Homily for the week of November 29, 2009

First Sunday of Advent (C) 2009

Jeremiah 33:14-16

1 Thes 3:12-4:2

Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36

Much of our life is filled with waiting. Most of us have spent more time waiting than in doing. Think of all the experiences of waiting which you've had. Waiting for the water to boil; for a friend to phone; for the traffic light to turn green; for the car ahead of you to decide where to turn; for the end of the day; for a friend to stop by; for a rose to open; for a hurt to heal, for a report from the doctor, for a class to end, for the sun to shine, for someone who cares, for a fish to bite, for a child to be born; for a thought to jell, for a decision to be made, for a sign of forgiveness, for a sign of love. Persons who are very time-conscious and impatient find even short waits almost intolerable and they get angry. What keeps us waiting is the hope that something positive may yet happen, that our waiting will prove to have been worthwhile, and that we can move forward with our lives

These are examples of CREATIVE waiting, not PASSIVE waiting where nothing will happen. In all of these we expect something to happen. But not all the waiting is expectation.

Patience is a word or a quality that most of us would like to have more of, especially as we prepare for Christmas. In 25 days many of you will be gathered here in church for Christmas Mass. When the Bible mentions patience, it usually means active waiting and hoping. As we begin a new church year, as we will soon bless the Advent wreath and light one of its candle, I want to focus on the Advent virtues of patience, hope, joy and fidelity as expressed through our Bible readings for today.

Today is New Years Day for the Catholic Church and for most Christian churches. It is the liturgical season of waiting. It is Advent, a time of waiting for the birth of the one promised to bring good news to the poor, deliverance to prisoners. It is a time of 25 days during which we are invited to make ourselves ready for the coming of Jesus much as any mother and father prepares for the birth of their first child. Advent means more than getting out the Christmas crib or the poinsettias or the Christmas tree.

The Bible readings for this first Sunday of Advent concern the situations of waiting and hoping. The prophet Jeremiah was waiting and hoping for an ideal descendant of King David who might bring security and justice to God’s people. Jeremiah was active in the early 6th century B.C. He saw clearly that his people would be defeated by the Babylonians, and that the temple city of Jerusalem would be captured and destroyed. Nevertheless, in the midst of this political chaos Jeremiah remained a person of hope. He was waiting for the Messiah of Israel and was convinced that his waiting would be rewarded. We Catholics believe that Jeremiah’s waiting and hoping were fulfilled in Jesus.

You might think that our Gospel reading for this weekend would look forward to the birth of Jesus. But it doesn't. It looks forward to what is called the second coming of Jesus which our faith tells us will be at the end of the world, at the end of time. The Gospel gives us all kinds of signs when that will happen: in the stars, the sky, the sun, the moon, and the oceans. It also urges us to be patient at all times. But for those who wait patiently and are faithful they can be certain that all will turn out well. The second coming of Christ is not to be feared but rather to be eagerly awaited. There is hope that it will bring perfect happiness for the faithful people of God. It is worth waiting for.

Our second reading is Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians, It was written in A.D. 51. It is the earliest complete document in the New Testament. It is amazing to get a glimpse at the young Catholic church when it was just about 25 years old. Paul tells the young Catholics and also us how we are to behave in preparing for the coming of Jesus with all his holy ones. Paul is clearly speaking about the second coming of Christ. He too looks forward in hope to that event and exhorts the Thessalonians to behave in such a way that they may be found blameless and holy before God when it happens.

Why is there so much focus on the second coming of Christ on the first Sunday of Advent? We need to look at the word “advent.” Advent means coming, arriving, becoming present. In Advent we tend to think primarily about the first coming of Christ at his birth. But Jesus comes to us in other human and spiritual ways, such as in the sacraments, especially Holy Communion, in our everyday lives and at the moment of death.

Advent is a time of waiting and hoping, of renewing our trust in God’s merciful love and care and of reflecting on the several comings of Christ in our lives. The key New Testament word for Advent is “watching"— of keeping careful watch of ourselves and conducting our lives in such a way that we may be found blameless and holy before God.

Advent is also a time for proclaiming an end to the actions of our life that prevent us from giving birth. And because death is so difficult and so much to be avoided, then Advent, in a spiritual sense, can be considered as a time of suffering and self-denial. Advent comes at the shortest days of the year, the darkest of days almost as a reminder that we must take an honest look at how our lives can easily be filled with darkness. Advent is a time for us to admit that the coldness within us can hurt as much as the coldness our bodies sense from the outside.

But the hope of Advent is not that Jesus will come at the end of time -- it is not that Jesus will come some time in the future --not even as far away as tomorrow - but right now. Advent is taking place right now. But we must stay awake or we will miss His coming.

It seems that the Bible readings for this first week of Advent make patience and waiting a virtue or a good habit. Our concern is also making patience a good habit of our daily life. Lack of patience or joyful waiting usually makes us angry persons. And anger controls us physically, emotionally and spiritually. We can't get rid of, or avoid, the things or the people that make us angry, nor can we change them, but we can learn to be patient with them. Let us learn how to wait.

This Advent, as we wait for Christmas, let each of us try to accept delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Homily for the week of November 22, 2009

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2009

First Reading: Daniel 12:1-3

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:11-14, 18

Gospel: Mark 13:24-32

Human beings have always tried to answer the question: When will the world end? And there have been about as many different answers as there have been those asking the question. A blockbuster movie named 2012 has been or will soon be released in movie theatres. The movie tells us that the world is coming to an end on December 21, 2012 as predicted by the Mayans. That date is not based on a specific prophecy, but the end of their calendar. The Mayans viewed time and the concept of time different than we do. We’re linear in our time and we think of time as a timeline with a beginning point and an end point. Time for the Mayans was very much a cyclic pattern based on the sun.

In recent decades, our understanding of the origins of the universe has grown immensely. We have learned how our universe flashed forth 15 billion years ago in a great explosion of light and that it is ever-expanding, bursting with life from the center outward in creative, chaotic, unique patterns. But what happens at the end?

Bible writers have also tried to tell us when and what will happened at the end of the world. In today;s first reading and the Gospel, two different biblical writers reflect on the end times. Both are writing for a people under a lot of pressure, a people who may feel that the trials and tribulations they are undergoing are the signs of the end time. Will there be something beyond this earthly life?

The ancient Israelites thought not. Some believed they would merely live on in the memories of their descendants. Some spoke of Sheol, the shadowy underworld in which a shade of the former self survived. It was only in the second century B.C. that the belief in resurrection and an eternal reward for the righteous began to emerge. Daniel also mentions “everlasting horror and disgrace” for the wicked, but he focuses his attention on what happens to those who have lived wisely and who have led others to seek and do justice. He envisions these people as shining brightly. He says they will be “like the splendor of the firmament...[they] shall be like the stars forever.”

In today’s Gospel Jesus speaks to his disciples about the things that will happen at the end of time. The light of the sun and moon will be extinguished with the stars falling from the sky. Against the backdrop Jesus interjects the assurance that he will come again in power and glory, gathering his elect from “the end of the earth to the end of the sky.”

He then offers the image of a tender green shoot at springtime, one that bursts forth from the fig tree. Stripped of its leaves and giving every appearance of having died, its life tenaciously sprouts forth anew, much like the yellow dandelions blossom overnight after being dormant all winter. And so Jesus assures use that no matter what horrendous suffering we endure, life will rise again in us through his power. In the Gospel there is no reference to punishment of those who are not faithful, only of gathering in all his scattered “elect.”

The question of when all this will take place hangs unanswered. There is a tension in the Gospel. Jesus first says that it will happen in the lifetime of “this generation,” but then he asserts that no one knows the day or the hour—not even he—but only God the Father.

Being followers of Jesus does not exempt us from ordinary problems of human life. Yes, there will be sickness, there will be auto accidents, our homes may be hit by lightening, marriages may break up. Jesus never told his followers how to avoid trouble. Instead, he tells them how to prepare for it.

If Daniel's words do not persuade us that rescue and redemption are ours, the reading from Hebrews should. The author points out that Christ's sacrifice for us was not only perfect and true, but once and for all. It is important for us to realize that the great challenges of our life are not a punishment for our sins or an indication that God has forgotten us. After we have tried out every solution we come to the conclusion that nothing helps but our faith in a loving God.

When will the world end? Most of us like to know when important things are going to happen. If we are concerned about what might happen to us this afternoon or tomorrow, or when we get older, then it is normal for us to speculate about the end of the world as we know it. Some persons have predicted for a long time that, if certain events took place, then it would be the end of the world. This was especially more of concern as we approached the year 2000. Nostradamus predicted that the world would end when Easter falls on April 25th. And that has happened already 4 times since he predicted it.

Jesus tries to convince us that the answer to those questions are mysteries. There are no answers. But how do we prepare for those times? Jesus' answers are simple. Jesus does not tell us to store up food and water, or to find a bomb proof shelter, or an electric generator. Instead, he tells us to have a strong faith. A strong faith can take years to develop, but once you have a strong faith you can weather any storm.

In the meantime, let us be persons of deep spiritual faith. Let us appreciate the joys that God sends us: weddings, the birth of children, family reunions, visits from friends, music and dance, e-mails from friends.

Let this faith in God hold us up under difficulties and tragedies such as disappointments in relationships, misunderstandings, loss of family through death or separation, physical and emotional sickness, times when we feel we are failures. The message of God is clear: TRUST IN GOD, TRUST IN THE WORDS OF JESUS, BE RENEWED THROUGH HOLY COMMUNION.

Homily for the week of November 15, 2009

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2009

First Reading: Daniel 12:1-3

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:11-14, 18

Gospel: Mark 13:24-32

Human beings have always tried to answer the question: When will the world end? And there have been about as many different answers as there have been those asking the question. A blockbuster movie named 2012 has been or will soon be released in movie theatres. The movie tells us that the world is coming to an end on December 21, 2012 as predicted by the Mayans. That date is not based on a specific prophecy, but the end of their calendar. The Mayans viewed time and the concept of time different than we do. We’re linear in our time and we think of time as a timeline with a beginning point and an end point. Time for the Mayans was very much a cyclic pattern based on the sun.

In recent decades, our understanding of the origins of the universe has grown immensely. We have learned how our universe flashed forth 15 billion years ago in a great explosion of light and that it is ever-expanding, bursting with life from the center outward in creative, chaotic, unique patterns. But what happens at the end?

Bible writers have also tried to tell us when and what will happened at the end of the world. In today;s first reading and the Gospel, two different biblical writers reflect on the end times. Both are writing for a people under a lot of pressure, a people who may feel that the trials and tribulations they are undergoing are the signs of the end time. Will there be something beyond this earthly life?

The ancient Israelites thought not. Some believed they would merely live on in the memories of their descendants. Some spoke of Sheol, the shadowy underworld in which a shade of the former self survived. It was only in the second century B.C. that the belief in resurrection and an eternal reward for the righteous began to emerge. Daniel also mentions “everlasting horror and disgrace” for the wicked, but he focuses his attention on what happens to those who have lived wisely and who have led others to seek and do justice. He envisions these people as shining brightly. He says they will be “like the splendor of the firmament...[they] shall be like the stars forever.”

In today’s Gospel Jesus speaks to his disciples about the things that will happen at the end of time. The light of the sun and moon will be extinguished with the stars falling from the sky. Against the backdrop Jesus interjects the assurance that he will come again in power and glory, gathering his elect from “the end of the earth to the end of the sky.”

He then offers the image of a tender green shoot at springtime, one that bursts forth from the fig tree. Stripped of its leaves and giving every appearance of having died, its life tenaciously sprouts forth anew, much like the yellow dandelions blossom overnight after being dormant all winter. And so Jesus assures use that no matter what horrendous suffering we endure, life will rise again in us through his power. In the Gospel there is no reference to punishment of those who are not faithful, only of gathering in all his scattered “elect.”

The question of when all this will take place hangs unanswered. There is a tension in the Gospel. Jesus first says that it will happen in the lifetime of “this generation,” but then he asserts that no one knows the day or the hour—not even he—but only God the Father.

Being followers of Jesus does not exempt us from ordinary problems of human life. Yes, there will be sickness, there will be auto accidents, our homes may be hit by lightening, marriages may break up. Jesus never told his followers how to avoid trouble. Instead, he tells them how to prepare for it.

If Daniel's words do not persuade us that rescue and redemption are ours, the reading from Hebrews should. The author points out that Christ's sacrifice for us was not only perfect and true, but once and for all. It is important for us to realize that the great challenges of our life are not a punishment for our sins or an indication that God has forgotten us. After we have tried out every solution we come to the conclusion that nothing helps but our faith in a loving God.

When will the world end? Most of us like to know when important things are going to happen. If we are concerned about what might happen to us this afternoon or tomorrow, or when we get older, then it is normal for us to speculate about the end of the world as we know it. Some persons have predicted for a long time that, if certain events took place, then it would be the end of the world. This was especially more of concern as we approached the year 2000. Nostradamus predicted that the world would end when Easter falls on April 25th. And that has happened already 4 times since he predicted it.

Jesus tries to convince us that the answer to those questions are mysteries. There are no answers. But how do we prepare for those times? Jesus' answers are simple. Jesus does not tell us to store up food and water, or to find a bomb proof shelter, or an electric generator. Instead, he tells us to have a strong faith. A strong faith can take years to develop, but once you have a strong faith you can weather any storm.

In the meantime, let us be persons of deep spiritual faith. Let us appreciate the joys that God sends us: weddings, the birth of children, family reunions, visits from friends, music and dance, e-mails from friends.

Let this faith in God hold us up under difficulties and tragedies such as disappointments in relationships, misunderstandings, loss of family through death or separation, physical and emotional sickness, times when we feel we are failures. The message of God is clear: TRUST IN GOD, TRUST IN THE WORDS OF JESUS, BE RENEWED THROUGH HOLY COMMUNION.

Homily for the week of November 8, 2009

THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, CYCLE B: 2009

1 Kings 17:10-16; Ps 146; Heb. 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44

When was the last time that you looked into your cupboards or your closets or your storage places or shelves or your garage or workplace? What do you find there? When will you wear the clothes or the shoes you bought 2 or 3 or 4 years ago, 10 years ago? In one way or other all of us are pack rats storing the unused or unneeded for future times, and even future generations. Regardless of our income we still live in abundance compared to many others.

She

In the first reading today, there is a story of a widow who is down to her last handful of flour and a tiny bit of oil. She is just about to try to eke out something for her son and herself to eat, certain it will be their last meal. While gathering sticks at the entrance of the city, the widow encounters Elijah, who asks her first for a cup of water and then for a bit of bread. She explains her situation, and Elijah’s response seems initially to be incredibly insensitive. He asks her to bring him a little cake, even before she prepares something for herself and her son. What the biblical author does not recount is the kind of conflict such a request must have produced for the widow. Should she trust Elijah’s God, whom the prophet insists will ensure that her jar of flour will not go empty nor the jug of oil run dry? Or should she follow her motherly instincts to feed her child first? The obligations of hospitality win out; she gives all she had to live on. Miraculously, the prophet’s promise of a never-ending supply of flour and oil comes true.

Or lets imagine that you were a widow and the only money you had were a few pennies. Someone comes to you who has no money, and you give that person the little that you have. However, you noticed that living in the same village were a few with lots of money, much of which was obtained by asking large payments for the services they provided to you and to others. With their vast amount of money they were able to lobby politicians and to obtain positions of honor within the village. They were then able to impress and to make decisions which controlled others. You noticed that the poor got poorer and those with much got even more.

This is the story of our Bible readings today. The widow of Zarephath gave away the little that she had. Jesus tells us about another widow who came into the Jerusalem temple one day. At the entrance were several trumpet shaped metal containers into which people tossed coins. Those who had lots of money tossed in many coins and this made lots of noise. But a widow comes in, tosses in 2 small coins, the only money that she had. These two widows gave away what they had. These two widows did not give of their left overs, but what they needed to live.

Our first and third readings of today demand of us that we turn around society. We are called to open up pathways and doors of opportunity. Jesus demands of us that. "WE GIVE FROM OUR WANT, EVEN FROM WHAT WE HAVE TO LIVE ON." He cautions us that we not be like the money makers of the society who often invite us to invest with them or to buy their goods often persuading those who can least afford it. These scribes were good at telling others what to do. For the widow, giving was not to impress others, but an expression of the love of God and love of others. Our American culture invites us to make sure we receive more than we give. When was the last time that you saw an ad in a newspapers and TV, or an Internet site that tells us we should not buy this and that. The Sunday edition of the Plattsburgh paper contains over 100 pages of inserts of advertisement.

Too often we identify poverty with lack of money. But the first beatitude of Jesus says: Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven. The glass that is full can receive no more. It is only the empty glass or cup that can be filled. If we find ourselves filled with everything that is not of God, then it is difficult for God to empty our lives. We become completely attached to material things.

In reality we are all poor. All that we value most comes from God and is maintained by God. Our life, our health, our human abilities, our intelligence is all God’s gift to us. All we have is a gift from God. We are told today to shift our attention from the things that come and go, and to focus on those that are everlasting. There is nothing bad in having possessions and money. But poverty of spirit allows us to detach ourselves from always wanting more and newer and newer, or having what someone else has.

If all that we have came from God, then shouldn't we do the best to take care of it responsibly? For most of us, the gifts that God has given us is not only money, but it is our brains, our ability to reason, our conscience that tells us right from wrong, our health, our sexuality, our religion. All of these make up who we are. All of these are on loan to us. Have we used them with dignity or have we abused them.?

Jesus point out a great contrast between the well dressed officials who came into the temple and the poor widow. We must be slow to judge holiness or goodness by appearances only. We must look beyond externals. And we will find holy persons. These persons are loving and generous. They are not full of themselves and what they have done. They recognize their dependence on God. And as with anything borrowed, we must try to give back to God what he has given us, and even more. We are really the caretakers of what he has given us. We must use these gifts wisely and share them generously.

After the final blessing of the Mass, the priest says to you: GO IN PEACE TO LOVE AND SERVE THE LORD. To which you respond: THANKS BE TO GOD!