January 30, 2011
Posted in Homilies
at 9:00 am
Fourth Sunday, Year A, January 30th, 2011 – By Father Tim McCauley
In 1963, in a small, mostly Hindu village in Bangladesh, a group of Catholic women from Madonna House lived a humble, hidden life for two months. They simply lived the beatitudes and witnessed with their small acts of service. They thought they had no effect. They made no converts. But when they left, the whole village walked them to their boat; they were all sobbing as they said, “you brought us love and you brought us God, and now you are leaving us.”
By living the beatitudes, we have an impact on people’s lives, whether we realize it or not. What those women did in the heat of Bangladesh, we are called to do in the depths of winter in Canada. By living the beatitudes, we add colour to our world in the white of winter. By doing little things exceedingly well for the love of God, we radiate Christ to the world, and invite others to believe.
You see this painting on the overhead. It’s titled “Toronto Houses 1919″ by Lawren Harris, and it hangs in the National Gallery. In his early landscapes, he painted with muted, somber colours. (Perhaps you could say that he was like the average North American Catholic who lives a muted, somber life.) But then he had a “conversion” of sorts in January, 1913, after seeing an exhibit of Scandinavian paintings. He suddenly began to paint with brighter colours and bolder brushwork, with paintings that one reviewer said “shouted from the walls.” Imagine these houses painted with muted, somber colours of dull white and grey. But then, the owner of the house (or the painter) paints the shutters green as grass and the doors maple-red.
So why am I showing you this painting? Because it is calling out to us to live the beatitudes in our homes and daily lives, and so radiate the brightness and beauty of Christ to the world. In a world in which everything can seem dull, each house the same, each person non-descript, the Christian life stands out in brilliant colour. Yes, living the beatitudes, living with a pure, meek, humble and joyful heart, proclaims Christ to the world, whether we realize it or not.
We base our lives on the example of Jesus Himself, who spent most of His time on earth in a humble, hidden life in Nazareth, where He worked as a carpenter and did little things exceedingly well for love of His Father.
He was poor in spirit. He had a meek and humble heart (Mt 11:29). He lived the beatitudes which He proclaimed.
The readings today focus especially on the aspect of humility in the beatitudes. In the first reading, the prophet Zephaniah urges us to “seek the Lord, all you humble of the land . . . seek righteousness, seek humility” (Zeph 2:3). (This is good advice for everyone in our parish, to avoid the terrible trap of being so blinded by our pride that we end up refusing God’s love). Both the psalm and the Gospel also remind us, “Blessed are the poor in spirit – blessed are the humble – the kingdom of heaven is theirs” (Mt 5:3).
One very practical way of living humility like Christ is to humbly and joyfully do God’s will in the little things of everyday life. Catherine Doherty, the foundress of Madonna House, received a series of “words” from God called the “Little Mandate.” In one, the Lord says, “do little things exceedingly well for love of Me.”
Catherine quotes Christ saying, “I do not even ask you to watch one hour with Me in my agony. I simply ask you to get out of bed when the alarm rings . . . I do not ask you to be bound to a post and flagellated with leaded whips. I simply ask you to do every task that is given to you with one-hundred percent concentration, complete recollection and thoughtfulness. I do not ask you to hang naked on my Cross, but . . . why can’t you strip your soul naked of your self-centered thoughts and begin to look upon the world and all things – pots, cups, dust-cloths, food, clothing, all that you have and live by – with deep reverence? You can do that only if you . . . begin to connect creatures, time, work, walking, sitting, sleeping, all that you do, with Me” (Catherine Doherty, Letter to the Community in 1960, quoted form Love, Love, Love p. 51).
By living this way of humility, hidden in our homes, behind closed doors, we may think that we are not having any impact on others. But without realizing it, by living the beatitudes and doing little things exceedingly well for love of God, in a world that is cold and white, we are painting our shutters green, the symbol of hope, to radiate our hope in Christ to the world; we are painting our doors red, the colour of fire and passion, to radiate Christ’s love to the world.
And we must always be ready to give a reason for our hope (1 Peter 3:15), to tell others about our faith in Christ. Jesus concludes the beatitudes with a call to his disciples to be the light of the world (which we will hear in next week’s Gospel).
Let your faith in Christ be seen and heard by others – the deep green of your hope and the bright red of your love! There are people in our society living without hope because they do not know Christ or His love for them. In their despair, some of these people are considering having abortion, others of committing suicide! But some of you won’t help them, because your faith in Christ is private . . . that’s your excuse . . . you’re afraid of what people will think of you, so at work or among friends, you remain silent about your faith in Christ. There are people literally dying because they do not know Christ, and you could help save them! But you won’t if your faith is private, if the green of your hope and the fire of your love lie buried under three feet of snow and ice.
The Catholic faith is not private! I think it was the demons who concocted this lie. They huddled together one day and said, “how can we depress an entire culture and also prevent the spread of Christianity? I know, let’s convince Christians that their faith is private, not be shared with anyone! Their forefathers faced the fear of death on the battlefields of Europe, but we will paralyze this generation with the fear of what other people will think of them if they speak of Christ!” Has their plan worked?
My brothers and sisters, let it be known once and for all that the Catholic faith is NOT PRIVATE! It is DEEPLY PERSONAL, but never private. It is deeply personal because it reaches into the depths of our heart and affects every aspect of our life – living the beatitudes and doing little things exceedingly well for the love of God. But this faith is also public, meant to be shared so that other people can be saved and the world transformed, one person at a time, one parish or village at a time, so that after people have met us and known us, they will say, “you brought us love and you brought us God.”
Appendix
Inspired by Lawren Harris’ painting
“January Thaw”
Each house a word wrapped in white
trapped in flows of ice
Vermilion undercoat
Embers under ash
I paint my shutters green as grass,
the door, maple-red
‘They shout for joy, yes they sing,’
with tongues of fire,
Spring.
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January 29, 2011
Posted in pastor
at 9:20 pm
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Congratulations to Deacon Tom for his re-appointment by Archbishop Prendergast as Deacon of our Parish. (current appointment until July 31st, 2013) For the past several years, Deacon Tom worked with the MAP program, helping to rehabilitate ex-convicts. Now he will be working in Pastoral Care to the elderly in the Russell area. We are grateful for Deacon Tom’s ministry and his continued presence among us.
In Christ, Fr. Tim
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Posted in prayer
at 9:19 pm
PRAYER: COME HOLY SPIRIT
Come holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit, and they shall be created; And you shall renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, you have instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit. Grant that through the same Holy Spirit we may always be truly wise, and rejoice in his consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
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January 23, 2011
Posted in Homilies
at 8:00 pm
Second Sunday, Year A, January 23rd, 2011 – By Deacon Thomas Stephenson
Why are we all here today? The first thing that may come to mind is that we have come together to worship God, which is, of course, quite true. Perhaps even more fundamental than that, however, is that our presence, and our worship, is due to the fact that we are disciples of Christ. We may not be fully aware of it, but Jesus has called each one of us personally to follow Him, and at some point in our lives, or even at many points during our lives, we made a decision to respond to and accept that call. If we hadn’t done that, it is unlikely that we would be here.
Peter and Andrew, James and John, accepted their call to follow Jesus, responding immediately. There they were, working at their trade, focused on the job at hand. We don’t know how much these four men had heard about Jesus prior to this, but they did not hesitate to drop what they were doing and follow Him as He asked. Leaving their nets, and for James and John, leaving their father as well, would have been an extremely serious decision, one that should have required much consideration and discernment. They were fishermen; this was not just their job but it was a large part of their identity. So responding as they did meant a complete change in their lives, not just in what they did, but also in who they were.
How have we responded, and how are we still responding, to our own call to follow Jesus? Our discipleship needs ongoing renewal; it cannot be based on a decision made once and then allowed to fade into the background of our lives. Like the apostles, this should affect our very identity, our understanding of who we are as much as what we do as Christians. We must be Christians, we must be Catholics, in our whole being – in our minds, in our hearts, and in our souls. Following Jesus means exactly that – going where He leads us, where He asks us to go, doing what He asks us to do.
Beyond the basics, such as following Christ’s teachings and obeying the commandments, discovering where it is that He is leading us, or what it may be that He wants us to do, is not always an easy task. We usually can’t respond immediately to what Jesus may be asking us to do; we don’t have the advantage of having Jesus make His request to us in person like the apostles did. Our response requires discernment, taking time to pray, to do our best to determine what God is actually asking of us. We must attempt to confirm that what we think the Lord is calling us to do is not just our own desire, but His will. Hopefully, it will be both. There may be times when we think that we would like to do something, and we find through our discernment process that this really is probably what God is asking of us. Or, we may come to the conclusion that God is not leading us to do a certain thing, but that He has other areas where He needs our skills and talents to be applied.
We also must not be afraid of what the Lord is asking of us. There may be times when we think our talents are not sufficient, or we are reluctant to make the necessary commitment, or that we are not good enough. God isn’t looking for perfect people to do His work. We all know that even His hand-picked apostles had their shortcomings. He is looking for us – imperfect but faithful and compassionate, obedient and committed.
Although the exact form it takes will vary based on each of us as individuals, one thing all Christians are called to do is…evangelize! As Father Tim mentioned last week, we are called to be missionaries to our family, friends, and others, letting the light of Christ shine, bringing that light to others. For many of us, the best way to do this may not be through our words but through our actions. As St. Francis said “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” The way we live as disciples, the things we do motivated by our faith, will express more than our words ever could, and do it more convincingly.
Today’s Gospel concludes with Jesus teaching in the Synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing disease and sickness. Jesus certainly did use words, but He combined His teaching with His actions. We can well imagine the amazement of the new apostles, just beginning their journey with Jesus and witnessing the miracles He performed. We may not see the same types of wonders occur as we follow Christ, although it is possible, but we should not be surprised when we see things happen that could only be a result of God’s work.
We are followers of Christ; like Peter and Andrew, James and John; like the other apostles and countless Christians before us, we have accepted Jesus’ call to be His disciples. We pray for His guidance in discerning the Father’s will and ask for the courage to drop our nets and respond to His call.
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January 21, 2011
Posted in pastor
at 5:31 pm
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Archbishop has approved our proposal to move the tabernacle to the center of the sanctuary, which should be done by next Sunday, January 30th. As you recall, I explained the motives for the change in a homily in October (which anyone interested might re-read at www.olmm.ca/homilies/2010/10/28/catholic-church-art-and-architecture). At that time, I explained that this change in our sanctuary would accomplish three things:
1) less traffic around the tabernacle and thus more reverence
2) visually it would communicate more clearly the link between the Cross, the altar and the tabernacle
3) it would give pride of place in the sanctuary to Christ rather than the priest.
I also added that putting Christ in the tabernacle visually at the center should help us to pray. Prayer is the key! There is a movement in our parish toward more adoration, and we hope to start soon with a monthly 24-hour period of adoration. Let us pray that this physical change in our sanctuary will correspond with a spiritual change in our lives, that Christ will become, more and more, the center of our lives. May an increase in adoration help us to live the theme of our parish for 2010-11, to encounter Christ and share Him with others. In Christ, Fr. Tim
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January 16, 2011
Posted in Homilies
at 9:00 am
Second Sunday, Year A, January 16th, 2011 – By Father Tim McCauley
The only way that the Catholic Church can be renewed in our times, and the world itself renewed, is for each parish to become an evangelizing and missionary parish. This was the plan of Christ in the beginning, when he said to his disciples, “Go out and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This same commission has been entrusted to you, with the light given to you in your own baptism (symbolized by this baptismal candle), as in God’s word to His servant in the first reading, “I have given you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Is 49:6)
I have been reading about Parish Cells of Evangelization, as we continue with our small Christian communities that sprang out of the Life in the Spirit seminar last fall, culminating in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, whose purpose is to unleash the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we have already received in Baptism and Confirmation. As St. John the Baptist proclaimed in today’s Gospel, Jesus the Lamb of God, is the one who “baptizes with the Holy Spirit” another way of saying that He immerses us in or simply gives, the Holy Spirit and new life.
The Life in the Spirit seminar is one very effective way, but not the only one, to begin a new life in Christ. It is only a beginning, so we have continued with 5 small Christian communities and a 6 week faith study on the Holy Spirit. (And once again, these small Christian communities, these parish cells of evangelization are open to everyone and we will soon begin a new program).
Every successful new movement in the Church in the past 50 years (that I am aware of) always includes an element of evangelization. Ever since the Second Vatican Council, the Popes have been urging Catholics to proclaim the Gospel to others in their daily lives. In 1975, Pope Paul VI wrote a letter on evangelization, in which he stated, “The Church exists to evangelize.” This is a simple but shocking statement. How many Catholics realize that? The Catholic Church exists to evangelize, to proclaim and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ risen from the dead, and to make disciples of all nations.
Inseparable from the call to holiness is the call to evangelize. Vatican II was very clear about the universal call to holiness, that all people of every walk of life are called to be saints. That’s the diocesan theme for 2010-11, and that’s what St. Paul was writing about to the Corinthians in today’s second reading. He was addressing ALL the members of that Church when he wrote, “to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints” (1 Cor 1:2). Included in this call to holiness is that call to evangelize: “I have given you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”.
In the training manual for Parish Cells of Evangelization, I came across this very insightful analysis of the lack of evangelization in today’s Church:
“In the past, we worked on the supposition that if we nourished our church-going people sufficiently they would then be motivated to go out and evangelize. That has not happened. Many churches are thus self-centered and suffer from koinonitis (which means an exclusive and self-centered focus on the existing community). “The sheep have a close, warm fellowship and grow fat and comfortable. Is this the model of church which Jesus gave us? No, if we reflect on the great commission” (to go out and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” Mt 28:19) (p. 46).
“The commitment to evangelize (to share the faith) must be the first and strongest stimulus for the spiritual growth of the faithful lay person. He or she will continually draw spiritual force, a desire for communion with Jesus (and) continual conversion . . . from this commitment” (47). You share the light of your faith with others and it burns brighter. You don’t and it grows dim or even goes out.
You may have never heard this before, that each and every one of you is called by God to be an evangelist, a missionary to your own family, friends, neighbours. As Andre Regnier of CCO has said many times, it requires a true “revolution” in our thinking as Catholics to wake up and claim this call. Remember that we Catholics are not part of a building that never changes, in which we sit like stones, but are part of a movement that must grow. The Church is not an static organization that simply maintains structures, but a living organism that must grow!
A revolution can happen overnight, and we must always pray for the New Pentecost and the New Evangelization. But we must also be patient. If some of you are ready for a major change and eager for a challenge, then I urge you to be faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and be a part of the revolution!
But for the rest who may feel somewhat lukewarm, or weak, or afraid, I understand. I had a bad cold or flue this past week, so I understand what it’s like to go through periods of decreased energy and enthusiasm.
I think these dark, cold months of January and February can serve as a useful reminder for us to always return to the original source of all light, heat, love, energy and enthusiasm. Recently I was walking by a house in the country that has chopped firewood neatly stacked on the front porch. For a Canadian in the depths of winter, it was an image of warmth, comfort and security, this supply of firewood destined to be burned in the fireplace and keep the whole house warm. This firewood releases light and heat that it has stored up through photosynthesis, energy received from the sun. The original source of all light and heat on earth is the sun. Spiritually speaking, the original source of all love, all energy and zeal is the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who personally touches us in the Sacraments, giving us the light of faith and the fire of love in Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion.
Sometimes the light of our faith dims and the fire of our love fades. We must always return to the original source, Jesus Christ, to be re-kindled into flame. You see this baptismal candle. It represents the light of faith and the fire of the Holy Spirit that we all received at baptism, (received in order to pass it on to others as well, to be a light to the nations). But you look at your candle and say, “what can I do with this little light of mine? It’s so little. I’m not the bishop or a priest. What can I do to share the Gospel? The world can be so dark. The spirit of secularism and unbelief is so strong, the power of the media all-encompassing. Will this little light of mine make any difference? Maybe I should keep this baptismal candle hidden in a drawer or a shelf in a box in the basement or the attic. What do you think I should do with this little light of mine? Does anyone have any suggestions? . . . Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!
Well, I suppose I could let it shine, even though it is after all just a little light. I’m not really an expert on the Church, but I do believe in Jesus and I know that my faith in Him makes a difference in my life . . . the next time I have the opportunity to talk about my faith in a conversation with a friend, I am going to speak and not be afraid to let my little light shine!
In fact, the next time a friend or family member is suffering or searching, and shows a little bit of openness, I am going to open that door and proclaim Jesus Christ, to share the Good News of His love, and let my little light shine!
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January 15, 2011
Posted in pastor
at 1:57 pm
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The readings this Sunday speak to us again of Baptism. I would like to share with you some reflections of Catherine Doherty on this Sacrament. First, she recommends that every member of the family – father, mother and children – celebrate the anniversary of their baptism by lighting a candle that day and placing it on a table (for we are called to be the light of the world!).
She adds: “the tremendous reality of the sacrament of baptism has not yet penetrated, invaded or soaked into our bones, sinews, blood, mind, heart, soul . . . Because we are baptized we are empowered to preach the gospel, the good news of Christ . . . Our baptism makes us apostles of Christ and ambassadors of his glad tidings.” Interesting . . . our baptism leads us directly into our parish theme for 2010-11: “Encounter Christ. Share Him with others!”
In Christ, Fr. Tim
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January 9, 2011
Posted in Homilies
at 2:05 pm
Baptism, Year A, January 9th, 2011 – By Father Tim McCauley
I have here one of my Christmas gifts. Do you think I should open it? Is that what you are supposed to do with your gifts? Actually, I’m kidding. I have opened it. It was a nice surprise gift from my sister and her boyfriend – Look – snowshoes! I hope it snows some more this winter . . . So now that I have opened the gift and looked at it, I will carefully put them back in the bag, and leave the bag in the basement for the next 10 years. That’s what we do with our gifts, right? . . . No? Oh! I’m supposed to use the gift, actually try them out? . . . OK.
What about the spiritual gift of God’s love that we have received at Christmas? Are we going to open, “use” and share that gift?
First, I would like to say a few words about the Baptism of the Lord. Why are we celebrating the Baptism of Jesus two weeks after we celebrated His birth? What does the Baptism of the Lord have to do with Christmas?
In the Gospel, the voice of the Father is heard, saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3: ). In Mark and Luke’s version of the Baptism, the Father speaks directly to Jesus, “You are my Son.” As I mentioned on Christmas Day, Jesus is born into this world, so that we can be born from above, born again. We become, in the one Son of God, sons and daughters of God. How does this happen? In baptism. The grace of the historical event of the birth of Jesus 2000 years ago is made real and present for me and you through the sacrament of baptism. Because of our rebirth in baptism, the Father says to each one of us, “You are my son. You are my daughter.”
Last week I was at CCO Rise Up in Montreal, a national conference for Catholic youth, most of whom are faithful and fervent Catholics, some of whom were recently converted. Some told me that while growing up, they went to Mass every Sunday with their family, but they never knew that God loved them personally. How is that possible? I wondered. Did the priest never mention it once during the 15 years they went to Mass? Then one of the youth said, “Maybe he said it but I wasn’t listening, or I didn’t get it.”
On Christmas Day, I proclaimed to you this great gift of God’s personal love for you. I quoted God speaking to you saying, “you are my son. You are my daughter. You are precious to me and I love you.” On Christmas Day, Archbishop Prendergast proclaimed God’s love to Ottawa, and Pope Benedict to the world. In his homily on (Christmas eve), the Pope said,
“how can the eternal and almighty Word become a frail and mortal man? There is only one answer: Love. Those who love desire to share with the beloved, they want to be one with the beloved, and Sacred Scripture shows us the great love story of God for his people which culminated in Jesus Christ.”
If people in Church do not receive this gift of God’s personal love for them, is it because they have never heard this love proclaimed to them, or that they have trouble believing it? My friends, you have received this gift of God’s love revealed at Christmas and given to you personally in the Sacraments of baptism, confirmation, Holy Communion. But you must open that gift with faith, with prayer, with trust!
I want to make this as real as possible for you. Jesus loves you so much that He wants to give Himself to you personally, even as a little child in the manger, so that you can pick Him up, hold Him to your heart and bring Him home with you (Walk down to manger and pick up Christ child). If we had enough of these, we would let each person take one home. But we do give each one of you Jesus in Holy Communion. You do not press Him to your heart, you actually receive Him into your heart, take him home with you and share Him with others! Why is this so difficult to believe? God is love. God loves you! Let yourself be loved by Him! He forgives you, so forgive yourself! Jesus commands us, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” You have to love yourself as well, as God does. This little child did not come into the world to judge or condemn you. What does He want from you? What does any child want? Your love.
There is a second reason for celebrating the Baptism of the Lord at the end of the Christmas season. Both the Christmas season and the Easter season end with the descent of the Holy Spirit and the mission to evangelize. The Easter season ends with the feast of Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, and the beginning of their preaching the Gospel. The Christmas season ends with the mini-Pentecost of Baptism, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus, and the beginning of his preaching the Gospel.
At the actual birth of Jesus, He was revealed only to a few people: the shepherds, the Magi, Simeon in the Temple. But after His baptism, Jesus will begin to reveal Himself to the world. Today, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus wants to continue to reveal Himself to the world, through every single Christian and Catholic. Now is the time to share with others the gift you have received at Christmas.
I would like to present to you a challenge for 2011, the same challenge that I received, along with 550 other people, at the Rise Up conference in Montreal. To share your faith with 2 other people in 2011. To pray and consider two people in your life right now who do not know Jesus and His personal love, or someone who has fallen away from the Church and the practice of their faith. There are people in your life right now who are like those in the first reading, prisoners in the dungeon, people who sit in darkness because they are living without hope, without God. The Lord has anointed you with the Spirit to go and speak to these people. The Pope can’t reach them, nor the bishop nor the priest. But you can. Pray about it. Which two people in your life can you reach out to, talk to them about your faith, and invite them to Church as well.
The Christmas season ends today with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. These plaster figures of the Child Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the wise men will return to the Church basement. But the spiritual gifts we have received at Christmas cannot simply be left on a shelf in the basement or the attic. These gifts must be cherished, “used” and shared, especially the gift of God’s love in Jesus Christ.
The Holy Family had to leave Bethlehem with a command from an angel to Joseph in his dream, “Arise, take the child and his mother and go to Egypt.” God says something similar to each one of us as we prepare to leave Bethlehem and the Christmas season and return to Ordinary Time, “Arise, take the child and go . . .” Arise from your pews and return to your daily life, but take the child with you, don’t leave Him behind! Take this love of God with you and through the Spirit that you have received in Baptism, share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the many people who are hungry for truth, who are thirsting for love, who are walking in darkness! You have what they need, and what they truly desire in their heart of hearts! Bring them God’s love! Bring them to Jesus Christ!
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January 8, 2011
Posted in pastor
at 10:27 am
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In this New Year, I would like us to call to mind our parish theme for 2010-11: “ENCOUNTER CHRIST. SHARE HIM WITH OTHERS.” I will have more to say on evangelization and small Christian communities in the coming weeks. For this month of January, one of the themes of the universal Church is CHRISTIAN UNITY. In his encyclical on ecumenism in 1995, John Paul II wrote:
“Thus it is absolutely clear that ecumenism, the movement promoting Christian unity, is not just some sort of “appendix” which is added to the Church’s traditional activity. Rather, ecumenism is an organic part of her life and work, and consequently must pervade all that she is and does; it must be like the fruit borne by a healthy and flourishing tree which grows to its full stature” (#20).
The Churches of Russell are sponsoring an ECUMENICAL SERVICE during the week of prayer for Christian unity on Thursday, January 20th at 7:00 p.m. at the United Church. In order to show Christian charity toward our Protestant brothers and sisters, and that we Catholics do care about working and praying for unity, I am asking at least 20 parishioners to sign up and attend this service. Thank you in advance. Let us continue to pray for Christian unity, for the New Pentecost and the New Evangelisation! In Christ, Fr. Tim
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January 2, 2011
Posted in Homilies
at 9:00 am
Epiphany, Year A, January 2nd, 2011 – By Father Tim McCauley
There was a sign on Craig Street, heading into Russell that read, “Have a wonderful Christmas.” A nice thought. What about a “wonder-filled” Christmas, a Christmas filled with wonder and awe? What would that be like? (And remember Christmas isn’t over, because the Christmas season lasts until January 9th, the Baptism of the Lord).
The ultimate basis of wonder is not myths and fairy-tales, but truth and reality. If we can re-learn how to experience reality with the pure and humble heart of a child, we would live with a lot more wonder and awe, (and worship and praise), in our daily lives.
Let us begin by considering the wise men and the star of Bethlehem. Are these historic facts or a pious legend invented by St. Matthew to demonstrate the divinity of Christ, and as a sort of prophecy that all nations would come to adore Him? Prepare to be filled with wonder at the truth! The approach we should take in reading today’s Gospel is that of Pope Benedict in his book Jesus of Nazareth, in which he states, “basically, I trust the Gospels.”
An amateur astronomer did so, as recorded in the DVD The Star of Bethlehem. He made some truly amazing discoveries based on new historical research, and information provided in the Gospel of Matthew. For centuries, scholars had thought that King Herod has died in 4 B.C., so astronomers searching for the star of Bethlehem were studying what the night sky might have looked like in 5 or 6 B.C. Nothing interesting. But new evidence indicates that Herod actually died in 1 B.C., suggesting Jesus might have been born in 2 or 3 B.C.
You’ll never guess what the stars were doing then! Jupiter and Venus (which appear as “stars”) drew so close together that to the naked eye, they appeared as one star, the brightest star that anyone alive at the time had ever seen (“we saw his star at its rising” Mt 2:2). Something else about the elliptical orbit of Jupiter and how it appears to move in the night sky. At some points, it appears to move across the sky, but at other points, when it moves away from us, it appears to stop. Through the mathematics and the science of astronomy, we can determine the exact date when this “star” stopped, as reported by St. Matthew – December 25th, 2 B.C. Isn’t that amazing?
There’s a reason for this date! It’s not that the Church invented it to counter-act the pagan festival of the unconquered Sun (which was actually December 21st). No! Something actually happened on December 25th, 2 B.C. O.K. it wasn’t the actual date of Christ’s birth, according to these astronomical calculations, but it was the first Christmas, when the Magi brought their gifts to the new-born King of the Jews. This is a fact, truth, reality, that fills us with a little bit of wonder and awe, doesn’t it? We don’t need myths and fairy-tales to fill us with wonder! We simply need to open our eyes to the beautiful reality that God has created!
Robert Sibley, a columnist for the Ottawa Citizen, has just written a book A Rumour of God: Rekindling Belief in an Age of Disenchantment. In a chapter entitled “The Reign of Wonder”, he suggests a key to unlock the wonder we once had as children and need to recover as adults: “our willingness and ability to attend to the world, to pay attention. This is the ‘trick’ for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary” (230). The Magi paid attention to the sky and were filled with wonder when the new star appeared (when Jupiter and Venus appeared together as a brighter “star”). Joseph and Mary, because they were paying attention, were filled with wonder about what the shepherds said about the Christ child (Lk 2:18) and most likely by the visit from the Magi as well.
Sibley adds, “We don’t really pay attention to what is around us, including other people, because we are listening the self-referential chatter in our heads” (230). But he offers us a technique to become more attentive, and docile to the spirit of wonder: “You become attentive by deliberate acts of attention” (327). That is how we acquire any virtue. You become courageous through deliberate acts of courage. You learn how to pay attention at Mass through deliberate acts of attention. You learn how to listen to your parents or your spouse and children through deliberate acts of listening.
We can also recover a sense of wonder in our everyday lives if we regain a spirit of worship and adoration of the Eucharist. In the whole world, the ultimate example of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary is the Incarnation and the Eucharist. A little child who is God. A little piece of bread which is God. If we appreciate and deepen in our own hearts these great mysteries of our faith, we can recover a sense of wonder in every aspect of our lives.
The first reading prophecies that “darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples” (Is 60: ). This darkness is a symbol of the destruction of wonder in us, through a spirit represented by Herod intent on destroying the Child – a spirit of pride, utilitarianism, an instrumental and dissecting rationality, that would also destroy the child in us, the spirit of childlike wonder and awe.
This spirit looks at the stars and says, “they are just burning gases; they reveal nothing about God. There was no star of Bethlehem!” This spirit of instrumental and dissecting rationality looks at the human person and says, “that’s just a random collection of cells” instead of seeing a son or daughter of God. This spirit looks at the Eucharist and says, “that is a piece of bread, not God.”
Imagine a man saying, “Well, I have a friend who works for the National Research Council and he owns a powerful microscope. He told me that my wife is not really a daughter of God or a princess (Christmas homily), but really only a random collection of cells.” Really? The spirit of instrumental rationality gives us the deepest insight into reality, does it? My friends, when will we wake up and no longer be ruled by the religion of “scientism,” this extremely narrow, stifling, little slice of reality, and open ourselves up again to the heavens, the stars, to child-like wonder and awe before all creation?
As the destroying spirit of an instrumental and dissecting rationality moves from the stars, to the human person, to the Eucharist, we must now respond and begin to push back, starting with the Eucharist! The more we bow down in worship Christ in the Eucharist (as the Magi bowed down before the Christ child), the more reverence we will have for the human person and the more wonder and awe we will experience before the beauty of all creation.
Then the prophecy of the first reading will be fulfilled in us. “Darkness shall cover the earth . . . but upon you, the Lord will arise and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light” (Is 60: 1-3). Friends and neighbours will be drawn by the light of your faith, which will act as a star drawing them to Christ and His Church, until we can sing with the psalmist, “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you” (Psalm 72).
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