Holy Family, Year B

This past week we celebrated Christmas, today we celebrate the Holy Family. At Christmas the attention is placed upon the birth of Jesus. And Jesus was born into a family. By this fact, we are able to see the value that God places upon the family and his desire to sanctify it. The Holy Family is the example of what families should be. The Holy Family is also the exemplar. In philosophy, there is a distinction made between an example and an exemplar. An example is a template with which we can measure other things. An exemplar is the formal cause in which particular examples participate. As an example, the Holy Family shows us what the family should look like. And if we measure our families by this example, we learn not only what our family lacks, but also we see the greatness of what a family is. As an exemplar, the mystery of the Holy Family becomes the source from which all families draw the graces necessary to be sanctified. And so, the Holy Family is, at the same time, an example of what the family ought to be and the fount of graces which are necessary for its sanctification.

Our first reading gives us an understanding of the graces which flow from familial relations when they are properly ordered. God places the father in honor over his children, and the mother has authority over them. God did this also with Jesus. The one who honors his father cleanses himself from sins and preserves himself from them. His prayers are heard, he brings comfort to his mother, he is blessed with joy in his own children - and the Lord will not forget him. Now, in the Holy Family we have St. Joseph, the just man, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, who was immaculately conceived, and Jesus, who is God. How can our families even begin to measure up to this example? St. Paul gives us a description of what it looks like to live according to this example. "Heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness." "And above all these virtues, have love, which is the bond of perfection." The first list is brought to completion in this last element: love. The family needs love more than anything else.

Perhaps the Holy Family knows nothing about our problems. All the graces, and special graces, make the Holy Family different than the normal family. This is true, for our families are stained with sin in each member - parents and children alike. But the Holy Family does know our difficulties. The Holy Family had to flee from their own country. They became strangers in a foreign land. Tradition tells us the St. Joseph was a carpenter. He taught his trade to Jesus. And so they know what it is like to work hard with their hands. The Holy Family understands poverty, also. Tradition also tells us the St. Joseph died very early, at least before the public ministry of Jesus. And so Jesus understands what it is like to lose a parent. Mary understands what it is like to be a widow. Jesus knows how it feels to see his mother suffer, when she was standing at the foot of his Cross. Mary knows how it feels to lose a son, including watching him die at the hands of cruel soldiers. The members of the Holy Family were not the cause of sins, but the were not exempt from the effect of sin in their lives. Because of the grace and holiness of this family, they feel the corruption and ugliness of sin more profoundly than we do.

The Holy Family was not excluded from the difficulties of life. The understand our problems. But they had above all, love, the bond of perfection, which triumphs over every difficulty. And God wants us to participate in the Mystery of the Holy Family so that our own families may be sanctified. "When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem us, who were under the law, in order that we might receive the adoption of sons." "And, therefore, you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, as many as have been incorporated to Christ by baptism, you have put on Christ ... And if you belong to Christ, you also are descendants of Abraham and the inheritance that God promised him, belongs to you." If we are sons in the only-begotten Son, then we belong also to the Holy Family. May we draw forth from the Mystery of the life of Jesus with the Holy Family, all the graces necessary to heal and sanctify our own family.

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La semana pasada hemos celebrado la Navidad, hoy celebramos la Sagrada Familia. La atención en la Navidad es el nacimiento de Jesús. Jesús nació en una familia. Por este hecho, vemos el valor que Dios pone sobre la familia y su deseo para santificarla. La Sagrada Familia es el ejemplo de lo que las familias están destinados a ser. La Sagrada Familia es también el ejemplar. In philosophia hay diferencia entre el ejemplo y el ejemplar. Un ejemplo es una plantilla con el que medir otra cosas. Un ejemplar es la causa formal en el que ejemplos particulares participan. A modo de ejemplo, la Sagrada Familia nos muestra la que la familia está destinado a ser. Y si medimos nuestras propias familias por este ejemplo, aprendemos no sólo que falta a nuestra familia, pero también la grandeza de la familia. Como un ejemplar, el misterio de la Sagrada Familia se convierte en la fuente de la que todas las familias dibujan las gracias necesarias para ser santificadas. Así que la Sagrada Familia es al mismo tiempo un ejemplo de lo que debe ser una familia y la fuente de las gracias necesarias para ser santificada.

Nuestra primera lectura nos da una comprensión de las gracias que fluyen de las relaciones familiares adecuadamente ordenadas. Dios pone el padre en honor sobre sus hijos y la madre tienen autoridad sobre sus hijos. Él hizo esto con Jesús, también. El que honra a su padre se limpia de pecados y preserva a sí mismo de ellos. Sus oraciones son escuchadas, trae consuelo a su madre, él es bendecido con alegría en sus propios hijos - y el Señor no lo olvidará. Aún así, en la Sagrada Familia que tenemos a José, el hombre justo, la Santísima Virgen María, la Madre inmaculadamente concebido de Dios, y Jesús, que es Dios. ¿Cómo pueden nuestras familias comienzan a medir hasta este ejemplo? San Pablo nos da una descripción de cómo se ve a vivir según este ejemplo. "Sean compasivos, magnánimos, humildes, afables y pacientes. Sopórtense mutuamente y perdónense cuando tengan quejas contra otro, como el Señor los ha perdonado a ustedes". "Y sobre todas estas virtudes, tengan amor , que es el vínculo de la perfecta unión." La lista anterior se llevó a término en este último elemento: el amor. La familia necesita el amor sobre todas las cosas.

Tal vez la Sagrada Familia no sabe nada de nuestros problemas. Todas las gracias, y también gracias especiales, hacen la Sagrada Familia diferente de la familia normal. Esto es cierto, en la medida en que nuestras familias están manchadas con el pecado en cada miembro de la familia - padres y niños por igual. Pero la Sagrada Familia conoce nuestras dificultades. La Sagrada Familia tuvo que huir de su país. Ellos se convirtió en extraños en una tierra extranjera.. La tradición nos dice que San José era carpintero. San José enseñó a Jesús. Ellos sabían cómo trabajar duro con sus manos. La Sagrada Familia conoció la pobreza, también. La tradición nos dice que José murió bastante temprano, al menos antes de que el ministerio público de Jesús. Así que Jesús sabe lo que es perder a un padre. María entiende lo que significa ser una viuda. Jesús sabe lo que se siente al ver a su madre sufre, ya que ella estaba al pie de la Cruz. María sabe lo que se siente al perder a su hijo, incluso a verlo morir a manos de soldados crueles. Los miembros de la Sagrada Familia no fueron la causa de los pecados, pero no estaban exentos de los efectos del pecado en sus vidas. A causa de la gracia y de la santidad de la esta familia, sentían la corrupción y la fealdad del pecado más profundamente que nosotros.

La sagrada familia no está excluida de las dificultades de la vida. Ellos comprenden nuestros problemas. Pero ellos tienen sobre todo, el amor, el vínculo de la perfección, que triunfa sobre todas las dificultades. Y Dios nos quiere participar en el misterio de la Sagrada Familia a fin de que nuestras familias puedan ser santificados. "Al llegar la plenitud de los tiempos, envió Dios a su Hijo, nacido de una mujer, nacido bajo la ley, para rescatar a los que estábamos bajo la ley, a fin de hacernos hijos suyos." (Gal 4 : 4-5) "Así pues, todos ustedes son hijos de Dios por la fe in Cristo Jesús, pues, cuantos han sido incorporados a Cristo por medio del bautismo, se han revistido de Cristo. ... Y si ustedes son de Cristo, son también descendientes de Abraham y la herencia que Dios le prometió les corresponde a ustedes." Y si somos hijos en el Hijo unigénito nosotros pertenecemos también a su Sagrada Familia. Dibujemos desde el misterio de la vida de Jesús con la Sagrada Familia todas las gracias necesarias para sanar y santificar nuestra propria familia.

The Nativity of the Lord MMXIV

Merry Christmas! A Child is born for us! There are many reasons to rejoice today. Most of us will spend time with family. Most of us will have presents to give and presents to open. Christmas is finally here. To rejoice in Christmas we should look at two things that we find in the name of this solemnity: Christ and Mass. Christmas is the Mass of Christ. We hear the slogan today to keep Christ in Christmas. The world has turned Christmas into something else than the celebration of the birth of our Savior. It is has forgotten that Christ is the reason we have this celebration at all. But it has equally forgotten to keep the Mass in Christmas.

Why is it important to keep Christ in Christmas? Christmas is about a Person and not just an event or a season. The invisible God is made manifest in visible flesh. Divinity is united to creation, not by intention, or will or power or from afar, but by the Person of the Eternal Word, in reality and nearness. God becomes one of us. Our society has forgotten this truth. Even when it is said, the world does not understand the meaning of it. This Child of Mary is God in the flesh. God is revealed to us in him. The world passes by this reality without a second thought. But this makes this Christmas much like the very first Christmas. How many were there in that time that would have recognized the Creator of the world when they looked upon this babe in a manger? The angels proclaimed him, shepherds adored him. But most of the world, on that night, just like tonight, will go about doing whatever it is that they normally do. For untold millions, this night is no different than any other. God has come into their midst, and hardly anyone knows. It is by the gift of faith that we share in the grace of so great a mystery.

God has taken up our frailty to himself. A dignity beyond anything else in the whole of creation is bestowed upon our frail humanity. God did not come as an angel but as a human. The gift he give to us is to know that what we are he became – out of his ineffable love for us, he lowers himself to share in our state. He gives to humanity his own Divinity. The prayers of the Church call this a holy exchange. What is it that we give to him? He takes from us mortal flesh. The God who is impassible becomes passible, that is, he fashions for himself the means by which the Crucifixion becomes a possibility. In return for the grace of sharing in his divinity, he asks only to share in our frailty and mortality. O holy exchange! A birth destined for a death – and resurrection. Keeping Christ in Christmas means remembering the reason for which Jesus was born. Christmas is something more than sentimentality, though there should be affection and tenderness when we put before our minds and hearts the scene of our Savior being born into the world. In Christmas the beginning of our redemption is made manifest. Jesus was born for the Cross, for his burial in the tomb, his resurrection from the dead and his glorious ascension into heaven. His flesh is our salvation. His human flesh and human soul are at the right hand of God in glory. Since he has a human nature like ours and his sacred humanity is in heaven, heaven becomes a possibility for each of us. We are invited to be born again in Christ and so to share eternal blessedness with him in heaven. Such a gift merits more than just this day. It deserves more than just sentiment.

How do we partake of the mystery of Christmas which is placed before us today through faith? By keeping the Mass in Christmas. When the deacon prepares the chalice at the altar he says, “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” In this liturgical rite the Mystery of the Nativity is referenced in signs. The wine symbolizes the fullness of the gift of his divinity to us. The water, just a drop, symbolizes our humanity. At the consecration the host becomes his Sacred Body and the wine becomes his Precious Blood. These separate consecrations sacramentally, that is, mystically make really present the death of our Lord. During the sign of peace, the priest will take a small part of the host and place it in the chalice saying, “May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.” This liturgical ritual symbolizes the resurrection and ascension. How do we celebrate Christmas? By offering the Paschal Mystery: the death, resurrection and ascension in worship of our heavenly Father. We stand in awe of the love of God for us and offer back to him as our thanksgiving the Body and Blood of his Son. O wondrous exchange! We are given divinity in exchange for our humanity. In this Child is already present the mysteries of our redemption. His mysteries are ours. If we wish to profit from this marvelous exchange, nothing less than our life for his life is sufficient. Not on just one day, but every day of our lives. Not just Christmas but every day of the year. We must partake of his life with our life. To keep Christmas, it is necessary to keep it with the whole person: heart, mind, soul and body.

The Eternal Son of the Father gave himself completely to us. He didn’t leave aside some portion of his life for himself but gave us the whole of himself. In order to receive this gift in full, it is necessary to return a gift in kind: the whole of ourselves. Christianity is not something that we can do only on Christmas, or Easter, or even just on Sundays. Either our whole existence is grounded in this mystery of God in the flesh, or we are just fooling ourselves with our occasional religiosity. Christianity is not something that is merely thought. “I believe” is not properly translated as “I think.” Nor is Christianity something that is merely felt. The religious experience of feeling good is not the goal. Nor is Christianity something to be done. Christianity is not exhausted by being nice, or tolerant, or by charity and generosity. Christianity is received. Christianity is something done in us and for us, for when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son made of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem those under the law, so that we might receive the adoption of sons. Christmas is kept by holding fast to Christ and to his Mass. All that is left is for us to accept it, or at least not to refuse it. Let us receive the Christ-child in our hearts, contemplating him with Mary, and allow his mysteries to be made manifest in our own life by his grace so that we are finally able to keep Christmas. Only then will the birth of our Savior have effect in our lives and the celebration of this mystery be kept in full.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

To help us understand the connections between our first reading and our Gospel, we will need to know a little about the Ark of the Covenant. During the Exodus from Egypt, Moses received the 10 Commandments and other laws at Mount Sinai. Among these other laws were the directions for the construction of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was the special presence of God among his people Israel. From the Letter to the Hebrews, we find out that inside the Ark were several items: the tablets containing the ten commandments (the decalogue or ten words), a golden container of manna from the desert, and rod of Aaron, the high priest, which had budded. The Ark was carried before the army of Israel when Jericho fell and many other times into battle. It was later placed into the inner sanctuary of the Temple which Solomon, the son of David built, called the Holy of Holies, which the high priest entered only once a year.

David’s impulse is a good one. “Here I am living in luxury. And the Ark is kept in ordinary surroundings.” He goes to the prophet Nathan to get a blessing for his plan to build a house for God. God’s reply isn’t no, at first, but rather a question: “Should you build me a house to dwell in?” Remember, where you came from and all the things I have done for you. You’re going to build me a house? I will build you a house.

We should not rest on what we think we can do for God. The works of the Lord are great and, yes, he even does his works through us. The impulse to do something for the Lord is a good one, when it arises from sincere love and does not forget that what we do is a return, a giving back, a response for what the Lord has done for us. It is not we who do favors for the Lord, but the Lord who does favors for us. It is not we who will build a better world for God, but God who, coming into the world, saves the world and makes it new. We receive from him. We see this most clearly in our Gospel today. Mary is the model of how we Christians are meant to stand before God and receive from him. “May it be done to me according to your word.” It is the Lord who does these great things. We can dispose ourselves by faith and obedience – but do not forget that this is his grace working in us, too. There is nothing that we can do apart from him.

The Israelites built an Ark according to God’s instructions. David planned to build a Temple and his son completed it. But God built Mary. From the first moment of her existence, he kept her free from any stain of sin. The Lord builds perfectly. The precision of God’s instructions to the Israelites for the building of the Ark demonstrate the importance and holiness of his dwelling place. Likewise, the Temple is built as a sign of God’s magnificence. Everything about the arrangements speaks of the glory and holiness of God and how that is to be reflected in what is dedicated for his service and worship. In Mary’s womb we have not just the ten words, but the Eternal Word; not just a symbol of the Eucharist like manna but the Bread of Life himself; not just the high priest’s staff, but the Eternal High Priest the shoot which blossoms from the stump of Jesse. Indeed, all of God’s works are perfect. But our works are flawed, they are riddled with our incompetency and sinfulness. Eventually, through sin, the Israelites will lose the privilege of maintaining the place of the Ark, and it becomes lost to them. Also because of their sins, the Temple will be destroyed, rebuilt and again destroyed.

On the contrary, the works of the Lord are perfect in every way. They are often difficult for us to understand and we do not know the reasons for all the preparations. In the end, we discover the grandeur of God’s plans, how much better his designs are than ours. In Jesus, we have not only a place where the power and presence of God are shown to us. Jesus is God himself: True God and True Man. And although he allows his body to be ravaged by our sins, he is raised again in glory. He is never lost to us, never to be destroyed. Only our refusal to allow God to work in us keeps us from him.

We are just a few days from the solemnity of Christmas. Have we prepared to receive him during this Advent? Perhaps we have not done such a great job of joyful preparation for this feast. Perhaps we have not allowed God to work in us by his grace so that he can move us towards his perfection. All is not lost. We have these next few days to open ourselves to God’s work in us. He desires to adorn us with his graces and make his dwelling in our hearts. We become as it were, miniature arks of his covenant. Open your hearts to him. Pray a little extra. Ask for forgiveness from anyone you have harmed. Give forgiveness to anyone who has harmed you, ask God for help in letting it go. Be a bit more generous with the poor, make a gift to St. Vincent de Paul’s. Join Bishop Olmstead outside Planned Parenthood on Christmas Eve praying for the unborn, the mothers and all involved. Let God’s grace direct you these next few days. Be a little more aware of God’s presence in your life and let him prepare you, in whatever way, according to his will, to receive his Son with joy this coming Christmas.

Gaudete Sunday, Year B

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” Why on this day should we rejoice? This is the Third Sunday of Advent, also called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means rejoice. It is the plural imperative, that is, it is a command and it is addressed to all of us. So what do we have to rejoice about?

The reading from Isaiah is fulfilled in the person of Jesus. God knows our difficulties. We are poor, brokenhearted and captive, especially because of our sins and often even because of the memory of our sins and mistakes. Just the knowledge that God sees our need is enough to lighten our hearts – we are not alone in our distress. And to hear this promise that God will save us gives us great hope because we can trust his word. And we know that not only did he keep his promise but he gave us his only begotten Son. Rejoice, again I say, rejoice! In a mere 11 days we will be keeping the Solemnity of the Birth of our Lord. He who is the source of all riches came into our poverty. The font of life gives his life to cure us of our infirmities. He heals the brokenhearted and free us from captivity. He was not satisfied to know us from afar, nor to work his wonderful deeds through others. No, he drew near to us on account of his great love.

John the Baptist was the greatest prophet ever known. Jesus says that among those born of a woman, there has arisen no one greater the John the Baptist. (Mt. 11:11; Lk 7:28) And what does John say? That he is unworthy to untie the strap of the sandal of the one who is coming after him. Jesus, the Christ, is more than a prophet. He is God in our midst. John also says to the priests and Levites of Jerusalem: “there is one among you whom you do not recognize.” And he could say the same thing today.

Advent is a time of preparation, with devout and expectant delight, to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to await his coming into the world again. But there are two other advents which are important.

He comes daily upon our altars in the appearances of bread and wine. The same sacred humanity which Mary bore in her womb, which she wrapped in swaddling clothes; the sacred humanity which hung upon the Cross for us, which was buried in the tomb and rose again on the third day and ascended into heaven, is made present right here in our midst. And yet many will not recognize him. They will see the host held aloft in adoration and see only the sign, know only the bread. “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world,” the priest will say, echoing St. John. But many will not believe. They will see the symbols only and will not look deeply with faith. For those with faith, however, there is rejoicing for, indeed, the Lord is near.

It is sometimes the case that we should not approach the altar for communion for a variety of reasons. Either we have not yet made our first communion, or we are unprepared to receive him, or our circumstances of life preclude it. Yet, all of us may look and see. We can behold God in our midst, the one whom we are preparing to rejoice over at Christmas. We can long for his coming with devout and expectant delight. And this also is cause for rejoicing. Before our eyes, though veiled in the Most Holy Sacrament, we look upon our Lord: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. His adorable Person is before us.

He not only comes daily upon our altars, he also comes daily to our souls. He stands at the door of our hearts and knocks and begs to enter. Our Divine Savior wishes to dwell with us. Us, with all of our poverty, and brokenheartedness, with our captivity and weakness, our mistakes and sins, all the messiness which is human lives. He longs to enrich our poverty, to console our broken hearts, to free us from captivity, strengthen our weakness, forgive and heal our mistakes and sins, to cleanse and purify the messiness of our lives. Rejoice, for the God who draws so near to us, does so because he loves us. Why do we rejoice? How can we not?

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“Estén siempre alegres en el Señor, les repito, estén alegres. El Señor está cerca.” ¿Por qué en este día debemos alegrarnos? Este es el tercer domingo de Adviento, también llamado Domingo de Gaudete. Gaudete significa alégrense!. Es el imperativo plural, es decir, es una orden y se dirige a todos nosotros. ¿Por qué nos alegramos?

La lectura de Isaías se cumplió en la persona de Jesús. Dios conoce nuestras dificultades. Somos pobres, quebrantados de corazón y cautivos, especialmente a causa de nuestros pecados y, a menudo, incluso por la memoria de nuestros pecados y errores. el conocimiento de que Dios la ve nuestra necesidad es suficiente para alumbrar nuestros corazones - que no estamos solos en nuestra angustia. Y al oír esta promesa que Dios salvará a nosotros nos da una gran esperanza porque podemos confiar en su palabra. Y sabemos que no sólo él cumplió su promesa, pero él nos dio a su Hijo unigénito. Alégrense, otra vez digo: ¡Alégrense! En once días vamos a celebrar la Solemnidad de la Natividad de Nuestro Señor. Aquel que es la fuente de toda riqueza entró en nuestra pobreza. La fuente de la vida da su vida para curarnos de nuestras enfermedades. Él sana a los quebrantados de corazón y nos libera del cautiverio. No estaba satisfecho a conocernos desde lejos, ni para trabajar sus maravillas a través de otros. No, él se acercó a nosotros a causa de su gran amor.

Juan el Bautista fue el profeta más grande jamás conocido. Jesús dijo, “que no ha surgido entre los hijos de una mujer ninguno más grande que Juan el Bautista”. (Mt. 11:11; Lc 07:28) ¿Y qué dijo Juan? “No soy digno de desatarle las correas de sus sandalias.” Jesucristo es más que un profeta. Él es Dios en medio de nosotros. Juan también dijo a los sacerdotes y levitas de Jerusalén: "en medio de ustedes hay uno, al que ustedes no conocen." Estas últimas palabras siguen siendo ciertas tambien en nuestro tiempo.

El Adviento es un tiempo de preparación, de alegría devoto y expectante, para celebrar el nacimiento de Jesús y esperar su venida al mundo de nuevo. Pero hay otras dos venidas que son importantes.

Él viene todos los días a nuestro altar en las especies del pan y del vino. La misma humanidad sagrada que María llevaba en su seno, que se envolvió en pañales; la humanidad sagrada que pendía de la cruz por nosotros, que fue sepultado en la tumba y resucitó al tercer día y ascendió a los cielos, se hace presente aquí en medio de nosotros. Y sin embargo, muchos no lo reconocerán. Ellos verán la hostia en alto para la adoración y ven sólo el signo, sólo conocen el pan. "Este es el Cordero de Dios, que quita el pecado del mundo," el sacerdote dirá, haciéndose eco de San Juan Bautista. Pero muchos no creen. Ellos sólo ven los símbolos y no miran profundamente con la fe. Para los que tienen fe, sin embargo, hay alegría porque, en realidad, el Señor está cerca.

A veces es el caso que no debemos acercarnos al altar para la comunión. O bien todavía no hemos hecho nuestra primera comunión, o no están preparados para recibirlo, o nuestras circunstancias de vida se oponen recepción. Sin embargo, todos nosotros podemos mirar y ver. Podemos contemplar a Dios en medio de nosotros, aquel a quien nos estamos preparando para alegrarse por la Navidad. Podemos desear para su venida con alegría devoto y expectante. Delante de nuestros ojos, aunque velado en el Santísimo Sacramento, miramos a nuestro Señor: Cuerpo, Sangre, Alma y Divinidad. Su adorable persona está delante de nosotros. Y esto también es un motivo de alegría.

Él no sólo viene a diario en nuestros altares, él también viene todos los días a nuestras almas. Él está a la puerta de nuestro corazón y golpes y le ruega para entrar. Nuestro Divino Salvador desea morar con nosotros. Nosotros, con toda nuestra pobreza, y quebranto, con nuestro cautiverio y debilidad, nuestros errores y pecados, todo el desorden que es la vida humana. Él anhela para enriquecer nuestra pobreza, para consolar nuestros corazones rotos, para liberarnos del cautiverio, fortalecer nuestra debilidad, perdonar y sanar nuestros errores y pecados, para limpiar y purificar el desorden de nuestras vidas. Alégrense, por el Dios que se acerca a nosotros, lo hace porque nos ama. ¿Por qué nos alegramos? ¿Cómo no?