repent

Jesus is coming, let us prepare.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee… (Lk 3:1).

This may be an odd verse to focus on in Advent, or anytime when sharing a reflection, but there is a point to this historical tidbit of information offered by Luke. Jesus, the Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, was born in time, and in a place. The gospels are not myths, they are not fairy tales, nor are they works of historical fiction. Luke’s account would fall better into the genre of Greco-Roman history, although, the gospels have their own unique expression as a genre. The gospel writers were interested in the historical Jesus, but they were more than mere biographies. Their primary focus was to present theological insights that help us to understand who Jesus is and his teachings that we can put into practice, but not that, but to also come to know him in our time and place, and be transformed by him and his love for us.

The Son of God was obedient to his Father and was willing to be sent to become a human being conceived in the womb of Mary.  This truth has relevance to us because it means that Jesus experienced what we experience as human beings. From the moment of his conception and moving forward, through his birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and continuing today, he experienced and experiences what we experience as humans, even temptation although he never sinned.

In Luke’s presentation and setting the stage for Jesus’ birth, he shared a shady cast of characters: Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Annas, and Caiaphas to name a few. Although lost on most of us today, these political and religious leaders were not known for their virtuous living. Yet those in the time of Luke’s writing would have recognized that they were examples of human depravity. Jesus was born in a time and a place of darkness. He was and continues to be the Light of God who has come into the darkness of the fallen human condition.

To prepare the people for this coming, Luke presents the preaching of John the Baptist. Though the son of the priest, Zechariah, John rejected the political and religious status quo. He did not preach in Jerusalem nor the Temple, but in the wilderness. His message to “Prepare the way of the Lord” was a call in unison with Baruch from our first reading.

Baruch, the secretary of the prophet Jeremiah, shared God’s promise in which Jerusalem was invited to, “stand upon the heights; look to the east and see your children gathered from the east and the west at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that they are remembered by God” (Baruch 5:5). The children who are to rejoice were those scattered children of Israel. The northern ten tribes of Israel who were first exiled by the army of Assyria in 722 BC, and the greater majority who never would return. Also, in 587 BC, the remaining tribes of Judah and Benjamin were defeated and their majority exiled to Babylon. Jerusalem and the Temple was destroyed. Baruch’s promise offered hope for that time when the twelve tribes that were exiled and scattered would be reunited and return from the east and the west.

John the Baptist came to announce that time. The messiah was at hand. The ancestors of those who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile, were waiting for the coming of the fulfillment of the promise of the prophets, and John the Baptist was telling them that this long awaited time was upon them. John was telling them to get ready, to “Prepare the way of the Lord.” Jesus is coming.

This is the first coming of Jesus we prepare to celebrate at Christmas. Each Advent is a time for us to prepare not only to celebrate Christmas, to remember Emmanuel, God with us, but to prepare for his second coming or our personal judgment when our time on this earth this side of heaven is coming to an end. Whichever comes first, either reality is time, not for sorrow, but instead for joy.

This is the joy that St. Paul encourages the Philippians to experience and we can as well. “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete if until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6). May we rest in the same confidence, that as we repent, trust in God, and put into practice his teachings that we will be ready to experience Jesus coming into our lives each day and he will work through us to bring about our salvation and those he calls us to serve.

Luke invites us to look back on this time when a world in darkness waited with bated breath for the Light to come to set things right. To bring proper order back to the political and religious state of affairs. Luke offers us, through the words of John the opportunity to ponder the meaning of what it means for us to “Prepare the way of the Lord”. We make a way for the Lord, when we open our minds and hearts to him, so that we might believe more and more each day, not only that Jesus came to us as our savior, but that he is with us and we can receive his love with each breath we take, and we will be prepared for when he comes again, each day, at the end of time, and when it is our time to go home.

Photo: Rosary walk back in mid October.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, December 8, 2024

Are we willing to see Jesus and see others as Jesus sees them?

Yet again, as in the Gospel from yesterday, the crowd gets in the way of someone seeking access to Jesus. The wall of people that has gathered around Jesus does not appear to be overtly keeping Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus. They may be so focused on seeing him themselves that they are not aware. Yet, there is also the strong possibility that the people were aware that this man was trying to get through. They knew Zacchaeus, and many judged him to be the sinner of sinners.

He was the chief tax collector of the area and he was most likely reviled by most in his community. He would have also likely considered to be unclean because he was breaking the commandment of not stealing, which he and the majority of the tax collectors did at the time. Each was the chief tax collector who was then also dealing with the Gentile occupiers. It is likely that each time Zacchaeus attempted to nudge by to get through a gap to get a better look, the individuals may have closed any gap each time such that he could not get through.

Zacchaeus was not thwarted. He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree. From his perch he was not only able to see Jesus, but Jesus saw him and said, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house” (Lk 19:5). Jesus did not see a tax collector or a sinner, he saw a seeker. One who was also willing to humble himself by climbing a tree, much like a child.

Jesus did not see the 99% nor the 1%. Jesus saw and sees people in need of compassion and mercy. He sees those lost that need to be found, those sick in need of healing, those alone who sought to belong. Jesus did not meet Zacchaeus with judgment but with love and compassion, and that made all the difference for this man’s conversion.

Jesus was willing to draw close to the one so many despised. By inviting himself to dine with Zacchaeus in his own home, Zacchaeus must have felt overwhelmed with emotion. Maybe for the first time in his life, he felt welcome instead of disdain. He repented without hesitation to the unconditional invitation and love he had received: “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over” (LK 19:8).

This expressive act of generosity arose from his encounter with Jesus. This exchange offers the invitation for us also to receive Jesus in the same way and the invitation to greet others more openly as well. One way to do so is to resist the temptation to “grumble”, to gossip, to pre-judge, and/or to dehumanize one another. Salvation came to Zacchaeus’ house in the person of his savior and in the act of his repentance.

Life is hard enough without adding more negativity. Jesus wants to dwell with us too. While at the same time, he challenges us to see beyond the exterior caricatures we project on to others, and instead invites us to seek to know the heart and character of the person. We can do so when we stop grumbling, are willing to approach others with an understanding heart and mind, and be willing to spend time to get to know one another.

Painting: Zacchaeus in the Sycamore Awaiting the Passage of Jesus by James Tissot.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, November 19, 2024

May we be willing to see and cut the ties that bind.

“Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.” (Mt 11:20).

Anyone who encounters Jesus is invited to change. Jesus shines the light of his love and mercy into the darkness of our own fallen nature, where we are wounded, sinful, and broken. He invites us to repentance, healing, and reconciliation. He invites us to actualize who we truly are. A wonderful invitation, but why would we turn away? The darkness may be too dark, or the light may be too bright.

Facing our own darkness and pain is not easy and can be frightening as well as intimidating. That is why we are so vulnerable to temptations, distractions, and diversions. We may not be able to sit still because we want to keep moving so as not to face our fears and the root causes of our suffering, nor let go of our false senses of security, control, and the glitter of apparent goods. We also may not be able to accept the fullness of our goodness, of who God calls us to be, and the realization of who we really are.

Jesus invites us to stop, to breathe, to enter into his stillness and silence where we can hear the word of his Father and experience the love of the Holy Spirit. In this experience of silence, we come to encounter the choice to change our hearts and minds. We are invited to repent: to turn away from and let go of that which keeps us from growing closer in our relationship with God and becoming more fully alive.

God loves us more than we can ever mess up, more than we can ever imagine, and he does not define us by our worst mistakes. Jesus’ arms are wide open to receive us in the midst of our deepest wounds, fears, pain, sin, and suffering but we must be willing to stop running and be still long enough to experience and feel his forgiving, loving, and healing embrace. At the same time, we need to be willing to accept who we truly are and called to be apart from our false self. We are often too self-critical and judgmental of ourselves which keeps us wrapped up in ourselves.

Our challenge is to accept who we are as God’s children and who he calls us to be. While at the same time, we are to surrender to Jesus and make him our Lord. All the saints have come to this same place in their encounters with Jesus. The light of Christ reveals their sin, and they see where God is calling them to go free of that which keeps them bound. And so, they begin to cut the chords and strings that bind. For a bird bound by even the smallest of strings will not be able to fly until the string is cut.

May we allow Jesus to reveal to us the chords and strings that bind us so that we can cut them and be set free from the fowler’s snare!

Photo: Moment of pause while on my Rosary walk on Veteran’s Memorial Island Sanctuary, Vero Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, July 16, 2024

The sun is setting on Lent as we begin Holy Week.

A core group within the leadership of Israel has decided. They will not deny themselves their power, prestige, and their place. They will not take up their cross and follow Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life. They will not allow the teaching and momentum of the growing number of those following Jesus to continue unchecked. As Passover drew nearer, thousands of people were coming up to Jerusalem to purify themselves for the great feast.

This meant the Romans would have many more centurions in place to keep the peace. The division and commotion that Jesus was causing could cause conflict and unrest and then swift and violent retribution from the Roman presence. The Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Council, followed the lead of the high priest, Caiaphas, who said, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish” (Jn 11:49-50). With these words, they began to plan how to put to death the carpenter of Nazareth.

With the words of Caiaphas, the sun began to set on the life of Jesus. These words affect us even today as they usher in the sunset of our Lenten observance. The gift of our liturgical readings allows us to relive the story of our faith. Lent has given us a time to reflect and to meditate upon who Jesus is. Is he just a carpenter, another teacher, a holy man from the past, or is he each of these, but someone so much more. Is he the Son of God who became one with us in his humanity so that we can become one with him in his divinity?

Do we see his teachings and life as a threat as did the Sanhedrin? Do we like our life the way it is, such that we do not want Jesus to come into our home and start turning over the tables and disrupting our order and comfort? Or do the Gospels cut us to the heart and inspire us to shake off our complacency, our indifference, our cynicism, our comfort, our routine.

Jesus evades the centurions, because his hour is not yet, but when his Father willed it, Jesus was willing to give his life, not just in an abstract way, but very personally: for each and every one of us. Does that mean anything? Jesus gave everything for us. Does this truth spark a desire to acknowledge our sins, to repent, and to begin anew? Are we willing to open our hearts and minds to his love that transforms, are we willing to spend some time in quiet and allow Jesus to speak in the silence of our hearts, are we willing to be encouraged to fast, to pray, meditate, and to be moved with compassion to help those in need?

As Holy Week begins with the Vigil Mass for Passion Sunday may we meditate on the words of Caiaphas, “consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish” (Jn 11:49-50). Caiaphas did not know that what he proclaimed would be so true, that the One, Jesus, would die, not only so the nation would not perish, but that all humanity could be saved.

Jesus died for each and every one of us that we might have life and have it to the full. As the sun sets this Saturday evening, may it not be just another rotation of the earth on its axis, but an opportunity to commit once again to die to our false selves, our egos, our self-centered postures, to be forgiven, and healed, and take up our cross and follow Jesus into Holy Week.
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Photo: From Rosary walk last fall, SVDP Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, March 23, 2022