Baptism of the Lord – Homily

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Baptism of the Lord, Year C
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
Titus 2:11-1, 3:4-7
Luke 3:15-16, 21-2
January 13, 2013

Today we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus.

Baptisms are always something to celebrate.  Baptisms are occasions of great joy.  As I say this, somebody might be thinking, “Why?”

Why should baptisms always be joyful?      Well, let’s think about what happens at baptism.  We are set free from Original Sin.  When baptized as adults, all our sins up to that point are forgiven (certainly forgiveness of sin is a good thing).  In Baptism, we are reborn into eternal life, becoming children of God in a new and profound way, and becoming members of our faith community.  And we receive the Holy Spirit.

I think all of these are wonderful things.  But it begs the question “Why did Jesus need to be baptized?”

Jesus had no sins as the Son of God.  He already shared in eternal life as the eternal Son of God.  He didn’t need to be “reborn” and already enjoyed unity with the Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity.

Jesus did not need to be baptized for himself.  In his own baptism, Jesus accomplished three things.  First, he set an example for us that we do need to be baptized.  Secondly, he made holy the waters of Baptism for us.  Lastly, he took the Baptism of John and made it something more incredible and full of grace.

John’s Baptism was seen as having one central purpose, the forgiveness of sins.  That is no small purpose.  We need forgiveness for our sins.

This doesn’t berate John’s Baptism.  John knew his baptism was insignificant compared to Jesus.  He said himself “I am baptizing you with water … He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”      Jesus adds the Holy Spirit (Thanks be to God!), rebirth, and adds an initiation component, as baptism makes us members of God’s family.

In Jesus’ own life, his baptism did mark a new beginning.  As soon as Jesus was baptized, he began his public ministry of preaching, teaching, curing, and driving out demons.  In essence Jesus began his ministry as priest, prophet, and king with his baptism.  Jesus is the priest in his Crucifixion, freely sacrificing his own life for us.  He is prophet as a preacher and teacher of the faith.  He is king, not as a ruler with power, but as one who serves.

Through Baptism, we are all called to do the same.  In the baptismal ceremony, right after we are baptized with the water, we are anointed priest, prophet, and king with the Sacred Chrism.

How in the world are all of us supposed to be priest, prophet, and king?

We share in priesthood by being willing to make sacrifices in our own lives for the good of others.  For example, what does a parent willing give up for their children?

We can all be prophets in sharing our faith.  This doesn’t have to be about teaching the extensive doctrines of the church.  It begins by telling people that our faith is important to us.

We are all kings not in ruling over people but in serving our needs.  And none of these should be one-time events in our lives.

Living as priest, prophet, and king is part of who we are, who God calls us to be.      We can all use our gifts to make the Kingdom of God known to all.  A teacher does it in teaching the students not just facts but what it means to be a good person.  A lawyer can do it by advocating for what is right rather than just seeking to win a case to make money.  A business person does it by following ethic principles and being concerned more with the people affected by the work of the company than profit.

All this being said, I would like to take a moment to focus on a particular calling in life.  This week we celebrate National Vocations Awareness Week.  We should always be praying for all of us to know what God is calling us to do but during this week in particular, we are called to pray that God call forth people to serve as priests, deacons, and religious.  We also pray that those called by God have the courage to respond yes.       It can also be a time to think about people around us who God may be calling to become a priest, deacon, or religious.  We might pray for the strength to tell them we think God might be calling them.

I truly believe it is God who calls me to be a priest.  It is God who makes it possible for me to do what I do as a pastor and a priest.  There is no way I could do what I do without God’s help.     That being said, beyond God’s call itself, one of the things that was essential to get me to say yes was other people who told me that they thought I should think about becoming a priest.

So pray!  Pray that we all know what God is calling us to do and pray for those called to the priesthood, diaconate, and religious life, and pray that we support them in their calling.

 

Homily for Epiphany 2013

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Epiphany, Year C
Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12
January 6, 2013

Christmas is a season to be very aware of Jesus’ presence in the world.  Today we celebrate The Epiphany of the Lord but Christmas is really a season of epiphanies.

The word epiphany primary meaning is “appearance” or “manifestation.”  As we celebrate The Epiphany we celebrate the appearance of Jesus before the Magi.

Christmas day itself is another epiphany; the day became visibly presence among us.  Next week we will celebrate the Baptism of Jesus.  In his baptism, Jesus identity as the Son of God was made known and so his baptism is another epiphany.

Why all these epiphanies?

Of course, the first point is that Jesus is made known in the world.  But there is another meaning of the word epiphany.  It can also meaning insight.

In these epiphanies we are given insight to who Jesus is and how the world of that time related to who Jesus was.

So let’s focus on The Epiphany of the Lord.  It only seems fitting since it is the feast we celebrate today.

It is a familiar story to us.  The Magi see a new star.  It was a common belief of that time that each time a new ruler was born a new star appeared.  The Magi is gifted to realize that the particular new star they see is for the newborn king of the Jews.

So the Magi begin their journey following the star.  They stop to see King Herod.  King Herod is greatly troubled by the news of a newborn king for the Jews.  He’s troubled because he is the King of the Jews, so he sees Jesus as a threat to him.  He wants to have him killed.  The Magi continue on their way to Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  They see Jesus and then return home, avoiding Herod, having been warned about his true intentions.

It’s a story familiar to us.  It’s a regular part of how the Christmas story is told.  It’s a good story that points to Jesus’ greatness.

But I think we can look a little deeper for more insight.  In scripture there is often a surface meaning that is fairly readily seen and there is often a deeper meaning to go with it.

Think about it this way.  Why include the story?  Why do the Magi stop to talk to Herod when they are already guided by the star?  Bethlehem was a little town.  They could have managed without stopping for directions.

To look deeper, we must understand who the characters are in the story.

First, there are the Magi.  We typically say there were three of them because there were three gifts.  Today we say “magi” but they have frequently referred to as “kings” or “wise men.”

The scholars now see the Magi as astrologers.  What is more important to the story is that they were not Jews.  They were Gentiles.  Yet they recognize Jesus as the newborn king of the Jews.

Then there is King Herod.  He’s actually a Jew but he doesn’t know of the prophecies about the coming messiah.  He needs to ask the chief priests and scribes what the prophecies say about the birthplace of the messiah.

The Jews had been waiting for centuries for the messiah.  If Herod was a true disciple, he would have known the prophecies and even more so, he should have been excited at the news that the Messiah has finally come.

Ironic that the Jews are troubled by the news of a messiah but the Gentile Magi travel a great distance.

The Messiah was to come for the Jews but in turn accepts everyone.

Part of the insight this story gives us is to realize that salvation is a gift, first offered to the Jews and now to all.  We need to accept this gift.

The Magi were guided by the light of the star to Jesus.  Jesus is the Light of the World.  Giving the insight that Jesus has given us to what it means to be a disciple, how might we be a star shining brightly to lead others to Jesus?

Feeling At Home

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Our Parish Pastoral Council meeting this week included a discussion on what are signs of a vibrant parish.  The list ranged from a line for Confessions to people feeling at home.

Today, I would like to talk about feeling at home in church.  I think a lot of people feel and/or act like guests in church.  They arrive at the appointed time for Sunday Mass and leave as soon as Mass is over. Hopefully, they feel like they have received something special in the eucharistic meal we have celebrated.  But we really don’t know because we never hear from them.  Some of them may be people of incredible faith.  Others may never pray during the week.  We don’t know and it is not for us to judge.

My point is that we shouldn’t feel like guests in church.  We should feel at home.  I think back several years to a summer assignment I had while in seminary.  One of the people I had come to know as a friend had recently had surgery and was recovering at home.  I stopped at their house on the way home to see how he was doing.  We talked for a while and I was invited to stay for dinner to continue the conversation.  As the wife began preparing dinner, she was asked if I would like a glass of water or something.  I said water would be great.  She then asked her husband if he wanted some water.  He did.  Then, she told me to get him a drink while I was getting mine.  That’s when I knew they were not just parishioners but friends.  I felt at home with them.

With regard to feeling at home in church, I think back to my own return to church.  I hadn’t been to church in almost 16 years.  I began to realize that something was missing in my life.  That led me back to church.  I immediately went from not going to church at all to going everywhere because I was blessed to find a church that felt like home right away.

What it means to feel at home in church can be different for each person.  The bottom is church a place we want to be.  What makes church feel like home for you?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

 

my own return to church

Why Have Mass on New Year’s Day

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People will sometimes ask me if there is Mass on New Year’s Day.  The answer is always, yes there is Mass on New Year’s Day but it is not New Year’s Day we are celebrating.  New Year’s Day marks the beginning of a new year on the secular calendar.  It is seen by many as a day of new beginnings and new hope.  Each year there are huge celebrations across the world for New Year’s.  People will make New Year’s Resolutions.  Some resolutions might be broken before the day is off and some will be kept.

It is a good day to celebrate Mass in the church.  Every day is a good day to celebrate in church.  But the New Year’s Holiday is not the reason that today is a holy day.  Our holy day is to honor Mary.  Today we celebrate “The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.”  Once again we honor Mary for saying yes to God to be the mother of Jesus.  But the title we honor her under today is not simply Mother of Jesus but Mother of God.

In the early centuries of the church, there was great discussions over this title of Mary.  Some said, that in Greek, the title should be Christokos meaning “mother of Christ” because Mary is the human mother of the human Jesus.  God is eternal and thus Mary is not God’s mother.  On the other side was the title Theotokos meaning “Mother of God.”  Ultimately, it was agreed to use the title Mother of God not to say Mary was God’s mother but to stress Jesus is both human and divine.

But why today?

Today completes the “Octave of Christmas”  (octave mean eight days).  It was the Jewish custom on the eighth day after the birth of a son to bring him to the temple for the prescribed rituals.  Our gospel ends with Mary doing just that.  So, today we honor for her role as Mother of Jesus.

We also always honor Mary for the example she is to us.  At the Annunciation, Mary said yes to God.  At the Wedding Feast of Cana, when they ran out of wine, she told the servants, speaking of Jesus, Do whatever he tells you.  Mary did not know what Jesus would say or do but she knew he would do the right thing.

Today’s Gospel also speaks of how the people listened to what the shepherds said about Jesus.  Mary could have been dancing for joy, saying ‘look how great my son is.’  Mary did not.  The gospel said Mary kept all these things and reflected on them in her heart.  Once again Mary is an example for us of how she takes time to reflect on what is going on in her life.  Mary is a woman of peace.

We need to have quiet time ourselves to be able to reflect on the presence of God in our lives.  Sometimes it seems impossible to find the quiet time.  Our lives can be too busy.  Sometimes, it is difficult to enter into the quiet.  I know myself sometimes I go home at the end of a day I just want to crash.  Then, the first thing I do when I walk in the door is turn on the TV.  Sometimes, I don’t even watch it.  I just turn it on for background noise.  I don’t embrace the quiet.

We all need to seek interior peace.  As we think about this peace, in addition to being the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, today is also a World Day of Prayer for Peace.  For a number of years now, the Pope has written a message on peace for this day.

The peace that God offers us is the interior peace of knowing Jesus in our hearts but when we embrace this peace on the inside, peace on the outside can flow from it.

What keeps us from knowing peace on the inside?

Things like selfish thoughts of greed, envy, and jealous keep us from knowing peace.  If we are always seeking more, we are never satisfied.  If we are never satisfied, then we will have a hard time finding peace in our hearts.

Aren’t these some of these, the same things that cause wars and violence, people who are not satisfied with what they have.  People who start wars often do so seeking more power, wealth, or material goods.  Or they seek to make the world the way they want it rather than what God wants.  On the other end, when we overconsume, people who do not have enough, have even less and may feel a need to fight just to have enough.  If we become satisfied with what we have and stop wanting more, more is available for them.

So, as we honor Mary today as Mother of God let us follow her example of finding God’s peace in our hearts.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

December 31st

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Today is December 31st.  It is the end of our secular year 2012.  Tomorrow will be January 1st and mark the beginning of a New Year.  Just a few weeks ago we marked the end of the last liturgical year and the beginning of a new on the First Sunday of Advent.

Christmas was a new beginning in history with the birth of Jesus.  Today’s readings speak of “beginning” and “the last hour”.

The first reading comes from the First Letter of John where he speaks of the last hour arriving.  The gospel reading is from the beginning of the Gospel of John and speaks of the beginning of the world and how Jesus was present at the beginning.  Jesus then comes into the world.

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and end.  Jesus exists at all times.  (Jesus transcends time).  Jesus offers us a new beginning in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Rite of Penance/Confession).  Whenever we sin and then become repentant, Jesus offers an opportunity for a new beginning through his forgiveness.

With the beginning of a secular new year, many people will make resolutions to change their lives.  Some will keep their resolutions.  Some will be broken.  What do you need to change to improve your relationship with Jesus and what grace do you need to do it?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Feast of the Holy Family Homily

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Holy Family, Year C 
1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-8
1 John 3:1-2, 21-24
Luke 2:41-52
December 30, 2012

Christmas is not over.  Christmas is too important to be a single day.  We celebrate Christmas as a season from Christmas Day till the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord which we will celebrate on January 13th.

During this time, we celebrate some important feasts that are part of the Christmas story for us.  Tuesday we will celebrate the Holy Day of Mary as Mother of God.  Next weekend we will celebrate Epiphany but before that our feast today is the Feast of the Holy Family.

Christmas is about Jesus and Mary and Joseph are part of the Christmas story, Mary for her saying yes to God at the Annunciation and Joseph who listened to the angel to do what was right in God’s eyes.

But Mary and Joseph’s role did not end with the birth of Jesus.  It was just beginning.

Jesus was born as a human being at Christmas and became part of a human family with Mary and Joseph as his parents.  It was their role as parents to teach him the Jewish customs and laws.

We see that in today’s gospel when they take Jesus with them to celebrate the Passover.  We see the humanness in their family when they lose the Son of God.  Have you ever left one of your children behind?  Remember Mary and Joseph knows what is like!      Mary and Joseph taught Jesus what it is to be a child of God.  It means doing God’s Will and recognizing the gifts God has given us.

Look at the story of Hannah.  She had been without children and constantly prayed for God to bless her with children.  When her prayers were finally answered, she gave the child right back to God.

It wasn’t that she had changed her mind.  It wasn’t that her son Samuel was misbehaving and she no longer wanted him.  She did this in thanksgiving, recognizing Samuel as a gift from God.

That’s part of being a family.  Today, one would not expect a new mother to leave her young son at church in service to God.

But we can give our children to God in a spiritual way.  It begins with Baptism, asking that the child be reborn in the spirit.  Then, we teach them to know God.  This means coming to church weekly.  It means praying with them.  It means showing them what faith means to us.

It means teaching them God’s commandments.  Mary and Joseph followed God’s Commandments and we are called to do the same.  In doing so, we remain in God’s love.

Of course, all of this is the ideal.  We hope and pray for the ideal.  But the ideal doesn’t always happen, does it?

When we think of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus as the Holy Family, we might think of their lives as perfect.  How hard could life be when your son is the Son of God?

Well, their life wasn’t perfect.  Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger.  I’m pretty sure that’s no one’s definition of perfect.

Then the shepherds and magi come to give homage to Jesus.  Maybe things are getting better.  But wait!  Joseph is instructed in a dream to take Mary and Joseph to Egypt, a few hundred miles from home, because Herod is plotting to kill Jesus.

Hardly perfect right?

Then there is the story we hear today of how they lost Jesus in the Temple.  It’s pretty sure that wasn’t part of their plan!      Ultimately, Mary would be at the foot of the Cross when Jesus was crucified.  Not what Mary would have wanted.

So life was not perfect for the Holy Family.  Jesus learned what it was like to struggle in family.

What struggles does your family face?

Job issues?  Home issues?  Forced to move?  Mary, Joseph, and Jesus know what it is like.  They kept the faith as the source of their strength.  They are an example for us.  We can ask for Mary and Joseph to intercede for us in our family struggles and that Jesus help us in his grace.

The Holy Innocents

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Today, December 28th, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents.  The story of the Holy Innocents is found in Matthew 2:13-18.  Herod was king of the region and had heard from the Magi that a new king had been born to the Jews. Herod saw this as a threat to his power.  He had told the magi to return to him when they found the newborn king so that he might give him homage.  The magi did not and Herod was furious.  He wanted to kill the newborn king.  So, he ordered the massacre of all newborn males under the age of two in Bethlehem to eliminate the threat to his power.  Fortunately, Joseph had already left with Mary and Jesus for Egypt as instructed in the dream.  Unfortunately, the other boys were massacred.

This is not the first time something like this happened.  Remember the story in the first chapter of Exodus?  The Israelites were gaining strength and the Egyptians were beginning to worry.  So, the pharaoh ordered that all newborn male Israelites were to be killed.  From this, comes the story of Moses comes where his mother cast him into the Nile were he was rescued by the pharaoh’s daughter.

Life is a gift to be cherished.  Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is an appointed time for everything, a time to be born and a time to die.  It is not for us to decide the time of birth or death.  At either end of life, life is a gift, and everyone in between.

We can think of historical events such as the Holocaust where Hitler set out to get rid of all the Jews.

Life is a gift.  May we always cherish the gift, at birth, at death, and everywhere in between.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Christmas Homily

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Christmas, Year C
Isaiah 9:1-6
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-14
December 25, 2012

O Come All Ye Faithful!

Familiar words to many.  It’s my favorite Christmas hymn.

It also fits today.  Look at all the people.  There’s something about Christmas that draws many people out.  We welcome all of you here, whether you are a regular, a visitor from out-of-town, or an occasional attendee, we’re glad you’re here.

What is it that draws some people this day?

Well, with faith in Jesus, Christmas is a joyful day for the Lord is triumphant over this world.  O Come All Ye Faithful!  Joyful and Triumphant.

The song calls us to Bethlehem.  We aren’t all going to Bethlehem, the holy place of Jesus’ birth but as we celebrate his birth, we come here to God’s house.  We remind ourselves of that first Christmas (beginning with our pageant) and recalled in our manger scene.

It is a humble scene, the grace of God has appeared.  The Son of God lies in a manger.  It is no grand scene fit for a king.  It’s a very humble scene.  A little infant born not in plushy accommodations but in a stable, no place for any child, let alone the Son of God.

The humbleness of the scene is part of the joy.  God did not demand we bow before him but rather came to be one like us to give us hope.      Who were the first to see him?  Not kings and leaders but rather simple shepherds.

Why might we need this hope?  Our world is not perfect.  Terrible things do happen.  We might feel like we live in darkness.  We want out of the darkness and into the light.  We want to know there is something more.

God had been promising good things and a new king for centuries.  Jesus’ birth shows us that God always keeps his promise.       Even our gospel reading takes time to point out that God has a plan and keeps his promise.  Part of the promise was that the new messiah would come from David’s line.  The descendants of David had grown astray but God never forgot his promise.  The time has finally come!

So Jesus’ birth is truly good news of great joy!

For today in the city of David, a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.

Yes, a Savior!

Not just another prophet but a savior.  We have sinned and we need a savior.  We need a new beginning.  Through Jesus we have a new beginning, a new beginning from the days of the Israelites to the Christian faith with all the hope.

As our Savior, Jesus will pay the price for all our sins.  Maybe we fall into darkness but in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we confess our sins and Jesus gives us a new beginning, a new beginning in hope, hope knowing that God loves us so much as to become human.      We look at Jesus lying in the manger.  We see new life.  We see the innocence of a child.  We see hope.

Jesus returns us to our innocence.

Today truly is a joyful day.  We come with faith in our hearts.  We come with hope.

All this is a gift.

Christmas can be a busy time with much happening.  In the midst of all of the busyness we take time to come here to remember what it is all about.      Remember we began with O Come All Ye Faithful.  Do you also remember the words repeated in the refrain, O come let us adore him?

We come to honor Jesus.  We come to look upon Jesus lying in a manger.  We come into the light.  We come seeing great joy at Jesus’ birth.

 

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

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4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Micah 5:1-4a
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-45
December 23, 2012

A tale of two women.

Today’s gospel speaks of two women.  I should say two very important women.  They are important because of the role they play in God’s play.

Certainly, we are aware of Mary’s place in God’s Plan with her yes to God’s message delivered by the angel Gabriel.  We honor Mary here in our church with our tapestry behind me, our shrine on your right side, and pictures.  Mary is a crucial part of God’s plan, so special a place that God saw that she was immaculately conceived to be worthy.

Elizabeth is also important as one, who like Mary, did not doubt God’s will and trusted in him.  She became the mother of John the Baptist who calls out, Prepare the Way of the Lord and proclaimed a baptism for the forgiveness of sins.      God wanted it to be clear that what came through Mary and Elizabeth was his will.  To do so, he picked two women for whom pregnancy would seem impossible, Mary, the young virgin, and Elizabeth who was elderly and never had children.  Pregnancies that would be possible only by God’s Grace.

And they trusted in that grace.

From the simple comes the great.  Micah speaks of how from Bethlehem-Ephrathah who is too small to matter among the clans of Judah will come the new ruler.

We might think we are too insignificant to do anything great.  While it might seem true that we can’t do anything “great” on our own, we can do great things through God’s Grace.

We just need to trust in God’s Will according to Mary’s example.

Because of their trust amazing things happened.  Jesus comes into the world as the newborn king of the Jews.  He comes as our savior and redeemer.

We celebrate this great event as Christmas.  It truly is a very holy time of year.  But it isn’t here quite year.  Final preparations are still to be made.  I hope your shopping is done but I imagine you have cooking to do yet and maybe some decorating.  This afternoon we will decorate our church to transform it for the beauty of Christmas.      As we make all these final preparations, it is the true beauty of Christmas that we must remember.  Christmas is not about the presents, decorating, and parties.

It’s about Jesus.  Everything else is to point to Jesus.

Jesus, the Son of God born as a tiny little baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.      A small little new life from which comes great things.

New life is a sign of new hope, a new beginning.  Think of how much people like to see and hold a little baby.

Advent is a season of preparation, waiting, and joy.  We might wonder if we are ready.  By ourselves we are never truly ready but we become like Mary saying yes to God, Jesus makes us ready and amazing things happen.

What did Elizabeth say to Mary?  Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.

Sunday Homily – December 16, 2012 – With Reference to Sandy Hook

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3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C 
Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:10-18
December 16, 2012

Zephaniah calls us upon the people to shout for joy, be glad, and exult.  He writes before the Babylonian Exile when the Kingdom of Israel was about to fall and the people are lamenting.      They are in fear but Zephaniah tells them not to fear and not to be discouraged.  One might ask why not?  Given the circumstances didn’t they have every reason to fear and be discouraged?

We might be feeling the same way right now about the school shooting in Newtown Connecticut, sadness, grief, and lament.

Again, Zephaniah calls for them to shout for joy and be glad.  How can they do this when things look so grim?

Zephaniah seeks to remind them that God is in their midst.  In the Old Testament the common thought was that if things were going well, you had pleased God and were receiving his blessings.  If things were going badly, then you must have sinned and angered God.

Zephaniah tells them that even though they have sinned and things are not going the way they want, that God is still in their midst and will renew them in his love.  So, they do not need to fear.  Even as the kingdom of Israel collapses God is with them.

In the same way, we know in faith that God was and is present at Sandy Hook Elementary.  God was there during the shootings.  God was there with the emergency responders.  God was and is present at every one of the prayer vigils.  God is present in every tear that is shed over this.

Some say God causes bad things to happen to punish us.  God did NOT cause this shooting to happen.  Sometimes bad things happen because of choices we make.  This time something terrible happened because of the choice of one person.  Sometimes we have no idea why bad things happen.  Sometimes only God knows.  All we can do is put our faith in God

Moving forward, Paul continues to call the Philippians to rejoice.  He calls them to “have no anxiety.”  Anxiety can separate us from God.  Anxiety can be very real.

The Israelites probably had anxiety over the fall of Israel.  The Philippians probably had anxiety over Paul’s arrest and the persecution of Christians around them.

What causes you anxiety?

Is it worries about having a good job or even a job all?

Is there a family illness causing anxiety?

Repairs on the car or home?

There is no doubt that there are things that go on in our lives that cause us anxiety.  What effect does the anxiety have on us?  What can be do about it?      These are real problems that need to be dealt with.  We need to think about solutions to problems we have control over.  We need to realize what is ours to fix, what we cannot fix, and where in the midst of our anxieties do we need God’s help.  Then we turn it over to God.

We need to trust in God.  For some, trusting in God means believing that he is going to make everything the way we think it should be.      That’s not trust in God if what we seek is his way.  Trusting in God means recognizing he is the one who knows what is best.  Remember what we say in the Lord’s Prayer, thy will be done?

For me, trusting in God also means realizing that everything isn’t the way God wants to be.  Why?  Because God gives us and everyone else free will.  When bad things happen, it isn’t God who causes them.  Bad things are often the results of our own decisions or the decisions of others.

Trusting in God does include us asking God to take away our problems but if that is not his will, then to trust that God will lead us through our sufferings.  Remember Jesus praying in the garden, Father if this cup could pass from me but not my will but yours be done.”

It’s hard to hand it all over to God.      The crowds ask John the Baptist, “what must we do?”  He tells them to share what they have been given.

The tax collectors ask John “What should we do?”  He tells them to stop extorting money from the people as they collect the taxes, meaning their faith must be part of their work.

The soldiers ask the same question and John tells them to stop abusing their position for their own gain.      John the Baptist made the coming of the Messiah his whole life.  If we want God to help us, we can’t just hand over part of our lives.  We have to hand over our whole lives to let Jesus truly come into our lives.

Only when we trust in God in all things can we know his peace.  What are you holding back on?