Mt 1:18-25 Into Your Home

Mt 1:18-25  Into Your Home

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This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.  When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.  Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.  Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.  For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.”

Humility will bring us down, really down, down to depths we have never gone before; and yet, not far enough to bring us to our treasure. 

Shock and wonder; that is, repentance and forgiveness, will take us up high, very high, but not high enough to take us to the top of where we’d like to be. 

Obedience will take us far in life, but not far enough to take us all the way. 

So what will it take for us to make it all the way, over the hill and through the woods, to see what no eye has seen or ear has heard? 

Unconditional love.

Some atheist groups have been spending a lot of time and money this Christmas season on billboards and catchy slogans.  They claim their goal is to promote “reason” among the feebleminded (a.k.a. the religious).  I say it is to provoke anger among believers and free media for themselves. 

Well, I am not surprised that their “reason” and “intelligence” has taken them to such record heights in their pride and such record depths in their vanity.  Their campaign is doomed to fail and backfire because for most Christians, it was not only Christ’s wisdom that attracted them; but more importantly, Christ’s love that captured them. 

We all know that love is unreasonable, and that unconditional love is quite unfathomable, but only the humble minded and obedient have been adventurous enough to discover that love is more powerful than reason and works better (at bringing peace and solving problems) than any scientific eye has seen or academic ear has heard.

What makes Mary (Star of the sea) shine so bright?  Her humility.  What makes John the Baptist shine?  His call to repentance and forgiveness.  And now, as we get closer to Christmas (to Christ), we have another star:  Joseph.  What makes Joseph shine so bright?  It is his faith and obedience. 

Joseph!  Take this woman, found with child, and marry her.    

Who needs the wise of this world when you can have the lover of this world! 

But make no mistakes about it; the Lord is wise, intelligent and very reasonable.  But He did not let any of these things get in the way of Him being born in Bethlehem, in a stable, in poverty and in a time of recklessness and lawlessness.   

The sun shines bright because it burns hydrogen into helium.  The Son of God shines bright because He turns suffering and death into light and love. 

I will take both, every day, into my home.

Mt 1:1-17 Ancestory.God

Mt 1:1-17  Ancestory.God

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The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob…

I live in a nice neighborhood.  All the homes are beautiful.  The yards are beautifully groomed.  The cars are brand new.  When you drive through the neighborhood, you never see any trash. 

The trash is hidden, kept out of sight.  Put in the back. 

I know why we hide our trash.  It’s unpleasant.  It’s unseemly.  It’s definitely not the first thing we want people to see around and inside our home.  Although our trash does say a lot about us:  what we eat and how we live, it’s something we don’t want people to see, period.

Yesterday, I got to thinking a lot about trash.  By the time I finished, I was surprised at where my mind had taken me.  I concluded that God is our trash.          

He is.  God is trash.  Or at least, we treat Him like trash.  We hide Him.  We keep Him out of sight.  We keep him far away from our homes, our schools, and our lives.  Often times, we consider Him, like trash, to be an unpleasant and unseemly reality.  Although God does say a lot about who we are, He remains someone we don’t want people to see, period. 

Let’s be honest.  It’s true. 

Yesterday evening, President Obama offered the people of Connecticut “the prayers and love of our nation.”    It was a very beautiful speech and gesture on the part of our Commander-In-Chief.  But what good are our prayers and love if God is treated like trash?

Is God allowed in our schools?  Is God allowed in our student’s speeches?  Is God allowed on public property?   No.  Let’s face it.  If our prayers are united to our God, then our prayers end up with our God:  in the trash.

As our nation continues to search for answers to the latest massacre of the innocent, we find ourselves going through the trash.  That’s right!  We’re all going through the trash right now.  We’re all looking for the God we threw in the trash some time ago. 

I don't know about you, but this always seems to happen to me:  I keep something around for a while and if I don't need it, there it goes, in the trash!  But then, out of nowhere, when I least expect it; I need it again!  And what do I do?  I go searching through the trash. 

Our God has become necessary again.  Our prayers have become necessary again.  Our love has become necessary again.  It doesn’t look like we’ll be able to spend our way out of this problem (it doesn’t mean we won’t try).  And it seems like our democracy, our Constitution, our elected officials, our suburban homes, our pills, our social workers, and our secular understanding of tolerance and acceptance did not shield us from yet another bitter tragedy.

We are all descendents and we are all related to each other.  This young man who killed twenty-six people is a product of our society, our laws and our way of life.  But so is the Lord.  Even the Lord is related to us.  In Christ’s family tree we see it all:  the good, the bad and the ugly.  But in Christ and through Christ we can see the best of who man can be and who God truly is.  The Lord is the culmination of man’s creation and man’s re-creation.  Those who accept Him are accepted into His family tree.

“For to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn 1:12).

There are some people who think we need to get "past" God.  Unfortunately, some of them are the same people who brutally remind us of what we just threw away.

Let’s start looking for Him.  Let’s keep God in our homes, in our public and private lives, and in our schools. 

Trash belongs with trash.  God belongs with us.

Luke 3:10-18 What Should We Do?

Luke 3:10-18  What Should We Do?

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The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?”  He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none.”  And whoever has food should do likewise.”  Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”  He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”  Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?”  He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

I am still dealing with anger and grief for the twenty children and six adults that were killed in Connecticut.   I cannot believe that this massacre of the innocent happened. 

This morning I asked myself the same question that our nation is asking:  Why would this young man kill so many innocent children and adults?  Like you, I’ve been watching the news and wondering what the possible motives behind the massacre were.  I don’t buy any of the ones so far mentioned.  Socially awkward people have been around for centuries.  They don’t go into elementary schools and start killing people.  People have had Aspergers disease before and after scientists discovered it.  As well, they don’t go around killing people.  Some people say that this young man did not feel pain.  If that were the case, he would have been dead long ago from some infection. 

But one possibility came across my mind this morning.  Maybe, just maybe, this young man never learned The Ten Commandments.  Maybe he never learned the fourth or fifth commandments:  that is, “Honor your mother and father” and “Do not kill”.

I know this may sound a little crazy, but think about it.  We've done a very good job keeping religion out of the public square.  Where would someone today learn about the Fourth and Fifth Commandments?  From video games?  Never!  In fact, he may have learned from them that killing was just a game.  So where then?  From music?  No.  From elementary school?  No.  Middle School?  No.  High School?  No.   So where then?  Only in his home and at his Church.  

Children grow up knowing that it is illegal to kill someone.  But that’s different.  That’s a law and laws change with time, as we can see in the case of abortion.  But there has never been a law that commands a child to honor his mother and father.  None whatsoever!

Well, I’m afraid we will never know because I don’t think any of the authorities will ever ask.    

This morning, after Mass, someone came up to me and asked me, “Why would God allow something like this to happen?”  We should all know the answer to this question.  We should all know by now that God does not tie the hands of the wicked.  He ties the hands of the just.  The Lord did not tie the hands of Pontius Pilate or the Pharisees or scribes.  They tied His hands.  Yes, the wicked do whatever they please.  The just are not allowed to do whatever they please.  They can only do what the Lord has commanded them to do.  Thou Shalt Not Kill ties our hands.  Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness ties our hands. 

God allows both, the wicked and the just, to co-exist, for the wicked remind us of who we are without God and the just remind us of who we can be with God.   Only in heaven will the Lord untie the hands of the just and tie the hands of the wicked.

John the Baptist reminded tax collectors and soldiers of what they must not do.  The Lord will forever remind us of what we must do and who we must become.   

Mt 17:9-13 They Did Whatever They Pleased

Mt 17:9-13  They Did Whatever They Pleased

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As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”  He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.  So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”

When we start doing whatever we please, eventually someone is going to get hurt.  But when we start doing what must be done, eventually no one will ever get hurt.

The Pharisees and the scribes toyed with John the Baptist.  They neither gave him the recognition he deserved or condemned him outright.  They took the “wait and see” approach.  And while they waited to see what would happen, Herod did not. 

Now, it’s not always bad to take the “wait and see” approach to some people and some things.  I personally do it all the time, mostly with technology and fans.  Yes, I find it creepy how some people can hate me one moment and then love me the very next.  I also find it just as creepy that some people can love me one moment and hate me the next.

When it comes to technology, I waited until this year to buy my first iphone.  I got an iPhone 3GS.   I paid 99 cents.  If you remember, the original iPhone was released back in June of 2007, it sold for $599.00.  Apple closed its stores at 2:00 pm local time to prepare for the 6:00 pm iPhone launch, while hundreds of customers lined up at stores nationwide. 

Now, I don’t know about you, but $600.00 back in 2007 are still pretty much $600.00 today.  If I had bought the iPhone for that amount back then, I would like to have my money back right now!  I could buy an iPhone 5 today for that amount! 

Apple has learned a great lesson.  Consumers have not.

Today, I read that the President of the United States will not lift a finger to challenge the legalization of marijuana in two of our nation’s states.  Jay Carney, the President’s spokesman said, “The President has bigger fish to fry”.

Yes.  He does.  And the reason why he does is because either he or someone else let those little fish get bigger!!! 

What an answer!  What a ridiculous answer!  In fact, it’s not an answer at all but a distraction and a relief.  I guess this is one way of thanking the people of Colorado and Washington for voting for him.

But the Justice Department (under the President’s wing) wished to remind the people of the great states of Washington and Colorado that “it remains against federal law to bring any amount of marijuana onto federal property, including all federal buildings, national parks and forests, military installations, and courthouses.” 

THANK GOD!  Now I feel a lot better, and we can all rest assured that our judges won’t be on dope! 

Taking the right side on any serious issue is always something hard to do.  You might stand tall in the presence of God but stand alone among men.  You might be wrong in the immediate eyes of modernity but found to be right long after those modern eyes have grown old and blind. 

John the Baptist stood tall and alone.  He stood tall in the eyes of God and alone in the presence of men.  He was put to death by the government because the government noticed that his people remained silent. 

Catholics are divided on the serious issues of the day:  abortion, marriage, family, life and death.  The government knows it and has taken advantage of it.  And they will continue to chip away at all our values as long as Catholics remain silent.

Well, the problems related to drinking hasn’t gotten better since Prohibition.  It has only gotten worse since an increase in cars and broken families.  Life hasn’t become more precious since the legalization of abortion.  It has only gotten cheaper.  Smaller families haven’t reduced the pain associated with bigger families.  It has only increased our loneliness, grieving and mourning.     

We all have a tendency to do whatever we please, not what is good. 

Is it any wonder why we need God and holy men and women that stand tall and often alone? 

Mt 11:16-19 Wisdom Is Vindicated By Her Works

Mt 11:16-19  Wisdom Is Vindicated By Her Works

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Jesus said to the crowds:  “…The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’  But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

Today, I celebrated Mass for our middle school students.  After the closing prayer, I said something to them I had not planned on saying.  I said, “People who often pray get the craziest ideas.  And you can read all about their ideas in the lives of the Saints and in Scripture.  People who do not pray get the craziest ideas as well.  You can read all about them in the newspapers.”

Little did I know that one hour later, there would be a school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. 

Once again, our nation is doing what it does best:  report and mourn.  Within twenty-four hours of the massacre, the White House and Capitol lowered their flags.  With a broken heart the President addressed a grieving nation.  Almost immediately the media swooped down on this tiny town to share with us the reaction of local residents and to take lots of pictures of horrified parents and children.  Psychiatrists and counselors (familiar faces) have begun to appear on all the television stations to share with us their expert advice as to how to explain such incidents to ourselves and to our children.  But after the notorious movie theater massacre and recent mall massacre, I suspect that none of the so-called experts will to go out on a limb this time and say what they have said before: “these are rare and isolated incidents, and the chance of something similar to this happening in the future is very slim”.

Something is seriously wrong with our society.  We all know it.  And I think we all agree on it.  We used to think that these murderers were just plain crazy.  But most people today no longer subscribe to that theory anymore.  After all, crazy people do not put bullets in their pistols; they put orange slices in them.  They do not wear body armor to go on a shooting spree; they put it on to go swimming.

What we cannot seem to agree on is the “why” of these massacres:  why are they happening and why they are happening in our schools?  Massacres are not frequent occurrences in poor nations.  They are frequent occurrences in America.  Massacres are not even common in first world nations.  They are only common in America and Communist China.  What do schools in China have in common with schools in America?  One strange thing:  God is not allowed.  Now couple that with broken families and shattered dreams, and you have the potential of a real massacre on your hands.

"I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go."

When I went around the classrooms today to ask the children to pray for the victims of this tragedy, one child asked me, “Why would God allow this to happen in an elementary school?”  Immediately I replied, “If God is not allowed in our schools, then how can we honestly blame God for something like this?” 

"Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life".  I don't like saying the same thing over and over again.  But I don’t believe we need more metal detectors in our schools.  But for the sake of argument, let’s put more in - even in our elementary schools!  I don’t think we need more police officers in our schools.  But in order not waste any time in discussing it, let’s put more of them in our schools.  And yes, even in our elementary schools.  Let’s add more counselors and therapists in our schools as well.

But what’s the real solution, the solution that will help avoid these problems? Let's face it.  It's allowing God back into our schools.  It's allowing teachers to teach morals and values and prayer.  That's the solution.  And if we are not willing to allow God back into our schools, then we will have to spend billions of dollars to create bunkers and safe rooms in our schools.  Isn't it amazing how much money we have to spend in schools if we want to keep our kids safe and God out?  No wonder why we are bankrupt!    

But I'm all for trying something new, something that doesn’t cost a penny.  For example: let’s start promoting Judeo-Christian values in our schools; let’s start strengthening the family and marriage in our society; let’s even allow our school kids five minutes of silence to pray to God.  Let’s give it a shot.  We have nothing to lose and plenty of lives to save.

As Chevron puts it:  Let’s do it!  Let’s solve this.  Let's teach our kids to pray.

If wisdom is vindicated by her works, then the opposite holds true as well; that is, if Christians are called to shock the “hell” out of this world, then we can assume that there are many Non-Christians that are hell bent on making sure that it stays.

Let us pray for all the families who may have lost a child today.   This massacre reminds me of another massacre that happened two thousand years ago; a massacre of the innocent.

Mt 11:11-15 Are You Willing To Accept This?

Mt 11:11-15  Are You Willing To Accept This?

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Jesus said to the crowds:  “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  …And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come.  Whoever has ears ought to hear.” 

First Scene.  The desert is hostile to man.  It is very similar to space:  wide, open and unwelcoming to man.  It is freighting.  In the desert, food and water is scarce, travel is difficult and shelter from the heat and the cold is nearly impossible.  John lives in the desert.  He is surrounded by an ocean of sand.    

But despite all these hostile conditions (and maybe even because of them), John receives the Word of God.  He fulfills His ministry.  He accomplishes His mission.  No difficulties, no trials, no life circumstances prevent Him from heralding the Kingdom of God.

He remains true to himself.  He is the greatest prophet ever born of woman.

Second Scene.  The Lord is born in a stable and laid in a manger.  He is truly poor and truly defenseless.  There is little to nothing that is comforting or even welcoming from inside our sublime scene.  Outside, the air is frigid, the food remains scarce and family and friends are far between.  And let’s not forget that surrounding our Lord are countless men looking to seize Him and to kill Him. 

In spite of all the above, the Lord continues to remain true to himself.  He is the King and He is Holy.

No difficulties, no trials, no circumstances could even begin to scratch, let alone strip, the surface of the Lord’s Kingship or His holiness.  Regardless of all that surrounds Him, He is who He is.

Third Scene.  You.  What about you?  Are you the yo-yo of Yin and Yang?  Do you go up with the good times and down with the bad times?  Do you find yourself oscillating between heaven and hell?  Does your boss or spouse or child hold the “remote” to your heart, mind and will?  I hope not!

How can we stand firm?  How can we remain afloat during a Tsunami?  How can we survive like John the Baptist in the middle of the desert, and live and die like Jesus of Nazareth in the midst of sin? 

What must I do not only to survive but to succeed?  I must go to Church and I must pray.

Why must I go to Church?  Why must I pray?  So that I can find the Lover to my greatest desire:  to love and be loved.  This is what we all desire more than anything else:  “I want someone to love me.”

Well then, where can I find this love that I desire?   Who is the King of Love?  God.    Are you willing to accept His love?

God is the King of Love, for every time I go to Church and pray, the Lord will remind me of how to love and be loved.    How important this is!  How life changing this can be!  But if I do not connect myself to the Lord, then others, yes others far below the King of Love will tell me how I should love and be loved.  And we know that this love can very often be a kind of selfish love; a love that is degrading, destructive and discouraging.

Final Scene.  John hears a voice in the desert.   Mary hears the voice of an angel.  Joseph hears a voice in his dream.  The messages they receive are the same:  “Make straight the path of the Lord" (Mt 3:3).  The answers they gave are the same:  “Let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).  Their advice to us will always the same:  “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5).

Whoever has ears ought to hear. 

Luke 1:39-47 Our Lady of Guadalupe

Luke 1:39-47  Our Lady of Guadalupe

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Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

God chose Our Lady to be the mother of our Lord.  He chose a humble woman.  In return, Our Lady chose a humble man to be an agent for her son.  She chose him from an occupied land and among a defeated tribe that were highly resentful of their conquerors. 

Like our Lady, Juan Diego was a very humble man.  And like our Lady, he was a “nobody”.  But honest-to-God humility radiates honest-to-God beauty.  And we know that everyone loves to be around beautiful people.  Everyone!  No one enjoys the company of the arrogant, the obnoxious, the complicated and the confusing.  Everyone loves a humble person.   Everyone!  Humility remains the greatest visible sign of our Lord’s divinity.  It is also the greatest sign of a faithful follower of the Lord. 

And where pride shocks the “life” out of us; humility shocks the “hell” out of this world.  Humility makes room for much fruit, fruit that lasts forever. 

Seven years after Our Lady’s appearance to Juan Diego, over eight million Aztecs converted to Christianity.

Now that is humbling and shocking!

A young lady, who recently underwent major surgery, called me today in tears.  She has been having some complications after her surgery and these complications have filled her with great fear, anxiety, sadness and loneliness.  She called today.  Out of all the days, she called today, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  I asked her if she knew today was our Lady’s day?  She said no.  I then read to her Our Lady’s message to Juan Diego.  It was no coincidence.  It is providence.  It is all providence. 

Let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you.  Let nothing alter your heart or countenance.  Also do not fear any illness and vexation, anxiety or pain.  Am I not here who am your mother?  Are you not under my shadow and protection?  Am I not your fountain of life?  Are you not in the folds of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms?  Is there anything else that you need? (Dec. 12, 1531)

She couldn’t believe it!  She had forgotten.  For twenty-four hours her fears had held her captive;  her body had been thrown into a corner.  She had found no comfort in prayer.  No hope in God. 

When we are overwhelmed by our worst nightmares; when our worst nightmares become our daily thoughts; when our imagination grows more and more opaque; when imagined difficulties become physically insurmountably, we must let ourselves go to the One and only One who can take it all away from us.     

These are the moments the Lord gives us to force us to rely on those things we never wanted to rely on before:  faith in Him, hope in Him, love for Him. 

These moments are God’s way of reminding us of one simple yet very important fact:  we are not the masters of our lives.  We owe our lives to Him.

Our Lady of Guadalupe!  Pray for us!