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Homilies are posted no later than during the week
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Advent
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Two men talked about salvation over drinks. "I'm making my
Confession on my death bed like the Good Thief." His buddy replied,
"There were two thieves on the cross. One guy didn't make it to
confession. What makes you think you're not going to be that second
guy?" The other fellow put down his Budweiser.
Student devils were being dispatched to the earth to
finish their training. Satan interviewed them. To the first: "How will
you operate?" Said he: "I will instruct people God does not exist." The
Devil shook his head: "Most know our Enemy exists." The next said: "I
will argue Hell does not exist." Satan was annoyed: "After millions of
abortions, people know Hell exists." The last said: "I will tell all
they have plenty of time." Satan beamed: "Good woman. Do that and
you'll bring people down here by the billions. Why can't these male
devils be as clever as you.?" (CS Lewis)
Most delight in telling ourselves that we have time to set
the record straight with God. Yet, if you want to hear God laugh, tell
Him about your plans for tomorrow. The most dangerous words in any
language is the word "tomorrow." Write your plans then in pencil. Give
God the eraser. (Unknown) If we put off a rapprochement with God, we
have bought the advice of the third apprentice devil. Some of us might
not see Christmas day. It is four weeks away.
On September 11, 2001, 3000 people intended to return to
their homes from the World Trade Center in New York City. None of them
made it.
The Great Wall of China was built to keep the enemy out.
They got in. How? They bribed the gatekeepers. Piece of cake. So much
for the best laid plans of mice and men. God writes the last word.
In 2007, 560 people lost their lives in an earthquake that
came without warning in Peru.
Jesus warns us six times in the Gospels that we do not
know what day or hour He is coming for us.
St. Paul advises us: "Realize what time it is. It is high
time to be awakened from sleep. Your salvation is nearer than when you
believed."
Like many illustrious people who followed him, St Paul was
alarmed by intimations of mortality. A 17th century poet spoke of
"time's winged chariot hurrying near." The genius John Keats guessed
his life would close before his pen had gleaned his teeming brain. He
was correct. He died at 26. Robert Louis Stevenson trembled "lest I
hear the sunset gun too soon." He too was prescient. He died at 44.
(William Barclay)
The prophet Isaiah invites us "to go up to the mountains
of the Lord...that He may teach us His ways so that we may walk in His
paths." Each of us should make this line the leitmotif of our
respective Advents this fresh liturgical year.
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is but a promissory
note. Today is the only reality. Live then as though each day is your
last and someday you'll be right. You learn how to die if you learn how
to live. (Mitch Albon)
Remember Mohandas Gandhi's advice. He practiced what he
preached. "You don't have to be an angel to be a saint. Our greatness
lies not so much in being able to remake the world as being able to
remake ourselves."
Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about
creating yourself. (George Bernard Shaw)
But is not all of this too ominous a note to begin
what is a magic time of year? Might not the Church
have chosen more benign readings to cheer us on
to the snowflake splendors of Christmas? Negative!
The Gospel for the first Sunday of Advent would
have us get our affairs, especially our spiritual
ones, in order. We should give as much attention
to this detail as we give to getting prepared
for Christmas. We are advised by the Church to
move along our preparations for the Christmas
that will never end. Plan then as if Jesus' return
were years away but live as if it were this afternoon.
(Unknown)
If you are wondering what areas of your life you
should improve, check it out with St Paul. He
ticks off such pastimes as heavy drinking, sexual
misconduct, arguing, and jealousy for openers.
You can take it from there. The Apostle to the
Gentiles obviously spent many long Saturday afternoons
in the confessional box in Rome. As we go to Confession
in our parish, we might carry with us advice that
salvation is not measured by perspiration but
by readiness. (Leonard Foley)
This might be you last Confession.
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http://www.st.ignatius.net/pastor.html
1 Advent
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Advent begins this year with the prophesy from
Isaiah about the Mountain of the Lord’s
House. Now I know a little something about mountains,
having hiked up several and fallen down one (long
story about a stupid priest who took a solo hike).
If a mountain is very popular, like Mt. Quandary,
a fourteen thousand foot mountain in Colorado,
the hiking trail will appear to be more of a highway
than a trail. What you have to do is get onto
the trail no later than 7 in the morning so you
can reach the summit about 12 to 1. Then you have
to get out of the tundra before the afternoon
lightning storms blow in. The trouble is that
Mt. Quandary is the easiest of the Fourteeners
to climb, and hikers staying near Breckenridge,
Vail or Aspen have to give it a go. So the trail
is actually crowded.
That is how Isaiah pictured the Mountain of the
Lord’s House. It is crowded with people
from every nation. Their goal, is not the view,
or to say they conquered a fourteener. Their goal
is to learn the way of the Lord from the summit
of the mountain. The prophecy goes on to say the
Word of the Lord will flow from God’s Mountain.
He will judge between all nations with such fairness
that there would no longer be a need for war.
People would beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks. There would
be no need of armed forces. People would not even
train for war again.
That ideal is so meaningful for us when we consider
our loved ones who are stationed in harms way
in Iraq and Afghanistan and throughout the world.
"Some day, we tell ourselves, some day there will
be no wars." The ideal of Isaiah is meaningful
when we consider the nations whose citizens are
starving and who use money meant for aid to build
up their own armed forces. As we see pictures
of starving children in
Somalia, Rwanda, and the Sudan, we say, "Some day, some day there will
be no more wars. Some day the materials used for war will be
transformed into materials used to provide food for the poor. Some day
swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks."
Advent begins by reassuring us that the Day of
the Lord is upon us. The transformation of the
world has begun in Jesus Christ. St. Paul, in
the second reading from the Letter to the Romans,
says that the day is closer than when we first
entered the faith. The Second Letter of Peter
says that to the Lord a day is like a thousand
years and a thousand years is like a day. "Wake
from sleep," St. Paul says. It’s now time
to get moving, to get to work.
And what is it that we are to do to fulfill our
part in the transformation of the world? We are
to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. World War I was
called the war to end all wars. Well, that didn’t
work. World War II was called the war to make
the world safe for democracy. That resulted in
half the world being gobbled up in communism.
The so-called war on terror, is described as the
battle against all who are so evil that they kidnap
and kill innocent aid workers, that they destroy
children in their schools, that they fly planes
into buildings. Perhaps a third world war between
Christians and Islamic fundamentalists has begun.
Like the other two world wars, nations are forced
to defend their people and young men and women
are sent out to die for their country, but like
the other two world wars, this is not a war that
will end all wars.
The only way that the world will be saved from
war is through the Power of Jesus Christ. And
the only way that the Power of Jesus Christ will
take hold on the world is if we, His followers
commit ourselves to Him.
Allow me to be mystical here. Every act of kindness
and love, every sacrifice of self for another,
is a small step in the transformation of the world
into the Kingdom of God. Conversely, every act
of hatred, every act of selfishness, strengthens
the power of evil that is destroying our world.
The battle for the Lord is not something that
will take place many years from now. It is a battle
that we are engaged in right now and right here.
We need to be part of this. We need to commit.
We are not Christians because we say we are Christians.
We are not Christians because we have been baptized
and receive the sacraments. We are Christians
because we have put on Jesus Christ and really
work hard to make His ways our ways. We are Christians
because we are open to the transformation the
Lord wishes to make in our lives. We are Christians
because we are determined to be the reflection
of God’s love that he created us to be.
We need to commit. Consider Christmas. Is Christmas
a time to sacrifice our humanity to alcohol, drugs,
sex and stuff? If so, then Christmas is really
just a winter holiday of debauchery. If so, then
we are enrolling in the army of the Evil One and
fighting against the Lord. But if we are committed
to Christianity, then Christmas will be a reflection
of the Lord’s presence in our lives. If
we use the Christmas holidays as an opportunity
to bury the hatchet and reconcile with those who
have hurt us, if we use Christmas as an opportunity
to share our time and treasure with the less fortunate,
if we look for ways to be more loving to others,
especially those within our homes, then we will
be engaged in the Lord’s battle against
evil.
We need to commit.
There are times that preachers call people to
the altar to commit their lives to the Lord and
establish a personal relationship with Him. This
is a good thing. But the commitment to the Lord
has deeper implications than that which is personal.
The commitment to the Lord has a mystical element
of being part of the transformation of the world
Jesus initiated at His birth.
Christianity is not just a faith. It is a lifestyle
of transformation. We have been called to take
our part in the transformation of the world from
the terrors that exist right now to that ideal
of Isaiah’s prophecy: the mountain of the
Lord, the time of peace.
The military cannot be and will never be the solution to the woes of
the world. Only Jesus Christ is the solution. He is the Prince of
Peace. And His time is now.
"So," we are told, "Stay awake, be prepared," for the Son of Man is
coming.
And we are participants in His ultimate Victory.
May we have the courage to be Christian.
Happy Advent, Happy Season of Hope.
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http://www.geocities.com/seapadre_1999/
* available in Spanish - see Spanish
homilies
1 Advent
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Bottom line: If we have allowed disorder
to take over in our lives, Advent is the time
to put it away and put on Christ.
Before giving this homily I want mention two movies.
One is very good and I recommend it for adults
and teenagers. It is called Bella. See if you
haven't already. It will lift up your soul. A
second movie, on the other hand, is poison. It
is based on a series of books which combine atheism
and the occult - a strange combination because
atheism denies God's existence and the occult
draws on spiritual powers, not all of them good.
I have provided some materials for parents on
this movie. You can pick them up at the church
entrances to help you in guiding your children.
Enough said. Now for the homily:
Perhaps you have heard of Jason and Crystalina Evert. They are a young
married couple who give presentations to teenagers on how to integrate
their sexuality: that is, how to avoid the destructive uses of
sexuality and to realize its true purpose. This is no easy task, but
Jason and Crystalina do not preach to young people. They speak to them
from their own experience.
Crystalina tells about when she was a teenager, how she loved to attend
parties. Sometimes the parties got out of hand and she would come home
feeling sad, empty, used - even dirty. Once on the way home, she
somehow wound up at an all night Adoration Chapel. She went in and
prayed before the Blessed Sacrament. The Lord spoke to her in a
powerful way and she decided to make a change in her life.*
She then did something which might seem a bit unusual. She wrote a
letter to her future husband. She didn't know him yet, but she realized
that -after God - he would be the most important person in her life. It
only seemed natural to pray for him. So she did - especially at Mass.
She started attending daily Mass and wound up offering about thousand
Masses for him. Eventually she met Jason and they fell in love. During
the engagement, she mentioned about the thousand Masses. Well, Jason
knew where the grace came from that had kept him on the right track.
Today St. Paul tells us:
"not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh."
Not in promiscuity and lust. We live in a world
that constantly uses lust to get people's attention
- to get us to buy things we often do not need.
I mean, I don't need a new car, but I did see
a picture of one with beautiful girl on the hood.
The world uses lust as a tool and it makes fun
of chastity - especially for men. At the same
time people - including men - experience the misery
caused by unchastity.
Young people - and let's face it, many older folk - are ready to hear
about chastity. Crystalina and Jason Evert give a powerful testimony to
the beauty of sexual purity - or chastity. Chastity means integrating
ones sexuality - by God's grace. (see Catechism 2337ff.) It is a great
challenge for young people and it is a life-long project for all us.
Mary Baker Eddy (the founder of Christian Science) made this sensible
observation: "Chastity is the cement of civilization and progress.
Without it there is no stability in society..." When chastity goes, the
whole structure begins go crumble - like a building with cheap mortar.
We are experiencing that today. But Jesus not want us to just watch
things fall apart. Our children are too valuable for that. We can make
a difference - by our example. If we have allowed disorder to take over
in our lives, we can now put it away and put on Christ. Advent is the
right time to respond to St. Paul's invitation:
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh."
**********
*Crystalina's testimony illustrates the need for silence in coming to
Christ. In a previous previous homily I spoke about the importance of
seeking a place of silence during Advent. As Pope Benedict said, "Put
simply, we are no longer able to hear God - there are too many
different frequencies filling our ears." To understand how our
media-saturated culture dominates lives and dismantles families, read
Teresa Tomeo's fine book, Noise.
**We need a certain Christian realism in dealing with sexual
temptations. Some things are beyond our control. We inherited a fallen
nature. As Vatican II teaches, man is split within himself. Distorted
images and memories constantly bubble up from the subconscious. The
best strategy is to fill ones life and ones mind with things which are
positive. Crowd evil out. If you give the devil a foothold, he will
quickly take over more territory until he achieves complete domination.
Spanish
Version
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http://www.agreeley.com/homilies.html
1 Advent
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http://www.ctk-thornbury.org.uk/
1 Advent
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The readings for today, this first Sunday of the liturgical year don’t
sound very different in tone from the last Sunday of the outgoing year,
not counting the special readings for the Feast of Christ the King. At
first sight that might seem a bit surprising—but, of course, in the
Church this sort of thing happens all the time and when you take a
closer look you usually find that there are some very good reasons.
During the liturgical year we cover all the main events of the life of
Christ and get a fair overview of his teaching through the eyes of one
or other of the Evangelists. The liturgical year draws to its
conclusion with a dreadful glimpse of the end of the world—a sort of a
scriptural Dies Ire.
During Advent we prepare ourselves to celebrate Christmas; but, as
Christians, we do so in a way which prepares us also for Christ’s
second coming.
So, like all good overtures, right at the beginning we get a glimpse of
the finale.
But there are actually three comings of Christ: his first coming 2000
years ago and his second coming which will take place at the end of
time. And, of course, his coming into our hearts each day.
When we celebrated the Great Jubilee in the Year 2000 the Pope gave us
the theme ‘Christ yesterday, today and forever.’ This sums up these
three comings of Christ. Yesterday, as it were, in Bethlehem; Christ
coming today in our hearts; and Christ coming tomorrow, at the end of
time.
Our three readings today each take one of these themes.
The first reading from Isaiah looks with joy towards the coming of the
Messiah, the Christ: Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to
the Temple of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways so that we
may walk in his paths.
Jesus, as we know, frequently taught in the precincts of the Temple. He
taught the people how to live in a way pleasing to God and by his
teaching many people were enabled to walk in the paths of the Lord.
In the extract from Romans, Paul in his no nonsense way is speaking
about the here and now. The time has come and we must walk in the light
and throw aside any hint of darkness.
The word he uses for time here is the word Kairos. The other word for
time is Chronos which means the passage of time; as in speaking of
someone with a chronic illness meaning one which has gone on for a long
time or a chronometer meaning an instrument for the measurement of time.
Kairos means the favourable time—the moment when things are to
happen—an occasion. Christ comes at a particular moment in time, it is
a favourable moment, and the day he comes is ‘the’ Day of Salvation.
Paul is telling the Romans that this is today, now. Jesus has come into
the world and brought salvation to the whole human race and now we are
living this salvation out right now. These are special times, a period
of blessedness in which the saved demonstrate what to live in Christ
really means.
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http://www.saintvincentarchabbey.org/homilies/index.lasso
1 Advent |
Dec, 02, 2007:Matthew 24:3 7-44
Gospel Summary
Jesus tells his disciples that they cannot know the day their Lord is
coming. They must be prepared because that coming will be at a moment
they least expect. He observed that people were totally unconcerned at
the time of the flood. As a result the unexpected flood destroyed them.
In the same way, he warns, a thief can enter a house if the owner is
not prepared to safeguard it.
Life Implications
Jesus observed our human tendency to live in illusion, out of touch
with what's really going on, and as a result we often suffer tragic
consequences. Jesus warns us that if we succumb to this tendency we
will not be prepared for the coming of the Son of Man, either at our
death or at the end of time.
Today, as a consequence of the widespread anxiety induced by the
terrorist attacks, we may become victims of yet a different kind of
illusion. We can become so occupied with the "war on terrorism" that we
will be unprepared for the Lord's coming, and suffer even more tragic
consequences as a result. "If you are not watchful, I will come like a
thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you" (Rev
3:3). Jesus warns us that there are countless things of this world that
can make us forget the one certain reality--the day of the Lord's
coming.
Immediately following the passage of today's Advent gospel, Matthew
places three parables in which Jesus gives us examples of the kinds of
people for whom the Lord's coming will not be a happy experience. A
wicked servant says to himself, "My master is long delayed," and begins
to ill-treat his fellow servants and drink with drunkards. Five foolish
virgins, awaiting the coming of the bridegroom, neglect to provide oil
for their lamps, and are shut out. A servant out of fear buries the
talent that has been entrusted to him instead of doing something
creative with it.
As the climax of the three parables, Matthew gives us Jesus' graphic
description of what will happen in the final judgment at his coming.
The outcome--happy or tragic--depends on how we treat each other here
and now, even the least of our brothers and sisters--the hungry, the
thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the prisoner. "Amen, I say to you,
whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for
me...what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do
for me" (25:31-46).
In Catholic belief, the grace of the Eucharistic liturgy actualizes in
us what the gospel proclaims. It would not be good news simply to hear
the warning of Jesus about the danger of living in illusion. A warning
alone brings more anxiety, not joyful hope. The good news is that today
we may receive the gift of the Spirit who enables us to see what's
really going on with the eyes of Jesus and to respond to that reality
with the courage of Jesus--without illusion and without anxiety.
Campion P. Gavaler, OSB
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http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/lowhome.html
Meeting Christ in the Liturgy
1 Advent
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Isaiah 2. 1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24: 37-44
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today we hear words of warning, a description by Christ of His second
coming on the Final Day. "The Son of Man is coming at the time you
least expect." It is that coming of the Lord for each of us upon which
we meditate in these first weeks of Advent.
The Lord makes clear that the authentic Christian lives with a sense of
urgency. He leaves no doubt in our minds that all of us face the
judgment, and that the day will come, whether sooner or later, when God
will bring the kingdom to its fullness. When that day comes, all will
be caught up in the baptism of the "Holy Spirit and fire," God's power
and glory fully revealed in its awful and terrible splendor. It will be
for each of us like the burning of fire, and like the strongest and
most powerful of windstorms.
On the judgment day the Catechism has this to say:
Since the Ascension Christ's coming in glory has been imminent, (Rev
22:20) even though 'it is not for you to know times or seasons which
the Father has fixed by his own authority.' (Acts 1:7) (CCC 673)
God our just Judge is like the figure of the one
who winnows the wheat, separating the good grain
from the chaff, the part of the grain which is
useless and must be thrown away: His winnowing-fan
is in his hand, he will reward those who have
been faithful. How do we live as faithful Christians?
Through lives continually transformed by the power
of God's mercy, fully granted us in Christ. This
Advent, experience rebirth in the sacrament of
Confession; experience Christ's mercy in its fullest
form this side of Heaven and prepare well for
His coming again. The gift of peace will be yours
at Christmas.
Then Christmas season is truly a time for rejoicing, and lights and
decorations help us to spread that spirit, but if they take the place
of an authentic spiritual preparation we lose the purpose of the
season. Give the central place of importance to Christ by using an
Advent wreath or calendar at home, and by postponing final Christmas
decorating until December 17th, the day on which the Church begins its
meditation and proclamation of the infancy narratives. In this way, we
will better proclaim, and live, the truth which sets us free in the
birth of our Lord on December 24th at midnight.
I look forward to meeting you here again next week as, together, we
"meet Christ in the liturgy," Father Cusick
(Publish with permission.) http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/
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Contact Father at cbonar@cfl.rr.com; information about his book of homilies is available at www.clydebonar.com.
1 Advent
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Isaiah 2: 1-5; Romans 13: 11-14; Matthew 24: 37-44
Introduction
In Ireland, north of Dublin, you'll find Newgrange.
Built 5000 years ago, Newgrange is a burial mound.
It's huge. 280 feet around, 44 feet high. Buried
here are the prehistoric kings of Tara. A passage
leads to the burial chamber in the center of the
mound.
The coffins at Newgrange lie in darkness.
Until the winter solstice. On December 21st, for twenty minutes, the
sun aligns with a "roof-box." Sunlight reaches to the very center of
the burial mound. Light shines on those in darkness.
Dark, Dark All Around Us
Today we begin the season of Advent. We know
Jesus is about to be born. With the birth of Jesus, light will shine on
us, the Light of Christ.
To get ready for the Light of Christ, our
readings tell us to throw off the works of darkness. That we are
surrounded by darkness, there is no doubt. Evil people do evil deeds.
Words in our vocabulary point to darkness. Words like nine-eleven or
road rage.
Attacks on the World Trade Center are fresh in
our memories. We need not recite again those evil acts. But, note how
our way of talking has changed. Nine one one always meant a call for
help. Assistance from the police or the paramedics or the firemen. Now,
we have a dash between the nine and the one one. We say nine-eleven and
we think of terrorists and collapsing buildings. Nine-eleven describes
darkness.
Another darkness, road rage. Aggressive
driving mixed with anger. A rush to beat other drivers. And, road rage
has spilled into the super-marts. We add to our vocabulary the words
"shopping cart rage." Shoppers ramming slower shoppers with their
carts. Impatient to move down the isle. Shopping, no longer a casual
event. Rather, a competition. A bargain to be grabbed, even if ripped
from the hands of another bargain hunter.
Oh, the darkness we live in. Schools too often
in the news. We are afraid when a news story mentions Columbine. We
hope for no more Columbine’s. That no student again has brought
sawed-off shotguns or homemade bombs to the schools where our children
go. Yet this past spring we added Virginia Tech University to the list
of schools where students were shot.
In the darkness we live in, words take on new
meanings. Freedom of choice has become a code word for taking the life
of an unborn child. Fingerprinting reminds us of child abuse or abuse
of our elders, because any person working with our children or our
senior citizens first must be fingerprinted and cleared by the state
police.
How easily we describe the darkness we live
within. Nine- eleven, road rage, Columbine, freedom of choice, child
abuse and elder abuse. Words we'd rather not know have become everyday
words.
"My Name If Love"
But, Christians, take note. Darkness is
strange to us. God dwells at the very center of our being. We're
naturally God-centered. Christians are accustomed to light.
Remember, God made us in his image (Genesis
1:26). And, God is love (1 John 4:8). The Trappist monk Thomas Merton
even said, "Love is my name." Made in the image of God, our true
identity is love, our most basic disposition is to love. Just like God
is love, so are we love.
Recall a baptism. The priest traces a cross on
the baby's forehead, and says, "I claim you for Christ." Reborn in the
waters of baptism, the child "puts on Christ."
Baptism makes us the adopted sons and
daughters of God, temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). At
baptism, we "receive the light of Christ." With God at the center of
our being, we have God the Holy Spirit to guide our lives (Catechism of
the Catholic Church # 1265-1266).
St. Teresa of Avila calls God "His Majesty."1
As St. Teresa writes, His Majesty lives within our souls in an
"Interior Castle." From his interior castle, God calls us to himself.
As we respond to God, His Majesty God unites with our soul in a divine
marriage.
Our soul at one with God, His Majesty inflames
our hearts with a fire of love. From within our souls comes an urge to
imitate Christ, to love God, and to love neighbor.
By how God created us, we Christians are
divine. So noble in the eyes of God, the psalmist calls us "little less
than God" (Psalm 8:6). We're naturally God-centered. As a child of God,
we live in light, not darkness.
"Put On The Lord Jesus Christ"
Our task, to let God dwelling within our souls
to echo through into all of our life. In writing to the Romans, Paul
said, "put on the Lord Jesus Christ." The prophet Isaiah told us to
"walk in the light of the Lord."
Paul gives us three guidelines for putting on
the armor of light. First, Paul writes, avoid "orgies and drunkenness."
The time before Christmas presents a
challenge. Office parties, and parties at home with friends and family.
Very often, the booze flows. Spiked egg-nog or wassail, or just one
more drink before leaving.
But, actually, I think most people do O.K. We
ask, "Who is the designated driver?" And MADD [Mothers Against Drunk
Driving] reminds us, drunk drivers cause accidents. Paul tells us,
enjoy life, but don't let the parties get too wild.
Next, Paul reminds us, proper conduct avoids
promiscuity and lust. Now, we're into the deadly sins.
Long before St. Augustine became a Christian,
he kept a mistress. Augustine called himself "a slave of lust." He
wanted the sexual pleasure, but he also learned that lust leaves a
person very lonely. Lust hunts for a bed partner for the few moments of
fun. Lust is so self-centered. Self-gratification the number one
priority.
I'll always remember one engaged couple. They
told me, in confidence, each came a virgin to their marriage. Good for
them. Through their dating, they had come to enjoy each other as a
person, they had developed a deep and close friendship. Each knew the
other's likes and dislikes, what gave joy and happiness. Already
knowing and enjoying each other, in marriage, love making becomes
another way to express their intimate feelings for each other.
Another counsel from Paul, avoid rivalry and
jealousy. Again, a deadly sin. When you think of it, envy or jealousy
is so silly. The jealous person resents what another person has and
desperately wants that same thing. One talk show guest advised, "Think
of something a friend has that makes you jealous, and go buy it."
A better idea, count your own blessings. Each
one of us, gifted by God with a set of talents. Tom, a star athlete,
leads the football team to victory. Marie, likes music. She has a
beautiful solo voice and is a talented flute player. Two individuals,
two different sets of talents. God gifts us both with a football team
and an orchestra.
Christians never get jealous. Our ponders are:
what gifts has God given to me, what do I enjoy doing, what am I good
at. Then, we praise God for our own unique set of talents. And, we
enjoy others using their skills, their gifts from God.
We are to walk in the light of the Lord, to
put on Jesus Christ, to let God echo from our souls into all of our
lives. Christians are neither drunks nor lusting nor jealousy.
Conclusion
When do we let God echo into our lives? When do
we put on Christ? Right now! Jesus tells us, "Stay
awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord
will come."
It's Advent. We wait in joyful hope for the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ comes, we want God to see
us acting like Christians.
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These
homilies may be copied and adapted for your own use; however, they may
not be
commercially published without permission of the author.
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