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Beatitudes. Direction (2025-02-16, Sunday - 06)

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[__ver-05__]   Homily – (11:30 am) February 16, 2025 /  6^th Sunday ●Jeremiah 17:5-8  ● Psalm 1 ●  1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20 ●  + Luke  6:17, 20-26 ●  

Title: Beatitudes. Direction.

[__01_]    The Beatitudes reorient us: “Blessed are the poor, blessed are those who mourn….” Naturally, we resist these as undesirable states, hoping they are temporary. But Jesus presents them not as destinations to avoid but as a way to navigate life spiritually.

Jesus delivers this message both on the mount (Matthew) and the plain (Luke), signaling movement—calling us to a new direction we may not expect.

          This is Luke’s Gospel in which Jesus comes down the mountain to give the “Sermon on the Plain”.

          In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus rises in altitude for the Sermon on the Mount.

          In both locations – up the hill and down the hill – Jesus is speaking about a new direction, and way of getting there which – perhaps – we did not expect.

          How do you know if you are going in the correct direction?

 

[__02_]   A few years ago, I went to attend a family funeral in Atlanta, in Georgia. My uncle had died. My aunt and my cousins and my uncle have lived in Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, in the suburbs, for many, many years.

     We all went down there, but each of us got there his or her own way. I flew down by myself. I wasn't the only person on the plane, but there was nobody I knew on the plane. I rented a car at the airport, started driving, and I thought, how hard can this be? I've been here before, but it had been many years.

But I thought the last time I was here, GPS hadn't even been invented yet, and I didn't get lost.

I started driving, and found myself dependent on GPS navigation satellites from on high, but they got weaker and weaker and weaker as I got closer to my destination.

Eventually there was no signal at all, zilch, nada. And I was still at least 5 miles away.

And I was not driving to a neighborhood where my cousins lived. I was driving to a neighborhood where my brother from California, my brother from Jersey, had rented a house that we were sharing. So we were all strangers in a strange land. They couldn't help me that much, but I still could talk on the phone. I still had my brother who had driven on these roads a few hours before, and he guided me and got me safely.

I reached my destination, but I was nervous along the way. It was and it was so dark and no cars on the road that I thought I would have to sleep in my car until the sun came up.

Fortunately, that did not happen. I learned something about trust and dependency on somebody else's voice, on somebody else's advice, through that lesson.

 

[__03_]     Do I trust? Do I depend on God's voice in the same way? Do I just trust on the voice of God, who might speak to me (to my conscience) and/or through others?

Do you?

Do you recognize this Psalm, the 119^th Psalm:  “God's Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

God's word is meant to light us in the proper direction, and Jesus is giving the Beatitudes as a direction in our lives, perhaps a direction we would rather not go.

 

 

[__04_]   We get directions all the time. On the road, there's a speed limit, a speed limit I might not want to follow, or you might not want to follow.

     At times, we don't follow the speed limit, but there are  consequences for not following the speed limit.

Jesus is urging us to see there are consequences for not following the Beatitudes either, for ignoring them.

He says, Woe to you who are rich now, Woe to you who laugh now. Do we not this is public and extraordinary ways, in extreme ways, perhaps in People Magazine or the newspaper. We see celebrities torn down by having too much money or not knowing to do how to save and invest. So money, in extreme cases, can actually be a curse and a liability.

How is poverty a virtue or a value? Is Jesus just telling us to a no-fun, impoverished, rejection-based lifestyle? Don't get me wrong, Jesus does not want that, but he does want us to learn that poverty can be a blessing, or being in mourning can be a blessing. How is that?

          ????These are the Beatitudes and they are your – they are my – GPS coordinates for the Christian life. ???

[__05_]   When I think, for example, of this. I think of my grandparents, who came to this country in the early 1900’s without much. They had little money and lived a poor lifestyle, very simply. And even when they got money, even when they had a little more money and were a little more comfortable, they still lived a very simple lifestyle.

With exactly one closet in an apartment for five people, they still lived a simple life. So even when they got money, they lived a simple lifestyle that poverty didn't just teach them the value of a dollar or the value of a deal. It taught them the value of everything.

How is mourning and sorrow a direction? Are re you in mourning or sorrow? Or do you know somebody in mourning or sorrow over the death of someone you love, they love or you love. This teaches us something. It teaches us how much we love the person who has died.

That's one thing it teaches us, but it also teaches us the value of not just the person, the value of the person we lost, but the value of every person's life, the value of our own lives. We learn through mourning and sorrow.

 

[__06_]  So Jesus's message about the Beatitudes is not simply about emptying or having a lower bank balance or a lower net worth, but simply teaching us about what are our values and moving in the proper direction.

We are all poor, impoverished in some way, and we need God's help. We need God's word to be a light to our path and a lamp to our feet. For example, when I think of myself, I want things done in a certain way. I want certain decisions made, certain deadlines met and way then they don't get met. I'm easily upset.

I might become tense over that. I may come make other people uncomfortable because I didn't get what I wanted, because the traffic report didn't follow the way I expected it to go.

The universe didn't obey me. That’s a moment for me to recognize that my GPS is not working perfectly, that I need God's GPS.

I need the coordinates and latitude of longitude of God's word in my life, not just my own GPS, to lead me.

And Jesus is asking us to follow his direction, to follow this way of simplicity and some humility, to go down the road with him, down the way of the cross. For the kingdom of God is there

 

[__Addendum_]

          Would it not be better me to recognize my “poverty” and lack of control at times, and that God is in control?
          Could being in the dark be a good blessing?  Could recognizing our vulnerability be a good thing?

          I am in the dark, again, because my own version of GPS is not working, but there is a voice –God’s voice – to whom I could listen more attentively. His voice works and is the lamp to my feet and light to my path.

          I pray we will all listen more attentively both to God and to each other.  When we are in trouble, in difficulty, to proclaim a “fast” – not a fast from food, but a fast from speaking always of our troubles and difficulties, or if we do speak of them, to allow others to guide us, to listen attentively. Fasting also allows us to be filled and open when something truly nourishing and enlightening comes along.

          How do you know if you are going in the right direction?

          Look for the poverty, the mourning… do not look away. Follow Jesus’ way of simplicity and humility,  to navigate down His road. The Kingdom of God is there.

Miracles. Lourdes (2025-02-09, 5th Sunday, Feb. 11 feast)

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 [__v03__]   Homily – February 9, 2025 /  5^th Sunday ●Isaiah 61:1-2a,3-8 ● Psalm 138 ●  1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ●  + Luke  5:1-11 ●

[__01_]     Regarding the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11) and this Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 5:1-11)

The Gospel episode on the lake, with the fishing boats and Jesus leading the disciples to a great catch, takes place after the darkness and discouragement of night, and LEADS up to the dawn and direction of a new day.

There is a familiar saying: “It is always darkest before the dawn.” This holds true for the disciples – I in the dark with no fish -- and also scientifically and spiritually.

I recently experienced this in a way that told me something —losing (and later finding)  my phone. As I turned off the lights one night, I realized the phone was missing. I searched multiple times, called my own number, but heard nothing. Like Peter and the apostles fishing through the night, I was in the dark, catching nothing. Eventually, I gave up and went to sleep, unsettled.

 

The next morning, I shared my frustration with someone who introduced me to the “Find My Device” app. Unlike calling my number, this app made my phone ring even on silent. To my relief—and mild embarrassment—I found it stacked under a pile of dishes. At that moment, it felt almost miraculous.

The word “miracle” is related to seeing—as in “mirage” or “mirror.” In this small way, I experienced what seemed lost being found. Thankfully, I had not placed my phone in the refrigerator! (Yes, I checked there.)

The next morning, I shared my frustration with someone who introduced me to an app I had never used before—Find My Device. Unlike my repeated calls, this app forced my phone to ring, even on silent. To my relief (and slight embarrassment), I found it buried under a stack of dishes in the kitchen. While not a true miracle, the experience felt like one—a moment of being found after feeling lost.

 

How often do we find ourselves searching fruitlessly—not just for objects, but for meaning, connection, forgiveness, or direction? Whether it’s admitting we’re wrong, forgiving someone who has hurt us, or seeking reconciliation with God, these efforts can feel daunting, even impossible. Yet, just as the disciples found success when they trusted Jesus, we, too, are called to turn to Him in our struggles.

 Darkness Brings Distress

That night, my fruitless search brought unease, much like Peter’s empty nets. Have you ever felt that your efforts—to find a solution, to communicate, to forgive—were not enough? Sometimes, when we struggle to forgive others or seek forgiveness ourselves, we remain in the dark, not just for a night but for an extended time.

 

Yet, while darkness brings discouragement, daylight brings direction.

A Call to Faith and Trust

The Gospel reminds us to turn to God, especially when all seems lost. Just as Peter followed Jesus' direction and cast his nets once more, we too are called to trust.

 

In times of suffering, we often resist asking for help. Peter initially doubted Jesus' instructions, and I hesitated to ask for assistance in finding my phone. Yet, both situations reveal that guidance and clarity come when we are open to receiving them.

 

The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

 This Sunday, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, commemorating the apparitions of the Blessed Mother to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Bernadette’s life was marked by hardship and poverty, yet she received the vision of a “beautiful lady” who identified herself as “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Despite skepticism from priests, her parents, and authorities, Bernadette remained faithful to the message of prayer and penance.

 

Ironically, though Lourdes became a site of miraculous healings, Bernadette herself did not materially benefit. Instead, she embraced a life of humility, entering the Sisters of Charity and dedicating herself to God in quiet service.

 

What is a Miracle?

John Henry Newman observed that while miracles may capture attention, they do not necessarily change hearts. People often seek miracles in sports, health, or finances, yet the true miracle is often deeper—a transformation of the heart.

Consider falling in love: on a first date or wedding day, emotions may feel overwhelming, perspiring, anxious. But if those feelings persisted in the same way 40 years into marriage, one might call for 911 and paramedics / medical help! Love endures, not because of constant heightened emotion, but through commitment, sacrifice, and faith.

Seeing Beyond the Miraculous

Jesus did not perform miracles simply for spectacle but to reveal His presence. In the great catch of fish, He called Peter not just to witness but to participate. Likewise, miracles in our lives invite us to deeper trust, reflection, and action.

 

While I was grateful to find my phone, it has not made me perfectly mindful of where I place it. Similarly, witnessing a miracle does not automatically instill lifelong faith. Instead, we are called to reflect on what God is showing us—to see beyond the extraordinary and recognize His constant presence.

 

The greatest miracle is the forgiveness of our sins, the grace that brings courage in fear and love in division. Recognizing his own sinfulness, Peter fell before Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord.” Yet, Jesus did not turn away. He called Peter to follow Him.

We, too, acknowledge our unworthiness before Communion:

Lord, I am not worthy to have You enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.

May Mary, Mother of Mercy and Seat of Wisdom, intercede for us:

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Notre Dame de Lourdes, priez pour nous.   [END]

Childlikeness. Presentation (2025-02-02)

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 [__ver-03.at.1130__]   Homily –  February 2, 2025 /  Presentation  ●Malachi 3:1-4 ● Psalm 24 ●  Hebrews 2:14-18 ●  + Luke  2:22-40 ●

Title:   Childlikeness and Presentation of the Lord on February 2. Regarding Luke  2:22-40

[__00_]    Today is the presentation of the Lord exactly 40 days after Christmas.

And it's not just that Jesus is presented to the temple so that the people can keep an eye on him there, Yes, Joseph and Mary, keep an eye on him at the temple.

This is not just about the introduction of Jesus to us, but an invitation to the imitation of Christ by all of us.

We are called to imitate Jesus's childlike simplicity and also his sacrifice.  We are called to imitate our children, to heed their call which is, very often, God’s call.

 

[__01_]   Starting around the year 2010, I traveled on one of several Catholic mission and service trips with Seton Hall University students to Haiti for a mission trip to an orphanage in central Haiti, about 4 hours from Port au Prince.

          I was a chaplain to the group. One of our projects was to visit a hospital and refuge for both children and adults who did not have other family members to care for them. This hospital was run by the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

          It was both a joy and struggle to emulate the service of these generous sisters. The young children were eager for attention, just to be taken out of their cribs for human contact was a gift to them.

 

[__02_]      I bring this up in reference to the Gospel Good News of Jesus’ contact with us and his commitment to our salvation on this Sunday of the Presentation of the Lord.

          For the first time, by Joseph and Mary, the infant Jesus is brought into physical contact with Temple worshipers and with Temple authorities. For now, the Temple authorities are treating him gently.

But, the commitment of Jesus – as sacrificial lamb (??? Better term or identifier??) – is being revealed.

          The earth was starting to receive her king, though this is being revealed very gradually in the person of an infant in this royal and holy family.

          Is there not something consoling in that our salvation began in the conception and birth of Jesus Christ? Even in one so small, an infant, the full power of God’s love is present.

          But, do we not experience love – powerful and effective through contact with children?

 

[__03_]    When I was at the orphanage, I was reminded that love and beauty were present in the body and soul of every child.

          And, this particularly emphasized to me through a child for whom we celebrated Baptism. (More on this later..should I bother to mention this now???)

          As we approached the orphanage each day, we knew it would be a few hours of intense child care with children who craved individual attention.

          Regardless of what kind of day each of us was having, regardless of what preoccupations we might have, these children needed our attention.

          They called for love to come out of us, whether we had planned it or not.

          How many of you as parents and caregivers – how many times have you been called by a child – by your children/ young people – in a similar way, that you have been called to love not based on a prior or planned intention,  but just based on powerful instinct that draws you to love your child, or to love children?

 

[__04_]   In a sermon called the State of Innocence (https://www.newmanreader.org/works/parochial/volume5/sermon8.html)

John Henry Newman writes about our hope of salvation and reminds of Jesus’ calling to us to become as little children, to be childlike.

          Newman is connecting the virtue of the child to the virtue of Adam, the first man and first human creature in the Garden of Eden in Genesis and compares this to our own infancy and childhood as follows:
(a) SOLITUDE – Adam is created in the Garden of Eden and has no companions but also does not see a problem with being alone. As children, did we not REVEL in “alone time” in a way that we don’t as adults. We could be alone as long as we were safe.

 

(b) HIDDENNESS/CONCEALMENT

The life of Adam in the Garden is hidden and concealed. We don’t really know what it was like to live before original sin, before the fall.

Similarly, your infancy  and my earliest childhood experiences are not saved on the “hard drive in our heads.” We have no memory of them.

Example: When I was 11 months old, my mother took me on a trip to visit her best friend in Puerto Rico.  It must have been exciting for me to fly on a plane for the first time and I always enjoyed spending time with my mother. I have no recollection of this

 

(c) TRUST /DEPENDENCY – children are not saved by their faith and actions, rather by God’s grace and this applies to us as grown-ups.

But, as grown-ups, we may lose this sense of dependency and imagine ourselves more powerful than we are.

 

[__05_]      As children, we learn how to live and thrive in solitude, in hiddenness and in dependency on our parents and caregivers.

          In this regard, we as children imitated the solitude of Jesus, and imitated the hiddenness of his life from public view and his dependency being in communion with our Father in heaven

 

[__06_]    As we grow up, we forget or dismiss these virtues and regard them as “childish”.

          But, being childlike is not being childish.

         

 

[__07_]     What a child does differently from an adult is that a child does not act out of “intellect” or “logical reason” or “self discipline”.

          Rather the child responds because the Holy Spirit is in him or her.

          Newman:  “There is no calculation, no struggle, no self-regard, no investigation of motives. We act from love. Hence: [St. Paul wrote]: "Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them.”

(2 Corinthians 6:16)

          The child acts out of love.

 

[__08_]      On one of our Haiti trips, I was introduced at the hospital to a young child with serious health issues.

          The sisters asked me if I would come back the next day and baptize the child. Our Seton Hall group and I returned the next day for this purpose.

          One of the college students was very moved by this and also had his mind changed about the meaning of a sacrament whose official definition is an “outward or external sign of an interior reality”.

          This student was well aware of and thought Baptism was all about outward signs not just the water being poured, but also the outfits, the balloons, the cake, the party, the photography.

          Don’t get me wrong: all of the above are good for celebrating you child’s baptism. Yet they are not the essential and do not capture the essential and inherent beauty of you or you as a child.

          I pray that all of us – through Jesus Christ- on this Presentation Day, this 40^th day after Christmas, that we can recognize and comprehend our own calling can lead us to better disciplines, actions, decisions.

          However, our calling in Christ is not based on our own action but rather recognizing that every person – young and old – has value in our world, in our nation, in our family, in our town and that this value is not changed by status or sickness or wealth or poverty.

          You and I are called to welcome Jesus as the child who also renews our lives, so that --- regardless of our age or ability --- we may run and not grow weary.

Homecoming (2025.01.26 - Sunday - 03)

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 [__ver-04.new__]   Homily – Jan. 26, 2025 /  3^rd Sunday

● Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 ● Psalm ● 19 Corinthians 12:12-3- ●  + Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21 ●

Title:    Coming Home

 [__01/02/03_]   In Luke chapter 4, Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, a moment of homecoming. Similarly, I attended a family funeral near Chicago, where relatives from across the country gathered to honor a loved one. While it was bittersweet, coordinating accommodations proved challenging, as only a few still lived locally.

Some family members rented an Airbnb to stay together, but trouble arose when they violated house rules: they brought a pet, exceeded the guest limit, and parked improperly. The owner, alerted by cameras, threatened to evict them within an hour. With the funeral the next day, this caused great distress. Thankfully, after apologizing and pledging to comply, they were allowed to stay.

Homecomings, while meaningful, can also bring challenges.

[__04_]    Jesus, in the Gospel this Sunday, has come home to Nazareth, to his hometown synagogue and he has been appointed to read from God’s word, from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah – from which our Savior reads a prediction that God will save His people – save you and me – by the suffering and death of 1 virtuous servant, the anointed one, the Messiah.

          The Jewish people – in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth and everywhere – had been waiting for such a rescue, such redemption.

 

[__05_]      In the history of Israel, the people had experienced being conquered by neighboring countries, by Babylon and Persia, being on the losing end of these battles where their land was taken and they themselves were taken into exile and also they had seen their Temple destroyed about 600 years before Jesus was born.

          This Temple destruction and exile are the reasons Jesus is in a synagogue today and why there are still synagogues.

          Prior to the Temple/people going away, all worship centered in 1 place: Jerusalem and the Temple, a place of sacrifice to honor God, especially on Passover and other days of atonement (??? How to describe??)

          But, due to exile and conquest, the Temple was lost. Thus, synagogues – which is not a Hebrew word but a Greek word – meaning “gathering place.”

          A gathering place for a people no longer in 1 place, a people dispersed, for the Jewish people of the diaspora. A diaspora that exists to this day.

          And, there are still synagogues, in West Orange, in NJ and throughout the USA and world.

 

[__06_]    Jesus comes home to 1 of these synagogues in the town of Nazareth and proclaims himself to the Messiah, the suffering servant.

          It is true that some of his own people at that moment and in subsequent encounters struggled to understand his role as Suffering Servant.

          This was true for Jesus’ closest disciple: Peter denied the Suffering Servant 3 times.

          Sometimes, we may struggle to receive and recognize Him.

 

[__07_]     Jesus comes home to you and me, each day, by making Himself present through the Church, the priest, the sacraments to hear your – our – repentances in confession, to give us His Body and Blood in Communion.

          Of course, it is true that many of us as Catholics do not come home to God or to Sunday Mass / church. We may stay away. Or, we know someone who is staying away.

          I urge you to pray for this person or persons in your life, including prayers for those who died separate from or far from the practice of our faith.

[__08_]     Who is the largest religious group – numerically – in the United States?

          You might say, “Catholics”

          But, to more exact Catholics who are not practicing actually outnumber Catholics who are practicing.

          The largest religious group in the United States is non-practicing Catholics.

          Have you not spoken to seen, sat at table with a Catholic who is “lapsed” or not going to church?

          What do you say to them? What do they say to you? Some may behave sarcastically  regarding the practice of going to church, following the Commandments. Have you heard this self-description:  “I am a recovering Catholic”.  That’s my quote unquote favorite  because it really shows someone who is diminishing the value of faith and also trying to get under your skin, maybe to hurt your feelings.

          Do not take the bait in this trap.

          This is an opportunity to love your enemy and pray for the one persecuting you a bit…

          Do not get riled up with anger or disappointment. Been there. Done that. It does not work.

 

[__09_]    why have they walked away? Do they have legitimate reasons?     Some have been hurt by someone in the church.

          Some may complain or feel disenchanted with the church because there are “too many rules”.

          Or, because they may want to re-write the rules.

          In such conversations with those who are not feeling at home in church, I just urge you to love them first, invite them first.

          One day you might particularly remind them of – and invite them to – is Ash Wednesday this year on Wednesday March 5^th

          Because Ash Wednesday puts a focus on something that even non-churchgoers can get on board with..

          Fasting – we are all called to sacrifice not be too materialistic.

          Charitable giving – we can call give something if only our time to those in need.

          And, this can help lead all of us to trust and prayer.

          And, all of us need time for reflection.

          Jesus our Savior invites all of us home to him, and stay in his house.

          It is true that you’ll never get anyone to stay in your house or be your friend if you lead or read with all the rules.

        Jesus, our Savior does have a plan for our lives, but he leads by first laying down his life, by loving us to the end, and letting us know we can can come home and are invited to do so as soon as possible. [__fin_]   

Getting Involved: Cana (2025-01-19, 2nd Sunday)

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[__ver-11__]   Homily – Jan. 19, 2025 /  2^nd Sunday  ● Isaiah 62:1-5 ● Psalm 96  ● 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ●  + John 2:1-11 ●

Title:   Wedding at Cana: A Call to Involvement and Transformation

 Would You Get Involved?   

A TV production crew once conducted an experiment. They placed child actors, around 7 or 8 years old, on an urban busy city street. The children were “acting” and pretending to be lost. Safeguards were in place to protect these children, but the purpose was to observe how passersby – the average person - would react.

How would you react seeing a child lost? Would I stop to help a child who was lost? Statistically, very few people stopped. Of the hundreds and hundreds of people who walked by, 97% of people did not stop. Only about 3 out of every 100 stopped.

 The reasons varied—some thought the parents must be nearby, others assumed it wasn’t their responsibility, and some felt they lacked the capacity to help. 

 Would you get involved? The question is also: would you feel connected enough to be involved? Of course, if the child were your own or somehow known to you, you would get involved.

 Would you get involved regarding a natural disaster? Right now, we have witnessed the tragic burning of forest fires, wildfires in Los Angeles which invites us to get involved. There will be a 2^nd collection today at all the masses this Sunday for help to people in California.

Would you get involved? It's a constant question. When the Los Angeles wildfires first started, one of the things that predictably came up in the news was this: not the suffering, not the lost, not the homeless, but what caused these fires?

This “causality” is a question to revisit. But maybe we should focus more on the casualty and tragedy rather than the causality. Perhaps this question has been raised too soon. We have to take care of our own, take care of the suffering, the injured, the homeless, before we necessarily have to answer that other question of what caused this.

Is this the reason why people walked by the child on the street, not necessarily helping. Because we might also get caught up in causes and reasons before we try to do what we can to remediate the effects.

Jesus Gets Involved   

The Wedding at Cana reveals Jesus, the Son of God, who gets involved.

The miracle at Cana is about the Son of God getting involved and being invited to be involved. Do you and I invite Jesus to be involved ?

The wedding at Cana is a model of Jesus's ministry and mission, because he knows, and Mary, our Blessed Mother, knows, that we live in scarcity, scarcity in terms of not enough money, not enough good health, not enough time, not enough compassion for the needy, Not enough integrity in my heart or in your heart, whatever it is we're in need.

Regarding Cana and water and wine, do you ever wonder what the big deal is? We may tend to regard Cana as a minor miracle. After all, no one was healed from sickness to health. No one was rescued from famine or starvation, no blind person began to see. No one was raised from the dead. But Cana is a big deal in Jesus's mission, because it reminds us of His connection, his spousal connection, to all of us. Jesus enters as the bridegroom, and we are related to Jesus and related to each other by marriage.

In the words of St Paul (cf. Ephesians 5) husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. St Paul writes about husbands and wives laying down their lives for each other. The spousal love is sacrificial and transformative. So for anyone discerning marriage, the question is not -- who will live for me – or who can I live with?

     This question also leads to the temptation and common practice today of a couples living together – cohabitating – before marriage. They want to know – rationally- can I live with this person? That's a good question.

It's good if you can live with each other. It's good if you can have a pet together. But that doesn't really determine the whether your marriage is going to endure. The question is not whether you can live with a person. The question is, am I willing to die for this person? Is he or she willing to die for me? So if you're raising a child for marriage or discerning marriage yourself, keep that question in mind, is my future spouse willing to die for me, not just willing to live for me?

 

 Mary’s Intercession and Our Response   

Mary’s role at Cana teaches us the power of intercession and being involved and praying.  She notices the need and brings it to Jesus, just as she intercedes for us today. Her words to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you,” remain a daily instruction for you and me.

 

The miracle is not simply about God getting the couple out of a catering jam and a supply chain catastrophe. Yes, there is a catering miracle, for which God is responsible. But, also, God is allowed to work a miracle in their marriage from the very beginning.

Do you and I let God in at the very beginning of our lives, or the very beginning of a problem?

Sometimes I have a tendency to do this à I'm try to figure it out on my own, and if I can't figure it out, I will then introduce God as my disaster recovery plan. We are called to turn to God from the very beginning.

    The wedding and uniting is not simply for the bride and groom, about but about Jesus laying down his life for you and for me.

Marriage symbolizes what God does for us and what he wants to do for us.

He also makes what is incomplete into what is complete.

Jesus takes water and turns it into wine. But it's notable that Jesus doesn't take spring water from the Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley and turn it into the best Northern California wine.

Jesus takes water used for ceremonial washings. The water might already be dirty water. Maybe somebody's feet may have been in that water, or somebody's hands were in that water.

This is degraded water, and our Savior turns it into the best, excellent vintage of wine. This is something Jesus can do for you and for me, when we allow ourselves to be transformed by him, he also takes water that's used for something superficial and makes it into something we can drink some we can consume something that can come into us.

God's prayer and God's word is not just for superficial things, but to heal the resentment in us, to heal the bitterness in us, to heal the inability to forgive that might be in us.

The wedding is a significant model for Jesus's ministry and a model for us living our vows to him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, in good times and in bad Jesus gives us His love, which is a better wine than we could supply on our own.

Gifts and Epiphany (2024-01-05, Epiphany)

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 [v_06, Epiphany, January 5, 2025]   ●  ● ● ● Matthew 2:1-12 ● ●

Homily for the Solemnity of the Epiphany

 [__01__]     **Introduction: The Significance [TIMING/WHEN] of Epiphany**  

Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, a solemnity in our Church's tradition. Originally placed on the calendar 12 days after December 25, it marked the conclusion of the Christmas season. This timing gives us the familiar carol, “The 12 Days of Christmas,” a gift-giving-count-down to January 6, the traditional calendar date of Epiphany.  

However, the Church has adjusted our observance to the 2^nd Sunday after Christmas, recognizing that more of us can gather for this important celebration on a Sunday rather than a weekday. Alongside Pentecost and Christmas and Easter, the Epiphany is 1 of the Church’s ancient and great solemn feasts.  

     So, today, we begin by asking the question: When is the Epiphany? But more importantly, what is the Epiphany, and why does it matter in the practice of of our faith?  

 [__02__]  **The What of Epiphany: The Manifestation of Christ**  

The word "Epiphany" means manifestation or revelation. This feast celebrates Jesus Christ being revealed to the entire world as the Messiah,

This truth is illustrated in the Gospel from Matthew (2:1-12). The magi, traditionally called the 3 kings or wise men, represent the Gentiles, the non-Jewish peoples of the world. They come from distant lands, following a star, to pay homage to the newborn King However, Jesus is not only anointed as King for Israel but for every nation, every people, and every person.  

          The word "Gentile" often is used to refers to those who are not of the Jewish religion. But more broadly, it signifies all the peoples of the world. This universality is emphasized in Isaiah's prophecy (60:1-6) in our 1^st reading and in Psalm 72, which speak of nations streaming toward the light of God and kings bringing gifts to His anointed one.  

 

[__03__]   **The Why of Epiphany: God’s Gift to Us**  

Why does the Church celebrate the Epiphany? Because it proclaims the Good News that God’s salvation is for everyone. It reminds us that Jesus’ mission is universal. He comes not just for one group or nation but for all who seek Him, for all who are willing to follow His light.  

 The magi’s gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—symbolize who Jesus is and what He brings to the world. Gold recognizes His kingship; frankincense acknowledges His divinity; myrrh foreshadows His suffering and death for our salvation. These gifts point to the ultimate gift God has given us in Jesus Christ.  

 **Reflecting on Gift-Giving: A Christian Perspective**  

At this point in the Christmas season, we often feel the need to separate the spiritual meaning of gift-giving from its commercialized reality. However, I suggest that gift-giving, when done thoughtfully, can align with the true spirit of Christmas.  

 

[__04__]  I’d like to give an example of gift giving:  

Do you not strive to respect and revere your loved ones in purchasing – not just any old gift being advertised online, on TV or in in the store, but in a gift will connect to the recipient?

 

Would you not want to build up and improve the life of the person to whom your gift is sent?

     Don’t you wish to give and give of yourself something meaningful in the process?

     For example, if you were to buy a book or an article of clothing for another person, would you not have made observations about the person’s taste in reading or taste in clothing, color or style? Would you not ask someone close to the person what size to buy? And, even if you do enclose a gift receipt, you want to get as close as possible to the right match.

 [__05__]   Will we not go, at times, to great lengths shopping online or in person to find the perfect gift, the ideal present?

Would we not want the other person to know the efforts we went to, to find this gift….?

 [__06__]   Our Lord and Savior, incarnate as the 2nd person of the Trinity and the Son of God the Father, has also been conducting research into the gifts you and I really need.

 

__ Acts 20:35 “In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

          And, He wants us to know how hard he has been searching to give you the gift of his life and love.

You and I really need to know that we are loved. Despite the fact that our family life or interpersonal relationships may be “faulty” or broken, he loves us and brings us into a relationship with him.

[__07__]    Jesus our Lord knows that even if we have failed, or if we feel we are not successful, or not productive, or too tired, he still has the GIFT of his calling, of his work for us to do in prayer, fasting and charitable giving, both in our homes , in our neighborhood, on our street, in school, in church.

          None of us can do everything. Everyone of us can do something.

          It is better to give than to receive.

          Not just on the 12 days of Christmas but every day.

 Jesus is not using artificial intelligence but divine intelligence to give us the gifts of his love and mercy each day.

You and I are called into a relationship with Jesus each day.

 The greatest gifts we can give to each other is based on recognizing first that we are sinners in need of God’s mercy and to forgive those who trespass against us, thus we go out to all the world in our own neighborhood, home, school and work to bring the Good News of the Epiphany and Jesus Christ to all.

[]Mercy is often an ongoing project of gift-giving.

Forgive and forget is not always possible. Not because you plan to harbor a grudge; but simply because you cannot forget certain scars or woundedess. To forgive the acts that caused them has to be an ongoing choice.

At any point in time, it is very easy indeed to turn around and begin to harbor a grudge. It is easy to blame the person who caused your pain. It is easy to hate — far easier than it is to forgive again. And even though choosing to forgive can be more painful, it is far more rewarding. When you utter the choice, then, that “I forgive you,” it isn’t over once and done. You say “forgive” because you keep on doing it.

Peter asked, if my bother  sins against me, how often must I forgive as as many as 7 times?

Jesus said 77 times, meaning don’t keep count.

There are some people in our lives who may not be fully aware of the harm or hurt they caused.

You may be caring for a very young person or older person who is not fully aware of his or her actions.

Forgiveness – like gold frankincense and myrrh – comes from God. It calls us – like “royalty” to take the high road.

It calls us like the incense to allow our prayers to rise up to God and put it in God’s hands.

It calls us like the myrrh or anointing of Jesus’ crucified body that Jesus first died for our sin.

[_08__]    Today, as we reflect on the magi’s journey, let us ask ourselves: How can we, too, offer our gifts to Christ? How can we manifest His love to those around us? The Epiphany is not just a story from the past; it is a call to live out the Gospel in the present. May we, like the magi, follow the light of Christ and bring the treasure of His love to the world. Amen.  

 

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