Cosmos-Liturgy-Sex

In case you did not get to see it last year, here is a reflection by Msgr. Stuart Swetland on this great feast:

Msgr. Stuart Swetland, S.T.D.

A few years ago there was a TV commercial using the catch phrase “now that’s an epiphany.” In an attempt to sell computer equipment, the advertisers led viewers through various examples in order to define the term. Viewers came away understanding “epiphany” as a sudden realization changing one’s entire world-view. Today Catholics celebrate the Vigil of the Epiphany of the Lord. Ironically, I believe that the ad’s definition catches the essence of this holiday.

The term “epiphany” originates in ancient Greek society. It indicated the visible appearance of a normally invisible, divine being. Early in the life of the Church, the term was adapted by Eastern Christianity to describe the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Although the details of development have been lost to history, other “epiphanies” came to be associated with this feast, including Jesus’ epiphany to Mary, Joseph and the shepherds at His birth, to the Magi at Bethlehem, and to Israel during the wedding feast at Cana.

Christians already celebrated the nativity by the end of the first century, but on various dates depending upon locality. By the early 4th century in the West, it was standardized to December 25th. Today in the Latin Church, the feast of Epiphany emphasizes the visit of the Magi. However, the Christmas liturgical season actually begins with Christmas, continues through Epiphany, and finally ends with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The celebration of this triple epiphany is spread out over several weeks.

This three-part Christmas epiphany manifests the Savior of the world to three distinct groups of people, in perhaps the reverse order that might be expected. In the nativity, God comes as a helpless baby and is made known to the Anawim—the poor, humble, outcast of Israel. The Lord of Lords and King of Kings reveals Himself to Mary and Joseph, who have humbly submitted to God’s will, and to shepherds who were the “unwashed” of Jewish society.

The second manifestation, the feast we celebrate this weekend, is to the Magi. These Gentiles are thought to be of noble birth, probably of the priestly class. While they are neither numbered nor named in the New Testament, Western tradition has them as three and has given them the names of Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. In this epiphany, the prophecy of Isaiah 60:6 is fulfilled. Jesus is manifest to the nations, and the universal inclusiveness of the Kingdom of God is revealed.

The third manifestation, Jesus at His baptism, begins His public ministry to the people of Israel. In John’s Gospel, John the Baptist shows that this epiphany is something special. God’s Beloved Son is the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world (cf. John 1:29-34). With Jesus Christ everything is changed. He is bringing light to a dark world and life where there is death. The world will never be the same again. God so loves us that He gave us His Beloved Son to show us how to live and love.

Today Christians of many nationalities will remember these three “epiphanies” by marking their doorposts with 20+C+M+B+07 using specially blessed chalk. The inscription’s numbers indicate the year, and the letters simultaneously recall the epiphany to the three Magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) and stand for Christus mansionem benedicat (Christ bless this home). You might consider using this tradition to give witness to God’s love for us. In this way our homes become an epiphany to us and to our friends and neighbors.

May the Lord, who has revealed His indescribable love for us, bless you and your homes throughout this year.

Here is the Third Sunday of Easter reflection, the last for this particular series.

You Are Witnesses to These Things

Rev. Msgr. Stuart Swetland, S.T.D.

Third Sunday of Easter, April 30

Acts 3:13-15; Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9; 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48

Today’s Gospel reading begins with two disciples explaining to the rest gathered in the upper room, how in the breaking of the bread, they had recognized the risen Christ who had joined them on their journey to Emmaus. All of the disciples had gone from anguish with Jesus’ death, to amazement and confusion with Mary Magdalene’s announcement that Jesus was alive and with Peter’s and John’s discovery of the empty tomb. Jesus met up with these two as they had walked, though they did not recognize Him. Still unknown to them, Jesus explained to them those Scriptures that had predicted the Messiah must die. However, they did not yet recognize him. It was not until Jesus gave thanks and broke the bread during supper that they realized who he was.

As the disciples in the upper room are listening to this second testimony that Jesus is alive, Jesus appears to them all and announces “Peace be with you.” Peace is a common oriental greeting; however, this peace is God’s shalom. Shalom is something real and substantial; if it is not received it will return to the giver (cf. Mt 10:13). It is shalom the world cannot give because it is real communion with God through the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 14:25-27). Jesus had promised them this peace before he died, and he now confirms in their presence that his promise is fulfilled. The disciples’ response is one of terror; they still do not understand what all of this means. They do not yet receive this peace.

Jesus reassures them by showing them his wounds and by taking and eating some fish, confirming to them he is no ghost. Emotions in the upper room go from sheer terror to unbelievable joy, yet they still do not fully understand. Luke points out that it is not until Jesus opens their minds to the Scriptures that they come to understand. The first step was openness and trust in the Person of Christ. The second step is the reception of God’s grace. The understanding that comes from faith cannot be taken, it must be received as a gift. But this gift of grace ought not to lie fallow. John Paul II explains that faith is one of the few things that increases as you give it away.

St. Luke immediately connects this understanding of faith to the gospel proclamation: that the Christ had to suffer and die so that repentance and the forgiveness of sins might be preached to everyone in the world. The disciples “are the witnesses of these things.” In other words, they are the ones who are to spread this “good news” to everyone. It is not accidental on this Third Sunday of Easter, that the Gospel reading connects the first post-Resurrection Eucharist celebrated with the disciples on their way to Emmaus with the mission of the Church to take the gift of grace she has been given to go and preach to the nations.

We sometimes call our celebration of the Sacrifice of the Mass the Resurrection Feast. Christ’s death and resurrection is what we celebrate during this Easter season in a special way. Now, the term Mass comes from the Latin said at the end of the liturgy, ite missa est for “it is the dismissal.” Scholars find that this phrase was very early on connected to the understanding that the grace we receive through the Sacraments is meant to strengthen us in holiness but also such that we might be strengthened to go out and share the truth of the gospel with those in the world. Thus when they heard “dismissal,” these Latin speaking Christians heard not so much that the Mass was ended but the charge of a mission. We all are sent forth to give witness by word and deed.

This Sunday at Mass, remember that we are being given the grace to open our minds so as to understand the meaning and reality of the “good news.” We ought to take this grace with us, go out into the world, and bear witness to this truth. After all, we “are witnesses to these things”!

The Eleventh Beatitude

Second Sunday of Easter, April 23

Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31

There are more than eight beatitudes. In fact, Jesus gives at least ten during his public ministry. There are the traditional eight beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5: 1-12). Then there is the beatitude that Jesus gives when he teaches the crowd what it means to be part of his family: “Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.” (Luke 11:28). Jesus’ admonition on watchfulness is the tenth beatitude: “Blessed are these servants whom the Lord when he comes shall find watching” (Luke 12:37).

Today, the Resurrected Lord gives witness to the continuity between his earthly ministry and his resurrected life when he pronounces another beatitude: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29). What Jesus is teaching the disciples, and through them, all of us, is that a real, living experience of the power of the Resurrected Lord is available to all who would “see” with the eyes of faith.

During Holy Week, Fr. Johndamaseni Zilimu, a Tanzanian priest studying at the University of Illinois, made an important distinction that to him was much clearer in our English language than in his native Swahili. I am referring to the distinction between “of” and “to” in these statements: “The disciples were witnesses of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.” And “The disciples became witnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.” Fr. Johndamaseni’s point is that being a witness of something is to be able to report that it has happened, but being a witness to something (in this case to someone!) is quite different. It means being able to convey its meaning because one has a lived experience of the essence and reality of the event.

The disciples were witness of Jesus who became witnesses to Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. We, who were not witnesses of Jesus’ public life, are called though to be witnesses to his life, death, and resurrection. This is possible by our lived experience of the power of the Resurrected Lord in our own hearts, minds, and lives.

This genuine encounter with the Risen Lord does for us what it did for the early Church. Through our relationship with him fear is overcome, peace is experienced, genuine community is formed, and we are set forth on a mission. With fear overcome and out of a strong and powerful communion, we are able to carry on the mission of Jesus to reveal to the world the merciful love of the Father.

Luke, today in the Acts of the Apostles, describes how this was indeed the life of the earliest Christian community (cf. Acts 4:32-35). This passage should also describe our Christian community today: a people of one mind and heart in the Lord, serving the common good especially those most in need (cf. Acts 4:32).

If we live this new “way”, this new life in Christ, we will become as individuals and as a community, witnesses to the Resurrected Lord. As the old gospel hymn reminds us: “He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.” In other words, people will know that Jesus is alive by our communal and individual witness to that power at work in our lives. People will indeed know Him by our love.

Late as usual, but since we are still in the octave, liturgically this is still the celebration of Easter Sunday. Here is Msgr. Swetland’s reflection on the Easter Sunday readings:

Jesus Christ is Risen; He is Truly Risen!

Easter Sunday, April 16

Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9

Two short weeks ago we celebrated the first anniversary of the death of our beloved Pope, John Paul II. Five years before his death, during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land for the Jubilee year, Pope John Paul said Mass at Our Lord’s tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and proclaimed these words: “Jesus Christ is risen! He is truly risen!” This is the Easter gospel.

I recently returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where I too was privileged to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass in the enclosed space that surrounds the Tomb. Inside this tiny enclosure, there is an altar set up directly over the spot where Jesus’ body was laid. It is an awesome experience to celebrate Mass, the Resurrection feast, at the very physical location that saw Jesus rise from the dead.

Our reading from John’s Gospel recounts the discovery by Mary Magdalene, and subsequently, by Peter and the Beloved Disciple, that Jesus’ tomb was empty. The state of the empty tomb was such that it had a profound effect on St. John, the Beloved Disciple. John reports that upon viewing the arrangement of the burial cloths, he saw and believed. Scholars differ on exactly what the Greek text suggests about their arrangement, but it is clear from the context that when the Beloved Disciple saw them, he believed that Jesus had risen from the dead.

Jesus’ resurrection is the fundamental truth of the Christian faith. St. Paul says that if Jesus has not been raised, then our faith is in vain; we are the most pitiable of all men (1 Cor 15:16-19). While John came to believe in this truth from the empty tomb, the other disciples required additional proof. Except for Thomas, they saw Him in the locked upper room. Thomas even demanded to see and touch Jesus in the resurrected flesh before he would believe.

Eventually, the early Church did come to understand and believe in the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. The Easter event is proof that what He promised has indeed come true. The resurrection reveals His victory over Satan, over sin and over death, the ancient enemies of mankind. Through the Cross and Resurrection, we are made whole. The first disciples and other early Christians were so convinced of this truth that they risked death in order to witness this Good News to the rest of the world. Many of them willingly embraced suffering and martyrdom in this cause.

Today, we do not have the physical evidence of Jesus’ resurrection that He made available to the Apostles, but we do have the unbroken succession of professing Christians who for 2000 years have born witness, some in their blood, to this astonishing truth. God became Man, died, and rose from the dead in order to rescue mankind from the eternal death ushered into the world with sin. Christ died for our sins and was raised for our justification.

We stand here, two millennia later, taking our places in this unbroken line of witnesses. We too have died with Him and have been raised with Him through baptism (cf. Col 3:1-4). We share in His victory as we recommit ourselves to Him today in the renewal of our baptismal promises. This Easter Sunday, we contemplate this awesome truth for ourselves and proclaim it from the housetops. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

But I am a worm, hardly human, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me: “You relied on the LORD–let him deliver you; if he loves you, let him rescue you.” Yet you drew me forth from the womb, made me safe at my mother’s breast. Upon you I was thrust from the womb; since birth you are my God. Do not stay far from me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help. Source

Lent is coming up next week and so priests, religious, catechists, just about everyone is busily searching the internet for ideas for Lenten reflections. Msgr. was one of those and was kind enough to share with me the fruits of his search for Lenten reflections on reconciliation.

Well, thanks to the IHM Sisters (if I were to guess I would put my money on the bet that they are having trouble with vocations right now) we find that even after 2000 years we still have not managed to squeeze pantheism out of the thinking of some who call themselves Catholic. Here is a little snippet from their Lenten reflection on reconciliation:

As we are experiencing the impact of the universe story, we feel that something is missing in a sense of reconciliation that excludes the beloved community of life that is other than human. Recently, the members of the Earth Charter Committee decided to place a representative symbol of this community in their prayer corners.

“Universe story”, “Earth Charter Committee”, “community other than human”? This is not sounding good. My hair is starting to bristle already. If I were Shelray, apoplexy would already be setting in (but I have a little calmer disposition).

It is amazing how the presence of a giraffe, a turtle or a frog next to a candle or icon helps bring a deeper consciousness to our prayer.

Yea, but I am not exactly sure what it would be a deeper consciousness of (I tend to let my prepositions dangle when I fight off nausea). I am thinking here maybe the zoo or the cow pond. I don’t recall St. Paul admonishing any Christians to go to the local pound looking for reconciliation.

God is in us and in all. If we are polluting or wasting water, if we help destroy needed habitats by our demands for particular products, if we carelessly dispose of recyclable materials, our relationship to the earth community needs healing. Reconciliation lies in the recognition of the way things really are. Genuine reconciliation is based on the truths that God is in us and in all, working in all. We are bonded to and interdependent with all that is. When we live, respecting these truths, we are reconciled.

Ohhhh, those unpaid bills of the Church. It is true that there is a real connection of man with creation. We are stewards of God’s creation and we must manage and respect it as coming from God. However, it is rank heresy to imply some sort of consciousness to it (which is what I take from non-human community…I hope I am wrong).

Furthermore, the “God is in us and in all” comment seems to reflect a serious lack of appreciation here between God’s immanent presence which is the halmark of pantheism, and Christian truth in which God is transcendent in His nature but omnipresent in His power and in His offer of a close relationship to man.

I am sure the IHM Sisters are very nice and sincere religious. I just wish that they would stay within the bounds of Christianity in their theology (or at least be a little more careful about what they put on the internet).

I should have posted this Saturday, but I forgot. Any way, since today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the last day of the Christmas season, I thought it still appropriate.

Now That’s an Epiphany

Msgr. Stuart Swetland, S.T.D.

A few years ago there was a TV commercial using the catch phrase “now that’s an epiphany.” In an attempt to sell computer equipment, the advertisers led viewers through various examples in order to define the term. Viewers came away understanding “epiphany” as a sudden realization changing one’s entire world-view. Today Catholics celebrate the Vigil of the Epiphany of the Lord. Ironically, I believe that the ad’s definition catches the essence of this holiday.

The term “epiphany” originates in ancient Greek society. It indicated the visible appearance of a normally invisible, divine being. Early in the life of the Church, the term was adapted by Eastern Christianity to describe the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Although the details of development have been lost to history, other “epiphanies” came to be associated with this feast, including Jesus’ epiphany to Mary, Joseph and the shepherds at His birth, to the Magi at Bethlehem, and to Israel during the wedding feast at Cana.

Christians already celebrated the nativity by the end of the first century, but on various dates depending upon locality. By the early 4th century in the West, it was standardized to December 25th. Today in the Latin Church, the feast of Epiphany emphasizes the visit of the Magi. However, the Christmas liturgical season actually begins with Christmas, continues through Epiphany, and finally ends with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The celebration of this triple epiphany is spread out over several weeks.

This three-part Christmas epiphany manifests the Savior of the world to three distinct groups of people, in perhaps the reverse order that might be expected. In the nativity, God comes as a helpless baby and is made known to the Anawim—the poor, humble, outcast of Israel. The Lord of Lords and King of Kings reveals Himself to Mary and Joseph, who have humbly submitted to God’s will, and to shepherds who were the “unwashed” of Jewish society.

The second manifestation, the feast we celebrate this weekend, is to the Magi. These Gentiles are thought to be of noble birth, probably of the priestly class. While they are neither numbered nor named in the New Testament, Western tradition has them as three and has given them the names of Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. In this epiphany, the prophecy of Isaiah 60:6 is fulfilled. Jesus is manifest to the nations, and the universal inclusiveness of the Kingdom of God is revealed.

The third manifestation, Jesus at His baptism, begins His public ministry to the people of Israel. In John’s Gospel, John the Baptist shows that this epiphany is something special. God’s Beloved Son is the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world (cf. John 1:29-34). With Jesus Christ everything is changed. He is bringing light to a dark world and life where there is death. The world will never be the same again. God so loves us that He gave us His Beloved Son to show us how to live and love.

Today Christians of many nationalities will remember these three “epiphanies” by marking their doorposts with 20+C+M+B+06 using specially blessed chalk. The inscription’s numbers indicate the year, and the letters simultaneously recall the epiphany to the three Magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) and stand for Christus mansionem benedicat (Christ bless this home). You might consider using this tradition to give witness to God’s love for us. In this way our homes become an epiphany to us and to our friends and neighbors.

May the Lord, who has revealed His indescribable love for us, bless you and your homes throughout this year.

On this feast day of St. Stephen, I am reminded that the life of a Christian is spell out so very profoundly in Acts 7:54 – 60. Our mission is to pray for and to serve one another as well as God. St. Stephen with his last breath professed this servitude to his Christian brothers and sisters by praying that his own murders would not be held accountable for his death. He did not strike out, or curse them. He simply prayed for deliverance and forgiveness for those that did not understand the message of Christ Our Lord. And then he gazed up into heaven, and asked to go home. “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” St. Stephen did not act this way out of courage or bravery, but in response to the graces given him by our Lord Jesus. He responded to his persecution with Christian charity, the virtue born out of love for neighbor above self. St. Stephen pray for us that we may follow your example of love of neighbor and look longingly to be brought home at the end of our work here on earth.

 Peace & Prayers,

 CLS

Here is the last biblical reflection for Advent.

By Msgr. Stuart Swetland

Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 18

Second Samuel 7:1-5, 8-11, 16; Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

The Liturgy of the Word during Advent provides us a cast of characters who help prepare us for our celebration of the Christmas season. All have a role to play as each is proverbially brought on stage and then they exit to be replaced by another. We have seen the prophets Isaiah and John the Baptist play leading roles in this year’s Advent pageant.

Now as Christmas is upon us (six more shopping days!), the Church reveals the central Advent figure for our consideration, Mary of Nazareth. When John Paul II commented on the moving account of the Annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel in Mexico City in 1979, he reminded us that the Second Vatican Council held Mary out as a “model of faith.” As the “first Christian,” that is the first and best example of her Son, Mary is for us the model of Christian discipleship. Rather than emphasizing her uniqueness and special gifts, this approach allows us to see Mary in solidarity with us as the Mother of all Christians.

As such, we wish to imitate her faithfulness. The first thing we notice about her faith is that it was an open and searching faith. Mary was searching for God’s will in her life. When artists depict the Annunciation they usually place Mary in prayer when Gabriel appears. She was prayerfully looking to do God’s will.

The second attribute of Mary’s faithfulness was her “fiat.” Mary accepted God’s will when it became known to her. She said yes—“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Her faith was an accepting faith.

Mary’s faith was also consistent. She did not just say “yes” with her lips, she said yes with her life. She was willing not only, as the saying goes, to “talk the talk,” she was willing to “walk the walk.” Her faith was consistent.

Not only was Mary’s faith consistent, it was also constant. Her faith was not sometimes yes and sometimes no, but rather a constant yes to God. This is most poignantly seen in what John Paul II calls her second (and greatest) “fiat”—the fiat at the foot of the Cross. Here, Mary knowing full well that her Son was the Messiah, the long hoped Savior of Israel, saw Him dying naked and nailed to a tree, cruelly suffering at the hands of the Romans. But even here, when her faith must surely have been tempted, she said yes to God. Her suffering with her Son adds her fiat to Jesus’ prayer that “not my will but Thy will be done,” demonstrating Mary’s constant faithfulness throughout her life.

Like Mary, we are called to a faithfulness that is open and searching for God’s will. We too are called to accept His will once it is made known to us. Our faith must be both consistent and constant. Our yes to God must mean yes and we must live it each and every day of our lives.

As we enter the final week of preparation for Christmas, we are wrapping up our final, frantic efforts to make this Christmas wonderful for our friends and families. We know, as the slogan goes, that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” Our gift to Him this season, all He would want from us, in our faith, hope and love. In union with and in imitation of Mary, this Christmas let us give Jesus a faith that is open, searching, accepting, consistent and constant as we give the gift of self unto our Lord, the newborn King.

O.k., it is a day late but still worth posting I think.

By Msgr. Stuart Swetland

“Again I Say, Rejoice!”

Third Sunday of Advent, December 11

Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11; Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54 (Responsorial Psalm); 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28

The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is Latin for the imperative—Rejoice! This comes from the Third Sunday’s entrance antiphon: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near” (Phil 4:4-5). It is emphasized in the second reading when Paul says Thessalonica: “Rejoice always.” Advent is a period of personal and communal preparation. Part of our preparation is taking into account our sinfulness and need for conversion. For some Christians the sorrow we experience for our sinfulness can lead to habitual somberness. Added to this, others mistakenly associate joy with the joviality expressed by those surrendering to illicit pleasures. Too often then, many Christians will confuse a gloomy attitude for piety. St. Teresa of Avila would chide her sour-faced companions, Lord deliver me from these joyless saints.

In fact, Christianity should be synonymous with joyfulness. Gaudete Sunday is given as a short pause during Advent’s preparation in order to recall the joy for which we prepare and which before the first Christmas, all creation had awaited. Perhaps another part of the problem is that in English “joy” and “happiness” are often used interchangeably. But “happiness” is much more an emotional reality, something that comes and goes and depends on circumstances. It gives itself away in its etymology. Happiness comes from the term hap, which means, “chance.” Happiness depends on the ebb and flow of the tides of life—what happens to us.

Joy is something much deeper. It is not the same as the superficial “don’t worry, be happy” attitude of a Caribbean rum commercial. In fact, it is easy to miss the depth and complexity of the concept of Christian joy that we are called to both celebrate and cultivate. This is one reason we celebrate three Sundays dedicated to various aspects of joy. The first of these Sundays is Gaudete Sunday, the next is the fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday) and the last is the fourth Sunday of Easter (Jubilate Sunday).

Each of these celebrations focuses on a distinct dimension of joy. Considered together, the joy of anticipation (Gaudete Sunday anticipating the celebration of Christmas), the joy of rest and refreshment (Laetare Sunday seen as a respite in the middle of Lent), and the joy of completion/achievement (Jubilate Sunday celebrating the victory of Jesus over sin, Satan and death) begin to encompass the sublime concept of Christian joy.

But even more important than celebrations, these aspects of joy are meant to be present in each Christian’s daily life. Every Sunday (in fact, every Mass) is a celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord. There should be an underlying current of joy in our lives even amidst pain and sadness. Each dimension ought to be present – the joy of expectation and anticipation as we long and work for a more perfect union with God and each other; the joy of rest and relaxation, especially in a daily time of prayer and meditation, play and friendship; and the joy of completion and achievement as we celebrate with each other what God has accomplished for us and through us for the world.

But how does one become joyful? Ultimately I believe that joy is a gift from God. It flows from love. As St. John of the Cross wrote, “the soul of one who loves God always swims in joy, always keeps holiday, and is always in the mood for singing.” Perhaps this kind of joy could even be contagious. Love leading to joy, joy leading to more love. Now that would be a cause for singing.

An article by Msgr. Stuart Swetland:

Second Sunday of Advent, December 4

Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Psalm 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8

The readings for the second week of Advent all reflect prophecy. The first comes from the Old Testament, what scholars today refer to as Second-Isaiah. Isaiah chapters 40-55 are referred to as the Book of Comfort. For the first thirty-nine chapters, the author told the kingdom of Judah (the southern kingdom) that it was about to undergo God’s judgment for having betrayed the Covenant. Among those ills that would befall them was the destruction of Jerusalem and exile into a foreign land. The Book of Comfort is directed to the decedents of the rebellious generation addressed in the first 39 chapters. Appropriately, the book starts out then with the command, “comfort, comfort my people.”

In the Old Testament, divine comfort is true consolation of the heart, a divine strengthening of the human spirit, which can come only from God. Yahweh is God over His Covenant family and it is He who corrects but also comforts them. Yet, in the Old Testament, God never directly comforts His people. Comfort is always mediated through a prophet. And so Isaiah prophesies to Judah that God will allow the Gentiles to humiliate them and when this humiliation has achieved its purpose, Judah’s repentance, He will restore them.

Thus Isaiah calls Judah back to authentically living their Covenant with God. Prophets are not so much people who predict the future as much as those who call the people to return to God and His ways. This is why the Hebrew word shûb (return) is the quintessential prophetic word.

The view of prophets as predicting the future is perhaps reinforced by both of our first two readings. But the real prophetic message here is that God is coming to shepherd His people. God most often sends His prophets when His Covenant family, including their leaders, has violated the Covenant and fallen into unfaithful behavior. While seldom welcomed, these prophets announce the good news that God will always be faithful even if men are not and that we must only turn back and return to Him.

Our reading from Mark’s Gospel cites the passage from Isaiah, combining other Old Testament references, to reveal that John the Baptist is the most important prophet. He is the messenger who is coming to proclaim the advent of the long hoped for Messiah. John the Baptist is proclaiming God’s comfort to those who recognize their sinfulness, repent, and return to Him. He tells of a new Covenant that is coming in the person of the Messiah. Unlike the Old Testament, New Covenant comfort will come directly from “God with us.” Jesus will later show that He Himself is the Comforter sent by the Father and when He is taken up, He will send another Comforter, the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 14:16).

This is the Advent message. We have a Comforter-God who offers us a relationship of true consolation of heart and soul. Through repentance and Baptism we receive grace and the peace that only God can give. We are called to continually recognize anew the Baptist’s message of repentance; we must ever prepare the way for the Lord in our hearts and souls, making a pathway for our God. Not only will this make us ready to receive Him when He comes to us in Holy Communion and at our deaths, but it allows us to become prophets like-unto Isaiah and John the Baptist. By our very lives, we can then bear witness to the truth by pointing to Truth Himself and saying Behold the Comforter—Here is your God! He comes to save. Return to Him and find peace.

Here is a good article that most might not otherwise see, by Msgr. Stuart Swetland:

During the semester, I regularly meet with the student leaders at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. One of the things we discuss at each session is the attributes and requirements of authentic leadership. We look at various aspects of leadership like authority, responsibility, and accountability. One thing that our reflections routinely reveal about Christian leadership is the need for humility and the desire to serve.

Jesus teaches His disciples that their leadership must be different from that of the Roman Empire:

You know how among the Gentiles those who seem to exercise authority lord it over them; their great ones make their authority felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you must serve the needs of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mk 10:42-45).

In Matthew’s version of this teaching, Jesus also says: “whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:12).

But what does it mean to be humble? Humility is a virtue, and like almost every virtue it stands as a golden mean between two extremes, both of which are vices. To have too little humility is the vice of pride–the belief that I do not need God, that I am good enough as I am, that others should bend to me and my will. Pride has an exaggerated view of oneself or one’s accomplishments. To have too much humility is to fall into the vice of false humility–to hold the mistaken view that I am worthless, of no real value, unable to accomplish or be anything.

Humility stands between the vices of pride and false humility. As St. Theresa of Avila says, “humility is truth.” Against pride’s lie, humble persons correctly acknowledge their sinfulness and their need for God. They recognize that all their opportunities and talents, that even their very lives are gifts from God. As Paul writes, “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” (Rom 3:23), and according to John, “If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar” (1 Jn 1:10). Humble people recognize their need for repentance, forgiveness, and healing. Humble people know the truth that without God they can do nothing (cf. Jn 15:5).

But over against the vice of false humility, the humble also know that they are not worthless, that they have been created in the image and of likeness of God, that they are unique and of infinite worth, capable of becoming like unto God by becoming like unto Christ (cf. Gal 2:20). Emphasis on this truth helped make the self-esteem movement very popular a few decades ago. We needed to hear that each of us and all of us have an inestimable worth.

Humility unmasks the superficiality of the “I’m ok, you’re ok” mentality. Deep down, each of us knows we are not entirely ok. We are all sinners in need of salvation. Jesus cannot be our Lord and Savior unless we recognize that we need to be saved. So I know I’m not ok (and you’re not ok), but that’s ok because Jesus has come to heal us, restore us, and set us free.

Moreover, even if you and I were indeed ok, that would not be ok, because God wants more for us than that. In fact he is pretty emphatic about this: “I know your deeds. I know you are neither hot nor cold. How I wish you were one or the other - hot or cold! But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth!” (Rev 3:15-16).

Jesus does not call us to be simply ok, He calls us to greatness, to perfection (cf. Mt 5:48). No one in heaven is just ok. One of the things that makes heaven heavenly is that everyone in heaven is perfected. There are only saints in heaven. God wishes to perfect and exalt us. This begins when we humbly accept our need for His transforming power of healing and restoration.

We are up in the northern Chicago suburbs today visiting my brother and his wife. We went up to Milwaukee today to see the Basilica of St. Josaphat and Gesu church at Marquette. While either was easily worth the trip, the Basilica is especially remarkable. The faith and sacrifice of those humble souls who built that Church is inspiring. That leads me to today’s thought. This morning we went to Mass at the convent of the Handmaids of the Precious Blood, a semi-cloistered order whose charism is continual prayer for our priests. Well it was the first reading from Romans in the context of the sisters’ charism that got me ta think’n again. This was the passage in which Paul talks about the depth of Abraham’s faith. Hoping against hope is very apropos for describing Abraham’s situation and perhaps a lesson for some situations today. Abraham, who with Sarah was quite advanced in age, had no earthly chance of having children. However, since this was promised by the God who Paul reminds the Romans creates out of nothing, Abraham believed.

However, there is more to the story. Most of us can identify with the all too human experience of Abraham and Sarah. After a time, the exhilarating experience of hearing God’s promise began to subside and doubt crept in. They began to think that maybe God actually might need some help in living up to his promise, so Sarah gave her handmaid, Hagar, to Abraham as a concubine to kind of help God, the Creator of the universe, out. We all know the rest of the story. Ishmael, the wild ass of a man, became the father of the mortal enemies of Israel. The moral of the story, pragmatism must not be used to justify contravening God and His laws.

I think that often times we suffer from the same kind of thinking in our day. The call for married men and women as priests to “solve” the priest crisis is just one example (even though as the Synod intervention correctly asserted—the priest shortage is a symptom of a larger problem that needs to be addressed—the widespread lukewarm faith of too many Catholics).

It seems to me that our focus must be on Christ who has sent the Holy Spirit to guide His Church. All that is needed is our faithfulness (and yes of course, our hard work). But God does not need our help to fix things by trying to overturn solid discipline or infallible teachings. Prayer, holiness, fidelity to the authority of the Church, and work to reenergize the faith are the parts we should be playing. That and hoping against hope.

No, I am not so bold as to propose that I personally know the mind of Christ. However, in the second reading for tomorrow’s Mass (Phil 2:1-11), St. Paul gives us the mind of Christ in a very important way. I think that this text reveals in a very profound way what John Paul the Great has called the “Law of the Gift.” This law is the fundamental orientation of Christ’s mind. St. Paul writes (I am using the RSV instead of the NAB which most U.S. Catholics will hear in Mass because it is a generally better translation and I do not want to incur the wrath of the USCCB lawyers):   

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We must have one mind with Christ. The sense of the Greek is that this oneness is more than intellectual but a complete agreement of the entire person. In order to share Christ’s mind, we must recognize that we cannot be inward turned but we must be oriented as was Christ, to give ourselves to others. This self gift is what we were created for. Christ, though He was God, emptied Himself to become Man and then humbled Himself even further in order to serve us by emptying Himself completely on the Cross; sparing not even the last drop of His most Precious Blood. In this He revealed Trinitarian Love; the total emptying of the Father by giving Himself completely to the Son. The Son then received the Father and returned Himself completely to the Father. The result of this total Self-Gift of Father to Son and Son to Father, the Love that binds Them, is fruitful. It is a Third Person—the Holy Spirit. Because we are made in the image of a Trinitarian God, we are made to give ourselves totally to God and to others. Jesus demonstrated this truth, par excellence, on the Cross.

St. Paul puts this in terms which we often cringe from—obedience. We are obedient when we act in a manner for which we were created. We are disobedient, we rebel against our natures and therefore against God by choosing to act in a contrary manner. This very act is the cause of our separation from God; whether explicitly or not, it is what we choose. When this act is grave, we completely cut ourselves off from divine life. We must recognize this . . . and it should be frightening—though fear should not be our primary motivation for giving ourselves or loving God. After all, we have complete freedom, which is a necessary precondition for a total gift of self. This freedom means that God wants us to choose but He will not force us. It is God’s will that all men be saved; but there is one way that we are stronger, in a sense, than God. That is, He will not force unity with Him upon us if we choose to live for ourselves and not for Him. By our very wills, disordered though this may be, we can thwart His will for our salvation. However, when we see that this total obedience, this total gift of self is the mind of Christ, and the love with which He manifests it, how can we choose anything else?

The title to this song by John Michael Montgomery (though I recall that some pop group subsequently recorded it) came to mind today during the homily for the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Monsignor was very animated; he actually slapped the podium a couple of times at the end asking if we ever knew that God “loves us like that.” He made an interesting point. This feast does give us the opportunity to celebrate the Cross’s triumph in a way that we simply cannot during Lent and especially on Good Friday. Regardless of the season, it is important to remember that the Cross is all about love. 

You know all the hullabaloo (errr . . . maybe that sounds a little too aggie??) about The Passion of the Christ reminded me of St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 1:23). The Cross is a scandal and folly to the world. Only to Christians is this sign of defeat and humiliation turned on its head. Only in Christ can death be turned to life. It certainly is a sign of contradiction. Death has turned into life because of Love. Love is more stern than death (Sg 8:6). Can you even imagine love like that? To die for us in such a horrible, humiliating, unimaginable way, while we were yet sinners (Rom 5:8). It is frightening; it is a love that makes demands. We cannot bear to think of it. No wonder those, even professed Christian scholars, who are so attached to the world cannot bear to hear about this kind of love. It is a love stronger than even our love for ourselves.

Why the Cross though? There are many reasons I suppose. However, this instrument of torture, par excellence, is perhaps the most fitting way for the Son to reveal the Father’s love. Trinitarian love is the total gift of Self. Jesus has to visibly reveal this love to us because we will not listen when we are simply told about it. What can He give to the Father other than everything that the Father has given Him. He has already done this in the eternal processions, now He must do it in His human nature. He can give His life, but that is not enough. He can give his obedience, but that is not enough. He must pour out every last ounce of himself for all to see, for love of the Father and so for love of us. The Cross drains Him of Himself one agonizing drop at a time. As His Precious Blood drips to the ground and He responds with “Father, forgive them . . . “ only then can we understand what it means to love. Only then do we truly understand who we are. We are called to love Him like that and so love each other like that. Could we sing the title of that song?

This is the reason when the world sees a crucifix they see death; when a Christian sees it, he sees life, love, and Triumph!

As it usually happens, every time I think I have come up with an insightful thought I find that it was most likely an unconscious recollection of something I had read. Karol Wojtyła wrote much the same thing as I recently commented in a thread a few days ago (see Mass Confusion below). I found it was in some notes I had taken as I was preparing to write my dissertation. In Love and Responsibility he writes:   

Every human being is by nature a sexual being, and belongs from birth to one of the two sexes. This fact is not contradicted by the phenomenon of so-called hermaphroditism – any more than any other sickness or deformity militates against the fact that there is such a thing as human nature and that every human being, even the deformed or sick human being, has the same nature and is a human being precisely because of it. In the same way every human being is a sexual being, and membership of one of the two sexes means that a person’s whole existence has a particular orientation which shows itself in his or her actual internal development (Love and Responsibility, 47).

To treat anyone differently than a human man or a human woman (and these are not interchangeable based upon the desire of the person) is to treat that person as less than human. It makes no sense to follow the current scientific theories about human personhood when they conflict with Church teaching because science admittedly reduces the human person to biological phenomena. They have not the competence then to make proclamations about the whole human person because they neglect his spiritual reality. Anytime you have a choice between having something explained to you by someone who sees the whole picture or just a part of it, pick the former. In the case of the human person, lives and spiritual wellbeing could depend upon it.

Well I suppose it is time to pack up the computer for the trip west on Tuesday. Tomorrow morning we will pick up the 26 foot truck, find a place to put it here and load it up for the drive to Dayton on Tuesday, and then on the Champaign on Wednesday. There is supposed to be a break in the heat and humidity for a few days, just in time for the move. Thank you Jesus! This is especially welcome since our car’s air conditioner decided to die yesterday. Ah well, it still runs.

We met Ken for Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Fr. Andrew Fisher celebrated Mass. His is a very young, very solid priest. If you watch Masses from the Shrine on EWTN, he is usually the master of ceremonies who is running around directing everything in a cassock and surplice. Any way, he was instrumental in the conversion/reversion of some good friends of ours whom we were stationed with at Yokota Air Base outside of Tokyo, Japan in the mid 80s. I will miss the Shrine. Any way, back to Ken. As usual, when we get together we discuss just about every topic under the sun with respect to theology and the interior life. Today we discussed his former denomination, the Society of the Good Shepherd which eventually became the Charismatic Episcopal Church, the rise and fall of the Christian Reconstruction movement (the Tylerites), and the need for more than just an intellectual appropriation of the faith for a healthy faith.

One topic which is always close to my heart when discussing spiritual maturity is Cardinal Raphael Merry del Val’s Litany of Humility. I keep a copy of it near my computer. I suspect that most, if not all of us, are afflicted with some form of pride: egoism, prideful shyness, false humility, etc. The Litany prays for it all. Humility is not self-loathing, being a door mat, and it is especially not denying the natural gifts which God has given us. Rather, it seems to me that authentic humility is simply another aspect of the law of the gift. It is nothing other than recognizing that we truly fulfill ourselves by choosing to live out a Trinitarian/Christ-like love. Humility realizes that we are not truly fulfilled by self-accomplishments, by the praise of others, or by the acceptance of others. We are truly fulfilled only when we live for God and totally give ourselves to Him and to others for love of Him. Jesus was the greatest example of true humility. He recognized His kingship as one of service rather than power . . . “Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass” (Matt 21:5). This Kingship was won with His total gift of Himself on the Cross in service to man.

For those not familiar with the Litany, I am providing the text below because it is not only a great prayer to pray, it is also very instructive and insightful.

Litany of Humility

Cardinal Raphael Merry del Val (1865-1930)

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me.

From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, Lord Jesus.

From the desire of being honored,

From the desire of being praised,

From the desire of being preferred before others,

From the desire of being consulted,

From the desire of being approved,

From the desire of being highly regarded,

From the fear of being humiliated,

From the fear of being rebuked,

From the fear of being forgotten,

From the fear of being wronged,

From the fear of being suspected,

That others may be loved more than I,

Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.

That in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I decrease,

That others may be chosen and I passed over,

That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,

That others should be preferred before me in everything,

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should.

I will be posting again soon. In the meantime, keep checking back to see what Chris, John and maybe even Hiérothée have to say.