“…you did not later change your minds and believe him” (Mt 21:32).

Jesus again is challenging those in the religious establishment of his time that refused to see what was right before their eyes. That John the Baptist was moving the hearts and mind of the people to prepare the way for the Lord, that through the healings of Jesus, the blind could now see, the deaf could now hear the lame could walk, lepers were healed, demons were exercised, and people’s sins were forgiven.

Jesus’ parable clearly shows that those in authority were like the son who heard the will of their father, said yes to his request but did not in the end follow the father’s will. The other son represented those on the peripheries, those looking in from the outside of society. They too were invited by the father to work in the vineyard. They originally said no but then would repent and come to their senses and follow the will of their father.

The religious rulers Jesus was challenging were most likely fervent in their faith and zeal to serve God when they first said yes to his call and then over time, something happened. We could speculate but we cannot say for sure what. Most likely it was different for each one. What is revealed in the Gospel accounts is that those leaders refusing to see Jesus for who he was were no longer saying yes to the Father.

Pope Francis has been expressing the same radical message of the Gospel in his challenge for the Church leadership to repent. There is to be a wholehearted yes to the will of God. To say yes, there needs to be a no to abuse, clericalism, hypocrisy, elitism, sexism, racism, entitlement, corruption, and the like. Those who are leaders of the Church are to be shepherds who smell like their sheep.

The message of the Gospel is about relationship not lordship over another. There is one Lord, Jesus the Christ. We are to be like him and serve one another, accompany and empower one another. That means we need to be aware of each other’s needs, then pray for and assist each other where we are able. To be there for one another we need to resist the temptations of complacency, comfort, and indifference.

Pope Francis does not just challenge the leadership but us as well. Advent is the time for us to look in the mirror and with humility see where and when we are saying no to God. When we do so, we can then decide to turn around and change our minds like the tax collectors and the prostitutes, see Jesus present to us in each other, and be open again to allow God to happen in our lives.

Pope Francis meeting with members of the Assembly of Indigenous Peoples at the Vatican May 30, 2018. (Credit: Max Rossi/Reuters via CNS.)

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, December 15, 2020

The question raised by “the chief priests and the elders of the people” regarding what authority Jesus was teaching was not an uncommon question. Rabbis and teachers often began their presentations by sharing with their listeners who was their teacher. It would have been from the authority they received from them that they taught.

Jesus did not do so for his authority came directly from God. Those questioning Jesus knew this and wanted Jesus to say it publicly so as to charge him with blasphemy by putting himself on the same level as God. Jesus did not give them the satisfaction. Instead of answering their question, Jesus deftly asked one of his own. “Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin” (Mt: 21:24)?

The answer given by the chief priests and elders to the question posed by Jesus showed their weakness. They were the shepherds of the people of Israel, yet they would not speak the truth. Instead, they offered an answer that was calculated and weighed out by taking a quick opinion poll among themselves. Their answer was feebly, “We do not know.”

In answering this way, their authority as leaders was diminished. For if they were the religious guardians and guides, why could they not answer the simple question regarding the origin of John’s baptism?

Do we weigh out our answers based on a presumed response or do we speak the truth? We want to be liked, respected, we want to belong and to fit in, which is natural, but sometimes we feel uncomfortable speaking what we know we ought to say for fear of another’s reactions.

If we are to be people of integrity, if we are to live out our baptismal call as prophets, there will be times when we need to resist the perceived and real pressures we feel, face the conflicts that arise, and speak what we know God would have us say at the moment, especially regarding the dignity of others. As we do so, we still need to respect the person we are speaking with. Sometimes silence is called for. The key to our discernment is to follow the lead of God and not our fear.

Jesus, please forgive us for the times when we have not been honest because we have given into anxieties and fears. Help us to call on you to guide us and give us the courage and words to speak with charity no matter what pressures we face.

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Let us pray for one another that we may speak and act in each situation as God directs us. Photo credit: Jack McKee

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, December 14, 2020

“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord,'”as Isaiah the prophet said” (Jn 1:23).

These are the words that John the Baptist pronounced in response to the priests, Levites, and Pharisee’s question, “Who are you?”. John was preparing the way for the Lord, which he had been doing since his time in the womb of his mother Elizabeth. John leaped for joy at Mary’s greeting, the Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth and she proclaimed: “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (cf: Lk 1:42-45). John began his ministry rejoicing in the womb.

John continued to do so in this present scene by calling people to repentance through baptism with water so that Jesus “might be known to Israel” (Jn 1:31). John following the tradition of the prophets was calling his people back to God. Time and again, many of the people had gone astray, like lost sheep without a shepherd, and God called the prophets to rise up and speak on his behalf. John was shepherding as he preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 3:2). He was calling the people of God back into the fold. The sign the people heeded that call and were willing to repent was their willingness to submit to baptism.

Through this baptism of water, the people would readily have recognized the correlation with the freedom of their people from their time as slaves in Egypt when Moses led them through the parting of the waters of the Red Sea. Their ancestors left their old way of life of slavery under the Pharaoh behind and were invited to begin a new life. The people who responded to the call of John were called to repent, to turn their mind from their old ways of separation from God, and prepare for a new life of communion with God that would be brought on by the coming of him who “will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire” (cf. Mt 3:11).

Jesus would be he, and today we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means rejoice. We are rejoicing in the retelling of the story of our salvation. John prepared the way for Jesus to be revealed as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29). Jesus participated in the same baptism of John just as others had. Jesus showed in that act of humility how he, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14). He the Son of God became fully human to be one with us in our fallen nature of sin, he entered our humanity to walk and accompany us, to lead us. Just as Moses led the Hebrews from slavery from Egypt to a new life in the Promised Land, Jesus leads us to the Promised Land of the kingdom of Heaven.

Each time we enter the sanctuary as Catholics we dip our fingers in holy water and make the Sign of the Cross. We do so because in that simple act we remember our baptism in whose name we have been baptized: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In the Sacrament of Baptism, our sins were burned away through the transforming fire and love of the Holy Spirit. We were indelibly marked, branded by that fire, meaning our baptism cannot be undone. We were marked by Christ, conformed to, grafted to, the Body of Christ. We were changed for eternity. This means we are also able to participate in the life and love of the Trinitarian communion now. The same Love that the Father and Son share between one another who is the Holy Spirit we share in and are called to share with others.

Let us rejoice this Gaudete Sunday for the gift of our baptism, the gift of repentance, the gift of being able to recommit our lives to Jesus, to each day being able to begin our life anew in Christ. May we bring this joy that we have experienced to all we meet this week, to prepare a way as John did for others who are wounded and hurting that they too may receive the light and life of Christ in their life.

Photo: One of the greatest joys of being a deacon is the grace to be able to administer the Sacrament of Baptism! I believe I am baptizing Connor and his baptismal garment is over 100 years old!

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, December 13, 2020

“Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste” (Lk 1:39). Why? Because she was filled with joy. She had just experienced an incredible encounter with the angel Gabriel telling her that she was to bear the “holy, Son of God” (Lk 1:35). She also learned that her relative Elizabeth, who had been barren, was six months pregnant. Who better to understand and appreciate what she had gone through than Elizabeth? When we hear good news we want to share it with someone, especially when we believe another will fully appreciate our experience.

Is there a time when you felt overjoyed about something that you felt like you were going to burst and you couldn’t wait to share your experience? A memory may have already started forming in your mind, a smile and glow may be radiating from your eyes as you re-experience that moment.

One such graced encounter I had was when I was in my early twenties and dealing with a heavy personal issue. I was living in Sharon, Connecticut at the time and had an opportunity to go to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts to participate in a penance service. I walked up hesitantly to a kind-looking, elderly, polish Marian priest. His name alludes me now, but not his face. He radiated invitation and mercy. After a few stammering words, I let loose and shared what I had been dealing with. When he offered absolution, I felt the burden physically lift, I felt almost like levitating. Then a surge of joy welled up in me that lasted for days.

There is a great gift in sharing a burden with a trusted friend or family member, being heard and supported, and/or receiving absolution from a priest. We need to resist the temptation of turning within ourselves, trusting in the lie that we can handle our conflicts, challenges, and trials all on our own. There is a pearl of great price, God’s healing grace, that is available to us when we share our journeys with one another. In this way, we come to realize concretely that we do not have to go through our pain and suffering alone!

Many of us are struggling with a lot, and sometimes we are not at our best, nor do we make our best decisions. We react instead of act, we get caught in the momentum of behavior that we know is not acceptable, and we continue to slide. The key is not to beat ourselves up and walk around feeling guilty. There are enough people who would be happy to sign up to do that. Instead, we need to choose to practice a healthy sense of guilt, examine our conscience, be mindful, and able to admit when we have done something inappropriate or wrong.

That is the key to reconciliation, embracing the humility to admit our sin, to be contrite – sorry for what we have done, not upset or defensive because we got caught, and to follow the counsel of James: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). Then when we have experienced the joy of forgiveness, of reconciliation, may we be like Mary, and go in haste to share with others the wonderful gift we have received and invite them to do the same!

Photo: “Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms?” – Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego. Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for us!

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, December 12, 2020

Jesus compared “this generation” to children who could not be satisfied. For when the flute was played for them they did not dance, when the dirge was played they did not mourn. There was no pleasing them no matter what. Jesus drew the parallel to the present bystanders who acted as fickle as the children. They criticized John as being possessed for practicing fasting and asceticism. They then accused Jesus of being a glutton and a drunkard because his choice of companions for table fellowship.

In today’s Gospel account, Jesus could have been addressing his detractors as well as his disciples. He encouraged his followers to be wary of wallowing in the mud of fickleness. He also wanted them to be sure that they were authentic dispensers of his truth and the will of his Father no matter the reaction of the people, for “wisdom is vindicated by her works” (Mt 11:19). Just as Jesus taught that false prophets would be revealed over time by their fruits (cf. Mt 7:16), so those who were true to his teachings would be vindicated, if not fully in this life, certainly then in the next.

Pope Francis said that “The first thing for a disciple is to be with the Master, to listen to him and learn from him” (Francis 2014, 15). May we pray for open hearts and minds eager and willing to hear the word of Jesus our Master and the courage to act upon his leading in our everyday circumstances. To do so, we must first slow down our pace and quiet our minds sufficiently enough so that we can even hear his word. We also need to discern the difference between his voice, our own, and the many other distractions, diversions, and temptations we hear. God himself speaks to us in so many ways; directly in the silence of the heart, through others, spiritual direction, small groups, fellowship, through the Bible, as well as our culture, and influences, as well as through his creation.

More often than not, we may not definitively know if what we hear and how we are being moved is coming from God. Yet, remaining paralyzed and doing nothing is not an option. We can find support and confirmation from Scripture and Tradition, others who are wise and practiced in following God, then we can reassess our guidance and then act. If we are wrong, we learn from our mistakes and begin again. If we are on the mark, this helps us to build our confidence in recognizing God’s voice. What we do not want to do is remain indecisive out of fear or anxiety, from the perceived reaction that will come. Nor do we want to remain indifferent to action.

Another important step in discipleship is that we are not to seek to impress, but to express. Adulation and acclaim for ourselves are not what we are about. Our firm intent is to become less so that Christ becomes more. We are also to resist moralizing and condemning others and instead be willing to meet people where they are, accompany and break open the word in practical ways so they see the benefits of having God in their lives. The invitation and life of a disciple of Jesus is not an easy one. Will we follow?

We need not be afraid that we don’t have what it takes, because we don’t at the start. Just as in learning to walk, our beginning attempts more often than not ended with a thud and us sitting on the floor or ground looking up. Yet, we got up, and with continued practice, we gained strength, balance, made corrections, and so began to gain confidence and the ability to move forward upright, step by wobbly step. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. put it more eloquently when he spoke to students at Spelman College in April of 1960. “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” So it is in anything we do, but especially in the spiritual life. If we are not moving ahead we are falling behind.

Jesus, please help us to know you and your voice so we may follow the will of God. Grant us the courage to walk with you and to face the risk of whatever the reaction of others may be as we offer your truth with love and mercy.  Set a spark in our soul so that above all we begin, one step at a time, hand in hand with you to serve those you bring to us. Help us move forward and allow God to happen in our interactions with one another.

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Photo: Day of installation as Lector with my classmates Pete and Hank. During the service we were told: “Take this book of holy Scripture and be faithful in handing on the word of God, so that it may grow strong in the hearts of his people.” – from the Rites, Volume Two.

Francis, Pope. The Church of Mercy: A Vision for the Church. Chicago: Loyola Press, 2014.

Link for today’s Mass readings for Friday, December 11, 2020

“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” (Mt 11:11).

Jesus shared that there has been no greater than John the Baptist. John is a bridge from the Old Covenant to the New. To say that John and Jesus played significant roles in ushering in the Kingdom of heaven is an understatement. For they both preached the same message of repentance, of the need for all to recognize how they had turned away from God and needed to turn back to him. This is a key invitation for us as well during the preparatory seasons of Advent and Lent. May we have the ears to hear!

John lived a life of asceticism giving all to God, rejecting the material comforts of his time, choosing to live in the wilderness, and relying solely on the divine providence of God. He followed in the line of the prophets and he did so with full-throated confidence and fearlessness. Many were moved by his words and came to repent. John though ministered not to put himself on a pedestal, his role was to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. He was to assist in ushering in the Kingdom of heaven, he himself was not the Kingdom. As John shared, Jesus was to increase and he was to decrease (cf. Jn 3:30). John’s words of speaking truth to power also led to his martyrdom. The death of John signaled the time for Jesus’ public ministry to begin.

Jesus recognized the contribution and place of John in his Father’s plan, yet he also shared how “the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” The reason Jesus made this claim was that John’s baptism was one of repentance. The Baptism Jesus instituted was one of new life. Through our being baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we have died with Christ and have risen with him. We have been given a new life and are incorporated into his Mystical Body.

Through our Baptism, we, in participation with Jesus, become priests, prophets, and kings. As a part of the common priesthood, we are to sacrifice our time, giving of ourselves in prayer and worship; our talent, embracing the unique gifts God has given us to share; and our treasure, being good stewards of the blessings God has given.

As prophets, we are to speak the word of God, speak truth to power as John and Jesus did, we are to be the voice of the voiceless and stand for up for the human dignity of all those who are vulnerable or mistreated from the moment of conception, through each stage of life, until natural death.

We are to be servant kings, resisting the temptation to seek our own power, glory, fame, and riches, and instead surrender ourselves to the will of our Father, and like his Son wash the feet of those in need. There is no service of our brothers or sisters that we ought to feel is beneath us in reaching out in love, which is to will the good of each other.

Advent is our time to repent, to recommit, to rediscover the wonderful relationship we are invited to embrace and are called to share: The infinite divine love of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, whose name we have been baptized in. Remember why we dip our finger in the baptismal font before Mass and make the Sign of the Cross. We do so to recommit to our baptismal vows. When we do the same action when we leave, we leave as priests, prophets, and kings to go forth into our realm of influence to love one another as Jesus loves us, with an all-embracing, unconditional love!

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Photo: Baptismal font with a statue of John the Baptist, from Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, Oceanside, CA

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, December 10, 2020

Verses that we read, such as: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28) really hit the spot, they arrive at the right time. I am sure that if you are reading these words you may also welcome Jesus’ invitation. Yet what is the labor and burden that we need to rest from? If you are like me who work in education, or a student, as the final weeks of the semester come to a close, there are exams to correct and to take. Of course, those at the university level may have just finished and are feeling the relief of arriving home to embrace the rest. Others in other occupations also work long hours, and sometimes, two or three jobs, just to get by. How about overseeing the care of the home and dealing with family issues that can be enormous, especially at this time of year?

Is the burden, the weight of all that has to be done to prepare for Christmas, the decorating, putting up lights, shopping, buying presents, cooking, baking, writing and mailing Christmas cards crushing you under the weight?

Unfortunately, there are way too many who are not so much burdened by work but the lack of access to gainful or meaningful employment. They are burdened with keeping the bills paid and a roof over their heads as the temperatures fall. Some have no home or family, they are burdened with getting from day to day, seeking ways to get food, clean clothes, a place to wash and relieve themselves. Christmas cards are a distant thought. Many others are burdened and living in fear that they or their family member or members may be deported.

Speaking of fear, how many of us are burdened by fear, anxiety, stress, and strain from a myriad of swirling reasons? Concerns about our family, community, country, and the world are a burden that can weigh heavily. Advent and Christmas, even when life is more stable, are still times in which many buttons are pressed and many stressors are triggered. What is the adage that is offered when family and friends gather? Resist talking about politics, religion, and… we all can add a few others.

If you are feeling weary and worn this Advent Season, take some time to just stop and take a slow, deliberate breath. Notice your shoulders coming out of your ears. Embrace the invitation of Jesus and rest in him. Allow the burdens to come to mind, then visualize yourself giving them to Jesus, open yourself to his guidance, ask to be open to help, and seek who may be best able to assist you in any particular situation. If you are burdened by any sins, rest in Jesus and confess to him, avail yourself of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus will forgive you and bring you a lightness and fresh start!

Our God “does not faint or grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound” (Isaiah 40:28-29). We do not have to deal with anything alone. We have help and support. My friend, Pastor Jerry Scott, taught me years ago a life lesson which I still return to, more often in my fifties than in my twenties. When a person is chopping down a tree, exerting a lot of energy and effort, but finding the results insufficient, he or she needs to realize that they need to step back, take a breath, and sharpen their ax. With a little rest, renewal, and a sharpened blade, the job can be accomplished in half the time.

We need to figuratively do the same daily with each of our endeavors. We need to resist just putting our head down and plowing through with blinders on. We need to instead take some time to stop and assess from time to time what we need, where we need help, how are we truly fulfilled, and yoke ourselves to Jesus for his guidance and strength. As Jesus carries the burden with us, as we follow his will, we can work smarter instead of harder. In developing a pattern and place of trust and hope in him, seeking his guidance and direction this Advent, we will renew our strength and soar as with eagle’s wings; we will run and not grow weary, we walk and not grow faint (cf. Isaiah 40:31)!

Photo: My axe, which you can see is in some desperate need of sharpening! – literally and figuratively 😉

Link for today’s Mass readings for Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Mary, full of grace and the model of discipleship, is on display in today’s reading from Luke’s Gospel. In a mystical encounter, the angel Gabriel shared with Mary that she would bear the “Son of the Most High” (Lk 1:32). Mary heard clearly what Gabriel said though she did not fully comprehend. Who could? So Mary asked, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man” (Lk 1:34)?

This is a different question than what Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, asked of Gabriel in a similar situation: “How shall I know” (Lk 1:18)? Zechariah was looking for a sign, he sought proof. Mary, through her faith in God, sought to understand what God required of her, so she combined her faith and her reason. While she pondered Gabriel’s response, the whole of the cosmos held its breath for her response.

When Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38), a weary world, wounded by sin exhaled with relief, for the long-awaited savior could now come to redeem what had been lost. Mary, in her obedience, undid the Sin of Origin committed by Adam and Eve in their disobedience.

Mary, help us to ponder your yes, your willingness to follow the will of God and to give birth to our savior. Help us to ponder what this reality means to us and our lives. Help us to be disciples like you, resisting a knee jerk reaction of rejecting outright what we do not understand and choose instead to be open to the possibilities available to us that are beyond the realm of our senses and limitations.

May we too, like you, seek understanding instead of demanding proof. Help us to understand that this surrender is not a practice in limiting ourselves to mere superstition but an embracing of the fullness of what it means to be human, so to embrace the reality of our physical as well as our spiritual natures, and allowing ourselves to be expanded by God beyond our finite limitations.

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Photo of Mary, side altar at the Mission Dolores Cathedral, San Francisco from visit there, last year.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, December 8, 2020

Have you ever locked yourself out of your house or car? Have you ever needed to get somewhere and were stuck in traffic? Have you ever needed to mail something at the post office and when you arrived the line was already out of the door? Have you been sick and not been able to get to a doctor? Have you or are you dealing with a chronic or debilitating health condition? Are you aware of recurring sin, that you just can’t seem to get past?

If you have experienced any, many, or all of the situations above, you may have some empathy for the man in today’s Gospel of Luke who is paralyzed. Word has come to him that Jesus of Nazareth is close by. He heard that Jesus had helped the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. Could he receive healing? How though could he get to him? Somehow men came forward to bring the man, we don’t know if they were family, friends, or neighbors. In Mark’s account (cf. Mk 2:1-12) he wrote that there were four men. The key point is that they bothered to care, they made the time, carried him on a stretcher, and brought the man to Jesus.

When they arrived they could not find “a way to bring him in because of the crowds” (Lk 5:19). Unfortunately, “the crowds” could not be bothered to move, to adjust their positions, or to make a way for them to get through. We can imagine the man’s anguish. He had come this far but would be able to get no closer. Maybe some of his bearers were getting frustrated with the lack of willingness of others to make way. Yet, one of the five, maybe even the man himself, was able to think outside of the box.

They maneuvered the man, still on the stretcher, up to the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down before Jesus. Jesus witnessing their faith said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven” (Lk 5:20). Before the man could even fully take in the wonderful gift of mercy he had received, the scribes and Pharisees challenged Jesus’ words, accusing him of blasphemy. Only God could forgive sins. Jesus not missing a beat doubled down: “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”– he said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home” (Lk 5:23-24).

The man, who, with the aid of four others, met every obstacle placed before him to get to Jesus. Then he faced his last obstacle, the one that put him in this position in the first place, his sins. He was ready, willing, and able to face his sins and relinquish them in the healing words of Jesus. Just to be clear, not everyone who is dealing with a physical or chronic condition does so because of sin. This man had, for it was so deep in his being, and for how long we do not know but, he was paralyzed by them. We can beat ourselves up pretty good, and be so unforgiving of others and ourselves, that sin often has debilitating effects.

The passage regarding the Healing of the Paralytic is a wonderful account to meditate upon. I invite you to read it through a couple of times. Who do we at the moment of our reading see ourselves to be in the story? Are we one of the four men that offer help to the paralyzed man, the many onlookers in the crowd who prevent access to Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees, or are we the man paralyzed by sin? Is there something that is preventing us from getting to Jesus, is there a recurring sin that we keep repeating, are we are unwilling to forgive someone, are there particular attachments we cling to?

Let nothing prevent you from coming to Jesus. There may be those blocking access to him. You may have gone in the past to Confession and had a horrible experience with a priest who may have actually berated you, or the opposite. You may have had a sin that was totally discounted or brushed over. You may have even encountered an indifferent priest who appeared not to give you the time of day. Those are unfortunate experiences, hurtful, and inexcusable. You may have had others say to you or you may say to yourself, I do not need to go to a priest, I can just go to God. You can. The practice of examining your conscience and doing that is a wonderful spiritual discipline. I would encourage you to continue!

I also invite you to come to Jesus. He is present in the sacrament of Reconciliation as he is in all the sacraments. This is a personal encounter with Christ. As the paralyzed man needed aid getting to Jesus, so do we. The priest is a minister of God’s mercy and grace, present to us so that we can hear the words of Christ: “Your sins are forgiven” and “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” There is something about hearing these words that are freeing and healing. Just as the man heard Jesus say he was forgiven and left praising God, so too may we come to Jesus so that we may also encounter his mercy, and also leave healed, filled with joy, and praising God!

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If you happen to be in the Jupiter area this Wednesday, December 16, priests will be available to hear confession at 9 am and we will also be having a communal penance service and personal confessions at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Both services will be held in the main sanctuary. St. Peter Catholic Church is located at 1701 Indian Creek Parkway, Jupiter, FL 33458.  If you are reading this from places afar, I am sure that you can access a parish near you this Advent. If you are not Catholic, you can still reach out to God and one another!

Photo: Pope Francis giving absolution to a young teen

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, December 7, 2020

Today we begin the second week of Advent. John the Baptist, standing on the shoulders of the prophets like Isaiah, has “appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mk 1:4). People living in Jerusalem and from the whole Judean countryside came to repent of their sins. There was an authenticity that drew the people to John. He was clear and consistent with his message and he lived a life of simplicity and totality for God that backed up what he preached.

How are we doing in our life? In what ways are we living with God, spending time in prayer, in his Word, in worship, and for God by sharing our faith through service and specific ministry? In what areas are we putting other things before God? The seasons of Advent and Lent are times of invitation to reflect and examine our consciences. God has called us, as he did John the Baptist, to prepare a way for the Lord in our hearts and minds and for others by our witness.

Discernment on how he is calling us to draw closer to him in a relationship, and how and who we can reach out to is a good daily practice. He is also inviting us to be honest and humble to acknowledge those ways in which we put others and other things before him. For each of the aspects in our lives in which we can readily echo St. Paul: “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want” (Romans 7:19), and we do so with certain actions and behavior regularly, we have the opportunity to participate in the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

A gift of mercy that is much misunderstood and woefully unused. Each sin we commit does not just affect ourselves alone, but also all of humanity and creation. A sinful act ripples out like a pebble thrown in a pond and subtly touches all around us because we are all interconnected. Conversely, when we avail ourselves to the healing of reconciliation we are forgiven, we are healed, our relationship with God and one another is strengthened instead of weakened, it too ripples out and strengthens the Church. Recall those times in your life when you were estranged from someone you cared for because of a fight or something you had done that harmed the relationship. Then you recognized the hurt you caused and were truly sorry. You approached the person and apologized and they forgave you. That anxiety, angst, and sick feeling of separation in the pit of your stomach just all evaporated in the moment of embrace. Reconciliation brought healing to the relationship.

Reconciliation is a wonderful gift that we can share with one another this Advent. To take time to be still with the intent to allow the pains and hurts that are churning under the surface to bubble up and be acknowledged. May we have the humility to admit what we have done, the part we have played in causing any hurt that has contributed to any distancing of ourselves between God and one another. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a wonderful place to start. We are not confessing to the priest, we are confessing to Jesus who then absolves us from our sin through the priest.

Hearing the words that we are forgiven and absolved is a powerful counter to those wicked accusations that will arise in our minds soon after, maybe even as soon as we kneel in the pew to pray, that our sins can’t be forgiven. We can shout back with full confidence, “Get behind me Satan!” For through the love and tender mercy of God, our loving Father, we have been forgiven. Restored in our relationship with God, we can then approach one another to seek forgiveness and the embrace of reconciliation. Life is too short to hold grudges. May we relinquish our pride and ego that imprisons us, and instead invite the Love of the Holy Spirit to reign in our hearts. Let us follow the lead of Isaiah and John this Advent and “prepare the way of the Lord!”

If you happen to be in the Jupiter area this Wednesday, December 16, priests will be available to hear confession at 9 am and we will also be having a communal penance service and personal confessions at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Both services will be held in the main sanctuary. St. Peter Catholic Church is located at 1701 Indian Creek Parkway, Jupiter, FL 33458.  If you are reading this from places afar, I am sure that you can access a parish near you this Advent. If you are not Catholic, you can still reach out to God and one another!

Photo: Pope hears a woman’s confession, photo credit – Giuseppe Cacace, AFP

Link for today’s Mass readings for Sunday, December 6, 2020