St. Nicholas and the True Spirit of Christmas

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Today, December 6th, is the Optional Memorial of St. Nicholas. We don’t know much about him. During our present season of Advent, the memorial of saints aren’t given as much attention. However, this year I feel inspired to use what we do know about St. Nicholas as I offer this homily.

So, what do we know about St. Nicholas? He was a bishop in the fourth century in Myra in Lycia, part of Asia Minor (in modern day Turkey). We hear stories of his generosity. He came from a family of means and used that to help others. One story tells us that he anonymously provided money for the dowries for three daughters of a poor man so that they would not be forced into prostitution (see https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-nicholas).

From the stories of St. Nicholas’ generosity, in some places the tradition of giving gifts on this day developed. From translations and mispronunciation of his name, the stories developed into the modern notion of Santa Claus.

I wonder what St. Nicholas would think of the way we celebrate Christmas today?

Certainly, he would want us to celebrate Christmas as the birth of our savior, but what would he think of the stores beginning Christmas displays as early as October? I think he would probably not approve of the commercialization of Christmas.

However, that does not mean he would reject Christmas gift giving in general. I think St. Nicholas would be pleased seeing our Giving Tree. He would be pleased with the generosity shown in the Box of Joy drive we do. St. Nicholas would be pleased with the generosity to those in need. He would just want us to keep the focus in the right place. Christmas involves material giving but it is not about the material. Christmas is about Jesus. Here I will mention a song that inspires me with the true spirit of Christmas. It is “Where’s the Line to See Jesus?” You can see the official video by Becky Kelley at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OExXItDyWEY.

For some people Christmas is about receiving gifts. There is nothing wrong with receiving gifts. We can enjoy watching children receive their gifts with the joy. However, the true spirit of Christmas lies not in receiving but in giving. Think of Jesus’ giving spirit as you look at Jesus on the Cross. He gave his life because He loves you (see John 15:13).

Advent is a season to reflect on the coming of Jesus. His first coming happened at the first Christmas. His Second Coming will be at the end of the ages. However, we do not have to wait until the Second Coming to have Jesus in our lives. Jesus wants to come into our lives now. This is sometimes called the Third Coming. Jesus comes into our hearts with a generous and giving love. We are called to respond by our generosity to others.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

2nd Sunday of Advent, Year C – Homily

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2nd Sunday of Advent, Year C
Baruch 5:1-9
Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (3)
Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11
Luke 3:1-6
December 5, 2021

At the time of the event in today’s gospel, Jesus has already been born.  Soon He will begin his public ministry.  However, before He does, John the Baptist is sent to “prepare the way of the Lord.”

This is a pivotal moment in history.  So, this gospel passage sets the stage.  While the year of our calendar today is set by the year of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, in those days history was dated by the ruler’s reign.

This is why the passage begins, “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar…”  We are told Pontius Pilate and Herod, who will play important roles later, are the governor and tetrarch.  This is not simply boring history.  It provides the time for these events. 

Since the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus to follow is important to the life of God’s people, we are also told these events happened “during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,” dating them according to the religious leaders of the time.

We are also told where John the Baptist ministered.  It was at the Jordan River.  This is important because the Jordan River is where the Israelites entered the Promised Land at the end of the Exodus.

John the Baptism was “a voice of one crying out in desert.”  We hear many different voices today.  Which voice do we choose to listen to?  In his encyclical Fratelli Tutti (45), Pope Francis speaks of how with so many sources of information out there today, we look for the one that agrees with us.

Do you look for the voice “to follow” that agrees with you so you can do what you want?  Or do you look for the voice that leads you to God?

John the Baptist was a voice for God.  He told people, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low.”

God was about to change everything.  Jesus was about to begin his public ministry of preaching and healing leading to his Crucifixion and Resurrection.  John called people to get ready.

Are you ready for the Second Coming of Jesus?

Are you ready for God to change you?

Things in the world are not good.  There’s the pandemic.  There is terrorism.  There is immorality.  This week there was another school shooting. 

The bad news in the world today can leave us in “mourning and misery.” 

There are people who fear the Second Coming.  I don’t fear the Second Coming.  I fear what is going on in the world.  In the Second Coming God is going to remove our robes “of mourning and misery” and put on us “the splendor of glory from God forever.”

Now, we may not be ready for the Second Coming.  Do not fear.  “You will be named by God forever.”  God loves you.  God is ready to forgive.  You just have to ask.  This is what he gives us the Sacrament of Reconciliation for.

The world had changed.  Our society was based on Christian values.  We have by led away from God by the enemy to sin.  Do not fear for God will bring his people back to him.  God will make things straight, making low the mountains and filling in the depths and gorges.

God did a great thing for us in sending Jesus his Son to die for us.  Knowing God’s love, knowing Jesus’ love fills us with joy.  It is our hope.

Just as God brought back the captives from the Babylonian Exile, God sets us free from our sins.  God has a plan.  Are we listening to his voice?

Here, I want to echo Paul’s words to the Philippians.  Please know that, as Paul prayed for the Philippians, “I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you.”  I don’t know all your individual needs.  What I do know is that we all need God.  I pray that God helps you in all your needs.

I also echo Paul’s words of “your partnership for the gospel.”  As a priest, I have a very particular role in sharing the gospel.  Our deacons have their role.  Our staff have their role.  So do you! 

God works through each one of us.  As Paul says, “I am confident of this that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it.”

I pray “that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”

Are you ready to let God change you?  Are you ready to let God work through you?

The Third and Final Webinar in My Series on Prayer

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Last night I offered the third and final webinar in my series, Giving Our Hearts to God: What It Means to Pray.

You can view the recording of this webinar and see the slides at www.renewaloffaith.org/prayer2021partIII. The recording is 1 hour 12 minutes.

For the next few days, you can complete an online evaluation at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7Uoabj1AkyKO60RqP58kth1i6TVFe4uT9iEsErc9oIiPhEg/viewform?usp=sf_link.

I do not have specific plans yet for what I will do next. At the end of the webinar I do discuss some possible ideas. Your ideas and comments are welcome.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Communion Debate

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There is confusion over the question of who can receive Communion in the Catholic Church. The question comes up in the news because of prominent politicians who are Catholic but support abortion. Unfortunately, this leads to the politicization of the question of who can receive Communion. This is a question that concerns not just politicians but all of us.

President Biden recently met with Pope Francis. Following that meeting Biden said that the Pope said that he was a good Catholic and he could continue receiving Communion. Biden also said that they did not talk about abortion. This was distressing news to Catholics who hold to the Pro-Life teaching of the Catholic Church and understand Catholic teaching on who can receive Communion. I had a couple of people ask this question (hence, this article).

First, I need to clarify that we do not know what the Pope said in his meeting with President Biden. The Vatican said they would not comment on what was said because it was a personal matter. So, we only know what Biden says the Pope said.

That being said, it can seem a challenge to understand where the Pope does stand on some issues. We can see Pope Francis’ prolife view in Fratelli Tutti, where he writes, “Some parts of our human family, it appears, can be readily sacrificed for the sake of others considered worthy of a carefree existence. Ultimately, “persons are no longer seen as a paramount value to be cared for and respected, especially when they are poor and disabled, ‘not yet useful’ – like the unborn, or ‘no longer needed’ – like the elderly. We have grown indifferent to all kinds of wastefulness, starting with the waste of food, which is deplorable in the extreme” (18). Life in the womb is not disposable. It is precious.

There is also concern by Catholics in the United States who treasure the Pro-Life teaching of our Catholic Church and who can receive Communion about what the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and individual bishops in the United States have said about politicians who support abortion receiving Communion. The people who were looking for a strong stance by the USCCB feel the new document, “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church” does not go far enough.

We need a strong prophetic Catholic voice in the world. We need to pray for Catholic leaders who embrace the teachings of our Catholic faith to have the courage to speak what the Lord wants said regarding our Pro-Life teaching. That being said, we need to realize that the new document, “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church”, was not written with the sole purpose of addressing politicians receiving Communion. It is to rekindle a general understanding of what the Eucharist really is.

In a moment, I am going to highlight some of the text in “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church”. Please note that what I offer is not meant to be a comprehensive discussion of the document. If you want to hear a comprehensive discussion by me of the Pro-Life teaching of our Catholic Church, please see my series of presentations, Treating Life with Dignity and Love. This is a four-part discussion of Catholic Pro-Life teaching at all stages with Part II focusing on abortion (and the death penalty). For a presentation by me on the Eucharist, please see Part III in my series, Sacraments: Channels of God’s Grace.

That being said, I would now like to highlight some text from the new USCCB document. As we read the document, as the USCCB writes, “it must be acknowledged that no document can exhaust the mystery of the gift of the Eucharist, (USCCB, 5)

As it begins its discussion on the Eucharist, the USCBB includes a reminder to us of what it is that we celebrate at Mass on Sunday. Sunday is not just another day of the week. The USCCB writes, “In similar fashion, Pope Saint John Paul II reminded us of this ongoing presence when he repeated to us the words of Christ: I am with you always, to the end of the age (Mt 28:20). He proclaimed: “This promise of Christ never ceases to resound in the Church as the fertile secret of her life and the wellspring of her hope. As the day of Resurrection, Sunday is not only the remembrance of a past event: it is a celebration of the living presence of the Risen Lord in the midst of his own people” (paragraph 2, quote by Pope John Paul II from Dies Domini, 31). This is why we need Sunday Mass. For Jesus himself said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you” (John 6:53).

In speaking of who (not just politicians can receive Communion) the USCCB reminds us that we need to acknowledge our own sinfulness with 1 John 1:8, “If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

From there, the USCCB reminds us of the various elements of the Eucharist. It is sacrificial for it is Jesus shedding his blood for us for the forgiveness of our sins (13). “Christ’s sacrifice of himself to the Father was efficacious and salvific because of the supreme love with which he shed his blood” (14). It is a memorial, not just as “another sacrifice, but the re-presentation of the sacrifice of Christ” (14, my emphasis).

It is a meal as we fed with the Lord’s Body and Blood (15). It is unleavened bread, remembering the flight of the Israelites from Egypt (15).

The bishops remind us that the Catholic Church did not “invent” our teaching on the Eucharist, “From the very beginning, the Church has believed and celebrated according to the teaching of Jesus himself: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him (Jn 6:54-56)” (18).

The bishops also remind us, “Though Christ is present to us in many ways in the liturgy, including in the assembly gathered, the presiding minister, and the word proclaimed, the Church also clearly affirms that “the mode of Christ’s presence under the Eucharistic species is unique.” As St. Paul VI wrote, “This presence is called ‘real’ not to exclude the idea that the others are ‘real’ too, but rather to indicate presence par excellence, because it is substantial and through it Christ becomes present whole and entire, God and man.” (The first quote is from the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1374. The second is from Pope Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei, 39).

I spoke earlier about the concern of Pro-Life Catholics regarding how far the bishops go in their document. The bishops have a unique responsibility to safeguard the teaching of the church. In paragraph 36, they in turn speak of the responsibility of those in public authority as they write, “Lay people who exercise some form of public authority have a special responsibility to form their consciences in accord with the Church’s faith and the moral law, and to serve the human family by upholding human life and dignity.”

To this I will add from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Therefore, they are guilty of scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice, or to “social conditions that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and obedience to the Commandments difficult and practically impossible.“ (2286).

In paragraphs 45-46, the USCCB reminds us of the differences between venial and mortal sin. Then, they remind us of the need for the Sacrament of Reconciliation when we have committed mortal sin (47). This leads to the question of who can receive Holy Communion to which they quote Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, no. 37, “The judgment of one’s state of grace obviously belongs only to the person involved, since it is a question of examining one’s conscience. However, in cases of outward conduct which is seriously, clearly and steadfastly contrary to the moral norm, the Church, in her pastoral concern for the good order of the community and out of respect for the sacrament, cannot fail to feel directly involved. The Code of Canon Law refers to this situation of a manifest lack of proper moral disposition when it states that those who ‘obstinately persist in manifest grave sin’ are not to be admitted to Eucharistic communion.”

The cases of “outward conduct” is where the question of politicians who publicly support abortion comes in. They openly support a position not in keeping with Catholic teaching. We pray for them as we pray for all of us to repent of our sins and turn our hearts to the Lord. We all need to examine our conscience (see my page on the Sacrament of Reconciliation and my article on conscience).

As I said earlier, what I offer here on the USCCB’s new document, “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church”, is not meant to be comprehensive discussion of the document. You can read it for yourself at https://www.usccb.org/resources/The%20Mystery%20of%20the%20Eucharist%20in%20the%20Life%20of%20the%20Church.pdf.

Whether you read the document or not, please pray for all people to come to a deeper understand of both the Pro-Life teaching of the Catholic Church as well as a deeper understanding of what God offers us in the Eucharist.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Preparing for the Coming

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Soon we will celebrate the first Coming of Jesus with our Christmas season. Christmas is too important to celebrate with just a single day. We celebrate Christmas a season that begins with our Christmas Masses and lasts until we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord.

Christmas is a time of hope. The birth of Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to send a messiah. In the first reading for this First Sunday of Advent, Jeremiah writes from imprisonment. Jeremiah provides the Lord’s assurance that He will fulfill his promise to “raise up for David a just shoot.” Even today, Christmas gives us hope. This is why many people come to church on Christmas that don’t the rest of the year. We need the hope that seeing baby Jesus in a manger brings.

We face “anxieties of daily life” that keep us from hope. We might become lax in waiting and fail to live as God calls us. Then the day of Jesus’ Second Coming will catch us by surprise. We need to “be vigilant at all times” and pray for the strength we need from God. With the hope that God gives, like Jeremiah writing from prison, we can endure.

Jesus tells us that there will be signs. The signs He describes in the gospels have been fulfilled. The first coming of Jesus gives us hope. However, there are those who “will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming.” At the Second Coming even “the powers of the heavens will be shaken.“

Should we fear the Second Coming?

That depends. Are you keeping vigilant? Are you following the Lord’s path? Do you listen to the Lord’s Truth? Do you keep the commandments? Do you lift your soul up to the Lord?

Then you do not need to fear the day when the Son of Man comes on “a cloud with power and great glory.” You can “stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.“

What if you aren’t keeping vigilant? What if you have wandered from the Lord’s path? What if you have not kept the Lord’s Commandments? Should you be afraid?

That depends. Are you sorry for your sins? Are you willing to humble yourself and change your ways? If you are, then there is still hope for your salvation for, as the psalm says, the Lord “shows sinners the way…and teaches the humble his way.“

There is hope. It is difficult to change. It can even seem impossible for us to change by ourselves. There is good news. We are not alone. The Lord is with us. Using Paul’s words to the Thessalonians, we pray “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all,… so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father.”

The Lord wants to save us. Jesus came at his first coming to save us. Jesus came to teach, heal, and proclaim the good news. Most of all, Jesus came to save us through his death on the Cross. Thus, even though we are sinners, we might be saved. Jesus wants to save us. To let him, we confess our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

As I said before, Christmas is too important to celebrate as a single day. So, we celebrate it as a season. In fact, Christmas is so important that we have a season to prepare for it. Today we begin our Advent season. The word “advent” means coming. During Advent, we prepare for our celebration of the first coming of Jesus at Christmas and we look forward to the Second Coming.

As we look forward to the Second Coming with the hope we have from the first coming, Advent can be a wake-up call for us. How are we doing? What do we need to change in our lives? Where do we need God’s help in our lives?

Mindful that we need God’s help, I end with the words that begin the Collect (opening prayer) at Mass this weekend, “Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ.”

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

What Jesus Thinks of You

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In today’s first reading (Friday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I), we hear of a vision the prophet Daniel has. It contains imagery we may not understand, at least I know I don’t understand. The Bible continues a lot of imagery. We may understand some of it but we probably don’t understand all of it, especially imagery like this found in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation.

We don’t have to understand it all. God will reveal to us what we do need to understand. The final verses of today’s first reading are the same verses we heard in the first reading last Sunday as we celebrated the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. In my homily on Sunday, I said that the Ancient One is God our Father and that Jesus is the Son of Man who receives “dominion, glory, and kingship” from God our Father. Jesus is our king.

One image that we have of Jesus is as our king. He is not king as one who lords his power over his people. Jesus is our king as one who loves us.

What images of Jesus do you have? Do you fear him as a judge? Do you love him as a brother? Do you know Jesus as a redeemer? Or do you fear him as a punisher?

We depict Jesus in various ways. We see love and hope in Jesus as we look at Jesus as a baby laying in a manger. We see Jesus caring for his people when He is depicted as the Good Shepherd, holding a lamb. We see the love of Jesus as we look at him on the Cross.

What about when we sin?

Have you ever been to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Washington, DC? Behind the altar in the main church you can see an image of Jesus. In seminary, we called it “angry Jesus.” Do you think of Jesus as being angry at you?

Does Jesus get upset when we sin? Yes. Does Jesus wish better for us? Yes. Jesus wants us to sin no more. He knows we can’t do this on our own. Together with the Father, Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to help us. Still, at times we sin.

Do you get angry with someone who hurts you? Probably. Does that mean Jesus gets angry with us? We might think so because it is what we do. However, Jesus, does not act in angry towards us. He drove the money changers out of the temple. However, Jesus is governed by another emotion.

Love.

Jesus loves you.

I guarantee it. How can I guarantee it? Look at a Crucifix. Jesus gave his life for you and me. An angry person would not do this. Jesus willingly laid down his life for us because He loves us. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Jesus does not want us to sin. He, together with the Father, and the Holy Spirit will do everything they can to help us. Yet, at times we fall short. Do not be afraid. Jesus loves you. Ask for his forgiveness.

Look at the Crucifix. See Jesus. See Jesus who does not strike you down in anger. Instead, He gives his life for you.

I have no doubt that Jesus loves you.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Thanksgiving Giving Day Homily 2021

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Thanksgiving Day
Sirach 50:22-24
Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Luke 17:11-19
November 25, 2021

Ten lepers came to Jesus calling out, “Jesus, Master!  Have pity on us!”

Jesus replied by cleansing them of their leprosy. 

They had come to Jesus looking for help.  How did they respond when Jesus answered their request?  Nine disappeared.  Only one returned to give thanks.

Are we any different than the nine? 

We ask God for help.  How do you respond when your prayers are answered?  Are you thankful?  Do you express your thanks?  To whom?

For instance, say you are sick.  So, you ask God to cure you.  When you are cured, do you thank anyone? 

Do you thank the nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and others who helped you? 

Do you thank God?  Or do you give all the credit to the medical workers?

We should thank the people who help cure us.  However, before we give them all the credit, what place did God have in the cure? 

Where did the medical workers get their ability to help you?

Is it not God who gave them the gifts to cure us?  We should thank God.  We thank God for the gifts He bestowed on them.

Today we come commemorating another thing we can be thankful for, the harvest. 

The early colonists in Massachusetts celebrated the first Thanksgiving to give thanks to God.  They had endured a difficult voyage in coming to America.  The first few months in the colony were difficult.  Joining them at their thanksgiving were the Native Americans who had helped them.  Together, they all gave thanks to God.

Today we thanks to God for the food we have.  We also give thanks to the farmers who tilled God’s land to provide us with the food we need.  We give thanks to everyone who take what the farmers grow, transport it, process it, and work in the stores.  We give thanks to God for giving these people the gifts they need to be able to provide us with the food.

Our reading from Sirach calls us to “bless the God of all.”  When we speak of “blessing”, we normally think of the ways in which God has blessed us.  To “bless” also means to “hallow.”  In the Lord’s Prayer, we say “hallowed be thy name.”  To “hallow” is to make great.  In blessing God, we are recognizing the “wondrous things” He has done for us.

God has done so much for us.  He gives us life and fosters growth in our mother’s womb.  Our lives are dependent on those who give us life.  This includes our mother and our father.  It includes those who care for us.  It includes those who teach us.  We give thanks to them for what they have done for us and we give thanks to God for given them the gifts they needed to help us.

What about faith?

Since you come here today, I assume you have some faith.  Where do you get your faith from?  Have your parents helped you to have faith?  Maybe it was your grandparents.  Maybe a neighbor or a friend.  How about someone who taught you the faith.  Whoever has helped you in your faith journey, thank them. 

What about God?

Do you think you could have faith without God taking the initiative? 

Faith is not something we bestow on ourselves.  Faith begins with God revealing himself to us.  God does not have to reveal himself to us.  He freely chooses to reveal himself to us so that we might have faith.

Faith is a gift.  We must choose to accept the gift.  Today we give thanks to God for the faith He has given us. 

Thankful for what God has already given we bless his name and ask for his continuing help to follow him.

A Polarized People

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I recently saw a news headline where a health official involved in the government’s handling of the Coronavirus pandemic said he did not cause political divisiveness. He is right. We have been becoming a polarized people for some time. This is especially seen in politics but polarization is also seen in the church. Why?

I think relativism is a key factor here. Under the guise of freedom, more and more people say you are free to believe whatever you want as long as you don’t hurt anyone. This is relativism. They say we need to practice tolerance but they do not want to tolerate what our Catholic faith teaches (see my blog article, “Tolerance, Hate Speech, and Dialogue”).

Now, there has been division in beliefs for a long time. However, polarization between people of differing opinions is increasing. With relativism, there is no “truth.” That would mean no one is right. Yet everyone is right. When one is sure they are right, there is no dialogue. We look for sources of information that agree with us and ignore those who don’t as “wrong.” What we need is real dialogue. This is a concept that comes up in Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti (see my articles on this encyclical at http://www.renewaloffaith.org/our-relationships-with-others.html, especially “Seeking Real Dialogue”).

What is the point of dialogue? Is it not truth we seek? I did a presentation called Where Do We Go for Truth? There, I offered the following slide.

There is a “Truth.” Jesus is the one who offers us the real truth.

So, what is the problem? People are no longer remaining in Jesus, meaning they are abandoning the faith, either completely as atheist, or at least much of what our faith teaches.

We need to listen to Jesus. Jesus was put on trial before Pilate because those who opposed him were not open to the truth. Yet, this is exactly what Jesus came for.

There is truth. 2 + 2 really does equal 4. This is objective truth. It cannot be changed except if one wants to throw out the definitions of what “2” and “4” are. There is also subjective truth. This kind of truth is dependent on our perceptions. I might say it is cold out today but used in this way, the word “cold” can have different meanings for different people.

So, is the truth of our faith “objective” or “subjective”? Those who do not belief in God (and even some who do) would call religious truth subjective because it depends on what you believe rather than what can be proven. However, if one truly believes in God, then one knows there is a definitive truth, a truth that is set by God as the creator of the universe. This truth is difficult for some to grasp because it does not come from within us. We need to be willing to look beyond ourselves to find our true meaning. We do not determine the purpose of our existence. God does. God creates us to know him. In knowing God we come to know the real truth because Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).

So, who can we trust?

The one who died for us on the Cross for “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

It should not be our goal to start an argument. It should be our goal to offer the truth to others. The world needs Jesus. Are you willing to be an instrument of God to build up the Kingdom of God? With this question in mind, I end with the Prayer of St. Francis.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year B – Homily

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Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year B
Daniel 7:13-14
Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5 (1a)
Revelation 1:5-8
John 18:33b-37
November 21, 2021

This is the last Sunday of our liturgical year.  We always celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe on this Sunday.

We call Jesus Lord because He is.  Historically, earthly lords held great amounts of land or ruled over some people.  Jesus is more than that.  Jesus is Lord in the divine sense.  He is Son of God, consubstantial with the Father.

We call Jesus “King of the Universe.”  Why “universe”?  Because Jesus is not just king of a limited earthly kingdom.  Jesus is king of everything and everywhere.

We call him “king.”    However, Jesus did not look like an earthly king as He hung upon the Cross. 

We live in a country based on democracy.  We elect our leaders by majority rule.  We do not elect Jesus as our king.  If we did, I wonder if Jesus would get elected?  Would you vote for Jesus?  Sin is a vote against Jesus.

So, why do we call Jesus “king”? 

Jesus does not rule over us like a king who lords his authority over his people to get what he wants.  We do not need to fear Jesus holding his power over us. 

In fact, Jesus shows us a new model of kingship, one of service.  We remember Jesus as the one “who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.”

God is the Alpha and the Omega.  Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet.  Omega is the last letter.  God is the beginning and the end.  God is the source of all that is good and God is the end for which we are created.  “To him be glory and power forever and ever.  Amen.”

Where does Jesus get his power from?  Daniel tells of his vision with “one like a Son of man coming” to the “Ancient One.”  The Ancient One is God.  Jesus is the Son of Man.  From his Father, Jesus receives “dominion, glory, and kingship.”

Thus, Jesus tells Pilate, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.”  Jesus’ kingdom is one of “truth and life…holiness and grace…justice, love and peace” (Preface for this solemnity).

Do we listen to Jesus as our king?

With an earthly elected official, if we don’t like them, we wait for the end of their term and hope they don’t get reelected.

Jesus’ “dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.”  Jesus is king forever.  It’s a good thing He is a good king.

Jesus is our king but He does not force us to be his disciples.  We are free to choose to go our own way but if we do, we must understand there are consequences.  If we choose to go our own way, we may spend eternity in Hell.

God wants everyone to be in Heaven for eternity.  It is the gift He offers us but not everyone accepts the gift.  It is not enough to say we believe in Jesus.  We must listen to what Jesus says and live according to his Truth.

How well do you know Jesus?  How well do you follow Jesus as king?

In her book, Forming Intentional Disciples, Sherry Weddell offers five thresholds in our journey as disciples of Jesus’ (Weddell, Sherry A., Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus.  Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Huntington, IN.  2012.  For the following see pages 129-130.)

The first is “Initial Trust.”  Because of someone they know or an experience they have had, a person is open to the idea that God exists. 

The second is “Spiritual Curiosity.”  Here, one desires to know more about Jesus but has not accepted him yet as king.

The third is “Spiritual Openness.”  Here, one begins to “be open to possibility of personal and spiritual change” (129).

I think all of us who come to church have at least reached the third threshold.

The fourth threshold is “Spiritual Seeking” where a person actively seeks to know God more fully.

The fifth she calls “Intentional Discipleship.”  Here, we put God first and reorder our life in accord with his will.

How are you doing?  Have you fully accepted Jesus as your king?

Part II of Series on Prayer Now Available

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I just uploaded the recording of the second webinar in my new series on prayer, Giving Our Hearts to God: What It Means to Pray. You can view the view and see the slides at www.renewaloffaith.org/prayer2021partII.

This presentation focuses on Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication in prayer as well as when, where, and who to pray with.

For a few days you can complete an evaluation of the webinar online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScofCA_VHc6Oq_pS4REoNuncpNADPq3YwwdCznUh6-hvD38w/viewform?usp=sf_link.

The live webinar of Part III will be on December 2nd at 6:30 pm. You can register now at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uUgBacqGR6Kpc6lCRnUIBQ

Peace,

Fr. Jeff