The Epiphany of the Lord – Homily

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The Epiphany of the Lord
Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 (11)
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12
January 2, 2022

Today we celebrate The Epiphany of the Lord.

We know the story of the magi, traditionally referred to as the three kings.  They came to give homage to Jesus.  Why do we call this “The Epiphany of the Lord?” 

There are, in fact, numerous stories of “epiphanies” in the Old Testament.  To understand this, we must understand what the word “epiphany” means.

The word “epiphany” means “manifestation.”  The Lord chooses at times to make his presence known.  One might think here of the story in Exodus 3 of the Burning Bush when God made his presence known to Moses.  There is the story in 1 Kings 19 of when God made his presence known to Elijah in the tiny whispering sound.

Why did God choose to manifest himself in these epiphanies?

With Moses, God knew of Moses’ upbringing, how he had been separated from his people at birth, and how he fled Egypt.  God also knew what He was about to ask of Moses.  He knew Moses needed assurance of who He is.

For Elijah, God knew Elijah was fleeing in fear from Jezebel who wanted to kill him.  The fear led to darkness.  God came to Elijah to shine his light upon him.

Knowing the presence of God, Moses and Elijah would become radiant and their hearts throbbed.  They were strengthened to fulfill God’s will for them.

So, there are numerous epiphanies in the Bible.  In each of them, God chooses to reveal himself.

In the story of the magi, God reveals to us that the Gentiles are to be “coheirs” in what the Lord offers us.

If there are numerous epiphanies, why do we call this one “The Epiphany of the Lord?”

In the story of the burning bush God revealed himself in the burning bush but it was not him in human form.  In the whispering sound God came to Elijah but, again, it was not God in human form.

In our Christmas story, God does not simply make his presence felt.  In baby Jesus, God actually becomes one of us.

This has been God’s plan all along.  Through Isaiah God had spoken of those who would come bearing gifts of gold and frankincense.  In Psalm 72 we hear of the kings who will come offering gifts and paying homage to the Lord.

The magi come from the east to see “the newborn king of the Jews.”  The magi are not Jews.  They are Gentiles but they realize the sacredness of Jesus’ birth and come to “do him homage.”

Yet, King Herod, who was from Jewish heritage, did not rejoice at news of the birth of a new king for the Jews.  In fact, Herod was greatly troubled by the news.  Why?  Because he saw Jesus as a threat to his power.

Herod was not alone in being “greatly troubled.”  All of Jerusalem was troubled with him.  Perhaps they realized they were not living as they should.  If the Messiah has come, then they were going to have to change their ways.

Discussions happened.  The chief priests and scribes said the new king was to be born in Bethlehem.  Herod shared this with the magi.  Then he “ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.”  He claimed he wanted to pay homage to Jesus.  What he really wanted to do was kill Jesus.

The magi continued on their way, led to Jesus by the star.  Finding Jesus, “They prostrated themselves and did him homage.”  They recognized the greatness of Jesus.  Do we?  Our genuflections and bows are to recognize God present to us.

The magi brought gifts to Jesus that point to who Jesus is and what He will do for us. 

The gold signifies the kingship of Jesus.

The frankincense symbolizes the divinity of Jesus.

The myrrh, as oil used to anoint at death, prefigures the death of Jesus that brings us salvation.

God has given his Son for us.  Jesus gives his life for us.  Here lies the true gift of Christmas.

What gift do you bring to Jesus?

What do you get for the person who has everything?

We give him our love.  We give him our very selves.  We let God transform us, we become “radiant” at what we see and our hearts throb with love for God.  We shine with the light of Jesus.  From this what God spoke through Isaiah is fulfilled, “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.”

Let what you see in Jesus shine through you to the world.

A New Beginning

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In a few days this year of 2021 will come to a close. Like 2020, 2021 has been a challenging year because of the Coronavirus pandemic. In July, it seemed things had turned for the better. The number of new cases was way down but then came the Delta variant and now the Omicron variant. We pray for an end to the pandemic.

On January 1st we will begin the new year 2022. Each year many see the start of a new year as an opportunity to start over. Our lives do not always go as they should. Sometimes we may bad choices. Other times we slip away from what we know is good without even realizing it. Either way, we welcome the opportunity to begin anew. When we sin, God gives a chance to start over in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When we come to him with a repentant and contrite heart, God forgives our sins, giving us the opportunity to start over.

With the beginning of a new year, many people will make new year’s resolutions. Will you? What do you want to change? Why do you want to change it?

Some people will make a resolution to lose weight and/or exercise more. These are good things to do but can we look a little deeper at why. For instance, we may want to lose weight to look good physically. However, another way to look at it is that if we are overweight because we eat too much, then eating less leaves more food for those who don’t have enough to eat. Likewise, exercising is good to take good care of our bodies to help us live long and healthy lives as disciples of Christ.

In thinking about new year’s resolutions we can ask ourselves if we are looking for a short-term or a long-term gain. For example, it is good to lose weight now (short-term) if we are overweight. It is better in the long-term to develop good habits to keep the weight off.

If you are thinking about making a new year’s resolution, have you taking it to prayer to ask God what He might what you to do? When you make a resolution, are you planning to do it on your own or will you ask God to help you? God wants to help. God knows our lives can be challenging. God gives us help in the Eucharist, food to strengthen our souls.

What resolution might we make in our efforts to follow Christ? Men might think of St. Joseph as an example of what it means to be a good spouse and father (See my article “Praying the Litany of St. Joseph”). Women may look to Mary as our mother for guidance.

You might consider a resolution to work on your prayer life. Here, it might come in steps. If you seldom pray on your own, you don’t need to instantly start praying an hour everyday. You might start with five to ten minutes and after a few weeks increase it some. Working on your prayer life doesn’t have to be just a matter of how long you pray. Perhaps God wants to lead you to deeper prayer (see my recent series of presentations on prayer, Giving Our Hearts to God: What It Means to Pray.

Maybe God is calling you to read the Bible more. Maybe you could do some other spiritual reading from someone like Scott Hahn. Maybe you could use a website like www.saintoftheday.org to learn more about the saints.

What can you do to give your hearts more fully to God?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Feast of the Holy Family

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With Christmas falling on Saturday this year, after spending my time this week preparing a Christmas homily, I am grateful that one of our deacons preached today (Sunday) as we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. In sharing the preaching responsibility, we were both able to focus on one homily.

That being said, I still spent some time this week looking at the readings for this feast of the Holy Family. While I did not spend a lot of time reflecting on these readings, I would like to offer a few highlights. To do so, I will first mention that there are two choices for the first reading as well as two for the second reading. While you won’t hear all these readings at Mass, I will include something from each here.

The first option for the first reading is 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28. In the verses leading up to this reading, we hear how Hannah has been waiting a long time to have a child. She prayed fervently to God to be blessed with a child. Family was a central unit of society and having children was important. Today many look at children very differently. Instead of placing high importance on having children, people make choices to abort children. We pray for a renewed value placed on the life of each child in the womb.

God heard Hannah’s prayers and blessed her with a son whom she named Samuel, which means “God heard.” Having waited so long to have a child, one might suppose Hannah would desperately cling to her son. She does not. In fact, once Samuel was weaned she took him to the temple to “offer him as a perpetual nazirite” to dedicate him in service to the Lord. She saw her son Samuel as a gift from God and she gave him back to God.

The second option for the first reading is Sirach 3;2-6, 12-14. Sirach tells us how God has called the family to be. It is not the children who are to be in charge. “God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.” Children need parents who will help them grow up to be good people. God sets the parents over the children. When we become adults, we are no longer under the immediate of our parents but God’s call for us to honor our parents does not end when we become adults. The Fourth Commandment calls us to honor our mother and father. Here, Sirach reminds us that a son is to take care of his father when he is old including “even if his mind fail, be considerate of him.” We must see to the care of elderly parents. In doing so, we honor them and we honor how God has set the family to be.

Family is about being there for one another. The first option for the second reading is 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24. It begins by speaking of “what love the Father has bestowed on us” in making us his children. God makes us part of his family. However, it is our choice whether or not to remain in God’s family. Here John writes, “Those who keep his commandments remain in him and he in them.” Remember, God gives us commandments for our good. A parent should give their children rules that are good for them.

The second option for the second reading comes from Colossians 3:12-21. Being part of a family is not easy. It can be hard for us to get along. It is good for us to work at this. It can help us develop good interpersonal skills that can help us interact with people outside our own families. It is in family life that we can learn “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” It is in family life that we can learn that we are not the center of the world. We must consider the needs of others. I know family relationships are not perfect. That’s why Paul includes in the list I just provided “bearing with one another and forgiving one another.” Family members can do things that hurt others in their family. We need to learn how to bear this and we need to learn how to forgive.

This option for the second reading actually has a short version (Colossians 3:12-17). It leaves out verses 18-21. These last four verses are seen as outdated by some. Why? It is because of verse 18, “Wives, be subordinate to your husbands.” It is the world “subordinate” that is not popular today. However, it is very important to not take this verse by itself. Husbands are not to take advantage of their wives being subordinate. In fact, the next verse says, “Husbands, love your wives.” If a husband truly loves his wife, he will not give her orders and expect her to obey them without question. What God intends is for the husband to love his wife. A husband must be concerned with his wife’s needs.

Likewise, these verses say, “Children, obey your parents.” However, parents should not see their children as slaves to do their bidding. It continues, “Fathers, do not provoke your children.” Children are not given to parents as laborers. Parents are given children to be responsible for their upbringing, to raise them to know the Lord.

The family is to be the first place a child learns about the Lord (see my recent article, “Helping Our Children be Disciples”). In the gospel reading for the feast of the Holy Family (Luke 2:41-52), we see Joseph and Mary as examples of good Jewish parents. As a family they followed all the Jewish customs like going to Jerusalem for the Passover. In this passage, at the age of twelve, is already astounding others with “his understanding and his answers.” However, as He leaves Jerusalem at the end of the passage with Mary and Joseph, we are told that He “was obedient to them.” Jesus listened to his parents.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Christmas Homily 2021

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Christmas – Mass During the Night
Isaiah 9:1-6
Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13 (Luke 2:11)
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-14
December 25, 2021

Why are we here?

The answer is no secret.  If you have been in stores recently, it is obvious that it is Christmas.  The stores welcome the shoppers looking for gifts.

We come here to church on Christmas because Christmas is about more than shopping.  In our Catholic faith, Christmas is the second most important day of the year.  Yes, I said second.  The Easter Triduum with the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus is number one.

Christmas is the day when the time for Mary to give birth to Jesus came.  Mary and Joseph had gone to Bethlehem for the census.  Prophecies had long foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  Prophecies like Isaiah who writes, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us, upon his shoulder dominion rests.” 

In receiving “dominion” Jesus is to be our king.  Yet look at our nativity scene.  He was wrapped in “swaddling clothes” and laid in a manger.  Hardly what one would expect for an earthly king.

Jesus is indeed our king, but He is not king of an earthly kingdom.  “His dominion is vast and forever peaceful.”  Jesus is king of Heaven.  His kingdom is not an earthly kingdom that will end.  Jesus’ kingdom will last forever.

At times in this world we walk in darkness but Jesus comes to be a “great light.”  In time of “gloom”, Jesus shines as a light for us.  With what Jesus offers we can have “abundant joy and great rejoicing.” 

Yes, in Jesus, “the grace of God has appeared.”  Why did Jesus come? 

He came to train “us to reject godless ways and worldly desires.”  He helps us understand what God teaches so that we may live in accord with our Father’s will.

Jesus came to give himself to deliver us from our sins.  Through his Crucifixion Jesus smashes the yoke that burdens us.

Thus, Jesus brings us “abundant joy and great rejoicing.”

Thus, Christmas is a time of hope.

Our decorations speak of what Jesus offers us.  The nativity scene depicts the humble birth of Jesus.  Jesus is laying in a manger.  A manger is a food trough for animals.  Jesus feeds us with the Bread of Life.

For Christmas trees we use evergreen trees to remind us of the everlasting life God offers.  The Christmas tree points up to Heaven, reminding us to center our lives on God.

The lights on the trees and the burning of candles reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world. 

Going back to our nativity scene, who are the first to receive the “good news of great joy?” 

It is a band of shepherds.  Why is it important to know they were shepherds?  Shepherds were considered to be of lowly status.  Their being the first to receive the “good news of great joy” shows us that the news is meant for everyone.

What was the “good news of great joy” that the angel brought to the shepherds?

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

This is indeed good news.  Actually, it is great news.  The long-awaited prophecies of a Messiah are fulfilled.  God fulfills his promises.  We can count on him.

Yes, what we celebrate at Christmas is a wonderful gift to us.  Jesus has become one like us in all things but sin.  Jesus does this because He loves us.

From what Jesus offers us, we can find peace in times of darkness and gloom.

With grateful hearts, we give “Glory to God in the highest” for “a savior has been born for us who is Christ and Lord.”

There is Hope

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In today’s first reading for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year C, Micah offers the Israelites hope during a difficult time. It is written following the fall on the northern kingdom. The Israelites are worried what is going to happen next.

What Micah offers is not a new prophecy. It is the prophecy of a Messiah to come, “one who is to be a ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old.” The Lord first promised a new Messiah would come in the time of King David. The Messiah would be from the line of David. The Messiah would come from Bethlehem.

The time for the Messiah had not come but the Lord reminds his people of his promise. This is to give them hope knowing that He will gather them together again and that He will be their shepherd.

The time for the fulfillment of this promise is almost here. Mary is pregnant but has not yet given birth. It is during this time that Mary goes to see Elizabeth. She goes to share the good news of both of their pregnancies.

As soon as “Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb.” John the Baptist was still in his mother’s womb so he could not see Mary or Jesus with human eyes but with eyes of faith, John could sense the presence of Jesus in Mary’s womb.

Elizabeth too, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” recognized Jesus’ presence in Mary and called out, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Without any words from Mary, Elizabeth knew Mary had become the mother of our Lord. She was filled with great joy.

Elizabeth and John both recognized the presence of the Lord Jesus even though they could not see him. Do we recognize the Lord’s presence in our lives? Last Sunday’s readings reminded us that the Lord is in our midst, that He is near.

We live in difficult times but we do not face them alone. Sometimes we fail in the battle against sin. The Lord has a remedy for that. We cannot save ourselves. We don’t have to. Jesus is the one who saves us. Jesus comes as our shepherd to take care of us, to protect us who God created.

Jesus does this by offering a sacrifice. The sacrifices of the Old Testament were those of a lamb without blemish. These sacrifices were prescribed through Moses but it was not the physical sacrifice that God was interested in. The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus said, “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.“

So, why did Jesus sacrifice his life for us then? Jesus is the truly the lamb without blemish. He is without sin and so his sacrifice is perfect. Yet, we need to understand what his sacrifice is. Twice in today’s reading from Hebrews Jesus says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” Jesus surrenders himself to the Father’s Will. Jesus willing laid down his life for us as a sacrifice in accord with our Father’s Will.

We live in difficult times. Christmas brings us hope. At Christmas we can see the Lord coming into our world in physical terms. In faith, we know that the Lord is always with us. May we surrender our will to the Father’s, crying out, “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.“

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

God’s Gift of Mercy

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I just finished reading Understanding Divine Mercy by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC (Stockbridge:MA. Marian Press. 2021). He writes as a member of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception from the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA.

Fr. Alar writes not just to teach about devotion to the Divine Mercy, such as praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet. He writes to tell us about the message of Divine Mercy. Jesus comes to deliver God’s mercy. Mercy is more than being forgiving for our sins. It is more than us forgiving others. Mercy is at the core of who we are as Christians.

Fr. Alar answers the question, “What is the remedy for our suffering?” by stating, “The answer is found in Divine Mercy, which is essentially defined as God loving the unlovable and forgiving the unforgiveable. By our sins we have made ourselves both technically unlovable and unforgivable, and as a result, we suffer terribly” (9).

Regular readers of my blog know that when I read a book, I sometimes write from one to four articles on it. I’m not going to do that here. Instead, I am going to offer a few highlights here and invite you to read the book for yourself if you feel so led by the Spirit.

He writes several pages to help us understand the message of Divine Mercy through Fr. George Kosicki’s acronym, A-B-C. A is to “Ask for God’s mercy”. B is “Be Merciful to each other” and C is to “Completely trust in God’s mercy” (26-33) Of course, we know we need to ask for God’s mercy but do we completely trust in his mercy?

Fr. Alar then introduces another acronym to help understand devotion to Divine Mercy, F-I-N-C-H (41), which he spends a couple of chapters explaining.

“F = The Feast of Divine Mercy
I = The Image of Divine Mercy
N = The Novena of Divine Mercy
C = The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
H = The Hour of Divine Mercy” (41)

We celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy on the Second Sunday of Easter, the eighth day of our celebration of Easter. Fr. Alar explains how while the number seven signifies completion in the natural realm, the number eight “is the number of completion in the supernatural realm” (73).

Fr. Alar also helps us understand plenary indulgences not as a business transaction to alleviate punishment from sin but as part of mercy (80-84). He provides explanation for what we see in the image of the Divine Mercy

as well as helping us how to pray in our hearts the Novena and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. To end the acronym, FINCH, “H” is the Hour of Divine Mercy. We celebrate this hour at 3 pm, the time at which Jesus gave his life for us on the Cross.

Then, Fr. Alar writes extensively on suffering (134ff) to help us understand the place of our suffering in God’s Mercy. He speaks of the sufferings of Christ and says, “When we unite our sufferings with His on the Cross, we become partners with him in His work of salvation” (136). Citing St. Faustina’s Diary (303), he writes “When we suffer much we have a great chance to show God that we love him” (Fr. Alar, 147).

This is just some highlights of what Fr. Chris Alar offers in his new book, Understanding Divine Mercy. If you haven’t read about the Divine Mercy message and devotion, I invite you to read this book.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Spreading the Gospel

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I recently posted an article, “Helping Our Children be Disciples,” inspired by my recent reading of An Evangelizing Catechesis: Teaching from Your Encounter with Christ by James C. Pauley (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. 2020). 

Today I would like to reflect on another section from Pauley’s book. Before I do, I should note that his book is offering methods for catechesis that are evangelizing. By this, we mean that catechesis should not be simply a matter of knowledge. It should be transformative. It should lead us to a deeper relationship with God.

That being said, I want to go in another direction from the five-step method Pauley presents from Monsignor Francis Kelly’s book, The Mystery We Proclaim. I want to use what Pauley discusses about Kelly’s method to show how we can all contribute to the work of spreading the gospel. When people hear a call to evangelization, they sometimes respond saying they don’t know enough. They might agree that better evangelization is needed but that it is something for the Church to do, not them. They are right that it is for the Church to evangelize. What they don’t understand is that they are part of the Church.

So, let’s look at Monsignor Kelly’s five-step method as presented by Pauley (109ff). He describes the 5 steps as:

“The first step (preparation) helps participants into a position of openness and receptivity to what will be proclaimed” (109).

The second step is “a proclamation of the essential foundational truth for the lesson as the Good News that it is” (109).

Then, in the third step, “What is proclaimed is then unpacked and thoughtfully explored (explanation)”, leading to the fourth step where it is “applied to culture and proposed in the context of personal discipleship (application)”, leading to the fifth step, “with the possibility that joy and gratitude are aroused and deepened (celebration)” (109).

That says a lot. Pauley spends the next 90 pages of the book unpacking this methodology.

While I will have something to say about the other steps, it is the first step (preparation) where I think everyone can contribute to the work of evangelization. It starts with helping people open themselves to what God offers. As Pauley writes, “Any good gardener knows that the growth process does not begin with the planting of the seed. Rather, the gardener must first attend to the soil into which the seed will be planted” (111). If the soil is too hard, it will not let the seed sprout.

The Church has much to offer but the recipient must be open. If they trust you, they are more likely to initially listen to you than the Church. If they see some joy and hope in you, they may want to see where you get it from. Thus, they begin to loosen their harden hearts. They might not be interested in what our faith offers. We need to help them become interested (Pauley, 112). Pauley offers some tips for catechists (116-117) on how to make the classroom an environmental where the students want to learn. The world is the everyday classroom of life.

We need to be good examples (witnesses) of our faith. We need to show the same characteristics to the world that Pauley calls for catechists to offer to their students when he writes, “When our students see our smile, feel our respect, sense our joy and good humor, and know our authenticity, they are better disposed to hear us and open themselves to what we’re trying to teach them” (118). Remember, in the classroom of the world, you don’t have to teach the whole lesson. You just need to get them interested. For those who are familiar with Sherry Weddell’s book, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus, (Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Huntington, IN.  2012.  See pages 129-130), this parallels her first threshold, “Initial Trust.”

Weddell’s second threshold is “Spiritual Curiosity.” We could sit around and hope people we encounter in the world become curious on their own or we can choose to stir up curiosity in them by living our faith for them to see. Or, as Pauley writes, “Perhaps we can write a compelling question” (123) that they would like the answer to. From here, we offer Monsignor Kelly’s second step, proclamation.

From there, we can move to the third step of explanation. In the classroom of the world, you might not feel capable of offering the full explanation. As you see others reach Weddell’s third threshold, “spiritual openness,” ask the Lord what He wants you to do. “It is important to keep before us the divine origin of the content of catechesis” (Pauley, 153). The Lord may tell you to bring the person to the parish for more instruction. Or the Lord may lead you to learn more yourself so that you may provide the explanation (Ask questions!).

Hopefully, the person you have helped bring to God will move from Weddell’s third threshold of “spiritual openness” to the fourth of “spiritual seeking” and maybe even to the fifth threshold of “intentional discipleship” (Weddell, 129-130). Just remember, you don’t have do it all on your own. Point them to Jesus and Jesus will bring them home.

This brings us to Kelly’s fourth step as presented by Pauley, application. Here we read, “Monsignor Kelly explains: “Our mission is to bring the faith to today’s real world. This means being sensitive to the modern world’s concerns and also seeking to understand critically its thought patterns and language. It must be, however, our humble conviction that we have the values and truth that this modern world is actually seeking” (172). What we need to do is show them why our faith is relevant today. Your faith means something to you. Share what that is with others.

Lastly, remember you don’t have to do it by yourself. The most important thing you must do is “to cooperate with the movement of grace” (174).

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Helping Our Children be Disciples

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Those who are regular readers of my blog know that evangelization, the sharing of our faith, is very important to me. The articles I write here, on my website, and the presentations (also available on my website) are all geared to the ongoing evangelization of adults (teens are welcome to join in).

What about children? Their growth in faith is also important to me. In each parish where I am served as the pastor or administrator, there has been a staff member who is in charge of the faith formation programs for children and youth. However, I try never to leave them on their own. I try to support them and support them in teaching the true faith.

Today I would like to reflect on the role of somebody outside the parish staff in the formation of our children, the parents.

Parents have an important role to play in the religious upbringing of their children. I think sometimes parents think their part is to bring their children to Sunday school so that the parish can do the work of educating their children. The parish has a key role to play here but so do the parents.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child’s earliest years” (2226). For example, the parents can read children’s Bible stories to their children in their earliest years. Parents help raise their children in the faith by praying grace together before meals. Parents help form their children in the faith by living the faith.

My writing of this article is prompted by my recent reading of An Evangelizing Catechesis: Teaching from Your Encounter with Christ by James C. Pauley (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. 2020). Pauley writes, “There is no relationship more instrumental in the Catholic life than the one between parent and child” (27). He reminds us that “parenthood is a vocation” (30). He cites studies that show that for practicing Catholic adults, faith was regularly talked about in their homes growing up (31). If parents want their children to be faithful, they need to set the example.

Parents often feel they do not know enough about their faith to do this. I offer two comments here. First, you don’t have to do it alone. The parish is here to help. Helping our children learn and live their faith needs to be a partnership between the parish and the family. The parish can provide the knowledge and begin to show ways to live it out. The parents make it part of the family’s daily life.

The second comment regards the parents not knowing enough. Pauley writes, “I have often heard that a teacher must also be a learner” (33). In fact, sometimes we do our best learning in teaching. Parents can learn from teaching their children. Pauley further writes, “Every time we teach, we are afforded opportunities to grow as disciples, to be transfigured in how we ourselves think and live” (34). This is true for parents. It is true for the catechists who teach. It is even true for me as I offer all that I say and write.

The formation of our children needs to be a partnership because it is not just a matter of teaching knowledge of doctrine. “Clear and unambiguous” teaching is essential but we need more. Pauley reminds of what Pope Francis offered in The Joy of the Gospel concerning the first proclamation that “Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you” (Pauley, 89, interior quote from Evangelli Gaudium, 164).

Pauley writes, “What is being described by Pope Francis is a catechesis that evangelizes” (90, see also 93-95). To catechize is to teach. Our catechesis is most effective when it truly evangelizes, shaping not just what we know but who we are.

For instance, we can offer instructions on what to do at Mass but to open up the treasure that is offered us in the Mass we need to help people understand why we do what we do at Mass (see my video series, Uncovering the Treasures of the Mass).

I hope this helps both parents and catechists think about what it means to teach our children. It involves knowledge like learning the Ten Commandments. However, it is not enough to recite the Ten Commandments. We need to live them. When we fall short, ask the Lord for help and forgiveness. As Pauley writes, “The catechist, then, strives to cooperate with the movement of grace” (174), something we all need to do, cooperate with God.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Gaudete Sunday – A Time to Rejoice

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Today (December 12, 2021) we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, Year C. The normal liturgical color for Advent is violet (we often say purple). We use the color violent as a sign of penance, especially in Lent. Thinking of penance means thinking of our sins. That may depress us. Awareness of our sins should lead us to repentance and conversion. However, we do so with hope, not despair.

The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday. The word “gaudete” means “rejoice.” The color of the day is rose, a color of warmth and joy. Our readings today speak of rejoicing. The first reading comes from the Book of the prophet Zephaniah. He was a prophet in the 7th century BC when the Israelites were under threat from their enemy the Assyrians. Yet, they are called to “shout for joy…Be glad and exult.”

Why are they under threat from their enemies? Because they had not followed the Lord’s ways. The Lord has left them to face their enemies themselves. However, the LORD has removed his judgment from them and turned away their enemies. Thus, they have reason to rejoice!

There is reason for hope! Twice, the first reading tells us that the Lord is in their midst. They might have felt abandoned but they are reminded that the Lord is right there in their midst. Our responsorial today comes from the Book of the prophet Isaiah where we hear, “Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” The Lord is always in the midst of his people.

Paul tells the Philippians that “the Lord is near.” Yes, we can “Rejoice in the Lord always” for He is always near to us.

Sometimes it is hard to be aware of the Lord’s presence. We feel alone. At Christmas we celebrate the time of Jesus’ first coming. We rejoice with hope at the image of Jesus in the manger. We rejoice knowing that we have a God who knows what it is like to be human. We rejoice hearing the Truth that Jesus brings us. We rejoice knowing that Jesus came to give his life for us on the Cross so that our sins can be forgiven. Knowing this, we can look forward to the Second Coming with hope rather than fear.

Yes, we need to change from our sinful ways. John the Baptist told the crowds to share (love thy neighbor), the tax collectors to stop overcharging, and the soldiers to stop extorting. He told them to change. He did not tell them they were condemned. Jesus brings forgiveness and mercy.

We might feel stuck in bad times. The pandemic may have us down along with other bad things in the world. We might feel isolated in this time between the first coming of Jesus and his Second Coming in the future. However, we are not alone. “The Lord is near.” “The Lord, your God, is in your midst.“

We do not have to wait for the Second Coming for the Lord to be with us. The Lord is with us every day. It is what early Church writers called the “third coming.” The Lord wants to come into our hearts everyday. Rejoice!

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 (1)
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
Luke 1:26-38
December 8, 2021

Our readings today begin in the Garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve were there in paradise until the cunning serpent came and tricked them into eating the forbidden fruit.

After that, Adam became afraid when he heard God in the garden.  Adam feared because he knew he was naked for he had sinned. 

Adam was not alone in his sin.  He had eaten the forbidden fruit at Eve’s prompting.  Eve in turn had eaten the forbidden fruit because the serpent had tricked her.

The devil is cunning.  He knows how to twist words to make us think something is okay when it isn’t. 

We call the eating of the forbidden fruit “original sin.”  We all have this within us.  It is removed in Baptism.  As humans, we commit sin.  What are we supposed to do?  How can we overcome sin by ourselves?

We can’t.

We don’t have to.

Don’t get me wrong.  We must make every effort to avoid sin. 

Yet it is difficult.  We have all sinned.  What are we to do?

We turn to God.  In Adam, in Original Sin, all die.  God has the remedy.  God sends Jesus, who is “without blemish” to save us.  “For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

Yes, Jesus is without blemish.  Jesus is like us in all things but sin.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.  Our gospel today tells us of the time of Jesus’ Conception.  Given that Jesus has no sin and that the gospel mentions his conception, it might be easy to think it is his conception that this solemnity is about.

It is not.

It is not Jesus’ conception that we celebrate today.  We celebrate Jesus’ birth at Christmas on December 25th.  We celebrate his conception nine months before that on March 25th on the Feast of the Annunciation. 

So, whose conception do we celebrate today?

Whose birth do we celebrate nine months after today on September 8th?  Mary. 

In order to be worthy to carry Jesus, who is without sin, in her womb, Mary had to be without sin herself. 

The Bible tells us that Mary is without sin.  Where?  When the angel Gabriel greets Mary with the words, “Hail, full of grace!  The Lord is with you.”  To be “full of grace” is to be without sin.

The Original Sin came with Adam and Eve.  Jesus becomes the New Adam as the one without sin.  Mary becomes the new Eve.  Just as Eve became “the mother of all the living,” Mary becomes our mother.

We sin because we have free will.  God does not force us to do what He knows is good for us.  God did not force Mary to be the mother of Jesus.  It was her choice.  What was her response?  “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”  This is known as Mary’s fiat.  It is her yes.  We thank Mary for her yes for from it Jesus came into the world to save us.

God knew Mary would say yes.  God also knew she would need to be without sin.  Thus, God saw fit that when Mary was conceived in her own mother’s womb, she was conceived without sin. 

This is the Immaculate Conception that we celebrate today.  We call God’s grace in this “prevenient,” meaning that God, who knew Mary would say yes, gave her the grace before she said yes to be conceived without sin.

Mary is without sin.  We have sin.  Yet, we can be saved. 

We have sin.  God knows this.  God loves us anyway.  “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Remember, even though you are a sinner, God loves you.