When I was planning this sermon, I had a flashback to when I was in school. I remembered Jeannie Garrigan; I hope she is still with us. She wrote the Beatitudes on the blackboard in her beautiful Palmer penmanship. She had such beautiful cursive writing. We had to write the Beatitudes and memorize them. As you know, I was not given the gift of beautiful Palmer penmanship. Very often, Lori comes into my office and asks, “What the heck is this?”
On this day, our Holy Church holds up for our veneration, admiration, and emulation all those who achieved their faith’s goal of salvation. How did they do it? Our Lord told them, “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.” They used the means Our good Lord gave them to follow Him and to achieve their salvation. Those same means are there for us. You may say, “But Father, these are different times.” In many ways, these are far easier times. I have a picture on my phone of my Uncle Herbert who died at age four with water on the brain. Today, medical treatment is available with no problem; in by 10 am out by 2 pm. In the 1920’s, they didn’t have that. Our lives are far easier in many ways. We have a lot more electronic stuff…stay off the computer, will you? My gosh!
The same means for salvation that the saints had are there for us. Use the Sacraments, prayer, mortification, and the offering up of suffering…these are all parts of prayer. When you pray at home at night say, “Dear precious God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” and mark yourself with the sign of the Cross. When you do, it carries an actual grace. But, do it slowly and with purpose, not like you’re at home plate. Use the Sacramental that provides an actual grace such as Holy Water.
What is the most neglected part of prayer? “Thank you.” All of the saints prayed. We honor, emulate, and venerate all the saints – not just the ones who have been canonized, but all of those who intercede for us. Why? Because, their love is not bound by temporal and physical restrictions. They pray for all the faithful in the Church suffering on Earth, the Church Militant.
One day we hope to enjoy the blessings of the Church Triumph in Heaven. Tomorrow, we pray for the Church’s suffering souls in Purgatory. So, perhaps tonight, or after receiving communion, say thank you for all those unknown intercessions made for you and to all those benefactors who have prayed for you. Why? Because, by virtue of their Baptism, they love you.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you pray for the suffering souls in Purgatory? Will you imitate the saints by loving God as they did?
The definition of death is that point when the soul leaves the body. We give the Sacraments only to the living. I have anointed people who have clinically died…I’m not a doctor, but I’ve seen a lot. I can anoint unless rigor mortis has set in which happens within two hours of death, but if your head is over here and your body is over there, death occurs a little sooner. After death, a soul goes immediately to God in what the Catechism tells us is the Particular Judgement. When people die, they all see God; some people stay for a cup of coffee, and others get to stay longer. If a soul is found to be in a perfect State of Grace, it goes immediately to Heaven. But, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news for some is that they don’t go to Heaven. They are separated from God forever, because they chose not to respond to His love. So, anybody in hell is a self-made man or women. They chose to be there. Even at the point of death, instead of saying “I’m sorry,” which would have given them the hope of salvation in Purgatory, they chose to separate themselves from God. “Oh, God sends people to hell.” No, He doesn’t. We send ourselves. There is good news for those who aren’t found to be in a perfect State of Grace, but are free from mortal sin. They have stains left from penances they haven’t done or sins they have not repented of. These souls will go to Purgatory where, like in the parable, they will clean their Baptismal Robes.
Some of you may have heard of the fires of purgatory. Do you know what they are? They aren’t real fires, because you won’t have a body. It is the fire of an absolute longing that cannot be filled and the pain of separation. In Purgatory, our hearts are purified and our Baptismal Robes cleaned so that we can enter the place of the perfect. At our Particular Judgement, we will see God as He is, and our hearts will be filled and rejoice. We will see the fullness of God and fall in love with His light. Our souls will becomes so full and so happy, but, then God says, “Not now.” We’ve seen perfection, yet we have to wait. You see, unless you are perfect, you cannot abide in the place of the perfect. So, you go away for a while.
The souls in Purgatory are being cleansed of venial sin. They are what the Church calls the Church Suffering, because they are going through deprivation. Is it actual physical pain? Well, since they don’t have a body, it can’t be physical pain. It will be like waiting for that apple pie your mother makes; “Not yet…in a little while.” My mother’s definition of “a little while” is a lot different from mine…I’ll tell you that right now! But, you have to wait for the pie. That intense longing, that deprivation of the fullness of life and joy is a great part of the suffering. When you are deprived of the presence and closeness of your beloved even though you are so close is excruciating. At hospitals and nursing homes, they sometimes have a drive-by so that the families of patients can see them, but they cannot touch them; they can talk to them from about ten feet away. Now, you have a sense of purgatory.
The souls in Purgatory see the hope of their salvation with the eyes of their soul, yet, they cannot do anything to help themselves. They are the Church Suffering, because they are, well, suffering. We, as part of the Church, can do something for them. We can offer them our prayers, our sacrifices, our anxieties, and the grace we
receive in the Sacraments. The greatest prayer of all is offered for the departed…the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass…the prayer of Christ. You cannot pray better than that. This is our faith, and this is what gives us hope. If you go to the Catacombs in Rome, and this is something non-Catholics may not know because they may not know the history of the Church, you will find in the Catacombs a Latin inscription that means “pray for me.” In the earliest days of the Church we prayed for the dead. We’ve done it from the beginning.
The saints in heaven help us and we, by virtue of our Baptism, are called to pray for the souls in Purgatory. By doing so, we can help them quickly clean their Baptismal Robes. “You get that spot over there and I’ll get the spot over here.” That way their Baptismal Robes are cleaned, and they can enter Heaven as quickly as possible.
We can gain for them a plenary indulgence, and when it has been completed, whoof…off they go…they’re in Heaven. Information about earning a plenary indulgence is on the Church’s Facebook page or you could just Google it. Throughout the month of November, you can get one a day, but you have to come to Confession…that’s part of it. I recommend you get one for yourself first … just in case. We don’t know the day or the hour, so get yours first and then help someone else. Like on an airplane when the oxygen masks drop down, you put one on first and then help others. So, get a plenary indulgence for yourself first, and then get one or as many as you want for someone else. This is how we show our love. This is how we fulfill the mission we assume by virtue of our Baptism
Think of all the anxiety we experience, whether it’s from the election, the pandemic, or new stop signs. Any anxiety whatsoever can be offered up to help someone else gain their salvation. This is how we can imitate Christ. Through our suffering, prayers, sacrifice, and mortification, we can show our unselfish, Christ-like love. This is what we do during the month of November and at every Mass throughout the world, every day. We offer up our prayers for the intentions upon the altar and for all those we hold dear in our hearts. We pray for the members of the Church who need our prayers the most and who cannot help themselves.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you earn at least two indulgences this month…one for yourself and one for someone else?
Father’s Afterthoughts...I want to be the last guy in Purgatory, because I know I will still have my salvation. I want to be the guy who turns out the lights…I’m good with that, because I know I’m going to Heaven. I’m sure I won’t enjoy the process, but I will know that my salvation is assured.
Our parish is blessed with many talented people. Talents are a gift from God to accomplish our vocation. What is our vocation? Achieving salvation and building up the Body of Christ. No matter how many talents you think you have or how few you think you have, each one is vitally important; otherwise, God wouldn’t have given them to you. Your talents perform a vital function in the Body of Chris.
A lot of talents are time sensitive – you only have them for a little while before Mother Nature encroaches and they fade away. For example, you do not see many professional athletes in their 50’s…that just does not happen. You don’t see brain surgeons in their 90’s, now do you. Believe it or not, I had a very easy job as a chaplain in the U.S. Army. However, when I turned 60, the Army said, “Hey, you’re too old…get out. This isn’t a geriatric unit.” That was very disconcerting, because not being married, I had nobody to tell me what to do for the first time in 24 years. You mean I can grow my hair? It was very unsettling. So, what might you see in people who are in their 50’s and 90’s? You may see that they are wonderfully and deeply in love with God. That is our common vocation. He has endowed us all with the ability to be in love with Him and united with Him in this world and in the next.
All the other talents and abilities that He has given us come to their proper end. So, there is no need to be jealous of the talents of others. I used to always kid my evil departed twin brother who had two doctorate degrees, wrote textbooks, worked as an EMT, and was a scuba diver. He had a file cabinet filled with all these courses he had taken…not that I hold any resentment…No! He took all my spare body parts with him. No, I’m not resentful at all. You see, my brother’s vocation was different than mine. His vocation depended on what God wanted my brother to do compared to what he wanted me to do. It’s the same for everybody. Don’t compare your physical and intellectual abilities with others. All of our talents and abilities are to be used for the glory of God. The only thing I knew how to do was to show up for PT (physical training) formation for 24 years. I’m not the most talented man in the world, but He did give me the ability to love Him. Love is the one talent God is going to judge us on. He will ask: “How have you shown My love to the world? How have you responded to My love?” Bishop Sheen told the story of a street cleaner. This guy was the best street cleaner around. Somebody asked him, “Why do you clean the crevices? Nobody sees them…why do you bother?” The man answered, “Because God sees them.” Whether in the penthouse or outhouse, on Park Avenue or a park bench, we all have unique abilities. The talent we have in common is the ability to grow in God’s love and to be possessed by Him.
As with any talent or ability, it must be used or it atrophies. If Frankie doesn’t practice her music, it will fade away. Muscle mass will atrophy unless you keep exercising. We must do this no matter our status or vocation in life. Our talents require practice, concentration, and study. So, too, does love. You need to practice through prayer, mortification, spiritual readings, and the Sacraments. Very simple things to do, but very hard to put in to practice, because we don’t like to practice.
The biggest obstacle in growing spiritually are the excuses we make. “I don’t feel good about it.” “I don’t get anything out of the Mass.” “I don’t like the music.” “It’s too hot in here.” “It’s too cold in here.” Really? Everybody has an excuse; “I don’t like the Mass.” “I don’t like it in English” “I don’t like it in Spanish.” “I don’t like it in Latin.” Well, come to the 12:15 Mass. I’ve got two or three different languages going on there, so you needn’t worry. Sometimes, I would love to say, “I’m getting too old for this.” The Mass is not to you. The Mass is the offering of Christ on the Cross, always before the Father, pleading on our behalf until the end of time. So, the Mass is not to you; it is for you. It is not presented so that you can sit there in judgement; instead, it shows the constant prayer of Christ for you, and He asks you to become a part of it. When I offer the bread and wine of the Body and Blood of Christ, your human nature is represented. You are being offered with Christ on the altar to the Father just as the human nature of Mary is being offered on the cross. Spiritually, Mary and John the Apostle are at the foot of the Cross, and you are fulfilling their hopes by being there. The Mass is the Holy Sacrifice of our Lord and a representation of what lies in Heaven to the end of time. Mass is not an action to you; it’s the prayer of Christ for you. So, how can you say you don’t get anything out of it, or that you don’t like it; or that you don’t like the language in which it is spoken?
Some people say about their prayer life, “Oh, I don’t get anything from prayer.” All we are doing when we pray is trying to grow in God’s love. Love is always reaching out to the loved one and not to self. That’s why so few grow in the spiritual life. They think that they have to like something before they do it. Read Mother Theresa’s autobiography. She and the sisters cared for lepers. Did they like it? No, but was a gift to God. Loving God is a talent we all share. I will never be a good golfer. I will never be a brain surgeon…thank God, right? I will never be a great hockey player, although I have the teeth for it…I had my teeth knocked out while playing hockey. I’m not a Misfit; they took power tools away from me. I will never be a lot of things, but, I was given the talent to love God. And, that talent does not go away with time. It may lay dormant from misuse and abuse, but it never goes away. In order for that talent to grow, you do what you can through mortification, spiritual readings, and the Sacraments. You can love God as equally as any canonized Saint of Church. You are capable of that same depth of love. The means are all before you. How will you apply this message to your life? Will you use prayer, mortification, spiritual readings, and the Sacraments to grow in your love for God?
Okay, I hope you are taking notes, because what I’m about to talk about is on the final exam. In the Gospel, you see what is called the Corporal Works of Mercy. They are very important, and we need to study them, even memorize them. Protestants don’t like this part of the Gospel, because nowhere on the final exam does it ask, “Do you claim Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?” Excuse me, Reverend, you are studying the wrong thing. Our Lord never asked that question. It’s not on the final exam. If you flunk it, don’t blame God. He gave you the questions ahead of time, but you neglected to do the work. So don’t blame Him if you fail.
I had a thought this week while I was at the VA where all sorts of interesting fun can be had. Every time I go there, the day is filled with interesting experiences and downright sarcasm…and that’s just from the staff. Around 10:20, I began a rather deep acquaintance with a Q-Tip…the COVID test, and a good time was had by all. I was actually laughing during the test while trying to hold the Q-tip in for 10 seconds; 1…2…3…. Ten seconds in our time is different than it is in medical or VA time. ..3…4… The test doesn’t hurt, but I really wanted to sneeze. I knew the staff who were there, and they were laughing. Go ahead and laugh! …5…6… There are worse ways to get a sample, and I’ll leave it at that. …7…8… Q-Tips have a 1001 uses, and medical communities have found 1002. You know, when you think about it, if that Q-Tip had any intelligence, you think it would want to go up my nose? …9…10! Granted, I have a very cute and adorable nose. I mean, I look at it in the morning and think, “Oh God, how great am I. Perfect!” On the outside, it’s not too bad; but on the inside – yuck! If the Q-tip had any intelligence, it would not want to go to a lot of the places that doctors put it…places you don’t want to know about. But, that Q-Tip is a means that God uses to bring His healing and His will to people. The test is not that bad, so don’t whine to me about it…you won’t get any sympathy. I’ll tell you exactly what it is. It’s a means to an end. God uses that Q-tip as an instrument of His healing just as He uses us. We are supposed to be God’s hands and His feet to bring His love to the world in whatever vocation He has assigned us in the Body of Christ. Our parents gave us, and then we gave ourselves, to God to be instruments of His love in the world. Many times, He places us in situations that we don’t really care for, but it’s still His work. God puts us there, whether we like it or not, to do His will as instruments of His love. “I don’t like it!” Yeah, that’s alright. You don’t have to like it; just do it. It’s fine. Teachers don’t always like what God asks them to do, but they do it anyway, even though they may never see the end result or know God’s plan.Years ago,
I was offering Mass at the female prison over in Troy, another little gated community I loved visiting. I called it Female Felon Friday. I asked some ladies if they would mind going there to teach Catechism. The inmates had requested it, but I couldn’t get there very often…only about once a month. “Oh, I don’t like going in there.” Who does? Unless you work there and get a paycheck, nobody likes going in there…that’s why they call it a prison. There are people in there that we want to stay there. You would be there only for an hour and a half, and then they would let you out. You don’t have to eat the food there. Actually, the women eat better than the men. It’s only one star, but is better than the food in the men’s prison. A lot of times, we may find ourselves in situations where we may be uncomfortable. We may not be happy, and it may not please our senses, but we are supposed to bring Christ to that situation as instruments of His love. When we find ourselves doing work we don’t like, it probably means we are doing His.
While in the military, I was overseas in a combat support hospital where I was doing my visitations. I had an area of concern about three times the size of Stanly County. While I was inside the field hospital, I heard on the radio that we had a Black Hawk go down with four crew members onboard…the pilot, crew chief, and two door gunners. The Black Hawk tried to remove a sand dune, and it didn’t work out. So, I told my assistant, Bubba, I always called my assistants Bubba or Bubbette…depending on their gender, so I told Bubba that we were going to stay there. The only thing in the military you always have too much of is the enemy. You never have enough of the good stuff. There’s always too much of the enemy and never enough of what you need. So, I told Bubba, you’re going to be a stretcher bearer. When the ambulances arrived, we went out there and brought the injured soldiers in to the hospital. Mass trauma from an air crash accident is messy and not like what you see on television. Unlike the television series “Mash,” this is smell-o-vision. They say you can’t remember smells; but, I can remember the smells of that place. One guy walked by who had just evacuated a man’s stomach, and asked, “Hey, Doc, do you see any blood in there?” Welcome to the world of medicine…it’s not like television. After working in this place with all the smells, the blood, the sweat, the screams, the crying, and everything else, Bubba came up to me, a 19 year old soldier, and said, “Sir…sir.” Yeah? “What do you want me to do, sir?” Turn your head. Better safe than sorry. I told Bubba to go outside, get some fresh air, and to come back inside in case we needed him. A lot of people get sick their first time out of the box. Did Bubba like being there? Heck no! He was ready to rid himself of his breakfast and lunch. Did his organs really want to be where they were? Oh, no. They were trying to leave his body as fast as they could and in no particular order. This was something Bubba had never seen before. But, he did the job I asked him to do. He was God’s missionary, and, although Bubba was really, really, sick, he did God’s work. We are called to do the same. So, when God asks you to do something that may be difficult or unpleasant, realize that He has chosen you to be His missionary in that situation to do His will and to show His love.
How will you apply this message to your life? When the work is difficult or unpleasant, remember you may be doing God’s work, and that you are called to do His will and to show His love.
Advent is called the Penitential Season. During the Penitential Season, the church is decorated in violet…not blue; blue is not a liturgical color. Violet symbolizes penance. It’s also why the vestments I wear during the Penitential Season are violet. During this season, we are supposed to do works of penance to prepare for the coming of our Savior. Saint Paul came to mind while I was meditating on what to say to you tonight. In his letters, Saint Paul reminds us that athletes deny themselves so many things in order to wear a passing crown of olive leafs. But, we can have a much greater prize in heaven if we deny ourselves for the sake of the eternal crown. Now, this crown is not a “what” but a “Who.” We don’t seek a “what” as in a halo; instead, we seek a “Who.” We seek Jesus, so that we can be in the presence of God. This is what we should strive for.
A lot of people think that penance is a bad word. “Oh, my goodness! I have to give up bacon!” I’ve done that, so I don’t want to hear you whine. So, what is penance? It’s an offering of love. “Oh, penance is a bad word.” No, penance is a good word. We choose or deny ourselves of something for a greater good. For example, sometimes fathers and mothers will deny themselves so that they can give their kids an extra treat. “I won’t buy lunch and save the money for something for the kids.” We may do more charity, we may pray more, or we may offer up our sufferings so that we can strip ourselves of things. We do this so that we may have a more perfect union in this life, and therefore in the life to come, to be with our good Lord. And, when the time of our death comes, He will see us and give Himself totally and unreservedly to us.
Sometimes, and act of penance is a small thing, but it may feel like a really BIG thing. Perhaps, we deny ourselves some bacon. I get a little teary at the thought. If I’m at a Spanish or Mexican restaurant and someone walks by with a plate of nachos, tears start running down my face. Come on! I can’t have nachos either. But, to offer that denial of self, to move away from selfishness and self-centeredness is a gift of love given so that I may love Him better. That’s what works of penance are. They are gifts of love. It’s the stripping ourselves of self-love so we may love God more.
Christ came to this world and He gives Himself totally in the Sacraments. We should strive to make ourselves more perfect for Him. We should strive each day, not just during Advent, but each day, to do even little things for Him. Mother Teresa said, “If you can’t do great things, do little things with great love.” We do works of love so that we can love Him better and without reservation. He gives Himself totally to us, a perfect example of love, so that we, by constant practice, can give ourselves more totally to Him and make our love a more perfect imitation of Him. And, by loving Him more, we can love each other better.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you do works of love to prepare for the coming of our Savior?
I was doing my rounds at the VA Hospital, and I saw this one veteran…a 90 year old nurse. So, I went over and gave her a COVID kiss on the top of her head through my mask. She looked up at me and said, “Why aren’t you married.” I said, “Because I couldn’t find a woman drunk enough.” Don’t ever do what I do in hospitals. I’m lucky I haven’t been escorted out with police bracelets.
Saint Bernard’s writings tell us about the three visits by Christ to the world. The first visit occurs at Christmas, and the third one happens at the end of world or at our own death. The second visit is intermediate. It occurs when He comes and He knocks on the door to our souls asking for entrance. He will come with His Father into our souls; to dine with Him and He with us. That second visit is important, because it happens through the Sacraments. It is also how we discover the beauty and the mystery of Christ’s original coming to the world at Christmas through the Incarnation. Our devotion to and great frequency of participating in the Sacraments, especially Holy Communion, helps ensure our salvation. It also increases our understanding of that beautiful mystery, so that we will not fear Christ’s third visit. In fact, we will look forward to it.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you participate in the Sacraments to help ensure your salvation?
Father’s Afterthoughts: You know what grasshoppers taste like? Chicken. Everything tastes like chicken, except Monkey. Monkey tastes like… monkey.
I met an interesting person at the hospital the other day. I started talking to him and realized I had actually met him ten years earlier. He is in his 90’s and was a WW II veteran. There are so few of them still alive. He was a glider trooper and was involved in a glider attack in Normandy. Those guys couldn’t buy life insurance. If you were not blasted out of the sky or crashed on landing, you had to face the best soldiers the German army had at the time. This guy was tough…a great guy and an interesting fellow. He was so happy that I remembered him. He is in declining health, so please pray that he has an easy passing…he did a lot for our country.
So, let me ask you a question: What time is midnight mass? 5 pm. We don’t want to get picked up by the Albemarle police department. But, don’t worry … the police have real crime to worry about. It’s not that slow in Albemarle. We aren’t New York City, but we aren’t that slow, and we don’t need the money that badly.
You may remember from your philosophy classes, a man named Heraclitus who was an ancient Greek philosopher. Heraclitus said, among many things, that you can never step on the same river twice. And, that’s true. Life is always in flux. Things are always changing. Who could have anticipated this Christmas – this season – how different it is. We didn’t want this and no one expected it. This Christmas will be different from all the Christmases we’ve had and probably all the Christmases we will have. We are accustomed to getting the flu, but something like this? It’s very unusual and nothing we could ever have anticipated. I’ve spent a few Christmases in places that I never anticipated, and they were interesting to say the least. Now, just because something changes doesn’t mean it’s not good. Good can be wrought from anything, no matter the situation.
We are thrust into situations because God allows them to happen. Remember, God has both a direct will and a permissive will. It is by His permissive will that He allows us to have free will. During this time of great stress and anxiety, make sure you are home by the 10:00 curfew. You may say, “Everybody is under a lot of stress.” Most stress is self-imposed. Sometimes we get ourselves wound up over absolutely nothing. People tell me, “Oh, this is horrible!” Relax. You aren’t taking incoming. It isn’t that bad. You know my definition of a crisis: 1) there’s a huge number of people dying around you…they’re not; 2) there’s no money for checks, especially mine…there is, at least right now; and 3) we are taking incoming fire…we’re not. So, relax. God still loves us. Let it go.
I’ll give you a prescription on how you can make this situation we are in feel better. I did not write this prescription; I just happen to remember it. It was written several hundred years ago by a little guy who is often pictured with birds hanging around him, but that’s not really true. Saint Francis of Assisi wrote the prescription for our tensions and struggles. We all want to be comforted, and we all want peace. Saint Francis said, “Lord make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love.” I’ll let you read the rest of the prayer for yourself. If you want help during this stressful time, take the prescription that Saint Francis wrote and put it into action.
The cure to stress and anxiety is to be immersed in love. How do we immerse ourselves in love? Well, first, we have to ask, “What is love?” Jesus told us that love is an action. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” So, if you want to help yourself during this time of great stress, anxiety, and discomfort that we all feel, partly because we can’t do what we want when we want, look up Saint Francis’ prayer. It will provide you with the blueprint of how you can feel better.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you immerse yourself in love? Will you put your love into action by keeping His Commandments?
In the town I grew up in, my brother’s house got a foot of snow. Darn! I really miss that! It has its own charm…that’s true, even on those cold and windy days. I remember a story that a friend of mine, Don, told me. Don, who has passed on now, was a historian in the city of Warwick. He was in his early 70’s when another friend of mine, Sara…who has also passed on, called him and asked for a ride to the hospital so that she could receive wound care. He said “Sure. I’d be happy to take you.” Both Don and Sara were great people. Sara was an exceptional woman….as all women are. She survived cancer, overcame alcoholism, and suffered from scoliosis or curvature of the spine. She had six operations along with radiation treatments and was in constant pain. She walked hunched over. Sara was on a steady diet of Vicodin and couldn’t drive herself. So, Don said he would drive her to the hospital.
They were in the car, and it was a really cold, grey November/December day. The sky was very grey, the wind was blowing, and the leaves were flying all over the place. Don was thinking, “This really bleeps!” But, Sara said, “Look Don! Look at how pretty the leaves are when they are dancing!” Although Don was miserable, he thought, “She is right…look how beautiful this is.” Don’s eyes were restored in that single moment.
Sara saw God’s love in His creation…even on what we would call a bleak New England day. He was able to see the vision of God’s love present. That vision of God’s love present and awe can be restored to us at any time. That wonder and joy can be ours…we never have to lose it…no matter our age or our condition, especially now as we approach the peace of Christmas. We can have that joy all of our days…a joy which is given by our good Lord. We can see His wonder and awe as we prepare for the celebration of the incarnation at Christmas. And, we can see the fullness of His love which was displayed on the Cross 33 short years later. We can see the wonder and awe of His love in each Mass, the Sacraments, and the feasts. It’s not that it is not there, we just don’t see it. But, it’s always there. Is it a struggle to see it sometimes? Sure it is. But it’s there, and our eyes can be opened to see God’s love. How beautiful and wonderful it is. Maybe, that’s a Christmas present you should pray for yourself and for your family this Christmas.
How will you apply this message to your life? Can you see the wonder and awe of God’s present love around you? If not, will you pray that your vision is renewed so that you can see the beauty and wonderment of His love?
Father’s Afterthoughts….I have to pass on some very important information. I cannot tell you how I learned it, because that would compromise sources and methods. But, I have been informed from a very reliable source that Santa and the reindeer are immune from COVID. So, everything is all set for Christmas.
I had dinner with a bunch of priests on Tuesday night. It was a nice dinner, because 1) I didn’t get arrested; and 2) it was a free dinner. We talked about a number of things…basically a whine session…about people not coming to church and things like that. One of the priests, a great guy, said “Jesus told us to feed the sheep…not count them.” And, that’s true.
So, we have the Special Forces of the Catholic faith here with us tonight. You braved this terrible COVID epidemic to be here. You have come out to be a part of Christ’s act of love. Today, we celebrate the anniversary of our Lord’s coming to earth in human form with the human nature He took from the Blessed Mother. Today, we don’t have to look up to heaven, we can look down at Jesus in the manger or over there in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Now, heaven is on earth until the end of the world, because our Lord resides there in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Remember when I told you about the Mass not being an inanimate object like that candlestick over there? The Mass is not a stage-play. It is not a what. It is a “Who.” It is a sacrifice of Christ offered by Christ to the Father.
Scripture says there was peace when Jesus was born. Know why? Because anyone who put their head up, the Romans chopped it off. The Romans did not take kindly to disagreements, and they did not invite dialogue. Don’t like Rome? Whack! Peace was restored, and they had legions of armies to enforce it. Peace is not a what. It’s not a thing, and it’s not a prize. It is a person. Jesus is our peace. He told us in the Gospel, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.” The Lord is with us always. What is He offering? Himself. He is our peace. Peace is not found by changing the personal pronouns referring to people. It is not found in tearing down statues or renaming schools. Peace is not found in giving away stuff. It is not an agreement where everyone gets together in Geneva and signs something. Peace is not found in calling evil, good and good, evil.
True peace comes from having Christ in our soul. The price of peace is losing our sinfulness, our selfishness, our bond to self, and our love of sin. The greater we grow away from ourselves, the greater Christ can come into our souls. Physics tells us that two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. So, the more peace we want, the more sin and selfishness we must rid ourselves of. Christ offers as much of Himself as we want. He is our peace….a true peace that no one can take from us. What is the cost? The cost is the one thing none of us want – all the evil and garbage in our souls.
Sin is what drives Christ out of our hearts. I feel really bad for the police, because for the past several nights, they have been very, very busy. These days, all people want to do is fight. That’s all sin. The police don’t want to enter into fights…they want to go home to their families. People are not fighting because they don’t have an iPhone 5…or whatever number it is up to now. They are fighting because they don’t know Christ who is our peace. We will have peace on earth only when we have peace in our souls.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you make more room for Christ by ridding yourself of sinfulness and selfishness?
Father’s Afterthoughts….• In the last sentence of today’s Gospel, it says Joseph didn’t have relations with Mary before she gave birth to a son. Now, you may be thinking, “Well, that means Mary could have had other children.” As lawyers would say, “That assumes facts not in evidence.” The Gospels tell us only what we need to know. Did you ever notice that the Scripture never talks about dinosaurs? They existed, but they were not essential to the message of salvation. Scripture only tells us what we need to know. So, non-Catholics cannot say that Mary and Joseph had other children. It’s just not true.• Yesterday, I received a rather odd message from my sister-in-law. She said that my brother sold something on E-Bay. My brother has been dead for 18 months. I’m thinking, “Where do they send the check?” Fair question! Welcome to my family. And, you think yours is strange.
During the Christmas season, our good Lord shows us remarkable signs of His love. He reveals His essence at Christmas in what we call the Economy of Salvation and how He brought about our salvation. It shows He is love and that love is humble. He shows us that humility is a part of love. He became what He was not. He was God and became man so that He could pass on to us the fruits of His love through the Sacraments. The creator now became subject to His creatures. In the Gospel according to St. Matthew, at the baptism of our Lord, Jesus had to tell John “You must do this,” because John didn’t want to baptize Him. Such is His great humility. This is how He will affect our salvation…with great humility and subject to His creatures. The ultimate revelation of the depth of His love was at the crucifixion. He gave Himself to us out of love.
I hear people in the church say that they want power. I say, that’s kind of a short-term goal. You have power over God. “What do you mean?” Well, you know, God is subject to you. Out of His great love, He hears your prayers and answers them. You can read in the scriptures that He did not refuse anyone a miracle. He didn’t ask, “Do you know who you are talking to right now?” He didn’t ask, “Are you tithing?” “Are you supporting the Priest Retirement Fund?” He didn’t ask if you are supporting the Diocese. He didn’t ask if you have sinned. He didn’t ask if you blah blah blah. He didn’t ask any of that. He doesn’t ask if you are worthy of His gift. When we present ourselves for Holy Communion, He gives of Himself freely. He gives the gift because He loves us. He answers all of our prayers. You may say, “Well, Father you have been a priest for a long time, and you are still not a Monsignor.” Yeah, I’ve been praying for that for quite a while. I don’t think it’s going to happen. Maybe, it’s my personality…I don’t know. But, we ask for gifts that are too small and for things that might harm us. God wants to give us the greatest gift which is the gift of Himself. He wants to give us what our hearts desire. He wants to fill our hearts with joy…a joy that nobody can take from us.
We had a case in the parish a few weeks ago. A woman from the parish had been praying for quite a while for her nephew who was dying. She called and asked me if I would go and give him Last Rites. He was Catholic, but it didn’t seem to take for a long time. So, I called his wife and then went over to their house. His wife wasn’t Catholic, so the Last Rites confused her a bit. Right after I had finished giving him the Last Rites, I noticed a change in his breathing. I told his wife that they needed some time alone, and I left. He was dead a few minutes later. God answered the prayers of that woman. I’m not always around, but I happened to be in town that day. This happens so many times. I walk in and the family asks if I will give the Last Rites and when I finish, boom, they are gone.
We ask for things in our prayers that are too small. We have power over God. “Well, Father, you have power over God. You make Christ present on the altar during Mass, in the Tabernacle, and in the Sacraments.” Yes, I do, but it is you who can say yes or no if He enters your soul. No matter how many times you come for Holy Communion, properly disposed I certainly hope, you can receive God Himself into your souls. When we come to the Sacrament of Penance, He enters our souls and washes away our sins with His precious blood. You can receive God by calling Him through your prayers and inviting Him into your soul.
You have this immense power of love over God, because He loves you. He humbles Himself at Christmas and each day at the altar. He humbled Himself to John the Baptist, and He humbles Himself to us each day in our prayers. He loves you so much that He wants to give you the best gift of all which is the gift of Himself. You have great power. You have the power to draw God down into your soul. Realize your power and use it.
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How will you apply this message to your life? Will you use the power of God’s love for you and draw Him into your soul?
