, the author wants us to know how God’s plan for a Messiah really happened in a specific time and geographical location.
John the Baptist becomes one of the final stones in the foundation as the last of the prophets. His preaching about “every valley shall be filled and every mountain made low” echoes the prophets before him. But these images are also a foreshadowing of the climax of the whole God-drama about to happen – the birth of Jesus as THE Messiah the world was waiting for. While people THOUGHT that God’s building plans were about the city of Jerusalem, in reality, it is a PERSON, Jesus Christ…and a People, the Church, as the new kind of Heavenly Jerusalem.
While at times we can feel discouraged…about the happenings in our world, problems in our country, or difficulties in our own families, and wonder “if things are about to collapse?” … St. Paul gives us encouraging words today by saying this powerful prayer to us, “I am confident…that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” God began a “good work” with our life in the womb; and in Baptism, made each of us a part of the ‘construction team.” God truly desires to have your life and mine as part of the stones built upon the foundations of the prophets, saints, and apostles, with Jesus as the ‘capstone’ holding it all together.
Just like a church building needs occasional reconstruction and repairs, we come back to the Holy Eucharist time and again to be rebuilt and renewed by the power of Jesus Body and Blood. Not only does the Eucharist strengthen our own stone in the holy structure of the Church, but it also acts as sort of a ‘mortar,’ binding us to each other. So then, as we consume the Body of Christ…we become the Body of Christ.
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
HOMILY BY FR. JIM DEITERS
The best part of Thanksgiving for me was holding my newest great-niece, now two months old and so very tiny. Her immaculate skin and dainty features were like looking into a sacred icon of God’s beauty. It was indeed a Holy Moment…as I silently said a prayer for her and wondered what God has in mind for her life. Discerning God’s Will for our life and the lives of our children is a significant part of our spiritual development. As this witty friend of mine often says, “This life isn’t a dress rehearsal.”
The season of Advent is four sacred weeks, with scriptures and Mass prayers that help us prepare for two things: the celebration of Christ’s Birth, and for Jesus’ Second Coming at the end of the world. Thinking about when the world will end forces us to think about our own mortality. Many of the saints spoke about how their path to holiness was attained by a regular reflection on their inevitable death.
What we might call a ‘spirituality of our mortality’ helps one remember the sacredness of each day of life with which we are blessed from God.
One non-religious book I find interesting on this subject is called “4000 Weeks” which is the average number of weeks a person lives. The author wants the reader to be more mindful of one’s finitude, our mortality, and how to make better decisions about how we spend the relatively short time we have. How many weeks we have lived is known; how many weeks are left is unknown and an opportunity to make better, holy choices toward our goal of heaven.
Our first reading from Jeremiah today gets us to think about TIME… and how God uses one day at time for our salvation. God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah about 600 years before Jesus, and says this phrase several times, “In those days…in that time.” God is referring to THE Day …when he will send a Messiah to bring the world a new kind of security and justice. Imagine that! God was planning out his days and weeks 600 years ahead of time.
When we pay attention to how God uses days, weeks, and years, we realize that all of ‘our days’ are actually going toward a direction and purpose. This world…and our lives are NOT randomly passing along. You and I are specifically chosen by God to LIVE in THIS time and place. No longer in “those days” …waiting for a Savior…but in THESE days…with passion and purpose…PART OF Jesus’ Resurrected Life right now.
Basically, we are a part of God’s three-act drama – “those days” when the world waited for a Messiah; “these days” when God came to earth and reunited us to himself; and third act - “that day” yet to come, when Jesus’ Second Coming will draw all of Creation into himself.
The Birth of Jesus literally changed the calendar of humanity…and we now see every year, every day as living IN “that Day,” in the Sphere of Salvation. The world around us tries to convince us that life is a ‘battle’ to get as much done, see as many things possible, and keep as busy and productive as you can -- as if there is a prize at the end for productivity? In our exhaustion with this secular philosophy, we have to humbly admit that THE very best way to live our “4000 weeks” is to keep learning from Jesus’ example…so that we when our days here are over, and Jesus looks us in the eyes, he will recognize us as one of his faithful sheep…who spent our ‘days’ in love and service of others. In other words, this Gospel is meant to help us construct a meaningful life. And Advent is a four-week examination of how we are living the holy life God has given to us.
When Jesus lived here on earth, he saw how misguided we humans spend our time, like sheep without a shepherd, like pilgrims without a purpose. And so he says to us today, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from the anxieties of daily life…and THAT DAY catch you by surprise.” “That day” Jesus is referring to is the one when we stand before him to give an accountability report of how we spent the sacred ‘weeks’ God gave us. “That day” … could be THIS day for some of us, or with certitude it will come in one of the ‘weeks’ we have remaining. For people of faith, ‘that day’ will be a glorious one.
Here in the Eucharist, THIS day is the very best one we have. To be fully present to this great Mystery of Jesus here in our midst, we must let go of “those” days of our past…and “those” days of our future…and delve into the holiness of THIS day, this moment of grace.