The Epiphany of the Lord

The Epiphany of the Lord

Epiphany – which means “manifestation” or revelation celebrates the fact that when Jesus was born as a man in Bethlehem he came not for just one but for all peoples, all races – of all times and places. This would be something that the Jewish people would find difficult to accept. They knew themselves to be God’s Chosen People – and indeed they were, and they still are.  But in choosing the Jews, God in no way meant to disparage or belittle those who the Jews still call the “goyim” – or the nations. Indeed, the election of the Jews was not a put down for those who were not Jews – for in choosing Israel as a people peculiarly his own, God wanted them to be “a light to the nations”, a light that would lead the nations to the knowledge of the true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Jews were elected by God not to be against the world but to be, in a special way, for the world.

And so, soon after Jesus’ birth, wise men from the East come to worship him. Their arrival on the scene shows, as it were, that the Savior born in Bethlehem comes to save not just the Jews but the entire world. The Magi represent the non-Jewish world – they represent us: Jesus comes to save us.

While Jesus’ mission was first to the lost sheep of Israel, it was not to be exclusively for them. Jesus would tell his Apostles: Go out into all the world and preach the good news. The good news of salvation is “catholic” – a word that comes from the Greek language and means universal. If Salvation is “catholic”, then the Church which Jesus founded to preach the good news of salvation must necessarily be Catholic as well. If the Church is the Father’s House, then all those who are God’s children through baptism should feel at home in their Father’s House.

Our diversity of languages, cultures, and races gives witness to the “catholicity” of the gospel message of salvation. This diversity does not divide the Body of Christ – it enriches it. Our unity is not founded on race or language or nation of origin – rather it is founded on Christ. We acknowledge one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism.

The original purpose of the Feast of Epiphany, which had its beginning in the Eastern Church during the 3 rd century, was to commemorate how the glory of Christ was revealed to the Gentiles. Such took place in four ways:   (1) in the person of the Magi;   (2) in the Baptism of Jesus;   (3) in the first miracle at Cana; and (4) When reviewing the early history of this celebration, it comes to our attention that the Birth of Christ was also included in the Feast of Epiphany.

Of these four, the Baptism of Jesus was predominantly commemorated.  Based on the writings of the early Church Fathers, it has been made known to us that the Birth of Christ and His first miracle at Cana both took place on January 6th. Now some of you may wonder, if the Birth of Jesus took place on January 6th, why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th? This is a very interesting question!

During the early days of the Church, it was the custom of the pagans to celebrate the birthday of the sun on December 25th. During that celebration, the non-believers lit lights on account of the feast. As sad as it is to say, some of the members of the Christian community also participated in this unholy feast.

To remedy the situation, after consulting with one another, the Fathers of the Church determined that it was in the best interest of the Christians community to move the Feast of the Birth of Jesus to December 25th and to leave the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. During that period of twelve days, the Christians would enjoy the burning of lights. The burning of the lights was to symbolize the spiritual illumination that comes from the Sacrament of Baptism.

Joke: A farmer named Muldoon lived alone in the Irish countryside except for a pet dog he for a long time. The dog finally died and Muldoon went to the parish priest, saying "Father, the dog is dead. Could you possibly be saying a Mass for the poor creature?" Father Patrick told the farmer "No, we can't have services for an animal in the church, but I'll tell you what, there's a new denomination down the road apiece, and no telling what they believe in, but maybe they'll do something for the animal." Muldoon said "I'll go right now. By the way, do you think $50,000 is enough to donate for the service?" Father Patrick replied "Why didn't you tell me the dog was Catholic."

Practical Applications: 1) It’s interesting how often we follow the star of self. Even when we think we’re not, in things like church service, outreach to the poor and needy and many other things. 2) Let us strive to be pure and holy like our Heavenly Mother. All mothers want their children to inherit or acquire their good qualities. Hence, let us honor Mary, our Heavenly Mother, by practicing her virtues of faith, obedience, purity and humble service.  3) Let us have a daily resolution for the New Year: Let us resolve to start every morning asking our heavenly Father for a special anointing of His Holy Spirit so that we may do God’s holy will and avoid everything evil.

Introduction: The Epiphany of the Lord

Message:  All nations are invited to sing the Lord’s praises for they have been called to hear the good news and worship the long awaited Messiah and King with the gift of their lives.

Saints and Events in this Week: 6-Sixth-Monday-Saint Andre Bessette, religious; 7-Seventh-Tuesday-Saint Raymond of Penyafort, priest; 

Epiphany – which means “manifestation” or revelation celebrates the fact that when Jesus was born as a man in Bethlehem he came not for just one but for all peoples, all races – of all times and places. This would be something that the Jewish people would find difficult to accept. They knew themselves to be God’s Chosen People – and indeed they were, and they still are.  But in choosing the Jews, God in no way meant to disparage or belittle those who the Jews still call the “goyim” – or the nations. Indeed, the election of the Jews was not a put down for those who were not Jews – for in choosing Israel as a people peculiarly his own, God wanted them to be “a light to the nations”, a light that would lead the nations to the knowledge of the true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Jews were elected by God not to be against the world but to be, in a special way, for the world.

And so, soon after Jesus’ birth, wise men from the East come to worship him. Their arrival on the scene shows, as it were, that the Savior born in Bethlehem comes to save not just the Jews but the entire world. The Magi represent the non-Jewish world – they represent us: Jesus comes to save us.

While Jesus’ mission was first to the lost sheep of Israel, it was not to be exclusively for them. Jesus would tell his Apostles: Go out into all the world and preach the good news. The good news of salvation is “catholic” – a word that comes from the Greek language and means universal. If Salvation is “catholic”, then the Church which Jesus founded to preach the good news of salvation must necessarily be Catholic as well. If the Church is the Father’s House, then all those who are God’s children through baptism should feel at home in their Father’s House.

Our diversity of languages, cultures, and races gives witness to the “catholicity” of the gospel message of salvation. This diversity does not divide the Body of Christ – it enriches it. Our unity is not founded on race or language or nation of origin – rather it is founded on Christ. We acknowledge one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism.

The original purpose of the Feast of Epiphany, which had its beginning in the Eastern Church during the 3 rd century, was to commemorate how the glory of Christ was revealed to the Gentiles. Such took place in four ways:   (1) in the person of the Magi;   (2) in the Baptism of Jesus;   (3) in the first miracle at Cana; and (4) When reviewing the early history of this celebration, it comes to our attention that the Birth of Christ was also included in the Feast of Epiphany.

Of these four, the Baptism of Jesus was predominantly commemorated.  Based on the writings of the early Church Fathers, it has been made known to us that the Birth of Christ and His first miracle at Cana both took place on January 6th. Now some of you may wonder, if the Birth of Jesus took place on January 6th, why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th? This is a very interesting question!

During the early days of the Church, it was the custom of the pagans to celebrate the birthday of the sun on December 25th. During that celebration, the non-believers lit lights on account of the feast. As sad as it is to say, some of the members of the Christian community also participated in this unholy feast.

To remedy the situation, after consulting with one another, the Fathers of the Church determined that it was in the best interest of the Christians community to move the Feast of the Birth of Jesus to December 25th and to leave the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. During that period of twelve days, the Christians would enjoy the burning of lights. The burning of the lights was to symbolize the spiritual illumination that comes from the Sacrament of Baptism.

Joke: A farmer named Muldoon lived alone in the Irish countryside except for a pet dog he for a long time. The dog finally died and Muldoon went to the parish priest, saying "Father, the dog is dead. Could you possibly be saying a Mass for the poor creature?" Father Patrick told the farmer "No, we can't have services for an animal in the church, but I'll tell you what, there's a new denomination down the road apiece, and no telling what they believe in, but maybe they'll do something for the animal." Muldoon said "I'll go right now. By the way, do you think $50,000 is enough to donate for the service?" Father Patrick replied "Why didn't you tell me the dog was Catholic."

Practical Applications: 1) It’s interesting how often we follow the star of self. Even when we think we’re not, in things like church service, outreach to the poor and needy and many other things. 2) Let us strive to be pure and holy like our Heavenly Mother. All mothers want their children to inherit or acquire their good qualities. Hence, let us honor Mary, our Heavenly Mother, by practicing her virtues of faith, obedience, purity and humble service.  3) Let us have a daily resolution for the New Year: Let us resolve to start every morning asking our heavenly Father for a special anointing of His Holy Spirit so that we may do God’s holy will and avoid everything evil.

Introduction: The Epiphany of the Lord

Message:  All nations are invited to sing the Lord’s praises for they have been called to hear the good news and worship the long awaited Messiah and King with the gift of their lives.

Saints and Events in this Week: 6-Sixth-Monday-Saint Andre Bessette, religious; 7-Seventh-Tuesday-Saint Raymond of Penyafort, priest; 

The Holy Family:[A]:Sir 3:2-6,12-14, Col 3:12-21, Mt 2:13-15,19-23

THE HOLY FAMILY:[A]:Sir3:2-6,12-14, Col3:12-21, Mt2:13-15,19-23

Introduction:On the last Sunday of the year, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. We are here to offer all the members of our own families on the altar for God’s blessing. Today’s Gospel describes the holy family, how Joseph and Mary protected the Child Jesus from the sword of King Herod by escaping with him to Egypt

Anecdote: We have heard of the story about the Luck of Roaring Camp, and was written in 1868 by Bret Harte.  The story takes place in Roaring Camp, a camp of gruff, hard drinking, fierce, gold diggers.  The men would kill someone sooner than they would ask a person his name.  One day a pregnant and sick Indian lady stumbled into the camp.  When she went into labor, two of the men were decent enough to try to help her.  She died during the birth, but miraculously, the child, a boy, survived.  Now, deaths were common in Roaring Camp, but a birth was something completely new.  The men of the camp took responsibility for the baby.  They began taking turns taking care of him.  They decided to build him a clean cabin and even put in windows with lace curtains.  He was their baby and they were determined to give him a proper home.  The men took turns taking care of the baby.  To hold him and sing to him was considered a privilege.  They demanded from each other previously unheard of things such as decent language, quiet, cleanliness and moral order.  The men began to shed their roughness, their anger and their selfishness.  The little child transformed this outpost of rough, crude miners into a community of generosity, tenderness and compassion.  The baby called forth from these reckless characters and criminals a dignity, worth and sense of beauty, wonder and joy.

Explanation: Children will do that to you and for you. Many young couples refine their lifestyles when a baby comes.  They want the baby to be brought up with the best they have, by being the best people they can be.  Many people who had been away from church return to Church on a regular basis. They want their baby to grow up with a real loving relationship to God and as a part of a worshiping community.  Children can bring out the best in their parents. And this is what God has done for us through the birth of His son.  With Jesus' birth, our humanity is made sacred.  He has called us from living self centered lives to lives of compassion, peace and joy.  Jesus Christ has transformed humanity, making humanity sacred, just as He is sacred.

Holy Family-Our Model: To celebrate Jesus’ coming of age he attends the Temple Bible class without informing his parents. When his parents catch up with him after two days of searching for him everywhere, all he tells them is, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” (Luke 2:49). Even holy families do have their occasional tensions and misunderstandings.

The narration of this incident ends with this: “Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them” (v.51). The twelve-year old adult, Jesus, already knows that his mission is to be in his Father’s house and be about his Father’s business. From the test-run he did in Jerusalem earlier that day, it was clear that he was already capable of doing it very well, because “all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers” (v. 47). The puzzle then is this: If Jesus, already at the age of twelve, was ready to begin his public mission, and was evidently well prepared for it, why would he go down with his parents and spend the next eighteen years in the obscurity of a carpenter’s shed only to begin his public ministry at the age of thirty? Were those eighteen years wasted? Certainly not! In a way that is hard for us to understand, Jesus’ hidden life in Nazareth was as much a part of his earthly mission as his public life. We are reminded that it was at this time that “Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour” (v.52). And we reflect on the fact that for every one year of his public life Jesus spent ten years in family life. So we understand the importance and priority he gave to family life.

Joke:   A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen. 'Careful,' he said, 'CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my gosh! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my gosh! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the! Salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!' The wife stared at him. 'What in the world is wrong with you?You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?' The husband calmly replied, 'I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving.'

Life messages: 1) We need to learn lessons from the Holy Family: The Church encourages us to look to the Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph for inspiration, example and encouragement.   They were a model family in which both parents worked hard, helped each other, understood and accepted each other, and took good care of their Child so that He might grow up not only in human knowledge but also as a Child of God.

2) We need to make the family a confessional rather than a courtroom.  A senior Judge of the Supreme Court congratulated the bride and groom in a marriage with a pertinent piece of advice: “See that you never convert your family into a courtroom; instead let it be a confessional. If the husband and wife start arguing like attorneys in an attempt to justify their behavior, their family becomes a court of law and nobody wins.  On the other hand, if the husband and the wife -- as in a confessional -- are ready to admit their faults and try to correct them, the family becomes a heavenly one.”

3) Marriage is a sacrament of holiness. Each family is called to holiness. By the sacrament of marriage, Jesus sanctifies not only the spouses but also the entire family. The husband and wife attain holiness when they discharge their duties faithfully, trusting in God, and drawing on the power of God by prayer.

Introduction: Holy Family

Message: Family life is rooted in the unconditional love of God as witnessed by the Holy Family.

Saints and events in this week: 31-Thirty First-Tuesday-Saint Sylvester I, Pope; January 1-First-Wednesday-Holy Day of Obligation; 2-Second-Thursday-Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops, doctor of the Church; 3-Third-Friday-The Most Holy Name of Jesus; 4-Fourth-Saturday-Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious.

Christmas - 2013

Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Anecdote: A king fell in love with a poor maid. The king wanted to marry her. When asked, "How shall I declare my love?" his counselors answered, "Your majesty has only to appear in all the glory of your royal raiment before the maid's humble dwelling, and she will instantly fall at your feet and be yours." But it was precisely that which troubled the king. He wanted her glorification, not his. In return for his love, he wanted hers, freely given. Finally, the king realized love's truth, that freedom for the beloved demanded equality with the beloved. So late one night, after all the counselors of the palace had retired, he slipped out a side door and appeared before the maid's cottage dressed as a servant to confess his love for her. Clearly, the fable is a Christmas story. God chose to express His love for us humans by becoming one like us. We are called to obey, not God's power, but God's love. God wants not submission to His power, but in return for His love, our own.

Lessons: We celebrate Christmas with great rejoicing for three reasons. 1) It is the birthday of our God who became man and Savior to save us from our sins. 2) It is the birthday of a God who came to share His love with us and 3) It is the anniversary of the day when Almighty God came to live with us as Emmanuel.

Savior : God undertook the Incarnation of Jesus as God-Man to save us from the bondage of sin. The Hindu Scriptures describe ten incarnations of God, “to restore righteousness in the world whenever there is a large-scale erosion of moral values.” But the Christian Scriptures teach only one Incarnation and its purpose is given in John 3: 16: “God so loved the world that He sent His only Son so that every one who believes in Him may not die, but have eternal life.” 

Sharer :  Jesus, as our Savior, brought the “good news” that our God is a loving,   forgiving, merciful and rewarding God and not a judgmental, cruel and punishing God. Jesus demonstrated by his life and teaching how God, our heavenly Father, loves us, forgives us, provides for us and rewards us. All his miracles were signs of this Divine Love. Jesus’ final demonstration of God’s love for us was his death on the cross to atone for our sins and to make us children of God. Each Christmas reminds us that sharing love with others is our Christian duty, and every time we do that, Jesus is reborn in our lives.

Emmanuel : Christmas is the feast of the Emmanuel because God in the New Testament is a God who continues to live with us in all the events of our lives as the “Emmanuel” announced by the angel to Mary. As Emmanuel, Jesus lives in the Sacraments (especially in the Holy Eucharist), in the Bible, in the praying community and in each believer as the Holy Spirit transforms us into “Temples of the Holy Spirit.” Christmas reminds us that we are bearers of God with the missionary duty of conveying Jesus to those around us by loving them as Jesus did, through sacrificial, humble and committed service. Sharing with others Jesus, the Emmanuel living within us, is the best Christmas gift we can give, or receive, today.

Joke: On Christmas night the local minister’s wife collapsed on the couch and said to her husband “I am really exhausted.”  He said “You’re exhausted! How about me?  I had two Christmas Eve services and three services this morning to do; that’s five sermons.  Why are you so tired?”  She replied: “I had to listen to all of them, dear!”

Introduction: Nativity of the Lord

Message: God’s covenant gloriously shines forth in the birth of Jesus, son of David.  Out of love for us, God became flesh, for our Savior has appeared, Light dawns for us all.

IV Sunday in Advent:[A]: Is 7: 10- 14; Rom 1: 1-7; Mt 1: 18-24

IV Sunday in Advent:[A]: Is 7: 10- 14; Rom 1: 1-7; Mt 1: 18-24

Introduction:  In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah gives a sign from God to King Ahaz of Judah : "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel"(Is 7:14).  Matthew considers this prophecy as one of the most descriptive and definite prophecies foretelling the future messianic king, Christ, to be born as a descendant of David.  In the second reading, Paul also asserts that Jesus was a descendant of David and thus the Messiah: "from David according to the flesh" (Rom 1: 3).  Today’s Gospel, from Matthew, focuses on the person and role of Joseph. In order for Jesus to fulfill the messianic prophecy given by Isaiah, Joseph had to accept Jesus as his son, making Jesus a legal descendant of David because Joseph was a descendant of David.

Anecdote: It was a few days before Christmas. A woman woke up one morning and told her husband, "I just dreamed that you gave me a pearl necklace for Christmas. What do you think this dream means?" "Oh," her husband replied, "you'll know the day after tomorrow." The next morning, she turned to her husband again and said she had the same dream, and received the same reply.  On the third morning, the woman woke up and smiled at her husband, "I just dreamed again that you gave me a pearl necklace for Christmas. What do you think this dream means?" And he smiled back, "You'll know tonight." That evening, the man came home with a small package and presented it to his wife. She was delighted. She opened it gently. And when she did, she found -- a book! And the book's title was The Meaning of Dreams. Today’s gospel tells us how Joseph had a dream and how he reacted to it.

Lessons: The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehosua, which means 'YHWH is salvation'.  The first Joshua, the successor of Moses, saved the people from their enemies.  The second Joshua (Jesus) will save the people from their sins.  In Hebrew, El is a short form of Elohim, a name for God.  Immanu-El means "God with us."  Emmanuel describes Jesus’ role or vocation.  Jesus' calling is to save his people from their sins and to manifest God's presence. Matthew thus begins his Gospel with the promise that Jesus is God-with-us.  He will end the Gospel with the promise that Jesus will be with us "always, to the end of the age" (28:20). 

Joke: We know that Joseph was suspicious.  Sometimes women are overly suspicious of their husbands.  When Adam stayed out very late for a few nights, Eve became upset.  “You are running around with other women,” she charged.

“You are being unreasonable,” Adam responded.  “You are the only woman on earth.” The quarrel continued until Adam fell asleep, only to be awakened by someone poking him in the chest.

It was Eve.  “What do you think you are doing?” Adam demanded.

Eve said: “I am counting your ribs.”

Practical Applications: 1) Like Joseph, we need to trust in God, listen to Him and be faithful.  Although we may face financial problems, job insecurity, tensions in the family and health concerns, let us try to be like St. Joseph, trusting and faithful. Instead of relying on our own schemes to get us through life, let us trust in God and be strengthened by talking to Him in fervent prayer and by listening to Him speaking through the Bible. 2) We need to experience Emmanuel in our lives and change the world: The good news and the consoling message of Christmas is that the child Jesus still waits today to step into our hearts—your heart and mine—and to change us and the world around us by the beauty of God's love, kindness, mercy and compassion.  Let us take some time to welcome the Christ Child into our heart and lives this week, so that He may change our world of miseries with the beauty of that love. 3) Do we have any gift for our "Birthday Boy?” Let us check to see if Jesus is on our list this Christmas and if we have a special gift in mind for him.     A heart filled with love for God and our fellow-human beings is the birthday gift which Jesus really wants from us. Hence, let us prepare our heart for Jesus, filling it with love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness on this Christmas and every day of our lives. 4) Let us be a Christmas gift to others: The greatest gift we can give to those we love, is to have faith in them, believe in their dreams and try to help them realize them. We need to believe in the dreams of our husband, wife, children, parents, heroes, leaders and friends, then try our best to help them realize those dreams.

Introduction : Fourth Sunday in Advent

Message: Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us”, risen from the dead.  He is the king of glory.

Saints and Events in this Week: 23-Twenty Third-Monday-St. John of Kanty, priest; 25-Twenty Fifth-Wednesday-The Nativity of the Lord; 26-Twenty Sixth-Thursday-Saint Stephen, the first martyr; 27-Twenty Seventh-Friday-Saint John, Apostle, Evangelist; 28-Twenty Eighth-Saturday-The Holy Innocents, Martyrs. 

III Sunday in Advent:[A]:Is35:1-6.10; Jas5:7-10; Mt11:2-11

III Sunday in Advent:[A]:Is35:1-6.10; Jas5:7-10; Mt11:2-11

Introduction:   Today’s readings invite us to rejoice at the rebirth of Jesus in our lives as we are preparing for our annual Christmas celebration. Today is called Gaudete Sunday because today’s Mass begins with the opening antiphon: “Gaudete in domino semper,” i.e., “Rejoice in the Lord always.” So, to express our joy in the coming of Jesus as our savior into our hearts and lives, we light the rose candle in the Advent wreath.

Exegesis:  In today’s Gospel Jesus speaks about John the Baptist.  He asks the people, “What did you go out to the desert to see?  A reed swayed by the wind?.....A prophet?......And more than a prophet.....” 

Hebrew scriptures presents many prophets.  The prophets were dynamic. They challenged people to listen, to change and to follow.  Some stood up to kings to support justice, like Nathan did when he told King David that he had sinned against God and Uriah when he stole Uriah’s wife and then had Uriah killed.  Elijah did something similar when he stood up to King Ahab accusing him of having the just man Nabaoth killed because he wanted Nabaoth's vineyard.  The prophet Samuel anointed Saul to be a king and then, after Saul did not carry out God's, he anointed  David.

Some prophets spoke in symbolic ways, like Hosea.  He took Gomer, a prostitute, as a wife.  She was unfaithful to him as a sign of how the people had responded to God’s gifts.  Some prophets were members of the King’s court, like Jeremiah; others were everyday people, like Amos, a trimmer of Sycamore trees.  The prophets were differed one for the other, but their message was always the same, “Repent and Reform.”

This message was continued by John the Baptist as he called people to the Lord.  He didn’t hedge on the truth.  He didn’t tell people what he thought they wanted to hear.  He didn’t go along with the morality or immorality of the day.  He was not a reed shaken by the wind.  He proclaimed the truth.  And the truth attracted people.  His baptism was a baptism of repentance, and people willing plunged into the Jordan River determined to change their lives.

The world needs prophets. The world needs people who will live the Truth of God as well as proclaim His Truth. We need prophets.  And we need to be prophets for others. Our courage to live our faith will bring others to joy.  We pray today for the courage to live our faith, the courage to be Prophets of the Truth, the courage to be prophets of the Lord.

Joke: 1) A man who thought he was John the Baptist was disturbing the neighborhood, so for public safety, he was committed.   He was put in a room with another crazy one.  The new inmate immediately began his routine, "I am John the Baptist! Jesus Christ has sent me!"   The other guy looked at him and declared, "I did not!"

Life messages: 1) We need to learn how to survive a faith crisis: If John the Baptist, even after having had a direct encounter with Jesus, the Messiah, had his doubts about Jesus and his teachings, we, too, can have our crises of faith.    On such occasions, let us remember the truth that all our Christian dogmas are based on our trusting faith in the divinity of Jesus who taught them, and on his divine authority which he gave to his Church to teach what he taught. Hence, it is up to us to learn our faith in depth and so to remove our doubts.

 2) “Go and tell others what you hear and see.”   We rejoice at the thought that Jesus is going to be reborn in our lives, deepening in us His gifts of love, mercy, forgiveness and the spirit of humble and sacrificial service during this Christmas season. Hence, let us joyfully share God’s bountiful grace, forgiveness, and mercy with others.   What Jesus commanded John’s disciples, he commands us as well:  Go and tell others what you hear and see. This means that we have to share with others our experience of the rebirth of Jesus within us,

3) We need to open our hearts and let God transform our lives: Today’s readings remind us that our lives can also be transformed if we are patient and place our trust in God. The message of Advent is that God is present among us, in our everyday lives.  We must prepare our hearts to recognize and welcome Him by allowing a metánoia (a change of thinking about God, ourselves, and the world) to take place in us during Advent.

Third Sunday in Advent: Introduction

Message: In the person of Jesus, God has come to heal and save us.  Patiently, yet joyfully, we await the fulfillment of his advent.

Saints and Events in this Week:  21-Twenty First-Saturday-Saint Peter Canisius, priest, doctor of the Church.

II Sunday in Advent:[A]: Is11:1-10;Rom15: 4-9;Mt3:1-12

II Sunday in Advent:[A]: Is11:1-10;Rom15: 4-9;Mt3:1-12

Introduction: On the one hand, salvation is God's doing, and we cannot earn His blessings. Today's first reading, from Isaiah, emphasizes that, through his Son, God does all the saving.  On the other hand, we must cooperate with God because He cannot force his bounty upon us. That is why  John the Baptist in today’s Gospel summons us to play our essential part by leading lives of repentance, conversion and renewal, thus preparing the way for the Lord's second coming.  We start this process by preparing for the celebration of Christmas, the Lord’s first coming.

Scriptural Lessions: After Peter’s preaching and testimony about Jesus on Pentecost day, his message provoked the congregation to ask: “Brothers what then shall we do?”  Peter responded: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2, 14-38). There is no other time better than this season of Advent when we, must ask this same question: “What shall we do to be worthy of the Lord’s coming? In response to this question the Church says to us on this second Sunday of Advent: “Repent for the kingdom of God is Close at hand”, purge and purify yourselves for the Lord’s coming! Repentance and reconciliation are necessary because, they are very important aspects of our preparation for encountering Christ. This is considering the word of the scriptures which says: “Make effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12, 14). One of the simplest ways that leads to this holiness is REPENTANCE from past sins and of course a firm resolve to remain pure as Christ taught us in the beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Mtt 5, 8). In other words, one condition for seeing the Lord at the end of Advent is that we must repent by purging and purifying ourselves of all that will be stumbling block for our encounter with him.

Joke: A millionaire announced to Mark Twain, "Before I die, I will go to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read aloud the Ten Commandments." Twain observed, "I have a better idea. You could stay home and keep them."

Anecdote: Many years ago, there lived a great and holy teacher called Rabbi Saadiah. He had hundreds of pupils, and all of them had a great thirst to learn. One winter morning, two of his pupils who happened to be walking in the mountains, while approaching its summit, saw to their great surprise, their master sitting on the snow covered ground, weeping, praying and engaging in other acts of penitence. This beat their imagination and they wondered: “What could such a perfectly righteous person as their teacher possibly need to repent of? Could he have committed some sins, God forbid? They hurriedly departed from that place. Later that day, they asked their teacher what the scene they witnessed was all about. “I do that every day,” he said to them. “Every day I repent and plead with God to forgive my shortcomings and failings in my service of Him.” “Of what failings do you speak?” They asked him. Then the Rabbi told them this story: “One day an old inn keeper received and served me so well without realizing who I was. When I left the next morning someone told him: ‘That was Rabbi Saadiah.’ Immediately, he came after and in search of me. When he caught up with me, he jumped from his carriage and fell at my feet, weeping: ‘Please forgive me! Please forgive me!! I did not know that it was you!’ I made him stand up, and then said to him: But my dear friend, you treated me very well, you were very kind and hospitable. Why are you so sorry? You have nothing to apologize for. ‘No, no, Rabbi,’ he replied. ‘If I had known you were the one, I would have served you in a completely different manner!’ Suddenly I realized that this man was teaching me a very important lesson in the service of God. I thanked and blessed him, and returned home.” “Since then” the Rabbi concluded, “every evening when I say the prayer before sleeping, I go over in my mind how I served God that day. Then I think of that old innkeeper, and say to myself, Oh! If I had known about God in the beginning of the day the way I know him now, I would have served Him in a completely different manner! And that is what I was repenting for this morning.” This is what we must do every day this season of Advent and beyond.

Practical Applications: 1) We need to prepare for Christ’s coming by allowing him to be reborn daily in our lives:  Through prayer, penance, and sharing our blessings with others. 

2) We need to must examine our conscience and find out the sins within us.  Every closing of the day will be a good time for this examination.

3) We need to wait prayerfully for the second advent of Jesus.   John’s answer as to how the Jews should wait for the Messiah was that they should wait for the Lord with repentant hearts and reformed lives.  We can start by praying from the heart. Let us remember that the Holy Mass is the most powerful of prayers because it transforms us into Eucharistic people. As Mother Theresa said, "Do small things but with great love".

Second Sunday of Advent: Introduction

Message: Reform your lives; live in God’s peace so that justice may flourish.

Saints and Events in this Week:   The feast of Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is transferred to Monday, 9^th.-Nineth-Patronal Feast Day of the United States of America; not a holy day of obligation; 11-Eleventh-Wednesday-Saint Damasus I, Pope; 12-Twelfth-Thursday-Our Lady of Guadalupe; 13-Thirteen-Friday-Saint Lucy, Virgin, martyr; 14-Fourteenth-Saturday-Saint John of the Cross, priest, doctor of the Church;

Our Lady of Guadalupe:  In 1531 A.D., there was another great moment of joy. God's progressive Divine Plan regarding the Patroness of the Americas was unraveling itself.

Early in the morning of Saturday, December 9 th, Juan Diego, a simple Indian peasant and Christian convert, was walking the two and a half mile distance to Tlatelolco to attend the celebration of the Holy Mass. As he passed the Tepeyac Hill, Juan heard beautiful music and a woman's voice calling him. Looking up the hill, he saw a most beautiful woman who was radiating in white light. The woman introduced herself as the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Then, she instructed Juan to go to his Bishop and to tell him that a Church should be built at the bottom of the hill in her honor.

Obeying the beautiful Lady, Juan Diego rushed to Tlatelolco to the Palace of Bishop Juan de Zum'rraga who was a Franciscan friar. As you can imagine, without proof, the Bishop was skeptical. Who would believe a peasant coming to one's door with such a story? Discouraged, Juan Diego returned to the top of the Tepeyac Hill and related his failure to the Blessed Virgin Mary. What did Mary do? She told Juan to go back to the Bishop and to repeat what she had previously asked, that a Church must be built at the bottom of the hill in her honor.

The next day, on Sunday, December 10, 1531, Juan Diego returned to the Bishop's Palace. After asking a number of questions, the Bishop told Juan that he needed some kind of a sign in order to really believe that the heavenly Lady had sent him.

Once more, Juan Diego returned to the top of the hill and related the answer to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Consequently, Our Lady asked Juan to return to Tepeyac Hill on the following day at which time she would provide a sign.

On Monday, December 11th, Juan's uncle was very sick. As such, Juan spent the day trying to find someone with medical skills to attend to his uncle. Unfortunately, he did not find anyone to help his dying uncle. Therefore, he told his uncle that on the following morning, he would go to Tlatelolco to get the priest to hear his confession and prepare him for death. Because of all this, Juan Diego missed his appointment with the Lady.

Early on Tuesday morning, December 12th, Juan rushed to Tlatelolco. To avoid the Lady who might interfere with his urgent need to locate the priest, he decided to travel on the other side of Tepeyac Hill. What a surprise when Our Lady came down the hill to meet him! After Juan explained himself to the Lady, Mary assured Juan that his uncle would not die from his illness. Juan was greatly relieved when he heard this. Around that time, Our Lady appeared to the uncle and healed him.

Then, Our Lady told Juan to go to the top of the hill and gather the flowers that he finds there. Juan did as he was asked. When he arrived at the top of the hill, he found a beautiful garden of roses. He collected the roses in his mantle and took them to Our Lady. She arranged them according to her choosing and then instructed Juan to take the flowers to the Bishop, these being the sign that was requested.

Obeying Our Lady, Juan once more returned to the Palace. When he came before the Bishop, he opened his mantle and let all the roses fall to the floor. At that moment, the Bishop and his whole household were filled with wonder. On the coarse fabric of the mantle, there was a beautiful portrait of the Lady. History tells us that it did not take long after that, as requested by Mary, a Church was built in the honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. To this date, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, near Mexico City, is one of the most celebrated places of pilgrimages in North America.

This apparition of Our Lady was a great moment of joy for the Holy Catholic Church. Less than a decade earlier, Martin Luther had created division within the Church, this leading to the separation of nearly 1 million Catholics. But now, through Our Lady of Guadalupe, millions of peasants who formerly worshipped the Aztec god, were converted to the Catholic faith. While Satan may have enjoyed a short triumph through Martin Luther, Our Lady of Guadalupe took away his glory and showed him a real triumph, nearly 5 millions conversions versus the loss of 1 million faithful. 

Immaculate Conception:  This Feast commemorates one of the Marian dogmas that has been proclaimed by the Holy Catholic Church. Its origin can be traced to the 4th century. In those early days of the Church, theologians believed and taught that the Blessed Virgin Mary had been kept free of all traces of sin by the grace of God because she was to become the Mother of the Lord Jesus. This belief coexisted with the perpetual virginity of Mary, her sinlessness, and her Divine motherhood. Church history makes known to us that as early as the seventh century, there was a liturgical observance that proclaimed the Blessed Virgin Mary to be free from sin.

Centuries later, after consulting with all the Bishops of the world, Pope Pius IX pronounced and defined on December 8, 1854, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Ineffabilis Deus. This dogma proclaims that the Blessed Virgin Mary, "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."

I Sunday in Advent:[A]:Is 2:1-5; Rom 13: 11-14; Mt 24:37-44

I Sunday in Advent:[A]:Is 2:1-5; Rom 13: 11-14; Mt 24:37-44

Introduction: Today we begin our yearly pilgrimage through the events of our history of salvation starting with the preparation for the birthday celebration of Jesus and ending with  the reflection on his glorious “second coming” as judge at the end of the world. We are entering into the Advent season. Advent means coming. We are invited to mediate on Jesus’ first coming in history as a baby in Bethlehem, his daily coming into our lives in mystery through the sacraments, through the Bible and through the worshipping community and finally his Second Coming at the end of the world to reward the just and to punish the wicked. 

Scripture lessons: Today’s gospel speaks about the coming of the Lord at the end of the world and how to prepare for it. In our world today, there are two big mistakes people make with regard to the coming of the Lord. One is to prepare for it with paranoid anxiety. The other is to dismiss it with nonchalant abandon and do nothing about it. What does the gospel tell us about the end of the world and how to prepare for it?

The gospel uses two images to make the point that “you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42b). One is the flood which overtook the unprepared people of Noah’s time. The other is the analogy of a thief in the night, who always comes unannounced. The Lord’s coming and the end of the world as we know it will occur suddenly and unexpectedly. It will come unannounced, springing a surprise on an unsuspecting world. Like a wise householder, therefore, we are urged to be watchful and ready.

Anecdote: Early Sunday morning, June 30, 1974, a hundred young people were dancing to the soul-rock music at Gulliver’s in Port Chester, on the border between New York and Connecticut. Suddenly the place was filled with flames and smoke. In a few minutes 24 were dead, burnt by fire, suffocated by smoke, and crushed in the exit passage by the escaping youngsters. According to the Mayor of Port Chester, the dancing crowd ignored the repeated and frantic warnings given by the band manager when he noticed the smoke. Today’s second reading tells us about the warnings given by St. Paul, and today’s Gospel gives the warning to be vigilant and prepared given by Jesus.

Joke:  A man in the hospital gasping and near death.  Priest was called to give him last rite. During the prayers the patient asked for a slip of paper and pen and wrote something and handed over to the priest.  Priest, for it was during prayer, got it and put it in the coat-pocket.  That man died immediately after the prayers. Next day at the funeral service, the priest during his homily, thought of saying something about the dead, took the slip and read what he has written as something he has said at the last breath. It says, “Father! You are on my oxygen tube.”

Practical Application:  1) Be alert and watchful.  Every morning when we get up, let us pray, “Lord, show me someone today with whom I may share your love, mercy and forgiveness.”  Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, "Whatever you do in your family, for your children, for your husband, for your wife, you do for Jesus."  Every night when we go to bed, let us ask ourselves, “Where have I found Christ today?”  The answer will be God’s Advent gift to us that day. By being alert and watchful, we’ll be getting an extra gift:  Christ himself.  There is a saying about being saved which goes back to St. Thomas Aquinas: "Without God, I can't.  Without me, he won't."  

2) We need to be wakeful and watchful: We are so future-oriented that we frequently forget the present entirely.  We spend too much time trying to protect ourselves against future misfortunes.  We save for a rainy day, to get married, to buy a home, to send the children to college, to retire in comfort and to protect ourselves against future misfortunes with varieties of insurance.  But we need to be more spiritually wakeful to prepare for our eternal life.  Let us make this Advent season the time of such preparation. 

First Sunday of Advent-Introduction

Message:   Let us rejoice in the Lord’s peace; let us live honorably as we await his return.

Saints and Events in this week:  3-Third-Tuesday-Saint Francis Xavier, priest; 4-Fourth-Wednesday-Saint John Damascene, priest, doctor of the Church; 6-Friday-Saint Nicholas, bishop; 7-Saturday-Saint Ambrose, bishop, doctor of the Church.