Reflecting Like Mary

Homily for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
1 January 2015

“And Mary kept all these things, reflecting upon them in her heart.”

       As we begin the New Year of 2015, we, like Mary, have the opportunity to reflect upon things in our hearts.

       The close of any type of chapter in our lives, including the change of the calendar year, gives us the opportunity to reflect upon our lives and the events that have brought us to where we are now.

       In these days that have brought us from the close of one year to the dawning of another finds us full of joy and nostalgia, and we reflect upon all that has happened to us in this past year.

       All the good and bad, ugly and beautiful moments are brought to mind as we reflect upon what has been another chapter in our lives.

       But we must reflect like Mary – making sure that the Lord is in the center of that reflection. Mary reflected on these events that she kept in her heart, but always doing so while trusting in the Lord.

       As we continue to celebrate the memorial and reflection of how our God sent forth the revelation of His love through the Incarnation of Jesus, we must allow the totality of our lives – past, present and future – to be engulfed in the revelation of Divine love. Our reflection of the events in our hearts must be placed at the foot of the manger, as well as the foot of the Cross. We can never separate the Mystery of the Incarnation from the Paschal Mystery. They can never be divorced from one another, nor can they be divorced from our lives (or the life of any Christian man or woman.)

       Yet, we also know that a reflection is “something that shows the effect, existence, or character of something else” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reflection). And so, for us as like for Mary, the events in our lives ought to show the effect, existence or character of God in our lives. Just as she reflected upon the events of her life in her heart, she allowed that reflection to be something which reflected and showed forth the power, glory, and ecstasy in union with our God.

       Our lives must do the same.

       In our reception of the Word and Sacrament, we, like Mary, become pregnant with the presence of the Living God in our midst. In the living out of our faith – including those moments of reflection – we give birth to the presence of Christ in our world, allowing Him to be enfleshed in our thoughts, words and actions, so that, like Mary, the reflection of our lives will show forth the power, glory and ecstasy of union with God active in the world.

       And so, on this great day when the passing of time is celebrated in so great a fashion, we *DO* take the time to reflect in our hearts upon how God moved through the many joys and sorrows we experienced in 2014, and, yet, we prepare our hearts to be a reflection of how the Revelation of Divine Love brought about in Jesus Christ is active and present, ever ancient and ever new, in 2015.

       May we, in this New Year of 2015, strive to be more like Mary each day: Not only reflecting on how God continues to be active in our lives, but be the reflection of how God is acting in and through us.

       And so, we pray:

Dear Lord,

We pray that this New Year will bring us closer to You.

May we take the time to get to know You.

Help us to truly celebrate the gifts You have graciously given us

and use them to serve You and spread Your word,

May we also see and love you in all the people we meet,

so that in turn, they can see You in us.

We know that all human relations take time

if they are to grow and deepen.

This is also true of our relations with You,

the Father and the Holy Spirit,

which must grow over the course of our lives.

In this new year,

let us realize that every action of ours

no matter how great or small

enables us to be in touch with You.

Let us accept You in our lives,

in the way it pleases You,

as Truth, to be spoken,

as Life, to be lived,

as Light, to be lighted,

as Love, to be followed,

as Joy, to be given,

as Peace, to be spread about,

as Sacrifice, to be offered among our relatives,

friends, neighbors and all people.

Amen.

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Enjoy the journey . . .

God's Dwelling

Homily for the 4^th Sunday of Advent
21 December 2014

Just as the term Church refers to the living temple, God's People, the term Church also has been used to describe "the building in which the Christian community gathers to hear the word of God, to pray together, to receive the sacraments, and celebrate the Eucharist." That building is both the house of God on earth (domus Dei) and a house fit for the prayers of the saints (domus ecclesiae). Such a house of prayer must be expressive of the presence of God and suited for the celebration of the sacrifice of Christ, as well as reflective of the community that celebrates there.

Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship, 16

      

       God’s dwelling.

       That’s where we’re at.

       That’s who we are.

       That’s what we’re trying to build.

       That’s who we’re trying to be.

       Our First Reading retells the story of David’s desire to build God a proper dwelling place, a temple. While we know that it was eventually Solomon who built the first Temple, God reassures David that He dwells among His people. He also assures David that there will be a descendent that will arise from His people who will be the fulfillment of David’s kingship and royal heritage.

       Fast-forward one thousand years: A young woman fulfilling the duties of her day has the experience of an angel of the Lord coming to her, telling her that she is to be the Mother of the Son of God. God, again, reassuring His people that He continues to dwell among them. However, by becoming one of us, God fulfills His promise, and His Son, the One to be named “Jesus”, will bring to fruition what David had started centuries before: Namely, the establishment of the Kingdom of God – a Kingdom which will have no end.

       Now jump ahead two thousand years to today: The Kingdom of God continues to be present in our world, but not in Its fullness. Yes, He continues to dwell among His people; His presence is abides among us. We build these great buildings in His honor for His presence to reside – these domus Dei, these domus ecclesiae. But it is not here that our Lord wishes to ultimately dwell.

Rather, as we know, He wishes to dwell within us, we who are His living Temples.

Yet, as we are remember how a church building must be expressive of the presence of God and suited for the celebration of the sacrifice of Christ, so must we, as Temples of the Lord, be a fitting place for the Lord to dwell.

On this Fourth and final Sunday of Advent, Mary’s example of preparing herself for so great a calling urges us to take a look at our lives and ponder if we are prepared to accept a similar calling. Mary, the greatest Temple and first tabernacle to house the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, provides the model par excellence of what it means to be prepared to house Him who desires nothing more than to dwell with those who He hopes desires Him.

So the question arises: What is it that makes us as Temples lacking in the expressive presence of God? How suited are we for the celebration of the Paschal Mystery, as well as the Mystery of the Incarnation, in our lives?

In these last days heading toward the celebration of Christmas, what have we allowed through the “temple gates” to defile the dwelling of the Most High? Has it been the sins of gluttony, sloth, envy or lust? Has it been an addiction to alcohol, drugs, tobacco or pornography? Have we slandered the character of another through gossip? Have we used people to get what we desire, not really caring about their well-being? Have we neglected the needs of the poor? Have we allowed anger to fester in our hearts, prohibiting the repentance or forgiveness that we seek or another seeks from us? Have we respected the gift of life and the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death? Have we immorally used artificial birth control? Have we simply presumed the mercy of God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation or performed the sacrilege of receiving the Eucharist while a mortal sin rests on our soul?

If we answered “yes” to any of these questions, what are we planning to do to make of ourselves a worthy dwelling for the Lord?

If we’re able to receive the Eucharist this day, how will we allow that great Sacrament to not only abide inside us – these Temples made of clay – but also to purify that which is impure in our lives? If we’re unable to receive the Eucharist this day, how does our desire to share in the Sacrament prompt us to be reconciled to God and our brothers and sisters?

As members and heirs of the Kingdom of God, it is up to us to direct all of our thoughts, words and actions to the continual building up of the Kingdom. All the same, as living stones of the Temple of God, we must be expressive of the presence of God and suited for the celebration of the sacrifice of Christ.

       While this physical building reflects the spiritual reality that we live, we strive to become both the house of God on earth (domus Dei) and a house fit for the prayers of the saints (domus ecclesiae), since we are called to be a living house of God while we are on this Earth and a place where we can develop our vocation to be saints.

       At the end of this Advent season, we once again look to Mary to be that example for us to learn what it means to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit so that we, too, may be living Temples of God. We look to the Blessed Mother to be for us that paradigm of what it means to allow the presence of Christ to be housed in us – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – as we carry out the vocation to be living tabernacles of His dwelling in the world. We ready ourselves in a special way in these closing days of preparation for Christ’s coming in giving of ourselves to God with reckless abandon so that Christ may be birthed through our thoughts, words and actions. And we prepare ourselves for the day that the establishment of the Kingdom of God is fulfilled – and we, God willing, can share in the eternal inheritance promised to us.

       God’s dwelling.

       That’s where we’re at.

       That’s who we are.

       That’s what we’re trying to build.

       That’s who we’re trying to be.

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Enjoy the journey . . .

Rejoice!

Homily for the 3^rd Sunday of Advent
14 December 2014

I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord”. . . . Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved. (EG 3, 6)

      

       These words of Pope Francis from his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, reflect what we’re doing here, right here, right now: We’re (hopefully) renewing our personal encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ; we’re (hopefully) renewing that joy which “adapts and changes,” but which “always endures.”

        As Christians, we are people of joy.

        As Christians, we rejoice for the marvels that God has done.

        This Third Sunday of Advent has “rejoice” written all over it: the lighting of the rose-colored candle and the wearing of the rose-colored vestments; the decorations of the church taking away the starkness that was there at the beginning of the season and now beginning to reflect the celebration of to come; and, in our First and Second Readings today, we literally hear the word proclaimed to us.

        We are a people of joy!, and we are called to rejoice always.

        But we can’t rejoice if we refuse to let the joy of an encounter and relationship of Jesus Christ fill us and guide us through this life.

        Pope Francis reminds us:

  

The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ. (EG 2)

        Are you overwhelmed by the season? Too many cookies to bake? Too many presents to wrap? Too many Christmas parties? Trying to find the perfect tree? Trying to find the perfect gift? Can’t get those Christmas cards out in time? Frustrated at all the people who can’t drive on the roads?

        Then you and I are most likely not sitting in joyful, quiet stillness that this season is supposed to – and does! – offer.

        Just as John the Baptist announced the coming of the Christ, so, too, must we, by our example and witness, announce the Good News that our God has come to dwell with and redeem His people.

        In fact, we rejoice in this fact.

        I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul. – My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior… – Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks . . . Do not quench the Spirit.

        The joy we are to possess as followers of Christ is a joy that which is the remedy for “the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and [the] blunted conscience” our society bombards us with on a consistent basis.

        If we are rejoicing in all the externals of the season – the gifts, the tree, the parties – then we are not rejoicing for the internal reason that our God has come to Earth and is coming again. If we are overwhelmed by the “stuff that needs to be done” to celebrate Christmas, then we’re not allowing ourselves to know the joy and peace that that encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ is supposed to foster within us.

        The joy of the Christian is to recognize that, at the very core of our being, “we are infinitely loved.” Yes, the joy we are possess will have to adapt and change as our lives adapts and changes to the world around us.

        But we are never to lose our sense of joy.

        We are never to abandon our relationship with Jesus Christ.

        In fact, our joy, which is based in our relationship with Jesus Christ, should be the primary way that we evangelize the Good News about our God dwelling among us. It is the joy of the Christian who truly lives his or her relationship with Jesus Christ that attracts others to want to know Him.

        My brothers and sisters, “rejoice always.” Allow the joy of this season of preparation permeate your heart and soul; allow the joy of this season deepen your encounters and relationship with Jesus Christ.

        Rejoice for the day of the Lord is near at hand!

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Enjoy the journey . . .