Homily for Thursday, 1 January 2015– Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

World Day of Peace

Readings of the day: Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 67:1-2, 4-5, 6-7; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21

This homily was given at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada.

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

What makes this prayer special to me? We hear it in our first reading today, from the Book of Numbers. They are the words with which Moses and Aaron are to bless the people of Israel, who are re-entering Israel after escaping Pharaoh’s Egypt. When I was still living in Edmonton, before I joined the religious order I belong to now, the Basilians, I lived with two roommates. Often, when I made a pun or bad joke, one of my roommates would pretend (at least I think he was pretending) to be upset, and then he would make the sign of the cross over me and say this prayer from Numbers: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Unfortunately, attempts to exorcise the pun demons have so far failed miserably.

This beautiful prayer from Numbers is also engraved on a plaque on the wall in our dining room where I live now, with the Basilians at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Rochester, New York. “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

Is our world today not in great need of the Lord’s peace, perhaps even more so than in Moses’ and Aaron’s time, or in Jesus’ time? Our world is in need not so much of peace as in the mere absence of conflict and violence; it is in need of peace that begins and resonates from our hearts. Is this not the kind of peace that resonates from the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother of Peace; Mother of the Church; Mother of God whose feast we celebrate today? Is this not the kind of peace for which we pray on this day, the first of our year, World Day of Peace?

Our Gospel reading today, from Luke, says that the “shepherds… went with haste to Bethlehem” to find “Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.” And then “they made known what had been told them about this child” by the angels who had sent them to the newborn Christ. What was the message the shepherds “made known” to everyone near them, who were then “amazed” at what they heard? What was this message that our Gospel says our Mother Mary “treasured… and pondered… in her heart”? Was it not the message of the birth of our Savior, “Son of God and Son of Mary”; our Prince of Peace?

Perhaps the shepherds announced and Mary “treasured” and “pondered… in her heart” the same message the angels sang to the shepherds in the fields. It is a message of peace. It is the message that, except during Lent and Advent, we announce every Sunday and Holy Day near the beginning of our Mass: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to people of good will”… “On earth peace among those whom [God] favours.” Peace to each and every one of us. This is the message we announce to one another and that we are invited, after our Blessed Mother Mary, to treasure and ponder in our hearts every time we give the sign of peace before receiving our Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, in communion.

And yet to announce this message of peace is one thing; it is another to live by it. How, then, do we live by the message of peace we announce; the message of peace first announced to the shepherds and “treasured” and “pondered” in the heart of Mary; the message of the LORD’s peace from the Book of Numbers; the message of the birth of our Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ?

We could ask ourselves: Am I at peace with God? And am I at peace with my fellow people; with God’s world; with God’s creation? This could be for us a little examination of conscience on how we are living the peace we are invited to announce to our world; the peace for which we pray especially on this World Day of Peace.

Am I; are we at peace with God? Do I show reverence toward God’s name when I speak? Do I not only attend Mass but participate with joy in this gift of the Eucharist that God has given us; this gift of receiving the real presence of Christ, the Prince of Peace; of making this presence of Peace one with ourselves? Do we pray regularly, even if our prayer is a brief, informal giving of thanks for God’s gifts to us every day, or (this is not wrong) do we question God in prayer when we have felt God to be distant from us? Or do we pray even if our prayer is a simple moment of silence, to treasure; to ponder God’s presence; God’s peace in our lives and hearts as Mary once did?

Am I; are we at peace with one another?  How peaceful are my relationships with other people, especially with those closest to me: My family; my parents; my brothers and sisters; my children; my wife or husband if I am married; my relatives and close friends? I do not mean by this that we need to like everybody. With due respect to Facebook and other social media, clicking “Like” on every posting and sometimes living this way in our relationships does not bring true peace. Gossip or silence while we feed into our anger with other people is also not true peace; this is a sin against peace that can masquerade as peace. No, God asks us to love one another (especially the people we have trouble liking); to be at peace with one another.

If at times we have not been at peace with God and with one another, please let me try to encourage you with this: As long as there is love in our world; as long as there is goodness and kindness in our world (of which there is so much, visible right here in this parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help); as long as there is a God who is the source of love, goodness, kindness, and peace, there is a chance at peace. But I also encourage all of us to meet God in God’s goodness, kindness, and peace.

How do we do this? We meet God and God’s goodness, kindness, and peace by acknowledging thankfully areas in our lives where we are at peace with God and one another, and by reconciling those areas in our lives where we are not fully at peace. By this I do not just mean receiving the sacrament of reconciliation often. And yet, as in the sacrament of reconciliation, if we need to receive or to give reconciliation in our relationships with one another and with God, it is never too late for reconciliation; for peace.

And may this be the measure of true peace: When we, like Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Peace whom we celebrate on this World Day of Peace, can treasure and ponder God’s peace deep within our hearts. We will have true peace when the peace in our hearts shows itself as peace among ourselves; as holy peace when we greet one another: Peace be with you. “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

Homily for Thursday, 25 December 2014– Nativity of the Lord

Readings of the day (for Christmas Mass at Night): Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14

Merry Christmas! “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” What is this “good news of great joy” that the angel once proclaimed to shepherds in a field, and that we still proclaim today, more than two thousand years later? Why do we still proclaim this “good news”?

Do not the answers to these questions seem obvious? The “good news of great joy” that the angel proclaimed to the shepherds, of which we hear in our Gospel reading, is the news of the birth of Jesus Christ, Son of God, our Lord. The birth of Jesus is for us the great sign of a promise God made to us long ago, in the prophet Isaiah’s words: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.”

Why do we continue to proclaim this “good news of great joy” to this day? Is it not because, deep within every one of us, we believe that Jesus’ birth was not just a one-time event over two thousand years ago, but is significant for us here and now? The Son of God’s becoming human and Jesus’ birth has changed our world; has saved our world. “A Savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord,” the angel says to the shepherds near Bethlehem.

“A Savior has been born” for us. And it is not the first time, nor will it be the last, when God keeps his promise to us, for our salvation; to lift us from darkness; from gloom; from sin; to shine the light of God’s own presence on our world. We wait for the fulfillment; the end goal of God’s promise for our salvation: The return of Jesus Christ among us at the end of time. And yet God is present among us now. God is saving us now. Deep within us, do we not believe this?

This belief is reason enough for us to proclaim, as an angel did more than two thousand years ago, “good news of great joy… for all the people.” I imagine that we all hold this belief deep within us: Jesus’ birth has changed our world; has saved our world. And God is still working in our world here and now to save us. I imagine this because I look out and see all of us here, gathered as one Church to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. Were this event not world-changing; world-saving, would we be here? Surely we would not celebrate the birth of just any baby, for just any reason, over two thousand years in a manger.

We could find many reasons, some justifiable, not to be here. This is perhaps the busiest time of the year, not only at the stores and shopping malls. This is the time of year to receive family and friends; to give and to receive gifts; to prepare our homes by cleaning, cooking, and baking… Many of us will travel or have traveled long distances over these Christmas and New Year holidays. Many of us care for small children or elderly, sick, or homebound relatives, which can make it more difficult for us to attend Mass, even if it is Christmas.

Many of us mourn the loss of loved ones. Many more of us struggle to make ends meet. Still more of us may have been estranged from the Church for a long time; have had bad experiences with Christians; with the Church; with a priest or other leader of the Church. Others have simply drifted away from the Church. Many of us experience broken families and households. Some of us may question: What is the “good news of great joy” we are to proclaim at Christmas? What is the point?

For some of us, our world is mired in as much “darkness” and “gloom” as in Isaiah’s time or Jesus’ time. Nations continue to oppress one another as our Gospel reading says the Romans oppressed Jesus’ homeland in his time. Wars begin or continue. On the streets of our city and our nation there continues to be a divide between rich and poor; racism; violence.

And yet there is something or, better yet, somebody, who draws us, deep down, to this Eucharistic celebration; to “proclaim” once again “good news of great joy… for all… people”: “A Savior has been born” for us. And the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, has changed our world; has saved our world.

We proclaim this message because we believe it. Who am I to judge what aspect of our celebration has drawn each of us here today? For those of us who, for whatever reason, have been away from the Church, I am not here to judge you either. Let me simply welcome all of us to this celebration; to our proclamation of “good news of great joy.” Christ “has been born for” all of us; has redeemed all of us; has brought all of us, without exception, a chance at salvation.

But the birth of Jesus Christ is just the beginning of God’s saving work. God is saving us now; is changing our world now; saving our world and us now. Our Christmas proclamation of “good news of great joy” brings with it a challenging invitation to all of us: To participate in God’s work of our salvation that is at work in our midst now.

How might we participate in God’s work of salvation, here and now? How might we participate in bringing God’s work of salvation toward its goal, when Jesus Christ returns at the end of time? Our second reading, from the Letter to Titus, gives us some idea of how we might participate in God’s work of our own salvation. “Live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await” Christ’s return.

Be “eager to do good,” we hear from the Letter to Titus. Build peace from the smallest of our actions to the greatest; from our hearts, to our homes, to our nation, to our world. Be kind to one another. Act and speak against divisiveness; gossip; any form of violence in speech or action. Protect and nurture life, from the yet to be born to the elderly and the sick in their last days. Encourage one another when we see one another acting faithfully, rightly, and justly. Pray for one another; we are participants in God’s work of salvation together.

Above all, “do not be afraid,” even if participation in God’s work of our salvation seems daunting. “Do not be afraid”: God’s work of our salvation, in which we participate; which we celebrate here today, is only beginning. It has begun with the proclamation of angels to shepherds near Bethlehem over two thousand years ago: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people… For today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.”

Today, in this city of Rochester; in this St. Kateri Parish and around the world, we ring out anew this same proclamation. We make it our own proclamation of “good news of great joy” by our words; our actions; our being here, participating in this celebration. Why? We proclaim this “good news of great joy” because, deep within us, we believe it. We participate in it. Through us, God’s people; Christ’s people, God is overcoming the darkness and gloom with light and salvation.

Beginning with the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and continuing through us until Jesus Christ returns in glory at the end of time, God has changed our world; has saved our world; is changing us; is saving us.

Homily for Wednesday, 24 December 2014– Nativity of the Lord (Anticipated, Mass with Children)

Readings of the day: Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14

[An angel enters the church, looking for his halo.] Halo? Has anybody seen my halo? [Somebody from the congregation gives the angel a fibre-optic Mohawk hairpiece.] Cool hairdo! But it’s not the halo I’m looking for. 

[Another parishioner finds the halo and gives it to the angel, who says to the parishioner with his halo:] Great! You’re the best! How about I ask God to take some time off of purgatory for you?

…Oh, no! My halo is bent and tarnished! That was a long fall from heaven. And my wings: Has anybody seen my wings? [The angel gasps.] I have no wings! How will I get back up to heaven without my wings? This is the last time I try skydiving! But wait: All is not lost. I see a full house of people here tonight, and lots of children. How wonderful! Let’s have all the children come up…

The sign outside says, “St. Kateri, St. Margaret Mary.” It’s close enough to heaven, I guess. Whoa! I’m exhausted. I need to sit down! Thank you to whomever left this chair here at the front of the church. [The angel sits in the chair.]

That’s much better! Now, just before I jumped from heaven, which was clearly a bad idea, God was speaking to us angels about this great plan that God had for all of us; for the earth; for the whole universe.

[God, voiced by choir member:] I warned you not to jump from heaven. I’ll send you a new halo and wings once St. Joseph is finished building them. He’s a bit busy with a baby in Bethlehem right now, so he’ll be a while. You also have a big bill waiting for you from A Wing and a Prayer Angel Outfitters when you get back to heaven!

[Angel:] Yes, I know. Sorry, God. Anyway, God had this great plan to save the world. And it involved this child. Now, I have a question for all the children here at St. Kateri: Who is this child God sent to save the world?

[Once the children answer, “Jesus” or “Christ the Lord,” etc…] That’s right! Well done! Note to self: These St. Kateri children are very smart. I need to ask them harder questions… One: No more jumping from heaven, and two: Ask the children harder questions.

And so God had this great plan to save the world: Send a child named Jesus to earth. Now is Jesus an angel? Is Jesus a big strong hero, like a Ninja Turtle or Superman? [No.] Hmm… Is Jesus… the Son of God? [Yes.] Good… I was just making sure we knew this.

All the angels in heaven were thinking, before God said to us that he would send his own Son, that maybe God would send one of us angels to save the world. But did God send an angel? [No.] Then we thought he might send one of the child saints from heaven. There are quite a few children who are saints up there in heaven: St. Agnes, with her little lamb; St. Joan of Arc, who saved France (the English are still mad about that); St. Stanislaus (I hear there’s a church near here named after him. He’s a great kid, all the way from Poland). There are the Holy Innocents. And all of us might be saints someday…

But did God choose any of these children to save the world? No, he chose to send his own Son, Jesus. Did God send Jesus as a grown-up? [No.] So how did God send Jesus? God sent Jesus to us as a little baby all bundled up and lying in a manger.

Now, can anybody here see any problems with God sending the Savior of our world as a little baby in a manger? I can. Animals like horses, cattle, and oxen eat hay out of mangers. And so wouldn’t you think that a manger might be a bit stinky? But [the angel sighs] Mary and Joseph tried and tried to find an inn to have their baby in Bethlehem. But could they find room at the inn? [No.] “So, a manger it will have to be,” Mary and Joseph said. And Jesus was born this morning in a manger, seven pounds, eight ounces. The Blessed Mother and baby are doing fine. And, you know, being born in a manger isn’t too bad. At least, so I hear, the baby Jesus is nice and warm.

And so this is how God saved the world, by sending us his infant Son, Jesus Christ, “in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

[God:] Hello, this is God. You have to love those St. Kateri children!

[Angel:] Yes indeed. Aren’t they wonderful? …And so into the story of how you saved the world!

[God:] Listen: Your new wings are ready. St. Joseph did some incredibly fast cribside carpentry while the Virgin Mary was cuddling our Son to sleep tonight. And, get this: St. Joseph will give you your new wings absolutely free as a special Christmas offer… Some assembly required. Flight lessons and battery pack not included. I only have one request: That you proclaim to the people of St. Kateri my message of Christmas joy. It’s the one at the end of the Gospel reading for the Mass tonight. You have the script. Ask the children to say it with you to the people of St. Kateri Parish. See you in heaven soon. Bye.

[Angel:] Great! Thank you, God! Thank you, St. Joseph! I promise never to jump out of heaven again. I’ve got free wings! No, not the Buffalo wings that are famous from around here; no, real angel wings!

Now, children, I need your help. But first, I need to find my script... Oh, no! Where’s my script? Has anybody seen my script? [A child gives the script to the angel.] Thank you so much!

Hmm… So here’s the Christmas message that God wants us to say to the people of St. Kateri. Are you ready to say it nice and loud? Repeat after me: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

And that is the story of how God saved the world through Jesus, his Son.

Homily for Monday, 22 December 2014– Ferial

Monday of the 4th Week in Advent

Readings of the day: 1 Samuel 1:24-28; Responsorial Canticle: 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd; Luke 1:46-56

What does it mean to be “dedicated to the LORD”? Today we hear in our readings of two people, Samuel the son of Hannah and then the Blessed Virgin Mary in Luke’s Gospel, who are “dedicated to the LORD.”

Hannah leaves her son Samuel in the care of Eli. Samuel is now at Eli’s service, but more importantly, is at God’s service. Unlike Samuel who is “dedicated to” God by another person, Hannah, in our Gospel reading Mary once again dedicates herself to God. This time, Mary dedicates herself to God by a beautiful hymn, the Magnificat, which we members of religious orders, priests, and many laypeople recite every day at Evening Prayer: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior…”

We, too, are dedicated to God. Through our baptism, most of us were dedicated to God’s service by our parents and godparents, unless we were baptized as older children or adults, in which case we professed our faith for ourselves. At our confirmation, we dedicated ourselves; chose to commit ourselves to God’s service as Christian disciples.

Have we ever, then, thought to make Hannah’s prayer in dedicating Samuel to God, or Mary’s prayer of dedication of herself to God our own prayer? Hannah says, as she leaves Samuel with Eli: “I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD… Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD.” And Mary prays, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

These are prayers of dedication to God, but also prayers of gratitude. How often do we pray in joyful gratitude for our having been placed at God’s service in whatever way; by whatever vocation we are called to serve God: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior”?

How often do we pray in gratitude especially for God’s mercy in our lives, which is also an invitation to be merciful ourselves: God “has mercy on those who fear him in every generation… For he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.” This may be a good prayer to pray when we make our examination of conscience (for many of us, this is daily), or when we have been absolved of sin through the sacrament of reconciliation.

Our Advent is a time of anticipation of Christ’s return in glory; a time of joy in these last few days before our Christmas celebration. May it also be a time of gratitude; of renewing our commitment to God’s service in whatever vocation to which we are called. May we offer the prayer of dedication that Hannah once did, standing in this house of God, “praying to the LORD.” This day and every day, may we offer Mary’s prayer of gratitude; make her prayer of dedication our own Magnificat: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”