God in the New Year

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On November 29th, we began a new year in the church with the First Sunday of Advent. In my homily that day, I spoke of people making new year’s resolutions for the secular new year on January 1st and how we could make a resolution to grow closer to God. Did you make a resolution concerning your faith then? If you did, how has it been going?

If not, January 1st is just a few days away. How about making a new year’s resolution now to make God a bigger part of your life?

Where does one begin? You could begin by making an examination of conscience. If you find you have sinned, then confess them in the Sacrament of Reconciliation to begin the new year with a clean slate. Then, as you make your Act of Contrition, ask God to help you resolve to sin no more.

What else? Of course, prayer is an important part of one’s relationship with God. You can click here to see what blog articles I have written on prayer or see what my website offers on some common devotions. Prayer can be as simple as saying grace before meals. It can be the Rosary. It can be Lectio Divino in reading scripture. It can be spontaneous dialogue with God. Prayer can include time spent before the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic Adoration. Prayer can include coming to daily Mass.

The point is to put God first. Our goal should be to truly mean it when we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “thy will be done.”

How do we know what God’s Will is? It starts with prayer where we do not do all the talking. We need to give God a chance to say something, to give direction to our lives.

It also means putting some effort into learning about our faith. People often have the mistaken notion that they know everything they need to know about their faith by the time they are confirmed. They think they don’t have to learn anything more.

In Luke 8:18, Jesus says, “Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.” When we hear the phrase “more will be given“, one might think about material wealth. That’s not what Jesus is talking about. Jesus is talking about faith. If we have a little faith and open ourselves to something more, we will be given a greater faith. Part of this comes from using our reason to learn more about God’s love for us and the Truth that He offers us.

Do we ever really stop learning? One might spend forty years working in the same field and still find themselves learning new things. Likewise, there is always something more we can learn to grow deeper in our faith as we encounter different circumstances throughout our lives.

Here I share a testimonial written by Bill and Mary C. on their experience of my webinars and presentations:

“We have thoroughly enjoyed Father Jeff’s various webinars and presentations. They have refreshed some of our learning from when we were children attending religious education classes and have given us a better understanding of our Faith now that we are “older”. Thank you Father for putting together such clear and informative discussions!”

The truth is that we have a different perspective on learning as adults. As young children, we are taught how to make the Sign of the Cross, to memorize prayers like the Our Father, and to recite the Ten Commandments. As adults, we learn the meaning behind these things to apply them in the way we live our lives.

What we need to do is to open ourselves to learning something new. Then, as Jo O., writes:

“I have attended all of Father Jeff’s presentations and webinars. I also read his blog on a regular basis. I learn something new about my religion each time I read or listen to him. One example is that we do not just say or do things during the Mass. Rather there is always a meaning. I have learned more about my religion in the past year and a half from Father Jeff than I have during the rest of my life. He always leaves me with something to think about.”

Those who don’t know a lot about what the Church teaches may say that they just follow their conscience. In paragraphs 1776-1802, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read that we must be free to follow our conscience and we must seek throughout our lives to have a well-formed conscience.

What do you do to learn more about your faith? Do you read the Bible? Do you listen to podcasts or videos about our faith? Do you do spiritual reading?

On January 13th, I will begin a new series of webinars, Treating Life with Dignity and Love. I will discuss why the Church believes what it does about life and how we can help people choose life without forcing our faith on them. You can find out more and preregister at https://blog.renewaloffaith.org/blog/?p=5477.

So, what are you going to do in 2021 to grow in your relationship with God?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Year B – Homily

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The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Year B
(Please note there are different options for the readings)
Genesis 15:1-6, 21:1-3
Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 (7a, 8a)
Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, 17-19
Luke 2:22-40
December 27, 2020

On Christmas Day Jesus was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger.  Now, “When the days were completed for purification, according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.”

Mary and Joseph are good Jewish parents.  They do what is “written in the law of the Lord” for their new son, Jesus.  They do it not just as a ritual obligation.  They do it to truly “present him to the Lord.”  God is part of their family.  Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are the Holy Family.

Entering the Temple, they encounter Simeon who was “righteous and devout.”  He put the Lord first.  The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would “not see death” until he had seen the Christ.  Now, he has, and he praises God for it. 

Simeon, praising God, refers to Jesus as God’s salvation, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles glory for your people Israel.”  He said to Mary, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted.” 

Anna, a prophetess, also gives thanks to God when she encounters Jesus.

The Holy Family does what God asks of all of us.  They are a sign to us of what God desires for all families, holiness. 

God desires for us to come to church to give praise and to be strengthened.  However, church is not the only place we should practice our faith.  It needs to begin in the home.

Do you pray at home?  For those with families, do you pray together?  Do you give thanks to God?  Do you talk about our faith?  Do those of you who are parents teach your children prayers and read the Bible?  For those who are grandparents, it is often grandparents today who are the primary witness of faith to their grandchildren.  Likewise, godparents are to be witnesses of faith to their godchildren.

The church uses the term “domestic church” to describe families practicing and sharing their faith at home. 

Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple “in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.”  They did in this faith.  This was the beginning of faith for their child, not the end.

For babies today, it is the Sacrament of Baptism that we offer them.  We do so as custom.  We do so because Jesus tells his disciples to baptize.  However, we do so not just in obligation.  We do so in faith.

We pray for faith.  We pray to have the same strength of faith as Abraham did.

The Lord promised Abram, who will be renamed Abraham, a great reward.  Abram/Abraham replied, “O Lord God, what good will your gifts be, if I keep on being childless.”  Abraham and Sarah desired a child to be a family and to have an heir.  God had not yet blessed them with a child but God assures Abraham he will.  Abraham’s descendants will be as numerous as the number of stars in the sky and the sands on the shore.

They simply had to wait in faith.  God gave them Isaac.

“By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out…not knowing where he was to go.” 

“By faith, he received power to generate.”

“By faith, Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac.”

As humans, we receive the gift of reason.  We have a desire to know things.  We come with questions.  We seek factual answers.

However, we are not going to have all the answers, at least in human terms.  God wants us to use our reason to come to know him.  God also wants us to have faith, to trust him. 

We are not going to have all the answers.  We aren’t meant too nor it is in our ability to.  We know in faith that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus without knowing how.

In faith, we know that God forgives us when we confess our sins without our meriting it.

In faith, we see life is a gift.  It may not always be easy but God is always with us.  In January I will be starting a new series of webinar on life issues (see https://blog.renewaloffaith.org/blog/?p=5477 for more information).

We don’t understand all of life’s sufferings.  Yet, we know that Jesus willingly suffered for us.  So, in faith, we accept what comes before us.

Let us remember what God has done for us in the past, how He “remembers his covenant for ever.”  Let us “proclaim all his wondrous deeds.”  It starts in the family.  Let us strive to be holy just as Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were holy.  We ask their intercession upon all families, to know God’s love for them.

Christmas Homily 2020

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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, 2020

Today we hear “good news of great joy.”  After a difficult 2020, we need to hear some good news. 

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

The original “today” was 2,000 years ago.  It is still good news today.  Jesus Christ has been born.  We are drawn to our Christmas celebration with the image of Jesus laying in a manger.

Seeing Jesus as a little baby gives us hope.  People tend to get “warm and fuzzy” at the birth of any child.  We see it as something new and innocent.  The birth of a child gives us hope for the future.

Jesus’ birth gives us even more hope.  Jesus’ birth fulfills Old Testament prophecies like Micah 5:1-2 where we hear that Bethlehem is to be the birthplace for the messiah. 

The fact that Joseph is from the “house and family of David” fulfills God’s promise to King David that an heir will come as the Messiah. 

We can count on God to fulfill his promises to us.  Thus, we have hope.

Luke says, “the time came for her to have her child.”  In human terms, Mary’s pregnancy is coming to an end.  In terms of God’s plan, this is the long-awaited hour for Jesus to come as the new king.

Yet, while Jesus is king, he is not born in a palace.  He was born in stable and laid in a manger.  A manger is no place for a baby.  A manger is a place where the food of the animals is placed for them to eat.

Jesus is not food for animals like hay or grain but Jesus is food for our soul.  We receive Jesus as spiritual nourishment in the Eucharist as the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Through the spiritual nourishment we receive in the Eucharist, we are strengthened to face the world.  This is good news.

Who were the first to hear the “good news of great joy”?  Jesus is the Messiah but it was not the religious leaders who were the first to hear the news.  Jesus is king but princes were not the first to her the “good news.” 

No, it was ordinary shepherds.  This is to show that Jesus comes for everyone.  Thus, we have hope.

Jesus brings “great light” to the “darkness.”  We may feel like we live in a “land of gloom” but Jesus brings light to it.  Jesus brings “abundant joy and great rejoicing” to his people. 

Jesus does this in being born just like us.

However, the light Jesus brings is far more than just looking at him as a baby.  Jesus comes to smash the yoke that burdens us, the yoke of sin.

Paul writes to Titus speaking of what Jesus does:

  1. He comes to save all.
  2. He comes to train “us to reject godless ways and worldly desires.”
  3. He comes to help us “live temperately, justly, and devoutly.”
  4. He gives himself “to deliver us from all lawlessness.”

Jesus delivers us by freely giving his life on the Cross for our sins.  He rises to lead us to the resurrection.

What Jesus gives, the world cannot give.  How much time do we spend looking for lasting happiness in worldly things, only to desire something more?  We are created to know God and to be loved by God.  Only God can fulfill us.  Jesus comes to save us. 

When we look at a nativity scene, we see a stable.  We see animals and the straw for their bedding.  We see Joseph who will raise Jesus as his son.  We see Mary who, when the angel Gabriel told her she had chosen to carry Jesus in her womb, replied, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word.”

We thank Mary for her “yes.” 

All we see in the nativity scene is good but the greatest thing we see is at the center of the nativity scene, Jesus.

When we see baby Jesus, we are filled with “abundant joy” not just at seeing a baby.  That alone gives joy but seeing baby Jesus gives us great hope because we know He loves us and we know all that He does for us.

Today we rejoice, “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.”  Today we rejoice at what God has done.

May we be transformed by what we celebrate today to live everyday loving God and loving our neighbor. 

Father, thy will be done.

Keeping God First

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As I write this we are just a couple of days from Christmas. Christmas this year will be different because of the Coronavirus. However, no matter how different your celebration is, it will still be Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. We can still rejoice at the words of the angel to the shepherds, “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord” (Luke 2:11). Thanks be to God.

Are you ready for Christmas? Have you completed your shopping? Gift giving is an important part of Christmas for many. However, we pray that it not be about things but the love expressed in the giving.

How about decorating? Do the decorations you use reflect your faith in Jesus? Evergreen trees remind us of everlasting life. The tree points up to Heaven. Lights on the trees and houses remind us that Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12).

Christmas is not about material things. Remember what Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). Material things are neither good or bad. It is our attachment to them that can lead us away from God. Paul expresses this well in 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.“

We live in a multicultural society. We are called to tolerance and pluralism of different cultures and beliefs. Jesus calls us to love our neighbor as the second greatest commandment. We are to love all, not just those who believe the same thing as we do. However, we must keep to our faith for the greatest commandment is to love God. We must hold to the truth that Jesus brings.

Who do we go to for help? Ultimately, it should be God that we turn to. However, that does not exclude human help as long as we keep God first. We can turn to friends and neighbors for help. We can turn to churches and non-profits for help. We can also turn to government for help.

Governments exist for the good of their people. We should be able to turn to our governments for help. However, one should consider the attitude we do this with. Do we expect the government to fix everything with blind trust in them? Do we expect the government to bail us out and set aside our faith in the process?

Do you put God first in your life?

Who is God to you?

Is God part of every day of your life or just someone you go to in times of trouble? God is always there for us when we are in trouble. God is always with us when things are going well. Do we thank God for the good things?

Some people have taking the “god” out of God, meaning they believe there is a superior being who created the universe (this is often called the “Intelligent Design” approach to the creation of the universe. However, for them, god is not all-powerful and/or all-knowing. He is simply more powerful and intelligent than we are. Some who think this way think god no longer exists or that he no longer cares about us.

In faith, we know and believe that God is indeed all-powerful and all-knowing. God created the universe and still cares for it and his people today. God does this because He loves us.

Governments do not have all the answers. It is God who has all the answers. If we are to be God’s people, it is God who we must turn to for the truth. As we read in John 8:31-32, “Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Where do you go for truth? To family? To friends? To society? To governments? They may all think they have the answers but each is limited in what they know just as we are as humans.

It is God who has the answers we seek, the answers we need in order to truly live.

Jesus said, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

4th Sunday of Advent, Year B – Homily

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4th Sunday of Advent, Year B
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29 (2a)
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-28
December 20, 2020

David had become a great king, living in a great palace.  There, “the LORD had given him rest from his enemies.” 

Knowing what the Lord had done for him, King David said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent.”

The ark of God, the Ark of the Covenant, contained the Ten Commandments.  The Ark was the very presence of God among the people.  David saw it as unfitting that the Lord should not have a temple of his own.

Nathan agreed with David but before David could begin building a temple the Lord spoke to Nathan to say it was not for David to build the temple.

Before we jump to the conclusion that this means we shouldn’t have church buildings, please note that the Lord did have a place to dwell.  It was a tent but it was what God had directed and it was no ordinary tent.  It was the Tabernacle.  If you read the story of the Exodus, you will hear the specific instructions God gave about the “tent”.

The Lord goes on speaking to Nathan to remind him of the great things the Lord has done for David. 

Then the Lord delivers his promise of a great heir who will establish a house of David.

We see a partial immediate fulfillment of this promise in David’s son, Solomon, who will build a great temple. 

We see the ultimate fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to David in the coming of Jesus.  Through many kings, some who were good, and some who were bad, the Lord continued the lineage (house) of David through the centuries. 

While there were kings who disobedient, Jesus came obedient to the Father, even to the point of death on the Cross for us.

It is with Jesus as the king that the kingdom “shall endure forever.”

Our gospel today tells the story of the beginning of Jesus’ time on earth at his conception.

“The angel Gabriel was sent from God…to a virgin betrothed to a man name Joseph.”

Virgin.  Betrothed.  Joseph.

Why a virgin?  So that it would be clear this happened by the power of God and for Mary’s womb to be pure.

Why betrothed?  And why specifically mention Joseph?  Because a family with a good mother and good father is what God intends.  It doesn’t always happen but it is the Lord’s desire.

The angel Gabriel greets Mary, “Hail, full of grace!  The Lord is with you.”  Mary was immaculately conceived.  She is “full of grace!”

Yet Mary was “greatly troubled” by this greeting and “pondered what sort of greeting” it was.  Gabriel assured her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”  Gabriel assures her that God is with her.

Gabriel tells Mary she has been chosen to conceive Jesus in her womb and that He “will be called Son of the Most High.”

Mary wonders, “How can this be” for she has never been with a man.  Mary is not doubting God.  She seeks understanding.  She asks in faith.

The angel Gabriel answers her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

This is enough for Mary.  With “obedience of faith”, she said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”  Mary says yes.  This is known as Mary’s “fiat” (“fiat” means “let it be done).

From her yes Jesus, the Son of God, comes to dwell in her womb.  Mary’s womb becomes a tabernacle, housing the Lord.

When have you said yes to God?

When have you said no to God?

When have you said “not yet” to God?

Not yet?  Are you holding back?  I think of St. Augustine who had led an immoral life until his conversion, admitting at first, he prayed, “Make me chaste but not yet.” 

In saying “not yet”, we are saying that there are other things we want to do over what the Lord asks of us.

The Lord wants to dwell in our hearts.  He wants us to be temples of the Holy Spirit.  When we say “no” we do not let the Lord in.  When we say, “not yet”, we hold God at a distance.

Are you willing to say to God, “may be done to me according to your word”?

Angels

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As we draw near to Christmas, we hear from the Bible of the role that angels played in the birth of Jesus. This Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B) we hear the story of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38), when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Even before that, in Luke 1:5-25, the angel Gabriel had appeared to Zechariah to tell him that Elizabeth would have John the Baptist as their child.

In Matthew 1:18-25, we hear of the angel who appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell them that Mary had conceived by the power of God and that he was to take Mary and Jesus into his home.

In Luke 2:1-14, we hear the story of the birth of Jesus. An “angel of the Lord” appears to the shepherds to tell them, “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.” This is followed by the “multitude of the heavenly host with the angel praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Then, in Matthew 2:13-15, an “angel of the Lord” again appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him to flee to Egypt with Jesus and Mary to protect them from King Herod.

In all of these stories, we hear angels performing one of their primary duties, delivering a message from God. In fact, the word “angel” means messenger. The word “angel” appears in the Bible (New American Bible Revised Edition) 295 times. In those 295 times there are various roles fulfilled by angels. Hebrews 12:22b speaks of the “countless angels.” They do many things.

Before looking at other roles of angels, let us answer a more general question, “Who are the angels?” The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church answers in question 60, “The angels are purely spiritual creatures, incorporeal, invisible, immortal, and personal beings endowed with intelligence and will. They ceaselessly contemplate God face-to-face and they glorify him. They serve him and are his messengers in the accomplishment of his saving mission to all.”

Angels do appear in bodily form to be able to communicate with us but they are “purely spiritual creatures.” They are invisible. They are part of what God has made, “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible” (Nicene Creed).

The angels also have “intelligence and will.” They have free will (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 311). Unfortunately, not all angels use their free will to do good (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 391-395 on the Fall of the Angels).

Among the fallen angels is their leader, Satan (aka the devil, the tempter, the serpent). Genesis 3:1-5 speaks of the snake (serpent) as the cunning one who leaves Adam and Eve into the first sin, eating the forbidden fruit. Satan is this serpent.

Satan continues to try to lure us into sin. There is hope. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says in paragraph 395, “The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite.” Satan can be defeated.

Revelation 12:1-18 tells of the defeat of the dragon, Satan, in Heaven. The archangel led this battle through the power of God. When the battle is won by God’s forces, the fallen angels are cast out. Here we see another role of the angels. They are our protectors against evil. St. Michael’s role here is why we say The Prayer to St. Michael for help in the battle against evil.

We each have a guardian angel. We know this from the Bible. Psalm 91:11 reads, “For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go.” In Matthew 18:10, Jesus himself speaks of the angels watching over us.

There are three angels that we know by name from the Bible. We call them Archangels, two of who I already mentioned, Michael and Gabriel. The third is Raphael who read we can read about in the Book of Tobit in the Old Testament. The term “archangel” is specifically used in the New Testament in Jude 9 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

As the angels protect us, they also come to Jesus’ aid when Satan tempts him in the desert (see Matthew 4:1-11, cf. Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13).

Angels, related to their roles as messengers and guardians, also serve as guides. As the Israelites are led out from slavery in Egypt, we hear that the angel of God was leading the Israelites (Exodus 14:19). The Lord assures us, “See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared” (Exodus 23:20).

The last role I will discuss today fulfilled by the angels is that of harvesters. In Matthew 13:36-43, Jesus speaks of the harvest at the end of the ages, “and the harvesters are angels” (Matthew 13:39).

I will end with a link to my series, Our Saints and Intercessors. In the first presentation, I offer an introduction to the saints, including much of the same material covered here on the angels.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Invitation to New Webinar Series

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For those of you who are regular readers of my blog, you are used to learning of the presentations I do and being provided a link to view the video of the presentation and handouts after the presentation is given.

I started doing regular in-person presentations in 2013 and making the videos and handouts available on my website.  I very much enjoy doing this.  However, 2020 brought a change with the arrival of the Coronavirus.  It was necessary to shift from in-person presentations to live webinars hosted on Zoom.  Thankfully, these webinars are recorded.  So, the videos and handouts continue to be available on my website, www.renewaloffaith.org. 

So far, the webinars have only been advertised within St. Luke the Evangelist Parish where I serve.  I have discerned that it is time to expand that.  You can all now sign up to watch the webinars live!

Beginning in January, I will offer a new series, Treating Life with Dignity and Love, discussing the prolife teaching of our Catholic faith.  Many people know the Catholic Church is against abortion, assisted-suicide, and the death penalty.  However, not as many people know the reason why.  In this new series, I hope to help people understand Catholic Church teaching on life issues from the beginning of life at conception until to the point of natural death.  This includes how we care for people throughout their entire lives.  This will include discussing how we are called to speak up for life and how we can help people choose life.

The webinars will be held the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm beginning on January 13th via Zoom webinar.  Preregistration is required.  You can register now for the first webinar in this series at

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CoOonwfOTsy8DQ4f2LejiA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Our Two Creeds

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In our Catholic faith, we have two formal creeds, the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. However, having two creeds does not mean we profess two different faiths. The two creeds are very similar in their content (you can see them side by side at https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/50/).

The Apostles’ Creed is the older of the two creeds, tracing its origins back to the early church. As one was baptized, they were asked a series of questions. Their answers expressed their belief as Christians. Even today, we use this question form for baptisms. We also use it when we renew our baptismal promises at Easter and Confirmation (see “Keeping Our Baptismal Promises”).

The questions that were asked in the apostolic time of the Church developed into what we call the Apostles’ Creed today. It is a basic summary of our faith. It can be used at Mass and is said in the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

One might ask why we call it a creed. Both creeds start with the words, “I believe.” In Latin, this is “credo”, from which we get the word “creed.” Our creeds are basic summaries of our faith. As such, they are also called “Professions of Faith” (in saying the creeds, we profess what we believe) and “Symbols of Faith” (see the Catechism of the Church paragraphs 185-197).

If the Apostles’ Creed dates back to the early church and is a summary of our faith, why do we have a second Creed, the Nicene Creed (which is commonly used at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days)? The Nicene Creed is longer. Was something missing in the Apostles’ Creed?

It was not that something was missing. Each creed developed in response to the issues facing the Church at the time of their writing. As such, while the Apostles’ Creed is shorter, it includes specific mention that Jesus descended into Hell and explicitly refers to the Communion of Saints, neither of which is explicitly mentioned in the Nicene Creed. The Church had not stopped believing in these two teachings. In fact, they were probably taken for granted, resulting in them not being included.

The Nicene Creed developed in the fourth century in response to heresies and questions of the time. Central to these were questions about Jesus. Was He human, divine, or both? How did Jesus relate to the Father and the Holy Spirit?

These questions were so important that councils were convened. In the development of the Nicene Creed, the first of the two key councils was the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. (hence the name Nicene Creed). The second was the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D., from which the Nicene Creed is sometimes called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed.

Both of these creeds are good and important summaries of our faith. That is why we continue to use both.

If you would like to learn more about the faith we profess in the creeds, you can see my five-part presentation series, We Profess, We Believe at http://www.renewaloffaith.org/the-creed.html (recorded in 2015).

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B
Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11
Responsorial – Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54 (Isaiah 61:10b)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28
December 13, 2020

The time for the long-awaited messiah is near.  To prepare the way of the Lord, “John was sent from God.”  John came to give testimony, “to testify to the light.”

His testimony is to help the people know Jesus.  John’s mission is not about himself for “he was not the light.”  John only spoke the truth, freely admitting, “I am not the Christ.” 

He does identify himself (from Isaiah) as “the voice crying out in the desert.  ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.”  He also freely admits that he is not even worthy to untie the sandals of Jesus.

Thinking of our own worthiness, we come today continuing our season of Advent.  Advent is a special time to prepare ourselves for the Second Coming.  This is a penitential time, a time to reflect on our sins.  The liturgical color for Advent is violent.

Thinking about our sins may make us feel down.  Upon returning to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile, the Israelites were feeling down because they found the Temple and Jerusalem in ruins. 

It is in the midst of that, with “the spirit of the Lord GOD” was upon him that Isaiah was sent to “bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners.” 

In the midst of their sorrow, Isaiah gave the Israelites reason to rejoice.  Isaiah himself rejoiced heartily in the Lord knowing, “in my God is the joy of my soul.”

We might struggle in sorrow and suffering but we can rejoice!

In the midst of this penitential season of Advent, today is Gaudete Sunday.  I said before that the liturgical color for Advent is violent.  However, obviously I am wearing rose.  Rose is the color for Gaudete Sunday.  It is a color of warmth.  It is a color of rejoicing! 

Gaudete means to rejoice.  We find the word “rejoice” in both our first and second reading today as well as in our responsorial. 

How can we rejoice in a penitential time?  Our sins are bad but we rejoice because Jesus came and died for our sins to make eternal life in Heaven possible for us. 

How can we rejoice when we experience difficulties in our lives?  Look at Mary.  Our responsorial today (normally from a psalm) comes from Luke’s Gospel.  Mary is pregnant.  She could fear how she will be treated for getting pregnant before getting married.  She doesn’t.  She knows this is by the power of God.  She trusts God.  She knows God is with her. 

Mary cries out, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”  She knows God is with her.

In Mary’s trust, she gives testimony to what God does for her.

Do we give testimony to who God is?  Do we give good testimony to who God is?

Our response to what we experience in this world gives testimony to God.  If our response shows faith in God, we give “good” testimony.

It isn’t always easy.  We struggle.  We get discouraged.  At least I know I do.  I ask for God’s help to help me see past the discouraging things so that I can live in hope of what is to come.  This leads to rejoicing.

Paul calls us to “Rejoice always.  Pray without ceasing.  In all circumstances give thanks.”

God is always with us, even when things seem difficult.  When we can see past the sufferings, we can see the ways God has blessed us and we can be thankful.  We can rejoice.

This can change the way we look at things.  It changes our perspective.

For instance, in this time of the Coronavirus, we can lament having to wear face masks and social distancing.  I don’t like either.  However, I see a positive in them.  At times I feel powerless to do anything about the virus.  However, I see face masks and social distancing as something I can do to make the situation “better.” 

You see my concern in the Coronavirus is not getting it myself.  My concern is in giving it to someone else.  I look forward to the day when we don’t have to wear face masks and social distance.  For now, I’m glad that there is something I can do to help.

Let us ask the Lord to trust in hope so that we may live with gratitude even in the midst of suffering.  In doing so, we can rejoice!

Some Thoughts on Advent

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Recently a friend suggested I write an article about Advent here. Honestly, my first reaction was to think I talk about Advent regularly in my Sunday homilies that are posted on this blog. (You can find them at https://blog.renewaloffaith.org/blog/?cat=223.)

You can also find an article I wrote on the liturgical year in general, including one paragraph on Advent at http://www.renewaloffaith.org/the-liturgical-year.html. Is there something more to be said?

Still, while there is already material on my blog and website, that doesn’t preclude me from writing something now. So, today I offer two ideas on Advent.

The first idea involves why we can benefit from having the season of Advent. As I often say in my homilies, the word “advent” means “coming.” Our readings during our Advent season invite us to reflect on the significance of the first coming of Jesus that we will celebrate at Christmas and to ask ourselves if we are prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus.

Of course, we can do this at anytime of the year but do we? We might have good intentions to always be prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus. However, the reality often is, if we are not reminded to prepare ourselves, we slack off. If we slack off, we probably aren’t ready. We look forward to our celebration of the first coming of Jesus at Christmas. It is a good time to focus, to prepare ourselves for the Second Coming. You can find more about Advent as a season and why Jesus became Incarnate at his first coming in my presentation, Advent Preparing for the Incarnation.

That’s my first idea for today on Advent. My second idea is to talk briefly about the origin and symbolism of the Advent Wreath.

According to Ann Ball in her book, A Handbook of Catholic Sacramentals (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division. 1991), “The Advent wreath is a Lutheran custom which originated in eastern Germany a few hundred years ago” (67).

She says, “The wreath, an ancient symbol of victory, symbolizes the fulfillment of time in the coming of Christ and the glory of His birth” (68).

Normally, the Advent wreath is displayed on a table, although in churches sometimes it is suspended from the ceiling. It is often used in churches but can also be used at home as part of the family praying together.

It normally includes evergreen branches as seen in Christmas trees. The use of “evergreen” serves as a symbol of everlasting life.

The Advent wreath uses four candles, marking the passing of the four weeks of Advent. Three of the candles are violet, reminding us that the liturgical color for the season of Advent is violent. Historically, violent is a color symbolizes penance for our sins. Advent is a penitential time as we repent of our sins to prepare the way of the Lord.

The remaining candle is rose. It is a color symbolizes warmth and rejoicing. The rose candle represents the Third Sunday of Advent known as Gaudete Sunday. “Gaudete” means “rejoice”. We may be saddened by the realization that we have sinned but we rejoice that Jesus comes to save us from our sins.

The lighting of the candles served a functional purpose before electricity to provide light in churches but the light is also right in symbolism as Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12). Jesus brings light to the darkness. Thank you Jesus!

There is also a secular symbolism to candles that is relevant for our use of candles. Ball says, “Carrying tapers was one sign of respect for the high dignitaries of the Roman Empire” (192). Jesus is the Light of the World. He is also our king. He is greater than any earthly king. He is a great “dignitary” for all who believe in him.

So, that’s my thoughts on Advent for today.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff