Be thankful for the greatest gift: Jesus; Feast of the Epiphany, 1/17/19

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord.  This is a sign that our Christmas season will soon be coming to an end. Many of us have given and received gifts to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Think about what’s the best gift that you received this Christmas.  Was it a toy, video game, clothing or jewelry?  All of these gifts are well and good, but I think the greatest gift we’ve received is God humbling himself to become one of us, being born as a little baby to Mary and his step-father Joseph.  He came to give us the greatest gift of all, Eternal life, to those who come to faith in him. The Magi we hear about today give us an example of this faith and giving Jesus their best gifts.

The Magi were a priestly people who were thought to have supernatural knowledge by interpreting the stars.   They were in search of something greater.  The Magi, who were Gentiles, people outside of the Jewish faith, were led by the star to Jerusalem to find a newborn king of the Jews.  Jews, to find Jesus. When King Herod, the King of the Jews, heard this, it was a threat to his power.  In defense, he turned to the scribes and priests to determine where the Messiah would be born.  He told the magi to go to Bethlehem, so they could lead Herod to the new king so he could pay homage.  But in reality wanted to harm him.  It’s interesting that the people far from God were the ones to seek out Jesus, but those close to God wanted to do him harm.  The star directing the Magi to find the newborn king was a sign that Jesus came for all people.  

The Magi traveled to Bethlehem and were led by the star directly to the place where Jesus was.   The was the divine action of God seeking out the Magi.  When the Magi encountered Jesus they prostrated in homage before him.  Prostrating is an action of humility, by lying face down on the ground in reverence. There must have been something very powerful in the presence of Jesus that overcame the Magi to evoke such an action.  These Magi saw an ordinary little baby with his parents in very humble surroundings, but by faith they were compelled to worship him as a divine king.   This gift of faith led them to give Jesus their best gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  After this encounter they were warned not to return to Herod. Their faith in Jesus opened the eyes of their heart, and they were lead to go another way to proclaim the newborn Messiah to the Gentiles.  

Our response to Jesus, can be like the Magi, through our faith in him as our Lord and Savior.   We encounter Jesus each time we come to Mass.  We see ordinary bread and wine.   But, in faith we believe that Jesus’ Real Presence is contained in the Eucharist.   Like the Magi, Jesus seeks us out, to be with us.  He comes in the Eucharist so we can receive him as food to nourish us spiritually.  Like the Magi, we show our reverence bowing to receive him.   In faith we give Jesus our gifts of praise and thanksgiving after receiving him.

Our Catholic faith professes that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.  He truly came in time to become one of us, and offered his life in sacrifice to give us eternal life.   He continues to be with us through his Real Presence in the Eucharist.   Like the star that guided the Magi, we have a light in every Catholic Church that guides us to Jesus. The tabernacle light perpetually burns as a sign of Christ’s presence.   We can come and be present with the Lord at almost any time by seeking out that light and kneeling in humble adoration.

There are some people, even many Catholics, who may struggle with faith in Jesus as our Savior and his Real Presence in the Eucharist.   Many of us have family or friends that may have celebrated Christmas, but really don’t understand greatest gift: Jesus becoming one of us and redeeming us for Eternal Life.  They may come to Mass only once or twice a year, but have not developed their faith in Jesus and the gift he has given us in the Church and Sacraments. If you know of anyone like this, please consider inviting them grow in their faith by attending the upcoming Bishop Barron’s series on Mass or the Men’s and Women’s Welcome retreats.   Both of these are great opportunities to develop and strengthen their faith in Jesus.

So as the Christmas season comes to a conclusion let’s remember to be thankful for greatest gift we’ve received, the gift of Jesus, and to share that gift with others to bring them the Light of faith.  

Prepare your heart for the way of the Lord, Advent 2nd Sunday, Cycle 3, 12/9/18

We are all spending a lot of time preparing for Christmas parties with friends and family, shopping for gifts, and sending out cards. We’re doing this to prepare for the celebration of great gift of Jesus entering the world as a baby. But much of this preparation is external. If you heard Fr. Dave’s homily last week, Christmas and Advent tend to get blended together.  It’s important that we keep the focus of Advent preparing for coming of Jesus. Advent is a season to help us to prepare internally to make our hearts for the coming of the Lord. He came as our Savior to bring us eternal life and He will come again in glory. What do we need to do to prepare for his coming again? 

The Gospel focuses on the prophet, John the Baptist, announcing the Messiah. Luke’s Gospel details the significant figures in history: Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod and his brother Philip.  They were all worldly leaders of the Roman and Jewish cultures and were the people of importance.  They were the movers and shakers of the time. But these persons of power and influence, weren’t the ones that God chose to announce the Lord’s coming.   It came from an obscure man who lived in the barren desert, John the Baptist. This was sign that things were changing. The Messiah would come from where people would least expect.

John was in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.   The desert is a significance place for the people of Israel.  They wandered there for forty years after being held in captivity by the Egyptians.  It was away from the distractions of the pagan influence of their captors and allowed them to return to their relationship with God.

John’s message was to make ready for the Messiah’s coming:

Prepare for the way of the Lord,

make straight his paths. 

Every valley shall be filled

and every mountain and hill shall be made low.

The winding roads shall be made straight,

and the rough ways made smooth,

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

John proclaimed the words from the Prophet Baruch in today’s first reading.  This Scripture was very familiar to the Jewish people.  They would recall another time of captivity where they were forced to travel far from Jerusalem, through hills, mountains, and valleys.  This journey was very difficult. Most had to walk long distances. They didn’t have the luxury of traveling by plane, train, or car like we do. It led them to a land hostile to their beliefs and practices contrary to their faith. Baruch’s prophecy invoked an image of a much easier journey to return back to be with their God. 

John’s call was to a baptism of repentance, to prepare a way for the Lord’s coming.  Repentance is a change from current ways in order to welcome the Lord.  It requires looking at things a different way, a broadening of horizons, a transformation of experience.   It’s a conversion.   This requires a personal inventory of what’s getting in the way of the Lord and a resolution to do something about it. It’s a human effort in history to make a change.

As we begin this new Church year in the season of Advent, this gives us our time in history to make resolutions for a straight path to the Lord.  Are we making it easy for the Lord to get to us? Do we take time daily in prayer to talk and listen to the Lord?   Do we have mountains that get in the Lord’s way such as our job, personal pleasure, or habits?  Are we stuck in a valley of frivolous entertainment that keep us from the Lord? Are we making a straight path to the Lord’s graces by regularly receiving the Sacraments?

We have plenty of opportunities to help us begin our resolutions to prepare the way of the Lord.  We have Advent prayer booklets and new Dynamic Catholic books available to help with spiritual reading and prayer time.  If you miss those, both Formed and Dynamic Catholic have daily email Advent reflections. Each Wednesday the Adoration of the Eucharist is available to provide a quiet time to listen and talk to the Lord.  Of course we can also do this daily in a quiet place in our home. Our upcoming Taize’ prayer service this Wednesday is another great way too quiet down in the Advent season and listen to the Lord.    Next Saturday we’ll have our parish penance service to receive the graces of the Sacrament of reconciliation.  There are also many service opportunities that can help us in sharing our gifts and time, in love of God and neighbor.

I hope this Advent you’ll make your own mark in history through resolutions to prepare your heart for the way of the Lord.  Knock down the mountains, fill in the valleys, and make straight the paths to make it easy for the Lord to get to you. May the Eucharist we receive strengthen our resolve to welcome the Lord’s coming in Glory. 

Give from your poverty & trust in God, Homily, 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time – Cycle B

The first reading and the Gospel today have a common link, a generous widow who trusts in God.   The plight of a widow at the time of the Scripture was quite dire.  There was no safety net like we have today with government programs, retirement income, and charitable care.  In marriage the widow had left the care of her father’s house.   Through her widowhood, the security of her husband was lost.   If the widow did not have a son to care for her she was left destitute.   There were little opportunities for a widow to earn income outside of the home, as only men were able to do so. So a widow was considered the poorest of the poor.

So why would Elijah call on a widow for food and water?  Elijah was a prophet, whose name mean “my God is the Lord”. Just prior to his encounter with the widow, Elijah was on the brink of starvation himself.  He had proclaimed to the king that no rain would fall on his kingdom, and to rely only on God’s Word to sustain the kingdom.  Elijah had fled into the wilderness hiding to escape persecution by the king, with God providing him food & drink.  But when the river ran dry he was forced to seek sustenance elsewhere. He journeyed to a land of a foreign god, Zarephath, encountering the widow asking her for food and drink. She seems the least likely to be of help to him.   

The widow is down to the last meal for herself and her son, telling Elijah they’ll die after eating it.  Despite this dire situation in her hospitality she generously provides food and drink to the prophet.   Elijah tells her: don’t be afraid, God will provide for you. Through the widow’s trust in God’s providence and she and her son are able to eat for a year.  Elijah’s encounter with the widow illustrates the God’ preference for the poor and the widow’s trust in God’s care.

The widow in the Gospel illustrates a similar trust in God.  The two coins she donated were

equal to a daily wage, probably just enough for a meal. But she gave all she had, trusting in God.  The wealthy gave out of their excess.  They had little to worry about and even less dependence on God.   In taking notice of the widow, Jesus shows his disciple’s God’s favor for the poor.    

An early Church Father related story of widow’s contribution of two coins as a metaphor of Christ’s sacrifice.  The coins represent Christ’s divinity and humanity.  Christ become poor for us taking on human form.  He sacrificed all by giving his life for our sins, in trusting obedience to God the Father.  Through his divinity he was resurrected and gives us the hope of salvation.

We are sustained by the memorial of the Eucharist, where we partake in the food and drink that leads to our eternal life.  God sustains us in the poverty of our sin, by trusting in the grace of the sacraments to nourish and heal us while we wait for Christ’s return to bring us salvation.  As we’re sustained by the sacraments, we can be instruments of God mercy to bring about his Kingdom by caring for the poor.

As Jesus’s disciple’s, we’re given the opportunity to share in God’s preference for the poor.    Our support of the Thanksgiving food drive, food pantry, Christmas store, and outreach assistance, shows our care for the poor here in our community. 

The ministries of Catholic Charities and Catholic Schools supported by the United Catholic Appeal also directly impact the poor throughout the Archdiocese. These ministries provide homes for families through Holy Family Shelter; food, clothing, and transportation assistance through the Crisis office, and resettlement of refugees persecuted for their faith or ethnicity.  Students of impoverished families are able to choose to attend Catholic schools throughout the archdiocese.   Our support of these ministries provide for all of us to be God’s instruments to the poor who put their trust in God.

In my ministry of charity to offenders at Johnson County Jail I’m able to directly see the impact of God’s care for the poor.  The offenders in jail struggle with both physical and spiritual poverty.  They’re hungering for a relationship with God.  They’re been led astray by the false gods of the world which leads them into trouble.  Many of them have been trapped in a cycle of poverty and broken family relationships. When volunteers from St. Rose and I go into the jail, we’re able spiritually feed them through God’s Word and the Eucharist.  We also give them hope that someone cares enough to visit them weekly at the jail.

One thing I’ve recently started doing is to tell them about the Harvest food pantry and Thanksgiving food drives at Ss. Francis and Clare and St. Rose.  

I’ve noticed a great deal of interest when speaking about this, and sense how great a need there seems to be.   Many have families have lost the income of their jailed family members, and appreciate the help to feed their families.   This ministry supported by all of you through your donations shows God’s care for the poor. Through this generosity it hopefully strengthens their trust in God.

So as you share in the gifts God’s has given you, trust in God, and give generously.  God gave his all though his Son’s sacrifice on the Cross. May the Eucharist we receive nourish us so we can be instrument of God’s care for the poor.