December 21 2021 - Winter is past, the Sun is Rising

On this darkest day of the year, the first day of winter, we hear a surprising message from the Song of Songs: “winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth”.  Those of us who live in Northeastern Ohio know that the snows are just beginning, the flowers won’t be seen for several months. Yet, the Church proclaims this day as a spiritual springtime, a time of new growth, a time where light begins to appear again.

The Gospel reading as well is full of life and vibrancy: the pregnant Virgin Mother going in haste to visit her once barren cousin Elizabeth, the baby John the Baptist leaping in his mother’s. There is singing, there is the joyful expectancy of the two mothers, there is praising of God. 

These readings remind us of the importance of walking by faith. Naturally, to our senses, it may be cold and the darkest day of the year. But we walk by faith, not by sight. Supernaturally, our hearts are burning with the fire of live as Christmas draws near.

Some people experience a deep depression this time of year, as the sun is seen less and less. Christians, though are called to rejoice in spite of the darkness of the world. We turn our faces to the light of the true sun. 

The O Antiphon, on this darkest day of the year, sung at vespers speaks of the sun that rises from the east: O Oriens, splendor lucis æternæ, brightness of light eternal.  come and enlighten those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death. Christ is the Oriens, the eternal light and sun of justice who rises in just a few days. 

Today, may we bask in the light of our coming savior through our prayer and charity towards those in need, may we bring his light into the dark corners of the world, 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 those in the darkness of error and faithlessness may be enlightened by the light of Christ through the witness of the Church

For the protection of the unborn, and the overturning of all laws lacking respect for the dignity of human life.

That those struggling with winter depression or addiction may find peace and joy in Christ.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and strengthen all who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel.

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

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord. 

 

December 20 2021 - An Advent Paradox

We hear the annunciation story three or four times throughout Advent each year: once on the Immaculate Conception, again on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, depending on the year we might hear it on the 4th Sunday of Advent, and now, in late Advent every year on December 20th. 

The Church celebrated the feast of the Annunciation nine months ago; nine months, the term of a pregnancy. That Holy pregnancy is coming to term in just five days.

Many times throughout Advent we hear in our first reading a prophecy of the Messiah, and then in the Gospel, we hear how that prophecy is fulfilled. Well, today our first reading contained one of the greatest well-known prophecies, that the virgin shall conceive and bear a son. 

How could this be? This paradox. For a virgin to conceive, she wouldn’t be a virgin any more, right? Well…in our Gospel this paradox is unlocked, the mystery is illuminated. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the virgin of Nazareth conceives, and not just any child, but one whose human nature is hypostatically united to his divine nature—so that he can truly be called Emmanuel, which means God-with-us. God in the flesh—God in the midst of mankind—God making his dwelling among us. And his first dwelling, is the most pure virgin womb.

As we approach Christmas, on one hand, we have this powerful reminder of God’s activity. Apart from God’s action, the miraculous conception could not have occurred. God initiated this encounter, he intervened in history to bring about our salvation. God desires our salvation. He works for our salvation. He arranges the events of history to bring about our salvation. He enters into this harsh reality and will suffer for our salvation.

On the other hand, we have the virgin’s beautiful response to God’s invitation. She submits—she trustingly puts her life in the hands of God—I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to thy word. God is at work for our salvation, but he calls us to cooperate with Him, to trust Him.

We contemplate God’s marvelous action, his love, his ability to do what previously seemed impossible, and we contemplate the virgin’s response, her trust, her humility.

Return to these scripture readings sometime today. Enter into the quiet and drink deeply of these power scriptures, the working of God and the cooperation of the Virgin. When you do, no doubt, something will be unlocked in your heart, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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

That the witness of the Church may help all nations come to believe in the Lordship of Jesus.

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

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and strengthen all who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel.

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

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

3rd Week of Advent 2021 - Wednesday - "Near indeed is salvation"

 

Throughout the Old Testament God is revealed as Savior. 

In the early books of the Old Testament God saves people from famine, from slavery, and from enemy armies. Over and over, through Judges like Gideon and Deborah, God saves his people who fall into sin and become vulnerable to enemies like the Amorites, Philistines, and Canaanites. David sings of how God saves him from the murderous plots of saul, and is a constant savior to the people of Israel.

We know the story well of the devastation wrought by the Babylonians. Israel, having forsaken God quite profoundly, fall to the Babylonians and are marched off into exile.

For about two generations, from 587 to 538, the exiled Jews lived under the oppression of the Babylonians. Prophets like Daniel began to speak of how God would save the Jews from Babylonian exile.

In the Gospel, we hear how God the Savior had now come in the flesh, curing the blind and the lame and the lepers and the deaf, and raising the dead. The same God who saved the people of Israel over and over in the Old Testament, had now come as the savior of all mankind.

These Advent readings help us appreciate who Jesus is, who we will be celebrating at Christmas. Not an ordinary man who simply had nice things to say about getting along with each other. He is God in the flesh come to save his people—and not simply from physical ills or enemies, but from the great spiritual enemies of the human race—sin and death. 

These Advent readings help us appreciate who Jesus is, who we will be celebrating at Christmas. Not an ordinary man, who goes about an ordinary life. He is God in the flesh come to save his people—and not simply from physical ills or enemies, but from the great spiritual enemies of the human race—sin and death. 

“Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him” writes David in today’s Psalm. 

Like Isaiah, like David, like John the Baptist, we are to point people to Jesus who is the Savior of mankind. Christmas is not the celebration of the birthday of an ordinary child. It is the birth of the Savior of mankind without whom we would remain exiled from heaven forever. 

May all the ends of the earth turn to him for salvation, justice, and peace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Holy Father, all bishops and priests, religious and laity may shine with the Light of Christ’s love for the lost and despairing.

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 and the saving powers of God.

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 14 2021 - St. John of the Cross - "O night more loving than the rising sun"

 In the course of the Christian life, there are times when the brightness of God’s closeness sustains us and strengthens us—when it is easy to pray and a delight to pray—when God’s will is relatively easy to discern and follow, when God’s presence is unobscured by our anxieties. But there are also times in the spiritual life—in the Christian life—of inevitable dryness, where the God seems far away, distant, even absent.  

Today’s Saint St. John of the Cross understood darkness. After joining the Carmelites, it became clear that many of his brother monks were not all that interested in prayer, penance, and spiritual growth. They became so annoyed with John that they imprisoned him in a tiny cell.

John took advantage of the darkness and the quiet and the solitude of imprisonment to seek Christ, and composed some of the most beautiful mystical poetry in history. 

And though I suffer darknesses
in this mortal life,
that is not so hard a thing;
for even if I have no light
I have the life of heaven.
For the blinder love is
the more it gives such life,
holding the soul surrendered,
living without light in darkness.

For when once the will
is touched by God himself,
it cannot find contentment
except in the Divinity;
but since his Beauty is open
to faith alone, the will
tastes him…which is so gladly found.

What a wonderful saint to honor and imitate during Advent. For during Advent when practice a sort of spiritual solidarity with Ancient Israel, waiting and longing for Christ in the darkness. For centuries, many thought that God had abandoned his people. The faithful remnant, kept the hope allowed, continued to pray and meditate on the Scriptures and the promises of the Messiah.

St. John of the Cross helps us to look for God in our own experience of darkness and isolation. When God seems distant, when hardships grow great, when the brokenness of the world seems beyond repair, when so many seem to be falling away from the Church, instead of losing hope, we must recommit to seeking God in the darkness. God in fact allows us to undergo spiritual darkness, spiritual trial, that our faith, hope, and love may be grow. 

For spiritual night can lead to an ever deeper experience of God; as John of the Cross wrote, “O night, that was more loving than the rising sun, o night, which joined the lover, to the beloved one” 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 through self-denial and embrace of the cross the Christian people may experience ever-deeper union with Christ this Advent.

For the members of the Carmelite Order, that their life of prayer and penance will be for the Church a source of renewal and strength.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life and a strengthening of all marriages in holiness.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and strengthen all who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel. And in a special way we pray for all victims of natural disaster and adverse weather, especially the victims of the recent tornados in our country.

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

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

2nd Week of Advent 2021 - Friday - "Wisdom is vindicated by her works"

 Throughout the Gospels, we see many different responses to the Lord and his call to conversion. Some, like the Apostles, drop everything they are doing to follow Jesus—they put their earthly business on hold, even walking away from it entirely, in order to follow Jesus. Some, fall at his feet to be healed by him, some climb trees to see him, some go to extreme lengths to bring others to him, like the men who lower their friend through the roof to get near him.

And then some, we know question him, try to trap him in logical arguments, and try to prove him wrong, to be a fool or liar or a madman. Some, of course, will seek to silence him and conspire against him to put him to death, as they know that his truth is a threat to their worldly power. In the Gospel today, we hear how some called him a drunkard and a glutton, seeking to discredit him.

Jesus lamented the hardness of heart he encountered in his ministry. When people do not want to listen to the truth, they will easily enough find an excuse for not heading it. They often don’t even attempt to be logically consistent in their criticisms. Instead of looking for reasons to believe, they’ll look for any reason not to believe.

“But wisdom is vindicated by her works” the Lord says in the Gospel. The hard-hearted, spoiled, cantankerous, illogical criticism of the unrepentant and faithless is proven wrong by the goodness of Jesus and how that goodness fills the lives of his holy ones.

In the end, there will be those who refuse to see the boundless goodness of the saints: they refuse to see the selfless generosity of mother Theresa, st. francis, the profound wisdom of Thomas Aquinas, st. Augustine, st. francis de sales, the profound courage of st. Thomas more. The wisdom of Christ shines brightly in the lives of his holy ones. 

The season of Advent is an opportunity for us to burn brightly with the wisdom of christ, to show forth acts of goodness and righteousness and courageous and self-less generosity to those who will not be convinced by logical arguments. Concrete acts of mercy have a way of piercing through pride and hard-heartedness. So, Advent stirs up a sort of holiness in us that can be seen by the lost and despairing. We are to become like the lights of the advent wreath, burning quietly, but shining with the light of Christ’s goodness and love for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That the Holy Father, all bishops and priests, religious and laity may shine with the Light of Christ’s love for the lost and despairing.

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 6 2021 - St. Nicholas - Generous, miracle-worker, hammer of heretics

 

Children of all ages can readily identify the saint we honor today.  The man with the twinkling eyes, the smiling face, the ample body and the pillowed red suit.  Historically, we know that Nicholas was a bishop of Myra a city in what is now Turkey in the fourth century.

Perhaps one of the best-known stories about Nicholas concerns his generosity towards a poor family

The culture of the time , in order for a young woman to marry, the father had to provide her with a dowry so that her new husband would be able to pay for her upkeep, at least for some period of time. Families without money for a dowry often couldn’t get their daughters married. One poor father didn’t know what to do for his three daughters. If he were to die or be incapable of work, they would be driven prostitution for survival.

Nicholas heard of the family’s situation and one night threw a bag of gold coins through the family’s open window, enough for the dowry for the oldest daughter who was soon married. The next night, Nicholas threw in another bag, sufficient for the dowry of the middle daughter, who likewise was married. The third night Nicholas tossed a third bag to help marry the third daughter of the father.

There is something profoundly holy about this sort of anonymous charity. “When you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites, rather, let your giving be in secret” the Lord teaches us.

St. Nicholas was not only charitable, but a miracle worker. There is an amazing miracle story where Bishop Nicholas restored to life three young men who had been killed.  There was a food shortage in Myra, and the local butcher abducted and killed three young men, and put them in brine to cure them before making them into a ham.  Bishop Nicholas became aware of this through the Holy Spirit, found the boys, restored them to life, and converted the butcher to Christianity.

Bishop Nicholas was also a great lover and defender of truth. Bishop Nicholas stood up for the truth at the council of Nicaea. When the heretic priest Arius claimed that Jesus was not of the same substance with the Father, Nicholas corrected Arius….physically. There are pictures of Nicholas slapping Arius in the mouth for the foul errors spewing from it. St. Nicholas is sometimes called the “hammer of heretics” for this great defense of the faith.

Here was a bishop, aware and responsive to the needs of the poor in his diocese, whose holiness was evident due to the miraculous stories which began to arise around him, and a bishop who was a great defender of the Apostolic Faith. He is certainly a model for all bishops today.

And, Nicholas is a model for all of us especially during advent—a saint in which generosity, holiness, and love of truth are combined, as they always are. Where one is lacking so will the other two.

Advent challenges us to look for opportunities for such anonymous benefaction, for the corporal and spiritual needs of others, to pray for others, especially those in need of a miracles, perhaps, even through lives of holiness to become instruments of God’s miraculous love, and like St. Nicholas to deepen our understanding and preach the Apostolic Truth about Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - 

For Pope Francis, Bishop Malesic, and all of the ordained, that their ministry may be effective in leading the Church in spreading Christ’s saving Gospel.

That our elected officials, judges, government leaders and people of good will may work together in defending innocent human life, working for the common good, and righting injustice.

For our young people, that they may be kept safe from the errors of our culture and kept in close friendship with Jesus through prayer and acts of mercy.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, disease or sorrow, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

For the deceased of our parish, family and friends, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who bring 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.

A reading from the epistle to the Hebrews

Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching.* It is good to have our hearts strengthened by grace and not by foods, which do not benefit those who live by them. We have an altar* from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. The bodies of the animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, to consecrate the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp, bearing the reproach that he bore. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come. Through him [then] let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.

A continuation of the holy gospel according to St. matthew

At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples: a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents;* to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five.* He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘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.’ [Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘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.’

 

December 03 2021 - St. Francis Xavier - The hand extended to sinners

 I’ll never forget my first trip to Rome and visiting all the different Churches. Many of the Churches are administrated by the diocese and priests of Rome itself. Some are run by the different religious orders. The Jesuits run a few churches in Rome, but most impressive, however, is their mother Church, La Chiesa del Santissimo Nome di Gesù, the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, or the Gesu, for short.

And there on the side altar of this immense, beautiful baroque church, is the incorrupt relic of the right hand and arm of St. Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary, who is honored today. The rest of his incorrupt body is laid in Goa, India, where he was sent by Ignatius in 1540 to evangelize. He also traveled to Japan and is known as the first apostle of the Philippines. 

But it is there in Rome, where his incorrupt right hand and arm are is enshrined in this golden reliquary. And it is so fitting that it is his arm that is so enshrined. For that arm baptized and blessed thousands and thousands of new converts, probably close to a hundred thousand converts. That arm poured water to become a conduit of God, it called down blessing for so many. A tremendously powerful image.

St. Francis Xavier is one of the great Patron Saints of Missionaries, and it is good to celebrate this missionary saint here at the beginning of Advent. Jesus himself was a missionary, sent by the Father for the work of salvation. We are to receive Jesus as we would receive a missionary who delivers to us the most important message of our lives. He is the Word that brings salvation, the hand extended to sinners, as we say in the Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation. 

Advent helps us to quiet down, to remove the spiritual clutter, in order to receive His Word more deeply, to receive The Word, more deeply.

But the one who receives is also called to give, to pass on. To receive the missionary Christ we must be willing to become a missionary as well. Just as St. Francis Xavier was sent by his superior to the farthest ends of the earth, we are sent, to carry the reconciling word of Christ, to extend the reach of the saving hand of God. 

Pope Francis reminds us that we are missionary disciples. Disciples with a mission, disciples sent out by God, to extend the blessing, truth, salvation, goodness, peace, and love of Jesus to everyone. May this holy Advent, and this great Advent saint, Francis Xavier, continue to stir up our faith, that we may more willingly and courageously extend that faith to others, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis, Bishop Malesic, and all of the ordained, that their ministry may be effective in leading the Church in spreading Christ’s saving Gospel.

That our elected officials, judges, government leaders and people of good will may work together in defending innocent human life, working for the common good, and righting injustice.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, for the Jesuit Order’s faithfulness to the mission of Christ, and through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier, for the sanctity, safety, and success of all missionaries.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, disease or sorrow, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

For the deceased of our parish, family and friends, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who bring 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.

1st Week of Advent 2021 - Wednesday - Fulfillment of prophecies of old

 There is a beautiful interplay between the first reading and the Gospel throughout the weekdays of Advent. In the first reading there is a prophecy about the Messiah, from Isaiah these first two weeks. Then in our Gospel reading, we catch a glimpse of how that old testament prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus.

For example, on Monday, Isaiah prophesied how “All nations shall stream toward” God, not just the Jews, but all nations shall be instructed by God, and their swords will be beaten into pruning hooks.

Then in the Gospel, we heard of a sword carrying, non-Jewish Roman centurion, who approached Jesus seeking healing for his servant. 

Today, we hear the prophecy of God’s holy mountain, upon which death will be destroyed, the tears of the miserable will be wiped away, and the hungry will feast. And then in the Gospel, Jesus fulfills that very prophecy driving away the powers of death in the lame, blind, and deformed. And he then feeds the multitude through this miraculous multiplication of loaves, after which there is more food left over than when they started. 

As these prophecies were being fulfilled in the earthly ministry of Jesus, you can bet that people were getting excited. The apostles followed him with vigor as they began to recognize who he was. Jews and Gentiles began to recognize that God was at work. Jesus was stirring things up, calling the slumbering to wake up, repent, change your ways, get ready, the kingdom of God is at hand. 

So, too, in this age of the Church Advent should stir something in us. It has the power to enflame the lukewarm, inspire faith in non-believers, rouse the negligent, call sinners to repentant, and deepen the faith of even the saintly. 

But the power of Advent needs to emanate outside of the walls of our churches in the preaching and good works of the faithful. In our generosity toward the miserable, in the softening and warming of our hearts toward the poor and lame, outside of these walls souls can be touched and transformed. 

May we cooperate generously with the myriad ways our Lord wishes to draw souls to Himself 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 through the witness and work of the Church, Our Lord will bring hope to the hopeless and joy to the joyless.

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

That Christ may heal every disease, drive out hunger, feed every authentic hunger, ward off every affliction, and bring peace to the suffering.

For the deceased of our parish, family and friends, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for Edward Yurick. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who bring 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.

November 30 2021 - St. Andrew the Apostle - What do you seek?

 There’s a particular fittingness in celebrating the feast of St. Andrew at the beginning of Advent, because his life illustrates for us very well the fundamental response Advent seeks to elicit from us, to go out to meet Christ, and to embrace and follow Christ the Lord when he comes.

In John’s Gospel, we read how Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist, and following the Baptism of the Lord by John in the Jordan, Andrew begins to follow Jesus…literally, as Jesus is walking, Andrew and another of the baptist’s disciples, probably john the evangelist, had been tailing Jesus from a distance.  Jesus heard them, turned and said, “What do you seek?” In their nervousness they blurted out, “Where are you staying?” Jesus, inviting them to a deeper relationship and to discipleship responds, “Come and see.”

Here is a beautiful illustration of Advent. Perhaps we’ve been following Jesus, but keeping him at a bit of a distance, just as all of us do, if we’re honest. But Jesus senses the longing in our hearts, after all, he put it there. And so he invites us to stay with him, to deepen the relationship, to come and see. 

Andrew, we know, would not only draw close to the Lord, personally, but he would leave behind his old way of life, and begin to draw others close to the Lord. As soon as Andrew was able to travel again after the completion of the Sabbath, Andrew ran to his brother Simon and announced, “We have found the Messiah!” His longing for Christ led Andrew to bring others to Him.

This is how we know discipleship is real, faith in Christ impels us to tell others about Him, to lead others to Him.

What makes Andrew powerfully heroic is that his discipleship led him to suffer greatly for the Gospel.

Tradition says that after the Lord’s Resurrection and Ascension, Andrew went on to spread the Gospel in Greece, particularly Patras, a city on the northwest coast of Greece’s Peloponnesian peninsula. There he was arrested by the governor, and imprisoned and tortured for preaching against the pagan gods. The governor promised great honors to Andrew, if he would forsake his Christian faith. Andrew, course, know Christ to be the true and only God, refused. For this, Andrew was sentenced to death by crucifixion on the X-shaped cross. 

This brave martyr, this beautiful soul who longed for Christ, searched for Him, embraced Him, brought others to Him, is such a powerful model for us to celebrate and consider at the beginning of this Advent season. We do well to consider, how our lives should change in order to follow Andrew’s example, of going out to meet the Lord and embracing him when he arrives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

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

That through the courageous witness of the Christian Church, Our Lord will bring hope to the hopeless and joy to the joyless.

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

That Christ may heal every disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and bring peace to the suffering.

For the deceased of our parish, family and friends, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God, as we await the advent of Christ your son, so that, when he comes and knocks, he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in  his praise. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

1st Week of Advent 2021 - Monday - "Lord I am not worthy..."

 

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the world and my soul will be healed.”  

How appropriate, that right at the beginning of Advent, we have this profound statement of humble faith of the Roman Centurion. “Lord, I am not worthy”

This statement of faith has long been part of the Roman liturgy. We recite these words prior to our reception of holy communion. In fact, in the Old Rite, it would be recited three times, while striking the breast, “Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbum, et sanabitur animam meam”

For some of us, every day is Advent; for every day, while attending Mass, the Lamb of God is made present to us, and every day, we recite those words of the Centurion before the Lord’s Advent into our souls through the reception of Holy Communion.

One the one hand, these words confess our unworthiness to receive the holy one. Our lives our full of so many imperfections, so much weakness, that the words of St. Peter would be more appropriate, no? “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” I have so often turned away from grace, turned away from goodness. I am not worthy. 

And yet, in the Mass, the Lord, present, seems to also echo that invitation made to the repentant: “Come to me, all of you, and I will refresh you.” Though I am so carnal and worldly, so unmortified in my passions, so full of concupiscence, so unguarded in my outward senses, so entangled in my vain imaginations, so negligent in cultivating my interior life, so sluggish in austerity and fervor, so selfish in generosity, so often deaf to the word of God, the Lord beckons me anyway.

While acknowledging our unworthiness, we also confidently acknowledge that by a mere word of his omnipotence, the Lord can heal and restore our diseased soul, to make it a fitting tabernacle for his divine presence.

As the Catechism explains: “Before so great a sacrament, the faithful can only echo humbly and with ardent faith the words of the centurion, Lord I am not worthy to receive” Like the centurion, we acknowledge our unworthiness to have Jesus enter under the roof of our souls. Yet just as the centurion believed Jesus was able to heal his servant, so we trust that Jesus can heal us as he becomes the intimate guest of our soul in Holy Communion.

The Centurion certainly sets the tone for Advent. What does it mean to stir up our faith this Advent? To deeply and profoundly consider our unworthiness to receive the Lord, and yet, at the same time, to confidently approach him, to invite him into our souls, knowing that he longs to make his dwelling in us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

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

That Christ may visit his holy Church and always find her repentant of sin and watchful in prayer.

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces.

That Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to His Holy Will.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

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 bring 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.