Lk 1:26-38 Santa Claus and Our Lady

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
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The angel Gabriel was sent from God...to a virgin...and the virgin's name was Mary.  And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace!  The Lord is with you."

Last night I was watching a debate regarding (of all things) the color of Santa Claus' skin.  Apparently, a woman by the name of Aisha Harris is demanding that Santa Claus no longer be a white man.  Instead, she wants him to be...a penguin.  That's right:  white and black and...an animal.

Megyn Kelly on FOXNEWS had a tiff about the whole thing and declared (incorrectly) that Jesus was white and so was St. Nick.  I like Megyn Kelly, but she is wrong on both accounts.  But I know her concern.  She is afraid that the race card will begin to ruin Santa Claus and Christmas.  In that, she may be right.  But I don't think there is anything to fear here.  After all, St. Nick may have been Greek in appearance, but now he is among the angels and saints.  Things change when you're no longer attached to earth.  Appearances, for one.  The others are race and nationality.  St. Nick wasn't white.  He was a saint.  And when you are a saint (and on your way to heaven), you lose your nationality and race, but not your identity. 

Have you ever gazed your eyes on some crèches from around the the world?  What do you see?  You see Mary, Joseph and Jesus.  But take a closer look and what do you see?  From Alaska you see an Eskimo looking baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  From Africa you see an African looking baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  Apparently, Aisha Harris and Megyn Kelly have never taken a close look at a crèche from somewhere other than under their tree.  Nor have they taken a close look at our Lady of Guadalupe. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe.  On December 9th, 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared to a humble native and neophyte by the name of Juan Diego.  The local Bishop, upon hearing the news, remained highly skeptical of the whole affair.  So he instructed Juan to ask our Lady for a specific sign:  flowers. 

He asked and she delivered. 

He found on the stony summit of Tepeyac Hill a marvelous garden of dew-fresh blossoms which he cut as she had asked.  Placing them in his rough cloak, or tilma, he brought the rare flowers to our Lady who arranged them and told him to take them to the Bishop; that this was the sign to persuade the bishop.

In front of the Bishop, Juan Diego unfolded his tilma.  To his surprise, he found the Bishop not focusing on the flowers but on his tilma. 

Juan was surprised!  The Bishop was surprised!  Later on, the natives were surprised!  But most importantly, the conquistadores were surprised! 

They were all surprised, but for entirely different reasons.

Juan was surprised because he never expected to see an image of what he saw with his own eyes on his very own tilma.  That must have been a shock for Juan Diego. 

The Bishop and the natives were surprised because they never imagined that the Blessed Virgin Lady would appear to a poor native like Juan Diego.  The Bishop should have known better.

But the most surprised were the conquistadores (that is, the Spaniards).  Not only had they never imagined our Lady appearing to a former "savage" native, but they never ever imagined that our Lady would take the appearance of a former "savage" native woman.

Take a look at her image.  What do you see?  The moon is below her feet (cf. Rev. 12:1).  This means she is greater than the pagan moon-god.  Behind her is the sun.  This means she is brighter than the pagan sun-god.  So if Mary is greater than the moon-god and brighter than the sun-god, then she must be a god, right?  No, for her hands are joined in prayer. Mary prays to God.  And though she is dressed in Jewish nobility (white fur around her sleeves), Mary remains the handmaid of the Lord.   

But what comes next is absolutely shocking.  Mary has the oval face of an Indian teen.  She is not a Spaniard.  She is a native.

This image must have come as a shock to all the conquistadores, who were exploiting the land and treating the natives like slaves. 

God had sent them a reminder:  Blessed are the meek and humble of heart, for they will inherit the land! 

On this day, our Lady broke down a huge barrier.  Within a year, over eight million natives converted to Catholicism.  New Spain would never be the same again. 

We have much to celebrate this Christmas.  And we still have much to learn from our Lady. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Pray for us!

Mt 11:28-30 Person Of The Year

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
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Jesus said to the crowds:  "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

I've always loved this reading.  But today it is more fitting than ever before.  This morning Time magazine named Pope Francis "Person of the Year."  The honor is startling, if you consider the fact the Pope has been Pope for less than a year. 

So why did they pick him?  I can't tell you.  I haven't bought my copy of the magazine just yet.  But I can tell you why I would have chosen him; and chosen him over the other contenders, such as Miley Cyrus or Edward Snowden.

The man is meek and humble of heart.  It's not easy today to find a world leader who fits this sort of description.  It's not easy to find someone who dines with high powered officials by day and simple folks by night.  It's rare to find someone who will call the President of Russia one minute and then a stranger in need the next.

Our Pope has hit his stride.  He is living his priesthood at its highest level without losing his composure (or his head).  He is at the top of his game with his feet firmly on the ground.  How does he do it?  Through discernment and prayer.  This is how we best discover (1) who we are, (2) what God wants and (3) what God expects us to do.

The Holy Father may be above everybody but he doesn't act that way.  He is authentic and sensitive in his love for the poor, the marginalized, and, most importantly, the outcast.  The Holy Father has taken the devil by the horns and has tamed his pride and vanity.  It is so important our children see this from a world leader, especially in light of our highly competitive nature and society.  Catholic schools work very hard to push students to achieve their very best.  But they also work extremely hard to make sure success won't get to their head.  What good is it to win the world and lose your soul (cf. Mt. 16:28)?   Oh well, as a former school executive, I can honestly say our greatest fear was that wealth or title or position would go to a young students head!  Starting at an early age, all our students (or future leaders) must be taught that power and authority is given to some in order to serve all, period. 

The Holy Father deserves to be on the front cover of Time magazine because his lifestyle is timeless, and because he would personally prefer to be on the magazine's back page. 

The man is easy to relate to and look up to.    What makes the Holy Father extraordinary?  He is both brilliant and simple.  His teaching style is similar to that of our Lord: simple and yet profound.  He has a childlike heart.  He loves people.  He loves to mingle with people:  all sorts of people.   

I found his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium easy to read.  Wow!  What a relief.  I have found his sermons to be interesting, entertaining and engaging.  Wow!  What a surprise!  What a joy!

To put it simply:  I find the Holy Father fulfilling his role as Vicar of Christ and Servant of servants simultaneously. 

Congratulations to the staff at TIME magazine for having chosen a worthy soul.



 

Mt 18:12-14 Dress Like A Shepherd

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
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Jesus said to his disciples:  "What is your opinion?  If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?"

I know you know this passage from Scripture.  I know you have read it a thousand times.  So what does it mean to you?  What is your opinion?

One hundred sheep.  I find it a bit funny how the Lord utilizes  sheep and shepherd in his lesson plan rather than fish and fisherman, especially to former fishermen. 

Sheep are not the smartest animals in the world (they're actually pretty dumb).  So is this a classic roundabout way of saying shepherds are not the smartest people in the world?  

So why bother running after one of these critters and risking your own neck?  Excellent question!

Amazing mercy.  The Lord is the Good Shepherd who remains above His sheep but never below them; that is, it is not below Him to go after them.  On the other hand, it appears as though it is below the other sheep to go after one of their lost brother or sisters.

Today begins the "One Human Family, Food For All" campaign organized by the Vatican-based federation of Catholic charities, Caritas International.  Starting at noon today on the South Pacific island of Samoa and heading west across the world's time zones, a global "wave of prayer" will begin to bring awareness to the over one billion people who silently go hungry in the world.  Hunger is a scandal in the world, especially when so much food is wasted and there is enough food to feed the world's population every single day.

Dress like a Shepherd.   Not only did the King of kings "dress" as a man, he also dressed like a shepherd.   At this moment, it is not hard to think of the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ, who, at night, dresses like a common priest and goes around Rome breaking bread with the homeless.   Dear brothers and sisters, we should have learned this lesson from the Lord long ago.  But if not, we can still learn it from those who are close to Him. 

But I don't think we need a great shepherd like the Son of God to do such simple things for us.  All we need to do is simply lift up our heads from the ground and open our eyes to the tremendous need that is out there.

Then even the sheep can become like shepherds.

Lk 1:26-38 Paradise Won

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.  And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace!"

Just as God gave man the ability to distinguish between night and day, so He gave him the ability to distinguish between beauty and ugliness.

This morning I read in the news how a group of Satanists have decided to place a monument next to a monument dedicated to God.  Of course the ACLU has filed a lawsuit seeking its removal (that is, of the monument dedicated to God), calling it unconstitutional.  Brady Henderson, the legal director for ACLU, Oklahoma, said if state officials allow one type of religious expression, they must allow alternative forms. According to him, the best solution would be to allow no expressions of religion at all on State property.

Media outlets have joined in and are having a field day with this, calling the Ten Commandments monument "ill conceived."

I disagree.  It was very well conceived, even if the legislators knew not what they were doing. After all, Christ's teachings stand tall by themselves, but take it from me, they will appear even taller when compared to the teachings of others, especially Satanists.  

For far too long we have heard how "all religions are the same." For some well-intended people this could mean they are all right. For some not so well-intended people this could mean they are all wrong.   For some believers this could mean they all teach love. For many non-believers this could mean they all teach hate.  

You see how much confusion there is out there?  

As for me I say, bring them all in.  The more the merrier!  T'is the season to be merry!!

Mary, full of grace.  Some people just have it all: looks, talents, intelligence, health and drive. Now we could spend our entire life being jealous of them and wishing ill upon them, or we could spend our life learning from others and accepting who we are.  What I have seen is what most people have seen.  Some people who have it all shine like stars, while others, who have it all, shine like falling stars.

Mary had it all.  She was full of grace, which means she was full of faith, hope and love.  That's it!  That's all she had.  That's all she needed.  And to this day, she shines brighter and higher than any other star.  In defeat she never lost her heart.  In victory she never lost her head.  She was, and remains, a remarkable woman.  An example for all young women and men.    

It's not bad to compare oneself to others, as long as jealousy is not fueling the comparison.  It's good to compare ourselves to Mary and to strive to be more like her.  Jealousy would simply be counterproductive when examining her virtues and inspecting what is under her feet.

Mt 3:1-12 A Man Who Knew Man's Limitations

Second Sunday of Advent
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John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"  It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:  "A voice of one crying out in the desert.  Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths."

Advent is all about preparing the way of the Lord.  And one of the best ways to prepare the way of the Lord is by getting out of the way of the Lord.

St. John is a wonderful example of this as he reminds his listeners:  "I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.  I am not worthy to carry his sandals."

John was a stump in the world's garden, but a beautiful shoot in the Lord's secret garden.

Just a few days ago the world learned of the death of another stump, Nelson Mandela.  It is hard to categorize a life well lived.  But based on today's readings, I would have to say he was a voice of one crying out in the desert and a shoot from a stump (Is 11:1).

A shoot from a stump.  Born into royalty, Mandela chose to leave the world of privilege behind and enter the world of discrimination and segregation.  I would call this type of world an ultra-manicured world, and South Africa was definitely one of the last of our times.  Manicured ?  Yes, because it was maintained so meticulously - so scientifically - the stuff of novels like the Hunger Games.  If only it weren't so very real.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree at an elite black institution, Mandela headed to an all-white University were he studied law.  I find it interesting how as a young man he studied law while the laws were increasingly racist, and became a lawyer while the legal system was radically unjust.  Where did he get his ideas of freedom?  Where else but from outside. Or better yet, from above.

The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:  a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge... (Is 11:2-3).

From the outside looking in.  Apartheid existed in South Africa for forty-six years, from1948-1994 (not long, and no where near as long as slavery and segregation in the United States of America).  The language surrounding it was purely Orwellian.  Segregation was based on status, not race, and the world of South Africa was divided into two great groups:  "Europeans" and "Non-Europeans."  Hence, black people were not black people but "Non-Europeans", while white people were considered "Europeans."  

I have no doubts Apartheid would have lasted longer if the people from the outside looking in were not becoming more and more color blind.  Mandela, a Christian, who was inspired by Jesus Christ, chose the path of non-violence, insisting on a forgiving South Africa as well as an all inclusive South Africa; that is, inclusive and forgiving towards the "Europeans." 

"Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide...the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them..."

Appearances can be deceiving. To the government, Mandela was an ugly stump.  But to the Lord, he was a stump with a shoot sprouting from it. When the government sentenced him to life in prison, Mandela taught his guards that a man's got to know his limitations.  That is, Mandela knew man's limitations, especially those of his persecutors and of their immoral regime. 

 History has shown, time and time again, that the meek and humble of heart shall inherit the land!  Yes, the Lord loves to take stumps and do something amazing with them.  Why?  Because stumps usually do not put up a fight!  He can pour His Will at will all over them, and watch how they grow into something amazing. 

  Poverty, as well as wealth, can be very deceiving.  The uneducated can easily be underestimated.  But rags on someone's back, as well as their scars, can tell a lot about a person.  To the Roman Empire, John the Baptist was a nothing:  a poor, uneducated and half-naked man.  He was a stump, planted somewhere in the middle of the desert:  useless and meaningless.  But to the Lord, he was an off-shoot to something bigger than carpe diem:  He was the shoot that signaled a trend.   

Christians are called to be trendsetters.  This is what Nelson Mandela was.  This is what Martin Luther King, Jr. was.  So, whatever happened to us?  When in the world did we stop being trendsetters in the name of Jesus Christ?  Chances are...it all began when we felt like we had something to lose, like all our shoots.  

"The Lord gives and The Lord takes away.  Blessed be God."

We have nothing to lose. By our baptism, we have been born again.  We can never die.  Our baptism is our Lord's way of dousing His life giving graces over our stumps.  

His only prayer is that it will one day produce shoots that will last forever. 

Mt 9:27-31 Prepare The Way Of The Lord

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 him, "Do you believe that I can do this?"  "Yes, Lord," they said to him.

They knew something.  Advent is the season of great anticipation. 
As Christians, we patiently await the coming of our Lord.   Will there be much fanfare?  Probably not.  Will it be well advertised?  I don't think so.  Will it be simple?  Definitely.  Will it be personal?  You bet! 

The two blind men in today's Gospel passage must have been mature men.  With years of practice they fined tuned their hearing and, most importantly, their awareness of excitement and presence.  When they heard the murmuring of people and the shaking of the ground, without doubt they sensed a thrill in the air. 

The Lord is the master of surprises.  He truly makes a conscientious effort to thwart our plans for Him.  He refuses to be hunkered down by our definitions and ideas of Him.

In the Pope's conversation with Eugenio Scalfari, an atheist and editor of the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, the Holy Father was asked the question: Is God Catholic?   I was delighted by the Pope's answer:  Of course not!  "I believe in God, not in a Catholic God; there is no Catholic God. There is God and I believe in Jesus, his incarnation." 

Of course his comment sent shock waves throughout the world, especially the Catholic world, where some conspiracy theorists began to speculate "If God is not Catholic, then maybe the Pope isn't either!"
 
Now I perfectly understand what the Pope said.  God is catholic in the catholic sense of the word; that is, He is Universal.  But he isn't Catholic in the Catholic sense of the word; that is, He isn't limited to one particular religion.  If anything, He is only limited by the Truth: for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  And His power is not limited only to Catholics for Catholics, but by love - for He is Love.  So if the Lord refuses to allow His words of truth and works of mercy and forgiveness to be pinned down by others, then ask yourself:  Are your words and works limited only to people who think alike or that you like? 

Everyone desires love, even when it is hard to give and accept.  Everyone desires truth, even when it is hard to give and accept.  Hence, everyone desires God, even when it is hard to give what He wants and accept what He gives.  But if you think about it long enough, then it becomes all to clear:  Love and Truth - Christ's greatest attributes - will ultimately unite all mankind to Him and to one another.   It will not be rhyme or reason.

The blind men were given a raw deal.  But it didn't stop them in their tracks.  With great anticipation (maybe even more than the "normal" folks around him) they followed Jesus all the way to a home.  Can you imagine that!?  They followed him?   What an example!  What determination!  No wonder the Lord found more love among the poor, the sick and the sinners than among those who complain all day long about the poor, the sick and the sinners.  I have no doubt the Lord found more faith among the poor, the sick and the sinners than those who use the poor, the sick and the sinners as poor excuses for their own disbelief.

What a twisted world we live in.  Indeed:  the last shall be first and the first shall be last.  There is no rhyme or reason to this!

From all I have seen and read, coming out last is definitely the best way to prepare for the Lord's arrival.  So Advent is all about working hard to come out last.  It takes a lot of blind faith.

Mt 7:21, 24-27 Laying Down A Solid Foundation in Christ

Thursday of the First Week of Advent
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Jesus said to his disciples:  "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 Rock.  As every house requires a solid foundation, so too every human being. 

For dear life we need something solid to hold on to.  What will you hold on to?  Let's choose the Lord.  Let us make Him the rock of our salvation and the rock that anchors our life. 

Life can be crazy, especially when surrounded by crazy people.  I need something - someone - in my life that will keep me steady, so that I am not always flying off the handle.  The Lord is my rock.  He is my fortress, my stronghold.

It's not easy to live with a man.  I am sure that every woman (wife and mother) would agree with me.  Now imagine living with three grown men!  It's not easy at all!  Just this morning I saw something that could have easily put me into a tailspin.  Thankfully, I was running late for Mass, so I didn't give someone a piece of my mind.  But I was still thinking about it, even while I began the Mass.  It took the Gospel passage - Christ's words - to remind me:  relax.  Take it easy.  Breathe in.  Breathe out.  

Whoever listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool... 

Wow!  Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!  Do I act like a fool?  Do I act like some crazy bird, smashing into the window over and over again?

I need a rock.  I need some solid ground.  I need a role model.  I need an example that I can look up to, a star I can point to.  Christ is the center of my life.  He is the standard and the model of my life.

Now what I find most amazing about the Lord is his brilliance and lack of any specialized education.  He didn't go to Greece to learn philosophy and art.  He didn't go to Rome to learn oratory and civility.  He didn't study business at Harvard.  He didn't study medicine at John Hopkins.  Instead, He stayed in Israel and taught civility, philosophy, while practicing medicine and speech.  And if you don't know it by now, He is the inspiration and founder of one of the largest "organizations" in the world that has spread throughout the world by plowshares, not by swords. 

Only when the time had come, did He reveal himself to the world:  I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.   And it never went to His head.  Before that, He would break bread with sinners.  After that, he would break bread with sinners.  Today, through His Vicar on Earth, He sneaks out of his palace to break bread with the homeless.

Jesus is greater than any political leader that ever lived and any modern military leader that ever won, for he conquered friends and foes in a manner that is no less than "revolutionary":  through love.  The Lord's men and women conquered an entire empire in a manner that is no less than a miraclous:  by the sign of His Cross.   

The Lord is truly a rock, for his words remain as true and as relevant as the first day he spoke them.  Don't you love it?

Now "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. 

Amazing!  Absolutely amazing!  Like a true leader, it doesn't matter to Him if we give Him credit.  What matters most is that we get the job done.

Advent is all about getting to work and laying down a solid foundation in Christ Jesus.