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Reflection for the Solemnity of the Presentation 2025

Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

Today, we complete the forty days of our Christmas observance.

For those not well versed in Mosaic Law there is a bit to unpack here.

The first item is the idea of purification. As our Gospel tells us: When the days were completed for their purification Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Jerusalem. A mother had to spend forty days in the process of purification from having given birth to a son. She was considered unclean or impure during those days and could not be seen in public, and most particularly not in the synagogue or Temple, nor around anything holy.

To complete the purification a sacrifice, a purification offering, was to be made. The Law required the offering of one-year-old lamb and a young pigeon or turtledove. Because Joseph and Mary were poor, they were allowed to offer a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. By the way, if a mother had given birth to a girl, under the Law she is considered unclean for eighty days. If you want to go into all the details read Leviticus 12.

As we all know, the old Law has passed away in Jesus’ sacrifice and our purification by confession and faith. So why do we pay very special attention to this day?

What is most telling for us is what happened on that day in the Temple and its parallels thirty-three years later.

Three plus decades later a purification offering was to be made. Jesus goes up to Jerusalem again to present Himself to the Father and to carry out the Father’s will. He would be that purification offering for us.

Consider as Jesus goes to Jerusalem, He drives out the money changers and sellers who were plying their trade to people who could not afford items for sacrifice – they were taking advantage of people just like Mary and Joseph.

Consider too the cost. Could we afford Jesus? Could we afford the cost of the sacrifice necessary for our salvation? Absolutely not! Even the richest person in the world is too poor to pay for salvation, for their sin, thus why Jesus had to pay our cost.

These parallels are underlined in Simeon’s words to Mary. Jesus would be the reason for the rise and fall of many, and a sign that would be contradicted.

Jesus’ coming has led to our being raised up. Because of Him we are a contradiction to the worldly. As He is our light so are we a light to all who would come to Him.

Christian Witness, Homilies, ,

Reflection for the 2nd Ordinary Sunday 2025

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet

Welcome as we continue in the forty-day celebration of Christmas.

Today, we are called to reflect on the message and the message giver.

As we read through scripture we find about sixty prophets in the Old Testament. Many of those prophets have an entire book as with Isaiah who we read from in today’s first reading. Some are only found in other books.

In encountering the prophets, their journey typically begins with a word from God. In effect, God tells them He has noticed, or taken account of something, and He directs them to spread a message He will give them.

In a bunch of cases, these prophets were taken aback at God’s request. We can echo their words: ‘Who am I?’ ‘How can I?’ ‘I do not have the ability!’ and so on. We all might answer in the same way – and perhaps we still do. We should work on that.

If we look a little deeper, we will find an echo in those words of choice and sending, the echo of God’s direction to His Son Jesus. We hear that same echo in the words the prophets speak, because they are also reflected in the words Jesus speaks to us.

Today, Isaiah speaks of an urgency, to speak out, to not be silent. For the sake of God’s people proclamation must occur.

This is resounded in Jesus’ miracle at Cana. By His mother Mary’s direction, those who would serve, both the house servants and the disciples, are to listen to Jesus’ words and act on them: “Do whatever he tells you.”

In the hymn we will sing today at the conclusion of Holy Mass, ‘Go Tell It On The Mountain’ we hear: Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere.

The event at Cana provides us with that imperative – to tell what we see, hear, and experience.

To our old responses God gives answer: ‘Who am I?’ You are my sons and daughters, baptized into My Kingdom. ‘How can I?’ Because you can do anything with My grace. ‘I do not have the ability!’ Yes, you do because I created you, and each day I make you able.

As the disciples grew in confidence at Cana, let us do so as well. Let us take every opportunity in confidence to bring those we encounter to the wine of eternal life. 

Jesus fulfills the directions to, and the words given to, the prophets. So must we fulfill Jesus’ words in our lives and in our proclamation. 

Christian Witness, Homilies, ,

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Nativity 2024

The people who walked in darkness
        have seen a great light;
 upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
        a light has shone.
 You have brought them abundant joy
        and great rejoicing

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I have been out-of-sorts. This hasn’t been a temporary thing, but has been ongoing, that feeling of unease, not knowing where one is or where one is going. I’ve missed things, feel as if I’ve been wandering without direction.

I suppose it is a lot of things. Like all of us, we have those things that press on us. They can be health worries, worries about loved ones, concerns over the everlasting bureaucracy that seems to place roadblocks in the way of getting anything accomplished.

I am usually self-assured, and even when I do not reduce my plans to writing, I am on top of it. I haven’t been. By now I should have watched every classic Christmas movie (Miracle on 34th Street, The Bishop’s Wife, White Christmas, Scrooge (with Alistair Sim), It’s A Wonderful Life, and so on). I have only seen a couple. Take for example this past Sunday – how could Father forget to light the Advent wreath candles? There was other stuff I missed too.

Feeling out of sorts brings about its own fears, trepidation, wonder about what else one may be forgetting.

Then this experience.

On Monday I did all my last-minute running around. I kind of like that hustle and bustle of the last day or two before Christmas. I felt finally a bit of peace, I had a plan, and it was getting done.

First, I had to stop back at Pathways. One resident’s family presented me with a lovely gift, which I left behind in another room (talk about being out-of-sorts) where I had given communion. The staff were kind in retrieving it for me and that was settled. Then off to Euro Deli for all the wonderful Polish goodies needed for our Vigil / Wigilia Supper and things for our parish Repast tonight and tomorrow. I had two bags filled up and other stuff.

I also forgot – Fr. Out-of-Sorts – to order white roses for the baby Jesus, so I stopped at Randolph’s and thankfully they accommodated me.

Armed with the rose arrangement and the goodies, I stopped at church. I put the bags in the foyer, checked the mail, a set the roses in place. Having done that, I reset the carillon to play Christmas hymns throughout the season. And then…

I heard the door and rustling downstairs.

Hmmm….

Guess who I encountered?

It was one of our food pantry customers. He was filling his bags with the things from my bags. The stuff for my family Vigil Dinner, the goodies for our Repast.

This man was all the things that would put us off. He is disheveled, has all sorts of health issues, due to strokes he cannot speak very clearly. He is the perfect representation of pain and want. He is what most avoid. He is what many would react negatively toward if they found him going through their stuff.

My disheveled, out-of-sorts self was facing this disheveled man, and my eyes were finally opened. There was Christ. I was encountering Jesus. I was encountering the Jesus of poverty born in a stable among the livestock, laid in a manger on a cold night. No pillow for His head. Poorer still shepherds as His attendants. Are white roses and decorations enough for Him?

My heart broke for this image of Christ before me and my eyes were opened to setting things in order – not to worry so much about putting things in order, but to allow Jesus to order and sort my life.

This is what we are all called to do, at whatever age we are, to allow this Infant in the manger to order and sort our lives. We are called to see Him in rich and poor eyes, amid plenty and want, always keeping before us the One who asks only love, and in response to give all our love.

 The people who walked in darkness
        have seen a great light

Christian Witness, Homilies, PNCC, ,

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds 2023

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy…

My homily on Christmas was centered on Paul’s letter to Titus, someone we do not encounter very much in the Church year (4 times at most). As I mentioned, Titus was the first Bishop of Crete, that small Mediterranean island that lies between Athens and Rhodes.

On Christmas we focused on the confidence Titus needed because he was charged with developing the Church in Crete, a place Paul had never visited. 

As I also mentioned, there is a lot in Paul’s letter to Titus about Church organization, differing groups of people and their roles and responsibilities and how they are to grow in faith, but key to all of that was how the grace and love of God that appeared in Jesus Christ should cause us all to live and act, eager to do what is good. 

Indeed, we are to live with the confidence of a people who have been redeemed, saved, delivered, and cleansed; a people belonging to God.

About 86 years before Paul wrote his letter to Titus, Jesus was born, and the first to encounter Him besides Mary and Joseph were the Humble Shepherds of the area.

Like all of us, those Humble Shepherds had not done anything to merit the announcement they heard. They hadn’t even bought a lottery ticket. They weren’t thinking – I’m in it to win it. Yet the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared to them.

God’s coming among us brought about real change and it is change that will last forever. It will last despite the world’s denial, despite any negative thing we could think of, and it will overcome for as Jeremiah proclaimed: I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. That is God’s promise and Jesus’ coming did that!

What can we take away from this encounter with those Humble Shepherds who were so highly blessed? 

We can take an attitude of confidence because Jesus saved us despite ourselves. We can develop an active disposition – to get up, go, learn, then witness, and proclaim based on faith alone without any prompting, without fear. We can live as Jesus intends – in gladness and comfort knowing we are His. Come, let us go to the stable.

Christian Witness, Homilies, ,

Reflection for the Shepherd’s Holy Mass / Pasterka at Midnight on the Solemnity of the Nativity 2023

We await the blessed hope, 
the appearance of the glory of our great God 
and savior Jesus Christ,
who gave Himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness 
and to cleanse for Himself a people as His own, 
eager to do what is good.

If we happen to catch a few of those Christmas shows and movies, and if our hearts are moved when George Bailey comes home having realized the value of life and see the redemption of Mr. Gower (It’s A Wonderful Life), when Kris Kringle speaks to the Dutch girl and delivers the X-ray machine to the hospital, and renews the faith of Doris and Susan Walker (Miracle on 34th Street), when the Grinch’s heart grows, when the soldiers return in honor and respect for General Waverly and to give him themselves as a Christmas gift (White Christmas) we realize the coldness of the world and worldly has not entered in or taken hold of our lives. 

Watching these movies each year reassures my heart because I allow it to be moved. It shows me a people who through some unfortunate occurrence lost confidence in the salvation brought to the fore this very night. Blessedly, they regained it through the witness of people of faith. It gives me confidence that Jesus still holds unto me and to us. It reminds me of my blessed hope in spite of all things.

In tonight’s Epistle Paul is writing to Titus, not someone we hear a lot about. Titus was the first Bishop of Crete, that small Mediterranean island that lies between Athens and Rhodes.

At the time of this writing Titus needed confidence because he was charged with developing the Church in Crete, a place Paul had never visited. There is a lot in the letter about the organization of the Church, differing groups of people and their roles and responsibilities and how they are to grow in faith, and as we hear this evening reminders for how the grace and love of God that appeared in Jesus Christ should cause us all to live and act, eager to do what is good. His grace and love are meant for the constant renewal of our confidence in God’s love and goodness.

What is key for us to understand is Titus, the people of Crete, and Paul himself were living confidently in the fresh experience of Jesus’ coming. The Messiah, Emmanuel, had come to save those who would believe and that was already past tense. They, having experienced the redemptive sacrifice of Christ awaited His return. We likewise await His rebirth in our hearts. For those people of Crete, and us, it all comes down to how we live in confidence as redeemed, saved, delivered, cleansed people who belong to Jesus.

Today, tomorrow, and always let us allow the experience of Jesus’ coming live anew in us. Let His redemptive sacrifice fill our hearts with thankfulness and true joy – the confidence of redeemed, saved, delivered, and cleansed people who belong to Him.

Christian Witness, Homilies, PNCC, , , , ,

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds 2023

My heart changed.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 

Thank you for joining as we continue in the celebration of the Christmas Season and in our expectation of the Lord’s return in glory.

This unique Solemnity in our Holy Church dedicates a Sunday in the early Christmas season to the remembrance of those shepherds who first heard of the Lord’s birth from the angels. This Solemnity is so important that it displaces all other Solemnities of the Christmas season excepting the Circumcision, Holy Name of Jesus, and Epiphany should they occur on a Sunday. In most years, this Solemnity occurs on the Sunday after the Nativity. In years like this one with Christmas on a Sunday, this Solemnity is celebrated on the 8th of January.

This Solemnity is wonderful on so many levels for it shows how God interacts with humanity. God sent His angels to the poor workers of the region to announce His salvation, the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament. In fact, He chose the lowest of the low to receive this news.

We can assess their humility from the fact they were not people of pretense. They could not fool anyone about who they were — they even smelled like their work — the sheep, the pastures and woodland.

A lack of pretense is one sign of humility. Oxford notes that humility is: ‘Having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance. Of low social, administrative, or political rank.’

Another sign of humility / humbleness is what the Shepherd’s did with the news. They trusted and went, then having seen told people about it directly and honestly. The Shepherds experienced God and didn’t have to think about it, philosophize, theologize, or seek the local descendent of Aaron, a Levite, or religious leader to interpret for them.

In the Letter of St. James (James 4:10) we hear: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. Good advice! The more like these Shepherds we are the better off we will be because God will be holding us up.

If we are hanging on to any pretense, let’s wash ourselves of it in confession. If we are grasping after the straws the world offers, know they will snap and break, and we will be alone. So, if we are grasping, let us stop and grasp onto Jesus. If we are holding off in talking about Jesus or waiting for the advice of philosophers, theologians, priests, or best sellers, let us stop waiting and get to work. Speak of Him.

Last week we spoke of being changed, having changed hearts and lives. Here we see the practical model of people who are transparent, honest, and humble about what God has done. God sent His Son Jesus to save us. Let us live as saved and humble as those Shepherds who declared the Lord.

Pray too for all present and these future humble shepherds of our Church: Alfonsito, Nick, Sean, David, Jason, Todd, Adam, Zach, Kevin, Zach, James, Nick, Rodryg, and all Deacon candidates.

Christian Witness, Homilies, PNCC, , , ,

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Circumcision of our Lord 2023

My heart changed.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus 

Thank you for joining as we continue in the celebration of the Christmas Season and in our expectation of the Lord’s return in glory.

The question on everyone’s mind “why celebrate this?” I mean, think about it. This ceremony performed probably in Joseph and Mary’s home and all it entails — well it seems both minor and kind of gross.

The Roman Church got rid of this celebration and converted it to a Marian Feast. That cleaned it all up, right? They do not have to think about all this, and they thought they made it all pretty. Unfortunately, they lost the point.

So why do we celebrate our Lord’s circumcision? There are several very important reasons to celebrate.

One reason is that it is factual. January 1st is eight days from December 25th, and in accord with God’s instruction to Abraham which Joe so elegantly read, every male among you, when he is eight days old, shall be circumcised.

Another reason, and this is particularly important for us, is that the fact of the circumcision, the pain and loss of blood, was testament to Jesus’ humanity. Indeed, God had become man. Jesus laid down His Deity and took on our flesh so He could deliver on all the Father’s promises to us.

Jesus as man was the only One Who could save us from our sins by paying their penalty, Who could redeem us, and Who could make us new and co-heirs with Him to eternity in the Kingdom now and to come.

How privileged we all are that God became man, that His humanity was one-hundred percent real and full. Many ancient heresies tried to downplay or outright rejected Jesus’ humanity, but without that humanity we could not have been saved, our debt would not be paid, we would remain our old fallen selves.

In the circumcision we are reminded that this baby boy, Jesus, faced all we face. He was not some magical figure, sitting up in the manger and doing calculus, or speaking, or anything other than what 8-day old babies do — eating, crying, and needing a diaper change.

Finally, the circumcision is a sign in the old covenant, the covenant that Jesus, as God, enjoined on the Jewish people and all in their nation.

Jesus took on this sign of the old covenant in His flesh to declare that He was of Israel, its true son, and just as the sign of the old covenant was in His flesh so would the sign of the new covenant be in His flesh — in nail marks, scars, and a pierced side.

For us, the new covenant in Christ’s flesh and blood frees us, as St Paul says, from the Law and its prescriptions. We live a new changed existence in grace.

St. Paul is being very careful in exhorting the Galatians and us so we might perceive our new reality –who we really are as a changed people. The Galatians, and some today, believe that they can do stuff — be circumcised, cook a certain way, carry out lists of activities and be saved. How wrong they are!

Our salvation is in the God/man Jesus. He completed that work. Now we must accept Him, live changed lives, and walk His way in faith working through love.

Christian Witness, Homilies, , ,

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Nativity 2022

Ready!

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.

Thank you for joining as we celebrate, once again, our Lord’s first coming to be God with us, and as we continue to await His return in glory.

On this Christmas I would like us to consider a bit of literature and one character. The literature: Charles Dickens A Christmas Carole, the character, Ebeneezer Scrooge.

A Christmas Carole has been made into a movie at least forty-six times. It has been further adapted, most recently as “Spirited” on Apple TV.

The book really should be read for all the nuance one misses in the movies and stage plays. Its many transformations cause us to not just a loss of nuance, but more importantly the transformation of characters, most especially Scrooge into various personas not at all in keeping with who he was intended to be.

Now my favorite rendition, and you can find it on YouTube, is the 1951 version staring Alister Sim as Scrooge. What you will notice about this Scrooge is that his attitude toward everything in filled with an integrity of character. Almost everything we need to know about who he is and his example for us is in the first minute of the movie.

Scrooge is walking through the halls of the London exchange. The narrator tells us that Marley had died, Scrooge’s name was put on the Exchange, and he was successful in whatever he touched. He meets two men of business. We will see them later. They ask if he is leaving early to keep Christmas. He tells them point blank: “I am not in the habit of keeping Christmas.” They then ask why he is leaving early. He tells them that it is because Christmas keeps men from business. They respond that it is just the nature of things: “Ants toil, grasshoppers sings and play.”

Let’s unpack this. Scrooge is the steadfast one here. He knows who he is, and he lives it fully no matter what anyone thinks or says. We see this in his next encounters with the debtor, the children on the street singing, the men working for charity, and his nephew. 

Scrooge’s opposite are the men of businesses. They could care less about Christmas, it is just a thing, the way things are, so while they would rather be doing business, they go along. They do not believe enough in anything to stand for it. They are hypocrites. I mentioned we would get back to them. They appear several times, but last after Scrooge has died in the vision of the future. The one, when asked if he is going to the funeral, says “only if he gets fed.”

People of God, Christ Jesus has come and will come again. He is in or midst, among us. The question for us on this Christmas is: How will we keep Christmas?

At the end of the movie the narrator tells us that Scrooge, now transformed by grace, was better than his word. In this we see our call to transformation. A man 100% focused with complete integrity on the world and business has become a man 100% focused with complete integrity on walking Jesus’ gospel path. 

Can we be that transformed person right now? If so, let us then keep the light that has dawned for us and share that light with 100% commitment and integrity, not just this day, but every day, and God will bless us, everyone.

Christian Witness, Homilies, ,

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord 2022

Called to Live Anew

After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying

Anew — it is a word we will focus on for years to come. We together have spent the last decade in a lot of hard work building up this parish, strengthening it, readying it. Now is the time for the next great step, to call people anew to knowing, loving, and serving the Lord and His Holy Church.

Today we are called to situational awareness and the actions we must take.

The gospel passage from St. Luke paints a picture of what occurred on the day of Jesus’ baptism. However, in this account, the discussion between Jesus and John is missing. Also, the actual moment of baptism is missing. We must infer what happened by starting at the after-the-baptism moment.

What we can take from this account is the fact that John baptized a lot of people that day. Jesus, like the rest, stood in line and entered the Jordan to be baptized. Afterward, He, like the rest, filed out of the river and went to the riverbank to pray.

The rest of the gospel focuses on the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God and the revelation of the God as Holy Trinity — Father, Son, and Spirit.

This short gospel snippet, about three-quarters of a single sentence, and awareness of our situations, is a call to action for us.

Now imagine that line at the Jordan. Can you picture yourself standing there in line with Jesus? It would be so cool, so excellent to be there with Him. Many were, perhaps not realizing Who stood in line with them.

We are called to be situationally aware, alert wherever we venture. The bank, shows, movies, the supermarket, work, social events, and even theme parks. In many of those places we face the prospect of standing in line. As such, we who are baptized are called to be Jesus in that line. We represent Him and that carries a responsibility to help the people around us find life anew in Jesus.

You know how it is. In line everyone has eyes cast down, perhaps hoping no one will notice them. Let’s just get the task done and get out. We have the power to turn feelings of apartness and separateness into moments with Jesus. Simply, say hello, how are you. Pass a smile and offer a simple blessing — ‘May God bless you today.’ Then let Jesus take over. Try it!

What happens as we stand in line bearing the image of Jesus, or in whatever situation we find ourselves, is the offering of our time to God in accord with our after-the-baptism call. Let us be situationally aware, not in fear and apprehensiveness, not in trepidation, but in the hopefulness and joy of being born anew as we call others to the same newness of life in Jesus.

Christian Witness, Homilies, ,

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Holy Name of Jesus 2022

Blessed Be His Name!

“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

How does it feel to be 101 years old? Pretty good I think, echoing Bishop Bernard’s message at our celebratory Holy Mass of Thanksgiving this past October.

Indeed, another year is dawning as we will hear in our recessional hymn. That hymn reminds us of all we must do as we enter our second centenary. We can repeat with the hymn our very heartfelt request to the Father, that the year and century ahead will be a time of working and waiting with God. A time of learning, trusting, mercies, faithfulness, graces, gladness, progress, praise, service, and training all while leaning on our Father’s breast as we anew prove His presence right here in our community.

It is a special grace that we begin our new century with the celebration of the Solemnity of the Holy Name of Jesus which fell on the first Sunday of this new year, 2022.

Anew — that is a word we will focus on in a very particular way for years to come. We together have spent the last decade in a lot of hard work building up this parish, strengthening it, readying it. Now is the time for the next great step.

We are indeed strong and ready to undertake a great mission — making the Holy Name of Jesus known once again by our evangelistic efforts.

I can recount some of what I used to encounter growing up. The Name of Jesus was well known and was respected. In fact, we understood each other often in relationship to the church or other place of worship we attended. 

For example, walking into a Synagogue, I knew what to do. The last time I walked into one and asked for a Kippah/Yarmulka, the Rabbi was surprised, perhaps not expecting that sign of respect. In my church, people who came for special events like weddings and funerals, even if they were not Catholic, knew to stand, sit, and kneel at appropriate times. That does not happen much anymore. The Name Jesus does not elicit respect, not out of disrespect or meanness, but rather out of a lack of knowledge. So, we have work to do.

We are called to the work of the first apostles and disciples. We are asked to bring the light of Jesus’ Holy Name into every corner of our world. We are to offer hope by our witness to the Holy Name of Jesus. It really is not difficult. We have the grace of God with us; that gives us confidence. Speak of and spread Jesus’ Holy Name as a personal mission. Welcome people to experience Jesus in simple discussions. Try this key: Ask people what matters to them, then discuss how God fits into that in our lives. If we do this, we will bless His Name.

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