Is Christmas a birthday or memorial celebration?

Homily for the Nativity of the Lord Year B 2014-2015

Introduction

Recently while visiting my god-son’s family, I overheard this conversation between him and his sister.

She said: “Christmas is the birthday of Jesus.”  To which my god-son, who is quite smart, responded: “No.  If Christmas is the birthday of Jesus, why don’t mum and dad give gifts to Jesus, but they give them to us?”

Of course I did not intervene in their little debate, but I was very proud of these kids, who in their simple way are already trying to understand what Christmas really is.  Well beyond his years, my god-son recognizes the complexity of Christmas, something that Christians throughout history have grappled with.

Scripture and Theology

Take the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John); for example; they all tell the story of the birth of Jesus very differently.

·        Mark says nothing about the birth of Jesus but rather begins his gospel with the public ministry of Jesus.  It is as if he is skipping over the minor details and going straight to the teaching of Jesus, to his suffering, death and resurrection – the heart of the Christian message.  We could compare Mark’s gospel to a biography of Abraham Lincoln that focuses just on his political life and says nothing about his birth and childhood.

·        John for his part begins his gospel with a dense theological essay, which we read during the Mass on Christmas Day.  Rather than give us the beautiful stories about the angels, the shepherds, baby Jesus, John tells us the meaning of the whole thing.  He says that God, in his Son, has come into the world and by becoming a human being, has united heaven and earth.  Jesus does this by his word and example, but especially by giving his life on the cross.  We can compare John’s coverage of the birth of Jesus, not to the front page news story, but to the editorial on page 8, that gives a commentary on what Jesus’ birth means.

·        Matthew tells us the story of Jesus’ birth in quite some detail, but he does so with some sadness and foreboding.  For him the birth of Jesus is an introduction to the main story, which is, his death and resurrection.  Matthew hints at this theme when in the Christmas story he writes about the hostility of Herod, the indifference of the Jews, the slaughter of the Holy Innocents and the flight of the holy family into Egypt.  We can compare Matthew to a novelist who hints at his main theme at the beginning of the book and then develops that theme throughout the novel.

·        It is Luke’s gospel that highlights the joyful aspects of the Lord’s birth.  We read him at the midnight Mass and the Mass at dawn.  Luke tells us about “the sky being lit up, an angel of God appearing to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus and a multitude of heavenly hosts singing God’s praise” like we do in the Gloria.  Luke “speaks of tidings of great joy, nothing to fear, peace on earth, and most especially the good news that a Savior has been born, a Savior who is both Messiah and Lord.”  We can compare Luke’s gospel to the feel-good feature story of the newspaper.

And so, given the way different ways the Christmas story is told, is Christmas a birthday celebration for Jesus?  On the one hand especially Luke’s gospel gives the birth of Jesus all the markings of a great birthday celebration: joyful news, beautiful singing and a great party.  On the other hand the other gospels either don’t tell the story at all or tone down its more joyful aspects and therefore suggest that birthday image does not fully tell us what Christmas is.  As my god-son pointed out, at Christmas, Jesus receives no gifts – we receive gifts.  We receive the gift of God coming into our world to die for us and to restore our friendship with God.  And that is what we celebrate at the Christmas Masses.

Christian Life

Does this mean that we therefore should throw out all our festive Christmas traditions?  No, rather, we should look for the meaning of Christmas behind these signs and symbols.  Let us see in the ever green Christmas trees a symbol of the everlasting life that Jesus is born to bring us; let us see in the Christmas lights the light that Christ’s birth brings into this dark world; and let us see in the Christmas decorations the everlasting banquet that awaits us in heaven.

Even the practice of giving Christmas cards and Christmas gifts can remind us of why Jesus was born into this world.  Yes, writing Christmas cards can be tedious and we would rather use Twitter, messaging and email.  Yes, shopping for Christmas gifts can be a nightmare, especially deciding whether to give him the sweater or the socks.  But giving and receiving Christmas cards and gifts reminds us of self-giving love of God, who sends his Son to the world to become one like us.  While we cannot do as Jesus did, that is, give our lives for another, we can give something that is dear to those we love, without expectation of reward.  I know some families that occasionally decide to not to give Christmas gifts to each other, but instead pool the money together and give it to some worthy cause such as the needy or the missions.

So when you go back home and open those presents under the tree, can you see beyond that pair of socks and that gift-card to Walmart, and appreciate the Christian love that they represent.  And on your part, perhaps you might look back with satisfaction on realizing that your efforts in giving gifts to family members and friends was your way of sharing God’s love for the world.

God’s love contained in Christmas is perhaps best symbolized by all the ways in which Christmas is a time of peace, reconciliation and communion.

·        Many families and friends come together for dinner and conversation, perhaps one of only a few times they do so.  In my home country of Uganda, the whole village celebrates Christmas, Catholics, Protestants and Muslims alike.  Even Muslims who don’t believe that Jesus is God are happy to rejoice with us, because they know that the birth of the Lord means something special for us Christians.  They don’t greet us with the generic “Happy Holidays,” but wish us “Merry Christmas,” because we celebrate the birth of the Lord for us.  Of course we also reciprocate and send them the appropriate greetings on their Muslim and Hindu feast days.

·        You may have heard of the famous Christmas truce during the First World War that happened exactly 100 years ago today.  According to the account of the soldiers who were there, on Christmas Day in 1914, German and English soldiers stopped fighting for a while and crossed into no-man’s land, to wish each other Merry Christmas, sing Christmas carols and exchange cigarettes.  They took photographs with each, played soccer and used the occasion to bury their dead in joint funeral services.  For a little while, these men realized the true meaning of Christmas – that Jesus was born into this world, to bring peace on earth among men.

Conclusion

As someone said, as soon as we are born, we begin to die.  This is far truer in the case of Jesus, whose only reason for being born, for coming into this world, was so that he might die for our sins and restore us to God’s friendship.

Let us celebrate Christmas, therefore, not as a birthday celebration, but more like a memorial celebration, when we remember the birth and life of someone who did so much for us, and who has had a lasting influence on our own lives.

Mary’s response – faith seeking understanding

Homily for Advent – 4^th Sunday Year B 2014-2015

2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

Introduction

How should you respond to incredible news, to information that goes counter to everything you know, perhaps information that turns your world upside down?

This is the situation that Mary faces when the angel Gabriel appears to her telling her, that she, a virgin, is going to bear a son.

During my six years of teaching at the Seminary, I have realized that whenever I say something that the students have never heard before or that is counter-intuitive, I can expect one of three responses.

·        First, there is the student who will shrug his shoulders and ignore the new information, saying to himself: “I don’t believe you and I really don’t care.”

·        Second, there is the smart alec, who will push back and will to trip me up with questions to prove me wrong.

·        The third kind of student, my favourite, is on the one hand disturbed by the new information, but is also intrigued by it and wants to know more.  And so often he will ask questions, not to prove me wrong, but wanting me to clarify a little more about what I just said.

And so perhaps those among us who are teachers will recognize these three students:  the indifferent one, combative one and the one seeking to learn more.

Which of these three responses does Mary give on receiving the incredible proposition from the angel Gabriel?

Scripture and Theology

Place yourself for a moment in Mary’s shoes!  You’re a young virgin, about 15-16 years old.  You are already engaged to marry Joseph.  The wedding date has been set a year in advance as required by your parish and you have already booked the church and the priest.  Your mother is already running crazy with the wedding plans.  Although he is a little older and he is not that rich, you are not picky.  You are looking forward to life with Joseph, who is really a good man and will put food on the table.  You look forward to having perhaps six children; three boys to help their dad in the carpentry workshop, and three girls to help with domestic work.  All your childhood dreams seem to be going smoothly!

Then an angel comes to you with this shocking news!

Hail Mary, full of grace!  The Lord is with you!  You have found favour with God and you are going to be the Mother of his Son.

This news is rather disturbing, because if you accept the proposition, then you will have to abandon all your well-laid out plans.  Besides, the news itself is rather implausible, since you know where babies come from.  And so, if you can imagine being in Mary’s shoes, now consider her response.

·        Mary’s response is not like that of the indifferent student.  Nor is it like that of the combative student.  Combativeness is the response of Zechariah the father of John the Baptist.  When the same angel Gabriel told him that his elderly wife was going to give birth to a son, he pushed back asking: “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years” (Lk. 1:18).  And you might want to remember this for yourself, apparently angels don’t like being challenged and they especially don’t like having the message they carry doubted, like Zechariah did.  We know what happened to Zechariah – he was struck dumb and could not speak until the birth of his son, John.

Mary’s response is rather that of the third kind of student, the one who is intrigued by the new information and wants to learn more.  And so she asks the angel to clarify: "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And when the angel has given her more information, explaining to her that she will bear a son by the power of the Holy Spirit and giving her the example of Elizabeth who has conceived a son in her old age, Mary not only believes the angel, but now also understands.  In those famous words, Mary says to the angel:  "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word."  Her question, asked in trust and confidence, has allowed her to give herself totally to the Lord.

Christian Life

This gospel passage is given to us during the Advent season, because just like John the Baptist, Mary plays an important role in the coming of the Messiah.  She actively works with God in bringing the Saviour into this world.  Unlike David who wants to build for God a house of brick and mortar, Mary provides her body to be that house, that channel through which God comes into this world.  And she does this with filled with the kind of faith that wants to know more.

You and I are presented with incredible propositions in our Christian lives.  Just think of some of the teachings of our Catholic faith, which often run counter to our experience and our knowledge.

·        We have doctrines that seem to go against reason, such as Jesus being both true God and true man, such as God being one in three persons, such as a virgin giving birth to a child.

·        We have commandments that seem to go against our natural inclinations, such as the teachings on monogamous marriage, the protection of life from the womb to the tomb, the constant call to care for the poor and needy.

How do we respond when God asks of us what seems impossible or too much?

We cannot simply ignore God’s teaching and say to him, “I don’t believe and I don’t care to understand.”  Nor can we fight God’s Word, as some try to do by actively promoting activities, lifestyles and teachings contrary to God’s Word. Rather, like Mary faced head on the incredible news given to her, we also must engage these teachings by seeking to understand better by asking the Lord: “How can this be?”

God doesn’t seem to mind our questions, as long as our questions are based in trust rather than in doubt.

·        We can ask God these questions in our personal prayer and meditation.  Sometimes we think that the prayer life of saints was very tranquil and calm.  Many actually had a rather active prayer life in which they asked God some tough questions.  Mother Theresa for example, as she took care of the poor and needy, spoke to God wondering loudly, why there was suffering in the world.

·        We can ask also God our questions by studying our faith.  Surely the extent of our learning cannot be just the readings and the ten minute homily we hear at Sunday Mass.  We have to read the Catechism, the Bible, the Pope’s teaching, read in his own words, not via CNN or Fox News, and many other resources such as our deacons, priests and bishops: “How can this be?”

Conclusion

And so, it is not enough that we believe God’s word; we have to understand it.  And when we don’t understand, like Mary we can ask for some more explanation, especially since we have only a poor human intellect.  As one wise teacher said, there is no such thing as a stupid question or in our case an irreverent question.  Like Mary, may we show our love for God and know our mission in life by engaging his Word seriously, even by asking the question: “How can this be?”

Pointing to Jesus in humble witness and grateful service

Homily for Advent – 3^rd Sunday Year B 2014-2015

Isaiah 61:1-2,10-11; 1 Thess 5:16-24; John 1:6-8,19-28

Introduction

Nobody likes to play second fiddle to another; most of us like being in the limelight, being number one.  But in life, often only one person can be in the limelight, and the rest of us support that person.

At a wedding for example, it would be a pity if the guests confused the best-man for the bridegroom; it would be an even greater pity, if they confused one of the bridesmaids for the bride.  Thankfully, most brides go to great lengths to avoid that mistake, by ensuring that nobody else dresses like them, so I have heard.

Scripture and Theology

John the Baptist has no desire to be confused for the Christ.  When the Jews sent him messengers to ask if he was the Christ, the Messiah that was to come, he flatly denies it.  “I am not the Messiah,” he says, but “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord.’”  In other words, his job is to point to and prepare the way for the Messiah.

But why in the first place would the Jews confuse John the Baptist for the Messiah?

·        For starters, they had been waiting for a messiah for a really long time.  Already in Genesis, God promised that the Seed of Eve, that is the Messiah, would crush the evil that the snake had brought into the world.

·        Even at the time of Abraham, Moses and especially the Prophets, God promises to send a Messiah to free his people.  Isaiah in Chapter 9, for example, prophesies about a child being born to us, one who shall be called: “Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.”

And so, John the Baptist seems to fit the bill.  He is eccentric, in fact, quite eccentric in his lifestyle, in his words and in his actions.

·        Like a homeless man, he lives in the desert, eats locusts and wild honey, and dresses in camel hair.

·        But his preaching is also strange.  He say that the Kingdom of God is at hand, and he asks people to prepare the ways of the Lord and to make straight his paths, that is to change their ways and return to the Lord.

·        Most of all he carries out this dramatic ritual, which had never been done before, of baptising people in the Jordan River, for the forgiveness of sins.

And so the Jews could be forgiven for thinking John was the messiah and asking him: “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”

But John the Baptist knows his role and is very comfortable with it.  He is comfortable with playing second fiddle to Jesus the Messiah.  He uses three examples to point away from himself towards the Messiah.

·        In Mark’s gospel (1:8) John says: “I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.”

·        And in John’s gospel (1:26-27) that we just read today the Baptist says: “there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”

·        And later in John’s gospel (3:29-30), the Baptist uses the wedding image saying: “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.”  And then John concludes: “So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease.”

And so, John is content to baptize only with water, content to be the best man standing by the bridegroom, content to decrease so the Messiah might increase.

Christian Life

In this Advent season of watching and waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord, John the Baptist teaches us how to wait.  We cannot wait in idleness, but must wait by pointing others to the Messiah just like John the Baptist does.  And we do this in humility and gratitude.

Often we point others to Jesus without even having to say a word about the gospel, but just by living it.  After all, that is what Jesus told us to do: “your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Mt. 5:16).

·        We point to Jesus in our daily lives, in the routine things we do, such as taking the children to school or going to do Christmas shopping or just earning our daily bread.

·        We point to Jesus when people see in us the joy, peace and love that come from knowing Jesus and being in love with him.

Our witness to Jesus in this way does not require us to do anything spectacular or extraordinary; we kill two birds with one stone, just being good holy Christians and at the same time by that every action pointing to Jesus.

Of course we must also point others to Jesus by actively preaching the gospel to them, like John the Baptist did.  Deacons, priests and bishops have a primary role in these efforts, but indeed all of us Catholics are called to teach what Jesus taught.  Parents and grandparents especially are called to pass on God’s Word to their children.  And this can be difficult around Christmas time, when the whole family comes together, including those members who don’t practice the faith.  Many of us Catholics are conflicted about what to do.  Should I invite such members?  Should I go to their house?  Should I say grace before the Christmas dinner, when half my family doesn’t pray?  Should I invite them to come to Christmas Mass with me?

However we point others to Jesus, whether it is by our ordinary day to day witness or whether it is by actively teaching about the faith, we must do so in humility and in gratitude to God.

What we do is not really of our own making; our efforts are a gift from God.  Like John the Baptist, we should realize that is not about you or me and what you or me want; our efforts of witness and evangelization are about Jesus and what he wants.  We must do our work in bringing others to Christ or bringing Christ to them with humility and not with a sense of triumphalism.

And especially when we do a good job, there is a temptation to let that success go to our heads. John the Baptist certainly faced that temptation, given all the crowds that were coming to him.  By any standards, his work was successful.  As a priest, for example, people will come to you after Mass, and say, “good job Father.”  I should respond politely of course, saying, “Thanks be to God” who has enabled me to be a worthy mouthpiece for his message.  Perhaps as a parent, as a teacher, as a parishioner you do very well.  John the Baptist teaches us to steer the praise received away from us, since in truth we don’t do it all by ourselves, but steer it towards God, the source of all blessings.

Conclusion

Finally the only reason the Jews came to John the Baptist to ask if he was the Messiah was because in some way he looked like and behaved like the Messiah.

We too therefore have to be Christ-like in some way, Christ-like enough for people to make the connection between us and Christ.  For if we don’t resemble Jesus in some way, whether it is in our beliefs, worship or good deeds, how can we point others to him?  We must resemble Jesus enough to be confused for him and at the same we must point away from ourselves because as preachers and doers of the gospel, we are nothing but humble and grateful servants of the Lord, content and eager to play second fiddle to the Master.

Preparing the way for the Lord

Homily for Advent – 2^nd Sunday Year B 2014-2015Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8

Introduction

Why does John the Baptist tell the people: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths?”

To come here every weekend, I travel 8.2 miles from the door at Notre Dame Seminary where I live, to the door of this church.  And usually, if there is no traffic, it takes me about 15 minutes to get here.  That is because the roads are generally smooth.  I take Carrollton Avenue, get onto the I-10 interstate, then on to the Bridge, the General De Gaulle exit and I am here in Algiers.

Although the last few streets, Landry, Whitney and Opelousas are a bit rough, they are nothing compared to the bad roads in Uganda.  One of my mission churches when I was pastor in Uganda was about the same distance away.  But it took me nearly an hour to get there, because the dirt roads had a million pot holes, the swampy area had no bridge, and some places just had no road.

The roads in Palestine, were probably like the roads in Uganda needing repair, especially when an important guest, like a king was visiting.  Preparing the roads, therefore, was an image that the Jewish people would understand immediately.  And that is why John the Baptist uses it to explain his message. 

Scripture and Theology

His message is that the Saviour of the World is coming and so the people should prepare their hearts for him. The prophet Isaiah had warned about this already:

Every valley shall be filled in,

every mountain and hill shall be made low;

the rugged land shall be made a plain,

the rough country, a broad valley.

John the Baptist wants the people to put this image into practice: to fill in the valleys, to level the mountains, smoothen the rugged land and broaden the narrow country roads.  But they are to do this in their hearts.

To help them make this preparation, John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  In other words, for the people, preparing the ways and paths required two things: repentance and baptism.

Repentance meant that they turned from their old ways of sin and returned to the ways of the Lord. God has chosen the people of Israel as his own special people.  And he made a special agreement with them at the time of Moses; that he would be their God, and that they would be his people, following his commandments.  But time and again, they had reneged on their end of the deal; they had sinned over and over again and sometimes they had sinned very seriously, like when they turned to other gods.

And so, John, by his fiery teaching and by the example of his very austere life in the desert, calls the people to conversion.  They must once again honour the deal their forefathers had made with God, that is, to follow the commands of the Lord.  They had to change completely.

The second requirement was to show outwardly this decision to change.  The outward sign for showing their conversion was baptism in water, the baptism of John the Baptist.  Already in their traditions, ritual washing with water, was a sign of inner purification.  And as we heard:

People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem

were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River

as they acknowledged their sins.

And so, people prepared for the coming of Jesus, by interior conversion and by the exterior act of baptism in the water.  These are the people who will be the first disciples of Jesus.  In fact, Jesus picked some of his apostles, like James and John, from among this crowd.  The Baptist had done his part; he had helped the people prepare the way for the Lord, so that he might easily enter their hearts.

Christian Life

That message of preparation applies to us as well.  Just as the Jewish people prepared for his first coming which we remember at Christmas, we prepare for his second coming at the end of the world.  We do so throughout our daily lives and throughout the year.  But the Advent season, which ends in Christmas, is a special time to practice preparing for the Lord.  We say that we are preparing for Christmas, but in reality our Advent preparations are dress-rehearsal as we wait for the final coming.

Like John the Baptist provided his listeners with two concrete preparations, the interior conversion and the external sign of that conversion in baptism, the Church also does the same of us in the sacrament of confession.

As Advent and Christmas come towards the end of the year, this is a good opportunity to look back over and see which of our thoughts, words and actions are not compatible with the Lord’s ways.  We should examine our consciences and see what kind of potholes and broken bridges might be stopping the Lord from coming in or might be delaying his arrival in our hearts.  And then like the people who came to John the Baptist, we should fill in these potholes and rebuild the bridges, by making the conscious decision to return to the Lord’s ways.

One serious road-block to the Lord’s coming among us today is hate and anger.

·        At the international level, this hate and anger is expressed in the record number of wars in the world at this time.  Pope Francis has remarked that we might be already in the Third World War, but one happening in stages.

·        At the national and local level, our streets are full of various kinds of violence.  People kill others for the flimsiest reasons.  We take life, whether it is that of an unborn baby, or a full grown adult without giving it a second thought.

·        And then in our personal conversations and what we write on the internet, people speak with anger and hatred with such ease and frequency, that we seem to have forgotten the Lord’s teaching: “. . . I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment . . .  and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna” (Mt. 5:28).

One way we prepare for the Lord’s coming is to leave behind a life of hatred and anger and take on a life of love and peace.

Like the crowds came to John to be baptized in the Jordan River as an external sign of admitting their sins and showing their conversion, we too need to go to the priest and through that ritual, demonstrate our conversion.  Moreover, confession is far superior to the baptism of John, because in our case, at the end of the process, when the priest declares “I absolve you from your sins,” your sins are actually forgiven by God.  While John with his baptism was only pointing to the saving work of Jesus, the priest, standing as God’s delegate, dispenses the forgiveness that comes from the saving work of Jesus.

Conclusion

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths,” is a task to be done both for the first coming of Jesus and for his final coming again, whenever that is.

If Christmas is the season to be jolly, Advent is the season to be ready and prepared.  One of these days someone might say to you: “Are you ready for Christmas?”  Of course they probably are referring to the Christmas decorations, shopping, dinner, which are all important.  But can you hear in this question, the call of John the Baptist: “Have you prepared the way of the Lord?  Have you made straight his paths?”  For you want the Lord to arrive sooner, rather than later, so that it takes him 15 minutes, not one hour to find you.

We are not there yet; watching and waiting for the Lord

Homily for Advent - 1st Sunday Year B 2014-2015

 Isaiah 63:16-17, 64:1.3-8; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37

Introduction

“Are we there yet?”  When your child keeps asking this question from the back seat of the car, are they not expressing what we all experience in life, but we are too grown up to admit.  None of us likes waiting at the doctor’s office or at the DMV office; we don’t like waiting in traffic or in line at the Black Friday sales.  Human beings expect things to happen not in the future, but by yesterday.

And yet, the Christian life is itself essentially about watching and waiting.  We watch and wait for Jesus, who comes us to us from the Father.  How can we wait patiently and fruitfully, but still with enthusiasm?

Scripture and Theology

In her wisdom, the Church gives us various seasons of the Church year, with each season giving us something special for our faith.  The Advent season, which we begin today and will end on Christmas eve, teaches us how to wait.

The people of Israel waited, sometimes patiently, sometimes not so patiently, for the first coming of Jesus.  And true to his word the Son of God, came down to earth and became one of us, at Bethlehem on Christmas Day.  And from that day onwards, the world has not been the same.  Moreover, as the song tells us, “man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day.”  That is why Christmas is such an important celebration for us Christians.  But this is enough about Christmas, about the first coming!  In about four weeks time, we will have more than enough time to focus on the Lord’s birth and what his first coming means for us.

During Advent we focus on the second coming.  Like the people of Israel waited for the Lord to come the first time, we Christians wait for him to come again.  In the gospels, Jesus promises in very clear terms that he will come again.  He even uses parables to make the message loud and clear:

·        He compares his coming to that of thief coming in the night.

·        He compares his coming to that of a bridegroom for whom 10 virgins wait.

·        He compares his coming to a master returning from a long trip.

In today’s gospel, for example, he tells his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.”  Jesus is like a man travelling abroad, leaving “his servants in charge, each with his own work.”  That is exactly what Jesus did when he returned to the Father on Ascension Day.  He left his work in the hands of the Church.  He left a job for each of us to do: some are deacons, priests and bishops, others are mothers, fathers and single lay people, others are religious men and women.  In other words, our waiting cannot be idle.  We must be found doing something, when Jesus returns “whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.”

I learned something about waiting when I was growing up.  When my parents separated, I often had to help look after my three siblings, when my mother went on errands or simply to work.  At first, like any self-respecting teenager, I chose not do what my mom asked me to do; rather, I played the whole day, bossed my siblings around and each day invented new ways to be naughty. I would then try to guess when mom might be returning and get ready for her by destroying all evidence of my mischief.

Now strategy this worked sometimes, but sometimes it did not.  And I soon realized that playing Russian roulette in this way required too much energy and anxious planning.  I realized that it was much easier simply to do my chores and do the right thing always.  That way, I did not have to worry if mom came back earlier than usual.  And so, besides the rewards she gave me for finding everything in order, I received another reward for being good.  I spent my time watching and waiting with peace of mind.

Advent is a time for us Christians to get ready, to watch and wait for the Lord’s coming with peace of mind, as we ask: “Are we there yet?”

Christian Life

That is why it is unfortunate that today, even among us Catholics, we completely skip over Advent.  We move from Thanksgiving straight on to Christmas.  If we want to enter into the true Christmas spirit, we have to celebrate Advent; for Advent is a time to prepare well for Christmas – for we are not there yet.

Of course we have all the practical preparations to consider.  Where am I having Christmas dinner this year, grandma’s or the in-laws?  What about that Christmas shopping list – where can I find that latest gadget for my nieces and nephews and I might add, for my favourite priest?  And the decorations – they are not going to get put up by themselves, are they?   Yes, we need to do all these things – but is this really the extent of our preparations for Christmas?

Let me suggest that out of our busy Christmas preparations, we curve out some time for actually celebrating Advent.  There are actually some truly Catholic Advent symbols that could help us prepare.  They are not as glamorous as the Christmas ones, but nobody ever said that waiting is glamorous.

·        There is the Advent wreath, the empty manger and the Jesse tree, all pointing to the waiting and watching for the birth of the Lord.

·        We also have some customs for the feast of St. Nicholas on December 6, the feast of St. Lucy on December 13^th and of course the feasts of Our Lady on December 8 and on December 12.

·        Even at Mass, you will notice a few Advent things: the vestments are the colour purple, we don’t sing the Gloria, and the wreath has five candles which we keep lighting one by one until Christmas Day when we light the big white candle in the middle.

As important as these external signs and symbols of Advent are, even more important is the preparation we make to ourselves.

1.    Although Advent is not strictly speaking a penitential season like Lent, yet any waiting for the Lord must involve some conversion on our part.  We do this best when we examine our souls to check the health of our relationship with God, with one another and with our very selves.  And if there is something terribly amiss, we go to confession and therefore get clean as we wait for the Lord’s coming – for we are not there yet.

2.    Many parishes also hold parish missions and Advent days of prayer and study – we go to them, to be nourished by God’s Word to prepare us for his coming, for we are not there yet.

3.    And then of course as Christmas draws nearer, we make those immediate plans that I spoke about.  And just as we have learned to keep Christ in Christmas, we also remember to keep Mass in Christmas.  Our preparations for and our celebration of Christmas must include prayer.

Conclusion

But the watching and waiting we do during Advent is only practice, dress-rehearsal.  Learning to prepare well for Christmas teaches us how to prepare for when the Lord will call us, and for when he will return.  That long term waiting is something we do all our lives, and not just during the Advent season.

On Christmas Eve, perhaps after going to Mass, ask yourself:  Have I waited with the enthusiasm of a child who asks “are we there yet?” but also with the patience and hope of the adult Christian who prays: “Come Lord Jesus, Come Lord Jesus.”

Christ - a King who cares

Homily for Christ the King Sunday Year A 2014

Ezekiel 34:11-12; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26,28; Matthew 25:31-46

Introduction

As we celebrate Christ the King Sunday today, we might be asking ourselves: “Why does the Church propose the image of Christ the King to us?”

·        After all, kings aren’t out of fashion?  Just think of the bad kings of the Bible like Ahab, Ahaz and Herod!  Just think of the authoritarian kings of the Middle Ages!  Just think of King George of England, against whom this country fought for its independence!

·        And so we might ask, isn’t kingship a spent image, now used only for the ceremonial Prom King and Queen and the Mardi Gras kings and queens?

But we shouldn’t throw out the baby with the bath water.  In celebrating this feast of Christ the King, we focus on the kingship of the Lord, a kingship that cares.

Scripture and Theology

Ezekiel told us in the first reading that this is how the Lord will rule his people.

·        I myself will look after and tend my sheep.

·        I myself will give them rest.

·        The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal.

And then we heard the Psalmist in Psalm 23 taking the Lord at his word, saying:

·        The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In green pastures he gives me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.

·        He guides me in right paths for his name's sake.

·        You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

What a great shepherd to have, one who provides the things we need: food, water, spiritual guidance.  That is why the Psalmist can express the hope that given all this care from the Lord, “Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.”   Only a king who cares can provide such total contentment.

A few years ago I was fortunate to see The Lion King on stage, when they were touring New Orleans.  In that movie, there are three kings:

1.    There is Mufasa, the King of the Pride Lands, whose fights hard for the animals of his kingdom.

2.    There is Scar, the jealous brother of the King, who usurps the throne after killing his brother.

3.    Then there is Simba, the prince, the second in line to the throne.

Clearly only Mufasa comes close to being the kind of king that Christ is.

·        Mufasa is concerned about the protecting the Pride lands from the marauding hyenas, so that his subjects will have enough to eat and drink and survive.  He truly believes in the circle of life, in which each creature has a part to play in sustaining the whole Kingdom.

·        Jesus too was very concerned about the welfare of his people, healing and even feeding them with loaves and fishes.  And we read in the gospel of John that the people were so happy that he had fed them with free food and they wanted to “come and take him by force to make him king”, but “Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself” (John 6:15).

But King Mufasa is even more like Christ, because he gives up his life for his subjects.

·        King Muafasa is killed while fighting the ravenous hyenas, who allying with his brother, are attacking his kingdom and destroying it.

·        For Jesus, the only time he accepts the title of king is at the Passion, when he is in chains.  Pilate asks him if he is the King of the Jews and he admits that he is a King.  For his kingship consists, above all, in dying for his people on the cross.

Christian Life

On this feast of Christ the King, we must renew our devotion to the Christ the King.  We must make him once again the King of our lives; for he is a true King, who as we heard in the gospel, will return to sit on the throne of judgement.  Our fate will depend on what kind of subjects we have been, on how devoted we have been to our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

But being the truly humble king that Christ is, he asks that our devotion to him be channelled through the least of his brothers and sisters.

·        We revere Christ our King when we give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty and welcome to the stranger; for Christ is these lowly people.

·        We adore Christ our King when we clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the prisoner; for Christ is all these needy people.

And for this devotion, we shall be rewarded accordingly.

Jesus warns us against failing to give him the attention fit for a King.

·        We fail to worship Christ the King when we deny food to the hungry, refuse drink to the thirsty and send the stranger away; for Christ is these people.

·        We fail to venerate Christ the King when we don’t clothe the naked, don’t care for the sick and don’t visit the prisoner.

And for being bad subjects in this way, for being like King Scar, the King will punish us accordingly.

But Scar is not the only bad Lion King whose example we must avoid.  Simba, the young prince is not that exemplary either.

·        When as a young cub he hears that one day he will be a king, he says “I just can’t wait to be king,” but for all the wrong reasons. He can’t wait to be King to do what he wants, free to do it his way.  But Christ the King is not a dictator.  He proposes his teaching and way to us; he does not impose it.  He wants us to do the same.

·        And then as an adult lion, when Simba is asked to return home and rescue his kingdom, he is very reluctant to step up to the plate.  But Christ the King is not a coward.  He knows his mission and does not shy away from it.  He wants us his subjects to be just as courageous.

Conclusion

And so, today’s feast of Christ the King, should remind us of two kingships: the great Kingship of Christ, and our little Kingship based on his own.

·        Like Jesus was a king who cared for others, we must also care for others, especially the needy.

·        Like Jesus was a courageous king, speaking and acting without fear, we must also stand up for the Kingdom of God without fear.

·        Like Jesus was a king who gave himself unto death, we must be kings who give ourselves completely for others.

In exercising our kingship in small acts of devotion and charity, we honour the Great King of the world, Jesus the Lord.  And as a result, at the Resurrection, he will say to you and me:  “Come, you who are blessed by my Father.   Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Uniquely gifted for the Lord’s work

Homily for 33^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A 2014

Proverbs 31:10-13.19-20.30-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 24:14-30

Introduction

For someone from another country like me, American Football is a strange game.

·        For starters, the gear that they have to wear is something to admire.

·        Also, why is the game called football, when they barely touch the ball with the foot?

·        But what causes most confusion is that there are so many different teams: the offensive team, defensive team, special teams.  Each unit seems to have a different skill set and comes on the field to do something unique for the game.  Even the skinny guy has a part to play, that is, to occasionally kick the ball, and thereby give the game the name of “football.”

This is one redeeming quality that has endeared me to the game.  For me, the team in American Football is a good image for the Body of Christ, the Church, where we are one team, but each of us has been gifted differently and has been given different roles.

Scripture and Theology

In the parable of the talents, that we just heard, the three servants are entrusted with different quantities of talents: one is given 5 talents, the second is given 2 talents and the last is given one talent.  And they are all expected to put those talents to good use, for the benefit of their Master.

When we use the word “talent” today, usually we mean a skill or artistic gift that is useful for some activity.  And we see all these various God-given talents at work even at this very Mass, with different ministries (lectors, servers, musicians, ushers) doing different things which they are good at.  We see various gifts coming together to ensure that all the activities of our parish and school run well.  We are one team, using our skills to serve both society and the Church.

But the word talent means more than just a skill.  As used in the gospel story the talent referred to a sum of money, quite a large sum of money, perhaps equivalent to thousands of dollars today.  And so, even for us, a talent should also mean any gift that we have received from God, especially the spiritual gifts we receive, such as the gift of faith.

The Lord wants us to use our talents, our physical skills and our spiritual gifts.  The time frame which he has given us for doing this is now, between his Ascension to the Father and his Second Coming, whose timing we do not know.  Just as the Master in the gospel came back after a long time, Jesus is coming back after a long time to settle accounts with each of us, asking us: how have we used the talents, the gifts that he gave us?

It is part of human nature to compare ourselves with others.  Sometimes we look at others and say, “wow, I wish I could be like so-and-so.”  Or we say, “there is no way I can do what she does.”  And then looking down upon ourselves with pity, we decide, “I am off the hook – I don’t have to do anything.”

The Lord does not like this attitude in Christians.  This is the attitude of the third servant – the one who thought there was nothing he could do, simply because he had only one talent.  We heard that he “went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.”  But we also heard what the Master did to him when he returned.  The Master ordered that this servant be thrown “into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”  He was punished, not for having one miserly talent, but for doing nothing with it.

This example should be a sober warning that, it is not just those who do evil deeds, who are punished, but also those who choose not to do any good.  Saying “But I didn’t do anything!” will not get us off the hook!  That is why at the beginning of Mass each of us confesses that we have greatly sinned, “in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.”

Christian Life

When God created each of us, he made us unique.  God does not run a cookie-cutter operation.  We are not like cookies from the same batch of dough, which look the same, feel the same and taste the same.  We are more like the contents of a trail mix packet, some of which are salty, others are sweet and with every bite we take, our taste buds expect to be surprised.  We are all unique, each having a unique set of gifts and talents, some more, some less.  But God expects us to use them, whatever they are, to produce profit for him.

What better profit to give him, than bringing others to the Lord!  We should use our talents in evangelization, helping others know and fall in love with Jesus.

·        The family is a natural starting place for us to do this.  Most of us received our faith from our parents and grandparents.  They had us baptized, brought us to Mass with them, taught us the basic doctrines and prayers, but most importantly by their daily example of Christian life, taught us to love Jesus and follow him.  Parents can proudly come before the Lord and pointing to their children or grandchildren say: “Master you gave me five talents, here are five more.”

·        But even outside the family, we can share that gift of faith at the workplace and among friends.  Perhaps some of us came to the faith because of friends and co-workers.  Perhaps it was not even because of what they said, but rather it was seeing the joy and peace in their lives that they drew us to their Catholic faith.  Co-workers and friends can proudly come before the Lord and pointing to each other say: “Master you gave me two talents, here are two more.”

·        For those among us who are teachers, especially teachers of the faith, we use our talents when we teach with words, when we teach by our example, even when we challenge and discipline our students.  You probably remember a particular teacher who had a great influence in your life.

Mine was an Irish missionary.  Even though he did not have those cool and charismatic gifts we usually look for in a teacher, Father Harney was amazing.  He was quiet and shy.  But he taught us just about every subject including from science to Latin.  He coached us in all the sports activities (soccer, basketball, volleyball or tennis), even though he had no athletic bone in him.  Father Harney run the scouting club, the debating club, the drama club and the Legion of Mary club.

But what has stayed with me all these years is not all these things he did for us, but that he offered himself completely to make us into the men that we are today.  And he did this because of his faith, leaving his home in Ireland and coming to Uganda where he lived for almost all his adult life.  I have no doubt that when the Lord asks him what he did with his talents, hundreds of alumni from my school will show up as evidence of his work.

Conclusion

And so, when the Lord calls us, as he will certainly do, what can we show for our efforts of preaching the gospel by word and example?  Let us remember that showing up just by ourselves is not an option.  That would be selfish and unacceptable, since it would mean returning the talent to the Lord just as he gave it to us.

Rather, I hope that we can show up with others, who are the works of our hand, our words and our example so that the Lord will say to us: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.  Come, share your master's joy.’”

The Church as Body of Christ and as House of God

Homily for Dedication of Lateran Basilica – November 9, 2014

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; Ps 45; 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17; John 2:13-22

Introduction

What makes a house into a home?  A house provides shelter, but a home is where the family live, where husband and wife raise their children, where they carry out all those little family rituals, share their meals, create memories and most importantly learn the faith; for the family is the domestic church.

Today when we celebrate the feast of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, we should ask a similar question.  What makes a house or a building into a Church? 

Scripture and Theology

And the answer is the same.  A church is the place or building, where the people of God gather to pray, to worship, to recall all the mysteries of our salvation.  Whether a church costs millions of dollars like this one or only $10,000 like a church in Uganda, it is only as valuable as the faith of the people who gather there.  Without the people who worship there, a church becomes like those temples in South America or Greece that have no life in them because they are empty monuments.  Our gathering in a church every week makes it “holy ground,” because what we do there is holy.  St. Paul calls us the temple of God.

But there is a second reason that makes a building into a church; it is the house of God.  For Jesus told us that:  “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I will be their midst.”  Of course God is everywhere.  But he has told us to find him in some special places, the Temple for the Israelites, the Church for Christians.  This building might look like any other meeting hall, but its special architecture, sacred furnishings and images, even silence and music, tell us it is holy ground.

·        That is why Ezekiel in today’s first readings describes the temple as the source of life. We too come to his house to be nourished with God’s Word and his Food for life.

·        It is for the same reason that Jesus also kicks out of the temple, the merchants and money-changers; for they have turned his Father’s house into a marketplace, instead of a place where people can meet God in a special way.  Just imagine if we had ATM machines and vending machines at the back of Church; while that would make taking collections easier and quenching our hunger and thirst easier, it would make this building less a house of God and more of a marketplace.

Christian Life

Although there are many beautiful churches in the world, a Catholic should concern himself or herself especially with these three: the parish church, the cathedral and St. John Lateran in Rome.  These three churches represent the three communities of faith to which each of us Catholics belongs, the place we go to meet God in his own house.  Let us look at these three churches.

Our parish church (name it), this beautiful building, is our first spiritual home.

·        Many of us were baptised here, received our first holy communion here, were confirmed, wedded and probably will have our funeral Mass here.  As they say, this is where we are hatched, matched and despatched.

·        But more importantly this church is where we come to Mass every week, to hear the Word of God and receive his Body and Blood.

·        This church is where we come to form one Body in Christ, as we pray together.  Hopefully we come know and love each, fulfilling the Lord’s wish for us that he made at the Last Supper: “May they be one.”

But our unity as Catholics goes beyond this parish community.  We belong to the Archdiocese of New Orleans.  Our bishop, Archbishop Gregory Aymond and his Church, the St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter represent that wider unity.

·        For example, it is at St. Louis Cathedral that the more important rituals of our diocese take place: there we receive new Catholics during the enrolment of the Catechumens at the beginning of Lent and there too men give themselves to serve us as deacons, priests and bishops and are ordained.  I believe our pastor and deacon were ordained there.

·        And every Sunday at 11.00am, Archbishop Aymond or his representative celebrates Mass for the whole Archdiocese of New Orleans; some of you who can’t get down to the French Quarter follow this Mass on television. 

And so, as a Catholic in this area, the second church that should mean something to my faith is St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans; for that church represents the wider community of faith to which each of us belongs.

The third church that should interest us Catholics is the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the anniversary of whose dedication we celebrate today.  It is the Pope’s Church.  Every bishop has his cathedral and for the Pope as Bishop of Rome, his cathedral is this Lateran Basilica.  This Church actually has an interesting history.

·        It has three patrons: the Most Holy Saviour, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.

·        It is located on the Lateran hill of Rome, on the spot where there has been a church continuously for 1700 years.

·        Four councils were held there and twenty-eight popes are buried there.  For a thousand years it was the seat of the Catholic Church until the Pope moved to the Vatican hill across town in the thirteenth century.  You might say the Lateran was the Vatican of the time.

·        But even when the Pope moved to the Vatican, where the far more impressive St. Peter’s Basilica and Square are, the Pope still continues to hold St. John Lateran as his main Church, the Mother of all Churches.

And that is the reason, why today, we celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of this church, a building which represents in a visible way, the universal church.

There are many things I love about being Catholic.   But one of them is that I can go anywhere in the world, find Catholics and go to Mass with them.  I can even come here and be invited to preside over Mass and it is the same Mass.  The Pope provides this universal unity and that is why we commemorate the dedication of his church.

Conclusion

An old saying goes: “On the road between the homes of friends, grass does not grow.”  And so, as we travel week after week, between our homes and the house of God, let us think about three things that a church represents.

·        The first lesson is that the church building is a house of God, sacred space, especially since very few things are sacred anymore.  Let our church always remind us that there are places, things, and times, set apart just for God and just for growing into intimacy with him.

·        The second lesson is that the church building means little without the people who worship there.  That is why it is the buildings we call churches with a small “c” and it is the community of faith that we call Church with a big “C.”  Whether it is our parish church, our cathedral church and or those who have a chance to visit the Lateran basilica in Rome, let them all remind us of the community of faith to which belong.

·        Finally, let our churches on earth be signs of the heavenly Jerusalem for which we hope.  There in his house we shall see God as he is and with the Blessed Mother, the angels and saints, we shall praise him forever and ever.