WWGJD - A Reflection on Peace 4th Sunday of Advent

WWGJD

This is the fourth Sunday of Advent which is associated with peace. This weeks scripture is about finding peace. 

It begins with Isaiah.  When the kingdom of Judah was fighting the kingdom of Israel. Ahaz the King of Judah was looking for peace. 

Isaiah spoke for God. He said to Ahaz, “Do not be afraid.” And Isaiah continued,  “the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

In the Gospel according to Matthew, Joseph was looking for peace when an angel of the LORD appeared and said “Do not be afraid!” The angel tells Joseph “... you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  

The Gospel continues, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has said through the prophet: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”

St. Paul declares the Good News to the Romans that it was Christ Jesus who was promised by the prophets in Holy Scriptures. 

His gospel: Christ Jesus is the Son of God. We are called to belong to Jesus Christ. In that we are called to be the beloved of God. We are called to be holy.

St Paul salutation, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is a greeting of peace for all of us on the fourth Sunday of Advent.  

Now, I want to share with you a little story about peace. 

This week, my daughter shared a story about my six year old grandson. It is a story about finding peace. I think it can explain this weeks scripture.

My grandson had gotten angry at school and then he did something to get a conduct mark. My daughter told him, instead of reacting, take a minute and ask yourself WWJD - What Would Jesus Do?

His mother told him “do not be afraid and angry, but, know peace by thinking about Jesus.”

That 6 year old theologian thought for a little while and answered. “Momma, it should beWWGJD - What would God Jesus Do?”

He has a point there.

A couple of days later, my daughter is totally frustrated at my youngest grandson who is getting close to the terrible twos. She scolds him. Her oldest son says to her, “Relax Mom - ask yourself WWGJD?”

To know peace ask yourself, WWGJD? What would God Jesus Do?  Scripture tells us what he has already done. To know that is to know peace. 

His name will be Emmanuel, which means God is with us. Isaiah also speaks this of God’s peace:  You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Is 26:3

The words that truly allows us to know peace:  You are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. 

It is through Jesus Christ born in a manger and crucified on the cross we find and know peace in this world.

Jesus said to his disciples, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Jn 14:27 “..in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Jn 16:33

WWGJD - What Would God Jesus Do? - for us to know peace?

He came into world for us and He will come again.

Be good be holy and preach the gospel of Christ Jesus by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen.

Live His Truth - Reflection Gaudet Sunday A

Today the third Sunday of Advent is call Gaudet Sunday.

The first thing heard at mass this morning should be these words. GAUDET IN DOMINO SEMPER - Rejoice in the LORD always!!!

The introduction to mass or the entrance antiphon comes from Philippians 4:4-5 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.

The Church has chosen this Sunday in advent, which is a time of preparation, prayer, and fasting, to remind us to rejoice in the coming of the LORD. One way is that the Priest and the Deacon wear rose vestments; and, a rose colored candle is lit in the advent wreath.

Sometimes, it takes something like Gaudet Sunday and rose colored vestments and candles or someone special like John the Baptist to prepare others for the coming of the Lord.

Jesus speaks this about his precursor, John the Baptist.

What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Or to see a prophet?

John was not a reed swaying in the wind, but a prophet of God, strong and resolute in speaking for God. He was proclaiming the coming of the Messiah. Jesus said that among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist.

That was a bold statement made to the people of Israel. He was greater than Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This prophet was greater than Moses. This man dressed in camel hair and a leather belt was greater than even King David.

John did not lack boldness. John did not lack courage. John did not lack strength. John did not suffer from lack of a message. John spoke and lived God’s truth as a God’s prophet. As bold, courageous, strong, and important John was, he was only the herald sent to prepare the way. 

That is why John was probably a little perplexed by this Jesus. He had an idea Jesus was the messiah, but .... he still asked. “Are you the one who is to come or should we seek another?”

John was puzzled because the messiah he proclaimed was a Messiah of judgement and retribution. He preached that the One to come will baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. He will gather the wheat and burn the chaff with an unquenchable fire. But the messiah John saw in Jesus was a Messiah of mercy. 

Jesus said to tell John - the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.

Those were the signs that Isaiah spoke about the messiah, “Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. The deaf will hear. The lame will leap. The mute will sing.”

That was Jesus. He liberated the suffering from injustice. Tell John that’s the proof, He is the Messiah. 

Friends, rejoice!!!  Because, our messiah is merciful.

Even though John was a great and holy man, he could never realize the kingdom of heaven even with God’s presence in his midst as Jesus.  

John died before the death and resurrection of Jesus which opened the gates of the heavenly kingdom. He was the herald of Jesus; yet, because he died before the death and resurrection of Jesus, he did not know heaven. But because of Jesus’ sacrifice, John knows heaven now.

Someone said, it doesn't matter where we go to church or how we live our faith, if we believe in Jesus we go to heaven. 

I hope so. Father hopes so. The Pope hopes so. 

The truth is that we can’t be like reed in the wind, swaying back and forth in what we believe. We can’t be more concerned about how we are perceived. Are we dressed right to make an impression for this world or are we clothed in Christ?

In the same desert John preached, Jesus spoke his truth and lived his truth. 

In the desert around us, we are to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. We must believe Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life. We must believe what He said. We must live the example He set.

And, be patient. “We must be patient until the coming of the Lord. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Behold, the judge is standing at the gates.”

GAUDET IN DOMINO SEMPER - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.

Sometimes it takes something or someone special to prepare others for the coming of the Lord. Be good, be holy, and rejoice in the Lord always by way you live your life and love one another.  Amen.

Immaculate by Baptism - Reflection 2nd Sunday of Advent

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Today, December 8th, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The Immaculate Conception is the fact the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin. The Immaculate Conception was not Jesus’ birth. It was about what was needed before Christ became man. It was about a holy and pure vessel given to us to carry Christ.

This is also the second Sunday of Advent; John the Baptist Sunday. The gospel tell us about him. He lived off locust and honey. He wore a camel skin loin cloth and tied it with a leather belt.

He went about in the desert preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

He was a voice crying out in the wilderness.

Like Mary, He was one  prophesied and needed before the coming of the LORD.

Mary was born into the wilderness of a world t full of sin. It was sin come to us from our first parents. The sin of disobedience, pride, and worldliness that we all suffer from and it was also the sin of listening to the things that tempts us to turn away from God. 

Today we are victims of that sin. When Mary was conceived and came into the world, people were victims of that sin.

When John the Baptist preached, people were victims of that sin. 

We are all sinners.

How many worshiped at the altar of LSU football yesterday?

I was there.

As we drive about in our car, how many see homeless, hungry, men and women who would take such joy to come in and sit in a warm house, watch television, and eat all those football game day snacks.

And we in our cars just speed on by.

It's not that we think we are better than them, though some do. It's not that we think that they are swindlers just out to get  money, though some do. It’s not so many things. The one thing probably true in this for many of us is we are scared.

Scared because of where we are physically and in our life. Scared because we imagined what could happen. Scared because that person we speed by on a dark night could be us.

That’s how close we are to each other in this world. That’s how our lives are interdependent on one another. Are we homeless or not? The interdependence of people lives in justice and dignity are just a few steps away from being inside that speeding car or outside.

Because of fear, we turn our back on that interdependence and are unable to welcome those outside of us in the love and generosity of Christ.  

Interdependence  requires us to open ourselves, our hearts, and our lives not because we are brave or empathetic or generous but for the glory of God. Because in God is the spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He is where we discover a spirit of counsel and of strength.

It is where we find the spirit to understand how we are all interdependent on one another as is all of humanity.

John may not have realized the interdependence between him and the messiah to come. But there was some things he did know. John knew about interdependence. He was a voice of one crying out in the wilderness. He knew the interdependence of the baptism he proclaimed and the forgiveness of sins. He knew the interdependence of the relationship of people around him.

And,  if John saw us here in this church, would he see Sadducee and Pharisee. Would he call us out? Would he slay the wickedness in us?

Would he tell us - Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance?

We can fail at that. We were not born without original sin.  We have that inside of us from our first parents. The sin of disobedience, pride, and worldliness that we all suffer from and it was also the sin of listening to the things that tempts us to turn away from God.

The answer the LORD gave to us was to be like Mary. To be washed clean of sin by the baptism that John the Baptist preached.

God wants to be free of sin. God wants us to be an immaculate and pure vessel for the Christ that is in us; made immaculate in baptism

Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the lands afflicted.

Jesus wants us to come to him. Come today. Come to be reconciled.

Come to be filled with the spirit of courage, knowledge, and strength needed to bring to the interdependence between each and every one of us.

There will always be those dependent on us. There will always be those dependent on us to know Christ. There will always be those dependent on us for a better life, for justice, dignity, and for love.

If each of us examines our life, we will see we need the same.

Be good be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another.

Amen

Wish I Could - Reflection1st Sunday of Advent

(Readings)

The closing verse from the Old Testament scripture reading from the prophet Isaiah is this “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” And from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, “Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light….”

I remembered these scriptures as my ministry took a different path this week. I was asked to give the invocation at the Christmas party for the “Wish I Could of Northeast Louisiana Foundations.” wishicould.org

The organization grants wishes to terminally ill children from the ages of three to eighteen years old in northeast Louisiana. It is believe to be the only children’s wish granting organization in Louisiana, north of Baton Rouge.

A dear friend and member of our Church family, Don O’Toole, has organized and acted as master of ceremonies for this Christmas Party for the Wish I Could family for over 32 years.

He shared with me that one time he was challenged that if these were terminally ill children, why did so few die every year. His answer was, “a lot of prayers.”

Sadly they do loose children to the illness that they fight. But prayer is a powerful ally. In fact, this past year was the first year that no children lost the battle with the diseases they fight.

I saw no sadness or despair in the volunteers, families, or children. I did see smiles and hugs and good time. I saw Christ’s love in the many different people who came to give them a happy day.

And at the beginning of the party, we began with a prayer. Here is my prayer and blessing for them-

Lord God Creator of All, as the Make a Wish Community comes together look down with favor and spread the blessing of Your Love over all. 

Bless these children, their families, and those who give from their hearts and love to bring wonders, miracles, and happiness.

Thank you for the grace and hope that brings smiles and happiness every day in the gift that are these precious children.

Thank you for the blessing of being created one human family. These children are our children. We are all brothers and sisters: may all peoples realize this to bring about a better world and future for our children.

Thank you for the fragile gift that is life. Thank you for yesterday, today, tomorrow and for the whole of our lives. Help us to entrust our life to You: the past to Your mercy, the present to Your love, and the future to Your providence.

Bless us with a life of charity, love, and joy found in sharing with others.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for being with us in our joy and being our comfort in sadness. Watch over us in the coming year to return again a whole community.

Bless the Make a Wish Community may their love shared be triumphant. May we live this and every day conscious of all we have been given. 

We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This Christmas Party was a great way to begin advent. It is a way to begin to climb the LORD’s mountain. Remember,  “be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

If you would like to support the Wish I Could of Northeast Louisiana Foundations you can find the website here: wishicould.org

Don told me I should have ended my prayer the way I end my homilies and reflections. I told him they were living the example. But, for the rest of us: Be good, be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen.

Jesus is KIng of Everything - Reflection Jesus Christ King of the Universe

Jesus is King of Everything

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/112419.cfm

Watch all that is going on in the world. Violence, unrest, and disobedience is usually at the root of all that is happening. People rebelling against worldly kings and rulers. 

Some celebrate that these things are happening. Others fear these things.

Some think that these things prove that God does not care; but, He does care. 

One of the ways the Church celebrates the fact that God care is the feast it celebrates today, the last Sunday of the liturgical year. That celebration is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

I know Jesus is the King of the Universe because my 6 year old grandson has said this. He told his mom, “ Mom you know, Jesus was the King of everything.” 

She asked him how he knew this.

He said Jesus told him.

Now, he probably heard it in PSR or the Children’s Liturgy service at mass. But, it made such an impression on his heart - Jesus did tell him.

The Jesus that spoke to this child was the same Jesus who proclaimed the Kingdom of Heaven. The same Jesus said to come to him like little children. The Jesus Christ speaking to this child’s heart is the same word of God, King of Everything that took his throne upon a cross.

Friends, the world does not promise or give a heavenly kingdom. But our loving and caring God has given us this kingdom.  He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

To realize this kingdom, open eyes and open hearts. He can send a child to proclaim that Jesus Christ is King of Everything.

God asks us through our Baptism to do the same. Proclaim in all we do, Jesus Christ is the King of the Universe. Give thanks to the Father, who has seen fit for us to share this kingdom. It is the truth behind the fact that God cares.

Jesus Christ King of the Universe who is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning of all things….

If we fail to proclaim that Our Lord Jesus Christ is King of the Universe our churches will be empty and the sacraments will be forgotten. All the ugliness in the world will be all that many see. It will continue because we fail to proclaim our good and loving King.

But, we are here celebrating our God and our King, Jesus Christ. That is a start. Now, go out and tell someone who is not at mass today, Jesus Christ is King of Everything. Tell someone who needs to hear a message of hope and God’s grace.

It is a simple message - Jesus Christ is King of Everything. Then, let Jesus speak to their hearts.

Be good, be holy, and proclaim by your life that Jesus Christ is your King and King of the Universe. Amen.

Smile, Time is Short - Homily 33rd Sunday OTC

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/111719.cfm

As I was preparing for mass, making sure their was altar servers and other ministers to serve mass, a dear lady said to me “smile Deacon.”

Friends, we all have something to smile about today. We are here to worship God, to experience the Holy Spirit and to be untied with Jesus Christ as we share Holy Eucharist. This is joy. This is happiness, It is something to smile about about.

The Liturgy began today with this prayer, Lord grant us the constant gladness of being devoted to you for it is full of lasting happiness. Or as I like to say, be good, be holy, and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another. The is the message the Holy Spirit has blessed to share in m ministry; sometimes, I get to share it in a homily. 

In Deacon formation, one of the things taught in homiletics (for country folks, preaching class) was to be open to the Holy Spirit. Read the scripture, pray, and be open to the message God places in your heart.

But, keep the message less than 7 minutes because that is how long an adult pays attention. Fr. Paul’s guidance is to keep the homilies short. And, today we have our Thanksgiving celebration.

Time is short and we must prepare for what is to come.  If the Spirit of Christ has placed this message in my heart, it will be heard no matter how many words are used.

The message that came to my heart was: Take these scriptures and tell everyone to live the life of charity and love that is possible through Jesus Christ by. Being good, being holy, and preaching the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another.

And then this - hurry, time is getting short; prepare for times to come.

Time is short; so, it is time to be examples for others. Be open to the Holy Spirit to share the good news. Live your life for Christ and the simplest, smallest acts will carry a powerful message. Jesus tells us, “When you give testimony..., I myself shall give you wisdom... and all will be powerless to resist or refute it.”

As we prepare for the coming of Jesus, it is time to be good, be holy, and live the good news of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will speak through our witness.

That is where many find problems, they are not open to the Holy Spirit. They don't want to hear the spirit of God speaking to their hearts. They don’t want to hear us.

True Christian witness is not readily welcomed in the world today.

Instead, the Church is filled with those St Paul described. They like what the church offers, they want what the church gives. They eat but they don't work. Some might not even believe in the divinity of Jesus. They worship the networking and status of their Church membership.

And they will not know the constant gladness of being devoted to the LORD.

Worldliness has made it acceptable to complain a homily is too long and and be angry mass ended after the kickoff or fuss at the priest because you didn’t beat the dinner rush. Maybe this is what Jesus spoke about and said; days will come when the foundation of faith will be attacked, stone upon stone thrown down. 

Believers will be seized, persecuted and lead to trial  because of Jesus' name. There will be some who say they speak for Christ or they are Christ. 

Friends, the world is turning away from God and His word, Christ Jesus.

Pope Benedict XVI warned the Church of the future would become small; the world will turn many away from God. He wrote even Priests and Bishops by their actions and words will cause many to question faith. 

Do not be deceived by the world. 

Instead, imitate the apostles. Be filled with the Spirit. Tell the world, the Lord is coming again. 

You don't have to be a great speaker, be you and share the good news by a kind word, a smile, and act of kindness. Live a life of charity and love. Be a model for those who have failed in their faith and a witness to those who have no faith.

Time is short for “Lo the day is coming.” The day is coming when the sun of justice, Christ Jesus, will return.

Do not be afraid. Stand erect and raise your hands. Redemption is at hand. Prepare and make ready the Church, Christ is coming again. Prepare for the coming advent. 

Smile and pray these words, Lord grant us the constant gladness of being devoted to you. Amen.

Will He Deny Us - Reflection 32nd Sunday OT-C

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/111019.cfm

God promised us through Christ Jesus a resurrection to eternal life. This promise is From God who is God of the living and not the dead. Despite God’s love for us, sometimes those alive in this mortal body can sentence themselves to death.

From St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him;  If we hold out to the end we shall also reign with him. But, if we deny him he will deny us.

The world continues to deny him.

We should not be surprised. It is a fact that has always been. If the readings today speak of anything, they speak to this world where everything challenges God.

Society is telling us if we don’t challenge what our faith tells us is God’s moral law then we are corrupt and evil.

If what we do is because of our beliefs in an all-powerful yet loving God we are labeled as haters.

We are told our choices are wrong. Our politics are wrong.  Our beliefs are wrong. We are told our lives are wrong.

It happened to seven brothers who with their mother was arrested. They were tortured to force them to violate God's law.

The government tortured the brothers one by one. Each stood up for their beliefs. Each stood up for God. Each stood up for God’s promise.

"It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life."

Over two thousand years ago, these brothers were tortured to get them to renounce God and God’s law. The reading today is the reading for general audiences. The entire description of their torture can be found in Maccabees.

It could and does happen today in some form or another. It is just called something different. In parts of the world, Christians are crucified for their faith. In our country, Christ is tortured. God’s laws are violated.

The abortion debate has changed from does life begin at conception to does life begin even after the actual birth.

In Texas, a jury awarded a mother the ability to force gender reassignment therapy on her son. She was a specialist in gender dysmorphia and identified her son as a girl, even though her son said he was a boy.

Soft core pornography bombards us from television, commercials, and video games. And the world struggles with pornography addiction.

All this disrespect for life, addiction to pornography, and acceptance to the depravity of modern society has blinded societies eye to what is right by God’s natural law. There is increased threats of human trafficking and a world rampant with in sexism, misogyny, and racism. A world that says these things are bad from one side of its mouth and encourages it out of the other.

Then the blame is placed on those who believe that what God created is right. God created a man to be a man and a woman to be a woman. They are not the same. God made us distinct and different for a reason.

We are to procreate. We are to respect the life of our children and our elderly. We are to take care of our widows and orphans. We are to take care of those less fortunate than us.

This is God’s plan. It is not the world’s plan. 

Jesus tells us this in the gospel. Life is not about the promises we make to each other in this world. It is about eternal life, the promise God has made to us.

Most who try to tell us right in the world have no faith. They have no faith in people and no faith in God. They don’t know the word of God. They don’t know the history of sin in the world. Or in truth, they ignore it.

It is up to believers, people of faith, to bring the word of God to the world. 

Brothers and sisters, pray the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified. Pray that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith.

As the last of the seven brothers from readings in the book of Maccabees died, he said this to his tormentors: Do not think you will go unpunished for having dared to fight against God.

It is something the world should remember - if we deny him he will deny us.

People of faith remember the Lord God is looking on and truly has compassion. The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

Be good, be holy and preach the gospel everyday by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen.