Friday, December 9, 2022

 Friday of the Second Week of Advent

(Isaiah 48:17-19; Matthew 11:16-19)

In today’s gospel Jesus shares with the crowds his disappointment with their response to the call to repentance.  When John made it, he says, the people thought he was crazy.  When he makes it, Jesus continues, they ask whether one who hangs around sinners can be trusted.  Matthew, the evangelist, has Jesus leveling this criticism of the Jews perhaps fifty years before he wrote.  But he was aware that Christians too might reject the call to ongoing conversion with similar excuses.

We have seen in our day increasing rejection of Christ as the path to holiness.  Secularization has accelerated within the past three generations to the extent that in many places mostly grey hairs go to church.  The vast majority neither fear punishment nor try to please God by living impeccably.

Nevertheless, the Church continues to wave a stick and a carrot to move people to reform.  Especially during Advent, we await the return of Christ at the end of time to judge the world.  We also joyfully anticipate celebrating on Christmas his first coming.  Although it may seem like a losing strategy, we know that it can work.  At different times either the soft or the hard approach has gotten through to people’s hearts.

Thursday, December 8, 2022

 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgen Mary

(Genesis 3:9-15.20; Ephesians 1:3-5.11-12; Luke 1:26-38)

Today’s feast day provides an opportunity to reflect not only on Mary, the mother of Jesus, but also on Jesus, the savior of the world.  The first reading describes the trial scene where God interrogates Adam and Eve and then passes judgment on the serpent.  The couple admit to having disobeyed God’s commandment.  Their guilt will be passed on to all humans except for Jesus and Mary.  The serpent, traditionally recognized as the devil, is destined to be crushed by a human being who has been identified with Christ.

In the gospel’s conversation between God’s angel and the Virgen Mary, Mary is told that her son will be called “Jesus,” a name which means “The Lord saves.” Jesus will save human beings from sin precisely by defeating the serpent-devil.  He will have the power to do so because he is the Son of God conceived by the Holy Spirit as well as the son of Mary.

The second reading further explains the reason for our celebration.  Because God chose us to believe in Christ, we have been purged of the guilt incurred by Adam and Eve’s sin.  Now we exist not for ourselves and not for a limited time.  We exist to give praise to God forever.  Some may question the desirability of giving such praise to another.  We might think of it as the glory of having a brother or sister declared sovereign of the greatest empire on earth.

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the church

(Isaiah 40:25-31; Matthew 11:28-30)

In the movie “Chariots of Fire” a Christian sprinter from Scotland refuses to race on Sunday and thus apparently has lost his opportunity to win an Olympic medal.  Then one of his teammates gives the athlete his slot in a longer race.  The sprinter is supposed to peter out by the end of the race.  However, he wins it for the gold medal.  An American rival of the sprinter’s team sends him a note with a verse from today’s first reading: “They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings.  They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”

An event in the life of St. Ambrose illustrates his own hope in the Lord.  Ambrose was the governor of a large portion of northern Italy.  Because of his virtue, the people elected him Bishop of Milan at a contentious time in Church affairs.  He quickly gave his family wealth to the poor and lived ascetically during his long episcopacy.  As Isaiah promises, Ambrose soared as a churchman.  He is considered one of the four great Latin Church fathers.

The reading from Isaiah is meant to complement the gospel passage in which Jesus says that he will renew the strength of those who come to him.  We should not doubt that.  When life becomes especially challenging, we can turn to him with prayer and confidence.  We will set our spirits soaring and our hearts relieved.

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent

(Isaiah 40:1-11; Matthew 18:12-14)

There is a story from the Cold War days that might help us understand God's Word today. A Russian woman came to visit the United States. At first she only saw the social problems.  She criticized the decayed neighborhoods, the litter in the streets, and the selling of drugs on street corners.  Then she entered a supermarket and was stunned by the great quantities of all the different products.  She began to cry saying, “You mean all this is available to me?”

In a similar way the reading from Isaiah testifies to the bounty of God’s goodness to the exiled people of Jerusalem.  They can return home now.  They have suffered enough for their sins.  God is giving them back double for their suffering.  Like a shepherd cares for his lambs, God is looking after all the needs of His people. 

Jesus fulfills this vision of Isaiah.  He is like the shepherd of his own parable who risks the loss of more sheep to save the one who has gone astray.  He calls us from our sins.  Yes, we all have them – our laziness and habitual errors that we have grown accustomed to.  He beckons us to learn from him.

Monday, December 5, 2022

Monday of the Second Week in Advent

(Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 5:17-26)

For most of us it is easier to say to a crippled person, “Your sins are forgiven,” than to say, “Stand up and walk.”  This is so because most of us say things to win the approval of others.  No one will know whether the crippled person’s sins are really forgiven.  But if the person does not stand up, people will think us foolish for telling the person to do so. 

Jesus shows himself to be a prophet because he cares about the truth of his words.  He will not say to a person that her sins are forgiven unless he has the authority from God to forgive.  In today’s gospel he shows that authority by healing the cripple.  He also shows himself to be the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy.  He has come to make firm the knees of the weak and to make the lame leap.  He has come to save us from lies and deceit.  He has come to give us love in truth.

As that paralyzed man in the gospel cannot walk, we are paralyzed by our social environment to say what is “politically correct,” that is, what pleases people.  In doing so, we forsake what we truthfully believe.  Jesus heals us of this paralysis so that we not just tell the truth but do so in love.  In this way those around us will give more than a nod of approval.  They will thank God for our presence to them.