Lk 1:26-38 The Immaculate

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception 2014
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by KATIE GROSS

Mary said to the angel,

“How can this be,

since I have no relations with a man?”

And the angel said to her in reply,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore the child to be born

will be called holy, the Son of God.

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,

has also conceived a son in her old age,

and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.

May it be done to me according to your word.”

Then the angel departed from her.​

​One of the wisest things we could ever do for our faith is to model our thoughts and actions after the Mother of God. It really is very logical: if we want to live our lives fighting our own tendency to sin (that is, to not will the will of God in our lives), what better example do we have than the only woman who was not God but still born sinless?

​But first, I digress a little. It is very fitting that this feast occurs in the season of Advent because the conception of Mary begins our expectation of the coming of the Messiah. Although the people were unaware that Mary would become the mother of God, in hindsight, this was the first tangible, physical sign that the Messiah was coming soon. Mary said to St. Bridget regarding her Immaculate Conception: “A golden hour was my conception, for then began the principle of the salvation of all, and darkness hastened to light. God wished to do in His work something singular and hidden from the world, as He did in the dry rod blooming.”

​But back to the main point: how does Mary show an example of how we should act as Christians in this Gospel? There are many different examples.

​“How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” One of the biggest misconceptions about the Catholic faith among the public is that it is a blind faith. Sometimes, we are made to believe that we should not ask questions. But questions are good! Even Mary questioned the angel andpondered his peculiar greeting. In our faith, there are a lot of things that defy our human understanding; therefore, it is only natural to question what we are taught, all the while exceptingthe explanations with eyes of faith. Maybe one of you can help me out, because I have forgotten which saint originally wrote about this, but it is what is called “faith seeking understanding.” The opposite, “understanding seeking faith,” is very dangerous—this is what I fall into most often. In our society, being “rational” or “scientific” is prized as the best way to think about things. However, if we look the seemingly “unscientific” teachings of our Church with eyes of faith first, understanding will follow—an understanding truer than anything this world can offer.

​“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Father Alfonse recently said in a blog post that he never expected to be a priest. It is true—no matter how much we may plan for our own lives, our plans will pale in comparison with what God has planned for us if we would only seek to follow His will alone. Mary knew from a very young age that her life would be dedicated to God in some way. Right before this whole being-the-Mother-of-God thing went down, Mary had left her place as a woman dedicated to the temple in order to be betrothed to Joseph. Mary had expected to live her whole life in prayer. Then, she was thrown a curveball—marriage? And then on top of that—being the Mother of God!?!?!? Talk about unexpected. Even Mary had to learn to bend with grace. However, even though she had her own expectations, she had no will besides that of the Father. She was willing to go wherever He called her regardless of her own feelings on the subject. Would we be so willing to bend our expectations if the Lord so called us?

​“…for nothing will be impossible for God” Mary was a woman who truly believed this. In today’s world, we are taught to be self-sufficient. If a life decision is not “rational,” we are told not to make it. But God did the unexpected. God did the irrational. Mary knew that even if she did not understand the workings of God, God’s way was always the best and was always possible. Let us pray that we will be more open to the will of God in our lives in the future, just like Mary, our example.

Mk 1:1-8 Preparing for The Way - Forgiveness

Second Sunday of Advent
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John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

Advent is a tough time of year.  It comes right before Christ, the worst moment of the year to get anything done!  But if we want to have the best Christmas ever, then we need to get this season right. 

How can I prepare a way for the Lord to come into my life?

The remarkable John the Baptist.  What was so remarkable about John?  Was it that he lived in a desert?  Not really.  Was it that he wore camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist?  Big deal.  People in New York City dress like that all the time!!!  Was it that he ate locusts and wild honey?  Hey, to each his own!  So, then, what is it? 

He proclaimed:  "One mightier than I is coming..."

That's big!  That's different!  That's unique!  For we all want to imagine ourselves as being the "Big Thing," even the "Real Deal!"  That is, God-Almighty! 

Deep down, we all want to be God!  And we speak and act as if we are!

Not too long ago, while at a stop sign, I noticed for the umpteenth time a can of Coke in my car that someone, a friend of mine, had left a couple of weeks ago.  So many times I had planned on throwing it in the trash can, only to forget time and time again.  Finally, I had my chance.  After noticing a large gutter on the side of the road, I rolled down my passenger's window, picked up the can of Coke and threw it out the window.  It should have been an easy toss.  It wasn't.  Instead of the can flying out the window and rolling into the gutter, it hit the frame of the car and came right back in, spilling its contents all over the passenger's chair!!!  I was horrified...and extremely angry!

But who do I think I am?  And what right do I have to be angry that my sin went horribly wrong?  Who do I think I am???

Too often, I think I am God.

If the Advent season is a bit like "Bah, Humbug," then it may very well be because I have learned to compensate for God's absence.  Who needs Him anyways?  Therefore, instead of paving the way for the Lord to come into my life, I have decided to take on the role of God for myself!  And this only leads us to bigger sins, greater anger and resentment, and deeper despair and eternal death.  

*The first lesson of Advent is this:  "One mightier than I is coming," like it or not! 

Do not ignore this!  In today's second reading, St. Peter warns us:  "Do not ignore this one fact...one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day." 

This saying is not just something spiritual and mystical.  It is very, very practical! 

A sin transcends time, especially our most gravest and serious sins.  It may have taken place at a specific moment on a specific day, but we know, for we have all experienced it, how it can play out over and over again every day of our life!  Its impact is felt emotionally, spiritually, even physically for days, weeks, months and years.  A day can be like a thousand years! 

We may try to stop it, but we cannot escape it.  It will keep haunting me every single day until something is done. 

*Advent is that time of year to stop this cycle of violence!  Come, Lord Jesus!

There is only one person who can stop it.  There is only one way to stop it.   I need to ask for forgiveness.

This past Saturday, I went to a parish to hear First Reconciliations.  I can't tell you what the kids told me, but I can tell you what I told them.  I told all of them the same thing:  "You make mistakes.  I make mistakes.  Even your mom and dad make mistakes.  Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone asks for forgiveness.  You just did!  And that makes all the difference in the world!" 

Break the cycle of violence, caused by sin, by confessing your sins and making straight the path for the Lord to come into your life!

These moments are precious.  They are spectacular.  They are the moments that our Lord captured our heart and filled our soul.  God among us!  Nay, GOD INSIDE OF US! 

Who among us can forget that beautiful picture of a cop hugging an African-American teenager?  They get it.  They both get it.  They broke the lines of rules and regulations - created by men to rule other men and generate suspicions - and allowed the Holy Spirit to govern them.  They didn't just stand there and take a picture or look surprised.  They allowed the Holy Spirit to dwell in them to unite them.

"Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss" (Ps. 85:10).  Heaven and earth shall unite!  On earth as it is in heaven...

*So what is Advent?  An opportunity.  An opportunity to see God in my neighbor and to allow others to see Him in my words and actions.  

Advent is that time of year to allow the Lord back into our world and our life.

Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5A, 6-8 Walk the Way of Christ

Saturday of the First Week of Advent
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By JENNIFER BURGIN

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus “Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Visit with a seminarian  Last summer, I spent a weekend with my girlfriend and her husband at their beautiful home in Chicago.  One evening we ate dinner with an Eastern Orthodox seminarian visiting from Rome.  My girlfriend arranged the get-together in hopes of enlightening theological discussion.  I was shocked by the seminarian's comments.  He despised Italians. He spoke non-stop about the Mob running the Vatican. He made references to openly gay priests.  When he began to rant about the Church's relations with China, I thought it best that we cork up the wine bottle and say our goodbyes.  (At this point, my head was throbbing from way too much debating.)  I will never forget what the seminarian said toward the end of the evening:  "Pope Francis will retire from his position within the next year. The Mob isn't too fond of him. He's causing quite a stir."   What? Another pope resigning from the papal office?! Whoa.... Pope Francis is insanely popular and loved by everybody, including the media.  I can't see him giving up his leadership role.  He still has amazing plans in process.  Just this week Pope Francis was in Turkey engaging in promising ecumenical dialog with the Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church.  Oh, the irony.....

In light of today's gospel reading, and the prediction that Pope Francis will "retire" from his role as Bishop of Rome, I thought, "What if Saint Peter retired as the Church's first pope instead of dying as a martyr? What would the new Christians think? I can't imagine Peter or the Apostles giving up all that Jesus started!  They'd continue to gather the lost sheep of Israel and preach the good news of the Kingdom of God despite criticism and obstacles thrown in their paths."

"He will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you." After reading these beautiful words from the Prophet Isaiah, my eyes filled with tears.  Throughout my life I've often prayed: "God, Please help! I feel like nobody truly listens to me or even cares that I exist. Does anyone see my value? I have such a big heart and aim to be a good person. Yet, I feel invisible like the ghost of a sheep, long ago lost and never found. Life is painstakingly tough; life is habitually unfair with endless challenges and disappointments.  Sometimes I think I'm veering off course.  Am I still on the narrow path to holiness?  Which way should I turn, right or left? Please answer me!"

I'm very thankful for God's blessings in my life.  However, at times I just don't "get" God's answers to my prayers.  They are not always easily understood or even identifiable. It's like I have to play a game of hide n' go seek with the Lord just to figure out what I'm supposed to do.  I need guidance and strength.  I can use a  little dab (here and there) of the Lord's healing grace.

"...he will heal the bruises left by his blows."  What would it be like to be cured by one of the Twelve apostles?  How about no longer hearing demonic voices or enduring chronic skin infections?  It's exciting to think Christ gave the power of healing to his chosen twelve. Moreover, it's awesome to know complete freedom from pain and sickness awaits us in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Life's bumps and bruises will simply vanish.  Our souls will finally be at eternal rest and peace.

"This is the way; walk in it"  During the Season of Advent, we await the arrival of the baby Jesus, carefully wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. This waiting period is designed for us to evaluate and reflect on how we can be better Christians.  Are we attending mass regularly? Have we been to confession in a while?  Are we praying with scripture daily?  Are we mindful of our sinful nature?  Are we aware of the needs of others?  We are called to walk the way of Christ.  Each step we take, each word we say, and each deed we perform should be a reflection of God.  Yes, there are times when we will slip and fall.  We complain; we rant; we gossip; we think badly of others.  Advent gives us a chance to review our behaviors and make necessary adjustments.  Just like a mom prepares for the birth of her newborn baby by purchasing clothes, a stroller and plenty of diapers, so too we must prepare for the coming of Christ, not only the historical celebration of his birth but also his return at the end of time.  We have a better chance at entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven when spiritually prepared.  Walk in the way of Christ, and you will have nothing to lose but more to gain!

"So in Christ crucified you can do anything.  Do everything you do with lively faith."  - Saint Catherine of Siena

This meditation was written by Jennifer Burgin.  Please follow her blog:  Jennifer's Spectrum of Spirituality

Mt 9:27-31 Two Blind Men. One Savior.

Friday of the First Week of Advent
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As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, "Son of David, have pity on us!"  When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" ...Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith."

Who is blind?  All of us suffer from blindness.  None of us can see the future.  Granted, we can prepare for it and sort of imagine it but we cannot even come close to seeing it. 

A long time ago in High School, I knew a young lady who was unhappy with her ears.  She was constantly complaining about them and promised herself that once she graduated she would get an ear job.  She worked long hours while in high school.  She saved every penny she could.  On the day she graduated, she made an appointment to get her ears "fixed."  But on that same day she met a boy who would go on to be her boyfriend and soon after, her husband.  She never got her ears fixed.  Instead, she used the money on her wedding and honeymoon.

She never saw it coming. 

When people asked me, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I said, "Rich!"  Why not?  What's wrong with that?  

Well, I never saw the priesthood coming, and I never imagined for a moment ever being rich in such a different way. 

Advent is about allowing the Lord to come into your life and mess things up. 

- It's about clearing a path for the Lord. 

- It's about faith, hope and love, the three essential ingredients that allowed two blind men to see the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ.

I think they saw Him coming.

Mt 7:21,24-27 I Like This One

Thursday of the First Week of Advent
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Jesus said to his disciples:  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."

The Will of my Father.  And what exactly is the Will of the Father? 

Recently, I had a discussion with an atheist.  The person said to me, "I am not tolerant with those who are intolerant." Now this isn't the first time I hear something like this - and not just from atheists but from secularists and believers as well.  In reply, I said, "Well, there's nothing special about that. It just makes you like a lot of other people in this world.  And that's the problem with our world."

What is the will of the Father?  "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  But it did not collapse."

Listen and act.  Jesus is so different from the rest of us.  He knows how to work with the tolerant as well as the intolerant, to convert great sinners into great saints.  He knows how to get someone off their high-horse and make them humble!  His secret?  He knows how to love, love unconditionally.

This is His foundation. 

And though the rains fell, the floods came and the winds blew and buffeted the house, He did not collapse. 

In other words, though He was stripped of His human dignity, stripped of His skin and crucified on a piece of wood, the Lord remained the King of Israel and the King of us all. 

Yes, the Lord's body suffered and collapsed, but His reputation, His name, His honor and dignity never suffered or collapsed.  If anything, it only grew taller, firmer and stronger.

Love conquers all things!  This is an important lesson for all of us to learn. 

Is it any wonder why our hearts swelled when we saw that most beautiful picture of an African-American boy hugging a white police officer?  Is this something special?  Of course it is!  It's the Word of God becoming flesh and blood.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."

Psalm 23:1-6 Jesus, the Shepherd

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
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By BENEDICT AUGUSTINE

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.”

Jesus, the great Messiah that mankind had waited for, does not set out to make a great fortune. He does not seek power among the people. He does not even write anything for posterity. While men like the Caesars, the family of Herod, or poets like Vergil and Horace all seek to win fame among the known world, Jesus leads a deliberately obscure life. Despite His miracles, His wisdom, His resurrection, Jesus Himself effectively hides his own divine nature from the world, only revealing this truth to a few disciples. Furthermore, He chooses the most average men to share His gospel with world, some uneducated, some insecure, and some temperamental.

Far from imitating the opulence and splendor of Emperor Augustus, or King Solomon for that matter, Jesus manifests the simplicity and humility of shepherd. He works outside, beside the “restful water” of the Sea Galilee, with the lowly, not in the city filled with the rich and powerful. He ministers to “the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others.” He cures them of their sickness, and they give thanks to God. In giving thanks the souls of these afflicted are refreshed; thus, Jesus' miracles offer life in more ways than one. The spiritual life opens up for these common people; “the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations” breaks apart.

Jesus achieves this opening through His divine love, and invites those who receive His love to go and do likewise. He does not descend on the people like the god-kings of the Ancient World even though He has every right to do so. He could have these newly mended people build great monuments for Him like Ramses, or overthrow the ruling party for Him like Julius Caesar, or subjugate the known world for Him like Mohammed. He could have enslaved these people and kept them in the dark; they would have welcomed it. Instead, He leads them out of the darkness of idols, conquest, and heresy. His “rod and staff” give them courage because He assures the people, His sheep, of their value.

Leading His people out of the darkness, He brings them to the table. After curing the people, Jesus feeds them; and in feeding them, He feeds the world because His disciples now know what it means to share the gospel: it is not a matter of sharing a message to the uninitiated, but of sharing everything that makes humanity possible. These common people can sit and eat around Jesus in the sight of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Romans, the very enemies of compassion, of honesty, and holiness. This latter group rules humanity by depriving humanity, yet Jesus and His followers demonstrate the opposite. Their humanity, His in giving, theirs in accepting, ennobles them and creates an abundance: “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Finally, Jesus the Good Shepherd brings His sheep home. The miraculous healing and the miraculous multiplication of loaves all foreshadow something greater, something that “follows [them] all the days of [their] life.” The miracles symbolize the eternal “house of the Lord,” Jesus' Own house, Heaven. They happen in time while their meaning points to eternity. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, gives of Himself only to give even more: He gives life to the sick, only to give eternal life to the healthy; He gives food to the hungry, only to give eternal food to the filled; He sits and preaches to the ignorant, only to sit and preach to the wise in heaven. He sustains his sheep for the journey, so they can enjoy unending sustenance in the presence of His Father.

Jesus is the Son of God. He is Our Elder Brother. He is Our Lord and Shepherd. We are adopted children of God. We are His little siblings. We are His disciples, His sheep. He will serve us and keep us safe, as long as we listen to Him and follow. Because our faith is really this simple, we must cease to be so complex. Let the rest of the world stew in complexity. Our Lord calls us to simplicity and obedience, and we should respond by joining His flock. By doing this, we may finally recognize Jesus as our Guide, and enter His House at the end of our lives.

Mt 8:5-11 Great Faith

Monday of the First Week of Lent
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By KATIE GROSS

And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;

and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;

and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,

and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof…” I am convinced that one of the greatest obstacles to our faith is our own shame. Our world today is a very unmerciful world. We are told that in order to survive, we must constantly be on our guard. If we are struggling with some kind of sin, wemust hide it—how dare we struggle! If we have family or relationship problems, we must quickly sweep them under the rug—how dare we not maintain a perfect life all the time!  This is the way humans think—pride first, reality second. However, contrary to everything that has been instilled in us by this culture, God rejoices when we admit our weakness and guilt.

I recently had an experience that made me think about this. School has been absolutely crazy this year! Many of you out there can probably relate—sometimes it feels like I barely have time to breathe. More times than I would like to admit, I haveput the finishing touches on a paper after a long night and then realized… whoops, I forgot about God today! Then comes the thoughts of shame—“You were so on fire before! You will never get that back! You are so selfish! You may as well not pray. God has been waiting on you all day and you weren’t there.” Howterrible are these lies I am tempted to tell myself! Although I am at fault, God never abandons me. Even the smallest prayer of sorrow is better than abandoning prayer altogether because I wasn’t “perfect.”

Many other sins can turn our walk with God into a game ofhide-and-seek. You weren’t perfectly nice to that coworker? “It’s too late to reconcile, and God is sooooo irritated with me!” You made a wrong choice one time at a party? “My entire Christian life is lost!!!” We have gotten sucked into a culture of perfectionism where one mistake can make or break us. But when did we forget that God came to save us because he knewthat we would not be perfect? By becoming discouraged by our own sins, we say to God that His passion was without purpose. We tell Him that we don’t believe that we were redeemed.  We tell him that we don’t believe in His mercy.

“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.” How is it possible that God can be so pleased with a confession of guilt, as he was with that of the centurion? Shouldn’t the opposite thing happen? Even if he were merciful, shouldn’t he first chastise the man? No—he responded in just the way that God responds to each and every one of us when we confess our sins: with joy!
 

We all need to learn how to separate repentance from discouragement. David was a great example of a goodrelationship between a sinner and God. Talk about a “mess-up” by today’s standards! David was appointed by God to be the King of Israel, and what did he do? He stole somebody’s wife and killed her rightful husband. Many political leaders today have been condemned for much less. But David knew how to express his sorrow for his sins in a healthy way, consistent with who he knew God to be: he prays in Psalm 51, “My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.” He knew that while he was incredibly guilty, God would not strike down somebody who sincerely repented and tried to get back on the right path.

David would say this to the centurion: thinking in a strictly human way, we don’t deserve to be healed by Him. We aren’t worthy that He should enter under our roof. But that is quite alright. God does not operate in the same unmerciful way that humans do: “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8). For this reason, we owe God praise! We can point to every weakness in our life and know that God has an attribute that is the exact opposite. We are unmerciful? God is merciful. We forget God? God never forgets us. We are self-obsessed? God is selfless.These aren’t just romantic words—this is reality. Let’s pray that we will come to believe in this truth.