Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we cry out, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens!” (Eph 1:3) How immeasurable this gift of our Holy Blessed Mother! For it is through you, most holy and exquisite Mother, that “all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.”
Second Sunday of Advent
Watching America from above while landing in Chicago last night really brought the sharp contrast between how America prepares for Christmas and how India prepares for Christmas. And I found myself caught right in the middle. As the airplane gradually descended over Chicago, I could see the many Christmas lights and the glitter that goes with it. In India, Advent is rather somber, almost equaling Lent. This is a time for abstinence, novenas and heightened religious devotions. Christmas decorations will only be up between the twenty-third and twenty-fourth of Dec. The day before I left, my dad mom and I had our Christmas meal. Our neighbors got a whiff of the food and asked us if we not observing our advent obligations. Of course I found my way out of the sticky situation saying that since I was a priest in America, I was not bound by the local customs. I am sorry folks, but just like Adam blamed eve for eating the fruit of the garden, I blamed it on America.
Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
As I sit down at my desk to write my reflections I read through the selected scriptures looking for what jumps off the page at me. Sometimes it seems sensible and obvious and other times it seems strange and unconnected. Today was certainly the latter. Reading the passage from Isaiah I had one word permeate my thoughts, 'tithe'[1]. Strange as it was at first, I believe it fits the prophecy Isaiah made. Before explaining its appropriateness, I want to clarify my own history with the word tithe.
Thursday of the First Week of Advent
This gospel from Matthew features one of my favorite analogies from the New Testament – the house built on rock that withstands the storm and the house built on sand that crumbles. This ties in beautifully with the first reading from Isaiah, in which we are told, “the Lord is an eternal rock.” Today we are being told to build our houses on rock – to center our lives on the Lord.
Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
About a month ago I got a phone call from a friend who I had invited for Thanksgiving dinner. He was calling to see what the menu would be. He had to decide if the promise of Thanksgiving at my house was going to meet his expectations. My friend had gotten another offer for dinner that night and was torn in trying to choose where he would eat. I of course promised we would have turkey with all the trimmings and welcomed him to eat at are table.
Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
During Advent, we patiently wait for the birth of Christ. We allow ourselves to enter into a time of waiting, even though we know the end of the story and its immense joy. We take on the great task of waiting for a Lord we already have present to us. But this time of waiting is crucial for our spiritual lives because it reminds us of our shortcomings, of the ways we rush to God’s abundant grace as if we earned it. Advent reminds us that although the Kingdom is among us, it is also far from realized.
Monday of the First Week of Advent
I love how St. John opens his gospel, since in just a few words he captures one of the central truths about Jesus-“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) Jesus is the WORD, and He became flesh and is given all power and authority in heaven and earth. Today’s gospel reading reminds us that we are called to be servants to the WORD (Jesus). In our humility, we must recognize that only Jesus is deserving of our trust, our praise, and our willingness to obey. If we can live out this faith and claim Him as the Lord of our lives, then we too will be able to join Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the banquet table in the kingdom of heaven.
First Sunday of Advent
News from the Black Friday sales this year was the worst we have ever heard. There were shootings, stabbings, robberies, pepper sprays, and serious injuries. A Brazilian tourist, Luis Figueiro, who witnessed the mobs at the Macy’s store in New York remarked, "This is madness.” We do not know whether those in the news are Christians or mere deal seekers, but I am sure that, like me, most of you agree with the Brazilian tourist that, “This is madness.” For me, this madness is not the only problem. I also wish this shopping frenzy was somehow not associated with Christmas. I wish Black Friday happened sometime in the summer. I am sad that the birth of Christ, which symbolizes self-giving, humility, sacrifice and love, has been forever tainted by this commercial madness. The appropriation of Saint Nicholas by the business interest is tragic. I wish we got an opportunity to celebrate Christmas independent of what it has come to mean commercially.
Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
As an engineer, one of my favorite places on the planet was my office. For years, it was the home of many work-related victories, personal triumphs, epiphanies, and breakthroughs, as well as a setting of stress, occasional discouragement, and numerous late nights. That space was not just my office- it was my cafeteria when I ate, my study when I worked on my Masters, and my chapel when I prayed. Many good days and many bad days were lived in my chair, pencil in hand, coffee by my side, at my large desk which I was always secretly so proud of. My diplomas graced the top of my tallest bookshelf, above textbooks, journals, and project files too numerous to count. Truly, it was good. But of all the items in my office, the most memorable was a small, yellow post-it note that I kept above my computer. On it, the following words were handwritten in green ink: "At once they left their nets and followed Him."
Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
During this last week of the liturgical year before the beginning of Advent, we have readings from the book of Daniel as well as hear of the second coming of Christ in today’s gospel from Luke. In the first reading (Daniel 6: 12-28), we read the familiar story of Daniel not being harmed when he is thrown into the lion’s den for his faithfulness to God. The book of Daniel was written to give hope to those experiencing oppression and persecution at that time. The story says that Daniel was “unhurt because he trusted in his God.”
Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
There is an old saying that for me captures the tenacity and intentionality that is demanded of us as disciples; if we were “If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence in your daily life to convict you?”
Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Prophecy can be a tricky thing. There are Nostradamus’ vague predictions. There are the science fiction applications of the Revelation in popular literature. We tend to understand prophecy as some prediction of the future, some vision of things that will and must come to pass. While this understanding is common and probably not entirely incorrect (I am not able to see the future so I can’t say for certain), it is helpful to start with the immediate situation that the prophet confronted. Typically, at least in scripture, there are two interrelated aspects. First, the context the prophet addressed. Second, the community the prophet inhabited. Prophecy is very often about a community’s relationship to its context. Most often they are not doom and gloom (though sometimes they are). Instead, they are occasions for hope in a time of crisis. The passages for today are great examples of the hopeful role of scriptural prophecy.
Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s readings got me to thinking about our Parish discipleship theme “Being the Body of Christ” in a slightly different way. I remember the very moment I began to truly feel part of the community at my parish. It was nearly 8 years ago when my father passed away. I had been attending the Rock with Jesus Mass at Immaculate Conception for quite a while and I always sat in the back in the same area of the church. A woman walked by before church and asked me how I was. I’m not sure if she expected anything more than the usual “Fine, thank you”, but I blurted out that my father had passed away several days earlier. She stopped and sat down next to me and began to ask me questions about my Dad. She did not seem to be in a hurry although I knew she had work to do and Mass was starting in just a few minutes. The most wonderful thing happened after that. A few minutes into the Mass, I noticed she was sitting behind me. I knew she never sat in that area and she usually sat with her husband. Now it doesn’t really matter the reason, but I felt that this woman knew I had just lost my Dad and that I was sitting alone at church and she decided to sit near me. I felt I was not alone. I felt deeply cared for. I felt loved. It was that evening I truly became part of my parish community. Since that time, I have related this story to her and she seemed surprised. She did not think she did anything special or out of he ordinary. She simply acted out of love and community. I was reminded of this incident when I reflected on today’s Scripture passages because we just never know how one little action on our part will forever impact another person in our community.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Does the gospel reading chosen for such a majestic feast strike you as unusual? Why would the church choose the most shameful moments of Christ’s life as the gospel reading for the Solemnity of Christ the King? When we celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, and events connected with our loved ones, don’t we normally focus on the positive? The gospel says about Jesus that the rulers sneered at him, the soldiers jeered at him, and one of the criminals reviled him, saying “Are you not the Christ?” To a certain extent, this criminal is justified in his question. How could this man sharing the fate of criminals be God? The plaque above his head said, “This is the King of the Jews.” How could a man hanging from a cross be a king? This man groaning with pain – how could he be “the Christ?” Why could the Church not have chosen a reading that showcases Christ’s splendor?
Saturday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
I'm in my sixth month of marriage, and while I'm hardly an expert, I'm quickly learning many things. I'm learning to appreciate our differences, to be able to communicate that just because I'd do something differently doesn't mean my way is better, and I'm learning to appreciate all of the little things that I can easily take for granted. There are areas that need a little more work than others. Presently, I'm still quite the amateur at recognizing my mistakes before they catch up with me, admitting when I'm wrong, and finally, gracefully recovering from being wrong. I can hardly take credit for thinking about these areas that need growth on my free time. Rather, I picked up today's readings and they jumped off the page at me as several key passages resonated with me above and beyond the others.
Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr
Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The line in today's gospel, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes (Lk 19:42),” speaks volumes to me. Too often I have held the belief that if I simply go with the flow and keep everyone happy and smiling then I am creating peace. And all too often the real method for peace has been hidden from my eyes.
Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Consider for a moment, what has been the moment in your life where you drew a line in the sand and said I will go no further? Where does the strength come from when everything around us seems to suggest that creating such a line will not end well for us? Standing firm in the midst of a collapsing world is an act of total trust in God. When your brain is repeating, I cannot take any more of this torture, please give in or run away, what are we to do? Yet it is these times when God gives us the grace to persevere. And somehow the mental anguish slowly abates as we hold fast to the Lord who promises to protect us.
Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s first reading and psalm tell us about great persecution. In 2 Maccabees, Eleazar is being forced to eat pork in defiance of the Torah (Law). He chooses torture and death over breaking God’s Law. In Eleazar, we have an early example of the martyrs who have died for their faith throughout the centuries. Before he dies, Eleazar says that he is old and that his death will be an example “of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws.” In the psalm for today, the lament of the persecuted continues as we pray, “The Lord upholds me.” This simple sentence becomes meaningful in the verses of the psalm. The supplicant speaks of persecution not unlike Eleazar’s, saying that “Many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’” Yet the speaker maintains his faith in the Lord, the Lord who upholds him.