Advent Reconciliation Service - St James Catholic Church - Tupelo Mississippi - Tuesday - December 2 - 6:30 pm

Gospel - 

Matthew 4:12-17

      When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.  He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.”^j From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

      We come today at the beginning of our Advent journey.  As we mentioned this past Sunday on the first Sunday of this holy season, our journey through Advent is one of hope and joy.  So why would be need to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

       This is a holy season of holy renewal, and as a part of that renewal, as a part of the on-going process of reconciliation we are called to, we are asked to reflect upon those times we have missed the mark, upon those times we’ve marred our relationship with God and our relationship with our brothers and sisters.   Jesus calls out to us in the Gospel today – “Repent – the kingdom of God is at hand.”   We heed that call to repentance.  We are at start of our Advent journey.   Many in our world are caught up in Christmas already – in shopping and celebrations and feasts. Christmas decorations are everywhere in the streets and in the stores – the celebration has already begun. Yet we sing at our Eucharistic celebrations during this holy season of Advent – O come, O come Emmanuel.  We prepare.  We wait.  And through the sacrament of reconciliation tonight, we cleanse ourselves and receive healing from God as we start our Advent journey with Jesus.

       El tiempo de adviento es un tiempo sagrado de preparación y de espera. En nuestro mundo, ya hay las fiestas y las celebraciones, las compras y la comida.  Pero, para nosotros, los seguidores de Cristo, estamos en otro camino.  No es un tiempo de penitencia y tristeza – hay un sentido de alegría y esperanza en nuestra preparación.  Y sacramento de reconciliación es una parte importante en nuestras preparaciones.  Gracias por su presencia con nosotros esta noche.   El sacramento de reconciliación es aquí para nosotros para curarnos y sanarnos – es una manera muy buena para preparar por la llegada de Cristo en el mundo.

12/6/2014 – The feast of St Nicholas – Luke 10:1-9

     Today, it is with great joy that I am with all of you up here at St Thomas in Saltillo to celebrate the vigil of the feast of St Nicholas.   We know that St Nicholas was the inspiration for the figure of Santa Claus in our modern celebrations of the Christmas season.   But who exactly was St Nicholas?   He was born in the small village of Patara on the southern coast of Turkey. Nicholas was born to a wealthy family and was raised as a Christian, but his parents died from an epidemic while he was young.   He inherited quite a large inheritance, but walking in the footsteps of those humble disciples who were sent out to be missionaries in today’s Gospel, Nicholas used his whole inheritance to help the sick and the poor.  He became well-known in his native land for his generosity, for his love for children, and his dedication to sailors and those who made their livelihood from the sea.  He became a bishop in the city of Myra when he was still a young man.  During the time he was bishop, the Roman Emperor Diocletian ushered in the era of the worst persecution of Christian in the early centuries of Christianity.  Nicholas was exiled and sent to prison with many other bishops, priests, and deacons.  After his release from prison, he became an influential attendee of the Council of Nicea in the year 325. In fact, legend has it is that he was so impassioned in the discussion that took place at that council that he got into a fistfight with someone.  He died on December 6 in 346.   

       We know that many different legends and stories have been told about St Nicholas, that he has become this iconic symbol of Christmas.  However, for us Christians, he is a great example for us during the Advent season, of how he became a protector of the poor and a helper of those in need.  I want to thank all of you here in the Saltillo community for gathering together this evening in the busy Advent season, to celebrate the spirit of the Advent season as we prepare the way for the Lord’s birth at Christmas time.  In the Eucharist we share as a community of faith, in the food and fellowship and friendship we share tonight, let the spirit of St Nicholas live amongst us. 

12/4/2014 – Wednesday of the first week of Advent – Isaiah 25:6-10A

       Today’s reading from Isaiah is a reading that we often use in our funeral liturgies.  Isaiah was speaking to a people in exile who had seen their Temple destroyed.  They had hoped to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild their lives, their Temple, and their nation.  Isaiah gave them a vision of hope – a vision of a great banquet that God would prepare for them.  Isaiah tells them that God will wipe away the tears from their faces, that God will console us and be there for us.  We are also to hope as we journey during this holy season of Advent – the hope that the birth of Christ brings to our lives.

      Today, during this first week in Advent, we celebrate the feast day of St Francis Xavier, one of our Church’s great missionaries and one of the founding members of the Society of Jesus – the Jesuits. As one of my professors in seminary once noted, 16^th century Spain was an amazing source of Catholic spirituality that since influences our faith to this day, producing such great luminaries such as John of Avila, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and Ignatius of Loyola.  Francis Xavier came from the Spanish kingdom of Navarre.  After his ordination, he traveled to Asia, being a missionary to India and Japan, as well as current day Malaysia and Indonesia.  Many of the places that he visited had not been exposed to Christianity before.  He died before he was able to travel to China, a dream that he had. In 1927, along with Therese of Lisieux, Francis Xavier was named one of the co-patrons of the foreign missions by Pope Pius XI. 

      As we are called to journey during this Advent season, as we are to bring hope to our world as evangelizers just as Francis Xavier brought the Gospel message to the world, may we feel this sense of hope today as we celebrate this first week of Advent.

Prayer for the first Sunday of Advent

The new liturgical year begins on this First Sunday of Advent with Jesus’ call to be watchful and alert for his coming in glory and judgment at the end of time and at the end of our lives. However, we are also called to watch for his daily coming among us in the people and events that touch our lives and that call us to bear witness in our lives. Such watchfulness is our best preparation for the Christmas season as we remember his first coming among us in the lowliness of human flesh in fulfillment of God’s loving design of the path of eternal salvation.

Advent wreath and candles

St James Catholic Church

Tupelo, Mississippi

Advent season 2014

Prayer of Pope Clement XI

I saw this prayer from Pope Clement XI on a resource guide for Advent. (Clement XI was pope from 1700 to 1721.  He was a great patron of the sciences and the arts, as well as a great supporter of the Vatican Library).  I really like the spirit of this prayer as we start the Advent season.  

Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.

I trust in you: strengthen my trust.

I love you: let me love you more and more.

I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.

I worship you as my first beginning.

I long for you as my last end.

I praise you as my constant helper.

I call upon you as my loving protector.

I want to do what you ask of me:

In the way you ask, for as long as you ask, because you ask.

Let me love you Lord as my God.

And see myself as I really am: a pilgrim in this world.

A Christian called to respect and love all those lives I touch.

AMEN.

12/2/2014 – Tuesday of First Week of Advent – Isaiah 11:1-10

       Once again, we have entered the holy season of Advent.  Once again, we prepare for the birth of Christ into our world. During this season, we hear oracles and prophecies about what his birth will bring.  Today, we hear one of the most famous prophecies about the birth of Christ from the prophet Isaiah – a prophecy of peace. Yet, in the news, a few weeks ago, we heard about another American hostage who was beheaded by ISIS – a Catholic American in fact. We hear of the violence in Ferguson, Missouri over the grand jury’s decision regarding the shooting of Michael Brown by Police Officer Darren Wilson.  We hear of wars and violence in many corners of the earth, in places like Syria and Palestine and the Ukraine and Africa.  In our world, the metaphor of the lion laying down with the lamb seems like something beyond the realm of reality. But isn’t that what our faith is calling us to – to an ideal toward which we strive and dream?  We might think of ways we can incorporate God’s peace into our daily lives: reaching out to someone to whom we need to be reconciled, letting a car into traffic and waving to the driver rather than cursing or acting out in road rage, doing an act of kindness for which we don’t need to be recognized. May the proclamation of peace that we hear in the Advent season make a difference in our lives. We may become disheartened about the violence and turmoil in the world to which we have no control.  But there are some things we have control over – especially our own personal responses.

Posts to begin again...

After hearing from some parishioners who said they really appreciate having my homilies in written form, I have reconsidered posting my homilies to my blog.  I guess I was having a bad week and feeling burned out and letting things get to me.  Yes, we priests can be human. So, I have decided to start my posts again.  I want to thank all my parishioners and blog readers  It is hard to believe that I have 1392 posts in my blog, many of them homilies, but also photos and other things as well.  God willing, I will be going on pilgrimage in January, and will enjoy sharing my experiences about that on my blog.  Again, thank you for you patience with me, and thank you for reading my blog.