Homily for the First Sunday of Advent

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent (Year B)

READINGS:

First Reading: Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7
Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Gospel: Mark 13:33-37

FOCUS: The season of Advent invites to watch, to wait, and to pray as we prepare for Christ’s coming.

FUNCTION: Live this Advent in an intentional way, by focusing on works of charity and prayer.

          Welcome to Advent, the very beginning of the Church’s new liturgical year!  Last Sunday, we ended the Church’s previous liturgical year with the Solemnity of Christ the King, and now we begin the Church’s new year of grace with this holy season that invites us to prepare for the birth of Christ.  Several things have changed since last Sunday, as you’ve probably noticed: now we priests will be wearing purple (or “violet”) instead of green, we did not sing the Gloria, and we now prepare to celebrate one of the biggest feasts of the Church’s liturgical year: the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord— aka Christmas— on December 25^th.  Advent truly is a season of great joy and new beginnings!

          And as I’ve already mentioned, today also marks the implementation of the new Roman Missal.  Yes, it’s a change from what we’re used to, and we all know that change can often be hard to handle.  But this change also brings with it a wonderful and unique opportunity: the chance to allow what we say and do here at Mass to be something even more intentional, something even more purposeful, and something even more meaningful.  And we are blessed to be given that opportunity in the holy season of Advent, a sacred time during which the Church prepares to celebrate the birth of Christ.  And so let’s pray that we might truly receive the many blessings and graces that God would like to give us during this wonderful time of prayer and preparation.

          Advent invites us to watch, to wait, and to pray as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.  But often our “spiritual A.D.D.” kicks in and we get distracted by other concerns and other expectations.  So maybe it’s helpful for us to think about Advent from the perspective of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  On March 25^th we celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation— the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of God’s promised Messiah.  Thankfully, Mary said “Yes” to the Archangel’s announcement.  At the Annunciation, the Word of God— the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity and the only Son of God— was made flesh in her holy womb and would later be known to us as Jesus of Nazareth.

          As of right now, it has been 8 months since the Solemnity of the Annunciation.  Figuratively, then, with this Advent season, we are observing the final month of Mary’s pregnancy as preparation for the birth of her Son.  Now, if Our Lady had a Facebook or Twitter account, we could keep up with her pregnancy through her various “baby bump” photos or her “tweets.”  But, unfortunately for us, the Mother of God lived two thousand years before the invention of Facebook or Twitter.  And so we’ll just have to prepare for the birth of her only Son the old-fashioned way: by watching, waiting, and praying.

          While it’s obvious that Advent is about preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ, there’s also another equally important aspect of Advent that sometimes gets overlooked in the midst of the focus on Christmas: namely, the anticipation and preparation for the second coming of Christ at the end of time.  In the Universal Norms for the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar, the Church says, “Advent has a twofold character, for it is a time of preparation for the solemnities of Christmas, in which the First Coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered, and likewise a time when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time.  For these two reasons, Advent is a period of devout and expectant delight.”

          Our readings for this First Sunday of Advent wonderfully blend together these two aspects.  In the first reading, we heard a prayer for God’s coming: “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before You, while You wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for, such as they had not heard of from of old.  No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but You doing such deeds for those who wait for Him.  Would that You might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of You in our ways!”  What a powerful and appropriate prayer for us to pray this Advent season!  --- Yes, Lord God, “rend the heavens and come down” to us!  ---

          The Gospel, likewise, calls us to watch, to wait, and to pray.   Jesus says, “Be watchful!  Be alert!”  Jesus’ coming is like a person who travels abroad and leaves his servants in charge and on the look-out for his return.  And so Jesus says, “Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.  May He not come suddenly and find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”  Jesus’ words could be our theme for Advent: be on the watch… remain vigilant… stay awake… don’t get lazy… remember to pray. 

          So what’s that look like in practice?  Well, for one, be intentional about observing Advent with a spirit of expectant faith.  It’s about more than just putting up Christmas lights.  This Advent, focus on works of charity: help out those who are less fortunate, make a special donation to the Church or to some other Catholic charitable organization, participate in a food drive to help out under-privileged and needy families, give away some of those clothes, toys, etc. that you no longer need, secretly pay for someone else’s meal when you go out to eat, or tell other people about the love of God and the hope you have as a Catholic.  And of course there are many more ways that you can be intentional about observing Advent this year. 

          But most especially, pray that Christ might be born not only in some lowly and far away manger, but pray that He might be born within your heart in an even greater and more profound way.  This Advent, let Christ live in and through you.  In short, let’s make this Advent an Advent to remember, because Jesus is the reason for the season! 

          Many blessings to all of you, and happy Advent!                                               

Black Friday - Where are our priorities?

Black Friday: Where Are Our Priorities?


For many people, today (often identified as “Black Friday” because it’s the day that many stores come into “the black,” financially speaking) is a day to find and embrace great deals….in preparation for Christmas, or just because.   Today, there are lots of sales and discounts and early hours in businesses around the country.   “Get it while the gettin’ is good” could be the motto for Black Friday.


But if our whole motivation is the accumulation of more and more “stuff,” whether for ourselves or for others, what are we missing out on?   And where are our priorities in the midst of all this shopping?


In focusing so much on the possession of material goods this Black Friday, perhaps we’ve forgotten about the “goods” that really matter: growing in holistic personal health (emotional, physical, spiritual, psychological, etc.), maintaining relationships (with family, friends, and loved ones), or taking time to say, “I’m sorry” or “I love you” or “Forgive me” or “How can I help?”   And let’s not forget about the REALLY important “goods” that can’t be bought: truth, justice, mercy, love, grace, forgiveness, peace, healing, wholeness, sacrifice, good will, compassion, kindness, generosity, respect, faith, hope, reconciliation, and so much more.


As the lines for the sacrament of Reconciliation are dwindling in Churches around the country, the lines to get into Best Buy, Wal-Mart, JC Penny’s, etc. are growing around the country. WHY? Because we’ve inverted our priorities!   Instead of focusing on those things that will better our lives in the long run (in heaven!) we’ve given into focusing on those things that will “better” our lives on earth, but which won’t ultimately satisfy us.   Are you looking for a good deal?   Run to GOD’S MERCY!!   It’s always FREE, and you can’t beat free!


As stores are trying to get “in the black” on this Black Friday, are we trying to get “in the black” in our lives, regarding our relationships, regarding how we live, regarding the things we do and say?   Perhaps we’ve been operating at a deficit for some time now.   When do we want to start operating with a profit, with a surplus of wealth?   That requires that we make the effort to turn our deficit into a profit.   That requires that we turn away from the things that won’t ultimately satisfy, to Him who alone can satisfy us.   If you’re not living the kind of full life that you want, maybe it’s because you haven’t heard of or embraced the offer of Him who came to bring us the fullness of life.   Jesus once said (and now says to us!), “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (see John 10:10).


So this Black Friday, take the time to invest in those “goods” that really matter, and you might just be surprised that you’re satisfied with “less” because, in fact, you have “more.”


For those of you who read these words, may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain with you forever.


“May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look kindly upon you and give you peace.” ~ Numbers 6:24-26



P.S.  Please don't think I'm being negative in this post.  I'm only offering a reflection....an examination of conscience, if you will......to help us understand where our eyes are focused: on the world, or on Christ?  That's the question.  So in the midst of shopping, etc. let's keep our eyes on Christ, trusting that the "deal" He gave us through His death on the cross.....namely, the free gift of salvation.....is the best deal of all :)   

Christ the King: Not Your Average Monarch

Homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King (Year A)

READINGS:

First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

FOCUS: Christ the King comes to us through the lowliest members of society.

FUNCTION: How do we respond to the lowliest members of society around us?

            Today we celebrate a great occasion: the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ the King, aka, the last Sunday in Ordinary Time.  There’s something quite grand and magnificent about the last Sunday in Ordinary Time being the Solemnity of Christ the King.  After all, in America, we’re all a little intrigued by royalty, by the concept of kings and queens.  Just recently, many people here in America undoubtedly watched “the Royal Wedding” of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  And although I did not see it personally, I know it got a lot of attention, and probably rightfully so; after all, it’s not every day that a member of England’s royal family gets married, and much less to a woman “of common birth.”

          In late December of 2010 and early January of this year, I was privileged to go to London and see the different sights and learn more about English history.  One place we got to see was the Tower of London: the place where, among other things, the crown jewels of the royal family are kept.  It’s quite an impressive sight.  Those jewels are clearly of great value. 

          In order to see the crown jewels, you have to get on a moving walkway, and so you really can’t look at them for too long (probably for obvious reasons!).  And as you go through the building, you also get to see footage of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the current reigning monarch of England, the daughter of King George VI.  (As a side note, if you haven’t seen the film, “The King’s Speech,” about the father of Queen Elizabeth II, I do recommend it).  Anyway, it’s quite an impressive sight to see if you ever get the chance to visit London.

          OK, that’s all well and good, but what’s any of that got to do with the Solemnity of Christ the King?  In short: everything, but only by way of contrast.  You see, the readings we’re presented with today, and particularly the Gospel, give us an entirely different image of royalty than the image of royalty given to us by England’s royal family (no offense to the royal family, of course).  Rather, the image of royalty in the Gospel is that of a King, Jesus Christ, who identifies Himself not with the rich and the powerful, but rather with the poor and the lowly.

          Sure, the Gospel starts off with grand overtones: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with him, He will sit upon His glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before Him.”  Now that must be an impressive sight!  And like a shepherd, He will separate them from each other: some of them (those referred to as “sheep”) He placed on His right, signifying a place of honor, while others (those referred to as “goats”) He placed on His left, signifying a place of shame.

          And then He speaks to the sheep, and suddenly the image of Christ the King changes dramatically.  He enumerates what we call the “corporal works of mercy”: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the ill, and visiting those in prison.  The “sheep,” aka the righteous, are confused by this, because they willingly did all these things, but never realized who it was they were serving.  And then Christ the King gives them the real twist: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of Mine, you did for Me.”  Now there’s something they didn’t expect!  In serving “the least” of society, they were actually serving Christ. 

          But Christ the King’s judgment for the people on His left doesn’t look good:  He judges that they failed to serve Him in the lowliest members of society.  Maybe they thought they were serving Christ, but perhaps they were more comfortable with the image of Christ as King than with the image of Christ as personified in the lowliest and weakest members of society.  They thought they were serving Christ, but maybe they were really only serving themselves.  To this group, Christ the King has harsh words: “Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for Me.”

          And then the final judgment of the two groups is made known: “And these (i.e., those on His left) will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”  But maybe we’re all still a little confused.  After all, this is a rather confusing story: Jesus is a King, but He’s also identified Himself with the lowliest and “the least” members of society; some people are called sheep, some people are called goats; the sheep didn’t know they were serving Christ, but actually were; the goats thought they were serving Christ, but may have just been serving themselves. And then there are the heated political questions about how we treat the weakest and the lowliest in our midst; there’s some mention of the devil and his angels; some people face a sentence of eternal punishment, while others face a reward of eternal life.  It’s all very confusing.

          Or maybe not.  Maybe it all boils down to a simple question: Do we really love God, and if so, does that love compel us to love our neighbors also?  After all, that’s what real love is all about, right?  If we say we love God, but fail to love our neighbor, is our love for God real?  The Bible has a simple answer: “No!”  Love of God, if it is divorced from love of neighbor, is not really love of God at all. 

          This is where the “spiritual warfare” of the Christian life really happens.  Our enemy, whom we call Satan or the Devil, would like us to believe that it’s possible for us to love God without really loving or caring for our neighbor.  It’s such an insidious and dark and terrible idea, that love of God and love of neighbor could ever be separated.  But that’s the Evil One’s plan: if he can get people to think that they can love God without really loving their neighbor, then those same people might end up condemning themselves to the Devil’s same fate: the eternal fires of hell.  And certainly we see the Devil being pretty successful with this plan.  Every day, people who claim to love God are constantly ignoring or side-stepping the people around them who are in need. 

          My dear brothers and sisters, this must not be so among us.  Christ the King doesn’t come to us looking like members of England’s royal family.  In this life, we will not see Him dressed in fine, royal clothing, holding jewels that resemble England’s crown jewels.  We will not see Him or find Him among the well-to-do.  But we will see Him hungry and thirsty, a stranger and naked, ill and in prison.  And how will we respond then?

          Responding to Christ in our midst starts here and now, at this Holy Mass.  When we come up to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and we say “Amen,” let’s allow that “Amen,” that “Yes,” to be an affirmation not only of our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, but an “Amen,” a “Yes,” to being people who also love for neighbor in word and deed.  Christ the King is among us here and now, in our neighbor, and we will meet Him when we step out of the doors of this Church.  Let’s not neglect Him.  Let’s not overlook Him.  Let’s care for Him in the people we meet, so that we, too, might be among the righteous….. at the right hand of Jesus Christ, our Lord and King.                                     

Welcome to the "Intentionally Catholic" blog!

Welcome to the "Intentionally Catholic" blog started by me, Fr. Noah J. Diehm, a priest of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.  I hope to use the blog periodically to do a number of things, with the primary goal being the proclamation of the Gospel! 


As for what this blog will be used for, I will probably discuss some news items of interest, pass along some passages from Sacred Scripture for our reflection (along with some commentary from yours truly), post some favorite quotes, share a homily I've recently preached, or do any number of other things, all of which will hopefully have a salutary effect on you, a reader of this blog.


I welcome comments, questions, and feedback in general.  The whole point, as revealed by how I've entitled the blog, is that we become "Intentionally Catholic"....Catholic in thought, word, and deed.....people whose faith is integrated into our daily lives.  That's the goal. 


Our faith is not a cafeteria line; we ought not pick and choose what we like and don't like.  Rather, if we're going to profess the name "Catholic," let's be FULLY Catholic.....all the way......to the max......with no regrets.  That's the kind of radical Christian living that can change the world and the lives of the people around us.  It's basically living life to the full, as the Lord would have us do, for His glory and the salvation of souls.  If you're up for that kind of living, then, by all means, join me for the ride ;)  Saddle up, partner.....God's going to take us places!


God love you!
Fr. Diehm