Deacon Ron's Homily for the Feast of the the Presentation of the Lord, February 2, 2014

Normally today would be the fourth Sunday of Ordinary time, but since February 2^nd is a feast of the Lord, we celebrate it instead.  Today’s feast is the Presentation of the Lord, which comes 40 days after Christmas. This feast has a tie to the Christmas season.   So if you still have your decorations up don’t feel so bad.  This feast is midway between Christmas and Lent, so it this may be a good time to start thinking of how we can observe the Lenten season.  

As I was preparing this homily the opening prayer really struck me.  I’d like to read a portion of it again:

Almighty ever-living God, we humbly implore your majesty that, just as your Only Begotten Son was presented on this day in the Temple in the substance of our flesh, so, by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure.

The specific words that really caught my attention was, “by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure”.    This made me think of when most of were first presented to God to receive our baptism, as precious little infants.  An infant is one you would certainly think of as having a mind made pure.   To help keep our mind to stay pure throughout our lives we need some help.  At Baptism we are given God’s grace to help us in our daily walk struggling with the temptations of the world.  Grace helps us to be obedient to the Lord’s command to love our God and neighbor.

Today we hear about some models of faith and obedience to God’s laws.   Joseph and Mary were obediently following the law in waiting 40 days for purification of Mary before entering the temple, offering two turtledoves, and then presenting Jesus for consecration.  They were devout and obedient in practicing their faith.  Mary and Joseph are models for us as parents on how to live in obedience to our faith.

Simeon is another model of faith. A sign of his faith was the presence of the Holy Spirit, mentioned three times in the Gospel  Simeon is righteous and devout and the Holy Spirit revealed he would not see death until the coming of the Messiah.  He was probably old and ready to go home to the Lord.  Simeon came into the temple in the Spirit, and when Mary and Joseph entered he took Jesus in his arms announcing:

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

Through Simeon’s devout faith he recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the light for all people, even as a little infant.  The power of the Holy Sprit revealed this to Simeon.  Simeon’s reward for this was “to go in peace”.  What will the Lord reveal to us if we are obedient to him?

        

Now another model of faith & obedience was Anna.  She was a prophetess and widow who is always in the temple praying and fasting.   As a widow, Anna, totally relied on God.    She was rewarded for her faith by hearing Simeon’s announcement of the Messiah.    Anna’s response to this good news was thanksgiving and to tell all about the child that he would redeem Israel.  Do we respond in thanksgiving and announce the good news when we encounter Jesus like Anna did?

In reflecting on the Presentation there is another time that comes to mind when we are presented to the Lord: at confirmation. We have quite of few young adults who will soon be confirmed this coming March.  Many of us have been confirmed as well.  Confirmation is the sacrament that strengthens us to fully participate as adults in Christ’s ministry in word and action. When we are presented in Confirmation we are given an increase and deepening of our Baptismal grace.   This increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We heard today how the Holy Spirit helped Simeon to recognize and announce the Messiah.  Has this strength we’ve received enabled us to recognize and announce Jesus to others?

        

Joseph, Mary, Simeon, and Anna demonstrate how faith and obedience to God can reveal that Jesus Christ is the light of the world and salvation for all.   How can we follow God in obedience and faith?  It can be a challenge sometimes, but the Grace of our Baptism helps us to do so.  We can be strengthened in faith by being fed weekly through His Word and Body at Mass.  Receiving the Eucharist helps to renew the Grace we’ve received at Baptism.    By attending Mass weekly we are being faithful and obedient as Joseph, Mary, Simeon, and Anna were.  

We are also growing in love of God and neighbor as we strengthen our faith.   I pray that our Blessed Mother present each of us to the Lord so that we be faithful and obedient to God, and that the grace we’ve received keep our mind pure so we can share the light of Christ with others in our life by our words and actions.    

May God bless you all!

Deacon Steve's homily for Epiphany - Jesus came for all nations

Epiphany – A

A Savior to all nations

Children do the darndest things, don’t they?  I read this story the other day.  It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco.  The pastor of the church was looking at the manger scene, when he noticed that the baby Jesus figure was missing from the cradle.  He immediately turned and went outside and saw a little boy with a red wagon walking down the street.  And in the wagon, was the figure of the infant Jesus.

So he walked up to the boy and said, "Son, where did you get that little baby Jesus that's in your wagon?"

The little boy replied, "I got him from the church."

"And why did you take him?" asked the pastor.

The little boy replied, "Well, about a week before Christmas, I prayed to the little Lord Jesus.  I told him if he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas, I would give him a ride around the block in it.”

Here’s another story that I read.

There were three little boys, five and six year olds, who played the role of the three King’s at their Kindergarten Nativity Play.  They came marching in before the manger with paper hats and each carrying one box.

The first boy laid his box before the baby Jesus and announced, “I have brought you gold.”

The second laid his box down and announced, “I have brought you myrrh.”

Now the third boy came down with sudden stage fright, but he plowed through it, remembered he had to put his box down but forgot his line.

So he announced, “Frank sent this.”    Out of the mouths of babes!

My friends, we just read in Matthew’s gospel this familiar story of the magi.

The 3 wise men traveled a great distance from the East in search of the newborn king of the Jews. And they came bearing gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. These gifts were significant.  Gold is a royal gift fit for Jesus the King.  Frankincense is a symbol of prayer, signifying that Jesus is the Son of God.  Myrrh is used to anoint the dead, signifying that Christ would die for the salvation of all people. In this event, my friends, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany and it is more than giving and receiving gifts. 

For the word Epiphany actually means ‘a personal encounter with God’. To know and encounter Jesus is to know God personally.  In the encounter of the wise men with Jesus we see God’s plan to give his Son as King and Savior, not just for the Jewish people but for all the nations and people as well.            Jesus came so that both Jew and Gentile might find true and lasting peace with God.

In our second reading, Paul tells the Ephesians:

“that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

This was a radical idea to the Jewish people of 2000 years ago. They believed that the messiah was to come for them, not for the entire world. They believed the messiah was to come to free them from bondage and slavery and lead them to freedom and peace. They believed that he belonged to the Jews; not to the Gentiles. Or so they thought. But God’s plan was for his Son to come for all peoples.

People of every race and ethnicity.  People of every language.

People of every culture.  People who are rich. People who are poor.

Jesus came to save all people.

And that, my friends, is what the feast of the Epiphany is all about.

The Jews didn’t have a monopoly on Jesus the Messiah. Jesus came to save all peoples of the world. Think about it, throughout his ministry on earth, Jesus reached out to the outsiders and the outcasts. He ministered to the Jews and the Gentiles, the rich and the poor, the sick and the healthy. 

Jesus founded his church to do the same. The word ‘catholic’ means universal. The Roman Catholic Church is Christ’s universal church reaching all 4 corners of the earth.

The church today truly epitomizes diversity.  Over 1.2 billion people worldwide make up the church, the Body of Christ.

Pope Benedict had this to say:

“Epiphany means manifestation. What the Church celebrates today is the manifestation of our Lord to the whole world; after being made known to the shepherds of Bethlehem He is revealed to the Magi who have come from the East to adore Him. All Christian tradition has ever seen in the Magi the first fruits of the Gentiles; they lead in their wake all the peoples of the earth, and thus the Epiphany is an affirmation of universal salvation.”

Today, let’s be thankful for the feast of the Epiphany – where the magi have a personal encounter with God though the Christ child.  May we be thankful for the great gift of salvation that God gave to all of us through his Son, Jesus. And may we be mindful of the fact that all people are made in God’s image and likeness and have been given this gift of everlasting life.  May we remember that that we are called to help spread this good news to all people throughout the world.

In a few minutes we will approach the altar to feed on Christ in the Eucharist. Let’s pray that God gives us the grace to do our part in spreading the good news. Let us also pray for the courage and strength to accept all people as the Body of Christ.

God bless!

Deacon Ron's homily for Epiphany - Like the Magi, we too can personally encounter Jesus

Good morning!  Today we celebrate the Epiphany when the Magi came to find a newborn king.  We’ve also just started a new calendar year, which is a time that many of us are making resolutions to improve ourselves.  I hope that the Magi’s quest will help inspire your resolutions for the New Year. 

In today’s Gospel we hear about two main characters, Herod and the magi. There is a sharp contrast between them. The magi were Persian mystics that advised kings through interpretation of stars.  They were known for their wisdom. As advisors to kings they would be pretty well taken care of.  What would cause them to leave the comfort of their homes and travel so far in search of a newborn king?  There must have been some reason, an inner unrest and a search for hope, which caused them to seek for answers.    A biblical prophecy known outside Israel may have prompted them,

“I see him, but not now, I behold him, but not nigh; a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” (Num 24-17)

The magi may have been seeking a savior for their situation, and this prophecy led them to Israel.

The Romans had appointed Herod as king of Israel, who was not of Jewish lineage.   This was probably through his political connections and his desire for power. The fact that he was not Jewish may have made him a bit paranoid. He was such ruthless ruler that even took the life of two of his own sons to defend his power. When Herod hears the magi are searching for a newborn king he’s troubled as it’s a threat to his wealth and power.  In learning that Bethlehem is the place where the newborn king is to be born he secretly asks the magi to go there and report back so he can pay homage.  We know this is a lie, as Herod plans to eliminate the newborn king.  He acts with fear, disrespect, and greed to protect his own interests.

The magi were searching for the newborn king and followed the star far from their homeland. We are told the magi were overjoyed at seeing this star, a reaction quite opposite to Herod. The magi’s encounter with the child Jesus brought about a profound reaction from them.  They had an epiphany.

The word Epiphany actually means ‘a personal encounter with God’.   To know and encounter Jesus is to know God personally.  So what did the magi do? They prostrated in homage and opened up their treasures offering their best gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This response showed reverence and honor for a divine king.  After their personal encounter the magi didn’t go back to Herod as God warned them in a dream to “depart for their country by another way”.  When we personally encounter Jesus like the magi and fully understand who he is, he will lead us in the right directions, which will bring us joy.

In today’s world there are still “Herods” at work trying to eliminate Jesus out of fear that He will take away their power.   Nativity scenes have been banished from public places.   The words Merry Christmas have been discouraged and replaced with Happy Holidays.   In some places, Jesus name is being removed from Christmas carols.

Fortunately we have the Church that makes the personal encounter with Christ possible.  We celebrate Advent and Christmas every year so we can experience Him coming in the world as a baby like each of us.   We are also blessed to have the personal encounter with Jesus in the sacraments.  He feeds us with his body and blood, anoints us with oil to spiritually strengthen us in illnesses, and gives us peace when we hear Him forgive our sins through His priests.

I had a unique experience while visiting another church over Christmas that brought this all together.  This church had a large nativity scene in the sanctuary.  As I went up to receive communion the minister held up the cup and directly behind it the baby Jesus was in the manger with arms wide open.  It reminded me of a few of the many gifts that Jesus gave us: the gifts of himself in Church and Sacrament.

So as you choose your New Year resolutions consider making it a priority to seek a personal encounter with newborn king as the wise magi did.  They had a profound personal experience that brought such joy and gratitude that they offered homage and gave their best gifts to him.  God in return showed led them in the right direction steering clear of the dangers of Herod. By being in relationship with Jesus daily we can have the same joy, gratitude, and right direction in our lives.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had this to say in his first encyclical, God is Love:

“Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction”.

In making your resolutions a few suggestions to consider are:

1)  To schedule time to be with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration.

2)  Commit to reading one of the books handed out by the parish this or past Christmas.

3) Spending time with Jesus daily by reading or listening to the upcoming Sunday or daily Mass readings.

4) Commit to frequent encounters with Christ in the sacraments and to learning what Church really teaches about them.

5) Sharing the talent that you consider the greatest gift God has given you to help others encounter Christ.  It may be as simple as talking about your faith with co-workers or helping in an outreach ministry through the parish. 

I hope that you and your families have a blessed New Year as you personally encounter Christ each day experiencing joy & gratitude just like the magi.   

Deacon Steve's Homily, First Sunday of Advent - Jesus is worth waiting for

Good morning!  Well Advent is upon us and Christmas is only 24 days away. The retailers are complaining because there are less shopping days then there normally are between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Despite what our culture has to say, Advent is not about Christmas shopping.  What is Advent all about? We read in paragraph 39 from The General Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar:

  “Advent has a twofold character: as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ's first coming to us is remembered; as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ's Second Coming at the end of time. Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation.”

My friends, Advent is a period where we are called to look ahead to the coming of our Lord and Savior. We are called during this season to remember what Jesus Christ means to all humanity.  During the first 2 weeks of Advent we look ahead and focus on the 2^nd coming of Jesus at the end of time.  It’s a time, unknown to all, that we can only anticipate.  During the last 2 weeks of Advent we focus on the upcoming birth of Christ, on Christmas itself.

We hear in our Gospel, Jesus’ words “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” The time that Jesus is speaking of is his Second coming.   We need to be ready, we need to be alert, and we need to wait. Being watchful and alert requires some effort on our part.  We need to be a people of hope, a people who long for Jesus. 

In longing for Jesus, we prepare ourselves spiritually to meet Him.  We cleanse ourselves, turning away from sin, while seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness.  Think about it, if you are about to meet someone for the first time, someone that is quite special to you, don’t you clean up and put on your best clothes?  Most people do. Shouldn’t we do that for Jesus, too? I can’t think of a better way to meet Jesus then to be prepared and to be cleansed. Paul points out in our 2^nd reading,

‘Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.’

Paul is telling the Romans that the time is now. These words are true for us today – ‘it is the hour now’ for each of us to prepare for Jesus coming.

Because we don’t know when Jesus will come again, we need to be a patient people

waiting for that glorious day, ready and eager to meet him. Today, waiting is a word that most people don’t want to hear.  We expect things to happen quickly.  We live in a culture that says ‘why wait when you can have it now?”  Most people today don’t want to wait to pay cash for something, rather they ‘charge it’ now and pay for it later.   Most of us, especially me, don’t enjoy long waits at the restaurant waiting for a table to clear.  Most of us don’t like long lines at the checkout counters at stores.   We don’t like to wait in lines at the amusement parks, theaters, or ball games.  We have become a people who expect things to happen quickly because we don’t want to wait.  

Sometimes though, waiting for something to happen is better than receiving it immediately. This brings to mind a childhood experience of mine.  My brothers and sisters would always wake up early on Christmas morning, and as soon as Mom and Dad awoke we would open our gifts.   Later in the morning the entire family would go to mass. Those were magical days. 

One year, though, Mom and Dad decided that we would open our gifts after we went to the 7:00 mass on Christmas morning.  I was probably 9 or 10 years old at the time. There were rules, though.  First of all, we couldn’t sneak into the basement early where the tree and the gifts were. And secondly, while at mass we had to behave; otherwise we would have to wait till the evening to open our gifts.

WOW – that seemed as though it was the longest mass that I had ever attended.  All through mass I kept wondering what gifts were under the Christmas tree for me.  Was I going to get the toy that was at the top of my list? The anticipation was at an all time high.  Fr., I hate to admit it, but my mind wasn’t on the Liturgy that morning. I couldn’t wait to get home.   In fact, when we did get home, I ran from the car to the front door and, from the front door to the basement to see all the gifts under the Christmas tree.  What a wonderful sight it was!  What a memorable Christmas that year!

As I reflected on that Christmas, it was obvious that the wait that I had that morning actually heightened the experience of opening the gifts.  I learned a valuable lesson that year. I learned that waiting builds anticipation.  Anticipation builds appreciation.  And appreciation builds joy and thankfulness.   

My friends, this Advent season we need to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus through prayer, reflection, and the sacraments.  As we prepare ourselves this Advent, let’s remember that in ‘watchful waiting’ we can be ready to meet our Savior.   Let’s remember that waiting builds anticipation; anticipation builds appreciation, and appreciation builds joy and thankfulness for our Savior Jesus Christ.  May this Advent season be the most memorable of all!   Because, my friends, Jesus is worth waiting for!

God Bless you all!

Deacon Ron's Homily for the First Sunday of Advent : Preparing for the journey to the most joyful destination

As you can see by the purple vestments something is different.    We are now in the season of Advent, preparing for our Lord’s coming.   We start Advent with Jesus coming again in Glory, and finish getting ready for our Lord’s arrival as an infant in the most humble surroundings.  

I’d like to welcome all of our guests who have traveled here for Thanksgiving to be with us.  With Christmas just four weeks away and Spring break coming in four months I’m sure some of you are planning to go on a journey. Since we’ve had some really cold weather, I’m sure some of you are looking forward to getting out of the cold.  Maybe you’re dreaming about relaxing on the beach.  Or you may like the cold weather and are looking forward to skiing in the mountains.  Rather than a place you may be longing to see such as a grandparent or friend.   You really enjoy their company and you just can wait to be with them. Whether it’s a place where you really enjoy going, or people you really long to be with, the anticipation of getting there is where the excitement of the journey begins.  

What do we do when a trip is coming up?  As the date approaches we start counting down the days.   We tell our friends about the trip.   We get distracted from work or school by daydreaming.   We just can’t wait to get there.   Waiting and anticipating is a joyful part of the journey.

However, every journey requires some work to get ready.  We have to plan how to get there which requires studying maps or consulting our favorite search engine to find the quickest way to get there.   We may need a travel agent to guide us to the best transportation or places to stay.   We have to pack and arrange care for our pets and stopping the mail.   There’s a lot of work to do for a journey, but we make sure to take care of it because we know the destination will bring us joy.  

In the first reading the prophet Isaiah speaks of journey.   Isaiah tells us that all nations will stream toward the LORD’s Mountain.   This will be a place of peace, one that the Israelites were yearning for.  They had been under persecution, and an image of being free from persecution and strife was something they longed for.   He tells us the instruments of violence and death, spears and swords, would be turned into tools that will sustain life, pruning hooks and plowshares.  There will no longer be rising of swords and no one will train for war.    This was a vision of peace and joy, which we all yearn for.

We’re on the same journey to the LORD’s mountain, but when will it be? 

We can plan in a timely manner for Christmas and Spring break since we know when those are.  Jesus tells us: ”you don’t know the day the LORD will come.” , but we do know the Son of Man will be coming.  Since we don’t know when the Lord’s coming will be, we have to continually prepare.

How do we prepare?  Jesus tells us to stay awake or said another way, to be aware of what we are doing every day.  When we do this, Jesus’ coming in glory is one we can be ready for and look forward to with joy.   The cares of our world can wear us down, and can sidetrack us from our heavenly destination.   But if we think of the joy this destination brings, it keeps us motivated to always be ready for the journey.   Moreover, keep in mind that going to our favorite places is only temporary.  But when we get to the mountain of the LORD, we will be there forever.  Can you imagine being in your favorite place forever?

So how do we prepare to be ready every day?   This does not require us to quit our jobs, school, taking care of family, or even having fun.   Jesus told us that people continued their daily lives, eating and drinking, marrying, and working.   The difference is made through being aware of our relationship with God every day. How can we do that?

First, we need to anticipate the destination with joy, keeping in mind it will be more joyful than any of our favorite places.   This is not a journey to fear, as we will be going to the LORD’s mountain forever!

Second, using the Bible, Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, as our map, and the Church as our GPS, which is God’s Plan for Salvation, to guide us on the right way when we get off track.

Third, packing our bags with ”the armor of Light”, by loving God and neighbor, so we can “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” as St Paul tells us. We need to leave behind works of darkness, such as petty arguments and selfish thoughts.

Fourth, praying every day. Start off and finish each day in prayer, thanking God for the gifts he’s given us, asking for help we need, and listening to were he’s guiding us.  Also pray throughout the day, even when we are on vacation, at work, or school.   It can be as simple as praying Jesus’ name throughout the day or doing good works for others in Christ’s name.

As we continue on this advent journey, let us pray that we all stay awake, alert, and be aware of our relationship with Christ every day.

Gratitude and Thanksgiving for Christ our King

I had the opportunity to serve Masses that were celebrated by Fr. Joe and Fr. Vince on the Feast of Christ the King.   Both of them focused on thanksgiving and gratitude.   Fr. Joe shared that he was thankful for the faithfulness of his parents.   He spoke of the non-negotiable of their commitment in love to one another even through all the ups and downs of their marriage.  He compared this to the non-negotiable faithfulness of Jesus to the will of the Father in the Gospel.  Even though Jesus was challenged by the leaders, guards, and the criminal hanging on the cross next to him he was faithful in following God’s will.  The good thief recognized this and asked for Jesus mercy.   As a result Jesus told him he would be with him in Paradise. The relationship Jesus had with the Father in following his will is one that we need to be grateful for.  What are some relationships that we are grateful for?  Family parents, family, friends who have been faithful in there love for us and of course our Lord.  

Father Vince asked about what we liked about Thanksgiving and it led to the food, of course.    What makes the food so good: ingredients to enhance the flavor of the food.  He gave us examples with containers of salt, pepper, honey, garlic, and onion as some good visual aids.  He then asked what do we need to enhance our life? The answer was the joy of Jesus.  We get this every time we come to Mass.  We start off being filled with joy through God’s mercy forgiving our sins at the start.  We joyfully sing the Gloria following this.   We then hear the Word of God and sing with joy as we prepare for the Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving”.  We then receive the presence of our Lord in the species of bread and wine and sing with joy.   We close with a blessing and conclude with “Thanks be to God”. Father Vince told us we have to look forward to an Apostolic Letter coming this week, “Joy of the Gospel”, that would be a guide for us in the year of the New Evangelization. We have much to be thankful for in the joy the Jesus, our King, brings us.

Sculpture of Jesus as homeless man

We have an opportunity to meet Jesus in the people that are served in the ministries that help out those who are poor and struggling. Our food pantry and Thanksgiving food distribution provides real concrete ways to do this.   If you are in downtown Indianapolis or any major city you'll encounter homeless people on the streets.  We need to help to see Jesus in them as well.  An artist from Toronto recently presented Pope Francis with a sculpture of Jesus as a homeless man on a park bench.  The only way you can tell it is Jesus is from the marks on his feet. Wouldn't it be great if we could have a similar statue in downtown Indianapolis? 

11-20-2013 (Vatican Radio) A striking sculpture of Jesus, depicted as a homeless man sleeping on a park bench, was presented to Pope Francis following the general audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday. The unusual art work was brought over from Canada by sculptor Timothy Schmalz who has been exploring the contemporary face of Christian art for over two decades. Read and listen to more