Advent, Week 3, Cycle A – Gaudete Sunday, Rejoice in the Lord

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed the Lord is near, Phil 4:4-5

This is today’s entrance antiphon for the third Sunday of Advent, which is Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means rejoice in Latin.  The rose colors on the bows and candle of Advent wreath, and vestments that Fr. James and I are wearing are a sign for the rejoicing in the coming of our Lord Jesus. We’re rejoicing in the Lord’s second coming in Glory and also in his coming as a little baby in a few weeks. But, do we believe that the Lord is coming and are we rejoicing? What signs do we see and hear that tell of his coming?

We hear in today’s Gospel about John the Baptist who was in prison. He had been preaching in the desert a baptism of repentance and  that one mightier than him was coming.  Many people had come out to the desert follow him. But now John was in prison due to challenging Herod about an adulterous relationship. He was probably discouraged and had doubts of coming of the Messiah.  At that time in Judaism there were many ideas of who the Messiah would be. One of which was a Messiah as a powerful warrior who would overcome the unjust occupiers in Jerusalem. Jesus may not have met John’s expectations of the Messiah, so he sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was the “one who is to come”.  Jesus doesn’t give a simple answer, but instead gives an accounting of his works:

The blind regain their sight,

the lame walk,

the lepers are cleansed,

the deaf hear,

the dead are raised,

and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.

This echoes the reading the words of the Prophet Isaiah in the first reading. Isaiah prophesied of the restoration of a people who were in captivity and exile who would return rejoicing. “Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy;  they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.” This was a sign of hope to John and his disciples that Jesus was the Messiah in fulfillment of the prophecy.

Jesus then speaks to the people about who John was: the messenger preparing the way of the Lord.   John is always there preparing the way of the Lord. He leaped in Elizabeth’s

womb when Mary announced to her cousin she was with child. He was at the Jordon baptizing when God announced this is my beloved Son and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus. He was martyred at the hands of those who would put Jesus to death.  John prepares the way for the coming of the Lord Jesus.  He is a good model for us to follow in preparing others to encounter Jesus.   Each day in Liturgy of the Hours Morning Prayer the Canticle of Zechariah is recited recalling John’s role.

“And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins because of the tender mercy of our God.”

How can we be like John to prepare the way for Jesus to meet others in our lives?

Jesus pays a great compliment to John saying that, “among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist.” But he also announces something greater: “That the least in the Kingdom of Heaven, will be greater than John.” Through our faith in Lord’s resurrection we have hope of becoming members of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is something that we can surely rejoice in!

But before we rejoice, we need to ask: has the Kingdom of Heaven arrived?

Have the blind regained their sight?   For the single mom who only saw darkness in being pregnant and alone, but now sees the light of hope from the help of the Gabriel project, I think they have.

Have the dead been raised? For the person whose faith was brought to life through Christ Renews His Parish, I think they have.

Have the poor had the good news proclaimed? For the hundreds of people served food and prayed with at our Food pantry and Thanksgiving food distribution, I think it has.

Were there lepers who were cleansed? For the Syrian refuge family who was welcomed by Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement to resettle Indianapolis, I think they were.

The Kingdom of Heaven is made present by the loving action of the Christian community who have faith in Jesus and hope in his coming again in Glory.

While we see signs of the Kingdom of Heaven, we patiently wait for the Kingdom to fully arrive. St. James tells us,

“You too must be patient,  Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

The Lord has come and conquered death through his resurrection. He is present with us today in the Word, the Eucharist, and works of His people. We have much to rejoice in, especially for Jesus who is made present through the Eucharist, and gives us the strength to prepare for his coming. Let us rejoice in our hearts as we receive Jesus in the Eucharist and patiently wait for Jesus coming in Glory to fully usher in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Week 34 Cycle C – Solemnity of Christ the King

We are a pilgrim people of God, journeying on our way to salvation, and Jesus is the way.  Starting this summer, we’ve been on a journey with Jesus through the Gospel who has been making his way from Galilee to his final destination in Jerusalem.  Along the way Jesus has taught us about the virtues of charity, mercy, forgiveness, and humility through the parables. The Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the rich man and Lazarus, and the Pharisee and tax collector are a few that we heard.  We’ve also heard about Jesus’ encounter with people along the way and how he changed their lives for the better.There was the cleansing of 10 lepers who were able return to their communities and the one who showed us the importance of showing gratitude to God.  We can’t forget the story of Zachaeus who climbed a tree to see Jesus and reformed his life after Jesus came to dine with him.

Today we find Jesus at his final destination in Jerusalem: The Cross, where He shows us how to lead as a Servant King.   In this closing scene of the Gospel we hear the rulers and

soldiers mocking him.  They place a sign on the cross to ridicule him for the crime he was crucified for: “This is the King of the Jews.” The soldiers and criminal try to tempt Jesus from suffering his impending death stating, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself”.  But Jesus didn’t come to Jerusalem to save himself, he came to save us.   Jesus is a shepherd, who leads by serving his people, sacrificing himself for the sake of his flock.  At the cross Jesus conquers death and opens up the kingdom of God to us.   He does so for both those who stand by him as well the ones who mock and despise him.

As Jesus is dying on the cross he continues to lead as Servant King by showing mercy to the repentant thief.  The thief recognizes Jesus’ innocence and admits his guilt to saying, “we have been condemned justly”.  He shows faith in Jesus’ asking, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  Jesus exercises his power by extending his mercy to the repentant thief telling him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise”.  This is a fitting scene for the close of the Year of Mercy.  Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross he reconciles us to God and opens up the door to enter his Kingdom.  St. Paul tells us that “He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”. If we show repentance and ask for his mercy, we can enter into his kingdom.

When we come together each week to receive the Eucharist we receive a foretaste of God’s kingdom where we are set free.   In the opening prayer we heard, “Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe, grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set free from slavery, may render your majesty service, and ceaselessly proclaim your praise.”  At each Mass the saving action of Christ’s sacrifice on the altar of the cross is re-presented to us.   On the cross the Jesus gave himself for his people, “as a spotless sacrifice to bring us peace”.   Through the cross the Servant King brought peace and reconciliation to all who ask him, even to those who put him to his death.   The Eucharist brings us together to worship our King and recall his gift of mercy to enter into his glorious kingdom. 

So we give thanks to God for sending us Jesus as our Servant King as we await to enter into his kingdom.  What kind of kingdom will it be?   A kingdom of truth and life.  A kingdom of holiness and grace.  A kingdom of justice, love, and peace.  St. Paul tells us that Jesus’ reign as King will be a reconciliation, “For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of the cross.”  As we participate in Christ’s Kingdom now through the Eucharist, let’s thank him.   Let’s also ask for the grace to help make his Kingdom present in this world by showing our love to God and our neighbor. By doing so we hope that others will be attracted to join us as loyal subjects in Christ’s kingdom.

Deacon Ron's Homily - Week 29 Cycle C – Persistence in pray and faith

The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.” Here we go again.   Last month I preached about a dishonest steward and making friends with dishonest wealth.  Today a dishonest judge is supposed to enlighten us. Jesus’ focus is not so much on the judge, but on the widow who is pestering him.  Her persistence for justice in the face of a difficult situation models for us perseverance in prayer.

The widow was really facing an uphill battle for the time she lived in.   She lived in a patriarchic society, which only recognized males having the rights to own property. Since she was petitioning the judge on her own it meant she had no sons to support her. So without any sons to inherit her husband’s property she could face loss of her sole means of support.  There were no safety nets of support like we have today, so she was really in a dire situation. Without any family to support her she faced a tragic situation.

The judge was not someone who would not have any sympathy for her plight.  He didn’t fear God or respect his neighbor, but must have been intimidated by the widow’s persistence in pleading her case.  The widow must have gotten a little feisty with the judge as well. We’re told he delivered a just decision for her lest she come and strike him.  One of the biblical translations I read said that she would give him a black eye.  I would say that’s a bit feisty.

So what can we learn from the widows persistence?   Jesus told his disciples this parable to reinforce the necessity of prayer without becoming weary or discouraged.  The widow’s plight was one that could be a hopeless situation.   It seemed to be no way that the judge would rule in her favor based on cultural norms at the time.  But by her keeping up with her pleading he eventually ruled in her favor.   So if a dishonest judge, who doesn’t fear God or respect any human being, delivers a just decision to the widow, wouldn’t it make sense that a loving God answers his faithful who persevere in prayer?

When were faced with a trying situation such as a serious illness, death of a loved one, job loss, or a broken relationship it’s a time that we may turn to God in prayer.    We can do so individually and also ask others to pray for us as well.  But when the situation doesn’t turn out as we we desire, it may seem that God is closed to our prayer. So we may get discouraged and give up.  We don’t persevere in our prayer.   That’s what the devil wants us to do, to give up on God and break our relationship with him.   But, God is not closed to our prayer.   It’s may be a matter of timing.  This can be difficult for us especially when it seems like God is not listening.   We need to be honest with God in times like these.  Let Him know your feelings and frustrations.  This may be all that you can pray to God, but at least you will be still in relationship with him.  God always answers our prayers, but the answer may not be when or how we want it answered.    

St. Monica is a great example of a model of perseverance in prayer.  She prayed for the conversion of her son, St. Augustine, to become Christian for over 15 years.  St. Augustine did convert shortly before his mother’s death and became a great saint. This was a long time to wait to see the fruit of prayer.

So how and when should we pray?   Always! Our prayer needs to be persistent and consistent, both on our own an in community.  Praying daily on our own is a good practice to get into.   We need to build our relationship with God when times are good as well as when they are troubling.    If you need help with a daily prayer routine I recommend watching the Opening the Word video for today’s readings.

St. Paul gives us another good way to pray: through the Scriptures.  By reading Scriptures daily it will help us in becoming disciples of Jesus.  Scripture teaches us to know Jesus and be better disciples in carrying out the ministry of Christ in our daily lives.  Reading the scripture for Sunday or daily Mass are excellent ways to pray daily.  

Finally we can persevere in prayer together as a community by being her at Mass weekly.  When we come together for Mass we are praying the most powerful prayer of all.  We have Christ present in the Word and the Eucharist.  We can bring our personal prayers of petitions and thanksgiving and offer them up as the gifts are brought up to the altar.  As we leave Mass we can continue to pray as a community throughout the week by praying for those listed in the bulletin who are sick and serving in the military. 

So as we continue throughout the week lets be preserving in our prayer like the widow and not grow weary.  Continue daily to pray in good times and bad so you grow in your relationship with the Lord.  Pray for your own needs and support others in prayer.  And when faced with difficult situations continue to pray and remember St. Paul’s advice to St. Timothy: be persistent whether is it convenient or inconvenient.