True Joy (Sunday homily)

 The keynote of this Sunday, called Gaudete Sunday, is “joy.” 

As you may have noticed, the word “joy” or “rejoice” 

showed up in the readings and the opening prayer.

(And that’s the rationale for rose-colored vestments.)

So, this may seem an odd time to bring this up, but:

Many people feel awkward admitting that

they don’t feel particularly joyful at this time of year.

If you lost someone you love – as we all did, in losing Father Jim! – 

or if you are facing a health crisis, as many of us are, 

or your finances or your family are in chaos,

it can be very hard to feel cheerful or happy, 

no matter how many Bing Crosby or Taylor Swift songs you hear.

That leads to a key point:

Joy is not the same thing as being cheerful, or happy or “up.”

Cheerfulness and being excited and having big smiles are wonderful.

And it’s actually a small but powerful thing you and I can do, each day: 

Smile, say please, and thank you, and be patient.

Don’t get huffy; pray a decade of the Rosary while you wait.

But to make the main point: the Joy we are focusing on today

is not merely an emotion or a mood.

And I’ll give you a powerful example of this that I will never forget.

Many years ago, I was called to the hospital to visit an elderly woman; 

I’d visited her before and now, I pretty much knew, this was the end.

When I entered the room, I was stunned: 

there was probably 15-20 people in that hospital room, 

and that’s not easy to do.

And everyone was praying. “Hail Mary, Hail Mary, Hail Mary…”

Her husband of 60 years was sitting at her side, holding her hand.

Rosemary, in the bed, was leading the prayers!

At a certain point, her voice became a whisper.

Then her husband Don fell silent, and then we all did.

And it became obvious: she was gone from this world.

And right away, Don broke the silence saying,

“I’m heartbroken, but I’m joyful.”

The heartbreak needs no explanation.

But let me explain add some background for Don’s joy.

Don always credited his bride for leading him to Jesus Christ.

Don’s faith was and is uncomplicated but profound.

He’s with us, in another parish, and just celebrated 100 years!

Both he and Rosemary knew – and taught their family –

that with their hearts centered on Jesus, 

closing her eyes to this life meant opening them to Glory!

That is Joy, beyond mere emotion and an up mood.

So…

Some of us are very blessed: things are going really well.

However, some of us are facing pain in our bodies, 

or far worse, in our families and relationships. 

We are grieving, or we are facing a frightening unknown. 

You don’t have to apologize for not being cheerful –

And please, let’s not put anyone on the spot that way, OK?

But you can be joyful.

It’s OK to keep things simple and low-key.

Another reminder: we have confessions every day this week but Friday.

If you are taking part in our “Walk with One” project, 

this is a good week to connect with a family member or friend.

If you want quiet time to pray, 

remember our churches are open each weekday for private prayer.

A great way to be quietly joyful is to do as John the Baptist said:

If you have an extra coat, give it away. Be fair. Be content.

Above all, remember our Creator isn’t far away.

He chose to come not just near us, but to become one of us.

He chose the human path from conception, to birth, to death, 

and to eternal life.

He chose our heartbreak. And that is joy.

What really is our hope? (Sunday homily)

 The keynote of Advent in general is ETERNITY.

The keynote of this Sunday in Advent is HOPE.

One of the things we Christians exist to do – 

and which you and I must often do for each other – 

is to remind each other that we are created 

not just to exist for a short time, but for eternity.

Think about the dreams and ambitions people have. 

So many of them go far beyond the horizon of this life. 

Look at Elon Musk, who is creating electric cars and 

satellite communications and building rockets to go to Mars. 

Or consider the dream that most people have: 

to meet that special someone and build a family. 

If you marry at, say, 25, maybe by 60 you’ll have a few grandchildren; 

but will you live long enough to see their grandchildren? 

One of the most powerful testimonies to our being made for eternity 

comes at funerals. Why are people sad? 

That sorrow only makes sense because we want more; we expect more.

The nature of love is such that we cannot accept any time limit. 

Again: you and I are made for not a limited existence, but for eternity.

So far, so good. But a far bigger question remains: 

What is that Eternity? What will you and I be like?

Very often, TV shows or movies depict that eternity 

as just a continuation of this life. 

If you like golfing here, you’ll spend eternity golfing there. 

I think that’s meant as a joke, but still: is eternity really 

just this world, repeated forever? Is that actually what we want?

This is why God came into the world, becoming one of us.

The whole point of the Incarnation – which fulfills 

all the promises of the Scriptures – was to give us, 

not some vague promise of eternity, 

but rather, something very specific to hope for and to aim for.

Eternity isn’t just more of the same, forever. 

Eternity is being united with Jesus: to be like him, and to be with him, 

and all the other people who he draws to himself.

The prophet Baruch was speaking to the people of Jerusalem 

when they were at a low point. 

They’d been conquered, their lives wrecked, and their hope destroyed; 

and worst of all, they knew they’d come to this sorry state 

because they’d ignored the voice of God.

Baruch tells them: you need not give up! 

God can change us and make us alive with his glory.

One of the worst temptations many of us face is this: 

to think that we really can’t change, that our sinfulness is just built-in, 

and we’re not going to overcome anger or gluttony or sloth or lust. 

These next two weeks there will be lots of extra confession times 

at our three churches. 

The real point of the sacrament of penance 

is not only to take away the guilt of our sins.

That is only worthwhile if we also receive the grace to change.

And that is what the Prophet Baruch, and John the Baptist, 

want you to know: you can change! 

God will take away the reproach of sin and give you glory!

As I said a moment ago, the task each of us has 

is to be living signs of hope to each other. 

Why should we change, why bother? 

Because you and I have not some vague hope, but a very specific one: 

God came to dwell with us, becoming one of us, 

giving his life to the fullest measure, for us: that’s what the Cross is! 

And he came back from the dead to show us eternal life, 

as well as to prove he wasn’t leaving you and me behind.

Do you believe you are eternal? 

Do you believe Jesus wants you with him, in that eternity? 

That is our hope. Live it! 

And, again, extra confessions are available the next two weeks.

It's all about Eternity (Sunday homily)

A lot of people say this season of Advent 

is about preparing for Christmas, but that’s not really on the mark.

Advent is about what is “behind” Christmas.

Advent is about what Christmas is about.

Advent is about Eternity.

Saint Paul tells us “to be blameless in holiness 

before our God and Father 

at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.”

The opening prayer said, 

“Grant your faithful…the resolve to run forth 

to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming…”

And clearly, the Gospel is not talking about Christmas Day!

So, why do we have these prayers and readings 

in the weeks before Christmas?

The answer is that both Advent and Christmas are a reminder 

that this world – however solid and permanent it may seem – 

is transitory.

And, even if this billions-year-old earth goes on for billions more years, 

you and I will certainly not.

Eternity is ever-present.

Most of us get behind the wheel and drive here and there. 

Very routine.

I recall a very ordinary trip down I-75 on a rainy day. 

I thought I was being reasonably cautious. 

In an instant, my car was spinning out of control!

By the grace of God, I somehow got my car – doing several 360s – 

across 3 lanes, and it came to rest in some tall grass on the roadside.

No injury; my banged-up car was driveable. 

The one word I repeated over and over 

was not something rude, but “Jesus, Jesus!”

That was a reminder of just how close eternity is.

And that is what Advent is: a reminder of the very same thing.

Eternity is closer than we realize.

As real as all this is around us, 

Eternity, while hidden, is infinitely more real.

Now, that might provoke a question:

If Eternity is so much more real than what we usually call “reality,” 

why is it hidden from view? 

I’ll answer that with a question to parents.

Moms and dads, are there not realities you are happy 

to keep your young children from experiencing, for now?

Do you not seek to keep those realities “hidden”?

Does that mean those realities are not real?

Now: God keeps Eternity hidden from us for a different reason: 

not because it’s a harsh reality, but because when we meet Eternity, 

the time for preparation and conversion has ended.

That time to get ready for Eternity is now. 

It is a mercy that God gives us this time.

Let me reiterate: Advent is not “about” preparing for Christmas.

Rather, Advent and Christmas are both about Eternity.

Which leads me to say this.

Some of us have, over the years, 

implored everyone to save Christmas for Christmas;

but I am, here and now, raising the white flag! 

Instead, I’m proposing something not so difficult and ultimately more important. 

As people around us celebrate Christmas, 

help them realize what Christmas truly means.

Many people want to domesticate Christmas, make it tame.

It’s just a nice story. It’s just about the “good feels.”

It’s about romance, or about being more pleasant than you really are.

That version of Christmas is safe – but it is empty.

You and I have the next few weeks, when it’s all Christmas, Christmas, 

to bear witness: Eternity is real and we will all face it.

There is no reason to die from fright.

Instead, be ready. You and I were made for Eternity.

There’s a TV channel promoting its movie lineup promising, 

“The Best Christmas Ever”!

No: the best Christmas ever will be when Jesus finds us ready.

Maybe you saw the postcard we sent, 

inviting each of us to look around for family or friends 

who could use that reminder.

During this time of remembering Eternity, 

maybe there is someone you want to include?

There’s a live Nativity at Good Hope next weekend: invite someone!

There are opportunities for prayer and reflection, 

and there will be extra confessions scheduled during December. 

Bring someone along!

Helping bring the Kingdom (Sunday homily)

 This feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925. 

This was the time in which communism had taken power in Russia 

and was threatening Europe; 

Mussolini and his Fascist party 

had been in power in Italy for several years; 

and two years earlier, 

Hitler had tried the first time to seize power in Germany, 

and had published his manifesto for Nazism. 

The pope knew the times, and knew that the world 

needed to be reminded: Jesus Christ is the only rightful king!

Pope Pius said the following when he declared this feast: 

…manifold evils in the world 

were due to the fact that the majority of men 

had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives; 

that these had no place either in private affairs or in politics: 

and…as long as individuals and states refused to submit 

to the rule of our Savior, there would be no really hopeful prospect 

of a lasting peace among nations. 

Men must look for the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ.

It’s just as true today as nearly 100 years ago.

Communism and fascism may seem remote, 

but there are new “isms” that seek to dominate.

You can lose your job 

if you say that men and women are uniquely made for each other – 

that that reality is the essential meaning of marriage.

There are young women who are losing the ability 

to compete fairly in sports 

because of the anti-science ideology that claims

male and female aren’t matters of science, but personal belief.

So, the task of speaking the truth continues.

The world needs its true King just as much as it ever did.

Someone will say, but we live in a representative republic, 

made up of people of all religious beliefs. 

That’s true. And you and I have the same right 

to propose values and visions for our nation as anyone else.

Remember, in our country, the real rulers 

aren’t the President and Congress, governor and legislators and judges; 

“we the people” are sovereign. 

So, Pope Pius’ words are really directed to you and me. 

And that means that each and every Catholic 

has a grave duty—a grave duty, I repeat—to do the following things:

1) To be well informed as we reasonably can, as citizens.

2) To speak out and use our gifts to persuade.

3) To be registered to vote, and to then to cast our votes at every election.

4) And, when we vote, to cast our votes consistent with Christ’s Law.

Some will say, but look what Jesus said to Pilate: 

“my kingdom is not of this world.” 

Jesus’ kingdom does not originate in this world, 

because it originates in heaven. 

But Jesus clearly came from heaven to bring his Kingdom here.

He calls you and me to be his hands and voices here.

Jesus told us, 

that when we stand before him, on the Last Day, 

he will separate to both sides of him, 

those who showed mercy, and worked for justice, 

and those who neglected to do so.

While the establishment of his universal Kingdom 

depends on more than any one of us, 

each of us has the power to let him be king in our own lives.

Do Jesus reign over my thoughts? 

Or, do I let bigotry and vengeance find place in my mind and heart?

And, if Jesus is king in our hearts, 

how can worry and fear find a place there?

Is Jesus king over our computers and our TVs? 

Or are there places we go online that dishonor him and his creation?

Let me offer some practical things that can help.

Displaying images of Jesus in our homes can help us remember.

And coming regularly to confession 

Helps us put good intentions into action.

To quote Pope Pius a final time: 

“When once [we] recognize, both in private and in public life, 

that Christ is King, society will at last receive 

the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, 

peace and harmony.”

Don't be frightened, be ready! (Sunday homily)

 When we hear words like these from Jesus, it can be frightening.

We wonder what he is saying, what this is about.

Is he talking about the end of the world? 

Or is he talking about something else?

This Gospel is actually about many things at once.

But at the center, always, is the Cross.

Think of the two thieves. They were the same.

Neither had any worthiness.

One repented and the other rejected.

And that’s the whole story.

If the thought of the end of this life frightens you,

then come stand at the Cross, with repentance and faith, 

and you’re as right as you can be!

How you and I do that is through the sacraments.

Baptism and confirmation, confession and Holy Communion: 

these bring the power of the Cross into our lives, 

and bring us back to the Cross to have God’s abundant grace.

The rest of Jesus’ words are also pretty straightforward.

He’s saying, no matter what happens, 

even if the stars fall from the skies! Jesus is the Rock.

Of course, people want signs. They read books and listen to podcasts, 

they pay out big money for people to give them the “secrets.”

There’s no need for any of that. All you need are the sacraments. 

Come to him with repentance and faith.

I just told you the “secret.” No charge!

Pope Benedict used to explain that when we talk about Jesus’ coming, 

we might do better to call it the completion of his coming.

Jesus isn’t absent. He’s here!

But his presence now is very polite: he’s hidden and, if you will, quiet.

Jesus speaks, but softly. 

He’s not booming out, silencing every other voice, as is his right as King.

At a certain point, time will end. His coming will be complete. 

And then, all will indeed fall silent before Him.

As a boy, I sometimes dreaded Dad coming home. 

Why? You know why: because I’d behaved badly.

But the good news is, Jesus gives us something my Dad couldn’t give us.

We couldn’t talk to him during the day: cell phones didn’t exist!

And my dad probably wouldn’t have wanted us to call him at work.

But our Father in heaven gives you a cell phone:

It’s called confession.

Don’t dread, don’t worry, don’t fear.

Yes, confession can be intimidating.

I don’t like confessing my sins to another priest!

But then, it’s also embarrassing to go to the dentist, 

and he sees that I haven’t been flossing.

I can guess it’s awkward for spouses to face each other 

when one or both has messed up.

But if there is one truth that is universal, 

it is that all humans need to change. 

Not just those other people: you and I need conversion, too.

Second universal truth: changing other people is a mistake!

Me changing me is hard enough: I can’t possibly change others.

But oh, we try and try.

Maybe because we’d rather avoid the hard work of changing ourselves, 

and instead, blame other people for not letting us change them.

The sharpness of these readings is meant like the teacher 

clapping her hands to silence the class, to listen.

Jesus is saying: this part of the story doesn’t go on forever.

Wake up! Be ready!

And right now, and here, everything we need to be ready is offered.

Don’t be afraid; be repentant. Be ready.

The widow and the 'venture of faith' (Sunday homily)

The Gospel we just heard poses a very simple question, 

but it cuts deep, right to our very core: 

how much are you and I willing to give to Jesus Christ?

It’s not necessarily a matter of money. 

The widow in the Gospel didn’t just give a donation. 

As Jesus said, she gave everything she had to live on. 

She put everything on the line.

How much will you and I put on the line?

Saint John Newman, the great English protestant 

who became Catholic, gave a sermon one time 

in which he posed a similar question. 

He asked, what have we Christians ventured; that is, put at risk? 

He adds: “I really fear…that there is nothing we resolve, nothing we do, 

nothing we do not do…which we should not resolve, and do, and not do, 

and avoid, and choose, and give up, and pursue, 

if Christ had not died, and heaven were not promised us.”

So that’s the question to ask ourselves.

What can you and I point to in our choices, in our lives,

that really is different, because we follow Jesus?

I think of couples who accept greater sacrifice 

in welcoming more children. 

And still others who might earn less money 

because they try to focus more on family.

We hear a lot of criticism and cynicism about people in business.

But surely there are many businesspeople who make decisions 

which the rest of us never know about, that sacrifice profit.

Our young people will certainly face peer pressure and mockery 

when they choose a path of self-denial and integrity.

Let me tell you a secret: you can have a crowd around you, 

with several loud voices taunting you. 

The ones who remain silent? 

They’re watching to see if you have any backbone.

And don’t be surprised if later, very quietly, 

they tell you, you did the right thing. 

Don’t expect them to speak up. But know you made a difference.

So, back to St. John Henry Newman’s question.

What do you and I put at risk for Christ?

What will we lose if Jesus ends up not being who we believe he is?

The widow put it ALL on the line for faith in God.

At this moment, I really think I’m in the way; 

I’m interrupting a conversation 

which is really between each of us, and Jesus himself. 

He’s the one who makes the invitation:

Come, follow me – and Peter and Andrew, James and John 

left their nets; their livelihood; everything they had.

Jesus speaks to you as only he can. 

He has prepared your life and given you your gifts. 

What will you answer?