What Does Christmas Feel Like?

On Thursday I was out for the day finishing my Christmas shopping.  If you remember it was an unseasonably mild day, close to 60 degrees.  Throughout the day I heard people remarking on the temperature and many of them said because of the days’ mildness, “it doesn’t feel like Christmas.”  That statement got me thinking, because I have heard it before. Sometimes, because particular events affect our preconceived notions about what we should feel like at Christmas, we say, “It doesn’t feel like Christmas.”  In fact I found myself thinking that it did not feel like Christmas as I was preoccupied checking football scores right up until the beginning of the 4:00 Mass on Christmas Eve.  And after that game I am sure it doesn’t feel like Christmas for Jet fans.  In a more serious way, I am mindful of some of the people I sent Christmas cards to in the last few weeks.  We sent special Christmas cards to the families of those who last a loved one this year.  Certainly people who have experienced a loss or are going through an illness or other difficulties may be saying it doesn’t feel like Christmas, because surrounding events have made this year less joyful for them.  What then is Christmas supposed to feel like if the weather or more importantly the events of our lives can inhibited us from feeling what want to feel?  What does Christmas feel like?

Prior to the procession to the altar at the beginning of Mass, I picked up some of the straw or hay from our manager.  I did so because the hay and straw of the manager feel like Christmas.  The straw is simple.  It is one of the simplest things we can encounter in life, dried up grass, yet I could sit outside a peacefully play with a straw in my fingers, letting my thoughts wander.  It was in this simplicity that mine and your savior comes to us.  It is to simple and routine human existence that God is born.  It was in a simple stable, to a simple man and women, in a simpler time, that the Messiah enters human history.  So maybe it does not feel like Christmas because we have lost our sense of simplicity, our lives have become too complicated.  We have so many technological things that are designed to make our lives simpler yet they seem to complicate them even more.  The other day, Volkswagen announced that it would be turning off its email server during non-business hours so their employees would be free from the expectation of answering email 24 hours a day.  Thank you, Volkswagen, for simplifying the lives of your employees.  Christmas feels like a simple piece of hay, stray from a stable and if we wish for it to feel like Christmas we need to make our lives less complicated.

This straw also holds warmth.  For the animals that rest in the hay, the heat of their bodies warms the straw and holds the warmth within it so the animals themselves may be kept warm.  Christmas feels warm.  Not the unseasonable warmth of the other day or the warmth created by a fireplace.  But the warmth of love that abides within humanity.  Christmas feels warm because of the loving presence of God who so loved the world he gave his only Son.  To feel Christmas, we must allow ourselves to be the dwelling place of love as Mary herself does.  It is our coldness to the stranger, the poor and marginalized that makes it feel less like Christmas.  When cool indifference, judgmental temperaments and a lack of charity in word and deed exist in our world it cannot feel like Christmas, which celebrates the warmth of God’s love.

The straw and hay of the manger also feel rough and may even irritate the skin.  One would not expect to get as good a night’s sleep on a pile of hay as you would on your adjustable sleep comfort mattress.  Christmas feels rough like this hay.  Not rough because of the family tensions that sometimes exist during the holidays.  Nor is it the irritation that comes from the pressures we feel to get everything done at Christmas.  Christmas feels rough and irritating because it calls us to be alert to the mystery unfolding.  Mary and Joseph do not yet understand what the presence of the Shepherds or the others means but they are alert to them paying attention to what is happening because of the presence of this child.  Our lives can become routine and lack feeling.  We can become complacent about our discipleship.  We accept temptation and a failure to sin as a part of life with no motivation to change.  We are dull to the mystery that surrounds us.  The roughness of the manger hay of Christmas calls us to an alertness that comes when we step outside of the false comfort zones we create.

What does Christmas feel like?  It feels like simple, warm and rough straw.  And it also feels like the new born child laying in that straw – and that child feels vulnerable.  We know the vulnerability of a child and how scary it is to be that vulnerable.  We are frightened by what our children are exposed to.  We feel vulnerable ourselves when we hold that child.  We may drop the baby or not be able to meet its needs.  Christmas feels vulnerable because God himself takes on that vulnerability.  And it cannot feel like Christmas if we do not allow ourselves to be vulnerable; for it is only in vulnerability that we can truly receive the love, the wisdom and the hope that the birth of our Lord offers.

In our celebration of Christmas we pray that the vulnerable new born child may inspire us to live simply, abide in the warmth of love, and be awakened to the mystery of God’s presence.  

 Merry Christmas!

My ways are not your ways says the Lord

As I sit here waiting for the President's announcement of the death of Osama Bin Laden, it occurred to me that there is a mystical irony of this announcement coming on the day of the beatification of Pope John Paul II.  Here is what I had written for my bulletin column this week.

 In the Jubilee year 2000, Pope John Paul II declared this Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday at the Mass of canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska. In giving this designation to the Second Sunday of Easter, the Pope was asking the church to live Easter faith through the essence of mercy.  Just one year later the terrorist attacks of September 11th set in motion a world bent on a violence that we never would have anticipated.  How do we cultivate mercy when our natural anger seeks revenge or at the very least retribution for the pain that has been inflicted? 

Pope John Paul II answered that question through his faith in action when he forgave the man who attempted to assassinate him.  The now famous picture of the Pope sitting in a prison cell holding the hand of his attempted assassin was not simply an example of human mercy but divine mercy.  It is only through prayer and the deepening of one’s relationship with Christ that mercy begins to feel right and good.  The resurrected Christ enters the upper room in today’s gospel he bestows the gift of peace on his shaken disciples.  Through our prayer, we seek to be in that same upper room with Christ who is mercy himself.  We seek Christ’s gift of peace so that we can cultivate that kind of mercy in our hearts.  No one of us wants to perpetuate pain; yet it is so difficult to dispense mercy without a deepening of our awareness of the divine mercy of God who so loved the world he gave his only Son. 

Today the church celebrates the beatification of Pope John Paul II.  We honor him with this designation and we pray that through the intercession of Blessed John Paul we may heal our world through faithful acts of mercy.

Will there be healing? Or will peace begin to bloom?  Blessed John Paul II pray for us.

A Reason for Hope

Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope 

1 Peter 3:15

As I have been reflecting on the the events of my previous week these words of St. Peter came to mind. I could not help but think of how quickly I moved from a moment of contentment in God’s presence to the chaotic moments of tragedy and sadness. On Wednesday, February 23rd I went to bed well pleased with the success of our Parish Mission with Fr. Frank Sutman, our visiting preacher for the previous four days. On Thursday morning, I was awakened to fire alarms and the shocking experience of a man whose clothes caught fire while lighting a votive candle in the church. On Wednesday night, I was aware of the peaceful presence of the Holy Spirit who guided us through our days of renewal, on Thursday I searched for God amidst the horror. 
Fr. Frank’s mission talks were based upon the questions we ask of God and our faith. Fr. Frank had not yet left our rectory on Thursday morning and we were confronted with new questions. Where was God on Thursday? How could God let this happen? One of the questions Fr. Frank asked during his talks was, “Does a fish know it’s in water?” The answer being, “no” a fish is not actively aware of its immersion in water. In the same way we are always “in” God, and are not aware of it. When times of tragedy occur, we ask, “Where is God?” without being aware of the truth that if we were not already in God we would not be able to endure the painful experiences of life.

It was clear to me that we were “in God” during the days of retreat. Upon further reflection, I can see a little more clearly that Mr. Badalamente and all of us were “in God” throughout the accidental tragedy. Vito was given excellent and comforting care from the moment Fr. Henry extinguished the flames, to the first responders, and to the doctors and nurses in the burn unit, who eased his pain. He was surrounded by his prayerful and loving family and in God’s great mercy he quietly and peacefully passed from this life. Our parish community was most certainly “in God” through the guiding and assuring presence of the police and fire departments. Our parish staff navigated through a difficult day, continuing to serve the needs of our community. And the people of the parish sought to bring all of us who were directly involved, consolation and support. In a very significant way, Vito’s family also helped us to be “in God,” through the gratitude they have expressed and their willingness to allow us to pray with them.

The media presence, certainly added to the anxiety and pain of the day. It was harder for me to see the presence of God in their parasitic behavior. A member of our staff helped me to reflect more deeply on this aspect, however. In their relentlessness, the media, placed before us the words of 1 Peter. They wanted a reason for hope. Amidst the tragedy, they wanted there to be a hope that the injuries were survivable because a priest had saved him. There was hope for Vito not because a priest had come to his rescue at the moment of a tragic accident, there was everlasting hope for him because throughout his life, the church had come to his aid with the presence of Jesus Christ, who came so we might have eternal life. Vito came to church that day because amidst the sadness of missing his wife throughout these years he had hoped that she was “in God” eternally and that he too was “in God” until they could be together again.

There are times when it is easier to know that we are “in God” and times when it is more challenging. Through the grace of hope, we are given the ability to know that we are “in God” in both joy and sorrow.

Who is to blame?

 I have waited, waited for the LORD, and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.  And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God.

Throughout this past week much of our national attention was directed to the assassination attempt on Arizona Congresswomen, Gabrielle Giffords, and the subsequent injuries and loss of life of others in the crowd assembled with her.  Senseless acts of violence like this one are not as rare as we would hope.  These horrendous acts of evil strike at the most normal of times and places like the workplaces, schools and in this case a grocery store.  They remind us that evil is ever present and that no one of us is safe from the pain it inflicts.  It is also in moments like this that we find ourselves crying out to God as the psalmist does today, seeking  to find him in the midst of sorrow. 

Tragic acts of evil also leave us searching for a reason or a place to direct blame.  While I do not agree that  vitriolic political discourse is the cause of this evil act, I think this violent act awakens us to a greater awareness of the disregard that we can have for the lives of others.  Because we live in a culture of objectification, we often do not recognize, “the other” as one who is made in the image and likeness of God.   It is, therefore, easier for us to vilify, tear down, verbally attack and commit acts of violence.  It has become too common for us to not simply disagree with each other, but instead, we rain down on an opponent with unfathomable anger and outrage.  We do not recognize the person who presents us with a difficulty as someone else’s spouse or child and  therefore speak or act toward them in ways we would never accept if directed toward our loved ones.

In one week’s time the annual March for Life in Washington will take place.  I truly believe that our failure to value the sacred life of the unborn is at the root of all other violence, hate speech and attacks on human life.  We march next week to bring about an end to abortion, to witness to the sacredness of human life and to pray that the command to love one another as we have been loved by Christ will be fulfilled so his love may conquer all acts and words of violence, hate and evil.

Resolutions

New Year's Epiphany  Resolutions

The Magi opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Resolve to offer the gift of yourself to the Lord.  Make a commitment to Sunday Mass, Daily Prayer and the Scriptures

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, the Magi departed for their country by another way.

Resolve to change your path, change destructive behavior, seek reconciliation and forgiveness.

Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.

Resolve to reveal Christ to others.  Talk about your faith, pray with others, perform acts of service in his name.

The Feast of the Epiphany

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”
 

In addition to the Christmas albums of Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis and the Ray Conniff singers, I recall my Mom playing an album by Gregory Norbet and the Monks of the Western Priory. One of my favorite songs on that album was “Shepherds and Kings.” The refrain went as follows,
 
Shepherds and Kings,
following hopes and stars that take them
deep into the night.
How far have they come?
We should really know
for certainly everyone is a shepherd and king.
 
I thought of these lyrics as I read the opening paragraphs of Bishop William Murphy’s Pastoral letter, Belong More Deeply. Bishop Murphy uses the illustration of the Shepherd and the Magi as a way to describe those who come to the “the manger” of their parish church during the days of Christmas.

These two groups represent so many who are Catholics today. How blessed we are if we are among those who, like the shepherds, have come quickly to Jesus and regularly pay homage to Him by our active participation of mind and heart in the Sunday celebration of Mass. Yet we have also many of our brothers and sisters who are still searching for Him, may be longing to know Him better but, for one reason or other, they cannot find their way to the manger of Sunday Mass. Like the Magi they want to discover the newborn King in their lives and have already followed His star by baptism and some closeness to Jesus. But for many different reasons or circumstances, they are not with us at the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
 
Both the words of the refrain and Bishop Murphy’s reflection make us mindful that we are all seekers and searchers in the ways of our Catholic Faith. Whether we are actively engaged in the life of the church through faithful Sunday worship and participation in the church community or we seek to know, love and believe in Christ. Some of us are motivated by the blessings we have received and others are prompted by the tragedy or pain they endure. As we look around church on any given Sunday we have no idea how far each other have come and what obstacles still remain. What we do know is that we all seek Him who seeks us.
 
The secular celebration of Christmas ended a week ago and our marking of the New Year has passed as well. There is a great temptation to pack up and put away Christmas but that would be in great opposition to the journey we have been on. We have just arrived at the manger. With the Magi and the Shepherds we have found what we were looking for. We need to stay here in the moment with the Holy Family. If we run away now to go back to our ordinary and busy lives we will continue to wander and seek. The season of Christmas is given to us, so that we might understand that the one we seek is truly with us. Let us take the time to stop wandering and instead pray for the grace to rest in him.
 
There are times when we feel close to God and times we feel far off. We need look no further then the Eucharist that has brought us together abundantly at Christmas and unites us as one body each and every time we celebrate the holy sacrifice of the mass. We are shepherds and kings who have discovered our newborn King.

Christmas 2010

Do you believe it’s Christmas?  That is the question everyone seems to ask.  Can you believe that time has moved so quickly?  It seems as if summer was just yesterday.  We are a busy and thoroughly occupied people and so it makes sense, that events, such as Christmas, or birthdays, or deadlines or exams (for those of you home from college,) seem to catch us by surprise or at the very least, unprepared.  Despite us being caught off guard or running out of time, we are here, celebrating the birth of our Lord once again.  But I would like to stay with the question, “Do you believe it’s Christmas?” because by moving the words and punctuation marks around, we have another more important question that I hope can assist our prayer this Christmas.  Instead of asking ourselves, “Do you believe it’s Christmas?” I would like to ask you this, “It’s Christmas; do you believe?”  As we hear the words of sacred scripture recount the telling of the birth of the Messiah, we are asked the question, “Do you believe?”  As we look upon the scene in the manger, as did the shepherds, do you believe it?  As we approach the table of the Lord to receive Him in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, do you believe?”  As we sing and say the word, “Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us,” do you believe it?”

Four weeks ago on the first weekend of Advent, a billboard was erected on the New Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel.  On the billboard was an illustration of the nativity scene and the words, "You Know It's a Myth: This Season Celebrate Reason." In response, another billboard was erected on the Manhattan side of the Lincoln Tunnel.  It too had an illustration of the nativity scene but its wording said, “You Know It’s Real: This Season Celebrate Jesus."  While it should disturb us when our faith is attacked, like the first billboard does, the opposing messages also speak to a reality that we find ourselves caught up in.  What do we believe?  Why do we believe?  And even in our belief, can we believe more deeply?  Despite the doubts that we all struggle with, the sorrows we all face and the pain we endure, can you believe today, that the Messiah has been born to us?  Can you believe today, not because of your own reasoning and intellect but because of the faith that is within you?  Can you believe, because it is Christmas?  Because it is Christmas we see most clearly that God has entered the human experience and taken on flesh.  Can you believe because there is no more sacred a mystery than this very earthly and human mystery?  Can you believe because here before us today we celebrate that our God is not distant and above our struggle but here with us?  Can you, who have known your share of obstacles yesterday, believe today, because - today it is Christmas?

We are drawn to the manger, to the truth of the scriptures and to the sacrifice offered on the altar because we want to believe.  We want to believe that the promises of the scriptures were fulfilled.  And we want to believe that God is truly with us in our daily life, in our families and in the community of faith that comes together here.  No one of us would be here to worship and celebrate this Christmas, if we did not believe.  Among the many people that gather at our parish this Christmas, there are most assuredly different depths to belief.  Here today are people who attend mass every day as well as those whose participation in the Eucharist is infrequent.  No matter what our practice of faith is or how assured we find ourselves in that faith, we all long to believe more deeply in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was born to Mary of Nazareth.  Because it is Christmas, our worship is enhanced with the beauty of environment and music.  Because it is Christmas, we gather in great numbers and see the Body of Christ alive and strong.  Because it is Christmas we are drawn into this particular and unique mystery that seems to go unnoticed on the ordinary day.  Can we believe, because it is Christmas today?  Yes we can.  We can because even though our hearts, minds and souls move us to be here, it is God who acts.  We can believe because it is Christmas, because Christmas is the celebration which acknowledges that God chooses us.  He breaks into our lives.  He comes to Mary and Joseph a deeply faithful couple, while at the same time revealing himself to the nomadic shepherds of no or little faith.

At Christmas we can believe because in taking on flesh, God teaches us what it means to be human.  Humans are weak, easily discouraged, lack the courage to face evil, and their survival is dependent on another – yet through humanity we are saved.  Its Christmas and we can believe not in spite of our humanity but because our humanity is where God chooses to dwell.  As we look on the manger and listed to sacred scripture we realize that there is nothing in authentic humanity that can keep us from believing.  Alienation, poverty, and ignorance are there before us and Christ dwells within it.  Never can we let our humanity be the reason we don’t believe, because it is in our humanity that we find Him.

Each of those who are assembled at the manger, had to answer the question, “Do you believe.”  Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds are advised to not be afraid and to believe that this could be. By the grace of God they came to believe and so too do we.  In his public ministry Jesus asked those who came before him to be healed, “Do you believe I can heal you.”  When they affirmed their belief, his response was, “your faith has saved you.”

Christmas is a time we cannot be afraid to examine what we believe.  Everything about this mystery seems impossible, yet we hear, that with God all things are possible.  Its Christmas, do you believe?  If we say yes, we seek to deepen that faith.  If we answer with uncertainly or doubt, we need to create a place for Him in the routine of our lives.  We need to clear away the temptations and the distractions.  We need to not let our humanity be reason for unbelief.  We must be willing to let go of fear.

Its Christmas and you and I are here because we do believe.  We believe because we have allowed at least of a part of our humanity to be open to Christ’s dwelling within us.  And we believe because he has chosen us to be his sacred dwelling place.

It’s Christmas and we believe it.  Merry Christmas.

Feast of the Holy Family

My parish celebrated its feast day this weekend, unfortunately it is hard to make a parish celebration of it when it falls a few days after Christmas.  The other disappointing thing for this new pastor was that the deacons were scheduled to preach.  So I did not even get to preach on the parish feast day.  So I thought I would share one thought that would have been a building block for a homily.

Last week I brought communion to a homebound parishioner.  She could not get over the idea that the PASTOR came to her home.  She was so honored to have the PASTOR visit her.  I felt unworthly of such adulation but was uplifted by it.  That evening my associate told me that a parish teen told him that he did not like when I preached, because I was too long.  I have never been told that before but perhaps that is the grace given to pastors -- long preaching.  Talk about being exaulted only to be humbled.

These two experiences got me thinking about the role of the family in the human experience.  Families should build us up and validate us.  Families also keep us honest and challenge us when we miss the mark.  As a pastor, I pray that I may receive both the validation and the correction that will help me to serve this family well.  And as the father of this family I hope I will be granted to wisdom and courage to validate and correct with love.

Happy Feast Day Holy Family

Christmas 2009

Not too long ago, I saw a headline for a story online that grabbed my attention. I cannot remember the specific wording but the headline called attention to an article about an atheist who was promoting the telling of the Christmas story in public schools. This intrigued me so I clinked on the link to the article and found that the woman’s premise for teaching the Christmas story was that children should be taught the fables of various cultures so that they might have a deeper appreciation of literature. I thought to myself, “No thank you.” The Christmas story does not begin, once upon a time, in a land far, far away. The Christmas story as it is presented in the scriptures is presented within the framework of human history. Matthew’s Gospel begins with the genealogy of Joseph’s family relating it to the various epochs of the Jewish people. Luke’s gospel sets the scene by noting the political and social milieu of the Roman world. There is also the tradition of chanting the Proclamation of the Birth of Christ, which sets the birth of the Lord in both its political and religious context. These historical references not only make the birth of Christ more tangible but help us to understand that real events change the course of history. With the birth of Jesus we acknowledge that something has changed, it was not always this way.

We have been telling this story for some two thousand years. We have grown up with these events already incorporated into the human experience, but it wasn’t always this way, something changed. It was not always this way for the Jewish people. The people of the covenant, throughout their history, were seekers. The searched and longed for the opportunity to be reconciled with God, through infidelity, war, failed kingdoms and exile. What changed is that the searchers have been found by the God who humbled himself rather than those who were subject to him. What has changed is that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light as Isaiah prophesized. Because of the newborn savior, there is eternal hope.

Just as something changed in the life of this people of faith, something changed in the life of a people who had no faith. The shepherds, who are drawn to the manger, had no faith and no relationship with God. The Magi who will come had not expectation of a savior. Something has changed; it was not always this way for them. Something changed in the personal history of Mary and Joseph; two real human persons who were called to live a life beyond their expectations. Through their encounter with the Son of God, they gain an essential role in salvation history.

As we celebrate this Christmas we are encouraged to recognize that an encounter with Christ means a change in our lives as well. Our annual celebration of Christmas is very much about keeping traditions. Some of us are even charged with being the standard bearer of our family traditions. However, the faith experience of Christmas is something more than an unaffected routine. We do not celebrate this Eucharist, simply because attending Christmas mass is a tradition. This is an encounter with Christ in our current historical context and it changes us. Every event of our personal history changes us and makes us something we were not before. The people we encounter, the joyful and sorrowful experiences, as well as our successes and failures change us and we must acknowledge that we were not always this way, this than is true for our encounter with Christ this Christmas. In an examination of our lives we know that encounters with Christ have changed us. It may be through our faith journey, our personal prayer, the presence of Christ in others, moments of reconciliation or the overcoming of addictions but something does change, we cannot say it was always this way, when we have an encounter with Christ.

Christmas then is neither “Once upon a time,” nor an empty tradition. It is about accepting the possibility of change. At this moment in history, Christmas 2009, God is with us in a new way. None of us have always been this way; we are different this Christmas because of what we have encountered in the past year. May each of us discover the real true presence of Christ, at the celebration of the Eucharist and in the historical moments of our lives.

My brothers and sisters, it has not always been this way, God is with us, yesterday, today and forever. Merry Christmas!

Prepare the way of the Lord, Advent begins.

Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent


Ten years ago, perhaps fueled by the Y2K hysteria, the book “The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Guide was published. Some of its chapters were, How to Escape Quicksand, How to Fend Off a Shark, How to Jump from a Car, How to Perform an Emergency Tracheotomy and How to Land a Plane. While some of these topics pique my interest, I do not see myself informing myself so as to be prepared for these situations. Being vigilant at all times is not one of my innate qualities. In my creativity I find I am more spontaneous. I am also not one that thinks in terms of being prepared for, “the worst case ” being a hopeful person, doomsday scenarios just don’t appeal to me. That being said, Advent, and its call to vigilance and preparation, is a favorite time of year for me.

The cycle of celebrating salvation history begins anew this week with the advent of the church year. The four Sundays of preparation for the Christmas feast mirror our lives, in which the preparation is not just for a single day on the calendar, but for the coming of the Lord at the end of time. Advent not only looks back at the events leading to the birth of Christ, it looks forward to the final fulfillment of God’s plan and increases our awareness of his presence today. We know not when the Lord will appear in glory but we do know that God will fulfill his promises. We know that we are in God’s presence here and now, Advent challenges us to awaken ourselves to that presence here and now and in the days to come.

In the Gospel today Jesus calls us to not only be vigilant but to pray for the strength we need to face the tribulations of our lives. Our faith is tested by the challenges of life. It becomes harder to believe in God’s providence when we endure pain and experience events that cause us to doubt. Advent is a new time of prayer. We pray not only that God’s Kingdom will come but that we might have the strength we need to be persistent in our faith and in our quest to know Jesus Christ.

My prayer for all of us is that we dedicate ourselves to these days of Advent and not get caught up in the holiday preparation hysteria. Let us find time for necessary peace and quiet, a peaceful quiet that will assist us in our vigilance and in our trust. The days of Advent are not days to prepare for a worst-case scenario, they are days to prepare for the best scenario that we could imagine. We prepare ourselves to recognize our God who comes to save us and invite us to share in the building of his Kingdom.

Almost Famous

It was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who sent him.

We find these words in this Sunday’s second reading from the letter to the Hebrews. As I read those words I could not help but think of this past week’s “Balloon Boy” saga. It seems now that this event was part of a larger attempt to gain fame through the creation of yet another “reality” television program. As the story unraveled this week, I overheard someone say, “They should have just put the kid in the balloon and hoped for the best.” The statement was, of course, said tongue-in-cheek, but it does reveal a through line of thought that exists in today’s common culture. Seek fame at all costs; fame that has the potential to bring about financial gain.

As disciples of Jesus Christ we choose a different path for ourselves. We seek glory not through self promotion but through service. Admittedly we do not know the full story of the family behind what now appears to be a hoax. What we do know is that a husband and wife were blessed three times over with the greatest gift they could ever receive, a child. There is no glory or fame greater than that of the love and affection that comes from a child to his or her parents. There is no one more proud then a parent who watches a son or daughter mature into an adult. There is no greater reward than the words, “Thank you Mom and Dad.” In many ways this story is tragic because children may have been exploited for cultural fame. The sight of a little boy getting sick on two different morning news shows, while his parents perpetuated a hoax, is not only a new low for the news media, but a tragic revelation of disoriented parental priorities.

There is no greater glory than that which comes from protecting, defending, guiding and loving a child. This story reveals that we have drifted from Jesus’ reminder that whomever receives a child, receives him. During this Respect Life month, we continue to commit ourselves to protecting, defending, and loving all human life, from conception, to childhood, through adulthood and natural death. We seek an eternal glory that is modeled on Christ, who laid down his life in obedience to the Father, and in service to those whom he was sent.

Homily for Sunday, October 18, 2009

“Teacher, we want you to do something for us.” Does that sound like an odd statement, a student asking a teacher to do something for them? Is not the master, the teacher, the superior supposed to expect that the student will serve his teacher? That may sound like the ideal, but the lived reality is that a teacher is one who serves.
• From the basic necessities of the elementary student
• To the time taken to tutor before an exam
• To being a lifetime resource that the student, now adult continues to call upon
Jesus is the master teacher of the disciples and we recognize his teaching in what he says, in the signs he performs and the actions he takes. When these very bold disciples in today’s Gospel ask him to do something for them, it should come as no surprise. What he does here and in spoken word and through action is the surprise. The life lesson of Jesus the Master teacher is that leadership is sacrifice and service. Leadership is not exhibited through sitting in places of honor or the lauding of authority but the laying down of one’s life in sacrifice and service. This suffering sacrifice and service is salvific. What the teacher does, for these disciples, is gives his life, so that all might be saved.
There is more to the lesson; however, it is not simply about what the teacher does for the students. Jesus’ disciples began to recognize him as more than another rabbi or philosophical teacher. They began to identify him with the identity of the long awaited messiah, the political leader who will bring liberty to the occupied and oppressed Jewish people. James and John are envisioning the victory that will be won by the
messiah/teacher and wish to claim their spot on his right and his left. We want to share in your victory; we want to be a part of your holy entourage. Jesus wants this much for his disciples AND MORE. The disciples will share in the victory but not as the entourage, staff or hangers on, but as co-heirs. James and John set their sights lower than what was available to them. They were called to sit at the left and the right of the master but not as subordinates; as slaves but as those who share in the victory because they share in the sacrifice.
In our culture we have many examples of people who have achieved power and authority not from their own efforts but through the achievement of others. Politicians, celebrities, professional athletes, business executives, Bishops (not pastors) may by necessity have a staff to accomplish professional tasks, but some who serve a leader and others who are simply associated to the leader, often seek to share in the power, of a victory won by a sacrifice that was not there’s. Their power and rewards are fleeting and subject to the generosity of the leader. What Jesus teaches is something radically different. The rewards of the victory are ours, not as underlings, but as adopted sons and daughters of the Father. The transformative suffering of Jesus on the Cross, opens the way for all who believe to share in that victory.
This Sunday will celebrate World Mission Sunday and are mindful of those who have shared in the sacrifice of service to the church as missionaries. The notion of missionary ministry often connotes work that is far off from the everyday reality of our lives. The reality is, however, work of missionary sacrifice is not far from us.
• North American Martyrs – Tomorrow we celebrate the feast of Saint Isaac Jogues and his companions who are known as the North American Martyrs. These Jesuit missionaries from France came to North America to bear witness to the faith in North America. In 1646, Jogues was martyred by the Mohawks near the present day Auriesville, New York. The service of sacrifice here in our state, in the not too distant past
• Ita Ford was a woman born in Brooklyn in 1940 who joined the Maryknoll order and was sent to Latin America. She served in Bolivia, Chile and El Salvador where she provide food, shelter, transportation...and faith in a country torn by conflict and war. In December of 1980, along with Sisters Maura Clarke and Dorothy Kazel, and a lay woman named Jean Donovan taken by the Salvadoran National Guard to an isolated spot, where they were tortured, and raped, and killed. A U.N. commission later found that the men were acting on orders from the Salvadoran military. They are modern martyrs and missionaries. A servant of sacrifice, from Brooklyn born less than 70 years ago
• Fr. Matt Cassidy SJ stood here at this pulpit last week. A kid from Hicksville, a graduate of Holy Family School spoke to us about his missionary work in Ghana. Fr. Matt has not been called to sacrifice his physical life like the other two examples but he has sacrificed the comforts and the familiarity of the life he knew growing up here in Hicksville.

These sacrificial servants, with whom we can identify have the opportunity to share in the victory of eternal life, to sit at the right and left of Jesus, not as members of an entourage but adopted sons and daughters who share in the victory won by their sacrifice united with Christ.
• All of us share in the sacrifice of mission. We are sent every week from this sacrifice, this Eucharist, not simply to coexist with the world but to serve; to share in the sacrifice and ultimately the victory of eternal life
o In the work place or school – standing up for injustice
o Within the community – serving rather than tearing down
o Sacrifices of family life that focus not on the pursuit of material possession and luxuries but on creating safe, nurturing and loving homes
o Sacrifice of moral choices – not following the temptations of greed, addictions and the abuse of another person or ourselves
o Sacrifice of illness – When we are burden with illness or tragedy we are tempted to say everything happens for a reason but then struggle to find a reason. Instead we finding meaning in our suffering. For the terminal the suffering process creates a longing for the eternal life that awaits us. For others the suffering of illness often deepens appreciation and love for the true gifts of life and assists in reprioritizing what is important.
We leave this Eucharist each week with the desire that Jesus do something for us, that is lead us to the victory of new life here and the eternal life yet to come. We are called to share in that victory not as servants but as ones who have sacrificed in faith.
Sr. Ita Ford wrote this: “I hope you come to find that which gives life a deep meaning for you. Something worth living for - maybe even worth dying for - something that energizes you, enthuses you, enables you to keep moving ahead. I can't tell you what it might be - that's for you to find, to choose, to love. I encourage you to start looking, and support you in your search.
With the master teacher we share in the service of sacrifice, the mission that shares in the building of God’s Kingdom.

*** Thanks to Deacon Greg at the Deacon's Bench for a little inspiration.

Installed as Pastor

Encouraged by some and with a desire to focus myself on my new mission as pastor, I will attempted to be faithful to this blog.

http://licatholic.org/2009/10/100709/new_pastor_holy_family.html

You oceans...Bless the Lord

We are so blessed on Long Island because the Ocean and beautiful beaches are literally our front yard. Even in still chilly Spring temperatures, folks find themselves contemplating the waves and are soothed by their consistent pattern. And yet God is greater. Not even these crashing waves and its life giving waters can fully present God's power, creativity and love. Let's Bless the Lord for the beauty and awesome power he places at our feet!

No place like home?

Well it's the home opener at Shea Stadium -- uh Citi Field. I am hoping for two things today. First a Met win, with some offense. So far they are still looking like the same old team, no offense and surprisingly still some bullpen issues. The second thing is that Citi Field starts to feel more like a home to the Mets. I was there for exhibition game against Boston. Its a great park and it will be a fun place to watch a game. But it did not feel like the Mets' home. Not enough Met history or branding. And even worse -- all those exclusive restaurants and bars. I felt like my old friend moved to a new house, in a new neighborhood, got cooler friends and I feel left out.

But in any case -- LET'S GO METS!

Bishop Bob

Ordination of Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone, Charleston SC.  I am pictured with the Bishop and other priests of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting.

Easter Sunday Homily

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Remember those without hope, who do not know that you have risen

I recently came across these words in the intercessory prayers of Holy Saturday evening prayer. These words got me thinking about who it is that does not know the story of the resurrection. Certainly none of those who come to Easter Mass are surprised by the story.Those who do not share our Christian faith have certainly heard what it is that we are celebrating today. And while it is true that there are still places in our world that have not heard the Gospel, I have a feeling that someone more than them is implied.I believe that this prayer acknowledges a universal truth -- many have heard of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but many do not know, the resurrection. We may know the facts but have yet to experience, through faith, what resurrection is. The prayer speaks for those who may have heard the facts but are yet to know the transformative power of Christ resurrection and are still without hope.

In this morning’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear Peter delivering a speech in the house of Cornelius, a faithful Roman centurion. Peter gives them brief history of what he has witnessed in the public ministry of Jesus Christ and his resurrection.The people to whom he speaks know the facts that Peter is sharing with them, as the story has already been told for ten years. Peter speaks not to just give them facts but to encourage them to believe, to seek Christ and to receive his merciful love as he has. In the same way, Saint Paul, in his letter to the Colossians written approximately 30 years after the events of the resurrection, tells the people to seek what is above, to look with eyes of faith for the risen Christ and not simply be focused on the earthly things around us. Paul writes these words from prison sharing with others the hope that sustains him.

Knowing resurrection is an active pursuit, even as it is revealed in the Gospel today. Mary of Magdala goes to the tomb and finds the stone removed from the tomb, she runs to Peter and the other disciple, and they run to the tomb.There is much confusion and as the Gospel says they had yet to understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. There is much confusion and much running around and still the Gospel tells us that in the midst of that chaotic pursuit the one disciple saw and believed. He did not have facts; he had not yet seen the resurrected Christ but he believed and was among the first to know he had risen, he was among the first to have hope.

We see ourselves in this morning’s Gospel account. Our lives are filled with moments of running here and there. Our obligations are great and so are our longings. We seek and we search and sometimes we give up. We know lots of things and yet we still struggle to know the one thing that truly gives us hope – that death has no power over us. You may have seen the cover of Newsweek last week which proclaimed the decline and fall of the Christian America. That was followed by a statement made by the President in which he said that one of the greatest strengths of the United States is that we do not consider ourselves a Christian, Jewish or Muslim nation but, “a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.” The Newsweek issue and the president’s statement reflect a truth about the culture in which we live; in many ways the pursuit of faith is secondary to other ideals. We don’t know the resurrection because sometimes we stop seeking it. This is not to say that we are bad people or that we are deliberately opposing God in our lives. It is simply because of the nature of human life that we sometimes stop looking.

Sometimes we stop looking because for the moment we are satisfied. It is so easy for us to find comfort in the things we buy, the company we keep, achievement at work and at school and the leisure activities we enjoy. We know that none of these are bad in themselves and can in fact be understood as blessings. We must also know, however, that they are temporary. When we do not listen to the encouragement of St. Paul and focus simply on the earthly things and not what is above, we can not know resurrection, we can not know hope. When our satisfaction is found only in the here and now and not in an eternal life in heaven awaiting us -- we stop looking for the resurrection and we can not therefore know it.

Sometimes we stop looking because we meet Good Friday. Tragedy, sorrow, disappointment and betrayal are devastating. We can not make sense of these things. Suffering is unbearable and confusing. Moving beyond Good Friday, pain and all its sorrow comes with grace. Each one of us moves at our own pace, and sometimes we need to linger at the cross or the tomb. Ironically, though, Good Friday is necessary in order for us to know resurrection. We can not know resurrection without first knowing suffering and death. Good Friday is a stumbling block to knowing resurrection and it is also a necessary stepping stone. We pray for the grace to move when we are ready, to seek the resurrected Christ beyond our sorrow.

Lastly we sometimes stop looking for the resurrection when we find emptiness. In the Gospel they find the tomb empty and nothing more but they do not stop at the emptiness. Many, who come to church, who are faithful to the sacraments, who pray on a regular basis and who do good things still profess emptiness in their spiritual life. Their experience is no different than the experience of those we recognize as saints. St. John of the Cross is known famously for his description of the Dark Night of the Soul and more recently we have come to know of the doubt and dryness of spirit experienced by Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta. Empty tombs and empty souls are realities we encounter in the spiritual journey and in our life of faith. Yet they too are necessary to knowing resurrection. How can one define faith without being able to compare it to doubt? How can one appreciate hope without first knowing empty despair?

Who is this Easter prayer for? It is for each of us. It is for our friends, neighbors and family members, who like us may know facts but have yet to experience resurrection. Our lives are continuation of the paschal mystery. We each experience passion and death and we all seek to know resurrection. We celebrate Easter today not just because we know the fact that Christ is risen, but we seek to know the power of resurrection in our lives. We seek to move past earthly satisfaction, sorrow and emptiness. We seek the hope that is known only when we realize that death does in fact have no power over us. May each of us have hope and know that he is risen.

Happy Easter!

Good Friday Homily

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"Father can you bless this crucifix? It’s from my aunt. It was my grandfather’s. It’s for my godson who is being baptized next week. It’s for my daughter who is being deployed overseas, It’s for my friend who has cancer."

Rarely have I been asked to bless a crucifix or any other sacred object that did not have the story of a relationship behind it. More specifically the request to bless a crucifix typically reveals not just an ordinary relationship but a relationship for which one is passionate. Passionate relationships are the most significant ones in our lives. They reflect our deepest love and often the place of our deepest suffering; suffering because we love.

This Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion and the entire journey of Lent itself is one that is marked by relationships, a passionate relationship between God and his people, Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd and his flock. It began in the dessert with a passionate relationship with evil and temptation. In the transfiguration, the Father’s passionate love is revealed within the relationship of the law and the prophets, represented by Moses and Elijah. Throughout his public ministry Jesus' passion for his disciples is clear as they struggle to understand who he is. The passionate relationship between Christ and the Scribes and Pharisees is one that challenges the religious leaders to authenticity in faith. Christ’s passion is reveled in the anger displayed to the money changers and merchants as well as the wisdom he shares with Jew, Greek and Roman. He is passionate about the remarkable figures of the woman at the well, the blind man whose sight is restored and Lazarus who is raised from the dead. Through intimate relationships there is passionate for those who fail him in denial and betrayal as well as those who remain at the foot of the cross.

The Passion of Jesus Christ makes no sense without relationship. It is the relationship with the chosen people of the covenant and ultimately the entire human family for which this suffering exists. It is for us who worship today. As the letter to the Hebrews explains, this High Priest could not know sin but chooses to know its effects, suffering, because of his passionate relationship with us.

When we use the word, "passion" the word, "love" is implied and suffering is understood. The greatest suffering in our lives comes about because we love first. Passionate love finds expression in suffering, because it is through the willingness to suffer, that the commitment to love is confirmed. In the passionate suffering of Christ we witness not only his love for us but the challenge to be imitators of that love.

In a reflection on the crucifixion, St. Thomas Aquinas instructs that if one seeks an example of love, there is no greater love than Christ on the cross. If one seeks an example of patience there is no greater example then Christ who patiently suffers what he could have avoided. If one seeks humility we should look on the one who willingly allowed himself to be judged by Pilate. If we see an example of obedience, follow him who became obedient to the father. If we seek to be detached from earthly things and only to what is everlasting see the one who was stripped, beaten and mocked. The giving of one's whole self, humility, obedience and detachment are examples of passionate love lived out and examples of how to love passionately.

On this Good Friday we offer universal prayers in our General Intercessions. We pray not only for ourselves, for those who share our faith and all people of faith, but we also pray for those who have no faith and even those who oppose faith; because this passionate love of the cross is for all. This passionate love seeks relationship with friend and enemy; believer and non-believer. We venerate the Holy Cross today and not just the corpus on it; because this instrument of death, is an instrument of passionate suffering. We embrace the cross and our suffering; we unite our suffering to his because the two great phrases of this week are, “Do this in memory of me,” and “Love one another as I have loved you.”

When I am asked, “Can you bless this Father?” I can not help but think that it already is because of the passionate love it depicts and so too is the relationship it represents. Today we witness how greatly we are loved and we accept the challenge to passionately love as we have been loved.

Christmas Homily 2008

CHRISTMAS 2008

Now there were shepherds in that region
living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.

As the Christmas story is proclaimed again today we can easily let our minds wander. We know the story well and we have many other thoughts going on in our heads. As the story of the birth of the Messiah is told again, we may find our minds mulling over the preparations still to be done, the travel that lies ahead, the people we will encounter, the personal concerns that may weigh heavy and in a very positive way the joy and excitement that surrounds us at this time of year. First of all, that is OK – there is lots of stimulation going on that easily distracts us, furthermore we believe that it is into all of this “stuff”, the joys and the sorrows, that Christ is born.

It is still important, however, to challenge ourselves to truly listen to this Christmas mystery once again and ask ourselves, what is this familiar yet remarkable account saying to me today? What questions come to mind as I truly listen? What do I need to understand more fully? In what way am I being challenged by something so familiar yet so profound?

In listening to the gospel again today we hear of the birth of Jesus in the manger, and then we hear of the shepherds. St. Luke tells us,

“there were shepherds… keeping the night watch over their flock.”

For what or for whom were they watching? Not the angel for sure. They were watching for predators, a wolf that would attack the sheep or a thief that would steal the flock. They were watching in fear. Yet what did they see? They saw an angel and then a multitude of angels telling them to not be afraid because a savior has been born. They were watching, as they always did with fearful eyes and instead saw a vision that brought unexpected hope.

St. Luke then tells us the shepherds went to the manger to find the child as described. Did any shepherds stay behind in darkness to watch the remaining flock with fearful eyes? When they got there and found this poor couple and their baby in a stable were some of them disappointed, confused or in doubt? Did they see this child with eyes of disappointment and doubt?

St. Luke does not tell us how long they stayed or what happened to them when they went back to everyday life. The shepherds, the first witnesses to this familiar testament of our faith, are never mentioned in the scriptures again. On the following night, out in the field, we wonder if they went back to watching with fearful eyes. As the days and weeks turned into months and years, did disappointment and doubt grow? Only a few witnessed what happened that night, did hope only last for the few and for a short time.

The shepherds are the ones that challenge me to reflect deeper on this Christmas mystery. There is no evidence that 30 years later, shepherds were amongst the followers of Jesus as his mission unfolded but is it possible that there were some? As these shepherds returned to everyday life did they all return to watching with fearful, doubting and disappointed eyes or did what they saw, change the outlook for some? Although they returned to everyday life did they in some way, continue to follow the child?

Keeping watch is what we have been raised to do. We are taught to be aware, and to be on the lookout for danger and evil. We live in an era that has learned to watch in fear whether it be global terror, neighborhood violence, abuse or economic disasters, we are keenly aware of the wolves and the thieves for whom we must watch with fearful eyes. As children it is our nature to look for what is good and makes us happy. It is through the burden of adulthood that our experiences begin to plant the seeds of doubt fear and disappointment. It is in the midst of that reality that Christmas comes.

At this time we look to be joyful. We sing, we give and receive gifts; we worship, pray and give thanks. For this moment we see with eyes of joy and hope. Darkness does give way to light. We follow the child to the beautiful scene at the manger and we find peace, a rekindled faith and new found joy. Our question is, when the celebration ends, when we return to ordinary life, will we continue to follow the child?

Adults like to follow children into moments of joy. We almost feel like they are the permission we need to be joyful. You will see during these days of Christmas that much of the joy is seen through the eyes of children. I saw it a month ago at the Thanksgiving Day parade. I have never seen adults so excited over clowns and balloons. There was a grandmother behind me in the grandstand continually pointing out things to her granddaughter Morgan. “Look Morgan, it’s Dora the Explorer. Look Morgan, it’s Sponge Bob. Look Morgan, it’s Kermit the Frog. Look Morgan…it’s the Jonas Brothers!” My patience was wearing thin with her enthusiasm until the Sesame Street float passed and I heard myself say out loud to my sister, “Look it’s really Susan, Gordon and Bob!” We love to follow children into joy but it is a greater challenge to follow them beyond joyful celebration and fantasy.

When I tell people I am a High School chaplain, some will remark how fun that must be, others worry that it must be very difficult work and others wonder when I am going to get a real job. Teenagers and adults involved in the life of a teenager know that following a child into these years is difficult. There are certainly moments of joy but there are also great moments of darkness and struggle. During these growing up years there is doubt, disappointment, failure, rejection and pain. It is hard to follow a child through these moments but those who do also see the success that the struggle brings. Whether it is an improved test grade, athletic or artistic achievements, developing self confidence or college scholarships, the success after the darkness is appreciated that much more. Those who follow the child through the struggles, witness the initial hope fulfilled.

This is Christian life. We are challenged to follow the child beyond the peace and joy of this scene of quiet joy. We are challenged to follow through the struggle that lies ahead and live with the hope that his birth promises. We follow the Christ Child not with eyes of fear or doubt but a willingness to see what others do not. We follow him to this Eucharist each and every week, to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to our own quiet prayer. We follow through our personal and communal pain. To acknowledge a savior means we acknowledge we need to be saved from something. We only know and appreciate from what we have been saved if we follow the child from joyful hope, through despair and doubt to promise fulfilled.

I want to believe that some of those shepherds did return to their watch, knowing there were still predators but that they and their flock were in the hands of God.
I want to believe that even through years of doubt and disappointment, some of the shepherds remained hopeful because of what they saw that night. I want to believe that some of those shepherds or their children or grandchildren saw the mission of Jesus Christ lived, that they too were among the witnesses of his preaching, miraculous deeds, passion, death and resurrection.

I do believe that if we continue to follow the child and see with eyes of hope – we will find joy amidst sadness, certainty in our doubt and courage in the face of evil. We do believe that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, so that we might follow this child and believe that he is Emmanuel, God with us, yesterday, today and forever.

This familiar mysterious truth invites us to watch and see with eyes of hope, to follow this Christ Child from the joy, through the sorrow to the promise fulfilled and to believe in this savior born to us.

Merry Christmas!