Category: Uncategorized

***

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 (Sunday’s second reading):

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.

May the God of peace make you perfectly holy
and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,
be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.

The word of the Lord.

***

Christmas is only twelve days away!

For many of us, our trees have been decorated, most of our gifts have been wrapped (unless they’re on back order from Amazon), and our ugly Christmas sweaters have been pulled from the closet.

Although we’ve all had to downsize this Christmas, with fewer family members and friends around the table and perhaps fewer gifts underneath the tree, there’s still excitement in the air.

We need the cheer that comes from Christmas.

It’s been a hard year.

***

But I wonder, is Christian joy something seasonal? Or should we be able to find a reason to rejoice year-round, even while stuck in a pandemic?

In our second reading, Saint Paul says, “Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks.”

Not, “Rejoice while opening Christmas presents.” 

Or, “Rejoice after a vaccine’s been found…or rejoice after you receive it.”

But, “Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks.”

How is this possible? How can we rejoice always?

***

Allow me to offer five simple tips. If one of them strikes you, perhaps make it a New Year’s Resolution.

***

Number one: Be grateful.

We can all find a reason to complain. But studies have shown that the happiest people are also the most grateful. 

Strangely enough, some of the happiest people are also the poorest people. Although they have very little materially, they’re grateful for what they have.

If you know the twinge of hunger, for example, then it’s easier to be grateful for a hot meal.

In our case, we know what it feels like to be isolated. COVID’s kept us quarantined and socially distanced these last nine months. But this distance can increase our gratitude for other people in our lives.

Count your blessings in 2021; look for a reason to be grateful. Then you’ll experience Christian joy year-round.

***

Number two: Give more.

Every Christmas we’re invited to be generous. 

Over the last month, for example, I’ve been amazed at how generous the parishioners of Saint Pius X are. You’ve filled the entrance of our church with gifts for children you’ll never even meet.

But don’t stop giving on December 26^th. Keep giving. In fact, give more.

Instead of giving sweaters and toys, however, give the gift of yourself.

People matter more than things. COVID’s reminded us of that.  Don’t let any commercial or advertisement convince you otherwise.

You are the greatest gift of all. What this parish – and your family needs – is you.

Be present for one another and you’ll experience Christian joy year-round.

***

Number three: Spend more time with God.

For some of us, God gets more time during Advent or Lent than other times of the year. 

In preparing for Christmas, we may have attended daily Mass, tuned in online, prayed the rosary, or added a few moments of prayerful silence to our day.

When the anxiety and busyness of life returns, especially after COVID, these routines shouldn’t stop. Our relationship with God should never be seasonal.

The formula before, during, and after Christmas is the same: More God equals more joy.

***

Number four: Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.

During the Christmas season, we fill our homes with Nativity sets, Advent wreaths, and angels on top of our Christmas trees.

All those little bits of Christmas décor are, in a way, reminders of God’s presence in our lives. We need these reminders, but not just during the month of December; we need them throughout the year.

When Christmas decorations come down, put other reminders of Christ up.

Replace your Christmas tree with a family altar, the Advent wreath with a crucifix, or the Nativity set with a statue of Jesus, Mary, or a favorite Saint.

Keep some physical sign of your faith in view and the source of Christmas joy – Jesus Christ – will remain with you always.

***

Number five: Stay connected.

The holidays often inspire us to do a little more. We write Christmas cards, make extra phone calls, and carve out extra time for others.

When the holidays conclude, keep it up. Stay connected, especially with those who are isolated.

Make loving God, present in your neighbor, a top priority in 2021 and you’ll experience Christian joy year-round.

***

In twelve days, we’ll celebrate Christmas. Holiday cheer is everywhere! 

In order to keep it going: Be grateful. Give more of yourself to others. Spend more time with God. And stay connected. Then Christian joy will be ours year-round.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Merry Christmas and God bless you.

***

***

A reading from he prophet Isaiah (41:13-20):

I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I will help you.”

The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.

The word of the Lord.

***

***

There’s plenty of talk about COVID vaccines. When will they be administered? Who will get them first? And, eventually, when will society at large return to normal?

These are questions I’m sure none of us ever thought we’d be asking. We ask them in times of war, not peace. And yet, when will we return to normal?

***

In our first reading, the prophet Isaiah shares a word of comfort with Israel. The Jews have just been through some of their darkest days, having spent decades in exile.

Now they’re beginning their long journey home.

I’m sure many wondered, “What shape will my home be in? Will I be able to recognize it? Where will I find the basic necessities? When will I find a new normal?”

Questions a bit like the ones we are asking today.

***

Fully aware of the challenges Israel faced, the Lord declared through the prophet Isaiah, “I will level the mountains. I will quench your thirst. I will turn the desert into a marshland, planting trees to give you shade.”

God will do everything necessary to keep Israel going. 

Life will return to normal. 

***

The Lord makes this same promise to us.

We have long journey ahead. 

From the first vaccine being administered to the last child returning to school; from breaking every chain of isolation to this church being filled with worship once again.

We have a long journey ahead.

But every journey begins with a single step.

And ours, with God by our side.

***

***

Gospel 

Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

It’s amazing to me how quickly technology changes our habits.

For example, I remember as a kid being driven to the local Blockbuster, perusing the shelves, looking for the newest movie to rent. Now kids just turn on their smart TV’s.

Or, can you remember listening to the car radio as a kid? 

When you’d drive out of town, you’d have to fiddle with the dial and get that little indicator to rest on a new station “just right” – not too far to the right, not too far to the left.

“Just right.”

***

***

Today we just hit the “SEEK” button and the radio finds the next available station. I guess this is considered progress and we should be happy about it.

But fiddling with an old radio provides a great image for Advent.  We had to WORK to find the right station; one click too far to the left or right filled the air with static.

After finding the right station, however, we could hear beautiful music.

***

Our readings this week remind us that we can’t just hit the SEEK button and PRESTO find God’s voice magically speaking to our hearts.

It takes a little more effort than that.

You see, there’s an awful lot of static in the air…especially this time of year. 

There’s the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Jolly Christmas carols three weeks before the big day. Siblings quarantined at home, stepping on each other’s toes. Emails in our inbox. Text messages on our phones. 

Facemasks on our faces. And an invisible virus wreaking havoc on our world.

How do we cancel out the static? How do we fine tune our hearts in order to listen to the voice of the Lord as we prepare for Christmas?

***

We must enter the desert.

***

As the prophet Isaiah says in our first reading, “A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the Lord. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.”

John the Baptist says the same. 

If you want to hear the Lord speak, then you must meet him in the desert.

***

The desert has one of the harshest, most uninhabitable climates on earth. 

It’s deathly hot by day and frigidly cold by night. The air is dry. Water is scarce. There are no established trails. If you want to find your way among the dusty sand dunes and rocky crevices, then you must find it yourself.

It’s there – in the wasteland, in the howling desert – that God will speak to us as we prepare for Christmas.

***

At first glance, the invitation seems unpleasant. Who wants to enter such a harsh climate? 

I much prefer the couch, or at least the comfort of the church!

Yet we can be there and here at the very same time. While sitting in the comfort of church, many of us are also feeling parched within. 

The desert is a place of grief, sadness, and discomfort.

It’s where we go when a sudden illness strikes a loved one; when children tire of learning online; when our faith dries up; when our job is lost; when a virus grips the soul of our nation.

Often enough, we don’t choose to venture into the desert; it comes to us. Life takes hard, unexpected turns, and suddenly POOF there we are.

But this is the ideal place for the Lord to speak. In the desert, the static is gone. Our focus becomes less on superficial things, and more on meaningful things like faith, health, and family.

So, what is the Lord saying to us in the desert of 2020?

***

In the words of the prophet, Isaiah, “Comfort. I will comfort my people.”

These words were first heard by Isaiah’s peers, who were also in the desert. A foreign army had invaded their land, robbed them of their king, threw them out of their homes and cast them into exile.

But from that place, the Lord cried out, “Comfort! I will comfort my people.” 

Then God delivered them from their distress.

***

In what ways do I need to be comforted by the Lord this Advent?

***

Maybe I need my faith renewed; inner peace restored; or hope instilled for a brighter future. 

In order to achieve this, first we must fiddle with the dial of our hearts – fine tune it like an old car radio – until all the static is gone. That happens best through prayer.

Then, the Lord who comforts us will speak.

***