December 31 2024 - The Eternal Word accompanies us through time

 December 31 is a retrospective day for many people.  A day to look back on the experiences of the year: to recall God’s blessings and interventions in our lives and to give thanks and to look forward that next year be better than the last.  

Pope Benedict XVI wrote: “It is our duty, as well as a need of our hearts, to praise and thank the Eternal One who accompanies us through time, never abandoning us, and who always watches over humanity with the fidelity of his merciful love.”

How has the Lord accompanied us through 2024?  Three hundred sixty-five days this year, Jesus has offered himself to us—in his teaching, in his Sacraments, most especially in the Eucharist.  365 days he has offered to forgive our sins, and invited us to make a new beginning in the life of grace—turning to him for strength in times of temptation, turning to him for guidance in times of confusion. In the darkest moments of 2024, he was there. Did we turn to him? Did we turn to the Christ, or did we turn to the voices and empty promises, of those St. John calls in our first reading, the anti-christs.

“Many anti-christs have appeared” John writes. What constitutes an anti-Christ? Any person, any philosophy, any institution who stands in opposition of Christ and the good news he offers, would be considered an anti-Christ. 

And just as many anti-Christs appeared in the early Church, anti-Christs are in abundance in the modern day. And the modern anti-christs continue to oppose Christ by swaying us to be selfish, to ignore God’s commandments, to hold on to grudges, to snub the poor. They seek to convince Christians to leave the Church, to dismiss godly wisdom, and persuade non-believers to look elsewhere for salvation. But they only offer the short term salvation of instant gratification, rather than authentic salvation that endures unto eternity. 

As we conclude one year and enter another, we do well to reflect upon and give thanks for the blessings of the year. But we also pray to God to gird us to continue the spiritual battle ahead and our Gospel mandate. 

Whatever may happen in 2025, Christ’s “light shines in the darkness; the darkness has not (and will not) overcome it.” 

Again, let us praise and thank the Eternal One who accompanies in time, and let us face today and tomorrow with the grace and truth he brings, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

Mindful of God’s faithfulness, let us offer our prayers and petitions with grateful hearts:

For the Church That all believers may enter the new year with renewed faith, bearing witness to Christ’s light in a world often darkened by selfishness and division. 

For those who lead and govern, that in 2025, government and civic leaders may be guided by the wisdom of God, promoting policies that uphold the dignity of every human person and protect the common good.

For all who have experienced hardship this past year That those who have suffered loss, disappointment, or confusion may find in Christ the healing and hope

For protection from modern “anti-christs”, that the Lord may strengthen us to recognize and resist voices that entice us toward selfishness, grudges, and neglect of the vulnerable, so we may remain steadfast in the truth of the Gospel.

In thanksgiving for God’s blessings, that our hearts may overflow with gratitude for the ways the Lord has accompanied us, forgiven our sins, and offered His grace throughout this past year.

For those struggling with illness, addiction or harmful habits: That they may find healing, support, and freedom in God’s grace, and discover the lasting peace Christ desires for them.

That those who have gone before us in faith may rest in the eternal embrace of our Merciful Father.

Presider: Loving and eternal God, you have guided us through the days and seasons of this past year. Hear our prayers as we entrust to you all our joys, sorrows, and hopes for the year ahead. May your grace strengthen us in the truth of Christ, whose light shines forever. 

6th Week of Easter 2021 - Wednesday - The Spirit of Truth

 Early in John’s Gospel, Jesus is introduced as the incarnate word of God, filled with grace and truth. “Truth” is an important concept in John’s Gospel, and for Christians. “He who practices the truth comes to the Light”. “The truth will make you free”, the Lord teaches. “I am the way, the Truth, and the life”. “My flesh is true food, my blood is true drink”. Those who believe in jesus will be known by god as true worshippers, who worship in Spirit and Truth.

Today, in anticipation of the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Lord explains “When he comes, the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth.”

“Quid est veritas?” asks Pontius Pilate. What is truth? The Gospel notion is truth is not the same as the accumulation of scientific fact. The sending of the Holy Spirit isn’t so that we can understand quantum physics better or how an air conditioner works.  That’s not to say that Christians should have nothing to do with the world of science.  Science, as we know it grew out of Catholic Europe. Many of the important scientific discoveries were made by Catholics. We can thank the Catholic intellectual tradition for the modern scientific method.

But when the Lord speaks of the truth that “makes you free” he’s not talking about scientific knowledge. Rather, he’s speaking about the truth that frees us from moral, theological, and spiritual evil—the light of truth which frees us from darkness of sin and death.

Ignorance of God and his ways keeps us from the blessedness for which we were created. Moral error keeps us from loving God and loving our neighbor as we should.

About three and a half centuries after the Gospel of John was written, St. Augustine wrote “Victoria Veritatis est caritas”—”the victory of truth is love”. Through Christ, God conquers the darkness of error which debilitates us, which mars the mind and soul of the human person. The weakening of the will—darkening of the intellect through sin—is healed and reversed—when we live the truth of the Gospel.

The Second Vatican Council document, Gaudium et Spes, put it like this: without the knowledge of God, man remains an unsolved puzzle to himself.  Only in light of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light, and it is only Christ by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His Love, that fully reveals man to himself and makes his supreme calling clear.

A culture that does not know him will become depraved, a government that does not acknowledge Him will always be misguided and devolved into tyranny or anarchy, the soul which does not profess Him as Lord will be lost.

And how many of our family, and coworkers, and countrymen do not know Christ, do not know him really.  The Holy Spirit—the Spirit of truth—is sent down upon us, that we may make Christ known. That through us the Spirit of Truth will guide men to all truth—the Truth of Christ—for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - -   

For an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit among all Christians, and that the Spirit of Truth may be enkindled in all those who do not believe, the lukewarm, and those who have fallen away from the Church. 

That during this month of May, Christians may turn to Mary, Mother of the Church, seeking her aid and imploring her intercession with increased and fervent devotion, especially by praying the Holy Rosary. Let us pray to the Lord.

For the sick, the suffering, those in nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice care, for the underemployed and unemployed, for the imprisoned, those with addictions, for those undergoing surgery, those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, that the Spirit of Consolation may comfort them.

For the deceased members of our families, friends and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all those who fought and died for our freedom.

O God, who 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 31 2019 - The Last Gospel

Prior to the reforms of the Second Vatican council, mass would conclude with a reading from the prologue of Saint John’s Gospel , as we heard just proclaimed: “In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum...”, it was called the Last Gospel because it was part of the concluding rite of the Mass.  Well, it is the last Gospel of the year for us on this last day of the year 2019. 

The Last Gospel calls our attention to the beginning, the Eternal Word who was with God before time began and at the beginning of the world, through Him the world was made. The Last Gospel calls our attention to the beginning of our salvation, the birth of the Eternal Word made flesh. He who is beyond the comprehension of man becomes man to enlighten and save us.

Three hundred sixty-five days this year the Word sought to enter into our humanity, into our lives, that His light and His glory might be manifest in us, that the invisible might be made visible through us.

I think the last day of the year is always a reflective day, because it urges us to consider, did I allow the Eternal Word to become flesh in my life or not? How did I keep his light from shining, his glory from emanating.

2020 will begin, tomorrow, liturgically with the Feast of Mary, Mother of God in whose womb, the Word made his first humble dwelling.  We turn to her motherly intercession, that she may accompany us, and nurture us as we might become like her.

On this last day of 2019, we thank God for all he has achieved in us, and anticipate with open hearts what he still desires to achieve through us, with us, and in us this upcoming year. May we be more attentive and responsive to the needs of those around us.  And may we resolve this new year to be, like Mary, more open, more obedient, more humble to the Word of God for His glory and the salvation of souls.

- - - - - - - -
 
We bring forth now our prayers of petitions.

For the conversion of all those who have turned their hearts from Christ, for those who have fallen into serious sin, for a strengthening of all of the faithful in virtue. And That God may bring the faithless to believe in His Son and increase the faith of those struggling to believe.

For Christians who are persecuted throughout the world, especially those who face martyrdom, that they may have a faith that is constant and pure.

For the safety of all those celebrating the New Year this evening, safety from physical harm and preservation from sin.

For those oppressed by hunger, sickness or loneliness, that through the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, they may find relief in both mind and body.

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