Holy Family. Male and Female (2024-12-29)

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 [Holy Family Sunday, December 29, 2024]    ● Gospel:  Luke 2:41-52 ●

[__01__]  In the Gospel this Sunday, we read from a relatively early episode in the chronology of our Savior’s life: the boy Jesus is 12 years old.

          This takes place during a family journey and pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover.

          I would like to reflect on how Mary and Jesus interact with each other and what this says not only about our profession of faith but also about our own personal challenge to understand being called by God.

          Each is called by God as either man or woman, boy or girl, yet we also come to understand ourselves as masculine and feminine precisely because of the differences between men and women.

          We say that men and women “complement” each other.  Just to be clear, I don’t mean that they “compliment” by saying nice things such as – that is really nice sweater you are wearing or I really liked your Christmas card.

          Rather, men and women “complement” or “complete” each other as they connect to each other.

 

[__02__]  On this Holy Family Sunday, I would like to reflect on this completeness of Jesus and Mary and the male and female.

          These days, it can be legally and politically dangerous to speak of masculine and feminine as distinct. I bring this up not to suggest – in any way – that men or women are better at this or that.

          In some ways, the Gospel flips the script on some male and female stereotypes, because Mary is the one doing the “pursuing” and Jesus allows himself to be “caught”

          In any case, their relationship is a demonstration of the parent-child and male-female unity.  Each is a completion of the other. Each needs the other to thrive and prosper.

[__03__]  The Gospel Good News is that this son needs his mother just as a daughter needs her father. This is not just so that the parent can console the child after a difficult game or test, but simply to be a role model for maturity.

          A mother is her son’s first true love. The same could be said of a father relative to his daughter.

          Of course, some of us have not had ideal role models in 1 or both of our parents. All the more reason that we need the Gospel Good News about how the God as Father and the Virgin Mary as Blessed Mother help us to sort through life.

          Father Ronald Knox of England wrote this about fatherhood.

"You must not wait till you can learn to understand your father before you learn to know God. It is by learning to know God that you will learn to understand your father." (Father Ronald Knox sermon, “The Fatherhood of God”, Pastoral and Occasional Sermons)

[__04__]  It is part of our Catholic faith to recognize in our Blessed Mother, Mary, an ideal of feminine and maternal identity which is not only for Jesus’ care and feeding but our own development.

 

[__05__]   What occurs in the Gospel of Luke is an example of both complementarity and competition:

          Jesus, the 12 year old boy, also knows himself to be the Messiah and has decided – rather prematurely – to strike out on his own without any money or credentials or credit card or extra change of clothes. He is truly the juvenile Son of Man who has nowhere to lay his head, but goes anyway.

          He separates himself from the family and goes back to the Jerusalem Temple.

 

[__06__] Have you ever been – in a public crowded place – and been the child separated from your parents or the parent separated from your child?

          Terrifying for the parent. Usually, it is also terrifying – or will be – terrifying for the child once he or she figures out what’s going on.

          This situation is different.

          Jesus, rightly, does not fear being captured or falling into the wrong hands. Rather, his actions at 12 years old predict that he will one day be captured and fall into hands that want to harm him. But fear does not stop him as an adolescent or as an adult from going to be “in his Father’s house”.  (Luke 2:___)

          Jesus said to his parents, “Why were you looking for me?  Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”   (Luke 2:___)

          Here, Jesus is predicting his own passion. He is also, we might say, all boy, all male. They’re having trouble containing him.

          Jesus represents one side of the male-female complementarity. He is willing to go to the ends of the earth.       Jesus is also willing to tear down the Temple of his own body.

 

[__07__] Then there is Mary, our Blessed Mother. She is also willing to go to the ends of the earth but has a different “house” and destination in mind which is her house, Nazareth, asking:

          “Son, why have you done this to us?  Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”

 

[__08__] Mary is the rescue worker who is focused on receiving the person to whom she belongs.

          To answer the question in the popular song: yes, Mary did know that he came to save her sons and daugthers.

          Of course, both fathers and mothers show us to whom we belong. But, isn’t it true that the bond of motherhood is primary. It is the role a husband and father to allow the mother to nurture and also to learn how to do so first from his own mother, then from the mother of his child.

 

[__09__]  The Blessed Virgin Mary comes to Jesus at this moment and later at the Cross to witness him being separated from her.

          Right now, Mary can assert her custody over her son, Jesus, at 12 years of age.

          This will not be the case at Calvary but she still unites herself to him.

 

[__10__]  Father John Cihak wrote an article that priests – and indeed all of us – may feel lonely or abandoned in the way that Jesus was. 

          But it isn’t simply the priest who might feel a tinge of loneliness, or the individual believer who might do so.

          The Church as an institution is not simply meant to be a place of shelter from the storms of life with community and charity.

          Yes, praise God, we strive for this at Lourdes parish.

          Yet, the Church as institution can be “separate” … “alone“ … “abandoned ” relative to other institutions.

          Mary our Blessed Mother gives us a model to follow in times of distress and difficulty to unite ourselves to Christ and apply His Word to the journey we are on now

 

Bibliography:

“The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Role in the Celibate Priest’s Spousal and Paternal Love”

Father John Cihak, S.T.D.

https://www.piercedhearts.org/consecrated_hearts/priesthood/bvm_priest_spousal_paternal_love_cihak.htm

 

The Fatherhood of God, Father James Schall, S.J.  January 4, 2011

https://www.catholicity.com/commentary/schall/08727.html

Mercy and Love Stories: Christmas (2024-12-25)

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 The Greatest Love Story of All Time

What comes to mind when you think of the greatest love stories ever told? Is it Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story—a modern retelling of Shakespeare's tragedy—or even Titanic?

These tales capture the heights of human passion but share one common thread: they pale in comparison to the love story between God and humanity.

Also, in all 3 cases – I have to tell you – the lovers do not end up together.

In Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story, miscommunication leads to heartbreak and death. In Titanic, love emerges from extraordinary circumstances, yet Jack and Rose ultimately part—one lost forever to the deep. But God's love story is different. Yes, Jesus dies, but He rises on the third day, conquering death and offering us eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life." (John 3:16)  This is the love story we celebrate its beginning at Christmas.

 A Place of Worship and Light

Welcome to Our Lady of Lourdes Church, a sacred place of worship and light since its founding in 1914. Whether this is your first visit, a rare occasion, or your regular parish home, we are glad you are here to celebrate the Christmas Gospel.

 

This church reminds us of the beginning of our love story with God. It is here we encounter the incarnate love of Jesus, who came to share God's mercy with all—even those who do not yet know Him.

 

God's Mercy: The Door to His Love

Jesus' birth is the ultimate sign of God's mercy. His incarnation—becoming human—invites us into the door of this love story. Unlike the fleeting moments in worldly love stories, God's mercy calls us to repentance, transformation, and new life.

In our faith journey, we often move from being lost to being found. Consider Titanic: Jack and Rose find each other against all odds. Yet their love story ends in tragedy, as Jack sinks into the depths. God does not want us to sink. He calls us to come to Him in our sinfulness, seek forgiveness, and live anew.

The Sacrament of Mercy

For Catholics, accepting God's mercy involves repentance, particularly through the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Confession is not merely about saying "I'm sorry"; it is about beginning again. Ideally, this happens not just once a year but monthly or even more frequently, allowing us to experience God's mercy regularly.

Through this sacrament, we recognize that life is a series of moments where we are lost and then found. Each encounter with God's mercy strengthens us to forgive others and embrace the light of Christ.

A Personal Story of Mercy

Recently, I experienced a moment of mercy that taught me about God's love.

 

This happened a few weeks ago. My brother and his family live in Los Angeles, and they have one son who's in college here on the East Coast in Connecticut. He's a freshman in college. Since he was finishing his first semester, we collaborated on trying to find a way for him to get from college in Connecticut back to stay in New Jersey, so he could fly out of Newark Airport. The plan was that he would stay in NJ with his grandparents – my parents – for 1 or 2 nights prior to the flight.

 

          But, how would get here?  Should he take the bus from Connecticut to New Jersey? Was there a bus? Is there Amtrak? Can he get a ride with somebody else? You can imagine the innumerable messages back and forth between family members. This was all good. We're all trying to figure out logistically what to do.

I thought I would go and pick him up, but the timing didn't work out. And it turned out my brother and my father went to pick Leo up. His name is Leo.  He got picked up on a Sunday morning so that he could stay in NJ for 1 day with his grandparents and fly from Newark Airport on Monday, the following day.

 

The Problem

Sometime after he safely arrived in NJ at Grandpa’s house, I received a call at 2 p.m. from my father, saying, in a sense: “Houston, we have a problem.”

My 18-year-old nephew Leo, had left his wallet and ID in his dorm room in Connecticut. This was an issue because he needed his ID to board the airplane to Los Angeles. While others had driven Leo from Connecticut to New Jersey earlier that day, the task of retrieving his forgotten wallet now fell to me.

Despite the inconvenience, I offered to go. As we set off on the 4½-hour round trip, I realized this might be a rare opportunity to spend time one-on-one with my nephew. Life is short, and moments like these are precious.

During our drive, I reflected on mercy. Leo felt he deserved to be penalized for his mistake, but I wanted to respond with grace. He offered to buy me dinner as repayment, but instead, I treated him to McDonald’s. I shared a story of my own—the time I lost my wallet in Washington, D.C., and a compassionate taxi driver went to great lengths to return it to me. “I’m just paying it forward,” I told him.

Deep down, though, I recognized a personal struggle: it’s often easier to show mercy to others than to ourselves.

Yet, the Christmas season reminds us of God’s boundless mercy. We pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Do we need to accept God’s mercy in our own lives? Do we need to forgive someone close to us? Jesus calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and sometimes that neighbor is within our own family.

[09] The brightness of our faith—expressed in both word and deed—is vital. Our light may clash with the darkness around us, whether in our family, workplace, or community. Yet, even when faced with rejection or indifference, our light matters.

[10]  This Christmas and beyond, let us embrace our call to be the light of the world. By our prayers, fasting, acts of charity, and faithfulness, we illuminate the darkness. Your presence here at Mass, today and every Sunday, is part of that light. Through Jesus, our Savior, we are called to reflect His light and to remember that in the end – he wants us to end up with Him in heaven.

Interruptions in Service (2024-12-22, Advent)

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[version_03, 4^th Sun Advent]  

 [__01__]  Regarding Luke 1:39-45.

Do you remember our life …?

Do you remember our life together… ?

Do you remember our life together before cell phones?  Before mobile phones? I remember these conversations I had in the late in the 1990s with colleagues, with the co-workers I worked in a company, in a department where pagers were common.

Pagers were the precursors of cell phones. Many of us had to carry a pager. If you were paged and you get a phone number, find a  phone and call the person back. So archaic! This was the mobile communication state of the art at the time.

I recall some of our conversations revolved around the new cell phone that was coming out, and people were getting phones, and would we get one? Would we need one? Most of us agreed that we would not get a cell phone. We didn't need that. The US president didn't have a cell phone.

That was unheard of.

 [__02__]   Fast forward and interruptions by mobile phones have become a normal part of life. Back then in the 1990’s, avoiding cell phones felt like a choice. Now they're an integral part of communication, and the interruptions seem unavoidable. Is every interruption a choice?

 [__03__]  The gospel today, we could say, is about the interruption of service, the service to which Mary and Elizabeth are called. They're interrupting their lives. And as you know, as a parent, especially mothers, expecting a child is an interruption. It is also a vocation and a blessing, yet every vocation brings motions and movements contrary to our personal desires and preferences.

It is a change in routine to welcome a child into your life, including the child who's not yet born.

The Gospel story of Mary and Elizabeth tells about them, the both of them embracing an interruption. Both are mothers to be Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John the Baptist, and they found a way to find time for each other amidst their prior commitments, their loving support serves as a lesson for us, reminding us that life's interruptions often become the actual path we're supposed to follow, and interruptions can bring purpose.

 [__04__]   Jesus invites us to see our burdens differently. “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest,” He says. Faith isn’t just about prayer but about how we respond to life’s interruptions. Parents comforting a child, teachers guiding students, and mentors supporting others show how burdens can transform into acts of love and service.

[__05__]   Christmas reminds us that the true gifts are always also aren't always visible or praised. Jesus teaches, when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing. Acts of kindness sometimes go unnoticed, but they hold profound, profound value and will be and will be repaid by God for the father, who's, as we read, The Father who sees God, who sees in secret, will repay you.  (cf. Matthew chapter 6)

 [__06__]    Mary and Elizabeth prioritized each other, echoing John the Baptist’s words, “He must increase and I must decrease”. Thus true love often means stepping back so that others can thrive and prosper. This lesson extends to all of our relationships, in marriage, in family, in school, in work, calling us to serve others selflessly.

 [__07__]     As Christians, we recall the humility of Jesus. Jesus, Jesus's birth, which is expressed Monsignor Ronald Knox of England explains it this way, in of a poetic metaphor, about Jesus's birth and humble circumstances, writing that there is headroom in the cave of Bethlehem for those who know how to stoop down to see Christ.

We are called to bow in humility decreasing ourselves so that he may increase.

 [__08__]      Christmas has been on the calendar. For months we've expected it, but sometimes it seems unexpected when it happens actually happens all year long. There's commercialization on every medium and through every channel, but we're called to prepare our hearts, not just on the outside, but on the inside. Our response to God's call and fulfillment is sometimes a disruption to the daily inclination to achieve my will, my work, even in some cases, to get people to pay attention to me. Dare say, even to get people to worship me. Now, of course, officially, I would never say you should worship Me. Don't worship me. It's not about me.

 [__09__]      But do I really direct the praise towards God and others when it comes my way? Am I really that truly humble player at the end of the game who directs the praise towards his teammates, towards his coaches, towards other people, or do I try to soak up the praise for myself, for example, for example, in a little ways I am guilty of, for example, rereading an email or a text that I thought was particularly cleverly written. It doesn't get me anywhere to reread a text I've already written, but I gained some and if I gain some praise or popularity along the way, am I really willing to turn away and say no after all? I'm not really opposed to my will being done on earth or at least done, at least in my neighborhood.

[__10__]        Mary and Elizabeth give us the model to follow, to put God first, service to the neighbor first, and even to allow themselves not to be easily recognized. He must increase and we must decrease. The good news of Jesus Christ will extend, extend this further. Love your enemy. Pray for those who persecute you, rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Do you need an interruption to pay attention to our Savior? Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you. I pray God will give you what you need this Christmas.

Rejoice. Influence. (2024-12-15, Advent)

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 [ver_06, __ 3^rd Sun Advent]    __ Zephaniah 3:14-18a  __ Psalm 12 __ Philippians 4:4-7 __ Luke 3:10-18 __

 [__01__] On this 3^rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday – which means “rejoice”, we light the rose candle, the brightest one, on the Advent wreath. This candle symbolizes growing light and joy as the coming of Jesus draws nearer, heralding the celebration of Christmas. I’d like to touch on this theme of illumination and influence leads us to reflect on the concept of influence, a term familiar to us in today’s digital age.

 

In our computerized and media-driven world, becoming an “influencer” is a highly sought-after role. Influencers leverage their visibility to guide others’ decisions, particularly in consumer habits.

For instance in the world of food and cooking, the renowned British chef Gordon Ramsay, with over 50 million followers on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, demonstrates the power of influence in culinary arts.

Many look to him for inspiration in food and cooking, often unconsciously shaped by his preferences. Similarly, we are all influenced, consciously or not, by those around us, whether in our choices for our “daily bread” or daily wants and needs.

 

 

[__02__] [02] In today’s Gospel reading (Luke 3:10-18), we encounter John the Baptist, a figure who embodies godly influence. While positioned at the very beginning of the New Testament, John stands as the last prophet of the Old Testament. He bridges these two testaments, preparing the way for Christ. In modern terms, we might call John an influencer, but his approach differs greatly from the self-promotion often associated with this title today.

 

John’s mission was not about seeking luxury, avoiding hard work, or gaining fame. Instead, he used his influence to redirect attention from himself to our Savior, Jesus Christ. As he famously proclaimed, “He must increase; I must decrease.” John’s humility and selflessness stand in stark contrast to the self-centered culture of modern influence. His life reminds us that true influence lies in pointing others toward something greater than ourselves.

 

[03] John’s call to repentance targeted groups considered corrupt and scandalous in his time: tax collectors and soldiers. These individuals wielded influence but were despised for their exploitation and alignment with the oppressive Roman Empire. Unlike today, where taxes fund essential public services like education and infrastructure, taxation during John’s time served primarily to enrich Rome. Tax collectors often extorted more than was required, and soldiers supported this system through intimidation and violence.

 

John’s message to these groups was revolutionary. To the tax collectors, he said, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” To the soldiers, he commanded, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.” These directives reflect the Gospel’s paradoxical power: even those perceived as morally bankrupt are invited to transformation and redemption.

 

[04] This call to integrity resonates with the petition in the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.”

 

[__03__] [__06__] In the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, we pray this petition, “give us this day our daily bread.”

 

In other words, Lord, give us the necessary nutrients and material things for our welfare and well being.

 

Yet, Jesus also teaches us through this  prayer that there will be places and people where and who there is not enough bread to eat, water to drink, or housing to survive.

 

And, so Jesus’ teaching is not only to teach us to pray for what we need but also to eliminate and do away with what we do not need.

 

To the tax collector: “stop collecting more than what is prescribed”

 

To  the soldier: “do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone”

 

Is there some manifestation a “tax collector”or the “soldier” in me? in you?

 

[__07__]  Now, it is very unlikely that either of us is shaking down other people for money or bribes or ransom.

 

But, are there not other ways this Gospel might apply to you? to me?

 

I suggest we meditate on the petition “give us this day our daily bread”

 

 

 

[__04__] In the Book of Exodus, the Israelites were instructed to gather only a specific amount of manna each day. Those who hoarded more than necessary displeased God, for their actions reflected a lack of trust in His providence. Similarly, in our modern context, we must examine our habits. Are we accumulating wealth or possessions at the expense of others? Are we using our influence to serve others or merely to serve ourselves?

 

 

[__05__]     I am called as a parish administrator and leader to guide others, assign tasks and delegate work to others, both parish staff and volunteers. And, I try to express my gratitude for this collaboration. In this regard, I am an influencer, though not on TikTok!

If you are in any roles of supervising, parenting, grandparenting, teaching, coaching, nursing, medicine, serving a customer, you are also an influencer.

 

In this role, I have to ask myself - do I fall into the trap of trying to get the best out of others as though I am extracting or wringing water out of a wet towel ….. am I really helping others to be the best they can be?

 

Am I praying not only for my daily bread, but for theirs?

 [__09__]   For example,

 

[do I falsely accuse?]

 

While we might not fall into the trap of actually “framing someone for a crime he did not commit, she did not do”, we might “falsely accuse” in other ways.

 

For example, do I falsely accuse by presuming bad motives or bad intentions when I really have no evidence for why someone did something that I did not like?

 

For example, do I get caught up in presuming people are going to disappoint me? These are some ways we might “falsely accuse”

[__06__]  [07] Trusting in God does not exempt us from challenges. In fact, trials and suffering can deepen our faith and reliance on Him. As Paul writes in Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again, rejoice.” This joy is not contingent on favorable circumstances but rooted in the assurance of God’s presence and promises.

 

Paul’s exhortation calls us to go beyond – transcend -  worldly measures of success. We are to rejoice not only when we achieve personal goals or receive material blessings but also in the knowledge that we share in Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. This perspective transforms our understanding of influence, shifting it from self-promotion to self-giving.

 

[08] As we approach Christmas, let us strive to be influencers in the mold of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. This means using our lives to reflect God’s light and love, guiding others toward truth and grace. It also means examining our own hearts and actions, repenting where necessary, and trusting in God to provide for our needs.

 As we read in the letter to the Philippians today:

“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.”

 [__end_]

Prepare. (2024-12-08, Advent)

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 [__ver-03__]   Homily – Dec. 8, 2024  /  Advent (Year C)  ● Baruch 5:1-9 ● Psalm 126    ●  1 Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 ● + Luke 3:1-6●

[ 01 Christmas as a Cultural Phenomenon of preparation]

We are now counting down the days until Christmas. This leads to  a common question: Are you ready for Christmas? It’s a cultural reflection of our concern with preparation, a recurring theme in our daily lives.

Even in our dreams, we often face “readiness anxiety”

[ 02 Dream example ]   Do we not experience this as a psychological phenomenon, not only when we are awake, but also when we are asleep?  Thinking about “readiness” is always present.

Sometimes, I have – what I think are called - anxiety-based dreams at night. Do you sometimes have anxiety based-dreams which are somehow linked to feelings of incomplete readiness?

For example, in your dream, sleeping state, you are a student in school and have a difficult test in a difficult subject and you cannot answer the questions.

Or, you are going to a meeting or job interview or on a trip and you have forgotten to bring an important document such as your resume or your passport.

In my case, I have awoken from such a dream and felt relieved to know that I am not taking a math test nor do I have a job interview.

Maybe, I do not have to be ready for these things.

But what about my state of readiness - spiritually, prayerfully - in other areas of my REAL LIFE …as we say in texting IRL = IN REAL LIFE.

In real life, we are called to be ready each day.

 [ 03 Gospel command: “Prepare” and the Lord’s prayer] 

In the Gospel today, we read the proclamation of John the Baptist which begins with “Prepare ye the way of the Lord…”

 This command to prepare the way of the Lord connects with the words of the Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done.

          So, I would like to focus on this petition for God’s will to be done. Do I mean this when I say it, pray it?

Sometimes I do the opposite of focusing on God’s will.

For example, when I think about Advent and Christmas, I think about all the things I have to do. Do you make to-do lists, checking them twice, to see what’s naughty or nice?

I know I have a tendency to focus on what I am supposed to be doing and, in my pride - proudly - focus on what I want to be noticed for doing, recognized for achieving.

In this regard, I am not discovering Christmas but distorting Christmas to suit my needs: MY WILL BE DONE. And, everyone else, just get out of my way, prepare the way for me!

Toward the true spirit of Christmas,  John the Baptist (JTB),  says - of Jesus - “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. These words of Holy Communion come from JTB in the Gospel.

We are called to prepare the way of the Lord by our words and actions. So, there may be various tasks you and I are called to for Christmas - visiting family, buying a gift for the Giving Tree, writing a Christmas card, preparing a meal, for forgiving a hurt or fault experienced by someone’s actions.

In all of these things, I invite you to consider not what you are doing, but what God is doing through you.

You are not God. I  am not God. But, we can prepare a highway - or at least our own sidestreet or hallway or entryway for God.

 

[ 04 Why prepare? Because we cannot predict.] 

We are reminded to prepare our hearts, with prayer, fasting and charitable giving not because we can predict what will happen but because life is unpredictable.

Are there not countless things in this world that we cannot predict?

It is interesting to note that there are at least 3 commonly known professionals who gain lots of attention making predictions often with inaccurate results. They are:

·        Economists predicting inflation, the stock market and other indicators

·        Meteorologists predicting rain and snowfall

·        Sportscasters predicting winners and losers on the playing field

In a sense, all are making predictions to us and, while we listen to lots of predictions, we may not necessarily be any more prepared just because we got a prediction.

Here is one example and lesson I learned.

Regarding the unpredictable nature of rainfall and weather, I was recently caught by surprise. This was back in August.

It was a Monday morning and I was planning to go out of town, to travel north to visit family. Right before my departure, the night before, we had a very heavy rain storm.  We got water all over the floor of the church basement.

          I felt frustrated, as though I should have been able to predict this weather pattern or avoid it. This was my pride kicking in. My departure was delayed by a few hours which was - in the end - not a big deal.

But, what enabled me to leave was not that I predicted what would happen but that others on our rectory staff were prepared to step in and take responsibility and challenge and make the necessary phone calls and meet the clean up service personnel.

This is a reminder that we do not prepare or respond in solitude or in solitary confinement but we also prepare so that we can work and help each other.

We cannot predict. We can only prepare.

My mother would tell us - make your plans, do not plan your results. In other words, prepare.

A few days after this storm which produced flooding in New Jersey, I heard that it was much worse in Connecticut where 2 people died in the flooding. This news was a reminder to me that whatever I had gone through or was going through - there were others in more dire circumstances.

[ 05 Conclusion….]    This reminder to prepare continues with Jesus in his conversation with his disciples, up to and including his Passion.  On the night before he dies, he goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray and get ready spiritually.

          He tells his disciples to stay here, watch and pray.  When Jesus returns to them, he finds them asleep.  It is not really the sleeping that is the problem. They were physically tired. We all need rest.

The problem was that they did not know what to do even after they woke up. The anxiety-based dream is not such a bad dream to have if it reminds that - even if we do not have a mathematics test - we still are called to prepare…

Pope Benedict XVI observes what you and I also know that Christmas and Advent are often distorted or discombobulated with external displays and excessive lighting - even if it is LED and environmentally friendly.

Darkness and silence - if they promote love of God and love of neighbor - are also friendly to both heaven and earth!

The invisible presence of God is more important than any visible displays,

In fact, if we really want to make God present as B16 writes- change your thinking - conversion through prayer and silence - so that God may be present in you and, through you, present in the world.

The world means your street, your school bus, Washington or Mount Pleasant Elementary, Edison, West Orange High School, Seton Hall Prep, the Mount, Rutgers, your place of work, your home. The parking lot after Mass. This is your world.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths.  [__end__]