December 30, 2007
Posted in Homilies
at 9:00 am
Year A, December 30th, 2007
I hope you all enjoyed your time together with your families on Christmas day and Boxing Day. I would have to give two separate homilies were I to comment on time with my family, so I am going to jump right into today’s topic of the Holy Family.
On Christmas we celebrated the coming of God into our world as a human being. Today we are reminded that he was born and brought up in a human family. Christ came to redeem our families, and to adopt us into his family, the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the family of the Church, and ultimately the family of the Holy Trinity. The family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is the model for all families. Through their experience of exile in Egypt, to which today’s Gospel refers, we can learn from them two valuable lessons:
1) in the midst of suffering, to maintain our peace
2) in the midst of idolatry and sin, to maintain our purity
On Christmas we contemplated the child in the manger and sang, “Silent night, holy night . . . sleep in heavenly peace.” The silent night is suddenly shattered by the sin of the world. Joseph and Mary barely have time to enjoy the first Christmas with the child Jesus when they learn that Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him, so they must flee into Egypt (Mt 2:13-14) . They were not going down to Florida for the winter; they were going to live in exile in a strange land, leaving behind their house and all their material possessions, and preparing for years of sacrifice and hardship.
The Holy Family fled into Egypt but they did not attempt to flee from suffering. The Pope offers some words of wisdom on suffering in his latest encyclical on Christian hope, words very much applicable to family life: “It is when we attempt to avoid suffering by withdrawing from anything that might involve hurt . . . that we drift into a life of emptiness, in which there may be almost no pain, but the dark sensation of meaninglessness and abandonment is all the greater. It is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, who suffered with infinite love” (Spe Salvi #37)
He has another inspiring line I can’t resist quoting: “even the ‘yes’ to love is a source of suffering, because love always requires expropriations of my ‘I’, in which I allow myself to be pruned and wounded” (#38). Family can do that to us – prune and wound us. It is painful to be pruned . . . ouch! . . . or wounded . . . ouch! But it’s worth it, because it teaches us to love like Christ and to appreciate him who suffered for us with infinite love.
Have you ever thought that you could help Christ redeem and save your family through your own suffering? Have you ever thought that at this very moment Christ is working to save your parents, your spouse or your children through your suffering, that Christ needs your sacrifices, and that these people will thank you forever in heaven for your love that helped them attain eternal happiness? So continue to “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Col 3:12-21).
The silent night of Christmas may have been shattered by the sin of the world, and the Holy Family may have been sent into exile in Egypt, but Joseph and Mary still had peace in the midst of their sufferings because they did everything in union with Christ, through him and for him, who was the center of their lives. We must do the same if we want to maintain our peace amidst the sufferings of this life.
2) The second lesson the Holy Family teaches us during their exile in Egypt:
in a land of idolatry and sin, they maintained their purity. In the Bible, Egypt is a land of idolatry, where people would “exchange the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of a mortal man (or woman) or of birds or four-legged animals or snakes” (Romans 1:23).
It is interesting to reflect upon the experience of the first Joseph in the land of Egypt, as related in the book of Genesis. The fact that the Holy Spirit gave both Joseph’s the same name indicates they shared similar qualities, for instance, God spoke to both of them in dreams. The first Joseph was known for his purity and chastity. Scripture relates how he was tempted by impurity – the beautiful wife of his employer Potiphar was in love with him and said to him one day, “lie with me.” Joseph responded by running away, and leaving his cloak in her hands! (Gen 39:12).
The spiritual writers advise us that “in the battle for chastity (and purity) it is the cowards who win, that is, it is those who run away from what causes the temptation who maintain their chastity” (Spiritual Combat Revisited, p. 127). Why do you think I like jogging so much? I am running away from sin and whatever leads me to sin! And how is it that so many of the sins of my past life don’t catch up with me anymore? Is it because I am so strong and fast? No. It is because of the Person I have been running to over the years – to Christ in confession and Holy Communion. If you ever want to see what a coward the devil is, and how quickly he will flee from you, run yourself over to confession and Communion.
I also run back to my home, to the place I was born. Strictly speaking, it is the baptismal font, but symbolically speaking, we were all born here, in the manger, for it was here that Christ was born as a human child so that we could be born from above as children of God, adopted into the Holy Family and the Holy Trinity.
The first Joseph and the Holy Family maintained their purity while surrounded by idolatry and sin in the land of Egypt. We also live in a land filled with the spirit of idolatry and impurity. I would like to say a few words about pornography. I wonder if it even necessary to explain why pornography is a pernicious evil? It is one of the most common forms of idolatry in the modern world. The Catechism adds that pornography “perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other . . . it does grave injury to the dignity of its participants . . . it immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense” (#2354).
I want to emphasize that sins of impurity and pornography, like all sins, are never simply private sins. They affect those around us and indeed the whole world. With pornography, if you let a picture enter your eyes, the pollution enters your soul, and the poison into your homes. The spirit of impurity and pornography is a little bit like carbon monoxide gas — colourless, odourless and deadly. You may not immediately notice it in your home, but through this nebulous and deadly spirit, the evil one will attempt to destroy the innocence of children, the intimacy of husband and wife, the unity of the family. Please, I beg you, do not let these pictures enter your eyes, this pollution into your soul, this poison into your homes.
Christian, remember your dignity. You are a child of God, adopted into the Church, the Holy Family, the Holy Trinity. Christ was born in a stable so you would not have to be raised in a barn and wallow in the mud with the pigs. Remember your dignity. Today is still Christmas day in the Church’s liturgy – the octave of Christmas that lasts eight days. So let us constantly remember God’s love for us and the dignity he gives us.
In this our exile, in this land of suffering, idolatry and sin, if you ever have difficulty maintaining your purity or your peace, then run back to confession and Communion, kneel with Joseph and Mary before the child Jesus and say to him in your heart: “I believe in your love for me.”
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December 25, 2007
Posted in Homilies
at 9:00 am
Do you think Jesus ever saw snow? . . . Some might say that even Jesus hasn’t seen as much snow as we have had in Russell this past month! I don’t think Jesus had a white Christmas for his birth in Bethlehem, but it was most likely a cold night in the manger, and those swaddling clothes in which Mary wrapped Jesus must have been warm blankets; and you also might have seen the breath of the donkey and lamb keeping watch over the sleeping child.
Do you think Jesus ever came to Canada? . . . It’s a trick question. If he didn’t, then what are we doing here tonight/today? Obviously Jesus never came to Canada during his life on earth, but Jesus is now present in every nation on earth through the Church, so he did come to Canada through the preaching of the first Christian missionaries.
In the beginning, Canada was seen by many missionaries as a cold, dark land that had not yet experienced the light and warmth of the Gospel. One of the first missionaries who brought Jesus to northern Canada once wrote these words, words that Jesus himself could have spoken: “in this ice, I bring love; in this night, I bring light; in this death, I bring life” (“Dans ces glaces, je porte l’amour; dans cette nuit, je porte la lumiere; dans cette mort, je porte la vie!” Vital Grandin quoted in Alexis-Louis Mangin by Hector Legros, p. 243). Why do I mention snow and ice? To make us more aware that Jesus Christ truly comes to us here in Canada on this Christmas eve/day, right here and now, and he speaks these words to us – in the darkness and depression of this culture of death, in the difficulties of some of our family situations, in the permafrost of some human hearts: “in this ice, I bring love; in this night, I bring light; in this death, I bring life.”
But is this how most of us experience Christmas – Jesus Christ bringing us life and light, love, joy and peace? Unfortunately, our secular world has created a monster out of Christmas, and for many people it is the most stressful time of year. There’s even a Facebook group titled “I hate Christmas” (Ottawa Citizen, Dec. 21st, 2007, A3), for the kind of people who say, “‘tis the season to be joly?. . . fa . . . la . . .la . . . la …………la.”
Well, I can understand those that hate the secular myth of Christmas as a magical recipe for materialistic bliss that is supposed to take away all our pain like a cheap drug. Or the fantasy that each family must be holy and immaculate, rejoicing round the dinner table in harmony and heavenly peace.
Since we are all thinking about family at this time of year, I will share just a brief word about mine. My brother and father aren’t speaking, but that’s another story. This year, my father and his common-law wife decided to downplay the materialism (which I agree with) and they asked us to make donations to a charity – the Humane Society — in their name, which I’ve done. But instead of asking me what charity I might like them to donate in my name, (like Canadian Food for Children) they went ahead and donated to the Humane Society in my name. I emailed my non-Catholic father and said, “Dad, that would be like me making a donation to the Catholic Church in your name, and calling that your Christmas gift!” It’s absurd!
I had already made some mincemeat tarts to give them, and I thought I could give them an empty tin with a note inside: “these were eaten (in your name) by the hungry kittens of the humane society.” But I can’t do that, because I am a Christian . . . and a Catholic . . .and a priest! I have to practice what I preach, and love others as Christ has loved me, because it is also absurd that God would become a human being, and that he would . . . love me. So I do love my very imperfect family. I think this is a good reminder at Christmas, to say: “I don’t have a perfect marriage or a perfect family, but I love my husband, my wife, my parents, my children, and I am grateful for all the good in them, and I forgive all their failings. Yes, on this most holy night/day, I forgive everyone.”
In this snow and ice, Jesus brings love, light, and life! I have something hidden in this stocking that contains one of the secrets to finding joy at Christmas. Back in the early days of Canada, it was nearly impossible to get one of these, and even our grandparents will tell us what a special treat it was to receive one of these at Christmas time. If you would sincerely appreciate receiving this gift, then you are not far from the kingdom of God (Mk 12:34). But if you would be disappointed by this gift, then you still have something to learn.
What is it? Yes, an orange. Not an ipod, just an orange. It doesn’t grow in ice and snow; it comes from a land of sunshine far, far away. Yes, years ago it was a special treat to receive an orange in your stocking. I remember someone telling me about growing up in Holland during WWII and getting an orange on Christmas, and having to share the orange with his brothers and sisters – one slice each! We’ve gone from being grateful for one slice of an orange to saying, “I want my own computer.” What has happened to us?
We have lost so much of the joy of Christmas. What went wrong? Are victims of our own economic, material and technological success? We have everything we want, but so little of what our souls really need. How can we change? Do we need another Great Depression or World War to inspire us to turn back to God and to help us appreciate the little things in life like an orange in a stocking or . . . a child in a manger?
If we can re-discover the secret of appreciating an orange in a stocking, then we will possess one of the keys to unlocking the joy of Christmas. The answer, my friend, isn’t blowin’in the winter wind; it’s lying right (here) in front of us . . . the child in the manger. God became a poor, naked and helpless child, totally dependent on others for his every need. He was happy to receive the smallest gift – his mother’s kiss, his father’s embrace. If we are willing to imitate the humility and poverty of Jesus Christ, then we can re-discover gratitude to God for all his gifts, and joy in simple things like an orange in a stocking.
I also think of the example of the little drummer boy, from that popular Christmas hymn. “I am a poor boy too, pa rumpapapom. I have no gift to bring, pa rumpapapom. That’s fit to bring a king, pa rumpapapom rumpapapom rumpapapom.” So he played his drum. And what was his reward?
“Then he – God – smiled at me. Me and my drum.” On Christmas eve/day, the little drummer boy’s joy was to make a personal connection with Jesus Christ. This same opportunity is available to each one of us tonight/today.
It might be one word from the readings or the Mass or a hymn; it might be the moment after receiving Christ in Holy Communion – one moment that God touches me, that Christmas becomes real, that I make a personal connection with Jesus Christ. For electricity to pass from one conducting wire to another, it is necessary for them to touch only for a moment. This moment is available to each one of us if we also are willing to say, “I am a poor boy too . . .like you Jesus, I am poor . . . and I need others to help me . . . I need you, my God.” And for those who are not willing to say that, then it wouldn’t surprise me if you don’t like Christmas.
Let us remember the deeper meaning of Christmas. In the words of the Church’s liturgy: “God has become one with humanity, and we have become one again with God. (The) Eternal Word has taken upon himself our human weakness, giving our mortal nature immortal value” (Preface III), restoring to us what was lost – our beauty and innocence, our immortality and our joy!
I will close with a personal message from God to each one of you here. First, to the women, the Lord says: “you are more beautiful than you realize, and your size and age are irrelevant. If anyone ever tells you differently, he is lying. Remember for the rest of your life these words I speak to you on Christmas eve/day 2007: you are beautiful and I love you.”
To the men: “I also love you, my brothers, and I say to all those who sincerely strive to do my will: well done, good and faithful servants (Mt 25:21). I am grateful to you for all the sacrifices you make, especially those who have a wife and children. You think that I don’t notice you, but I do. I am grateful to you, and I myself will repay you.”
Thank you, Jesus Christ, for coming into our hearts, our homes and our country on this Christmas eve/day, for bringing into our snow and ice your love, your light, your life.
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December 23, 2007
Posted in Homilies
at 9:00 am
Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A, December 23rd, 2007
Has anyone here seen the movie “The Nativity”? It has been said that what the movie “The Passion” did for Mary’s reputation among Protestants, the movie “The Nativity” did for St. Joseph’s reputation. If you recall, “The Passion” highlighted Mary’s intimate connection with Christ and led some Protestants to rediscover Mary. Similarly, “The Nativity” calls attention to the essential role of St. Joseph in the life of Christ. After Mary, he is the greatest saint in heaven, and a powerful intercessor, given to us as a father, a model of devotion to Mary, of love and service to Jesus Christ. He, along with Mary, will help us draw closer to Christ this Christ-mas as St. Joseph teaches us about:
1) agonizing prayer as a preparation for grace
2) trust in God
3) humility as a preparation for joy
The story of the “Annunciation to Joseph,” from today’s Gospel could also be called his “agonizing passion.” Joseph notices his wife is pregnant and he knows he’s not the father. How would that make a man feel? What is he to do? Most spiritual writers agree that St. Joseph trusted Mary’s virtue, that she had not committed adultery. And he also knew about, and supported, her private vow to consecrate her virginity to God even within marriage. But here she is pregnant! Scripture says that he “planned to dismiss her quietly” (Mt 1:19). Meaning? Not divorce, because then the Blessed Virgin would have been dishonoured and suspected as an adulteress.
Instead, St. Joseph decided to disappear. He would “return her ring, take back the wedding gifts, and go away no one would know where” (Gasnier 72). That would leave Mary not a rejected wife, but an abandoned wife (Suarez 44). Joseph “would be blamed for cowardly behavior, for unfaithfulness – but no blame would fall on (Mary) (Gasnier 72). Remember that Joseph was a “righteous man” (Mt 1:19) – he “thought more about the honor of Mary than about his own” (Suarez 48).
Before he made this resolution to dismiss Mary quietly, he must have spent hours in agonizing prayer with loud cries and tears. God could have spared him all that by simply sending an angel to Joseph at the same time that he sent the angel Gabriel to Mary. Or Mary herself could have told Joseph. There must have been a divine directive to Mary to keep her silence, awaiting God’s revelation to Joseph.
Why did God allow St. Joseph to suffer so much? As one writer puts it, “Joseph was not filled with grace, as our Lady was. He needed preparation. With suffering comes purification” (Suarez 58). St. Joseph was being prepared for one of the greatest blessings given to any man in the history of the world – to be the Guardian of the Redeemer, the virginal father of the Saviour of the World, of the Messiah “for whose coming he had so fervently prayed” (Gasnier 76). So often trials and tribulations precede gifts of God’s grace. Keep that in mind as the Christmas season begins. As Scripture says, “At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn”
Joseph is a model for us of agonizing prayer as a preparation for grace! Prayer as a direct, deep and serious response to the difficulties of life. Prayer as a man to man discussion and an encounter with fear and trembling before the infinite mystery of God! By the way, to the men here who may have a prejudice against piety and prayer, in our men’s group that meets the fourth Saturday of each month, we don’t sit in a circle, hold hands and talk about our feelings (although there is a time and place for that with the right group of people). No, we pray manly prayers. The prayer of the Church. The liturgy of the hours. The psalms that St. Joseph would have taught to Jesus. Then we go out for breakfast – a manly breakfast, a cholesterol saturated hungry man’s breakfast!
2) St. Joseph is also a model of silence, sleep and trust in God. He lived those words spoken by the Holy Spirit through the prophet Isaiah: “By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust your strength lies” (30:15, Suarez 25). Even in the midst of his “agonizing passion” St. Joseph was still able to sleep at night because of his trust in God, just as his foster son Jesus would later sleep during that storm at sea that put the disciples in a panic (Mt 8:24). It was while Joseph was asleep that God chose to communicate with him through an angel in his dream. How many of us can say that we “sleep like a baby” because of our perfect trust in God? What do you do when you can’t fall asleep? Count sheep? Drink milk? Pray the Rosary? Pop pills?
What kind of “effort” can you make to fall asleep? One spiritual writer makes this fascinating observation: “the effort which the one seeking sleep must make when he does not easily drop off to sleep . . . is, as it were, the model of all spiritual effort” (Doze 153). The “sleep” of St. Joseph is an important symbol to us of the model of all spiritual effort. Especially in our culture that praises activism, promotes distraction and worships busy-ness, we need to remember those words that Joseph lived: “By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust your strength lies” (Is 30:15)
3) St. Joseph is also a model of humility as a preparation for joy. The more we humble ourselves before God, the more joy we will have at Christmas and in life in general. Joseph was the kind of man who couldn’t believe his “luck” in having such a beautiful and virtuous bride. What joy was his when Mary was betrothed to him! He probably thought, “she’s better than me. What does she see in me?” Because he was so humble, he could easily rejoice in being loved.
To the men here, if I were to lead you in an exercise of humility (not to insult you, but so that you could have more joy) I would say to you something like: “Honestly, what does your wife see in you? . . . You’re not much to look at . . . you’re certainly no brainiac . . . you’re very blessed to have someone so beautiful love you.” It’s an exercise in humility. The more you can sincerely think this way, the more joy you will have in life.
Also consider Joseph’s humility before God. When he was called by God through the angel, to be the husband of Mary and a father to the Messiah, we can well imagine Joseph thinking to himself in the words of his ancestor David, “Who am I to build a house, a home for the Lord?” (2 Chronicles 2:6)or in words reminiscent of Gideon: “Who am I, to be so chosen by God? My family is the weakest in Nazareth, and I am the least in my family” (cf. Judges 6:15).
Each one of us could say: “Who am I that the Lord would come to me? I’m like a worm; I’m dust; I’m nothing. Who am I that the Lord would come down from heaven for me, with a gift just for me on Christmas day, that he would come to me in Holy Communion? I’m nobody but he loves me.” From true humility springs authentic joy. May Joseph and Mary intercede for all of us, that in our celebration of Christmas, which starts on Dec 25th and lasts 8 days, we will persevere in prayer, trust in God, in love for one another, and in humility find true joy.
Doze, Andrew. Saint Joseph: Shadow of the Father. (New York: Alba House, 1999).
Gasnier, Michel. Joseph the Silent. (New York: P.J. Kennedy and Sons, 1962).
Suarez, Federico. Joseph of Nazareth. (New York: Scepter, 2004).
Note also:
In 1565, St. Theresa of Avila wrote,
“I am amazed at the great mercies which the Lord has done me through this blessed saint, and from what perils, both of body and soul, he has delivered me.
(He cured her of 3 years of paralysis)
The Lord seems to have given other saints grace to help in some troubles, but I know by experience that this glorious saint helps in all . . . I wish I could persuade everyone to venerate this glorious saint . . .I have never known anyone who was truly devoted to him and offered him particular service who did not visibly increase in virtue, for he gives very real help to those souls who commend themselves to him . . .
If anyone cannot find a master to teach him prayer, he should take this glorious saint for master” (Autobiography 47-48)
The Lord wishes to teach us that, “as He was Himself subject to him on earth – for having the title of father, though only his guardian, St. Joseph could command him – so in heaven the Lord does what he asks” (47-48).
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December 9, 2007
Posted in Homilies
at 9:00 am
Second Sunday of Advent, December 09, 2007
Matthew gives us quite a vivid description of John the Baptist in today’s Gospel, doesn’t he? Living in the wilderness, wearing clothing of camel’s hair, eating locusts and wild honey. One thing I learned in my research is that locusts are actually considered to be kosher, so John was observing Jewish dietary laws when he ate them. They are also low in cholesterol, so I guess they would be healthy food, but I don’t think I’ll be adding them to my diet anytime soon.
John certainly did attract people’s attention. How many came to see him just out of curiosity? How many of those people were changed by his preaching? He was calling people to repentance; not just sorrow for their sins, but a change in their lives. He wasn’t looking for large numbers of people to say they would repent; he was trying to reach people who would turn to God with their hearts and minds. He knew that the Pharisees and Sadducees were not sincere in their desire to be baptized. Baptism to them was just a kind of insurance – maybe they should go through it, just in case… They thought they were already saved simply by the fact that they were children of Abraham. John knows there is need for more, though. He calls all to bear fruit worthy of repentance – in other words, to demonstrate by their actions the reality of their conversion.
The Pharisees and Sadducees may not have been evil people. But many of them were complacent, not seeing the necessity of changing the way they lived. John, on the other hand, is on fire for the Lord. And through the Gospel, he speaks to us with that same fire. He asks us to repent, to look at our lives. Are we complacent? What are we doing to make the Lord’s paths straight in our lives? How can we be all that God is calling us to be? Are we living up to God’s will for us, or have we diluted the challenge?
There are some concrete things we can do to prepare ourselves as Christmas approaches. We had a good turnout for our Advent penitential service last Wednesday, and for those who couldn’t make it, Father Tim is available for confessions at the usual times. We have evening prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours, this Sunday and next Sunday at 7:30, for those who want to add something more to their prayer life. Also, next Saturday, there will be Eucharistic Adoration from nine in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon, praying particularly for Justin McKenna. We cannot easily find solitude and encounter the Lord in the desert like John the Baptist did, but we can experience a certain amount of peace, and the presence of Jesus, during adoration right here in our church.
John’s message is one of hope, that real hope that comes from knowledge of the truth of God’s love. Especially at this time of year, as we joyfully await the celebration of Christ’s coming, we should be passing along to our children the hope embodied in our Catholic faith. As Paul states in today’s second reading, “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope”.
And yet, there are things being written in our days with the express purpose of discouragement, deceit, and despair. When atheist authors like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens compose their venomous attacks, they are at least writing for adults, who hopefully have enough maturity and experience to cope with their ideas. In the case of Philip Pullman, however, his target is our children and grandchildren. I am speaking, of course, about the movie which has just been released, The Golden Compass. You have probably heard about it, or seen the advertising and promotions. Now some of you may be rolling your eyes and saying to yourself “Deacon Tom has fallen for the overreactions of a bunch of fundamentalist kooks”. But, Father Tim and I have a responsibility to make you aware of things that might be detrimental to your – and your children’s – spiritual welfare, so let me give you some background about the movie, the books, and the author. The Golden Compass is made to appear to be a film of the same genre as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. The latter two, of course, were based on Christian themes. The Golden Compass borrows heavily from The Chronicles of Narnia, even employing some of the same plot elements. But, the story is distinctly different. The bad guys in The Golden Compass are God and the church, and are even referred to as the Magisterium, our word for the teaching authority of the church. The heroine of the story is celebrated for her ability to lie and manipulate people. The trilogy of books, of which The Golden Compass is the first, clearly demonstrates a hatred of Christianity, and portrays God, the church, and religion as evil. The author himself has expressly stated: “I’m trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief”. Is this what we want to expose our children to during Advent?
You may say that this is just a fantasy film, what’s the big deal? But fantasy, especially for children, is a powerful vehicle for transmitting ideas, sometimes very subtly. It is said that the movie has been watered down from the book, which indicates that there was concern about the content in the first place. Fans of these books have been tying themselves in knots over this. On the one hand, they have expressed their hope that the film will keep Pullman’s original anti-God message. But at the same time, they claim that Christians are being ridiculous for saying that there is any anti-God message at all! And, to go back to a point I raised earlier, this isn’t about discerning adults seeing or reading this, and making up their own minds about it. This is about impressionable children being exposed to concepts that are completely opposed to the truth. Jesus said “whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea”. No matter how much explaining we could do, seeing the film or reading the books could leave a lingering uneasiness – or worse – in children.
I greatly enjoyed reading The Lord of the Rings, and Faith read the entire Chronicles of Narnia to William when he was about four, in instalments each night at bedtime, or when we were travelling, over the course of six months or so. So I’m very much in favour of good fantasy stories, in books or film. These are classic tales where, even if reduced to their most basic elements, good triumphs over evil. I hope you will avoid The Golden Compass, and expose your children to other more uplifting works. As Catholic parents, you may take some heat for deciding not to take your kids to see this anti-God movie. It can be difficult to resist the slick marketing with a seemingly innocent little girl and a cute polar bear. Remember though, this movie will pass relatively quickly, but your children could be affected for a lifetime, and this is exactly what Philip Pullman is counting on.
So instead of watching or reading things that intend to take us away from God, let’s listen to John the Baptist, who came to lead people to truth and to God. In the Gospel of Luke, we hear Zechariah say; “You my child shall be called the prophet of the most high; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way, to give His people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins”. John’s message is meant to wake us from our complacency, to encourage us to reconcile to God and to experience His love through the sacraments. We find hope and encouragement in his teaching. John calls us to look at our lives and to ask ourselves what we need to change in order to bear good fruit. What do we need to put aside, and what do we need to add to our lives? We should desire to be as on fire for God as John was, and to passionately live our lives according to our faith. Our faith is the real compass that will always give us, and our children, true answers.
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December 2, 2007
Posted in Homilies
at 9:00 am
Year A, December 2nd, 2007
In the December issue of First Things magazine, Joseph Bottom relates this story first told by William Dean Howells in the 1890′s: “Once upon a time, ‘there was a little girl who liked Christmas so much that she wanted it to be Christmas every day in the year.’ What’s more, she found a fairy to grant her wish, and she was delighted when Christmas came again on December 26, and December 27, and December 28.
Of course, ‘after it had gone on about three or four months, the little girl, whenever she came into the room in the morning and saw those great ugly, lumpy stockings dangling over the fireplace, and the disgusting presents around everywhere, used to sit down and burst out crying. In six months, she was perfectly exhausted, she couldn’t even cry anymore.’ By October, ‘people didn’t carry presents around nicely anymore. They (threw) them over the fence or through the window, and instead of taking great (care) to write ‘For dear Papa’ or ‘Mama’ or ‘Brother’ or ‘Sister,’ they used to write, ‘take it, you (horrible) old thing!’ and then go and bang it against the front door.’”
That’s what happens if you have Christmas every day. It loses its meaning. And that is what is happening in our culture. We have Christmas every day for the whole month of December! People are eating and drinking, decorating and celebrating as if it’s Christmas already! It’s Advent, not Christmas! If we don’t celebrate Easter during Lent, then we should not be celebrating Christmas during Advent – it will ruin Christmas!
As an aside, I do have some strong words today about properly observing the season of Advent. I speak as your spiritual father who loves you, and I want my whole family (all of you) to be happy in God’s love, and to be filled with hope during Advent, and joy at Christmas. I can’t bear the thought that someone would be discouraged or depressed this time of year because he or she had no experience of God’s love, but instead was distracted and deceived by the spirit of the world, by a materialistic and consumerist “Christmas.”
Children, I have here, as a symbol of Christmas, a little cookie tin with Santa on it. I know some mothers still do Christmas baking. My mother used to make (and still does) fruit cake, shortbread cookies, almond crescents, and chocolate balls, and she used to put them all in cookie tins in the freezer until Christmas. We were not allowed to eat them during Advent; we had to wait until Christmas (maybe one cookie each for me, my brother and sister, and one of us might get to lick the bowl).
Is it the same in your house – cookies in the freezer until Christmas? And we wouldn’t dare sneak into the freezer and steal a frozen cookie before Christmas! Although frozen cookies are good, we wouldn’t dare!
So my question is: if the adults tell us “no eating Christmas cookies during Advent,” then why do some of them go out eating and drinking at Christmas parties during Advent? That’s not right is it? . . . But instead of pointing fingers . . . as your loving Father, I say, “let us work together to save Advent.” If we want to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, and to keep Christ in Christ-mas, then let us begin today by keeping Advent in Christmas – the four whole weeks of Advent as the beginning of the Christmas season.
So children, I suggest that during Advent, we put away the Christmas cookie tin (and other symbols of Christmas) and take out the Advent calendar. (We have a calendar for each child who would normally participate in children’s liturgy). On each day of Advent, you open up a window to read a different Scripture quote; for example, if I open up December 1st, it reads: “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Is 40:3).
Prepare for the joy of Christmas by practicing the discipline of Advent, which can take many forms.
1) For one, we can wait until Christmas to celebrate Christmas, and only then eat the Christmas cookies and have Christmas parties. We don’t want to end up like the girl in the story – who cried at the sight of the “ugly stockings” and the “disgusting presents,” who was sick of Christmas because she celebrated it every day.
2) Spend more time, not money. Spend more time with family and friends – and God! Spend less time in the malls fighting the crowds, spending money we don’t have to try to make people love us. So children, please don’t ask your parents for more and more things at Christmas that you don’t need; ask them to spend more time with you instead! And let’s spend some more time with God. This is a busy time of year; but all the saints tell us that the busier we are, the more we need to pray. Children, one small way you can pray more during Advent is by opening your Advent calendar each day and reading a line from the Bible.
Let’s consider the example of Noah, whom Jesus mentions in today’s Gospel. Children, did any of you see the movie, “Evan Almighty”? People thought Noah was crazy to build the ark, but he was right about the flood. In the days of Noah, people were too busy for God. As Jesus put it in today’s Gospel, they “eating and drinking, buying and selling,” just like people today, who are so busy getting ready for a materialistic Christmas that they forget about Christ and don’t make time to pray.
For us to observe the discipline of Advent and enjoy Christmas, we need to be a little bit “crazy” like Noah, who listened to the voice of God not the voices of the world. If we listen to the teachings of the Bible and the Church about Advent and Christmas, then we will be truly happy, and safe on the ark of the Church. (If you stand very still, you can feel the Church rocking back and forth gently on the waves). Outside the Church, there are a lot of unhappy people shopping right now; there is a flood – of chaos, stress, busy-ness, forgetfulness of God; even a flood of depression and despair of those who seek joy and peace apart from God.
I’d rather be safe on the ark of the Church and secure in the embrace of God our loving Father, than drowning beneath those waves. Your family can also be an ark, and it’s up to you what kind of Advent and Christmas you want to celebrate – according to the spirit of Christ, or according to the spirit of the world.
3) The third thing we can do to prepare for the joy of Christmas by practicing the discipline of Advent is . . . confess our sins, which can be done very conveniently at our parish penitential service this coming Wednesday, December 5th, at 7:00 p.m. As your loving father, I want all of you to rejoice in God’s love this Christmas. So to the adults here especially I say: if you are not willing to confess your sins during Advent, then don’t complain to God if you miss out on the joy of Christmas.
Let me be very clear: if you are not willing to confess your sins to a priest in the sacrament of Reconciliation, then don’t complain to God if your plans for constructing your happiness this Christmas don’t work out as you had hoped. What excuse can you use with God? Are you going to say: “Dear God, please give peace and joy to my family this Christmas, but I am not willing to confess my sins this Advent.”? Do you think God is going to bless someone with that kind of attitude? I say this as your father who loves you.
OK, that’s the basically the end of my homily. I conclude with some announcements about the Advent season in our parish. For those who would like to pray more during this busy season, and seek some peace and quiet in the “ark” of the Church, we are offering a simple form evening prayer the first two Sundays of Advent at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the prayer last about 20 minutes). And on “Rejoicing Sunday” that’s the pink candle Sunday (Dec. 16th), I hope we will have a more formal evening prayer (if we can find some musicians and singers). Then you are all invited to a “Gaudete Sunday” social in the Rectory. (The two days in Advent that we are supposed to party are Dec. 8th, the Immaculate Conception, and Dec. 16th, “Gaudete Sunday”).
Please do read what I wrote in the bulletin about a plenary indulgence. In celebration of our parish feast day, the archbishop is giving us permission, to obtain a plenary indulgence (the remission of the temporal punishment of our sins) by going to confession, by receiving Communion on our parish feast day (this coming Saturday at 9:00 a.m.), by praying for the intentions of the Holy Father, and being detached from sin.
Finally, let us ask our Blessed Mother Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus the first Advent, to help us observe the discipline of Advent, so that we might truly enter into the joy of Christmas: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
Jesus to Blessed Dina Belanger: “How many Catholics make no attempt to do penance during this holy season of Advent! How many Catholics do not think of preparing for my coming at Christmas” (Ch. XXXIX, Dec. 19th, 1927).
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