Catch Your Breath. (Christmas) 2022-12-25

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 2022-12-25   Christmas ● Isaiah 9:1-16   ● ● Psalm 96  ●● Titus 2:11-14  ● ● + Luke 2:1-14  ● ●    

Title:  Catch Your Breath

 [__01__]        Earlier this week, on Tuesday, I was feeling anxious about a letter I needed to write. I was also unsure how to collect and recollect my thoughts for Christmas and this reflection/homily.

Since I was making no progress on either document, I decided to clean the garage. My rationale was 2-fold.  1^st, the garage cleanup would be physically strenuous exercise à to clear my mind. I would – in a way – catch my breath.   2^nd, space was needed in a new location for ice melt for the coming storm.

The garage was really not in such bad shape, but I felt more comfortable re-arranging snow shovels rather than writing sentences.

Cleaning and organization are necessary not just as physical about also as spiritual exercises. None of us is a final finished product. We all need God's grace and mercy for sanctification and reorganization and sanity. The process of conversion requires your (my) personal effort, for your good, the good of your classmates and family, co-workers and neighbors, the good of Lourdes parish, and my own good. Your virtue and devotion inspire me.

[__02__]        In the prophet Isaiah, we read that the sovereignty (reign) of God will be vast and forever peaceful. But this is not made possible simply by good politics, but by the discipleship of you and me. It happens when we follow the commandments: “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34)

This requires effort. So, in carrying out our regular way of life – whether that is the task of cleaning your room, doing your homework, making dinner, you and I can do so in thanksgiving for an praise of God, to make room for Christ and His birth not just at required “clean up” hours but as Paul writes – unceasingly – and each day. (cf., 1 Thessalonians 5:16)

In this regard, we are always catching our breath.

 [__03__]   In many traditional renditions and readings of the Christmas Gospel, it seems that the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph cannot catch a break …nor can they catch their breath.

            This is emphasized in the way we have received the Bethlehem- broadcast this sound-bite and tweet (also w/ BLUE check mark !) of long ago  “No Room at the Inn”

            I’d like to touch on what is the real meaning of “inn”,   and the “manger” especially as we consider Middle Eastern culture and hospitality.  (cf. Kenneth Bailey, ch.1  The Birth of Jesus, Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes)

 [__04__]       The biblical scholar Kenneth Bailey notes that “Joseph was returning to his home village where he could easily find shelter. Because he was a descendant of King David nearly all doors in the village were open to him.” (Bailey, p. 28)

            Also, Bailey noted: “In every culture a woman about to give birth is given special attention. Simple rural communities [worldwide] assist one of their own women in childbirth regardless of circumstances.” (Bailey, p. 26)

            The people of Bethlehem had this some honor and respect for an expectant mother and woman.

[__05_]        A few years ago, I was caught in a snowstorm and blizzard and had an experience somewhat similar to the Holy Family. That is, there were no rooms upstairs in the regular house, so I had to stay downstairs to wait out the storm.

            There was – in this sense – “no room at the inn” because there were no regular guestrooms available for me. Nevertheless, I was indoors, out of the cold.

            The Holy Family of JMJ were also indoors, but there were in a front room of the house, a lower room, and in a place where the animals themselves would have been permitted to come inside.

[__06__]      It is true – on some level – that there was “no room at the inn” – because there was no room in the upper guest room.  And, we might ask:  will there ever be room “upstairs” ?

            Do we always have to stay downstairs?

 

[__07_]  Out in the garage, I was filling up my time and day with activity rather than silence. And by the way, that's not just because I was in the garage, I have often been drawn away from God and God's word sitting in a climate controlled room with a wi-fi connected device. The garage was a reminder to give myself in love of neighbor and love of God the same

energy and enthusiasm I gave to inanimate objects like rakes and shovels.

          The birth of a child reminds us over and over again that we are not just faced with a “project” but with a person made in God’s image.

            In this regard, we are called to move “upstairs” in our thinking and intentions, not to stay “downstairs” in material concerns. But, to go upstairs, it’s sometimes requires you to catch your breath.

 

[__08__]      Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote that at prayer on Christmas, we are trying to catch our breath. (Benedict XVI, Dogma & Preaching, “Ch. 33 Three Meditations on Christmas: God has crossed over to us,” p. 335) If you have been running around prior to getting here, you can catch your breath here not just on Christmas, but every Sunday!

In the Book of Genesis, in creation in God's Word, Adam and Eve were created because God breathed on them. They caught God’s breath and the word for the Spirit that is Holy is synonymous with air and breath, “respiration” and “inspiration”

Do I turn to God when I am out of breath? Or do I draw a light and life and breath and energy from things that are simply entertaining or attractive?

In the Gospel, Jesus let us his disciples “catch His breath”. He breathed mercy on them because they had betrayed him.  Do I breathe mercy on those who have hurt me or wronged me?

Do I frequently enough really turn back to God for mercy? Or do I tried to cover up my faults by material achievement? Am I in the lower room or am I in the upper room?

For now our Lord and Savior is in a lower place. But the good news is that he's in the same low place as you and I are in. He is in our human flesh, feeling human emotions, human pain, while also demonstrating divine love. He is reminding us that we can, in the celebration of Christmas truly interrupt what we are doing. disrupt our attention to material things to focus on the gift of life we've been given the gift of life we're called to respect and nurture in others, especially for those who seem unlovable or unloved.

For we have all been at times unlovable and unloved. In the birth of Jesus Christ, we are given a hope of salvation, the hope that his spirit will be in us and the hope of catching our breath.  [__end__]   

Dream Sequence (2022-12-18, Advent 4th Sunday)

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Title:  Dream Sequence  2022-12-18   --  4^th  Sunday Advent    

● Isaiah 7:10-14   ● ● Psalm 24 ●● Romans 1:1-7  ● ● + Matthew 1:18-24 ● ●        

[__01__]  This is the 4^th Sunday of Advent, 7 days until Christmas. So how did we get here? The Sundays of Advent always have a chronology or structure, the 1^st Sunday is about the 2^nd Coming of Jesus;  2^nd and 3^rd Sundays about John the Baptist arriving – then leaving – the scene;  4^th Sunday: announcement of Jesus's birth.

And I'd like to like to talk about this announcement in terms of an alert that comes to us whether we are awake, or whether we are asleep, whether we are alert, or whether or not we are expecting, and to connect this to praying and asking God for help.

[__02__]   One time many years ago, before I was a priest, I thought I was living out a dream, I was living a dream, because of the time I was making what I regarded to be good money, living in a good place feeling important, this dream would later be interrupted.

And I realized that it was not my calling to that do that particular task. And I would be entering the seminary to study to be a priest, spoiler alert, I became a priest. But for quite a while I was still, as we say, living the dream. I was supervising a small group of employees and I noticed that one member of my team was not getting along with someone else.

And this troubled me greatly made me feel very anxious. At the time, I spoke to my parish priest about the situation. And he asked me if I had ever uttered a petition or a prayer to pray for those who were involved to pray about the situation.

I had to admit this had never even occurred to me. And sometimes, even now, it doesn't occur to me as soon as it should occur to me to pray for those who are don't get along, pray for people that aren't getting along with me or pray when I am not getting along with somebody else. As the saying goes, sometimes it’s not you, it’s me !

Sometimes I forget to do that.

But I could do that because I could be a better team player myself.

In this situation, of the 2 people not getting along, I prayed consciously and intentionally for them. Several weeks later, these 2 individuals were still not getting along. But it turned out that one of them was now moving to a different location, to a different building.

And one of them said, my prayers were answered. Well, actually, my prayers were answered. All of our prayers were answered, though none of us knew that we were actually praying communally.

That was an alert to me about the value of prayer in a difficult situation.

[__03__]    Joseph as the husband of Mary, and the Gospel today has a dream. But he was also learning a lesson about the value of prayer.

One biblical commentator, reported that there are 21 dreams reported in the Bible, 21 “dream sequences”.   Joseph has 4 of the 21 dreams. He doesn't say much, but he's got a large percentage of the biblical dreams. Joseph in the New Testament is four of the dreams. Joseph in the Old Testament, in the book of Joseph, Genesis has 2 of the 21. 

Joseph of Genesis is also a very important figure, but different person in the history of our salvation. 

What are the 4 dreams for Joseph? 1^st:  “[today] do not be afraid to take Mary into your home “ 2^nd: take the child and his mother and go to Egypt. 3^rd: come back from Egypt.  4^th: come back from Egypt but by a different GPS route to stay away from King Herod.

Joseph has a dream. But is his dream a good dream or a bad dream. On one level, it seems to be a bad dream, a nightmare… Why?

Because so many things about his husband role and his task of being a husband seem insurmountable to him.

How are we to regard Joseph his words when he says he's going to divorce Mary quietly? This is not because Joseph is trying to get away from responsibility. His intention is not to based in Mary being too much of a scandal, but really, Mary being too high of a standard that he could not live up to. Joseph was afraid.

 [__04__]     Are there not situations in our family or friendships or work or school where we feel we can't live up to the standard, where we might want to run away?  So we are called not to be consumed by fear, to pray for help to seek out help. There is sometimes more help available than we realize.

 [__05__]       Joseph is also an example of somebody who's giving us leading us to the dream home of the Church and being one with Jesus Christ, especially amid danger and difficulty.

          The church is meant to be our dream home. Maybe you wouldn't build your home exactly the way this church is constructed, but it's meant to be your dream home. How can the church be your dream home?

Well, first of all, it's about people praying for each other who don't even know maybe you don't know that people are praying for you right now, people in this building or even if you're going home alone today, people are praying for you right now.

And you and I are called to pray for those who are sitting next to us sitting behind us, people whose names we don't even know whether younger or older. That's one way the church is our dream home.

[__06__]       One of the things that I learned from my own parents and family is that my parents loved me. Not because not simply because they told me they were praying for me all the time, but simply because they took me to church, because they took my siblings and me to church, to Sunday Mass.

This is one way you as parents, as grownups, show your children that you love them.  So – to you – young people, young students and scholars and soccer players and you have so many different places to be and things to do, remember that the Church is your home too.

You are not here in church because you are being punished. You are here because your parents bringing you to the church, which is your dream home.

We often associate the word dream also with this other rhyming phrase, The Dream Team. We associate the Dream Team with gold medals or the World Cup today.

 And we may associate the dream team from that team we got cut from I can think of teams I didn't make they were the dream team would because I wasn't on it. It was the dream team, I might say.

Being in the Church – one of Jesus’ disciples – is to part of His Dream Team, to show up for “practice” each day, even if we fall behind, to show up with mercy and love and forgiveness and to recognize that Jesus goes before us to lead us on to his dream team.

[__07__]    St. Joseph also is the patron saint of those who are dying and falling asleep and the Bible is often a metaphor for death. It is a metaphor for that we will all die. But that's good news.

One prayer that is recited every night – in monasteries, convents, in the church by religious sisters, brothers and priests comes from the breviary of Liturgy of the Hours. This is the prayer: Protect us Lord as we stay awake watch over us as we sleep that awake we make you watch with Christ and asleep rest in His peace. I pray that whether you are awake or asleep that we you hear God speaking to you in your prayers, and in your dreams, both of which are part of your real life.  

[__end __]            

Whistleblower (2022-12-11. Advent 3rd Sunday)

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2022-12-11     3^rd Advent    ● Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 ● ● Psalm 146 ●● James 5:7-10 ● ● + Matthew 11:2-11 ● ●     

Title:  Whistleblower

[__01__]      The reason that John the Baptist is in prison that he's in jail is due to his commitment to faith in God.

J-T-B landed himself in trouble with the authorities for being a whistle blower.

          Have you ever noticed that companies and organizations have a whistleblower policy to protect those who might speak out?

But in the land and world of King Herod, there was no protection for whistleblowers. John the Baptist was a whistleblower in terms of stating that King Herod's had an unlawful marriage to his sister-in-law in which he had simultaneously betrayed his own brother.

As a result, John the Baptist, the whistleblower, was indicted, arrested, thrown in jail, he will ultimately be martyred by the king on whom he had blown the whistle. (e.g., the World Cup, the referees blows a whistle for a yellow card or red card. That's what happens ultimately, in the end to John the Baptist)

 

[__02__]  This 3^rd Sunday Advent, is also known as Gaudete Sunday (Gaudete = “rejoice”). It seems that the “convict”  and “public enemy” J-T-B doesn't have a lot to be happy about.

It also seems that J-T-B, who so enthusiastically identified Jesus of Nazareth, as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world … that John is now doubting his earlier statement.

J-T-B sends Jesus a text … or not quite a test message … but sends out his disciples as though they are DoorDash drivers with this question: Are you the one who has to come? Or should we look for another? Is J-T-B in doubt Jesus’ messianic identity?

Some Catholic commentators, including St. Jerome, interpret John’s statement in terms of  John trying to “discern” something about Christ rather than to “dismiss” Christ. J-T-B is not “done” with Jesus.

In his questions, John was simply prompting, or asking Jesus if he was going to do something overtly revolutionary, to overthrow the government to overthrow the Roman Empire?

John himself asked this question, because John was pretty zealous in that regard. John has this question on his mind. But it didn't necessarily mean he had lost all of his faith or fidelity to God, or stopped believing.

Similarly, you and I might ask questions to prompt God to “discern” what is going on, Lord, are you going to

·       heal my loved one?

·       heal me of an illness?

·       provide remedy for my financial uncertainty or my job uncertainty,

·       restore a lost friendship?

Just a reminder, these are some things that might be on your mind or on anyone's mind. So John's question is not really an ultimatum or a threat, but really a petition, a hope, a hope, just like we make petitions at the prayer of the faithful.

What placed on the altar at Mass is not just the bread and wine, but also your petitions are placed on the altar.

And ultimately, even though John the Baptist is the strong willed and loud whistle blower, louder than any referee at the World Cup, he allows God to work in his life and recognize that the plan of salvation is not about him, but about Christ, and that, as John famously says, "I must decrease, he must decrease."  (John 3:30)

 John the Baptist is saying this of himself. “I, John must decrease and he, Jesus must increase.” 

[__03__]   Recently,. I had an encounter reminding me that I must decrease and he must increase.

I was at a hospital in NYC just this year – in November 2022 – visiting a family member recovering in this hospital.

While there, I was talking with one of the nurses who had come into the room several times and was very helpful. She was also a whistleblower.

I was the target of the whistle!

This nurse,  paused, stopped me in the corridor asked if I was a Catholic priest, recognizing my attire.  We talked a bit about her parish in NYC and then proceeded to share with me the difficult challenge of working in a NYC hospital 2 years ago in the height of COVID pandemic of 2020.

To this nurse and countless other nurses and doctors and health care workers, we are deeply indebted.

She was warning me in a nice way as only a nurse can do. She was like John the Baptist blowing the whistle, but she was also a responsible, competent medical professional who was taking care of someone in my family.

Reflecting on the months of March, April, May June of 2020,  she reminded me that for 6 weeks, not a single priest visited anyone in the hospital to do the Anointing of the Sick or Last Rites.

I tried to defend myself by saying, Well, you know, that was the law and massive prohibition at the time. But you can't defend the indefensible!

Lots of people were barred from hospitals. Perhaps I could have tried to break into St. Barnabas or Overlook Hospital with like a Navy SEAL helicopter dropped in like maybe like Tom Cruise on Mission Impossible. I liked that move when He suspends himself in the museum. That's cool. But I could not walk through the front door of the hospital.

I do recall anointing and confessing someone in full hospital gown in the height of COVID at a nursing home near here.

So the church decreased, anxiety increased and we hope and pray we don't have to endure another pandemic.

That nurse was blowing the whistle. And prompting me to consider maybe I could do maybe I should be doing something revolutionary once in a while.

Is it not vital to patients -- to you as a hospital patient you as a sick person – to have in person outreach not just virtual visits on tablets. One friend of mine who is a doctor had to pick up his mother at a nursing home ---  not around here --  who was left standing at the curb for her for him to pick her up. But I'm not blaming any one nurse or any one hospital but just saying that what happened violated not only our religious beliefs and our constitutional belief, but also violated medical ethics.

[__04__]   I read this from a doctor who wrote the following.

“At the height of the pandemic, as the reproductive rate of SARS-CoV-2 reached its peak, and with many hospitals reaching capacity, healthcare facilities changed their policies regarding visitors; their presence was considered both a risk to others and to themselves. There was also a concern that visitors would increase the spread of covid-19 into the community.

In fact, if we see family visits as a form of treatment ―it is well documented that emotional wellbeing affects physical health―as clinicians, we might insist on this treatment, regardless of policy makers’ intentions. [1,2] I, and many of my colleagues, have watched as the most vital thing to a patient―their relative―is denied to them. ”  (https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/10/26/michael-blank-visitors-are-vital-to-patients-mental-and-physical-health/)

I'm sure the nurse of this New York City hospital would agree. She also told me that in the midst of the pandemic, not being able to go to church in New York City either she drove to Connecticut, to see a priest, who saw her met her on the rectory front steps or on the front lawn of the rectory, gave her communion.

The body of Christ. Amen.

I'm glad she blew the whistle on me that's beholding the Lamb of God.

I must decrease He must increase

[__END__]   

Immaculate Conception (2022-12-08)

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Immaculate Conception:  "Predestination"

[Section 01]    San Diego, San Francisco or New  York. These are three possible destinations.  These are cities and geographical destinations in the United States.

          Are you are a sports fan familiar with these as possible destinations that were in the news just recently yesterday?

          Specifically, if you were a NYY New York Yankees MLB baseball fan, these three destinations were of great interest, because there are baseball teams in each city – San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees.

          And, perhaps today is a good day for you if you are Yankees’ fan, because a favorite player selected his destination and “New York” rather than “SF” or “SD”

In other words, the famous player – Aaron Judge’s destination is not “SF” or “SD” but rather “NY” Aaron Judge  was successfully recruited and signed to a 9-year contract by NYY.

This was really not a change in direction because Aaron Judge has been playing for the NY Yankees for years, but there was no guarantee he would remain. Players move around to different teams.

But, for NYY fans, it seemed “predestined” or “predetermined” that Mr. Aaron Judge would remain in NY because he has  a history in NY. It seems that it was meant to be.

If Aaron Judge’s destination were SF or SD, the baseball world would seem upside down. That might be a bit of hyperbole. That’s how sports fans sometimes feel.  And that's often what we mean by predestination in an every day way.

 

[Section 02] To borrow a term from Christianity and Church teaching, we say that something is meant to be if there is “predestination”

We use the term “pre-destination” and “predestined” and God’s plan to describe God’s revelation through Jesus Christ and the plan involving the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Blessed Mother.

As we sing in hymn # 783, Immaculate Mary --- “Mary was predestined for Christ by eternal decree, God wills you both virgin and mother to be”

St. Irenaeus said of the Blessed Virgin Mary that …. “by being obedient Mary became the cause of salvation for the whole human race.”

Our celebration today is that Mary was conceived without original sin as part of this predestination.

Then again, “predestination” is not a guaranteed outcome when it involves human beings.

Mary was part of God’s special plan and given the opportunity – but not the obligation – to participate in God’s plan.

But then again, does predestination is predestination a guarantee of a particular outcome or result? Is that what predestination means? It's actually not what predestined. Some people think that's what predestination means. Yankees fans might think that's what predestination means.

 

Adam and Eve were also given the opportunity – but not the obligation to participate in God’s plan.  Adam and Eve – similar to the Blessed Virgin Mary – were also conceived / created without original sin.  However, Adam and Eve behaved differently than the Blessed Mother who followed years later.

They had a much better contract or covenant than Aaron Judge …and we do too.

The state we are in – being born with original sin is meant to remind us not that we should be broken and beaten down ….but that all of us – regardless of material wealth or talent or status or social standing are equal.

But, we also giving Mary’s life as an analogy to apply to our lives.

What is the opportunity presented to Mary as a young person – it is to be the mother or God. And, for this reason, Mary was conceived without original sin, what we celebrate today on Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Mary says YES to God and the Holy Spirit that Jesus can be conceived in her womb, for Mary becomes the first tabernacle of the Blessed Sacrament. This does not that mean that Mary is a goddess or deity, but that Mary is worthy of praise and emulation.

Mary’s is an analogy of motherhood and maternity. We aret taught by our own mothers – and fathers – that being loved is more important than being liked. Or loving is more important than getting likes or even liking other people.

We got this from our mother and fathers who taught us that we live in a world in which we cannot control the outcome of our actions. So when we honor our father and mother, we are honoring God as well.

Jesus taught us to love our enemies to forgive those who hurt us to love those who dislike you to love those whom you dislike. These are analogies by which we are called to live our lives.

By receiving the Blessed Sacrament in the Holy Eucharist which we receive at Mass, Jesus is conceived in you and me as well. Not in the exact same way, the analogy is imperfect.

But it's also imperfect, you know, but there's other analogies that are kind of imperfect in the Bible, but they're meant to raise our consciousness. For example, St. Paul says that we are fellow workers, that we are joint heirs with Christ. But that doesn't mean we're digitally equal with Jesus himself. Nevertheless, we are striving each day to be more and more like Jesus. And to remind us that also by analogy, by our baptism, we are truly one race, one baptism one people want in dignity equal before God, with a destination: Heaven.  [END]

Finding What’s Missing (2022-12-04, Advent-02)

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2022-12-04  /  2^nd Advent    ● Isaiah 11:1-10  ● ● Psalm 72 ●● Romans 15:4-9 ● ● + Matthew 3:1-12 ● ●     

Title:  Finding What’s Missing

 [__01__]       Recently I had the experience of cleaning out a room and finding something that I did not know was missing. Have you ever found an object - or been handed something - that you did not know was missing?

          This an aspect of the Gospel Good News and birth and Incarnation of the 2^nd Person of the Trinity, Jesus, in Bethlehem.

          They come and adore him, they came – all ye faithful – and the world is changed. But, Jesus is also found by those who did not know what the world was missing.

          Jesus was found repeatedly by those who did not know the Messiah had been missing from the world – all those years before His birth.  There were surprising episodes of his absence/presence during His life. When Jesus was 12 years old and wandered away from the family caravan between his hometown of Nazareth and Jerusalem, Mary and Joseph did not know he was missing. Then, they searched everywhere but the most obvious place, in the Temple where he is easily discovered.

[__01.01__]       The birth of a child has an effect on a family, reminding us who is present and significant. As the oldest of 4, I can recall the birth of 2 of my siblings, especially, the youngest who was born when I was 13.  So, I can remember before my sister was born. But, as an elder sibling or a parent of a child would say, the addition of child to your life, demonstrates that you gained someone whom you did not know was missing.

          Tragically, the unspeakable death or dying of a child or any young person brings to mind that a parent or grandparent – the family – is one of their own – truly a part of the body is missing physically.   Yet, I have also seen your testimony your faith in such trials, in your belief in eternal life and heavenly protection. To God, no child is left behind.

[__01.02__]       John the Baptist comes to us in Advent. Every year in Advent, it's the exact same chronology of themes. 1^st Sunday of Advent = 2^nd Coming of Jesus;  2^nd: John the Baptist arrives on the scene. 3^rd: John the Baptist leaves the scene and makes way for Jesus. 4^th: Announcement of the Incarnation to Mary.

[__02__]       John the Baptist – as a prophet – is also trying to be a friend to you and to me. He is making friends with you and with me and preparing us for friendship with Jesus Christ. His friendship may be REBELLIOUS …but it is not RANDOM. There is a plan.

          C.S. Lewis writes:

“For a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances [i.e., nothing ‘random’].  A secret Master of Ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” can truly say to every group of Christian friends, ‘You have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.’

     [I think this also applies to our friendships within our parish family .. for those we worship  with , serve with and come to know… and not to mention it is also a call to me in my mission and ministry as a priest…  ]

          [And to recognize that God has chosen the Lourdes parish family for me, i.e., you were chosen for me. On the other hand, you may not think God chose me for – maybe that is a stretch for you. The Archbishop chose me for you. But in any case, I am grateful for you as God's gift to me.]

     This Friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all the others.“   (C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves, “Ch. 4 Friendship”, New York: Harper Collins, 1960, p. 114)    

[__03__]       It was also traditional in the church for a long time, that the season of Advent led up to baptism. Now we associate lent the 40 days of Lent leading up to baptism.

          And, isn’t it BAPTISM about the welcoming and discovering the child whom we did not know was missing from our lives?

But for many years in the Church, Advent led up to baptism which took place on the Feast of the baptism of the Lord, which is shortly after Christmas.

So, now is a time of repentance and mortification or sacrifice. What is mortification? Is that a good thing? It is a good thing because it allows us to draw closer to God even while we are drawn or tempted to sin or sinfulness.

For example – in a crisis or difficulty - to smile when things are not going your way.  At such times, you may feel – I may feel – that my patience is “lost” or “missing”.

[A smile is not -- to use a popular term these days, - a form of disinformation. To smile is a discipline. The smile is not a form of lying. That smile is a form of laying down your life or me laying down my life for another.]

The attempt to smile – even superficially – is a way to take up your cross, to unite your suffering to Christ whom we sometimes lose or forget about. He has not forgotten about you.

Also, prayer for someone who has wronged you or hurt you is a way for you to find what you may not be aware is missing.

I recall several years ago, consciously praying for someone with whom I was having difficulty. At the end of about a month of this, I noticed the other person had not really changed, but I had changed.

When I saw the person after several weeks, I said to myself, “I am supposed to be upset with you…but I was not anymore”

I had found a certain peace that I did not know was missing.

John the Baptist also urges us to do this know, to prepare the way of the Lord, to make straight his paths.

St. Paul said if you are insulted, return a blessing. Instead, pray for those who persecute you love your enemies.

These are also ways in which we are called to turn away from sin, to repent and believe the Gospel, to find Jesus of whom we are often not fully aware that he missing from our daily agenda. [__END__]