LIBRARY OF HOMILIES
FROM
FATHER CHRIS
JANUARY 2000
January 1st - Mary, Mother of God (English)January 2nd - Epiphany of the Lord (English)
January 9th - Baptism of our Lord (English)
January 16 - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (English)
When I was a child I thought about today and what I would be
doing on New Year’s 2000. I realized that I would be almost 40 years
old. When you are a child that seems really old. I imagined
that there would definitely be big celebrations and that I would be part
of them. Beyond that I couldn’t imagine what else it might include.
Now that the big day is here I won’t be in some exotic place.
I won’t be bringing in the New Year in some unusual way. It will
look very much like most other years. It will be a night of excitement
followed by the activities of the day and weekend. Then, on Monday
life will be back to normal and the beginning of a New Year. When
I was younger I had no way of knowing that there would be a lot of hype
over whether computers would be able to read the proper date. As
a kid about the only thing I knew of computers was that they were on spaceships
and in universities. Who would of guessed that our lives would be
so marked by computers.
Do you wonder if Israel could have imagined what it’s future
would have looked like when they were just approaching the Promised Land?
They probably had dreams of settling down in cities and homes. They
longed to have their own farms and fields. Maybe a lot of the people
hoped that they could be safe from the weather. But could they have
imagined that they would have a king who would make them a great nation?
I wonder.
Did Mary and Joseph know what would happen to Jesus when they
brought the child to the temple for his circumcision? Could they
have imagined all the things that they would face? Could it have
ever dawned on them that Jesus would be a great prophet and a teacher?
He would bring hope to the people and yet be crucified.
I would guess that at the beginning of every year, every decade,
and certainly every century people try to imagine what life will be like
at the end of that period. Probably some of those predictions come
true. But most things that shape history are due to forces that aren’t
anticipated or planned for. At the beginning of the 20th century
America was just becoming a world power. It appeared that the century
was
going to be great. New inventions were being made every day.
The auto, telegraph, and telephone were just a few of the inventions that
would change life. Yet, who could have anticipated that the world
would be plunged into two devastating world wars? Who could have
imagined that the US would have to go through immense turmoil to right
the wrongs of slavery? In 1900 it seemed that was behind us.
I don’t know what the world will look like in 2100.
I do know that it will be different from what most people imagine today.
Whatever the next century looks like it will be filled with grace and blessing
if the Lord is kept the center of life. Israel was at it’s strongest
when God was their leader. Mary too could not have anticipated what
would happen, but we revere her today because she trusted that God would
be with her no matter what happened.
You and I are given a new opportunity of grace in this Jubilee
Year. My prayer is that we keep the Lord the center of our lives
as a church and parish. I know that if we do, God will grant us many
graces and bless us in untold ways. Amen.
Now that 1999 is past we look back on a year of incredible
wealth and prosperity in our country. Our stock markets are up by
huge amounts, inflation is very low, and virtually everyone who wants to
work can. We live in a time that most people thought impossible to
achieve just 10 or 15 years ago.
Is our nation better because of its wealth? Are we more
generous or kind? Are we willing to give more of ourselves to others?
I don’t know if we can say one way or the other whether that is so.
What I do know is that prosperity doesn’t guarantee generosity, peace,
or justice for all peoples. That always seems to be a dream unfulfilled.
Today we are offered a vision of how life could be.
The prophet Isaiah speaks of a time when all the wealthy and powerful nations
will bring their treasures to Jerusalem, not out of charity, but out of
awe. They will come to Jerusalem to see a nation so close to their
God and such a beacon that they will want to participate in that gift and
wonder. Most nations will share of their wealth when it is in their
interest to do so. It might be war or the threat of war that causes
one nation to help another. Sometimes it’s because of natural disasters
or due to extraordinary circumstances. The prophet sees a vision
of the world that is looking for hope and peace. They find that hope
realized in Israel.
The magi of the Gospel come from all the ends of the earth
to bring their gifts to the Christ-child. They fulfill the prophecy
of Isaiah. They know that this newborn king will bless them.
For many cultures, today is the traditional day of gift giving.
As the magi gave their gifts, so too do we give gifts to one another. However,
It would seem that their gifts make no sense. They gave gifts that
were not practical for a newborn baby. What does a child do with
gold, frankincense and myrrh? Recently I received an email that suggested
that if the magi had been women they would have brought diapers, baby clothes,
and formula. They would have cooked a meal and cleaned up the stable.
That seems a whole lot more practical. Yet, when we look at the gifts
of the magi, maybe they aren’t so unusual after all.
The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh are symbolic. Gold
is the symbol of one’s possessions. It represents everything that
we own or make. Frankincense is offering. It’s smoke.
So, it’s like the spirit that we can’t capture. It’s the offering
of our minds and our prayer. Myrrh is used to anoint a body for death.
It represents our life. Everything that we can do or experience in
the body is given to the Christ-child.
The magi gave theirs gifts to the child as symbols of the offering
of their lives. In the spirit of giving to one another as God’s children,
maybe we should make our gift to Him and to one another continuous throughout
the year. God’s gift of love does not last for only a few moments
in a day at a particular time of year. His love is with us always.
This year let us consider offering gifts as the magi did. Our gifts
to each other can take on a different meaning. To God we offer our
lives, our time, our talent, and our treasure. We do this in ministry,
in service to the poor, and in proclaiming justice. Gifts that we
give to one another can include love, charity, patience, kindness and honesty.
These are truly priceless gifts that will bring joy and warmth to all that
receive them in the course of this New Year.
Our giving of gifts should not just be reserved for certain days
of celebration during the year, but in the giving of ourselves to one another
throughout the year. As each of us are a gift from God, our Father,
may we share that gift of God with each other not only today, but in every
day of the celebration of our Christian lives.
Two weeks ago we celebrated Christmas. It’s hard to believe
that it was only two weeks ago, but that is all that it has been.
Today is a feast that is a transition. As you know, Jesus was born
in obscurity. That is pretty amazing! But what is even more
so is that Jesus lived for thirty years in Nazareth obedient to his parents
living as a child, then a teen, and finally as a man, like everyone else.
Then, suddenly, something happened and that all changed.
What happened? We might say it was Jesus’ baptism.
He went to the Jordan River where John was baptizing. There John
makes a confession of faith in Jesus. The heavens open up and a dove
descends with the voice of God saying, “You are my Son!”
Maybe this realization that something was different happened
before that. Could it be that Jesus went out to the desert to discern
the will of God? Maybe he had begun healing people and realized that
this would be part of his ministry. Because he needed to know, he
seeks the advice of John at the River. There he discerns what God
is calling him to.
It could have happened after his baptism. In Luke’s
Gospel Jesus comes to his hometown and on the Sabbath goes to the synagogue.
He is asked to read from Isaiah and comment on it. Jesus chooses
the passage we heard today. It is a passage proclaiming that God
would anoint His Messiah to proclaim Jubilee. There would be healing
for the blind and lame, liberty to captives, and justice for the poor.
Jesus reads this passage and knows from the depths of his being that He
is the one to bring Jubilee from God. He is the anointed of God.
I suppose we won’t know for sure when this revelation hit
Jesus. What we do know is that because of it we are different.
I say this not only because of the death and resurrection. Certainly
that event won us eternal life. But I am thinking of something else.
Right after Jesus was baptized he called disciples.
He knew that this mission would not be done alone. So Jesus calls
Peter, James, and John. He calls people like the tax collector Matthew
and the Zealot Simon. The ministry of Jesus is unlike that of Abraham,
Moses, or the prophets. When they were called, it was as an individual.
Jesus is called to share his ministry.
The apostles follow after Christ. He tells them to feed
the crowds and they do. He invites them up on the mountain and they
go. He sends them out 2 by 2 but they realize their mission is to
prepare the people for Jesus’ arrival. Everything they do is for
Jesus.
After the resurrection they are no longer to be followers.
They are commissioned to heal the sick, to forgive sins, to loose and bind
as they see fit. They preach and teach the message Jesus preached.
Jesus even told them they would be able to do greater things than he did.
I am sure the apostles could never have imagined how that would be so.
But it was and is. They weren’t followers, they were Christ.
It isn’t WWJD, but rather WWJ want me to do? He didn’t leave blueprints.
He just said, “go into the whole world and do it.” Like Jesus they
were baptized and would baptize believers after them.
Those of us who have been baptized into Christ aren’t just
his followers. We are Christ to our world. If we have received
Eucharist Christ has become part of our very fiber. The Eucharist
nourishes every cell in our bodies.
Too many of us feel comfortable with being Christ-like.
We follow the commandments and are kind. It seems enough. But
it’s not. When Jesus proclaimed that he came to proclaim a year of
favor from God the crowd realized that Jesus was calling for justice.
It wouldn’t be enough to be kind to the poor, but it would require real
change.
The same is true for us. We are baptized. We are
to do justice. We are to release captives. We are to do ministry.
It won’t happen if you say, “that’s the Pope’s job or the bishop’s or mine.”
It is your job too!
That is why the grass-roots organization that has been called
VISC is so important. It’s not my work. It’s our work.
It’s why our parish agreed to build a Habitat House. It’s why we
have Someone Cares. I can’t do it all, nor should I. Each of
us by our baptism is called to ministry and service.
Know that Jesus wasn’t universally accepted when he proclaimed
hope and justice. Yet, Christ saves us. The Father said to
each of us at our baptism, “You are my daughter. You are my son in
whom I am well pleased.” We are the beloved of God. Great things
can happen by the Holy Spirit. Will you say yes and be Christ for
our world?
There once was a man who wanted to meet Christ very badly.
He prayed to do that each day. As it happened, one day that he was
told in a message that on the following Tuesday he would get to see Christ.
When the day arrived he was very excited. He knew that
today he would get the wish of his life. His life would be complete
if he could meet Christ face to face and finally ask him all the things
that he had wondered about for so long.
It wasn’t long and the doorbell rung. The man thought
this must be Christ so he eagerly opened the door only to find a mother
with a small child. They said that they were cold and hungry.
Could he spare a little food or some money so that they could buy themselves
something to eat? The man was disappointed that it wasn’t Jesus,
but knew that he had bought a lot of food in anticipation of Christ coming,
so he made some sandwiches and gave the mother some money to buy a pair
of warm shoes for her child. The lady was very grateful and left.
As the day wore on there were no more knocks on the door.
The man wondered if he had the right day. He did. After he
had made himself a little something to eat for dinner another knock on
the door happened. The man thought that this must finally be Christ.
He must have been delayed, but now would spend the evening with the man.
But when the door opened it was only an old man. The man was lost
and needed help finding his way back to his house. So the young man
helped the old man to find his way home to the waiting arms of his worried
family. Now it was getting late and the man knew that he was not
going to see Jesus on this day. He wondered what could have happened.
After he got ready for bed he prayed. He asked Jesus
why he did not come. He asked if something had delayed him.
The Lord responded in prayer. I did come to see you today.
I came as a mother and you had a meal with me. I came as a child
and you gave me warm clothes. I came as a confused old man and you
comforted me. Now the man knew that Christ was truly present in all
the people around him. He no longer prayed for Christ to visit.
Instead, he prayed that he might see Christ in those that he met.
When Christ calls on you will you know that it’s him?
That’s really the question today. The young boy Samuel was being
called by the Lord, but didn’t know it was He. He awoke Eli the prophet
to ask if it was he who called. Eli assured the boy that it was not
he. Finally at the third call Eli realized the Lord was calling Samuel.
Throughout Samuel’s life he would have to listen to the Lord and respond
in ways that he could not imagine.
Andrew was looking for the Messiah and thought he had found
him in John the Baptist. Yet, John kept telling him that he was not
the Messiah, but that one would follow after him who would be the Lamb
of God he desired. When Jesus came, Andrew wanted to be sure he was
following the right person this time. He wasn’t going to give his
heart to someone if he wasn’t the one. Jesus offered
the invitation, “Come and See!” Andrew felt something in Jesus’ words
that inspired him to stay with him and invite his brother Simon to join
with him.
The call of God to His people is seldom overwhelming.
It usually requires the listener to have an open heart and mind.
It requires that person to put away their assumptions and expectations.
Recall the movie of a few years ago, “Oh God.” In the movie God appears
to John Denver as George Burns. When asked why, he said that he could
take any form, but he chose this form. God can call to us as a child,
a young woman or an old man. God can call us as a co-worker, a fellow
student, or someone who is of a different race or religion. How we
respond to that invitation makes all the difference.
God called Samuel when he was only a child. In the morning
he would have to tell Eli that the message of God was not a pleasant one.
Eli would see his sons killed in battle. That is exactly what happened.
Later in life the people will ask Samuel to anoint a king for them.
God tells Samuel to anoint Saul. When Saul turns out not to be such
a great choice, I am sure Samuel wondered if he heard the word of the Lord
correctly.
Andrew, James, John and the other apostles began following
Jesus as the Messiah. They believed that Jesus was the hope for Israel.
They would also learn that if they accepted Jesus as the Messiah it would
also mean that they would have to accept him suffering and dying.
It would mean that they too would suffer persecution and death. Could
they say yes to that?
In our lives the invitation of God goes out often. It
might be to help the poor or downtrodden. It might be to stand for
justice in the workplace. It might be in accepting a son or daughter
who is not perfect. Do you listen to the voice of the Lord calling
you? Then, can you say yes to the invitation?
About a year ago there were two movies that came out almost
at the same time. One was called Armageddon and the other was Deep
Impact. Both held the premise that the earth was in danger due to
a large meteor poised to crash into us. This danger is somewhat real.
I understand that there are meteors in space that will come somewhat close
to the earth over the next few years. Those movies ask the question,
what would you do if the end were approaching. A large meteor would
send dust into the atmosphere and cut off light for plants to grow.
If it hit the ocean it would lead to huge floods and tidal waves.
None of us would like to think about that possibility.
We grew up with the very real threat of nuclear war. We all assumed
that if the end of the world were to come prematurely, it would be by our
own hands. Many of you had nuclear war drills in school as children.
Maybe your family had a bomb shelter. I always figured that if the
world were infected with deadly radiation, what good would a bomb shelter
be.
Today’s readings are a call to conversion. God sent
Jonah to the pagan land of Nineveh. He was told to preach repentance
or the nation would be destroyed. Jonah doesn’t want to go.
In fact that is the last place he wants to go. So, he gets on a ship
going in the opposite direction. While on the sea, a great storm
erupts and the ship is about to be destroyed in the storm. All the
men on deck pray to their respective gods. Nothing works. Finally
Jonah steps forward and says, “Guys, I think this is my problem.
My God made the sea and I am disobeying Him.”
Jonah tells them to throw him overboard to save themselves.
They do it and the sea calms down. Jonah meanwhile gets swallowed
by a large fish and is in the belly of this fish for three days.
While he is there he repents of his sins and asks God for another chance.
The whale spews Jonah onto the shore and wouldn’t you know, it’s in Nineveh.
So, Jonah begins preaching up a storm.
Jonah doesn’t believe his preaching will have much effect.
Yet, surprisingly, all the people turn from their sins, put on sackcloth
and ashes and fast. Even the animals fast in the hopes of having
God spare them from the wrath to come. God chooses to spare Nineveh.
Jonah is even more upset. He is now upset that God is
merciful. He was secretly hoping to see the city destroyed.
I guess it’s like going to an auto race hoping to see a crash and none
occurs. While Jonah is sulking God tells him not to worry.
All things are in God’s hands. Our repentance or sin is simply the
response we have to God and to his will.
That is why Jesus’ first message to the people is repent.
It’s not that they were necessarily more sinful than any other. It’s
just that you can’t be ready to hear the Word and be moved by it if you
are occupied with your own pursuits. You need to change your heart
and mind. The root of the word repentance is “to turn around.”
Jesus wants people to turn around to really see and hear. He wants
them to be able to experience freedom and joy. That can’t happen
if they are expecting God only in one way.
Conversion is not easy. If it were we would do it readily.
I would imagine all of us would like a world in which there would be no
more poverty or war. We would hope that we wouldn’t live in fear
of dictators, gangs, or violence. We think to ourselves, if only
people would love one another we would be so much better off. It
doesn’t happen. It almost seems as though it is impossible.
It’s not impossible to experience the power of God.
Yet, we need to take the advice of St. Paul. Even though we don’t
see change, we should live like we do. In other words, if we want
a world of love we need to love, even in the face of hatred or rejection.
If we want a world of peace than we need to espouse peace in all of our
dealings with others. We live as though everyone else believed the
same. It’s strange how when you do that, it can become a self-fulfilling
prophecy.
You know how when children are treated poorly they can have
poor self-esteem. How do you help a child in such a case? You tell
them to think differently. You tell them to hold their head up high
be proud of their achievements. Quite often when they do that, all
the people around that person start seeing them in a new way.
That is the power of the Gospel in action. Let us live
in that power until it comes into its fullness. Amen.
Who do you listen to? What is the authority that you
trust? In every area of life there is someone or something that is
considered an authority. People tend to trust that source as reliable.
For instance, in the business world people trust the Wall Street Journal.
In medicine there is what is known as the Physicians Desk Reference that
lists all the drugs and their reactions. In marriage and family counseling
there are Dr. Laura and Charles Dobson. In your line of work there
is probably a source that you know is accurate and you refer to if you
have a question. To get news and information people usually trust
television networks. We tend to trust authorities for it gives us
a sense of control in a world of chaos. We want to know the truth.
We want to believe that the authority will be able to do that.
Yet, today, many of us are beginning to ask if the sources
we trust are really foolproof. Ever since the technology and Internet
stocks started taking off a few years ago, traditional stock analysis doesn’t
seem to work. Some people wonder if people on radio and television
are giving the story accurately or just hyping a story. Advertising
and Hollywood real-life dramas blur the lines between fact and fiction.
There may be a general cynicism that exists among people about
authority. Yet while at the same time because of our insecurity and
fear we keep looking. If you can’t trust an expert, whom can you
trust? Who is an expert anyway?
It probably has always been this way. Moses wanted the
people to follow his successor. He wanted them to believe that God
would work through prophets and leaders even when he was gone. The
people of Israel were even skeptical of Moses authority. Would they
be willing to trust someone else? Moses assured them that God would
appoint a successor and you could trust this leader because you will see
them do the works of God.
Jesus taught in the synagogue and the people remarked that
they have never heard anything like this. Jesus teaches with authority,
not like the scribes and Pharisees. It seems the people didn’t trust
the teachers of their own day to give them the true teaching of God.
They were ripe to hear Jesus preach and teach of the love and power of
God.
Jesus not only spoke with authority, but He acted with it
too. His life was a testimony to the fact that God is always close
to His people. They are not alone, even when facing the prince of
darkness. Maybe what makes anyone or anything an expert are the results.
If you see the evidence of truth you will tend to trust it in the future.
Jesus told the people that the power of God is stronger than
any sickness or disease. It is stronger than evil spirits and it
is stronger than death. Naturally there would be skepticism until
they see Jesus expel a demon from someone. The disciples would be
rightly impressed when Jesus calmed the sea. They would see Jesus
as someone they could trust as a true authority.
Because you and I face lots of anxieties and fears we tend
to look for the security an authority figure can offer. We also tend
to take the easiest path. How many times have people accepted the
words of a dictator because he assures the people that he is the answer
to their questions and problems. It’s a lot easier than challenging
that authority or waiting to see whether the results will bear out the
claim.
The authority given to the church to speak in Jesus' name
should mirror this same creative urgency. In Jesus' name, we wield the
power to heal and forgive, reconcile what's broken, bring peace into torment,
order back into chaos. Best of all, we bring the message of life that transforms
the painful realities of suffering and death, and provides hope where despair
once ruled. At the name of Jesus, unclean spirits don't stand a chance.
Will we trust the power that has been given us or settle for the lesser
gods of the world?