This is What it's All About!, the Fourth Sunday of Advent–Year A

My Sisters and Brothers:

Today’s Scriptures remind us “a virgin conceived and bore son, and he was named Emmanuel” (see Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23).  The Gospel’s reference to the birth of Jesus directly quotes the Prophet Isaiah, and so we believe it was the fulfillment of God’s age-old promise to those waiting with expectant faith.

As we contemplate these scriptural passages, I believe it’s a good idea to ponder the actual situation into which Jesus was born.  Let’s recall Mary and Joseph were very poor and humble, and they hailed from Nazareth, a very small town “in the middle of nowhere.”  Let’s recall the circumstances of Mary’s pregnancy: to those who didn’t know the truth, it would have been “scandalous” (she was found “with child” before marriage and Joseph’s first inclination was to “divorce” her quietly).  Let’s recall that soon after Joseph “took Mary into his home,” they found themselves haplessly journeying to Bethlehem, and there, even though she was about to give birth, were unable to procure a decent place to stay.  Let’s recall the birth of Jesus took place in a filthy stable where animals were kept, and let’s imagine how “shameful” that must have been for his “vagrant” parents.  This child of theirs, who they named Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us,” was born into humility.

Mary and Joseph, the earthly parents of the Son of God, were poor, humble, homeless and voiceless; by all outward appearances, others certainly could have regarded them as despicable and disgraceful individuals, highly unworthy to be parents of one destined to such greatness.  And this is exactly how God the Father in heaven wanted it to be!

      

I believe all of these circumstances “set the stage” for the entire earthly ministry and mission of Jesus.  Think about it: Jesus spent most of his time reaching out to the “lowly” and to those who had no voice; he proclaimed God’s mercy and love to sinners, and to those who were otherwise disenfranchised and marginalized from society; he preached to the arrogant and self-righteous “religious leaders,” and told them they were hypocrites; he said those seeking to be Godlike would have to “become like little children,” or they would not inherit the Kingdom.  This great ministry and mission of Jesus truly began in that little town of Nazareth when “the virgin Mary responded to God’s will and thereby conceived a son.”  Because of this, and from the very first moment of the “incarnation,” we believe God became flesh within the very lives of the lowly, the humble, and the poor.  Jesus even did so until the very end of his earthly ministry, when he was absolutely humiliated by suffering a criminal’s death on a cross.  This Jesus, our Emmanuel, our God with us, has always sought out and identified with those who were and are the most “lowly” and humble among us.  And so, I believe we are called to do the same!

Today, we remember the “virgin who conceived and bore a son,” and we contemplate an earthly mission of Jesus directed toward the “lowly” and the poor.  We believe this was how our God came to live among his people!

Once again, and as faithful children of such a God, let’s commit ourselves to the ministry of forgiveness for sinners, to the work of bringing others out of misery, to the task of feeding the hungry, and to the care of healing the sick and the brokenhearted.  This way, and with our lives, we will always proclaim the Good News of God’s Kingdom to others!  My friends, this is what it’s all about! 

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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Rejoice in the Lord Always, I Say it Again, Rejoice!, the Third Sunday of Advent–Year A

My Sisters and Brothers:

The first words of the traditional “entrance antiphon” proclaimed at Mass on the Third Sunday of Advent are from St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.  He wrote: “Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again, rejoice” (see Philippians 4:4).  In Latin, this translates to “gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete,” and so, based on these words, this Sunday has always been known as “Gaudete Sunday.”

On this day, the traditional liturgical color is rose, hence the unique hue of the Advent wreath’s third candle, as well as the vestments used by the ministers.  The words of St. Paul in the antiphon, and the color rose, are meant to emphasize our heightened sense of JOY during these ebbing days of Advent, and as we come closer to the celebration of Christmas.  This is completely based on the experience of knowing the presence of the Lord is at hand, and this reality causes us to rejoice!  “I say it again, rejoice!”

In today’s first reading, the Prophet Isaiah described the day of the Lord’s coming; he spoke of this same joy when he wrote “in those days the desert and the parched land will exult, the steppe will rejoice and bloom, they will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song” (see Isaiah 35:1-2a).  And on that day of rejoicing, he also prophesied that “the eyes of the blind would be opened, and the ears of the deaf would be cleared . . . then the lame would leap like stags, and the tongues of mutes would sing” (see verses 5-6a).

These joyful words form a kind of prologue to those of Jesus found in today’s passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew.  In it, the emissaries of John the Baptist questioned Jesus about whom he truly was.  And then echoing the words of Isaiah, Jesus told them: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (see Matthew 11:4-5).  We can only imagine how overjoyed they must have been upon learning the anticipated day had come, and that Jesus truly was the long awaited Messiah.

Yet because we know “the rest of the story,” surely our joy is even greater than what was experienced by the followers of John the Baptist.  We already know what the Lord has done for us in this life, and what he promised as we now anticipate our own future glory.  We know Jesus worked wonders upon the earth, and we know he came to serve humanity and to raise the lowly to high places!  We know he sacrificed himself completely for us when he died on the cross; we know he rose from the dead; we know he saved us, and we know he promised us joy forever with the Father in heaven.  We also know we share in the mission of Jesus Christ as ambassadors of God’s love on this earth.

Therefore, on this Third Sunday of Advent, and with all of these things in mind, we rejoice again with even more enthusiasm than those disciples of John.  But even more specifically, we rejoice today because we anticipate the second coming of Jesus, and we believe the hour of his return is close at hand!

    

My friends, as we joyfully light the rose-colored candle of our wreath, let’s celebrate with enthusiasm the promised return of Jesus the Lord!  And so today, as we anticipate the finale of Advent, and the coming of Christmas, let’s once more recall St. Paul’s words: “Rejoice in the Lord always!”  Yes, Jesus is coming, so let’s say it again: “REJOICE!”

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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Reform, the Reign of God is at Hand!, the Second Sunday of Advent–Year A

My Sisters and Brothers:

The message and the mission of John the Baptist are always highlighted on both the Second and the Third Sundays of Advent.  As the one chosen to announce the coming of Jesus, John warned the people they would need to change their lives in order to be prepared.  And so he proclaimed: “Reform your lives! The reign of God is at hand!” (see Matthew 3:2). 

John then invited the people to receive very visible and public baptisms of water, but he made it very clear such baptisms were meaningless without true inner conversion.  He therefore told those seeking baptism they would need “to produce good fruit as evidence of their repentance” (see verse eight). 

This admonition was particularly addressed to those Pharisees and Sadducees who had come to him for baptism, but who actually didn’t have genuine faith in their hearts.  As Jesus would later do, John severely criticized such “religious people” who usually piously feigned devotion to God, but in fact had little or no true faith at all.  John sternly rebuked such people as hypocrites, and he called them a “brood of vipers” (see verse seven). 

Anyone could receive baptism, but the truly reformed would demonstrate their faith by the manner in which they lived their lives.  The others, John very grimly proclaimed, would be “burned with unquenchable fire” (see verse twelve).  As we once again journey through the season of Advent, and this renewed time of preparation, it might be wise for us to give special attention to these warnings!

And so, with the admonitions of John the Baptist in mind, we may wish to ask ourselves the following questions:  (1) Does the Scriptural call to authenticity give us reason to be repentant during this season of Advent?  (2)  Do we have “external religion,” like many of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but little or no internal faith?  (3)  Do our “religious actions” come from our hearts, and are they truly meaningful?  (4)  Do we come to church every Sunday, profess ourselves to be Christians, but actually fail to practice true love for others, especially for those who are “different?”  (5)  Do we publicly pray the Our Father, but privately refuse to forgive the faults of those who have wronged us?  (6)  Do we tell others we are Christians, but then fail to live as true disciples of Jesus?  Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, as I’m sure each of us could come up with many more related questions.  So then, let’s do just that as we seek to ready ourselves for the coming of the Lord; let’s realistically examine our consciences during this sacred time of renewal and preparation!

 

As we continue to reform our lives and to prepare for the coming of God’s reign, let’s once again heed the words of John the Baptist.  Let’s make any necessary changes in our lives, and let’s make ourselves completely ready for that “New Day” when “old and malevolent ways of doing things and of being” will forever pass away.  Unlike those hypocritical “religious people” of old, such as many of those Pharisees and the Sadducees, may we always strive to have genuine faith in our hearts! 

And as those who have been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, may our visible and public acts of devotion always be authentic reflections of who we truly are!  My friends, the reign of God is at hand.  Let’s live accordingly! 

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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