THE LITURGICAL YEAR

Sermons, hymns, meditations and other musings to guide our annual pilgrim's progress through the liturgical year.

Sunday, December 30, 2018

TIME MARCHES ON

A SERMON FOR THE SUNDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS


Forty days after our Lord’s birth, Mary and Joseph accompany the Divine Infant to the temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the law of Moses.  They are met by two old people, Simeon and Anna.  They both hold the Little Infant to their hearts and prophesy about him and his Mother, so that Joseph and Mary marveled at the things they spoke.

We should take note that both these people were of advanced age, senior citizens, if you like, of the chosen people.  Old age is an interesting thing, and in the natural way of things perhaps the closest we have to a picture of eternity.  On this earth, old age represents experience, wisdom, prudence, counsel.  In heaven, we are given a vision of Christ on his throne surrounded by twenty-four old men, with long, venerable white beards, who offer incense and their own golden crowns to the Ancient of Days himself.  Is it any wonder then that Mary and Joseph marveled at the things that Simeon and Anna said?

We are given various examples in Holy Scripture of what happens when we ignore the advice of our elders, or worse yet, mock them in their advanced age and the infirmities which accompany it.  The son of King Solomon, for example, chose to ignore the advice of his elderly counselors, and even derided them.  He ended up losing most of his kingdom, and the twelve tribes of Israel were divided forever. Then there’s the story of the old prophet Eliseus, whose legs weren’t quite what they used to be, and who was having a hard time walking up a hill.  He was surrounded by a bunch of little boys who mocked him, crying out “Get a move on, baldy!” or words to that effect.  Eliseus the Prophet was not a man to be trifled with, and he cursed the boys. Immediately, two bears came out of the woods and ripped 42 of the boys to pieces.  You children should think twice before making fun of dear old grandpa and granny!

These old people in our home are the ones who once looked after us when we were small and young.  Now it is our turn to look after them.  “Son, support the old age of your father,” says Holy Scripture.  Be good to your parents and grandparents, and make their last days happy and comfortable, repaying the debt you owe them out of love. Very few old people make it to their eternal reward without going through some physical or mental suffering, and they rely on us to help them through it.  I know a man over on the east coast who has declined marriage, travel, and full-time employment so that he can stay home to look after his aging mother who has alzheimer’s and his 99-year-old father, a veteran of World War II, who is now blind and can hardly walk.  He seeks no praise for this, but lovingly accepts it as his filial duty—he’s an example to us all.  Our old folks at home have many needs and infirmities, and they look to us for help and comfort, and above all, a little love, as their recompense for all their long years of labor and hardships.  We have no idea how much they appreciate a little sacrifice on our part so that we have the money to give them a little gift as they sit in the corner.

And if you are already “elderly”, an “old person,” please don’t think you can just sit back and enjoy your old age in peace and quiet.  Admittedly, you now wear the crown of dignity which Scripture speaks about.  But you’ve probably already experienced what another passage of Holy Scripture calls old age: “The years of which thou shalt say: They please me not!”  Oh yes, we know what that means: my aching joints please me not, the light of my eyes is dimmed, my ears refuse to hear, my hands and feet have lost their strength, I can’t even get a good night’s sleep any more…. Old age is not just a crown of dignity, but can also be a real crown of thorns.  And it’s not just the cross of our infirmities that weigh us down so heavily, is it?  Sometimes there’s the cross of abandonment that goes with it.  Former friends, many of our family members, are all dead now, our children must take care of their own families; how easy it is to feel deserted and forsaken.

A wise man once said: “I am never less alone than when I am alone.”  Our two old people in today’s Gospel must have felt this way.  They are in the evening of their lives, missing their friends and family.  They are alone, and yet they are not lonesome. Company was never missing because they always felt themselves to be in the company of God.  They paid him daily visits in his own house, the temple of Jerusalem, and God in his turn was the most welcome guest in their own soul.  If we have God for our friend, we will never be lonesome.  If we sanctify our old age as Simeon and Anna did, “who,” says the Gospel, “never left the Temple, worshiping with prayers night and day,” how divinely beautiful will be the sunset of our lives.

I remember one particular Christmas night as a child.  It was a white Christmas that year, and we trudged through the snow from our home to the church for Midnight Mass, my grandfather slowly taking each step and leaning on his walking stick.  He had converted to the Catholic faith relatively late in life, but seemed to love making up for his years outside the Church by visiting the Blessed Sacrament and being in God’s presence as often as he could.  What a wonderful opportunity the elderly have to give such a good example to their children and grandchildren.  And what a wonderful example we then have before us, as we see our old folks holding the rosary in their trembling hands, the chain that links them to Jesus and Mary as they slowly walk their way to the grave—as do we all.

The year is coming to an end.  Tomorrow, we will distract ourselves with vain amusements as the clock of life slowly ticks away, echoing our heartbeats.  Tomorrow, 2018 will end.  And as that clock keeps ticking, it’s just one day closer to the last day of our life. Let us pray that we will have the courage and the patience and the fortitude to use our old age to help others in that very special way that the good Lord gives us along with all those ailments in our latter years.  By good example and good advice based on experience and virtue, by having a great deal of patience for the foibles of others, and for own increasing aches and pains.  Sunset is often the most beautiful time of the day. Let’s act and prepare now to make sure the same can be said for the sunset of our own lives and the lives of others.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen!

A GREAT AND MIGHTY WONDER

A HYMN FOR CHRISTMASTIDE


By Pope St. Germanus I, translated by J.M. Neale


1 A great and mighty wonder,
a full and holy cure!
the Virgin bears the Infant
with virgin-honour pure:
REFRAIN:
Repeat the hymn again:
'To God on high be glory,
and peace on earth to men.'
2 The Word becomes incarnate,
and yet remains on high;
and cherubim sing anthems
to shepherds from the sky: 
[REFRAIN]
3 While thus they sing your Monarch,
those bright angelic bands,
rejoice, ye vales and mountains,
ye oceans, clap your hands: 
[REFRAIN]
4 Since all he comes to ransom,
by all be he adored,
the Infant born in Bethl'em,
the Saviour and the Lord: 
[REFRAIN]

THE RISING AND FALL OF MANY

A MESSAGE FOR THE SUNDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS


Our Sunday Gospel today gives us a glimpse forward to the Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple, something that according to the Law of Moses will happen on the fortieth day after the birth of the First-Born Son.  We know that day as Candlemas, and celebrate it on February 2nd, marking the close of the Christmas season.  We reach forward into the future today because of something said by the old man Simeon.

Simeon was inspired by God, and spoke the words of the great canticle, the Nunc Dimittis, which is repeated in the official prayer of the Church every night at the Office of Compline: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.”  Simeon also set in motion the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, describing to her how a sword was to pierce her soul because of the way her newborn Son would be treated by God’s enemies.

Simeon was a prophet. He was inspired by God to announce future events to none other than our Lord’s Blessed Mother, preparing her for her role as Queen of Martyrs and Virgin Most Sorrowful.  During the dread times that were to come, Our Blessed Lady would cast her mind back to these precious days that followed the birth of her Son.  She would draw her consolation from this birth, and from this beautiful and joyful tide of Christmas, when glory was proclaimed to God in the highest, and peace fell upon the earth and men of good will, when shepherds and wise men came to the manger to adore her newborn Child, and glory shone around.  These memories would be the happy crutch on which she would later lean as she stood at the foot of the Cross, memories that would seem so distant, and yet which were so unforgettable that they were stamped indelibly on her soul, and provided the strength that made her compassion so complete.

Indeed, her Son was born, and brought with him the deep inner peace that could fill all our souls if only we would permit it.  But alas, the world is so full of rebels, men who are not “of good will”, and who reject that peace.  They sow the seeds of discord, refusing the peace of God which comes from the voluntary submission to his will.  They cling to their own pleasures, their own false beliefs and stubborn habits, and Mary’s little Child would grow to provide an open contradiction to their pride. Those who received this Christ Child into their hearts would rise to become in their turn “children of God”, while those like Herod, who vainly fight against the newborn King, would fall. 

“Behold,” said the prophet Simeon, “this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against.”  Since that fateful first Christmas, nothing has changed.  Let us then receive Mary’s Son and rise ever higher towards him!

Sunday, December 23, 2018

SEEING THE LIGHT

A SERMON FOR THE 4TH SUNDAY IN ADVENT


We’ve been hearing a lot about St. John the Baptist lately.  In fact, this cousin of our Lord is a key factor in the Incarnation and Birth of Christ.  On this fourth Sunday of Advent, just two days before Christmas, we learn what’s so important about St. John the Baptist, and the significance of his role in the story of our Redemption.  See how today’s Gospel begins; look at the solemnity with which the announcement of the Advent of the Son of God is made.  And take note that this announcement is about the coming of the Messiah, not to his chosen people, and certainly not yet to the Gentiles and the world at large. This is a ceremonial proclamation of the coming of our Saviour first of all to his cousin, the son of Zacharias and nephew of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the man known as John the Baptist.

The announcement could not be more solemn: “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being the governor of Judaea, Herod being the tetrarch of Galilee.. Annas and Caiphas being the high priests,” and so on—the evangelist Luke is making absolutely sure that we know exactly when this event takes place.  It is an event of great historical significance, and St. Luke wants to emphasize this by placing it in its historical context.  We know exactly when the Son of God, the “Word of God” “came unto John the Baptist in the wilderness.

Our Lord goes down to the waters of Jordan, and St. John the Baptist’s mission is confirmed.  For it is he who has been chosen from time’s hidden beginnings to cry out in that wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight;” chosen from all time to prophesy of the coming of the Messiah, and of that time when “every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”  It is St. John’s great mission to announce the coming of the Saviour, to repeat to them the words of the prophet Isaiah, that the people who walk in darkness shall see a great light.  With him we cry out to the world, “Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come thee, O Israel.”

John the Baptist had already been prepared by God for this mission. How?  Remember the Second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary?  The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, when the child in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy at the coming of the Christ Child in Mary’s womb. Like the people of Israel, both babies still dwelt in darkness, in their case the darkness of the womb.  And yet the unborn John the Baptist would experience the joy already of knowing that the people who dwelt in darkness would see a great light.  He himself, while yet in the darkness of the womb, saw this light at the moment of Mary’s visitation.  He saw it because the child of Mary’s womb wasthat light, the great light of the world that had come to be a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of his people Israel.  And with the vision of that Light, John’s soul was cleansed from the stain of original sin.  He who was to be known as John the Baptist himself received Baptism from the visitation of the Word of God.

John was the first to see the Light of the World.  And when he was born, he was the only man ever to be born without original sin.  It is no coincidence that his birthday is exactly six months earlier than the Nativity of our Saviour in Bethlehem.  Nor it is a coincidence that John’s birth coincides with the summer solstice, while our Lord’s Nativity takes place at the winter solstice.  “He must increase,” said St. John Baptist, “but I must decrease.” John was born on Midsummer Day, and after his nativity the days start to grow shorter, and darkness begins to stretch its lengthening shadow over the land.  But after Christ’s birth, the opposite happens and the days grow longer again as the light begins to replace the darkness.    The people who live in darkness, shall, like St. John, see a great light, the light that shines out of the manger of Bethlehem from the Son of God, and light reflected in nature by the sun in the heavens.  And like St. John, we should leap with joy as we prepare the way of the Lord by repenting our sins and making our crooked paths straight and our rough places plain. 

ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID'S CITY

A HYMN FOR THE 4TH SUNDAY IN ADVENT


1 Once in royal David’s city
stood a lowly cattle shed,
where a mother laid her baby
in a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little child.
2 He came down to earth from heaven
who is God and Lord of all,
and His shelter was a stable,
and His cradle was a stall:
with the poor, and meek, and lowly
lived on earth our Savior holy.
3 And our eyes at last shall see Him,
through His own redeeming love;
for that child so dear and gentle,
is our Lord in heav'n above,
and He leads His children on
to the place where He is gone.
4 Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing by,
we shall see Him, but in heaven,
set at God’s right hand on high;
when like stars His children crowned
all in white shall wait around.
By Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848

ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID'S CITY

A MESSAGE FOR THE 4TH SUNDAY IN ADVENT

As we approach the Nativity of our Saviour, our hearts and minds turn to the Holy Family of Mary, Joseph and their unborn Child. The young couple are traveling from their home in Nazareth, which is in Galilee, to Bethlehem in the hill country of Judea.  Today, it’s a journey that would take you about two hours by car, taking the Yitzhak Rabin Highway.  Back in St. Joseph’s day, it was a much longer and more arduous trip.  As the crow flies, it’s about 70 miles, but that would have taken them the direct route through the hostile territory of Samaria. It is more likely that they would have skirted this region and taken the longer route, about 80 miles, which, with an expectant mother on the back of a donkey, would probably have taken seven to ten days.

St. Joseph would never have forced his spouse to make this long and difficult journey if he hadn’t been under serious obligation himself.  He was under orders from no less a personage than the Roman Emperor, who had commanded that a tax census be taken of his whole empire. “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.”  In order to register, everyone had to travel to their native city.  St. Joseph, who was a descendant of the great King David, therefore had to make the journey to David’s Royal City, Bethlehem.  As he was engaged to Mary, it was obligatory for her to accompany her spouse and be registered with him.

In Hebrew, the word bethmeans “house”, and lehemis the word for “bread”.  Beth-lehem,therefore, means “House of Bread.”  He who was to proclaim himself the “true bread from heaven.. which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world,” how fitting it was that his Mother should deliver this true Bread in the House of Bread.  

We can see how God took such great care in preparing his people to recognize their Messiah when he came.  It had long been prophesied that it was here in Bethlehem that the lord Emmanuel would come to his people and deliver them from sin.  “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,” proclaimed the prophet Micah, “though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”  And of course, no one other than God himself has “been from everlasting”.  So this was a direct prophesy that God himself should born as a King in this little town of Bethlehem, this little House of Bread.

No wonder then, that when the time came for this Saviour to be born, that those who knew the prophecies, wise men, should travel from afar to see this great and mighty wonder, and be led by the light of a star to the newly risen Light of the World.  And no wonder that the jealous King Herod and the enemies of God should fear this birth in the holy city of Bethlehem, and the little infant who would grow to destroy from the Cross their reign of terror.  Meanwhile, “peace to men of good will.”

Sunday, December 16, 2018

ONE WHOM YE KNOW NOT

A SERMON FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT


Today’s Mass begins with the words: “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice…  The Lord is at hand.”  More than any other time during Advent, we focus today on the joy we feel because Christmas is coming.  Today we cast off our penitential mood and focus instead on the joy that our salvation is nigh.  No violet vestments today, but rose-colored vestments in their place, and flowers are placed once more on the altar.  We are commanded to rejoice, and rejoice we must.

Some of us, however, may not feel like rejoicing.  Christmas, and the holidays in general, can be hectic, busy and annoying.  This time of year can even be depressing for many.  The ghost of Christmas past can come to haunt us with all those memories of childhood, now long gone, gone along with all those cherished loved ones who made those first Christmasses so memorable.  If we feel such thoughts, whether they come as fleeting memories or with the crushing weight of depression, we are instructed today to set them aside and rejoice.

But why do we sometimes have such a hard time feeling the joy of Christmas?  We must remember what Christmas is all about.  Not the visible peripherals of colored lights, gifts, parties and good food. Only the fundamental spirit of Christmas will restore true joy to our hearts, by reminding us of our eternal destiny in Paradise, restored to us by the birth of our Savior in Bethlehem.

Let me ask you a question about the Mass?  How many readings are there at Mass?  You’ll probably answer ‘two’, the Epistle and the Gospel.  But let’s not forget there’s actually a third reading, one that is read at every Mass, and that is the Last Gospel.  This Last Gospel has been chosen by the Church, out of all the writings of Holy Scripture, to be read at almost every single Mass.  It must be pretty important then, I think we can all acknowledge.  I’ll probably have more to say about this Gospel on Christmas Day, but for now let’s take a brief look at what the Evangelist St. John the Divine has to say about his namesake, St. John the Baptist…

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”  There were rumors, you see, that it was John the Baptist who was the Messiah, the Light of the World—hence the need to remind us that he was merely the forerunner of the Messiah.  Yes, he would make straight the way of the Lord, but as he himself acknowledged, he was nothing in comparison to the true Son of God, whose shoe’s latchet he was not worthy to unloose.  

The Last Gospel reminds us that “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”  “The world knew him not.. his own received him not.” Compare these words from the Last Gospel with the admonition of the Baptist that we read in today’s Record of John, “There standeth one among you, whom ye know not.”  The Saviour, the Word made Flesh, dwelt amongst us, and we knew him not.  It was a situation that went from bad to worse, ending up with the torture and execution of this Light of the World, and throughout history to the almost universal extinction of that Light with Vatican II.

And so back to our Christmas woes.  If we do not feel the joy of Christmas this season, could it possibly be because we do not know who is coming to dwell amongst us? Of course, I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here, and you all know, love, and serve God as you should.  But what of the rest of the world?  So many out there reject the Saviour and his message of salvation, in one way or another.  They reject him because they don’t know him.  Non-Catholics of course either blindly follow their false religions or even deliberately choose to refuse the teachings of the Catholic Church. And worse yet, more and more Catholics have never heard the true faith preached in their own churches.  Where is the Light of the World today?  Certainly not in the Church of Rome.  I just came across these words from Pope Francis, which goes a long way to explaining why the Light of the World has faded so dim: “God,” he says, “cannot be without us.  He will never be a God without man; it is He who cannot be without us.”  The world knows him not, his own receive him not…” 

But here’s the good news—the Last Gospel then continues with this consoling message: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name.” We, who claim to know God, if we do what that knowledge requires of us, will go on to loveGod.  Once we know him, we have no choice but to love him.  Once we’re aware of all God has done for us, how can we possibly not love him?  And how do we show our love?  Chiefly by uniting with him, by communing with him in the Blessed Sacrament.  By receiving him.

Many today still refuse him.  Many of his own receive him not.  They refuse to believe in the Real Presence and thus reject the idea they are receiving him in their Holy Communion.  Even those who do believe in the doctrine may not be receiving him because of the probable invalidity of their Masses.  But we who do believe on his Name, who receive his teachings unsullied, who receive his Body and Blood at our true apostolic Mass—to us God gives the power to become the sons and daughters of God!  And this is why we should rejoice today.  This is why we must set aside our dark moods, feelings of loss, hectic lifestyles, or whatever it is that prevents our joy from surfacing.  We have been made the children of God.  Know him and you will not walk in darkness.  Follow him and you will never lose your way.  Live according to his loving will and you will one day have true life yourselves, life everlasting.  

In just over a week from now, the Word made Flesh will dwell amongst us.  May our darkness be dispelled by his everlasting Light, and may we never again be unaware of his presence.  Rejoice, again I say rejoice!  Rejoice with the joy that comes from knowing that we have been made God’s children.

HILLS OF THE NORTH, REJOICE!

A HYMN FOR GAUDETE SUNDAY


By Charles E. Oakley, 1832-65

1 Hills of the North, rejoice,
river and mountain-spring,
hark to the advent voice;
valley and lowland, sing.
Christ comes in righteousness and love,
he brings salvation from above.
2 Isles of the Southern seas,
sing to the listening earth,
carry on every breeze
hope of a world's new birth:
In Christ shall all be made anew,
his word is sure, his promise true.
3 Lands of the East, arise,
he is your brightest morn,
greet him with joyous eyes,
praise shall his path adorn:
your seers have longed to know their Lord;
to you he comes, the final word.
4 Shores of the utmost West,
lands of the setting sun,
welcome the heavenly guest
in whom the dawn has come:
he brings a never-ending light
who triumphed o'er our darkest night.
5 Shout, as you journey home,
songs be in every mouth,
lo, from the North they come,
from East and West and South:
in Jesus all shall find their rest,
in him the universe be blest.

THE JOY AND PEACE OF GOD

A MESSAGE FOR GAUDETE SUNDAY


Today is Gaudete Sunday.  The name comes from the first word of the Introit, Gaudete, which means “Rejoice,” and which introduces the theme for today’s Liturgy.  “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!”  We hear these words of the Introit again in St. Paul’s Epistle, reiterating the command of Holy Church that indeed, today, we must set aside our penitential Advent mood, and be joyful.

Exactly how joyful should we be?  After all, it’s not yet Christmas, despite all the festive trimmings that have appeared in our streets and shops.  We still need to hold back a little on the full joy that comes only with the arrival of the Christ Child on Christmas night.  

In fact, St. Paul himself follows up his command to rejoice, with the words “Let your moderation be known unto all men.”  This moderation can be taken in two senses. First of all, that we should moderate our penances today and be joyful, but secondly, and equally importantly, we should moderate our rejoicing.  Our vestments today may be rose-colored, there may be flowers on our altar, but our Mass is still deprived of its Gloria in Excelsis Deo, and our joy today is tempered by the anticipation of the upcoming Ember Days to be observed later this week.

So take today as it is intended by the Church, a subtle reminder that by lightening up a little on our Advent penances, this is still Advent after all, and we must resume that penitential spirit after today’s short break.  Perhaps we may even feel a twinge of well-deserved guilt that perhaps our approach to the season of Advent has not really been quite so penitential as it should be…. But not to worry, we still have a week and two days left to double up, and prepare appropriately for the coming of God’s greatest gift to man, the gift of his only-begotten Son who brings our redemption.

If we observe the rest of Advent in this spirit, “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” as St. Paul says, then we shall indeed find that Christmas peace, the peace that comes to all men of good will on Christmas Day.  So pray today for that peace that draweth nigh, prepare the way of the Lord by letting your requests be made known unto God.  We are about to receive in our midst the Christ Child, who will come to dispel the darkness from our world and bring the Light of God to replace it.  And we are about to receive in our bodies and souls, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of that same Christ Child in our Christmas Communion.  Here, in this receiving of Christ in our world and in our very soul, is the true source of that “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” that “shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  For there, “where meek souls shall receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.”

Sunday, December 9, 2018

A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM

A SERMON FOR THE 2nd SUNDAY IN ADVENT


How has your Advent been up to now?  The first week of Advent is over, and there are only two weeks and two days left before Christmas is upon us.  Only a couple of weeks left to prepare.  When we think of these next weeks, what do we think of?  If we’re a child, we think of the good things that will happen on Christmas Day, the stockings filled with gifts, the kitchen table stocked high with good things.  But if we have left those happy days of childhood behind, the last weeks of Advent are less a feeling of expectation of the good things to come, than a feeling of apprehension at all the work that still has to be done:  first the Christmas cards, then browsing the online stores, threading the Christmas lights all over the house, decorating the Christmas tree, all the food preparation.  Then those forgotten last-minute gifts that force us out of our home, so that we can drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic to the mall, look desperately for a parking place within walking distance from the doors, fight the crowds in the stores, before joining the long lines at check-out, and heading back to the car, our fingers numb with cold as we clutch our packages.  What happened to that spirit of Christmas we used to love so much?
Christmas comes too fast, and then seems to disappear even faster.  We’re so exhausted by all those crazy preparations that as soon as Christmas Day is over we can’t wait to toss the Christmas tree to the kerb and get back to normal life.  But haven’t you noticed, that once we take down all the Christmas decorations, we are left with a sad feeling or emptiness?  Something has been left out.  Something extremely important.  What did we forget?  Think hard, and let’s admit it—we actually missed the whole point of Christmas!  We spent the four weeks of Advent not preparing for the coming of the Christ Child, but for the coming of Santa Claus!  The shepherds of Bethlehem are replaced by the elves of the North Pole, the ox and the ass by penguins and reindeer!  The central focus of Christmas has shifted away from God’s greatest gift to man, to the gifts we exchange with each other, plain ordinary trinkets that are supposed to be the mere representation of that ultimate gift that God gave us in the form of the Christ Child in the manger. We waste, in other words, these four most precious weeks of Advent, where we are invited by God to prepare our hearts for the great event.
As we attend our gloomy Advent Masses, with their purple vestments, stripped of their Gloria in Excelsis Deo, we must constantly remind ourselves that we are simply re-living those dark days of the Old Testament.  With the benefit of hindsight, we know what is in store for those people that dwelt in darkness.  They shall see a great light.   We know now what the prophet Isaiah meant by those words.  In fact, St. Paul reminds us again today of Isaiah’s ancient prophecy, that there shall be a root of Jesse, who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust.  Not just the Jews, the chosen people, but the Gentiles too.  Even we would reap the infinite merits and graces that were to flow from Redeemer’s sacrifice on the cross.  For we are all the children of God.
And maybe that’s the reason why we find it so very hard to maintain the feeling of desolation that these ancient times represent.  Because we areall children at heart.  This is why we cannot help ourselves from anticipating the joys of Christmas by playing our Christmas carols and putting up our Christmas trees “too early”, this is why our Christmas parties and carol concerts are held before Christmas rather than after.  All this Advent joy is not really as inappropriate as some would have us believe, but is rather natural exuberance over the fact that something good is coming, and like little children, we just can’t wait.
So let’s not feel too guilty if we enjoy these happy feelings during this period of penance.  The good Lord is surely smiling down from heaven at the excitement of his children. The world of commerce may have cashed in on this anticipated joy, it’s true.  But we shouldn’t imagine that our joy is driven by this commerce.  At least, it shouldn’t be.  The joy of Advent existed long before Macy’s had their first Thanksgiving Day parade, with the triumphant arrival of Santa Claus.  
We really don’t have to wait until Christmas Day to wish people a Merry Christmas. Christmas creeps up on us very quickly, and before you know where you are, it is here and gone.  Let’s try and make this Christmas a real time of joy and thankfulness, so that we’re not left, as I said earlier, with that strange empty feeling, that maybe we’ve wasted a big opportunity.  In the spirit of hope that Advent represents, I hopethat this Advent will mean more to us this year than in years past.  I hopethat we will all prepare our hearts that the Christ Child may enter in.  
One of the great tragedies of our life is that the Christmas spirit is driven out of us as we leave childhood behind.  But one of the most important of Isaiah’s prophecies of the coming of a Messiah was read at Matins this past night.  It’s a strange prophecy that reminds us that Christ is all about childhood. It tells first of the rod coming forth from the Root of Jesse, clearly foretelling the coming of the Christ Child. And then, with these memorable words, it describes the following picture: “He shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion … and a little child shall lead them.”  What an extraordinary picture Isaiah paints.  This dreadful second coming of Christ, who shall smite the earth and slay the wicked.  And yet, a little child shall lead them…  Who is this great King, this judge, who shall pronounce such terrible judgments, and yet have the innocency of a little child?  A king, mighty in battle, carrying rod and scepter, and yet with the innocence of an infant?  Prepare ye the way of the Lord, King and Child.  “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb.” — Fear the wolf, and place your hope in the Lamb of God.  “Justice shall lie down with mercy.”  Fear the justice of the King and place your hope in the mercy of the Child.  Let this little Child remind us of the days of joy that Christmas used to be.  And let us be as little children, in our hopes for something wonderful that’s coming, in our innocent belief in the true magic of that first Christmas night.

OUR LADY'S EXPECTATION

A HYMN FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT


By Fr. Frederick W. Faber, 1854

1. Like the dawning of the morning,
    On the mountains golden heights,
Like the breaking of the moonbeams
    On the gloom of cloudy nights,
Like a secret told by angels
    Getting known upon the earth,
Is the Mother's expectation
    Of Messiah's speedy birth.

2. Thou wert happy, blessed Mother,
    With the very bliss of heaven,
Since the angel's salutation
    In thy raptured ear was given;
Since the Ave of that midnight
    When thou wert anointed Queen,
Like a river over-flowing
    Hath the grace within thee been.

3. Thou hast waited, child of David,
    And thy waiting now is o'er.
Thou hast seen Him, blessed Mother,
    And wilt see him evermore.
Oh, his human face and features
    They were passing sweet to see;
Thou beholdest them this moment;
    Mother show them now to me.

Sunday, December 2, 2018

I LOOK FROM AFAR

A SERMON FOR ADVENT SUNDAY


Here in Ohio the land is mostly flat.  Fields of corn stretch to the horizon and the roads are straight.  We aren’t very familiar with that natural phenomenon known as the “Echo.”  Part of my training for the priesthood, however, took place in the mountains of Switzerland, a landscape that could not be more different from that around us here. And echoes were very much a part of life.  I don’t just mean the acoustic effect you get from singing in the bathroom.  I’m talking about shouting out a “Hello!” and hearing the word reflected back a few seconds later.

In Holy Scripture, particularly the Old Testament, we find echoes of a different nature.  Instead of reflecting back a sound that has already been emitted, we see and hear in the pages of Scripture the echoes of things that are yet to come.  

In some cases, these take the form of direct prophecies, pronounced by holy men, called prophets, chosen by God to instill in the people of the time a mind prepared to accept the greater thing that was to come.  “Behold, a Virgin shall conceive…” and so on, is one such prophecy.  At other times, it is not a direct prediction of events to come, but rather a foreshadowing, an echo in reverse, of a greater reality yet to be fulfilled.  So we see, for example, the image of Abraham’s son Isaac, carrying the wood up the mountain where Abraham had been commanded to sacrifice his only-begotten son, a reflection of course of Christ carrying his cross up to the summit of Calvary.  Just one example amongst thousands that are contained in the Old Testament and which point to the coming of a Messiah.

In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, there are many such direct prophecies and indirect foreshadowings of this promised Saviour.  For this reason the Church has chosen this book to be read at Matins throughout the season of Advent.

Today’s readings come from the opening declaration by the prophet to the people of Israel: “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, but they have rebelled against me.”  We have here a warning from the most High God to his chosen people, a reminder of all the great favors he has piled upon them, and a reprimand that in spite of these favors, they have chosen to rebel against him.  How so?  By their contempt of God’s truths, their disregard for God’s laws, and their forsaking of their duties to him.

It is not to disparage the Jews that we mention this, for we today are no better.  Apply God’s warning to his modern-day children, who have abandoned and despised his most sacred gifts, the Holy Mass, a valid succession of priests and bishops, marriages based on the sacred principles of Christ and his Church, the Ten Commandments, and so on.  And especially we must apply the warning to ourselves here today, who have been favored so highly by being inspired by him to keep his faith, observe his laws, and preserve all things Catholic.  How are we doing in the sight of God?  What is the degree of our own fervor in responding to God’s gifts?

As the Prophet Isaiah continues, we realize the abyss that exists between what should be and what is: “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.”  The ox and the ass…. Here is one of those echoes we spoke about.  A prophesy of Christ’s Nativity, where the ox and the ass, mere animals, beasts of the field, acknowledge their Lord and Savior and kneel before him in the cold midnight air of that stable in Bethlehem, while the world outside, in blissful ignorance of what has transpired in their midst, shows nothing but contempt, refusing to provide even a room at the inn for the Blessed Mother and her Child.

Let it be our warning today that when that Christmas night arrives, it will not find us sleeping.  At least not spiritually sleeping.  Our four weeks of Advent must be spent preparing ourselves for that blessed moment when Christ is born.  We must listen for the echoes of that night to resound now, in our lives, our words and actions, even our very thoughts and inspirations, so that when the Christ Child comes, we may be like the shepherds in the field, already vigilant and keeping watch for him.  As they kept watch over their flocks by night, we must keep vigil over our thoughts, words, and deeds, that, like sheep, so often go astray.  Only then shall we perhaps hear through the cold, crisp air of Christmas, the glorious announcement of the Saviour’s birth, the Gloria in Excelsis Deothat will beckon us to the stable, to come and adore him who is Christ the Lord.

COME THOU LONG EXPECTED JESUS

A HYMN FOR ADVENT SUNDAY

By Charles Wesley, 1744

Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,

hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,

born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal spirit

rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

THE ADVENT WREATH

A MESSAGE FOR ADVENT SUNDAY


The Advent Wreath
As part of our spiritual preparations for the coming of Christ at Christmas, we celebrate the season with an Advent wreath, a circular garland of evergreen branches representing eternity.  On this wreath we arrange four candles, three purple and one rose-colored, which reflect the color of the vestments worn by the priest on each of the four Advent Sundays.  In a custom that originated in 16th-century Germany, we light one of the four candles on each of the Sundays of Advent.  Each candle represents a different aspect of the Christmas message, and by reflecting on these, we prepare ourselves to receive that message in the right spirit.

THE PROPHECY CANDLE
Today, the very first day of Advent, we light the first purple candle. It is known as the Prophecy Candle in remembrance of the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah, notably the Prophet Isaiah, who predicted the birth of Christ: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

THE BETHLEHEM CANDLE
On the second Sunday in Advent, the second purple candle is lit.  It represents Love, and is traditionally known as the Bethlehem candle, symbolizing the manger radiating forth the light of our Savior in David’s royal city: “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)

THE SHEPHERDS’ CANDLE
On Gaudete Sunday, the third in Advent, the rose-colored candle is lit. It is customarily called the Shepherds’ Candle, and represents Joy: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11)

THE ANGELS’ CANDLE
The fourth and last Sunday in Advent sees the lighting of the last purple candle, which is often called the Angels’ Candle, and represents Peace: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

THE CHRIST CANDLE
In more modern times, a white candle is often placed in the center of the wreath, which represents Christ, the Light of the World, and which is lit at Midnight Mass.  The color white symbolizes purity, in this case the sinless, spotless, pure Saviour.