Third Sunday - 2020

By Papal decree, this third Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 26, is to be observed as a special day devoted to “the celebration, study and dissemination of the word of God.” Its formal title is “Sunday of the Word of God” and is an invitation to Catholics across the world to deepen their appreciation, love and faithful witness to God and his word.  Pope Francis describes it as a day dedicated to the Bible to help the Church (quoting) “to experience anew how the risen Lord opens up for us the treasury of his word and enables us to proclaim its unfathomable riches before the world,” Many Catholic homes have bibles, often rather large books, beautifully produced. They may have a special place in the home like on the self under the coffee table in the living room. However, it's purpose there is not for prayer, reading and study, rather a place where the family records are kept. Thankfully in recent years the place and importance of the bible in Catholic homes is changing. On Nov. 18th 1965, Pope Paul VI promulgated the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation entitled Dei verbum. Its purpose is to spell out the Church’s understanding of the nature of Divine Revelation, that is, the process whereby God communicates with human beings. Let me highlight a couple of its key teachings. The document touches on key questions, especially about Scripture and tradition, and how the scriptures come under the teaching authority of the Church. We learn that the bible is not a book that stands alone, complete unto itself – rather it is a collection of writings brought together by a living body of believers, the Church, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The document states: “Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church. #10” The document also teaches that to have a correct understanding of the sacred text it is important to take into account the various forms the writers of the scriptures have chosen to communicate God’s Word – such as historical, or poetic, or prophetic, etc. And of course the role of scripture in the Mass is highlighted by the document: “The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since, especially in the sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receives and offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table both of God's word and of Christ's body. #21” Pope John Paul II used the expression of the Table of the Word and the Table of the Eucharist. The document concludes with this exhortation: “The sacred synod also earnestly and especially urges all the Christian faithful, to learn by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures the "excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:8). "For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ." Therefore, they should gladly put themselves in touch with the sacred text itself, whether it be through the liturgy, rich in the divine word, or through devotional reading. Click here to link to the document online

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Second Sunday - 2020

BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God." John 1:32-34 For more on the Baptism of the  Holy Spirit go to this  <<< LINK >>>

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Baptism of Jesus - 2020

Today is the second of the three Epiphany’s traditionally celebrated by the Church: 1st the manifestation to the Wise Men and to all the world, God with us. 2nd today’s manifestation at the Jesus’ baptism by John. 3rd manifestation of Jesus’ miraculous power at the wedding in Cana. Some years, (like last year), all three make up the three Transitional Sundays from Christmas to Ordinary Time followed then by its 34 remaining Sundays of the year. Today its Matthew’s gospel that brings us to the Jordon river and Jesus’ baptism to behold this great Epiphany: And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." Mtt. 3:16-17 Not only is this a glorious manifestation of Jesus’ sharing in God’s life, but it gives us insight into what Christian baptism and our baptism really means. By our baptism we are destined to a sharing in this same glory. However, like all key insights our understanding first begins in the Old Testament – specifically those accounts of passing through the barriers of the great seas/rivers – Red Sea lead by Moses and Jordan River lead by Joshua. These great bodies of water are preventing God’s people from entering into Promised land – their destiny planned by God for them. But the hand of God reaches down and parts the seas so the people can pass over on dry land into the promised land. Similarly, what prevents us from entering our destiny, our promised land is the great “sea of sin”. This is why Jesus has come into the world, he alone can overcome this impenetrable barrier holding us back. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sin the sea of sin is parted. Original sin has caused us all to be born into this world on the wrong side of the sea. In baptism Jesus parts the sea so that we pass through the waters and are born again on the other side, free now to follow Jesus who will lead us home. The Christian Life begins when we are born again through the waters of baptism. Now sin and the Devil is not finished with us yet. Now that we are here on the other side of the great Sea of Damnation freed by the Sanctifying Grace of baptism, we must follow Jesus through the remaining days of the time allotted to us by living holy lives.  So now the journey home begins, or might we say continues. The Sundays of Ordinary Time and the gospel of Jesus will continue to part the sea of ignorance standing in our way. They will be our guiding light. Come, let us follow!

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Epiphany of the Lord Jesus Christ - 2020

I always enjoyed watching the little children visiting the Nativity scene in the church each Christmas. Their attention to the details and their innocent commentary on what they were seeing was both delightful and interesting. Yet do we not remember this verse in Luke’s gospel: At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. Lk 10:21 The word “epiphany”, means a manifestation, a showing forth, something seen and recognized, the beginning of understanding; we say, “ah, now I see, now I understand!” And what is being made manifest here is nothing less than God, our God made visible. Recall Jesus’ words to Philip: “… anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Jo.14:9. In John’s gospel, we are actually given three epiphanies, three manifestations to ponder. The first epiphany is the birth of Jesus, with the three Wise men representing all nations and peoples coming to see. The second, the proclamation from heaven at Jesus' baptism by John. The third manifestation seen in the first miracle of Jesus, the changing of water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana. The church takes us back to these first three epiphanies to get us started in a new year of grace. But now it is for us to have our own epiphanies. This starts when we start, when we too go in search of Him. That “searching is non-other than our personal prayer life. Without this practice of prayer, we will remain in the dark, simply guessing about God. Recall again Jesus’ words to Philip: “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Lk 10:22 The Christmas season in the Church is not simply meant to be a sentimental trip down memory lane. It is a serious time, of highest importance. It is a new gift of the Lord’s presence – “really” a new gift of time and opportunity to become evermore attached to Jesus, to deepen our spiritual life. The Christmas lights will soon be turned off. The real question put before us today, as this age we are living in seems more and more to be turning off the light faith what about us – will the light of faith in ours lives shine ever brighter?

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Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God - New Year 2020

Today is the octave day of Christmas, that is the eighth day since the feast of the Nativity of Jesus. It is the oldest feast honoring Mary. The gospel passage for this feast is same as the Christmas Mass at Dawn, which tells of the visit of the shepherds to Mary's new born son, Jesus. For this feast, the verses telling of Jesus being brought to the temple on the eighth day to be circumcised and given the name Jesus is added. Until recently, this day was called the feast of the Circumcision of Jesus. Today the focus for this feast is on Mary as Mother of God, and has the  importance of solemnity. In the first centuries, the Church struggled with the question of the true nature of Jesus. Was he merely a man, albeit, the greatest of all the prophets that God had raised up. Or was he much more, indeed, did he share in the very divinity of God? The Council of Ephesus in AD 431, declared that the Son was true God, co-eternal with the Father and begotten from His same substance, arguing that such a doctrine best codified the Scriptural presentation of the Son as well as traditional Christian belief about him handed down from the Apostles. This belief was expressed by the bishops in the Creed of Nicaea, which would form the basis of what has since been known as the Nicene Creed. The Church quickly realized that since Jesus is both man and God, and since Mary in her womb and gave birth to Jesus, it is right to call her, Mother of God - Theotokos - the womb that held within it the one who is both human and divine. This is a great mystery of faith. In the 2nd Reading, Paul sees in this mystery God's wonderful plan for our humanity. Jesus came from the divine to enter into our lowly humanity. He leads us back through our communion in his humanity to share in his divinity. So in baptism, we mere humans are born again and now we share in the divinity of Jesus. By our rebirth in Jesus, it is right to speak of Mary, mother of Jesus, as our mother as well. As we begin a new calendar year - which reminds us that we are moving ever closer to our ultimate destiny, let us keep these things foremost in our thoughts: Jesus the son of God is our brother, dear to us as we are to him. That Mary is our heavenly mother, caring for us with the love and protection of a devoted and loving Mother. Think of ourselves, not as some weak and failing piece of humanity, headed for the grave, but as a royal child of God the FATHER, beloved as Jesus is loved, protected in the arms of Mary our mother, destined to live in this family for all eternity.

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