Monday, II Week of Advent
(Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 5:17-26)
Once I went to a party where no liquor was served. I felt a little disappointed because I was looking forward to relaxing with a glass of wine or bottle of beer. Then I was told the motive of celebration. My friend Bill, as gracious a man and loving a father as one could find, was celebrating his sobriety. Fifteen years to the day, Bill gave up drinking and never looked back.
Of course, drinking in itself is not bad. Nor can alcoholics be accused of sin for every drink they take. As Alcoholics Anonymous teaches, compulsive drinking is a disease that diminishes moral responsibility. But at some point alcoholics must take responsibility for their actions under intoxication. When alcoholics repeatedly become careless on the job and abusive at home after drinking, they must stop committing what for them has become a serious sin. Then their refraining from sin becomes the source of their total healing.
In the gospel Jesus forgives the sin of the paralytic as the first step to his total healing. As Jesus hints, his saving of the man’s soul is an even greater claim to his being the Messiah than his healing of the man’s lameness. But to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah as well, Jesus makes the lame man “leap like a stag.”
Jesus comes to save all of us from our sins. He brings forgiveness when we repent and confess our wrongdoing. As we turn away from our vices – whether obvious ones like drinking too much or more subtle ones like looking at others as objects of desire – Jesus will provide us the grace to live, like my friend Bill, gracious and loving lives.
Homily for December 8, 2007
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Luke 1:26-28)
What makes Mary so great? Is it that she has eyes of blue and wears dresses of gold? No, we know that these features are only products of our imagination and, in any case, accidentals. Then is it because Mary is the mother of Jesus that makes her stand out among all the people of history? Not really. Listen to how Jesus responds when someone cries out to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” “Rather,” Jesus responds, “blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
That’s it! Mary’s greatness lies precisely in her listening to the word of God and putting it into practice. In the gospel passage today, God sends Mary a message though the archangel Gabriel. Mary listens carefully asking questions of clarification. “Why does he call me ‘full of grace’?” she seems to be asking herself. “How can this be, since I have nor relations with a man?” she queries God’s messenger.
Even more importantly Mary acts on the word of God. She consents to what the angel says will happen to her. And in the verse following the present passage Mary sets out to visit her relative Elizabeth who, Gabriel tells her, is about to give birth.
How can she do otherwise, cynics among us might ask, if she herself was immaculately conceived? But Mary’s preservation from original sin is not completely different from our salvation from sin through Baptism. They both proceed from the merits of Jesus’ death and resurrection. She, like the rest of us, must choose whether or not she will do what God asks of her, whether or not she will follow her son Jesus.
Of course, she follows God’s will. By saying “yes” to the angel Mary becomes the first disciple of the New Testament. Our response to her fulfilling the word of God should not be so much praise of Mary as imitation of her. We too must carefully listen to the word of God and put it into practice. In these initial days of Advent the message is quite clear. We are to prepare for Christ by converting from the vices we indulge in. How do we sin? Perhaps by lying for convenience? Or maybe we look on others as inferiors made for our satisfaction? Or we may simply fail at generosity? Now is the time to rid ourselves of these bad habits.
We used to repeat frequently all the titles given to Mary through the centuries. “Seat of wisdom,” we called her, and “refuge for sinners.” We might add to the litany “first disciple.” She is Jesus’ first and, we can say, foremost disciple. Especially during Advent we would do well to imitate her by dispelling our vices. We would do well to dispel our vices.
(Luke 1:26-28)
What makes Mary so great? Is it that she has eyes of blue and wears dresses of gold? No, we know that these features are only products of our imagination and, in any case, accidentals. Then is it because Mary is the mother of Jesus that makes her stand out among all the people of history? Not really. Listen to how Jesus responds when someone cries out to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” “Rather,” Jesus responds, “blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
That’s it! Mary’s greatness lies precisely in her listening to the word of God and putting it into practice. In the gospel passage today, God sends Mary a message though the archangel Gabriel. Mary listens carefully asking questions of clarification. “Why does he call me ‘full of grace’?” she seems to be asking herself. “How can this be, since I have nor relations with a man?” she queries God’s messenger.
Even more importantly Mary acts on the word of God. She consents to what the angel says will happen to her. And in the verse following the present passage Mary sets out to visit her relative Elizabeth who, Gabriel tells her, is about to give birth.
How can she do otherwise, cynics among us might ask, if she herself was immaculately conceived? But Mary’s preservation from original sin is not completely different from our salvation from sin through Baptism. They both proceed from the merits of Jesus’ death and resurrection. She, like the rest of us, must choose whether or not she will do what God asks of her, whether or not she will follow her son Jesus.
Of course, she follows God’s will. By saying “yes” to the angel Mary becomes the first disciple of the New Testament. Our response to her fulfilling the word of God should not be so much praise of Mary as imitation of her. We too must carefully listen to the word of God and put it into practice. In these initial days of Advent the message is quite clear. We are to prepare for Christ by converting from the vices we indulge in. How do we sin? Perhaps by lying for convenience? Or maybe we look on others as inferiors made for our satisfaction? Or we may simply fail at generosity? Now is the time to rid ourselves of these bad habits.
We used to repeat frequently all the titles given to Mary through the centuries. “Seat of wisdom,” we called her, and “refuge for sinners.” We might add to the litany “first disciple.” She is Jesus’ first and, we can say, foremost disciple. Especially during Advent we would do well to imitate her by dispelling our vices. We would do well to dispel our vices.
Homilette for Friday, December 7, 2007
Friday, The Memorial of St. Ambrose
(Isaiah 29:17-24, Matthew 9:27-31)
In explaining why they think random evolution is an adequate theory for explaining the complexity of life, intelligent design advocates often point to an eye. They say that such an intricate organ is not likely to come about by chance no matter if it had a zillion years to develop. The eye’s sight is not only wonderful, it is also useful. For this reason the blind men of the gospel passage are obviously asking Jesus to allow them to see when they cry for pity.
The two men lack physical sight, but they possess faith which is another way of seeing. The men may have heard that Jesus is in the line of David, which is only a fact of heredity. More significantly, they believe that he is the son of David whom God has chosen to restore His people to the glory that Isaiah predicts in the first reading. He is the one who will open the ears of the deaf, restore sight to the blind, and bring release to prisoners. Jesus rewards the men’s faith in him with a super twenty-twenty vision. They see as well with their eyes as with their souls.
This Advent those of us who see well enough with our eyes might, like the blind men, beg Jesus for increased sight of faith. We want to look to him as the one who will save us from all that threatens us. Also, we need faith so that we might never be blind to the inviolable dignity of every human being. We do not want anger or prejudice that rises in us at times against individuals and groups to ruin our respect for them.
(Isaiah 29:17-24, Matthew 9:27-31)
In explaining why they think random evolution is an adequate theory for explaining the complexity of life, intelligent design advocates often point to an eye. They say that such an intricate organ is not likely to come about by chance no matter if it had a zillion years to develop. The eye’s sight is not only wonderful, it is also useful. For this reason the blind men of the gospel passage are obviously asking Jesus to allow them to see when they cry for pity.
The two men lack physical sight, but they possess faith which is another way of seeing. The men may have heard that Jesus is in the line of David, which is only a fact of heredity. More significantly, they believe that he is the son of David whom God has chosen to restore His people to the glory that Isaiah predicts in the first reading. He is the one who will open the ears of the deaf, restore sight to the blind, and bring release to prisoners. Jesus rewards the men’s faith in him with a super twenty-twenty vision. They see as well with their eyes as with their souls.
This Advent those of us who see well enough with our eyes might, like the blind men, beg Jesus for increased sight of faith. We want to look to him as the one who will save us from all that threatens us. Also, we need faith so that we might never be blind to the inviolable dignity of every human being. We do not want anger or prejudice that rises in us at times against individuals and groups to ruin our respect for them.
Homilette for Thursday, December 6, 2007
Thursday, I Week of Advent
(Matthew 5:21.24-27)
The gospel passage today ends Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount.” The evangelist Matthew has pictured Jesus as the great lawgiver surpassing even Moses. The new morality which Jesus has just taught forms the basis of a righteous people who will shine as brightly as New York at night.
Jesus’ new morality judges the Old Law not so much defective as deficient. Simply trying to conform to the set of ideals prescribed in the Old Law, the people will always fall short of the mark. They need internal refortification even more than external norms if they are to standout as righteous. To supply what is lacking Jesus infuses us with the Holy Spirit’s compassionate love. We might compare the development to the building of modern skyscrapers. Previous ages knew multi-storied buildings but only with the use of a steel framework could the super-tall highrises that characterize the famous constructions of the twentieth century be built.
For some of us the word righteous does not settle well. We hear it as self-righteous which is not what Jesus has in mind. Once again, it is his Holy Spirit that Jesus infuses within us that provides the new righteousness. During Advent we turn up our antenna for opportunities to express this new righteousness emanating from within. There are always needy people to assist. There are always people surrounding us to encourage. We can be sure that our expressions of compassionate love in Advent will result in our overwhelming joy at the Lord’s coming.
(Matthew 5:21.24-27)
The gospel passage today ends Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount.” The evangelist Matthew has pictured Jesus as the great lawgiver surpassing even Moses. The new morality which Jesus has just taught forms the basis of a righteous people who will shine as brightly as New York at night.
Jesus’ new morality judges the Old Law not so much defective as deficient. Simply trying to conform to the set of ideals prescribed in the Old Law, the people will always fall short of the mark. They need internal refortification even more than external norms if they are to standout as righteous. To supply what is lacking Jesus infuses us with the Holy Spirit’s compassionate love. We might compare the development to the building of modern skyscrapers. Previous ages knew multi-storied buildings but only with the use of a steel framework could the super-tall highrises that characterize the famous constructions of the twentieth century be built.
For some of us the word righteous does not settle well. We hear it as self-righteous which is not what Jesus has in mind. Once again, it is his Holy Spirit that Jesus infuses within us that provides the new righteousness. During Advent we turn up our antenna for opportunities to express this new righteousness emanating from within. There are always needy people to assist. There are always people surrounding us to encourage. We can be sure that our expressions of compassionate love in Advent will result in our overwhelming joy at the Lord’s coming.
Homilette for Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Wednesday, I Week of Advent
(Isaiah 25:6-10, Matthew 15:29-37)
Some day take note of the mass readings during ordinary time. You will almost always find divergent ideas in the first reading and the gospel. The two were not selected for their correspondence but to give us exposure to different expressions of Scripture.
Uncoordinated mass readings are not found during Advent, however. During this season the first reading always anticipates the gospel selection. Together they show how God’s promise to Israel was fulfilled with the coming of Christ. Today, for example, we hear from the prophet Isaiah how God will prepare a banquet for all nations which will exalt lowly Israel for keeping faith. In the gospel passage Jesus, symbolically at least, does just that. First, he assists those who are usually left out – the blind and the lame. And then he feeds the whole crowd large portions of bread and fish.
We can always count on God to keep His promises. Because Christ has promised to return with salvation for his faithful, we ready ourselves to receive him during the season of Advent. In a sense it is like an emergency drill. We prepare ourselves for an eventuality so that when it takes place, we will know what to do. But in the case of Advent the preparations themselves convey many blessings. Garrison Keillor tells a story that illustrates what I mean here. In the rural Minnesota town where he grew up, a zealous principal once assigned houses in town to all the schoolchildren from the country in case a snowstorm ever prohibited buses from taking them home. Keillor himself remembered the house to which he was assigned because of the statue of the Blessed Virgin on its front lawn. One afternoon with nothing to do, he went to meet the family of the house. He introduced himself to the woman at the door simply as her “snow child.” The woman asked him in and to sit down while she called her husband. In the meantime, she brought him cookies and milk.
As Minnesotans in winter are sure to get heavy snow, we can be sure of Christ’s eventual return in glory. Just like them we prepare for the day in the season of Advent. And again like the child Garrison Keillor, in our preparation we experience a moment of grace. Something happens that will be a sure sign of God’s love.
(Isaiah 25:6-10, Matthew 15:29-37)
Some day take note of the mass readings during ordinary time. You will almost always find divergent ideas in the first reading and the gospel. The two were not selected for their correspondence but to give us exposure to different expressions of Scripture.
Uncoordinated mass readings are not found during Advent, however. During this season the first reading always anticipates the gospel selection. Together they show how God’s promise to Israel was fulfilled with the coming of Christ. Today, for example, we hear from the prophet Isaiah how God will prepare a banquet for all nations which will exalt lowly Israel for keeping faith. In the gospel passage Jesus, symbolically at least, does just that. First, he assists those who are usually left out – the blind and the lame. And then he feeds the whole crowd large portions of bread and fish.
We can always count on God to keep His promises. Because Christ has promised to return with salvation for his faithful, we ready ourselves to receive him during the season of Advent. In a sense it is like an emergency drill. We prepare ourselves for an eventuality so that when it takes place, we will know what to do. But in the case of Advent the preparations themselves convey many blessings. Garrison Keillor tells a story that illustrates what I mean here. In the rural Minnesota town where he grew up, a zealous principal once assigned houses in town to all the schoolchildren from the country in case a snowstorm ever prohibited buses from taking them home. Keillor himself remembered the house to which he was assigned because of the statue of the Blessed Virgin on its front lawn. One afternoon with nothing to do, he went to meet the family of the house. He introduced himself to the woman at the door simply as her “snow child.” The woman asked him in and to sit down while she called her husband. In the meantime, she brought him cookies and milk.
As Minnesotans in winter are sure to get heavy snow, we can be sure of Christ’s eventual return in glory. Just like them we prepare for the day in the season of Advent. And again like the child Garrison Keillor, in our preparation we experience a moment of grace. Something happens that will be a sure sign of God’s love.
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