Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away

This reflection was written for the First Sunday of Advent, based on the readings for the Traditional Latin Mass. Scripture for this reflection can be found at Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122:1-9, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:37-4

Today we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, and in less than a month we’ll be celebrating the birth of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, in Bethlehem. The streets of New York are all decorated for Christmas, Macy’s has their Christmas decorations in all their windows, the tree is up at Rockefeller Center, and all the commercials on TV and radio over the last few months have been pushing their products for you to be ready for Christmas Day! It’s all about pushing the commercial aspect of Christmas. We hear of Santa Claus and the Elves up in the North Pole preparing for Santa’s trip on Christmas Eve. Music on the radio is playing things like Rudoph the Red nosed Reindeer and Have a Holly Jolly Christmas. We see on TV the movie “Miracle on 34^th Street where it points to Santa as the reason for Christmas. Yet, there’s no mention of the real reason for the season: the birth of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago. Jesus has been taken out of the season and commercialism, and the sin of greed has replaced the Lord. The real miracle is not on 34^th Street, but here on 37^th Street at Holy Innocents and at all Catholic Churches where the real reason for Christmas is Celebrated on the Altar. At every Holy Mass the priest brings us the real reason for Christmas: Jesus Christ, body, blood, soul and divinity. Jesus Christ is at the heart and center of Christmas.

In our readings for today’s Holy Mass, we hear from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, chapter 13, telling us that it’s time to rise from sleep. In this letter to the Romans, Paul is concerned about our salvation and is calling us to live a life worthy of our call as Catholic Christians: “Let us therefore cast off works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Paul knew of all the things in the world that would take our attention away from serving God. Paul reminds us to live our lives as followers of Jesus Christ by not rioting or drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities…” We are called to turn away from all the distractions of this temporal world, and we are called to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord, through His Holy Church, has given us ways of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ through the Sacraments. We have baptism, which washes away our sins, Holy Communion to be able to receive our Lord, body blood, soul and divinity, and the Sacrament of Confirmation where we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  It is through these sacraments that we can put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, we are called to make the regular use of the sacrament of confession to always remain pure and focused on our salvation. It is through these sacraments that we receive the strength to remain focused on the fact that Jesus came into the world for our salvation. We are not to focus so much on the commercial aspect of this season, but on the spiritual aspect that Jesus came into the world for our salvation.

In the gospel for today’s Holy Mass, we hear the Lord encouraging us to focus on the end times. The Lord talks about seeing the Son of man coming in a cloud with “great power and majesty.” During this time of preparation for Christmas Day we are to be reminded that we are to remain focused on the fact that this time on earth is brief, and that we are to focus on the fact that it will all come to an end. We do not know when, but we are to live out our daily lives in readiness. Our time before the Lord will happen when we least expect it. We are not to live in fear of the end, but to live a life in anticipation of the Lord’s coming by always remaining focused on following his commandments of Love of God and love of neighbor.

Throughout this period of preparation for the celebrations of the Birth of the Lord, we need to be as diligent in the preparation of our souls for the ultimate meeting of the Lord, whether it’s at the end of the world, or our own eventual meeting of the Lord at the end of our own lives. We know not when either will occur. So, as we prepare for Christmas gifts and Christmas parties, we need to prepare for our own ultimate meeting with the Lord.

Further, during this time of chaos in preparation for the Celebration of Christmas, we are to make quiet time for the study Scripture and do spiritual reading to be open to what the Lord is calling us to do in this life. We are always to be open to God’s Holy Will in our Day to Day lives.

We, as Christians, are instructed to be watchful and ready, living in anticipation of Jesus's return by sharing the good news and living lives of faithful anticipation. Throughout this month in preparation for Christmas, and for the rest of our lives, we are to be true examples of what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ. We, like John the Baptist, are called to always point everyone towards Jesus Christ and encourage people to repent and to embrace Jesus as the Messiah.

During this time of Advent, in preparation for the birth of Jesus, and for the eventual end times that Jeus talks about, let us always live our lives in joyful anticipation. Let us all be examples of what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ in a world busy with greed and selfishness. Let us always point towards Jesus Christ, our savior.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe | USCCB

This weekend, with the commemoration of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, we bring the church year to an end. Next week a new church year starts with the First Sunday of Advent, and we start to prepare for the  celebration of the birth of Our Lord on Christmas day just four weeks away.

This feast of Christ the King originated in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. The world of 1925 was full of wars and dictators, all seeking to be the center of the world. They were all trying to get attention and loyalty. Pope Pius XI, seeing this, wanted to remind the world that the ultimate person who deserves our loyalty is Jesus Christ. He is the true king of the world and of the universe. No earthly king, president or dictator can ever replace Jesus Christ in our lives. Jesus Christ is the ultimate king and deserve our love and devotion.

Now, just a hundred years later, these various superpowers have come and gone. There was the Soviet Union, the Third Reich in Germany, the Japanese emperor. All of them gone. But now, today, there are those who are still attempting to gain control of the world. We see with Russia invading the Ukraine, attempting to expand the borders of Russia with war. We see the war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas with the hatred between those two groups. We see people focusing more on hate and division, and ignoring the fact that we are all made in God’s image and deserve to live a life of peace and mutual respect. They have left Jesus Christ out of their lives and continue to wage wars on each other due to mutual hate and a feeling that their own ethnic group is superior to the other.

In our gospel for today we see Jesus at his weakest. He is on the cross, condemned to death by the scribes and Pharisees. He was accused of blasphemy: of making himself out to be God, something that they couldn’t accept. While on the Cross, they mocked him: “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Above him, Pilate placed the inscription “This is the King of the Jews.” Of all people, Pilate seemed to have got it right: for indeed Jesus is indeed a king.

Though Jesus appears to be week while on the cross, we must remember that it is there that he indeed is the strongest. It is there that Jesus took upon himself our sins and they were nailed to the cross with him. In this way Jesus Christ was able to die for each one of us and to bring forgiveness of sins to the world.

It is through the Cross that our souls and spirits can be healed. It is the cross that brings us back to the Father. It is through the Cross that we learn the truth about sin and about God’s forgiveness. It is through the cross that brings salvation to all people, no matter how sinful they may be. No matter how sinful a person may have been in his or her life, they can find forgiveness and peace through the power of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

There are many people who approach death and find that Jesus is the only person they can turn to to find peace and forgiveness. Whatever they may have done in their life, no matter how sinful they may have been, they can find love and forgiveness from Jesus Christ, though the power of his cross.

The Cross is a busy place and always will be. It’s always good for us to turn to Jesus on the Cross and to seek forgiveness for whatever sins and failures we may have done over our life. Then, after meditating upon the cross, to get the full benefit of the Lord’s forgiveness, we should go to confession for the times that we failed to turn to him as we should. Then, through the power of the absolution, we will receive forgiveness and that peace that can only come from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally, looking at the kingdom of Christ, we don’t see a kingdom of castles, armies, kings or queens, presidents or dictators. What we do see is a kingdom of people forgiven of their sins and now following Jesus Christ to bring true peace to the world. We see people  healed and forgiven and at peace in their relationship with God and with each other.

The Kingdom of Christ here on earth is those of us who have turned away from a life of sin and selfishness and have turned to God. Christ is not just a king from his throne in heaven, but from the inner most recesses of our hearts. We are to make Christ the king of our lives and to bring this kingship of Christ to those in our lives that may not know who Christ is.

As we finish this church year and start preparing for the birthday of the Lord on Christmas day, let us always reflect on the cross. Let us place the cross prominently in our homes in order for Christ the King to reign over us. Let us also, throughout the new church year, make time to read and reflect upon scripture in order to become more Christ centered. Let us always be proud that Jesus Christ is our Lord and King.

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. Wisdom 3:1

 

The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
    and no torment shall touch them. Wisdom 3:1

Every November the Church asks us to turn our attention to praying for our daily departed friends and family members who have gone before us. Often, during All Souls Day Masses, or at Funeral Masses, one of the readings is from Wisdom, chapter 3. We hear the familiar phrase, “The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.” We have the hope that all of us, when it's time to go home to the Lord, will enter purgatory, a time of purification, before we can enter the glory of heaven. Once we are in purgatory, we rely on the prayers of others to help us reach our final destination: heaven.

With that in mind it’s important for us to remember that it’s our Christian duty to pray for all our dearly departed family members who have gone before us. They need our prayers to help them in their journey to heaven. So, it’s important to have masses said for them on either the anniversary of their death or on the anniversary of their birthday. Further we can pray a rosary for the repose of their souls. Also, in the Liturgy of the Hours, there is the “Office of the Dead” which we can use to pray for our loved ones who have left us behind. It doesn’t matter how long our loved ones have been gone: it’s important to constantly pray for the repose of their souls.

Furthermore, in addition to November 2^nd being All Souls Day on the General Calendar, there is the Carmelite All Souls Day on November 15^th. It is on this day we remember our dearly departed Carmelite brothers and sisters in the First, Second and Third Order that are now in purgatory. Let us remember all those Carmelites that have gone before us.

Following is the prayer to be used on the Carmelite All Souls Day: Lord, you are the glory of all those who serve you. Look lovingly on our departed brothers and sisters, united in following Christ and his Mother by the waters of baptism and the bonds of Carmel. In your mercy grant them everlasting sight of you their Creator and Redeemer. We ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

May the Souls of the dearly departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

Let everyone who is zealous for the law and who stands by the covenant follow after me!

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our first reading from Maccabees, we hear of Mattathias and his devotion to his faith in the true God as understood by the Hebrew people. His love and devotion for God was more important to him than the anything else in his life, even to the point of leaving all his possessions in the city rather than stay in Modein to worship a false god and face certain death. God, as understood by Mattathias, was the God found in the Hebrew scriptures, the Torah. This is the one true God as understood by Mattathias. To worship any other god would be heresy. So, rather than obey the kings command to sacrifice to false gods, he chose to leave everything behind in order to be obedient to God’s Will. He remained focused on the one true God.

Mattathias is an example of how we are to live out our own lives in the practice of our faith as understood in the Catholic Church. We are called, like Mattathias, to be obedient to God’s law, no matter the consequences. God and His laws are to be more important than the secular things of this world.

While we may not be called to the same violent actions as Mattathias, we can be called to a similar spiritual "zeal" to stand up for our faith and values in a world that often pressures us to compromise. We are called to reflect on where we stand in relationship to God, others, and ourselves, and to act with courage. 

We are called to love God with all our minds, hearts and soul, and our neighbors as ourselves. This is very countercultural. Today’s society pushes for love of goods and objects rather than love of God. Society pushes us to “worship” things first, rather than to develop that relationship with God. That is what drove Mattathias to leave all behind. He wanted to do God’s Will rather than to cave into what society was pushing him to do.

As we approach Advent and start to prepare for the celebration of the birthday of Jesus, let us remain focused on our faith and relationship with God. Let us turn to God often in prayer for the times we may fall short in doing his Will. Let us also pray for those people we encounter that reject God and act out in ways that are violent towards all we hold dear. Praying for those people who act in hateful ways towards us and our faith is what the Lord is expecting us to do. Prayer can bring healing to them and help them discover that God truly loves them.

Lord God, we ask your blessing upon all of us and on all who are struggling with issues of anger and hostility. We pray for peace and healing upon those who are struggling this day and need to know your loving kindness towards them. Amen.

For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.

 

The scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin | USCCB

As we get closer to the end of the liturgical year and start the new church year with the First Sunday of Advent on November 30th, the gospel readings are starting to point towards the "end times." The Pharisees were anxious to see the Kingdom of God come and be face to face with God in the glory of heaven.

Jesus helps them to refocus and has them realize that the Kingdome of God is all around us in the here and now. Eventually, the end of the world will occur, but we don't know when that will be. The Lord is telling them (and us) to not be so concerned about when the end will come but rather focus on the fact that God is present every moment we're alive in the here and now. Jesus is reminding us to not worry about what will happen at the end of the world, but to focus on the fact that we need to live out our lives now by following the Ten Commandments, and by loving God and neighbor. Worrying about the end of the world and the Coming of the Kingdom of God is a waste of time. What we need to focus upon is how we are living out our lives, knowing that God is always present. 

Let us always focus on the fact that God is with us and ask him to help us grow ever closer to him by how we live our lives. Let us pray often, reflect upon scripture daily and be grateful to Him for the gift of life that he has given us. 

"Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?"

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our gospel we see another confrontation between the Pharisees and Jesus. There he was having dinner in one of their homes, and yet they were looking for ways to jump on him and accuse him of breaking the Jewish laws. We hear in the gospel, “…the people were observing him carefully.”  (Luke 14:1) It’s as if Jesus is being put on the spot.

For the Jewish people, the most important thing in their relationship with God is to make sure they meticulously keep the laws out of fear of being condemned by God. They failed to see that the laws did not prevent them from doing good on the Sabbath. They fell silent when Jesus asked them, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?” (Luke 14:3) The Pharisees' silence reveals their unwillingness to answer, as they know their own beliefs are flawed. They value their traditions more than the man's suffering.

Jesus goes on to heal the man with dropsy and then teaches that helping those in need doesn’t break the Sabbath laws but instead fulfills the laws of Love that comes from God. Further, the Lord is teaching us that we are to move beyond being legalistic and to remember that, while it’s important to keep the commandments of God, we should not ignore the needs of those around us as we attempt to keep God’s laws. 

This gospel is a call to prioritize mercy over legalism. It challenges us to examine our own lives and see where we might be putting rules and regulations ahead of people. 

This gospel is another example of what the Lord teaches us elsewhere in the gospels: we are to not only love God with our whole mind, heart and soul, but we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. This includes even giving them help when it might not be convenient. It’s not always easy, but we need to see the Lord in all people we meet and reach out to them in their need, as the Lord reached out to this man with dropsy. In this way, the Lord can work through us to bring healing to those we encounter each day. In doing so, we will be bringing the Love of God to those in most need of receiving God’s love and healing.

For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our first reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul is talking about the challenges of attempting to live a life as a follower of Jesus Christ. He acknowledges all the temptations that come about because of just being human.

We all know the commandments of love of God and love of neighbor. Further we know we need to avoid looking lustfully at other people we may find attractive. All these things take us away from living a God centered life.

These are all struggles we face daily. For instance, it is good and right to love all people in our lives, but what about those people that get on our nerves? Do we love them as we should? Or do we harbor hatred or resentment towards them? That goes back to what Paul is saying, “For I do not do the good I want but I do the evil I do not want.”

Paul is pointing out the ongoing struggle we have is teaching us that, in all humility, we need to rely on the presence of Christ in our lives to help us to respond to these temptations that take us away from Him.

While the struggle with sin will continue until we are fully free in heaven, we are not left alone to fight alone. The same Holy Spirit that resurrected Jesus can give our mortal bodies new life, empowering us to choose the good and overcome in.

During these struggles it’s important to turn to the Lord in prayer to ask for strength to respond to temptation in a way pleasing God. Further, through the sacrament of Confession, we can receive the gift of forgiveness for the times we fall short and receive strength through the sacrament to pick ourselves up and to attempt to live a life pleasing to God.

Through the intercession of St. Paul, and our guardian angels, let us pray for the strength to always live a life of love of God and love of neighbor. Let us not despair during times we may fail but be grateful for the gift of forgiveness God gives us each time we repent and turn back to him.