Tuesday, December 25, 2018

The Nativity of the Lord (Mass at Midnight)

(Isaiah 9:1-6; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14)

Historians do more than record the events of the past.  More importantly, they tell the significance of those events.  They put the events in context by relating them to other occurrences of the time.  They also give the meaning of the events to both the people of their time and the historians’ own times.  Of the four evangelists no one is more self-consciously an historian than Luke.  His historical consciousness is readily seen as he narrates the event of Jesus’ birth.

Luke begins his story by contextualizing Joseph, Mary, and Jesus in their time.  Caesar Augustus was ruling what seemed to be the whole world.  He had brought peace to the empire after almost a hundred years of civil strife. The great poet Virgil considered Augustus the epitome of the virtuous ruler.  Luke hints that Jesus will become an ever more glorious ruler.  He relates how the angels are singing in the heavens when Jesus is born.  "’Glory to God in the highest,’” they proclaim, “’and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’"

We live in a world of continued conflict and often enough war.  The great powers – Russia, China, and the United States – show off their military might.  Civil wars in smaller nations like Yemen, Sudan, and Syria ravage populations.  Some ask: if Jesus is the great peace-maker, why does the world still experience such turmoil?  Our response will not satisfy every troubled heart, but it does fit our experience.   Jesus has brought a modicum of peace to the world.  He healed the enmity between Jews and Gentiles in antiquity, and his teachings continue to give pause to warring hearts.  He also moves us interiorly to reconcile with our enemies, our neighbors, and God.  His birth, which we celebrate with joy today, represents the beginning of eternal peace.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a)

Christ and Culture was written by H. Richard Niebuhr in the early 1950s to describe different approaches theologians have taken to the world.  It says that some Christian writers have seen the world as intractably evil and opposed it.  Others, it continues, have found the world as fundamentally good and endorsed it.  It recommends more nuanced approaches.  These will recognize the world as a mixture of good to be embraced and of bad to be shunned if it cannot be transformed.  In today’s gospel Jesus is more negative.  He speaks of the world as the realm of the devil.

As the devil’s domain, the peace of the world is delusory at best.  It may seem like a good thing but can bring about great harm.  It is the absence of sensitivity that excessive alcohol induces or the exuberance of illicit sex.  Jesus’ peace is permanent serenity because it frees one from sin and bestows the Holy Spirit.

We should be at least cautious of what the world offers.  Certainly society still bears some good as it was created by God.  But it has been compromised over time by the persistent presence of evil.  In any case we will want to sow in it the seed of the gospel by doing good in the name of Jesus.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 5:33-39)

Pope Francis has asked everyone in the world to fast and pray tomorrow (Saturday) for peace.  His immediate motive is the civil war in Syria which continues to take a terrible toll of life and welfare.  The conflict pits not only the government against a large segment of the population but also the dominant Muslim faction against religious minorities such as Christians.  Already there are over one and a half million Syrian refugees outside the country with millions more displaced within. 

It is only right to ask how Christ can be called the “fullness” of life and “peace” as heard in the first reading today from the Letter to the Colossians when such atrocities as the Syrian war occur with frequency.  Of course, the world often chooses not to follow Christ thus bringing on itself the dreadful consequences reported daily in the media.  More importantly, however, Christ is present today working in myriad ways not least of which are good people’s efforts which Pope Francis is pleading to become organized and directed.

Christians traditionally fast by not eating between meals and taking meat once a day.  Such an effort tomorrow together with concerted prayer – the Eucharist if possible – will change us into more peaceful people.  It will also prompt the war-makers to take stock of their options in search of non-violent means to realize their goals.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a)

Sometimes parishes celebrate the paying off of their mortgage with a social.  Parishioners feel relieved not to have to channel their efforts to raising money.  Now they can concentrate on the more fundamental tasks of evangelization and caring for the community.  Relief from debt indicates why Jesus can say in today’s gospel that his peace is different from the world’s.

Jesus’ peace is the conferral of the Holy Spirit on his disciples.  It comes with his appearance on the night of his resurrection.  He announces peace, breathes on them, and sends them forth with the Holy Spirit to forgive sins.  They and those to whom they in turn announce “peace” can live without worry that past sins -- or debts -- will overwhelm them.  The world’s peace is temporary – a mere respite from the continual battle to keep ahead of creditors.

Too often we worry about what others think of us.  Such fret wastes our energy.  Ever more reassuring is seeking the peace Jesus bestows by examining our consciences, confessing our sins, and trusting in his mercy.  

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a)

We think of peace as the cessation of hostility, but Scriptures relate a richer meaning. Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, means fullness or perfection. In the Old Testament Israel may have shalom even when it is at war since the word has less to do with human conflict than with right order in creation. When Israel follows the Law which God has established, the nation is at peace. This is the same blessing that Jesus bequeaths his disciples in the gospel today. Following him the disciples are reconciled with God.

Realizing that being stoned by jealous crowds imitates Jesus’ own persecution, Paul too is at peace. There is no hint of inner conflict as he picks himself up from the ordeal and proceeds on his missionary way. His peace gains depth as he returns to Lystra with Barnabas to shore up the disciples they left behind. And it reaches a climax when the two return to Antioch to celebrate God’s goodness with the church there.

We too find peace by remaining close to God in the midst of our activity. To use everyday images, God is our “ace in the hole,” our “fireman” in the ninth inning, the “one we can count on.” Keeping close to Him by prayer and adherence to His commandments, we have nothing to fear.

Homilette for Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a)

Jesus defies many of our hopes when he promises us his peace. We think of peace as the absence of conflict – a respite in the constant struggle to make ends meet or to please those around us. For our brand of peace we may take a cruise or find an apartment miles away from the helter-skelter of work.

But Jesus indicates in the gospel that peace is a condition of psychology not geography. As he is about to undergo the worse of human upheavals in the crucifixion and yet is undisturbed because of his relationship with the Father so he urges us not to worry about the predicament in which we find ourselves. Rather, we are to be confident of his love which conquers any and all of the troubles that the world slings at us. For sure, it is a tall order, but we have the assurance of his resurrection to show us that our trust is warranted.

Homilette for Thursday, October 23, 2007

Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Luke 12:49-53)

The specter of nuclear holocaust may induce some to think that Jesus’ words in the gospel today are soon to be fulfilled. But, of course, annihilation is not what Jesus has in mind when he says that he comes “to set the earth on fire.” Likewise, Jesus should not be taken literally when he denies the mission of bringing peace to the world. Jesus remains the Prince of Peace whom Zachariah prophesied as guiding the people into “the path of peace.”

The fire that Jesus kindles is actually the desire in our hearts to be morally good. Touched by his Spirit, we are no longer content with sexual gratification, monetary reward, and the obeisance of others. Instead, we seek to be like God Himself who bends down to lift up the lowly. The division that Jesus foretells is not so much the fractioning of households into those who are for and against him but the struggle that goes on with ourselves to do what is right.

Taking up the campaign to be good like God, we begin to see how Jesus really does bring peace. Passionate desire for another gives way to harmonious co-existence with him or her. Seeking virtue becomes our objective at every turn. We can even extend an olive branch to family members who alienate themselves from us in our pursuit of righteousness. We come to recognize the fire that Jesus has set in the world is actually a flame of love purifying us so that we might enjoy eternal life.

Homilette for Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ephesians 2:12-22)

It is said that Jesus enjoyed eating and drinking so much that he chose to spend his last hours with his disciples doing just that. We must not trivialize the meaning of the Last Supper by talking of it as a “going-away party” among friends. It was that and much more. Jesus used it as the occasion to symbolize all that he did in the world. He transformed a meal – in this case the traditional Passover Supper – into the way he would be remembered forever. The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians today summarizes what that meal, which we know as the first Eucharist, means.

The Letter calls Jesus “our peace ... who broke down the dividing wall of enmity through his flesh.” Jesus becomes our peace at the Eucharist not primarily because we begin mass with the penitential rite, but because in the mass we re-member or reconstitute Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross at Calvary. He gives his flesh and blood to reconcile us to God and to one another. It is the latter peace that the Letter to the Ephesians underscores here, but it is only through reconciliation with God that our reconciliation with one another can take place. As the Second Eucharistic Prayer of Reconciliation puts it: “You gave him up to death so that we might turn again to you and find our way to one another.”

Homilette for Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(John 14:27-31)

Jesus says that his peace is different from that which the world gives. Does he mean that our concept of peace – universal cooperation – is theoretically faulty. No, when we work together to produce a society where each person may live with dignity, our peace approaches Jesus’ own.

Jesus’ peace is full reconciliation with the Father so that people might love one another. To win this reconciliation he must go to the Father through the cross and resurrection. For this reason, he asks his followers not to be troubled. But what has this to do with the peace that we seek?

Many people in the United States are protesting for peace in Iraq. They mean that the United States should withdraw its forces. They are quite aware that withdrawal will add to the bloodshed. But they would argue that hostility in Iraq is a given with or without American presence and that the presence of U.S. military just prolongs the violence.

How Jesus would respond to this argument is hard to say. For this reason, people should not appeal to him to clinch their argument. But we can say that Jesus wants all sides to dialogue, and not abuse one another, over their differences. He would seek as much compromise as truth allows. Finally, he would have the opposing sides of the argument stand in vigilance that the terms of disengagement be implemented. The world seldom pursues such a journey to peace, but Jesus asks us, his followers, to promote it.

Homilette for December 27, 2007

Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

(I John 1:1-4)

Once a disillusioned pilgrim to Bethlehem returned home lamenting the conditions he encountered. Not only was there strife between Jews and Arabs, but hawkers constantly besieged him with their trinkets. The situation in the Holy Land, the pilgrim concluded, has certainly deteriorated since Christ’s time.

Although the Gospel of Luke depicts a tranquil setting for Jesus’ birth, there is much evidence in the New Testament of conflict. In John’s gospel Jesus conducts a running debate with the Jews who try to kill him. The Letters of John report a feud between the community of the beloved disciple and a secessionist group who apparently believed that morals do not matter. We can add to the evidence that strife abounded in New Testament times all we know from history about the Roman occupation and Jewish liberation efforts.

In spite of all this conflict, the writer of the First Letter of John offers a testimony of hope. Much more than a vision, the testimony involves a real human being – one looked upon with his eyes, heard with his ears, and touched with his hands. He is saying that in the midst of the turmoil, Jesus, the Word of life, has promised everlasting life to his followers. For those who follow Jesus’ commands – not just that of love in the gospel but also what the Spirit since Jesus’ ascension – he will give an eternal reward. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we should be asking ourselves if we have been true to the Word of life.

Homilette for Thursday, October 25, 2007

Thursday, XXIX week of Ordinary Time

(Luke 12:49-53)

With wildfires blazing in San Diego County as we hear this gospel, some may think that Jesus’ words about bringing a fire to earth are presently being fulfilled. But, of course, burning homes and destroying nature are not what Jesus has in mind here. Nor should we take him literally when he says that he has not come to bring peace to the world. Jesus remains the “Prince of Peace” whose coming was foretold by Zachariah as guiding the people into “the path of peace.”

The fire that Jesus starts is the desire in us to be morally good. Touched by his Spirit, we will no longer content ourselves with sexual gratification, monetary reward, or people snapping to our command. Instead, we will seek to be like God Himself who bends down to lift up the lowly. The division that Jesus envisions is not only the break-up of households into those who are for and against him but also the struggle that goes on with ourselves. We will resist the passionate call of our corrupted nature to sin.

Taking up the struggle to imitate God’s virtue, we begin to see how Jesus really does bring peace. With continued effort we are no longer divided within. Passionate craving disgusts us more than entices us. Seeking the good becomes our objective at every moment. We can even extend an olive branch to our family members who alienated themselves from us in our pursuit of righteousness. We see that the fire that Jesus has set in the world is the flame of love purifying us so that we might enjoy eternal life.

Homilette for Thursday, November 4, 2007

Memorial of St. Francis Assisi

(Matthew 11:25-30)

In 1219 Francis of Assisi joined the Fifth Crusade. He traveled to Egypt where the Christian army was preparing to attack the Muslim forces. But Francis did not join the battle. His intention was to convert the Muslims to Christ. After the Christian armies suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Malik al-Kamil, the Sultan of Egypt, Francis seized his opportunity. He sauntered over to the Muslim camp asking to see the Sultan. Evidently, Malik took Francis as a deserter who wanted to convert to Islam and granted him an audience.

The Sultan challenged the friar to walk on the image of a cross woven into a carpet. In some circles this was considered a desecration of Christianity’s most sacred image. Francis, however, did not possess a scrupulous conscience. He walked on the cross reminding the Sultan that there were two other crosses raised on Golgotha and he was only trampling the cross of the “bad thief.” Then Francis challenged the Sultan. If he walked over burning coals unharmed, the Sultan and his people would have to convert to Christianity. At this the Sultan demurred saying that if he converted to Christianity, both he and Francis would be massacred.

The encounter with the Sultan evidently had an effect on Francis. When his friars established the norms for missionary activity among Muslims, Francis insisted that they prohibit any attempt to use weapons as a means of conversion. Nor were they to taunt Muslims into making martyrs of them. Rather, either they were to subject themselves to their adversaries as a model of Christ’s forbearance or they were to proclaim the gospel openly but without any demonstration of force.

We should understand that when we look at St. Francis of Assisi, we see an image of Christ, the image of God. Because he took Jesus literally -- shouldering Jesus’ yoke and learning from him, the people of his age recognized him as a “new Christ.” Christ himself seems to have confirmed this likeness by transferring to him the wounds of his crucifixion. In the gospel today Jesus also says, “I am gentle and humble of heart.” He will not attack others but recognizes the dignity of all human beings. So Francis did not promote battling Christianity’s enemies but dialoguing with them so that they might see the virtues of Christ.

Homily for Sunday, May 13, 2007

Sunday, VI Easter

(John 14)

“But most of all, I remember Mama.” Each episode of a television series fifty years ago opened with lines including these words. Today one is challenged to remember the plot of any episode. But how could anyone who watched it every week forget the graciousness of Mrs. Hansen with her children? In the gospel today Jesus is at pains to relate to his disciples an incalucubly greater love. He means to tell them how he and the Father will occupy their hearts in the Holy Spirit. We should not think of grace running on two distinct levels – a natural grace in a mother’s love and a supernatural grace in God’s love. Rather the mother’s love facilitates divine grace when it moves in harmony with the same Holy Spirit.

In a ballad, poignant with meaning in recent weeks, Bob Denver sings of his uncle named Matthew. He tells how Matthew came to stay in his house after a Kansas tornado stripped the man of home and family. The man was more than a blessing; he was a friend who guided the singer to a profound appreciation of life. Jesus promises his disciples such friendship – or, again, an infinitely more gracious friendship – when he tells them that he and his Father will make their dwelling with them. Like a mother bird builds the family nest the Godhead occupies our hearts. It makes us saints by enabling us to thrive while living poor in spirit, mourning with the afflicted, and craving righteousness more than bread.

What’s that? We don’t think of ourselves as saints. We are not even sure that we want to be saints. Yes, the young often have a wooden idea of sanctity. They see saints as living in an etherized environment with scant joy and zero pleasure. But this is hardly the case. Saints excel at living because whatever they have, they share with the most congenial of company. That is, they delight in the presence of God. As a comparison we might ask ourselves which would we prefer -- a six course dinner taken alone at the Ritz-Carlton or a pear cut in three and shared with two life-long friends? We would probably eat the former too quickly to savor its goodness. But tasting the fruit with trusted companions will sooth our hearts.

So Jesus imparts his peace to us. He means shalom -- the Hebrew concept which, as most of us know, means well-being. This peace is coming home to mother’s kitchen after pitifully gorging oneself on cafeteria buffets and painfully cramming all night for exams. It is tasting her sauce -- or perhaps her stew -- made not just with love but with time that allows all flavors to be absorbed. It is hearing her words of consolation that assure us that -- whether we make all A’s or flunk out -- she will always welcome us home. It is not the world’s peace which is no more than a muscle-less “wish you well.” The Lord’s peace follows us everywhere. Because God is with us, His love eternally refreshes us.

But, we imagine, mother seems more forgiving than God. She may be disappointed if we forget to call on Sunday, but she does not cut us off from her grace. On the other hand, God – at least as we remember Him from catechism -- seems so judgmental, so inflexible. But who cuts whom off from grace? When we refuse to attend Mass on Sunday, we cut ourselves off from the light we need to sojourn through a world of darkness. Let us make no mistake about it. The commandment to “keep holy the Lord’s Day” – like all the commandments -- is not a scourge but a mercy. It enables us to reach the final home we seek.

Jesus then tells his disciples, “If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father.” His choice of words may sound peculiar. What does he mean by “if you loved me”? Do we not love him? Not fully. The disciples before receiving the Holy Spirit, and we to the extent that we reject the Holy Spirit, have a tainted love. We often want to possess the beloved rather than allow him or her complete happiness. When he meets Mary Magdalene after rising from the dead, Jesus must tell her not to cling to him. True love seeks union but not possession. The greatest legacy that our mothers have left to us, the best reason for honoring them today, is that they taught us how to love unselfishly. Their love freed us to give ourselves to our spouses if we are married, to our associates if we are single, and to our communities if we are religious.

John Denver sings of his uncle named Matthew: “Joy was just a thing that he was raised on; love was just a way to live and die. Gold was just a windy Kansas wheat field; blue was just the Kansas summer sky.” Like Jesus, he is speaking of peace, shalom. It stems from unselfish love, our mothers’ greatest legacy. It forgives us, refreshes us, and welcomes us home. The Lord’s peace forgives, refreshes, and welcomes us home.

Homilette for Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Tuesday, Week V

(John 14)

Jesus says that his peace is different from the peace the world gives. We are tempted to think that our concept of peace – universal harmony – is conceptually faulty. No, in as much as we work together with our brothers and sisters to produce a society that enables each person to develop his/her talents, there is real peace. This is exactly what Jesus means by shalom. Unfortunately, people do more talking about peace than living it. This is the reason for Jesus’ disclaimer for the world’s peace.

Of course, many people in our country are protesting for peace in Iraq today. They mean that the United States should withdraw its forces. No doubt, they are aware that there would still be much bloodshed. But they would argue that hostility is a given in Iraq with or without the U.S. presence. They would conclude that American military just ups the ante causing more violence. How would Jesus respond?

We can’t say and no one should appeal to him as the clincher for his/her argument. For sure, however, he wants all men and women to dialogue, not to fight over their differences. He would seek mutual understanding and compromise as much as truth allows. Finally, he would have opposing sides stand side-by-side in vigilance that the terms of disengagement be implemented. Such peace is not what the world gives but approximates very closely Jesus’ peace.

Reflection on Beginning the New Year

We mark time by years, and months, weeks, and days -- not so much by hours, minutes, and seconds -- but perhaps by light and darkness. A new year as a new day gives us the opportunity to make a fresh start. It inspires the sense of hope.

Each of us hopes for different things but certainly there are common denominators, at least for those who carry their crosses behind the Lord. We want to see our work prosper, for others as well as ourselves. We want to see our loved ones grow in wisdom, strength, and beauty as well as in faith and love. We long to see less contention, both in places where war rages and among people who share much background but lack common ideological perspective.

As we launch into the workdays of the New Year, let us resolve that we will make an added effort for peace among those we encounter. And let pray us pray that God may imbue His Spirit of love in the world.