December 20 2024 - The choice for God (school mass)

 This morning’s Gospel should sound familiar to all of us. We heard it just last week, when we were all gathered together for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

In the Gospel, Mary of Nazareth is visited by the archangel Gabriel. She is called “full of grace”. Hail Mary full of grace, we pray, echoing the words of the angel. These words signify how God had prepared Mary by his grace from the moment of her conception. 

And now she is presented with a choice: will she consent to God’s will and become the mother of Jesus or not? Of course, Mary chooses God’s will because she has always chosen God’s will in her life. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord”—she has served God in every way she could from the moment of her existence, and now she will continue to serve God. Thanks be to God that Mary made the best choice she could possibly make in that pivotal moment.

Like Mary, each one of us is given a choice, every day. Will I choose to follow God’s will or not?

Will I treat others in a Godly way, or not. Will I pray today as I should, or not. Will I respect my parents, or not. Will I refrain from what is harmful to my mind and my body, or not. Will I use the time I’ve been given to cultivate my intellect, or not. Will I help others who are in need, or not. Will I do what I can to make the world a better place, or not.

Choice. Each of us, every day, are given choice. Our students might not feel like they have a lot of choices about a lot of things. But you do. Will you be kind, or not. Will you be patient, or not. Will you use your gifts and talents in a constructive way, or not. 

Mary trusted God, that choosing God’s will is always what is best. And so, we have this example of the blessed Virgin choosing God’s will just days before Christmas now to remind us of the importance of making good choices, godly choices, with the time we have before Christmas, and the time we are given every day.

We might not be able to control a lot of things about our world and our families or our places of work, but, we always have a choice to grow in holiness or not, to seek God’s will or not, to go through our day prayerfully or not.

May your Christmas break be filled with holy choices—choices to seek and surrender to the Holy Will of God in the circumstances of your life for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

December 18 2024 - O Adonai - Lord God and Lawgiver

  

Yesterday, began that wonderful part of the church year called “late Advent” the seven days leading up to Christmas. And on each of the days of late Advent, we use one of the ancient chants known as the O Antiphons. 

Each of the O Antiphons highlights a title for the Messiah—and an important aspect of his identity and mission: O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), and O Emmanuel ( God with us). 

Today we sang, O Adonai, O Lord, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and gave him the law at Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!

Adonai is the Hebrew word for the Lord God. When you are reading the Old Testament in Hebrew, and you come across the word ‘Lord, the Hebrew word is Adonai. 

So today’s O Antiphon highlights something of great importance about the child born on Christmas. He is God. He is the God who appeared at the burning bush—the one who heard the cries of the Hebrew people enslaved in Egypt, who delivered them out of the land of Egypt, who gave the Law at Sinai to help them to be a holy people. 

Again, this O Antiphon helps us to remember that Jesus Christ is born to deliver us, to save us. We heard this from the lips of the angel in the Gospel this morning. The angel tells Joseph that Mary will bear a child and he is to name the child Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. 

And just as God freed the people from physical slavery in Egypt, he gave the 10 commandments at Sinai to help people live free from slavery to the ways of evil and sin. In his teaching, the Lord Jesus stresses the importance of following the commandments of God through which we attain to the moral and spiritual perfection befitting of the sons and daughters of God. 

Knowing how difficult this is, the O Antiphon cries out to God, asking him to “come to redeem us with an outstretched arm” 

These final days of Advent help us to draw near to the Lord in wonder and awe, and continue to seek that deliverance from evil through our obedience to him, that transformation of our mind and heart and life that he desires for us, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

That the Pope Francis, all bishops and priests, religious and laity may shine with the Light of Christ’s love for the scattered peoples of the earth. 

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

For those who have fallen away from the Church, who have become separated from God through error and sin, for those who reject the teachings of Christ, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

That our young people will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or illness: may they experience the healing graces of Christ. 

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

December 17 2024 - God's Wisdom orders all things

 Today, December 17, begins late Advent. The O Antiphons begin to be used in the Church’s liturgy, the countdown to Christmas intensifies.

During Deep Advent the Church also sings the ancient O Antiphons both in her official evening prayer and also during the Gospel Acclamation at Mass. Today we sung of the Sapientia, the wisdom, that comes from the mouth of God, by which we are to order our life. O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: come and teach us the way of prudence

The Church’s liturgy sings of wisdom to help us understand that all time and history has been ordered according to God’s wisdom—from the beginning of history to its end—God has arranged creation for its greatest good. And even when Adam and Eve introduced discord and death into creation through Sin, God’s wisdom included a plan for salvation. 

Deep Advent enters deeply into a reflection of this plan. Our first reading is taken from the very end of the first book of the bible, the book of genesis. Late in the life of Jacob, Jacob, son of Isaac, lays on his death bed, and speaks to his sons. And he lays out a plan for his twelve sons who will become the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel, Jacob issues a series of prophetic oracles about their futures and the future of their tribes. 

One would expect Jacob to predict the greatest blessings to be upon his first-born son. But God had other plans. It is not for Jacob’s first born, Rueben, nor his second or third, Simeon or Levi, that he predicts the most exalted future. But, as we read today, it is for Judah that Jacob foresees a royal future. Jacob calls Judah a lion, the king of beasts, and from Judah shall come a ruler, a king.

In our Gospel, today, St. Matthew traces the royal lineage through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then Judah, leading to the great kings of Israel, David and Solomon, and then generations later, to the king of kings, Jesus who is called the Christ.

As a King wisely orders his kingdom, God wisely ordered the generations of Abraham to make way for the Christ. So too, God will order our lives, when we conform our lives to his wisdom.  

God has a plan for our lives, just as He had a plan for Jacob and Judah and for the generations of Israel, and when we surrender to that plan our lives become ordered mightily and sweetily from end to end and begin to resound with his glory. May we open our ears to receive His wisdom, our hearts to receive His Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That the Pope and all the clergy may always be guided by the Wisdom of God. 

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with divine wisdom, justice, honesty, and respect for the dignity of every human life.  We pray to the Lord.

That the wisdom of God may direct the hearts of non-believers to the truth of the Gospel.

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or illness: may they experience the healing graces of Christ. 

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who brings salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

3rd Week of Advent 2024 - Monday - Star and Staff

 During the first two advent weeks, we read predominately from Isaiah, the prophet of the Babylonian exile, and his promises to captive Israel of the coming Messiah. Well, our old testament readings over the next week will include a smattering of prophecies from the Old Testament; for Isaiah was neither the first nor the last of the prophets to foretell the Messiah’s coming.

We read today from one of the most ancient books of the old testament, from the Pentateuch book of numbers, one of the five books of moses. Numbers describes the wilderness experience of the Israelites as they wandered 40 years in the desert after departing Mt. Sinai. And after wandering for 40 years, the Israelites come to the plains of moab, on the east bank of the Jordan river. And there, a group of Israelite elders encounter a Moabite prophet named Balaam, son of Beor. And it is through Balaam, this non-Israelite, as we heard this morning that the God of Israel issues one of the very first prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament.

Balaam prophecies of a king who will defeat the enemies of Israel, who will know the thoughts of God, whose wells shall be over-flowing. 

Then, Balaam speaks of the king’s birth: “A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel.” Here of course is a prophecy of the star of Bethlehem which would guide the Magi to the newborn Messiah. 

The “staff” signals that the Messiah would come from the lineage of a king of Israel—certainly an interesting prophecy, since Israel would not even develop a monarchy for hundreds more years. Additionally, to many of the ancient peoples, like the Moabites, stars were themselves considered divinities that watched over the earth. The coming of a star, then signaled a divinity being involved in the rise of this king. 

Little did Balaam or Moses know that this was in reference to the fact that the Messiah-King would also be God himself in the flesh. 

A star which would lead them to the presence of the one true God-made-flesh, the king of kings that would defeat the most ancient foes of Israel—sin and death. 

In the Gospel passage, the chief priests and elders question Jesus about the authority by which He acts and teaches. While they are unable—or unwilling—to recognize His divine commission, the earlier reading from Numbers reminds us that true authority comes from God and that God’s chosen one was prophesied long ago. The star from Jacob and scepter from Israel signify that God will raise up a ruler with legitimate authority, one who does not need to rely on human endorsement. Jesus, in refusing to disclose the source of His authority to the questioners, indirectly highlights that His authority is neither borrowed nor dependent on human recognition. Instead, it is rooted in the divine plan revealed through the centuries. 

In these final Advent days, let us grow in wonder and awe at the God’s plan to deliver us, and deepen our love for Jesus the Messiah, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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For the Church: That in these remaining days of Advent, the Church grow in  greater wonder and awe at God’s saving plan.

For all peoples and nations and that leaders may be guided by divine wisdom, working to bring about justice, peace, and the dignity of every human person, as they acknowledge the true authority that comes from God alone.

For those who struggle to believe: That the star of God’s truth may shine upon all who wander in doubt or darkness, leading them to encounter the Messiah who fulfills the deepest longings of the human heart.

For our parish: That as we reflect on the divine authority and kingship of Christ, we may grow in reverence, deepen our love for the newborn King, and await His coming with joyful expectation.

For those who are sick, weary or burdened: That in moments of hardship and uncertainty, they may draw strength from the promise of a Messiah-King who defeats sin, brings overflowing blessings, and comforts those who suffer.

For the faithful departed: That they may be welcomed into the fullness of God’s kingdom, especially, N. for whom this mass is offered. 

Gracious Father, you have guided your people through centuries of waiting and longing. Hear our prayers today, and lead us ever closer to your Son, the Messiah foretold by prophets and revealed in the humble stable of Bethlehem. Through Christ our Lord. 

3rd Sunday of Advent 2024 - Surprised by Joy

 Happy Gaudete Sunday, everyone. Today, we rejoice because the Lord is near.

Joy is certainly one of the virtues we most associate with Christmas. I can hardly wait to hear the choir burst into “Joy to the World” at Christmas Mass.

The mid-20th century author C.S. Lewis wrote about joy. Though he is best known for his children’s books like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and his Christian apologetics like Mere Christianity, he also wrote a remarkable book on joy titled "Surprised by Joy."

In it, Lewis reflects on how the virtue of joy, which we all desire and crave, seems so elusive. We are all searching for it, yet few find enduring joy because, as Lewis explains, most people make the mistake of looking for joy “out there” in material things, as if it can be purchased, accumulated, or obtained from the correct alignment of earthly circumstances. Rather, true joy, he insists, is not found in externals. Rather, joy is found in God who is near to us.

And Lewis wrote from experience, for “Surprised by Joy” is, in part, a spiritual autobiography that chronicles key periods of his childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Rather than a straightforward life story, it focuses on the inner intellectual and emotional currents that led him first away from his childhood faith into atheism, and then—much later—back to Christianity.

Lewis identifies several factors that contributed to his youthful rejection of faith. First, the death of his beloved mother shook his trust in God. He had prayed desperately for her recovery, but she died despite his pleas, leaving him feeling abandoned by the God he was taught to trust. Like many Christians who fall away, grief and personal tragedy often play a role in the loss of faith.

As Lewis grew older, he encountered philosophical and literary works that challenged the existence of God and the truth of religious beliefs. Exposure to rationalist and materialist thought—through peers, teachers, and the books he read—cultivated a mindset that prized logic, scientific explanation, and empirical evidence over openness to infinite mystery.  

Moreover, the Christianity of his childhood seemed sentimental and shallow to him—little more than comforting stories and moral lessons. Without deep theological grounding, he began to see this early faith as naïve and unexamined. Disillusioned, he turned to what he perceived as a more mature, intellectually honest worldview: atheism. But, though atheism appeared more rational, it did not address the persistent ache he would later recognize as a clue pointing beyond himself.

In time, however, a series of influences and experiences led Lewis to reconsider his atheism and open himself to authentic Christian faith. As the title of his book suggests, joy played a central role in this transformation.

Lewis confesses that he had long been haunted by “Joy”. Though he experienced glimpses of joy in his childhood, and reading, traveling to beautiful vistas, and time with family. Initially, he tried to satisfy this longing through art, philosophy, and pleasures of various kinds, but nothing gave him lasting fulfillment. Over time, he began to suspect that this longing pointed to something real and transcendent—something beyond the merely material world.

He started reading Christian authors like G.K. Chesterton, who presented a version of Christianity that was robust, imaginative, and intellectually stimulating, far different from the simplistic faith of his childhood. Christian friends at Oxford—such as J.R.R. Tolkien—helped guide him toward a Christianity that addressed both heart and mind. In the end, the surprise was that “Joy” itself served as a clue leading him to God. All his earlier attempts to find joy in art, nature, stories, and entertainment revealed themselves as signposts, not the source. The true source of joy was something far greater and more real than he had ever imagined—God Himself.

I mention Lewis’s journey because each of us is searching for joy. We are not imagining this longing. We crave more than ordinary pleasures because even the best things in this world leave us wanting something deeper.

This is why Lewis’s insight is an important lesson for Advent. We should seek the joy our hearts truly desire—the joy that can only be found in Jesus Christ who is near. “Rejoice, the Lord is near,” St. Paul tells us this weekend. It answers Lewis’s question: Where can joy be found? Joy is found in the Lord, who draws near to us.

So, how do we draw close to the Lord that we may come to experience Christian joy more deeply? What can we learn from Lewis? His conversion did not come through blind emotion or unthinking acceptance. Instead, he engaged reason, logic, and remained open to mystery. He wrestled with hard questions, examined his doubts honestly, and allowed Truth to guide him. He opened himself to beauty, music, and art. He read Christian thinkers and spent time with intellectually honest Christian friends. He engaged his whole person to seek a mature faith. Honest inquiry, deep longing, humble listening, appreciation of beauty, engagement of his whole self, and supportive community all led him, despite life’s tragedies, to discover that God was nearer than he ever thought possible.

On this Gaudete Sunday, let’s refuse to settle for cheap imitations of joy. While we may be tempted to seek to satisfy our longing for joy in the materialism of this season, our hearts are made for something—and Someone—far greater. In these final days before Christmas, seek the One who meets us in the stillness and poverty of Bethlehem. His is birth in straw poverty remains us that HE is the only thing necessary. HE is the source of joy. So, we must seek Him in heartfelt prayer, in the beauty of sacred music and quiet reflection, in friendships that nurture our faith, in works of charity, in the Word that lights our way.

Prayerfully and intentionally open your heart to the Christ Child, the only one who can satisfy our insatiable longing for true and lasting joy. This Advent, our longing for the joyful encounter with Christ can be a bright star in the darkness leading us to the stable where Joy Himself—the Lord who is near—awaits, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

December 13 2024 - St. Lucy - The light of the consecrated virgin martyr

 

The Church has honored Saint Lucy for almost fifteen hundred years.  Her name, Lucy, Lucia, comes from the latin word “Lux” which means, light of course, and her light continues to shine for us in many ways.

There are a few different legends about St. Lucy’s martyrdom. maladies. In one story, Lucy, arrested for her Christian faith, had her eyes gouged out by soldiers prior to her death. In another story, it was Lucy herself who removed her own eyes, as a way to protect her virginity which she had consecrated to Christ. No matter which version of her martyrdom is accurate, it is not hard to difficult to understand why St. Lucy is the patron saint of eye maladies and blindness.

Like St. Cecilia, St. Agnes, and St. Agatha, we honor St. Lucy as a consecrated virgin.  

As a consecrated virgin, Lucy gave her life entirely to God, consecrating her heart and body to Him. Her purity was not simply an avoidance of sin but an active, joyful embrace of a life wholly directed toward God’s will. In Advent, we, too, are called to purity—not only in body but in mind, heart, and intention. This purity allows us to see God more clearly and reflect His light to the world.

The light of St. Lucy’s martyrdom reminds us, too, that true discipleship often requires sacrifice. Her willingness to endure suffering for the sake of the faith shows us that the light of Christ shines most brightly in acts of self-giving love. According to legend, St. Lucy brought food and aid to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs, wearing a candle-lit wreath on her head to light her way and leave her hands free to carry as much food as possible. During Advent, we are called to shine with the light of charity in acts of selflessness in our daily lives.

In a world often marked by spiritual blindness and moral confusion, St. Lucy radiating with the light of Christ shines in our present darkness. 

Purity, discipleship, courage, self-sacrifice, self-giving are the lights our world desperately needs. May her example inspire us to live as children of the light, preparing our hearts to welcome Christ, the true Light of the World, this Christmas, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in God’s light, let us bring our prayers before the Lord.

For the Church, that she may be a radiant beacon of Christ’s light in the world, guiding all people toward truth and salvation.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties guided by the light of truth, justice, and respect for the dignity of every human life.  

For all who suffer for their faith, that they may find strength in the courage of the martyrs and remain steadfast in their love for Christ.

For those struggling with physical or spiritual blindness, that through the intercession of St. Lucy, they may be healed and come to see the light of Christ more clearly.

For consecrated virgins and all who have dedicated their lives to God, that they may be strengthened in their vocation and shine as witnesses to His love and purity.

For those experiencing darkness or despair, illness, or affliction, that they may be comforted by the hope of Advent and the promise of Christ’s coming.

For our departed loved ones, especially those who have lived lives of faith and service, that they may rejoice forever in the light of God’s presence. 

Heavenly Father, You are the source of all light and life. Through the intercession of St. Lucy, hear and answer our prayers, that we may walk always in Your light and prepare our hearts to welcome Your Son. Through the same Christ Our Lord.

2nd Week of Advent 2024 - Wednesday - Strength and rest for the weary

 Yesterday, we began reading from chapter 40 of Isaiah and  we heard God’s promise of comfort and renewal to a people who had endured long seasons of exile and suffering. Today, the Word of God continues that message. 

The reading even began acknowledging our doubts.  “Why, O Jacob, do you say… ‘My way is hidden from the LORD’?” 

Sometimes life is so difficult we feel like we have been overlooked or forgotten by the One who created us. Yet, in the midst of doubt, God directs His people’s eyes upward: “Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things.” Before we allow fear or despair to have the final word, we must remember who God is: the Eternal Creator of the ends of the earth, who does not grow tired or weary. His strength is inexhaustible, and His knowledge is beyond our understanding.

Isaiah reminds the faint-hearted that if they hope in the LORD, they will “renew their strength” and “soar as with eagles’ wings.” What a powerful image! Eagles, known for soaring above storm clouds, teach us that placing our hope in God gives us the grace not merely to endure hardship but to rise above it. In a world that often leaves us depleted—emotionally, physically, and spiritually—God’s promise stands: if you trust in Him, you will find new vigor to run without growing weary, to walk without fainting.

Our Gospel continues this theme in perhaps the most comforting promises in all of the Gospels: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Here is the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s promise. The same God who promised new strength to the weary now speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, saying, “Come,” and we discover that the comfort Isaiah proclaimed is no longer just a future hope. In Jesus, comfort is a present reality. He invites anyone struggling under heavy burdens—worry, grief, guilt, loneliness—to bring those burdens to Him. When we accept His invitation, the endless striving that leaves us exhausted begins to give way to rest in His loving arms.

Additionally, Jesus encourages us, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” The “yoke” here means choosing a life aligned with Jesus, guided by His teachings, His virtues, His way of love. In ancient farming, a yoke paired a stronger, more experienced animal with a weaker one. The stronger bore the weight and guided the weaker. In the same way, Jesus is that stronger partner who carries the weight we cannot carry alone. Because He is humble and gentle, drawing near to Him does not crush us; it makes our burdens lighter. Under Christ’s guidance, what seemed impossible to bear can become manageable because we are no longer carrying it by ourselves.

During this Advent season of waiting and longing, we consider the ways that we long for the Lord’s strength to become manifest in our lives. And the scriptures resound clearly, in that waiting, seek the Lord all the more, to uplift, renew, and strengthen. 

During Advent, we are not waiting for an idea or a philosophy. We are awaiting a person—Emmanuel, “God with us.” In our weariness, may we come to discover more deeply his comfort, strength, forgiveness, and rest for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Confident in God’s never-failing presence and strength, we bring before Him our prayers for the Church, for the world, and for all in need.

That, during this season of Advent, the Church may echoes God’s invitation to all people to “lift up their eyes” to God, especially in times of difficulty and doubt.

For world leaders and those in positions of authority: That they may govern with wisdom, compassion, and a spirit of service, working tirelessly to relieve the burdens of the poor, the oppressed, and the weary. 

For those who labor under heavy burdens—illness, grief, worry, or guilt:

That they may discover in Jesus their strong partner who carries the weight they cannot bear alone, granting them strength and peace.

For those who have died: That they may find eternal rest in God’s loving embrace, especially N.

Heavenly Father, You are the Eternal God who neither grows weary nor fails in love. Hear the prayers we bring to You today. Grant us the grace to trust in Your unfailing care, that we may find rest, strength, and hope in You. Through Christ, our Lord.