“When Mary and Joseph had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”
Luke 2:39-40
My Dear Friends in Christ,
“Family” is one of those words that usually elicit a strong reaction, either positive or negative. If you had a family like mine, it’s usually positive. For many, the positive reaction comes only when one thinks of a family of choice, rather than of blood.
Certainly, we were not (are not) perfect but being a Jaskot, a member of my particular family has been a true blessing of my life. Indeed each member, all members, of my family have been a blessing. Most by their coming into my life and by their presence and some… well… you get the picture. It’s not easy to get us all together, especially this year, but I still love to sit around the kitchen table to hear and tell stories of days gone by, of funny things that happened, remembered often very differently by each person involved. My extended family (my Dad was one of six and my mom was one of four) have also been a blessing and sometimes offers the reference point for dating events and activities. When asked about the date of anything in the family, my Mom would 
invariably start the process (as scientifically accurate as carbon dating!) with a reference to her Uncle Tom…”Well, let’s see…Tom died in ’79, so…)
These memories point to an important truth that we 
celebrate on this great feast. We use the theological term, Incarnation, to reference the coming of God as human. God emptied everything that was Divine and took on our humanity with all of the limits and lacks and need. The omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God became a little baby who did not know how to feed himself, could not change his own diaper, and was limited to once place at once. God took such a drastic step out of love for us. Pope Benedict put it beautifully in his 2006 Christmas homily:
We have just heard in the Gospel the message given by the angels to the shepherds during that Holy Night, a message which the Church now proclaims to us: “To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:11-12). Nothing miraculous, nothing extraordinary, nothing magnificent is given to the shepherds as a sign. All they will see is a child wrapped in swaddling clothes, one who, like all children, needs a mother’s care; a child born in a stable, who therefore lies not in a cradle but in a manger. God ’s sign is the baby in need of help and in poverty. Only in their hearts will the shepherds be able to see that this baby fulfils the promise of the prophet Isaiah, which we heard in the first reading: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder” (Is 9:5). Exactly the same sign has been given to us. We, too, are invited by the angel of God, through the message of the Gospel, to set out in our hearts to see the child lying in the manger. God’s sign is simplicity. God’s sign is the baby. God’s sign is that he makes himself small for us. This is how he reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendor. He comes as a baby – defenseless and in need of our help. He does not want to overwhelm us with his strength. He takes away our fear of his greatness. He asks for our love: so he makes himself a child. He wants nothing other from us than our love, through which we spontaneously learn to enter into his feelings, his 
thoughts and his will – we learn to live with him and to practice with him that humility of renunciation that belongs to the very essence of love. God made himself small so that we could understand him, welcome him, and love him. The Fathers of the Church, in their Greek translation of the Old Testament, found a passage from the prophet Isaiah that Paul also quotes in order to show how God’s new ways had already been foretold in the Old Testament. There we read: “God made his Word short, he abbreviated it” (Is 10:23; Rom 9:28). The Fathers interpreted this in two ways. The Son himself is the Word, the Logos; the eternal Word became small – small enough to fit into a manger. He became a child, so that the Word could be grasped by us. In this way God teaches us to love the little ones. In this way he teaches us to love the weak. In this way he teaches us respect for children. The child of Bethlehem directs our gaze towards all children who suffer and are abused in the world, the born and the unborn. Towards children who are placed as soldiers in a violent world; towards children who have to beg; towards children who suffer deprivation and hunger; towards children who are unloved. In all of these it is the Child of Bethlehem who is crying out to us; it is the God who has become small who appeals to us. Let us pray this night that the brightness of God’s love may enfold all these children. Let us ask God to help us do our part so that the dignity of children may be respected. May they all experience the light of love, which mankind needs so much more than the material necessities of life.
Pope Benedict XVI
December 24, 2006 Christmas Midnight Mass
Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Rome
(http://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/homilies/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20061224_christmas.html)
God’s littleness is our humanity, and, in Jesus, God takes on our needs. One of the most profound needs we have is that of a family. The essential nature of the family comes not only in the physical provision for a child of food and shelter although these are necessary. The essence of family comes in what we hear at the end our Gospel today: the child grew and became strong filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. The essence of family comes in the provision of space (literal and figurative) where a child can grow, become strong, be filled with wisdom, and, last but not least, come to know and share the favor of God.
Let’s take them in order. For me, growth represents the physical aspect of human growth. Yes, the basics of food and shelter but also other aspects that accompany human growth: touch and human contact, safety, security, nutrition, stimulation, education, challenge. All of these allow a child to grow in body and mind. All are 
necessary to a healthy adult. Secondly, “become strong” speaks to me of a moral character born of an awareness of one’s identity, a child who is comfortable in his or her own skin, who has learned to respect others because he or she has been loved and cherished. To become strong is not physical might, but a strength of character that looks for the good in all people, beginning with the self. To be “filled with wisdom” is to know and understand a bigger picture, God’s picture, a picture that includes all other people, that excludes no one and certainly not on the basis of human distinction, to seek out and to find God’s plan for one’s life, rather than one’s own.
And last, because it creates the primary identity and undergirds all of the other essential characteristics of family, is the favor of God. Family provides an opportunity for a child to know his or her primary identity as a child of God, known, beloved, cherished, and delighted in by God. The favor of God is God’s love for us and we come to know it most often first and foremost in our parents. Jesus learned who God our Father is by spending time with Joseph, not only learning a craft but the safety and security that comes from one who provides. Jesus learned who God our Mother is when he saw Mary, not only learning how and what to eat but the identity and resolve that comes from one who is cared for. Jesus learned a gentle, munificent, magnificent God from Mary and Joseph, a God who knew Him and cared for him and provided for him and delighted in him. This is the favor of God and the love of God that Jesus came to bring and calls us to share in service and sacrifice.
The good family, the holy family does all of this, even in poverty, even in struggle. And, yes, it takes a whole village to help good parents, holy parents. Elders like Simeon and Anna, relatives like Zechariah and Elizabeth, teachers like those teaching Jesus in the temple, friends like the family of the couple that got married in Cana. And it does not always come in our blood families. Sometimes it is a given family such as a parish or workplace. Other times it has to come from a family of choice. Families come in all shapes and sizes with a whole host of combinations. But in their essence, they allow a child to grow, become strong, be filled with wisdom and know and share the favor of God.
Pray for those who are working to create such families as I pray for all of our families, of blood and of choice. I also ask you, especially today and during this Christmas season to pray for all children who are not blessed with a family like this, who have to struggle on their own, who do not know they are loved, or worse yet, are in fact ignored or discarded. Pray for any child struggling to come to appreciate who God created him or her to be. And know of my prayers for you.
Peace,
Thank you, Easter Bunny!! Bawk!! Bawk!! In a 1984 commercial for M&M’s, children would climb out from behind furniture holding the candy that had been hidden there. And they would look up and thank the Easter Bunny who was kind enough to have provided it for them. It was such a precious ad and has become part of popular culture. I often reference it when someone gives me a gift, or I find something unexpected. I’ve been thinking a lot about that ad this Advent season as my first thought was there is little to be thankful for.
In a single line John articulates the Incarnation in the boldest way. John is unambiguous, almost shocking in the expressions he uses. More literally translated, the Word pitched his tabernacle, or lived in his tent, amongst us. The ‘tent of meeting’ was the place where the LORD ‘would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.’ (Exodus 33:11) The tabernacle was where God met with Israel before the temple was built, a tabernacle erected at God’s command (Exodus 25:9). Most commonly, the term referred to the glory of God who made himself present in the tabernacle and the temple: the bright cloud of the presence of God settled on the tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled it. (Ex. 24:16; 40:34–35; similarly, the temple, 1 Ki. 8:10–11). These were tangible signs of God’s glory, the visible manifestation of God. God manifested himself most clearly when the Word became flesh. The incarnate Word is the true the ultimate manifestation of the presence of God amongst human us, for God’s Word has become one of us, a human. God has chosen to dwell among his people in a yet more personal way, in the Word-become-flesh.
It is perhaps one of the most momentous dialogues in human history. The angel Gabriel appears and brings the news of God’s plan for salvation. A plan so radical it will involve God becoming human, God putting aside all divinity to take on our humanity. And even more radical for Mary, she will be involved. Then, Mary, frightened by the angel, but still so sure in her faith, that is bold enough to ask a question. The Angel’s answer is basically God will take care of it and so Mary responds “Yes. I will allow God to work in and through me, even though I don’t have all of the details. Yes, I will help God come into the world. Yes, I will start right now by going and visiting my cousin Elizabeth, who is old and now pregnant.” “May it be done to me according to your word.”
It is a major role played by an angel in one of the most important events in history. This event is the precursor for Christmas and Easter, in fact, the precursor for Christ Himself. The Event is called the Annunciation, and we read about it in Luke’s Gospel. Luke begins by establishing the characters and setting the stage. Luke was a physician, a scientist, and wrote perhaps the most “precise Gospel. It’s important because Luke investigates what he writes to make sure it was accurate to create as he says expressly, “an orderly account.”
we are as holy as Mary was, how far we are from God. And that leaves aside what was coming next and the message Gabriel had come to share.
You can almost see all of heaven pausing and listening for her response. Imagine a scene crafted by Cecil B DeMille. Cecil DeMille, the most commercially successful producer-director in history was an American film director and producer. Acknowledged as a founding father of the American cinema he was known for huge epic productions. Closer to home for me, his name was invoked by my mother whenever my father was trying to stage the perfect photograph or home movie. My father was a perfectionist. We used to search for hours for a Christmas tree. Then when we got it home, My dad would take it to the garage where he would rebuild the tree by cutting off God’s misplaced branches and then drilling hole into the trunk to place them where God 
should have placed them. (So don’t ever wonder where I get it from! It comes naturally) 
Mary pauses. Mary pauses. Mary pauses. And then rather than saying “YES” right away, Mary is so bold as to ask a question: “How can this be since I have no relations with a man?” Mary is not rejecting God’s plan. She has discerned that God is asking something of her but she’s not sure what. She probably thinks that perhaps she hasn’t understood clearly. Unlike us, Mary did not expect God to become human. She would never have imagined, let alone expected God to become human. God was so wholly other, that good Jews would even speak God’s name. So she asks a question: HOW?! It’s not like the angel came down and offered the game plan, time table, and exact locations along with detailed SWOT analyses and future projections.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who is called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.
Angels by their help and their example are reminders for us to bring God’s message of hope to others. Angels are all around us all the time, nearer than you think, and a lot more useful than you probably imagine.
People worship money, power, pleasure, sports, their kids, or their kid’s sports. We may not think about it this way, we may not feel comfortable using the word in this way. It’s clear what people worship because that’s where they invest their time, their energy, their enthusiasm and their money. The problem with worship of anything other than God is that such worship is, by its very nature, circumstantial. Such worship can make you happy such as if your team wins, your investments pay off, you get the date, you figure out the puzzle. But happiness is not guaranteed by such worship and, in fact, such worship might make you sad, your team loses, your investment is lost, you get stood up or the answer eludes you. You can enjoy sports, but you ought not worship them. You should love people, but not worship them. Worship of anything that isn’t God is circumstantial and illusive.
That’s what angels do, they worship God with the whole of their being and all of their activity. Angels live in God’s presence and stay focused on God. Scripture describes them as constantly worshiping and praising God. In fact, one of the most solemn and sacred moments at Mass is taken from the prophet Isaiah’s description of angelic worship: at a great distance…I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were angels, and they were calling out “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
emptied Himself, who comes into the cold, bleak and dark winter, who is born into poverty and limit and lack. And angels continue to worship. This whole mystery unfolds here at the Mass. The Mass is the source and the summit of the whole of our Christian living. Here we are united in worship with the angels and saints, to direct all of our worship to God. Here we enter into a ritual that takes us through the progress of this mystery, using words that angels themselves use. Here we come to the very source of our joy which is salvation in Christ, and we give thanks. Here Christ comes to us in simplicity and humility as food. Here we receive what we worship to become more like him. And from here we are sent back out into the whole of our lives to live this mystery in everything that we do, each relationship we have, our work, our family, our friends. The Mass can be the source and summit of a life of worship, in which we give thanks to God for everything.
To Zechariah even as he was serving in the Temple: There appeared the angel of the Lord, standing at the right of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw the angel he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him… Then the angel said to him. Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.
To Mary: The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women. But Mary was greatly troubled. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid; you have found favor with God.”
Then to Joseph with the greeting Fear not, Joseph, son of David, to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is the work of the holy Spirit.
Then to the shepherds at Bethlehem, first one angel and then a whole multitude: The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear…Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy…And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
the God who created these fierce and formidable creatures, this God goes before us, commanding this army to do the same. Angels, their existence and the stories we hear in Scripture are reminders to us that God does not leave us all alone and unaided. Not at all. And especially in dark times.
shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Angels serve God by helping us to prepare the way for God to work. Angels support us in our spiritual walk and encourage us to move out of our way the obstacles in life that keeps us from following God’s will for our lives. Angels help us to make progress in the spiritual life. God gives us angels to help us grow closer but there are many obstacles in our way. Angels go ahead of Moses on the mission God gave him in Egypt. Angels lead Joshua and the Israelites into the Promised Land. Angels provide instruction to the leaders of the early Church in the confusing time following the Resurrection: telling them to stop gaping after the Ascension and get to work, opening prison doors, breaking chains, clarifying confusion for Cornelius, Peter, and others. Angels help us to move, and can also help us to move out of our way obstacles that prevent us from moving where God wants us to go.
And perhaps you can do all of these on Christmas Eve. More than any other night of the year, people approach Christmas Eve looking for… well, they may know not what. Ultimately, though, they’re looking for God, for the comfort and hope that God can give, the way forward God can provide, the light God seeks to bring into our world. And, like the angels, you can help make that happen. We may not be able to be together, but we can reach out to others and invite them to watch and to celebrate online with us and with you. Gather your household and watch together as a family. At the same time you can Zoom with someone who may be alone. Or call them and share God’s comfort, help them to grow closer to God and know how close God seeks to be to them; reveal God’s glory by thinking of them and sharing with them. Maybe you can think of someone NOW. Begin NOW to cultivate the comfort of God so it can come more naturally on Christmas Eve. We may not be able to do it in person, but we can still serve others.
I am so very excited, more so this year than any in the recent past. Perhaps it’s the pandemic, or the challenges we’ve faced as a nation. Perhaps it’s because I have been working on a number of things and they are starting to fall into place or because I’m in regular contact with my siblings and we discuss our memories often surrounding holidays (and food, of course!). Whatever the case, I am so excited that the Christmas and Advent seasons are upon us. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. I am so excited to drive down Main Street when it’s dark and see the Christmas lights twinkling. I set up my Nativity and put up my Christmas Tree (please forgive me, Riesett family, but it’s artificial. The Riesetts are members here and they own Christmas Tree Farms – a great place to get your Christmas tree by the way!). I love the music, the decorations, the Hallmark movies, even the Christmas commercials (and, of course, the food!). I love it ALL, and the older I get the more I look forward to it. There is a focus on generosity, and despite the busy-ness of the year, people are kinder to one another! And this year, I am especially excited to see a growing number of angels. At Christmastime angels are everywhere.
next few weeks we are going to get to know angels a little bit better and why their existence matters to us. Angels are created beings, just like human beings. God chose at a certain point to create angels and now they exist forever. Angels are created beings like human beings, but they’re not human beings. They’re not people, nor are they people who have died. You don’t die and become an angel. These are two different orders of being. Angels are not people, but they are persons, which is to say, they’re individuals: each angel enjoys a distinct personhood, with an individual intellect and free will. They are also spirits, pure spirits, which means they don’t have bodies. As human beings we are united body and soul. Your body is part of what makes you, you. Angels are spirits, but they can put on a body; they can take on physical attributes, as we see in Scripture, in order to fulfill some mission or task, but in their essence, they are pure spirits.
foreign enemy, their situation seemed dark and utterly hopeless. Where was God and how could God let all of this happen to them? Could God have abandoned them? Does any of that sound familiar?
Today, we celebrate with the Church around the world, the Feast of Christ the King. We close the liturgical year focusing on Christ as King of Creation and Ruler of the Universe. This isn’t about crowns nor the power and wealth they represent, not about conquering enemies, sheer will, clever schemes, blind obedience, or brute force. This Feast is about the Cross; it’s about sacrifice. Oh…and victory. It’s about Christ being ALL IN, giving Himself completely and freely, a gift culminating in but not limited to his death on the Cross. This feast is about the ultimate victory St. Paul described, the ultimate power of the love of God dwelling in Jesus Christ and our sharing that victory by bringing people to Christ. That’s the ultimate victory and it comes through the gracious invitation of God through Jesus Christ: Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Remember when Jesus fed the 5,000? It started with a boy offering five loaves and two fish. Even as the Apostles were asking “What good is that for so many?” Jesus was taking what the child offered, blessing it, breaking it and distributing it to the people. And there was enough, more than enough, enough for everyone to fill have their tummy, enough for 12 wicker baskets left over and, truth be told, if there were people like my mother, enough for a little leftover in their purse! This is the abundance of God, the abundance God wants to shower upon us, like the shepherd, as we heard in our first reading, caring for the sheep, especially the lost and the wandering, the sick and the broken. Our trust in God, our sacrifice for God, our generosity creates blessings for others as well. God takes our offering and helps change the lives of others.
brother and his wife) will not be getting together this year. But we will have our weekly Zoom call to catch up on each other (plus it gives me a chance to tease them!). Even without all of the usual trappings, we still have very much to be thankful for, though. We look to remember God’s many, many blessings. Amidst all of the food preparation, football games and early Black Friday on-line shopping, set aside some time to pray and to list your blessings. I don’t know about you but sometimes, especially when I’m challenged by the way things are or what I don’t have, I forget about the many other blessings I have received. It helps me to make a list, sometimes only in my head but other times I drag out the ole’ pen and paper to make that list. Also, take some time to pray for those we consider blessings (even if they are only blessings in teaching us patience! – but I’m sure that you don’t have any of those in your family!). Pray for those unable to travel, those who are home alone, through who are struggling. Perhaps you are in that group. Then we pray for you as well. And you can do all of this by joining us as we celebrate Mass in the Church on Thanksgiving Day at 9:00 a.m. Celebrate with us.
of the laws banning Catholicism. As Fr. Pro walked from his cell to the prison courtyard, he blessed the firing squad and then knelt and prayed silently for a few moments. Pictured at left, he refused a blindfold, he stood, faced the firing squad, and with a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other, he held his arms outstretched in the form of a cross and in a loud, clear voice cried out, “May God have mercy on you! May God bless you! Lord, you know I’m innocent! With all my heart I forgive my enemies!” As the soldiers lifted their rifles, he exclaimed in a loud voice, “Viva Cristo Rey!” – “Long live Christ the King!” A volley of shots rang out and Fr. Pro fell to the ground riddled with bullets. A soldier stepped up and discharged his rifle at point blank range into the priest’s temple. Fr. Pro was assassinated to demoralize the Mexican people. The fascist leaders tried to silence him, end his service and excise his example. Their plan backfired, though, as 30,000 people braved possible violence to march in his funeral procession. This massive crowd brought world-wide attention to the situation in Mexico.
The parable Jesus offers us today is about making sure we’re ready for that fateful moment. Jesus uses the image of those who wait, lamps in hand, oil at the ready to make clear that something other than a good lamp is needed to meet the Bridegroom. The lamps’ sole purpose is to contain the oil and offer it up for burning. As beautiful as a lamp is, without oil, it ain’t much good. Being baptized, calling oneself a Christian, coming to church, praying, crying out “Lord, Lord!” even with the best of intentions, are not enough. WE NEED OIL! – the “oil” of our human efforts, consciously distilled and deliberately offered up. As oil comes only from crushing olives, so too, the oil of our efforts, comes in the crushing of the olives of my own will, my own plan, my own security, my own comfort level.
Jesus wants to know whether or not we’re willing to serve, and if our willingness is 
No one else’s lamp can burn in the place of the one that is mine alone. The lamps are the vessel, the empty container of the blessings God has given us; the oil is the fuel, our efforts using those blessings, offering a return to God. Both are necessary and disciples see in both a way to allow God to be at work, for God to light the world. Christ needs us All In, needs our flame burning brightly, our oil plentiful, if the light of Jesus Christ is to illuminate the world, if Christ is to be All in All.
Have you ever started a project and then realized that you don’t have the right tools? I’m sure that like me a number of you took your quarantined time to organize and improve your house. I like to consider myself a Mr. Fix-it (which means I watch more HGTV than actually fix things) so I did try a number of projects some of which worked great and others…not so much. On several of those projects, thought, I realized in the middle of it, that I didn’t have the right tools to finish. I’m constantly amazed at how a complicated job becomes easier when you have the right tools.
of growing as a human and as a disciple – Mary, (@20 BC – @45 AD) Wife of Joseph, Mother of Jesus, especially when I feel alone or miss my own Mom, when I need to be loved, not for any particular reason or when I’m low, when only the love of a mother can suffice. I also like that there are different titles and images for different moments. My new favorite is Mary, Untier of Knots because many things are beyond me and sometimes I struggle even to know what to do. 
my call to serve quietly and gently as God wills it rather than I will it – Joseph (?? – <33), Husband of Mary, Foster Father of Jesus: Joseph loved Mary. God intervenes in a dream to ask Joseph to trust Mary, to take her into his home and raise the Son She was bearing. Jesus learned from Joseph not only carpentry but what a good father is. The image Jesus had of our heavenly Father came in large part because of who and what Joseph showed Jesus.
my name (being the best “Robert” I can be) – Saint Robert Bellarmine, Priest, Bishop, Cardinal, Scholar, Apologist (1542 – 1621): rich, well connected, brilliant, able to speak clearly, sought to put all of his gifts in service to God and to the poor. More personal than that, he served as the rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where I studied. He was buried near that university in the Church of Saint Ignatius and I would visit his tomb for Mass on my day off. I also visited twice with every exam: once before (pleading for his help and intercession) and then once after (thanking him if I did well and chastising him if I didn’t)!
my state in life (for me, that’s priesthood; for you it might be marriage for a committed single state) – Saint John Vianney, Priest, Pastor (1786 – 4 August 1859): loved the Lord and wanted to serve as a priest. Was not smart enough to get through seminary and had to be granted a dispensation to be ordained. Sent to a small, out of the way parish where he could do the least harm. He allowed God to be at work, transforming the people through his service, teaching, concentration on the sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation, and his complete dedication to the salvation of their souls
our parish patron of Saint Francis of Assisi – Francis, Religious, Founder of the Franciscans (1181-1226): A joyful man who loved Jesus and sought to serve, who gave up his wealth to serve and identify with the poor. He saw God in everything and sought to unite himself to God, always in JOY. I love his simplicity and his single mindedness and his ability to allow God to speak to and work through him, enough to change the entire world.
overcoming my difficulty and dryness in prayer – Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Religious, Foundress of the Missionaries of Charity (1910-1997): served with absolute integrity the poorest of the poor and who called herself the Saint of Darkness about her own difficulties in prayer.
my current service in the Church (leading and serving in changing and challenging times) Pope Saint Paul VI Priest, Bishop, Pope (1897-1978): Immediately following the Saintly Pope John XXIII, Paul VI completed and sought to live the essence of the Second Vatican Council and serve by its tenets. He struggled to understand how to serve in an age with changing social norms, societal goals and the understanding of what human dignity required.
understanding better the prophetic role God is calling me to live: Oscar Romero (1917-1980) Priest, Archbishop, and Martyr, allowed by the ruling junta to become Archbishop of El Salvador because he towed the Fascist party line. Once he began serving as Archbishop, he grew to understand the suffering of his people and spoke out ever more forcefully against any who would harm his beloved flock. In the act of celebrating Mass, he was assassinated by the junta in an attempt to silence him.
my failures, especially when I fail Christ or another – Peter Fisherman, Apostle, Pope, Martyr (? – @68 AD). Brash and Bold, often speaking before he thought, Peter was a passionate man who loved Jesus Christ and allowed Christ to call him. Peter also allowed Christ to forgive him after he had abandoned Jesus (see the rooster in the top, right-hand corner?).
my struggles to balance work and prayer – Benedict, Religious, Monk, Abbot, Founder of the Benedictines (480-543): Benedict’s Rule for his monks was about achieving a balance between prayer and living and work. His motto was “Ora et Labora” (Work and Prayer). He was all about hospitality and welcoming any and all who came to his monastery (perfect patron for our emphasis on radical welcome)! I studied with the Benedictines for my License in Sacred Theology.
finding God in the events and moments of my life – Ignatius of Loyola Priest, Religious, Founder of the Society of Jesus (1491-1556): who started the Jesuits after reflecting on how God was present to him in his recovery after war. I’ve preached the whole Easter season about who God is and how God works: God is present. God loves us. God has a plan. But sometimes, I must admit, that I need to look a little harder to see more clearly how that all plays out for me. It’s one thing to know this intellectually but it’s another, as we just said in our Wavelength series, to replay my day from God’s perspective.
my struggles to keep focused, to remain courageous and to continue to trust in God – Pope John Paul II Priest, Bishop, Pope (1920-2005): John Paul began his pontificate by shouting out the words, “Do not be afraid.” More than just speaking them from the balcony of Saint Peter’s, he lived this truism. Facing the Nazi and then the Communists, he spoke out clearly about the need for Christ and the call for us to trust in Christ. I’ve needed this more than ever with all we are facing as a nation, not simply freedom from fear in the face of unrest or the lack of respect and civility but even more freedom from fear about engaging difficult topics like racism, justice, life and culture.
my poor attempts at humor – Philip Neri, Priest, Religious, Founder of the Congregation of the Oratory (the Oratorians) (1515-1595): Saint Philip was especially attentive to serving young people and used a great deal of humor to reach them and others, especially in making more difficult messages easier to hear.
And I love that the well of saints will never run dry continues to grow. On October 31, Michael McGivney, Priest, Founder of Knights of Columbus (1852 – 1890): who looked to provide spiritual aid to Catholic men and financial help to the widows and orphans of its members. These men were being exploited in the Industrial Age and Fr. McGivney sought to protect and provide for them in an age when so many around the world are exploited, I’m reminded that “even a parish priest” can help others.
born Italian Catholic schoolboy and amateur computer programmer was beatified. He was best known for documenting Eucharistic miracles around the world and cataloguing them all onto a website that he created in the months before his death from leukemia. He was noted for his cheerfulness, computer skills, and deep devotion to the Eucharist, which becomes a core theme of his life. He died at the tragically young age of 15, offering his suffering for the pope and for the Church. I must admit that before his beatification, I had not heard of him, but I love the fact that he became a saint under the very same circumstances that we face. And to see him, dressed in the clothes of our own day and age just reminds me that God can work with all people, with anyone willing to be open.
In any case, finding a good patron saint (or indeed several patron saints) is like having the perfect tool for the job. Can you get the job done without it? Sure. But’s it’s so much nicer and easier when you don’t have to struggle as much!
Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday. In the meantime and following, please pray with our Blessed Mother under her title of the Immaculate Conception (image right). Under this title, Mary is the patroness of our beloved country. Or pray with her under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe (image left). Under this title, Pope Saint John Paul II named her Patroness of All America (North, Central and South America). She represents how close God and how much God looks after those who are poor and struggling. As the Queen of Peace and Reconciliation, Mary also intercedes for us and can help us overcome any division or vitriol that may occur, even in our own hearts.
Then, in our second week, we shifted focus a bit, looking at a practice to help us focus on God’s thoughts. It’s what Saint Ignatius of Loyola described as the Examen. It’s about stopping for a moment and focusing on the contents of your day, not your whole life, just one day, but from God’s perspective. Doesn’t take a lot of time and can expand or shrink to whatever time you have. It’s about examining the day seeking intentionally moments the require gratitude or grace. In other words, where was God present? What are you thankful for? Offer these moments to God with a grateful heart. God also wants you to reflect on the moments of your day where you missed God, or misunderstood what God was asking, or (like me often) knew full well what God was asking but stubbornly refused to do it? Think about and offer these moments to God as well, asking for grace to do better next time. Simple as that.
These laws were endlessly debated and discussed and defined and redefined by the religious professionals. Some said that all the laws were equal and must be applied equally. Others, that there was a hierarchy to the laws, some more important, others less so. In any case, Jesus is called on the carpet, but He answers without any hesitation at all; He answers immediately, efficiently and completely. But His answer is not flippant nor incomplete. And, although the scholar only asked for the greatest (read one) commandment, Jesus offers two quoting from each scripture but from two different books (Deuteronomy and Leviticus): This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” The answer, Jesus offers ties together God and my neighbor, love and action, faith and service, heaven and earth. In other words, the greatest commandment is to love God which we do essentially and necessarily by serving our neighbor. And again, the ultimate challenge is to fulfill these commands, not out of compunction but out of love, as Jesus Himself showed.
No easy task but we’re not alone. Again, from Saint Paul, this time from the Church at Thessalonica. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Saint Paul commends the Thessalonians receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit, so that… [they] became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. If we think as God thinks, then we know, along with the Thessalonians that even “great affliction” can’t keep us from doing what God says.
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