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Homilies

Second Sunday In Ordinary Time – 2012

First reading: 1 Samuel 3:3-10,19
Psalm: Ps 40:2,4,7-10
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 6:13-15,17-20
Gospel: John 1:35-42

the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Listening:

Moriah was two and was on a cross-country flight home after visiting with relatives. Bored, tired, and cranky, Moriah asked for her Zebra, her favorite stuffed animal and comfort object. Unfortunately, her zebra was absentmindedly packed in a suitcase that was checked at the baggage counter.

Moriah’s father replied “I’m sorry, honey, but we can’t get Zebra right now. He’s in the big suitcase in another part of the airplane.”

“I want Zebra,” she whined pitifully.

Her father replied, “I know, sweetheart. But Zebra isn’t here. He’s in the baggage compartment under-neath the plane and Daddy can’t get him until we get off the plane. I’m sorry.”

“I want Zebra! I want Zebra!” she moaned again. Then she started to cry, twisting in her safety seat and reaching futilely toward a bag on the floor.

“I know you want Zebra,”her father said, feeling his blood pressure rise. “But he’s not in that bag. He’s not here and I can’t do anything about it. Look, why don’t we read about Ernie,” He said, fumbling for one of her favorite picture books.

“Not Ernie!” she wailed, angry now. “I want Zebra. I want him NOW!”

By now, Her dad was getting “do something” looks from the passengers, from the airline attendants, from his wife, seated across the aisle. He looked at Moriah’s face, red with anger, and imagined how frustrated she must feel. After all, wasn’t he the guy who could whip up a peanut butter sandwich on demand? Make huge purple dinosaurs appear with the flip of a TV switch? Why was he withholding her favorite toy from her? Didn’t he understand how much she wanted it?

Dad felt bad. Then it dawned on him: He couldn’t get Zebra, but could offer her the next best thing — a father’s comfort. “You wish you had Zebra now,” he said to her. “Yeah,” she said sadly.

“And you’re angry because we can’t get him for you.”

“Yeah.”

“You wish you could have Zebra right now,” he repeated, as she stared at him, looking rather curious, almost surprised. “Yeah,” she muttered. “I want him now.”

“You’re tired now, and smelling Zebra and cuddling with him would feel real good. I wish we had Zebra here so you could hold him. Even better, I wish we could get out of these seats and find a big, soft bed full of all your animals and pillows where we could just lie down.” “Yeah,” she agreed.

“We can’t get Zebra because he’s in another part of the airplane,” he said. “That makes you feel frustrated.” “Yeah,” she said with a sigh.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, watching the tension leave her face. She rested her head against the back of her safety seat. She continued to complain softly a few more times, but she was growing calmer. Within a few minutes, she was asleep.

In our lives:

We have these experiences don’t we? Someone is speaking to us, expressing themselves, and we hear their words, but we don’t connect. The father heard his daughter’s words. She wanted the zebra. His reaction was to explain the impossibility of getting the zebra. She was crying and complaining. He was explaining and explaining, but he wasn’t listening to her. She needed zebra and she needed to be comforted and understood.

God speaks:

God speaks to us in much the same way. He fills both the roles expressed in our story. He expresses His needs to us, hoping we will listen. He is also the understanding Father who listens to us and knows our needs.

Today, God is speaking directly to the needs of this parish. He understands the needs of its people. He is also expecting that we will listen to what He is saying to us. He is expressing His needs and desires for us.

First:

God knows what is going on here. He is not an absent, far away father. He is our Father, and He is always present and with us. He knows the deepest desires we carry within us, as individuals and as a parish community. He knows that we are afraid, that difficult decisions are ahead, and that we need both comfort and security.

One of our unfortunate tendencies is to judge in human terms. We fail to see Jesus standing right next to us. We need to realize that God has not left us, has not abandoned us, and that He has a plan for us.

To listen:

For our part, we need to — as is commonly said to young people — put on our listening ears. To listen, we need to start by taking a breath. The father in our story was so anxious, so set on proving to his daughter that zebra wasn’t available that he only made things worse. Then he stopped and took a breath. That calm moment freed him from the things he had predetermined, and opened his heart to listening.

We need to listen to God’s voice before we finalize our choices. We must ask whether God been part of our decision. Have I read His word, listened to it, and prayed? Then, did I take a breath and listen to God’s desires?

What does God want?

God has been speaking to us for eons. Centuries of His word are with us. When we are fearful or confronted by difficult decisions we often say a prayer and expect God to appear, solve our problems, or give us a clear and direct answer about what He wants. If we listen we will find that God has already given us the answers we need. These answers include that:

We are to live as a community. We are to love one another. We must not take charge or be the boss, instead we are to be the servants of others. We are to welcome the stranger. We are to proclaim God’s word. We are to offer Jesus to all who seek Him.

Together:

We cannot do any of this alone. That is what the Holy Polish National Catholic Church is about. It is ultimately about building a community in each place where we follow the Word of God. To follow His word, we need to listen. Once we have listened, like the apostles and disciples, we are to get up and follow Him. Amen.

Homilies,

Reflection for the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Can I have my zebra? Ummmm, ooops!

“Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Moriah was two and was on a cross-country flight home. She wanted her zebra, her favorite stuffed animal and comfort. Mom and dad packed it away. It was in the cargo hold of the plane, unreachable. Moriah cried and complained. Dad explained and explained. No use, the crying got worse. Everyone was looking. Then dad listened. He couldn’t get zebra, but could offer her the next best thing — a father’s comfort. “You wish you had zebra now,” he said to her. “Yeah,” she said sadly.

Moraish’s dad was able, in the midst of all the turmoil, with all the passengers looking at his crying child, to do something very important. He stopped, took a breath, and listened to his child. Listening, he understood what she needed.

Like Samuel, like Moriah’s dad, we need to stop, take a breath, and listen to God who speaks to us daily.

For our part, we need to — as is commonly said to young people — put on our listening ears. God has been speaking to us for eons. Centuries of His word are with us. When we are fearful or confronted by difficult decisions we need to know that we are not alone. God knows us and is with us. He is not an absent, far away father. He is our Father, and He is present to us. He knows the deepest desires we carry within us, as individuals and as a parish community. All we need to do is listen.

His words give us the keys to successful Christianity: Live as a community. Love one another. Don’t be the boss; rather serve all. Welcome the stranger. Speak His word. Offer Jesus to all who seek Him.

We cannot do any of this alone. That is what the Holy Polish National Catholic Church is about. It is ultimately about building a community in each place to listen to Jesus and follow Him.

Homilies

Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds

First reading: Jeremiah 31:10-14

Psalm: Ps 97:1,6,11-12

Epistle: Titus 3:4-7

Gospel: Luke 2:15-20

“He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.”

Wrong sheep:

A shepherd was tending his flock in a field, when a new sports car screeched to a stop on the road nearby in a cloud of dust. The driver, a young man in expensive designer clothes and sunglasses, leans out of the window and shouts over to the shepherd, “If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have here, can I take one?”

The shepherd looks up slowly up at the young man, then looks at his peaceful flock, and calmly answers, “Sure, why not?”

The young man steps out of his car holding a state-of-the-art smartphone, with which he proceeds to connects to a series of websites, first calling up satellite navigation system to pinpoint his location, then keying in the location to generate an ultra-high resolution picture of the field. After emailing the photo to an image processing facility, the processed data is returned, which he then feeds into an online database, and enters the parameters for a report. Within another few seconds a miniature printer in the car produces a full color report containing several pages of analysis and results. The young man studies the data for a few more seconds and returns to the shepherd.

“You have exactly one-thousand five-hundred and eighty-six sheep, including three rams, and seven-hundred and twenty-two lambs.”

“That’s right,” says the shepherd, mildly impressed. “Well, I guess that means you get to take one of my sheep.”

The young man makes his choice and loads the animal onto the back seat of his car, at which the shepherd says, almost as an afterthought, “Hey there, if I can tell you what your business is, will you give me back my sheep?”

The young man, feeling confident, agrees.

“You’re a consultant,” says the shepherd.

“Wow, that’s right,” says the young man, taken aback, “How did you guess that?”

“No guessing required,” answers the shepherd, “You showed up here even though nobody called you. You took a fee for giving me an answer that I already know, to a question I never asked, and you know nothing about my business. Now give me back my dog.”

We honor:

Today, our Holy Church honors the humble shepherds, the first to gaze upon Jesus and carry the message of His coming to others. Like the shepherd in our story, these men were smart, strong, and quick on their feet. They didn’t get fooled by posers and con-men. Most importantly, they knew their sheep.

God likes shepherds:

God has used the image of the shepherd since the creation of the world. Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, was a shepherd. When Israel blessed Joseph he recalled that God had been his shepherd throughout his life. God liked shepherds, and His Son came to be the Good Shepherd. No wonder that the first to greet the newborn Messiah were the shepherds.

Shepherd responsibilities:

Shepherds had three key responsibilities, to tend, feed, and guard the sheep. To that end they carried quite the kit. They kept a bag made from goat skin in which they carried food and other items. They kept a sling to fight off wild animals, a rod with a knob on one end, a staff with a hook on the end, a flute for entertainment and to calm the sheep, and a cloak for warmth and to be used as bedding at night. They were prepared for anything, and were ready to carry out their duties. Like the shepherd in our story, they knew their sheep.

The voice of the shepherd:

The most amazing relationship developed between the shepherds and their sheep, the sheep would learn to recognize and follow their shepherd’s voice. The shepherd knows the difference between a sheep and a dog, unlike our consultant. The shepherd knows each of his sheep and they know him.

The Good Shepherd:

Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He does exactly those things that all shepherds do. He feeds us with His body and blood. He tends to us, healing and renewing us. He guards us and protects us so that we will never die.

Hearing Him:

The key for us is that we grow in relationship with Jesus. We need to recognize His voice. We need to follow Him. If we do, we are given all those things we so need, food for eternal life, healing and renewal, and protection from the ravages of the world. The humble shepherds heard His voice and came to meet Him. We must do likewise.

To best follow and hear our Good Shepherd we must read His word — hearing His voice. We must talk with Him in regular prayer. We must follow His way, His path. Finally, we must commune with Him, and all who believe in Him, here in Church as His flock. Doing all that, we will come to recognize His voice, answer His call, and we will receive all that He has promised.

Do we know the voice of our Good Shepherd? This is the moment, the time to respond: Yes, Lord, I hear and recognize Your voice and I will follow your way. Amen.

Homilies

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds

Hey, Sheep! Do I know you?

Today, our Holy Church honors the humble shepherds, the first to gaze upon Jesus and carry the message of His coming to others.

And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

Shepherds had three key responsibilities, to tend, feed, and guard the sheep. To that end they carried quite the kit. They kept a bag made from goat skin in which they carried food and other items. They kept a sling to fight off wild animals, a rod with a knob on one end, a staff with a hook on the end, a flute for entertainment and to calm the sheep, and a cloak for warmth and to be used as bedding at night.

The most amazing relationship developed between the shepherds and their sheep, the sheep would learn to recognize and follow their shepherd’s voice.

God has used the image of the shepherd since the creation of the world. Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, was a shepherd. When Israel blessed Joseph he recalled that God had been his shepherd throughout his life.

Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and He does all those things that shepherds do. He feeds us with His body and blood. He tends to us, healing and renewing us. He guards us and protects us so that we will never die.

The key for us is that we grow in relationship with Jesus. We need to recognize His voice. That comes from reading His word, talking with Him in prayer, following His way. Doing that, we will recognize His call, His voice.

Do we know the voice of our Good Shepherd? When we hear His voice, let us all respond with “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” I will follow your way.

Homilies

Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord

First reading: Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm: Ps 72:1-2,7-8,10-13
Epistle: 2 Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?”

Gifts:

On this Solemnity of the Epiphany we tend to focus on the magi arriving and bringing gifts. We might speak of the gifts and what each means. We might focus on the gifts that we would bring to Jesus, most importantly the gift of our faith. We might focus on the gifts that we give each other, our kindness and love. It is a day of gifts, of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Best of all, this day gives us an opportunity to focus on the gift God has given us in the incarnation of His son, Jesus. Jesus, our newborn King.

Matthew’s point:

The magi only appear in St. Matthew’s gospel. St. Luke tells us about the Shepherds, but Matthew focuses on these visitors. Matthew has a strong point he is trying to convey.

Matthew starts his gospel with a long genealogy. It shows us that Jesus family is a royal family, Jesus is in the lineage of kings and other great leaders, both men and women.

Throughout his gospel, Matthew references Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of heaven. Matthew is the one who tells of the magi who came to worship and present gifts to the newborn king. Matthew tells of the triumphant entry of the King and Messiah into Jerusalem. He tells us of the sign that hung over Jesus on the cross — this is the king.

The king is here:

Starting Matthew’s gospel, you might think Elvis has arrived. The King is in the building. Yes, the King has arrived, the King of heaven and earth. He is the one who St. John will tell us was King before the beginning of time.

Cool:

It had to be so cool. You’d think people would have been very excited. The King has come. He didn’t just show up, but came with the whole show: angels, magi, gold, frankincense, myrrh, a huge star in the sky. Las Vegas or Broadway couldn’t do a better job. Hollywood might work on a movie to make us think we are seeing what these folks saw, but that’s just smoke and mirrors. This was the real deal — the real King.

They didn’t get it:

Seems that very few caught on. The shepherds, simple people, as we previously noted, expectant people, they saw and understood. The magi got it. Even evil Herod kind of understood, he tried to kill the newborn King. Most people didn’t get it though. Not the innkeepers, the royal advisors, not all the folks who stayed home and didn’t go to meet Him. The King arrived to a less than enthusiastic world.

Gets worse:

It gets worse of course. As Jesus goes about revealing the kingdom of heaven, and who He is, people still don’t get it. What Jesus is — not what they want. He wasn’t their king. Their king was more like David the warrior. Their king was going to slaughter their enemies, and lead the bloody revolution, restore an earthly and powerful kingdom suited to men.

The real deal:

Today, on the Epiphany, a term which means revelation, we and the world meet the King. Jesus is the King — who fulfilled all the prophecies. Those who didn’t recognize Him were simply looking for the wrong thing We take the example of the magi who came to witness to Jesus’ kingship, the real thing. They recognized Him as King immediately. The people who heard His message, and continue to witness to Him today, we and they recognize Him as King.

Jesus is not a king who came to bring men to power. Jesus is the King who came to bring power to all humanity. Jesus is not a king to rule a kingdom of boundaries, armies, and place. He is the King who rules in the hearts of all who believe in Him, who follow His lead, abide in His word, and love the gift God as given us, our newborn King. Amen.

Homilies,

Solemnity of the Holy Name of Jesus

First Reading: Sirach 51:8-12
Psalm: Ps. 113:1-6
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25

I will praise thy name continually,
and will sing praise with thanksgiving.

Given a name:

Today we celebrate the name we were given. Our parish, “Holy Name of Jesus.”

Have you ever considered the name you were given, and why you ended up with that name?

Perhaps your mom or dad told you the story of your name. You were named after… We always liked… Your name means…

Today, let’s consider our name, what it means to be named after Jesus and His holiness.

Name and being are one:

In biblical times names had particular importance. The name one was given might reflect something that was happening at the time of their birth. It might reflect a prophecy or a hope. The most important name was the name of another person given to the child. When a person gave their name to another it meant that they were joined in very close unity. Furthermore, the closest possible relationship exists between a person and their name. Particularly in biblical times, and in many cultures today, if someone’s name were removed, they pass out of existence, out of relationship with their community. Name and existence are one, and signify being.

Baptism:

When someone is baptized they are given Jesus’ name. They bear His mark, the sign of the cross. His name is their name, and the baptized person and Jesus are one.

God’s name:

If a person were ever to forget God’s name, they would depart from Him. God’s name is particularly important because knowing His name, being baptized into Him, makes us His people.

Holy Name:

God’s name is holy. God’s revelation in the old testament is made complete and explicit in the coming of Jesus. Knowing Jesus and knowing His name means that we also know and acknowledge His holiness. Jesus is the full revelation of God’s holiness.

In Jesus we see the true nature of God’s holiness. His holiness is exactly this: That God is pure and loving, that He is righteous, that there is nothing evil in Him.

Because of this pure, loving, and righteous holiness, God gave Himself for our redemption. Jesus came to us to save us, and to reveal the fullness of God’s holiness to us. That holiness longs and desires to make itself known to us personally and to all, universally.

Let’s consider:

So let us consider the name we were given. Let us think about the name we were given, Holy Name of Jesus Parish.

Our name is not only important, but it is the most important of names, because we are given, granted the name of Jesus. This means that we are joined with Jesus. We are at one with Him in His work, in His mission, and His ministry.

Our name and our being are not only important, but create oneness, unity with Jesus. Our name represents a community with Jesus at the center, and all of us joined with Him. Apart from Him we do not exist. Our name and our mission are one.

Our community is a baptismal community. Baptism is the gate through which we all enter, where we are made one with Jesus. He gave us His name – not just as a building or a parish, but as individuals and a community.

Each of us and our community are joined to the holiness of God. God’s holiness is in all times and places. It is in every institution associated with His worship — and in particular with this place of worship because we bear His name. It is our high and distinct honor to be called by Jesus’ name.

Our mission:

Our mission is to reveal God, to share Jesus’ holy name with all. We are to bring people to baptism into Jesus, so that Jesus’ name will be their name. We are to bring people to the holiness of God by revealing His holiness – His pure, loving, and righteous holiness. In their joining with us, under His name, they will receive all the promises of Christ. They will know God, they will have abundant life, and they will have everlasting life.

Jesus’ Holy Name — His name and His holiness are given to us. We, by taking His name, have entered into a personal and communal relationship with God. We exist because we abide in His holy name. We are blessed by His name, and we have our work and mission before us. Honoring His holy name, we shall be victorious.

Blessed be the name of the Lord forever!

Amen.

Homilies,

Solemnity of the Circumcision of our Lord

First reading: Genesis 17:9-14
Psalm: Ps. 19:8-11
Epistle: Galatians 5:3-6
Gospel: Luke 2:21

This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you

Dealing with promises:

Let’s make a deal! It is easy if Monty Hall is asking you if you have a grapefruit in your purse, or if your selection comes down to door 1, 2, or 3. Abraham wasn’t quite at that place.

In Genesis 15, God promised Abram would have a son of his own who would inherit everything. Abram had no children, and his servant was to inherit everything. God was going to change things for Abram. God not only promised that things would change, but entered a covenant to guarantee it.

Covenant:

A covenant is a formal contract. In ancient times people would sacrifice an animal as a sign of the pact they made. They would divide the animal in two, and each would walk between the two halves, sealing the deal. This was a deal made between two equal parties. But when God promised Abram that things would change and He made that pledge with Himself. Abram did not walk through the sacrificed animals, only God did in the form of a smoking fire pot and a burning torch. God promised, by Himself, to keep the deal He made with His people.

Abram wasn’t sure:

Now Abram wasn’t sure how God was going to keep His covenant. He didn’t place his trust in God’s contract, God’s pledge. Instead, Abram took his servant Hagar as his wife and had a child with her. Abram tried to figure out God’s plan and did an end run to make it happen. Abram set the terms and conditions — telling God how things were going to work.

Was this according to God’s plan? No. This was according to Abrams’ plan. Abram didn’t trust that God would change things, he tried to change things himself.

God returns:

Its been twenty-four years, God and Abram together, and God returns again and says: I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. Now twenty-four years of God’s promises, Abram trying to figure it all out, and God shows up to reinforce His promise. Things are going to change. I will give you a child by your wife Sar’ai and you will be a great nation, greater than all the stars in the sky.

So Abram bows down before the Lord, and after twenty-four years, and a bunch of mistakes along the way, renews his trust in God’s pledge. Abram once again trusts that things will change – but now according to God’s way.

Changes:

Things begin to change immediately. God gives Abram and Sar’ai new names, Abraham and Sarah. God asks Abraham to show his agreement, to make an outward sign of this change. The sign would be in his flesh, and the flesh of his descendants.

Not exactly a Monty Hall moment. We could wonder if Abraham might have said, ‘Ummm, God, couldn’t I just choose from door 1, 2, or 3. I have a lovely grapefruit in my bag…’

But no, a great moment of faith occurs. Abraham says that he will continue to trust in God’s promised change, in God’s contract, and most importantly in God’s way. Abraham does as God asked.

Lesson learned:

Abraham was 99, and finally in that act of faith he learned a valuable lesson. It is an important lesson for us. God’s covenant is a living thing. God doesn’t promise, deliver, and leave. God isn’t Monty Hall, and we won’t just walk away with a lovely parting gift.

Sure, God’s timing is different than ours, and we cannot make change happen by ourselves. We need to trust that God’s promises to us are being fulfilled. Jesus’ coming was to deliver these three key promises — That we will know God; That we would have an abundant and blessed life by following His way; and that we will have eternal life.

God understands our flaws, our failings, but comes again, in each and every moment, in each step we take, to constantly renew His covenant, His pledge, that our lives will be changed. Most importantly, we don’t have to make the change alone, God gave us the Holy Spirit to remain with us and to be the agent of change in our lives.

Jesus lives in the promise:

Today, eight days after His birth, Jesus was circumcised. Jesus keeps the covenant of His Father. Most importantly, He will go on to tell us that keeping the covenant with us — bringing change to our lives — is real. This is not just something of the flesh, like circumcision, but change in our hearts and lives.

Today, on this new year’s day, let us renew our faith in God’s promise. Let’s remind ourselves of the Spirit’s presence in this congregation, in our daily lives. Let us be aware that we are changed and that we are His agents of change. Let us be truly circumcised and carry the gospel in the way we live, talk, act, feel, treat others, pray, worship, and … in everything we do.

And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Amen.

Christian Witness, Homilies

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Circumcision

You want me to do what? Couldn’t we just shake hands?

God is talking with Abraham, making a covenant with him and his descendants. God says:

Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

A covenant is a contract. In ancient times people would sacrifice an animal as a sign of the pact they made. They would divide the animal in two, and each would walk between the two halves, sealing the deal. God had already done that with Abraham, but Abraham did not walk through the sacrificed animals, only God did in the form of a smoking fire pot and a burning torch. God promised, by Himself, to keep the deal He made with His people.

Now God is asking Abraham to make an outward sign of this deal in his flesh, and the flesh of his descendants.

It would be great if it were that simple with God. Maybe as Christians, as people of the new covenant, we should place a fish bumper sticker on our cars, or wear a gold chain with a cross. Would people know then that we are Jesus’ people, people of the covenant?

That’s unlikely. How many times do we see people carrying the outward signs of Christianity, only to disappoint by their actions? It was the same with Abraham and his descendants who carried the sign of the covenant in their flesh, but neglected to carry the sign of the covenant in their hearts.

To be truly circumcised means to carry the gospel in the way we live, talk, act, feel, treat others, pray, worship, and … well in everything we do. Yes, the outward signs of our Christianity ARE important. That is our proclamation. Our proclamation must be coupled with our witness, with hearts that live what the outward signs represent.

Calendar of Saints, Homilies, Saints and Martyrs

Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist 


First reading: 1 John 1:1-4
Psalm: Ps 97:1-2,5-6,11-12
Gospel: John 20:1-8

Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.

Cut off:

Rumi was a Muslim poet, theologian, and Sufi mystic. He lived in 13th-century Persia.

Many of Rumi’s poems center on the concept of longing and desire for union with the beloved. But this is longing and desire based on being cut off from our beloved. Our trying to find, reconnect with our beloved.

Names:

Saint John is known by many names: Apostle, Evangelist, John of Patmos, the Beloved Disciple, one of the sons of Zebedee, one of the “sons of thunder,” one of the twelve, a Pillar of the Church at Jerusalem.

John is best known as the “Beloved Disciple” mentioned about 8 times in the Gospel. John was present at every important event in the life of Jesus.

That term, beloved disciple, tells us something about the connection and relationship between Jesus and John. This is a connection between two people who love each other. Being beloved is never about being cut-off, about searching to find our beloved, but about being joined in an on-going loving relationship. Being beloved is the real presence of love in our lives. John was surrounded by, filled by, and completed by the love of Jesus.

Witnesses:

John, along with Peter and James witnessed the raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37), the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1), and of the Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:37). Peter and John were sent into the city to make preparations for the Last Supper (Luke 22:8). At the Last Supper John sat next to Jesus and leaned against Him (John 13:23, 25). John was the “other disciple” who followed Jesus after His arrest, and witnessed the mock trial before the Sanhedrin and Chief Priest (John 18:15). John was the only disciple to stand, along with Mary and the other faithful women, at the foot of the cross. Jesus entrusted the care of His mother to John (John 19:25-27). After the Resurrection John ran to the tomb along with Peter, as we heard in today’s Gospel, and he was the first to understand and believe that Christ had truly risen (John 20:2-10).

Being there, being together is a key part of being joined in love. John was not apart and away, or cut off from the events in Jesus’ life. Instead, as a beloved of Jesus he was present. As a faithful disciple and apostle, in love with Jesus, he remained with Him throughout it all, good and bad, and he understood Jesus.

Long life:

John went on to live a long life with his ministry and home primarily in Ephesus where he served all of Asia Minor, guiding the Churches of that province as their bishop. John was the only apostle who was not martyred. That’s not to say that some didn’t try. Church Tradition teaches that Domitian tried to boil John in a vat of hot oil. John emerged unhurt. He was then exiled to Patmos where he wrote the Revelation. On this day we recall that event, when John was given a chalice of poisoned wine. He prayed over the cup and the poison left the wine in the form of snakes. John then drank the wine without harm.

Death and suffering are a big fear, and are often the times when we feel most isolated, most alone. When we are sick, in trouble, threatened, we can feel cut off and alone, unloved.

We see that John’s life was marked by moments of suffering. The key is that John knew he was not cut off or alone. He knew that Jesus was with him throughout it all, through loneliness, struggle, suffering, and exile.

Witness to love:

On this feast, we should focus on our connection to Jesus. Do we know that He loves us as He loved John? You and I are the beloved of Jesus. No matter our state or situation, we are never abandoned, alone, or cut off. The whole reason for Jesus’ coming was to connect us as individuals and as a community to God.

Witness to constancy:

Jesus’ love is constant. It can be hard to conceptualize that constant connection. We can find it hard to remain connected even to those we love the most. We can find it difficult to overlook the sins and breakdowns in our relationships. We can sit and wonder whether those we love really love us. St. John’s feast reminds us that there is no such thing as being cut off from God. Jesus’ coming and His relationship with John, teaches us that We are His beloved.

Share in the chalice:

John bore witness to the gospel’s message, to the overriding love of God that is at the center of our lives. Jesus told John and James “My chalice indeed you shall drink” (Matthew 20:23). When we hear those words, we might think about their share in Jesus’ suffering. Today, let us recall and remember that Jesus’ chalice, the wine that He offers, is abundant love, an on-going relationship, and the promise that we will never be cut off from Him.

As we share later in the wine we will bless, remember that we are His beloved. That little warm feeling isn’t the wine, it is the warmth and love of Jesus who loves us completely. Amen.

Homilies,

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord – Shepherd’s Holy Mass


First reading: Isaiah 9:1-6
Psalm: Ps 96:1-3,11-13
Epistle: Titus 2:11-14
Gospel: Luke 2:1-14

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch

Insight:

My son, Adam and I were in the car. He began talking about Christmas. He said: “I love midnight mass.” He went on to explain that all of his friends are typically in bed, “none of my friends are awake, but I get to experience the coming of Christmas.” He told me that it is so special that he is here, in church. He told me that the waiting and the expectation is suddenly fulfilled. In a moment, at the ringing of the bell, it is Christmas. He is here, awake, joy filled, and present.

Named:

In our tradition, holy mass at midnight is the Pasterka, the Shepherd’s Holy Mass. That seems odd. We are here to experience Jesus’ coming, this entry of God into the world, and we are focused on the shepherds? But we have good reason to focus on these men. Because like Adam, like you and me, they were watching and expecting.

Odd situation:

It also seems odd that Jesus would be revealed first to the shepherds. The Master, the Eternal King, the Lord of Lords, the creator of all that is didn’t bother with revealing Himself to other kings. We know that when a king or foreign leader visits another county, they go to the king or leader of that county first. Yet the Eternal King sent His messengers to shepherds.

He didn’t go to:

Jesus messengers did not go to Caesar Augustus, to Quirinius, to Herod, not even to the mayor of Bethlehem. Instead they went to shepherds.

They watched:

The gospel tells us that the shepherds were keeping watch. This is true, both in the literal sense, and in a much broader way. They watched because they knew their savior would come.

They expected:

The shepherds also expected. The gospel doesn’t say it outright, but we know that they were taught in synagogue to expect the Messiah. They, like every other person in Israel, knew the commandments, a bit of the scriptures, and most importantly, God’s promise of a Messiah.

They received:

Tonight, like us, they received. This Advent we focused on the miracle to come. Like the shepherds, we have the fulfillment of our watching and expectation. Jesus is here. The miracle we have awaited has come. Because of this night, this miracle, we see Jesus in every face. We know that He dwells with each of us. In every prayer we are assured that His miracles are real in our lives. Before we accepted Christ, before we were baptized and regenerated, He accepted us. Knowing that, we sing high praise to God who has joined us to His Son and to each other. What a wonderful miracle to know God, and to see this miracle in each other

On behalf of myself, my wife and children we pray that His everlasting presence enrich and bless you and yours at this moment, throughout the coming year, and always in every way. Amen.

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