Building Peace

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In our opening prayer at Mass today (Monday, January 18th, 2nd Week in Ordinary Time), we pray asking God to bestow his “peace on our times.”

We live in a world with division and hatred. Today we celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. He was a civil rights activist assassinated in 1968. In the 1960’s there was great advancement in civil rights legislation. There has been more since but yet there is still racism (click here for a “Prayer to Overcome Racism”).

We desire peace. We need to end racism to have peace. However, racism is not the only struggle against peace in this world. If one watches the news, then one is well-aware of the present political divisions. We hear of “tolerance” yet we are told not to talk about what we belief (see my previous article, “Tolerance, Hate Speech, and Dialogue”).

What can we do to help build earthly peace? We need to seek the peace of Christ. We ask God to bestow his peace on our times. Embracing God’s peace would lead to earthly peace.

What can we do to open ourselves to God’s peace?

Here I turn to the topic of today’s gospel for daily Mass, fasting. We are called to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. This fasting shows that we recognize the sacrifice that Jesus makes when He gives his life for us on the Cross and we make the sacrifice of fasting by eating less food.

What about the rest of the year? When is the time for fasting? We fast when we seek God. Jesus’ disciples do not fast when He is with them because He is the Son of God and they celebrate that He is with them.

We can fast at other times of the year. For instance, it used to be customary that Catholics did not eat meat on Friday throughout the year. Now, that is only required during Lent. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t abstain from meat or fast in another way on Fridays throughout the year.

Fasting can be a sign of penance. It can also be a way of showing that God is more important than what we fast from. This can help promote peace.

How? We live in a consumeristic society. People think they should have everything they want. This can stand in the way of peace when the wants of some keep others from having what they need. Consumerism can overemphasis competition, which can also work against peace.

Fasting calls us to let go of worldly things. It opens us to God’s peace. It helps open ourselves to what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “thy kingdom come.”

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19
Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10 (8a and 9a)
1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20
John 1:35-42
January 17, 2021

Jesus asked the two disciples of John the Baptist, “What are you looking for?”

Jesus asks us the same question today, “What are you looking for?”

What do you come looking for today?

Do you come looking for an hour of peace?  That’s not a bad thing.  In our opening prayer we asked God to bestow his “peace on our times.”

Do you come looking for something that will make you feel warm and fuzzy? Faith is more than that.

Do you come looking for your favorite music?  Music in church is not just a matter of taste. Music is part of our prayer when it connects us with God.

Do you come seeking God’s Will, “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will”?  The psalmist says that doing God’s will is his delight.  Is it your delight? 

Do you come to hear God’s Word and be strengthened in the Eucharist?

 John the Baptist was a great servant of the Lord.  Last week we heard him say, “One mightier than I is coming after me.”  He was all about Jesus. 

So, when Jesus was walking by, John immediately told his two disciples that were with him, “Behold the Lamb of God,” and they immediately followed Jesus.  Andrew, one of the two, then went and told his brother Simon, who will become Peter, “We have found the Messiah.” 

Do you point people to Jesus?  God has put a new song into you.  He wants you to share it.

This might seem intimidating.  We might feel like our own faith isn’t strong enough to tell others about it.  We might think we don’t know enough.  God doesn’t ask everyone to give people “big theological lessons.”  God just wants you to share what you do know.  God wants you to do your part to open the door of faith to others.

How well do you listen to what God asks of you?

Samuel was a servant of the Lord.  Today’s first reading comes from a day when Samuel was still young so he “was not familiar with the Lord.”  He knew of the Lord and served in the temple.  Yet, he had not learned to recognize the Lord when the Lord spoke to him.  The Lord called out to Samuel three times.  Each time, Samuel eagerly responded, “Here I am.”  However, he assumed it must be Eli calling him. 

After the third time Eli realized it must be the Lord calling Samuel.  Realizing this, Samuel responded to the Lord, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Are you familiar with the Lord?  Do you recognize the Lord’s voice in your life?  We need to pray regularly to be familiar with the Lord. 

Samuel also needed Eli to help him recognize the Lord. 

Who helps you recognize the Lord?

Or, thinking of what I said before about pointing other people to Jesus, do you help others recognize the Lord in their lives?  Sometimes people are looking for the Lord without even knowing it is the Lord they seek.  They need someone to help them realize that.  Are you willing to help them?

Paul writes to the Corinthians as a people who know the Lord in some way.  He had visited them and lived with them for some time to share the gospel of Jesus with them. 

However, he has heard that they were living immoral lives, especially with regards to sexual immorality.  They still believed in Jesus but they had separated their bodily lives from their spiritual lives.  They thought what they did with their bodies didn’t matter.

It does.  As Paul says, “The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord.”  Our body is not simply a motel for our souls to hang out in until it is time for us to go to Heaven.

No, our bodies are “a temple of the Holy Spirit.”  Do we treat our bodies as such? Many don’t.

We live in a troubled world.  Why are things getting worse instead of better?  Because people have stopped listening to God!

Here one might immediately think of atheists who deny there is a god. 

There are also many people who are agnostic, meaning they doubt there is a god but do not deny there is.  Since they doubt there is a god, they do not listen to what God has to say.  They live their lives according to their own desires. 

However, atheists and agnostics are not the only ones who fail to hear what the Lord has to say.  Even believers, even some that come to church separate their spiritual lives from their bodily existence.  Thus, they too might live immoral lives.

Do you listen to God?  Do you make him part of your whole lives?  Do we really listen to and follow him so that He may bestow his “peace on our times”?

Moral, Immoral, or Amoral

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On Tuesday I wrote an article called “Tolerance, Hate Speech, and Dialogue.” The material covered in that article spoke about the meaning of tolerance and the restrictions people want to put on our church in general, but especially on us sharing our Catholic moral teaching.

Continuing the articles I have written in recent months on morality, today I would like to talk about three terms, “moral”, “immoral” and “amoral.”

Moral
Moral acts are good acts. Morality is a system that helps us define what is right and wrong. In secular terms, morality can be based on duty and/or Utilitarianism (one ought to do what is good for the greatest number). For others, their ethics are based on what gives them the greatest pleasure. We call this Hedonism. Duty and Utilitarianism have important rules to play but can be subjective and thus dependent on personal opinion. Certainly, Hedonism is very subjective as different people find pleasure in different ways. At least it is subjective when it is based on earthly pleasure. I say at least because if we define pleasure by that which leads us to eternal life, it is in accord with God’s will.

As people of faith, the source of our morality is found in the Bible and developed in the teachings of the Catholic Church. Believing in God is not simply the way we pray. Believing in God involves how we treat our bodies and others. Hence, morality is an essential part of our faith.

Immoral
Immoral acts, of course, are those acts that go against what we know to be right. Immorality is wrong behavior. It might be wrong because of bad consequences for us as individuals or because of the effect the immoral acts have on other people. Again, it is God who determines what is right and wrong. Acts that wrong in God’s eyes are sin.

Amoral
Amoral acts (also referred as “unmoral”) are acts that are seen as neither good or bad. For example, the color of the shirt you are wearing is not moral or immoral. It is simply a matter of taste. One person might love the color and another hate it but it is neither good or bad. It is a matter of taste. However, that does not mean all decisions about the clothes one wears are amoral. That is hardly the case. Clothing that is revealing and seductive has moral recuperations for both the person wearing the clothing and people looking at that person with lust based on their clothing. The latter definitely objectives the person, focusing on the person only for their physical beauty. In fact, the person choosing to wear such clothing to get others to look at them may be objectifying themselves. Seeing a person only for their physical beauty is lust and an immoral act.

Sexual behavior is very much a part of Catholic morality and what is sin. This is rooted in biblical teaching such as the Sixth Commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” and verses like what is found in chapter 18 of the Book of Leviticus.

Another example of acts that might seem “amoral” is behaviors at work. God does not care when you take a break at work but God does care if you take an hour break when you are only properly entitled to a fifteen minute break. We are to do a fair day’s work for a fair day’s wage (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2401 and following on the Seventh Commandment, “You shall not steal.”). We must consider the effect any action we take at work or at home has on another person when asking if it is “amoral.”

Unfortunately, we live in a world where people are discarding what the Bible teaches. Some even discard the concept that there is a god. These people don’t always discard the very notion of morality but there are those who are called relativists that deny there is any truth. If there is no truth, there is no morality.

There is a God. There is Truth that comes from God. There are moral acts and there are immoral acts. Lord, please help us to do what is moral.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Treating Life with Dignity and Love, Part I now available

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Last night we started our new series, Treating Life with Dignity and Love. The video and slides are now available at www.renewaloffaith.org/prolife1.

Registration is now open for the second part of this series where we will discuss abortion and the death penalty at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fIq7-a_BTtCoRqwMjIRRsg .

Please feel free to comment with any questions you would like covered in series on Catholic Pro-life teaching.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Tolerance, Hate Speech, and Dialogue

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“Tolerance” has become a frequently used word.  We do well to ask ourselves what does it mean to “tolerate.” 

Why?  Because I think it is being used beyond its actual meaning.  It seems to me that it is being used more in the sense of “relativism” than its actual meaning.  Relativism says that you are free to believe whatever you want and that is okay.  Relativism says there is no universal truth and anything goes (as long as you aren’t hurting anyone).  Tolerance calls us to “allow” a behavior without condoning it.  Before continuing, please allow me to say that my use of terms like we, they, us, and other pronouns is not meant to foster divisiveness or offer any judgment.  Such use is only to distinguish between different opinions.

Unfortunately, some people who call for universal “tolerance” accuse Catholics of hate speech when we say behaviors like same-sex relationships go against God’s ways, misunderstand our intent.  It is not our intent to promote hate in any way.  In fact, we speak up for the morals that we believe in because we love, heeding Jesus’ command to love our neighbor.  We speak the Truth that comes from Jesus because if you love someone, you want them to know what the Truth is.  You want to help them make good choices.  We hate the sin but love the sinner.  We do not wish to judge anyone.  Jesus tells us, “stop judging” (Matthew 7:1, Luke 6:37).  For example, our goal (rooted in love) regarding sexual behavior is to help everyone live a chaste life.  Chastity is a goal we support for all, regardless of sexual orientation.

The thing that seems odd to me is that, in the spirit of tolerance, some of those who disagree with us want to silence us.  If we were promoting hate, then it would be correct to stop that.  However, properly understood (there lies the problem), we are not promoting hate.  We need to ask God’s grace to help us to know how to speak the truth in a way that promotes love, not hate. 

When speaking of tolerance, we recognize that people must be free to follow their conscience.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses both freedom of conscience and having a well-formed conscience in paragraphs 1776-1789.  God does indeed give us free will to make our own choices (see my article on “Conscience“). 

To truly be free to make one’s own choices, one must know what one’s choices are.  It is our intent to help everyone understand what the choices are and the effects of their choices.  Why would anyone not want this?  Could they be afraid that we are right?  In Acts 5:17-40, we hear of some disciples on trial.  Here I offer what Gamaliel says in verses 38-39, “So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go.  For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself.  But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.”

It is not our intent to force our beliefs on others.  Are there things we would like to see made illegal?  For example, do we want to make abortion illegal?  Yes.  However, it is not to force our beliefs on the person choosing the abortion.  We want to stop abortion because we love the child that has been conceived in the mother’s womb.

For tolerance to really be “tolerant”, it must allow for us to be able to speak up for our beliefs.  Additionally, in the spirit of tolerance, we should not be forced to go against our beliefs.  Yet, government mandates and funding abortions and contraception use our tax dollars to support behaviors that go against our beliefs.

I want to be clear that what I am about to say is not a rallying cry for hate speech or protests.  I simply want to encourage people of faith to speak up for what God has taught us.  We have been silent too long.  We have allowed society to dictate our beliefs, even how we practice our faith, when it should be our faith that dictates what goes on in society. 

This is not a new problem.  Psalm 106 speaks of how the Israelite people fell away from following the Lord’s ways because they “mingled with the nations  and imitated their ways” (verse 35).  I feel it is very important to acknowledge here that verse 34 speaks of how the Lord commanded the Israelites to destroy their enemies.  I do not believe the Lord wants us to destroy other human beings in this way.  I point to Luke 9:5, “And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them” (cf. Matthew 10:14, Mark 6:11).  We are to offer people the Truth of Jesus Christ.  It is each individual’s choice whether to accept it or not (see the Parable of the Sentinel in Ezekiel 3:17-21). 

One should heed the words found in Revelation 3:15b-16, “I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either cold or hot.  So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” 

We ask the grace we need to be on fire (hot) with a faith, rather than just be lukewarm where we say we believe but we do not fully live it.  We must not abandon our faith (cold), choosing society over our faith.  Yet, just as much do we need grace to never practice hate speech.  Rather, we ask the Holy Spirit to help us always speak with compassion and love. 

With that in mind, I end with the final two verses of the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11) where Jesus is compassionate to the woman, “Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”

If you are interested in reading on good dialogue, see my article, “Seeking Real Dialogue.”

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Baptism of the Lord, Year B – Homily

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The Baptism of the Lord
Isaiah 55:1-11
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6 (3)
1 John 5:1-9
Mark 1:7-11
January 10, 2021

Our Christmas season will end this evening following our celebration of the Baptism of the Lord.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our savior who is Christ and Lord.  Since Jesus was baptized as an adult, one might ask what his baptism has to do with his birth.

St. Maximus of Turin (in Friday’s Office of Readings) says regarding Jesus’ Baptism, “At Christmas he was born a man; today he is reborn sacramentally. Then he was born from the Virgin; today he is born in mystery.”

Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River.  The Jordan River was where Joshua led the Israelites across into the Promised Land, beginning a new stage in the life of the Israelites.

The baptism of John was only for the forgiveness of sins.  However, he knew that one mightier than he was coming and would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is baptized by John to set an example for us.  At his baptism, the Holy Spirit comes upon him so that we know the Spirit is upon him.  God’s divine voice is heard saying, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased” to give us divine assurance of who Jesus is.

Like John’s, Jesus’ Baptism forgives sins.  It also gives us the Holy Spirit and opens heaven for us.  It makes us children of God by adoption. 

The waters of baptism cleanse us of our sins.  Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord invites, “All you who are thirsty, come to the water!…come, without paying and without cost.”  What we receive in baptism is God’s free gift to us.  We might spend our “wages for what fails to satisfy” when the greatest thing is free.

The life we begin in baptism is a free gift but it does not come without expectation.  To fully receive the gift, we need to receive it with obedience in faith.

Here, in Isaiah we hear, “Heed me, and you shall eat well…listen, that you may have life.”

We need to pay attention to what the Lord says.  Are you listening right now?  What does it mean to listen?

I offer two definitions of “listen.”  The first is to pay attention to sound.  You know the sound is made because you hear it but do you really know what was said.  Here, one might think of when your spouse says something to you, you respond, “Yes dear” and then realize you don’t know what you just said yes to.

The second definition of “listen” is “to hear with thoughtful attention.”  You don’t just hear the sound.  You know what was said and respond according.  You “heed” what was said. 

Which way do you listen to the Lord?  You know God’s Word was just proclaimed.  Do you know what was said?  Are you open to being changed by what was said?

Baptism is a free gift given to us by God because He loves us.  Do we respond with love? 

In the second reading John reminds us, “For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments.  And his commandments are not burdensome.”  In fact, I see his commandments as part of his gift to us.  They are a gift because they teach us to do what is good.

Do we truly desire to keep his commandments?  If we do, then we must listen to what Jesus teaches us.  We need to open ourselves to learning more fully what the commandments mean.

Here I mention the Fifth Commandment, you shall not kill.  We all know it.  Do we take it only at face value or we are we open to going deeper?  Here, I mention my webinar series that starts this week (information on this series and the link to register can be found at https://blog.renewaloffaith.org/blog/?p=5477) that will be a series of four webinars on the Pro-life teaching of our faith as found in the Fifth Commandment.

We ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand and live out what Jesus teaches us in the commandments that are found in God’s Word.

God gives us his Word for our reason.  At the end of the first reading today, we hear the Lord say, “my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.”

We have our own way of doing things.  Sometimes that brings trouble.  We saw what happens sometimes when people get stuck in being “right” this week when the U.S. Capitol building was overrun by rioters.  We have a right to protest but it must be done not in self-centered righteousness. 

It’s not about what we want.  It is about what God wants.  For as the Lord says, “my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.”

God offers us something wonderful in baptism, true and eternal life.  If we wish to truly and fully receive this gift, we need to set aside our own way of thinking and follow the Lord, truly listening, truly heeding God’s Word.

Is Heaven a Crowded Place?

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Is Heaven a crowded place? I ask the question with mixed feelings. I am an introvert and do not like crowded places. On the other hand, as a Christian and knowing how great a place Heaven is, I desire that everyone ends up in Heaven. God desires everyone to be in Heaven.

If God desires it, then does everyone get into Heaven, making it a crowded place?

It seems like more and more people think everyone gets into Heaven. We even have a name for the idea, “universalism.” Jesus does indeed come to save all. Jesus tells us that his mission is to save everything the Father gives him in John 6:37-40. However, verse 40 specifically says, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day.”

I bolded “and believes in him” to indicate that getting into Heaven requires us to “believe.” Believe is a verb. Thus, to believe requires action. It is not enough to say we believe. We need to live it.

Jesus himself tells us this when He says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” If we want to get into Heaven, we need to live good moral lives as God teaches us not just as a legal code but with love (see my presentation, Are They Rules or a Way of Life?).

Jesus addressed various questions concerning who gets into Heaven.

In Matthew 19:16-30, someone asks Jesus, “what good must I do to inherit life.” This is not an easy thing to accomplish. In verse 24, Jesus says, “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Then, in Matthew 19:25, the disciples ask Jesus, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus responds, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” We cannot save ourselves but we must shed our earthly baggage of sin and material things if we want to get into Heaven (cf. Luke 23:22-30).

Some of those who think everyone gets into Heaven, think Satan is not real and that there is no Hell. Satan is real and he wants to keep us out of Heaven.

How do we know Satan is real? In the gospels, Jesus refers to Satan thirteen times. Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-12 all speak of Satan tempting Jesus. In Matthew 13:22-32, Jesus speaks of the evil powers.

Does God desire that everyone gets into Heaven? Without a doubt yes! However, He gives us free will. It is our choice. We cannot save ourselves but we do have a choice to make. We must make a choose between good and evil. If we choose good, Jesus will save us from our sins and we will enter Heaven.

If we choose evil over good, Hell is real. However, does anyone really choose evil? I hope not. However, the devil is cunning. He makes evil things look good. When we fall into the devil’s trap and recognize our sins, we are called to repentance. We turn it over to Jesus who makes Heaven possible for us.

So, how crowded is Heaven? I don’t know but I hope to get there someday to see. We know that all who are canonized saints are Heaven. May we follow their example.

What about Hell? The Church does not declare anyone to be in Hell. Is Hell a crowded place? I don’t know and I don’t want to find out!

Do you choose good or evil? If you choose good, then ask the Holy Spirit to help you live a moral life, keeping God’s commandments. Jesus prepares a place for you in his Father’s house (John 14:1-6) for all who follow him as “the way and the truth and the life.” If you choose evil, know there are consequences, Hell is real (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1033-1038).

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Three North American Saints

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Often when we celebrate the memorials of saints it is a person who lived centuries ago and/or in Europe or Asia. This week we break this pattern with three consecutive days venerating North American saints who lived in the last 200 years.

Yesterday, January 4th, was the Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (She died January 4, 1821). The majority of well-known saints tend to be people who spent their entire lives as clergy and religious. While Elizabeth Ann Seton founded the Sisters of Charity, she had been married (widowed) with children. She was born in the United States in 1774 (the first American born saint to be canonized) to a wealthy Episcopal family. Her husband died young from an illness leaving her to raise their children. Thus, she knows well some of the struggles that families can face. It was in the midst of her struggles that she converted to Catholicism and would found the Sisters of Charity and Catholic schools in America.

Today, January 5th, we celebrate the Memorial of St. John Neumann, Archbishop of Philadelphia (He died January 5, 1860). He is the first American bishop to be canonized. He was born in Bohemia (in what today is part of the Czech republic) in 1811. He pursued studies in the seminary there but they had so many priests there then that the bishop decided not to ordain any more. Feeling a strong call to the priesthood, John Neumann came to America and was ordained in 1836 for the Archdiocese of New York. He later joined the Redemptorists and served in Western New York. He became the Archbishop of Philadelphia. In a time when Catholics faced persecution in the United States, he worked hard to spread the faith and established many new parishes and schools. Perhaps today we can seek his intercession for the reevangelization of our country that is losing its faith.

Tomorrow, January 6th, we celebrate the Memorial of St. Andre Bessette (he died January 6, 1937). He did not have an easy life before entering religious life with the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Born in Canada in 1845, he was orphaned at the age of 12 when his parents died. He faced ongoing health challenges that led to the Holy Cross initially rejecting his application. He had little formal education. He worked as a farmer, baker, and blacksmith. When he did finally join the order at the age of 25, he was not able to complete formal studies. So, he was appointed as doorkeeper and sacristan.

St. Andre Bessette had a great devotion to St. Joseph. As doorkeeper, he became known for his devotion and would raise the funds to build an oratory dedicated to St. Joseph. Many people would come seeking his prayers. Yes, he was a religious brother but he was a simple man, showing it is possible for all to be devout and faithful.

Three days, three North American saints. We ask for their intercession to help us follow their example of faith.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

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 3, 2021

On Christmas we heard the angel deliver “good news of great joy” to the shepherds, “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.”

This truly is “good news of great joy.”  So much so that we continue to celebrate Christmas as a season.  Christmas is too important to celebrate as just a single day.  We will continue our Christmas season till next Sunday when we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord.

In Jesus’ birth prophecies from the Old Testament are fulfilled.  Isaiah foretold of those who would come bearing gifts of gold and frankincense. 

Our psalm today speaks of the kings who will come to offer gifts.  The psalm also says, “All kings shall pay him homage.”  These are fulfilled in the visit of the Magi.

The magi were not Jews.  They saw the star that signified the birth of Jesus at its rising.  They go to Jerusalem to inquire about the newborn king of the Jews (where else would one look for the newborn king of the Jews).

The response of the magi is to be overjoyed.  They are not Jews but they embrace the birth of Jesus as a sacred moment.  They are willing to travel great distance and to offer gifts.

Turning to King Herod, his response was very different from the magi.  He should have been the one rejoicing.  Instead, “he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”

Why was Herod “greatly troubled” Because he was selfish and saw Jesus as a threat to his power.  Immediately, he wanted to get rid of Jesus. 

Perhaps more surprisingly, we are told all of Jerusalem was also troubled.  They should be rejoicing for Jesus is the messiah they have been waiting for.  Perhaps they were troubled because they weren’t sure if Jesus was really the one.  Or perhaps they were troubled because they feared that Jesus is indeed the Messiah and they knew they weren’t ready.

What would your reaction be?

Of course, since we come to church now, it would seem easy to say we would rejoice and immediately go to Jesus.  We know the whole story.  We know that Jesus does indeed save us from our sins. 

Do we live like we believe? 

Returning to the scene with Herod, he inquires of the priests and scribes as to where the Messiah was to be born.  The answer is Bethlehem.  So, he sends the magi there and tells them to bring back word of where he can find Jesus so he too can “do him homage.”

That is a lie.  Herod plans to kill Jesus.

The magi, guided by the star, the light of Christ, find Jesus, “prostrated themselves and did him homage.  Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Isaiah spoke of the light of the Lord.  He tells Jerusalem to “Rise up in splendor” for their light has come, for “the glory of the Lord” shines on them.

Isaiah goes on to say, “Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow.”

Jesus continues to bring light to the world. 

The star was the light that guided the magi to baby Jesus.

We receive the light of Christ at Baptism.  We need this light.  We lived in the darkness of sin.  We live in a world with suffering.  Jesus brings light to the darkness.  Jesus brings light to our sufferings.  Knowing Jesus changes the way we look at the world.

What do you do with the light of Christ?

Do you let it shine?  Or do you keep it hidden under a basket, only letting the light out when you come to church?

The Lord wants to be our light at all times.  When we face suffering, the Lord wants us to know He is with us and He wants to lead us through the suffering with his light.

Jesus gives us light for our own good but not solely for our own good.  Paul speaks to the Ephesians “of the stewardship of God’s grace” that was given to him for their benefit.

Likewise, Isaiah says to Jerusalem, “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.”

Jesus does not give each of us his Light solely for our own benefit.  Jesus calls us to share the light with the whole world.

Do you let the world see the Light of Christ shining within you? 

This might include speaking to others about Jesus.  However, it starts with letting the Lord fill us with joy and us letting that joy be seen.

This isn’t always easy.  We have our difficult moments.  We get grumpy, at least I know I get grumpy sometimes.  This is exactly when we need to embrace the light and let it shine.  Thus others see that we really do indeed believe.

Lord, we live in a difficult world, a world with sin and suffering.  Help us see your light and to share that light with the whole world.

2020 is Over!

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Today is January 1st. That means we begin a new year. It is now 2021! That means 2020 is over! 2020 is a year we might wish we could forget but probably never will. The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live our lives.

Of course, 2020 had other challenges too. In October I wrote a blog article called “2020: What a Year!”. It was a letter to God expressing our prayers for all that has happened this year. Besides the Coronavirus, there was the record number of wildfires and tropical storms. 2020 was a presidential election year. That, and the Coronavirus, added to political divisions. We also continue to face the ongoing struggles brought on by past sexual abuse by clergy.

Fortunately there has been some good news since I wrote that article. They are beginning to distribute vaccines for the Coronavirus so we hope and pray that we are turning a corner for the better against the Coronavirus. Thanks be to God.

The wildfires are mostly over with for this year. Likewise, the tropical storm season is over. Thanks be to God.

The presidential election is over so the political focus is shifting (unfortunately political division continues). On the clergy abuse crisis, not a lot has changed. We ask God to help us deal with the abuse crisis according to his will.

January 1st is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This solemnity is celebrated on the eighth day of the Octave of Christmas. On Christmas day the time came for Mary to have her child. The “good news of great joy” was delivered to the shepherds by an angel who told them, “Today, in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.“

Hearing this news, the shepherds went to see Jesus. Today’s gospel, tells of the shepherds’ visit. The shepherds spoke of all that the angel told them. We are told that “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” Mary is a woman of prayer. We should follow her example and reflect on what Christmas means for us.

We should also reflect on 2020. We might rather forget it but reflection can be good for us to prepare for 2021.

Ask yourselves what good things happened for you in 2020.

For me, in the solitude of the three-month Coronavirus shutdown, I found myself reflecting on what was going on, both in regards to the Coronavirus and life in general. I found the time I always wanted to write a lot of articles for this blog. Many of the articles entered on the Coronavirus but there a lot of others too. As I wrote, the number of people reading my blog also increased. Perhaps people were just bored during the shutdown but I hope what I write on this blog helps people grow in their relationship with God. The other positive for me in 2020 is that I was able to double the number of presentations I did in a single year. I had to learn how to host a webinar but God made it happen. (Here’s an invitation to my next webinar.)

What will 2021 bring?

We pray that the vaccine brings the Coronavirus pandemic to a close and with it face masks and social distancing. For now we pray that all remain vigilant in these efforts. As the Coronavirus is brought under control, we pray for many more people to return to attending church in person (as well as welcoming new faces).

However, we should not assume everything will go back to the way it was before the Coronavirus. In fact, there are things like declining church attendance, the rise of relativism, and decline in morality that I hope change for the better in 2021. I don’t pray that we just go back to the old normal. I pray that we work together to do God’s will and that we make God’s kingdom known to all.

Personally, I pray here for three things. The first, of course, is an end to the Coronavirus pandemic. The second is for all to return to church and for new people to come too. The third is that the Holy Spirit continue to guide me to teach through presentations, my website, and this blog to help grow closer to God.

What do you pray for in 2021?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff