Quick Reflection on the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

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I am with my wife on Cape Cod visiting her parents.  Attended Sunday Mass.  The Gospel tells the story of Wedding Feast at Cana.  The changing of water into wine was only witnessed by the servants, Jesus’ mother, and his disciples.  It was his first miracle, and it was the beginning of his public ministry; his proclamation, by word and deed of the Good News!

By virtue of our Baptism, we share in Christ’s mission to proclaim the Good News.  We each have a role, as the Holy Spirit gives us the grace; we need but to discern the way we are to go.  Then have the courage to go forward.

Over a Cappuccino – Friday Fictioneers

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coffee_in_mirror_02-1

 

After the interview, he entered the coffee shop.  His mind full of anxieties; his unemployment assistance ended, and savings shrinking.  He swore, as he discovered he could not afford a cup of coffee!  Suddenly, a little man with gentle eyes, dressed in a brown robe, stood next to him, offering him a cappuccino.  They sat at a table, and he felt compelled to reveal his fears to this friar.  The friar tells him “Trust Jesus, he will share your burdens!  Open your heart!”  Suddenly, he feels at peace, he sips the cappuccino, lowers his cup, and discovers he is alone!

 

(N.B.  The cappuccino is supposed to have been named for the Capuchin friars, a branch of the Franciscan Order.  The Capuchin friars’ distinctive brown habit was seen as the same color of the coffee beverage.)

Pope Francis Turns 79!

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Pope Francis 79Yesterday, Pope Francis celebrated his 79th birthday.  And I am sure that the majority of Catholics, other Christians, and peoples of other faiths are all wishing him: “Ad multos annos!”  (Many more years!)  However, it cannot be denied that there are those within the Church who are hoping for a short pontificate.  Nicole Winfield of the Associated Press has a interesting article posted on Crux; which looks into this undercurrent of hostility aimed at the Pope, by the every ones who are suppose to be assisting him.

When, in 2013, the College of Cardinals elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio to the papacy, the conventional wisdom was that they were looking for a reformer.  They saw a Vatican Curia mired in scandal, inefficiency, and dysfunction.  They expected Pope Francis to “clean the stables,” and reorganize the Curia to be more responsive to the needs of today’s universal Church.  Shortly after his election, Pope Francis established a “Council of Cardinals”, one of it’s members is Boston’s own Cardinal Sean O’Malley OFM Cap.  He gave it the task of proposing structural changes to the Curia, and other suggestions on dealing with issues affecting the Church.  He began the structural reform of the Vatican financial institutions, appointing the strong willed Cardinal Pell of Australia to insure the reforms take hold.

At the same time, Pope Francis has said and done things that may have made some of the cardinal electors wondering what they have themselves into.  Traditionalists are up arms at what they see as his reversal of liturgical trends put in place by his predecessors.  Others are concerned that he is taking a more pastoral approach, at the cost of watering down Church teachings.  And then there are those bureaucrats in the Curia, who are more interested in preserving their positions, perks, and power; then in actually serving the members of the Church.

I am among those who wish the Pope “ad multos annos;” but I fear that it may be a short pontificate.  I am afraid that the expected reforms may not be finalized.  And that Pope Francis may not have enough time to appoint those bishops and cardinals who will ensure that his reforms will survive his passing.  Part of me wishes that he would spend more time in Rome; and not on these strenuous trips; that tax his health, and puts him in harms way.

However, the Pope will do, what he believes God is guiding him to do.  And those of us who support him, and wish him well; will pray that God’s hand will be on him, protecting him, and strengthening him.  “Ad Multos Annos!”

 

A Victory, Won by Words and Respect.

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Francis and the SultanThe holy man from Assisi is standing in the tent, waiting for a message.  His body was still sore from the beating, he and his companion received from the Sultan’s guards, when they first approached his camp.  He is remembering the scenes he saw in the Crusader’s camp; scenes of anger and hate, directed at Muslims; scenes of loss and grieving for dead comrades.  He felt the same emotions from the Sultan’s soldiers, only directed towards Christian soldiers.  He wants to bring both sides together, by convincing the Sultan and his people to accept Christ.

He remembers the day they were brought before the Sultan, who invited the holy man to speak.  He saw that the Sultan’s men were fingering the hilts of their swords, ready to draw blood if he should insult Allah and His Prophet.  He looked into eyes of the Sultan, and saw curiosity.  He took a deep breath, whispered a prayer, and began to speak.  He spoke not of doctrine, or polemics, but from his heart, from his own experience of the Beloved.  He spoke with respect for his audience.  He felt a flame beginning to burn within his heart.  It grew as he spoke of the love of Christ, and the joy of God.  The fire of the Holy Spirit blazed out from him as he proclaimed the Good News!  The Sultan and his court stood back, amazed at the sight.  When he was finished, he stood, feeling drained, but at peace.  He bowed before the Sultan, who sent him and his companion back to their tent.

Now he sees a messenger approaching; who invites the little man and his companion back to Sultan’s tent.  The Sultan appreciates the respect that the holy one showed him and his court.  He acknowledges the strength of the little poor man’s convictions, but he and his people will remain committed to their faith.  The man from Assisi is disappointed, and saddened; but then the Sultan gives him a passport, permission for his brother friars to go to Jerusalem and reside there.  The little man receives it with joy, and bows deeply before the Sultan.  The Sultan and his court bow in return towards the little poor man from Assisi.

He and his companion walk back to the Crusader camp.  He is disappointed that he did not achieve his goal; but he carries back with him a sign of victory.  It is a victory that the Crusaders will not achieve; but a band of brown rob brothers will see the walls of holy Jerusalem.  It will be achieved not with swords, but by words, spoken with conviction and respect.

 

Third Sunday of Advent – A Reflection

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Third Sunday of Advent 2015Zephaniah 3: 14-18a

Philippians 4: 4-7

Luke 3: 10-18

 

 

“Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!  The Lord has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear.”  (Zephaniah 3)

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I shall say it again: rejoice!  Your kindness should be known to all.  The Lord is near.  Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.  Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4; 4-7)

 

We are in the third week of the penitential season of the Advent; the time of preparation for day of Christmas, to celebrate the coming of the Son of God into this world.  It is a time of expectation; anticipating the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, at the end of time.  The third candle on the Advent wreath is pink; most priests celebrated Mass this day, wearing pink rose colored vestments.  It is the Church telling us that the time of preparation, of more intensive prayer, of reflecting on Scripture, of ascetic practices are almost at end.

Truth be told, it is hard to live a penitential lifestyle during the days leading up to Christmas.  The somber liturgical purple colors are overwhelmed by the bright colors of red, white, and green.  The bright Christmas lights decorating our city streets, the stores, and our office spaces; yes, even our homes; tell us Christmas is here!  During a time when we are asked to curb our desires, we are encouraged to consume more and more.  Whether it is buying lots of Christmas gifts, or the eating of Christmas candy and pastries, we are told the celebrations start now.

Yet, sometimes I think we are being feed a false message by the merchants, the politicians, and city fathers.  We see in the news of tragic events, the murder of innocents, both at home and abroad; and we experience fear.  We see, and hear, the messages of hate, whether spoken by terrorists, or our politicians, filling the airwaves and the internet.  Many of us are feeling the burden of an uncertain economy, feeling the anxieties of making ends meet, of keeping shelter over our heads.  And we have our own inner anxieties, which keep us up at night.  The “Christmas Season,” only adds to the anxieties.

It is at this moment, we need to hear the booming voice of St. Paul, saying to us: “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I shall say it again: rejoice!” We are not an abandoned people; Emmanuel!  “God is with us!”  The Son of God came into this world to free us from fear; from sin and death!  Jesus Christ has come to give us his Spirit, to cleanse us with fire, to energize us with the fire of the Holy Spirit.  He invites us to enter into an intimate relationship with God, through Scripture, through prayer, and receiving his Body and Blood in the Eucharist.  If we are able to do that, strive to do that, St. Paul promises that our anxieties and our fears will have no power over us: “Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

So we have one more week before Christmas Day, a week to enter again into a time of true preparation to celebrate that wondrous day!  To prepare our minds, our hearts, our souls to hear, really hear, the “Good News” of Jesus Christ.

Welcome the Stranger.

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 “When an alien resides with you in your land, do not molest him. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt.  I, the Lord, am your God. ” (Leviticus 19: 33-34)

TrumpI have used the above quote from Leviticus in a previous quote, but unfortunately, it remains relevant to current events.  And I am speaking about comments made by Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, on prohibiting persons of the Muslim faith from entering this country.  And he does not seem to distinguishing between Muslims from a specific geographic location, and all Muslims.  His statement has set off a firestorm of comments, both in the media, and blogosphere!  Many comments were highly critical of Mr. Trump’s opinion, accusing him of violating America’s high ideals.

The sad truth is that since America’s earliest beginning’s, there has been an undercurrent of religious intolerance in the country’s history.  As far back as Puritan Boston, when Quakers were persecuted; even hung, like Mary Dyer, for their beliefs.  Baptists and Evangelicals were discriminated against in the state of Virginia, in the newly born United States.  Mormons were, attacked, murdered, and were driven out to the frontiers of the Republic.  There has always been a subtle discrimination against persons of the Jewish faith.  And Catholics should remember the fierce opposition to believers of our faith existed in this nation.  Some of the early state constitutions had amendments that prohibited persons who “swore allegiance to a foreign ruler (i.e.; the Pope,)” from holding public office.  Catholic schools, orphanages, and convents were attacked at times during urban riots.  When the great waves of Catholic immigrants started coming to our shores, the fear mongering grew to fever pitch.  A nativist party, founded in the 1800’s, and known popularly as the “Know Nothings”; with the aim of preventing immigration of German and Irish Catholics, and limiting the access to the political system only to Protestants.  We have grown as country, and religious liberty is enshrined in both our Constitution, and the body politic.  There have been and always will be tensions as we continue to explore what the ideal of religious liberty and tolerance means in a modern society that has both religious and secular segments to it.

Persons, such as Mr. Trump, are threatening that ideal, by playing to the fears of terrorism that is afflicting our country right now.  Michael Sean Winters, of the National Catholic Reporter, in an interesting recent post on this issue.  In the last few paragraphs, he speaks about the real threat of terror.  The real threat is not the death and destruction terrorists can inflict, but the changes they can cause in a society.  When out of fear, they cause a society, like the U.S., to abandon its ideals of personal freedom, of openness to all faiths, for severe, hard-handed security practices, and make us an armed camp.  When it causes a nation to demonize a whole religion; a whole people, and discriminates against them; then the terrorist wins.

To stand up to terrorism, means to have the courage to remain faithful to those social and political ideals that make us a unique people on the world stage.  As a community of believers, we American Catholics need to remember our own immigrant roots, and not give into fear.  During this Jubilee Year of Mercy, we are called to extend mercy; which we experience ourselves, to others.  We trust that God’s grace will help us overcome fear and anxiety, and we will welcome the stranger.

welcome the stranger

Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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“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.’ ” (Luke 1)

Today, we remember and celebrate the fact, that since she was to be the mother of the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God; Mary was born without the stain of original sin.  It is the first act, that culminates in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and our liberation from the power of sin and death.

San Bernardino Tragedy – A Prayer

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Francis weeping“Once I said:  ‘In the noontime of life I must depart!  To gates of the nether world I shall be consigned for the rest of my years’…

Like a swallow I utter shrill cries; I moan like a dove.  My eyes grow weak gazing heavenward; O Lord, I am in straits; be my surety!…

What I am to say or tell him?  He has done it!  I shall go on through all my years despite the bitterness of my soul.  Those live whom the Lord protects; yours…the life of my spirit.  You have given me health and life; thus is my bitterness transformed into peace.

You have preserved my life from the pit of destruction. When you cast behind your back all my sins.”  (Isaiah: 38: 10a, 14, 15-17)

Another senseless massacre, more innocent lives lost, more victims suffering from wounds received.  It is easy to give in to the anger, and the fear.  It easy to strike out at the groups we identify with the threat, even though a majority of them are innocent, law-abiding citizens. It is easy to agree with those pundits and politicians, who will soon be calling for expulsions, and closing of places of worship.

The challenge is to remain faithful to the ideals that founded this country, that has drawn so many people, so many refugees to its shores.

And finally,  we cannot give into despair, but draw on that faith in God, that he will still sustain us during these uncertain times.

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thess 4: 14)