The disciples who asked the question, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” (Mt 17:10) were Peter, James, and John, who had just witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus. They were walking down from the Mount of Transfiguration, tradition identifying this mountain as Mt. Tabor, and the context of the question had to do with, Moses and Elijah, who they saw with Jesus as he revealed his divinity.

As the disciples were attempting to digest this Mystery of the Transfiguration that they just witnessed, they were drawing back to what they knew, the interpretations of the scribes. Most likely what they were referring to were the accounts in the Books of Sirach and Malachi. In Sirach 48:10 we too can read that, “You [Elijah] are destined, it is written, in times to come to put an end to the wrath before the day of the Lord, to turn back the hearts of the fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.” In the last chapter of the Book of Malachi, which is incidentally the last lines of the Christian Old Testament ordering of the canon, are the words: “Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I enjoined upon him on Horeb, the Statutes and ordinances for all Israel. Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and terrible day” (3:22-23).

Moses in this encounter represents the Torah, the Law or Teachings, and Elijah represents the line of prophets. Elijah also, as we can read in 2 Kings 2:11, was taken up by God into heaven, amid “a flaming chariot and flaming horses… and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind”, and, it was believed, as we can see in the above accounts, that he was to return again at the appointed time when the Messiah would come. Jesus clarified for his disciples that John was indeed the new Elijah. In the revealing of his divinity to Peter, James, and John, Jesus showed that he was the fulfillment of the salvific paths forged by Moses, Elijah, the line of prophets, and John the Baptist.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets, and he is our fulfillment as well. We, like John the Baptist, are invited to prepare the Way of the Lord in our hearts and minds, to become less so that he can become more, as well as to prepare the way for others.

When I first returned to church in my late teens, I went to a Congregational Church that was in walking distance. At the end of that first service I attended, the interim pastor made an appeal for Sunday School teachers. One of the things he said was that we do not know who Jesus’ Sunday School teacher was and he referenced that we could be teaching Jesus and not be aware.

We were not to take him literally, but his point was that we had the responsibility to continue to pass on the Greatest Story ever told. Also, his appeal was an avenue for the Holy Spirit to speak through him to me, and although I refused the invitation the first week, I returned and accepted the invitation the following week. Jesus is inviting you to go into the deep this Advent as well. Trust his invitation. My yes to teaching Sunday School, not knowing the first thing about what I was doing, would eventually, through many twists and turns lead me back home to the Catholic Church, to becoming a teacher, a deacon, and me writing you today and continuing to share the message of the Gospel: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15).

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Photo: My first experience teaching Sunday School – almost the same fate as John the Baptist!

Link for today’s Mass readings, Saturday, December 16, 2017:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121617.cfm

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 his fasting and asceticism and they also criticized Jesus as a glutton and a drunkard for his table fellowship with all who were willing.

I speculate that Jesus was talking to his detractors as well as his disciples. He encouraged his followers to be wary not to wallow in the mud of fickleness, but also to be clear that their preaching and teaching was to be based on being a dispenser of his truth and the will of his Father and not 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, then in the next.

May we pray for open hearts and minds eager and willing to hear the word of God and the courage to act upon his leading in our everyday circumstances. The goal sounds easy, but is so challenging. The first part is being able to quiet our minds sufficiently enough so that we can even hear his word, and then be willing to develop the discernment to recognize the difference between his voice, our own, or another. Also, we need to be aware that God speaks to us in so many ways; directly in the silence of the heart, through others, spiritual direction, small groups, fellowship, through the Bible, which means we need to be reading or listening to it, through the teachings and Tradition of our faith, through creation, really any way is possible for God to communicate with us.

Once we believe we are clear with his direction then we are to step out in faith and put his guidance into practice remembering the fickleness we are about to encounter. We are not to seek to impress, but to express. We are to resist seeking adulation and acclaim, but with a firm intent seek to lead others to Christ. We are to resist moralizing and condemning, and instead meet people where they are at accompany them. More times than not we may not know if what we are being moved to do is coming from God. When led to move, we seek support and confirmation from Scripture and Tradition, others who are wise and practiced in following God, reassess our intention and goal, and then go. 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 knowing the voice of  God.

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. Jesus has offered his hand to lead us. Just as in learning to walk, our beginning attempts more often than not ended up with us sitting on the floor or ground looking up, soon with practice, gaining strength, balance, adjustments, and corrections, we began to gain confidence and the ability to move forward upright, step by wobbly step. So it is in the spiritual life. If we are not moving ahead we are falling behind. To risk to love, to show mercy, to be convicting with the truth, to walk with Jesus, follow the will of his Father, is worth it. We just need to begin, one step at a time, hand in hand with Jesus and each other.

Photo: Day of installation as Lector with my classmates Pete and Hank.

“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.

Link for today’s Mass readings for Friday, December 15, 2017:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121517.cfm

“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 shares 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 they preached to, to recognize how they had turned away from God and needed to turn back to him. This is a key invitation for us to 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). His 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 because 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 an new life and are incorporated into his Mystical Body. We are one with him.

Because of the very reality of our baptism, we, in participation with Jesus, are 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, 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 until natural death. We are to be servant kings, resisting the temptation to seek our own power, glory, fame, and riches, and instead surrendering ourselves to the will of our Father, and like his Son washing the feet of those in need, meaning there is no service of our brothers or sisters that we ought to feel is beneath us in reaching out to love, 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. May we go forth into this day and each day loving one another as Jesus loves us, with an all embracing, unconditional love!

Photo: Advent wreath in main sanctuary at St Peter Catholic Church

Link for today’s Mass readings for Thursday, December 14, 2017:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121417.cfm

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 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 take and correct. 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, too or three jobs, just to get by. How about family care issues which 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 head as the temperatures fall. There are those who 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 for a myriad of swirling reasons? Concerns about our family, community, country, and world are a burden that many are carrying. 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, breath. Notice your shoulders coming out of your ears. Embrace the invitation of Jesus and rest in him. I guarantee being still with Jesus is even better than a Calgon bath. 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, again head to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus will forgive you and bring you a lightness, a new beginning! Jesus invites us to return to him, to share in his divinity, for he is the source of our true joy and fulfillment, what we have been created for.

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, that person needs to realize that he or she needs to step back, stop for a time to take a rest and sharpen their axe. With a little rest, renewal, and a sharpened blade, the job can accomplished in half the time.

We need to do the same daily. We need to resist just putting our head down and forging ahead with blinders on, following our own ego. We need to 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. With Jesus, as he carries the burden with us, we can work smarter instead of harder, follow his will and not our own. Developing a pattern and place of trust and hope in him, seeking his guidance and direction, we will renew our strength and soar as with eagle’s wings; we will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint (cf. Isaiah 40:31)! Take Jesus’ hand this Advent and soar!

Hanukkah began last night at sundown. May we pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters that God may bless them richly during this holy time with their families.

If you happen to be in the Jupiter area today, Wednesday, December 13, we will be having priests available at our parish at 9:00 am to hear private confessions and also two communal penance services at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Both services will be held in the main sanctuary. St. Peter Catholic Church is located on 1701 Indian Creek Parkway, Jupiter, FL 33458. If you are reading this from 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: My axe, which you can see is in some desperate need of sharpening!

Link for today’s Mass readings for Wednesday, December 13, 2017:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121317.cfm

“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? Take a moment to stop reading and recall, or if you aren’t wired that way, read on to the end, and then when you get a moment sometime today, go ahead and remember something awesome! May the smile and glow that radiated from your eyes then return when you reexperience that moment of remembrance.

One such graced encounter I had was when I was in my early twenties and dealing with a heavy weight. 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.

Often, I do not have that emotional of an experience, in fact, there have been times I have not felt anything emotionally. The last two or three times I have gone to confession, I have felt a measure of peace and confidence. My goal in writing today and the last two reflections, if you haven’t noticed already, is to share with you there is a pearl of great price that is available in this sacrament! (I was in so much haste, that those who subscribe to receive my reflections via email, received two postings, as I accidently hit post instead of preview for my draft, so they got a double dose of yesterday’s message.)

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, but 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 sign up to do that for us. Instead may we choose to practice a healthy sense of guilt, examining our conscience, knowing, and being 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 confess our sin, so to receive forgiveness and grace, to go and sin no more! For those who are non Catholic, 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!

If you happen to be in the Jupiter area tomorrow, Wednesday, December 13, we will be having priests available at 9:00 am to hear private confessions and also two communal penance services at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Both services will be held in the main sanctuary. St. Peter Catholic Church is located on 1701 Indian Creek Parkway, Jupiter, FL 33458. If you are reading this from 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 hearing confession, credit for the photo:

l’osservatore romano press pool

Link for today’s reading for Tuesday, December, 12, 2017:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121217.cfm

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 a recurring sin, that you just can’t seem to get past?

If you have experienced any or many 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 has helped the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. Could he receive a 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. They bothered to care, they made the time, carried him on his bed, 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, someone of the five, maybe even the man himself, was able to think outside of the box.

Somehow they were able to maneuver the man, still on his bed, up to the roof, remove some tiles, and let him down into the midst 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 received, that his sins have been forgiven, the scribes and Pharisees challenged Jesus’ words, accusing him of blasphemy for 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 his sins. We can beat ourselves up pretty bad, 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 pericope to meditate on. It is a good meditation to use for an examination of conscience. 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 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 that one sin that just has us stuck, the one person we are unwilling to forgive, that attachment we cling to, that addiction we are bound by?

I invite you to come 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 others that say to you or you may say to yourself, I do not need to go to a priest, I can just go to God. This is true you can, and a daily practice of examining your conscience and doing that is a wonderful spiritual discipline I would encourage you to continue! You may not have been to church in years.

I still 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 we will do so as the priest says: “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 those words that is healing. Just as the man heard those words from Jesus and left praising God, so too may we come to Jesus so that we may also encounter his mercy, as did the paralyzed man, to leave healed, filled with joy, and praising God!

If you happen to be in the Jupiter area, Wednesday, December 13, we will be having priests available at 9:00 am to hear your confessions and also two communal penance services at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Both services will be held in the main sanctuary. St. Peter Catholic Church is located on 1701 Indian Creek Parkway, Jupiter, FL 33458. If you are reading this from 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 where I accessed it from:

http://thecatholiccatalogue.com/in-surprise-appearance-pope-francis-hears-confessions-of-teens-in-vatican-square/

Link for Mass readings from today:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121117.cfm

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, while at the same time, 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 his ministry as 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 13, we will be having a communal penance service 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 the confession of youths at St Peter’s square. Link for photo and article: https://www.tvm.com.mt/en/news/pope-hears-confession-of-youths-during-surprise-appearance-at-st-peters-square/

Link for today’s Mass readings:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121017.cfm

Taking a moment to pause, to observe those around us is important to do. We need to take a breathe more often than not. The Gospels offer examples of Mary and Jesus observing and meditating on what they observe. I imagine that Jesus learned this trait from his mother as he witnessed her reflecting and pondering from time to time. Luke records how Jesus was fully engaged in his ministry, going from town to town, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, teaching, and curing those with diseases and illnesses.

Then there is a moment of stopping as he observes the “the crowds”. Imagine the scene of all those milling about, all the hustle and bustle of those gathering to get closer to hear or to be touched by Jesus. Some of the interactions I am sure were less than kind or cordial. Yet, as if we were viewing the scene from just behind Jesus, there is a stillness, a calm, and the noise and jostling are muted. He sees not just a mass of humanity, but many people, individual human beings in need. He may see a child crying, a couple of men carrying  someone who is not able to stand on his own, others arguing, as others shove at each other. In that moment of pondering, “his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:36).

Taking a moment to step back, to breathe, to observe, is one of the gifts of the seasons of Advent and Lent. It is an opportunity to retreat, to stop the madness, just for a bit. When we do so we can start to see a little clearer, we can hear our own heart beat, we can see the need in others that Jesus saw, and hopefully our hearts will also be moved with compassion for others.

My hope is that this Advent our hearts can be softened and moved with empathy toward the too many women who have had to endure layers and levels of harassment, abuse, molestation, and rape. As Pope Francis wrote: “If we are truly merciful, we need to care for others as our own. We need to be compassionate guides to help bring about healing and reconciliation” (McCann, 27). It is time for us to be compassionate guides so that women may continue to have courage to come forward to share their stories, with those that they can trust, and publically as they are able. May we be willing to listen and accompany those who come to us, and assist in seeking the proper support when more help is needed for healing. May we as men take this moment to ponder our actions, to reflect on ways in which we have not respected women’s boundaries or have not stood up or spoken out, seek forgiveness, and to listen and not be defensive, to be part of the healing and change that is sorely needed.

Jesus is our shepherd in this. He saw women as human beings with dignity. He stood up for the woman who was brought to him accused of adultery, he spoke to the Canaanite woman at the well who from that encounter then proclaimed the Gospel to her village, and he chose to reveal himself to Mary Magdalene first upon his Resurrection, such that Mary became the Apostle to the Apostles. Jesus and his mother Mary are models for us this Advent of how to ponder, how to be still, and come to see the truth of God in the midst of our present moment, and how to be bearers of light in our present darkness.

Image of icon of Mary Magdalene, Apostle to the Apostles

McCann, Deborah. 30 Days of Reflections and Prayers: What Pope Francis Says About Mercy. New London, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 2015.

Link for today’s Mass readings:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/120917.cfm

Mary as 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 would? 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 hoped to understand, 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 the disobedience.

May we ponder Mary’s yes today and what that means for us. May we be true disciples like Mary, and resist a knee jerk reaction of rejecting outright what we do not understand and choose instead to ponder the things that are beyond the sensate realm. May we too seek understanding instead of demanding proof. This is not a practice in limiting ourselves to mere superstition but an embracing of the fullness of what it means to be human. We are physical as well as spiritual and we can come to a deeper understanding of reality, and come to experience that which is Good, Beautiful, and True, when we access, as did Mary, the fullness of our faculties as people of faith and of reason.

Photo: Grotto at Rosary Garden, St Peter Catholic Church, Jupiter, FL

Link for today’s Mass readings:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/120817.cfm

Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21).

I have written quite often, paraphrasing one of my favorite quotes from St. Irenaeus, that Jesus came to be one with us so that we can be one with him and that his invitation is for everyone! No one is excluded. You may be thinking, readying to write a response, or muttering under your breath that, “What gives then? If everyone is invited, how can Jesus say that not everyone will enter the Kingdom of heaven?”

The answer to that question is in the line that follows. The one who will enter heaven is, “the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” If you or you know of someone who might still bristle at this apparent selective choosing, then it might be helpful to understand a little about heaven, as best as we, mere mortal, finite beings, can. Heaven is not so much a place but a state of being in relation to God. Heaven is the state of being in which we are privileged to share communion, a deeper intimacy with God for all eternity. We will still not know everything about God because God is infinite and we are finite. God is without limit, we are limited. We will never exhaust our relationship, never get bored with God.

If that attempt is not helpful, maybe a more three dimensional, earthly example may be of help. If we were invited to play a sport, an instrument, or to act in a play, with the end goal being that we would play in the upcoming game, concert, or performance, we might feel pretty excited about the offer. We tell the coach, conductor, or director “Great!” In the days that follow, we do not attend any of the practices, we do not practice the skills required to play the position, instrument, or role and we don’t return any of the follow up invitations by phone, email, or text. The day of the big game, concert, or performance comes, we gather our self together and head on over to the arena or hall. We arrive to see the coach, conductor, or director but are denied entrance. “What gives? You invited me to play!” The reply is, “Not everyone who says to me coach, coach (conductor, conductor, or director, director) is ready and prepared.”

Jesus indeed invites us to be in relationship with him, yes everyone. Some say yes and some say no. Some say yes, and then don’t do anything, some say yes and do some things, some say yes and dive in. Most of us take a few steps forward and a step or two back. Just like preparing to play in the big game or perform in the big concert, or play, we need to be committed, disciplined, and persistent with our faith life. Unlike a missed opportunity to participate in a game or performance, that we can correct and make another attempt down the road, we don’t want to miss the opportunity to spend eternity with Jesus in heaven. A reading of Jesus’ interpretation of the Parable of the Sower may help here (cf. Mt 13:18-23, Mk: 4:13-20, and Lk 8:11-15).

The bottom line is that Jesus gave his life for us and through his grace we have been saved. This is a free gift, we haven’t nor can we earn it. Yet our time here on earth is time we are given to work out our salvation and be about building a relationship with Jesus so that we can come to know his Father as he does. From a place of relationship we can then come to know his will. Coming to know God’s will means coming to know his voice. This comes through prayer, spending time in his word, spending time in worship and fellowship at least weekly, being open to be led by the Holy Spirit to step out of our comfort zone and reach out to others in an act of service for another’s sake and not just our own. For we are here not only to actualize the grace we have been given for our salvation, we are to help others to do the same.

Photo: From hike along the Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts sometime in the 80’s.

Link for today’s Mass reading:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/120717.cfm