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The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
June 2, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Ex 24:3-8 / Ps 116 / Heb 9:11-15 / Mk 14:12-16, 22-26
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, is a profound celebration in the liturgical calendar that invites us to reflect deeply on the mystery of the Eucharist. This feast reminds us of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, a mystery that is central to the Catholic faith. As we contemplate this Solemnity, several key reflections emerge.
At the heart of Corpus Christi is the belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This doctrine teaches that in the consecrated elements of bread and wine, Jesus Christ is truly present: body, blood, soul, and divinity. This mystery transcends human understanding, inviting us to approach it with faith and reverence. The Eucharist is not a symbol, but a profound encounter with the living Christ who comes to nourish us and transform us. The Eucharist is a manifestation of Jesus’ immense love and His ultimate sacrifice for humanity.
At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist as a perpetual memorial of His passion, death, and resurrection. Each time we celebrate the Eucharist, we are invited to enter into the mystery of Christ’s sacrifice, to remember His love for us and to respond with our own love and gratitude. The Eucharist is a call to live a life of self-giving love, mirroring the example of Jesus.
The celebration of the Eucharist also underscores the unity of the Church. In receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, we are united not only with Jesus, but also with one another. The Eucharist is the sacrament of unity, drawing us together as the body of Christ. It challenges us to overcome divisions, to live in harmony, and to work for the common good. In a world often marked by fragmentation and discord, the Eucharist calls us to be instruments of peace and reconciliation. As we receive Communion, we are united with Christ and with one another. We become His body, His Church, His presence in the world. We are called to be broken and poured out for others, just as Jesus was.
The second Vatican Council described the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Christian life. This means that all other sacraments and works of the Church are oriented towards the Eucharist, and from it they draw their meaning. The Eucharist is the high point of our spiritual life, where we encounter Christ most intimately. It nourishes us spiritually, strengthens us in our journey of faith, and sends us forth to live out the Gospel in our daily lives.
As we reflect on the Eucharist, let us ask ourselves, do we receive Communion with reverence and gratitude? Do we recognize the presence of Christ in those around us? Do we share our own lives, like the Bread of Life, to nourish others?
There is a story of a young woman who took care of her elderly aunt. The aunt had inherited a fair amount of money from her deceased brother, but never mentioned it to anyone. On her deathbed, she summoned her niece and said, “You have been so good to me, I want to reward you. Take this frayed sweater of mine and wear it until you become rich.” The niece expressed gratitude but was disappointed. She felt her aunt could have at least left her a watch or a ring. She buried the sweater in the bottom drawer of her bureau. The aunt died. A year later, the niece put on the sweater while she did some yard work. She felt something in the sweater pocket. She found a key wrapped in a note. In the box unlocked by the key, she found that her aunt had given her legal title to a fortune of three hundred million dollars.
The moral of the story is that we often miss the treasures that are passed on to us, because we do not take time to look. The application of this story to the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ is the same. We may miss the treasure of the Eucharist, because we do not take the time to look or reflect on this mystery.
Each year, the Church pauses to meditate on the Eucharist itself. Though we celebrate the Eucharist each Lord’s Day, on this day we are drawn to ponder events and teachings about Christ. We may not always pay attention sufficiently to the Sacrament dwelling at the core of our weekly experience.
Finally, the celebration of Corpus Christi is a call to live “Eucharistic-ly.” This means that our lives should reflect the values of the Eucharist: gratitude, self-giving, unity, and love. We are called to be a Eucharistic people, living in constant thanksgiving for the gift of Christ and striving to embody His love in our interactions with others. Our participation in the Eucharist should inspire us to be more Christ-like, to serve those in need, and to build a more just and compassionate world.
The Solemnity of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ invites us to a deep reflection on the mystery of the Eucharist. It is a celebration that renews our faith, strengthens our unity, and inspires us to live more fully in the love of Christ. As we partake in the Eucharist, let us do so with reverence and gratitude, allowing this profound sacrament to transform us and guide us in our Christian journey.
KEEP READINGThe Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
May 26, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Dt 4:32-34, 39-40 / Ps 33 / Rom 8:14-17 / Mt 28:16-20
by Rev. Mr. Mark De La Hunt, Permanent Deacon
Before there was YouTube, Scott Hahn, and the Catechism, I was asked to teach 9th grade faith formation. It was a small college parish that had few resources and, accordingly, I wasn’t given a book to teach from. I knew very little about my faith like most 20-something Catholics in the early 1990s. One evening, one of the 9th grade boys told the class that the Trinity is nowhere in the Bible. In my ignorance, I was incapable of saying, “Yes, it is,” and then showing him, much less leading him to the joy of living in the Trinity. I pray in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit that I can do that for you now.
I am going to show you where the Trinity is in the Bible, and how the scriptures present the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one God in three Persons, equal in power and knowledge, all existing for all time, uncreated with no beginning and no end. Once we have that firm footing, I will give some pastoral guidance on living in communion with the Trinity, especially for teenagers.
If I was teaching that 9th grade class today, I would show that teenage boy where the Trinity is in the Bible. Jesus’ use of the Trinity at the end of Matthew’s gospel, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” was not brought up out of the blue by Matthew (Mt 28:19). He reveals the Trinity at the baptism of Jesus in chapter 3:16-17, saying when Jesus (the second Person of the Trinity) came up out of the water, the Spirit of God (third Person of Trinity) descended upon Him in the shape of a dove, and then the voice of the Father (first Person) says He is well pleased in His Son (Mitch, pg. 371). Sooo, when someone says the Trinity is not in the Bible, you can show them Matthew 3 and 28.
I’m guessing, though, that teenage boy, in the annoying way teens can excel at, would say, “Hey Mr. De La Hunt, look at the first reading where Moses tells the people, ‘The Lord is God…and…there is no other (Dt 4:35).’ It doesn’t mention Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Worshiping only one God, which is called monotheism, set Israel apart from all other nations in its day, and they fiercely defended this belief. To this day, the Jews’ belief that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit cannot be one God, is said by some to be the biggest stumbling block for their embracing Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The confusion and unbelief are understandable. The Trinity is not easy to wrap your head around. It took the Church over three hundred years to articulate the doctrine (Mitch, pg. 371).
Fortunately, one of the greatest biblical preachers on the Trinity was a fiercely devout and highly learned Jew, St. Paul. When he was still going by the name of Saul, he was persecuting Christians, because they were calling Jesus God. But when Jesus removed those scales from Paul’s eyes in Damascus, Paul saw Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as that one God of whom Moses spoke (Acts 9:18).
In today’s second reading from Paul’s letter to the Roman church, he tells the Christian community that they have received a “Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. (Rom 8:15-17).” This wasn’t the only place Paul invoked the Trinity while spreading the Good News.
In chapter 13 of his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul greets the people with words that Father greeted you with at the beginning of the Mass. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you (2 Cor 13:13).” Sounds pretty Trinitarian. I could also show that 9th grader 1 Corinthians 12, Galatians 4, and 1 Thessalonians 1. Oh, if only I had Curtis Mitch’s and Ed Sri’s Catholic bible commentary when I was in my twenties. Hopefully that young man kept pursuing the truth.
All I have proven, though, is that a devout, fiercely monotheistic Jew came to see a Father, a Son, and a Holy Spirit. But you are excellent at debating and call me on it. You rightly say, “Deacon Mark, you must prove all three are God.” Ok. Let’s start with the easiest one. God is God, creator of heaven and earth and all that is visible and invisible. The Old Testament, like today’s first reading with Moses and today’s Psalm speak to this.
You smile, confident you will disprove the second Person of the Trinity, asking, “What about Jesus? To be God, you must have existed for all time, be uncreated, no beginning, no end. But Jesus was born of a woman.” John’s gospel best speaks to Jesus being God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him…And the Word became flesh and lived among us. It is God the only Son (Jn 1:1, 10, 14, 18).”
At this point, I want to defend Our Lady, that “woman” who gave birth to Jesus. I would be remiss to not mention that Mary was declared the “Mother of God” at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. But it wasn’t only that gathering of bishops who believed that. A crowd of the faithful waited in the streets for them to affirm what they already believed. And they celebrated joyfully when Mary, mother of Jesus, was affirmed as Mary, mother of God the Son.
Your confident smile falters, but you recover and move on to the third Person of the Trinity. You, with noticeably less bravado, say, “Jesus says the Father will send the Holy Spirit, and He even breathes the Spirit onto the apostles (Jn 14:26; 15:26; 20:22). For all three to be God, they must all three be equal in power and knowledge, which is to say in omnipotence (all powerful) and omniscience (all knowing). Doesn’t sound like the Holy Spirt is equal, because He is always being sent.”
The Deacon smiles at you, so happy that you are seeking truth. He encourages you to open your Bible to 2 Corinthians, where Paul writes, “No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God (2 Cor 2:11).” God’s thoughts are infinite, so for the Spirit to comprehend God’s thoughts, the Spirit must also have infinite knowledge or omniscience. Next, the Deacon shows you 1 Corinthians, where Paul calls our body a “temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19).” The Deacon says, “Only God can have a temple, so the Holy Spirit must be God (Tim Staples).” Finally, the Deacon turns to Acts 5 and reads, “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? . . . You have not lied to men but to God.” Like St. Paul, St. Peter, also a Jew, saw God and the Holy Spirit as the one true God of Israel. (A shoutout to Catholic Answers for this paragraph.)
Now we know some of the scriptural basis for the Most Holy Trinity, but how do we live this deep theological mystery? First, and foremost, we never, ever miss Mass. If we are healthy enough to go to the grocery store or out to eat, we are healthy enough to go to Mass. Dads and Moms, do not let any of your children miss Mass due to camping or beach trips, band, or dance, or soccer, or volleyball, or AP class projects. Why?
First, we have a desperate need to receive our Lord’s body and blood. But also, we should do so because it is the most powerful way in which we live within the communion of the Trinity. We worship God the Father, offering the one sacrifice of Christ the Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Trinity makes our Catholic worship perfect. And remember that God is a communion of Persons in the Most Holy Trinity, so to worship in the Trinity, we need to do so in communion with others, the Trinity making us into a holy, mystical communion.
Let’s put some blue jeans on this. When we are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, God makes us part of His family. Teenagers, since we started this homily with a teenager, I am coming back to you. Know that our family is where we discover who we are. There is a memory helper or pneumonic for this, RIM which stands for Relationship, Identity, Mission. This applies to your natural family, but also to your supernatural family, the Trinity.
Teens and twenty somethings too, I know you are in a very challenging time in life between becoming an adult and knowing the path God wants your life to take. This time brings to your mind heartfelt questions. Who am I? Where is my place in this world? What strengths, talents, and capabilities do I have? Should I go to college? If so, what should I study? Should I get a job instead, so I can receive training from my employer? If so, what type of job should I pursue? Am I to get married? If so, how will I find the right person? If not marriage, should I check out consecrated religious life? Holy Orders?
You will find the answers within your supernatural family of the Trinity. Back to RIM. Relationship: pursue your relationship with the Trinity in prayer (daily), the Mass (at least weekly), and Confession (often). Identity: Being close to the Trinity will help you to learn who you are and what gifts you have. Mission: Now that you know who you are, you can go on mission with the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of the Father, and your communion with them through the Holy Spirit. They will work with you and show you the way.
It is not as easy as it sounds, though. You will need patience and trust. God tends to show us one step at a time. Our job is to stay in Relationship with Him (prayer, Mass, Confession) so we can see that next step and trust Him by taking that step. Joseph is a helpful model here. He was given one step at a time, and he took them.
Remember how God came to Joseph and told him to take Mary as his wife, and oh by the way she is already pregnant, and the child is God. Wow. What does Joseph say, “Yes Lord.” Then, in the middle of the night, God wakes up Joseph and tells him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt. No one wants to be woken up in the middle of the night, much less to drop your life and move to a new one in a strange place. Joseph, said, “Yes Lord.” And when God told him, a short while later, to move back to Israel, Joseph took that step too.
One could say this about Joseph. “By being united to Jesus and animated by the Spirit of love and obedience, [Joseph knew the] joy that is perfect and complete, a joy that comes only from participating in the divine communion (Jeff Cavins, Hallow).” Jeff Cavins spoke of this joy using the words of the prophet Nehemiah, “The joy of the Lord (Trinity) is your strength (Neh 8:10).” He went on to say, [our joy] is not just a fleeting emotion but a deep and abiding reality that comes from communion with the Trinity.
Final words. Whether we are born into an amazing family or a broken one, or in a place that is fantastic or one that is dark, or have built a successful life or made a hot mess of it, none of those things define us! What defines us is our baptism, for from that day onward, we call the most-high God Father, and Jesus who is the King of the Universe, brother, and the Holy Spirit, the love that flows between them, counselor, helper, and guide. The Psalm today, unbeknownst to the author, was written about us, the baptized. “Blessed the people the Lord (Trinity) has chosen to be His own. Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you.” Lord, grant us the grace we need to order our lives to be in communion with You who are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Citations
Jeff Cavins Daily Reflections on Hallow, May 11, 2024. He references the Catholic Commentary of Sacred Scripture which I used to describe Joseph’s living in the Trinity.
Tim Staples – Catholic Answers. Simply Google Catholic Answers on the Trinity. You will see “Explaining the Trinity” by Tim Staples dated June 20, 2014, at catholic.com.
Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri. “Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, The Gospel of Matthew.” Baker Academic 2010.
KEEP READINGFifth Sunday of Easter
April 28, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Acts 9:26-31 / Ps 22 / 1 Jn 3:18-24 / Jn 15:1-8
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor
As we come to the Fifth Sunday of Easter, we find ourselves immersed in a season of renewal and growth. The readings for this Sunday offer profound insights into the themes of love, unity, and the transformative power of faith.
The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, offers a powerful example of the transformative power of faith. We witness the conversion of Saul, who after encountering the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, undergoes a profound spiritual transformation. Formerly a persecutor of Christians, Saul becomes Paul, one of the greatest apostles of the early Church. His conversion serves as a reminder that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace and mercy. It is never too late for redemption, and God can work miracles in the most unlikely of circumstances.
In the second reading, from the first letter of John, we are reminded of the centrality of love in the Christian life. Love is not merely a sentiment or emotion, but a concrete expression of our commitment to God and one another. As followers of Christ, we are called to love, not only in word or speech, but in deed and truth. Our love for others becomes a tangible sign of our discipleship and a reflection of God’s love for us.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus presents the metaphor of the vine and the branches, illustrating the intimate relationship between Himself and His disciples. Just as branches draw nourishment and life from the vine, so we too draw our strength and vitality from our connection to Christ. This imagery reminds us of the importance of remaining rooted in Christ, for apart from Him, we can do nothing.
This passage invites us to reflect on the nature of our own relationship with Christ. Are we actively abiding in Him, allowing His love to flow through us and bear fruit in our lives? Do we seek to cultivate a deep and abiding faith that sustains us through life’s trials and challenges? As we ponder these questions, we are called to recommit ourselves to the journey of discipleship, continually striving to deepen our connection with Christ and bear witness to His love in the world.
Somebody once compared a Christian to a basketball player. He said that to be a good player, it is not enough that you know how to dribble or avoid getting fouls. What matters most is to be able to shoot, to make points, and to be productive. We are called to not only observe and learn about Jesus, but also to allow Jesus and His presence, His message, His attitudes to become so much a part of us that Jesus lives in us, and we live in God and abide in each other. Further, we gain our source, our meaning, and our fruitfulness from that connection to Christ. Without Jesus, our efforts are misdirected and fruitless. Connected to Jesus, our actions and efforts can bear much fruit by God working in and through our lives.
The great saint Thomas Aquinas contended that we could have an idea of religion through the meaning of the three etymologies of the Latin word religio: to bind—religare, to read—legere, to choose— eligere. We are by nature religious beings. We come from God, and we’ll return to God. We can lead the fullness of human life if we fully bind ourselves with God. We read our life’s situation in the light of God’s kingdom, and we choose to love God above all things. Real happiness results when there is communion with God in our lives.
Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in Me and I in him, will bear much fruit.” The connection to this image of the vine and branches can’t help but highlight the importance of the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, Jesus comes to us in the form of food and drink. We take Jesus in, and He becomes part of us so that we may become more like Christ in our words, actions, and lives. The gospel you heard today is very special, because it shows us that we are all connected to our Lord. We are friends and members of Jesus.
What Jesus wants to teach us in today’s gospel is the extreme necessity for us to remain. What does to remain in Christ mean? To remain in Christ means first, to listen to Him and keep His words. Actually, we can refuse to listen to Him at all or we can listen to Him and then render Him lip service unsupported by any good deeds. We can accept Him as Lord and then abandon Him in the midst of difficulties and temptations or attribute all of our difficulties and temptations to Him.
Second, is to recognize that Christ alone is the real vine, and that without Him we can do nothing of value to God.
Third, is to live in the Church, which is the mystical body of Christ. (One of the popes appropriately said that one who does not have the Church as his or her mother cannot have God as his or her Father.)
Fourth, is to see God in all persons and things, even in our enemies and those things we do not like.
Fifth, is to have an active sacramental and prayer life. Do we always pray? Do we regularly attend Mass on Sundays? Do we avail ourselves of the sacrament of confession? How about if we spend just a few minutes talking about the word of God instead of talking about nothing?
Lastly, is to be convinced that there is a need to prune the structures, methods, approaches, and other things that have become old and obsolete in order to give way to new ones and to remain always with Christ, the everlasting, who Himself is the vine.
As we meditate on the readings this Sunday, may we be inspired to deepen our relationship with Christ, to bear fruit in our lives, and to love one another as He has loved us. May we, like the early disciples, be empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the good news of salvation and to be agents of transformation in the world.
KEEP READINGHoly Thursday
March 28, 2024 — Year B
Readings: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14 / Ps 116 / 1 Cor 11:23-26 / Jn 13:1-15
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor
In Jesus’ ministry, what is the first miracle that He performed? I’m sure that many of you, especially those who pray the rosary, know the answer. The first miracle that Jesus did is the second mystery of the Mysteries of Light: the wedding at Cana, where Jesus transformed the water into wine. And after Jesus transformed water into wine, everybody in that wedding party remained happy. They were joyful, continuing to drink.
The second question I would like to ask is: What is the last miracle that Jesus did before He died? This also has something to do with wine. At the Last Supper, Jesus took the wine and transformed it into His own blood, which brought life to the world.
So two miracles that Jesus did, at the very beginning and at the end. First, when Jesus performed that miracle, He turned the water into wine and brought happiness to the people. Then Jesus turned the wine into His body, which brought life to the world. Happiness and life. That’s what the Lord wants us to have as we follow Him. He wants us to have happiness and to have life.
Brothers and sisters, let us try to reflect on this, because not all happiness will lead us or will bring us to life or everlasting life. There are happinesses that lead us to death. There are happinesses that kill. For example, drinking too much alcohol will make the drunkard happy, but along the way, it will harm his health, and in the end, it will ruin his life.
Or cheating. Cheating makes the cheater happy. But it kills, not only the relationship with the family, but also the love, the trust, of the husband or wife and the children, because they are being betrayed. It kills relationships; it kills trust; it kills love.
Or perhaps gambling. Gambling makes the gambler happy, but in the end, it drains the pockets, and it leads to death. Death in the relationship or death in many other things.
Or perhaps drugs, the same thing. It makes the drug addict, the user, the pusher happy, but we know that, in the end, it kills life. It ruins life.
That is why, brothers and sisters, on this evening of Holy Thursday, the Lord wants to remind us of the two things that will give us happiness and life – happiness and life everlasting. What are these two things?
First is service: serving one another. In our gospel today, we hear that Jesus washed the apostles’ feet. He set them an example on how to serve. That’s why He said: “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Master, and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the Master and Teacher have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet (Jn 13:14-15).”
Here in our gospel today, Jesus gives us an example of true service. He serves with humility and out of love. That’s the kind of service that Jesus is teaching not only His disciples, but all of us who desire to experience true happiness and true life. If we want to be happy and to gain eternal life, we need to serve with humility and love.
If we follow this instruction of Jesus, to serve others with humility and love, then we will surely experience happiness, not only within ourselves, but also, we experience happiness in our family and in our community. But if we do not follow the instruction of Jesus, if a person is proud and not willing to serve, then it causes a lot of suffering and pain in the community, the family, and within ourselves.
That is why, brothers and sisters, if the world wants to experience that happiness and life eternal, then it needs to shift from exploitation to service. It needs to shift from arrogance to humility, and from selfish cruelty to compassion.
What is the second thing that the Lord gave us in order for us to attain happiness and life? The second is the Eucharist. On the night before Jesus suffered, He took bread and a cup filled with wine, and He said to His disciples: Eat this. Drink this. This is my body. And do this in memory of me.
This is very important. This is a very important commandment that Jesus left for all of us. Before He died, He said, “Do this in memory of me.” That is why the Church is built, first and foremost so that we can remember those last words of Jesus at the Last Supper, when He said, “Do this in memory of me.” Jesus is telling us He wants us to attend Mass always and to receive Him in the Eucharist. That’s why Jesus said in Jn 6:54, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Attending Mass is very important, because we remember the sacrifice of Jesus. That is why the Eucharist is the very sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ, which He instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross.
That is our faith. Every time we attend Mass, we remember the sacrifices that Jesus did for each one of us. Every time you attend Mass, you have that big crucifix there, and that small crucifix on the altar is for the priest, so that we also are reminded that, every time we say Mass, we are reminded the kind of sacrifice that Jesus did for each one of us.
Brothers and sisters, perhaps the next question is: Do we really want to experience happiness and life everlasting? If we do, we need to do these two things: service and the Eucharist. Serve and go to church every Sunday or every day.
We cannot do only one. You cannot say, I only want to serve and not go to Mass. Or, I’d just rather go to Mass and not serve. Both must go together. That is what Jesus is showing us in our gospel today. The importance of service and His command to remember Him every time we celebrate the Eucharist. We need to serve and go to Mass at the same time, because we cannot say, I only serve and not go to Mass, because our service will have no meaning if we don’t receive Jesus in the Eucharist.
Going to Mass and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist is also our guide; we will be encouraged, and we will be enlightened to serve as Jesus serves: with love and with humility. Going to Mass will strengthen the grace we receive from the Lord. The Holy Spirit will continue to guide us in our service for His Church and for others. Without God, we will not be able to serve Him with all our heart and with pure intentions and no concern for motives. Every time we go to Mass, we are reminded that every time we serve, we need to serve with humility and love, like that of Jesus.
KEEP READINGThirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 12, 2023 — Year A
Readings: Wis 6:12-16 / Ps 63 / 1 Thes 4:13-18 / Mt 25:1-13
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor
Today’s holy gospel is taken from a discourse about the end of the world and the final judgement. The point of today’s gospel story is that we should always be prepared for the end of our lives. None of us knows the day or the hour when we will appear in judgement before the Lord.
There was a story about a sparrow who overheard from a squirrel up a tree that the sky was falling. Greatly disturbed by that news, the sparrow flew from its comfortable nest to spread the news. The cow, the dogs, the cats, and all the members of the animal kingdom were simply doubtful. They dismissed the sparrow’s tale as purely hearsay and therefore untrue. Finally, dejected and frustrated, and convinced that the animals would not cooperate, the sparrow lay on its back and started to raise its legs up toward the sky.
A wise man happened to be passing by and, seeing the creature in an unusual stance, inquired, “My little friend, what’s wrong with you?”
The sparrow replied, “Oh, dear sir, haven’t you heard that the sky is falling? I am here to support the weight of the sky, should it fall.”
The wise man could not help but smile and say, “But with your frail body, how could you possibly support the sky?”
“We do what we can. We do what we can,” said the sparrow.
Most of the time, we are like the dog, the cow, the cat, and the rest of the animals in the story, who are doubtful and do not want to respond to the needs and the signs of the times. When somebody tells us, “Let us go to Mass,” we would respond, “I don’t have any sin. Just go there and pray for me.” We don’t want to be disturbed. We want to be on our own. We are unconcerned and unresponsive when somebody needs our help. Today’s first reading and the gospel both teach that we must have wisdom and prudence to be prepared for the Lord’s coming at the end of our lives.
As we get close to the end of the Church’s liturgical year, we concentrate on the end of things. That is why we consider if we are ready for the end of our lives, the end of the world, and the final judgement. Nature itself reminds us of the end of things. During the fall season, we see leaves fall from the trees, and it teaches us that someday we, too, will have an end to our life. The grass dies off and the flowers no longer bloom as nature teaches us a great lesson each fall. Someday we too shall die.
Our Blessed Savior wants us to get to heaven, so He’s instructing us today to be vigilant, to be ready, to be wise, and be prudent. In today’s gospel story, the task of the bridesmaids was to lead the way with light through the narrow and dark streets of the city. There were no street lamps in those days, and it was pitch dark at night. We may presume that the bridesmaids prepared for the wedding over a significant period of time. They probably made new dresses, new shoes, had their hair done, and so forth. The foolish bridesmaids failed in the one task for which they were required. The foolish virgins were not prepared to light the way for the groom.
We do not know too much about ancient marriages, but according to Joachim Jeremiah, in his book entitled The Parables of Jesus, published in 1972, one thing seems to be sure: The highlight of the marriage is the nocturnal entry of the bridegroom into the paternal house where the marriage takes place, followed by the festival banquet. The task of the bridegroom was to fetch the bride in her home, and then the procession would go to the house of the father of the groom. The task of the bridesmaids is to carry torches and light the way, and to give everything and everybody a very festive mood.
So now the question is: What is our task in this life? Did not God create us to know Him, to love Him, and to be happy with Him in this life and the next? Are we attending to the purpose for which we were created? Are we prepared for the task at hand? Or are we like the foolish virgins? Now is the time for us to make necessary changes to our lives. Now is our one chance, perhaps, to obtain sufficient oil for the lamps of our souls, so that we will be able to complete the task that God has given us in our life.
When we were baptized, we received a baptismal candle. The celebrant, priest, or deacon, said to us, “Receive the light of Christ, parents and godparents. This light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. These children of yours have been enlightened by Christ. They are to walk always as children of the light. May they keep the flame of faith alive in their hearts. When the Lord comes, may they go out to meet Him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom.”
Are we ready to go out to meet Jesus at the end of our lives?
Now that we are responsible adults, is Jesus the light of the world through us? The light of Christ that we receive in Baptism is to shine before others by the way we live our daily lives. To accomplish all the things that God wants of us, it is necessary for us to worship at Mass every week. The Mass is the most perfect and most powerful prayer that there is. In every Mass, Jesus offers Himself through us to the Father. By attending Mass regularly, we will grow and be holy. Each time we have the privilege of receiving Holy Communion, something awesome takes place in our soul. We become what we eat. We become more like Christ. Jesus living in us will continue to shed His gentle light to those among whom we live. We will come to know and love Him more deeply.
Sometimes we ask, is Matthew’s message to his fellow Christians still relevant to the Christians of our time? Very much so. As we draw close to the end of the Liturgical Year, the Church, through the Gospel, invites us to contemplate the end: the end of our lives, and the end of the world. The way to prepare for the end is not to live in fear and anxiety, or to go after prophets and visionaries that claim to have access to God’s secret calendar of how and when the world will end. Jesus told us that the Son of Man would come back on the last day to judge the living and the dead. How and when will that be? We do not know for sure.
How then is the wise Christian to prepare for the end times? Today’s parable gives us the answer. The best way to prepare for the end is to follow the example of those wise virgins; the wise virgins who took oil to keep their lamps burning. In the same way, we should engage and persevere in good works to keep our faith alive. That is the best way to make ourselves ready and prepared for the Lord, no matter when the Lord chooses to come.
So, in this holy Mass, let us beg Jesus to help us change our lives, so that we, too, will radiate the light of Christ in our world and be prepared for His coming.
KEEP READINGFeast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
August 6, 2023 — Year A
Readings: Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 / Ps 97 / 2 Pt 1:16-19 / Mt 17:1-9
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor
There is a story of a young man who thought he was a worm. He would hide under the bed whenever he saw a chicken, because chickens eat worms. One day he was hiding under the bed, because he saw a chicken roaming around. His best friend decided to help him overcome his problem. He went under the bed with him and told him to repeat after him, “I am a man, not a worm.” After a few repetitions, his best friend urged him to come out and prove himself a man. He came out and walked around confidently until he saw a chicken and then immediately hid under the bed again. His best friend went under the bed and asked him, “Why don’t you believe you are a man, not a worm?” The young man replied, “I do believe I am a man, not a worm, but does the chicken believe that?”
Jesus believed that He was the beloved Son of the Father. Even in His most painful and despairing moments, He believed that. The disciples also believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but the moment the trials and persecutions came along, they ran and hid under the bed. Later on, however, they truly believed and laid down their lives for Jesus.
The Feast of the Transfiguration reminds us of who Jesus is and also reminds us of who we are. Today we are celebrating this feast. The word, transfiguration, is derived from the Latin word, transfigurare, or the Greek word, metamorphosis, which means change in form or appearance. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John, a special trio in the twelve, up the high mountain of Tabor where the glory of His destiny is revealed to them. This glory belongs to Him as God’s beloved Son. Transfiguration is the foretaste of heaven. This is signified by His dazzling white clothes.
Peter wants to preserve this moment by erecting tents. He’s overwhelmed and terrified by the experience, and yet he doesn’t want it to end. Moses and Elijah are seen talking to Jesus about His death which He is to suffer in Jerusalem. This is seen by the three apostles. The three are wondrously delighted with this vision and Peter calls out to Christ, “Lord it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents, one for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Then they hear the voice of the Father saying, “This is My Beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.”
This moment, not a permanent state of bliss, is given to them to help them realize the true identity of Jesus, that Jesus is the true Messiah, the Son of the living God. This conversation of Jesus with Elijah and Moses shows us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. (Moses represents the law, and Elijah represents the prophets.) His mission is not to destroy the ways in which the Father has already revealed Himself, but to bring this revelation to completion.
The vision that we are given today on this great Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord shows us that we are called to something far beyond anything we could have imagined.
Our first reading from the book of Daniel gives us a tiny glimpse into the awesome glory of Heaven, where the Father reigns with His Son. We get the sense that Daniel can barely find the words to describe the wonder of what he has seen. Everything is bright white, glowing as if on fire, seemingly blinding in its brilliance. Myriads of people from every nation are worshipping God. This vision already fills us with great hope. We want to be invited into this place where we can experience the glory of God and be counted among those who are privileged to stand before Him and worship Him.
The gospel, however, encourages us to hope for still more. Peter, James, and John are shown the same glory of God shining out through the very humanity of Jesus. They begin to understand that God is not content merely to have us join Him in heaven so that we can witness His glory. He wants to transform us so that we shine with that very same glory. The Transfiguration shows us more deeply who Jesus is. It also shows us who we are called to be in God’s plan.
St. Peter assures us, in the second reading, that this is not just some cleverly devised story. He himself was an eyewitness to the Transfiguration. He speaks of what he saw and heard. He declares that this promise of God is altogether reliable and exhorts us to be attentive to it.
Another possible reason for this display was that Jesus wanted to strengthen these three apostles for the trials of faith that they would have to face and endure at Mount Calvary when Jesus would not be on Mount Tabor, the mountain of the Transfiguration, but on Mount Calvary, the mountain of the cross.
God sometimes gives us moments of consolation and joy. We want such moments to never end, but that is not our lot here on earth. Before enjoying glory, we must first undergo suffering. These moments of consolation will help us to go on, to persevere in spite of difficulties. God invites us to see the many little transfiguration experiences that we have in our daily lives, such as changes of nature, the gradual opening of a flower, the blooming of trees, transformation of people, the growing of children, the cycle of birth and death, the realization that God is there.
Through the eyes of faith, we realize that it is a continuous process of seeing, not the flower, but the blooming, not the people but their talents, not the sun but its rising, not the miracle but God.
Every time that we gather for the celebration of the Eucharist, we also experience a moment of transfiguration where our Lord Jesus Christ is transfigured before our very own eyes. The bread and wine are transfigured and become His body and blood, thus our spiritual food for life in our journey toward eternal life. May we slowly come out of our fears, weaknesses, and sinfulness, and show others what we really believe in and who we are called to be—the people of God.
KEEP READINGSolemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
June 11, 2023 — Year A
Readings: Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a / Ps 147 / 1 Cor 10:16-17 / Jn 6:51-58
by Rev. Mr. Barry Welch, Guest Homilist
I believe. Help my unbelief.
You heard all the talk and all the witnesses about this amazing man from Nazareth. Their healings, teachings with wisdom and authority. I’ve even heard He’s performed miracles. He’s going to be in the area for a big talk. Lots of folks plan to go there and hear Him, to see Him. I’ve got to see this. Could He be the one?
I get there and wow, there are a ton of people, hundreds, maybe thousands. What a great day. His words, so inspiring, so deep and meaningful. It gets late. Everybody is hungry. He’s praying over a small basket of bread, and now they’re beginning to share it down front. That’s not going to last long. It’ll all be gone soon. My belly growls. They’re still passing around and there are baskets now. And the folks, they seem to all be getting plenty. Finally, the basket gets to me and it’s full, completely full of fresh bread and it smells amazing. I can’t believe it.
Where did Jesus go? He disappeared somewhere. Nobody’s sure where He went. I really would like to see Him again. I think we’re going to head into town, into Capernaum. I hear He’s been hanging out a lot there. Maybe He’ll be there, maybe I’ll see Him again.
There He is. I found Him, and He’s talking again. I can’t wait to hear what He’s saying now, and it’d be great if I got some more of that bread.
You’re here for more food, more bread. Not because of My signs. You need food that endures for eternal life. Not manna like Moses, but true bread from Heaven. I am the bread of life. Come to Me, and you will never die.
All I’ve got to do is come to Jesus. All I’ve got to do is follow Him and He’ll feed me bread all that I want. That bread was the best, oh boy. Whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors had manna but died. This bread you eat and do not die. I am the living bread, the bread I give is My flesh for the life of the world.
Wait a minute. What did He just say? That’s weird. Did He say flesh? That’s right, that’s what I just said. Amen, amen I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life and I will raise him on the last day. For My flesh is true food and My blood is true drink.
OK, I’m not sure about this. I don’t think I like where this is going. It’s really getting disturbing. I can tell you’re not understanding; you’re not getting it. I’m talking about eating My flesh. Gnawing. Chewing. Really, truly eating My flesh. Then I will remain in you. If you feed on My flesh, you will have life. This is the bread of life. Whoever eats this bread will not die.
All right, guys, it doesn’t look like we’re getting any real food here. Let’s pack it up. Grab your stuff, we’re getting out of here. I think we ought to get into town before the crowd comes. Everyone is leaving.
What would you have done? If you were there, what would you have done? Better question is what will you do now? Will you walk away and put some distance between you and Jesus and this hard teaching, spiritually and physically? Or will you believe and follow?
My friends, my dear friends, when the priest in the person of Christ calls upon the Holy Spirit during the liturgy of the Eucharist, the Epiclesis, when you see him put both his hands over the gifts and the Deacon drop to his knees behind the altar, it’s a spiritual sonic boom. The fabric of space and time is shattered, and Jesus Christ Himself entirely body and blood, soul and divinity, becomes substantially present in the bread. He said it Himself, folks. What God says, becomes.
In this bread of life discourse which is only a part of Chapter 6 of John, Jesus refers to Himself as bread eleven times. He says to eat and then later escalates that to the word for gnaw on his flesh seven times. He says to drink His blood four times. It’s frank, it’s repetitive, it’s urgent, and it is insistent. Jesus is not messing around; He’s not mincing words. He really, truly, really, really means it.
And get this, He doesn’t go chasing after the crowd who’s leaving and say, wait, everybody. I didn’t really mean it. I meant to say eating is like eating my flesh, that eating the bread and drinking the blood is like. He didn’t say it’s a metaphor or it’s another one of My parables.
They went, and there He was, remaining with just the few. And did He say to them, it’s a shame they’re all leaving, guys? Because I was just kidding. No, He did not say that. He says, so are you leaving too? Are you going to leave too, because I’m not changing anything I said.
Where are we to go? For You have the words of everlasting life, was their answer. What is our answer? What is our prayer? Our prayer is, I believe that You, Jesus Christ, our God, omnipotent and all powerful. And for you, nothing is impossible. Jesus, if You can take the waters of that baptismal font on this young baby, or on me as a 41-year old adult and wash away my sins completely, then by God, You can become fully, substantially present in the Eucharist.
For our salvation. For eternal life. I wasn’t there when the thousands were fed. But I’m here now and You’re here now. I believe. Help my unbelief.
KEEP READINGThird Sunday of Easter
April 23, 2023 — Year A
Readings: Acts 2:14, 22-33 / Ps 16 / 1 Pt 1:17-21 / Lk 24:13-35
by Rev. Mr. Mark De La Hunt, Permanent Deacon
[Parish children received their first Eucharist today. The first part of the homily is directed toward them.]
The Eucharist makes us like Jesus, who said, “I am the light of the world (Jn 8:12).” Therefore, when you receive Holy Communion, you become a light in the world. This is why St. Paul wrote that you are meant to “shine like stars in the world (Phil 2:15).” So, it is right that you all decorated candles and put them on the windowsills. Candles are a sign of Jesus, our light. There are candles by the ambo to signify Jesus, the light as the Word of God, and by the altar, Jesus, the light as the body and blood of God. Jesus wants us to be a light in the world. How?
Jesus told us how. He said, “Love one another as I have loved you (Jn 13:34).” So be kind to everyone, especially those that others are mean to or make fun of or ignore. Be loving to everyone in your home. Obey your parents; remember that Jesus was made perfect in His obedience (Heb 5:8-10). Spend time with Grandma and Grandpa; you are their joy, and the time you spend with them is a great treasure for them. Ask them to tell you stories from their life and you will learn much. Pray; God loves it when you talk with Him. He becomes a good friend when you spend time talking to Him every day. And by the way, if someone tells you the bread is only a symbol, you say: “That is heresy (Fr. Dan Beamon homily).”
[Rest of Homily]
As the youth are receiving First Holy Communion in our two parishes this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to talk about the mechanics of receiving. Please do not think I am judging your technique when you come forward. What I want to do is reduce the number of times Jesus’ precious body falls to the floor and to remove some of the anxiousness of the priest, deacon, and extraordinary Eucharistic ministers. Here is a refresher.
Now let’s open up God’s word a bit. Have you ever wondered what Jesus told the two disciples on the road to Emmaus? Oh, to have been there and hear Jesus, the Word made flesh, teach scripture! In the gospel Luke wrote, “Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them what referred to Him in all the scriptures (Lk 24:27).” Fr. Pablo Gadenz, in his commentary of the Gospel of Luke, suggests that we could be hearing what Jesus taught them when we read what is said by His followers in the Book of Acts (395).
We just heard an example of that in the first reading from Acts. Peter interprets to them what referred to Jesus in the scriptures. Peter said, “For David says of [Jesus]: I saw the Lord before me…My flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because You will not abandon my soul to the netherworld (Acts 2: 25-27).” He was quoting King David’s Psalm 16, which we sang a few minutes ago.
I think Fr. Gadenz is on to something here, and it is exciting. It makes me want to read Acts again with the mindset that when Peter and Stephen speak, they are sharing what Jesus taught on the road to Emmaus! (By the way, the Hallow app has a daily podcast for the Easter season where Jonathan Roumie reads one chapter from Acts each day and Dr. Scott Hahn explains it.)
In this Road-to-Emmaus gospel passage, there is another important point. Jesus explains the scriptures and then He blesses and breaks the bread. This is what we do at every Mass. Why did Jesus not simply get straight to the Eucharist and then talk about scripture? Was the order important or simply coincidental?
In Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire Bible, he points out, as does Fr. Gadenz, it is the “divine purpose” to use scripture to gradually prepare our hearts and minds and to stir up our faith, but it is not until we see the Eucharist that we truly see Christ (Barron 445). This makes sense. Those two disciples were sad and agitated and downcast. Once they heard the Word of God and heard it explained, their hearts were “burning within them (Lk 24:32).” Then their “eyes were opened” and they were ready to see Jesus in the breaking of the bread (Lk 24: 31).
This is why it is so important to get our families to Mass. A mountain hike, a walk at sunset on the lake shore, holding hands with that special someone on the porch, gazing at the moon on a starry night, etc., reveal God to us Who is in all things, but ONLY at Mass do we hear Him clearly in the Word and see Him clearly in the Eucharist.
Bishop Barron says of Jesus in the Eucharist that He is “breaking his heart open in compassion.” What images does this bring to your mind? One is the priest breaking the consecrated bread and placing a piece in the chalice of blood and water. This is evocative of the blood and water that poured forth from His side on the cross, which is the like the image we celebrated last week on Divine Mercy Sunday with red and blue rays coming from His heart. And then I think of the Eucharistic miracles posted in the hallway of Holy Name of Mary, where the Eucharist became flesh. Scientists who were asked to analyze the tissue, without knowing where it came from, said that the tissue is that of a heart. Do you see a recurring image here? It is the image of Jesus’ Sacred Heart.
No one knew Jesus’ heart more intimately than his mother, Mary. St. Pope John Paul II wrote about this, “And is not the enraptured gaze of Mary as she contemplated the face of the newborn Christ and cradled Him in her arms that unparalleled model of love which should inspire us every time we receive Eucharistic communion (Ecclesia de Eucharistia)?” John Paul is describing the Third Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary, the Nativity, and is tying it to the Fifth Luminous Mystery, that he gave us, which is the Institution of the Eucharist. Imagine Mary looking at her Son’s heart in her hand at her first Holy Communion and her mind flashing back to holding Him in her arms at Bethlehem.
Mary, pray for us that every time we receive your Son in Holy Communion, we will see Him with your eyes and love Him with your Immaculate Heart. Amen.
Citations
Peter Kreeft. Food for the Soul – Reflections on the Mass Readings for Cycle A. Word of Fire 2022.
Bishop Robert Barron. The Word on Fire Bible_The Gospels. Word on Fire Ministries 2020.
Fr. Pablo T. Gadenz. Catholic Commentary of Sacred Scripture. The Gospel of Luke. Baker Academic, 2018.
Katie Yoder. 15 Quotes from St. John Paul II on his love for the Eucharist. Catholic News Agency (CNA) Oct 22, 2022.
KEEP READINGThe Epiphany of the Lord
January 8, 2023 — Year A
Readings: Is 60:1-6 / Ps 72 / Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Mt 2:1-12
by Rev. Mr. Barry Welch, Guest Homilist
At 8:22 PM on November 23, 1949, a bright light appeared in the Blue Ridge. It flickered on and off for a few seconds, just before lighting up for good. There were two hundred twenty-five mayors from all the surrounding areas who traveled from afar to watch and witness this spectacle, along with many locals and media. Originally meant to be just a seasonal Christmas decoration, it has become a symbol of the region and one of the most recognized icons in Virginia, as well as one of the most photographed. I’m talking about the Roanoke star. It attracts visitors from all over to walk beneath its paths and to relax while enjoying the incredible view.
My family moved back to the area in 1994. I have to confess that even though this star is so attractive and draws so many visitors from all over, I had not gone up to see the Roanoke star until 2015, some twenty-one years later. What drew me there then was a high school graduation party we had for our oldest son. We thought it would be a great place for our out-of-town guests to come and get an iconic view of what it is like here. They were coming from New Jersey, New York, Richmond, and numerous other places.
It’s funny how we tend to take things for granted, like the incredible gifts available to enjoy right in our own backyards, like the Roanoke star, the Peaks of Otter, and from where I grew up, the mighty New River, Smith Mountain Lake, D-Day Memorial, Appomattox Courthouse and many others. Very often, it takes out-of-town guests, outsiders, to illuminate this beauty and joy. Outsiders, coming from afar, like the Magi in the Epiphany story we’re celebrating today, help us recognize the gifts around us every day.
We can become a little like the chief priests and scribes in the gospel today, because they had this beautiful thing occurring, but they had become complacent. They had become bland and comfortable in their situation there in Jerusalem with their own things to do, their own busy-ness. Herod probably didn’t care a whole lot about the Jewish religion and prophecies, but those around him were steeped in Hebrew scriptures, especially of the prophets, and Herod had access to that. They all would have known the prophecy of the coming Messiah. They knew that Bethlehem was to be the location of this future ruler. They knew of the glory and joy about to come in this future leader, a savior, the Messiah.
This knowledge, however, wasn’t urgent or important. The scribes knew about Jesus, but they did not seek Him. It took out-of-town visitors, out-of-town guests talking about a rising star, to illuminate for them this new beauty and joy to be given to the world. These Magi, astrologers, wise men gazing at the stars, looking at their charts, sought Jesus without really knowing, like the scribes did, who He was. The scribes missed Him entirely. They took Him for granted, even eventually becoming critical and working against the Messiah.
We, too, can become complacent and comfortable, even to the point of ignoring and criticizing lots of great things in our lives. When guests come around, however, we see things anew. That’s human nature. It happens to all of us. We become complacent and self-satisfied, missing what is important, even when it’s right in front of our eyes.
This happens with our faith life, in our church, with our faith, our doctrines, and in our own parish. Sometimes it takes outsiders coming in, guests coming to visit, or people interested in RCIA, to bring out the noble and humble welcoming parish that we want to be.
We notice, then, that sometimes we don’t see what is important. We can get to where we argue, complain, or just go about our busy-ness, forgetting Who is here, Who has come and why. When a visitor comes asking questions, seeking illumination, then our light begins to stutter and flicker. Then our love of Christ, His Church, and this parish begin glowing and we begin to brag about her, like we do of our children. We forget about our dislikes and disagreements. In a parish that could be disagreements about decorations, music, homilies, etc. Instead, we beam with the honor of serving such a wonderful and loving king as our Jesus is and we are happy to share our love of Him and His Church, and our parish. We forget about her human flaws, and we see more clearly her mission.
No matter where you are, visiting anywhere in the world, your parish is home, where the important thing, the reason the Church exists, the reason we are all here, comes. We are here for an encounter with Him, our Lord and Savior, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Every time we are at Mass and participate in the Eucharist and any of the sacraments, we have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. That encounter is attractive, effective, beautiful, and joyful every single time. We want to cherish it, savor it, and make it last.
The Epiphany story gives us a subtle clue of what life is like once you have this encounter with Jesus, once you truly let yourself go and let sink in the significance of that encounter. It becomes your own Epiphany. Afterwards, nothing is the same. You find that your journey has been altered. The journey of the Magi was altered as well. After their encounter with the baby Jesus, they departed for their country in a completely different way. Life was different. Their trajectory, your trajectory, is different. Everything is different. Your new path is illuminated now by Jesus. You are carrying with you a light to shine upon others. (“Shine upon” is an ancient meaning of the word, epiphany.). You are carrying a light to shine upon others. You are the epiphany.
KEEP READINGFourth Sunday of Advent
December 18, 2022 — Year A
Readings: Is 7:10-14 / Ps 24 / Rom 1:1-7 / Mt 1:18-24
by Rev. Mr. Mark De La Hunt, Permanent Deacon
Mary and Joseph have finally arrived on the Advent stage. Before we talk about them, though, let us take a moment to appreciate the history regarding the selection of the scriptures we have heard from the First Sunday of Advent on November 27 to now. I want us all to be more aware of the thought and prayer that went into selecting the readings, so that we can be more thankful for the gift of the Catholic Church, which selected them.
In compiling the lectionary readings for Advent, researchers prayerfully studied lectionaries covering a period of 1,500 years! They selected only the best and most traditional readings from ancient Rome, Old Spanish, Gallican or French, and other western churches. How blessed we are to be family members of such a Spirit-led Christian tradition. Within this tradition, every Advent Sunday to Advent Sunday there is a progression of theme to prepare us for Christmas. “Christ will come again (1st Sunday), Christ does come today (2nd and 3rd Sundays), and Christ has come (4th Sunday) (Wallace, 47).”
Today is the (Vigil or) 4th Sunday of Advent, and fittingly St. Matthew writes, “Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about (Mt 1: 18).” And he quotes the prophet Isaiah, writing that He shall be called Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” With Jesus’ arriving, note that John the Baptist has exited the stage of God’s great play or, as Bishop Barron calls it, “theo-drama,” having played his role of “preparing the way of the Lord (Mt 3:3).” Joseph and Mary now take the stage, but today the stage spotlight is really on Joseph. Mary will take the starring role at Christmas.
In the commentary book on the gospel of Matthew by Dr. Ed Sri and Curtis Mitch, today’s gospel passage is entitled the “Annunciation to Joseph (Sri, 42).” This makes so much sense. Like Mary’s annunciation, an “angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream” and told him Mary’s baby was conceived through the Holy Spirit (Mt 1:20). For the record, though, Joseph’s annunciation differed from Mary’s in two ways. First, the archangel, Gabriel, spoke to her in person, not in a dream, and second, Joseph’s annunciation comes after the fact; Mary is already with child.
Prior to the angel’s arrival, Joseph had been discerning what he should do about the fact that his new wife was already pregnant, even though they had not consummated their marriage. Being a “righteous man,” he decided he would divorce her as required by Jewish law (Dt 22: 20-21). Jewish law required stoning as punishment, but with Israel under Roman rule in Joseph’s day, Roman law was in play. It prescribed a public trial in place of a stoning. However, Joseph chose to keep the divorce private so as not to shame her (Mt 1:19).
Joseph was being exceptionally merciful here. Can you imagine how much he hurt inside thinking his wife had been with another man while he had been waiting to consummate the marriage according to Jewish custom? Pain causes most of us to lash out in anger, wanting to cause pain in the one who caused it in us. Surely Joseph was not just a caretaker chosen by God to care for Mary and Jesus. No, no, no, he loved Mary so much that his love triumphed over the pain of the perceived betrayal.
Nevertheless, being a follower of the law, he has chosen to divorce her quietly, but then God sends him an angel to give him new direction. I bet the angel’s arrival was in response to Joseph praying something like this, “Lord, I will divorce her according to your law, but not my will, but yours be done.” Maybe he even taught the second part of that prayer to his future son.
Note that as God so often does when He is giving us a new direction for our life, He directed the angel to first remove Joseph’s fear: “Joseph…do not be afraid (Mt 1:20).” After reassuring him, he gave Joseph a new path, “…take Mary your wife into your home…it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived…. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus (Mt 1: 20-25).” Joseph knew this message was an answer to his prayers, not just a crazy dream. Accordingly, he surrenders to God’s will, takes Mary into his home and names the baby Jesus. And by the way, to name a child is to make it your own and thereby, since Joseph is in the line of King David, Jesus, through Joseph, becomes a part of that line as the prophets foretold.
The names Jesus and Emmanuel are important. Jesus is derived from the Old Testament name Joshua which means “Yahweh is salvation (Sri 45).” We need to be saved. To be saved is to be freed. Sin is what we need freedom from, not political powers, not our guilt, and not a lack of acceptance by others of our behaviors. Sin can destroy both the body and the soul; it is the greatest threat we face. It causes us so much confusion, pain, and suffering. And if we do not seek God’s forgiveness for it, that pain and suffering become eternal after we die. How can Jesus, a man, save us from a threat of eternal consequence?
This is how. Matthew says the baby Jesus is the “Emmanuel” prophesied in today’s first reading from Isaiah. In other words, Matthew is telling us that God Himself is present in Jesus (Sri 47). The message that Jesus is God present with us is so important that Matthew’s gospel mentions it in the first chapter that I just proclaimed and in the last when Jesus says, “Behold, I am with you always, until the close of the age (Mt 28:20).”
I am going to digress a minute to mention a heresy that still exist among Christians related to today’s gospel. The next verse after the last one in today’s gospel is, “He had no relations with her until she bore a son… (Mt 1:25).” I bring it up because this verse has been used by some as an argument that Mary did not remain a virgin as has been taught for two thousand years. They think the word “until” means Joseph and Mary had relations after Jesus was born. That is heresy and it has been around since the 300s. In the year 383, St. Jerome shot down this heresy with numerous quotations from scripture including Jesus saying, “I am with you until the close of the age (Mt 28:20).” Referring to Jesus’ words, St. Jerome sarcastically asked the heretic, Helvidius, “if he thought the Lord would then forsake His disciples after the close of the age (Hahn, 106).”
Now back to the homily…When reading and listening to reflections on the 4th Sunday of Advent, a common reflection emerges. Dr. Ed Sri, Fulton Sheen, Peter Kreeft and others point out that Christianity differs from mere religion in that it is not so much about people seeking God, but about God seeking us (Sri 47). Dr. Sri points out that after Adam and Eve sinned, “they hid themselves from the presence of God (Gn 3:8), and ever since, God has been seeking to bring us back into an intimate relationship with Him (Sri 47). He wants to be wedded to us, and Jesus fulfilled His Father’s desire in His very personhood. Jesus IS the marriage of humanity and divinity (Barron on Hallow app). And He consummates that marriage at every Mass, giving us His body at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:9). God came to us to bring us into His Holy Family; that is Christmas.
Mary had THE Annunciation. Joseph had his annunciation, the shepherds outside Jerusalem had theirs. And you and me and every humble Catholic around the world has their own annunciation at every Mass. For the priest and deacon hold up the sacred bread and declare to you what it really is, not a symbol, but the Body of Christ. We just might as well say, “This is Jesus whom Mary conceived in her womb through the Holy Spirit. Do not be afraid, but take Him under your roof, for He is your savior (Mt 8:8).” This is the bread of which Jesus said at least four times, “Whoever eats this bread will live forever (Jn 6: 50, 51, 54, 58).” These are Jesus’ words to us. Jesus is God, and what He says is. And at the moment we receive this bread of angels we, like Mary, give our fiat, Amen. “May it be done to me according to your word (Lk 1:38).”
Citations:
CatholicIreland.net: Origins and development of Advent. November 30, 1999
Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Matthew. Baker Academic 2010.
James A. Wallace. Preaching to the Hungers of the Heart; The Homily on the Feasts and within the Rites. The Liturgical Press 2002.
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