Category: Uncategorized

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Acts 6: 8-10, 7: 54-59

Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyrenians, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.

When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But he, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven
and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and he said,
“Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears,
and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul. 
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

The Word of the Lord.

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Yesterday nearly one billion people gathered in churches around the world singing, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” 

We celebrated the birth of our Savior.

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Today the Church takes us in, what feels like, the opposite direction.

We’re not celebrating the birth of a child, but the death of an innocent man, Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Why such an abrupt change in tone?

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Perhaps to remind us that faith always comes at a cost. It’s one thing to believe in Jesus – and another thing to do something about it.

As our first reading reveals, Stephen was a deacon who preached, took care of widows, performed miracles, and debated skillfully with the religious leaders of his day.

Much like his Lord, Stephen was put to death because of what he proclaimed. And as a final act of faith, he cried out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Stephen gave his life willingly for the Gospel because he believed that, like his Lord who was raised from a dark, dusty tomb shortly beforehand, he would rise again, as well.

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Yesterday nearly one-billion people gathered in churches around the world to faithfully celebrate the birth of the Christ-child, singing, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

Today we’re reminded to do something about it. As we prepare to enter another year, like Saint Stephen, what will I do about my faith?

Saint Stephen, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Saint Stephen, Carlo Crivelli (2) Stoning of Saint Stephen, Giovani Battista Luccini (3) Church on the Rock

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Gospel: Luke 2:15-20

When the angels went away from them to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another, 
“Let us go, then, to Bethlehem
to see this thing that has taken place, 
which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, 
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God 
for all they had heard and seen, 
just as it had been told to them.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Merry Christmas!

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I’m sure most of you have a Christmas tree standing tall at home, fully decorated with ornaments and gifts beneath it.

Some may also have a nativity set, depicting the birth of Jesus that first Christmas night.

A number of our children made their own nativity scene in faith formation last week to help them imagine the scene.

This is a tradition that dates back 800 years to Saint Francis of Assisi, who assembled the first nativity scene.

However, his was much simpler than ours. Today we often see nativity scenes crowded with figurines. But Francis included only three: Jesus, an ox, and a donkey.

No Mary, no Joseph, no shepherds, no angels, no magi, no star. Only Jesus, an ox, and a donkey.

Why was his so simple?

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Saint Francis boiled the meaning of Christmas down to its essence.

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We know why Jesus was placed there. We’re celebrating his birth, which is nothing less than the miraculous arrival of God in the flesh.

But why the ox and the donkey?

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They are first mentioned by the prophet Isaiah, who foretold the coming of the Lord.

In the opening lines of the Book of Isaiah, the LORD says, “An ox knows its owner and a donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know me; my people have not understood.”

What is it that our Hebrew ancestors did not understand? Or what was it that Saint Francis wanted us to see?

Time and time again, Israel failed to recognize the LORD in their midst, who often revealed himself through his Word and the prophets.

Although an ox recognizes its owner – it’s the one who feeds, nourishes, and shelters them – “Israel does not know me,” the LORD says. “My people have not understood.”

Israel failed to see the Lord in their midst, much as the innkeeper failed to see God present in the Christ-child that first Christmas night.

This is why Francis chose the ox and the donkey to be in his nativity scene, to encourage us to see what the animals see, to recognize that our master is here, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in the manger.

Jesus is “Emmanuel,” God with us. God “for” us. He has come to usher in that kingdom of peace foretold in our first reading.

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There are two other aspects of our Lord’s birth that we are invited to “see” this Christmas.

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From the very beginning, Jesus is setting the stage for what he will leave behind: his resurrected presence in the Eucharist.

This is emphasized by the fact that Jesus is born in Bethlehem, meaning, “house of bread,” and in a manger, literally, “a feeding trough.”

Do we “see” this?

Do we recognize Christ in the Eucharist, first born in Bethlehem – the house of bread – born in a manger?

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The other aspect of the nativity scene is what we don’t see: the closed door of the inn.

The Gospel tells us, “There was no room for them.” Anyone staying inside the inn was, literally and figuratively, distanced from Jesus.

But we who look upon the manger this Christmas are near. We are out in the elements, standing, gazing, pondering, what his birth means for us.

Like the donkey and the ox, we recognize our Master and we want to “see” him.

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This is what brought each of us here.

A desire to “see” God fully alive in this child.

To “see” him fully present in the Eucharist.

To “see” him still working wonders in our lives.

While our nativity sets will soon be returned to storage for another year, may the essence of what it teaches us remain – God fully present in this Christ-child, who feeds us in this Eucharist, who is still acting in our lives today.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Merry Christmas!

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Image credits: (1) Adobe Stock (2) Perishable Items, WordPress (3) Adobe Stock

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Gospel: Luke 1: 26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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What would have happened if Mary said “no?” 

Would we ever celebrate Christmas? Would the Lord have ever taken on flesh, died on a cross, or been raised?

If Mary said “no,” would we have the promise of eternal life?

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Put yourself in Mary’s shoes.

She’s a teenager, preparing to get married. Out of the blue, an angel appears to her, dropping the biggest bomb imaginable. 

“Hail, favored one! Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus… and of his kingdom, there will be no end!”

While that sounds nice – and quite impossible – I’d imagine that most of us would’ve responded to Gabriel, not with the words, “Let it be done unto me according to your word.”

But with something like, “Gabe, how long before you need an answer? Can I get back to you? I know that God has a plan, but this sounds terribly last minute.”

“Besides, now is not the best time for me. I’m really busy planning a wedding. I have to fit into my dress, which won’t fit if I’m pregnant, not to mention how angry Joseph would be! Please, tell God I’m honored, but let’s iron out some of the wrinkles and talk after the wedding.”

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Mary could’ve said, “no.”

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How often does that sound like our own dialogue with the Lord? 

God reveals something to us – albeit not through an angel, and certainly not as significant – but instead of saying, “Let it be done unto me according to your word,” we try to rationalize, control, even bargain.

For example, over the Christmas season, an estranged family member may ask you for forgiveness. Our inclination may be to put that person off. 

But instead of clinging to hurt feelings, can we surrender and say those words of Mary, “Let it be done unto me, according to your word?” 

Maybe this Christmas looks a bit different than we had imagined. We carry sudden grief or sorrow in our heart. Instead of burrowing in the rabbit hole of self-pity, we can invite God into that space, asking him to transform our grief into gratitude. 

“Let it be done unto me according to your word.”

Perhaps there’s an unexpected turn of events – someone intrudes into our schedule, an old acquaintance shows up, a family member asks us to alter our plans. We can either stay stubbornly in our own lane, or surrender like Mary.

“Let it be done unto me according to your word.”

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This was Mary’s greatest moment – greater than giving birth that first Christmas, greater than standing at the Cross, or receiving word of the empty tomb.

When she says, “Let it be done unto me according to your word,” she becomes the first – and most faithful – disciple of Jesus because of her willingness to surrender her body, her marriage, and her future into the hands of God, offering every believer a model to follow.

Although we may not find ourselves dialoging with an angel this Christmas, we will encounter the Lord in family members at the dinner table, friends at parties, and in conversations with people far different from us.

Whenever there is a chance for reconciliation, healing, or growth, surrender to that voice encouraging you to do what is right, much as Mary surrendered to the Lord’s plans for her own life.

This Christmas, may it be done unto us according to God’s word.

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Image credits: (1) National Catholic Register (2) The Annunciation, Sandro Botticelli (3) Virginia-Highland Church